bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship Between BMI and Outcomes in Microvascular Abdomen-Based Autologous Breast Reconstruction
Authors: Barnes Laura L. , Lem Melinda , Patterson Anne , Segal Rachel , Holland Michael C. , Lentz Rachel , Sbitany Hani , Piper Merisa
Published: May 2023

Introduction:

Increasing body mass index (BMI) is a known risk factor for autologous microsurgical breast reconstruction. No prior studies have stratified outcomes across BMI ranges or defined the BMI at which complication rates dramatically increase.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective chart review of all patients who underwent abdomen-based autologous free flap breast reconstruction at our institution between 2004-2021. Clinical, surgical and outcomes data were collected. Patients were stratified into five BMI categories: ≤25, 25.01-30, 30.01-35, 35.01-40 and >40. Complication rates were analyzed across these groups, and a receiver-operating characteristic analysis was used to determine an optimal BMI cutoff point.

Results:

Three hundred and sixty-five patients (545 breasts) were included in this study. The rates of several breast complications significantly increased with increasing BMI at distinct levels, including any breast complication (BMI>30), unplanned re-operation (BMI>35), fat necrosis (BMI>40), wound breakdown requiring re-operation (BMI>35), any infection (BMI>30), infection requiring PO antibiotics (BMI>25), infection requiring IV antibiotics (BMI>35), and mastectomy flap necrosis (BMI>35). The rates of many abdominal complications significantly increased with increasing BMI at distinct levels as well, including delayed wound healing (BMI>30), wound breakdown requiring re-operation (BMI>40), any infection (BMI>25), and infection requiring PO antibiotics (BMI>25). Optimal BMI cutoffs of 32.7 and 30.0 were determined to minimize the occurrence of any breast complication and any abdomen complication, respectively.

Conclusion:

Pre-operative weight loss has great potential to alleviate surgical risk in overweight and obese patients pursuing autologous breast reconstruction. Our results quantify the risk reduction based on a patient’s pre-operative BMI.
68Ga-FAPI PET/CT Imaging of the Pancreas in a Patient With Fulminant Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Park Seon-Young , Kim Jahae , Chung Jin Ook , Kim Kangbin , Chung Dong Jin
Published: May 2023

Fulminant type 1 diabetes is a recently recognized diabetes subtype characterized by extremely rapid destruction of the pancreatic beta cells, leading to an absolute deficiency in insulin secretion. Fulminant type 1 diabetes is clinically characterized by the drastic onset of hyperglycemia and ketoacidosis within a few days, as well as near-normal glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels despite remarkable hyperglycemia at initial presentation. A 41-year-old woman diagnosed with fulminant type 1 diabetes underwent 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT, which showed intense FAPI uptake throughout the pancreas, especially in the pancreatic tail. Contrast-enhanced abdominal CT failed to reveal any pancreatic abnormalities. This case indicated that 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT might be useful for evaluating patients with fulminant type 1 diabetes.
Pulmonary Sclerosing Pneumocytoma on 18F-FDG PET/MRI
Authors: Hou Wenxiu , Tian Rong
Published: May 2023

Pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma is a rare benign neoplasm. Owing to the low incidence, its radiographic features on 18F-FDG PET/MRI are not well-known. Herein, we described findings of pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma on 18F-FDG PET/MRI in a 52-year-old woman. It showed moderate FDG uptake and hyperintensity signal on both T1WI and T2WI images.
Extraocular Muscle Enlargement in Acromegaly
Authors: McInnis Rachel L. , Rjoob Hani , Ohorodnyk Pavlo , Fraser John. Alexander , Van Uum Stan H. M. , Bursztyn Lulu L. C. D.
Published: May 2023

Background:

To determine whether acromegaly is associated with increased extraocular muscle (EOM) size at time of presentation.

Methods:

Patients with a new diagnosis of acromegaly in a single tertiary care clinic with a CT scan that adequately delineated the EOMs were included. Control subjects were age- and sex-matched patients with a new diagnosis of nonfunctioning pituitary adenoma. Retrospective chart review was performed to extract baseline clinical and laboratory parameters including growth hormone, insulin-like growth factor 1, thyroid stimulating hormone, free T3, and free T4. A single neuroradiologist analyzed all CT scans and measured the maximum diameter and cross-sectional area of the superior rectus, inferior rectus, medial rectus, and lateral rectus in both eyes of all patients.

Results:

We evaluated 17 patients with acromegaly and 18 control subjects. Mean maximum diameter of the superior, inferior, medial, and lateral recti were 4.80 mm (SD = 0.81), 4.67 mm (SD = 0.54), 4.86 mm (SD = 0.77), and 4.53 mm (SD = 0.70) respectively, in the acromegaly group. In the control group, they were 3.62 mm (SD = 0.58),3.71 mm (SD = 0.46), 3.66 mm (SD = 0.32), and 3.21 mm (SD = 0.44), respectively. The maximum diameter and cross-sectional area of all 4 EOMs measured in the acromegaly group were significantly larger (P < 0.001) compared with the control group.

Conclusions:

Patients with acromegaly present with significantly enlarged EOMs compared with control subjects with nonfunctioning pituitary adenomas.
IRAK-M deficiency exacerbates dopaminergic neuronal damage in a mouse model of sub-acute Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Deng Yidong , Liao Yuangao , Huang Peijian , Yao Yujian , Liu Weihua , Gu Yong , Weng Guohu
Published: May 2023

Emerging evidence has proved that inflammatory responses aggravate the pathological progression of Parkinson’s disease. This study aimed to identify the role of Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase-M (IRAK-M) as an important negative regulator of innate immunity, in the pathological progression of Parkinson’s disease. In the present study, a 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) injection was administered to prepare the acute and sub-acute Parkinson’s disease mouse models. Western blot analysis was utilized to examine the protein expressions of tyrosine hydroxylase and IRAK-M. The mRNA expression levels of IRAK-M, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-β, and cyclooxygenase-2 were evaluated via using reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The expression of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in corpus striatum and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) tissues was detected using immunohistochemistry. The results showed that the protein and mRNA levels of IRAK-M were considerably upregulated in corpus striatum and SNc tissues in the sub-acute Parkinson’s disease model. Furthermore, IRAK-M knockout significantly enhanced the MPTP-induced loss of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive fibers in corpus striatum and tyrosine hydroxylase-positive neurons in SNc, and intensified the effect of MPTP on the activation of microglial cells and the expression of inflammatory cytokines. In addition, sub-acute Parkinson’s disease mice with IRAK-M deletion exhibited worse motor abilities than those of wild-type littermates. Overall, the present study suggested that IRAK-M reduces dopaminergic neuron damage in sub-acute Parkinson’s disease by suppressing inflammation, which may provide a new therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease treatment.
Trifunctional linkers enable improved visualization of actin by expansion microscopy
Authors: Wen Gang , Lycas Matthew Domenic , Jia Yuqing , Leen Volker , Sauer Markus , Hofkens Johan
Published: May 2023

Expansion Microscopy (ExM) revolutionized the field of super-resolution microscopy by allowing for subdiffraction resolution fluorescence imaging on standard fluorescence microscopes. However, it has been found that it is hard to visualize actin filaments efficiently using ExM. To improve actin imaging, multifunctional molecules have been designed, however, with moderate success. Here, we present optimized methods for phalloidin conjugate grafting that have high efficiency for both cellular and tissue samples. Our optimized strategy improves anchoring and signal retention by ∼10 times. We demonstrate the potential of trifunctional linkers (TRITON) for actin imaging in combination with immunolabeling using different ExM protocols. 10x ExM of actin labeled with TRITON enabled us to visualize the periodicity of actin rings in cultured hippocampal neurons and brain slices by Airyscan confocal microscopy. Thus, TRITON linkers provide an efficient grafting method, especially in cases where the concentration of target-bound monomers is insufficient for high-quality ExM.
Robotic process automation: bibliometric reflection and future opportunities
Authors: Fernandez Dahlia , Dastane Omkar , Omar Zaki Hafizah , Aman Aini
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a digital transformation tool that demonstrated tremendous growth in research output as well as its application in the past decade. This study attempts to identify essential research gaps and proposes future research agendas in the field by analyzing publishing trends, major stakeholders (authors, countries, affiliations, journals), key clusters and evolving themes by mapping the most recent research (2016–2022) in the field.

Design/methodology/approach

Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) was used to retrieve a total of 244 publications from the Web of Science (WOS) database for this analysis. The study then uses the open-source R program bibliometrix to conduct bibliometric analysis. A variety of tools and methods including collaboration network, word dynamics, co-occurrence network, thematic map and strategy map were utilized.

Findings

The analysis reveals the most influential stakeholders (country: the USA, author: Arai K, affiliation: Christ Deemed University), main clusters of intellectual structure (process mining, digital transformation, blockchain, information systems) and the evolution of themes (model innovation, artificial intelligence, big-data, design science and user acceptance) in the subject.

Originality/value

This study uses bibliometric analysis to provide a comprehensive overview of RPA literature which unravels the conceptual structure of the stream and proposes a research agenda for the future. Based on the growth of themes and the strategy map, this study may assist entrepreneurs and practitioners in determining field priorities for strategizing process innovation.
The economic consequence of corporate philanthropic donations: evidence from Jordan
Authors: Ananzeh Husam
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of Corporate Philanthropic Donations (CPD) on the Corporate Economic Performance (CEP) of a group of Jordanian public shareholding companies.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample includes 94 companies listed on the Amman Stock Exchange between 2010 and 2016. Manual content analysis is employed to collect the quantitative-related data needed for this study.

Findings

Our findings show that CPD is relevant, with a significant impact on financial performance. More specifically, CPD has a positive impact on the performance indicators measured by Tobin’s Q (TQ), return on equity (ROE) and return on assets (ROA).

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to the research debate on CPD and CEP, especially in developing countries. It emphasizes the importance of such practices in increasing corporate profitability.

Practical implications

The study’s findings highlight the importance of CPD for Jordanian corporate managers. A greater emphasis on donations is likely to attract investor attention, government attention, media attention and humanitarian activism, all of which will enhance corporate goodwill.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates the positive relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and CEP in an emerging economy, with a focus on one aspect of CSR, namely donation, that is underrepresented in developing countries. The study employs multiple methods for analyzing profitability as proxied by TQ, ROE and ROA, given the presence of multiple proxies to measure profitability. A further interesting aspect is examining the topic of CPD in the Jordanian context, where listed companies exhibit a uniform understanding of CPD.
When theory meets praxis – enhancing heritage management through practice-led research at Great Zimbabwe World Heritage property
Authors: Thondhlana Thomas Panganayi , Mukwende Tawanda , Machiridza Lesley Hatipone , Musindo Tendai Treddah , Tevera Genius , Maduro Nyaradzayi
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline and reflect on the new research agenda for the Great Zimbabwe World Heritage property. This research agenda was jointly developed by academics and practitioners from Great Zimbabwe University (GZU) and the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ) respectively. This Research-Practice Team was put together for the Heritage Place Lab (HPL), a pilot project of the ICCROM-IUCN World Heritage Leadership programme.

Design/methodology/approach

A series of steps were undertaken to come up with research priorities and a new research agenda that are presented in this paper. The HPL project involved online workshops, due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions, that were held between September 2021 and April 2022. The HPL methodology involved six assignments that were based on the Enhancing Our Heritage Toolkit 2.0 (EOH) which was being designed by UNESCO and its Advisory Bodies. This toolkit encouraged the team to establish site-specific management issues and research needs. The toolkit helped the team to have a detailed appreciation of the site's Outstanding Universal Value as well as other heritage values of national and local importance. The toolkit also involved the mapping of site attributes and multiple actors as well as the analysis of governance and legal frameworks. The toolkit also required the team to identify factors affecting the heritage property.

Findings

The Research-Practice Team highlighted challenges that resulted from the legacy of ill-informed research activities and conservation efforts at the World Heritage property. It became more apparent that the site managers were prioritizing the physical fabric of the site at the expense of the spiritual aspects. Lack of coordination among the actors was also undermining the governance structure. Four thematic strands which included local values and intangible cultural heritage elements; heritage governance; climate change and environmental sustainability and incorporation of local knowledge systems were identified for further research.

Originality/value

The paper is an outcome of collaborative efforts that were done by academics and practitioners. Researchers and site managers at Great Zimbabwe had hitherto worked in silos. The majority of previous and ongoing research on the World Heritage property falls short of addressing the dire management challenges. The paper is an attempt to broaden the scope in terms of the management of the site. In the past focus has been on the monumental aspects of the site with specific reference to the dry-stone walled structures. However, in this instance, the Research-Practice Team has integrated new interests such as the intangible aspects of Great Zimbabwe, spirituality and community beneficiation.
Family control and corporate anti corruption disclosures: the moderating effect of female directors
Authors: Al-Okaily Jihad
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the effect of family control on corporate anticorruption disclosures of UK publicly listed firms and whether female board directors moderate the latter relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses Poisson regression analysis for a sample of 1,546 FTSE 350 firm-year observations. Weighted least squares and propensity score matching are then used to assess the robustness of the findings.

Findings

The results show that family ownership and involvement are negatively associated with anticorruption disclosures. The tests of moderation indicate that female directors decrease the negative effect of family control on anticorruption disclosures.

Originality/value

To the best of the researcher’s knowledge, this paper is the first to investigate the impact of family control on anticorruption disclosures while taking into consideration the moderating effect of female directors.
Synthesis of an efficient phosphorus and triazine ring-containing reactive flame retardant for epoxy resin
Authors: Yang Fan , Wang Jihui , Wang Changzeng , Chen Junlei , Ding Anxin
Published: May 2023

Purpose

In order to find an appropriate method to synthesize a new high-efficiency flame retardant for epoxy resin.

Design/methodology/approach

In this work, a flame retardant with heterocyclic groups, HOMP, was acquired after removing the obstacle from triazines which was not readily soluble. The molecular structure, thermal and flame retardant properties were fully characterized and analyzed. Also, the mechanism was researched through multi-methodologies. As well, the authors evaluated the effects of HOMP on mechanical properties.

Findings

The results suggested that HOMP helped extinguish the combustion of specimens and could reach an LOI value of 29.2% and the V0 level in the UL-94 test with a phosphorus content of only 0.6wt%. With respect to the mechanism, HOMP was a gas-phase flame retardant and helped generate a thicker carbon protective coating. However, for the mechanical properties, the addition of HOMP enhanced the compressibility, while the tensile strength decreased significantly.

Originality/value

The approach not only simplified the operations but also obtained HOMP with excellent flame retardant properties.
Citric-acid anchored silver nano-finishing of commercially dyed denim fabric for potential non toxic antibacterial surgical gowns
Authors: Habib Saima , Raza Zulfiqar Ali , Kishwar Farzana , Abid Sharjeel
Published: May 2023

Purpose

Present study aimed to nanosilver-treat some commercially dyed denim fabric using an eco-friendly cross-linker of citric acid for possible application in the fabrication of sustainable antibacterial and nontoxic surgical gowns.

Design/methodology/approach

The conventional untreated surgical gowns are prone to bacterial attack making them unprotective and infection carriers. Thereby, nanosilver finishing of the surgical-grade dyed denim fabric was achieved via citrate cross-linking under the pad-dry-cure method. The hence treated denim fabrics were characterized for surface chemical, crystalline, textile, color and antibacterial attributes using both conventional and advanced analytical approaches.

Findings

The results expressed that the prepared denim specimens contained surface roughness at the nanoscale besides some alterations in their textile and color parameters. Both textile and comfort properties of the finished fabric remained in the acceptable range with effective antibacterial activity.

Practical implications

The silver nano-finished dyed denim expressed broad-spectrum antibacterial activity and qualified as a potential substrate in the fabrication of surgical gowns. Such sustainable application of nanosilver finishing could be perused for industrial implications.

Originality/value

This study presents citric acid as a crosslinking agent to impregnate the commercially dyed denim fabric for potential application in the fabrication of surgical gowns. The application of nanosilver on prior citrated dyed-grown fabrics could be a novel approach. This study used approximately all the reagents and auxiliaries as bio-based to ensure the nontoxicity and sustainability of the resultant fabric.
The negative relationships between employee resilience and ambiguity, complexity, and inter‐agency collaboration
Authors: Plimmer Geoff , Kuntz Joana , Berman Evan , Malinen Sanna , Näswall Katharina , Franken Esme
Published: May 2023

Employee resilience (ER) is often needed to face demands inherent in public sector work. Some types of demands, however, may hinder its development, rather than provide the type of challenging adversity from which resilience can develop. Public sector job demands have been a long‐standing issue for public workplaces and employees but are also growing in salience as organisations face an increasingly variable, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous environment. Drawing on the Job Demands–Resources model and the challenge/hindrance stress literature, this multi‐level study of Aotearoa New Zealand civil servants (n = 11,533) in 65 public sector organisations shows that ER is negatively affected by demands such as job insecurity, unclear job and organisational goals, and inter‐agency collaboration. However, organisational resource constraints are positively associated with ER. This study identifies core PA job and organisational demands that hinder ER and offers practical implications and suggestions for further research.

Points for practitioners

Job role ambiguity, job insecurity, unclear organisational goals, and inter‐agency collaboration are common job and organisational demands in public sector workplaces.

For employees, these demands are stressors that employees do not feel they control, and may therefore hinder employee resilience: the ability to learn, adapt, and leverage networks in the face of challenges.

Surprisingly, resource constraints, where employees have to ‘do more with less’, might help employees develop ER.

While inter‐agency collaboration has potentially many benefits, it appears to have negative spillover effects on employees unaware of it or not involved in it.

To encourage ER, agencies should clarify both organisational and job goals, and assure job security, control, competency development, and supervisor support.
The Unreal Child1
Authors: Meier Isabelle
Published: May 2023

Unrepresented mental states lead to an impaired ability to feel emotions and trust in oneself, one’s history and in the world. The article explores the question of how representations of oneself and the relevant other, the mother, become possible in the course of therapy when dissociative processes previously made this impossible, and what role unconscious communication plays in the analytic realm. This question will be explored by examining the theories of André Green, Philip Bromberg, and Howard Levine.
Attachment characteristics and kinetics of biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus on ready‐to‐eat cooked beef contact surfaces
Authors: Cheng Chuansong , Jiang Tao , Zhang Dongwei , Wang Huayan , Fang Ting , Li Changcheng
Published: May 2023

Staphylococcus aureus is a food‐borne pathogen that quickly forms biofilm on meat contact surfaces and thus poses a serious threat to the safety of the meat industry. This study evaluated the attachment, survival, and growth of S. aureus biofilm with exposure to environmental factors in the meat industry by simulated ready‐to‐eat (RTE) cooked beef product contamination scenarios. The results indicated that the meat‐borne S. aureus biofilm formation dynamic could be divided into four different phases: initial adhesion (4–12 h), exponential (12–24 h), slow growth (1–3 days), and stationary (3–7 days). Meat‐borne S. aureus has strong adhesion and biofilm formation ability, and its biofilm exhibits persistence, high‐intensity metabolic activity, aerotaxis, and strain heterogeneity. This study has also demonstrated that in the long‐term existence of meat‐borne S. aureus biofilm on stainless steel and plexiglass surfaces (>7 days, 7.2–8.8 log CFU/cm2), expose to RTE cooked beef products, may cause it to become high‐risk contaminated food. Meat‐borne S. aureus that forms a dense and rough concave‐convex in the shape of biofilm architecture was observed by scanning electron microscopy, consisting of complex components and adhesion of living and dead cells. This was further confirmed by the meat‐borne S. aureus biofilm on the stainless steel surface by attenuated total reflectance Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, and the dominant peaks in biofilm spectra were mainly associated with proteins, polysaccharides, amino acid residues, and phospholipids (>50%). These findings may help in the identification of the main sources of contamination within the meat industry and the subsequent establishment of strategies for biofilm prevention and removal.

Practical Application

This study revealed the meat‐borne S. aureus biofilm formation mechanism and found that it exhibited strong colonization and biofilm‐forming ability, which can persist on the contact surfaces of ready‐to‐eat beef products. These initial findings could provide information on the behavior of meat‐borne S. aureus biofilm attached to meat contact surfaces under conditions commonly encountered in meat environments, which help to support the determination of the main sources of contamination within the meat industry and the subsequent establishment of strategies for biofilm prevention and removal. It was also helpful in controlling biofilm contamination and improving meat safety to minimize it.
Association of gamma‐glutamyl transferase concentrations with all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality in Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Guan Haoyu , Liu Ke , Fan Xikang , Yu Hao , Qin Yu , Yang Jie , Zhu Zheng , Shen Chong , Pan Enchun , Lu Yan , Zhou Jinyi , Su Jian , Wu Ming
Published: May 2023

Background

Evidence links gamma‐glutamyl transferase (GGT) to mortality in the general population. However, the relationship of GGT with all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality risk has been little explored in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.

Methods

We recruited 20 340 community‐dwelling T2DM patients between 2013 and 2014 in Jiangsu, China. Cox regression models were used to assess associations of GGT with all‐cause and specific‐cause mortality. Restricted cubic splines were used to analyze dose–response relationships between GGT and mortality. Stratified analysis was conducted to examine potential interaction effects by age, sex, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), diabetes duration, and dyslipidemia.

Results

During a median follow‐up period of 7.04 years (interquartile range: 6.98–7.08), 2728 deaths occurred, including 902 (33.09%) due to cardiovascular disease (CVD), and 754 (27.58%) due to cancer. GGT concentrations were positively associated with all‐cause, CVD, and cancer mortality. Multivariable hazard ratios (HRs) for the highest (Q5) vs. the lowest quintile (Q1) were 1.63 (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.44–1.84) for all‐cause mortality, 1.87 (95% CI: 1.49–2.35) for CVD mortality, and 1.43 (95% CI: 1.13–1.81) for cancer mortality. Effect modification by BMI and dyslipidemia was observed for all‐cause mortality (both p for interaction <.05), and HRs were stronger in the BMI <25 kg/m2 group and those without dyslipidemia.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that, in Chinese T2DM patients, elevated serum GGT concentrations were associated with mortality for all‐cause, CVD, and cancer, and further research is needed to elucidate the role of obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and lipids in this association.
Abundance and phylogenetic distribution of eight key enzymes of the phosphorus biogeochemical cycle in grassland soils
Authors: Garaycochea Silvia , Altier Nora Adriana , Leoni Carolina , Neal Andrew L. , Romero Héctor
Published: May 2023

Grassland biomes provide valuable ecosystem services, including nutrient cycling. Organic phosphorus (Po) represents more than half of the total P in soils. Soil microorganisms release organic P through enzymatic processes, with alkaline phosphatases, acid phosphatases and phytases being the key P enzymes involved in the cycling of organic P. This study analysed 74 soil metagenomes from 17 different grassland biomes worldwide to evaluate the distribution and abundance of eight key P enzymes (PhoD, PhoX, PhoA, Nsap‐A, Nsap‐B, Nsap‐C, BPP and CPhy) and their relationship with environmental factors. Our analyses showed that alkaline phosphatase phoD was the dataset's most abundant P‐enzyme encoding genes, with a wide phylogenetic distribution. Followed by the acid phosphatases Nsap‐A and Nsap‐C showed similar abundance but a different distribution in their respective phylogenetic trees. Multivariate analyses revealed that pH, Tmax, SOC and soil moisture were associated with the abundance and diversity of all genes studied. PhoD and phoX genes strongly correlated with SOC and clay, and the phoX gene was more common in soils with low to medium SOC and neutral pH. In particular, P‐enzyme genes tended to respond in a positively correlated manner among them, suggesting a complex relationship of abundance and diversity among them.
Age‐related changes in human skeletal muscle microstructure and architecture assessed by diffusion‐tensor magnetic resonance imaging and their association with muscle strength
Authors: Cameron Donnie , Reiter David A. , Adelnia Fatemeh , Ubaida‐Mohien Ceereena , Bergeron Christopher M. , Choi Seongjin , Fishbein Kenneth W. , Spencer Richard G. , Ferrucci Luigi
Published: May 2023

Diffusion‐tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT‐MRI) offers objective measures of muscle characteristics, providing insights into age‐related changes. We used DT‐MRI to probe skeletal muscle microstructure and architecture in a large healthy‐aging cohort, with the aim of characterizing age‐related differences and comparing these to muscle strength. We recruited 94 participants (43 female; median age = 56, range = 22–89 years) and measured microstructure parameters—fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD)—in 12 thigh muscles, and architecture parameters—pennation angle, fascicle length, fiber curvature, and physiological cross‐sectional area (PCSA)—in the rectus femoris (RF) and biceps femoris longus (BFL). Knee extension and flexion torques were also measured for comparison to architecture measures. FA and MD were associated with age (β = 0.33, p = 0.001, R2 = 0.10; and β = −0.36, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.12), and FA was negatively associated with Type I fiber proportions from the literature (β = −0.70, p = 0.024, and R2 = 0.43). Pennation angle, fiber curvature, fascicle length, and PCSA were associated with age in the RF (β = −0.22, 0.26, −0.23, and −0.31, respectively; p < 0.05), while in the BFL only curvature and fascicle length were associated with age (β = 0.36, and −0.40, respectively; p < 0.001). In the RF, pennation angle and PCSA were associated with strength (β = 0.29, and 0.46, respectively; p < 0.01); in the BFL, only PCSA was associated with strength (β = 0.43; p < 0.001). Our results show skeletal muscle architectural changes with aging and intermuscular differences in the microstructure. DT‐MRI may prove useful for elucidating muscle changes in the early stages of sarcopenia and monitoring interventions aimed at preventing age‐associated microstructural changes in muscle that lead to functional impairment.
Assessment‐based management of placenta‐mediated pregnancy complications: Pragmatism until a precision medicine approach evolves
Authors: Brenner Benjamin , Papadakis Emmanouil , Greer Ian A. , Gris Jean‐Christophe
Published: May 2023

The management of pregnant women with thrombophilia and a history of gestational vascular complications remains debatable. Treatment of the latter is often based on clinical outcome rather than disease mechanism. While the use of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in pregnancy is recommended for those at increased risk, the ability of anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet agents to lower the risk of placenta‐mediated complications in this clinical setting remains controversial. The available guidelines are inconsistent in some situations, which reflects the limited evidence base. This review critically discusses risk assessment models (RAMs) and management strategies of women with thrombophilia and pregnancy complications, using clinical vignettes. RAMs, taking into account obstetric and thrombotic history as well as thrombophilia status, could drive a precision medicine approach, based on disease mechanism, and guide individual therapeutic interventions in high‐risk clinical settings.
Long‐acting insulin analogues and the risk of diabetic retinopathy among patients with type 2 diabetes: A population‐based cohort study
Authors: Larose Stéphanie , Filliter Christopher , Platt Robert W. , Yu Oriana H. Y. , Filion Kristian B.
Published: May 2023

Aim

To determine whether the use of long‐acting insulin analogues is associated with an increased risk of incident diabetic retinopathy (DR) among patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

Using data from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink Aurum, this retrospective, population‐based cohort study included patients with type 2 diabetes who initiated a long‐acting insulin analogue (glargine, detemir, degludec) or Neutral Protamine Hagedorn (NPH) insulin. The primary outcome was incident DR. We used Cox proportional hazards models with inverse probability of treatment weighting to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident DR with insulin analogues versus NPH insulin.

Results

There were 66 280 new users of long‐acting insulin analogues and 66 173 new users of NPH insulin. The incidence rate of DR was 101.7 per 1000 person‐years (95% CI, 98.7‐104.8) for insulin analogues and 93.2 (95% CI, 90.0‐96.5) per 1000 person‐years for NPH insulin. Compared with the current use of NPH insulin, insulin analogues were not associated with the risk of incident DR (HR 1.04, 95% CI, 0.99‐1.09). The adjusted HRs were 0.84 (95% CI, 0.66‐1.07) for proliferative DR and 1.02 (95% CI, 0.97‐1.08) for non‐proliferative DR.

Conclusions

Compared with NPH insulin, long‐acting insulin analogues were not associated with the risk of incident DR among patients with type 2 diabetes. This finding provides important reassurance regarding the safety of long‐acting insulin analogues with respect to incident DR.
Mikrubi: a model for species distributions using region‐based records
Authors: Yang Yu‐Chang , Zhang Qian , Chen Zhi‐Duan
Published: May 2023

Many species occurrence records from specimens and publications are based on regions such as administrative units. These region‐based records are accessible and dependable, and sometimes they are the only available data source; however, few species distribution models accept such data as direct input. In this paper, we present a method named Mikrubi for robust prediction of species distributions from region‐based occurrence data and a Julia package implementing the algorithms. The package ‘Mikrubi' requires a map describing disjoint regions, climatic raster layers, and a list of occupied regions. Mikrubi then rasterizes the regions, reduces the environmental dimensionality, parameterizes the niche, and finally estimates the parameters by maximizing the likelihood. In a simulation study, we find Mikrubi effective in accurate estimation in most cases; in a case study of Allium wallichii in China, Mikrubi significantly outperforms four modeling strategies that adapt region‐based records to conventional models according to different principles. The package has many prospective applications in addition to modeling distributions on region‐based records: 1) it accepts supplementary coordinates; 2) it is a new solution for distribution modeling using deviated coordinates; and 3) its probabilistic region‐based outputs have special uses in conservation and biodiversity science.
Perturbation‐based balance training leads to improved reactive postural responses in individuals with Parkinson's disease and freezing of gait
Authors: Ribeiro de Souza Caroline , Ávila de Oliveira Júlia , Takazono Patrícia Sayuri , da Silva Rezende Lucas , Silva‐Batista Carla , Coelho Daniel Boari , Teixeira Luis Augusto
Published: May 2023

Perturbation‐based balance training (PBT) exposes individuals to a series of sudden upright balance perturbations to improve their reactive postural responses. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of a short PBT program on body balance recovery following a perturbation in individuals with freezing of gait due to Parkinson's disease. Volunteers (mean age = 64 years, SD = 10.6) were pseudorandomly assigned either to a PBT (n = 9) or to a resistance training (RT, n = 10) group. PBT was implemented through balance perturbations varying in the kind, direction, side and magnitude of support base displacements. Both groups exercised with progressive difficulty/load activities twice a week for 4 weeks. Specific gains and generalization to dual‐tasking and faster‐than‐trained support base displacements were evaluated 24 h after the end of the training, and retention was evaluated after 30 days of no training. Results showed that, compared with RT, PBT led to more stable postural responses in the 30‐day retention evaluation, as indicated by decreased CoP displacement, velocity and time to direction reversal and reduced numbers of near‐falls. We found no transfer either to a dual task or to a higher perturbation velocity. In conclusion, a training program based on diverse unpredictable balance perturbations improved the stability of reactive postural responses to those perturbations suffered during the training, without generalization to more challenging tasks.
Early‐life food stress hits females harder than males in insects: A meta‐analysis of sex differences in environmental sensitivity
Authors: Teder Tiit , Kaasik Ants
Published: May 2023

Fitness consequences of early‐life environmental conditions are often sex‐specific, but corresponding evidence for invertebrates remains inconclusive. Here, we use meta‐analysis to evaluate sex‐specific sensitivity to larval nutritional conditions in insects. Using literature‐derived data for 85 species with broad phylogenetic and ecological coverage, we show that females are generally more sensitive to food stress than males. Stressful nutritional conditions during larval development typically lead to female‐biased mortality and thus increasingly male‐biased sex ratios of emerging adults. We further demonstrate that the general trend of higher sensitivity to food stress in females can primarily be attributed to their typically larger body size in insects and hence higher energy needs during development. By contrast, there is no consistent evidence of sex‐biased sensitivity in sexually size‐monomorphic species. Drawing conclusions regarding sex‐biased sensitivity in species with male‐biased size dimorphism remains to wait for the accumulation of relevant data. Our results suggest that environmental conditions leading to elevated juvenile mortality may potentially affect the performance of insect populations further by reducing the proportion of females among individuals reaching reproductive age. Accounting for sex‐biased mortality is therefore essential to understanding the dynamics and demography of insect populations, not least importantly in the context of ongoing insect declines.
Plasma neurofilament light chain level is not a biomarker of Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease progression: Results of 3‐year follow‐up study
Authors: Setlere Signe , Grosmane Arta , Kurjane Natalja , Gailite Linda , Rots Dmitrijs , Blennow Kaj , Zetterberg Henrik , Kenina Viktorija
Published: May 2023

Background and purpose

Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT) is a hereditary, slowly progressive neuropathy. Currently, there are no effective pharmacological treatments or sensitive disease activity biomarkers available. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the change in plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL) over time in a CMT cohort and analyse the association between CMT severity and NfL level.

Methods

Initially, 101 CMT patients and 64 controls were enrolled in the study. Repeated evaluation was performed in 73 patients and 28 controls at a 3‐year interval. Disease severity assessment included clinical evaluation with CMT Neuropathy Score version 2 (CMTNSv2). Plasma NfL concentration was measured using the Simoa (single molecule array) NfL assay.

Results

Plasma NfL concentration was increased in the CMT group compared with controls (p < 0.001). Overall NfL level increased over the 3‐year interval in both CMT (p = 0.012) and control (p = 0.001) groups. However, in 22 of 73 CMT patients and seven of 28 controls, the NfL level decreased from the baseline. Analysing the association between 3‐year change in plasma NfL and disease severity (CMTNSv2), there was no correlation in the CMT group (r = 0.228, p = 0.052) or different CMT subgroups.

Conclusions

Our study verifies increased plasma NfL concentrations in patients with CMT compared with controls. Longitudinal 3‐year data showed a variable change in NfL levels between CMT subtypes. There was no association between change in NfL over time and disease severity. These findings suggests that NfL is not a biomarker for CMT progression.
Competing interests at the heart of equine sports medicine ethics: A scoping review and thematic analysis
Authors: Allen Kate , Anderson Lynley , King Mike , Mullan Siobhan
Published: May 2023

Background

The ethics of using horses in sport is receiving increasing attention and media scrutiny. Sports medicine ethics is an important and well‐established discipline within human medicine and biomedical ethics, which has, thus far, received little application to the equine veterinary field.

Objectives

The purpose of this scoping review was to explore the existing literature on equine sports medicine ethics, to understand the current concerns and issues, and to map areas for future research.

Study design

Scoping review.

Methods

Academic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, CAB abstracts) were searched to identify papers, published in English, between 2000 and 2022, that mentioned aspect(s) of the ethics of veterinary provision to the performance horse. Additionally, grey (including lay) literature was identified through global search engines to locate supplementary and opinion articles. Relevant data on article characteristics and ethical concerns were extracted and charted. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key issues.

Results

A literature source of 41 papers/articles was used; of which 35 were from veterinary sources, mostly veterinary journals and conference proceedings. Several themes were identified including: competing stakeholder interests; governing bodies, rules and regulations; provision of optimal veterinary care; confidentiality; and social licence for the veterinary profession. The most commonly mentioned specific ethical concern was the use of medication in performance horses.

Main limitations

In this scoping review, we have not sought to critically analyse the ethical arguments within the included literature, but rather to collate them so that an overview of ethical concerns can be established.

Conclusions

Further consideration is required as to how the veterinary profession and sporting governing bodies can support individual veterinary surgeons to strive for the highest levels of professional conduct in equine sports medicine. The veterinary profession should continue to work towards establishing processes for determining what veterinary practices are ethical, optimal, excessive, permissible and impermissible.
Intrahippocampal injection of a selective blocker of NMDA receptors containing the GluN2B subunit, Ro25‐6981, increases glutamate neurotransmission and induces antidepressant‐like effects
Authors: Doan Julie , Defaix Céline , Mendez‐David Indira , Gardier Alain M. , Colle Romain , Corruble Emmanuelle , McGowan Josephine C. , David Denis J. , Guilloux Jean‐Philippe , Tritschler Laurent
Published: May 2023

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious public health problem, as it is the most common psychiatric disorder worldwide. Antidepressant drugs increase adult hippocampal neurogenesis, which is required to induce some behavioral effects of antidepressants. Adult‐born granule cells in the dentate gyrus (DG) and the glutamate receptors subunits 2 (GluN2B) subunit of N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) ionotropic receptors play an important role in these effects. However, the precise neurochemical role of the GluN2B subunit of the NMDA receptor on adult‐born GCs for antidepressant‐like effects has yet to be elucidated. The present study aims to explore the contribution of the GluN2B‐containing NMDA receptors in the ventral dentate gyrus (vDG) to the antidepressant drug treatment using a pharmacological approach. Thus, (αR)‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐(βS)‐methyl‐4‐(phenylmethyl)‐1‐piperidinepropanol (Ro25‐6981), a selective antagonist of the GluN2B subunit, was acutely administered locally into the ventral DG (vDG, 1 μg each side) following a chronic fluoxetine (18 mg/kg/day) treatment—known to increase adult hippocampal neurogenesis—in a mouse model of anxiety/depression. Responses in a neurogenesis‐dependent task, the novelty suppressed feeding (NSF), and neurochemical consequences on extracellular glutamate and gamma‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels in the vDG were measured. Here, we show a rapid‐acting antidepressant‐like effect of local Ro25‐6981 administration in the NSF independent of fluoxetine treatment. Furthermore, we revealed a fluoxetine‐independent increase in the glutamatergic transmission in the vDG. Our results suggest behavioral and neurochemical effects of GluN2B subunit independent of serotonin reuptake inhibition.
Metallothionein‐3: 63Cu(I) binds to human 68Zn7‐βα MT3 with no preference for Cu4‐β cluster formation
Authors: Melenbacher Adyn , Stillman Martin J.
Published: May 2023

Human metallothioneins (MTs) are involved in binding the essential elements, Cu(I) and Zn(II), and the toxic element, Cd(II), in metal‐thiolate clusters using 20 reduced cysteines. The brain‐specific MT3 binds a mixture of Cu(I) and Zn(II) in vivo. Its metallation properties are critically important because of potential connections between Cu, Zn and neurodegenerative diseases. We report that the use of isotopically pure 63Cu(I) and 68Zn(II) greatly enhances the element resolution in the ESI‐mass spectral data revealing species with differing Cu:Zn ratios but the same total number of metals. Room temperature phosphorescence and circular dichroism spectral data measured in parallel with ESI‐mass spectral data identified the presence of specific Cu(I)‐thiolate clusters in the presence of Zn(II). A series of Cu(I)‐thiolate clusters form following Cu(I) addition to apo MT3: the two main clusters that form are a Cu6 cluster in the β domain followed by a Cu4 cluster in the α domain. 63Cu(I) addition to 68Zn7‐MT3 results in multiple species, including clustered Cu5Zn5‐MT3 and Cu9Zn3‐MT3. We assign the domain location of the metals for Cu5Zn5‐MT3 as a Cu5Zn1‐β cluster and a Zn4‐α cluster and for Cu9Zn3‐MT3 as a Cu6‐β cluster and a Cu3Zn3‐α cluster. While many reports of the average MT3 metal content exist, determining the exact Cu,Zn stoichiometry has proven very difficult even with native ESI‐MS. The work in this paper solves the ambiguity introduced by the overlap of the naturally abundant Cu(I) and Zn(II) isotopes. Contrary to other reports, there is no indication of a major fraction of Cu4‐β‐Znn‐α‐MT3 forming.
The Effects of Weight Choices on the Power of the Getis–Ord Statistic
Authors: Rogerson Peter
Published: May 2023

When local spatial clustering exists, local statistics are most likely to be significant when their associated weights match the spatial form and extent of the actual clustering. This paper focuses upon the cost of misspecifying the weights of the Getis–Ord statistic. In particular, it is more difficult to reject false null hypotheses when the weights are poorly chosen. I also examine the likelihood of finding spatial clusters when a range of spatial scales is examined, and when the multiple testing that this entails is accounted for. If there is uncertainty regarding the scale of the process, there is little cost in examining a range that includes spatial scales that are larger than the true cluster. Gains in the power to detect significant clustering may be had if the examination of cluster sizes that are clearly too small may be omitted. A small number of Bonferroni‐adjusted tests will often provide a slight decline in statistical power, relative to tests that search comprehensively over a range, but may have the benefit of providing a relatively better estimate of the location of change.