bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Entomophthovirus: an insect-derived iflavirus that infects a behavior-manipulating fungal pathogen of dipterans
Authors: Coyle Maxwell C , Elya Carolyn N , Bronski Michael J , Eisen Michael B
Published: August 2024

We report a virus infecting Entomophthora muscae, a behavior-manipulating fungal pathogen of dipterans. The virus, which we name Berkeley Entomophthovirus, is a positive-strand RNA virus in the iflaviridae family of capsid-forming viruses, which are mostly known to infect insects. The viral RNA is expressed at high levels in fungal cells in vitro and during in vivo infections of Drosophila melanogaster, and virus particles can be seen intracellularly in E. muscae. This virus, of which we find two closely related variants in our culture of E. muscae, is also closely related to three different viruses reported from metagenomic surveys, two of which were isolated from wild dipterans, and a third isolated from wild ticks. By analyzing sequencing data from these earlier reports, we find abundant reads aligning to E. muscae specifically in the samples from which viral reads were sequenced. These data establish a wide and perhaps obligate association with E. muscae in the wild, consistent with our laboratory data that E. muscae is the host for these closely related viruses. Because of this, we propose the name Entomophthovirus (EV) for this group of highly related virus variants. As other members of the iflaviridae have been reported to cause behavioral changes in insects, we speculate on the possibility that EV plays a role in the behavioral manipulation of flies infected with E. muscae.
PyBrOpS: a Python package for breeding program simulation and optimization for multi-objective breeding
Authors: Shrote Robert Z , Thompson Addie M
Published: August 2024

Plant breeding is a complex endeavor that is almost always multi-objective in nature. In recent years, stochastic breeding simulations have been used by breeders to assess the merits of alternative breeding strategies and assist in decision-making. In addition to simulations, visualization of a Pareto frontier for multiple competing breeding objectives can assist breeders in decision-making. This paper introduces Python Breeding Optimizer and Simulator (PyBrOpS), a Python package capable of performing multi-objective optimization of breeding objectives and stochastic simulations of breeding pipelines. PyBrOpS is unique among other simulation platforms in that it can perform multi-objective optimizations and incorporate these results into breeding simulations. PyBrOpS is built to be highly modular and has a script-based philosophy, making it highly extensible and customizable. In this paper, we describe some of the main features of PyBrOpS and demonstrate its ability to map Pareto frontiers for breeding possibilities and perform multi-objective selection in a simulated breeding pipeline.
Dietary Live Microbes Intake Associated With Biological Aging and Mortality
Authors: Zhu Xu , Chen Wenhang , Xue Jing , Dai Wenjie , Maimaitituerxun Rehanguli , Liu Yamin , Xu Hui , Zhou Qiaoling , Zhou Quan , Chen Chunyuan , Wang Zhenxing , Xie Hui
Published: August 2024

This observational study aimed to investigate associations between dietary live microbe intake and mortality, as well as biological aging. Adults from the 1999–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were categorized into low, medium, and high dietary live microbe groups. Foods with medium and high live microbe content were aggregated into a medium-high consumption category. The outcomes included all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality, along with biological age (BA) acceleration assessed by the Klemera–Doubal method (KDM) and PhenoAge. Multiple regression analyses and mediation analyses were conducted to assess associations, adjusting for potential confounders. A total of 34 133 adults were included in our analyses. Over an average follow-up period of 9.92 years, 5 462 deaths occurred. In multivariate adjusted models, every 100 g of medium-high group foods consumed was associated with reduced all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91 to 0.97, p < .001) and cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.96, p < .001), but not with cancer mortality (HR 1.01, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.07, p = .768). Every 100 g medium-high group foods consumption was associated with decreased KDM-BA acceleration (fully adjusted regression coefficient −0.09, 95% CI −0.15 to −0.04, p = .001) and PhenoAge acceleration (fully adjusted regression coefficient −0.07, 95% CI −0.11 to −0.03, p < .001). Mediation analysis showed that BA acceleration partially mediated live microbes-mortality associations. Our results suggest that higher dietary live microbe intake is associated with lower mortality risk and slower biological aging. However, further research is needed to verify these findings.
An increasing number of states filled Conrad 30 waivers for recruiting international medical graduates
Authors: Ramesh Tarun , Brotherton Sarah E , Wozniak Gregory D , Yu Hao
Published: August 2024

To address physician shortages in the United States, Congress created the Conrad 30 visa waiver program allowing non-citizen international medical graduates to obtain visas to practice medicine in underserved areas. There is little information on whether states have effectively used the program. To fill the gap, we examined the growth and distribution of Conrad physicians between 2001 and 2020. We found that the number of states filling all of their annual allocated Conrad slots increased over the last two decades, yet one-half of the states still did not fill their allowed slots in 2020. Our analysis also revealed substantial variations across states in the number of Conrad physicians by specialty (eg, primary care physicians and psychiatrists), geography (eg, rural vs urban areas and physician shortage vs non-shortage areas). Our findings suggest that states can better use the Conrad program to meet healthcare needs across specialties and geographic areas.
A “third camp” in Israel’s constitutional upheaval: The voice of the silent Palestinian-Arab minority
Authors: Karayanni Michael
Published: August 2024

The Israeli government’s controversial initiative to instigate sweeping judicial reforms, conceived in early 2023, gave rise to an unprecedented opposition movement. So intense was the public pushback that the initiative sharpened existing conflicts, bringing old and new schisms to the surface. One primary stakeholder in the judicial reform initiative, had it proved even partially successful, was the Palestinian-Arab minority. However, this minority was virtually absent from the protests and the deliberations that took place to work out a compromise between the two camps. Referencing the theory and practice of “democratic deficit,” this article explains this striking absence by drawing attention to the fact that the “democratic deficit” that so concerns the Palestinian-Arabs is endemic in the constitutional order that the pro-reform camp wanted to see strengthened, and one that the anti-reform camp would have settled for maintaining. Being against the proposed reforms but simultaneously unwilling to join forces with the public anti-reform pushback, the Palestinian-Arabs thus constituted a “third camp” in Israel’s constitutional upheaval. The article traces the consolidation of this “third camp” and highlights why its positioning as such has constituted the Palestinian-Arab minority as a distinct group that, in contexts predating the constitutional upheaval of 2023, has mounted, and continues to mount, unique challenges to Israel’s constitutional order.
Implementation and impact of an electronic patient reported outcomes system in a phase II multi-site adaptive platform clinical trial for early-stage breast cancer
Authors: Northrop Anna , Christofferson Anika , Umashankar Saumya , Melisko Michelle , Castillo Paolo , Brown Thelma , Heditsian Diane , Brain Susie , Simmons Carol , Hieken Tina , Ruddy Kathryn J , Mainor Candace , Afghahi Anosheh , Tevis Sarah , Blaes Anne , Kang Irene , Asare Adam , Esserman Laura , Hershman Dawn L , Basu Amrita
Published: August 2024

Objectives

We describe the development and implementation of a system for monitoring patient-reported adverse events and quality of life using electronic Patient Reported Outcome (ePRO) instruments in the I-SPY2 Trial, a phase II clinical trial for locally advanced breast cancer. We describe the administration of technological, workflow, and behavior change interventions and their associated impact on questionnaire completion.

Materials and Methods

Using the OpenClinica electronic data capture system, we developed rules-based logic to build automated ePRO surveys, customized to the I-SPY2 treatment schedule. We piloted ePROs at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to optimize workflow in the context of trial treatment scenarios and staggered rollout of the ePRO system to 26 sites to ensure effective implementation of the technology.

Results

Increasing ePRO completion requires workflow solutions and research staff engagement. Over two years, we increased baseline survey completion from 25% to 80%. The majority of patients completed between 30% and 75% of the questionnaires they received, with no statistically significant variation in survey completion by age, race or ethnicity. Patients who completed the screening timepoint questionnaire were significantly more likely to complete more of the surveys they received at later timepoints (mean completion of 74.1% vs 35.5%, P < .0001). Baseline PROMIS social functioning and grade 2 or more PRO-CTCAE interference of Abdominal Pain, Decreased Appetite, Dizziness and Shortness of Breath was associated with lower survey completion rates.

Discussion and Conclusion

By implementing ePROs, we have the potential to increase efficiency and accuracy of patient-reported clinical trial data collection, while improving quality of care, patient safety, and health outcomes. Our method is accessible across demographics and facilitates an ease of data collection and sharing across nationwide sites. We identify predictors of decreased completion that can optimize resource allocation by better targeting efforts such as in-person outreach, staff engagement, a robust technical workflow, and increased monitoring to improve overall completion rates.

Trial Registration

https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01042379.
Effects of wheat-based fermented liquid feed on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, gut microbiota, intestinal morphology, and barrier function in grower–finisher pigs
Authors: Zhang Aoran , Yang Yanyi , Li Yong , Zheng Yunfan , Wang Hongmei , Cui Hongxiao , Yin Wang , Lv Mei , Liang Yunxiang , Chen Wenli
Published: August 2024

Fermented liquid feed (FLF) can improve dietary nutrient absorption levels, degrade antinutrient factors in diets, and increase beneficial bacteria abundance in animal guts. However, few systematic studies have been conducted on wheat-based fermented liquid feed (WFLF) in pigs. The present study evaluates the effects of WFLF on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, gastric volume, intestinal morphology, intestinal health, intestinal barrier function, serum biochemical immunity, gut microbiota, and intestinal microbial diversity of grower–finisher pigs. In total, 80 weaned pigs were randomly allocated to two treatment groups based on their initial body weight: a basal diet with pellet dry feeding (CON) and a basal diet with WFLF, with four replicate pens per group. The experiment lasted 82 d. Compared with CON pigs, those fed WFLF were significantly heavier at 60 to 82 d and had significantly higher average daily feed intake, average daily gain, and gain: feed ratio at 60 to 82 d and 1 to 82 d. WFLF pigs had significantly greater jejunum, total tract, and ileal digestibility for all nutrients and amino acids, excluding arginine, than CON pigs. WFLF intake influenced villus height, villus height:crypt depth ratio of the anterior segment of the jejunum (A-jejunum), crypt depth, and redox potential of the posterior segment of the jejunum (P-jejunum) while significantly affecting body weight. Additionally, FLF improved gastric capacity significantly. Furthermore, mRNA expression of occludin and claudin-1 in the mucosa of the ileum and jejunum was significantly higher in WFLF pigs than in CON pigs. WFLF increased serum concentrations of alanine transaminase and reduced low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, total cholesterol, and total bile acid content. The alpha diversity (Shannon and Simpson indices) in the stomachs of WFLF pigs was significantly higher than in CON pigs. Microbial diversity in the stomach, ileum, and cecum, as well as the abundance of lactic acid bacteria, were increased in WFLF pigs compared to CON pigs. In conclusion, WFLF intake may positively influence intestinal ecology by improving digestive tract structure, upregulating intestinal barrier-related genes, and improving intestinal morphology to enhance intestinal digestive function and health. Collectively, the present study shows that WFLF intake can increase growth performance while maintaining beneficial nutrient digestibility in grower–finisher pigs.
Dose effects of encapsulated butyric acid and zinc on beef feedlot steer growth performance, dietary net energy utilization, rumen morphometrics, small intestine histology, and carcass characteristics
Authors: Francis Forest L , Rusche Warren C , LaFleur Doug , Hergenreder Jerilyn E , Smith Zachary K
Published: August 2024

The objective of this study was to determine the effects that increasing doses of encapsulated butyric acid and zinc (BZ) have on feedlot steer growth performance, rumen morphometrics and small intestine histology (data not statistically analyzed), dietary net energy utilization, and carcass characteristics. Steers [n = 272; shrunk body weight (BW) = 360 kg ± 74 kg] were assigned to dietary treatments [0 (CON), 1, 2, or 3 g BZ/kg diet dry matter] in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with pen (n = 32 total; n = 8 per treatment) as experimental unit. Pens were blocked by cattle source and location within the feedyard. Cattle were fed until visually assessed to have 1.27 cm rib-fat and were shipped for harvest at a commercial beef abattoir. Carcass and liver health data were recorded. A subset of steers (n = 8 total; n = 2 per treatment) was harvested at the SDSU Meat Laboratory to collect empty body measurements, rumen samples for morphometric analysis, and duodenal and ileal samples for histological analysis to provide context to feeding trial outcomes. Feedlot growth performance data was calculated on a carcass-adjusted basis: hot carcass weight (HCW)/0.625. Data were analyzed as a RCBD with fixed effects of BZ inclusion level and block was considered a random effect; pre-planned contrasts for CON vs. BZ, plus linear, and quadratic responses were tested. No differences (P ≥ 0.11) were observed for final BW, dry matter intake, average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion efficiency (G:F), performance calculated dietary net energy, HCW, ribeye area, rib-fat thickness, marbling score, estimated empty body fat, or distribution of USDA yield grade (YG) 1, 3, 4, 5, and USDA quality grade among treatments. A tendency (P = 0.10) was observed for CON vs. BZ for calculated YG. Tendencies were detected for USDA YG 2 carcass distribution (linear; P = 0.07) and for normal and abscessed liver prevalence (quadratic; P = 0.08). Dressed yield tended to be greater (P = 0.08) for BZ vs. CON and increased with dose (linear; P = 0.05). Receiving period shrunk BW, ADG, and G:F was improved (P ≤ 0.02) for BZ-supplemented steers compared to CON. Data from this study suggests that the addition of BZ to feedlot finishing diets to improve receiving period growth performance and decreasing the prevalence of abscessed livers should be further investigated.
Effects of Parecoxib Sodium on Early Cognitive Impairment and Inflammation Levels in Burned Rats
Authors: Hu Guangjun , Jiang Xiaoyang , Du Siyu , Zhang Kun , Chen Zhuo
Published: August 2024

To study the effect of parecoxib sodium in alleviating inflammation in burned rats and restoring cognitive function in burned rats. A total of 30 specific pathogen free grade Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly divided into 6 groups: (1) blank control group (group C), (2) Sham surgery group (group Sham), (3) second-degree burn model (group B), (4) low-dose (1 mg/kg/d) parecoxib sodium (group L + B), (5) medium-dose (10 mg/kg/d) parecoxib sodium (group M + B), and (6) high-dose (20 mg/kg/d) parecoxib sodium (group H + B). ELISA measures inflammatory factors interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and cognitive function factors neuron-specific enolase (NSE), cortisol, and S-100β. Combined with water maze and dark-avoidance experiments to further verify the recovery of cognitive function in rats. The contents of IL-2, TNF-α, and IL-6 in group M + B were significantly lower than those in group Sham (P < .05), and the content of IFN-γ was significantly lower than that in group Sham (P < .05). The cognitive markers NSE, S-100β, and cortisol levels in group M + B were significantly higher than those in group Sham at 2 h, 1 d, 5 d, and 10 d after operation (P < .05). In the group M + B dark-avoidance experiment, the number of probes and errors was not significantly different than those in group Sham and group C (P > .05), and the number of times group M + B found a platform in the water maze experiment and crossed the platform was second only to group B and group C. Parecoxib sodium can effectively reduce inflammation in burn rats and promote cognitive recovery in burn rats, and the optimal dose of parecoxib sodium for burn rats is 10 mg/kg.
Survey on Current Utilization and Perception of Synthesized Mammography
Authors: Coffey Kristen , Dodelzon Katerina , Dialani Vandana , Joe Bonnie N , Omofoye Toma S , Thomas Charlene , Grimm Lars J
Published: August 2024

Objective

To assess utilization and perceptions of 2D synthesized mammography (SM) for digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) among practicing U.S. breast radiologists.

Methods

An IRB-exempt 23-question anonymized survey was developed by the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI) Patient Care and Delivery Committee and emailed to practicing U.S. radiologist SBI members on October 9, 2023. Questions assessed respondents’ demographics, current mammographic screening protocol, confidence interpreting SM for mammographic findings, and perceived advantages and disadvantages of SM.

Results

Response rate was 13.4% (371/2771). Of 371 respondents, 208 were currently screening with DBT/SM (56.1%), 98 with DBT/SM/digital mammography (DM) (26.4%), 61 with DBT/DM (16.4%), and 4 with DM (1.1%). Most respondents felt confident using DBT/SM to evaluate masses (254/319, 79.6%), asymmetries (247/319, 77.4%), and distortions (265/318, 83.3%); however, confidence was mixed for calcifications (agreement 130/320, 40.6%; disagreement 156/320, 48.8%; neutral 34/320, 10.6%). The most frequently cited disadvantage and advantage of SM were reconstruction algorithm false-positive results (199/347, 57.4%) and lower radiation dose (281/346, 81.2%), respectively. Higher confidence and fewer disadvantages were reported by radiologists who had more SM experience, screened with DBT/SM, or exclusively used Hologic vendor (all P <.05).

Conclusion

For most survey respondents (56.1%), SM has replaced DM in DBT screening. Radiologists currently screening with DBT/SM or with more SM experience reported greater confidence in SM with fewer perceived disadvantages.
The Lung Cancer Surgical Study Group of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group: outstanding contribution and entering a new phase
Authors: Nakagawa Kazuo , Yotsukura Masaya , Mimae Takahiro , Hattori Aritoshi , Miyoshi Tomohiro , Isaka Mitsuhiro , Endo Makoto , Tsutani Yasuhiro , Isaka Tetsuya , Maniwa Tomohiro , Nakajima Ryu , Yoshioka Hiroshige , Takei Hidefumi , Aokage Keiju , Watanabe Shun-ichi
Published: August 2024

The Lung Cancer Surgical Study Group (LCSSG) of the Japan Clinical Oncology Group (JCOG) was organized in 1986 and initially included 26 collaborative institutions, which has increased to 52 institutions currently. JCOG-LCSSG includes thoracic surgeons, medical oncologists, pathologists, and radiotherapists. In the early period, the JCOG-LCSSG mainly focused on combined modality therapies for lung cancer. Since the 2000s, the JCOG-LCSSG has investigated adequate modes of surgical resection for small-sized and peripheral non-small cell lung cancer and based on the radiological findings of whole tumor size and ground-glass opacity. Trials, such as JCOG0802, JCOG0804, and JCOG1211, have shown the appropriateness of sublobar resection, which has significantly influenced routine clinical practice. With the introduction of targeted therapy and immunotherapy, treatment strategies for lung cancer have changed significantly. Additionally, with the increasing aging population and medical costs, tailored medicine is strongly recommended to address medical issues. To ensure comprehensive treatment, strategies, including surgical and nonsurgical approaches, should be developed. Currently, the JCOG-LCSSG has conducted numerous clinical trials to adjust the diversity of lung cancer treatment strategies. This review highlights recent advancements in the surgical field, current status, and future direction of the JCOG-LCSSG.
Global insights into aging: a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and addressing age-related challenges
Authors: Su Si-Yi , He Chuting , Ren Jie , Song Moshi
Published: August 2024

Aging has ascended to the forefront of scientific exploration, demanding a concerted global focus. The 2024 China Aging Science Conference and International Conference on Aging Biology hosted a panel discussion that brought international experts to delve into the complexities of aging research. The discussion underscores the imperative need for a multidisciplinary approach, integrating reductionist and holistic perspectives to unravel the molecular and epigenetic underpinnings of the aging process. Experts advocate for elucidating aging mechanisms and biomarkers, with a focus on translating scientific discoveries into tangible societal benefits. The discussion also emphasizes the importance of international and interdisciplinary collaborations, calling for more support to innovate for healthy aging and tackle age-related challenges.
When Every Minute Counts: REBOA Before Surgery Is Independently Associated With a 15-Minute Delay in Time to Definitive Hemorrhage Control
Authors: Colosimo Christina , Bhogadi Sai Krishna , Hejazi Omar , Nelson Adam , Hosseinpour Hamidreza , Stewart Collin , Spencer Audrey L , Ditillo Michael , Magnotti Louis J , Joseph Bellal
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is a temporizing hemorrhage control intervention, but its inevitable effect on time to operating room (OR) has not been assessed. The aim of our study is to assess the impact of undergoing REBOA before surgery (RBS) on time to definitive hemorrhage control surgery.

Methods

In this retrospective analysis of 2017–2021 ACS-TQIP database, all adult (≥18 years) patients who underwent emergency hemorrhage control laparotomy (≤4 hours of admission) and received early blood products (≤4 hours) were included, and patients with severe head injury (Head-abbreviated injury score > 2) were excluded. Patients were stratified into those who did (RBS) vs those who did not undergo REBOA before surgery (No-RBS). Primary outcome was time to laparotomy. Secondary outcomes were complications and mortality. Multivariable linear and binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the independent associations between RBS and outcomes.

Results

A total of 32,683 patients who underwent emergency laparotomy were identified (RBS: 342; No-RBS: 32,341). The mean age was 39 (16) years, 78% were male, mean SBP was 107 (34) mmHg, and the median injury severity score was 21 [14–29]. The median time to emergency hemorrhage control surgery was 50 [32–85] minutes. Overall complication rate was 16% and mortality was 19%. On univariate analysis, RBS group had longer time to surgery (RBS 56 [41–89] vs No-RBS 50 [32–85] minutes, P < 0.001). On multivariable analysis, RBS was independently associated with a longer time to hemorrhage control surgery (β + 14.5 [95%CI 7.8–21.3], P < 0.001), higher odds of complications (aOR = 1.72, 95%CI = 1.27–2.34, P < 0.001), and mortality (aOR = 3.42, 95%CI = 2.57–4.55, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

REBOA is independently associated with longer time to OR for hemorrhaging trauma patients with an average delay of 15 minutes. Further research evaluating center-specific REBOA volume and utilization practices, and other pertinent system factors, may help improve both time to REBOA as well as time to definitive hemorrhage control across US trauma centers.

Level of Evidence

III

Study Type

Epidemiologic
Reliability of Continuous Noninvasive Hemoglobin Monitoring in Healthy Participants During En Route Care Training
Authors: Davis William T , Valdez-Delgado Krystal K , Bennett Christopher , Mann-Salinas Elizabeth , Burnett Gregory M , Bedford Theresa , Albright-Trainer Brooke , Savell Shelia C , Sorensen Derek
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Current standards for hemoglobin monitoring during air transports of U.S. combat wounded are invasive and intermittent. Fielded pulse co-oximeters can noninvasively measure total hemoglobin, but this parameter is not currently utilized. The primary objective of this study was to assess the percentage of vital sign measurements with successful capture of total noninvasive hemoglobin measurement using spectrophotometry-based technology for Hb (SpHb) measurements in healthy participants during training flights. Secondary objectives were to assess the feasibility of a novel electronic data capture mechanism from usual patient movement items and perform a pilot analysis of SpHb changes in healthy participants during transitions from ground to air transport.

Methods

We conducted a feasibility study enrolling healthy participants who had hemodynamic monitoring during usual U.S. Air Force Critical Care Air Transport (CCAT) flight training exercises from 2022 to 2023. Usual CCAT monitoring equipment and currently used Masimo Rainbow® pulse co-oximeters had the capability to measure SpHb. After each training exercise, the study team wirelessly downloaded case files from patient monitors utilizing the Battlefield Assisted Trauma Distributed Observation Kit (BATDOKTM) Case Downloader application. We then calculated point and precision estimates for the percentage of time for successful SpHb capture during the exercise and compared this to pulse oximetry (SpO2) capture. An a priori precision analysis for percentage of flight-time with successful SpHb data capture and descriptive statistics were performed. This study received Exempt Determination by the 59th Medical Wing IRB.

Results

We analyzed 26 records with mean monitoring durations of 94.5 [59.3-119.9] minutes during ground phases and 78.0 [59.9-106.5] minutes during flight phases. SpHb measures were successfully captured for 97.7% (n = 4,620) of possible ground measurements and 97.2% (n = 3,973) of possible in-flight measurements compared to 99.5% ground and 98.2% in-flight capture for SpO2. Mean intervals of missing SpHb data were 2 ± 5 minutes on the ground and 4 ± 6 minutes in-flight. Mean SpHb increased by 0.93 ± 0.96 g/dL during the ground phase, but had minimal changes during ascent, cruising altitude or descent. The BATDOKTM Case downloader completed transfer for all files.

Conclusion

Masimo Rainbow® SpHb pulse co-oximeters reliably captured continuous, noninvasive hemoglobin measurements using usual CCAT patient movement items in healthy participants during both ground and flight training. The BATDOKTM Case Downloader successfully imported case files from CCAT patient monitors. Mean SpHb measures had a small increase during the ground phase of monitoring followed by minimal changes when transitioning to flight altitude.
The Effects of Platoon Leader Mental Health and Resilience Training on Soldier Problematic Anger
Authors: Hammer Leslie , Brockwood Krista , Dimoff Jennifer , Allen Shalene , Mohr Cynthia , Dretsch Michael , Lee James , Britt Thomas
Published: August 2024

Introduction

The DoD has prioritized programs to optimize readiness by enhancing resilience of its service members. Problematic anger in the military is an issue that impacts psychological well-being and resilience. Leader support is a potential tactic for reducing anger and its effects. Currently military resilience training is focused on individual level resilience. A gap exists in such training and there is a need to train leaders to provide mental health and resilience support to their subordinates. The present study developed and tested a theory-based training aimed at platoon leaders that focused on how to engage in proactive and responsive mental health and resilience-supportive behaviors through guided discussion, scenarios, and computer-based training with embedded quizzes.

Materials and Methods

We conducted an Institutional Review Board–approved cluster randomized controlled trial to test the effects of a leadership training with Army platoon leaders (n = 99) and soldiers (n = 276) in 2 brigades at an active duty military installation in the USA. Training was conducted in person with a computer-based component. Soldiers completed online surveys 1 month prior and again 3 months after the leader training.

Results

Post-training results demonstrated significant leader learning effects (Cohen’s d = 1.56) and leader positive reactions to the training information, with leaders reporting the information as useful and relevant to their work. Service members in the treatment group reported significantly lower levels of anger at time 2 (b = −0.18, SE = 0.06, P = .002, pseudo ΔR2 = 0.01; d = 0.27) compared to the control group. We also found an indirect effect of the intervention on increased life satisfaction at time 2 via decreased anger (b = 0.035, SE = 0.023, 95% CI = [0.004-0.24]).

Conclusions

This study provides an initial evaluation of training for platoon leaders that educates them on proactive and responsive behavioral strategies to support the mental health and resilience of their service members via decreased problematic anger and increased well-being. Further adaptations and evaluations should be conducted with other military branches and civilian occupations, as the benefits of the relatively brief and noninvasive training could be widespread.
Ultrasound Shear Wave Elastography for Noninvasive Diagnosis of Acute Compartment Syndrome Using a Novel In Vivo Turkey Model
Authors: Tsukamoto Ichiro , Iida Naoya , Yousefi Farbod , Adam Elameen , Selim Omar , Zhao Gongyin , Wan Rou , Sarcon Aida , Zhao Chunfeng
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Acute Compartment Syndrome (ACS) is a severe trauma caused by elevated intra-muscle-compartment pressure (ICP). The current standard method for diagnosis is to insert a needle into the muscle sterilely under anesthesia. However, to secure the environment is sometimes not easy and leads to delays in diagnosis. Recently, we have focused on shear wave ultrasound elastography (SWE) as an alternative, which can be done concisely in unclean environment and without anesthesia. We would like to report the usefulness of SWE for ACS diagnosis using 2-pedal walking turkey model recently developed in our lab.

Materials and Methods

A total of 32 1-year-old Bourbon turkeys were used. 5% solution of chicken albumin was infused continuously into the tibialis cranialis (TC) muscle using IV pump. The ICP was increased stepwise from 0 to 50 mmHg. During the rising of ICP, the correlation between values of SWE (kPa) and ICP (mmHg) was measured. After the ICP reached 50 mmHg, half of the turkeys were maintained at this pressure for 2 hours and the rest for 6 hours. After infusion, a fasciotomy was performed on the half turkey. Half of the turkeys were euthanized after 2 weeks and the rest after 6 weeks. SWE of TC muscle and walking gait data on turkeys using a portable walkway system were measured weekly until euthanasia. At euthanasia, isometric tetanic muscle force (ITF) tests to TC muscle and histological evaluations were performed.

Results

SWE value (kPa) was highly significantly correlated to the actual ICP (mmHg) (R2 = 0.91). Stance of ACS side leg were significantly extended, and swing of the control side shortened from the second to the third week after ACS in the 6 hours infusion-no-fasciotomy group (P < 0.05*). ITF was significantly reduced mainly in the 6 hours infusion group (P < 0.05*). Histological evaluation revealed that in the 6 hours infusion and 6 weeks survival group, both the muscle fiber and intercellular distances were significantly expanded (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

SWE seems to be a substitute measure of ICP in diagnosing ACS. With regard to our in vivo ACS model using turkey, survival at 50 mmHg ICP for 6 hours and 6 weeks post ACS would be an appropriate situation.
Development and Evaluation of the Advanced Joint Airway Management System for Educational Utility in Endotracheal Intubation, as Assessed by Expert Paramedic Instructors
Authors: Roach Victoria A , Traina David J , Hananel David M , Speich Jason R , Norfleet Jack E , Sweet Robert M
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Between 2011 and 2014, The Combat Casualty Training Consortium research study sought to evaluate all aspects of combat casualty care, including mortality, with a special focus on the incidence and causes of potentially preventable deaths among U.S. combat fatalities. This study identified a major training gap in critical airway management. To address this gap, the Advanced Joint Airway Management System (AJAMS) was designed and assessed for physical fidelity and educational utility in a population of paramedic instructors.

Materials and Methods

Paramedic instructors served as participants in this prospective observational pilot study (n = 12). Participants interacted with three airway management trainers: The AJAMS trainer, the Laerdal Airway Management Trainer, and the TruCorp AirSim Advance Bronchi X Trainer. Participants then completed an evaluation of the trainer using a purpose-built data collection instrument that queried the trainer’s realism and educational utility. Within-group differences were analyzed via a 1-way repeated measures ANOVA, with a Bonferroni post hoc analysis. Rank data were analyzed via non-parametric Freidman’s test, and Wilcoxon signed-rank test post hoc analysis, corrected using the Bonferroni correction.

Results

The AJAMS trainer conveys significantly more physical fidelity (visual: P < .001, ηp2 = 0.977; tactile: P < .001, ηp2 = 0.983; and behavioral: P = .001, ηp2 = 0.971) and overall educational utility (χ2(2) = 15.273, P < .001) than the two commercially available skill trainers.

Conclusions

These data suggest that physical fidelity is an important attribute in the design of simulators for health care, as perceived by expert instructors. These data illustrate that the AJAMS-integrated simulator demonstrates unparalleled physical fidelity, relative to commercially available airway management skill trainers.
The U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory Virtual Reality Vection System
Authors: Temme Leonard A , Nagy Ryan , Persson Isaiah
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Vection is a stationary individual’s illusory experience of self-motion. This illusory self-motion is operationally important for aviation, particularly military aviation, since vection is a dramatic example of spatial disorientation (SD), which is an individual’s failure to correctly sense the aircraft’s position, motion, and/or attitude with respect to the fixed coordinate system of the Earth’s surface and its gravitational vertical. Notably, SD is a major cause of fatal aviation mishaps, and the visual system is particularly prone to provoking vection. This article describes the Virtual Reality Vection System (VRVS), which uses computer-controlled virtual reality technology to induce vection under controlled conditions for training, demonstration, testing, and research.

Materials and Methods

The VRVS enables the precise specification of the number and appearance of visual stimulus elements intended to generate vection, including photorealistic images. The VRVS can present visual stimuli on any OpenXR-capable virtual reality headset. The VRVS currently records 2 types of behavioral responses, button presses to indicate the presence and duration of vection and the voltage of a handheld linear potentiometer to indicate the presence, duration, and magnitude of vection.

Results

An approved test plan helped guide, organize, document, and validate the VRVS during its development. Under this plan, a pair of tests guided hardware and software development of the VRVS system. Although the first test verified the ability of the VRVS to generate and measure vection, it also demonstrated that the VRVS can quickly manipulate the visual stimuli from one trial to the next so that the VRVS can support complex experimental designs. The second test used these capabilities to verify that the VRVS can characterize vection in a more analytic fashion using a masking paradigm. Specifically, the test assessed whether random stimulus elements injected into the vection-inducing stimulus disrupted vection in a quantifiable fashion. This work opens the door to studies that characterize the necessary and sufficient visual elements for vection-based SD.

Discussion

The VRVS is currently used to research, develop, test, and evaluate mitigation strategies targeting vection-related SD in degraded visual environments. Similarly, the VRVS is supporting research to develop methods to predict individual differences in visually induced motion sickness susceptibilities. The VRVS is currently being integrated with a precision motor-controlled rotating Barany chair for multisensory studies. It should be noted that since the VRVS was developed to support United States Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory projects, it is an Army product representing government intellectual property and may be freely available to other government institutions.
Service Members’ Attitudes Toward Reporting Hazing Incidents
Authors: Berry-Cabán Cristóbal S , Petrillo Carissa , Allan Elizabeth J , Kerschner Dave , Beltran Thomas A , Holland Anett , Nash Lauren N , Roby Adam , Orchowski Lindsay M
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Addressing hazing within the U.S. Military has become a critical concern to safeguard the well-being of service members; recent attempts to assess hazing prevalence in the military have been unsuccessful due to under representative data.

Methods

To delve into the hazing climate and reporting culture at Fort Bragg, now Fort Liberty, 227 individuals took part in an anonymous online survey. The survey collected demographics and insights on hazing attitudes and behaviors, perceptions of group experiences including hazing/non-hazing activities, views on leadership, familiarity and experiences with reporting procedures, and bystander intervention.

Results

The findings echoed existing literature: while only 17.2% admitted to experiencing hazing, a striking 70.3% acknowledged involvement in specific hazing behaviors. Only 40% of participants who acknowledged experiencing hazing (n = 35) disclosed that they reported or confided in someone about the incident. Responses highlight reporting hurdles including concerns about anonymity, confidence in the reporting process, leadership reactions to reports, and the normalization of these events as tradition.

Discussion

Distinct elements of military culture, such as the hierarchical chain of command, loyalty to the brotherhood/sisterhood, and the emphasis on resilience, likely amplify these responses. This study adds to the mounting evidence showcasing gaps in assessing hazing within the U.S. Military. It emphasizes the necessity for a comprehensive hazing prevention program. Presently, prevention relies on mandatory training, often integrated into safety briefings or harassment workshops. However, service members require further assistance in recognizing, rejecting, and reporting instances of hazing despite these trainings.
Rape
Authors: Douglass Patrice
Published: August 2024

Rape, as it relates to Blackness, charts a long and vexed historical and contemporary arch. The interplay between the two is highlighted by the structural denial of Black sexual vulnerability, the profound hyper-prevalence of Black sexual violation, and the projection of the rape fantasy as the quintessence of Black sexual ontology. Historians, novelists, artists, journalists, and theorists have sought to demystify the paradoxical relationship between the absolute vulnerability of Black people to sexual violation and the projected myth of Blackness as that which wills and desires its own rape and the rape of others, namely the rape of white women by Black men. Historians have marked the emergence of Black sexual vulnerability in perceptions of the unbound character of Black bodily expressions, as noted by early European explorers on the African continent. The transatlantic slave trade instrumentalized these perceptions into a structural paradigm that forced the absolute submission of Black people to innumerable instances of rape and other forms of sexual vulnerability. This history is charted from the slave castles along the coast of western Africa, through the door of no return while embarking upon the treacherous terrain of the Middle Passage, and upon arrival in the New World. The formations of the Early American colonies inaugurated a profound shift in the experience and structural components of anti-Black rape, with the enactment of the Virginian Act XII of 1662, a legal doctrine that mandated that all children born of a slave mother would inherit her status as slave. Furthermore, while the history of enslavement and rape is most often gendered female, male slaves were neither protected nor immune from sexual violation. The legal abolition of slavery enacted a recapitulation of the relationship of Blackness and sexual vulnerability. The history of lynching, the production of urban space, and the constitution of identities in the afterlife of slavery are riddled with the sediments of the historical marking of Black bodies as hypersexual and thus inviolable. Furthermore, the afterlife of slavery produced the entrenchment of new forms of sexual vulnerability that complicate the relationship between Blackness and rape further, including those produced by the state and expanded forms of anti-Black gendered and anti-queer violence.
Metaphor in the New Testament
Authors: Heim Erin
Published: August 2024

Metaphors are a universal mainstay of human communication. It is therefore unsurprising to find them throughout the books of the New Testament in many and varied forms––from short, pithy statements to complex metaphors that appear in extended discourses. Ancient and modern scholars, rhetoricians, and philosophers have sought to explain the mechanics of metaphors in various ways. Aristotle states that “Metaphor consists in giving the thing a name that belongs to something else; the transference being either from genus to species, or from species to genus, or from species to species, or on grounds of analogy” (Poetics 1457b 6–9). Drawing from recent work in philosophy of science and philosophy of language, theologian Janet Martin Soskice calls metaphor “that figure of speech whereby we speak about one thing in terms which are seen to be suggestive of another” (Soskice 1985, p. 15, cited under Metaphor and Hermeneutics). Offering another perspective, cognitive scientists like George Lakoff and Mark Johnson argue that human thought and speech is organized by root conceptual metaphors, and therefore literary utterances in texts and in speech are manifestations of these deep structures of human cognition (Lakoff and Johnson 2003, cited under Perspectives from Cognitive Linguistics). Older New Testament scholarship in this bibliography tends to draw on ancient definitions of metaphor and are primarily driven by historical questions, whereas newer studies have engaged with philosophical and cognitive approaches to metaphor in their exegesis of biblical texts. As is the case in metaphor studies more generally, cognitive approaches to metaphor increasingly dominate current New Testament scholarship. One goal of this bibliography is to orient those interested in New Testament metaphors to the relevant literature in metaphor studies that has shaped current scholarship on New Testament metaphors. This literature includes introductions to metaphor written by philosophers of language, by cognitive linguists, and by theologians and biblical scholars. A second goal is to highlight selected works of New Testament scholarship that draw upon these theoretical frameworks in the exegesis of New Testament texts where metaphors occur. Some selections of the bibliography are more concerned with methodology, and others are more driven by historical questions regarding the practices, relationships, and objects that lie behind the metaphors in the texts. Those working on New Testament metaphors will necessarily need to develop their own approach to exegesis that is conversant with the wide range of approaches within metaphor studies.
Transhumance
Authors: Moritz Mark
Published: August 2024

Transhumance is the seasonal movement of livestock that is commonly used by pastoralists to exploit spatiotemporal variability in forage availability in arid and semi-arid climates. Pastoralists are people for whom keeping herd animals is a way of making a living and a way of life. Pastoralists across the world use transhumance to ensure that their livestock have access to forage. The animals taken on transhumance include cattle, camels, sheep, goats, horses, llama, alpaca, yak, reindeer, and even ducks. Sometimes a distinction is made between vertical and horizontal transhumance, in which the former refers to seasonal movements between summer pastures in the mountains and winter pastures in the valleys, and the latter refers to seasonal movements between rainy season and dry season pastures, for example, among cattle pastoralists in the West African Sahel, or winter and summer pastures among reindeer pastoralists in the Siberian tundra. The terms transhumance comes originally from French and is derived from the Latin terms trans (across) and humus (ground). A more general term that is frequently used to describe transhumance is pastoral mobility. Transhumance can take many forms. In some cases, pastoralists move both their herd and household, while in other cases, the household stays in the settlement, while herders take the herd on a seasonal transhumance. Most transhumance movements are made on foot or hoof, but in some wealthier nations, animals are also transported by truck. Transhumance is an adaptive strategy that mimics the principles of animal migrations, like that of wildebeest in East Africa and bighorn sheep in North America. The seasonal movement of livestock is a sustainable strategy that increases the productivity of animals and rangelands, particularly in drylands, which are characterized by spatiotemporal variability in forage availability. Transhumance is not just an economic activity that is ecologically sustainable. It is also imbued with social and cultural values. It brings households and communities together (and it can drive them apart). The movements themselves have been described as rituals and that is also how they are celebrated in some parts of the world. The movements of humans and animals also have political consequences. States and sedentary communities are often wary of people on the move, and because many pastoralists move year-round, it is at times hard for them to claim or maintain rights and access to pastures. When pastoralists are forced to settle and can no longer go on transhumance, it often has disastrous consequences for humans, animals, and rangelands.