bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Burden of COVID-19: a preliminary analysis in the population of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Asdaq Syed Mohammed Basheeruddin , Rabbani Syed Imam , Alshammari Mohammed Kanan , Alshammari Reem Saud , Kamal Mehnaz , Imran Mohd , AlShammari Noufah Aqeel , Al Twallah May Faiz , Alshahrani Abdulmjeed Hussain
Published: April 2022

Background

Coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has resulted in an unprecedented number of human deaths and economic losses. Analyzing the role of disease in different groups of people is useful for determining the burden of disease. As a result, the purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of COVID-19 on the Saudi Arabian population’s quality of life, with a particular emphasis on the likely fall in their life expectancy.

Methods

A cross-sectional and retrospective analysis of 2,988 patients’ databases was performed to assess COVID-19-induced mortality and complications in the community. The data was gathered from official websites that track the disease’s impact daily between July and October 2021. On the acquired data, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and relative risk analysis were performed. The data was statistically analyzed using SPSS IBM 25. The Pearson’s correlation test was used to examine the relationship between age and disease impact. The significance of the findings was determined by using a P value of less than 0.05.

Results

The data from the study indicated that the positive test rate, infection rate, and mortality rate in the population were 1.84% [+0.11/-0.39 of 95% confidence interval (CI)], 1.54% (+0.38/-0.52 of CI), and 1.59% (+0.4/-0.7 of CI), respectively. Highest percentage of mortality was observed in Riyadh (17%), followed by Jeddah (8.7%) and Makkah (7.5%). The DALYs/100,000 inhabitants increased progressively as the age of the population increased, and the highest value was found for those over 70 years old (25.73 ± 2.09). Similarly, the risk outcome (55%) increased significantly (p = 0.037) from 40 years onwards, and the maximum was observed at above 70 years (184%, p = 0.006). The correlation analysis indicated a significant association (p = 0.032) between age and COVID-19 induced mortality from the 40-year-old population onwards.

Conclusion

The current study found that the COVID-19 load in Saudi Arabia was comparable to that in nations that were said to have performed well during the pandemic. DALYs increased from 40 years to 60 years, although people over 60 years had a lower life expectancy and were more susceptible to infection. After 60 years, the occurrence of numerous co-morbid illnesses may have added to the population’s burden of COVID-19. Further research in this area may yield a more precise estimate of the COVID-19-induced burden on the entire population.
Survival Analysis of Infiltrating Ductal Breast Cancer Patients with Cure Rate Regression Model- A Retrospective Cohort Study from a Tertiary Care Hospital in Central Kerala
Authors: Parameswaran Rejani Parassery , Khader Shehna Abdul , Sankaran Paduthol Godan , Mahadevan Rajagopalan Pillai , Jayakumar Krishnan Nair Lalithamma
Published: April 2022

Introduction: Breast cancer is a leading cause of morbidity among women all around the world. Monitoring the survival pattern and identifying the prognostic factors on survival are always great concerns in cancer researches. Cure rate regression model is a useful statistical tool to predict the cure rate of cancer diseases and to determine the factors associated with survival of patients. Aim: The current study aimed to estimate the cured proportion and to make out the factors associated with survival time of infiltrating ductal breast carcinoma patients in a tertiary care hospital of central Kerala. Materials and Methods: The retrospective cohort study was conducted in the Department of Radiotherapy of a major tertiary care hospital of central part of Kerala, India. A total of 313 female patients diagnosed with infiltrating ductal breast cancer during January 2012 to December 2015 were considered for the study. The impact of the covariates, age at diagnosis of disease, grade of cancer, stage of disease, tumour stage, status of regional lymph node, distant metastasis, and triple negative status on survival of patients were studied. The parametric mixture cure rate regression model was used for estimation and inferential procedures. The cure rate with respect to each study variable and their role on long term survival of patients were investigated. Results: Mean age of patients was 51.95±10.91 years. The minimum cure rate found out (29.8%) among the patients presented with distant metastasis. The bivariate analysis showed the factors, stage of cancer, (T-stage), status of regional lymph node and distant metastasis status influence significantly on incidence of death due to breast cancer in long run period and grade of cancer determines the survival of patients at shorter duration of time. The presence of regional lymph node and distant metastasis status were found out to be two important indicators that determine cure rate of infiltrating ductal breast cancer patients in multivariate analysis. The hazard of patients living with higher grade cancer was seen 1.48 times more than that of others (Hazard Ratio=1.48, p-value <0.001). Conclusion: The cure rate of patients estimated between 29.8% and 69.6% with respect to various factors under study. The status of regional lymph node and distant metastasis status were found to be associated with cure rate of patients. The study results showed that the grade of cancer is one significant factor that determines survival of patients. The study recommends cure rate regression model as a useful tool to analyse breast cancer survival data in the presence of cured proportion.
ALTERAÇÕES BUCAIS EM CRIANÇAS NASCIDAS PREMATURAS: UMA REVISÃO DE LITERATURA ORAL ALTERATIONS IN PREMATURE BABIES: A LITERATURE REVIEW
Authors: Beatriz da Paz Costa Lara , Gonçalves Nunes Santana Yan , Marcia de Jesus Oliveira Freitas Ana , Santos Filgueiras Elaine , De Matos Vilas Boas Aline , Carvalho Lima Porto Edla
Published: April 2022

Introdução: A prematuridade é considerada uma questão de saúde pública devido aos efeitos que podem causar sobre a criança e sua elevada incidência, sendo o motivo principal de mortalidade e morbidade neonatal. As crianças nascidas prematuras podem apresentar condições adversas na vida extrauterina como problemas respiratórios, as quais necessitam de intercorrências médicas que podem afetar o desenvolvimento das estruturas buco-dentárias. Por isso, a importância de uma atenção especial por parte do cirurgião-dentista em benefício da saúde bucal e do bem-estar da criança. Objetivo: Foi apresentar as principais alterações bucais encontradas em crianças prematuras, mediante uma revisão narrativa da literatura. Revisão de Literatura: As alterações buco-dentárias mais comuns relatadas são: a presença de palato arqueado e fissurado, o atraso na erupção dentária, os defeitos como hipoplasia e hipocalcificação no esmalte e a predisposição ao desenvolvimento de cárie. Considerações Finais: Faz-se necessário que o cirurgião-dentista tenha o entendimento sobre estas possíveis alterações para que possa atuar de forma interdisciplinar e multiprofissional, prevenindo ou atenuando efeitos orais em crianças prematuras por meio de orientação aos responsáveis e tratamento odontológico.Introduction: Prematurity is considered a public health issue due to the effects it may cause on children, also its high incidence is the main reason for neonatal mortality and morbidity. Children born prematurely may experience adverse conditions in extrauterine life such as respiratory problems, which require medical procedures that may affect the development of oral and dental structures. Objective: To present the main oral alterations found in premature babies, by a literature review. Literature Review: The most common oral-dental alterations reported are: the presence of arched and cleft palate, delayed tooth eruption, defects such as hypoplasia and hypocalcification in the enamel and predisposition to the development of caries. Final Considerations: It is necessary that the dentist has the knowledge of the possible oral alterations and it acts in an interdisciplinary and multiprofessional way, preventing or attenuating the oral effects in premature babies from the guidance to parents and the dental treatment.
TRATAMENTO DA MORDIDA CRUZADA ANTERIOR ESQUELÉTICA: ACOMPANHAMENTO APÓS QUATRO ANOS ORTHODONTIC TREATMENT FOR SKELETAL ANTERIOR CROSSBITE: A FOUR-YEAR FOLLOW-UP
Authors: De Souza Andrade Gustavo , Alan Vieira Bittencourt Marcos
Published: April 2022

O tratamento precoce do padrão esquelético de classe III, especialmente quando associado à mordida cruzada anterior, é de suma importância para possibilitar o desenvolvimento normal dos maxilares, mas é de difícil estabilidade em longo prazo, em função da falta de previsibilidade quanto ao padrão de crescimento mandibular. Objetivo: O presente relato tem como objetivo descrever o tratamento realizado em uma paciente com padrões esquelético e dentário de classe III e mordida cruzada anterior, com acentuado comprometimento do perfil facial. Descrição do caso: A paciente foi tratada aos seis anos de idade, no começo da fase de dentição mista, por meio da disjunção palatina e tração reversa da maxila. O tratamento ortodôntico ativo teve duração de um ano e, após a obtenção dos resultados desejados, a paciente foi acompanhada por um período de quatro anos. O caso permanece estável, tanto do ponto de vista esquelético quanto dentário, apresentando, também, excelente estética do perfil facial. Conclusão: Com base neste relato, é possível concluir que os procedimentos terapêuticos empregados, quando bem indicados e conduzidos, representam ótima alternativa para o tratamento precoce do padrão esquelético de classe III.

The Early treatment of class III skeletal pattern, especially when combined to the anterior crossbite, is of great importance to contribute to an adequate maxillary and mandibular development. However, long term stability is very difficult, due to the lack of predictability regarding the mandibular growth pattern. Purpose: The present study reports the case of a patient with class III skeletal and dental patterns and anterior crossbite, with marked impairment of the facial profile. Case description: Treatment was performed in a six-year old patient, at the beginning of the mixed dentition, with maxillary rapid expansion and the use of a face mask. Active orthodontic treatment occurred during one year and, after obtaining the desired results, periodic evaluationswere carried out over a four-year follow-up period. The case remains stable, both in skeletal and dental aspects, also presenting excellent facial profile aesthetics. Conclusions: Based on this report, it is possible to conclude that this therapeutic approach, when well indicated and performed, represent a great alternative for the early treatment of the class III skeletal pattern combined with anterior crossbite.
Parliamentary knowledge: a tool for the creation of a training center on the franco brasileira frontier / Conhecimento parlamentar: uma ferramenta para criação de núcleo de capacitação na fronteira franco brasileira
Authors: Branco Neto Tancredo Castelo , Castelo Branco Fernanda Matos Fernandes , Trindade Fabio Rodrigues , Ribeiro Ivonizete Pires , Tapety Fabrício Ibiapina , Oliveira Rauirys Alencar de
Published: April 2022

Objetivo: analisar o conhecimento dos parlamentares da fronteira franco brasileira sobre a tutela jurídica dos usuários de álcool. Método: estudo exploratório de cunho qualitativo, realizado com 11 vereadores. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de entrevista com roteiro semiestruturado e uma pergunta aberta, processada no software Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires (IRaMuTeQ®). Resultado: foram geradas sete classes, divididas em dois segmentos, que foram nomeadas com base nas falas dos depoentes: 1) Capacitação parlamentar sobre a tutela jurídica dos usuários de álcool e 2) Ferramentas para criação do Núcleo de Capacitação Parlamentar. Conclusão: o conhecimento dos vereadores acerca da tutela jurídica dos usuários de álcool é permeado de conhecimentos generalistas e sem cunho científico, mostrando a necessidade da criação de um Núcleo de Capacitação Parlamentar, a partir de uma formação competente.
Effectiveness of participatory ergonomic interventions on musculoskeletal disorders and work ability among young dental professionals: A cluster-randomized controlled trail
Authors: Lin Sihao , Tsai Cheng Chung , Liu Xudong , Wu Zhenyi , Zeng Xianzhe
Published: April 2022

Objectives

This study is to evaluate the efficacy of participatory ergonomic (PE) intervention on musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and work ability among young dental professionals in China.

Methods

A cluster randomized controlled trail was conducted during 2015–2016. Twenty-nine departments from five hospitals in the South of China were randomized into intervention (14 departments) and control (15 departments), with individuals of 125 and 138 dental professionals, respectively. Main participatory ergonomic interventions involved work posture, repetitive motions, tool usage, work break relaxation and work time re-arrangement with total 235 ergonomic changes in the trail. Individual ergonomic risk exposure was assessed by investigator's observation using quick exposure check (QEC). Work ability index (WAI) and MSDs were collected by questionnaires at baseline, and every 3 months during the 1-year follow-up.

Results

Follow-up rate was 91% and 96% for the intervention and control group, respectively. Significant reductions in ergonomic risk exposure and MSD prevalence on six anatomic sites were found in the PE group during the different follow-up stages. WAI scores improved by 1.1 (95% CI 0.43, 1.89) after the 9-month intervention. Compared to the control, the PE participants significantly reduced MSDs on neck (OR = 2.93, 95% CI: 1.25, 4.03) and wrists/hands (OR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.08, 4.21), marginally increased WAI scores by 0.53 (95% CI: −0.02, 1.56) due to the interventions.

Conclusion

PE intervention is effective in reducing ergonomic risk exposure and MSDs on neck and wrists/hands among young dental professionals. PE ought to be offered in the early dental career for preventing MSDs.
Space in the Mind of a Machine: Immersive Narratives
Authors: Anadol Refik
Published: April 2022

Director and founder of Refik Anadol Studio in Los Angeles and researcher in the Department of Design Media Arts at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Refik Anadol collaborates with machine intelligence to create multi‐sensory immersive environments that reinvigorate the public realm, animate surroundings and explore the non‐linearity of time. His works are colourful, thoughtful, experimental and engaging.
Architectural Hallucinations: What Can AI Tell Us About the Mind of an Architect?
Authors: Leach Neil
Published: April 2022

Can AI help us to understand how the mind works, and how architects think? Neil Leach, Professor at Florida International University, points out that, although human intelligence and artificial intelligence are very different things, analogies can be drawn. AI, he argues, can potentially offer us insights into how the mind works, and so too into how architects are trained to think.
AI‐Controlled Robot Masks: Resisting Patriarchal Oppression
Authors: Farahi Behnaz
Published: April 2022

Using computational techniques to foster new empathetic relationships between human bodies and the space around them, Behnaz Farahi, Assistant Professor in the Department of Design at the California State University in Long Beach, presents some of the concepts and events that have inspired her research and focuses on a recent project for an interactive niqab.
Architectural Plasticity: The Aesthetics of Neural Sampling
Authors: Koh Immanuel
Published: April 2022

Director of Artificial‐Architecture at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), Hokkien Foundation Career Professorship recipient Immanuel Koh enlightens us on the wonderful world of deep neural networks, formal plasticity and what they could mean for architectural form‐finding.
Mixed Chalcogenide‐Halides for Stable, Lead‐Free and Defect‐Tolerant Photovoltaics: Computational Screening and Experimental Validation of CuBiSCl2 with Ideal Band Gap
Authors: Ming Chen , Chen Zhizhong , Zhang Fan , Gong Shuiping , Wu Xiaowei , Jiang Jie , Ye Tang , Xu Qing , Yang Ke , Wang Liang , Cao Xun , Yang Songwang , Zhang Shengbai , Zhang Yong , Shi Jian , Sun Yi‐Yang
Published: April 2022

Lead halide perovskites have emerged as promising photovoltaic (PV) materials owing to their superior optoelectronic properties. However, they suffer from poor stability and potential toxicity. Here, computational screening with experimental synthesis is combined to explore stable, lead‐free, and defect‐tolerant PV materials. Heavy cations with lone‐pair electrons and mixed anions of chalcogens and halogens as a descriptor for simultaneous realization of defect tolerance and high stability are adopted. Together with the criteria of possessing direct band gap and optimal gap value, the inorganic material database is screened and CuBiSCl2 in the post‐perovskite structure is identified with an ideal band gap of 1.37 eV. The electronic structure and defect calculations suggest its defect‐tolerant characteristics. By optical absorption measurement, its band gap is confirmed to be ≈1.44 eV, with strong absorption near the band edge. The material is stable against thermal decomposition up to 300 °C and can survive from 25 days of storage at ambient conditions with 60% relative humidity. Prototype solar cells are fabricated and demonstrate an open circuit voltage of 1.09 V and a power conversion efficiency of 1.00%. With the excellent properties above, CuBiSCl2 is proposed to be a promising candidate for PV application.
Ultrafast Thermalization Pathways of Excited Bulk and Surface States in the Ferroelectric Rashba Semiconductor GeTe
Authors: Clark Oliver J. , Wadgaonkar Indrajit , Freyse Friedrich , Springholz Gunther , Battiato Marco , Sánchez‐Barriga Jaime
Published: April 2022

A large Rashba effect is essential for future applications in spintronics. Particularly attractive is understanding and controlling nonequilibrium properties of ferroelectric Rashba semiconductors. Here, time‐ and angle‐resolved photoemission is utilized to access the ultrafast dynamics of bulk and surface transient Rashba states after femtosecond optical excitation of GeTe. A complex thermalization pathway is observed, wherein three different timescales can be clearly distinguished: intraband thermalization, interband equilibration, and electronic cooling. These dynamics exhibit an unconventional temperature dependence: while the cooling phase speeds up with increasing sample temperature, the opposite happens for interband thermalization. It is demonstrated how, due to the Rashba effect, an interdependence of these timescales on the relative strength of both electron–electron and electron–phonon interactions is responsible for the counterintuitive temperature dependence, with spin‐selection constrained interband electron–electron scatterings found both to dominate dynamics away from the Fermi level, and to weaken with increasing temperature. These findings are supported by theoretical calculations within the Boltzmann approach explicitly showing the opposite behavior of all relevant electron–electron and electron–phonon scattering channels with temperature, thus confirming the microscopic mechanism of the experimental findings. The present results are important for future applications of ferroelectric Rashba semiconductors and their excitations in ultrafast spintronics.
Dialysate Regeneration with Urea Selective Membrane Coupled to Photoelectrochemical Oxidation System
Authors: Shao Guozheng , Tang Hao , Ren Shen , Creason Sharon A. , Gao Dayong , Ratner Buddy D. , Hinds Bruce J.
Published: April 2022

Portable dialysis can meaningfully improve the health outcomes and life quality of end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and reduce the economic burdens of dialysis related care. Current treatment sessions use 120 Kg of aqueous dialysate, thus key to realizing portability is the continuous regeneration of small volumes of spent dialysate. Urea is the single most abundant uremic waste. However, its removal is compromised from the interference of other uremic species. Osmotic membranes demonstrate high selectivity of urea over other uremic species in both reverse and forward osmosis (FO) modes. In FO mode, a urea mass transport coefficient of 1.2 µm s−1 is seen, corresponding to a diffusion coefficient of 1.2 × 10−9 cm2 s−1. By using a second stage dialyzer with a commercially available FO cartridge, daily urea removal rate of over 30 g, twice the daily generation rate, could be achieved at a dialysate flow rate of 400 mL min−1. Combined with an optimized urea photodecomposition device, selective removal of urea (0.32 mg cm−2 h−1) and excessive water (0.081 g cm−2 h−1) are achieved simultaneously thus scaling to 2000 cm2 electrode area for clinical needs of 15 g urea removal/day. No significant difference in the cytotoxicity between treated and untreated human spent dialysate is observed.
Management of Multi‐Energy‐Transfer Channels and Exciton Harvesting for Power‐Efficient White Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Diodes
Authors: Zeng Xin‐Yi , Zhou Jing‐Xiong , Zou Shi‐Jie , Tang Yan‐Qing , Li Hao‐Ze , He Yi‐Hui , Li Yan‐Qing , Wang Wen‐Jun , Tang Jian‐Xin
Published: April 2022

White organic light‐emitting diodes (WOLEDs) based on thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters attract considerable attention owing to the advantages of full exciton harvesting, low cost, and environmental sustainability. However, compared to phosphorescent counterparts, the power efficiencies of TADF‐based WOLEDs lag behind. Herein, a newly synthesized TADF emitter named DPPZ‐DMAC featuring near‐zero singlet−triplet splitting and high photoluminescence quantum yield (91.6%) is utilized as an ideal orange‐yellow dopant for realizing a power‐efficient WOLED with a mixed system consisting of a blue TADF sensitizer and a conventional fluorescent host. The balanced carrier transport, modulated energy transfer and exciton harvesting, and less exciton quenching can be realized simultaneously. Eventually, a warm WOLED is achieved with an external quantum efficiency of ≈30%, power efficiency of >80 lm W‐1, turn‐on voltage of 2.5 V, and correlated color temperature of 3600 K. Moreover, the color coordinate of the resulting white emission is close to the standard blackbody radiation and can be precisely tuned inside the specific quadrangles given by the American National Standard Institute (ANSI), revealing a large prospect for indoor health lightings.
Carrier Generation Engineering toward 18% Efficiency Organic Solar Cells by Controlling Film Microstructure
Authors: Su Yueling , Zhang Lu , Ding Zicheng , Zhang Yi , Wu Yin , Duan Yuwei , Zhang Qiang , Zhang Jidong , Han Yanchun , Xu Zijian , Zhang Rui , Zhao Kui , Liu Shengzhong (Frank)
Published: April 2022

The single bulk‐heterojunction active layer based on non‐fullerene acceptors (NFAs) has dominated the power conversional efficiencies above 18% in state‐of‐the‐art organic solar cells (OSCs). However, a deep understanding of the relationship between charge carrier process and film microstructure remains unclear for emerging NFA OSCs. Herein, with the superstar PM6:Y6 blend as a model, the charge generation process in active layers is successfully manipulated by designing three different film microstructures, and they are correlated with the final photovoltaic performance in OSC devices. The amount of intermediate intra‐moiety excited states from the nanoscale Y6 aggregates can be effectively enhanced by controlling the phase separation domains and film crystallinity in the bicontinuous PM6:Y6 networks. This robustly improves the hole transfer, and thus promotes charge generation. As a result, the optimal films show superior device performance, that is, the high efficiencies of 16.53% and 17.98% for PM6:Y6‐ and D18:Y6‐based single junction OSCs, respectively. The results presented here give a rational guide for optimizing the charge carrier process through controlling morphological microstructures toward high‐performance NFA OSCs.
A Wave‐Driven Piezoelectric Solar Evaporator for Water Purification
Authors: Meng Sen , Tang Chun‐Yan , Jia Jin , Yang Jie , Yang Ming‐Bo , Yang Wei
Published: April 2022

Interfacial solar vapor generation is an emerging technology that has the potential to alleviate the current global water crisis. However, water evaporation is an energy‐intensive phase‐change process and thus suffers from an inherently low evaporation yield. New stable and environmentally tolerant materials that can reduce energy requirements and accelerate water evaporation stand out from various studies. In this contribution, a piezoelectric ultrathin nanofilm is integrated into a solar evaporation membrane for simultaneous power generation and water activation. The resulting evaporator is used to continuously convert the wave energy in the ocean into electrical energy. It is found that the electrical energy generated by the evaporator can activate water in adjacent regions, facilitating water evaporation with an additional improvement of over 20% compared to an equivalent non‐piezoelectric evaporator. This paper presents the innovation of a promising membrane evaporation prototype based on the integration of wave‐triggered electricity and water activation.
A preliminary analysis of the secondary sex ratio decline after the COVID‐19 pandemic in Japan
Authors: Inoue Yosuke , Mizoue Tetsuya
Published: April 2022

Objectives

The secondary sex ratio (SSR, i.e., the number of male births per 100 female births) has long been proposed as a sentinel health indicator. Studies have suggested that exogenous environmental stressors reduce SSR after 3 to 6 months (via disproportionate male fetus deaths) and after 9 months (via reduced male conception). We aimed to examine whether SSR declined after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic in Japan.

Methods

We used monthly vital statistics records collected between January 2013 and April 2021 (the ‐number of male and female live births, in particular). Using information reported before the pandemic struck Japan (i.e., January 2013 to January 2020), we predicted SSRs for the months after the pandemic (i.e., February 2020 to April 2021) and compared reported and predicted SSRs. We also stratified the analysis by including two groups of prefectures with different degrees of possible influence from the pandemic.

Results

We observed a significant reduction in SSR during December 2020 of 102.81 (i.e., 9–10 months after the pandemic affected the country), which was below the lower bound of the 95% prediction intervals (103.12–106.33). This was the lowest SSR observed during the 100‐month study period. In addition, the reduction in SSR during December 2020 was more pronounced in the more seriously affected prefectures.

Conclusion

In Japan, we found a significant reduction in SSR (i.e., fewer male live births) 9–10 months after COVID‐19 was declared a pandemic. This suggests the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic was a significant population‐level stressor.
Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) of the isolated brainstem
Authors: Hayashi Yosuke , Hashida Tomoaki , Yazaki Megumi , Uchida Tomohiko , Watanabe Eizo
Published: April 2022

A 71‐year‐old man had disordered consciousness whose Glasgow Coma Scale was E4V1M5. His blood pressure was high, but there was no abnormality in the cerebrospinal fluid examination. The MRI finding reveals a high‐intensity area at the pons without the blood flow interruption. Thus, he has diagnosed with brainstem PRES.
Irrigation management impacts on cotton reproductive development and boll distribution
Authors: Herritt Matthew T. , Thompson Alison , Thorp Kelly
Published: April 2022

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) reproductive development is affected by irrigation management and reduced soil moisture, leading to yield impacts. This study was conducted to determine how irrigation timing and reduced soil moisture affects the distribution of cotton reproductive structures throughout the canopy. Reduced soil moisture was achieved through varied irrigation amounts based on recommendations from an agroecosystem model. Plants from each irrigation treatment were destructively sampled bi‐weekly and squares, green bolls, and abscissions were counted on mainstem fruiting branches. Plant height, leaf area, and dry weights of squares, flowers, and green bolls were measured. Reduced irrigation from first square to peak bloom reduced the number of green bolls in the lower middle quarter of mainstem nodes, where most bolls are located. Reproductive development and growth were most sensitive to reduced soil moisture treatments and irrigation rates from squaring to peak bloom, whereas the period from peak bloom to 90% open boll was unaffected by irrigation rates.
Hepatocellular carcinoma‐infiltrating γδ T cells are functionally defected and allogenic Vδ2+ γδ T cell can be a promising complement
Authors: He Wenjing , Hu Yi , Chen Dan , Li Yijia , Ye Dongmei , Zhao Qiang , Lin Li , Shi Xiaomin , Lu Ligong , Yin Zhinan , He Xiaoshun , Gao Yifang , Wu Yangzhe
Published: April 2022

In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), γδ T cells participate in mediating the anti‐tumour response and are linked with a positive prognosis. However, these cells can become pro‐tumoural in the tumour microenvironment (TME). We aimed to decipher the immune landscape and functional states of HCC‐infiltrating γδ T cells to provide fundamental evidence for the adoptive transfer of allogeneic Vδ2+ γδ T cells in HCC immunotherapy. We performed single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) on γδ T cells derived from HCC tumours and healthy donor livers. Confocal microscopy, flow cytometry and a Luminex assay were applied to validate the scRNA‐seq findings. The γδ T cells in the HCC TME entered G2/M cell cycle arrest, and expressed cytotoxic molecules such as interferon‐gamma and granzyme B, but were functionally exhausted as indicated by upregulated gene and protein LAG3 expression. The γδ T cells in the HCC TME were dominated by the LAG3+Vδ1+ population, whereas the Vδ2+ γδ T population was greatly depleted. Moreover, glutamine metabolism of γδ T cells was markedly upregulated in the glutamine‐deficient TME. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that glutamine deficiency upregulated LAG3 expression. Finally, our results indicated that ex vivo‐expanded Vδ2+ γδ T cells from healthy donor could complement the loss of T cell receptor clonality and effector functions of HCC‐derived γδ T cells. This work deciphered the dysfunctional signatures of HCC‐infiltrating γδ T cells in the HCC TME, providing scientific support for the use of allogeneic Vδ2+ γδ T cells in HCC cellular therapy.
The Beauty is a beast: Does leachate from the invasive terrestrial plant Impatiens glandulifera affect aquatic food webs?
Authors: Diller Jens G. P. , Drescher Sophia , Hofmann Mario , Rabus Max , Feldhaar Heike , Laforsch Christian
Published: April 2022

Invasive alien species are a major threat to ecosystems. Invasive terrestrial plants can produce allelochemicals which suppress native terrestrial biodiversity. However, it is not known if leached allelochemicals from invasive plants growing in riparian zones, such as Impatiens glandulifera, also affect freshwater ecosystems. We used mesocosms and laboratory experiments to test the impact of I. glandulifera on a simplified freshwater food web. Our mesocosm experiments show that leachate from I. glandulifera significantly reduced population growth rate of the water flea Daphnia magna and the green alga Acutodesmus obliquus, both keystone species of lakes and ponds. Laboratory experiments using the main allelochemical released by I. glandulifera, 2‐methoxy‐1,4‐naphthoquinone, revealed negative fitness effects in D. magna and A. obliquus. Our findings show that allelochemicals from I. glandulifera not only reduce biodiversity in terrestrial habitats but also pose a threat to freshwater ecosystems, highlighting the necessity to incorporate cross‐ecosystem effects in the risk assessment of invasive species.
Niche breadth and biodiversity change derived from marine Amphipoda species off Iceland
Authors: Lörz Anne‐Nina , Oldeland Jens , Kaiser Stefanie
Published: April 2022

Understanding the ecological requirements and thresholds of individual species is crucial to better predict potential outcomes of climate change on species distribution. In particular, species optima and lower and upper limits along resource gradients require attention. Based on Huisman‐Olff‐Fresco (HOF) models, we determined species‐specific responses along gradients of nine environmental parameters including depth in order to estimate niche attributes of 30 deep‐sea benthic amphipods occurring around Iceland. We, furthermore, examined the relationships between niche breadth, occupancy, and geographic range assuming that species with a wider niche are spatially more widely dispersed and vice versa. Overall, our results reveal that species react very differently to environmental gradients, which is independent of the family affiliation of the respective species. We could infer a strong relationship between occupancy and geographic range and also relate this to differences in niche breadth; that is specialist species with a narrow niche had a more limited distribution and may thus be more threatened by changing environmental conditions than generalist species, which are more widespread. Given the preponderance of rare species in the deep sea, this implies that many species could be at risk. However, this must be carefully weighed against geographical data gaps in this area, given that many deep‐sea areas are severely undersampled and the true distribution of most species is unknown. After all, our results underline that an accurate taxonomic classification is of crucial importance, without which ecological niche properties cannot be determined and which is hence fundamental for the assessment and understanding of changes in biodiversity in the face of increasing human perturbations.
Differences in prey availability across space and time lead to interaction rewiring and reshape a predator–prey metaweb
Authors: Ceron Karoline , Provete Diogo B. , Pires Mathias M. , Araujo Andréa C. , Blüthgen Nico , Santana Diego J.
Published: April 2022

Space and time promote variation in network structure by affecting the likelihood of potential interactions. However, little is known about the relative roles of ecological and biogeographical processes in determining how species interactions vary across space and time. Here we study the spatiotemporal variation in predator–prey interaction networks formed by anurans and arthropods and test for the effects of prey availability in determining interaction patterns, information that is often absent and limits the understanding of the determinants of network structure. We found that network dissimilarity between ecoregions and seasons was high and primarily driven by interaction rewiring.We also found that species turnover was positively related to geographical distance. Using a null model approach to disentangle the effect of prey availability on the spatial and temporal variation, we show that differences in prey availability were important in determining the variation in network structure between seasons and among areas. Our study reveals that fluctuations in prey abundance, alongside the limited dispersal abilities of anurans and their prey, may be responsible for the spatial patterns that emerged in our predator–prey metaweb. These findings contribute to our understanding of the assembly rules that maintain biotic processes in metacommunities and highlight the importance of prey availability to the structure of these systems.
Biological invasions reveal how niche change affects the transferability of species distribution models
Authors: Liu Chunlong , Wolter Christian , Courchamp Franck , Roura‐Pascual Núria , Jeschke Jonathan M.
Published: April 2022

Species distribution models (SDMs) have been widely applied to predict geographic ranges of species across space and time under the assumption of niche conservatism (i.e., species niches change very slowly). However, an increasing number of studies have reported evidence of rapid niche changes across space and time, which has sparked a widespread debate on whether SDMs can be transferred to new areas or time periods. Understanding how niche changes affect SDM transferability is thus crucial for the future application and improvement of SDMs. Biological invasions provide an opportunity to address this question due to the geographically independent distributions and diverse patterns of niche changes between species’ native and introduced ranges. Here, we synthesized findings on 217 species from 50 studies to elucidate the effects of niche change on the spatial transferability of SDMs. When niche change was considered as a categorical classification (conserved vs. shifted niches) in tests of the niche conservatism hypothesis, SDM transferability was markedly lower for species with a shifted niche in their introduced range. When niche change was measured as numerical dynamics between native and introduced niches, SDM transferability was high for species occupying similar environmental conditions in both ranges and low for species with more environmental space remaining unoccupied in the introduced range. Surprisingly, the number of presence points used for developing SDMs turned out to have an even stronger effect on transferability. Our results thus reveal detrimental effects of both niche change and lack of presence points on SDM transferability. It is necessary to consider both niche change and data quality for improving the transferability of SDMs, so that they can better support conservation management and policy decisions.
Predicting the risk of amputation and death in patients with diabetic foot ulcer. A long‐term prospective cohort study of patients in Tanzania
Authors: Abbas Zulfiqarali G. , Chockalingam Nachiappan , Lutale Janet K. , Naemi Roozbeh
Published: April 2022

Introduction

This prospective cohort study aimed to identify the characteristics of patients with diabetic foot ulcer who are at higher risk of amputation and at increased risk of death.

Methods

About 103(M/F:60/43) participants, with active foot ulcer at baseline, participated in this study and followed for 22 years till death or lost to follow‐up. Ten clinical measures were collected at baseline. During the follow‐up of 4.2 ± 5.4 years, 22(M/F:14/8) participants had an amputation and 50(M/F:32/18) participants passed away during 5.5 ± 5.8 years follow‐up period.

Results

Cox Proportional Hazard regression (HR[95%CI]) indicated neuropathy (6.415[1.119–36.778]); peripheral arterial disease (PAD) (9.741[1.932– 49.109]); current smoking (16.148[1.658–157.308]); diabetes type‐ 1 (3.228[1.151–9.048]) and longer delay attending appointment after ulcer (1.013[1.003–1.023]) were significantly (p < .05) associated with increased risk of amputation. In addition, death was significantly associated with the risk of amputation (3.458[1.243–9.621]). Three parameters (HR[95%CI]) including neuropathy (3.058[1.297–7.210]); PAD (5.069[2.113–12.160]); amputation history (3.689[1.306–10.423]) and retinopathy (2.389[1.227–4.653]) were all significantly associated with increased risk of death. Kaplan–Meier survival analyses indicates that the time to amputation in years for participants who eventually died was significantly shorter (11.122 ± 1.507) vs those who stayed alive (15.427 ± 1.370).

Conclusion

Neuropathy and PAD were the only two characteristics that increased both the risk of amputation and death. Amputation showed to contribute to an increased risk of death and those participants who eventually died had a higher risk of amputation. Delay in attending appointments after ulceration is shown to increase the risk of amputation. In addition, the participants with PAD showed a significantly shorter time to both amputation and death while neuropathy was only associated with decreased time to death. Amputation history and death during follow‐up decrease the time to death and amputation respectively.
Recommendations for developing a lifecycle, multidimensional assessment framework for mobile medical apps
Authors: Tarricone Rosanna , Petracca Francesco , Cucciniello Maria , Ciani Oriana
Published: April 2022

Digital health and mobile medical apps (MMAs) have shown great promise in transforming health care, but their adoption in clinical care has been unsatisfactory, and regulatory guidance and coverage decisions have been lacking or incomplete. A multidimensional assessment framework for regulatory, policymaking, health technology assessment, and coverage purposes based on the MMA lifecycle is needed. A targeted review of relevant policy documents from international sources was conducted to map current MMA assessment frameworks, to formulate 10 recommendations, subsequently shared amongst an expert panel of key stakeholders. Recommendations go beyond economic dimensions such as cost and economic evaluation and also include MMA development and update, classification and evidentiary requirements, performance and maintenance monitoring, usability testing, clinical evidence requirements, safety and security, equity considerations, organizational assessment, and additional outcome domains (patient empowerment and environmental impact). The COVID‐19 pandemic greatly expanded the use of MMAs, but temporary policies governing their use and oversight need consolidation through well‐developed frameworks to support decision‐makers, producers and introduction into clinical care processes, especially in light of the strong international, cross‐border character of MMAs, the new EU medical device and health technology assessment regulations, and the Next Generation EU funding earmarked for health digitalization.
C‐X‐C motif chemokine ligand 1 induced by Hedgehog signaling promotes mouse extrahepatic bile duct repair after acute injury
Authors: Mohamad Zaki Nureen H. , Shiota Junya , Calder Ashley N. , Keeley Theresa M. , Allen Benjamin L. , Nakao Kazuhiko , Samuelson Linda C. , Razumilava Nataliya
Published: April 2022

Background and Aims

In extrahepatic bile duct (EHBD) cholangiopathies, including primary sclerosing cholangitis, a reactive cholangiocyte phenotype is associated with inflammation and epithelial hyperproliferation. The signaling pathways involved in EHBD injury response are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the role of Hedgehog (HH) signaling and its downstream effectors in controlling biliary proliferation and inflammation after EHBD injury.

Approach and Results

Using mouse bile duct ligation as an acute EHBD injury model, we used inhibitory paradigms to uncover mechanisms promoting the proliferative response. HH signaling was inhibited genetically in Gli1−/−
mice or by treating wild‐type mice with LDE225. The role of neutrophils was tested using chemical (SB225002) and biological (lymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus G6D [Ly6G] antibodies) inhibitors of neutrophil recruitment. The cellular response was defined through morphometric quantification of proliferating cells and CD45+ and Ly6G+ immune cell populations. Key signaling component expression was measured and localized to specific EHBD cellular compartments by in situ hybridization, reporter strain analysis, and immunohistochemistry. Epithelial cell proliferation peaked 24 h after EHBD injury, preceded stromal cell proliferation, and was associated with neutrophil influx. Indian HH ligand expression in the biliary epithelium rapidly increased after injury. HH‐responding cells and neutrophil chemoattractant C‐X‐C motif chemokine ligand 1 (CXCL1) expression mapped to EHBD stromal cells. Inhibition of HH signaling blocked CXCL1 induction, diminishing neutrophil recruitment and the biliary proliferative response to injury. Directly targeting neutrophils by inhibition of the CXCL1/C‐X‐C motif chemokine receptor 2/Ly6G signaling axis also decreased biliary proliferation.

Conclusions

HH‐regulated CXCL1 orchestrates the early inflammatory response and biliary proliferation after EHBD injury through complex cellular crosstalk.
Occludin stalls HCV particle dynamics apart from hepatocyte tight junctions, promoting virion internalization
Authors: Deffieu Maika S. , Clément Camille M. H , Dorobantu Cristina M. , Partiot Emma , Bare Yonis , Faklaris Orestis , Rivière Benjamin , Ayala‐Nunez Nilda Vanesa , Baumert Thomas F. , Rondé Philippe , Mély Yves , Lucansky Vincent , Gaudin Raphael
Published: April 2022

Background and Aims

Numerous HCV entry factors have been identified, and yet information regarding their spatiotemporal dynamics is still limited. Specifically, one of the main entry factors of HCV is occludin (OCLN), a protein clustered at tight junctions (TJs), away from the HCV landing site. Thus, whether HCV particles slide toward TJs or, conversely, OCLN is recruited away from TJs remain debated.

Approach and Results

Here, we generated CRISPR/CRISPR‐associated protein 9 edited Huh7.5.1 cells expressing endogenous levels of enhanced green fluorescent protein/OCLN and showed that incoming HCV particles recruit OCLN outside TJs, independently of claudin 1 (CLDN1) expression, another important HCV entry factor located at TJs. Using ex vivo organotypic culture of hepatic slices obtained from human liver explants, a physiologically relevant model that preserves the overall tissue architecture, we confirmed that HCV associates with OCLN away from TJs. Furthermore, we showed, by live cell imaging, that increased OCLN recruitment beneath HCV particles correlated with lower HCV motility. To decipher the mechanism underlying virus slow‐down upon OCLN recruitment, we performed CRISPR knockout (KO) of CLDN1, an HCV entry factor proposed to act upstream of OCLN. Although CLDN1 KO potently inhibits HCV infection, OCLN kept accumulating underneath the particle, indicating that OCLN recruitment is CLDN1 independent. Moreover, inhibition of the phosphorylation of Ezrin, a protein involved in HCV entry that links receptors to the actin cytoskeleton, increased OCLN accumulation and correlated with more efficient HCV internalization.

Conclusions

Together, our data provide robust evidence that HCV particles interact with OCLN away from TJs and shed mechanistic insights regarding the manipulation of transmembrane receptor localization by extracellular virus particles.