bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anemochorous and zoochorous seeds of trees from the Brazilian savannas differ in fatty acid content and composition
Authors: Franco Augusto Cesar , de Melo Risolandia Bezerra , Ferreira Cristiane Silva , Williams Thomas Christopher Rhys
Published: July 2023

Fatty acids (FAs) stored as triacylglycerols (TAGs) are an important source of carbon and energy for germination and seedling development, particularly for plants with small wind-dispersed seeds, allowing greater efficiency in storing both energy and carbon. These plants should be under strong selection to produce seeds rich in FAs and with large amounts of saturated FAs. Their closely packed single-chain configuration allows greater packing, more carbon and energy per unit mass, and are less costly to produce. Efficient carbon storage would be less crucial for zoochorous species, which can reach much larger seed sizes (mass). We analysed the transesterified FA profile from seeds of 22 anemochorous and zoochorous tree species from the Cerrado savannas of Central Brazil. We tested if seed FA content covaried with seed mass and if anemochorous and zoochorous seeds differed in FA contents and distribution. Fatty acids were an important seed source of carbon and energy for most species. Fifteen different FAs were identified. Oleic, linoleic and linolenic tended to be the predominant unsaturated FAs. Oleic acid corresponded to more than 60 % of the total transesterified FAs in seeds of Kielmeyera coriacea, Qualea dichotoma and Triplaris americana. Linoleic acid corresponded to more than 50 % of total FA in Dalbergia miscolobium, Parkia platycephala and Ferdinandusa elliptica while linolenic acid was the dominant component in Inga cylindrica. Across species, palmitic and stearic were the dominant saturated FAs. The only exception was lauric acid (68 % of total FA) in seeds of Qualea grandiflora. On a log10 scale, as the seed increased in mass, accumulation of FAs tends to proceed at a faster rate in anemochorous species than in zoochorous species. They also became increasingly richer in saturated FAs. Zoochorous species had seed TAGs with higher proportion of polyunsaturated FAs.
Can State Offices Reclaim Kichwa? Intercultural Bilingual Education Politics and Policy in Ecuador Over Decades
Authors: Limerick Nicholas
Published: July 2023

What opportunities and challenges occur in reclaiming Indigenous languages within state institutions? This article considers the case of intercultural bilingual education in Ecuador. The school system is remarkable as a national-level initiative run by and for Indigenous pueblos and nationalities. Based primarily on two years of ethnographic research in the national directorate offices of the school system and in schools, I describe three challenges that have arisen for directors that are linked to national state offices and expectations. Ultimately, Kichwa is more prominent than ever even as national planning and support changes Kichwa. The case shows contradictions of institutions in language revitalization efforts.
Ablation of the carboxy-terminal end of MAMDC2 causes a distinct muscular dystrophy
Authors: Mavillard Fabiola , Servian-Morilla Emilia , Dofash Lein , Rojas-Marcos Iñigo , Folland Chiara , Monahan Gavin , Gutierrez-Gutierrez Gerardo , Rivas Eloy , Hernández-Lain Aurelio , Valladares Amador , Cantero Gloria , Morales Jose M , Laing Nigel G , Paradas Carmen , Ravenscroft Gianina , Cabrera-Serrano Macarena
Published: July 2023

The extracellular matrix (ECM) has an important role in the development and maintenance of skeletal muscle, and several muscle diseases are associated with the dysfunction of ECM elements. MAMDC2 is a putative ECM protein and its role in cell proliferation has been investigated in certain cancer types. However, its participation in skeletal muscle physiology has not been previously studied.

We describe 17 individuals with an autosomal dominant muscular dystrophy belonging to two unrelated families in which different heterozygous truncating variants in the last exon of MAMDC2 co-segregate correctly with the disease. The radiological aspect of muscle involvement resembles that of COL6 myopathies with fat replacement at the peripheral rim of vastii muscles. In this cohort, a subfascial and peri-tendinous pattern is observed in upper and lower limb muscles. Here we show that MAMDC2 is expressed in adult skeletal muscle and differentiating muscle cells, where it appears to localize to the sarcoplasm and myonuclei. In addition, we show it is secreted by myoblasts and differentiating myotubes into to the extracellular compartment. The last exon encodes a disordered region with a polar residue compositional bias loss of which likely induces a toxic effect of the mutant protein. The precise mechanisms by which the altered MAMDC2 proteins cause disease remains to be determined.

MAMDC2 is a skeletal muscle disease-associated protein. Its role in muscle development and ECM-muscle communication remains to be fully elucidated. Screening of the last exon of MAMDC2 should be considered in patients presenting with autosomal dominant muscular dystrophy, particularly in those with a subfascial radiological pattern of muscle involvement.
Effects of cholinesterase inhibition on attention and working memory in Lewy body dementias
Authors: Fallon Sean James , Plant Olivia , Tabi Younes A , Manohar Sanjay G , Husain Masud
Published: July 2023

Cholinesterase inhibitors are frequently used to treat cognitive symptoms in Lewy body dementias (Parkinson’s disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies). However, the selectivity of their effects remains unclear. In a novel rivastigmine withdrawal design, Parkinson’s disease dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies patients were tested twice: once when taking rivastigmine as usual and once when they had missed one dose. In each session, they performed a suite of tasks (sustained attention, simple short-term recall, distractor resistance and manipulating the focus of attention) that allowed us to investigate the cognitive mechanisms through which rivastigmine affects attentional control. Consistent with previous literature, rivastigmine withdrawal significantly impaired attentional efficacy (quicker response latencies without a change in accuracy). However, it had no effects on cognitive control as assessed by the ability to withhold a response (inhibitory control). Worse short-term memory performance was also observed when patients were OFF rivastigmine, but these effects were delay and load independent, likely due to impaired visual attention. In contrast to previous studies that have examined the effects of dopamine withdrawal, cognitively complex tasks requiring control over the contents of working memory (ignoring, updating or shifting the focus of attention) were not significantly impaired by rivastigmine withdrawal. Cumulatively, these data support that the conclusion that cholinesterase inhibition has relatively specific and circumscribed—rather than global—effects on attention that may also affect performance on simple short-term memory tasks, but not when cognitive control over working memory is required. The results also indicate that the withdrawal of a single dose of rivastigmine is sufficient to reveal these impairments, demonstrating that cholinergic withdrawal can be an informative clinical as well as an investigative tool.
Neurofeedback for tinnitus treatment: an innovative method with promising potential
Authors: Kleinjung Tobias , Meyer Martin , Neff Patrick
Published: July 2023

This scientific commentary refers to ‘Does it matter what is trained? A randomized controlled trial evaluating the specificity of alpha/delta ratio neurofeedback in reducing tinnitus symptoms ‘by Jensen et al. (https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcad185).
Outer Space: From Sanctuary to Warfighting Domain?
Authors: SU Jinyuan
Published: July 2023

At the early stage of humankind’s Space Age, the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the United States of America showed an inclination to non-militarize outer space, but distrust also prompted them to carry out a series of high-altitude nuclear tests. In the end, while the non-militarization aspiration materialized on celestial bodies, in the outer void space between them only Weapons of Mass Destruction were prohibited. The last few decades have witnessed the incremental militarization of the Earth orbits. The initial phase of militarization, primarily for surveillance and early warning, was conducive to international peace and security. It is in the next phase, when space systems were integrated into warfighting capabilities and Ballistic Missile Defense systems, that outer space embarked on its reduction into a domain of conflicts. This trend was subtle in the immediate aftermath of the Cold War, and didn’t become clear until the new millennium when new space powers emerged. Today, space-based weapons and terrestrial Anti-Satellite Weapons (ASATs) form the primary security concerns for space powers, depending on their relative space capability. The disparity is difficult to reconcile, putting space arms control literally on a halt. As States with counter-space capability are also highly reliant on space, there is a growing voluntary moratorium against the test and use of debris-generating ASATs and conflicts in space are likely to take an electronic and/or cyber form. The recent rise of the strategy of “deterrence and superiority” in space, however, may distract from the formation of this voluntary moratorium, aggravate an arms race in outer space, and even increase the risk of a full-scale conflict in space.
Treatment of left main coronary artery compression in the setting of unpalliated congenital heart disease: a case series
Authors: Goli Rahul , Ya’Qoub Lina , Blusztein David , Mahadevan Vaikom S
Published: July 2023

Background

Left main coronary artery compression syndrome (LMCS) is a well-characterized phenomenon resulting from compression of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) between the aorta and an enlarged pulmonary arterial trunk. The development of LMCS is usually described in the context of severe pulmonary arterial hypertension. Cases of LMCS, in the context of unpalliated congenital heart disease (CHD), are complex clinical scenarios that challenge traditional treatment paradigms.

Case summary

Here, we discuss two thought-provoking patients with unpalliated CHD complicated by severe pulmonary hypertension (PH). Both patients developed LMCS, one with severe non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and the other with refractory angina. Their pulmonary vascular resistance was severely elevated despite pulmonary vasodilator therapy, and concomitant surgical correction of their CHD in addition to bypass grafting was deemed high risk. They underwent successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of the LMCA with drug-eluting stents.

Discussion

Pulmonary hypertension can develop in the setting of long-standing unpalliated CHD. Surgical correction of congenital heart defects may be performed in select patients with systemic-to-pulmonary shunts, contingent on the status of PH severity. Pulmonary vasodilator therapy modulates haemodynamics to ensure surgical correction without risk of cardiopulmonary demise—termed the ‘treat and repair’ strategy. LMCS, an increasingly recognized phenomenon in patients with long-standing PH, is a notable complicating factor in the ‘treat and repair’ strategy. We introduce the concept that PCI of the LMCA may bridge patients to corrective surgery for CHD by allowing time for optimization of their pulmonary vasodilator therapy.
Kratom use disorder: case reports on successful treatment with home induction of buprenorphine-naloxone.
Authors: Kiyokawa Miki , Kwon Anthony K , Cape Micaiah C , Streltzer Jon M
Published: July 2023

Background

Kratom has been used for different reasons such as pain, opioid withdrawal, and relaxation. Kratom can cause dependence and overdose, and it’s classified under ‘drugs of concern’ by the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Despite these concerns, kratom is legal in most of the United States and many countries around the world with easy accessibility. Literature searches reveal recommendations to use buprenorphine (or buprenorphine-naloxone), which are medications to treat opioid use disorder, in order to treat patients with kratom use disorder; however, there are no formal guidelines available. Buprenorphine (or buprenorphine-naloxone) induction is recommended to be conducted under observation (i.e. in the clinic) in the United States, but COVID-19 has resulted in shifts toward telehealth.

Objectives

Describe case series of successful management of kratom use disorder using telehealth followed by unobserved buprenorphine-naloxone home induction and highlight implications for future management, including maintenance dosage and induction method.

Methods

We present 2 very similar kratom use disorder patients who reported taking 35 g of kratom per day who underwent unobserved buprenorphine-naloxone home induction.

Results

Both were seen via telehealth initially. They reported no adverse effects before, during, or after the unobserved home induction on buprenorphine-naloxone but stabilized on significantly different dosages.

Conclusion

Telehealth followed by unobserved buprenorphine-naloxone induction at home may be an alternative to traditional buprenorphine-naloxone induction where treatment accessibility is limited. In addition to daily doses of kratom use, other factors, such as duration of kratom use and individual psychological factors may determine the most comfortable dose of buprenorphine-naloxone.
Pension Tension: Retirement Annuity Fosters Ageism Across Countries and Cultures
Authors: Chen Zizhuo , North Michael S , Zhang Xin
Published: July 2023

Background and Objectives

Globally aging populations raise worldwide concerns about how an older population will be valued. Cross-culturally, many espouse that Eastern cultures revere their older adults more than Westerners, due to stronger collectivism and filial piety traditions. In contrast, this paper proposes a resource tension hypothesis, whereby rapid population aging causes pragmatic strain across all modernized societies, fostering ageism.

Research Design and Methods

Three studies supported this resource tension hypothesis, focusing on the pragmatic role of public pensions—a fundamental resource inherently pitting older versus younger generations—in fostering ageism. Study 1 tested the relationship between nation-level public pension rate and attitudes toward older adults by using World Values Survey and European Social Survey data sets. Study 2 further explored this relationship via priming both the pension-based resource scarcity and the intergenerational competition over the public pension. Study 3 offered an intervention—future-self-thinking via a photo ager—on reducing intergenerational tensions under pension scarcity conditions.

Results

Study 1 found a significant link between nation-level public pension rate and negative older adult attitudes across 39,700 World Values Survey, and 29,797 European Social Survey data points. Study 2 further supported the pension-ageism link via experimental methods. Participants who were reminded of the scarcity of pensions and intergenerational competition exhibited more negative attitudes toward older adults. Study 3 confirmed the effect of the future-self intervention on enhancing attitudes toward older adults even despite scarce pension resources.

Discussion and Implications

The findings support a resource explanation in driving perceptions of older adults, implicate pensions as a key mechanism driving intergenerational attitudes, and identify future-self thinking as a critical intervention. The present studies open up new research pathways for understanding and accommodating the globally aging population.
Occurrence and surveillance of Taiwanese bovine arboviruses using hematophagous insects in dairy farms during 2012–2019
Authors: Tzeng Hau-You , Ting Lu-Jen , Chiu Chin-Ing , Lin Nien-Nung , Liao Kuei-Min , Tu Wu-Chun
Published: July 2023

Culicoides-borne viruses are an important arbovirus group causing bovine diseases. During 2012–2019, 2,525 pools consisting of 108,937 specimens of vectors were subjected to PCR detection of bovine arbovirus belonging to Orthobunyavirus, Orbivirus, and Ephemerovirus. Twelve virus RNAs, of which 6, that is, Shuni virus, Shamonda virus, and Sathuperi virus in Orthobunyavirus and Sathuvachari virus and epizootic hemorrhagic disease virus serotypes 4 and 7 in Orbivirus were detected for the first time in the area. Potential vector species were evaluated by the minimum infection rate, and the population abundance of Culicoides oxystoma, Culex tritaeniorhynchus, and Anopheles sinensis indicated that they were the main potential vector species in dairy farms in Taiwan.
Introductory Information for Therapists
Authors: Epstein Elizabeth E. , McCrady Barbara S.
Published: July 2023

This chapter covers topics that therapists need to know to treat women with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and substance use disorder (SUD). It reviews science-based information about AUD or SUD in general and in women, discusses gender differences between men and women with alcohol and other substance use disorders, provides the rationale for having women-specific treatment for AUD and SUD, and outlines the evidence base for this treatment program, Women’s Group Treatment for Substance Use Disorder. This treatment method can improve women’s access to treatment and can be used as group or individual therapy, in outpatient or inpatient addiction treatment settings. The first five chapters of the Therapist Guide provide introductory information, and Chapters 6 through 17 cover the 12-session treatment program.
Session 3: Presence of Heavy Drinkers/Drug Users in Social Network; Self-Management Plans
Authors: Epstein Elizabeth E. , McCrady Barbara S.
Published: July 2023

Session 3 of this Therapist Guide helps clients think about their social support network in general and in terms of support for abstinence. Clients identify how the members of their social network impact their efforts to attain and maintain sobriety. Also, a core skill of cognitive behavioral therapy called self-management is taught and practiced using brainstorming to help clients develop strategies to cope with their personal triggers. Each strategy is evaluated for pros, cons, and difficulty, and promising strategies are assigned for homework. As in every session, routine interventions are covered (agenda setting, review of daily monitoring logs, homework review, planning for upcoming high-risk situations). As in every session, handouts and sample worksheets provide clinical vignettes relevant to women with alcohol use disorder and substance use disorder, and verbatim therapist language is suggested to deliver the material.
Session 7: Affect and Mood Management
Authors: Epstein Elizabeth E. , McCrady Barbara S.
Published: July 2023

Session 7 covers skills to manage depressed and anxious mood states, as well as stress. Thinking errors are identified and cognitive restructuring skills are taught and practiced. Emotion regulation skills are also covered. As in every session, abstinence plans and status are monitored and adjusted, daily drinking/craving/trigger logs are discussed, other routine interventions are delivered, and other skills learned in previous sessions are reinforced.
Session 11: Problem-Solving
Authors: Epstein Elizabeth E. , McCrady Barbara S.
Published: July 2023

In Session 11, problem-solving, a key cognitive behavioral therapy skill, is taught as a general coping skill to use instead of drinking or using drugs to avoid dealing with problems. Women-specific vignettes and examples of a problem-solving procedure are provided, and the skill is practiced in session via exercises using the handouts and worksheets. Letting go of situations and people identified as being “not in my control” is discussed as a step in problem-solving. Tools such as acceptance and mindful awareness are incorporated in the problem-solving strategy menu. As in every session, prior skills are carried forward, each client’s abstinence plan is monitored, routine interventions are delivered, and group support is encouraged.
Session 1: Orientation, Daily Monitoring, and Abstinence Plans
Authors: Epstein Elizabeth E. , McCrady Barbara S.
Published: July 2023

Session 1 of the Client Workbook provides information for clients about gender differences in alcohol and drug use and the unique challenges that women face. Clients will receive personalized feedback about their alcohol and drug use pattern, amounts, and consequences of use and will learn facts about alcohol that will help them change your drinking or drug use. Clients will learn how to identify and monitor their cravings, triggers, and substance use every day. They will learn to identify high-risk situations likely to occur in the upcoming week and come up with strategies to cope with the situations without using alcohol or drugs. Informational handouts and practice worksheets are used in session and during the week. Homework for the week is assigned. The material in every session is customized to women and to each client’s particular pattern of substance use, consequences, motivation, and related problems.
Session 3: Presence of Heavy Drinkers/Drug Users in Social Network; Self-Management Plans
Authors: Epstein Elizabeth E. , McCrady Barbara S.
Published: July 2023

Session 3 focuses on social network support for abstinence. Clients will identify and evaluate their social support network for abstinence and for support and their quality of life in general. Then, they will develop plans to deal with drinking/drug use triggers related to heavy drinkers or drug users in their network. They will also learn a skill called “Self-Management Planning” to develop and execute plans to cope with any type of trigger. At the end of the session clients will identify upcoming high-risk situations and develop plans to cope without using alcohol or drugs. The therapist also will review homework for the upcoming week.
Session 9: Assertiveness Training and Drink/Drug Refusal
Authors: Epstein Elizabeth E. , McCrady Barbara S.
Published: July 2023

Session 9 of the Client Workbook covers general assertiveness, which is a way to react effectively to difficult interpersonal situations. First, clients will learn different ways that women handle interpersonal difficulties and will identify their usual response style. Then clients will learn more about how to be assertive—a way of responding that helps them stand up for their own rights while still being respectful to others. Clients will also apply assertiveness skills to situations where they are offered alcohol or drugs. Being good at refusing offers or pressures to drink or use drugs is a special example of assertiveness. Clients will learn about effective ways to resist social pressure. At the end of the session they will identify upcoming high-risk situations and develop plans to cope without using alcohol or drugs. The therapist also will review homework for the upcoming week.
Can Under-5 Mortality Be Reduced by Proactive Community Case Management?
Authors: Sathananthan Vidiya , Waters Ami
Published: July 2023

Pneumonia, diarrhea, malaria, and neonatal illnesses are the leading causes of childhood death in children in sub-Saharan Africa. Access to care is a key for diagnosing and treating these illnesses. This study utilizes proactive community case management of childhood illnesses by community health workers to study if under-5 mortality could be reduced. Under-5 mortality was estimated at 154 deaths per 1000 live births at the start of the study and 7 deaths per 1000 live births at the end of the study period. This study’s findings contribute to current evidence that proactive community case management may be able to reduce under-5 mortality and improve child health outcomes in peri-urban settings.
Reduced Risk of Post-Natal Transmission of HIV with Extended Antiretroviral Prophylactic Regimen
Authors: Schimek Trisha
Published: July 2023

In under-resourced regions, respiratory and gastrointestinal infections are the leading cause of death in infants. Breastfeeding has been proven to reduce common pediatric illnesses by passing on maternal antibodies to the nursing infant, as well as by obviating the need for clean drinking water to prepare formula. However, if a mother is infected with HIV, there is a 10%–20% risk of transmission with prolonged breastfeeding. This study randomized the infants of HIV-1-infected mothers to receive either usual treatment, extended post-exposure prophylaxis with nevirapine for 14 weeks, or extended post-exposure prophylaxis using dual nevirapine and zidovudine treatment for 14 weeks. The results showed that extended prophylaxis with nevirapine and dual prophylaxis with nevirapine and zidovudine resulted in decreased rates of HIV-1 transmission during breastfeeding compared with the control arm. This study provides crucial information about prolonged drug prophylaxis for HIV prevention in breastfed infants.
BPaL, A New Oral Regimen for Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis
Authors: Garg Tushar
Published: July 2023

Given the lack of effective treatments for complicated multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) and extensive drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB), it will be challenging to achieve the World Health Organization (WHO) goal to end the global TB epidemic by 2035. The treatment of MDR- and XDR-TB consists of 4–6 drug regimens for durations of 1–2 years. In this open label, single-group study in 3 sites, the safety and efficacy of a 3-drug regimen, including bedaquiline, linezolid, and pretomanid (BPaL), was assessed for treatment of MDR- and XDR-TB. The all-oral, 6-month BPaL regimen for XDR- and complicated MDR-TB patients was highly effective, as 90% of patients had a favorable outcome. However, the incidence and severity of adverse effects caused by linezolid is alarming. The Nix-TB study shows that a highly effective, all-oral, short regimen for MDR- and XDR-TB can be implemented in both clinical and programmatic settings.
Corticosteroids for Bacterial Meningitis in Adults in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Jain Priyank
Published: July 2023

In studies from high-income countries (HICs), corticosteroids have been shown to reduce mortality in patients with bacterial meningitis. However, this has not been replicated in sub-Saharan Africa or in areas with a high burden of HIV. This study looked at the efficacy of corticosteroids in patients in sub-Saharan Africa with high HIV positivity (90%) in improving clinical outcomes. The authors found that there was no benefit of administering corticosteroids in morbidity or mortality outcomes. This study demonstrates that promising results in other regions cannot always be extrapolated for use in areas that vary significantly in prevalence of disease and patient characteristics.
Nonphysician-Led Multidisciplinary Stepped-Care Program vs. Usual Primary Care Program for Females with Major Depression
Authors: Chowdhury Shaheen
Published: July 2023

There is a significant burden of mental health illness globally, and this disproportionately affects areas with a dearth of mental health providers. This study compared the effectiveness of using a nonphysician-led, stepped-care approach as compared to usual care in the management of depression in a low-resource, primary-care setting. The stepped-care group scored 8.89 points lower than the usual-care group on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scores after treatment. At a 6-month follow-up, 70% of the stepped-care group had recovered, compared to 30% of the usual care group. This suggests that a nonphysician-led stepped-care approach incorporating locally available resources can produce significant benefits in the management of depression, even in under-resourced settings.
Where There Is No Anesthetist, Is Ketamine a Good Alternative?
Authors: Shah Naman
Published: July 2023

Anesthesia services are often not available in many low-resource settings. In this landmark study in rural Kenya, the authors conduct an intervention with non-anesthetists using ketamine, a long-standing mainstay for anesthesia in similar settings, and describe its results among 1216 cases. The careful documentation establishes the safety and feasibility of ketamine use across a range of facilities, providers, and surgical indications. Additional qualitative findings indicate reduced financial burden of surgeries, decreased wait times for surgeries and enthusiastic acceptance by the ketamine-trained providers, surgeons, and hospital administrators, based on their direct experiences. 3.2% patients experienced brief hypoxia and 13% experienced hallucination or agitation.
Last Tweaks
Authors: Navin Mark C. , Attwell Katie
Published: July 2023

In the first years of the 21st century, state policymakers in the United States responded to rising rates of vaccine hesitancy and refusal by making small changes to immunization governance. They made exemptions to school entry vaccine mandates more difficult to get without eliminating them entirely. States including Michigan, Washington, Oregon, and California required parents to be educated about vaccines and vaccine-preventable disease before they could access nonmedical exemptions. In California, Assembly Bill 2109 required parents to consult with a clinician before receiving such an exemption. These small policy changes were inexpensive to execute, and they often applied insights from behavioral sciences—such as nudges—to change parents’ behaviors without eliminating parents’ freedom to reject vaccination. Once implemented, these policies somewhat reduced nonmedical exemption rates, but not by as much as some policymakers had hoped. These policy tweaks did not incline committed vaccine refusers to embrace vaccination.
Social Meaning and Political Conflict
Authors: Navin Mark C. , Attwell Katie
Published: July 2023

Efforts to restrict and eliminate exemptions to California’s school-entry vaccine mandates generated social and political conflicts. Nonmedical exemptions made vaccine refusal a tolerated way of life, so efforts to remove them aimed to place vaccine refusers outside of mainstream society. Parents who refused vaccines pushed back against Assembly Bill 2109, which required them to be counselled by a clinician before receiving an exemption. They also protested Senate Bill 277, which eliminated nonmedical exemptions altogether. Later, after vaccine-refusing families accessed fraudulent medical exemptions from unscrupulous medical professionals, California increased regulation of medical exemptions via Senate Bill 276. In response, parents engaged in violent and racist attacks against policymakers. These conflicts later spilled over into resistance against COVID-19 pandemic control measures and COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
Policy Limitations and America’s Institutions
Authors: Navin Mark C. , Attwell Katie
Published: July 2023

American efforts to eliminate nonmedical exemptions (NMEs) to school and daycare mandates are likely to produce underwhelming benefits and higher-than-expected costs. In states whose legislatures can pass such laws, local communities and schools will not fully implement them, creating enforcement problems, as demonstrated in the California case. More important, only a handful of states are likely to eliminate NMEs, in light of new political polarization about immunization policy: Democratic state legislators favor NME elimination and Republicans oppose it. Finally, neither the COVID-19 pandemic nor President Trump’s response to it is responsible for today’s partisan political fights about vaccine mandates for routine childhood vaccines. Rather, efforts to tighten and eliminate NMEs drove politicization of immunization policy through the 2010s. Today’s conflicts are unfortunate unintended consequences.
Alignment of dense molecular core morphology and velocity gradients with ambient magnetic fields
Authors: Pandhi A , Friesen R K , Fissel L , Pineda J E , Caselli P , Chen M C-Y , Di Francesco J , Ginsburg A , Kirk H , Myers P C , Offner S S R , Punanova A , Quan F , Redaelli E , Rosolowsky E , Scibelli S , Seo Y M , Shirley Y
Published: July 2023

Studies of dense core morphologies and their orientations with respect to gas flows and the local magnetic field have been limited to only a small sample of cores with spectroscopic data. Leveraging the Green Bank Ammonia Survey alongside existing sub-millimeter continuum observations and Planck dust polarization, we produce a cross-matched catalogue of 399 dense cores with estimates of core morphology, size, mass, specific angular momentum, and magnetic field orientation. Of the 399 cores, 329 exhibit 2D vLSR maps that are well fit with a linear gradient, consistent with rotation projected on the sky. We find a best-fit specific angular momentum and core size relationship of J/M ∝ R1.82 ± 0.10, suggesting that core velocity gradients originate from a combination of solid body rotation and turbulent motions. Most cores have no preferred orientation between the axis of core elongation, velocity gradient direction, and the ambient magnetic field orientation, favouring a triaxial and weakly magnetized origin. We find, however, strong evidence for a preferred anti-alignment between the core elongation axis and magnetic field for protostellar cores, revealing a change in orientation from starless and prestellar populations that may result from gravitational contraction in a magnetically-regulated (but not dominant) environment. We also find marginal evidence for anti-alignment between the core velocity gradient and magnetic field orientation in the L1228 and L1251 regions of Cepheus, suggesting a preferred orientation with respect to magnetic fields may be more prevalent in regions with locally ordered fields.
Effect of the Nicotine Replacement Therapy on Biomarkers of Inflammation, Endothelial Dysfunction, Oxidative Stress, and Lipids in Smokers Who Quit Smoking
Authors: Colsoul Marie-Lise , Goderniaux Nicolas , Onorati Sabrina , Dupuis Stéphanie , Jamart Jacques , Vanpee Dominique , Berlin Ivan , Galanti Laurence
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Our previous study showed major changes in biomarkers on quitting compared to the smoking state. They reflected a decrease in inflammation, endothelial activation, and oxidative stress, as well as an improved lipid profile. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is effective to increase the rate of successful quitting, but healthcare professionals may have concerns to prescribe this first-line smoking cessation treatment because its effect on inflammation and related processes is controversial.

Aims and Methods

The present study assessed the influence of NRT on biomarkers of inflammation, endothelial function, oxidative stress, and lipids, in people who quit smoking. Sixty-five subjects who daily smoke cigarettes were recruited and followed on quitting. Thirty-five quit using NRT and thirty quit without NRT. Biomarkers of inflammation, endothelial function, oxidative stress, and lipids were quantified at baseline when actively smoking and after cessation in the presence of NRT or not.

Results

Changes in biomarkers on quitting did not differ according to the treatment used. No difference was found when comparing participants who were exposed to NRT and those who were not.

Conclusions

These results may indicate that NRT has no effect on inflammation, endothelial function, oxidative stress, and lipids, when used as a medication aid for quitting smoking.

Implications

This study provides new evidence to support the safety profile of NRT products regarding the biomarkers of endothelial function, oxidative stress, inflammation, and lipids.
Contrasting dissolved organic matter biodegradation and bacterial cytometric features in oligotrophic and ultraoligotrophic Patagonian lakes
Authors: Gerea Marina , Soto Cárdenas Carolina , Garcia Patricia Elizabeth , Quiroga María Victoria , Queimaliños Claudia
Published: July 2023

Biodegradation process of dissolved organic matter (DOM) could be affected by its concentration and quality. Two biodegradation experiments were conducted in two contrasting seasons in two oligotrophic and one ultraoligotrophic temperate lakes, which comprise a natural gradient of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and quality (including lakes of < 83.33 μM). We examined associations between biodegradation and bacterial cytometric descriptors (i.e. abundance, DNA relative content, etc.) and with different DOM characteristics. The biolabile DOC (BDOC) was higher in shallow oligotrophic lakes, which displayed higher DOC concentration than the deep ultraoligotrophic one. The BDOC was mainly relatable not only to DOC concentration but also with DOM quality [fluorescent terrestrial-humic component normalized by DOC (C2:DOC), lignin content (a*350) and biological index]. We found a positive association between biodegradation process and high nucleic acid–content bacterial group. The bacterioplankton cytometric features were shaped by DOM concentration and quality along the biodegradation process. We concluded that in oligotrophic lakes, DOC concentration was the main driver of BDOC, whereas in ultraoligotrophic lakes, DOM quality played a more central role. This study contributes to better understand the biodegradation process in pristine low-DOC lakes with natural variation in allochthonous DOM inputs and with implications in the biogeochemical cycles.
Active video games and weight management in overweight children and adolescents—systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Bourke M , Patterson L , Di Nardo F , Whittaker P , Verma A
Published: July 2023

Background

The prevalence of childhood obesity has been increasing for several decades. Active video games (AVG) may be an effective intervention to help manage this rising health crisis. The aim of this review is to evaluate whether AVG are effective at reducing weight or improving body composition in overweight youths.

Method

Medline, Embase, SportDiscus, ASSIA, CINAHL Plus, CENTRAL, CDSR and PsychINFO databases were searched for studies assessing quantitative or qualitative impact of AVG in overweight adolescents published in English. Three authors screened the results using inclusion/exclusion criteria.

Results

A total of 12 studies met the inclusion criteria; 11 reported a significant decrease in at least one weight outcome. Results from seven randomized controlled trials were pooled by meta-analysis, which compared with controls subjects in AVG groups demonstrated greater body mass index (BMI) Z-score reduction (mean difference: −0.09 (−0.12, −0.05) I2 = 34%, P < 0.0001). The mean weight reduction (−2.66 Kg (−5.67, +0.35) I2 = 0%, P = 0.08) and BMI (−2.29 (−4.81, +0.22) I2 = 49%, P = 0.07) were greater in AVG groups but results did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusions

BMI Z-score was significantly reduced in the AVG group and the majority of included studies reported significant results in at least one weight outcome, suggesting AVG can be used to reduce weight or improve body composition in overweight youths. Further studies investigating the long-term sustainability of this change in body composition are needed.
Online tree expansion could help solve the problem of scalability in Bayesian phylogenetics
Authors: Truszkowski Jakub , Perrigo Allison , Broman David , Ronquist Fredrik , Antonelli Alexandre
Published: July 2023

Bayesian phylogenetics is now facing a critical point. Over the last 20 years, Bayesian methods have reshaped phylogenetic inference and gained widespread popularity due to their high accuracy, the ability to quantify the uncertainty of inferences and the possibility of accommodating multiple aspects of evolutionary processes in the models that are used. Unfortunately, Bayesian methods are computationally expensive, and typical applications involve at most a few hundred sequences. This is problematic in the age of rapidly expanding genomic data and increasing scope of evolutionary analyses, forcing researchers to resort to less accurate but faster methods, such as maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood. Does this spell doom for Bayesian methods? Not necessarily. Here, we discuss some recently proposed approaches that could help scale up Bayesian analyses of evolutionary problems considerably. We focus on two particular aspects: online phylogenetics, where new data sequences are added to existing analyses, and alternatives to Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) for scalable Bayesian inference. We identify 5 specific challenges and discuss how they might be overcome. We believe that online phylogenetic approaches and Sequential Monte Carlo hold great promise and could potentially speed up tree inference by orders of magnitude. We call for collaborative efforts to speed up the development of methods for real-time tree expansion through online phylogenetics.
Effects of multiple vitamin E levels and two fat sources in diets for swine fed to heavy slaughter weight of 150 kg: II. Tissue fatty acid profile, vitamin E concentrations, immune capacity, and antioxidant capacity of plasma and tissue
Authors: Wang Ding , Jang Young Dal , Kelley Marlee , Rentfrow Gregg K , Azain Michael J , Lindemann Merlin D
Published: July 2023

The study objective was to evaluate the effect of two fat sources and graded levels of vitamin E (VE) supplementation on tissue fatty acid profile, VE concentrations, immune capacity, and antioxidant capacity of plasma and tissues of pigs at heavy slaughter weight (150 kg). A total of 48 individually-fed pigs (24 barrows, 24 gilts; 28.44 ± 2.69 kg) were randomly assigned to eight dietary treatments in a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement. The two fat treatments were either 5% tallow (TW) or 5% distiller’s corn-oil (DCO). The VE treatments included four levels of α-tocopheryl-acetate (11, 40, 100, and 200 ppm). Compared to pigs fed the DCO diet, pigs fed the TW diet had greater SFA (C14, C16, and C18; P < 0.05) and MUFAs (C14:1, C16:1, C18:1, and C20:1; P < 0.05), lower PUFA (C18:2n-6, C18:3n-3, C20:2, C20:3, and C20:4; P < 0.05) and iodine value in the backfat and belly fat. Increasing dietary VE supplementation level increased α- and total tocopherol concentrations in plasma (linear and quadratic, P < 0.05), liver, and loin muscle (linear, P < 0.06), superoxide dismutase activity (quadratic, P < 0.05), but decreased γ-tocopherol concentrations in liver (linear, P = 0.06), plasma, and loin muscle (quadratic, P < 0.07), and decreased liver glutathione disulfide (GSSG; linear, P = 0.07) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content (quadratic, P < 0.05). There was an interaction between fat sources and dietary VE supplementation level on the concentration of α-tocopherol in the loin muscle (P < 0.05) wherein a greater increase was observed in the TW treatment than the DCO treatment with the increasing dietary VE supplementation level. In conclusion, dietary FA composition in TW and DCO affected the composition of most FA in backfat, belly fat, and liver while increasing VE supplementation level did not significantly alter the FA profile in these tissues. Increasing dietary VE supplementation level increased tocopherol concentrations in plasma, liver and loin muscle, and improved antioxidant capacity while tocopherol concentrations in plasma, liver and loin muscle in the TW treatment increased more than they did in the DCO treatment.
Metformin Alleviates Sepsis-Associated Myocardial Injury by Enhancing AMP-Activated Protein Kinase/Mammalian Target of Rapamycin Signaling Pathway–Mediated Autophagy
Authors: Gao Yu , Liu Jiao , Li Kemin , Li Tian , Li Ruihan , Zhang Wenlong , Zhang Xuanping , Wang Yan , Chen Min , Shi Ruizan , Cao Jing
Published: July 2023

Sepsis-associated myocardial injury is one of the main causes of death in intensive care units, and current clinical treatments have not been satisfactory. Therefore, finding an effective intervention is an urgent requirement. Metformin, an anti–type 2 diabetes drug, has been reported to be an autophagic activator agent that confers protection in some diseases. However, it is unclear whether it can provide defense against sepsis-associated myocardial injury. In this study, we investigated the cardioprotective effects of metformin pretreatment against lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced myocardial injury in C57BL/6J mice or H9c2 cells and the possible underlying mechanisms. Metformin was administered at a dose of 100 mg/kg for a week before LPS intraperitoneal injection. Twenty-four hours after LPS intervention, echocardiographic evaluation, reactive oxygen species measurement, Hoechst staining, western blotting, hematoxylin and eosin staining, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were performed. Inhibitors of autophagy and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) were used to further clarify the mechanisms involved. Metformin pretreatment effectively attenuated cardiac dysfunction, reduced the levels of myocardial enzymes, and alleviated cardiac hydroncus in LPS-treated mice. In addition, metformin restored the LPS-disrupted antioxidant defense and activated LPS-reduced autophagy by modulating the AMPK/mammalian target of rapamycin (AMPK/mTOR) pathway both in vivo and in vitro. The antioxidant effects of metformin on cardiomyocytes were abolished by the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine (3-MA). Treatment with compound C, an AMPK inhibitor, reversed the metformin-induced autophagy in LPS-treated H9c2 cells. In conclusion, metformin pretreatment alleviates LPS-induced myocardial injury by activating AMPK/mTOR pathway–mediated autophagy.
The MLL–Menin Interaction is a Therapeutic Vulnerability in NUP98-rearranged AML
Authors: Rasouli Milad , Blair Helen , Troester Selina , Szoltysek Katarzyna , Cameron Rachel , Ashtiani Minoo , Krippner-Heidenreich Anja , Grebien Florian , McGeehan Gerard , Zwaan C. Michel , Heidenreich Olaf
Published: July 2023

Chromosomal translocations involving the NUP98 locus are among the most prevalent rearrangements in pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AML with NUP98 fusions is characterized by high expression of HOXA and MEIS1 genes and is associated with poor clinical outcome. NUP98 fusion proteins are recruited to their target genes by the mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) complex, which involves a direct interaction between MLL and Menin. Here, we show that therapeutic targeting of the Menin–MLL interaction inhibits the propagation of NUP98-rearrranged AML both ex vivo and in vivo. Treatment of primary AML cells with the Menin inhibitor revumenib (SNDX-5613) impairs proliferation and clonogenicity ex vivo in long-term coculture and drives myeloid differentiation. These phenotypic effects are associated with global gene expression changes in primary AML samples that involve the downregulation of many critical NUP98 fusion protein-target genes, such as MEIS1 and CDK6. In addition, Menin inhibition reduces the expression of both wild-type FLT3 and mutated FLT3-ITD, and in combination with FLT3 inhibitor, suppresses patient-derived NUP98-r AML cells in a synergistic manner. Revumenib treatment blocks leukemic engraftment and prevents leukemia-associated death of immunodeficient mice transplanted with NUP98::NSD1 FLT3-ITD-positive patient-derived AML cells. These results demonstrate that NUP98-rearranged AMLs are highly susceptible to inhibition of the MLL–Menin interaction and suggest the inclusion of AML patients harboring NUP98 fusions into the clinical evaluation of Menin inhibitors.