bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First record of Peropteryx pallidoptera (Chiroptera: Emballonuridae) in Bolivia
Authors: Siles Lizette , Hidalgo-Cossio Marisol , Amusquivar-Calustro Alejandra , Camacho Teodoro , Huayta-Sarzuri Gabriela
Published: June 2021

El género Peropteryx contiene cinco especies distribuidas en la región Neotropical.  Tres de estas especies se encuentran en Bolivia (P. macrotis, P. kappleri y P. leucoptera). Peropteryx pallidoptera fue recientemente descrita y se distribuye en los bosques de tierras bajas amazónicas de Ecuador, Perú, Brasil y Colombia.  En esta nota, se reporta el primer registro de P. pallidoptera en Bolivia.  El 22 de noviembre de 2016, se observó una colonia de murciélagos en una cavidad en el suelo, en un parche de bosque ubicado en la comunidad rural de Isinuta en la Provincia Chapare (Departamento de Cochabamba).  El área está clasificada como ecorregión de bosques del sudoeste de la Amazonía.  Se colectó uno de los murciélagos y confirmamos la identificación de la especie con medidas del cráneo.  Se observaron todos los caracteres diagnósticos externos y craneales de P. pallidoptera en el ejemplar.  Además, las medidas externas y craneales están dentro del rango reportado para la especie.  Este ejemplar extiende la distribución conocida de P. pallidoptera 1,420 km al sureste desde el punto más cercano en Perú, y es la localidad más austral de la especie.  El hábitat y refugio donde se colectó P. pallidoptera concuerda con lo descrito en la literatura.  El nuevo registro en Bolivia se encuentra dentro de la amplia distribución potencial en la región amazónica predicha en la descripción de la especie.  Sin embargo, crea una gran brecha en el norte de Bolivia, el noroeste de Brasil y el sureste de Perú, donde se espera tener más registros en el futuro.
Evaluation of the potential highest altitudinal record of Micronycteris hirsuta
Authors: Martínez-Medina Daniela , Calderón-Acevedo Camilo A. , Morales-Martínez Darwin M. , Rodríguez-Posada Miguel E.
Published: June 2021

Micronycteris hirsuta es una especie ampliamente distribuida en el Centro y Sur de América en altitudes no mayores a los 1,500 m y asociada con bosques conservados.  Se registró un individuo muerto de esta especie en la ciudad de Bogotá, a 2,600 m.  Considerando que los registros previos provienen de altitudes más bajas y que esta especie no es frecuente en ecosistemas perturbados, se cuestiona la presencia de M. hirsuta en la ciudad.  Para evaluar si es probable que esta especie habite en áreas cercanas a Bogotá, se desarrolló un modelo de nicho ecológico (ENM, por sus iniciales en inglés), se revisó la distribución de esta especie en Colombia y las especies reportadas para la ciudad de Bogotá.  Se reporta el registro de mayor altitud de Micronycteris hirsuta, a 2,600 m.  El espécimen encontrado exhibe todos los caracteres diagnósticos conocidos para esta especie.  Sin embargo, no se encontró evidencia que respalde la presencia de M. hirsuta en áreas cerca de Bogotá.  De acuerdo con los resultados y los atributos ecológicos de esta especie, no se respalda que M. hirsuta habite áreas cercanas a Bogotá y otros ecosistemas de altitud alta.  Se discuten otras hipótesis que pueden explicar este registro, incluyendo una posible migración o un transporte accidental desde las zonas bajas.  Se resalta la importancia de evaluar los registros inusuales en la distribución de las especies usando ENMs y analizándolos bajo la luz de los atributos ecológicos de cada especie.
Noteworthy record of the kit fox, Vulpes macrotis, in the southcentral limit of its historical distribution
Authors: Dávalos-Fong M. Izumy , Pérez-Montes L. Ernesto , Rosales-Rodríguez José L. , Cornejo-Latorre Cristian
Published: June 2021

La zorrita del desierto, Vulpes macrotris, es un carnívoro nocturno poco común a raro que habita las regiones desérticas y semiáridas del oeste de Norteamérica.  A diferencia de las poblaciones más norteñas, en el centro-sur de su distribución geográfica existe menos información sobre esta especie.  En esta nota, reportamos un registro notable de la zorrita del desierto en el noroeste de San Luis Potosí, México.  El 12 de agosto de 2017, se realizó el registro de un ejemplar macho atropellado en una carretera del municipio de Charcas San Luis Potosí, México.  Esta zorrita del desierto fue fotografiada y se le tomaron medidas somáticas externas.  Adicionalmente, se tomaron las coordenadas geográficas y se determinaron las características del tipo de hábitat.  Nuestro registro representa la primera evidencia confiable de la zorrita del desierto en el estado de San Luis Potosí, México y posiblemente también es el segundo registro más sureño de la especie en el centro-sur de su distribución histórica.  El ejemplar fue registrado a 107 km al noroeste del registro anterior en 11.26 km al S de Real de Los Pinos, Zacatecas, México.  Se confirma la presencia de la zorrita del desierto para el noroeste de San Luis Potosí, México, después de 65 años de su último registro en la localidad más cercana en el estado de Zacatecas.  Se discuten las implicaciones biológicas de este registro, así como la necesidad de realizar un seguimiento efectivo a largo plazo para conocer la distribución y determinar los parámetros ecológicos de las poblaciones de la zorrita del desierto en la zona.
Identifying risk factors for mortality in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19
Authors: Harrison Joanna , Hill James , Palmer Karen
Published: June 2021

This article is an evidence commentary based on the study ‘Predictors of mortality in hospitalised COVID-19 patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis’ by Tian et al, published in volume 92 of the Journal of Medical Virology in 2020. This commentary critically appraises the methods used within this systematic review and meta-analysis and discusses the findings in the context of clinical practice.
Highlighting the latest research: June 2021
Authors: Palmer Sarah Jane
Published: June 2021

Sarah Jane Palmer presents a selection of recently published articles of interest to nurses working in cardiovascular nursing. The aim of this roundup is to provide a brief overview of the research papers selected. A full reference is provided for those who wish to look at the research in further detail.
High resolution coherent spectral analysis method based on Brillouin scattering in an optical fiber
Authors: Cui Jiwen , Zhang Suwen , Dang Hong , Tian Yuqi , Xu Zaibin , Wang Ziyun , Sun Xun
Published: June 2021

High-resolution optical spectral analysis method is of significant importance for those who want to explore the physical world from the frequency domain. Aiming at the resolution degradation of classical coherent optical spectrum analysis (COSA) caused by the mirror phenomenon, this paper modifies the COSA system by introducing two homologous Brillouin scattering beams to serve as the pre-filter and local oscillator (LO), respectively. The central frequencies of the pre-filtered signal and the LO are locked by the Brillouin frequency shifts of those two Brillouin scattering beams. By means of this modification, the pre-filtered signal is located at either the upper-frequency-shifted side or the lower-frequency-shifted sides of the LO but could not exist on both sides of the LO. The proposed method could cancel the mirror phenomenon and thus improve the systematic resolution to 1.3 MHz in theory and 2 MHz in practice.
Highly sensitive X-ray detector based on a β-Ga2O3:Fe single crystal
Authors: Chen Jiawen , Tang Huili , Li Zhiwei , Zhu Zhichao , Gu Mu , Xu Jun , Ouyang Xiaoping , Liu Bo
Published: June 2021

β-Ga2O3 semiconductor crystal is of wide band gap and high radiation resistance, which shows great potential for applications such as medical imaging, radiation detections, and nuclear physical experiments. However, developing β-Ga2O3-based X-ray radiation detectors with high sensitivity, fast response speed, and excellent stability remains a challenge. Here we demonstrate a high-performance X-ray detector based on a Fe doped β-Ga2O3 (β-Ga2O3:Fe) crystal grown by the float-zone growth method, which consists of two vertical Ti/Au electrodes and a β-Ga2O3:Fe crystal with high resistivity. The resistivity of the β-Ga2O3:Fe crystal exceeds 1012 Ω cm owed to the compensation of the Fe ions and the free electrons. The detector shows short response time (0.2 s), high sensitivity (75.3 µC Gyair−1 cm−2), and high signal-to-noise ratio (100), indicating great potential for X-ray radiation detection.
Compact dual-polarization silicon integrated couplers for multicore fibers
Authors: Ruiz Julian L. Pita , Rocha Lucas G. , Yang Jun , Kocabaş Şükrü Ekin , Li Ming-Jun , Aldaya Ivan , Dainese Paulo , Gabrielli Lucas H.
Published: June 2021

Compact fiber-to-chip couplers play an important role in optical interconnections, especially in data centers. However, the development of couplers has been mostly limited to standard single-mode fibers, with few devices compatible with multicore and multimode fibers. Through the use of state-of-the-art optimization algorithms, we designed a compact dual-polarization coupler to interface chips and dense multicore fibers, demonstrating, for the first time, coupling to both polarizations of all the cores, with measured coupling efficiency of

−

4.3

d
B

and with a 3 dB bandwidth of 48 nm. The dual-polarization coupler has a footprint of

200

µ

m

2

per core, which makes it the smallest fiber-to-chip coupler experimentally demonstrated on a standard silicon-on-insulator platform.
FisB relies on homo-oligomerization and lipid binding to catalyze membrane fission in bacteria
Authors: Landajuela Ane , Braun Martha , Rodrigues Christopher D. A. , Martínez-Calvo Alejandro , Doan Thierry , Horenkamp Florian , Andronicos Anna , Shteyn Vladimir , Williams Nathan D. , Lin Chenxiang , Wingreen Ned S. , Rudner David Z. , Karatekin Erdem
Published: June 2021

Little is known about mechanisms of membrane fission in bacteria despite their requirement for cytokinesis. The only known dedicated membrane fission machinery in bacteria, fission protein B (FisB), is expressed during sporulation in Bacillus subtilis and is required to release the developing spore into the mother cell cytoplasm. Here, we characterized the requirements for FisB-mediated membrane fission. FisB forms mobile clusters of approximately 12 molecules that give way to an immobile cluster at the engulfment pole containing approximately 40 proteins at the time of membrane fission. Analysis of FisB mutants revealed that binding to acidic lipids and homo-oligomerization are both critical for targeting FisB to the engulfment pole and membrane fission. Experiments using artificial membranes and filamentous cells suggest that FisB does not have an intrinsic ability to sense or induce membrane curvature but can bridge membranes. Finally, modeling suggests that homo-oligomerization and trans-interactions with membranes are sufficient to explain FisB accumulation at the membrane neck that connects the engulfment membrane to the rest of the mother cell membrane during late stages of engulfment. Together, our results show that FisB is a robust and unusual membrane fission protein that relies on homo-oligomerization, lipid binding, and the unique membrane topology generated during engulfment for localization and membrane scission, but surprisingly, not on lipid microdomains, negative-curvature lipids, or curvature sensing.
A Listeria monocytogenes clone in human breast milk associated with severe acute malnutrition in West Africa: A multicentric case-controlled study
Authors: Sarr Marièma , Tidjani Alou Maryam , Delerce Jeremy , Khelaifia Saber , Diagne Nafissatou , Diallo Aldiouma , Bassene Hubert , Bréchard Ludivine , Bossi Vincent , Mbaye Babacar , Lagier Jean-Christophe , Levasseur Anthony , Sokhna Cheikh , Million Matthieu , Raoult Didier
Published: June 2021

Background

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is a major public health problem affecting children under the age of five in many low- and middle-income countries, and its resolution would contribute towards achieving the several sustainable development goals. The etiology of SAM is pluri-factorial, including delayed maturation of the gut microbiota, suboptimal feeding practices and dysfunctional breastfeeding. The recent serendipitous detection of Listeria monocytogenes in the breast milk of Malian women, in contrast to French women, suggests a possible association with SAM.

Methodology/ Principal findings

To investigate the possible association of L. monocytogenes carriage in breast milk and SAM, a case-control study was performed in Senegal, with subjects recruited from two areas. Using 16S amplicon sequencing, a culture independent method, 100% (152/152) of the mothers were positive for L. monocytogenes in their breast milk while qPCR analysis gave lower recovery rates. Interestingly, after enrichment in Fraser broth and seeding on PALCALM agar, all 10 isolated strains were isolated from the milk of 10 mothers who had SAM children which also had a significantly increased relative abundance of L. monocytogenes (0.34 (SD 0.35) vs 0.05 (SD 0.07) in controls, p<0.0001). The high genomic similarity between these strains and Malian breast milk strains from a previous study supports the hypothesis of endemic clone carriage in West Africa. Moreover, the in vitro growth inhibition of L. monocytogenes using breast milk samples was obtained from only 50% of the milk of mothers who had SAM children, in contrast to control samples which systematically inhibited the growth of L. monocytogenes with a higher inhibition diameter (15.7 mm (SD 2.3) in controls versus 3.5 mm (SD 4.6) in SAM, p = 0.0001). Lactobacillus and Streptococcus isolated from the breast milk of controls inhibit L. monocytogenes in a species-dependent manner.

Conclusions/Significance

Our study reveals a previously unsuspected carriage of L. monocytogenes in the breast milk of West African women, which is associated with SAM. The inhibitory effect of human selected lactic acid bacterial species against L. monocytogenes might provide new therapeutic and inexpensive options to prevent and treat this neglected public health issue.
HAI-1 is an independent predictor of lung cancer mortality and is required for M1 macrophage polarization
Authors: Borowicz Stanley , Principe Daniel R. , Dorman Matthew J. , McHenry Austin J. , Sondarva Gautam , Kumar Sandeep , Ananthanarayanan Vijayalakshmi , Simms Patricia E. , Hess Ashley , Rana Ajay
Published: June 2021

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Though immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized lung cancer therapy in recent years, there are several factors limiting the therapeutic efficacy of ICI-based immunotherapy in lung cancer. Recent evidence suggests that one such mechanism is the phenotypic shift of tumor-infiltrating macrophages away from an anti-tumor M1 phenotype and towards an anti-inflammatory and tumor-permissive M2 phenotype. Though this phenomenon is well documented, the means through which the lung tumor microenvironment (TME) usurps macrophage function are poorly described. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a known driver of both lung cancer pathobiology as well as M2 polarization, and its signaling is antagonized by the tumor suppressor gene HAI-1 (SPINT1). Using a combination of genomic databases, primary NSCLC specimens, andin vitromodels, we determined that patients with loss of HAI-1 have a particularly poor prognosis, hallmarked by increased HGF expression and an M2-dominant immune infiltrate. Similarly, conditioned media from HAI-1-deficient tumor cells led to a loss of M1 and increased M2 polarizationin vitro, and patient NSCLC tissues with loss of HAI-1 showed a similar loss of M1 macrophages. Combined, these results suggest that loss of HAI-1 is a potential means through which tumors acquire an immunosuppressive, M2-dominated TME, potentially through impaired M1 macrophage polarization. Hence, HAI-1 status may be informative when stratifying patients that may benefit from therapies targeting the HGF pathway, particularly as an adjuvant to ICI-based immunotherapy.
Incidence of extraovarian clear cell cancers in women with surgically diagnosed endometriosis: A cohort study
Authors: Saavalainen Liisu , Lassus Heini , But Anna , Gissler Mika , Heikinheimo Oskari , Pukkala Eero
Published: June 2021

Background

Endometriosis is associated with increased risk of clear cell ovarian cancer and has even suggested being an etiological factor for this cancer. Association between endometriosis and extraovarian clear cell cancers is unclear. This study aimed to assess the association between surgically diagnosed endometriosis and risk of extraovarian clear cell cancers according to the type of endometriosis (i.e., ovarian, peritoneal, and other endometriosis) and the site of clear cell cancer.

Methods

In this register-based historic cohort study we identified all women with surgically diagnosed endometriosis from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Registry 1987–2012. Data on extraovarian clear cell cancers of these women were obtained from the Finnish Cancer Registry. The follow-up started January 1st, 2007 or at endometriosis diagnosis (if later), and ended at emigration, death or on the December 31st, 2014. Standardized incidence ratios were calculated for each site of clear cell carcinoma (intestine, kidney, urinary tract, gynecological organs other than ovary), using the Finnish female population as reference.

Results

The endometriosis cohort consisted of 48,996 women, including 22,745 women with ovarian and 19,809 women with peritoneal endometriosis. Altogether 23 extraovarian clear cell cancers were observed during 367,386 person-years of follow-up. The risk of extraovarian clear cell cancer was not increased among all women with surgically diagnosed endometriosis (standardized incidence ratio 0.89, 95% confidence interval 0.56–1.33) nor in different types of endometriosis. The incidence of clear cell cancer in any specific site was not increased either.

Conclusions

The risk of extraovarian clear cell cancers in women with surgically diagnosed endometriosis is similar to that in the general population in Finland.
Of pathogens and party lines: Social conservatism positively associates with COVID-19 precautions among U.S. Democrats but not Republicans
Authors: Samore Theodore , Fessler Daniel M. T. , Sparks Adam Maxwell , Holbrook Colin
Published: June 2021

Social liberals tend to be less pathogen-avoidant than social conservatives, a pattern consistent with a model wherein ideological differences stem from differences in threat reactivity. Here we investigate if and how individual responses to a shared threat reflect those patterns of ideological difference. In seeming contradiction to the general association between social conservatism and pathogen avoidance, the more socially conservative political party in the United States has more consistently downplayed the dangers of COVID-19 during the ongoing pandemic. This puzzle offers an opportunity to examine the contributions of multiple factors to disease avoidance. We investigated the relationship between social conservatism and COVID-19 precautionary behavior in light of the partisan landscape of the United States. We explored whether consumption of, and attitudes toward, different sources of information, as well as differential evaluation of various threats caused by the pandemic—such as direct health costs versus indirect harms to the economy and individual liberties—shape partisan differences in responses to the pandemic in ways that overwhelm the contributions of social conservatism. In two pre-registered studies, socially conservative attitudes correlate with self-reported COVID-19 prophylactic behaviors, but only among Democrats. Reflecting larger societal divisions, among Republicans and Independents, the absence of a positive relationship between social conservatism and COVID-19 precautions appears driven by lower trust in scientists, lower trust in liberal and moderate sources, lesser consumption of liberal news media, and greater economic conservatism.
A spatial-institutional analysis of researchers with multiple affiliations
Authors: Yegros-Yegros Alfredo , Capponi Giovanna , Frenken Koen
Published: June 2021

Researchers holding multiple affiliations can play an important bridging role between organizations, fostering knowledge transfer and research collaboration. We propose a methodology to identify authors with multiple affiliations co-hosted by two organizations for a prolonged period of time, which distinguishes them from authors who change jobs or only hold short appointments. We apply this methodology to all authors and organizations residing in the Netherlands and find 626 organizations with at least one co-affiliated researcher. We perform a regression analysis of the inter-organizational network spanned by all co-affiliated researchers, and find strong negative effects of travel time. We also find that researchers who hold multiple affiliations, often cross the institutional boundaries between university, industry, government, healthcare and public research organizations. In particular, university-affiliated researchers tend to be most active in bridging to organizations in other institutional spheres. We end with some reflections for future studies and implications for science policy.
A novel diagnostic approach for assessing pulmonary blood flow distribution using conventional X-ray angiography
Authors: Sakaguchi Takuya , Watanabe Yuichiro , Hirose Masashi , Takei Kohta , Yasukochi Satoshi
Published: June 2021

Objective

Quantitative assessment of pulmonary blood flow distribution is important when determining the clinical indications for treating pulmonary arterial branch stenosis. Lung perfusion scintigraphy is currently the gold standard for quantitative blood flow measurement. However, it is expensive, cannot provide a real-time assessment, requires additional sedation, and exposes the patient to ionizing radiation. The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of a novel technology for measuring pulmonary blood flow distribution in each lung by conventional X-ray pulmonary angiography and to compare its performance to that of lung perfusion scintigraphy.

Methods

Contrast-enhanced X-ray pulmonary angiography images were acquired at a frame rate of 30 frames per second. The baseline mask image, obtained before contrast agent injection, was subtracted from subsequent, consecutive images. The time-signal intensity curves of two regions of interest, established at each lung field, were obtained on a frame-to-frame basis. The net increase in signal intensity within each region at the torrent period during the second cardiac cycle before contrast agent enhancement over the total lung field was measured, and the right-to-left ratio of the signal intensity was calculated. The right-to-left ratio obtained with this approach was compared to that obtained with scintigraphy. Agreement of the right-to-left ratio between X-ray angiography and lung scintigraphy measurements was assessed using linear fitting with the Pearson correlation coefficient.

Result

The calculation of the right-to-left ratio of pulmonary blood flow by our kinetic model was feasible for seven children as a pilot study. The right-to-left ratio of pulmonary blood flow distribution calculated from pulmonary angiography was in good agreement with that of lung perfusion scintigraphy, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.91 and a slope of linear fit of 1.2 (p<0.005).

Conclusion

The novel diagnostic technology using X-ray pulmonary angiography from our kinetic model can feasibly quantify the right-to-left ratio of pulmonary blood flow distribution. This technology may serve as a substitute for lung perfusion scintigraphy, which is quite beneficial for small children susceptible to radiation exposure.
Association of lung function with functional limitation in older adults: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Gao Yu , Shen Liang , Zhan Runqing , Wang Xiaoxu , Chen Huanhuan , Shen Xiaoli
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Impaired lung function is independently associated with higher rates of disability, however, few studies have examined the association between lung function and functional limitation. This study aimed to assess this association and dose-response relationship in older adults.

Methods

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007–2012) was used as a cross-sectional study. Lung function was determined by Forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). Functional limitation in older adults was identified by six self-reported questions on physical function. 3070 adults aged 60 and over were enrolled in our study. Logistic regression models and restricted cubic spline models were applied to examine the association between lung function and the risk of functional limitation.

Results

FEV1and FVC were inversely associated with the risk of functional limitation. In the full adjusted model, compared with the lowest tertile of FEV1, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of functional limitation for tertile 2 and tertile 3 were 0.5422 (0.3848–0.7639) and 0.4403 (0.2685–0.7220), and the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of functional limitation for tertile 2 and tertile 3 of FVC were 0.5243 (0.3503–0.7848) and 0.3726 (0.2072–0.6698). Furthermore, an inverse association persisted after stratified analysis by gender and sensitivity analysis. Dose-response analyses showed that the odds of functional limitation declined with increase in FEV1and FVC in a nonlinear manner.

Conclusions

Lung function was inversely associated with functional limitation among older adults.
Oral health and longitudinal changes in fasting glucose levels: A nationwide cohort study
Authors: Song Tae-Jin , Chang Yoonkyung , Jeon Jimin , Kim Jinkwon
Published: June 2021

We investigated the association between oral hygiene indicators of periodontitis, tooth loss, and tooth brushing on the longitudinal fasting glucose level in non-diabetic subjects. Using a nationwide health screening database in Korea, we included non-diabetic individuals who received a health screening program with oral health check in 2009–2010. We constructed a linear mixed model for the longitudinal data of fasting glucose from the baseline to 2015. During the 4.84-year of median follow-up, 91,963 individuals (mean age 56.2 at baseline) underwent 392,780 health examinations with fasting glucose level (mmol/L). The presence of periodontitis was 39.3%. In the multivariate linear mixed analysis, periodontitis was related with increased fasting glucose levels (β = 0.0084, standard error = 0.0035, p = 0.018). Similarly, tooth loss was associated with increased level of fasting glucose (β = 0.0246, standard error = 0.0038, p < 0.001). Compared with tooth brushing ≤2 times/day, tooth brushing ≥3 times/day was associated with decreased fasting glucose levels (β = -0.0207, standard error = 0.0033, p < 0.001). Our data showed that periodontitis and tooth loss were associated with increased fasting glucose levels in non-diabetic individuals. The study findings imply that frequent tooth brushing may reduce fasting glucose levels. Further research is needed to determine the effect of periodontal intervention on glycemic control.
Designing optimal COVID-19 testing stations locally: A discrete event simulation model applied on a university campus
Authors: Saidani Michael , Kim Harrison , Kim Jinju
Published: June 2021

Providing sufficient testing capacities and accurate results in a time-efficient way are essential to prevent the spread and lower the curve of a health crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. In line with recent research investigating how simulation-based models and tools could contribute to mitigating the impact of COVID-19, a discrete event simulation model is developed to design optimal saliva-based COVID-19 testing stations performing sensitive, non-invasive, and rapid-result RT-qPCR tests processing. This model aims to determine the adequate number of machines and operators required, as well as their allocation at different workstations, according to the resources available and the rate of samples to be tested per day. The model has been built and experienced using actual data and processes implemented on-campus at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where an average of around 10,000 samples needed to be processed on a daily basis, representing at the end of August 2020 more than 2% of all the COVID-19 tests performed per day in the USA. It helped identify specific bottlenecks and associated areas of improvement in the process to save human resources and time. Practically, the overall approach, including the proposed modular discrete event simulation model, can easily be reused or modified to fit other contexts where local COVID-19 testing stations have to be implemented or optimized. It could notably support on-site managers and decision-makers in dimensioning testing stations by allocating the appropriate type and quantity of resources.
Ward-specific clustering of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus spa-type t037 and t045 in two hospitals in South Africa: 2013 to 2017
Authors: Strasheim Wilhelmina , Perovic Olga , Singh-Moodley Ashika , Kwanda Stanford , Ismail Arshad , Lowe Michelle
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a highly clonal pathogen causing infections in various settings. The aim of this study was to determine if healthcare-associated (HA) MRSA isolates with the same spa-type originating from two geographically distinct hospitals in South Africa were genetically related based on PFGE. Furthermore, a small subset of MRSA isolates were characterised with WGS and then compared to PFGE to determine if PFGE is still a reliable method to define outbreaks and/or transmission chains.

Methods

Staphylococcus aureus isolated from blood cultures (BC) were submitted to the Centre for Healthcare-Associated Infections, Antimicrobial Resistance and Mycoses (CHARM) as part of a laboratory-based surveillance programme (GERMS-SA). The identified HA-MRSA isolates underwent molecular characterisation [Staphylococcal Chromosome Cassette (SCC) mec and spa-typing]. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed on selected isolates with the same spa-type. Twenty-one MRSA isolates were selected for whole-genome sequencing (WGS) based on spa-type, PFGE clustering, time and place of isolation.

Results

Eighteen percent (n = 95/529) and 33% (n = 234/710) of isolates collected, from two public tertiary academic hospitals in the Gauteng (GAU) and the Western Cape (WC) provinces, were identified as MRSA, respectively. The most dominant clone in the GAU hospital was t037-III-MRSA (43.2%; n = 41/95). The most dominant clones in the WC hospital was t037-III-MRSA (23.9%, n = 56/234) and t045-I-MRSA (23.5%, n = 55/234). The GAU-t037-III-MRSA cases and WC-t045-I-MRSA cases occurred in the paediatric patient population, whereas the WC-t037-III-MRSA cases occurred in the adult patient population. A novel spa-type (t19935) was detected in the GAU hospital. PFGE showed that the GAU- and WC-t037-III-MRSA isolates were genetically indistinguishable, as well as most of the WC-t045-I-MRSA isolates. The Vienna/Hungarian/Brazilian clone and British EMRSA-3 clone were in circulation and a low frequency of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) (≤20) differences was observed among isolates with the same spa-type.

Conclusion

The low number of SNP differences is suggestive of uninterrupted strain transmission and the persistence of t037-III-MRSA and t045-I-MRSA from 2013 to 2017 in the two studied hospitals. Alternative infection prevention and control strategies should be considered to supplement control efforts.
Comparative distributions of RSBN1 and methylated histone H4 Lysine 20 in the mouse spermatogenesis
Authors: Wang Youtao , Iwamori Tokuko , Kaneko Takane , Iida Hiroshi , Iwamori Naoki
Published: June 2021

During spermatogenesis, nuclear architecture of male germ cells is dynamically changed and epigenetic modifications, in particular methylation of histones, highly contribute to its regulation as well as differentiation of male germ cells. Although several methyltransferases and demethylases for histone H3 are involved in the regulation of spermatogenesis, roles of either histone H4 lysine 20 (H4K20) methyltransferases or H4K20 demethylases during spermatogenesis still remain to be elucidated. Recently, RSBN1 which is a testis-specific gene expressed in round spermatids was identified as a demethylase for dimethyl H4K20. In this study, therefore, we confirm the demethylase function of RSBN1 and compare distributions between RSBN1 and methylated H4K20 in the seminiferous tubules. Unlike previous report, expression analyses for RSBN1 reveal that RSBN1 is not a testis-specific gene and is expressed not only in round spermatids but also in elongated spermatids. In addition, RSBN1 can demethylate not only dimethyl H4K20 but also trimethyl H4K20 and could convert both dimethyl H4K20 and trimethyl H4K20 into monomethyl H4K20. When distribution pattern of RSBN1 in the seminiferous tubule is compared to that of methylated H4K20, both dimethyl H4K20 and trimethyl H4K20 but not monomethyl H4K20 are disappeared from RSBN1 positive germ cells, suggesting that testis-specific distribution patterns of methylated H4K20 might be constructed by RSBN1. Thus, novel expression and function of RSBN1 could be useful to comprehend epigenetic regulation during spermatogenesis.
Novel proteins associated with chronic intermittent hypoxia and obstructive sleep apnea: From rat model to clinical evidence
Authors: Tang Xiaojun , Li Shisheng , Yang Xinming , Tang Qinglai , Zhang Ying , Zeng Shiying , Li Mengmeng , Jiang Kang , Guo Lu , Huang Peiying
Published: June 2021

Objective

To screen for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) biomarkers, isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ)-labeled quantitative proteomics assay was used to identify differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) during chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH).

Method

The iTRAQ technique was applied to compare DEPs in the serum of a CIH rat model and control group. Biological analysis of DEPs was performed using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia to explore related biological functions and signaling pathways. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was performed to validate their expression in sera from patients with OSA and CIH rats.

Results

Twenty-three DEPs (fold change ≥1.2 or ≤0.833,p<0.05) were identified, and two DEPs (unique peptides>3 and higher coverage) were further verified by ELISA in the CIH rat model and OSA subject: apolipoprotein A-IV (APOA4,p<0.05) and Tubulin alpha-1A chain (TUBA1A,p<0.05). Both groups showed significant differences in the expression levels of DEPs between the CIH and control groups and the severe OSA and non-OSA groups. APOA4 was found to be upregulated and TUBA1A downregulated in both the sera from OSA patients and CIH rats, on comparing proteomics results with clinical results. There were two pathways that involved three DEPs, the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway (p<0.05) and cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction (p<0.05).

Conclusion

APOA4 and TUBA1A may be potential novel biomarkers for CIH and OSA, and may play an important role in the development of OSA complications.
COVID-19 and pregnancy: An umbrella review of clinical presentation, vertical transmission, and maternal and perinatal outcomes
Authors: Ciapponi Agustín , Bardach Ariel , Comandé Daniel , Berrueta Mabel , Argento Fernando J. , Rodriguez Cairoli Federico , Zamora Natalia , Santa María Victoria , Xiong Xu , Zaraa Sabra , Mazzoni Agustina , Buekens Pierre
Published: June 2021

Background

We conducted an overview of systematic reviews (SRs) summarizing the best evidence regarding the effect of COVID-19 on maternal and child health following Cochrane methods and PRISMA statement for reporting (PROSPERO-CRD42020208783).

Methods

We searched literature databases and COVID-19 research websites from January to October 2020. We selected relevant SRs reporting adequate search strategy, data synthesis, risk of bias assessment, and/or individual description of included studies describing COVID-19 and pregnancy outcomes. Pair of reviewers independently selected studies through COVIDENCE web-software, performed the data extraction, and assessed its quality through the AMSTAR-2 tool. Discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Each SR’s results were synthesized and for the most recent, relevant, comprehensive, and with the highest quality, by predefined criteria, we presented GRADE evidence tables.

Results

We included 66 SRs of observational studies out of 608 references retrieved and most (61/66) had "critically low" overall quality. We found a relatively low degree of primary study overlap across SRs. The most frequent COVID-19 clinical findings during pregnancy were fever (28–100%), mild respiratory symptoms (20–79%), raised C-reactive protein (28–96%), lymphopenia (34–80%), and pneumonia signs in diagnostic imaging (7–99%). The most frequent maternal outcomes were C-section (23–96%) and preterm delivery (14–64%). Most of their babies were asymptomatic (16–93%) or presented fever (0–50%), low birth weight (5–43%) or preterm delivery (2–69%). The odds ratio (OR) of receiving invasive ventilation for COVID-19 versus non-COVID-19 pregnant women was 1.88 (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 1.36–2.60) and the OR that their babies were admitted to neonatal intensive care unit was 3.13 (95%CI 2.05–4.78). The risk of congenital transmission or via breast milk was estimated to be low, but close contacts may carry risks.

Conclusion

This comprehensive overview supports that pregnant women with COVID-19 may be at increased risk of adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes and low risk of congenital transmission.
Symbolic-discursive violence and new media: An epistemological perspective
Authors: Civila Sabina , Romero-Rodríguez Luis M. , Aguaded Ignacio
Published: June 2021

The following research studies, from a theoretical perspective, the different forms of symbolic and discursive violence and the transmission of hate speech through new media. The main objective is to understand the consequences of symbolic violence through language and how this affects freedom of expression. Reflective and critical argumentation is highlighted through an exploratory analysis carried out by a literature review, where it is determined that the confrontational narrative used by the media contributes to the dehumanization, demonization and polarization of specific collectives.
Talking the nation over advertising: The case of Catalan commercial advertisements
Authors: Lladonosa-Latorre Mariona , Visa-Barbosa Mariona
Published: June 2021

This article addresses how advertisements are narrative devices for the construction, imagination and diffusion of the nation’s depictions in the context of globalization. In this analytical sense, we suggest the current traits in advertising: the hyper-symbolization of the brand and the extrapolation of nation branding to product advertising. We study different representations of Catalonia through a sample of the audio-visual commercial advertising on food and drinks on public television in Catalonia between 2009 and 2017. These examples show the main symbolic frameworks of the nation and re-created identity through two types of depictions of Catalan tradition and experiential Catalanness, that which can exemplify the idea of banal nationalism in the sense of Billig and Edensor’s everyday nationalism. The main objective of our proposal is to understand commercial advertisements as forms of national discourse in everyday nationalism and how the private sector uses this.
Tackling online disinformation through media literacy in Spain: The project ‘Que no te la cuelen’
Authors: Carrillo Nereida , Montagut Marta
Published: June 2021

Media literacy of schoolchildren is a key political goal worldwide: institutions and citizens consider media literacy training to be essential – among other aspects – to combat falsehoods and generate healthy public opinion in democratic contexts. In Spain, various media literacy projects address this phenomenon one of which is ‘Que no te la cuelen’ (‘Don’t be fooled’, QNTLC). The project, which has been developed by the authors of this viewpoint, is implemented through theoretical–practical workshops aimed at public and private secondary pupils (academic years 2018–19, 2019–20 and 2020–21), based around training in fake news detection strategies and online fact-checking tools for students and teachers. This viewpoint describes and reflects on this initiative, conducted in 36 training sessions with schoolchildren aged 14–16 years attending schools in Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona. The workshops are based on van Dijk’s media literacy model, with a special focus on the ‘informational skills’ dimension. The amount of information available through all kinds of online platforms implies an extra effort in selecting, evaluating and sharing information, and the workshop focuses on this process through seven steps: suspect, read/listen/watch carefully, check the source, look for other reliable sources, check the data/location, be self-conscious of your bias and decide whether to share the information or not. The QNTLC sessions teach and train these skills combining gamification strategies – online quiz, verification challenges, ‘infoxication’ dynamics in the class – as well as through a public deliberation among students. Participants’ engagement and stakeholders’ interest in the programme suggest that this kind of training is important or, at least, attract the attention of these collectives in the Spanish context.
The White Racial Frame: Centuries of Racial Framing and Counter-Framing, JOE R. FEAGIN (2020), 3rd ed.
Authors: García Martínez Cristina
Published: June 2021

Review of: The White Racial Frame: Centuries of Racial Framing and Counter-Framing, JOE R. FEAGIN (2020), 3rd ed.

New York: Routledge, 302 pp.,

ISBN 978-0-36737-347-4, h/bk, £120

ISBN 978-0-36737-348-1, p/bk, £32.99
USE OF BIOMARKERS
Authors: Rodríguez-Mañas L.
Published: June 2021

Expanding the concept of frailty to the clinical settings has raised the concern about the accuracy of the current definitions for identifying frail individuals (not populations). The usual tools to assess frailty show, among other characteristics, a low sensitivity and a low Positive Predictive Value. One approach to overcome this challenge is using biological biomarkers to improve those characteristics, making feasible and accurate the assessment of frailty in clinical settings. Many biomarkers of frailty have been identified but few of them have been assessed as clinical markers with controversial results. Taking into account that frailty is caused by the failure in different systems, it is worthy to check if the combination of several of these biomarkers could be of help. In this effort, the EU-funded project FRAILOMIC is trying to assess the ability of different sets of biomarkers for improving the accuracy of classical definitions in determining the risk, the diagnosis and the prognosis of frailty.
Preprint: Mobility surveys beyond stated preference: Introducing MyTrips, an SP-off-RP survey tool, and results of two case studies
Authors: Rudloff Christian , Straub Markus
Published: June 2021

When introducing new mobility offers or measures to influence traffic, stated preference (SP) surveys are often used to assess their impact. In SP surveys respondents do not answer questions about their actual behavior but about hypothetical settings. Therefore, answers are often biased. To minimise this hypothetical bias, so-called stated preference-off-revealed preference (SP-off-RP)surveys were developed. They base SP questions on respondents’ revealedbehavior and place unknown scenarios in a familiar context. Until now this method was applied mostly to scenarios investigating the willingness to pay. The application to more complex mode or route choice problems, which require the calculation of routes, has not yet been done. In this paper, the MyTrips survey tool for the collection of SP-off-RP data based on respondents’ actual mobility behavior is presented. SP questions are based on alternatives to typical routes of respondents, which are calculated on the fly with an intermodal router. MyTrips includes a larger survey and collectsmobility diaries for one day representing respondents’ daily routine, calculates alternative routes and creates SP questions based on a Bayesian optimal design. Results from two case studies investigating behavior changes are presented. The first case study investigated the extension of a subway line in Vienna,Austria. The second case study focused on the introduction of micro transit vehicles in a rural setting, replacing infrequent bus services. Results of the two case studies show a difference in response behaviour between SP and RP settings and suggest a reduction of hypothetical bias. For the latter study a Latent Class SP-off-RP model was estimated. It shows that availability and accessibility of public transport are the main influence on the willingness to use it independent of other household characteristics.
Localización de empresas de Servicios Intensivos en Conocimiento en la Zona Metropolitana del Valle de México
Authors: Pérez Campuzano Enrique
Published: June 2021

Este artículo tiene como objetivo presentar los factores que inciden en la localización de los servicios intensivos en conocimiento en la Zona Metropolitana del Valle de México. Para ello se utilizan los datos del Directorio Nacional de Unidades Económicas agregados a nivel de código postal, y usando técnicas de regresión Hurdle, cero-infladas de tipo Poisson y negativa binomial, se muestra que estas actividades se localizan principalmente donde existe una densidad importante de empresas así como una diversidad de las mismas. Igualmente, se encontró que la distancia a vialidades y a las estaciones del metro son estadísticamente significativas. Esto apunta a economías de aglomeración tanto de localización como urbanas.
Quercetin 3 Rutinoside Facilitates Protection Against Radiation Induced Genotoxic and Oxidative Damage A Study in C57bl 6 Mice
Authors: Verma Savita , Dutta Ajaswrata
Published: June 2021

Radiation-induced oxidative stress and haematopoietic genomic instability is the major concern during planned or unplanned exposure. Use of the natural phytochemicals is an emerging strategy to prevent from the harmful effects of radiation. In the current investigation, Quercetin 3-Rutinoside (Q-3-R), a polyphenolic bioflavonoid, has been evaluated against gamma radiation (2Gy) induced genotoxic damage and oxidative imbalance in mice. Mice were administered with Q-3-R (10mg/kg body weight) 1hr prior to irradiation and evaluated for its antioxidant potential. Anti-genotoxic potential was assessed in terms of chromosomal aberrations in bone marrow cells. Findings revealed that Q-3-R had very high reducing potential, effectively scavenged 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) and hydrogen peroxide radicals, chelated metal ions and inhibited lipid peroxidation in a dose dependant manner. The glutathione (GSH) levels were found elevated (p<0.05), while reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were seen in blood and liver tissues of Q-3-R pretreated mice. Significant (p<0.01) reduction in Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) levels and radiation induced aberrations (dicentrics, rings, fragments, end to end association, robertsonian translocation) following Q-3-R pretreatment was found in bone marrow cells. The present findings demonstrate that Q-3-R can effectively minimise radiation-induced genotoxic and oxidative damages and can be explored further to be used as a potent radioprotector in humans.