bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Etiological distribution of isolated oculomotor nerve palsy: analysis of 633 patients and literature review
Authors: Kim Hyun‐Jae , Kim Hyo‐Jung , Choi Jeong‐Yoon , Yang Hee Kyung , Hwang Jeong‐Min , Kim Ji‐Soo
Published: February 2024

Background and purpose

The etiological distribution of oculomotor nerve palsy has varied amongst the studies. This study aimed to define the clinical features and underlying etiologies of isolated oculomotor nerve palsy by recruiting patients from all departments in a referral‐based university hospital.

Methods

The medical records of 672 patients who had a confirmed diagnosis of isolated oculomotor nerve palsy at all departments of Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, South Korea, from 2003 to 2020 were reviewed. A proportion of the etiology of isolated oculomotor nerve palsy was also compared with that of patients pooled from the previous studies that were searched on PubMed in May 2022.

Results

The most common etiology was microvascular (n = 168, 26.5%), followed by vascular anomalies (n = 110, 17.4%), neoplastic (n = 86, 13.6%), inflammatory (n = 79, 12.5%), idiopathic (n = 60, 9.5%) and traumatic (n = 53, 8.4%). Neurologists were mainly involved in the management of microvascular and inflammatory oculomotor nerve palsies whilst ophthalmologists mainly participated in the care of idiopathic, neoplastic and traumatic palsies. Neurosurgeons mostly took care of oculomotor nerve palsy due to vascular anomalies.

Conclusions

The proportion of etiologies of isolated oculomotor nerve palsy may differ according to the specialties involved in the management. The results of previous studies on the etiological distribution of isolated oculomotor nerve palsy should be interpreted with this consideration.
Sleep physiology in patients with epilepsy: Influence of seizures on rapid eye movement (REM) latency and REM duration
Authors: Kilgore‐Gomez Alexandrea , Norato Gina , Theodore William H. , Inati Sara K. , Rahman Shareena A.
Published: February 2024

Objective

A well‐established bidirectional relationship exists between sleep and epilepsy. Patients with epilepsy tend to have less efficient sleep and shorter rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Seizures are far more likely to arise from sleep transitions and non‐REM sleep compared to REM sleep. Delay in REM onset or reduction in REM duration may have reciprocal interactions with seizure occurrence. Greater insight into the relationship between REM sleep and seizure occurrence is essential to our understanding of circadian patterns and predictability of seizure activity. We assessed a cohort of adults undergoing evaluation of drug‐resistant epilepsy to examine whether REM sleep prior to or following seizures is delayed in latency or reduced in quantity.

Methods

We used a spectrogram‐guided approach to review the video‐electroencephalograms of patients' epilepsy monitoring unit admissions for sleep scoring to determine sleep variables.

Results

In our cohort of patients, we found group‐ and individual‐level delay of REM latency and reduced REM duration when patients experienced a seizure before the primary sleep period (PSP) of interest or during the PSP of interest. A significant increase in REM latency and decrease in REM quantity were observed on nights where a seizure occurred within 4 h of sleep onset. No change in REM variables was found when investigating seizures that occurred the day after the PSP of interest. Our study is the first to provide insight about a perisleep period, which we defined as 4‐h periods before and after the PSP.

Significance

Our results demonstrate a significant relationship between seizures occurring prior to the PSP, during the PSP, and in the 4‐h perisleep period and a delay in REM latency. These findings have implications for developing a biomarker of seizure detection as well as longer term seizure risk monitoring.
Association of antiseizure medications and adverse cardiovascular events: A global health federated network analysis
Authors: Mayer Josephine , Mbizvo Gashirai K. , Bucci Tommaso , Marson Anthony , Lip Gregory Y. H.
Published: February 2024

Objective

A diagnosis of epilepsy has been associated with adverse cardiovascular events (CEs), but the extent to which antiseizure medications (ASMs) may contribute to this is not well understood. The aim of this study was to compare the risk of adverse CEs associated with ASM in patients with epilepsy (PWE).

Methods

A retrospective case–control cohort study was conducted using TriNetX, a global health federated network of anonymized patient records. Patients older than 18 years, with a diagnosis of epilepsy (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision code G40) and a medication code of carbamazepine, lamotrigine, or valproate were compared. Patients with cardiovascular disease prior to the diagnosis of epilepsy were excluded. Cohorts were 1:1 propensity score matched (PSM) according to age, sex, ethnicity, hypertension, heart failure, atherosclerotic heart disease, atrial and cardiac arrythmias, diabetes, disorders of lipoprotein metabolism, obesity, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, medications, and epilepsy classification. The primary outcome was a composite of adverse CEs (ischemic stroke, acute ischemic heart disease, and heart failure) at 10 years. Cox regression analyses were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) following 1:1 PSM.

Results

Of 374 950 PWE included; three cohorts were established after PSM: (1) carbamazepine compared to lamotrigine, n = 4722, mean age 37.4 years; (2) valproate compared to lamotrigine, n = 5478, mean age 33.9 years; and (3) valproate compared to carbamazepine, n = 4544, mean age 37.0 years. Carbamazepine and valproate use were associated with significantly higher risk of composite cardiovascular outcome compared to lamotrigine (HR = 1.390, 95% CI = 1.160–1.665 and HR = 1.264, 95% CI = 1.050–1.521, respectively). Valproate was associated with a 10‐year higher risk of all‐cause death than carbamazepine (HR = 1.226, 95% CI = 1.017–1.478), but risk of other events was not significantly different.

Significance

Carbamazepine and valproate were associated with increased CE risks compared to lamotrigine. Cardiovascular risk factor monitoring and careful follow‐up should be considered for these patients.
Essentiel mais exclu: le COVID‐19 et le déficit de travail décent parmi les travailleurs domestiques au Brésil
Authors: ACCIARI Louisa , DOS SANTOS BRITO Chirlene , PEREIRA PINTO Cleide
Published: February 2024

Cet article présente les données d'une enquête menée avec la Fédération nationale des travailleurs domestiques du Brésil sur l'impact de la pandémie de COVID‐19 sur les travailleurs domestiques, en tenant également compte des politiques d'urgence et des principales actions de la fédération au cours de la première année de la crise. Axé sur l'emploi et les revenus, la sécurité et la santé au travail et les violations des droits, il montre l'extrême polarisation entre ceux qui ont perdu leurs moyens de subsistance et ceux qui sont obligés de continuer à travailler au détriment de leur santé et de leurs droits de l'homme fondamentaux. Bien que les circonstances soient exceptionnelles, les auteurs soutiennent que cette situation a été rendue possible par des conditions préexistantes d'exclusion légale et de précarité.
Well‐being insights from the food insecurity supply chain: A logistics service quality perspective
Authors: Thornton LaDonna M. , Darby Jessica L. , Morgan Tyler R. , Roath Anthony S.
Published: February 2024

Food insecurity directly impacts individual well‐being, and logistics is considered the backbone of serving food‐insecure individuals. Food insecurity organizations (FIOs) such as national organizations, food banks, and food pantries offer transformative logistics services to address food insecurity. Previous research has begun to explore FIOs' logistics services and operations, but sparse research has examined how FIOs evaluate logistics service performance. Using logistics service quality as a foundation, our study explores the meaning of logistics service performance from the perspective of FIOs. Applying the hermeneutic method, we conducted interviews with 23 informants across 14 organizations to understand the meaning of logistics performance for FIOs. We leverage these interviews to offer a contextualized understanding of logistics service quality based on the four pillars of food insecurity and the shared meaning of logistics service performance within FIOs. By subjecting an important “traditional” performance metric to the consumer‐centric realities of the food insecurity supply chain, we extend logistics theory by offering transformative logistics service outcomes based on well‐being perspectives. We also offer timely guidance to help facilitate the vital work of FIOs.
Knowledge‐by‐Acquaintance First
Authors: Kriegel Uriah
Published: February 2024

Bertrand Russell's epistemology had the interesting structural feature that it made propositional knowledge (“S knows that p”) asymmetrically dependent upon what Russell called knowledge by acquaintance. On this view, a subject lacking any knowledge by acquaintance would be unable to know that p for any p. This is something that virtually nobody has defended since Russell, and in this paper I initiate a sympathetic reconsideration.
War power through restraint: The politics of unilateral military action after 1945
Authors: Irajpanah Katherine
Published: February 2024

From a historical perspective, presidents have frequently directed the use of military force without explicit permission from Congress. Yet, presidents still court legislative approval on select occasions. Why do presidents sometimes seek congressional authorization and other times do not? I explain authorization‐seeking behavior according to variations in presidential bargaining strength. I argue that both weak and strong presidents prefer authorization‐seeking; by obtaining congressional backing, weak presidents conceal a lack of national resolve from international audiences, while strong ones use approval to enhance their coercive authority. Presidents with mid‐level bargaining strength, however, prefer unilateral action; on the one hand, unilateral action may demonstrate resolve in the face of potential legislative resistance, while on the other, it avoids contentious debate that risks “muddying” the diplomatic waters. I illustrate these arguments by revisiting four prominent historical cases: the Korean War, the Gulf of Tonkin crisis, the invasion of Cambodia, and the Persian Gulf War.
Creating landscape‐appropriate habitat restoration strategies: success of a novel nesting habitat design for imperiled freshwater turtles
Authors: Markle Chantel E. , Hudson Danielle T. , Freeman Hope C. A. , Waddington James M.
Published: February 2024

Turtle nesting habitat can be created as a restoration strategy to increase habitat availability or provide suitable habitat away from threats. Traditional nest habitat restoration consists of creating nesting mounds using a mix of sand and gravel. However, nesting mounds do not resemble natural turtle nesting habitat in a rock barren landscape where turtles nest in crevices and cracks in the bedrock. Therefore, our objective was to design and evaluate the success of a landscape‐appropriate design for turtle nesting habitat in a rock barren landscape. To evaluate success of the nest habitat design, we assessed the (1) survival of transplanted moss and lichen cover on created nest sites, (2) ecohydrological and physical conditions at created and natural sites, and (3) turtle egg hatching success at created and natural sites using a split‐clutch experiment. We found no difference in productivity between lichen transplants and natural sites, indicating that intact lichen transplants were successful. Moss transplant success was more variable due to moisture stress because transplants were conducted during dry conditions. In general, created nest habitat tended to have a more stable thermal and moisture regime compared to natural sites. When accounting for maternal effects, the odds of an egg hatching successfully was 6.6 times higher in a created site than a natural site. Overall, the success of our nest habitat design in the first few years suggests that this landscape‐appropriate design will be a useful restoration strategy for increasing turtle nesting habitat in rock barren landscapes.
Syntactic negation in Ewe (Tongugbe) agent nominalizations
Authors: Gotah Selikem , Lee Soo‐Hwan
Published: February 2024

Drawing on evidence from the scope patterns and the availability of negative polarity item (NPI) licensing of the negation marker ma‐, we show that NegP is realized in Ewe (Tongugbe) agentive nominals. We conclude that agentive nominals accommodate sentential negation, posing a challenge to previous assumptions. The implication of this work is that agent nominalizations can be more verb‐like than what has been reported in the literature. We further examine where the Ewe agentive suffix ‐lá resides in syntax based on the argument structure of the predicates realized inside agentive nominals.
Towards Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): The Impact of Debts on Income Inequality in Africa
Authors: Atta–Mensah Joseph , Ibrahim Muazu
Published: February 2024

The Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a framework for the creation of a better and sustainable future for all. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) focus on addressing global challenges, including income inequality. Among others, the SDGs also commit countries to work towards reducing income inequality and as such, lowering income inequality is one of the key issues in Africa. However, given the high levels of debt on the continent, reducing income inequality could be a challenge. Majority of the literature examines the link between debts and economic growth with little attention paid to the impact of debts on income inequality. Moreover, not much is known on whether the relationship between debt and income inequality is non–linear. This study therefore contributes to the existing research efforts by investigating the threshold effects of debts using data from 24 African countries by relying on the sample splitting and threshold estimation approach. The results reveal that, while debts generally dampen income inequality, unbridled debt accumulation above the estimated thresholds does not decrease income inequality, indicating that the income inequality–reducing impact holds at lower levels of debt–to–GDP ratio. This evidence is insensitive to different indicators of income inequality and debts. Findings from this study show how increasing indebtedness contributes to widening income inequality in Africa.
Fiscal Policy and Economic Growth a Cointegration Approach Based on Structural Breaks: Evidence from Algeria
Authors: Djaballah Mustapha
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we studied the impact of fiscal policy tools on economic growth in Algeria for the period from 1970 to 2022, and after testing this impact, we took that oil taxes and non-oil taxes represent two independent variables of economic growth. This study shows that there is a long-term relationship between the two variables. The study also found that the cointegration test of Gregory Hansen and Hatami -J applies under regime change. The results of the study showed that there is a cointegration relationship between the variables in the case of the presence of one constructive interval. As for the two structural breaks, our paper confirmed the presence of a cointegration The relationship between these variables. We find the long-run coefficients for. The cointegration test has showed that there is an absence of a cointegration relationship, This method supported the hypothesis of the absence in a cointegration relationship in the case of the absence of structural breaks, while when we used the cointegration approach based on breaks, we confiremed clear evidence of this, in the case of more than three strictual breaks in the long-run relationship between variables.The results of this study were confirmed by the Maki test, for example it appears first that fiscal policy exerts a weak positive impact on economic growth, after 2015, while regular taxes are only affected in the long run according to New Keynesian expectations, and it is natural that taxes exert the opposite effect. We concluded that this is due to the decline in the price of oil and the impact on its revenues for approximately 5 years
Reviewer Acknowledgements for Applied Economics and Finance, Vol. 11, No. 1
Authors: Gibbs Nikki
Published: February 2024

Applied Economics and Finance (AEF) would like to acknowledge the following reviewers for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Many authors, regardless of whether AEF publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review for this issue.Reviewers for Volume 11, Number 1 Ali Darub Al-Hiyali, University of Anbar, IraqFahri ÖZSUNGUR, Adana Science and Technology University, TurkeyGetamesay Bekele Meshesha, Ethiopian Civil Service University, EthiopiaIgor Matyushenko, School of Foreign Economic Relations and Touristic Business, UkraineJosephine Ofori Adofo, The World Bank, USAMagdalena Radulescu, University of Pitesti, RomaniaMarco Muscettola, Independent Researcher-Credit Risk Manager, ItalyNikoloz Chikhladze, Akaki Tsereteli State University, GeorgiaPayal Chadha, University of Wales Prifysgol Cymru, KuwaitRajeev Rana, APB Govt. P.G. College, IndiaSebastian Schich, Organisation for Economic Coopertaion and Development (OECD), FranceShaoshu LI, Cornell University, USA    Nikki GibbsEditorial AssistantOn behalf of,The Editorial Board of Applied Economics and FinanceRedfame Publishing9450 SW Gemini Dr. #99416Beaverton, OR 97008, USAURL: http://aef.redfame.com
Research on Ferrographic Image Fault Diagnosis Based on Channel Overlapping Technique and Information Fusion Mechanism
Authors: Fei Xie , Haijun Wei
Published: February 2024

Utilizing computer technology to realize the application of ferrographic intelligent fault diagnosis technology is a foundational investigation to oversee the operations of mechanical equipment. To continuously improve the accuracy of artificial intelligence recognition, the complexity and computation of the model will be increased. The proposal of the transformer model (the core technology of chatgpt) has fundamentally changed the intelligence level of artificial intelligence, but it has also greatly increased the demand for computer computing power. What's more, it is difficult to equip industrial quality inspection sites with high computing power computers. The channel overlapping technique developed in this paper is a technology to segment the three channels of image information and reserve overlapping areas for an information communication mechanism. With this mechanism, the model location channel overlapping convolutional neural network can obtain high recognition accuracy by using only one-half of the original training computing power. When channel overlapping combines with no position information, information fusion is formed. The model channel overlapping technique fusion convolutional neural network established by the information fusion mechanism will get a higher prediction accuracy through joint training with the original image. However, the computation consumption is nearly one-third of the pure traditional convolutional neural network algorithm.
Unintended consequences: the adverse effects of royal jelly supplementation in the predatory mite Amblyseius herbicolus Chant (Acari: Phytoseiidae)
Authors: Liu Zhenguo , Zhang Keshi , Zhang Zhi-qiang
Published: February 2024

In this study we delved into the effects of royal jelly supplementation on the life history traits of Amblyseius herbicolus, a thelytokous predatory mite with potential in biological pest control. Royal jelly, a nutrient-rich substance from honeybees, is known for its diverse biological activities in various species. Our experiments showed the concentration-dependent impacts of royal jelly supplementation on A. herbicolus. While royal jelly positively influenced mite survival at low concentrations (5%), a trade-off emerged: increased survival came at the cost of reduced fecundity. Also, royal jelly reduced ovipositional and post-ovipositional duration. Remarkably, maternal royal jelly supplementation influenced the pre-ovipositional duration of A. herbicolus offspring, suggesting transgenerational effects. However, certain traits, such as developmental time, size at maturity, and lifespan of both parents and offspring, remained unaffected. Our findings emphasise the specificity of royal jelly’s impact on different aspects of mite biology and the possibility of inducing adverse influences on life history traits. To fully harness the potential of royal jelly in dietary supplementation, further research exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying these interactions is imperative.
Impact of hypoalbuminemia on clinical outcomes among patients with obesity treated with ceftriaxone
Authors: Arensman Hannan Kellie , Draper Evan , Cole Kristin C. , Mc Hugh Jack , Rivera Christina G. , Abu Saleh Omar
Published: February 2024

The use of ceftriaxone, a highly protein-bound drug, in the setting of hypoalbuminemia may result in suboptimal drug exposure. Patients with obesity also exhibit higher absolute drug clearance. We aimed to evaluate the impact of hypoalbuminemia on clinical success among hospitalized adults with obesity who were treated with ceftriaxone. This retrospective review included adult inpatients with weight >100 kg or body mass index >40 kg/m
2
who received ceftriaxone 2 g intravenously every 12 hours for at least 72 hours. The primary outcome was clinical success, a composite of clinical cure and microbiologic cure. Secondary outcomes included clinical cure, microbiologic cure, length of stay, ICU length of stay, mortality, 30-day readmission, and adverse events. In all, 137 patients were included, 34 of whom had a serum albumin of ≤2.5 g/dL. In a propensity-score-weighted analysis, clinical success was significantly more common among those without hypoalbuminemia (91.2%) as compared to those with hypoalbuminemia (77.8%) (
P
= 0.038). Death within 30 days (13.7% vs 0%,
P
< 0.001) and 30-day readmission (31.6% vs 12.0%,
P
= 0.008) were more common in the hypoalbuminemia group. In a univariate analysis, serum albumin and indication for ceftriaxone use were found to be predictors of clinical success. Hypoalbuminemia was associated with a lower rate of clinical success among patients with obesity who were treated with ceftriaxone 2 g every 12 hours.
An active learning card game to teach microbial pathogenesis to undergraduate biology majors
Authors: Taylor-Cornejo Elias , Massery Laurie
Published: February 2024

Interactive classroom activities are an effective way to reinforce knowledge and promote student engagement. In this paper, we introduce the Pathogenesis Card Game (PCG), an innovative card game that engages students in a battle between microbial pathogens and the host immune system. Each student is given a set of cards that consist of either common host defenses or common pathogen evasion strategies. In pairs, students play a host defense card versus a pathogenesis card. Host defense cards include neutralize (antibody production), eat (phagocytosis), and destroy (degranulation). Pathogenesis cards present evasive strategies including mimic (molecular mimicry), escape (hemolysin production), hide (polysaccharide capsule), block (antioxidant defense), cut (protease secretion), and disguise (antigenic variation). Students develop a mastery of microbial pathogenesis through active gameplay by deliberating the outcome of each unique host-pathogen interaction. Furthermore, they learn the role of cells in the immune system and how pathogens can evade these immune defenses. PCG was piloted in a 300-level introductory microbiology course for 22 undergraduate students, comprising primarily biology and nursing majors. Both quantitative and qualitative student evaluations of the activity strongly suggest that PCG is an engaging, effective, and useful way to teach microbial pathogenesis. This activity provides a 60-minute lesson plan and corresponding materials that can be used to facilitate the introduction of pathogenesis to a typical undergraduate microbiology course. PCG offers instructors a framework to teach microbial pathogenesis and gives students the opportunity to construct their own knowledge about pathogen immune evasion in an engaging and interactive way.
Peer mentorship and academic supports build sense of community and improve outcomes for transfer students
Authors: Teshera-Levye Jennifer , Vance-Chalcraft Heather D.
Published: February 2024

The experience of transferring to a 4-year college, especially in STEM programs, can be particularly challenging for students. While much of the onus for preparing students for transfer has been placed on community colleges, the 4-year institutions to which students transfer have critical roles to play. With this in mind, we established the Pre-transfer Interventions, Mentoring, and Experience in Research (PRIMER) program to support students transferring into the biology department at our university. The design of this program is based around the key elements of Schlossberg’s Transition Theory, focusing on the support and strategies elements of the theory. Through a weekly academic skill course, peer mentoring, and informal academic and social supports, our goals were for students to increase their involvement in the campus community and to increase their use of academic support resources. We used qualitative and quantitative assessments to compare sense of community and use of campus resources between students who participated in our program and others. We found that students in our program strongly increased their sense of community during the semester compared to other students and used campus resources at a higher rate. Our insights from the PRIMER program can help others in developing programs to support transfer students in biology departments.
Students’ perceptions of social issues in biology courses
Authors: Tran Stacy , Tirado Jocelyn , Miyasato Haley , Lee Star W.
Published: February 2024

Students’ scientific literacy may be improved by the integration of social issues into biology courses, enabling them to make informed decisions on social issues in the context of their scientific knowledge. Additionally, this may allow students to recognize the connection between science and society. Although there are a number of benefits with having students learn about social issues in biology courses, most undergraduate courses may follow a traditional curriculum, which emphasizes the scientific content without framing it in a social context. Here, we investigated whether undergraduate students have been exposed to social issues in previous biology courses and examined how their perceptions changed before and after taking a biology course that incorporated social issues. In surveys, most students reported having no exposure to social issues in biology courses. Most students, especially females and persons excluded because of their ethnicity or race (PEERs), agreed with the integration of social issues in biology courses before taking the course. Students found reflection essays to be a useful tool in allowing them to think and share their thoughts on social issues as well as relate the course content to their personal lives. These results highlight students’ interest in learning about social issues from a scientific perspective and how reflection essays may be used to practice applying their knowledge to real-world issues.
Genomes of
Bacteroides ovatus
,
B. cellulosilyticus
,
B. uniformis
,
Phocaeicola vulgatus
, and
P. dorei
isolated from gut cavernous fistulous tract micropathologies in Crohn's disease
Authors: Singh Vaidhvi , West Gail , Fiocchi Claudio , Cominelli Fabio , Good Caryn E. , Jacobs Michael R. , Rodriguez-Palacios Alexander
Published: February 2024

Surgically removed bowels from Crohn's disease patients exhibit a novel form of micropathologies known as cavernous fistulous tract microlesions (CavFT), resembling fissures. We announce the genomes/plasmids and antimicrobial resistance genes of six CavFT bacterial isolates representing the
Bacteroidota
genera
Bacteroides
and
Phocaeicola
. Plasmids were identified in
Bacteroides cellulosilyticus
and
Phocaeicola vulgatus
.
A retrospective longitudinal study of adenovirus group F, norovirus GI and GII, rotavirus, and enterovirus nucleic acids in wastewater solids at two wastewater treatment plants: solid-liquid partitioning and relation to clinical testing data
Authors: Boehm Alexandria B. , Shelden Bridgette , Duong Dorothea , Banaei Niaz , White Bradley J. , Wolfe Marlene K.
Published: February 2024

Enteric infections are important causes of morbidity and mortality, yet clinical surveillance is limited. Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) has been used to study community circulation of individual enteric viruses and panels of respiratory diseases, but there is limited work studying the concurrent circulation of a suite of important enteric viruses. A retrospective WBE study was carried out at two wastewater treatment plants located in California, United States. Using digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we measured concentrations of human adenovirus group F, enteroviruses, norovirus genogroups I and II, and rotavirus nucleic acids in wastewater solids two times per week for 26 months (
n
= 459 samples) between February 2021 and mid-April 2023. A novel probe-based PCR assay was developed and validated for adenovirus. We compared viral nucleic acid concentrations to positivity rates for viral infections from clinical specimens submitted to a local clinical laboratory to assess concordance between the data sets. We detected all viral targets in wastewater solids. At both wastewater treatment plants, human adenovirus group F and norovirus GII nucleic acids were detected at the highest concentrations (median concentrations greater than 10
5
copies/g), while rotavirus RNA was detected at the lowest concentrations (median on the order of 10
3
copies/g). Rotavirus, adenovirus group F, and norovirus nucleic acid concentrations were positively associated with clinical specimen positivity rates. Concentrations of tested viral nucleic acids exhibited complex associations with SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory viral nucleic acids in wastewater, suggesting divergent transmission patterns.

IMPORTANCE

This study provides evidence for the use of wastewater solids for the sensitive detection of enteric virus targets in wastewater-based epidemiology programs aimed to better understand the spread of enteric disease at a localized, community level without limitations associated with testing many individuals. Wastewater data can inform clinical, public health, and individual decision-making aimed to reduce the transmission of enteric disease.
Effects of operational parameters on bacterial communities in Hong Kong and global wastewater treatment plants
Authors: Zhang Yulin , Deng Yu , Wang Chunxiao , Li Shuxian , Lau Frankie T. K. , Zhou Jizhong , Zhang Tong
Published: February 2024

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are indispensable biotechnology facilities for modern cities and play an essential role in modern urban infrastructure by employing microorganisms to remove pollutants in wastewater, thus protecting public health and the environment. This study conducted a 13-month bacterial community survey of six full-scale WWTPs in Hong Kong with samples of influent, activated sludge (AS), and effluent to explore their synchronism and asynchronism of bacterial community. Besides, we compared AS results of six Hong Kong WWTPs with data from 1,186 AS amplicon data in 269 global WWTPs and a 9-year metagenomic sequencing survey of a Hong Kong WWTP. Our results showed the compositions of bacterial communities varied and the bacterial community structure of AS had obvious differences across Hong Kong WWTPs. The co-occurrence analysis identified 40 pairs of relationships that existed among Hong Kong WWTPs to show solid associations between two species and stochastic processes took large proportions for the bacterial community assembly of six WWTPs. The abundance and distribution of the functional bacteria in worldwide and Hong Kong WWTPs were examined and compared, and we found that ammonia-oxidizing bacteria had more diversity than nitrite-oxidizing bacteria. Besides, Hong Kong WWTPs could make great contributions to the genome mining of microbial dark matter in the global “wanted list.” Operational parameters had important effects on OTUs’ abundance, such as the temperature to the genera of
Tetrasphaera
,
Gordoni
a and
Nitrospira
. All these results obtained from this study can deepen our understanding of the microbial ecology in WWTPs and provide foundations for further studies.

IMPORTANCE

Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are an indispensable component of modern cities, as they can remove pollutants in wastewater to prevent anthropogenic activities. Activated sludge (AS) is a fundamental wastewater treatment process and it harbors a highly complex microbial community that forms the main components and contains functional groups. Unveiling “who is there” is a long-term goal of the research on AS microbiology. High-throughput sequencing provides insights into the inventory diversity of microbial communities to an unprecedented level of detail. At present, the analysis of communities in WWTPs usually comes from a specific WWTP and lacks comparisons and verification among different WWTPs. The wide-scale and long-term sampling project and research in this study could help us evaluate the AS community more accurately to find the similarities and different results for different WWTPs in Hong Kong and other regions of the world.
Molecular epidemiological investigation of
Cryptococcus
spp. carried by captive koalas (
Phascolarctos cinereus
) in Japan
Authors: Omura Miki , Satoh Kazuo , Tamura Takashi , Komori Aya , Makimura Koichi
Published: February 2024

Cryptococcus neoformans
and
Cryptococcus gattii
cause cryptococcosis, a systemic mycosis that infects a wide range of species. Recent molecular biological investigations have allowed for the genotyping of these species, providing more detailed information on their pathogenicity and infection routes. Koalas (
Phascolarctos cinereus
) are frequently colonized by
Cryptococcus
spp., but molecular epidemiological studies have yet to be conducted in Japan. Here, we conducted multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) analysis on
Cryptococcus
spp. colonization isolates obtained from all koalas kept in seven parks across Japan. Out of 46 koalas examined, 10 (22%) were positive for
C. gattii
and 3 (6.5%) were positive for
C. neoformans
. All
C. gattii
isolates belonged to molecular type VGI and were either sequence type (ST) 51 or a novel ST, and all
C. neoformans
isolates belonged to molecular type VNI and ST23. Despite the frequent movement of koalas between parks, the STs were relatively park-specific, suggesting that the floor of the rearing barns is a source of infection and may act as a reservoir. MLST analysis confirmed that
C. gattii
was transported, established, and spread by koalas in areas where
C. gattii
was not originally present. MLST analysis is considered useful in assessing the pathogenicity and tracing the transmission routes of
Cryptococcus
spp. carried by koalas.

IMPORTANCE

This is the first study to conduct a multi-locus sequence typing analysis on
Cryptococcus
spp. carried by captive koalas in Japan. Cryptococcosis remains a globally high-fatality fungal infection in humans, and captive koalas are known to carry a high percentage of
Cryptococcus
spp. Through this research, the molecular types and transmission routes of
Cryptococcus
spp. carried by koalas have been elucidated, revealing the potential role of enclosure flooring as a reservoir. It has been confirmed that
Cryptococcus gattii
, which is not endemic in Japan, has become established through koalas and is spreading to new individuals in Japan. This study is believed to provide valuable insights into koala conservation and contribute to the One Health approach for Cryptococcosis, a zoonotic infection.
The causal relationship between gut microbiota and neuroblastoma: a bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis and meta-analysis
Authors: Zhang Zexin , Li Dongting , Xie Fengxi , Zhang Haibo
Published: February 2024

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a type of neuroectodermal tumor that originates from primitive sympathetic ganglion cells. Although many risk factors contributing to the occurrence of NB have been reported in recent years, the role of the gut microbiota in its development remains unclear. A bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was conducted to elucidate the causal relationship between the gut microbiota and NB. In the MR analysis, we employed the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method as the primary criterion for assessing causality, while also utilizing three additional approaches, including MR-Egger, weighted median model, and weighted mode, for comprehensive evaluation. For gut microbiota that were causally associated with NB, a reverse MR was also used to assess the stability of this causal relationship. Finally, we also used external cohorts for validation and performed a meta-analysis of the results. The IVW results indicated a causal relationship between six gut microbiota and NB. Among the six gut microbiota, genus
Lachnospiraceae
[IVW odds ratio (OR): 2.66, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.09–6.51,
P
value: 0.03] exhibited a detrimental effect against NB. On the other hand, the class
Actinobacteria
(IVW OR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.07–0.77,
P
value: 0.02), the family
Bifidobacteriaceae
(IVW OR: 0.40, 95% CI: 0.17–0.96,
P
value: 0.04), the genus
Desulfovibrio
(IVW OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.25–0.97,
P
value: 0.04), the genus
Bifidobacterium
(IVW OR: 0.39, 95% CI: 0.16–0.92,
P
value: 0.03), and the genus
Howardella
(IVW OR: 0.55, 95% CI: 0.31–0.97,
P
value: 0.04) displayed a protective effect on NB. A reverse MR analysis did not reveal a causality between NB and the six gut microbiota. Meta-analysis showed that genus
Bifidobacterium
(meta OR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.22–0.75,
P
< 0.01) and genus
Lachnospiraceae
(meta OR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.01–4.79,
P
< 0.05) were still significant.

IMPORTANCE

Bidirectional Mendelian randomization was used to explore the causality between gut microbiota and neuroblastoma (NB). The results showed that there is a causal relationship between the six gut microbiota and NB, of which two gut microbiota were further confirmed in the meta-analysis. This may provide a new perspective on the prevention and treatment of NB.
The economic impact of international travel measures used during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review
Authors: Bazak Ying Liu , Sander Beate , Werker Eric , Zhumatova Salta , Worsnop Catherine Z , Lee Kelley
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Assessment of the use of travel measures during COVID-19 has focused on their effectiveness in achieving public health objectives. However, the prolonged use of highly varied and frequently changing measures by governments, and their unintended consequences caused, has been controversial. This has led to a call for coordinated decision-making focused on risk-based approaches, which requires better understanding of the broader impacts of international travel measures (ITMs) on individuals and societies.

Methods

Our scoping review investigates the literature on the economic impact of COVID-19 ITMs. We searched health, social science and COVID-19-specific databases for empirical studies preprinted or published between 1 January 2020 and 31 October 2023. Evidence was charted using a narrative approach and included jurisdiction of study, ITMs studied, study design, outcome categories, and main findings.

Results

Twenty-six studies met the inclusion criteria and were included for data extraction. Twelve of them focused on the international travel restrictions implemented in early 2020. Limited attention was given to measures such as entry/exit screening and vaccination requirements. Eight studies focused on high-income countries, 6 on low-income and middle-income countries and 10 studies were comparative although did not select countries by income. Economic outcomes assessed included financial markets (n=13), economic growth (n=4), economic activities (n=1), performance of industries central to international travel (n=9), household-level economic status (n=3) and consumer behaviour (n=1). Empirical methods employed included linear regression (n=17), mathematical modelling (n=3) and mixed strategies (n=6).

Conclusion

Existing studies have begun to provide evidence of the wide-ranging economic impacts resulting from ITMs. However, the small body of research combined with difficulties in isolating the effects of such measures and limitations in available data mean that it is challenging to draw general and robust conclusions. Future research using rigorous empirical methods and high-quality data is needed on this topic.
Colonialism in the new digital health agenda
Authors: Sekalala Sharifah , Chatikobo Tatenda
Published: February 2024

The advancement of digital technologies has stimulated immense excitement about the possibilities of transforming healthcare, especially in resource-constrained contexts. For many, this rapid growth presents a ‘digital health revolution’. While this is true, there are also dangers that the proliferation of digital health in the global south reinforces existing colonialities. Underpinned by the rhetoric of modernity, rationality and progress, many countries in the global south are pushing for digital health transformation in ways that ignore robust regulation, increase commercialisation and disregard local contexts, which risks heightened inequalities. We propose a decolonial agenda for digital health which shifts the liner and simplistic understanding of digital innovation as the magic wand for health justice. In our proposed approach, we argue for both conceptual and empirical reimagination of digital health agendas in ways that centre indigenous and intersectional theories. This enables the prioritisation of local contexts and foregrounds digital health regulatory infrastructures as a possible site of both struggle and resistance. Our decolonial digital health agenda critically reflects on who is benefitting from digital health systems, centres communities and those with lived experiences and finally introduces robust regulation to counter the social harms of digitisation.
Weight-based enoxaparin thromboprophylaxis in young trauma patients: analysis of the CLOTT-1 registry
Authors: Lombardo Sarah , McCrum Marta , Knudson M Margaret , Moore Ernest E , Kornblith Lucy , Brakenridge Scott , Bruns Brandon , Cipolle Mark D , Costantini Todd W , Crookes Bruce , Haut Elliott R , Kerwin Andrew J , Kiraly Laszlo N , Knowlton Lisa Marie , Martin Matthew J , McNutt Michelle K , Milia David J , Mohr Alicia , Rogers Frederick , Scalea Thomas , Sixta Sherry , Spain David , Wade Charles E , Velmahos George C , Nirula Ram , Nunez Jade
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Optimal venous thromboembolism (VTE) enoxaparin prophylaxis dosing remains elusive. Weight-based (WB) dosing safely increases anti-factor Xa levels without the need for routine monitoring but it is unclear if it leads to lower VTE risk. We hypothesized that WB dosing would decrease VTE risk compared with standard fixed dosing (SFD).

Methods

Patients from the prospective, observational CLOTT-1 registry receiving prophylactic enoxaparin (n=5539) were categorized as WB (0.45–0.55 mg/kg two times per day) or SFD (30 mg two times per day, 40 mg once a day). Multivariate logistic regression was used to generate a predicted probability of VTE for WB and SFD patients.

Results

Of 4360 patients analyzed, 1065 (24.4%) were WB and 3295 (75.6%) were SFD. WB patients were younger, female, more severely injured, and underwent major operation or major venous repair at a higher rate than individuals in the SFD group. Obesity was more common among the SFD group. Unadjusted VTE rates were comparable (WB 3.1% vs. SFD 3.9%; p=0.221). Early prophylaxis was associated with lower VTE rate (1.4% vs. 5.0%; p=0.001) and deep vein thrombosis (0.9% vs. 4.4%; p<0.001), but not pulmonary embolism (0.7% vs. 1.4%; p=0.259). After adjustment, VTE incidence did not differ by dosing strategy (adjusted OR (aOR) 0.75, 95% CI 0.38 to 1.48); however, early administration was associated with a significant reduction in VTE (aOR 0.47, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.74).

Conclusion

In young trauma patients, WB prophylaxis is not associated with reduced VTE rate when compared with SFD. The timing of the initiation of chemoprophylaxis may be more important than the dosing strategy. Further studies need to evaluate these findings across a wider age and comorbidity spectrum.

Level of evidence

Level IV, therapeutic/care management.
Variant functional assessment in Drosophila by overexpression: what can we learn?
Authors: Her Yina , Pascual Danielle M. , Goldstone-Joubert Zoe , Marcogliese Paul C.
Published: February 2024

The last decade has been highlighted by the increased use of next-generation DNA sequencing technology to identify novel human disease genes. A critical downstream part of this process is assigning function to a candidate gene variant. Functional studies in Drosophila melanogaster, the common fruit fly, have made a prominent contribution in annotating variant impact in an in vivo system. The use of patient-derived knock-in flies or rescue-based, “humanization”, approaches are novel and valuable strategies in variant testing but have been recently widely reviewed. An often-overlooked strategy for determining variant impact has been GAL4/upstream activation sequence-mediated tissue-defined overexpression in Drosophila. This mini-review will summarize the recent contribution of ectopic overexpression of human reference and variant cDNA in Drosophila to assess variant function, interpret the consequence of the variant, and in some cases infer biological mechanisms.
Geoheritage in the making: the discovery and vulnerability of deep-sea hydrothermal vents
Authors: OConnell Suzanne
Published: February 2024

Some significant geological sites are inaccessible. Among the most inaccessible sites are the hydrothermal vents and their associated biological communities located deep in the ocean. These prime geoheritage sites, hosting what may be the most primordial life on Earth, are vulnerable to mineral and fishing exploitation. Many lie in international waters, protected only by non-binding agreements with no clearly defined means of enforcement. The discovery of these vents in 1977 fundamentally altered scientists’ view of basic Earth processes and the extreme conditions under which life can exist. The discovery of the vents was a group effort and required technological accomplishments not available to previous generations of researchers. Often overlooked in the credits for this discovery was the persistence and determination of Kathleen Crane, a graduate student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Many women of her era faced significant challenges as they attempted to break into an often-unwelcoming field, marine geology. The challenges were not unique to geology; women were not welcomed in many other disciplines, both scientific and non-scientific. In spite of the obstacles, few people have made as remarkable a geoscience discovery as Dr Crane.
TABLE 1 from Characterizing Neutrophil Subtypes in Cancer Using scRNA Sequencing Demonstrates the Importance of IL1β/CXCR2 Axis in Generation of Metastasis-specific Neutrophils
Authors: Fetit Rana , McLaren Alistair S. , White Mark , Mills Megan L. , Falconer John , Cortes-Lavaud Xabier , Gilroy Kathryn , Lannagan Tamsin R.M. , Ridgway Rachel A. , Nixon Colin , Naiker Varushka , Njunge Renee , Clarke Cassie J. , Whyte Declan , Kirschner Kristina , Jackstadt Rene , Norman Jim , Carlin Leo M. , Campbell Andrew D. , Sansom Owen J. , Steele Colin W.
Published: February 2024

Description of public datasets used in this study