bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Referring to an avenue as an ‘artery’ (artère) in French
Authors: Bertin Thomas
Published: January 2023

This study draws on lexical semantics to support a discourse analysis perspective (Gosselin 2018; Galatanu 2018). It examines the use of the French noun artère ‘artery’ (a common word from the lexicon (Maingueneau 2021)) to refer to a street-like entity (street, avenue, boulevard, etc.). The empirical investigation was based on an analysis of 150 utterances (extracted from three full-text databases). On the one hand, the study shows that selecting artère to refer to a street-like entity is a discursive strategy targeting a significant representation of the referent, especially when this referent is not a prototypical urban street. On the other hand, it supports the idea that this discursive choice strongly relies on the lexical signification of artère (Bertin 2018).
Temporal reference in oral narratives produced by French learners of English as a second language
Authors: David Caroline , Vincent-Durroux Laurence , Mullan Kerry , Béal Christine , Poussard Cécile
Published: January 2023

The differing approaches to expressing temporality across languages lead us to question what difficulties might be experienced by learners of a second language when referring to time. We examine the spoken data of 33 French university learners of English to assess their mastery of the English system of temporal reference, especially the case of and, a discourse marker which may seem easy to acquire. We find that the subtleties of and are still to be acquired by even relatively advanced learners. Our participants do not use and in the way the native English speakers do, but as its French equivalent et. Conversely, the native English speakers also use and to structure their speech, a value that our French participants have not acquired.
Bring me sunshine
Authors: Durrani Matin
Published: January 2023

Plans for space-based solar power deserve to be considered but questioned too.
Click to comply
Authors: Crease Robert P
Published: January 2023

It’s vital we ensure our workplaces are safe, fair and welcoming, but compulsory online training courses can fool us into a false sense of security, says Robert P Crease.
Poor phrasing
Authors: Kettle Maria
Published: January 2023

In response to the article “Magnetic economy” by James McKenzie, which looks at the importance of magnet research and development if we want to turn the economy green.
Quantum pioneers bag 2022 Nobel
Authors: Johnston Hamish
Published: January 2023

The 2022 Nobel Prize for Physics has gone to Alain Aspect, John Clauser and Anton Zeilinger for their work on entanglement, as Hamish Johnston reports.
IOP calls on UK government to develop a ‘clear vision’ for research
Authors: Banks Michael
Published: January 2023

A new report by the Institute of Physics calls on the UK government to develop a “clear, comprehensive vision for research and development”, or risk the UK being left behind.
DART mission deflects asteroid in first-of-its-kind test
Authors: Banks Michael
Published: January 2023

NASA has confirmed that its asteroid-deflection mission has managed to successfully alter an asteroid’s orbit.
A poor introductory science degree grade has a ‘devastating’ effect
Authors: Gwynne Peter
Published: January 2023

According to a new US study, students from under-represented minority groups who earn low marks in introductory science degree courses are less likely to continue studying science compared to simnilarly scoring white male students.
Serving the physics community
Authors: Banks Michael
Published: January 2023

Tom Grinyer, the new chief executive of the Institute of Physics, talks to Michael Banks about why he took the job, the challenges facing membership societies, and what excites him about physics.
Heavens above
Authors: McKenzie James
Published: January 2023

James McKenzie is fascinated by the latest Apple iPhone, which can now communicate directly with satellites.
Oil industry careers
Authors: Darracott Brian , Jones Francis , Osborn Steve , Sanders Les
Published: January 2023

A response to a letter expressing “horror and anger” about the publication of an article by the physicist Oliver Grimston about his career in the oil industry.
Home, green home
Authors: Harris Margaret
Published: January 2023

With energy bills on the rise, plenty of people are interested in ditching the fossil fuels currently used to heat most UK homes. The question is how to make it happen, as Margaret Harris explains.
Fighting a digital swarm
Authors: Tesh Sarah
Published: January 2023

Sarah Tesh reviews Swarm Rising and Swarm Enemy by Tim Peake and Steve Cole.
Populus euphraticacounteracts drought stress through the dew coupling and root hydraulic redistribution processes
Authors: Fan Xue , Hao Xingming , Zhang Sen , Zhao Zhuoyi , Zhang Jingjing , Li Yuanhang
Published: January 2023

Background

In arid and semi-arid areas, plants can directly absorb and use dew through their leaves, and some plants have the ability for hydraulic redistribution of their roots. Therefore, in arid areas, plants may redistribute dew to the soil, using the soil as a reservoir for short-term dry seasons, i.e. dew may participate in the hydraulic redistribution process of plants. This process plays an important role in plant survival and community stability.

Methods

To verify this hypothesis, we investigated the water use mechanism of Populus euphratica through a comprehensive observation of sap flow, water potential and soil water content using a heavy water tracer experiment under in situ field conditions.

Results and Discussion

Dewdrops contributed 28.3 % of soil moisture near the roots, and applying dew on leaves for several days significantly improved soil moisture status. Hydraulic redistribution in the roots mainly occurred from 2200 h at night to 800 h the following day and mainly occurred in the 20- to 80-cm soil layer. Water storage in the trunk is the intermediate link in the coupling process of foliar water uptake and hydraulic redistribution; water storage in the trunk is mainly replenished from May to July and consumed throughout the rest of the year. In conclusion, dew redistributes water into soil through the coupling process of foliar water uptake and hydraulic redistribution. Populus euphratica uses the trunk and soil for water storage to cope with water stress during short-term drought periods. Our findings provide a scientific basis for the restoration of different species in water-deficient areas, which is conducive to maintaining vegetation ecosystem stability in areas of desertification and improving the soil water balance.
Genetic variability ofChamaerops humilis(Arecaceae) throughout its native range highlights two species movement pathways from its area of origin
Authors: Giovino Antonio , Guarino Carmine , Marchese Annalisa , Sciarillo Rosaria , Domina Gianniantonio , Tolone Marco , Mateu-Andrés Isabel , Khadari Bouchaib , Schillaci Calogero , Guara-Requena Miguel , Saia Sergio
Published: January 2023

The European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis, Arecaceae) is the only native palm in continental Europe, providing ecosystem services that are hard to obtain from other species. However, its populations are declining in some areas due to anthropogenic effects including climate change. Knowledge of genetic variability among natural populations is needed to establish conservation plans, to prevent genetic contamination of native stands by cultivated germplasm and to exploit it as an ornamental species. However, information on the genetic similarities among C. humilis populations is scarce. The aims of this work were to study genetic structure in C. humilis using a set of specifically designed genetic markers and to highlight genetic similarities and their relationships with geographical proximity. We sampled 301 specimens from 42 natural populations throughout the distribution area and analysed these with ten di-, tri- and tetra-nucleotide simple sequence repeats. Relationships between genetic similarities and geographical distances were analysed and populations grouped according to a genetic, geographical or national clustering. We found lower variability in populations from the eastern half of the distribution, and this lower variability was accompanied by a stronger relationship between genetic differences and spatial proximity. In addition, we found that C. humilis probably showed two patterns of spread and further differentiation: one from Morocco to southern continental Spain and then to Portugal and the Balearic Islands, and one from Morocco to Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily and continental Italy. Populations from Sardinia and France showed similarities to those from Spain and Tunisia, respectively, and may have arisen from multiple colonization events. Our results support the hypothesis that isolation on large islands may have increased diversification of the species even if all populations shared the same founder. These results have important implications for both the ecological management and the conservation of the species.
‘A stitch in time’: paediatric case series describing comparative en coup de sabre treatment outcomes dependent on treatment age
Authors: O’Connor Jane , Ali Rukshana , Howell Kevin , Wilkinson Nick , Shivamurthy Vinay , Abdelrahman Wedad , Baron Susannah
Published: January 2023

A paediatric case series of three patients with en coup de sabre with variability in age of presentation, time to diagnosis and treatment outcomes.
A Needs Assessment for Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity: Survey Results of the Society of Breast Imaging
Authors: Wahab Rifat A , Oluyemi Eni , Jackson Tatianie , Feliciano-Rivera Yara Z , Roubidoux Marilyn , Zhang Bin , Mehta Tejas S
Published: January 2023

Objective

To assess and understand the inclusion, diversity, and equity (IDE) needs of the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) membership to guide development of a strategic plan and goals for the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity Alliance (IDEA) of SBI.

Methods

A 23-question survey developed by IDEA was distributed electronically to all SBI members in November 2020 to assess and understand the society’s IDE needs. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the responses. Open-ended responses were reviewed by the authors and sorted into three categories: supportive, nonsupportive, or neutral suggestions.

Results

The response rate was 12% (453/3686). Only 55% (238/429) of respondents agreed that the diversity of SBI leadership reflected the diversity of the society, with stronger agreement that actions of SBI aligned with their core values of collaboration and collegiality (327/249,75%), and of respect for diversity and inclusiveness (303/429, 70%). Overall, 65% (172/264) of respondents were satisfied with the quality and diversity of speakers at the annual symposium; however, White respondents agreed more compared to non-White respondents (P = 0.035), and those practicing greater than 20 years agreed more compared to those practicing 6 to 10 years (P = 0.023). Of 88 total suggestions, three common themes were: more resources for recruitment, retention, and education for a diverse staff; further increase in diversity among leadership and membership; and more patient care resources.

Conclusion

In addition to showing areas of agreement by SBI members, this survey also identified opportunities for SBI and IDEA to further incorporate IDE into our initiatives and organization.
A customized strategy to design intercalation-type Li-free cathodes for all-solid-state batteries
Authors: Wang Da , Yu Jia , Yin Xiaobin , Shao Sen , Li Qianqian , Wang Yanchao , Avdeev Maxim , Chen Liquan , Shi Siqi
Published: January 2023

Pairing Li-free transition-metal-based cathodes (MX) with Li-metal anodes is an emerging trend to overcome the energy-density limitation of current rechargeable Li-ion technology. However, the development of practical Li-free MX cathodes is plagued by the existing notion of low voltage due to the long-term overlooked voltage-tuning/phase-stability competition. Here, we propose a p-type alloying strategy involving three voltage/phase-evolution stages, of which each of the varying trends are quantitated by two improved ligand-field descriptors to balance the above contradiction. Following this, an intercalation-type 2H-V1.75Cr0.25S4 cathode tuned from layered MX2 family is successfully designed, which possesses an energy density of 554.3 Wh kg−1 at the electrode level accompanied by interfacial compatibility with sulfide solid-state electrolyte. The proposal of this class of materials is expected to break free from scarce or high-cost transition-metal (e.g. Co and Ni) reliance in current commercial cathodes. Our experiments further confirm the voltage and energy-density gains of 2H-V1.75Cr0.25S4. This strategy is not limited to specific Li-free cathodes and offers a solution to achieve high voltage and phase stability simultaneously.
Online education for safer opioid prescribing in hospitals—lessons learnt from the Opioid Use Change (OUCh) project
Authors: Gliszczynski Konrad , Hindmarsh Alice , Ellis Samantha , Ling Johnathan , Anderson Kirstie N
Published: January 2023

Background

Opioids are often required for acute inpatient pain relief but lack of knowledge about common and less common long-term side effects can lead to inappropriate discharge prescribing. There are few validated educational tools available for junior prescribers on hospital wards. Education around opioid prescribing and deprescribing remains limited in the undergraduate curriculum and yet almost all controlled drug prescribing in hospitals is done by junior doctors.

Methods

A 5-minute video was developed with iterative feedback from medical students, junior prescribers, pain specialists, primary care educational leads, and a patient who had developed opioid addiction after hospital prescribing. It explained the need for clear stop dates on discharge summaries and the range of opioid side effects. It also highlighted the hospital admission as an opportunity to reduce inappropriate high-dose opioids. A short knowledge-based quiz before and after viewing the video was used to evaluate the impact on and change in knowledge and confidence around opioid prescribing. This tool was designed to be used entirely online to allow delivery within existing mandatory training.

Results

Feedback was positive and showed that knowledge of side effects significantly increased but also contacts with ward pharmacists and the acute pain team increased. Junior doctors highlighted that the undergraduate curriculum did little to prepare them for prescription addiction and that pharmacy and senior support was needed to support any changes in longer-term, high-dose opioids.

Conclusions

This short educational video improved knowledge of safe opioid prescribing and could be incorporated within wider opioid education in UK healthcare.
CE: Caring for Patients After Ileostomy Surgery
Authors: McCartney Teresa , Markwell Ashley , Rauch-Pucher Mackenzie , Cox-Reber Jessica
Published: January 2023

After ileostomy surgery, patients require nutrition and hydration modifications to maintain electrolyte balances and prevent postoperative complications. In addition to becoming dehydrated, patients who have ileostomies can develop obstructions if care isn't taken to avoid certain kinds of foods. Moreover, changes to medications may be needed to manage ileostomy output or account for altered absorption. This article provides information on postoperative hydration, medication, and nutritional management to nurses caring for patients after ileostomy surgery.
Pityriasis Rubra Pilaris After Moderna COVID-19 Vaccination: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Liu Yi A. , Dai Julia , Nagarajan Priyadharsini , Torres-Cabala Carlos A. , Aung Phyu P. , Prieto Victor G. , Cho Woo Cheal
Published: January 2023

To date, over 60% of the world's population has received at least 1 dose of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination, with over 12 billion doses administered globally. Commonly reported adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccination include fever, headache, myalgia, and injection site reactions. The spectrum of documented cutaneous reactions after COVID-19 vaccination is broad; however, pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP) or PRP-like eruption secondary to COVID-19 vaccine is exceedingly rare, with only 17 cases previously reported to date in the English literature. In this article, we describe an additional case of COVID-19 vaccination-associated PRP in a 50-year-old woman with a history of metastatic breast carcinoma, who developed a widespread cutaneous eruption characteristic of PRP, including palmoplantar keratoderma, 10 days after her third dose of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Punch biopsy specimen showed epidermal hyperplasia with overlying hyperkeratosis, alternating orthokeratosis and parakeratosis and focal follicular plugging, supporting the diagnosis of PRP. The patient improved within weeks of initiating oral acitretin and topical steroids, with resolution achieved after 3 months of continued therapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the third reported case of Moderna COVID-19 vaccination-associated PRP and collectively the 18thafter the administration of all COVID-19 vaccines currently available, including Pfizer–BioNTech, and AstraZeneca.
Kappa opioid receptor agonists produce sexually dimorphic and prolactin-dependent hyperalgesic priming
Authors: Kopruszinski Caroline M. , Watanabe Moe , Martinez Ashley L. , de Souza Luiz Henrique Moreira , Dodick David W. , Moutal Aubin , Neugebauer Volker , Porreca Frank , Navratilova Edita
Published: January 2023

Repeated stress produces hyperalgesic priming in preclinical models, but underlying mechanisms remain uncertain. As stress engages kappa opioid receptors (KORs), we hypothesized that repeated administration of KOR agonists might mimic, in part, stress-induced hyperalgesic priming. The potential contribution of circulating prolactin (PRL) and dysregulation of the expression of PRL receptor (PRLR) isoforms in sensory neurons after KOR agonist administration was also investigated. Mice received 3 daily doses of U-69593 or nalfurafine as a “first-hit” stimulus followed by assessment of periorbital tactile allodynia. Sixteen days after the first KOR agonist administration, animals received a subthreshold dose of inhalational umbellulone, a TRPA1 agonist, as the second-hit stimulus and periorbital allodynia was assessed. Cabergoline, a dopamine D2 receptor agonist, was used to inhibit circulating PRL in additional cohorts. Prolactin receptor isoforms were quantified in the V1 region of the trigeminal ganglion after repeated doses of U-69593. In both sexes, KOR agonists increased circulating PRL and produced allodynia that resolved within 14 days. Hyperalgesic priming, revealed by umbellulone-induced allodynia in animals previously treated with the KOR agonists, also occurred in both sexes. However, repeated U-69593 downregulated the PRLR long isoform in trigeminal neurons only in female mice. Umbellulone-induced allodynia was prevented by cabergoline co-treatment during priming with KOR agonists in female, but not male, mice. Hyperalgesic priming therefore occurs in both sexes after either biased or nonbiased KOR agonists. However, a PRL/PRLR-dependence is observed only in female nociceptors possibly contributing to pain in stress-related pain disorders in females.
Nursing Assistant Staffing Model: Implementation and Outcome Evaluation in Taiwan Hospitals
Authors: YANG Pei-Hsuan , CHEN Yao-Mei , WU Li-Chuan , CHEN Mei-Hsing , HSIEH Hsiu-Fen
Published: January 2023

Background

A key policy of the Taiwan healthcare system is promoting the hiring of nursing assistants (NAs) to reduce the workload of nurses. However, few studies in the literature have compared the relative effectiveness of different nurse staffing policies, and no studies have addressed the impact of the NA staffing (NAS) model.

Purpose

This study explored the current status of the NAS model as implemented in Taiwan hospitals and to investigate the methods used to evaluate the outcomes of NAS model implementation.

Methods

A cross-sectional online survey was performed in hospitals nationwide from June 1 to December 31, 2018. There were 153 government-accredited hospitals being invited to participate in the survey.

Results

Of the 139 hospitals that completed the online survey, 26% (36 hospitals) had implemented the NAS model. Many of the hospitals had hired full-time, certified NAs. Most of the tasks assigned to NAs were in the nonprofessional/general and technical work categories. In addition, medical wards were the most frequently assigned workplace, especially on day shifts. Few of the surveyed hospitals had evaluated the effectiveness of the NAS model. Improvement after implementation of the NAS model (based on the 35 outcome indicators) was found to vary significantly. The most commonly used outcome indicator was patient satisfaction. All the stakeholders, including patients, family caregivers, nurses, and nurse supervisors, supported implementation of the NAS model. However, some of the participants expressed concerns regarding the difficulties involved with model implementation.

Conclusions/Implications for Practice

Although the NAS model may be beneficial, further empirical research is necessary to confirm the contributions of NAs. Additional evidence regarding the benefits of the NAS model for hospital performance and patient outcomes may be expected to motivate more hospital administrators to adopt this model.
Delivery of Dexamethasone to the Round Window Niche by Saturated Gelatin Sponge for Refractory Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Lei Xia , Yin Xiao , Hu Lin , Du Xiaodong , Sun Changling
Published: January 2023

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the hearing outcome of dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP) delivery to the round window niche by saturated gelatin sponge for refractory sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

Patients

Twenty patients with unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss with an improvement of pure-tone average (PTA) less than 10 dB after primary systemic treatment with steroids.

Intervention(s)

Delivery of DSP to the round window niche via saturated sponge gelatin for 2 weeks.

Main Outcome Measure(s)

Pure-tone audiometry was taken at the beginning and 4 to 8 weeks after the end of the salvage treatment.

Results

PTA thresholds were improved at least 10 dB in 11 of 20 patients (55%) by a mean value of 11.9 dB. The hearing threshold at 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz were improved after salvage treatment, but there was no significant change at 4000 Hz. The PTAs also recovered after the salvage treatment.

Conclusions

Delivery of DSP to the round window niche via saturated gelatin sponge is a simple and feasible way to treat refractory sudden sensorineural hearing loss with a risk of permanent tympanic membrane perforation.
Effect of a Global Pandemic on Adult and Pediatric Cochlear Implantation across the United States
Authors: Marinelli John P. , Nassiri Ashley M. , Lohse Christine M. , Driscoll Colin L. W. , Neff Brian A. , Carlson Matthew L.
Published: January 2023

Objective

To characterize the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on national cochlear implantation utilization by age using inclusive cochlear implantation data from two manufacturers between 2015 and 2020.

Study Design

Analysis of prospectively registered consecutive patient data from two major cochlear implant (CI) manufacturers in the United States.

Patients

Children or adults who received CIs.

Interventions

Cochlear implantation.

Main Outcome Measures

Annual implantation utilization by age.

Results

A total of 46,804 patients received CIs from the two participating manufacturers between 2015 and 2020. The annual number of implant recipients increased significantly during the first 5 years of the study period for both children and adults, from a total of 6,203 in 2015 to 9,213 in 2019 (p < 0.001). During 2020, there was a 13.1% drop in national cochlear implantation utilization across all ages compared with 2019, including a drop of 2.2% for those ≤3 years old, 3.8% for those 4–17 years old, 10.1% for those 18–64 years old, 16.6% for those 65–79 years old, and 22.5% for those ≥80 years old. In a multivariable linear regression model, the percent drop in CIs differed significantly by age-group (p = 0.005).

Conclusions

Especially in light of the prepandemic projected CI counts for 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic reduced national cochlear implantation utilization by over 15% among Medicare-aged patients and by almost 25% among those ≥80 years old, resulting in more than a 3-year setback in total annual CIs. Children were less affected, with those ≤3 years old experiencing minimal interruption during 2020.
Effects of Variants of Concern Mutations on the Force-Stability of the SARS-CoV-2:ACE2 Interface and Virus Transmissibility
Authors: Bauer Magnus S. , Gruber Sophia , Hausch Adina , Melo Marcelo C.R. , Gomes Priscila S.F.C. , Nicolaus Thomas , Milles Lukas F. , Gaub Hermann E. , Bernardi Rafael C. , Lipfert Jan
Published: January 2023

Viruses mutate under a variety of selection pressures, allowing them to continuously adapt to their hosts. Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 have shown effective evasion of population immunity and increased affinity to host factors, in particular to the cellular receptor ACE2. However, in the dynamic environment of the respiratory tract forces act on the binding partners, which raises the question whether not only affinity, but also force-stability of the SARS-CoV-2:ACE2 bond, might be a selection factor for mutations. Here, we use magnetic tweezers (MT) to study the effect of amino acid substitutions in variants of concern (VOCs) on RBD:ACE2 bond kinetics with and without external load. We find higher affinity for all VOCs compared to wt, in good agreement with previous affinity measurements in bulk. In contrast, Alpha is the only VOC that shows significantly higher force stability compared to wt. Investigating the RBD:ACE2 interactions with molecular dynamics simulations, we are able to rationalize the mechanistic molecular origins of this increase in force-stability. Our study emphasizes the diversity of contributions to the assertiveness of variants and establishes force-stability as one of several factors for fitness. Understanding fitness-advantages opens the possibility for prediction of likely mutations allowing rapid adjustment of therapeutics, vaccination, and intervention measures.
Chinese herbal medicine for varicocele in subfertile men A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Tong Wenting , Zhao Zhimin , Tu Xuchong , He Shan , Wang Yongxing , Chen Ming , Zhang Hui
Published: January 2023

Background

The purpose of this protocol is to provide a updated systematic review and meta-analysis to prove the effectiveness and safety of Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment for the patients with varicocele.

Method

This protocol conforms to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) and the recommendations of the Cochrane Collaboration Handbook. We selected qualified studies published as of May 1, 2022, and systematically searched 6 English database (Embase, Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Central of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), andClinicaltrials.gov) and 5 Chinese database (China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, Wanfandata, SinoMed, and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry). At the same time, relevant reviews and a list of references included in the study were retrieved, and Epistemonikos.org, ISI Web of Science and OpenGrey were manually searched to screen any other studies not included in the previous search. There will be no language restrictions. The inclusion criteria were clinical randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving the use of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of varicocele. The main results were fertility rate, adverse events, semen quality and scrotal pain score after 3 months, 6 months and 1 year follow-up. Bias analysis and evaluation will be performed based on risk of bias (ROB) assessment tool provided by the Cochrane Handbook. And use GRADEpro GDT to grade, evaluate and score the quality of the evidence. Heterogeneity will be judged by I2value. At the same time, report bias assessment, subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were carried out. According to the Cochrane Manual of Systematic Evaluation of Interventions (Higgins 2011), if the data showed sufficiently high quality and some degree of similarity, we included the data for the meta-analysis. For dichotomy data, we selected an effect scale relative risk (RR) represented by a 95% confidence interval (CI). The continuous data is expressed as mean difference (MD) or standardized mean difference (SMD).

Result

This study will provide high-quality evidence for the efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal medicine in the treatment of varicocele in subfertile men.

Conclusion

This study will provide an effective and safe choice for Chinese herbal medicine to improve the fertility of patients with varicocele.

Ethics

The data of this study are based on published studies and do not require additional ethical approval. We will publish our findings through peer-reviewed journals.

PROSPERO database registration number: CRD42022331218
Magnitude of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and ergonomic risk practices among medical laboratory professionals in Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Alibsew Mekuriaw Temeche , Molla Habtamu , Shiferaw Melashu Balew , Misganaw Abay Sisay
Published: January 2023

Objective

This study aimed to assess the magnitude of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) and ergonomic risk practices among medical laboratory professionals in North West Ethiopia.

Design

Facility-based cross-sectional study

Methods

Cross-sectional study design was employed among medical laboratory professionals (MLPs). The Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire was adopted and used. In addition to questionnaires about socio-demographic characteristics and ergonomic risk practice, one-to-one interviews, and a direct observational checklist were used. Data was entered into Epi Data 3.1 and then exported and analyzed using SPSS version 25.0. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the 95% CI (AOR) at a cut-off value of p <0.05 for statistically significant tests.

Results

A total of 238 MLPs participated in the study. The magnitude of WMSDs was 116(48.7%). The most affected body parts were the lower back (20.6%) and wrists (16.4%). The magnitude of WMSDs among government-owned hospitals was the highest (56.4%). 67.6% MLPs never heard about ergonomics. The general mean score of workstations was 2.28. Ergonomic risk practices like repetitive movement and doing of high workload were significantly associated with WMSDs.

Conclusion

The current findings revealed a high magnitude of WMSDs that strongly need applying preventive action before body symptoms developed. Improving and renovating workplace design and enhancing awareness of MLPs were the necessary measures to control ergonomic risk factors.
National Trends and Resource Utilization Associated with Penetrating Trauma Recidivism
Authors: Cho Nam Yong , Mabeza Russyan Mark , Bakhtiyar Syed Shahyan , Richardson Shannon , Ali Konmal , Tran Zachary , Benharash Peyman
Published: January 2023

BACKGROUND

While recurrent penetrating trauma has been associated with long-term mortality and disability, national data on factors associated with reinjury remain limited. We examined temporal trends, patient characteristics, and resource utilization associated with repeat firearm-related or stab injury across the US.

METHODS

The 2010-2019 Nationwide Readmissions Database was queried to identify all hospitalizations for penetrating trauma. Recidivism was defined as those returned for subsequent penetrating injury within 60 days. We quantified injury severity using the International Classification of Diseases Trauma Mortality Prediction model. Trends in recidivism, length of stay (LOS), hospitalization costs, and rate of non-home discharge were then analyzed. Multivariable regression models were developed to assess the association of recidivism with outcomes of interest.

RESULTS

Of an estimated 968,717 patients (28.4% Gunshot, 71.6% Stab), 2.1% experienced recidivism within 60 days of initial injury. From 2010 to 2019, trauma recidivism of gunshot wound increased in annual incidence while that of stab remained stable. Patients experiencing penetrating trauma recidivism were more commonly male, younger and insured by Medicaid. Patients with recidivism had shorter index LOS, lower median index hospitalization cost and higher rates of non-home discharge. After risk adjustment, penetrating trauma recidivism was associated with significantly higher hospitalization costs, shorter time before readmission, and increased odds of non-home discharge. In addition, comorbid conditions of hypothyroidism and psychoses were associated with greater likelihood of stab wound recidivism.

CONCLUSION

The trend in penetrating trauma recidivism has been on the rise for the past decade. National efforts to improve post-discharge prevention and social support services for patients with penetrating trauma are warranted and may reduce the burden of recidivism.
Robotics-driven manufacturing of cartilaginous microtissues for the bio-assembly of skeletal implants
Authors: Decoene Isaak , Nasello Gabriele , de Costa Rodrigo Furtado Madeiro , Hall Gabriella Nilsson , Pastore Angela , Van Hoven Inge , Viseu Samuel Ribeiro , Verfaillie Catherine , Geris Liesbet , Luyten Frank P. , Papantoniou Ioannis
Published: January 2023

Automated technologies are attractive for enhancing a robust manufacturing of tissue engineered products for clinical translation. In this work, we present an automation strategy using a robotics platform for media changes of cartilaginous microtissues cultured in static microwell platforms. We use an automated image analysis pipeline to extract microtissue displacements and morphological features, which serve as input for statistical factor analysis. To minimize microtissue displacement and suspension leading to uncontrolled fusion, we performed a mixed factorial DoE on liquid handling parameters for large and small microwell platforms.

As a result, 144 images, with 51 471 spheroids could be processed automatically. The automated imaging workflow takes 2 minutes per image, and it can be implemented for on-line monitoring of microtissues, thus allowing informed decision making during manufacturing. We found that time in culture is the main factor for microtissue displacements, explaining 10 % of the displacements. Aspiration and dispension speed were not significant at manual speeds or beyond, with an effect size of 1 %. We defined optimal needle placement and depth for automated media changes and we suggest that robotic plate handling could improve the yield and homogeneity in size of microtissue cultures. After three weeks culture, increased expression of COL2A1 confirmed chondrogenic differentiation and RUNX2 shows no osteogenic specification. Histological analysis showed the secretion of cartilaginous extracellular matrix. Furthermore, microtissue-based implants were capable of forming mineralized tissues and bone after four weeks of ectopic implantation in nude mice.

We demonstrate the development of an integrated bioprocess for culturing and manipulation of cartilaginous microtissues. We anticipate the progressive substitution of manual operations with automated solutions for manufacturing of microtissue-based living implants.
Assessing the burden of rare DNA methylation deviations in schizophrenia
Authors: Hansen Christine Søholm , McQuillin Andrew , St Claire David , Mill Jonathan , Hannon Eilis , Sharp Andrew J. , Janecka Magdalena
Published: January 2023

Along with case-control group differences in DNA methylation (DNAm) identified in epigenomewide association studies (EWAS), multiple rare DNAm outliers may exist in subsets of cases, underlying the etiological heterogeneity of some disorders. This creates an impetus for novel approaches focused on detecting rare/private outliers in the individual methylomes. Here, we present a novel, data-driven method - Outlier Methylation Analysis (OMA) – which through optimization detects genomic regions with strongly deviating DNAm levels, which we call outlier methylation regions (OMRs).

Focusing on schizophrenia (SCZ) - a neuropsychiatric disorder with a heterogeneous etiology – we applied the OMA method in two independent, publicly available SCZ case-control samples with DNAm array information. We found SCZ cases had an increased burden of OMRs compared to controls (IRR=1.22, p=1.8×10-8), and case OMRs were enriched in regions relevant to cellular differentiation and development (i.e. polycomb repressed elements in the Gm12878 differentiated cell line, p=1.9×10-5, and poised promoters in the H1hesc stem cell line, p=5.4×10-4). Furthermore, SCZ cases were ~2.5-fold enriched (p=1.1×10-3) for OMRs overlapping genesets associated with developmental processes. The OMR burden was reduced in clozapine-treated, compared to untreated, SCZ cases (IRR=0.88, p=9.5×10-3), and also associated with increased chronological age (IRR=1.01, p= 2.7×10-16).

Our findings demonstrate an elevated burden of OMRs in SCZ, implying methylomic dysregulation in SCZ which could correspond to the etiological heterogeneity among cases. These results remain to be causally examined and replicated in other cohorts and tissues. For this, and applications in other traits, we offer the OMA method to the scientific community.
Mapping multidimensional content representations to neural and behavioral expressions of episodic memory
Authors: Wang Yingying , Lee Hongmi , Kuhl Brice A.
Published: January 2023

Human neuroimaging studies have shown that the contents of episodic memories are represented in distributed patterns of neural activity. However, these studies have mostly been limited to decoding simple, unidimensional properties of stimuli. Semantic encoding models, in contrast, offer a means for characterizing the rich, multidimensional information that comprises episodic memories. Here, we extensively sampled four human fMRI subjects to build semantic encoding models and then applied these models to reconstruct content from natural scene images as they were viewed and recalled from memory. First, we found that multidimensional semantic information was successfully reconstructed from activity patterns across visual and lateral parietal cortices, both when viewing scenes and when recalling them from memory. Second, whereas visual cortical reconstructions were much more accurate when images were viewed versus recalled from memory, lateral parietal reconstructions were comparably accurate across visual perception and memory. Third, by applying natural language processing methods to verbal recall data, we showed that fMRI-based reconstructions reliably matched subjects’ verbal descriptions of their memories. In fact, reconstructions from ventral temporal cortex more closely matched subjects’ own verbal recall than other subjects’ verbal recall of the same images. Fourth, encoding models reliably transferred across subjects: memories were successfully reconstructed using encoding models trained on data from entirely independent subjects. Together, these findings provide evidence for successful reconstructions of multidimensional and idiosyncratic memory representations and highlight the differential sensitivity of visual cortical and lateral parietal regions to information derived from the external visual environment versus internally-generated memories.
Evolutionary transcriptomics reveals longevity mostly driven by polygenic and indirect selection in mammals
Authors: Liu Weiqiang , Zhu Pingfen , Li Meng , Li Zihao , Yu Yang , Liu Gaoming , Du Juan , Wang Xiao , Yang Jing , Tian Ran , Seim Inge , Kaya Alaattin , Li Mingzhou , Li Ming , Gladyshev Vadim N. , Zhou Xuming
Published: January 2023

The maximum lifespan varies more than 100-fold in mammals. This experiment of nature may uncover of the evolutionary forces and molecular features that define longevity. To understand the relationship between gene expression variation and maximum lifespan, we carried out a comparative transcriptomics analysis of liver, kidney, and brain tissues of 106 mammalian species. We found that expression is largely conserved and very limited genes exhibit common expression patterns with longevity in all the three organs analyzed. However, many pathways, e.g., “Insulin signaling pathway”, and “FoxO signaling pathway”, show accumulated correlations with maximum lifespan across mammals. Analyses of selection features further reveal that methionine restriction related genes whose expressions associated with longevity, are under strong selection in long-lived mammals, suggesting that a common approach could be utilized by natural selection and artificial intervention to control lifespan. These results suggest that natural lifespan regulation via gene expression is likely to be driven through polygenic model and indirect selection.
Multiplexed Methylated DNA Immunoprecipitation Sequencing (Mx-MeDIP-Seq) to Study DNA Methylation Using Low Amounts of DNA
Authors: Ridha Inam , Xu Chenxi , Chung Yunro , Park Jin G , LaBaer Joshua , Murugan Vel
Published: January 2023

DNA methylation is an epigenetic mark that has a crucial role in regulating gene expression. Aberrant DNA methylation results in severe diseases in humans, such as cancer, autoimmune disease, atherosclerosis, and cardiovascular diseases. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing and methylated DNA immunoprecipitation are available to study DNA methylation changes, but they are typically used on a few samples at a time. Here, we developed a novel method called Multiplexed Methylated DNA Immunoprecipitation Sequencing (Mx-MeDIP-Seq), that can be used to analyze many DNA samples in parallel, requiring only small amounts of input DNA. In this method, 10 different DNA samples were fragmented, purified, barcoded, and pooled prior to immunoprecipitation. In a head-to-head comparison, we observed 99% correlation between MeDIP-Seq performed individually or combined as Mx-MeDIP-Seq. Moreover, multiplexed MeDIP led to more than 95% normalized percent recovery and a 25-fold enrichment ratio by qPCR, like the enrichment of the conventional method. This technique was successfully performed with as little as 25 ng of DNA, equivalent to 3400 to 6200 cells. Up to 10 different samples were processed simultaneously in a single run. Overall, the Mx-MeDIP-Seq method is cost-effective with faster processing to analyze DNA methylome, making this technique more suitable for high-throughput DNA methylome analysis.
SemiBin2: self-supervised contrastive learning leads to better MAGs for short- and long-read sequencing
Authors: Pan Shaojun , Zhao Xing-Ming , Coelho Luis Pedro
Published: January 2023

Motivation

Metagenomic binning methods to reconstruct metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from environmental samples have been widely used in large-scale metagenomic studies. The recently proposed semi-supervised binning method, SemiBin, achieved state-of-the-art binning results in several environments. However, this required annotating contigs, a computationally costly and potentially biased process.

Results

We propose SemiBin2, which uses self-supervised learning to learn feature embeddings from the contigs. In simulated and real datasets, we show that self-supervised learning achieves better results than the semi-supervised learning used in SemiBin1 and that SemiBin2 outperforms other state-of-the-art binners. Compared to SemiBin1, SemiBin2 can reconstruct 8.3%–21.5% more high-quality bins and requires only 25% of the running time and 11% of peak memory usage in real short-read sequencing samples. To extend SemiBin2 to long-read data, we also propose ensemble-based DBSCAN clustering algorithm, resulting in 13.1%–26.3% more high-quality genomes than the second best binner for long-read data.

Availability and Implementation

SemiBin2 is available as open source software athttps://github.com/BigDataBiology/SemiBin/and the analysis scripts used in the study can be found athttps://github.com/BigDataBiology/SemiBin2_benchmark.
Cyclic di-AMP traps proton-coupled K+transporters of the KUP family in an inward-occluded conformation
Authors: Fuss Michael F. , Wieferig Jan-Philip , Corey Robin A. , Hellmich Yvonne , Tascón Igor , Sousa Joana S. , Stansfeld Phillip J. , Vonck Janet , Hänelt Inga
Published: January 2023

Cyclic di-AMP is the only known essential second messenger in bacteria and archaea, regulating different proteins indispensable for numerous physiological processes. In particular, it controls various potassium and osmolyte transporters involved in osmoregulation. InBacillus subtilis, the K+/H+symporter KimA of the KUP family is inactivated by c-di-AMP. KimA sustains survival at potassium limitation at low external pH by mediating K+ions uptake. However, at elevated intracellular K+concentrations, further K+accumulation would be toxic. In this study, we reveal the molecular basis of how c-di-AMP binding inhibits KimA. We report cryo-EM structures of KimA with bound c-di-AMP in detergent solution and reconstituted in amphipols. By combining structural data with functional assays and molecular dynamics simulations we reveal how c-di-AMP modulates transport. We show that an intracellular loop in the transmembrane domain interacts with c-di-AMP bound to the adjacent cytosolic domain. This reduces the mobility of transmembrane helices at the cytosolic side of the K+binding site and therefore traps KimA in an inward-occluded conformation.
Fast and Accurate Cell Tracking: a real-time cell segmentation and tracking algorithm to instantly export quantifiable cellular characteristics from large scale image data
Authors: Chou Ting-Chun , You Li , Beerens Cecile , Feller Kate J. , Chien Miao-Ping
Published: January 2023

Quantitative characterizations of cellular dynamics and features of individual cells from a large heterogenous population is essential to identify rare, disease-driving cells, which often exhibit aberrant cellular behaviors like abnormal division, aggressive migration or irregular phylogenetic cell lineages. A recent development in the combination of high-throughput screening microscopy with single cell profiling provides an unprecedented opportunity to decipher the underlying mechanisms of disease-driving phenotypes observed under a microscope. However, accurately and instantly processing large amounts of image data like longitudinal time lapse movies remains a technical challenge when an immediate analysis output (in minutes) of quantitative characterizations is required after data acquisition. Here we present a Fast and Accurate real-time Cell Tracking (FACT) algorithm, which combines GPU-based, ground truth-assisted trainable Weka segmentation and real-time Gaussian mixture model-based cell linking. FACT also implements an automatic cell track correction function to improve the tracking accuracy. With FACT, we can segment ∼20,000 cells in 2 seconds (∼4.5-27.5 times faster than state-of-the-art), and can export quantifiable features from the cell tracking results minutes after data acquisition (independent of the number of acquired image frames) with average 90-95% tracking precision. Such performance is not feasible with state-of-the-art cell tracking algorithms. We applied FACT to real-time identify directionally migrating glioblastoma cells with 96% precision and to identify rare, irregular cell lineages in a population of ∼10,000 cells from a 24hr-time lapse movie with an average 91% F1 score, results from both were exported instantly, mere minutes after image acquisition.