bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transient cardiac electrophysiological changes in a rat model of subarachnoid haemorrhage: a brain–heart interaction
Authors: Chen Mingxian , Wang Zhuo , Lai Xin , Wang Songyun , Wu Zhihong , Liu Qiming , Zhou Shenghua
Published: June 2023

Aims

Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is one of the causes of sudden cardiac death (SCD). However, the time course of ventricular arrhythmias and potential mechanisms responsible for this effect after SAH remain unknown.

Objective

This study aims to investigate the effect of SAH on ventricular electrophysiological changes and its potential mechanisms in long-term phase.

Methods and results

We examined the ventricular electrophysiological remodelling and potential mechanisms in a Sprague Dawley rat model of SAH at six time points (baseline, and Days 1, 3, 7, 14 and 28) and explored the potential mechanisms. We measured the ventricular effective refractory period (ERP), ventricular fibrillation threshold (VFT) and left stellate ganglion (LSG) activity at different time points before and after SAH. We also detected neuropeptide Y (NPY) levels in plasma and myocardial tissues by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and quantified NPY 1 receptor (NPY1R) protein and mRNA expression levels by western blotting and quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Subarachnoid haemorrhage gradually prolonged QTc intervals, shortened ventricular ERP and reduced VFT during the acute phase, peaking at Day 3. However, no significant changes were observed from Days 14 to 28 compared to Day 0. Subarachnoid haemorrhage gradually increased LSG activity, increased NPY concentrations and up-regulated NPY1R expression in the acute phase of SAH, peaking at Day 3. However, no significant variations were found from Days 14 to 28 compared to Day 0.

Conclusion

Subarachnoid haemorrhage increases the transient susceptibility of VAs in the acute phase, and the underlying mechanisms for this response included increased sympathetic activity and up-regulated NPY1R expression.
A PacBio Hi-Fi Genome Assembly of the Painter’s Mussel Unio pictorum (Linnaeus, 1758)
Authors: Gomes-dos-Santos André , Froufe Elsa , Machado André M , Lajtner Jasna , Černecký Ján , C. Castro L Filipe , Lopes Lima Manuel
Published: June 2023

The highly diverse group of freshwater mussels from order Unionida is found in the world’s freshwater systems due to several fascinating evolutionary adaptations, including “parental care,” and most notably, an obligatory parasitic phase in their early life cycle, called glochidia, which infests and uses fish for nutrition and dispersal. Freshwater mussels play essential ecological roles in freshwater habitats, including water filtration, sediment bioturbation, and nutrient cycling. However, these species are also highly threatened, being one of the faunal groups with the highest recorded extinction rate in the wild. Genomics methods have an incredible potential to promote biodiversity conservation, allowing the characterization of population health, identification of adaptive genetic elements, delineation of conservation units, and providing a framework for predictive assessments of the impact of anthropogenic threats and climate change. Unfortunately, only six freshwater mussel species have had their whole genomes sequenced to date, and only two of these are European species. Here, we present the first genome assembly of the Painter’s Mussel, Unio pictorum (Linnaeus, 1758), the type species representative of the order and the most widespread species of the genus in Europe. We used long-read PacBio Hi-Fi sequencing reads to produce a highly contiguous assembly that will pave the way for the study of European freshwater mussels in the Genome Era.
Most Americans support minimizing administrative burdens for Medicaid recipients as the public health emergency ends
Authors: Haeder Simon F , Moynihan Donald P
Published: June 2023

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health emergency (PHE), states were barred from disenrolling anyone from Medicaid unless the beneficiary asked to be disenrolled, moved out of state, or died. Coverage increased, but as the PHE ends an estimated 7 million eligible Americans are expected to lose insurance due to difficulty navigating the renewal process. The end of the PHE therefore offers state policymakers a chance to reassess the value of such administrative burdens as a variety of policy tools are available to mitigate these losses. We inform this discussion via a national survey that captures public preferences around administrative burdens in public health insurance. We find strong public support for burden-reduction techniques that minimize coverage losses such as using administrative data to shift burdens onto the state and better outreach and communication, with an average of 74% of respondents supporting each policy tool. This support holds across the ideological spectrum and demographic groups, but it is stronger among liberals than conservatives, for those with more direct experience of burdens, those who struggle with such burdens, and for those with lower racial prejudice.
Why is it so hard for academic medical centers to succeed in value-based care?
Authors: Kocher Bob , Wachter Robert M
Published: June 2023

Academic medical centers (AMCs) excel in many ways, but struggle to succeed at delivering cost-effective care in value-based payment models. To the extent these payment models become more widespread, or mandatory, this could be a giant risk to the future success of AMCs. Many attributes of AMCs that have served them well in a fee-for-service payment system may hinder the transformation needed to succeed in value-based care. Much of the underperformance of AMCs may be explained by two core competencies that AMCs lack: the limited ability to redesign clinical workflows and inability to change their economic relationships with their own specialists and primary care providers. These limitations, in turn, flow from a combination of electronic medical record systems that lock-in existing practice patterns, compensation systems that reward volume over value, organizational structures that make it very hard to drive clinicians to change, workforces with too many specialists, and complex accounting systems. To preserve current margins in value-based care, AMCs need to reduce their cost structures and gain new skills in primary and preventive care. Alternative, AMCs may choose to eschew value-based care and raise their prices for fee-for-service to offset declines in patient volume.
Role of independent versus chain pharmacies in providing pharmacy access: a nationwide, individual-level geographic information systems analysis
Authors: Hernandez Inmaculada , Tang Shangbin , Morales Jasmine , Gabriel Nico , Patel Nimish , Mathis Walter S , Guo Jingchuan , Berenbrok Lucas A
Published: June 2023

Pharmacy accessibility is critical for equity in medication access and is jeopardized by pharmacy closures, which disproportionately affect independent pharmacies. We conducted a geographic information systems analysis to quantify how many individuals across the United States do not have optimal pharmacy access or solely rely on independent pharmacies for access. We generated service areas of pharmacies using OpenStreetMap data. For each individual in a 30% random sample of the 2020 RTI International US Household Synthetic Population (N = 90 778 132), we defined optimal pharmacy access as having a driving distance to the closest pharmacy ≤2 miles in urban counties, ≤5 miles in suburban counties, and ≤10 miles in rural counties. Individuals were then categorized according to their access to chain and independent pharmacies. Five percent of the sample or ∼15.1 million individuals nationwide relied on independent pharmacies for optimal access. Individuals relying on independent pharmacies for optimal access were more likely to live in rural areas, be sixty-five years or older, and belong to low-income households. Another 19.5% of individuals in the sample did not have optimal pharmacy access, which corresponds to 59.0 million individuals nationwide. Our findings demonstrate that independent pharmacies play a critical role in ensuring equity in pharmacy access.
Perspectives of private payers on multicancer early-detection tests: informing research, implementation, and policy
Authors: Trosman Julia R , Weldon Christine B , Kurian Allison W , Pasquinelli Mary M , Kircher Sheetal M , Martin Nikki , Douglas Michael P , Phillips Kathryn A
Published: June 2023

Emerging blood-based multicancer early-detection (MCED) tests may redefine cancer screening, reduce mortality, and address health disparities if their benefit is demonstrated. U.S. payers’ coverage policies will impact MCED test adoption and access; thus, their perspectives must be understood. We examined views, coverage barriers, and evidentiary needs for MCED from 19 private payers collectively covering 150 000 000 enrollees. Most saw an MCED test's potential merit for cancers without current screening (84%), but fewer saw its merit for cancers with existing screening (37%). The largest coverage barriers were inclusion of cancers without demonstrated benefits of early diagnosis (73%), a high false-negative rate (53%), and lack of care protocols for MCED–detected but unconfirmed cancers (53%). The majority (58%) would not require mortality evidence and would accept surrogate endpoints. Most payers (64%) would accept rigorous real-world evidence in the absence of a large randomized controlled trial. The majority (74%) did not expect MCED to reduce disparities due to potential harm from overtreatment resulting from an MCED and barriers to downstream care. Payers’ perspectives and evidentiary needs may inform MCED test developers, researchers producing evidence, and health systems framing MCED screening programs. Private payers should be stakeholders of a national MCED policy and equity agenda.
Measuring private equity penetration and consolidation in emergency medicine and anesthesiology
Authors: Adler Loren , Milhaupt Conrad , Valdez Samuel
Published: June 2023

Private equity–backed staffing companies in anesthesia and emergency medicine, as well as those owned by publicly traded companies, gained notoriety for driving surprise billing—a practice where patients unexpectedly treated by an out-of-network provider can be billed for the difference between the provider's charge and what their insurer pays. Yet, little is known about the evolution of private equity and publicly traded company investment in these specialties. In this study, we construct a novel dataset identifying the ownership structure of anesthesia and emergency medicine physician groups to document trends in consolidation and the growing role of private equity and publicly traded companies. From 2009 to 2019, we found substantial increases in local market concentration in each specialty and that physician groups owned by private equity or publicly traded companies grew from 3.2% and 8.6% of the national anesthesia and emergency medicine markets, respectively, to 18.8% and 22.0%.
Introducing the inaugural issue of Health Affairs Scholar: Emerging and Global Health Policy (HAS)
Authors: Phillips Kathryn A
Published: June 2023

We are delighted to introduce readers to the inaugural issue of Health Affairs Scholar: Emerging and Global Health Policy (HAS). HAS is the new fully open access companion journal to Health Affairs. Building on Health Affairs’ reputation as the leading journal of health policy thought and research, HAS serves as an additional forum for high-quality, peer-reviewed work from researchers worldwide. The journal fills a gap by focusing on both health policy and emerging issues that are historically less often addressed in “legacy” health policy journals. HAS will elevate emerging new research and policy analysis on healthcare technology, business models, and innovation; population health; global health policy; and important intersecting topics with health, such as the impact of climate change. The journal will also cover core health policy topics of healthcare costs, access to care, quality, and equity.
Geographic distribution of general industry payments to advanced-practice clinicians
Authors: Sun Qiwei Wilton , Cavallo Joseph J , Forman Howard P
Published: June 2023

Following the recent expansion of the Open Payments program to include advanced-practice clinicians (APCs) as covered recipients, we characterized the geographical distribution of general industry payments to nurse practitioners and physician assistants using the Open Payments database. The number and dollar value of payments, as well as the average and median payment amount earned per provider, varied by state. However, a significantly higher proportion of APCs received payments in states with more restrictive scope-of-practice laws. Understanding how and why payments to APCs vary by state can elucidate how industry–APC relationships are related to changing scope-of-practice and state-specific transparency/disclosure laws, informing future legislation.
Health research in academic health systems: time for a new model
Authors: Collard Harold R , Hooper Sarah , Spetz Joanne
Published: June 2023

Research, along with patient care and education, is a core element of the academic health system's tripartite mission; it is essential to the academic health system's societal commitment to advancing the public's health. Research at academic health systems in the United States is increasingly resource-constrained and, in important ways, the underlying financial model supporting it has reached a point of unsustainability. This commentary reviews the roles that health research at academic health systems plays in society, describes the ways in which the current model of health research is under strain, and proposes an evolved model and series of organizational and operational steps to consider in moving health research forward.
Pandemic telehealth flexibilities for buprenorphine treatment: a synthesis of evidence and policy implications for expanding opioid use disorder care in the United States
Authors: Krawczyk Noa , Rivera Bianca D , King Carla , Dooling Bridget C E
Published: June 2023

Buprenorphine is a highly effective treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) and a critical tool for addressing the worsening US overdose crisis. However, multiple barriers to treatment—including stringent federal regulations—have historically made this medication hard to reach for many who need it. In 2020, under the COVID-19 public health emergency, federal regulators substantially changed access to buprenorphine by allowing prescribers to initiate patients on buprenorphine via telehealth without first evaluating them in person. As the public health emergency has been set to expire in May of 2023, Congress and federal agencies can leverage extensive evidence from studies conducted during the wake of the pandemic to make evidence-based decisions on the regulation of buprenorphine going forward. To aid policy makers, this narrative review synthesizes and interprets peer-reviewed research on the effect of buprenorphine flexibilities on the uptake and implementation of telehealth, and its impact on OUD patient and prescriber experiences, access to treatment, and health outcomes. Overall, our review finds that many prescribers and patients took advantage of telehealth, including the audio-only option, with a wide range of benefits and few downsides. As a result, federal regulators—including agencies and Congress—should continue nonrestricted use of telehealth for buprenorphine initiation.
The Cost of Emergency Care For Children Across Differing Levels of Emergency Department Pediatric Readiness
Authors: Newgard Craig D , Smith McKenna , Lin Amber , McConnell K John , Remick Katherine E , Burd Randall S , Marin Jennifer R , Mann N Clay , Gausche-Hill Marianne , Hewes Hilary A , Child Angela , Lang Benjamin , Foster Ashley A , Maughan Brandon , Goldhaber-Fiebert Jeremy D ,   Pediatric Readiness Study Group
Published: June 2023

Background and Objective

High ED pediatric readiness is associated with improved survival in children, but the cost is unknown. We evaluated the costs of emergency care for children across quartiles of ED pediatric readiness.

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of children 0 to 17 years receiving emergency services in 747 EDs in 9 states from 1/1/2012 through 12/31/2017. We measured ED pediatric readiness using the weighted Pediatric Readiness Score (wPRS, range 0-100). The primary outcome was the total cost of acute care (ED and inpatient) in 2022 dollars, adjusted for ED case mix and hospital characteristics.

Results

15,138,599 children received emergency services, including 27.6% with injuries and 72.4% with medical illness. The average adjusted per-patient cost by quartile of ED pediatric readiness ranged from $991 (quartile 1) to $1,064 (quartile 4) for injured children and $1,104 to $1,217 for medical children. The resulting cost differences were $72 (95% CI -$6 to $151) and $113 (95% CI $20 to $206), respectively.

Conclusions

Receiving emergency care in high-readiness EDs was not associated with marked increases in the cost of delivering services.
Critical gaps in understanding firearm suicide in Hispanic communities: demographics, mental health, and access to care
Authors: Goldstein Evan V , Brenes Francisco , Wilson Fernando A
Published: June 2023

Suicide rates increased by 26.7% among Hispanics from 2015 to 2020, driven at least in part by highly lethal firearm suicide deaths. However, there are critical gaps in characterizing firearm suicide risks and prevention opportunities in Hispanic communities. We examined Hispanic adult firearm suicide decedents reported through the National Violent Death Reporting System from 2013–2019, focusing on demographic characteristics, firearm choices, suicidal thoughts/behaviors, mental health, and mental health treatment, compared with non-Hispanic adult firearm suicide decedents. Only 13.8% of Hispanic firearm suicide decedents were known to be undergoing treatment for a mental health or substance use problem prior to death, compared to 18.8% of non-Hispanic firearm suicide decedents. On average, Hispanic firearm suicide decedents were significantly less likely than non-Hispanic firearm suicide decedents known to have been treated for a mental health or substance use problem. These results may underscore the critical need for public health agencies and policymakers to promote initiatives integrating mental health screening into medical care, reducing mental health stigma among Hispanics, and expanding mental health treatment capacity in Hispanic communities.
Patient-centered inpatient psychiatry is associated with outcomes, ownership, and national quality measures
Authors: Shields Morgan C , Hollander Mara A G , Busch Alisa B , Kantawala Zohra , Rosenthal Meredith B
Published: June 2023

Following discharge from inpatient psychiatry, patients experience elevated suicide risk, unplanned readmission, and lack of outpatient follow-up visits. These negative outcomes might relate to patient-centered care (PCC) experiences while hospitalized. We surveyed 739 former patients of inpatient psychiatric settings to understand the relationship between PCC and changes in patients’ trust, willingness to engage in care, and self-reported 30-day follow-up visits. We also linked PCC measures to facility-level quality measures in the Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Quality Reporting program. Relative to patients discharged from facilities in the top quartile of PCC, those discharged from facilities in the bottom quartile were more likely to experience reduced trust (predicted probability [PP] = 0.77 vs 0.46; P < .001), reduced willingness to go to the hospital voluntarily (PP = 0.99 vs 0.01; P < .001), and a lower likelihood of a 30-day follow-up (PP = 0.71 vs 0.92; P < .001). PCC was lower among patients discharged from for-profits, was positively associated with facility-level quality measures of 7- and 30-day follow-up and medication continuation, and was inversely associated with restraint use. Findings underscore the need to introduce systematic measurement and improvement of PCC in this setting.
Recent modifications to the US methadone treatment system are a Band-Aid—not a solution—to the nation's broken opioid use disorder treatment system
Authors: Krawczyk Noa , Joudrey Paul J , Simon Rachel , Russel Danielle M , Frank David
Published: June 2023

For 5 decades, US federal regulations have segregated methadone treatment for opioid use disorder from the rest of the health care system, confining its availability to specialty treatment programs that are highly regulated. These regulations have led to severe shortages in the availability of methadone and grave underutilization of this lifesaving medication despite a worsening overdose crisis. In this commentary, we discuss current barriers to methadone in the US opioid treatment system and how recent changes to federal regulations fall short of the reforms needed to significantly expand access to this treatment. Instead, we propose the urgent need to expand methadone to mainstream health care settings by allowing for office-based prescribing and pharmacy dispensing of methadone, the norm in many other developed countries.
Trends in the level and composition of supplemental benefits in Medicare Advantage
Authors: McCormack Grace , Trish Erin
Published: June 2023

Medicare Advantage (MA) plans that bid below benchmarks (or bidding targets) receive a portion of that difference as rebates, which they then must return to beneficiaries through supplemental benefits or reduced premiums or cost-sharing. Using Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data, we evaluate the growth in rebates and concomitant changes in supplemental benefit composition among health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and local preferred provider organizations (PPOs) from 2011 through 2022. Average rebates grew considerably, particularly after 2015 and among PPOs. Alongside this rebate growth, the share of enrollees in plans offering dental, vision, and hearing benefits also increased, with nearly universal coverage of these benefits among both HMOs and PPOs by 2022. Medicare Advantage plans also increasingly reduced beneficiary Part D premium obligations, while increasing beneficiary financial exposure in the form of higher Part D deductibles, medical out-of-pocket maximums, and cost-sharing for inpatient stays. These findings are particularly relevant as policymakers debate the merits of various reforms to MA payment policy.
Understanding categories of postpartum care use among privately insured patients in the United States: a cluster-analytic approach
Authors: Interrante Julia D , Carroll Caitlin , Kozhimannil Katy B
Published: June 2023

The postpartum period is critical for the health and well-being of birthing people, yet little is known about the range of health care services and supports needed during this time. Maternity care patients are often targeted for clinical interventions based on “low risk” or “high risk” designations, but dichotomized measures can be imprecise and may not reflect meaningful groups for understanding needed postpartum care. Using claims data from privately insured patients with childbirths between 2016 and 2018, this study identifies categories and predictors of postpartum care utilization, including the use of maternal care and other, nonmaternal, care (eg, respiratory, digestive). We then compare identified utilization-based categories with typical high- and low-risk designations. Among 269 992 patients, 5 categories were identified: (1) low use (55% of births); (2) moderate maternal care use, low other care use (25%); (3) moderate maternal, high other (8%); (4) high maternal, moderate other (7%); and (5) high maternal, high other (5%). Utilization-based categories were better at differentiating postpartum care use and were more consistent across patient profiles, compared with high- and low-risk dichotomies. Identifying categories of postpartum care need beyond a simple risk dichotomy is warranted and can assist in maternal health services research, policymaking, and clinical practice.
Nursing homes underreport antipsychotic use but overreport diagnoses qualifying for appropriate use
Authors: Chen Amanda C , Grabowski David C
Published: June 2023

Antipsychotic drug use in US nursing homes remains a priority concern, but less is understood about the characteristics associated with reporting. Using linked Medicare claims and Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments for long-stay nursing home residents from January 2018 to December 2019, we assessed the consistency of antipsychotic drug reporting and diagnosis of conditions (schizophrenia, Tourette's syndrome, and Huntington's disease) that qualify as appropriate drug use across data sources by calculating reporting rates in facility-reported MDS and Medicare claims. The antipsychotic reporting outcome is conditional on claims reporting while the condition reporting outcomes are conditional on MDS reporting. We found underreporting (87% reporting rate) in facility-reported antipsychotic use versus Medicare claims. In contrast, we found overreporting of the qualifying conditions with several facility-reported diagnoses unsupported by a corresponding claims diagnosis. Only 54.8% of schizophrenia, 46.5% of Tourette's syndrome, and 72.4% of Huntington's disease diagnoses reported in the MDS had a claims diagnosis. There was also variation in reporting odds for antipsychotic drug use by dual-eligibility status and race, with higher odds for dual-eligible and lower odds for Black residents. These findings suggest that CMS should continue investigating the source of reporting discrepancies in antipsychotic drug use and qualifying diagnoses.
An ethylene-induced NAC transcription factor acts as a multiple abiotic stress responsor in conifer
Authors: Han Fangxu , Wang Peiyi , Chen Xi , Zhao Huanhuan , Zhu Qianya , Song Yitong , Nie Yumeng , Li Yue , Guo Meina , Niu Shihui
Published: June 2023

The proper response to various abiotic stresses is essential for plants' survival to overcome their sessile nature, especially for perennial trees with very long-life cycles. However, in conifers, the molecular mechanisms that coordinate multiple abiotic stress responses remain elusive. Here, the transcriptome response to various abiotic stresses like salt, cold, drought, heat shock and osmotic were systematically detected in Pinus tabuliformis (P. tabuliformis) seedlings. We found that four transcription factors were commonly induced by all tested stress treatments, while PtNAC3 and PtZFP30 were highly up-regulated and co-expressed. Unexpectedly, the exogenous hormone treatment assays and the content of the endogenous hormone indicates that the upregulation of PtNAC3 and PtZFP30 are mediated by ethylene. Time-course assay showed that the treatment by ethylene immediate precursor, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), activated the expression of PtNAC3 and PtZFP30 within 8 hours. We further confirm that the PtNAC3 can directly bind to the PtZFP30 promoter region and form a cascade. Overexpression of PtNAC3 enhanced unified abiotic stress tolerance without growth penalty in transgenic Arabidopsis and promoted reproductive success under abiotic stress by shortening the lifespan, suggesting it has great potential as a biological tool applied to plant breeding for abiotic stress tolerance. This study provides novel insights into the hub nodes of the abiotic stresses response network as well as the environmental adaptation mechanism in conifers, and provides a potential biofortification tool to enhance plant unified abiotic stress tolerance.
Nodal discrete duality numerical scheme for nonlinear diffusion problems on general meshes
Authors: Andreianov Boris , Houssaine Quenjel El
Published: June 2023

Discrete duality finite volume (DDFV) schemes are known for their ability to approximate nonlinear and linear anisotropic diffusion operators on general meshes, but they possess several drawbacks. The most important drawback of DDFV is the simultaneous use of the cell and the node unknowns. We propose a discretization approach that incorporates DDFV ideas and the associated analysis techniques, but allows for a rapid elimination of the cell unknowns. Further, unlike the DDFV scheme, the new ‘Nodal Discrete Duality’ (NDD) scheme does not require specific adaptation in presence of discontinuities of the diffusion tensor along cell boundaries. We describe in detail the 2D NDD framework and its two 3D variants, focusing on the consistency properties of the discrete gradient and discrete divergence operators and on the key structural property of discrete duality. For the 2D scheme, convergence analysis is carried out and a series of numerical tests are provided for a large family of nonlinear anisotropic elliptic problems with zero Dirichlet boundary condition.
Biohybrid Adsorbent for the Preconcentration of Lead and Its Determination in Fruit Juices by Electrothermal Atomic Absorption Spectrometry
Authors: Quintas Pamela Y , Agostini Elizabeth , Wevar Oller Ana L , Escudero Leticia B
Published: June 2023

Background

Fruit juices are one of the most non-alcoholic beverages consumed in the world. Essential elements and other nutrients present in fruit juices play an important role in human well-being. However, fruit juices may also contain potentially toxic elements at trace levels, causing health risks.

Objective

The objective of this work was to develop an analytical methodology based on the preconcentration of lead using a new biodegradable hybrid material (BHM) composed of Rhodococcus erythropolis AW3 bacteria and Brassica napus hairy roots.

Methods

The BHM was implemented in an online solid-phase extraction (SPE) system for the determination of lead in fruit juices by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS).

Results

Effects of critical parameters on lead retention were studied. Under optimal experimental conditions, extraction efficiency higher than 99.9% and an enrichment factor of 62.5 were achieved. The dynamic capacity of the BHM was 36 mg/g, which favored the reuse of the column for at least eight biosorption−desorption cycles. The LOD and LOQ for preconcentration of 5 mL of sample were 5.0 and 16.5 ng/L lead, respectively. The RSD was 4.8% (at 1 µg/L lead and n = 10).

Conclusion

The developed method was suitable for application to lead determination in different types of fruit juice.

Highlights

A novel microextraction procedure based on the use of a biohybrid adsorbent. Highly sensitive determination of Pb at trace levels. Analysis of Pb in fruit juices samples. An eco-friendly microextraction technique for Pb determination.
Combining network pharmacology and in vitro and in vivo experiments to study the mechanism of Keluoxin in the treatment of radiation nephropathy
Authors: Deng Lin , Wang Shaoqing , Leng Xingli , Yao Peng , Li Cuicui , Zheng Yang
Published: June 2023

Radiation nephropathy refers to kidney damage caused by radiation therapy for malignant tumours. Currently, the pathogenesis is unclear and there is a lack of effective treatment methods. With the development of traditional Chinese medicine, the role of traditional Chinese medicine in the protection of radiation nephropathy is receiving increasing attention. Therefore, in this study, we used X-ray intraperitoneal irradiation to construct a mouse model of radiation nephropathy and studied the protective effect of traditional Chinese medicine Keluoxin on radiation nephropathy. We first analysed the potential targets and pathways of Keluoxin in the treatment of radiation nephropathy using network pharmacology methods, combined with in vitro and in vivo experimental verification, to study its potential mechanism. By searching the database, 136 components of Keluoxin were identified. A total of 333 intersectional targets related to radiation nephropathy were obtained. Among them, key targets include IL-6, TNF-α, HIF-1α, STAT1, STAT3, JAK1, JAK2, etc. In in vivo and in vitro experiments, we found that as the irradiation dose increased and time prolonged, kidney damage in mice gradually worsened in a time-dependent and dose-dependent manner. As the irradiation dose increases, the expression of pro-inflammatory factors Il-6, TNF-α, TGF-β increased. Compared with the irradiation group, the intervention of Keluoxin can reduce kidney damage caused by X-ray irradiation and reduce the expression of IL-6, TNF-α, TGF-β, STAT1, STAT3, JAK1, JAK2, etc. These results indicated that Keluoxin can alleviate kidney damage caused by X-ray irradiation, possibly by regulating the JAK/STAT signalling pathway, reducing inflammation levels and oxidative stress damage.
Robotic transposition and ureteroureterostomy of type 1 retrocaval ureter
Authors: Maestroni Umberto , Dinale Francesco , Ziglioli Francesco , Bocchialini Tommaso , Guarino Giulio G , Campobasso Davide
Published: June 2023

Retrocaval ureter (RCU) is a rare malformation of the inferior vena cava. We report a case of a 60-years-old female presented with right flank pain and computed tomography scan diagnosis of (RCU). She underwent robotic transposition and ureteroureterostomy of RCU. No complications were recorded. After 1 year of follow-up the patient remains asymptomatic and without signs of obstruction. Robotic repair of RCU with preservation of the retrocaval segment is a safe procedure with the advantages of the vision and dexterity in dissection and suturing.
Hematogenous prosthetic knee joint infection with Klebsiella pneumoniae caused by asymptomatic gallbladder abscess: a case report and literature review
Authors: Omichi Yasuyuki , Hamada Daisuke , Okada Ryo , Wada Keizo , Tamaki Yasuaki , Yamada Shinichiro , Goto Tomohiro , Sairyo Koichi
Published: June 2023

Klebsiella pneumoniae has the ability to form biofilm; therefore, the treatment of prosthetic joint infection involving K. pneumoniae is often challenging. This report describes the first case of acute hematogenous prosthetic knee joint infection with K. pneumoniae that occurred as a result of an asymptomatic gallbladder abscess. The patient was a 78-year-old man who underwent bilateral total knee arthroplasty 6 years ago. He had pain and swelling in his right knee. The synovial fluid culture of the right knee revealed K. pneumoniae and prosthetic joint infection was diagnosed. Computed tomography revealed a gallbladder abscess in the absence of right upper abdominal pain. The patient underwent simultaneous debridement of the knee and open cholecystectomy. The treatment was successful and the prosthesis was retained. In cases of hematogenous prosthetic joint infection with K. pneumoniae, other sources of infection should be suspected and investigated regardless of whether they are symptomatic.
Individual realities and legal responsibilities: a study of non-resident parents who dispute child maintenance obligations in Swedish administrative courts, 2014–2019
Authors: Finnström Johanna
Published: June 2023

This study is the first large-scale empirical account of child maintenance non-compliance in Sweden. The scheme explored is the guaranteed support system, i.e. when liable parents do not comply with their formal maintenance obligations as determined by the Swedish Social Insurance Agency (SSIA). The objective is to map out and describe the overall reasons why parents do not pay, as well as to explain why parents’ perceptions of their maintenance obligations diverge from those of the SSIA officials. To this end, the study utilises both quantitative descriptive analysis and qualitative thematic text analysis. The data were built on a unique body of material comprising over 700 court cases where liable parents disputed their maintenance obligations in Sweden’s 12 administrative courts, during 2014–2019. The quantitative results show that claiming economic inability and regular involvement in the care of children are the two most common arguments for non-payment. The qualitative analysis further suggests that the administrative tools and legal assessments designed to calculate payments to aid parents are in reality creating barriers, uncertainty, and distrust in the process. Consequently, the rules designed to protect children in lone-parent households are a factor contributing to non-payment by the other parent. The article concludes with reflections and public policy implications.
Signs of binary evolution in seven magnetic DA white dwarfs
Authors: Moss Adam , Kilic Mukremin , Bergeron P , Firgard Megan , Brown Warren
Published: June 2023

We present our findings on the spectral analysis of seven magnetic white dwarfs that were presumed to be double degenerates. We obtained time-resolved spectroscopy at the Gemini Observatory to look for evidence of binarity or fast rotation. We find three of our targets have rotation periods of less than an hour based on the shifting positions of the Zeeman-split H α components: 13, 35, and 39 min, and we find one more target with a approximately an hour long period that is currently unconstrained. We use offset dipole models to determine the inclination, magnetic field strength, and dipole offset of each target. The average surface field strengths of our fast rotators vary by 1–2 MG between different spectra. In all cases, the observed absorption features are too shallow compared to our models. This could be due to extra flux from a companion for our three low-mass targets, but the majority of our sample likely requires an inhomogeneous surface composition. Including an additional magnetic white dwarf with similar properties presented in the literature, we find that five of the eight targets in this sample show field variations on minute/hour time-scales. A crystallization driven dynamo can potentially explain the magnetic fields in three of our targets with masses above 0.7 M⊙, but another mechanism is still needed to explain their rapid rotation. We suggest that rapid rotation or low-masses point to binary evolution as the likely source of magnetism in seven of these eight targets.
A Noncoding A-to-U Kozak Site Change Related to the High Transmissibility of Alpha, Delta, and Omicron VOCs
Authors: Yang Jianing , Cui Yingmin , Yu Dalang , Zhang Guoqing , Cao Ruifang , Gu Zhili , Dai Guangyi , Wu Xiaoxian , Ling Yunchao , Yi Chunyan , Sun Xiaoyu , Sun Bing , Lin Xin , Zhang Yu , Zhao Guo-Ping , Li Yixue , Pan Yi-Hsuan , Li Haipeng
Published: June 2023

Three prevalent SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) emerged and caused epidemic waves. It is essential to uncover advantageous mutations that cause the high transmissibility of VOCs. However, viral mutations are tightly linked, so traditional population genetic methods, including machine learning–based methods, cannot reliably detect mutations conferring a fitness advantage. In this study, we developed an approach based on the sequential occurrence order of mutations and the accelerated furcation rate in the pandemic-scale phylogenomic tree. We analyzed 3,777,753 high-quality SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences and the epidemiology metadata using the Coronavirus GenBrowser. We found that two noncoding mutations at the same position (g.a28271−/u) may be crucial to the high transmissibility of Alpha, Delta, and Omicron VOCs although the noncoding mutations alone cannot increase viral transmissibility. Both mutations cause an A-to-U change at the core position −3 of the Kozak sequence of the N gene and significantly reduce the protein expression ratio of ORF9b to N. Using a convergent evolutionary analysis, we found that g.a28271−/u, S:p.P681H/R, and N:p.R203K/M occur independently on three VOC lineages, suggesting that coordinated changes of S, N, and ORF9b proteins are crucial to high viral transmissibility. Our results provide new insights into high viral transmissibility co-modulated by advantageous noncoding and nonsynonymous changes.
Are hydrides under high-pressure–high-temperature superconductors?
Authors: Hirsch J E
Published: June 2023

Contrary to the current consensus, I argue that the existing evidence for high-temperature superconductivity in hydrides under high pressure is not compelling. I suggest that the focus of the field should urgently shift to establish unequivocally experimentally whether or not superconductivity in pressurized hydrides exists, instead of continuing to search for new materials that might show elusive signals of unproven superconductivity at ever higher temperatures. The implications of a negative finding for the theoretical understanding of superconductivity are discussed.
Hierarchical organization of rhesus macaque behavior
Authors: Voloh Benjamin , Eisenreich Benjamin R , Maisson David J-N , Ebitz R Becket , Park Hyun Soo , Hayden Benjamin Y , Zimmermann Jan
Published: June 2023

Primatologists, psychologists and neuroscientists have long hypothesized that primate behavior is highly structured. However, delineating that structure has been impossible due to the difficulties of precision behavioral tracking. Here we analyzed a data set consisting of continuous measures of the 3D position of two male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) performing three different tasks in a large unrestrained environment over several hours. Using an unsupervised embedding approach on the tracked joints, we identified commonly repeated pose patterns, which we call postures. We found that macaques' behavior is characterized by 49 distinct postures, lasting an average of 0.6 seconds. We found evidence that behavior is hierarchically organized, in that transitions between poses tend to occur within larger modules, which correspond to identifiable actions; these actions are further organized hierarchically. Our behavioral decomposition allows us to identify universal (cross-individual and cross-task) and unique (specific to each individual and task) principles of behavior. These results demonstrate the hierarchical nature of primate behavior, provide a method for the automated ethogramming of primate behavior and provide important constraints on neural models of pose generation.
The Transition from the Coffin Texts to the Book of the Dead
Authors: Gestermann Louise
Published: June 2023

The Coffin Texts (CT) and the Book of the Dead (BD) are linked in manifold ways. The Pyramid Texts (PT) will mostly be disregarded in the following since only a few of those spells were included into the repertoire of the BD, and even these were only included through the CT. Concerning the CT, the remarks in this chapter generally refer to those texts that were designated as CT for scholarly reasons (for some general remarks on the origins of the BD compare Dorman, 2017: 29–39). Numerous connections and correspondences occur as spells from the earlier text corpus (CT) were selected and edited for the later collection of the BD. This mainly concerns contents and perceptions related to death and the afterlife that were passed on in the texts. The disappearance of spell groups caused adjustments and displacements in terms of content from one corpus to the other while additional differences can be noted in relation to the layout and the placement of the text on its media. Even though plenty of this is known and recognized, the transition from the CT to the BD still brings about various questions regarding its details. The selected examples shall demonstrate a possible approach toward understanding the process of the transition from the CT to the BD.
The so-called Chapitres Supplémentaires
Authors: Wüthrich Annik
Published: June 2023

The so-called chapitres supplémentaires, BD 162 to 167, Pleyte, have been composed during the last phase of the history of the Book of the Dead. The group of spells 163, 164, and 165 was first introduced into this corpus as an addition to it, while BD 162 seems to be considered the conclusive chapter of this ensemble. Furthermore, their originality lies in the main role played by the Theban theology and, on a lexical level, in the attempt to give them a Nubian background. Stylistically, they show some features of Late Egyptian, while the rest of the corpus is written in classical Middle Egyptian.
The United Nations Security Council and the 1540 Committee
Authors: Kienzle Benjamin , Salisbury Daniel
Published: June 2023

In April 2004, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1540, which seeks to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) to non-state actors through mandating that states put in place a wide range of policy tools. This includes provisions relating to nuclear security—specifically, physical protection, material accountancy and control, and border controls. The chapter provides an overview of Resolution 1540 and its role in strengthening nuclear security. It considers the context to the resolution, its passage in 2004, and its basic provisions. The chapter also considers the role of the 1540 Committee and the Panel of Experts, and controversies and challenges surrounding the resolution. The chapter concludes by considering what the future holds for the resolution, the 1540 agenda, and its role in preventing nuclear terrorism.
Overview of Nuclear and Radioactive Materials
Authors: Frieß Friederike , Kütt Moritz
Published: June 2023

A discussion of nuclear security is deeply intertwined with the fundamental physics of radioactive materials. These dictate the attractiveness of materials to potential adversaries and consequently, where protection efforts should be focused. The chapter provides the technical basis of nuclear security, written at a level accessible to a broad non-technical audience. It discusses the nuclear and radiative properties of key materials, in particular uranium and plutonium, as well as key radioisotopes that emit radiation that can be harmful to human health. It also introduces the history of nuclear weapons and the characteristics of the two most important isotopes for nuclear weapons use, uranium-235 and plutonium-239. And it outlines the production of these materials and their use in civil and military applications, as well as their current estimated stockpiles. In order to understand the potential harm nuclear and radioactive materials, the chapter explains their physical and biological effects.
The Evolution of Nuclear Security in Russia
Authors: Kovchegin Dmitry
Published: June 2023

Russia inherited most of the Soviet nuclear complex and accompanying nuclear security practices following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. While these were arguably adequate to the risks of the time, the collapse of the Soviet Union led to a totally different threat environment. The old security system was no longer capable of addressing these emerging threats, thus requiring a new system to be developed from scratch. This challenge was exacerbated by the poor economic situation and Russia’s inability to devote resources necessary for the development of a new nuclear security system. International nuclear security assistance was critical during this transition period, both as a source of funding to pay for the development of the new system and as a source of expertise to develop an effective system. The chapter provides an overview of the evolution of nuclear security in Russia over the past 30 years, juxtaposing the following key themes: security threats and the social and political environment affecting nuclear security in Russia; the institutional structure of nuclear security in Russia; nuclear security policies and the introduction of best practices; sustainability of nuclear security in Russia; and current nuclear security challenges.