bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intravenous fluid therapy in accordance with kidney injury risk: when to prescribe what volume of which solution
Authors: Kanbay Mehmet , Copur Sidar , Mizrak Berk , Ortiz Alberto , Soler Maria Jose
Published: December 2022

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is common in hospitalized patients while common risk factors for the development of AKI include postoperative settings, patients with baseline chronic kidney disease (CKD) or congestive heart failure. Intravenous (IV) fluid therapy is a crucial component of care for prevention and treatment of AKI. In this narrative review, we update the approach to IV fluid therapy in hospitalized patients including the timing of fluid prescription, and the choice of fluid type, amount and infusion rate along with the potential adverse effects of various crystalloid and colloid solutions, addressing specifically their use in patients with acute kidney disease, CKD or heart failure, and their potential impact on the risk of hospital-acquired AKI.
Partial endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition mediated by HIF-induced CD45 in neointima formation upon carotid artery ligation
Authors: Yamashiro Yoshito , Ramirez Karina , Nagayama Kazuaki , Hattori Naoko , Liu Yu-Yu , Matsunaga Shinji , Tomita Shuhei , Kubota Yoshiaki , Yanagisawa Hiromi
Published: December 2022

Aims

Endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) is a fundamental process in vascular remodelling. However, the precise regulatory mechanism of vascular remodelling during neointima formation and the source of neointima cells are not entirely understood.

Methods and results

To investigate the origin of neointima cells and their relevance to vascular wall remodelling, we used an endothelial cell (EC)-specific lineage tracing system [VE-Cadherin (Cdh5)-BAC-CreERT2 mice] and carotid artery ligation model and showed evidence that resident ECs transdifferentiate into neointima cells with the expression of CD45. During the early stages of neointima formation, ECs transiently expressed CD45, a haematopoietic marker, accompanied by a host of EndMT markers, and CD31 and αSMA were prominently expressed in developing neointima. In vitro, CD45-positive EndMT was induced by stabilization of HIF1α with cobalt chloride or with a VHL inhibitor in human primary ECs, which mimicked the hypoxic condition of the ligated artery, and promoted the formation of an integrin α11-shank-associated RH domain-interacting protein (SHARPIN) complex. Notably, a CD45 phosphatase inhibitor disrupted this integrin α11-SHARPIN complex, thereby destabilizing cell–cell junctions. Deletion of Hif1α in ECs suppressed expression of CD45 and EndMT markers and ameliorated neointima formation.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the HIF-induced CD45 expression is normally required for the retention of an EC fate and cell–cell junctions, CD45-positive EndMT (termed as ‘partial EndMT’) contributes to neointima formation and vascular wall remodelling.
ASL Phonological Fluency: How Do Deaf Signers Retrieve and Produce Signs?
Authors: Beal Jennifer S , Bowman Sarah
Published: December 2022

Researchers have focused on how deaf signing children acquire and use American Sign Language (ASL). One sub-skill of ASL proficiency is ASL phonology. This includes the ability to isolate and manipulate parameters within signs (i.e., handshape, location, and movement). Expressively, signed language phonological fluency tasks have investigated signers’ abilities to produce signs given handshape constraints. We expanded the handshape task with the addition of sign production for two given locations with deaf adults and students. We also investigated how adjacent signs were recalled and produced within semantic and phonological clusters. Deaf adults frequently recalled signs with semantic connections and shared location. Students did the same, although shared handshape also facilitated their sign production. Finally, we present implications for ASL instruction with deaf students.
Transmural Remission Characterized by High Biologic Concentrations Demonstrates Better Prognosis in Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Takenaka Kento , Kawamoto Ami , Kitazume Yoshio , Fujii Toshimitsu , Udagawa Yumi , Shimizu Hiromichi , Hibiya Shuji , Nagahori Masakazu , Ohtsuka Kazuo , Watanabe Mamoru , Okamoto Ryuichi
Published: December 2022

Background

The importance and pathophysiology of transmural healing in patients with Crohn’s disease [CD] remains to be verified. We aimed to examine the association between serum concentrations of biologics and transmural remission evaluated via magnetic resonance enterography [MRE].

Methods

We enrolled patients with CD who received maintenance biologics 1 year after induction and prospectively followed up for at least 1 year after baseline laboratory, endoscopic and MRE examination. We evaluated the relationship between baseline factors including the presence of transmural remission and patient prognosis, as well as between serum concentrations and transmural remission.

Results

We included 134 patients, of whom 65, 31, 27 and 11 received infliximab, adalimumab, ustekinumab and vedolizumab, respectively. Those who achieved transmural remission showed a lower risk of hospitalization and surgery than those who did not achieve remission [p < 0.01]. Adjusted hazard ratios of transmural remission for predicting hospitalization and surgery were 0.11 and 0.02, respectively, which were lower than those of clinical remission, biochemical remission and endoscopic remission. Regarding serum concentrations, the median concentration was higher in patients with transmural remission than in patients with transmural activity for all agents [p < 0.01 for infliximab, p = 0.04 for adalimumab, p < 0.01 for ustekinumab, p = 0.08 for vedolizumab].

Conclusions

Transmural remission was the best predictor for prognosis in CD patients who received maintenance biologic therapy. High drug concentration levels were associated with transmural remission confirmed via MRE.
Multidisciplinary Perinatal Care in IBD
Authors: Godny Lihi , Svolos Vaios , Williams Astrid-Jane , Czuber-Dochan Wladyslawa , Aloi Marina , Ibarra Ana , O’Hanlon Dearbhaile V , Dragoni Gabriele , Avni Biron Irit , Campmans-Kuijpers Marjo , Collins Paul , Eder Piotr , Pfeffer-Gik Tamar , Jäghult Susanna , Wall Catherine L
Published: December 2022

Background and Aims

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease [IBD] are often affected during their reproductive years and may have many perinatal queries that require the comprehensive perspectives of a multidisciplinary team [MDT]. The purpose of this topical review is to assess the scientific evidence and provide expert opinion related to nutritional, psychological and supportive care of women and their infants throughout the prenatal, antenatal and infant periods.

Methods

A consensus expert panel of a paediatrician, gastroenterologists, nurses and dietitians was convened by the European Crohn’s and Colitis Organisation. This panel critically reviewed literature related to the non-medical management of patients with IBD during preconception, pregnancy, the postnatal period and the first years of the infant’s life. Statements were developed using an e-Delphi process over two rounds and were confirmed when ≥80% of experts agreed with the statements.

Results

A total of 19 current practice positions were developed that cover the preconception period, pregnancy and lactation, and early-life exposures associated with risk of IBD. Development of the infant microbiome and its role in the immune system and topics including nutritional optimization, psychological support and education relating to early life were reviewed.

Conclusions

Patients with IBD have unique nutritional and psychosocial needs that may affect fertility and pregnancy outcomes. The early-life environment of infants born to parents with IBD may be associated with subsequent development of IBD in offspring. An MDT is the optimal setting to support and counsel patients throughout the perinatal period.
A case report of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in three pulmonary veins presenting a common trunk
Authors: Kujiraoka Hirofumi , Hojo Rintaro , Takahashi Masao , Fukamizu Seiji
Published: December 2022

Background

The pulmonary vein (PV) variant is present in 23–38% of patients who undergo atrial fibrillation ablation, and the common inferior PV (CIPV) variant is a rare PV variant that has been reported in 0.9–1.5% of patients. The arrhythmogenicity of the common trunk of the CIPV is unknown.

Case summary

A 77-year-old woman underwent catheter ablation for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF). Preoperative computed tomography revealed a common trunk from which the bilateral inferior PVs and a left superior PV originated. The voltage map of the left atrium (LA) showed three PVs stemming from a common trunk. There was a low-voltage area bounded by the common trunk entrance. An isolation line was created to connect the right superior PV and the common trunk. Twelve months later, AF recurred. The voltage map in second session showed residual irregular potentials at the boundary between the common trunk and the LA, and posterior wall isolation was performed. Postoperatively, the patient maintained sinus rhythm with no antiarrhythmic drugs during the 12-month follow-up period.

Discussion

The CIPV is likely to predict the AF recurrence, even if preoperative voltage mapping shows a low voltage area. Substrate modification should be performed on abnormal potentials at the entrance of the common trunk, even though no potential is detected in the PVs or their antrum.
Common diagnostic errors in adults with congenital heart disease
Authors: Celermajer David S , Baker David W , Cordina Rachael L , Gatzoulis Michael , Broberg Craig S
Published: December 2022

Owing to the great advances in the care for children with congenital heart disease by paediatric cardiac surgeons and cardiologists, there are ever increasing numbers of patients with congenital heart disease who reach adult life. At some stage during the late teenage years or soon after, these patients ‘transition’ from paediatric cardiac care to surveillance by cardiologists who look after adults. Many such specialists, however, are more familiar with commoner acquired heart problems such as coronary disease, heart failure, and arrhythmia in structurally normal hearts and less familiar with congenital heart disease. For this reason, international guidelines have suggested that the care of young adults with congenital heart disease take place in designated specialist adult congenital heart disease centres. It remains very important, however, for general cardiologists to have a good understanding of many aspects of adult congenital heart disease, including common pitfalls to avoid and, importantly, when to refer on, to a specialist centre. To help healthcare providers across the spectrum of cardiology practice to address common themes in adult congenital heart disease, this state-of-the-art review provides a series of case vignettes to illustrate frequent diagnostic problems that we have seen in our tertiary-level adult congenital heart disease centres, which are sometimes encountered in general cardiology settings. These include commonly ‘missed’ diagnoses, or errors with diagnosis or management, in these often very complex patients.
Financial Fraud of Older Adults During the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Teaster Pamela B , Roberto Karen A , Savla Jyoti , Du Chenguang , Du Zhiyuan , Atkinson Emily , Shealy E Carlisle , Beach Scott , Charness Neil , Lichtenberg Peter A
Published: December 2022

Background and Objectives

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) created a “perfect storm” for financial fraud targeting older adults. Guided by the Contextual Theory of Elder Abuse, we focused on individual and systemic contexts to examine how older adults became prey to financial fraud.

Research Design and Methods

In July 2020, 998 adults who were 60–98 years of age (93% White; 64% female) completed an online survey about experiences with financial fraud. Participants were recruited from gerontology research registries at Florida State University, University of Pittsburg, Virginia Tech, and Wayne State University.

Results

Over half (65.9%) of the respondents experienced a COVID-19-related scam attempt, with charity contributions (49%) and COVID-19 treatments (42%) being the most common. Perpetrators commonly contacted older adults electronically (47%) two or more times (64%). Although most respondents ignored the request (i.e., hung up the phone and deleted text/e-mail), 11.3% sent a requested payment, and 5.3% provided personal information. Predictors of vulnerability included contentment with financial situation, concern about finances in the aftermath of the pandemic, and wishing to talk to someone about financial decisions. Respondents targeted for a non-COVID-19 scam attempt were less likely to be targets of a COVID-19-related scam.

Discussion and Implications

Older adults who were financially secure, worried about their financial situation, or wished they could speak with someone about their financial decisions appeared susceptible to falling victim to a fraud attempt. The high number of attempts indicates a need for a measurable and concerted effort to prevent the financial fraud of older adults.
A machine learning approach to joint gravity and cosmic-ray muon inversion at Mt Usu, Japan
Authors: Cosburn Katherine , Roy Mousumi , Nishiyama Ryuichi
Published: December 2022

The ability to accurately and reliably obtain images of shallow subsurface anomalies within the Earth is important for hazard monitoring and a fundamental understanding of many geologic structures, such as volcanic edifices. In recent years, machine learning (ML) has gained increasing attention as a novel approach for addressing complex problems in the geosciences. Here we present an ML-based inversion method to integrate cosmic-ray muon and gravity data sets for shallow subsurface density imaging at a volcano. Starting with an ensemble of random density anomalies, we use physics-based forward calculations to find the corresponding set of expected gravity and muon attenuation observations. Given a large enough ensemble of synthetic density patterns and observations, the ML algorithm is trained to recognize the expected spatial relations within the synthetic input–output pairs, learning the inherent physical relationships between them. Once trained, the ML algorithm can then interpolate the best-fitting anomalous pattern given data that were not used in training, such as those obtained from field measurements. We test the validity of our ML algorithm using field data from the Showa-Shinzan lava dome (Mt Usu, Japan) and show that our model produces results consistent with those obtained using a more traditional Bayesian joint inversion. Our results are similar to the previously published inversion, and suggest that the Showa-Shinzan lava dome consists of a relatively high-density (2200–2400 km m–3) cylindrical anomaly, about 300 m in diameter. Adding noise to synthetic training and testing data sets shows that, as expected, the ML algorithm is most robust in areas of high sensitivity, as determined by the forward kernels. Overall, we discover that ML offers a viable alternate method to a Bayesian joint inversion when used with gravity and muon data sets for subsurface density imaging.
Archaeointensity record of weak field recurrence in Japan: new data from Late Yayoi and Kofun ceramic artifacts
Authors: Tema E , Santos Y , Trindade R , Hartmann G A , Hatakeyama T , Terra-Nova F , Matsumoto N , Mitsumoto J , Gulmini M
Published: December 2022

We present new absolute archaeointensity data from six archaeological sites situated in the Okayama Prefecture, Japan. The materials studied are well-dated fragments from pottery, ceramic coffins and haniwa artifacts. Their ages range from 160 AD to 675 AD, covering the Late Yayoi and Kofun periods. Rock magnetic experiments suggest the presence of magnetite and/or Ti-magnetite as the main carrier of the remanence, with a possible minor contribution of higher coercivity minerals. After thermal demagnetization experiments, the most magnetically stable samples were selected for archaeointensity analysis performed following the double-heating method proposed by Thellier and modified by Coe. Partial thermoremanent magnetization (pTRM) checks and pTRM tail-checks were performed for monitoring possible chemical alterations during heating. All measurements were corrected for both anisotropy and cooling-rate effects. Successful archaeointensity determinations, following rigorous selection criteria, were obtained for samples from all the investigated archaeological sites. Compared with literature data from Japan, the new high-quality data show significantly lower intensity values. They also reveal possible fast secular variation changes during the Late Yayoi period and very weak geomagnetic intensity field around 630 AD. Such values offer evidence of a possible recurrence of weak intensity field in East Asia, suggesting an ancient recurrence of the West Pacific Anomaly. The new data might change the archaeomagnetic field models interpretations in the area, even though more data are still necessary to better understand the secular variation in Japan and the temporal evolution of the geomagnetic field's behavior in East Asia.
Constraining 3-D variations in mantle attenuation using normal modes: forward modelling and sensitivity tests
Authors: Talavera-Soza S , Deuss A
Published: December 2022

Robust estimates of the Earth’s temperature, composition and partial melt are difficult to obtain from seismic tomography models based only on wave velocities. Seismic attenuation is able to add crucial additional information and allows us to constrain 3-D variations in temperature as well as answer fundamental questions regarding the presence of water and partial melt within the mantle. A major problem with measuring attenuation is that scattering and focusing effects need to be included in order to distinguish between intrinsic attenuation (transformation of energy to heat) and scattering (redistribution of energy). Here, we will use whole Earth oscillations or normal modes, exploiting the fact that small scale scattering becomes less important at longer periods. In addition, focussing is implicitly included by simultaneously measuring the elastic and anelastic splitting function of a given normal mode. Normal mode data has rarely been used before to constrain 3-D variations in attenuation, hence we first need to assess the feasibility of using whole Earth oscillations to image 3-D variations in attenuation in Earth’s upper and lower mantle. Here, we use simple models in forward calculations to evaluate the sensitivity of normal modes to 3-D attenuation variations, and find observable differences in normal mode spectra when 3-D variations in mantle attenuation are included. We also test if 3-D attenuation variations can be recovered using splitting function measurements for synthetic normal mode spectra and investigate potential problems with unaccounted earthquake magnitude variations, noise and wide-band cross-coupling between modes. We find that we are able to recover input synthetic anelastic splitting functions, even when they are an order of magnitude smaller than the elastic splitting functions. Biases in the earthquake seismic moment solutions may lead to ‘ghost’ anelastic splitting functions being recovered, especially for high degree structure. However, this ‘ghost’ signal is only relevant if the size of the input anelastic splitting function is 50 per cent smaller than the scaled amplitude signal of expected upper mantle attenuation. Random noise and normal mode coupling also lead to spurious effects in the anelastic splitting functions. However, they manly affect high degree anelastic structure in a non-branch consistent manner. Thus, we are able to robustly recover low anelastic degree structure (smax ≤ 4) in all tested cases.
Breaking the sample complexity barrier to regret-optimal model-free reinforcement learning
Authors: Li Gen , Shi Laixi , Chen Yuxin , Chi Yuejie
Published: December 2022

Achieving sample efficiency in online episodic reinforcement learning (RL) requires optimally balancing exploration and exploitation. When it comes to a finite-horizon episodic Markov decision process with $S$ states, $A$ actions and horizon length $H$, substantial progress has been achieved toward characterizing the minimax-optimal regret, which scales on the order of $\sqrt{H^2SAT}$ (modulo log factors) with $T$ the total number of samples. While several competing solution paradigms have been proposed to minimize regret, they are either memory-inefficient, or fall short of optimality unless the sample size exceeds an enormous threshold (e.g. $S^6A^4 \,\mathrm{poly}(H)$ for existing model-free methods).

To overcome such a large sample size barrier to efficient RL, we design a novel model-free algorithm, with space complexity $O(SAH)$, that achieves near-optimal regret as soon as the sample size exceeds the order of $SA\,\mathrm{poly}(H)$. In terms of this sample size requirement (also referred to the initial burn-in cost), our method improves—by at least a factor of $S^5A^3$—upon any prior memory-efficient algorithm that is asymptotically regret-optimal. Leveraging the recently introduced variance reduction strategy (also called reference-advantage decomposition), the proposed algorithm employs an early-settled reference update rule, with the aid of two Q-learning sequences with upper and lower confidence bounds. The design principle of our early-settled variance reduction method might be of independent interest to other RL settings that involve intricate exploration–exploitation trade-offs.
Burden of stroke and its risk factors in Yunnan Province of China, 1990–2017
Authors: Liu Lu , Yang Yixing , Zhao Yuan , Zhang Tai
Published: December 2022

Background

There is an overall decreasing trend in stroke incidence and an increasing trend in its prevalence. Disease burden of stroke continues to increase with an increase in the absolute number. In-depth analysis of stroke burden trends in remote areas is extremely important. Our aim was to describe the disease burden of and risk factors for stroke in Yunnan, from 1990 to 2017.

Methods

The methodological framework and analytical strategies adopted in the 2017 Global Burden of Disease study were used.

Results

Age-standardized mortality associated with stroke decreased from 1.53 per 100 000 in 1990 to 1.14 per 100 000 in 2017. The prevalence of stroke in Yunnan Province increased from 344 per 100 000 in 1990 to 870 per 100 000 in 2017. The age-standardized rates of years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) decreased more significantly for women than for men. The age-standardized rates of DALYs and YLLs of stroke decreased by 24.3 and 28.4%, respectively, from 1990 to 2017, and the rate of YLDs increased by 32.5%. The top three risk factors for stroke were dietary risks, high systolic blood pressure and tobacco consumption, and their percentage contributions to the DALYs of stroke were 67.5, 51.5 and 29.1%, respectively.

Conclusions

The burden of stroke has increased in Yunnan since 1990. The health department should emphasize on the changes of stroke risk factors and advocate healthy diet and living habits for residents.
Molecular epidemiology of bacteraemic vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates and in vitro activities of SC5005 and other comparators against these isolates collected from a medical centre in northern Taiwan, 2019–2020
Authors: Wan Tsai-Wen , Yeo Hui-Hui , Lee Tai-Fen , Huang Yu-Tsung , Hsueh Po-Ren , Chiu Hao-Chieh
Published: December 2022

Objectives

The global prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) highlights the need for new anti-enterococcal agents. Here, we assessed the molecular epidemiology of clinical VREfm bacteraemic isolates from a medical centre in northern Taiwan in 2019–2020 and to evaluate their susceptibility to last-line antibiotics and a new antimicrobial agent, SC5005.

Methods

The molecular epidemiology of VREfm was investigated using van genotyping, MLST and PFGE. The susceptibilities of VREfm strains to antibiotics and SC5005 were determined using the agar dilution and broth microdilution methods. The capability of E. faecium to develop resistance to antibiotics and SC5005 was evaluated using frequency of resistance and multipassage resistance assays. The mode of action of SC5005 was assessed by time-kill, bacterial membrane integrity and membrane potential assays.

Results

All 262 VREfm isolates harboured vanA gene, and the most prevalent sequence type was ST17 (51%, n = 134, 84 pulsotypes), followed by ST78 (25%, n = 65, 54 pulsotypes). Additionally, we identified four new STs (ST2101, ST2102, ST2135 and ST2136) and observed the arrival of multidrug-resistant ST1885 in Taiwan. Moreover, SC5005 was effective against all VREfm isolates, including those non-susceptible to last-line antibiotics. SC5005 can disrupt and depolarize the bacterial membrane to kill E. faecium without detectable resistance.

Conclusions

The findings provide insights into the latest epidemiology and resistance profiles of bacteraemic-causing VREfm in northern Taiwan. Additionally, SC5005 has the potential for development as a new therapeutic to treat VREfm infections.
Revisiting Poverty Trends and the Role of Social Protection Systems in Africa during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Abay Kibrom A , Yonzan Nishant , Kurdi Sikandra , Tafere Kibrom
Published: December 2022

Quantifying the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on poverty in Africa has been as difficult as predicting the path of the pandemic, mainly due to data limitations. The advent of new data sources, including national accounts and phone survey data, provides an opportunity for a thorough reassessment of the impact of the pandemic and the subsequent expansion of social protection systems on the evolution of poverty in Africa. In this paper, we combine per capita GDP growth from national accounts with data from High-Frequency Phone Surveys for several countries to estimate the net impact of the pandemic on poverty. We find that the pandemic has increased poverty in Africa by 1.5 to 1.7 percentage points in 2020, relatively smaller than early estimates and projections. We also find that countries affected by Fragility, Conflict and Violence experienced the greatest increases in poverty, about 2.1 percentage points in 2020. Furthermore, we assess and synthesize empirical evidence on the role that social protection systems played in mitigating the adverse impact of the COVID-19 crisis in Africa. We review social protection responses in various African countries, mainly focusing on the impact of these programs and effectiveness of targeting systems. Although the evidence base on the protective role of social protection programs during the pandemic remains scarce, we highlight important findings on the impacts of these programs while also uncovering some vulnerabilities in social protection programming in Africa. We finally draw important lessons related to the delivery, targeting and impact of various social protection programs launched in Africa in response to the pandemic.
Structural Change and Inequality in Africa
Authors: Morsy Hanan , Shimeles Abebe , Nabassaga Tiguene
Published: December 2022

This paper examines how inequality could be tackled through structural transformation using unit record data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for Africa. Results suggest inequality between countries tends to be higher when the share of labour employed or value-added in the agriculture sector is higher, while no association is observed for industry and services sectors contributions to GDP or employment. Within-country inequality however tends to be strongly affected by structural change. A 1 standard deviation growth in the movement of labour from low- to high-productivity sectors could decrease overall inequality by 0.5% and inequality of opportunity by 1.1%. Results from other data sources strongly support these findings suggesting that positive structural transformation could lead to sustained reduction in inequality in Africa. Other factors correlated strongly with inequality reduction include human capital, which tend to have large and significant income or asset reducing effect in Africa, particularly at higher level of education, while the pace of urbanisation exacerbates it incidence.
Breast Cancer Screening and Outcomes Disparities Persist for Native American Women
Authors: Kurumety Sasha K , Howshar Jacob T , Loving Vilert A
Published: December 2022

Over the past three decades, mortality rates from breast cancer have decreased for multiple racial groups but have remained constant for American Indian and Alaskan Native (AI/AN) women. Additionally, AI/AN women are less likely to receive timely breast cancer screening and are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced stage breast cancer at younger ages than their White counterparts. These disparities can be explained, in part, by the unique barriers to accessing care faced by AI/AN women. The Indian Health Service provides care to many AI/AN patients; however, their scope of practice is limited, and the service is chronically underfunded, leaving many women without appropriate and timely care. Additionally, geographic access to care is limited because of the sparsity of clinics and limited transportation resources. American Indian and Alaskan Native patients also harbor a history of mistrust in health care systems, and there is a paucity of culturally sensitive education regarding the importance of screening. There have been some grassroots efforts to address these barriers; however, large-scale coordinated efforts are lacking. In order to provide equitable breast health care, more awareness and widescale initiatives are needed and can be championed by breast radiologists.
Ancient islands or ancient mariners? The cryptic history and voyages of the South Pacific barnacle Rehderella Zevina & Kurshakova, 1973 (Cirripedia: Thoracica: Chthamalidae)
Authors: Wares John P , Thiel Martin , Munizaga Martin , Rech Sabine , Carlton James T
Published: December 2022

We report the first verified DNA barcode data for the tropical chthamalid barnacle Rehderella belyaevi (Zevina & Kurshakova, 1973) and place it in phylogenetic and biogeographic context among other lineages of Pacific barnacles. Hitherto found on a few remote but widely separated islands across the South Pacific, R. belyaevi is the sole described species of its genus. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that Nesochthamalus intertextus (Darwin, 1854) is its sister taxon and that this taxon pair is nested in a cluster of South Pacific chthamalid taxa. We found that the Pitcairn Is. population includes an admixture of diversity from French Polynesia and Rapa Nui (Easter I.), with those populations being quite divergent. In light of the long history of ocean-going vessel movements in this region, beginning with Polynesian voyagers and the propensity of chthamalid barnacles to occur in biofouling communities, the sequence diversity on Pitcairn is suggestive of ship-borne influence, the more so since the tremendous distances between these islands may preclude natural larval dispersal among them. The true distributional range of Rehderella in the South Pacific is unknown, as shown by our report herein of an undescribed lineage of this genus in French Polynesia based on specimens collected 20 years ago. Furthermore, our discovery that this species occurs on floating plastic debris, a vast amount of which is now present throughout the South Pacific, suggests that the ocean voyages of Rehderella may continue.
Evaluation of Tick Abundance and Pyrethroid Resistance Via Determination of Glutathione-S-Transferases Activity
Authors: Vukčević Marija , Nikolić-Kokić Aleksandra , Aleksić Ivan , Todorović Sanja , Oreščanin-Dušić Zorana , Blagojević Duško , Despot Dragana
Published: December 2022

Controlling the number of ticks as carriers of infectious diseases is very important. The process is sometimes compromised by activating the protective mechanisms of the tick itself. Glutathione-S-transferases activity (GSTs) was the subject of our investigation of tick abundance after pyrethroid treatment. We determined GSTs activity in ticks collected from six locations in Belgrade before and after pyrethroid treatment and correlated it with the number of ticks in the locations. The results showed that tick abundance correlated with GSTs activity. On the other hand, treatment efficiency was location-dependent, being similar in each particular location in both April (spring) and October (autumn). Our results suggest that GSTs activity reflects the influence of both present local allelochemicals from different environmental seasonal vegetation and applied pyrethroid. We can conclude that by evaluating GSTs activity in ticks from particular locations as well as during the treatment with acaricides tick removal practice could be improved.
Commemorative Naming, Renaming, and the Role of Medical History in Academic Medicine
Authors: Manning Tequilla , Ingram Walter N , Crenner Christopher
Published: December 2022

The University of Kansas School of Medicine recently confronted challenging questions about commemorative naming. Every year, the school assigns the incoming medical students to advising groups, called academic societies. There are six societies, each bearing the name of a prominent physician from the school’s history. Over the years, as students learned about the society namesakes, controversy developed over the naming of the Wahl Society. In 1938, Dr. Harry Wahl led an effort to preserve the racial segregation of the medical school. He fought hard, though unsuccessfully, to defend the established practice of barring the few Black students admitted to the school from continuing into the third and fourth year of the program and graduating. In 2017, with this history in mind, a well-organized coalition of medical students submitted a request to change the name of the Wahl Society. The society is now named the Cates Society, honoring Dr. Marjorie Cates, the first Black woman to graduate from the medical school. In this paper, we offer observations on how medical students’ involvement with historical inquiry -- as well as their caution about it limits -- helped to navigate the challenging process of renaming.
How Communities Benefit from Collaborative Governance: Experimental Evidence in Ugandan Oil and Gas
Authors: Coleman Eric A , Schultz Bill , Parker A Rani , Manyindo Jacob , Mukuru Emmanuel M
Published: December 2022

This paper reports the results of a field experiment to assess the collaborative effects of community participation in the Ugandan oil and gas sector. Our research design assesses collaborative impacts as relational between community members and different decision-makers in the sector and measures these impacts from the point of view of local people. Local people often face power imbalances in collaborative governance. Decision-makers are increasingly attempting to mitigate such imbalances to improve outcomes for communities, but little experimental evidence exists showing the impact of such efforts. Using multilevel ordered logit models, we estimate positive treatment effects, finding that encouraging the equitable participation of communities improves collaboration with other actors. Next, we use machine-learning techniques to demonstrate a method for targeting communities most likely to benefit from the intervention. We estimate that purposefully targeting communities that would benefit most yields a treatment effect about twice as large, relative to pure random assignment. Our results provide evidence that interventions mindful of community needs can improve collaborative governance and shows how such communities can be most effectively targeted. The experiment took place across 107 villages (53 treatment and 54 control) and the unit of statistical analysis is the household, where we report outcomes measured from 6,062 household surveys (approximately half at baseline and half at endline).
Drivers of regulatory reform in Canadian health professions: Institutional isomorphism in a shifting social context
Authors: Adams Tracey L
Published: December 2022

Research has documented how the decline in professional self-regulation in the UK and Australia was led by policy-makers in response to regulatory failures. In Canada, professional self-regulation is currently in decline as well, and while policy-makers have driven some change it is also the case that self-regulating professions have begun to transform themselves from within: altering their structure, make-up, and processes to enhance fairness, public input, and accountability, while reducing professional control. Why would they do so? This paper draws on the concept of institutional isomorphism to understand why professional regulators would invoke changes that, on the surface, might seem to counteract their own interests. Analysing data from 46 interviews with leaders in healthcare profession regulation, this paper examines how coercive, mimetic, and normative processes drive regulatory reform in a changing regulatory field.
Effect of the selective mitochondrial KATP channel opener nicorandil on the QT prolongation and myocardial damage induced by amitriptyline in rats
Authors: Sahin Orhan , Akturk Gozde , Cilaker Micili Serap , Gursoy Doruk Ozlem , Karapinar Fazilet , Hocaoglu Nil , Ergur Bekir Ugur , Akan Pinar , Tuncok Yesim , Kalkan Sule
Published: December 2022

Objectives

The aim of this study is to evaluate the protective effect of nicorandil, a selective mitochondrial KATP channel opener, on QT prolongation and myocardial damage induced by amitriptyline.

Methods

The dose of amitriptyline (intraperitoneal, i.p.) that prolong the QT interval was found 75 mg/kg. Rats were randomized into five groups the control group, amitriptyline group, nicorandil (selective mitochondrial KATP channel opener, 3 mg/kg i.p.) + amitriptyline group, 5-hdyroxydecanoate (5-HD, selective mitochondrial KATP channel blocker, 10 mg/kg i.p.) + amitriptyline group and 5-HD + nicorandil + amitriptyline group. Cardiac parameters, biochemical and histomorphological/immunohistochemical examinations were evaluated. p < 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant.

Key findings

Amitriptyline caused statistically significant prolongation of QRS duration, QT interval and QTc interval (p < 0.05). It also caused changes in tissue oxidant (increase in malondialdehyde)/anti-oxidant (decrease in glutathione peroxidase) parameters (p < 0.05), myocardial damage and apoptosis (p < 0.01 and p < 0.001). While nicorandil administration prevented amitriptyline-induced QRS, QT, QTc prolongation (p < 0.05), myocardial damage and apoptosis (p < 0.05), it did not affect the changes in oxidative parameters (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that nicorandil, a selective mitochondrial KATP channel opener, plays a protective role in amitriptyline-induced QT prolongation and myocardial damage. Mitochondrial KATP channel opening and anti-apoptotic effects may play a role in the cardioprotective effect of nicorandil.
The radiation response measurement of a single and multiple cell ionization of neuroblastoma cells by infrared laser trap
Authors: Goangul Mulugeta S , Stewart William C , Erenso Daniel , Crogman Horace T
Published: December 2022

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a common type of cancer found mostly in infants and arising from the immature neural crest cells of the sympathetic nervous system. Using laser trapping (LT) technique, the present work contributes to advancing radiotherapy (RT), a leading treatment method for cancer. A single, 2-cells, 3-cells, 4-cells, and 5-cells were trapped using the high-intensity gradient infrared laser at 1064 nm and allowed to become ionized. In this work, a systematic study of Threshold Ionization Energy (TIE) and Threshold Radiation Dose (TRD) versus mass for both single and multi-cell ionization using laser trapping (LT) techniques on NB is presented. The results show that TIE increased as the mass of cells increased, meanwhile TRD decreased with the increase of cell mass. We observed an inverse correlation between TRD and cell mass. We demonstrate how to compute the maximum radiation dosage for cell death using the LT technique. Results show a possible blueprint for computing the TRD in vivo. The use of multiple cell ionization to determine radiation dosage along with better data accuracy concerning the tumor size and density will have profound implications for radiation dosimetry. The diminution in TRD becomes more significant in multiple cell ionization as we see in TRD vs the number of cells entering the trap. This is due to the chain effect generated by radiation and the absorption by water molecules at 1064 nm. This result provides us with better insight into the optimization of the therapeutic ratio.
C-to-U and U-to-C: RNA editing in plant organelles and beyond
Authors: Knoop Volker
Published: December 2022

The genomes in the two energy-converting organelles of plant cells, chloroplasts and mitochondria, contain numerous ‘errors’ that are corrected at the level of RNA transcript copies. The genes encoded in the two endosymbiotic organelles would not function properly if their transcripts were not altered by site-specific cytidine-to-uridine (C-to-U) exchanges and by additional reverse U-to-C exchanges in hornworts, lycophytes, and ferns. These peculiar processes of plant RNA editing, re-establishing genetic information that could alternatively be present at the organelle genome level, has spurred much research over >30 years. Lately new studies have revealed numerous interesting insights, notably on the biochemical machinery identifying specific pyrimidine nucleobases for conversion from C to U and vice versa. Here, I will summarize prominent research findings that lately have contributed to our better understanding of these phenomena introducing an added layer of information processing in plant cells. Some of this recent progress is based on the successful functional expression of plant RNA editing factors in bacteria and mammalian cells. These research approaches have recapitulated natural processes of horizontal gene transfer through which some protist lineages seem to have acquired plant RNA editing factors and adapted them functionally for their own purposes.
Sporothrix pathogenic clade: Molecular analysis of animal and human clinical isolates
Authors: Ribeiro-Marques Mariela Domiciano , Maschio-Lima Taiza , Lemes Thiago Henrique , Siqueira João Paulo Zen , Brizzotti-Mazuchi Natália Seron , Caetano Maicon Henrique , Almeida Bianca Gottardo , Mozaner Leticia Queiroz , Monteiro Ruan Campos , Camargo Zoilo Pires , Rodrigues Anderson Messias , Gottardo de Almeida Margarete Teresa
Published: December 2022

Sporotrichosis is a subcutaneous mycosis that affects animals and humans. Varying in severity, occurrences range from local lesions to systemic involvement. It is caused by thermodimorphic and saprobic fungi from the Sporothrix pathogenic clade. This study aimed to identify the species and the sexual idiomorph distribution patterns responsible for diagnosed cases of sporotrichosis in São José do Rio Preto, Brazil. We included 188 isolates of Sporothrix sp. from feline lesions and 27 of human origin, which underwent molecular identification and genotyping for mating-type MAT1-1 and MAT1-2. The results showed that Sporothrix brasiliensis is the prevalent species in feline sporotrichosis outbreaks with the overwhelming presence of a single mating-type, MAT1-2 (P <.0001), suggesting a prevalently clonal form of spread. Morphological analyses did not discriminate among cryptic species in the genus Sporothrix, and molecular identification was essential for the correct identification of the species responsible for the observed cases of sporotrichosis. Distribution analyses of MAT1-2 isolates support the hypothesis of unidirectional migration from the current epidemics in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to the municipality of São José do Rio Preto.
New insights into the helium star formation channel of AM CVn systems with explanations of Gaia14aae and ZTFJ1637+49
Authors: Sarkar Arnab , Ge Hongwei , Tout Christopher A
Published: December 2022

We model helium-rich stars with solar metallicity (X = 0.7, Z = 0.02) progenitors that evolve to form AM Canum Venaticorum systems through a helium-star formation channel, with the aim to explain the observed properties of Gaia14aae and ZTFJ1637+49. We show that semidegenerate, H-exhausted (X ≤ 10−5), He-rich (Y ≈ 0.98) donors can be formed after a common envelope evolution (CEE) phase if either additional sources of energy are used to eject the common envelope, or a different formalism of CEE is implemented. We follow the evolution of such binary systems after the CEE phase using the Cambridge stellar evolution code when they consist of a He-star and a white dwarf accretor, and report that the mass, radius, and mass-transfer rate of the donor, the orbital period of the system, and the lack of hydrogen in the spectrum of Gaia14aae and ZTFJ1637+49 match well with our modelled trajectories wherein, after the CEE phase Roche lobe overflow is governed not only by the angular momentum loss (AML) owing to gravitational wave radiation (AMLGR) but also an additional AML owing to α–Ω dynamos in the donor. This additional AML is modelled with our double-dynamo (DD) model of magnetic braking in the donor star. We explain that this additional AML is just a consequence of extending the DD model from canonical cataclysmic variable donors to evolved donors. We show that none of our modelled trajectories match with Gaia14aae or ZTFJ1637+49 if the systems are modelled only with AMLGR.
Evidence of underdeveloped torus and broad-line region of weak emission line quasars based on their spectral energy distribution
Authors: Kumar Ritish , Chand Hum , Joshi Ravi
Published: December 2022

To unravel the dominant cause of the weak emission line in a subset of optically selected radio-quiet ‘weak emission line quasars’ (WLQs), we have investigated the possibility of an underdeveloped broad line region (BLR). For this, we have modelled spectral energy distributions (SED) of 61 WLQs by using their optical and infrared (IR) photometric observations from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and WISE, respectively. SED fit consists of various emission components, including the luminosity from the dusty torus (Ltor). For comparison with the normal quasar, we have used a control sample of 55 Quasi-Stellar Objects (QSOs) for each WLQ matching in emission redshift and SDSS r-band. Based on our measurement of Ltor, we found a decrement of 42 ± 2 per cent in IR luminosity in WLQs with respect to the control sample of normal QSOs. Using Ltor/Lbol as the measure of torus covering factor (CFtor), we found a similar decrement in WLQ covering factor, with their CFtor distribution being significantly different with respect to the normal QSOs with a KS test Pnull of 4.27 × 10−14. As dusty torus and BLR covering factors are expected to be of a similar order in active galactic nucleus (AGN), our results suggest that the BLR in the WLQs is underdeveloped and could be a dominant cause of the weakness of their emission line. As a result, our analysis gives support to the models of WLQs based on the evolution scenario being in an early stage of AGNs.