bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IFRS and Audit Quality: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Deb Rajat , Nepal Mukesh , Chakraborty Sourav
Published: June 2022

The study has reviewed the literature on audit quality (AQ) in general and with reference to IFRS in particular for synthesizing the broader issues, the ongoing debates and controversies. A total of 263 papers published by eight global publishers (from June 2005 to 2020) were downloaded from the Tripura University’s digital library, and after rigorous filtering, 88 sample papers were retained. Applying boundaries for screening, it has focused on the continent of studies, objectives, variables, results, publishers and year of publications of the sample cited papers to summarize the research trends. Thus, the current study can spur researchers, practitioners, and academicians to gauge the impact and implications of IFRS on AQ and chart out future research agendas.

JEL Classification: M41, M42
Sedimentary legacy and the disturbing recurrence of the human in long-term ecological research
Authors: Hirsch Shana Lee , Ribes David , Inman Sarah
Published: June 2022

Even as new elements of a research infrastructure are added, older parts continue to exert persistent and consequential influence. We introduce the concept of sedimentary legacy to describe the relationship between infrastructure and research objects. Contrary to common accounts of legacy infrastructure that underscore lock-in, static, or constraining outcomes, sedimentary legacy emphasizes how researchers adapt infrastructure to support the investigation of new research objects, even while operating under constraining legacies. To illustrate the implications of sedimentary legacy, we track shifting objects of investigation across the history of the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) Network, focusing especially on recurrent ecological investigations of ‘human disturbance’ as researchers shift to study socioecological objects. We examine the relationship between scientific objects and the resources collected and preserved to render such objects tractable to scientific investigations, and show how the resources of a long-term research infrastructure support the assembly of certain objects of investigation, even while foreclosing others.
Whitewater Waves
Authors: Bunkers Sandra Schmidt
Published: June 2022

The humanbecoming concept of powering is explored in this article with the author describing her experiences with whitewater waves on the Missouri River in South Dakota. The third principle of humanbecoming along with four humanbecoming inquiries on feeling sad, feeling unsure, feeling disrespected, and living hope are also presented in examining the paradoxical processes involved in powering.
A Nurse Theorist’s Life of Providence: A Dialogue With Sister Callista Roy
Authors: Morrow Mary R. , Roy Callista
Published: June 2022

The year 2022 is Nursing Science Quarterly’s 35th year in publication, and we are dialoging with nurse theorists. We hope to uncover influences and origins of their theoretical thinking and hear about their current projects related to nursing science. In this scholarly dialogue column, we dialogue with Sister Callista Roy, nurse theorist, retired professor at Mount Saint Mary’s University and Professor Emeritus at Boston College Connell School of Nursing. Her contribution to nursing science began in her master’s program and her Roy adaptation model (RAM) has been the foundation for countless studies across at least five continents, nursing programs, and implementation practice projects.
A Book Review: Strategies for Theory Construction in Nursing (6th edition), by Lorraine Olszewski Walker and Kay Coalson Avant (2019). Pearson
Authors: Thoun Deborah S.
Published: June 2022

The author in this article offers a review of Walker and Avant’s 6th edition of Strategies for Theory Construction in Nursing. Thoughts and concerns about the limitations of theory construction, analysis, and evaluation informed by one paradigmatic view of science within a multiparadigm discipline are also shared.
Thoughts About Health Policies
Authors: Fawcett Jacqueline
Published: June 2022

This essay is about health policies. Included are the definition of health policy, the descriptions of the concepts of a conceptual model of nursing and health policy, and examples of various sources of health policies. A central thesis of this essay is that practice guidelines are largely unrecognized as health policies. This thesis provides the connection between the abstract idea of a health policy and what is done in nursing practice. The essay concludes with examples of research questions about nursing and health policies.
Self-Esteem: A Concept Analysis
Authors: AlHarbi Nojoud
Published: June 2022

The concept of self-esteem has been discussed in various disciplines. It is necessary to broaden the conceptualization to reach a better understanding in nursing discipline. The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of self-esteem following Walker and Avant’s concept analysis method. The concept analysis method consists of eight linear steps. The author addresses the self-esteem phenomenon from a nursing perspective due to its various uses. The analysis helps to expand the knowledge of self-esteem and enhance nursing science. Roy’s adaptation model is used as a philosophical scheme to provide a scientific nursing definition.
Tenure Decisions and Power: The Good and the Evil
Authors: Yancey Nan Russell
Published: June 2022

The use of power in the seeking and granting of tenure in an academic setting can influence the future of teaching-learning of nursing in significant ways. In this column, notions of power will guide a discussion about tenure. Warnings are offered of potential traps that might stifle academic freedom, thus defeating the purpose of tenure to promote student learning and advance development of new knowledge unhindered by organizational and political forces. With insights from the humanbecoming leading-following model, thoughts are offered to guide faculty and administrators involved in the tenure process to protect academic freedom that is critical to the mission of nurse education programs.
Evaluation of aluminum to composite bonded lap joints
Authors: Darla VenkataRamanaiah , Satish Ben B , Sai Srinadh KV , Venkata Rao K.
Published: June 2022

Adhesive bond is one of the best suitable joining technique for fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite structures used in aerospace applications. The weight of the composite structure greatly reduces by using structural adhesives for the joining processes. The surface preparation plays a major role for achieving the better bond strength. The present work deals with the validation of the bond strength of single lap joint(SLJ) with dissimilar adherends. The Al adherend has been considered for the surface treatments such as sand paper, NaOH and Resin pre-coating (RPC) for SLJs. The angle of contacts for the different surface treated specimens has been measured using the Young–Laplace method. X-Ray radiography and ultrasonic testing has been carried to verify the internal defects of bonded joint. The bonding strength was evaluated using a tensile and flexural test rig in polymer UTM. The bond strength of the RPC surface treated bonded joints showed better performance in terms of peak load and shear strength. The maximum shear strength has been increased up to 154.63 percentage when compared to untreated surface specimens, similar trend was observed in flexural strength. A numerical simulation model has been developed for validating the results. The comprehensive analysis for the de-bonded joints at maximum loading conditions has been done with morphological studies.
Geometrically nonlinear behavior of two-directional functionally graded porous plates with four different materials
Authors: Hosur Shivaramaiah Naveen Kumar , Kattimani Subhaschandra , Shariati Mahdi , Nguyen-Thoi Trung
Published: June 2022

This article investigates the influence of porosity distributions on the nonlinear behavior of two-directional functionally graded porous plates (TDFGPP) made from four distinct materials for the first time. A simple and effectual approach is established based on the improved generalized shear deformation plate theory (GSDPT) and von Karman’s assumptions. The GSDPT incorporates transverse shear strains with a higher order polynomial to avoid shear locking. The TDFGPP constitutes four different materials, and the modified power-law function is employed to vary the material properties continuously in both transverse and longitudinal directions. The governing equations are obtained using a nonlinear finite element approach in conjunction with Hamilton’s principle. Then, the direct iterative and Newmark’s methods are incorporated to accomplish the numerical results. Finally, the influence of volume fraction grading indices, porosity distributions, porosity volume, thickness ratio, and aspect ratio for different support conditions provides a thorough insight into the linear and nonlinear responses of the porous plate. In addition, this study emphasizes the influence of the volume fraction gradation profiles with four different materials on the linear frequency, nonlinear frequency, and deflections of the TDFGPP. The numerical analysis reveals that the frequencies and nonlinear deformations can be significantly regulated by changing the volume fraction gradation profiles in specified directions with appropriate materials. Hence, two-directional functionally graded materials panels can overcome the drawbacks of the functionally graded materials with a gradation of properties in a single direction.
A comparative study on class-imbalanced gas turbine fault diagnosis
Authors: Bai Mingliang , Liu Jinfu , Long Zhenhua , Luo Jing , Yu Daren
Published: June 2022

Gas turbines are widely used in various fields, and the failure of gas turbines can cause catastrophic consequences. Health condition monitoring and fault diagnosis of gas turbines can detect faults timely, avoid serious faults, and significantly reduce maintenance costs. Thus, fault diagnosis of gas turbines has great significance. Current researches on gas turbine fault diagnosis mainly focus on the case of abundant fault samples. However, fault data are very rare and the number of normal samples is much larger than the number of fault samples in the industrial scene. This class-imbalance problem widely exists but is hardly focused in the field of gas turbine fault diagnosis. Aiming to solve this problem, this paper introduces the concept of class-imbalanced learning from the machine learning field, summarizes three kinds of class-imbalance addressment methods including oversampling, undersampling, and sample weighting, and proposes a new combination method of focal loss and random oversampling for addressing class-imbalance in deep neural networks, and performs a systematic comparative study on class-imbalanced gas turbine fault diagnosis. Experimental results show that class-imbalance can seriously reduce the fault diagnosis accuracy. Through these class-imbalance addressment methods, diagnosis accuracy is greatly improved. Comparative experiments also show that the proposed combination method can obtain the best diagnosis accuracy among all the compared methods in class-imbalanced situation. Through this comparative study, a detailed guideline for improving diagnosis accuracy under class-imbalanced circumstance is provided.
Improved scale-resolved predictions of flow and heat transfer past a bluff body using partially averaged Navier–Stokes and a high-order eddy viscosity closure
Authors: Saroha Sagar , Sinha Sawan S
Published: June 2022

The partially averaged Navier–Stokes (PANS) methodology has emerged as a viable bridging method of turbulence computations. Partially averaged Navier–Stokes methodology allows the user to implicitly choose the filter cut-off seamlessly in the inertial sub-range of motion. In past, most PANS simulations have been performed using the linear eddy viscosity closure for the unclosed turbulent stresses. Recently, evaluation of the advantages of higher order eddy viscosity closures with the PANS methodology has also been initiated. With our motivation to make further progress in this direction, this study presents an evaluation of PANS methodology wherein the turbulent stresses are modelled involving closures up to the cubic products of the resolved strain-rate and the rotation-rate tensors. After appropriately adapting a popular Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes cubic closure for the PANS paradigm, an extensive evaluation of the method is performed in the flow past a heated sphere at a Reynolds number of 10,000. Time-averaged PANS predictions of surface-related as well as wake-related quantities are compared against available experimental, direct numerical simulation as well as large eddy simulation results. Indeed, very significant improvements are demonstrated by the PANS methodology in conjunction with the cubic eddy viscosity closure when compared to the corresponding predictions of the PANS methodology using a linear or even a quadratic eddy viscosity closure. This study demonstrates the promising augmentative ability of the higher eddy-viscosity to the PANS framework in performing improved simulations of the separated flows.
Causal Linkages Among Cryptocurrency and Emerging Market Indices: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Bhatia Parul , Bedi Preeti
Published: June 2022

The possibility of including financial instruments, such as equity, debt, derivative and market-based funds, in a portfolio varies with their market sensitivity. Cryptocurrency (crypto) has been of recent origin and interest to investors and policymakers. The study has attempted to explore opportunities for Indian and international investors in equity and crypto markets. Bivariate analysis between the crypto index and Indian market indices revealed few causal linkages between crypto and other indices. Standard VAR and Granger causality have been used for exploring the association between the variables. DCC-GARCH has been applied for checking further on volatility spillover and the relationship between indices. Granger results indicate the presence of linkages between crypto and energy, media, and oil & gas indices. However, spillover results have shown an absence of such linkages in the short run but a significant presence in the long run except for a few indices.
Forecasting NIFTY 50 in Volatile Markets Using RNN–LSTM: A Study on the Performance of Neural Network Models During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Gnanendra M  , Sainath A. R. , Jijo Paul
Published: June 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us how the market can be highly uncertain and volatile at certain times. This brings a new level of challenges to all the investors and active traders in the market, as they have not seen such a movement in the past. However, as technology is evolving, highly sophisticated tools and techniques are being used by hedge funds and other investment banks to track down these movements and turn this into an opportunity. In this paper, we try to analyse how recurrent neural network (RNN) with long- and short-term memory architecture performs under volatile market conditions. For this study, we tried to perform a comparative analysis between two models within two successive time periods, where one is trained in a volatile market condition and the other in a relatively low volatile market condition. The results showed that the RNN model is less accurate in predicting the prices in a volatile market compared to a relatively low volatile market. We also compared these two models to a separate model where we trained using the combined data from the two successive time periods. Even though the addition in data points for the neural network produced a better result compared to the model trained under volatile conditions, it did not significantly perform better than the model, which was trained in the low volatile period.
Fiscal Dominance and the Inflation Dynamics in Pakistan: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Batool Irem , Chandia Khurram Ejaz , Sarwar Binesh , Iqbal Muhammad Badar
Published: June 2022

The presence of high inflation coupled with a persistent and ever-increasing fiscal deficit is the key problem being faced by the developing economies. The fiscal dominance hypothesis suggests that a developing economy is prone to high persistent inflation when government authorities run huge persistent budget deficits and get them financed through money creation. The primary objective of the current study is to test and examine the presence of the fiscal dominance situation over the period 1971–2020. The current study has modelled inflation as a fiscally driven monetary phenomenon by combining monetary and fiscal variables. The study has used the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) technique to analyse the long-run and short-run dynamics in a unified framework. The empirical results point to strong and statistically significant long-term relationships between budget deficits and money growth and between money creation and inflation. The study validates the presence of the fiscal dominance hypothesis in the case of a developing economy. The results imply that fiscal dominance handling through a realistic and continuous process of fiscal adjustments on the back of supported monetary policy is necessary for attaining and sustaining price stability in developing countries like Pakistan. In the context of public finance, a broad and wide-ranging tax reforms (increasing the tax base, designing an inflation-proof tax system, and improving tax administration and collection), rationalized government expenditures and privatization of loss-making state enterprises are crucial in establishing the trustworthy fiscal policy.
Analytical jump-avoidance criteria of Duffing-type vibration isolation systems under base and force excitations based on concave-convex property
Authors: Liu Shiwei , Peng Gaoliang , Li Zhixiong , Li Weihua
Published: June 2022

As a representative nonlinear system, Duffing oscillator has wide applications in the field of vibration control. This paper concentrates on the analytical jump criteria problem for a class of Duffing systems based on the concave-convex property. The mechanical model of Duffing-type isolators subjected to various excitations is firstly presented. The defined single critical jump point (SCJP) is proved to be an inflection point based on the concave-convex property of the dynamic response. Moreover, the analytical jump-avoidance criteria under base and force excitations are established. The sensitivities of dynamic parameters are discussed in detail, and several jump characteristics are revealed and explained. It turned out that the SCJP is inherent for Duffing systems. The key advantage is that the proposed jump-avoidance scheme can be used directly and independent of the solved dynamic response. In other words, this scheme provides a pure algebraic method for determining jumps and an accurate range of the adjustable parameters for practical applications. A series of numerical simulations and comparisons are conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed analytical judgment method.
Characteristics of Virulence Factors and Prevalence of Virulence Markers in Resistant Escherichia coli from Patients with Gut and Urinary Infections in Lafia, Nigeria
Authors: Orole Olukayode Olugbenga , Gambo Salihu Moses , Fadayomi Victor Stephen
Published: June 2022

The spread and transfer of resistant pathogens is on the increase worldwide and it is presently a cause of concern for health facilities, health organizations and governments. Pathogenicity is a factor dependent on the virulence of the microorganisms. The study aimed at determining the virulence markers and factors in multidrug resistant (MDR) Escherichia coli isolated from patients with urinary tract and gastrointestinal tract infections in Lafia, Nigeria. Collection of urine and stool samples (150 each) from patients was carried out, and bacteria isolated from the samples using the spread plate technique. Antibiotic susceptibility test was determined to identify resistant E. coli isolates after which, virulence factors and genes conferring virulence evaluated. The prevalence of E. coli was 33.3% and 35.3% in urine and stool respectively with 42 of the isolates being MDR. All the isolates showed cell surface hydrophobicity on ammonia sulfate molarity at >1.5, and all possessed capacity to produce hemolysin and pyrogen, though isolate U6 produced the highest amount of hemolysin and the other isolates mostly produced reasonable amount of pyrogen. Isolate U19 from urine sample and isolates S6, S10, S11, and S17 from stool samples all had between 81 and 100 serum resistance survival percentages, while 13 of the isolates had no serum resistance capabilities. Virulence conferring genes present in the isolates include fimH, pap, stb, cs31a, vt2, east1. Most of the resistant isolates have more than one virulence marker that is a means of producing an effective pathogenesis.
The Footprint of Kynurenine Pathway in Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Ala Moein , Eftekhar Seyed Parsa
Published: June 2022

Kynurenine pathway is the main route of tryptophan metabolism and produces several metabolites with various biologic properties. It has been uncovered that several cardiovascular diseases are associated with the overactivation of kynurenine pathway and kynurenine and its metabolites have diagnostic and prognostic value in cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, it was found that several kynurenine metabolites can differently affect cardiovascular health. For instance, preclinical studies have shown that kynurenine, xanthurenic acid and cis-WOOH decrease blood pressure; kynurenine and 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid prevent atherosclerosis; kynurenic acid supplementation and kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) inhibition improve the outcome of stroke. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) overactivity and increased kynurenine levels improve cardiac and vascular transplantation outcomes, whereas exacerbating the outcome of myocardial ischemia, post-ischemic myocardial remodeling, and abdominal aorta aneurysm. IDO inhibition and KMO inhibition are also protective against viral myocarditis. In addition, dysregulation of kynurenine pathway is observed in several conditions such as senescence, depression, diabetes, chronic kidney disease (CKD), cirrhosis, and cancer closely connected to cardiovascular dysfunction. It is worth defining the exact effect of each metabolite of kynurenine pathway on cardiovascular health. This narrative review is the first review that separately discusses the involvement of kynurenine pathway in different cardiovascular diseases and dissects the underlying molecular mechanisms.
A sense of spacing: Toward a diffractive reading of organizational space
Authors: Kuismin Ari
Published: June 2022

This article explores how a diffractive methodology can enrich research on organizational space and the senses. Through the creation of interferences, a diffractive methodology directs attention to how differences in sensing are created in the ongoing production of space and what the effects of these are. By using examples from an ethnographic study of the Hub, a university-based entrepreneurship space designed to invoke positive “buzz”, the article illustrates how a diffractive methodology allows for the exploration of the sensory design of space and how it governs the possibilities of sensing among participants. The article contributes to organizational research by demonstrating how a diffractive methodology can be utilized to explore sensing as a spatial, unstable achievement and by highlighting how differences in the possibilities of sensing can be an important analytical starting point.
WhatsApp as a Qualitative Data Collection Method in Descriptive Phenomenological Studies
Authors: Mavhandu-Mudzusi Azwihangwisi Helen , Moyo Idah , Mthombeni Andile , Ndou Anza , Mamabolo Lucas , Ngwenya Thembinkosi , Marebane Tlhomaro , Netshapapame Tshifhiwa
Published: June 2022

This article presents WhatsApp as a means of data collection among vulnerable populations, reporting on a study conducted in South Africa and Zimbabwe, to determine the terminology used for and among different genders and sexually diverse individuals. 19 LGBTIQ+ individuals, recruited through a modified snowballing technique, participated in the study. Using WhatsApp text-based information, the interview questions and information regarding the study and ethics-related information were forwarded from one participant to another. The same approach was used for data-collection purposes, where responses (either voice notes or written texts) were forwarded until they reached the initial two participants and/or the principal investigator. Data were analysed using Collazi’s steps for data analysis. As the study focus was on the data collection technique, the paper highlights the ethical implications related to using WhatsApp as a data collecting tool. The study also indicates the advantages and disadvantages of using this platform and further emphasises that voice note WhatsApp messages yielded higher-quality and more in-depth responses than text messages. The limitations of using WhatsApp, and ways of enhancing its use as a means of data collection among vulnerable populations, are also addressed.
Acute left iliofemoral vein thrombosis: Comparison between simple and bony May-Thurner syndrome in CT venography
Authors: Kim Jun-Ho , Lee Seul Ki , Kim Eu Hyun , Kim Jee-Young
Published: June 2022

Objectives

To explore the etiology of May-Thurner syndrome (MTS) with acute iliofemoral deep vein thrombosis (DVT) regarding imaging findings and clinical features.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 57 patients with acute left iliofemoral DVT from 2015 to 2020. The diameter of left common iliac vein (LCIV) at the maximal compression site and its percent compression regarding the average diameter of the uncompressed iliac vein were recorded in central and distal portions of the LCIV according to the location in the quadrant of lumbar vertebral body. Compression was categorized into simple and bony MTS; Simple MTS as LCIV compressed by the right common iliac artery (RCIA) versus Bony MTS as LCIV by lower lumbar degenerative changes regardless of RCIA compression. Initial computed tomographic venography (CTV) regarding chronic change of LCIV such as fibrotic atrophy or cordlike obliteration, extent of thrombus, and lumbar degenerative changes were evaluated. Therapeutic effect after initial therapy was assessed in follow-up CTVs after 3–6 months.

Results

All patients showed LCIV compression with 19 simple MTS (mean age, 42.8 ± 14.1 years [23–67 years]; 12 females; symptom for 4.4 ± 5.5 days) and 38 bony MTS (mean age, 73.0 ± 10.2 years [49–85 years]; 26 females; symptom for 5.5 ± 4.8 days). There was significant difference in age ( p < .001) and no significant difference in sex or symptom duration between two groups ( p = .691 and 0.415, respectively). All simple MTS showed compression only in the central LCIV and half of bony MTS showed compression in both central and distal LCIV ( p < .001). Among the lumbar degenerative changes, symmetric anterolateral osteophyte ( p < .001) and asymmetric osteophyte ( p < .001) were significantly associated with bony MTS, but not scoliosis ( p = .799), compared to simple MTS. Although there was no significant difference in chronic change of LCIV, thrombosis extent, and therapeutic effect between two groups ( p > .05), chronic change of LCIV showed significant difference between single and dual compression (23.7% vs. 57.9%, p = .024) and residual thrombus after initial therapy was occurred in 21.1% of single compression and 47.4% in dual compression with non-significant trend ( p = .082).

Conclusion

Bony MTS related to lumbar degenerative changes with acute iliofemoral DVT occurs in older patients, presenting more than one stenosis at LCIV, inducing more chronic change with possibly weaker therapeutic effect than simple MTS.
Predictors and mortality risk of venous thromboembolism in patients with COVID-19: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies
Authors: Agarwal Gaurav , Hajra Adrija , Chakraborty Sandipan , Patel Neelkumar , Biswas Suman , Adler Mark K. , Lavie Carl J.
Published: June 2022

Introduction:

Novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection resulting in COVID-19 disease is associated with widespread inflammation and a prothrombotic state, resulting in frequent venous thromboembolic (VTE) events. It is currently unknown whether anticoagulation is protective for VTE events. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review to identify predictors of VTE in COVID-19.

Methods:

We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and Ovid databases for relevant observational studies of VTE in COVID-19 disease. The effect size for predictors of VTE was calculated using a random-effects model and presented as forest plots. Heterogeneity among studies was expressed as Q statistics and I2. Bias was assessed using the Newcastle Ottawa Scale for all identified observational studies. Publication bias was assessed with funnel plot analysis.

Results:

We identified 28 studies involving 6053 patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19. The overall pooled prevalence of VTE events was 20.7%. Male sex was associated with a higher risk of VTE events, whereas prior history of VTE, smoking, and cancer were not. VTE events were significantly higher in severely ill patients, mechanically ventilated patients, those requiring intensive care admission, and those with a low PaO2/FiO2 ratio (P/F ratio). Chronic comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease, heart failure, renal disease, and pulmonary disease, did not increase the risk of VTE events. Patients with VTE had higher leukocyte counts and higher levels of D-dimer, C-reactive protein, and procalcitonin. The occurrence of VTE was associated with increased length of stay but did not impact mortality. Therapeutic and prophylactic doses of anticoagulation were not protective against VTE.

Conclusion:

VTE in COVID-19 is associated with male gender and severe disease but not with traditional risk factors for VTE. The occurrence of VTE does not appear to be mitigated by either prophylactic or therapeutic anticoagulation. The occurrence of VTE in this population is associated with an increased length of stay but does not appear to impact mortality.
A rare presentation of POEMS syndrome on magnetic resonance neurography: a case series
Authors: Su Xiaoyun , Wang Jing , Kong Xiangchuang , Lu Zuneng , Zheng Chuansheng
Published: June 2022

Polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal plasma cell disorder, skin changes (POEMS) syndrome is a multisystem disease associated with underlying plasma cell neoplasm. Here, we present two cases of POEMS syndrome that manifested on magnetic resonance neurography as an increasing bone mass with cortical disruption, direct invading nerve roots and lumbar gluteal muscles. These features have not been previously reported. We also report a case with diffuse hypertrophy and enhancement of the brachial and lumbosacral plexus, which mimics the most common chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy. Moreover, we detected perineurium effusions in the plexus, coupled with a variety of myofascitis and atrophy in denervated muscle. The case series is of concern to atypical magnetic resonance imaging findings of POEMS syndrome in the bone and peripheral nerve system as critical attacked target organs, which would be facilitating diagnosis.
Effect of COVID-19 Stimulus Packages on Nations’ Competitive Advantage
Authors: Sharma Dheeraj , Pandey Shivendra Kumar , Gaur Diptanshu
Published: June 2022

The study examines the country’s competitive advantage variations due to fiscal stimulus allocated for COVID-19 by the G-20 governments. It predicts that G-20 countries that are more likely to attract future investments from global firms will improve their trade share in the post-COVID-19 scenario. The study uses the growth-share matrix and 4E (entrenching, empowering, enterprising, enriching) framework. Findings indicate that Japan, the USA, India, Australia, and Canada have allocated significantly large stimulus as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) compared to their world trade share. It is likely to provide them with a competitive advantage in the future. The findings further reveal that the Governments have significantly allocated the stimulus to four sectors, that is, health, social security, industry and construction, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In the post-COVID-19 scenario, global firms may seek market entry or expansion strategies in these sectors in the nations mentioned above.
Associations Between DNA Methylation Age Acceleration, Depressive Symptoms, and Cardiometabolic Traits in African American Mothers From the InterGEN Study
Authors: Perez Nicole Beaulieu , Vorderstrasse Allison A , Yu Gary , Melkus Gail D’Eramo , Wright Fay , Ginsberg Stephen D , Crusto Cindy A , Sun Yan V , Taylor Jacquelyn Y
Published: June 2022

Background:

African American women (AAW) have a high risk of both cardiometabolic (CM) illness and depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms co-occur in individuals with CM illness at higher rates than the general population, and accelerated aging may explain this. In this secondary analysis, we examined associations between age acceleration; depressive symptoms; and CM traits (hypertension, diabetes mellitus [DM], and obesity) in a cohort of AAW.

Methods:

Genomic and clinical data from the InterGEN cohort (n = 227) were used. Age acceleration was based on the Horvath method of DNA methylation (DNAm) age estimation. Accordingly, DNAm age acceleration (DNAm AA) was defined as the residuals from a linear regression of DNAm age on chronological age. Spearman’s correlations, linear and logistic regression examined associations between DNAm AA, depressive symptoms, and CM traits.

Results:

DNAm AA did not associate with total depressive symptom scores. DNAm AA correlated with specific symptoms including self-disgust/self-hate (−0.13, 95% CI −0.26, −0.01); difficulty with making decisions (−0.15, 95% CI −0.28, −0.02); and worry over physical health (0.15, 95% CI 0.02, 0.28), but were not statistically significant after multiple comparison correction. DNAm AA associated with obesity (0.08, 95% CI 1.02, 1.16), hypertension (0.08, 95% CI 1.01, 1.17), and DM (0.20, 95% CI 1.09, 1.40), after adjustment for potential confounders.

Conclusions:

Associations between age acceleration and depressive symptoms may be highly nuanced and dependent on study design contexts. Factors other than age acceleration may explain the connection between depressive symptoms and CM traits. AAW with CM traits may be at increased risk of accelerated aging.
Targeted radiotherapy for early-stage, low-risk pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma slow early responders: a COG AHOD0431 analysis
Authors: Parekh Akash , Keller Frank G. , McCarten Kathleen M. , Kessel Sandy , Cho Steve , Pei Qinglin , Wu Yue , Castellino Sharon M. , Constine Louis S. , Schwartz Cindy L. , Hodgson David , Kelly Kara M. , Hoppe Bradford S.
Published: June 2022

Children’s Oncology Group (COG) trial AHOD0431 reduced systemic therapy and used response-adapted involved-field radiotherapy (IFRT) in early-stage pediatric classic Hodgkin lymphoma. We investigated the impact of positron emission tomographic response after 1 cycle (PET1) and on IFRT outcomes and pattern of relapse. Patients in AHOD0431 underwent PET1 response assessment after AVPC (doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisone, and cyclophosphamide). “Rapid early responders” (RERs) had a negative PET1 (PET1−); “slow early responders” (SERs) had a positive PET1 (PET1+). Patients with a partial response by computed tomographic and functional imaging after 3 chemotherapy cycles received 21-Gy IFRT, whereas complete responders had no IFRT. Progression-free survival (PFS) was evaluated for RERs and SERs treated with or without IFRT. Recurrence sites were initial, new, or both. Relapses involving initial sites were characterized as “within the PET1+ site” or “initially involved but outside the PET1+ site.” Median follow-up was 118 months. The 10-year PFS rate among RERs was 96.6% with IFRT and 84.1% without IFRT (P = .10), whereas SERs were 80.9% with IFRT and 64.0% without IFRT (P = .03). Among 90 RERs who did not receive IFRT, all 14 relapses included an initial site. Among 45 SERs receiving no IFRT, 14 of 16 relapses were in the initial site (9 PET1+ site only). Among 58 patients receiving IFRT, 5 of 10 relapses were in the PET1+ site. After 3 cycles of AVPC alone, RERs showed favorable results. Conversely, SERs had unfavorable outcomes with AVPC alone, although they improved with 21-Gy IFRT. RT remains an important component of treatment for SERs. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00302003.
FGF1 alleviates LPS-induced acute lung injury via suppression of inflammation and oxidative stress
Authors: Dhlamini Qhaweni , Wang Wei , Feng Guifeng , Chen Aiping , Chong Lei , Li Xue , Li Quan , Wu Jin , Zhou Depu , Wang Jie , Zhang Hailin , Zhang Jin-San
Published: June 2022

Background

Acute lung injury (ALI) and its severe form, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), are devastating clinical disorders with high mortality, and for which more effective therapies are urgently needed. FGF1, the prototype member of the FGF family, is shown to exert protective effects against injurious stimuli in multiple disease models. Here we aimed to evaluate whether FGF1 pretreatment is protective against LPS-induced ALI and elucidate the potential underlying mechanisms.

Methods

For drug-treated groups, C57B/6 mice received a single i.p. injection of FGF1 (1 mg/kg) 1 h before the LPS challenge or not. To induce the ALI model, the mice were treated by intratracheal instillation of LPS (5 mg/kg). Then, histopathological changes in lung tissues were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy. ELISA and qPCR assays were used to detect pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in BALF and lung tissues, respectively. The total number of inflammatory cells (neutrophils and macrophages) in BALF were counted using the Wright-Giemsa method. The expressions of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were measured using their respective kits. Western blot and immunostaining were used to evaluate the expressions of antioxidants (Nrf-2, HO-1, SOD2, GPX4, and Catalase), as well as the inflammatory and/or apoptosis-related factors (TLR4, NF-κB, and Cleaved- caspase 3).

Results

FGF1 pretreatment significantly ameliorated the LPS-induced histopathological changes, reduced lung wet/dry ratios, ROS and MDA levels, total BALF protein, inflammatory cell infiltration, proinflammatory cytokine levels, and significantly increased the expression of antioxidant proteins (Nrf-2, HO-1, Catalase, and SOD2). In addition, FGF1 pretreatment significantly reduced the expression of TLR4 and cleaved- caspase 3, inhibited NF-κB activation, and reduced LPS-induced cell apoptosis.

Conclusions

Altogether, our results suggest that FGF1 pretreatment is protective against LPS-induced ALI through mediating anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, which may be attributed to the downregulation of TLR4 expression and inhibition of NF-κB activation, as well as promotion of antioxidant defenses. Therefore, FGF1 administration may prove beneficial in preventative strategies for ALI/ARDS.
Consistency of parent-report SLC6A1 data in Simons Searchlight with Provider-Based Publications
Authors: Bain Jennifer M. , Snyder LeeAnne Green , Helbig Katherine L. , Cooper Dominique D. , Chung Wendy K. , Goodspeed Kimberly
Published: June 2022

Background

SLC6A1-related disorder is a recently identified, rare, genetic neurodevelopmental disorder that is associated with loss-of-function variants in SLC6A1. This gene encodes GABA transporter type I that is responsible for re-uptake of GABA from the synapse into the pre-synaptic terminal or circulating neuroglia. Based upon retrospective review of published cases and available research databases including Epi25 collective and SLC6A1 Connect patient database, the phenotypic spectrum is broad and includes developmental delay, epilepsy, and autism or autistic traits. SLC6A1 is one of the genes included in the Simons Searchlight registry, which includes standardized data collection across genetically identified neurodevelopmental conditions.

Methods

In this study, we compare parent-report measures of phenotypic features in the Simons Searchlight registry to previously published, provider-reported cases to assess if parent-report measures are consistent with what has been reported in the literature.

Results

There were 116 participants in the provider-reported dataset compared to 43 individuals in the caregiver-reported dataset. Carriers in Searchlight had 83 unique pathogenic or likely pathogenic variants in SLC6A1, which were predominantly missense or nonsense variants. There was no significant difference between groups for the prevalence of developmental delay, ASD, or ADHD. Caregivers more often reported hypotonia, while epilepsy was slightly more frequently reported by providers.

Conclusions

We propose that standardized parent-report data collection methods are consistent with provider reports on many core features of SLC6A1-related disorder. The availability of patient registries and standardized natural history studies may fill an important need in clinical trial readiness programs, with larger sample sizes than smaller published case series.
Manipulating base quality scores enables variant calling from bisulfite sequencing alignments using conventional bayesian approaches
Authors: Nunn Adam , Otto Christian , Fasold Mario , Stadler Peter F , Langenberger David
Published: June 2022

Background

Calling germline SNP variants from bisulfite-converted sequencing data poses a challenge for conventional software, which have no inherent capability to dissociate true polymorphisms from artificial mutations induced by the chemical treatment. Nevertheless, SNP data is desirable both for genotyping and to understand the DNA methylome in the context of the genetic background. The confounding effect of bisulfite conversion however can be conceptually resolved by observing differences in allele counts on a per-strand basis, whereby artificial mutations are reflected by non-complementary base pairs.

Results

Herein, we present a computational pre-processing approach for adapting sequence alignment data, thus indirectly enabling downstream analysis on a per-strand basis using conventional variant calling software such as GATK or Freebayes. In comparison to specialised tools, the method represents a marked improvement in precision-sensitivity based on high-quality, published benchmark datasets for both human and model plant variants.

Conclusion

The presented “double-masking” procedure represents an open source, easy-to-use method to facilitate accurate variant calling using conventional software, thus negating any dependency on specialised tools and mitigating the need to generate additional, conventional sequencing libraries alongside bisulfite sequencing experiments. The method is available athttps://github.com/bio15anu/revelioand an implementation with Freebayes is available athttps://github.com/EpiDiverse/SNP
Heat-inactivated Lacticaseibacillus paracasei N1115 alleviates the damage due to brain function caused by long-term antibiotic cocktail exposure in mice
Authors: Zhang Yujie , Liang Huijing , Wang Yimie , Cheng Ruyue , Pu Fangfang , Yang Yang , Li Jinxing , Wu Simou , Shen Xi , He Fang
Published: June 2022

Critical development period of intestinal microbiota occurs concurrently with brain development, and their interaction is influenced by the microbiota–gut–brain axis. This study examined how antibiotics exposure affected gut microbiota and brain development and analyzed the possible benefits of heat-inactivated Lacticaseibacillus paracasei N1115 (N1115). Thirty neonatal male mice were randomly divided into three groups and treated with sterilized water (control), an antibiotic cocktail (Abx), or antibiotics plus heat-inactivated N1115 (Abx + N1115) for 84 days. We found that while the mRNA levels of GABAAα1, GABAb1, and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the hippocampus and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), GABAAα1, GABAb1, and nerve growth factor (NGF) in the prefrontal cortex were higher, the mRNA levels of 5-HT1A were lower in the Abx group. The Abx + N1115 group had lower mRNA levels of GABAAα1, GABAb1, and GR in the hippocampus and BDNF, GABAb1, and NGF in the prefrontal cortex than the Abx group. The latency period was longer in the Morris water maze test while longer rest time was seen in tail suspension test in the Abx group than the control and Abx + N1115 groups. In the open field test, the moving time and distance of the Abx group were reduced. Further, the alpha-diversity indexes of the Abx and Abx + N1115 groups were significantly lower than the control. Further, long-term exposure to antibiotics disrupted the intestinal microbiota as evidenced by decreased Bacteroides, Firmicutes, and Lactobacillus, and increased Proteobacteria and Citrobacter. However, N1115 significantly decreased the abundance of Citrobacter when compared with those in the Abx group. These results indicate that antibiotics can substantially damage the intestinal microbiota and cognitive function, causing anxiety and depression, which can be alleviated by heat-inactivated N1115 via modulation of the microbiota–gut–brain axis.