bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prosthetic valve endocarditis due to highly beta-lactam-resistant Streptococcus oralis: a case report
Authors: Tanaka Ippei , Morioka Shinichiro , Honda Arisa , Miyazaki Ryoichi , Wajima Takeaki , Nakaminami Hidemasa , Kato Tomoyuki
Published: November 2022

There are limited reports of patients with prosthetic valve infective endocarditis (IE) or recurrent IE due to highly beta-lactam-resistant viridans group streptococci. We present a case in which a patient with native valve IE due to beta-lactam-susceptible

Streptococcus oralis

developed prosthetic valve IE due to highly beta-lactam-resistant

S. oralis

. A 79-year-old man with a history of native aortic valve IE caused by beta-lactam-susceptible

S. oralis

21 months prior to admission and aortic valve replacement was admitted to our hospital with a 2-week history of general malaise and low-grade fever. Transesophageal echocardiography showed a 20 mm vegetation on the prosthetic aortic valve, and emergency cardiovascular surgery was performed on admission day 2. Three sets of blood cultures on admission were positive for highly beta-lactam-resistant

S. oralis

. Vancomycin and cefazolin were administered as initial treatment. After the surgery, the patient was given vancomycin and gentamicin for 2 weeks, followed by vancomycin for 4 weeks. He was relapse-free at the 6-month follow-up. For patients with native valve IE due to

S. oralis

who have undergone valve replacement more than 1 year earlier, given the possibility of methicillin-resistant

Staphylococcus aureus

as well as

S. oralis

resistance to beta-lactams, it may be advisable to start vancomycin as an initial treatment and continue it until the infecting micro-organism has been proven to be susceptible to beta-lactams.
Sex Moderates Family History of Alcohol Use Disorder and Childhood Maltreatment Effects on an fMRI Stop-Signal Task
Authors: Elton Amanda , Allen J. Hunter , Yorke Mya , Khan Farhan , Xu Peng , Boettiger Charlotte A.
Published: November 2022

Background

Childhood maltreatment (CM) and a family history (FH) of alcohol use disorder (AUD) are each associated with increased impulsivity. However, their unique or shared brain targets remain unknown. Furthermore, both CM and FH demonstrate sex-dependent effects on brain and behavior. We hypothesized that CM and FH interact in brain regions involved in impulsivity with sex-dependent effects.

Methods

144 first-year college students (18-19 years old) with varying experiences of CM and/or FH but without current AUD performed an fMRI stop-signal task. We tested interactions between FH, CM, and sex on task performance and blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signal during successful inhibitions. We examined correlations between BOLD response and psychiatric symptoms.

Results

Significant three-way interactions of FH, CM, and sex were detected for brain and behavioral data, largely driven by male subjects. In males, CM was associated with poorer response inhibition but only for those with less FH; males with higher levels of both CM and FH demonstrated better response inhibition. Three-way interaction effects on voxel-wise BOLD response during response inhibition were found in bilateral middle frontal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, and posterior cingulate cortex. Network-level analyses implicated the left frontoparietal network, executive control network, and default-mode network. Greater BOLD response in these networks correlated with lower depressive, impulsive, and attentional symptoms, reduced alcohol misuse, greater resilience scores, and heightened trait anxiety.

Conclusions

The results highlight sex-divergent effects of heritable and environmental risk factors that may account for sex-dependent expression of psychopathology in response to risk factors.
Antibodies to Hepatitis B core antigen prevalence study in Kazakhstan
Authors: Savchuk Tatyana , Grinvald Yelena , Ali Mohamed , Sepetiene Ramune , Saussakova Saniya , Zhangazieva Kuralay , Imashpayev Dulat , Abdrakhmanova Saniya
Published: November 2022

Background

Kazakhstan is being considered as one of the countries that is medium-endemic for Hepatitis B virus infection. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of anti-HBcore and the risk factors impacting positive anti-HBcore markers among donors at Scientific-Production Center of Transfusiology, of the Kazakhstan Republic.

Study Design and Methods

The samples taken from blood donors were tested for anti-HBcore, by CLIA on the Architect i2000SR (ABBOTT). In case of positive anti-HBcore, the blood samples were further tested for anti-HBs by CLIA on the Architect i2000SR (ABBOTT). Statistical analysis was conducted by the R software (version 4.1.1, USA, 2021).

Results and Discussion

5709 people aged 18 to 66 years included in the study, the proportion of men and women was 68.17% and 31.83%. The average age of the participants was 35.7±10.57 years.

The prevalence of anti-HBcore among donors was 17.2% (983). Among participants with elevated ALT (170) this marker was determined in 23%, and in donors with normal levels of ALT (5539) - 17%. Participants with positive anti-HBcore scores were on average older (41.8 vs 34.4 years, p<0.001) and Kazakh (88.7% vs 83.0%, p<0.001) by Nationality than study participants with negative results respectively. Anti-HBcore (Antibodies to Hepatitis B core antigen) prevalence in Kazakhstan (17.2%) compared to other countries (8% and more) remains above average. Given the prevalence of HBV and risk factors, it is recommended to include an additional anti-HBcore marker in the mandatory screening of donated blood in the country and improve preventive measures to HBV transmission.
Do we perform as well as we think we do? A systematic scoping review of self-evaluation of upper-extremity motor performance
Authors: Crosby Lucas D. , Rozanski Gabriela , Browne Mira , Mansfield Avril , Patterson Kara K.
Published: November 2022

The ability to self-evaluate motor performance or estimate performance errors is beneficial for motor learning or relearning in the context of neurologic injury. Some evidence suggests those with injury like stroke may be unable to accurately self-evaluate their performance; however, it is unclear if individuals who are absent of injury are accurate in this domain. We aimed to investigate the accuracy of self-evaluation and potential influencing factors by conducting a systematic search to identify literature involving the self- and objective-evaluation of upper-extremity motor tasks. Twenty-three studies satisfied inclusion criteria. Data revealed a moderate positive correlation between self- and objective evaluations across a variety of tasks, from trivial button pressing to specialized surgical suturing. Both under- and overestimation of performance was found across the papers. Key factors identified to influence the accuracy of self-evaluation were the task purpose, familiarity, difficulty, and whether an individual received a demonstration. This review identified some limitations in this field of research. Most notably, we found that very few studies have investigated the accuracy of self-evaluation of motor performance with the primary goal of comparison to objective performance. Many studies reported the data but did not make direct statistical comparisons. Moreover, due to inconsistencies between how self and objective-evaluations were conducted, we argue that in this area of investigation self-evaluation tools need to replicate the objective evaluation method, or at minimum the self-evaluation tool should ask questions specific to the construct of performance that is being measured objectively.
Conditional blastocyst complementation of a defective Foxa2 lineage efficiently promotes generation of the whole lung
Authors: Miura Akihiro , Sarmah Hemanta , Tanaka Junichi , Hwang Youngmin , Sawada Anri , Shimamura Yuko , Fang Yinshan , Shimizu Dai , Ninish Zurab , Suer Jake Le , Dubois Nicole C. , Davis Jennifer , Toyooka Shinichi , Wu Jun , Que Jianwen , Hawkins Finn J. , Lin Chyuan-Sheng , Mori Munemasa
Published: November 2022

Millions suffer from incurable lung diseases, and the donor lung shortage hampers organ transplants. Identifying the crucial lineage and the program for lung organogenesis could facilitate designing whole-lung bioengineering. Using lineage-tracing mice and human iPSC-derived lung-directed differentiation, we revealed that gastrulating Foxa2 lineage contributed to both lung mesenchyme and epithelium formation. Interestingly, Foxa2 lineage-derived cells in the lung mesenchyme progressively increased and occupied more than half of the mesenchyme niche, including endothelial cells, during lung development. Foxa2 promoter-driven, conditional Fgfr2 gene depletion caused the lung agenesis phenotype in mice. Importantly, wild-type donor mouse iPSCs injected into their blastocysts rescued this phenotype by complementing the Fgfr2-defective niche in the lung epithelium and mesenchyme. Donor cell is shown to replace the entire lung epithelial and robust mesenchymal niche during early chimeric lung development, resulting in efficient complementation of the nearly entire lung niche at the late stage of lung development. These results suggest that lung complementation based on the Foxa2 lineage is a unique model for the progressive mobilization of donor cells into both epithelial and mesenchymal lung niches and provides crucial insights for designing new bioengineering strategies to generate whole lungs.
Prevalence, causes and impact ofTP53-loss phenocopying events in human tumors
Authors: Fito-Lopez Bruno , Salvadores Marina , Alvarez Miguel-Martin , Supek Fran
Published: November 2022

TP53is a master tumor suppressor gene, mutated in approximately half of all human cancers. Given the many regulatory roles of the corresponding p53 protein, it is possible to infer loss of p53 activity -- which may occur from trans-acting alterations -- from gene expression patterns. We apply this approach to transcriptomes of ~8,000 tumors and ~1,000 cell lines, estimating that 12% and 8% of tumors and cancer cell lines phenocopyTP53loss: they are likely deficient in the activity of the p53 pathway, while not bearing obviousTP53inactivating mutations. While some of these are explained by amplifications in the known phenocopying genesMDM2, MDM4andPPM1D, others are not. An analysis of cancer genomic scores jointly with CRISPR/RNAi genetic screening data identified an additionalTP53-loss phenocopying gene,USP28. Deletions inUSP28are associated with aTP53functional impairment in 2.9-7.6% of breast, bladder, lung, liver and stomach tumors, and are comparable toMDM4amplifications in terms of effect size. Additionally, in the known CNA segments harboringMDM2, we identify an additional co-amplified gene (CNOT2) that may cooperatively boost theTP53functional inactivation effect. An analysis using the phenocopy scores suggests thatTP53(in)activity commonly modulates associations between anticancer drug effects and relevant genetic markers, such asPIK3CAandPTENmutations, and should thus be considered as a relevant interacting factor in personalized medicine studies. As a resource, we provide the drug-marker associations that differ depending onTP53functional status.
Examining the Reproductive Success of Bull Kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) in Climate Change Conditions
Authors: Korabik Angela R. , Winquist Tallulah , Grosholz Edwin D. , Hollarsmith Jordan A.
Published: November 2022

Climate change is affecting marine ecosystems in many ways including rising temperatures and ocean acidification. From 2014-2016, an extensive marine heatwave extended along the west coast of North America and had devastating effects on numerous species during this period, including bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana). Bull kelp is an important foundation species in coastal ecosystems that can be affected by marine heat waves and ocean acidification, however these impacts have not been investigated on sensitive early life stages. To determine the effects of changing temperatures and carbonate levels on Northern California’s bull kelp populations, we collected sporophylls from mature bull kelp individuals in Point Arena, CA. At the Bodega Marine Laboratory, we released spores from field-collected bull kelp, and cultured microscopic gametophytes in a common garden experiment with a fully factorial design crossing modern conditions (11.63±0.54°C and pH 7.93±0.26) with observed extreme climate conditions (15.56±0.83°C and 7.64±0.32pH). Our results found that both increased temperature and decreased pH influenced growth and egg production of bull kelp microscopic stages. Increased temperature generally resulted in decreased gametophyte survival and offspring production. In contrast, decreased pH had less of an effect, but generally resulted in increased gametophyte survival and offspring production. Additionally, we found that increased temperature significantly impacted reproductive timing by causing female gametophytes to produce offspring earlier than under ambient temperature conditions. Our findings inform better predictions of the impacts of climate change on coastal ecosystems as well as provide key insight into environmental dynamics regulating the bull kelp lifecycle.
Brain and molecular mechanisms underlying the nonlinear association between close friendships, mental health, and cognition in children
Authors: Shen Chun , Rolls Edmund T. , Xiang Shitong , Langley Christelle , Sahakian Barbara J. , Cheng Wei , Feng Jianfeng
Published: November 2022

Close friendships are important for mental health and cognition in late childhood. However, whether the more close friends the better, and the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are unknown. Using the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Developmental study, we identified nonlinear associations between the number of close friends, mental health, cognition, and brain structure. Although few close friends were associated with poor mental health, low cognitive functions and small areas of the social brain (e.g., the orbitofrontal cortex, the anterior cingulate cortex, the anterior insula and the temporo-parietal junction), increasing the number of close friends beyond a level (around 5) was no longer associated with better mental health and larger cortical areas, and was even related to lower cognition. In children having no more than 5 close friends, the cortical areas related to the number of close friends revealed correlations with the density of μ-opioid receptors and the expression of OPRM1 and OPRK1, and could partly mediate the association between the number of close friends, ADHD symptoms, and crystalized intelligence. Longitudinal analyses showed that both too few and too many close friends at baseline were associated with more ADHD symptoms and lower crystalized intelligence 2 years later. Additionally, we found friendship network size was nonlinearly associated with well-being and academic performance in an independent social network dataset of middle school students. These findings challenge the traditional idea of “the more, the better”, and provide insights into potential brain and molecular mechanisms.
Framing the tourist spatial identity of a city as a tourist product
Authors: Rozman Cafuta Melita
Published: November 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a methodology for shaping the tourist spatial identity of the city and to take advantage of it to discover alternative urban outdoor spaces. As the number of indoor visitors has been limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, open urban areas such as streets, squares and parks have become more important tourist locations.

Design/methodology/approach

The assessment methodology consists of two basic steps. In the first step, the authors look for places or points that are carriers of spatial identity. For this purpose, the method of mental mapping is used. In the second step, statistical methods are used to evaluate the spatial suitability for the most common tourist activities. To obtain a holistic picture, a temporal component is included.

Findings

The application of the methodology is presented in the form of a case study. The obtained research results provide an insight into the spatial situation of the city of Maribor (Slovenia, Europe). Tourist spatial identity of a city depends on time. Based on the value of spatial sensitivity indicator and the suitability of activities, it is possible to adapt the tourist offer to the temporal component.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is an original perspective on the spatial identity of tourists. The presented approach could be integrated as a good practice in any other city worldwide. It supports the identification of suitable outdoor tourist places that are memorable, cosy, multifunctional and can be recommended by city guides (mobile or printed books). Every city has many hidden gems that tourists have yet to discover.
Factors that hinder the thesis writing process of non-native MA students in ELT: supervisors' perspectives
Authors: Khozaei Ravari Zahra , Ul Islam Qamar , Khozaei Fatemeh , Choupan Zarvijani Sara Betlem
Published: November 2022

Purpose

Developing graduate students' academic writing has been a major concern for many scholars over the past few years. Existing literature on the challenges of thesis writing has not focused on master's students in English language teaching (ELT). Data on the challenges have been mainly gathered from the theses and focused on the structure and genre requirements. Few available studies have investigated such challenges through the lens of supervisors in an international context. Knowledge about the factors hindering the thesis writing process of non-native MA students in English from the supervisors' perspectives is scarce. This study attempts to fill these gaps by answering this question: From supervisors' perspectives, what factors hinder the thesis writing process of non-native MA students?

Design/methodology/approach

Thirty supervisors from state and private universities across Iran voluntarily participated in this qualitative study. Drawing upon teachers' diaries and semi-structured interviews, the authors identified major factors negatively influencing the thesis work of master's students. Data were transferred into NVivo 10 and analyzed thematically following Colaizzi's method.

Findings

The study found that factors constraining students' writing were (1) students' lack of effort, (2) students' lack of a strategy for writing, (3) students' lack of autonomy and (4) students' absence of voice.

Originality/value

The authors discuss the practical implications of these factors for different stakeholders. There is a growing interest in postgraduate students' thesis writing processes. Surprisingly, no research exists on supervisors' perceptions of factors that constrain the thesis writing process of non-native English master's students.
A novel approach to enhancing the implementation of inclusive education?
Authors: Opoku Maxwell Peprah
Published: November 2022

One of the criticisms concerning teacher aides (TAs) is that they have limited education and pedagogical skills to support teaching of students with disabilities in the classroom. In Ghana, universities have responded and have introduced a 4‐year degree programme in special education. The graduates are recruited as TAs by the government, to work with teachers and students with disabilities in regular classrooms. However, students with disabilities are unable to participate in inclusive classrooms. This lends support to the exploration of the experiences and the contribution of TAs regarding the implementation of inclusive education in Ghana. The inclusive education performance indicators (concepts, policy, structure and systems and practice) was used as framework to understand the perception of 12 TAs regarding inclusive practices. Under each of the measurement indicators, participants discussed the barriers that interfered with their work. For instance, while participants mentioned that they have the competence to support the implementation of inclusive education, under the measurement indicator of concepts, they shared that the rigid nature of the curriculum is an impediment to equal participation. The implications of the study findings for policymaking with respect to improving inclusive practices are discussed.
Suspicious places make people suspicious: Officers’ perceptions of place‐based conditions in racialized drug enforcement
Authors: Gaston Shytierra , Brunson Rod K. , Ayeni David O.
Published: November 2022

Research Summary

Place‐based conditions are well‐established predictors of police behavior, but the literature lacks nuanced examinations of how place‐based factors influence officer decision making, especially by citizen race/ethnicity and from officers’ perspectives. We investigate officers’ accounts regarding how they weigh place‐based factors into their arrest decisions of Black, Hispanic, and White drug suspects in Newark, New Jersey from 2011 to 2016. Our analysis of 438 filed drug arrest reports revealed that most arrestees, especially Black Americans, became susceptible to heightened police scrutiny because of their presence in stigmatized, criminalized areas. Although place‐based stigma and individualized prohibited behavior coalesced to guide police contacts with Hispanic and White residents, officers made contacts with Black Americans based on a lower legal basis, often irrespective of their individualized behavior in stigmatized places.

Policy Implications

Officers’ differential, racialized reliance on place‐based conditions supports the need for effective, evidence‐based, community‐centered social services that reduce crime, overreliance on police, and opportunities for discriminatory policing.
Process‐based calibration of WRF‐Hydro in a mountainous basin in southwestern U.S.
Authors: Mascaro Giuseppe , Hussein Abdinur , Dugger Aubrey , Gochis David J.
Published: November 2022

The National Water Model (NWM) will provide the next generation of operational streamflow forecasts across the United States (U.S.) using the WRF‐Hydro hydrologic model. In this study, we propose a strategy to calibrate 10 parameters of WRF‐Hydro that control runoff generation during floods and snowmelt seasons, and due to baseflow. We focus on the Oak Creek Basin (820 km2), an unregulated mountainous sub‐watershed of the Salt and Verde River Basins in Arizona, which are the largest source of water supply for the Phoenix Metropolitan area. We calibrate the model against discharge observations at the outlet in 2008–2011, and validate it at two stream gauging stations in 2012–2016. After bias correcting the precipitation forcings, we sequentially modify the model parameters controlling distinct runoff generation processes in the basin. We find that capturing the deep drainage to the aquifer is crucial to improve the simulation of all processes and that this flux is mainly controlled by the SLOPE parameter. Performance metrics indicate that snowmelt, baseflow, and floods due to winter storms are simulated fairly well, while flood peaks caused by summer thunderstorms are severely underestimated. We suggest the use of spatially variable soil depth to enhance the simulation of these processes. This work supports the ongoing calibration effort of the NWM by testing WRF‐Hydro in a watershed with a large variety of runoff mechanisms that are representative of several basins in the southwestern U.S.
Building Trust with Material and Immaterial Corporate Social Responsibility: Benefits and Consequences*
Authors: Hoang Hien , Phang Soon‐Yeow
Published: November 2022

We examine whether the benefits and consequences of building trust through corporate social responsibility (CSR) vary when the company engages in material or immaterial CSR, and the conditions under which these benefits hold. Our study informs companies about the relative benefits and consequences of engaging in particular types of CSR activities. Prior archival research finds that CSR performance can buffer companies against negative stock reactions caused by subsequent adverse events, such as financial restatements. However, theory suggests that there are boundary conditions for this buffering effect through the multiple dimensions of trust violations. We predict and find using Experiment 1 that positive performance in material CSR enhances competence trust, while positive performance in immaterial CSR enhances integrity trust in the company. We predict and find using Experiment 2 that positive material CSR performance alleviates investors' negative reactions to an error restatement but that this effect does not occur for a fraud restatement. In contrast, positive immaterial CSR performance results in greater negative reactions to a fraud restatement, but this effect does not occur for an error restatement. These effects can be explained through the multiple dimensions of trust and trust violation, in accordance with the schematic model of dispositional attribution. Lastly, a supplementary experiment supports the robustness of our results to the baseline of neutral CSR performance. Our study has important implications for companies and standard setters about the trust‐building effects of engagement in CSR and, more generally, of how CSR issues with different materiality levels buffer against the adverse effects of negative events.
Management of atrial flutter and atrial fibrillation with rapid ventricular response in patients with acute decompensated heart failure: A systematic review
Authors: Niforatos Joshua D. , Ehmann Michael R. , Balhara Kamna S. , Hinson Jeremiah S. , Ramcharran Lukas , Lobner Katie , Weygandt P. Logan
Published: November 2022

Objective

The objective was to evaluate the comparative effectiveness and safety of pharmacological and nonpharmacological management options for atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter with rapid ventricular response (AFRVR) in patients with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) in the acute care setting.

Methods

This study was a systematic review of observational studies or randomized clinical trials (RCT) of adult patients with AFRVR and concomitant ADHF in the emergency department (ED), intensive care unit, or step‐down unit. The primary effectiveness outcome was successful rate or rhythm control. Safety outcomes were adverse events, such as symptomatic hypotension and venous thromboembolism.

Results

A total of 6577 unique articles were identified. Five studies met inclusion criteria: one RCT in the inpatient setting and four retrospective studies, two in the ED and the other three in the inpatient setting. In the RCT of diltiazem versus placebo, 22 patients (100%) in the treatment group had a therapeutic response compared to 0/15 (0%) in the placebo group, with no significant safety differences between the two groups. For three of the observational studies, data were limited. One observation study showed no difference between metoprolol and diltiazem for successful rate control, but worsening heart failure symptoms occurred more frequently in those receiving diltiazem compared to metoprolol (19 patients [33%] vs. 10 patients [15%], p = 0.019). A single study included electrical cardioversion (one patient exposed with failure to convert to sinus rhythm) as nonpharmacological management. The overall risk of bias for included studies ranged from serious to critical. Missing data and heterogeneity of definitions for effectiveness and safety outcomes precluded the combination of results for quantitative meta‐analysis.

Conclusions

High‐level evidence to inform clinical decision making regarding effective and safe management of AFRVR in patients with ADHF in the acute care setting is lacking.
Network meta‐analysis of the analgesic effectiveness of regional anaesthesia techniques for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction
Authors: Hussain N. , Brull R. , Vannabouathong C. , Speer J. , Lagnese C. , McCartney C. J. L. , Abdallah F. W.
Published: November 2022

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction can cause moderate to severe acute postoperative pain. Despite advances in our understanding of knee innervation, consensus regarding the most effective regional anaesthesia techniques for this surgical population is lacking. This network meta‐analysis compared effectiveness of regional anaesthesia techniques used to provide analgesia for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Randomised trials examining regional anaesthesia techniques for analgesia following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction were sought. The primary outcome was opioid consumption during the first 24 h postoperatively. Secondary outcomes were: rest pain at 0, 6, 12 and 24 h; area under the curve of pain over 24 h; and opioid‐related adverse effects and functional recovery. Network meta‐analysis was conducted using a frequentist approach. A total of 57 trials (4069 patients) investigating femoral nerve block, sciatic nerve block, adductor canal block, local anaesthetic infiltration, graft‐donor site infiltration and systemic analgesia alone (control) were included. For opioid consumption, all regional anaesthesia techniques were superior to systemic analgesia alone, but differences between regional techniques were not significant. Single‐injection femoral nerve block combined with sciatic nerve block had the highest p value probability for reducing postoperative opioid consumption and area under the curve for pain severity over 24 h (78% and 90%, respectively). Continuous femoral nerve block had the highest probability (87%) of reducing opioid‐related adverse effects, while local infiltration analgesia had the highest probability (88%) of optimising functional recovery. In contrast, systemic analgesia, local infiltration analgesia and adductor canal block were each poor performers across all analgesic outcomes. Regional anaesthesia techniques that target both the femoral and sciatic nerve distributions, namely a combination of single‐injection nerve blocks, provide the most consistent analgesic benefits for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction compared with all other techniques but will most likely impair postoperative function. Importantly, adductor canal block, local infiltration analgesia and systemic analgesia alone each perform poorly for acute pain management following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.
The impact of preservation and recovery of renal function on survival after veno‐arterial extracorporeal life support: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Prasad Amit , Brehm Christoph , Singbartl Kai
Published: November 2022

Background

Veno‐arterial extracorporeal life support (V‐A ECLS) has become a cornerstone in the management of critical cardiogenic shock, but it can also precipitate organ injury, e.g., acute kidney injury (AKI). Available studies highlight the effect of non‐cardiac organ injury on patient outcomes. Only very little is known about the impact of non‐cardiac organ recovery on patient survival. AKI occurs frequently during cardiogenic shock and carries a poor prognosis. We have developed descriptive models to hypothesize on the role of AKI severity versus that of recovery of renal function for patient survival.

Methods

Retrospective, observational study including 175 patients who were successfully decannulated from V‐A ECLS. We assessed AKI severity using the “Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes” (KDIGO) criteria. We defined recovered or preserved renal function (RPRF) prior to decannulation from V‐A ECLS as 0 (AKI with no improvement) or 1 (no AKI or AKI with improvement). We classified patient outcomes as alive or dead at hospital discharge.

Results

78% (n = 138) of all patients survived hospital discharge of which 38% (n = 67) never developed AKI. After adjusting for shock severity and non‐renal organ injury, RPRF emerged as an independent predictor of survival in both the overall cohort [OR (95% CI) – 4.11 (1.72–9.79)] and the AKI‐only sub‐cohort [OR (95% CI) – 5.18 (1.8–14.92)]. Neither maximum KDIGO stage nor KDIGO stage at the end of V‐A ECLS was independently associated with survival.

Conclusions

Our model identifies RPRF, but not AKI severity, as an independent predictor of hospital survival in patients undergoing V‐A ECLS for cardiogenic shock. We hypothesize that recovered or preserved non‐cardiac organ function during V‐A ECLS is crucial for patient survival.
Changes in dental and medical visits before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic among U.S. children aged 1–17 years
Authors: Karande Sharvari , Chong Gabriel Tse Feng , Megally Hayam , Parmar Digvijaysinh , Taylor George W. , Obadan‐Udoh Enihomo Mary , Agaku Israel Terungwa
Published: November 2022

Objectives

The COVID‐19 pandemic has tremendously impacted the U.S. healthcare system, but no study has examined the impact of the pandemic on utilization of dental care among U.S. children. Changes in past‐year dental versus medical visits and perceived unmet health needs between 2019 and 2020 among U.S. children aged 1–17 years were examined.

Methods

National and state representative, cross‐sectional data from the National Survey of Children's Health conducted during June 2019–January 2020 (i.e. pre‐pandemic, n = 28 500) and July 2020–January 2021 (i.e. intra‐pandemic, n = 41 380) were analysed. Any past‐year visit and perceived unmet needs (i.e. delay or inability to receive needed care) were reported by the parent proxy. Weighted prevalence estimates were compared using two‐tailed chi‐squared tests at p < .05. Poisson regression analyses were used to explore the relationship between having dental and/or medical unmet needs during the pandemic and indicators of poor health and social wellbeing.

Results

Between 2019 and 2020, a significantly reduced prevalence of past‐year medical (87.2%–81.3%) and dental visits (82.6%–78.2%) among U.S. children aged 1–17 years (all p < .05) were observed. Correspondingly, perceived unmet needs increased by half for dental care (from 2.9% in 2019 to 4.4% in 2020) and almost one‐third for medical care (from 3.2% to 4.2% in 2020). Subgroups with the highest prevalence of unmet dental need included those with low socio‐economic status, living with their grandparents, uninsured and living with a smoker.

Conclusions

Unmet health needs increased in general but increased more for dental than for medical care among U.S. children aged 1–17 years. Enhanced and sustained efforts will be needed to deliver targeted services towards disadvantaged segments of the population to narrow existing disparities.
First‐in‐human study of deucravacitinib: A selective, potent, allosteric small‐molecule inhibitor of tyrosine kinase 2
Authors: Catlett Ian M. , Aras Urvi , Hansen Lars , Liu Yali , Bei Di , Girgis Ihab G. , Murthy Bindu
Published: November 2022

This randomized, double‐blind, single‐ and multiple‐ascending dose study assessed the pharmacokinetics (PKs), pharmacodynamics, and safety of deucravacitinib (Sotyktu™), a selective and potent small‐molecule inhibitor of tyrosine kinase 2, in 100 (75 active, 25 placebo) healthy volunteers (NCT02534636). Deucravacitinib was rapidly absorbed, with a half‐life of 8–15 h, and 1.4–1.9‐fold accumulation after multiple dosing. Deucravacitinib inhibited interleukin (IL)‐12/IL‐18‐induced interferon (IFN)γ production ex vivo in a dose‐ and concentration‐dependent manner. Following in vivo challenge with IFNα‐2a, deucravacitinib demonstrated dose‐dependent inhibition of lymphocyte count decreases and expression of 53 IFN‐regulated genes. There were no serious adverse events (AEs); the overall frequency of AEs was similar in the deucravacitinib (64%) and placebo (68%) groups. In this first‐in‐human study, deucravacitinib inhibited IL‐12/IL‐23 and type I IFN pathways in healthy volunteers, with favorable PK and safety profiles. Deucravacitinib is a promising therapeutic option for immune‐mediated diseases, including Crohn's disease, psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and systemic lupus erythematosus.
A novel method to assess copy number variation in melanoma: Droplet digital PCR for precise quantitation of the RREB1 gene in formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded melanocytic neoplasms, a proof‐of‐concept study
Authors: O'Hern Keegan , Barney Rachael , Chambers Meagan , Baker Catherine , Stevanovic Mirjana , Tsongalis Gregory J. , Hughes Edward , Sriharan Aravindhan
Published: November 2022

Background

Melanocytic neoplasms can be challenging to diagnose. One well‐established diagnostic aid is the detection of copy number variation (CNV) in a few key genetic loci using conventional methods such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and chromosomal microarray (CMA). Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) is a novel, cost‐effective, rapid, and automated method to detect CNV.

Methods

We perform the first investigation of ddPCR to assay Ras‐responsive element‐binding protein‐1 (RREB1), the most common CNV in melanoma using formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded (FFPE) melanocytic lesion samples; CMA data are used as the gold standard. Archival samples from 2013 to 2021 were analyzed, including 153 data points from 39 FFPE samples representing 34 patients. Benign, borderline, malignant, and metastatic melanocytic neoplasms were examined.

Results

ddPCR showed a sensitivity and specificity of 93.8% and 95.7% using one reference gene, and 87.5% and 100% using a different reference gene for RREB1 gain detection.

Conclusions

Here we show that ddPCR can provide inexpensive, rapid, and robust data on the commonest copy number alteration in melanoma. Future development and validation could provide a useful ancillary tool in the diagnosis of challenging melanocytic lesions.
Revisiting the hymenopteran diploid male vortex: a review of avoidance mechanisms and incidence
Authors: Leung Kelley , van der Meulen Henk
Published: November 2022

All hymenopterans (bees, ants, wasps, and sawflies) have haplodiploid sex determination. Generally, this involves haploid males developing from unfertilized eggs and diploid females developing from fertilized eggs, but diploid male production (DMP) frequently occurs. Some species have complementary sex determination (CSD), in which heterozygotes of a csd locus or loci are diploid females, hemizygotes are haploid males, and homozygotes are typically sterile diploid males. These diploid males underlie the diploid male vortex (DMV), the phenomenon of inbreeding reducing csd allelic diversity and causing increasingly higher production of sterile diploid males until the population dies out. The DMV has been cited as an extinction risk for many species across the order and a danger to both human‐controlled and natural hymenopteran populations important in biological control, pollination, and endangered species conservation. However, it has been unclear how frequently it occurs. We review the known mechanisms for DMV avoidance. Many of these mechanisms are linked to lifestyle, and so we structure our investigation around eusocial lifestyle and non‐eusocial (solitary or gregarious) species. We also review documented DMV incidence to make an inference about its prevalence. There are many means to avoid inbreeding or diploid male production, including eusocial‐exclusive polygyny, polyandry, and diploid queen execution. For both eusocial and non‐eusocial species these include biological mechanisms such as multi‐locus CSD or non‐CSD sex determination, diploid male inviability or brood removal, partial diploid male fecundity, and mating avoidance of kin or diploid males; or population genetic mechanisms such as gene flow and dispersal, balancing selection of csd alleles (with some being more prominent in eusocial vs. non‐eusocial species). Documented cases of DMV are uncommon, and incidence is often tied to exacerbatory conditions such as habitat fragmentation and host declines. With this review we suggest that due to numerous avoidance mechanisms, DMV risk may not be as high as previously believed, and requires specific circumstances. In doing so we aim to better inform hymenopteran breeding and conservation efforts.
Determining the potential use of biosurfactants in preventing endodontic infections
Authors: Hashim Zahraa Amer , Maillard Jean‐Yves , Wilson Melanie Jay , Waddington Rachel Jane
Published: November 2022

Microbial biofilms play a dominant role in the failure of endodontic therapies. Bacterial adhesion is the first step in the establishment of biofilms, activating the host immune response leading to tissue damage. Biosurfactants are microbe‐derived tensioactive molecules with latent anti‐adhesive and anti‐microbial activity. This study reports the extraction and characterization of a biosurfactant from Lactobacillus (L.) plantarum (Lp‐BS) and investigates its anti‐microbial and anti‐adhesive properties compared to rhamnolipid, a commercially available biosurfactant. Lp‐BS, extracted from L. plantarum during the growth phase, was characterized as a glycoprotein, able to reduce surface tension and emulsify non‐polar liquids. Proteomic analysis of Lp‐BS identified three bacterial adhesin‐like proteins, suggesting roles in hindering bacterial adhesion. Lp‐BS did not show significant anti‐microbial activity against endodontic pathogens from the Streptococcus (Strep.) anginosus group or Enterococcus (Ent.) faecalis at 50 mg/ml. However, anti‐adhesive activity on abiotic surfaces was observed against both Strep. anginosus and Strep. intermedius. Rhamnolipid exhibited strong anti‐microbial activity, with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 0.097 mg/ml against Strep. anginosus, and 0.048 mg/ml against Strep. constellatus and Strep. intermedius, in addition to a marked anti‐adhesive activity. These findings offer preliminary evidence for the potential application of biosurfactants as an anti‐microbial and/or anti‐adhesive pharmacotherapy in endodontics.
Limited gains in native parasitoid performance on an invasive host beyond three generations of selection
Authors: Linder Shelley , Jarrett Benjamin J. M. , Fanning Philip , Isaacs Rufus , Szűcs Marianna
Published: November 2022

Co‐evolved natural enemies provide sustainable and long‐term control of numerous invasive insect pests, but the introduction of such enemies has declined sharply due to increasing regulations. In the absence of co‐evolved natural enemies, native species may attack exotic invasive pests; however, they usually lack adaptations to control novel hosts effectively. We investigated the potential of two native pupal parasitoids,Pachycrepoideus vindemmiaeandTrichopria drosophilae, to increase their developmental success on the invasiveDrosophila suzukii. Replicated populations of the two parasitoids were subjected to 10 generations of laboratory selection onD. suzukiiwithDrosophila melanogasterserving as the co‐evolved host. We assessed developmental success of selected and control lines in generations 0, 3, and 10. Changes in host preference, sex ratio, development time, and body size were measured to evaluate correlated responses with adaptation. Both parasitoid species responded rapidly to selection by significantly increasing their developmental success on the novel host within three generations, which remained constant for seven additional generations without further improvement. The generalist parasitoid speciesP. vindemmiaewas able to reach similar developmental success as the control populations, while the performance of the more specialized parasitoidT. drosophilaeremained lower on the novel than on the co‐evolved host. There was no increase in preference towards the novel host over 10 generations of selection nor were there changes in development time or body size associated with adaptation in either parasitoid species. The sex ratio became less female‐biased for both parasitoids after three generations of selection but rebounded inP. vindemmiaeby generation 10. These results suggest that a few generations of selection may be sufficient to improve the performance of native parasitoids on invasive hosts, but with limits to the degree of improvement for managing invasive pests when exotic co‐evolved natural enemies are not available.
Enhancement of clustering techniques by coupling clustering tree and neural network: Application to brain tumour segmentation
Authors: Osadebey Michael , Pedersen Marius , Kalra Meeta , Waaler Dag , Bouguila Nizar
Published: November 2022

Currently, no classical clustering algorithm is efficient on its own. The predefined number of clusters required for their operation does not consistently produce satisfactory segmentation results. They exhibit cluster instability, are vulnerable to the local optimum trap, and are sensitive to noise and imaging artefacts. Most contributions designed to overcome these drawbacks incorporate prior knowledge such as cluster label information and statistic measures that demand minimal labelled training data. Although these approaches improve the segmentation accuracy, they tend to diminish the advantages of clustering algorithms over the supervised learning methods. This study proposes a shift from the use of a predefined number of clusters to a clustering tree‐based method for performance enhancement of classical clustering algorithms. The proposed method is a three‐stage algorithm. It begins with the extraction of low‐level features from a clustering tree. Clustering trees are sets of labelled clusters of an image at multiple clustering resolutions. The second stage extracts high‐level features by coupling the clustering tree to a single‐layer feedforward neural network. The third stage is the classification stage, where the basic model of a neural network extracts the tumour from a high‐level feature map. Because neither of the neural networks requires training, the proposed method is both fully unsupervised and fully automated and retains all its advantages over supervised methods. A performance evaluation using FLAIR MRI images of brain tumour patients from the BRATS2015 and BRATS2020 databases demonstrates significant performance enhancement over four classical clustering algorithms and two of the four proposed techniques were comparable to deep learning methods.
COVID‐19 detection based on pre‐trained deep networks and LSTM model using X‐ray images enhanced contrast with artificial bee colony algorithm
Authors: Er Mehmet Bilal
Published: November 2022

Coronavirus (COVID‐19) is an infectious disease that has spread across the world within a short period of time and is causing rapid casualties. The main symptoms of this virus are shortness of breath, fever, cough, and a sore throat. The virus is detected through samples, such as throat swabs and sputum, taken from people who meet the possible case definition and the results are usually obtained within a few hours or a day. The development of test kits to detect the COVID‐19 virus is still an open research topic, and automated and faster diagnostic tools are needed. Recent studies have shown that biomedical images can be used for COVID‐19 testing. This study proposes the hybrid use of pre‐trained deep networks and the long short‐term memory (LSTM) for the classification of COVID‐19 from contrast‐enhanced chest X‐rays. In the proposed system, a transformation function is applied to X‐ray images first. Then, the artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is used to optimize the parameters obtained from the transformation function. The pre‐trained deep network models and LSTM are preferred to extract features from the contrast‐enhanced chest X‐rays. At the final stage, COVID‐19, normal (healthy), and pneumonia chest X‐ray are classified using softmax. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, the “COVID‐19 radiography” dataset, which is widely used in the literature, is preferred. From the proposed model, 98.97% accuracy, 98.80% precision, and 98.70% sensitivity rates are obtained. Experimental results reveal that the proposed model provides efficient results compared to other methods. Thanks to the application of ABC‐based image enhancement, increased classification of 2.5% has been achieved against other state‐of‐the‐art models.