bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Arterial oxygen saturation and hypoxemia in hemodialysis patients with COVID-19
Authors: Preciado Priscila , Tapia Silva Leticia M , Ye Xiaoling , Zhang Hanjie , Wang Yuedong , Waguespack Peter , Kooman Jeroen P , Kotanko Peter
Published: January 2021

Background

Maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a viral disease that may cause interstitial pneumonia, impaired alveolar gas exchange and hypoxemia. We ascertained the time course of intradialytic arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) in MHD patients between 4 weeks pre-diagnosis and the week post-diagnosis of COVID-19.

Methods

We conducted a quality improvement project in confirmed COVID-19 in-center MHD patients from 11 dialysis facilities. In patients with an arterio-venous access, SaO2 was measured 1×/min during dialysis using the Crit-Line monitor (Fresenius Medical Care, Waltham, MA, USA). We extracted demographic, clinical, treatment and laboratory data, and COVID-19-related symptoms from the patients’ electronic health records.

Results

Intradialytic SaO2 was available in 52 patients (29 males; mean ± standard deviation age 66.5 ± 15.7 years) contributing 338 HD treatments. Mean time between onset of symptoms indicative of COVID-19 and diagnosis was 1.1 days (median 0; range 0–9). Prior to COVID-19 diagnosis the rate of HD treatments with hypoxemia, defined as treatment-level average SaO2 <90%, increased from 2.8% (2–4 weeks pre-diagnosis) to 12.2% (1 week) and 20.7% (3 days pre-diagnosis). Intradialytic O2 supplementation increased sharply post-diagnosis. Eleven patients died from COVID-19 within 5 weeks. Compared with patients who recovered from COVID-19, demised patients showed a more pronounced decline in SaO2 prior to COVID-19 diagnosis.

Conclusions

In HD patients, hypoxemia may precede the onset of clinical symptoms and the diagnosis of COVID-19. A steep decline of SaO2 is associated with poor patient outcomes. Measurements of SaO2 may aid the pre-symptomatic identification of patients with COVID-19.
EAPC Core Curriculum for Preventive Cardiology
Authors: Wilhelm Matthias , Abreu Ana , Adami Paolo Emilio , Ambrosetti Marco , Antonopoulou Maria , Biffi Alessandro , Cavarretta Elena , D'Ascenzi Flavio , Gibson Irene , Grobbee Diederick E , Iliou Marie-Christine , Koskinas Konstantinos , Marques-Vidal Pedro , Nixdorff Uwe , Papadakis Michael , Piepoli Massimo F , Vassiliou Vass , Wood David , Dendale Paul , Halle Martin
Published: January 2021

Preventive cardiology encompasses the whole spectrum of cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention, at individual and population level, through all stages of life. This includes promotion of cardiovascular (CV) health, management of individuals at risk of developing CVD, and management of patients with established CVD, through interdisciplinary care in different settings. Preventive cardiology addresses all aspects of CV health in the context of the social determinants of health, including physical activity, exercise, sports, nutrition, weight management, smoking cessation, psychosocial factors and behavioural change, environmental, genetic and biological risk factors, and CV protective medications.

This is the first European Core Curriculum for Preventive Cardiology, which will help to standardize, structure, deliver, and evaluate training in preventive cardiology across Europe. It will be the basis for dedicated fellowship programmes and a European Society of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) subspecialty certification for cardiologists, with the intention to improve quality and outcome in CVD prevention.
Study ofCXCL9-11gene polymorphisms in liver fibrosis among patients with chronic hepatitis C
Authors: Magri Mariana Cavalheiro , Alvarez Maria Stella Montanha , Iogi Anny Ayumi , Alves Grayce Mendes , Manchiero Caroline , Dantas Bianca Peixoto , Prata Thamiris Vaz Gago , Nunes Arielle Karen da Silva , Tengan Fátima Mitiko
Published: January 2021

Several factors are associated with the progression of chronic hepatitis C: comorbidities, lifestyle, and pathogenic factors, including immune response, apoptosis and heredity. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 genes are more widely studied genetic risk factors, while CXCL9–11 chemokines produced by hepatocytes in the process of infection are less well studied. Our aim was to evaluate the influence of CXCL9 rs10336, CXCL10 rs3921 and CXCL11 rs4619915 in liver fibrosis when analysed together with PNPLA3 rs738409 and TM6SF2 rs58542926. The study included 219 patients with chronic hepatitis C. SNP genotyping was performed by real-time PCR. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to detect the association between SNPs and advanced fibrosis in a recessive genetic model. All SNPs had a minimum allele frequency >5%, and CXCL9 rs10336, CXCL10 rs3921 and CXCL11 rs4619915 were in high linkage disequilibrium (D′ ≥ 0.84). In the multivariate analysis, we observed that male gender (P = 0.000), older age (P = 0.025), moderate to intense inflammatory activity (P = 0.002), moderate to accentuated hepatic steatosis (P = 0.026) and the CT genotype of the TM6SF2 rs58542926 SNP (P = 0.014) presented significant associations with advanced fibrosis. Overall, the CXCL9 rs10336, CXCL10 rs3921, CXCL11 rs4619915 and PNPLA3 rs738409 SNPs did not influence liver fibrosis among patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Multiple origins of a frameshift insertion in a mitochondrial gene in birds and turtles
Authors: Andreu-Sánchez Sergio , Chen Wanjun , Stiller Josefin , Zhang Guojie
Published: January 2021

Background

During evolutionary history, molecular mechanisms have emerged to cope with deleterious mutations. Frameshift insertions in protein-coding sequences are extremely rare because they disrupt the reading frame. There are a few known examples of their correction through translational frameshifting, a process that enables ribosomes to skip nucleotides during translation to regain proper reading frame. Corrective frameshifting has been proposed to act on the single base pair insertion at position 174 of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 3 gene (ND3) that has been observed in several turtles and birds. However, the relatively sparse taxonomic representation has hampered our understanding of the evolution of this insertion in vertebrates.

Results

Here, we analyzed 87,707 ND3 sequences from 10,309 vertebrate taxa to reveal the evolutionary history of this insertion and its common genomic characteristics. We confirmed that the insertion only appears in turtles and birds and reconstructed that it evolved independently in both groups with complex patterns of gains and losses. The insertion was observed in almost all bird orders but was absent in all members of the diverse Passeriformes. We found strong conservation in the nucleotides surrounding the insertion in both turtles and birds, which implies that the insertion enforces structural constraints that could be involved in its correction.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that frameshifts can be widespread and can be retained for millions of years if they are embedded in a conserved sequence theme.
Has the Tibetan Plateau risen in the Early/Mid-Miocene? Constraints from plate-motion reconstructions and seismicity of the Indian Ocean lithosphere
Authors: Iaffaldano Giampiero
Published: January 2021

Magnetization records and seismic stratigraphy of the Indian Ocean lithosphere indicate that the Early/Mid-Miocene onset of diffuse contractional deformation coincided with slowdowns of the Indian and Capricorn plate motions. At present day, such deformation is evidenced by the seismicity of the Indian Ocean floor. Deformation onset and past plate-motion slowdowns have been interpreted as consequences of a sudden uplift of the Tibetan Plateau by 1–2 km, as this—following previous estimates—would generate a tectonically significant force between 4 × 1012 and 8 × 1012 N m−1. However, this view remains at odds with palaeoaltimetry estimates from geological and geochemical data, which indicate no increase in plateau altitude throughout the Miocene. Here, I use well-established models of viscous/brittle dynamics in inverse mode in order to constrain the amount of force that should be delivered by the Tibetan region to the Indian tectonic setting in order to explain the observations above. Results constrain such a force within the range from 4.3 × 1011 to 3.5 × 1012 N m−1. By comparison with previous estimates of the force associated with topography increase, these analyses suggest that the Early/Mid-Miocene onset of contractional deformation and plate-motion slowdowns within the Indian Ocean require minimal uplift of the Tibet Plateau of a few hundred metres. The seemingly contradicting inferences on Early/Mid-Miocene Tibetan uplift that come from geophysical and geological/geochemical observations can be reconciled by noting that the required uplift amount is less than what is resolvable by modern palaeoaltimetry techniques.
‘Likely to make good soldiers’: mobilizing Britain’s criminal population during the First World War
Authors: McKay Cameron
Published: January 2021

During the First World War Britain’s criminals were mobilized in much the same way as the rest of society. Courts allowed defendants to avoid prison if they enlisted, while borstal boys, and later adult prisoners, were also granted early release. Although enlistment offered a chance for rehabilitation, criminals were also desirable due to their violent nature, and enlisting them reduced the cost of imprisonment at a time of straitened economic circumstances. How the war was interpreted and later remembered left little room for the inclusion of criminals, which effectively removed them from the collective narrative.
Extensive drug resistance during low-level HIV viraemia while taking NNRTI-based ART supports lowering the viral load threshold for regimen switch in resource-limited settings: a pre-planned analysis from the SESOTHO trial
Authors: Brown Jennifer Anne , Amstutz Alain , Nsakala Bienvenu Lengo , Seeburg Ulrike , Vanobberghen Fiona , Muhairwe Josephine , Klimkait Thomas , Labhardt Niklaus Daniel
Published: January 2021

Objectives

WHO guidelines on ART define the HIV-1 viral load (VL) threshold for treatment failure at 1000 copies/mL. The Switch Either near Suppression Or THOusand (SESOTHO) trial, conducted in Lesotho from 2017 to 2020, found that patients with persistent viraemia below this threshold (100–999 copies/mL) benefit from switching to second-line ART. This pre-planned nested study assesses the prevalence of resistance-associated mutations (RAMs) in SESOTHO trial participants.

Methods

The SESOTHO trial [registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03088241)] enrolled 80 persons taking NNRTI-based first-line ART with low-level HIV-1 viraemia (100–999 copies/mL) and randomized them (1:1) to switch to a PI-based second-line regimen (switch) or continue on first-line therapy (control). We sequenced relevant regions of the viral pol gene using plasma samples obtained at enrolment and 36 weeks. RAMs were classified with the Stanford HIV Drug Resistance Database.

Results

Sequencing data were obtained for 37/80 (46%) participants at baseline and 26/48 (54%) participants without viral suppression to <50 copies/mL at 36 weeks (21 control participants and 5 switch participants). At baseline, 31/37 (84%) participants harboured high-level resistance to at least two drugs of their current regimen. At 36 weeks, 17/21 (81%) control participants harboured resistance to at least two drugs of their current regimen, while no PI-associated resistance was detected in the 5 switch participants with ongoing viraemia.

Conclusions

Among persons with low-level viraemia while taking NNRTI-based first-line ART enrolled in the SESOTHO trial, the majority harboured HIV-1 with RAMs that necessitate ART modification. These findings support lowering the VL threshold triggering a switch to second-line ART in future WHO guidelines.
Detection of Brevetoxin in Human Plasma by ELISA
Authors: Cunningham Brady R , Coleman Rebecca M , Schaefer Adam M , Hamelin Elizabeth I , Johnson Rudolph C
Published: January 2021

Florida red tides have become more common and persistent in and around the Gulf of Mexico. When in bloom, red tides can produce brevetoxins in high concentrations, leading to human exposures primarily through contaminated food and ocean spray. The research described here includes adapting and validating a commercial brevetoxin water test kit for human plasma testing. Pooled plasma was fortified with a model brevetoxin, brevetoxin 3, at concentrations from 0.00500 to 3.00 ng/mL to generate calibration curves and quality control samples. The quantitative detection range was determined to be 0.0400–2.00 ng/mL brevetoxin 3 equivalents with inter- and intraday accuracies ranging from 94.0% to 109% and relative standard deviations <20%, which is within the US Food and Drug Administration guidelines for receptor-binding assays. Additionally, cross-reactivity was tested using 4 of the 10 known brevetoxins and 12 paralytic shellfish toxins. The cross-reactivity varied from 0.173% to 144% for the commercially available brevetoxin standards and 0% for the commercially available paralytic shellfish toxin standards. Fifty individual unexposed human plasma samples were measured to determine the limit of detection and endogenous interferences to the test. The validated method was used to test 31 plasma samples collected from humans potentially exposed to brevetoxins, detecting 11 positives. This method has been proven useful to measure human exposure to brevetoxins and can be applied to future exposure events.
Using artificial neural network and WebGL to algorithmically optimize window wall ratios of high-rise office buildings
Authors: Zhao Shenghuan
Published: January 2021

By coupling parametric modeling, building performance simulation engines, and optimization algorithms, optimal design choices regarding predefined building performance objectives can be automatically obtained. This becomes an emerging research topic among scholars in the fields of architecture and built environment. However, it is not easy to apply this method to real building design projects, because of two main drawbacks: Building performance simulation is too time consuming, and the numerical visualization of final results is not intuitive for architects to make decisions. Therefore, this study tries to fill these two gaps by training an artificial neural network to replace simulation engines and developing a web application to speed up the 3D visualization of selected design choices. These two strategies are applied to optimize office towers’ window wall ratios in Hangzhou, China. Architects working on new design projects in that city can obtain the optimal group of window wall ratios for four facades in 2 s, faster than using simulation engines, which cost architects 2 weeks. Moreover, architects can also efficiently observe the appearance of design solutions with the web application. By improving its usability from these two aspects, this study significantly improves the applicability of algorithmic optimization for building design projects.
Lymphangiography with lipiodol as a diagnostic and therapeutic approach for Chyle Leak ascites following Simultaneous Pancreas-Kidney Transplant
Authors: Nawabi Atta , Kahle Adam C , Baral Perel , King Clay D , Nawabi Perwaiz
Published: January 2021

Chylous ascites (CA) is the leakage of triglyceride-rich fluid into the peritoneal cavity. This most commonly occurs due to trauma of the lymphatic system. Recently, lymphangiography with lipiodol have been used with promising results in managing refractory postoperative CA. We present the case of a 35-year-old man who developed massive refractory CA post simultaneous pancreas-kidney (SPK) transplant. After conservative management with diet modifications failed, the patient underwent lymphangiography and lymph angioembolization using lipiodol. In this case report, we describe the use of lymphangiography as both a diagnostic and therapeutic approach to successfully manage large volume CA following SPK.
Algorithmic correspondence and canonicity for possibility semantics
Authors: Zhao Zhiguang
Published: January 2021

The present paper develops a unified correspondence treatment of the Sahlqvist theory for possibility semantics, extending the results in the work by Yamamoto (2016, Journal of Logic and Computation, 27, 2411–2430) from Sahlqvist formulas to the strictly larger class of inductive formulas and from the full possibility frames to filter-descriptive possibility frames. Specifically, we define the possibility semantics version of the algorithm Ackermann lemma based algorithm (ALBA) and an adapted interpretation of the expanded modal language used in the algorithm. One notable feature of the adaptation of ALBA to possibility frames setting is that the so-called nominal variables, which are interpreted as complete join-irreducibles in the standard setting, are interpreted as regular open closures of ‘singletons’ in the present setting, which is a novelty of the present paper. We prove the soundness of the algorithm with respect to both (the dual algebras of) full possibility frames and (the dual algebras of) filter-descriptive possibility frames, use the algorithm to give an alternative proof to the one in the work by Holliday (2016, Possibility frames and forcing for modal logic. UC Berkeley Working Paper in Logic and the Methodology of Science. URL. http://escholarship.org/uc/item/9v11r0dq) that the inductive formulas are constructively canonical and show that the algorithm succeeds on inductive formulas. We make some comparisons among different semantic settings in the design of the algorithms and fit possibility semantics into this broader picture.
Recreated Ancestral Opsin Associated with Marine to Freshwater Croaker Invasion Reveals Kinetic and Spectral Adaptation
Authors: Van Nynatten Alexander , Castiglione Gianni M , de A. Gutierrez Eduardo , Lovejoy Nathan R , Chang Belinda S W
Published: January 2021

Rhodopsin, the light-sensitive visual pigment expressed in rod photoreceptors, is specialized for vision in dim-light environments. Aquatic environments are particularly challenging for vision due to the spectrally dependent attenuation of light, which can differ greatly in marine and freshwater systems. Among fish lineages that have successfully colonized freshwater habitats from ancestrally marine environments, croakers are known as highly visual benthic predators. In this study, we isolate rhodopsins from a diversity of freshwater and marine croakers and find that strong positive selection in rhodopsin is associated with a marine to freshwater transition in South American croakers. In order to determine if this is accompanied by significant shifts in visual abilities, we resurrected ancestral rhodopsin sequences and tested the experimental properties of ancestral pigments bracketing this transition using in vitro spectroscopic assays. We found the ancestral freshwater croaker rhodopsin is redshifted relative to its marine ancestor, with mutations that recapitulate ancestral amino acid changes along this transitional branch resulting in faster kinetics that are likely to be associated with more rapid dark adaptation. This could be advantageous in freshwater due to the redshifted spectrum and relatively narrow interface and frequent transitions between bright and dim-light environments. This study is the first to experimentally demonstrate that positively selected substitutions in ancestral visual pigments alter protein function to freshwater visual environments following a transition from an ancestrally marine state and provides insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying some of the physiological changes associated with this major habitat transition.
DNA G-quadruplexes for native mass spectrometry in potassium: a database of validated structures in electrospray-compatible conditions
Authors: Ghosh Anirban , Largy Eric , Gabelica Valérie
Published: January 2021

G-quadruplex DNA structures have become attractive drug targets, and native mass spectrometry can provide detailed characterization of drug binding stoichiometry and affinity, potentially at high throughput. However, the G-quadruplex DNA polymorphism poses problems for interpreting ligand screening assays. In order to establish standardized MS-based screening assays, we studied 28 sequences with documented NMR structures in (usually ∼100 mM) potassium, and report here their circular dichroism (CD), melting temperature (Tm), NMR spectra and electrospray mass spectra in 1 mM KCl/100 mM trimethylammonium acetate. Based on these results, we make a short-list of sequences that adopt the same structure in the MS assay as reported by NMR, and provide recommendations on using them for MS-based assays. We also built an R-based open-source application to build and consult a database, wherein further sequences can be incorporated in the future. The application handles automatically most of the data processing, and allows generating custom figures and reports. The database is included in the g4dbr package (https://github.com/EricLarG4/g4dbr) and can be explored online (https://ericlarg4.github.io/G4_database.html).
Navigated Transconjunctival Endoscopic Approaches to the Orbit
Authors: Feigl Günther C , Southey Charles C , Desai Virendra R , Kullmann Marcell , Krischeck Boris , Korn Andreas , Tatagiba Marcos , Britz Gavin W
Published: January 2021

BACKGROUND

Standard cranial approaches to the orbit involve lengthy skin incisions, extensive soft tissue dissection, and large craniotomies, increasing morbidity.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate less invasive approaches to the orbit, using endoscopic transconjunctival approaches.

METHODS

Neuronavigated transconjunctival approaches to the orbit were performed on 4 cadavers using 30°/3 mm and 0°/6 mm rigid endoscopes. A special head frame was designed for this study to prevent excessive movement of the endoscope tip in the orbit. Lateral and medial transconjunctival supra- and infrabulbar approaches to the extra- and intraconal spaces were performed. The incision length, maximal penetration depth in the extra- and intraconal spaces, and distance from the orbital rim to the optic nerve were measured.

RESULTS

All 4 approaches afforded satisfactory exposure and access to the extra- and intraconal spaces. The mean incision length for the transconjunctival approach was 10.4 mm. The optic nerve could be exposed through all 4 approaches. The mean maximal penetration depths in the extraconal space were 28.6 ± 3.5 mm for the 30°/3 mm and 20.7 ± 4.5 mm for the 0°/6 mm endoscope. In the intraconal space, the mean maximal depth of penetration was 23.8 ± 2.4 mm for the 30°/3 mm and 19.4 ± 3.4 mm for the 0°/6 mm endoscope. Based on these measurements, the orbit was classified into quadrants and zones.

CONCLUSION

Transconjunctival endoscopic approaches to the orbit allow maximal exposure of the extra- and intraconal spaces through a minimally invasive approach requiring no muscle transection. Infrabulbar approaches have better cosmetic results than suprabulbar approaches, which require incision of the eyelid.
External Brain Tamponade Paradoxically Induced by Cerebrospinal Fluid Hypovolemia After Decompressive Craniectomy: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Motoyama Yasushi , Kogeichi Yohei , Matsuoka Ryuta , Takamura Yoshiaki , Takeshima Yasuhiro , Matsuda Ryosuke , Tamura Kentaro , Nishimura Fumihiko , Yamada Shuichi , Nakagawa Ichiro , Saito Kozue , Park Young-Su , Sugie Kazuma , Fukushima Hidetada , Nakase Hiroyuki
Published: January 2021

BACKGROUND

Symptomatic hygroma after decompressive craniectomy (DC) presenting with a mass effect has been reported as external brain tamponade (EBT). However, the pathology of EBT is unclear.

OBJECTIVE

To survey the clinical characteristics and explore the potential causes of EBT.

METHODS

The incidence, timing of onset, and symptoms of EBT were examined among 155 patients undergoing supratentorial DC at Nara Medical University. The factors associated with EBT were investigated and compared with those with hygroma to estimate the potentially causative mechanisms.

RESULTS

We identified 81 hygromas within 30 d after DC. Among them, 10 patients had EBT, including 7 with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), 2 with traumatic head injury accompanying skull base fracture, and 1 with a brain tumor. The median interval between DC and EBT was 3.5 d (range 1-21 d). Altered mental status was observed in 9, and oculomotor palsy was present in 3 patients. Univariate analysis demonstrated that risk factors for EBT were aSAH (P = .02) and lumbar spinal drainage (LSD; P < .001). On the other hand, independent risk factors for hygroma included aSAH (odds ratio [OR]: 3.67, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.45-9.3, P < .01) and ventricular drainage (OR: .14, 95% CI: .03-.802, P = .03).

CONCLUSION

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hypovolemia after DC should be considered a potential cause of EBT, which includes brain herniation into the hiatus centralis and paradoxical formation of a hygroma. Correction of CSF dynamics and cranioplasty may be effective treatments for EBT.
Pathological Features of Tumors of the Nervous System in Hereditary Cancer Predisposition Syndromes: A Review
Authors: Tadros Saber , Kondrashov Aleksei , Namagiri Sriya , Chowdhury Ashis , Banasavadi-Siddegowda Yeshavanth Kumar , Ray-Chaudhury Abhik
Published: January 2021

Hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes (HCS) become more recognizable as the knowledge about them expands, and genetic testing becomes more affordable. In this review, we discussed the known HCS that predispose to central and peripheral nervous system tumors. Different genetic phenomena were highlighted, and the important cellular biological alterations were summarized. Genetic mosaicism and germline mutations are features of HCS, and recently, they were described in normal population and as modifiers for the genetic landscape of sporadic tumors. Description of the tumors arising in these conditions was augmented by representative cases explaining the main pathological findings. Clinical spectrum of the syndromes and diagnostic criteria were tabled to outline their role in defining these disorders. Interestingly, precision medicine has found its way to help these groups of patients by offering targeted preventive measures. Understanding the signaling pathway alteration of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in tuberous sclerosis helped introducing mTOR inhibitors as a prophylactic treatment in these patients. More research to define the germline genetic alterations and resulting cellular signaling perturbations is needed for effective risk-reducing interventions beyond prophylactic surgeries.
A high-speed and high-efficiency imaging polarimeter based on ferroelectric liquid crystal retarders: Design and test
Authors: Guo Jing , Ren Deqing , Zhu Yongtian , Zhang Xi
Published: January 2021

Polarimeters play a key role in investigating solar magnetic fields. In this paper, a High speed and high efficiency Imaging POlarimeter (HIPO) is proposed based on a pair of ferroelectric liquid crystal retarders (FLCs), with the ultimate goal of measuring magnetic fields of prominences and filaments from the ground. A unique feature of the HIPO is that it enables high cadence polarization measurements covering a wide field of view (FOV); the modulation frequency of the HIPO is able to achieve ∼100 Hz, which greatly suppresses the seeing-induced crosstalk, and the maximum FOV can reach 62″ × 525″. Additionally, FLC retardances under low and high states were calibrated individually and found to have a slight discrepancy, which is neglected in most works. Based on FLC calibration results, an optimization was performed using a constrained nonlinear minimization approach to obtain the maximum polarimetric efficiency. Specifically, optimized efficiencies of the Stokes Q, U, and V are well balanced and determined as (ξQ, ξU, ξV) = (0.5957, 0.5534, 0.5777), yielding a total efficiency of 0.9974. Their practical efficiencies are measured as (ξQ′, ξU′, ξV′) = (0.5934, 0.5385, 0.5747), slightly below the optimized values but still resulting in a high total efficiency of 0.9861. The HIPO shows advantages in terms of modulation frequency and polarimetric efficiency compared with most other representative ground-based solar polarimeters. In the observations, measurement accuracy is found to be better than 2.7 × 10−3 by evaluating full Stokes Hα polarimetry results of the chromosphere. This work lays a foundation for the development of high-speed and high-accuracy polarimeters for our next-generation solar instruments.
The Role of Sulphur on the Melting of Ca-Poor Sediment and on Trace Element Transfer in Subduction Zones: An Experimental Investigation
Authors: Pelleter Anne-Aziliz , Prouteau Gaëlle , Scaillet Bruno
Published: January 2021

We performed phase equilibrium experiments on a natural Ca-poor pelite at 3 GPa, 750–1000°C, under moderately oxidizing conditions, simulating the partial melting of such lithologies in subduction zones. Experiments investigated the effect of sulphur addition on phase equilibria and compositions, with S contents of up to ∼ 2.2 wt. %. Run products were characterized for their major and trace element contents, in order to shed light on the role of sulphur on the trace element patterns of melts produced by partial melting of oceanic Ca-poor sediments. Results show that sulphur addition leads to the replacement of phengite by biotite along with the progressive consumption of garnet, which is replaced by an orthopyroxene-kyanite assemblage at the highest sulphur content investigated. All Fe-Mg silicate phases produced with sulphur, including melt, have higher MgO/(MgO+FeO) ratios (relative to S-free/poor conditions), owing to Fe being primarily locked up by sulphide in the investigated redox range. Secular infiltration of the mantle wedge by such MgO and K2O-rich melts may have contributed to the Mg and K-rich character of the modern continental crust. Addition of sulphur does not affect significantly the stability of the main accessory phases controlling the behaviour of trace elements (monazite, rutile and zircon), although our results suggest that monazite solubility is sensitive to S content at the conditions investigated. The low temperature (∼ 800 °C) S-bearing and Ca-poor sediment sourced slab melts show Th and La abundances, Th/La systematics and HFSE signatures in agreement with the characteristics of sediment-rich arc magmas. Because high S contents diminish phengite and garnet stabilities, S-rich and Ca-poor sediment sourced slab melts have higher contents of Rb, B, Li (to a lesser extent), and HREE. The highest ratios of La/Yb are observed in sulphur-poor runs (with a high proportion of garnet, which retains HREE) and beyond the monazite out curve (which retains LREE). Sulphides appear to be relatively Pb-poor and impart high Pb/Ce ratio to coexisting melts, even at high S content. Overall, our results show that Phanerozoic arc magmas from high sediment flux margins owe their geochemical signature to the subduction of terrigenous, sometimes S-rich, sediments. In contrast, subduction of such lithologies during Archean appears unlikely or unrecorded.
Updated recommendations of the German Society for Rheumatology for the care of patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases in times of SARS-CoV-2—methodology, key messages and justifying information
Authors: Schulze-Koops Hendrik , Krüger Klaus , Hoyer Bimba Franziska , Leipe Jan , Iking-Konert Christof , Specker Christof ,   the Commission for Pharmacotherapy and the Board of Directors of the German Society for Rheumatology
Published: January 2021

A few days after the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection was declared a pandemic, the German Society for Rheumatology (DGRh) compiled the first group of recommendations for the care of patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases in light of SARS-CoV-2/coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). These first recommendations were based on an expert consensus and were largely non-evidence-based. Now that the first scientific data from registries, cross-sectional studies, case reports and case series are available, the DGRh has developed a timely update. This update is based on a literature search of publications available through 15 June 2020 and addresses preventive measures (such as hygiene measures or vaccinations) and the use of immunomodulatory/immunosuppressive drugs. Driven by the commitment to let patients benefit from these new evidence-based recommendations as quickly as possible, the DGRh published the update in German on its homepage and in the Zeitschrift für Rheumatologie immediately after completion. Here we report the key recommendations to make them available to the international community, provide the scientific methodology used to develop the recommendations, give additional thoughts and advice for the management of patients with rheumatic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss our recommendations in the context of other international recommendations.
VIEWDEX 3.0—RECENT DEVELOPMENT OF A SOFTWARE APPLICATION FACILITATING ASSESSMENT OF IMAGE QUALITY AND OBSERVER PERFORMANCE
Authors: Svalkvist Angelica , Svensson Sune , Hagberg Tommy , Båth Magnus
Published: January 2021

ViewDEX (Viewer for Digital Evaluation of X-ray Images) is an image viewer compatible with Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) that has been especially designed to facilitate image perception and observer performance studies within medical imaging. The software was first released in 2004 and since then a continuous development has been ongoing. One of the major drawbacks of previous versions of ViewDEX has been that they have lacked functionality enabling the possibility to evaluate multiple images and/or image stacks simultaneously. This functionality is especially requested by researchers working with modalities, where an image acquisition can result in multiple image stacks (e.g. axial, coronal and sagittal reformations in computed tomography). In ViewDEX 3.0 this functionality has been added and it is now possible to perform image evaluations of multiple images and/or image stacks simultaneously, by using multiple monitors and/or multiple image canvases in monitors. Additionally, some of the previously available functionality has been updated and improved. This paper describes the recent developments of ViewDEX 3.0.
Selling a Resume and Buying a Job: Stratification of Gender and Occupation by States and Brokers in International Migration from Indonesia
Authors: Chang Andy Scott
Published: January 2021

This study examines how state and commercial actors construct gender, occupation, and nationality hierarchies in guest worker programs by comparing the migratory procedures for female domestic workers and male industrial operators from Indonesia. Based on 19 months of multi-sited ethnography and 86 interviews in Indonesia, Taiwan, and Singapore, I introduce the notion of multilateralism to theorize the stratification of global migration processes. In multilateral labor markets, governments, brokers, employers, and migrants in multiple countries contend for labor and employment. The homecare market is governed under the rubric of “selling a resume,” whereby Indonesian regulators and labor suppliers pass on recruitment costs to employers, in a context where migrant domestics possess myriad destination options due to their reputation fostered by a government-organized credentialing program. By contrast, Indonesian factory workers expend upfront payment to “buy a job” from destination brokers amid rivalry with migrants of other nationalities. The Indonesian state’s inattention to elevating industrial migrants’ standing through skill formation has compelled private recruiters to vie for jobs by extracting brokerage fees and developing a patchwork of selection mechanisms. This article finds that social actors’ capacity to negotiate the terms of labor exchange is contingent on their structural locations within a global hierarchy of competing nation-states.
Dietary Sphingomyelin Attenuates Adipose Inflammation and Skeletal Muscle Lipid Accumulation in C57BL/6J Mice Fed an Obesogenic Diet
Authors: Norris Gregory H , Jiang Christina , Porter Caitlin M , Millar Courtney L. , Blesso Christopher N
Published: January 2021

Obesity continues to be endemic in the United States. Obesity leads to adipocyte enlargement and inflammation which manifests in metabolic dysfunction of the skeletal muscle and liver. Pharmacologically inhibiting lipid absorption has proven effective in managing obesity related weight gain and metabolic dysfunction. However, the current therapies are not without side effects and thus alternative treatments could prove beneficial. Sphingomyelin (SM) is a sphingolipid found in animal products, including milk and eggs. Dietary SM ingestion has been shown to reduce cholesterol and triglyceride absorption in rodents. The length of SM's amide‐linked fatty acid chain varies depending on the source of SM; therefore, SM from different sources may have different bioactivities. In the current study, C57BL/6J mice (N = 52) were divided into 4 diet groups and fed for 10 weeks either a low fat control diet (10% kcal from fat) (LFD, n = 10), an obesogenic high fat, high cholesterol diet (60% kcal as fat, 0.15% added cholesterol) (HFD, n = 14), or the HFD supplemented with either 0.1% (w/w) egg‐derived SM (HFESM, n = 14) or bovine milk‐derived SM (HFMSM, n = 14). The mice were examined for adipose inflammation and muscle lipid metabolism. HFESM had significantly lower body weight, less epididymal adipose crown‐like structures and lower triglyceride accumulation in the skeletal muscle compared to HFD. We also observed reductions in the mRNA expression of adipose inflammatory genes and skeletal muscle β‐oxidation genes in both the HFESM and HFMSM groups compared to HFD. The current data suggests SM may be an effective means of attenuating some of the metabolic dysfunction that accompanies obesity in high fat diet‐induced obese mice. More research is warranted to elucidate the mechanism of how dietary SM achieves these effects.

Support or Funding Information

Supported by the University of Connecticut.
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic and national lockdown in an orthopaedic and traumatology department—a comparison with the homologous period of 2019
Authors: Ribau Ana , Vale João , Xará-Leite Francisco , Rodrigues-Pinto Ricardo
Published: January 2021

Background:

The coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic has forced health systems to undergo dynamic changes. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the pre-lockdown and of the lockdown period on the surgical activity of a Portuguese Orthopaedic and Traumatology Department and to compare it with the homologous period of 2019.

Methods:

The surgical activity between March 2 and May 2, 2020 and that of the homologous period of 2019 were analyzed and compared. Additionally, the impact of national and institutional measures was analyzed.

Results:

There was a decrease in elective surgeries, from 587 to 100. In 2020, 59.3% of all surgeries were urgent and 48.4% were trauma whereas in 2019 there were 25.5% urgent and 23.0% trauma surgeries (P < .001 and P < .001, respectively). There was no difference in the mean of proximal hip fractures operated per week (P = .310), even when analyzing only the lockdown period (P = .102). However, proximal hip fractures corresponded to significantly higher proportion of surgeries in 2020 (P = .04). Hand and tendon injuries significantly reduced in 2020, as were sports-related trauma surgeries. Mean number of days until surgery was significantly lower in 2020 (2020:1.6 ± 2.1, 2019: 2.2 ± 2.5, P = .012).

Conclusion:

Governmental and institutional measures had high impact on the production and on the epidemiology of trauma. While resumption of elective surgery is needed, lessons from these measures may help in the response to a possible second wave.
Obesity and gut microbiome: review of potential role of probiotics
Authors: Schütz Francine , Figueiredo-Braga Margarida , Barata Pedro , Cruz-Martins Natália
Published: January 2021

Obesity prevalence has increased worldwide over the years, with pandemic levels being already reached, besides to its huge economic and health impacts. The multifactorial pathogenesis of obesity partly explains the important challenge posed to health policy regarding its clinical treatment, with increasing evidences have shown that obesity and metabolic disturbances are closely linked to variations in gut microbiota (GM) function and composition. Indeed, GM play a key contribution in energy metabolism, with GM modulation being increasingly linked to changes in body weight and body mass index. In such matter, probiotics have been proposed as a promising new therapeutic strategy to treat/prevent obesity. Thus, this review aims to provide an overview on the clinical impact and effectiveness of probiotics in obese individuals.
And Then There Were Three: Effects of Pretransplant Dialysis on Multiorgan Transplantation
Authors: Cheng Xingxing S. , Han Jialin , Stedman Margaret R. , Chertow Glenn M. , Tan Jane C.
Published: January 2021

Background.

Simultaneous liver-kidney (SLK) and simultaneous heart-kidney (SHK) transplantation currently utilize 6% of deceased donor kidneys in the United States. To what extent residual kidney function accounts for apparent kidney allograft survival is unknown.

Methods.

We examined all adult SLK and SHK transplants in the United States during 1995–2014. We considered the duration of dialysis preceding SLK or SHK (≥90 d, 1–89 d, or none) as a proxy of residual kidney function. We used multinomial logistic regression to estimate the difference in the adjusted likelihood of 6- and 12-month apparent kidney allograft failure between the no dialysis versus ≥90 days dialysis groups.

Results.

Of 4875 SLK and 848 SHK recipients, 1775 (36%) SLK and 449 (53%) SHK recipients received no dialysis before transplant. The likelihood of apparent kidney allograft failure was 1%–3% lower at 12 months in SLK and SHK recipients who did not require pretransplant dialysis relative to recipients who required ≥90 days of pretransplant dialysis. Among 3978 SLK recipients who survived to 1 year, no pretransplant dialysis was associated with a lower risk of apparent kidney allograft failure over a median follow-up of 5.7 years (adjusted hazard ratio 0.73 [0.55–0.96]).

Conclusions.

Patients with residual kidney function at the time of multiorgan transplantation are less likely to have apparent failure of the kidney allograft. Whether residual kidney function facilitates function of the allograft or whether some SLK and SHK recipients have 3 functional kidneys is unknown. Sustained kidney function after SLK and SHK transplants does not necessarily indicate successful MOT.
Aminooxadiazolyl kainic acid reveals that kainic acid receptors contribute to astrocytoma glutamate signaling
Authors: Tabatabaee Mitra Sadat , Tian Zhenlin , Gibon Julien , Menard Frederic
Published: January 2021

The excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate triggers a Ca2+rise and the extension of processes in astrocytes. Our results suggest that kainic acid receptors (KAR) can independently initiate glutamate signaling in astrocytoma U118-MG cells. The natural product kainic acid triggered glioexcitablity in cells and was inhibited by the KAR antagonist CNQX, but its activity was lower than glutamate on KARs. We created a new heteroaryl kainoid based on rational design: aminooxadiazolyl kainic acid1(AODKA). AODKA induced a larger calcium influx and a faster processes extension than kainic acid in U118-MG cells. AODKA is a new tool to study KAR activity in the nervous system.

Abstract Figure
Cyclooxygenase-dependent mechanisms mediate in part the anti-dilatory effects of perivascular adipose tissue in uterine arteries from pregnant rats
Authors: Osikoya Oluwatobiloba , Cushen Spencer C. , Goulopoulou Styliani
Published: January 2021

Uterine perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) contributes to uterine blood flow regulation in pregnancy, at least in part, due to its effects on uterine artery reactivity. Here, we investigated the effects of uterine PVAT on endothelium-dependent pathways involved in relaxation of main uterine arteries. We hypothesized that uterine PVAT modulates the balance between the contribution of nitric oxide synthase (NOS)- and cyclooxygenase (COX)-dependent pathways to acetylcholine (ACh)-induced relaxation in isolated uterine arteries. Concentration-response curves to ACh (1 nM – 30 µM) were performed on main uterine arteries from pregnant and non-pregnant rats. Arteries were exposed to Krebs-Henseleit solution (control) or PVAT-conditioned media (PVATmedia) in the presence of the following inhibitors: L-NAME (100 µM), indomethacin (COX inhibitor, 10 µM), SC560 (selective COX-1 inhibitor, 1 µM), NS398 (selective COX-2 inhibitor, 1 µM), SQ 29,548 (selective thromboxane receptor (TP) inhibitor, 1 µM). Indomethacin suppressed ACh-induced relaxation in control uterine arteries from pregnant rats (p<0.0001) but not in non-pregnant rats (p>1.0). In arteries incubated with PVATmedia, the presence of indomethacin increased ACh-induced relaxation, reversing the anti-dilatory effect of PVATmedia. NOS inhibition reduced ACh-induced relaxation in uterine arteries from pregnant rats, and exposure to PVATmedia did not change this effect. Selective inhibition of COX-1 but not COX-2 suppressed relaxation responses to ACh in control arteries. The presence of PVATmedia abolished the effect COX-1 inhibition. Incubation of uterine arteries from pregnant rats with PVATmedia increased production of thromboxane B2(TxB2, p=0.01). TP inhibition did not have any effect on the anti-dilatory properties of PVATmedia. In conclusion, uterine PVAT releases transferable factors that reduce relaxation responses to ACh via a COX-dependent mechanism in isolated uterine arteries from pregnant rats.
Dengue virus 2 capsid protein chaperones strand displacement without altering the capsid-coding region hairpin element’s structural functionality
Authors: Yong Xin Ee , Raghuvamsi Palur Venkata , Anand Ganesh S. , Wohland Thorsten , Sharma Kamal K.
Published: January 2021

By virtue of its chaperone activity, the capsid protein of dengue virus strain 2 (DENV2C) promotes nucleic acid structural rearrangements. However, the role of DENV2C during the interaction of RNA elements involved in stabilizing the 5’-3’ panhandle structure of DENV RNA is still unclear. Therefore, we determined how DENV2C affects structural functionality of the capsid-coding region hairpin element (cHP) during RNA rearrangement of the 9-nt conserved sequence (5CS) to its complementary 3CS counterpart. The cHP element has two distinct functions: a role in translation start codon selection and a role in RNA synthesis. Our results showed that the cHP hairpin impedes annealing between the 5CS and the 3CS elements. Although DENV2C does not modulate structural functionality of the cHP hairpin, it accelerates annealing and specifically promotes strand displacement of 3CS during 5’-3’ panhandle formation. Furthermore, DENV2C exerts its chaperone activity by favoring one of the active conformations of the cHP element. Based on our results, we propose mechanisms for annealing and strand displacement involving the cHP element. Thus, our results provide mechanistic insights on how DENV2C regulates RNA synthesis by modulating essential RNA elements in the capsid-coding region, that in turn allow for DENV replication.