bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural variation and spatial polysaccharide profiling of intervessel pit membranes in grapevine
Authors: Sun Qiang
Published: July 2022

Background and Aims

Intervessel pit membranes (PMs) are important cell wall structures in the vessel system that may impact a plant’s water transport and its susceptibility to vascular diseases. Functional roles of intervessel PMs largely depend on their structure and polysaccharide composition, which are the targets of this study.

Methods

With grapevine used as a model plant, this study applied an immunogold-scanning electron microscopy technique to simultaneously analyse at high resolution intervessel PM structures and major pectic and hemicellulosic polysaccharides that make up intervessel PMs.

Key Results

Intervessel PMs in functional xylem showed significant structural variation, with about 90 % of them being structurally intact with smooth or relatively smooth surfaces and the remaining 10 % with progressively degraded structures. The results also elucidated details of the removal process of cell wall materials from the intervessel PM surface toward its depth during its natural degradation. Four groups of pectic and hemicellulosic polysaccharides were immunolocalized in intervessel PMs and differed in their spatial distribution and abundance. Weakly methyl-esterified homogalacturonans (WMe-HGs, detected by JIM5) were abundant in the surface layer, heavily methyl-esterified homogalacturonans (HMe-HGs, detected by JIM7) and xylans detected by CCRC-M140 were mostly found in deeper layers, and fucosylated xyloglucans (F-XyGs, detected by CCRC-M1) were more uniformly distributed at different depths of the intervessel PM.

Conclusions

Intervessel PMs displayed diverse structural variations in grapevine. They contained certain major groups of pectic and hemicellulosic polysaccharides with different spatial distributions and abundance. This information is crucial to reveal the polysaccharide profiling of the primary cell wall and to understand the roles of intervessel PMs in the regulation of water transport as well as in a plant’s susceptibility to vascular diseases.
The Western Australia Olfactory Memory Test: Reliability and Validity in a Sample of Older Adults
Authors: Seneviratne Rasangi , Weinborn Michael , Badcock David R , Gavett Brandon E , Laws Manuela , Taddei Kevin , Martins Ralph N , Sohrabi Hamid R
Published: July 2022

Objective

The Western Australia Olfactory Memory Test (WAOMT) is a newly developed test designed to meet a need for a comprehensive measure of olfactory episodic memory (OEM) for clinical and research applications.

Method

This study aimed to establish the psychometric properties of the WAOMT in a sample of 209 community-dwelling older adults. An independent sample of 27 test-naïve participants were recruited to assess test retest reliability (between 7 and 28 days). Scale psychometric properties were examined using item response theory methods, combined samples (final N = 241). Convergent validity was assessed by comparing performance on the WAOMT with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery of domains (verbal and visual episodic memory, and odor identification), as well as other neuropsychological skills. Based on previous literature, it was predicted that the WAOMT would be positively correlated with conceptually similar cognitive domains.

Results

The WAOMT is a psychometrically sound test with adequate reliability properties and demonstrated convergent validity with tests of verbal and episodic memory and smell identification. Patterns of performance highlight learning and memory characteristics unique to OEM (e.g., learning curves, cued and free recall).

Conclusion

Clinical and research implications include streamlining future versions of the WAOMT to ease patient and administrative burden, and the potential to reliably detect early neuropathological changes in healthy older adults with nonimpaired OEM abilities.
Improving Amnesia Diagnostic Accuracy with RAVLT Single Scores and Composite Indices: Italian Normative Data
Authors: Ricci Monica , Ruggeri Massimiliano , Gnisci Cristina , Pizzoni Luca , Gerace Carmela , Blundo Carlo
Published: July 2022

Objective

The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) is a widely used verbal memory measure that provides scores for different aspects of memory. It involves repeated auditory presentation and recall of a 15-item word list (List A) followed by presentation and recall of a distractor list (List B) and then un-cued immediate and delayed recalls (at 15 min and 1 week) of List A as well as recognition testing. Aims of this study are to provide Italian normative data for certain RAVLT Scores and Composite Indices to improve the diagnostic accuracy of the test in clinical settings and to provide further evidence on how RAVLT can differentiate different amnesia profiles due to focal lesions.

Methods

We enrolled 440 healthy participants and RAVLT Single Scores and Composite Indices have been analyzed by means of multiple regression to verify the influence of age, education, and gender.

Results

We computed the best linear models with RAVLT Single Scores and Composite Indices, as dependent variables, and the most suitable transformation of independent variables. By reversing the signs of the regression coefficients, the adjustment factors for each level of age and, if needed, education and gender have been computed and the adjusted scores have been standardized into Equivalent Scores.

Conclusion

Using these standardized measures, we differentiate three profiles of amnesia due to selective hippocampal sclerosis with severe encoding deficit, fornix lesions with source memory problems, and temporal lobe epilepsy with consolidation failure.
Development and Diagnostic Accuracy of a Shortened Dutch Naming Test for People with Aphasia Using Item Response Theory
Authors: Alons Eline , Dijkhuis Lotti , van Tuijl Piet , van Ewijk Lizet
Published: July 2022

Objective

The first objective was to assess the psychometric properties of the 92-item Dutch Naming Test (DNT-92), developed to assess word finding difficulties in people with aphasia, using Item Response Theory (IRT). The second objective was to select suitable items for a short version with a discriminative purpose.

Method

This study has a retrospective, psychometric research design, in which 510 DNT-92-forms of people with aphasia and 192 DNT-forms of healthy participants were used for analyses. An IRT analysis was performed and information on the item- and person parameters was obtained. Item selection for the short version was based on a combination of the discriminative ability of the items and their estimated theta or difficulty. Items with the highest information load, and a difficulty parameter in the range of overlap between the sample of people with aphasia and healthy participants were selected.

Results

A 2-PL IRT analysis showed best fit to the data. Assumptions of unidimensionality, local independence, and monotonicity were met. Items were removed incrementally, whilst checking sensitivity and specificity of the remaining short form. A selection of six items proved optimal in terms of sensitivity and specificity, with an area under the curve value of 0.85. Differences were found between participants younger than 70 and older.

Conclusions

The IRT assumptions for the DNT-92 were met, indicating that the test has good psychometric properties. A reduction of items to just six items proved possible, leading to a reliable six item short form with a discriminatory purpose.
FitDevo: accurate inference of single-cell developmental potential using sample-specific gene weight
Authors: Zhang Feng , Yang Chen , Wang Yihao , Jiao Huiyuan , Wang Zhiming , Shen Jianfeng , Li Lingjie
Published: July 2022

The quantification of developmental potential is critical for determining developmental stages and identifying essential molecular signatures in single-cell studies. Here, we present FitDevo, a novel method for inferring developmental potential using scRNA-seq data. The main idea of FitDevo is first to generate sample-specific gene weight (SSGW) and then infer developmental potential by calculating the correlation between SSGW and gene expression. SSGW is generated using a generalized linear model that combines sample-specific information and gene weight learned from a training dataset covering scRNA-seq data of 17 previously published datasets. We have rigorously validated FitDevo’s effectiveness using a testing dataset with scRNA-seq data from 28 existing datasets and have also demonstrated its superiority over current methods. Furthermore, FitDevo’s broad application scope has been illustrated using three practical scenarios: deconvolution analysis of epidermis, spatial transcriptomic data analysis of hearts and intestines, and developmental potential analysis of breast cancer. The source code and related data are available at https://github.com/jumphone/fitdevo.
Resolving teleology’s false dilemma
Authors: Babcock Gunnar , McShea Daniel W
Published: July 2022

This paper argues that the account of teleology previously proposed by the authors is consistent with the physical determinism that is implicit across many of the sciences. We suggest that much of the current aversion to teleological thinking found in the sciences is rooted in debates that can be traced back to ancient natural science, which pitted mechanistic and deterministic theories against teleological ones. These debates saw a deterministic world as one where freedom and agency is impossible. And, because teleological entities seem to be free to either reach their ends or not, it was assumed that they could not be deterministic. Mayr’s modern account of teleonomy adheres to this basic assumption. Yet, the seeming tension between teleology and determinism is illusory because freedom and agency do not, in fact, conflict with a deterministic world. To show this, we present a taxonomy of different types of freedom that we see as inherent in teleological systems. Then we show that our taxonomy of freedom, which is crucial to understanding teleology, shares many of the features of a philosophical position regarding free will that is known in the contemporary literature as ‘compatibilism’. This position maintains that an agent is free when the sources of its actions are internal, when the agent itself is the deterministic cause of those actions. Our view shows that freedom is not only indispensable to teleology, but also that, contrary to common intuitions, there is no conflict between teleology and causal determinism.
Extraction and Determination of Evodiamine from Euodia Fructus with SPE-HPLC Based on a Homemade Phenyl-Based Monolithic Cartridge
Authors: Shi Xiaoqian , Sun Fanrong , Liu Haiyan , Yan Hongyuan , Bai Ligai
Published: July 2022

A phenyl-based monolithic adsorbent was prepared in a 50-mm-long stainless steel tube, which was initiated by the redox system, using ethylene glycol phenyl ether acrylate as the monomer and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as the crosslinker. The effects of monomer/crosslinker ratio and the porogens on the permeability and morphology of the resulting adsorbents were investigated, and the optimal adsorbent shows relatively uniform pore structure according to the characterizations of scanning electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption–desorption method. The column that filled with the adsorbent was used as the solid-phase extraction (SPE) cartridge, exhibiting unique selectivity for the extraction of evodiamine from Euodia fructus (the fruits of Euodia rutaecarpa (Juss.)Benth.), which attributes to the interactions of π-π and hydrogen bonding between the adsorbent and evodiamine. Combined with a C18 analytical column via high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system, an online SPE-HPLC method was established for extraction, enrichment and determination of evodiamine from Euodia fructus. Method validation demonstrates that the relative standard deviation of the precision is less than 0.66%, and the spiked recovery is in the range of 93.11–98.06%. Furthermore, it is worth noting that the prepared SPE cartridge can be reused for no less than 100 times. These results show that the developed method is simple and efficient for online extraction and enrichment of evodiamine from Euodia fructus.
Association of Nirmatrelvir/Ritonavir Treatment on Upper Respiratory Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (SARS-Cov-2 RT-PCR) Negative Conversion Rates Among High-Risk Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
Authors: Li Hongyan , Gao Menghan , You Hailong , Zhang Peng , Pan Yuchen , Li Nan , Qin Ling , Wang Heyuan , Li Dan , Li Yang , Qiao Hongmei , Gu Lina , Xu Songbai , Guo Weiying , Wang Nanya , Liu Chaoying , Gao Pujun , Niu Junqi , Cao Jie , Zheng Yang
Published: July 2022

Background

Acceleration of negative respiratory conversion of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) might reduce viral transmission. Nirmatrelvir/ritonavir is a new antiviral agent recently approved for treatment of COVID-19 that has the potential to facilitate negative conversion.

Methods

A cohort of hospitalized adult patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 who had a high risk for progression to severe disease were studied. These patients presented with COVID-19 symptoms between 5 March and 5 April 2022. The time from positive to negative upper respiratory reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) conversion was assessed by Kaplan-Meier plots and Cox proportional hazards regression with the adjustment for patients’ baseline demographic and clinical characteristics.

Results

There were 258 patients treated with nirmatrelvir/ritonavir and 224 nontreated patients who had mild-to-moderate COVID-19. The median (interquartile range) time for patients who converted from positive to negative RT-PCR was 10 days (7–12 days) in patients treated ≤5 days after symptom onset and 17 days (12–21 days) in nontreated patients. The proportions of patients with a negative conversion at day 15 were 89.7% and 42.0% in treated patients and nontreated patients, corresponding to a hazard ratio of 4.33 (95% confidence interval, 3.31–5.65). Adjustment for baseline differences between the groups had little effect on the association. Subgroup analysis on treated patients suggests that time to negative conversion did not vary with the patients’ baseline characteristics.

Conclusions

This cohort study of high-risk patients with mild-to-moderate COVID-19 found an association between nirmatrelvir/ritonavir treatment and accelerated negative RT-PCR respiratory SARS-CoV-2 conversion that might reduce the risk of viral shedding and disease transmission.
Distribution of Macrolide Resistant Mycoplasma genitalium in Urogenital Tract Specimens From Women Enrolled in a US Clinical Study Cohort
Authors: Getman Damon , Cohen Seth , Jiang Alice
Published: July 2022

Background

This study evaluated the distribution of macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma genitalium in multiple urogenital specimens collected from women enrolled in a prospective multicenter US clinical study.

Methods

Four female urogenital specimens (vaginal swab, urine, endocervical swab, ectocervical brush/spatula) collected from each subject were tested using a transcription-mediated amplification (TMA) assay for M. genitalium. TMA-positive specimens were evaluated by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction and bidirectional Sanger sequencing of M. genitalium 23S rRNA to identify the presence of macrolide-resistance–mediating mutations (MRMs) at base positions 2058/2059.

Results

Of 140 women with ≥1 TMA-positive specimens, 128 (91.4%) yielded M. genitalium 23S rRNA sequence. MRMs were found in 52% of vaginal specimens, 46.3% of urine specimens, 37.8% of endocervical specimens, and 46% of ectocervical specimens. There were 44 unique specimen type/sequence phenotype combinations of M. genitalium infection. Most (81; 63.3%) women had single specimen-sequence phenotype (macrolide-susceptible, MRM, or both) infections, while 24 (18.8%) women had multiple specimen-sequence phenotype concordant infections, and 23 (17.9%) women had multiple specimen-sequence phenotype discordant infections. The sensitivity for any single specimen type to detect overall urogenital tract macrolide-resistant M. genitalium infection status was 96.3% for vaginal swab samples, 82.6% for urine samples, 70.8% for endocervical swab samples, and 82.1% for ectocervical brush/spatula liquid Pap samples.

Conclusions

The distribution of M. genitalium infections in female urogenital tract specimens is highly complex, with multiple phenotypic combinations of the organism infecting a significant proportion of women at different anatomic specimen collection sites. Vaginal swab sampling yielded the highest sensitivity for identifying women with macrolide-resistant M. genitalium urogenital tract infections.
The Relevance of Deep Pluralism for China’s Foreign Policy
Authors: Zhang Feng , Buzan Barry
Published: July 2022

Deep pluralism describes a global society in which power, wealth, and cultural and political authority are distributed diffusely within a system that has high interaction capacity and is strongly interdependent. This concept has empirical and normative value for understanding China’s foreign policy. Empirically, it enables us to see that China has been a key driver of deep pluralism in its modern history. Normatively, it points to the importance of the contestation between consensual and contested forms of deep pluralism and the critical role China can play in this contestation. China is now facing choices between those motivated by raison d’etat (narrow self-interest) and raison de système (system-wide responsibility incorporating enlightened self-interest). For its professed goals of international peace and development, it is imperative that China promote a consensual form of deep pluralism in the spirit of raison de système. In the Asian region, where its regional policy is entangled with its US policy, this would require it to ameliorate contested deep pluralism in its policies towards the USA while adopting a consistent strategy of reassurance towards its neighbours.
Association of secondary prevention medication use after myocardial infarction with mortality in hemodialysis patients
Authors: Lin Ting-Yun , Hsieh Tsung-Han , Hung Szu-Chun
Published: July 2022

Background

Mortality after myocardial infarction (MI) among patients undergoing dialysis is high. However, studies investigating the use of secondary prevention medications after MI and clinical outcomes in dialysis patients are lacking. This study aimed to examine the association of the number of guideline-recommended medications (antiplatelets, β-blockers, statins and renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors) with all-cause mortality after MI in hemodialysis (HD) patients.

Methods

We conducted a nationwide cohort study of incident HD patients who were admitted for MI between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2014 and were followed up until 31 December 2015, using Taiwan's national health insurance research database.

Results

Of 1471 patients (mean age 68 years, 41.9% women) included in the analysis, 281 (19.1%) were treated with one cardioprotective medication, 406 (27.6%) with two, 490 (33.3%) with three and 294 (20%) with four. During a median follow-up of 1.0 years, 458 (31.1%) patients died. In a multivariable Cox model, each additional use of guideline-recommended therapies was associated with a significant 12% reduction in the risk of mortality {hazard ratio [HR] 0.88 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.80–0.97]}. Similar results were obtained in the analysis with the inverse probability of treatment weighting [HR 0.84 (95% CI 0.77–0.92)] and in the propensity score–matched subcohort [HR 0.87 (95% CI 0.77–0.98)]. The decreased mortality risk was consistently observed across all subgroups.

Conclusions

The use of more evidence-based medications for secondary prevention after MI was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality in HD patients.
An Optimized Deep Belief Network for Land Cover Classification Using Synthetic-Aperture Radar Images and Landsat Images
Authors: Bhatt Abhishek , Thakur Vandana
Published: July 2022

This paper intends to propose an automated deep learning-based land cover classification model of remote sensing images. The model includes (i) pre-processing, (ii) feature extraction and (iii) classification. The captured synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) and Landsat-8 images are initially pre-processed using the Gabor filtering model. Subsequently, from SAR images the gray-level-co-occurrence matrix-based texture characteristics are extracted, and temperature vegetation index-based characteristics, normalized vegetation index-based features, normalized difference index-based features and coloration index features are extracted from Landsat-8 images. Finally, the extracted features are subjected to an optimized deep belief network (DBN), where the weight is fine-tuned by the optimization logic. For this, a new Sunflower adopted Red Deer (SARD) algorithm is introduced in this work that hybrids the concept of Red Deer algorithm and Sunflower optimization. The performance of the proposed classification model is compared over other conventional models concerning different measures. Especially, the accuracy of the presented work (SARD+DBN) for Testcase3 is 5, 7, 6 and 30% better than existing DA + DBN, JA + DBN, SLnO+DBN and LA + DBN methods, respectively.
On The Batch Outsourcing Of Pairing Computations
Authors: Kalkar Oznur , Sertkaya Isa , Tutdere Seher
Published: July 2022

Pairing-based cryptography is utilized in a wide range of devices, such as servers, mobile devices, smart cards and sensors. Pairing computation would be a burden for power and/or computation-restricted devices. Protocols for outsourcing pairing computations from limited devices to more resourceful devices are already proposed. These protocols naturally require verification of the computation and secrecy of the inputs and/or outputs. Similarly, batch pairing outsourcing protocols aim to improve efficiency over multiple runs of the state-of-the-art single pairing delegation protocols. Here, we will cover efficient, privacy preserving, secure batch pairing outsource protocols for each type based on secrecy of inputs and outputs. We propose the first generic outsourcing protocol where inputs and outputs of the pairing function are secret. In addition to this, we give some methods to avoid certain type of attacks, increase efficiency and get rid of pairing arithmetic. The proposed protocols enable limited devices to outsource pairing computations with only elliptic curve arithmetic.
Anti-Occlusion Target Tracking Based on Joint Confidence
Authors: Zhou Wei , Ding Xiaoxue , Xu Haixia
Published: July 2022

Aiming to the challenge of occlusion during tracking, this paper proposes an anti-occlusion tracking based on joint confidence. Under the framework of the kernel correlation filter (KCF) tracking, the dimension of the feature is extended to construct a robust target appearance model, and the size of the target is estimated during the tracking process. We first judge whether occlusion occurs or not by the measurement by combining the maximum of the detection response map with the average peak correlation energy, then design the corresponding anti-interference tracking strategy. If the occlusion does not occur during the tracking process, the KCF tracking is performed, otherwise, re-detection is introduced to locate the target position, and the region corresponding to the re-detection is added to the regulation term of the KCF for context learning. The fusion of the filter template before occlusion and the context model learned during occlusion is used to locate the target and to update the model. Experimental evaluations on the datasets OTB2013, OTB100 and TC128 show that compared with the state-of-the-art algorithms such as KCF, Siamese and other algorithms, our proposed algorithm has stronger robustness and higher tracking accuracy when occlusion occurs.
Adaptively Secure KP-ABE For Circuits With Fan-In n And Fan-Out 1
Authors: Sun Keshuo , Gao Haiying
Published: July 2022

The attribute-based encryption (ABE) scheme is suitable for access control of ciphertext in cloud computing. Kowalczyk and Wee proposed an adaptively secure attribute encryption scheme that supports $NC^1$ circuits. However, the circuit depth increases because this scheme supports only circuits with fan-in 2, which increases the key length and computational complexity of the key generation and decryption algorithms. To improve efficiency, we designed a secret sharing scheme for circuits with fan-in $n$, and we proposed a key-policy ABE scheme that supports circuits with fan-in $n$. We also designed pebbling rules for secret sharing in circuits with fan-in $n$, improving the compactness of the security reduction. Finally, we proved the adaptive security of the scheme by using a piecewise guessing framework and dual-system encryption. Compared with existing schemes, our scheme reduces the key size, improves the efficiency of the key generation algorithm and the decryption algorithm and provides tighter security reduction.
Conservatively treated intramyocardial dissecting haematoma of the interventricular septum as a rare complication of acute myocardial infarction: a case report
Authors: Apostolović Svetlana , Kostić Tomislav , Laban Nikola , Stanković Vladana
Published: July 2022

Background

Intramyocardial dissecting haematoma (IDH) is a rare and potentially life-threatening complication of acute coronary syndrome. So far only isolated case reports and case series have been published.

Case summary

We report the case of a late presenting myocardial infarction (MI) complicated by IDH of the ventricular septum, following a successful percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The clinically inapparent septal mass was discovered during the routine transthoracic echocardiography and the final diagnosis of haematoma was made by magnetic resonance imaging. The patient remained clinically stable, and septal mass on repeated echocardiography showed gradual regression.

Discussion

This report suggests that IDH can spontaneously resolve without surgical intervention. An urgent echocardiogram should be used to assess the vitality of the myocardial tissue, especially with late presenting MI with deep Q-waves on the electrocardiogram strip. Conservative treatment in haemodynamically stable patients with IDH following MI and PCI is a feasible solution.
Salience and Accountability: School Infrastructure and Last-Minute Electoral Punishment*
Authors: Ajzenman Nicolás , Durante Ruben
Published: July 2022

Can seemingly unimportant factors influence voting decisions by making certain issues salient? We study this in the context of Argentina’s 2015 presidential elections by examining how the infrastructure quality of the school where citizens voted influenced their choice. Exploiting the quasi-random assignment of voters to ballot stations in public schools in Buenos Aires, we show that individuals assigned to poorer infrastructure schools were less likely to vote for Mauricio Macri, the incumbent mayor running for president. The effect is larger in lower-income areas, where private education is more unusual, and in places where more households have children of school-going age.
Lipoprotein(a) is associated with the onset but not the progression of aortic valve calcification
Authors: Kaiser Yannick , van der Toorn Janine E , Singh Sunny S , Zheng Kang H , Kavousi Maryam , Sijbrands Eric J G , Stroes Erik S G , Vernooij Meike W , de Rijke Yolanda B , Boekholdt S Matthijs , Bos Daniel
Published: July 2022

Aim

Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] is a potential causal factor in the pathogenesis of aortic valve disease. However, the relationship of Lp(a) with new onset and progression of aortic valve calcium (AVC) has not been studied. The purpose of the study was to assess whether high serum levels of Lp(a) are associated with AVC incidence and progression.

Methods and results

A total of 922 individuals from the population-based Rotterdam Study (mean age 66.0±4.2 years, 47.7% men), whose Lp(a) measurements were available, underwent non-enhanced cardiac computed tomography imaging at baseline and after a median follow-up of 14.0 [interquartile range (IQR) 13.9–14.2] years. New-onset AVC was defined as an AVC score >0 on the follow-up scan in the absence of AVC on the first scan. Progression was defined as the absolute difference in AVC score between the baseline and follow-up scan. Logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the relationship of Lp(a) with baseline, new onset, and progression of AVC. All analyses were corrected for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and creatinine. AVC progression was analysed conditional on baseline AVC score expressed as restricted cubic splines. Of the 702 individuals without AVC at baseline, 415 (59.1%) developed new-onset AVC on the follow-up scan. In those with baseline AVC, median annual progression was 13.5 (IQR = 5.2–37.8) Agatston units (AU). Lipoprotein(a) concentration was independently associated with baseline AVC [odds ratio (OR) 1.43 for each 50 mg/dL higher Lp(a); 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.15–1.79] and new-onset AVC (OR 1.30 for each 50 mg/dL higher Lp(a); 95% CI 1.02–1.65), but not with AVC progression (β: −71 AU for each 50 mg/dL higher Lp(a); 95% CI −117; 35). Only baseline AVC score was significantly associated with AVC progression (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

In the population-based Rotterdam Study, Lp(a) is robustly associated with baseline and new-onset AVC but not with AVC progression, suggesting that Lp(a)-lowering interventions may be most effective in pre-calcific stages of aortic valve disease.
Designing and conducting qualitative research across countries and cultures: challenges for inclusiveness and rigour
Authors: Cuoco Angela , Arcadi Paola , Figura Maria Chiara , Piervisani Loredana , Alvaro Rosaria , Vellone Ercole , Durante Angela
Published: July 2022

Qualitative research is fundamental to understanding the nature and complexity of human phenomena. While cultural and psychometric validations exist for quantitative tools, the same cannot be said of qualitative ones. There are other many challenges when conducting a multinational qualitative study, which includes different cultural and linguistic ‘biases’. This paper presents some key issues that researchers may encounter when designing and developing multinational and multicultural qualitative studies, and also provides some strategies to overcome difficulties and ensure rigour.
Epidemiology and management of hepatitis B and C in primary care in the Netherlands: data from the Rijnmond Primary Care database
Authors: Brakenhoff Sylvia M , de Man Robert A , de Knegt Robert J , Bindels Patrick J E , de Schepper Evelien I T
Published: July 2022

Background

The Dutch guideline for general practitioners (GPs) advises biannual surveillance of hepatitis B (HBV) patients and referral of every hepatitis C (HCV) patient. We aimed to study the prevalence, incidence, and the management of hepatitis B and C in primary care.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study using the Rijnmond Primary Care database (RPCD), including health care data of medical records of GPs of approximately 200,000 patients in the area of Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Patient records were selected based on laboratory results, International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) codes, and free-text words.

Results

In total, 977 patients were included: 717 HBV, 252 HCV, and 8 HBV/HCV coinfected patients. Between 2013 and 2019, the prevalence of HBV and HCV declined from 5.21 to 2.99/1,000 person-years (PYs) and 1.50 to 0.70/1,000 PYs, respectively. We observed that the majority of the patients had been referred to a medical specialist at least once (71% HBV and 89% HCV patients). However, among chronic patients, we observed that 36.2% of the HBV patients did not receive adequate surveillance by their GP (≥2 alanine aminotransferase checks within 3 years) or a medical specialist. In addition, 44.4% of the HCV patients had no record about successful antiviral treatment.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated a declining prevalence in viral hepatitis B and C in primary care in the Netherlands. However, a substantial part of the patients did not receive adequate surveillance or antiviral therapy. It is therefore crucial to involve GPs in case finding and in follow-up after treatment.
Disturbance by soil mixing decreases microbial richness and supports homogenizing community assembly processes
Authors: West Jaimie R , Whitman Thea
Published: July 2022

The spatial heterogeneity of soil’s microhabitats warrants the study of ecological patterns and community assembly processes in the context of physical disturbance that disrupts the inherent spatial isolation of soil microhabitats and microbial communities. By mixing soil at various frequencies in a 16-week lab incubation, we explored the effects of physical disturbance on soil bacterial richness, community composition, and community assembly processes. We hypothesized that well-mixed soil would harbor a less rich microbial community, with community assembly marked by homogenizing dispersal and homogeneous selection. Using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we inferred community assembly processes, estimated richness and differential abundance, and calculated compositional dissimilarity. Findings supported our hypotheses, with > 20% decrease in soil bacterial richness in well-mixed soil. Soil mixing caused communities to diverge from unmixed controls (Bray–Curtis dissimilarity; 0.75 vs. 0.25), while reducing within-group heterogeneity. Our results imply that the vast diversity observed in soil may be supported by spatial heterogeneity and isolation of microbial communities, and also provide insight into the effects of physical disturbance and community coalescence events. By isolating and better understanding the effects of spatial heterogeneity and disconnectivity on soil microbial communities, we can better extrapolate how anthropogenic disturbances may affect broad soil functions.
Treponema pallidum outer membrane proteins: current status and prospects
Authors: Chen Jinlin , Huang Jielite , Liu Zhuoran , Xie Yafeng
Published: July 2022

The outer membrane proteins (OMPs) of Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum (T. pallidum), the etiological agent of the sexually transmitted disease syphilis, have long been a hot research topic. Despite many hurdles to studying the pathogen, especially the inability to manipulate T. pallidum in vitro genetically, considerable progress has been made in elucidating the structure, pathogenesis and functions of T. pallidum OMPs. In this review, we integrate this information to garner fresh insights into the role of OMPs in the diagnosis, pathogenicity and vaccine development of T. pallidum. Collectively, the essential scientific discussions herein should provide a framework for understanding the current status and prospects of T. pallidum OMPs.
Age-Related Changes in Skeletal Muscle Iron Homeostasis
Authors: Alves Francesca M , Ayton Scott , Bush Ashley I , Lynch Gordon S , Koopman René
Published: July 2022

Sarcopenia is an age-related condition of slow, progressive loss of muscle mass and strength, which contributes to frailty, increased risk of hospitalization and mortality, and increased health care costs. The incidence of sarcopenia is predicted to increase to >200 million affected older adults worldwide over the next 40 years, highlighting the urgency for understanding biological mechanisms and developing effective interventions. An understanding of the mechanisms underlying sarcopenia remains incomplete. Iron in the muscle is important for various metabolic functions, including oxygen supply and electron transfer during energy production, yet these same chemical properties of iron may be deleterious to the muscle when either in excess or when biochemically unshackled (eg, in ferroptosis), it can promote oxidative stress and induce inflammation. This review outlines the mechanisms leading to iron overload in muscle with aging and evaluates the evidence for the iron overload hypothesis of sarcopenia. Based on current evidence, studies are needed to (a) determine the mechanisms leading to iron overload in skeletal muscle during aging; and (b) investigate whether skeletal muscles are functionally deficient in iron during aging leading to impairments in oxidative metabolism.
Racial Differences in the Dementia Caregiving Experience During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS)
Authors: Moon Heehyul E , Rote Sunshine M , Sears Jeanelle , Schepens Niemiec Stacey L
Published: July 2022

Objectives

Given racial disparities in both dementia and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), non-Hispanic Black (Black) dementia caregivers (CGs) may be at greater risk for care burden during the COVID-19 pandemic than non-Hispanic White (White) CGs. This study investigates the impact of dementia care provision on CGs’ quality of life by race using the 2020 National Health and Aging Trends Study Family Members and Friends COVID-19 data (FF).

Methods

This study features a secondary analysis of FF data (2020–2021), including 216 Black and 1,204 White CGs. We used ANOVA to determine differences in caregiving stressors (i.e., changes in providing help with activities of daily living [ADL], instrumental ADL [IADL], and emotional support). Ordinary least square regression was used to investigate the moderating effects of dementia care on the associations of race with perceived well-being, care burden, and self-reported health and to conduct subgroups analyses of Black and White dementia CGs.

Results

Black dementia CGs provided significantly more help with ADL before and during the COVID-19 pandemic than Black nondementia, White dementia, and White nondementia CGs. Dementia care status did not moderate the associations between race and CG outcomes. For Black dementia CGs, changes in objective stressors (assistance with ADL and IADL) were associated with care burden and well-being. For White CGs, the provision of emotional support was associated with care burden and well-being.

Discussion

This study highlights that increased caregiving demands during the pandemic amplified racial differences in CG stress. Findings suggest that outreach to reduce CG stress and burden is critical for Black dementia CGs.
Precise exogenous insertion and sequence replacements in poplar by simultaneous HDR overexpression and NHEJ suppression using CRISPR-Cas9
Authors: Movahedi Ali , Wei Hui , Zhou Xiaohong , Fountain Jake C , Chen Zhong-Hua , Mu Zhiying , Sun Weibo , Zhang Jiaxin , Li Dawei , Guo Baozhu , Varshney Rajeev K , Yang Liming , Zhuge Qiang
Published: July 2022

CRISPR-mediated genome editing has become a powerful tool for the genetic modification of biological traits. However, developing an efficient, site-specific, gene knock-in system based on homology-directed DNA repair (HDR) remains a significant challenge in plants, especially in woody species like poplar. Here, we show that simultaneous inhibition of non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) recombination cofactor XRCC4 and overexpression of HDR enhancer factors CtIP and MRE11 can improve HDR efficiency for gene knock-in. Using this approach, the BleoR gene was integrated onto the 3′ end of the MKK2 MAP kinase gene to generate a BleoR-MKK2 fusion protein. Based on fully edited nucleotides evaluated by TaqMan real-time PCR, the HDR-mediated knock-in efficiency was up to 48% when using XRCC4 silencing incorporated with a combination of CtIP and MRE11 overexpression compared with no HDR enhancement or NHEJ silencing. Furthermore, this combination of HDR enhancer overexpression and NHEJ repression also increased genome targeting efficiency and gave 7-fold fewer CRISPR-induced insertions and deletions (InDels), resulting in no functional effects on MKK2-based salt stress responses in poplar. Therefore, this approach may be useful not only in poplar and plants or crops but also in mammals for improving CRISPR-mediated gene knock-in efficiency.
Characteristics of community-acquired carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales
Authors: Shrestha Rima , Luterbach Courtney L , Dai Weixiao , Komarow Lauren , Earley Michelle , Weston Gregory , Herc Erica , Jacob Jesse T , Salata Robert , Wong Darren , Anderson Deverick , Rydell Kirsten B , Arias Cesar A , Chen Liang , van Duin David ,   MDRO Investigators, Weston Gregory , Ostrowsky Belinda , Lok Judith J , Bonomo Robert A , Domitrovic T Nicholas , Hujer Kristine M , Hujer Andrea M , Rudin Susan D , Marshall Steven H , Salata Robert A , Perez Federico , Cober Eric , Richter Sandra S , Arias Rebekka , Hill Carol , Fowler Vance G , Anderson Deverick J , Jacob Jesse T , Wang Minggui , Chen Liang , Desai Samit , Kreiswirth Barry N , Manca Claudia , Mediavilla Jose R , Patel Gopi , Huskins W Charles , Patel Robin , Revolinski Sara , Wortmann Glenn , Kalayjian Robert C , Kim Angela , Garcia-Diaz Julia , Fries Bettina C , Eilertson Brandon , Gallagher Jason C , Earley Michelle , Evans Scott , Komarow Lauren , Garner Omai B , Chambers Henry F , Farrell John J , Abbo Lilian M , Kaye Keith S , Luterbach Courtney , van Duin David , Han Jennifer H , Doi Yohei , Paterson David L , Wong Darren , Arias Cesar A , Hanson Blake , Dinh An , Panesso Diana , Shropshire William , Tran Truc T , Banerjee Ritu , Dhar Sorabh , Satlin Michael J , Grant Matthew
Published: July 2022

Background

Community-acquired carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CA-CRE) are an important threat.

Methods

In CRACKLE-2, we defined patients with CA-CRE as admitted from home, without pre-existing conditions, and a positive culture within 48 h of admission. Healthcare-associated CRE (HA-CRE) were those with the lowest likelihood of community acquisition, not admitted from home and cultured >48 h after admission. Specific genetic markers in carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae were evaluated through random forest modelling.

Results

CA-CRE and HA-CRE were detected in 83 (10%) and 208 (26%) of 807 patients. No significant differences were observed in bacterial species or strain type distribution. K. pneumoniae (204/291, 70%) was the most common CRE species, of these 184/204 (90%) were carbapenemase producers (CPKP). The top three genetic markers in random forest models were kpi_SA15, fimE, and kpfC. Of these, kpi_SA15 (which encodes a chaperone/usher system) was positively associated (OR 3.14, 95% CI 1.13–8.87, P = 0.026), and kpfC negatively associated (OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.05–0.72, P = 0.015) with CA-CPKP.

Conclusions

Ten percent of CDC-defined CRE were CA. The true proportion of CA-CRE in hospitalized patients is likely lower as patients may have had unrecorded prior healthcare exposure. The kpi_SA15 operon was associated with the CA phenotype.
Individual target pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic attainment rates among meropenem-treated patients admitted to the ICU with hospital-acquired pneumonia
Authors: Rohani Roxane , Scheetz Marc H , Donnelly Helen K , Donayre Alvaro , Kang Mengjia , Diaz Estefani , Dedicatoria Kay , Hauser Alan R , Ozer Egon A , Nozick Sophia , Qi Chao , Pawlowski Anna E , Neely Michael N , Misharin Alexander V , Wunderink Richard G , Rhodes Nathaniel J ,   NU SCRIPT Study investigators, Abdala-Valencia Hiam , Alexander Michael J , Arnold Jason M , Bailey Joseph Isaac , Bartom Elizabeth T , Bharat Ankit , Bolig Thomas , Borkowski Nicole , Budinger G R Scott , Chandel Navdeep S , Clepp Rebecca K , Coleman John , Cuttica Michael J , Cybulski Thaddeus R , Dematte Jane E , Deters Joseph S , Fiala Justin A , Gadhvi Gaurav T , Gao Catherine A , Gates Khalilah L , Gatesy Samuel W M , Giri Ritika , Go Pearl D , Gottardi Cara J , Grant Rogan A , Green Stefan J , Gusman Elen , Guzman Estefany R , Han SeungHye , Hartmann Erica Marie , Horvath Curt M , Hukamdad Mishaal , Hyder Sydney M , Jain Manu , Joudi Anthony M , Kadar Rachel B , Kalhan Ravi , Kamp David W , Kandpal Manoj , Kidd David A , Kihshen Hermon , Klug Zasu M , Korth Erin A , Kruser Jacqueline M , Lawrence Romy , Leibenguth Emily M , Levenson Anne R , Gradone Lindsey D , Liu Gabrielle Y , Lomasney Jon W , Lombardo Theresa A , Lu Ziyan , Ludwig Amy , Mahmoud Ali , Malsin Elizabeth S , Markov Nikolay S , McQuattie-Pimentel Alexandra C , Meza Daniel , Morales Felix Leonardo , Morales-Nebreda Luisa , Morimoto Richard I , Mylvaganam Ruben J , Nannapaneni Prasanth , Amaral Luís A Nunes , Patel Radhika , Pesce Lorenzo L , Pickens Chiagozie O , Politanska Yuliya , Poor Taylor A , Prickett Michelle Hinsch , Querrey Melissa , Rasmussen Luke V , Ren Ziyou , Ridge Karen M , Rosenbaum Madeline L , Rosenberg Sharon R , Rowe Timothy , Russell Susan R , Sala Marc A , Schneider Daniel , Schroedl Clara J , Secunda Katharine , Seed Patrick C , Senkow Karolina J , Shamaly Todd , Shanes Elisheva D , Shen Jiaxian , Shilatifard Ali , Sichizya Lango , Singer Benjamin D , Smith Sean , Sporn Peter H S , Starren Justin , Stoeger Thomas , Sumner Jack , Swaminathan Suchitra , Sznajder Jacob I , Navarro Heliodoro Tejedor , Textor Lindsey N , Thakkar Sanket , Tomic Rade , Tran Betty , Vitale Kaitlyn , Wagh Ajay A , Walter James M , Wehbe Firas , Winter Deborah R , Wolfe Alexis Rose , Wolfe Lisa F , Yeldandi Anjana V
Published: July 2022

Objectives

Critical illness reduces β-lactam pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) attainment. We sought to quantify PK/PD attainment in patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia.

Methods

Meropenem plasma PK data (n = 70 patients) were modelled, PK/PD attainment rates were calculated for empirical and definitive targets, and between-patient variability was quantified [as a coefficient of variation (CV%)].

Results

Attainment of 100% T>4×MIC was variable for both empirical (CV% = 92) and directed (CV% = 33%) treatment.

Conclusions

Individualization is required to achieve suggested PK/PD targets in critically ill patients.
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital antimicrobial consumption in Croatia
Authors: Vlahović-Palčevski Vera , Rubinić Igor , Payerl Pal Marina
Published: July 2022

Objectives

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antimicrobial consumption (AMC) in the hospital sector in Croatia by analysing data reported to the European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption Network (ESAC-Net) between 2016 and 2020.

Methods

AMC was measured as the number of DDDs/1000 inhabitants/day and as the number of DDDs/100 bed days. To assess trends, linear regression was performed. To assess the impact of the pandemic on AMC, the compound annual growth rate was calculated for the years preceding the pandemic based on which AMC for 2020 was forecasted and compared with the actual consumption.

Results

While hospital AMC expressed as DDDs/1000 inhabitants/day between 2019 and 2020 decreased by 17%, when expressed as DDDs/100 bed days, an 8% increase was observed. Hospital consumption of antibacterials for systemic use in the 5 year period did not significantly change when expressed as DDDs/1000 inhabitants/day, while it statistically significantly increased when expressed as DDDs/100 bed days. An increasing trend in consumption of broad-spectrum antimicrobials was found.

Conclusions

During the pandemic there was an increase in hospital AMC with a shift towards broad-spectrum antimicrobials requiring further in-depth qualitative analysis based on patient-level data. Contrasting results obtained using different denominators indicate that the metric DDDs/1000 inhabitants/day is not sensitive enough to evaluate hospital AMC. When assessing hospital AMC, the population under surveillance should be relevant for healthcare context. Antimicrobial stewardship remains one of the most important strategies to tackle antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial surveillance methods must be as sensitive as possible.