bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Childhood autoimmune hemolytic anemia: A scoping review
Authors: Zhang Caseng , Charland Danielle , O'Hearn Katie , Steele MacGregor , Klaassen Robert J. , Speckert Matthew
Published: June 2024

Background and objective

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) is a rare but important cause of morbidity in pediatric hematology patients. Given its rarity, there is little high‐quality evidence on which to base the investigation and management of pediatric AIHA. This scoping review aims to summarize the current evidence and highlight key gaps to inform future studies.

Methods

This review searched MEDLINE and the Cochrane CENTRAL Trials Register from 2000 to November 03, 2023. Experimental and observational studies reporting AIHA diagnostic criteria, laboratory workup, or treatment/management in populations with at least 20% of patients ≤18 years were included.

Results

Forty‐three studies were included, with no randomized controlled trials identified. AIHA diagnostic criteria, diagnostic tests, and treatments were highly variable. First‐line treatment approaches include corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, or both. Approaches to AIHA resistance to first‐line therapy were widely variable between studies, but most commonly included rituximab and/or cyclosporine.

Conclusions

We identify a heterogenous group of observational studies into this complex, immune‐mediated disorder. Standardized definitions and classifications are needed to guide collaborative efforts needed to study this rare disease. The work done by the CEREVANCE group provides an important paradigm for future studies.
Racial disparities in the incidence and survival outcomes in diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma in adolescents and young adults
Authors: Wasifuddin Mustafa , Ilerhunmwuwa Nosakhare Paul , Becerra Henry , Hakobyan Narek , Shrestha Neharika , Uche Ifeanyi Nnamdi , Lin Htet , Abowali Hesham , Zheng Jin , Yadav Ruchi , Pokhrel Akriti , Enayati Ladan , Hare Mitchell , Hehr Rohan , Kozii Khrystyna , Gibadullin Bulat , Avezbakiyev Boris , Wang Jen‐Chin
Published: June 2024

Diffuse large B‐cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) is an aggressive subtype of non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). The disease generally occurs in older patients. Although at a lower prevalence, the disease also occurs in the adolescent and young adult group (AYA). There is paucity of data in the literature on racial and ethnic disparities in the incidence and survival outcomes of DLBCL in the AYA group. The objective of our study is to demonstrate the disparities in these outcomes. Utilizing SEER, we obtained data on patient demographics, incidence, and survival from 2000 to 2020. We observed statistically significant reduced incidence of DLBCL in all racial groups, except the non‐Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander group (NHAPI). The non‐Hispanic Black group (NHB) had one of the lowest survival despite showing the largest decrease in incidence in DLBCL. The differences in the survival could be secondary to socioeconomic factors, however other reasons need to be explored. The increased incidence among the NHAPI group mirrors that of large population‐based studies in East Asian countries, however, underlying reasons have not been elucidated.
Family leisure and negative links between family of origin adversity and marital satisfaction
Authors: Wikle Jocelyn S. , Forbush Ashley , Yorgason Jeremy , Holmes Erin K.
Published: June 2024

Objective

This study evaluated family leisure as a moderator of negative associations between family of origin adversity and subsequent marital relationship satisfaction.

Background

Negative experiences during childhood often affect marital outcomes. However, the vulnerability‐stress‐adaptation model of marriage suggests couples can adapt in healthy ways to manage vulnerabilities. Family leisure is often used to address stress. Family leisure remains a strong predictor of relationship well‐being due to its ability to strengthen emotion regulation and build psychological resources, motivating an evaluation of family leisure as a potential ameliorating factor for links between family of origin adversity and marital relationship satisfaction.

Method

The study used a national dyadic sample of heterosexual married couples from the Couple Relationships and Transition Experiences (CREATE) study in the United States in 2021 (N = 1,462 couples). This study estimated an actor–partner interdependence model with dyadic connections and individual controls to evaluate family leisure in the context of married couples with past family of origin adversity.

Results

Family leisure positively associated with marital satisfaction directly but did not moderate family of origin adversity.

Conclusion

The study confirmed negative links between family of origin adversity and marital relationship satisfaction. Although the study also confirmed positive links between family leisure and relationship satisfaction, family leisure was not helpful as a buffer for family of origin adversity.

Implications

Findings suggest couples with family of origin adversity should not use family leisure as a primary means of addressing stress from family of origin experiences to help with marriages and may have more success with other strategies.
Not to Study, But to Experience: Parental Aspirations, Children's Happiness and Alternative Pathways to Going Global in South Korea
Authors: Kang Yoonhee
Published: June 2024

South Korea has been known for high rates of ‘early study abroad’ (ESA) or jogi yuhak participation, in which pre‐college students go abroad for an international education. However, this trend has declined recently. Instead, many Korean parents and their children are seeking the benefits of ‘studying abroad’ without leaving Korea for long periods. Based on in‐depth interviews with Korean parents, I explore various strategies they employ to provide their children, aged 4–12, with ‘study abroad experiences’ without actually studying abroad for an extended period. These approaches include English immersion programmes, such as English kindergartens and camps designed to expose children to foreign cultures and languages. I analyse how Korean parents’ aspirations to nurture ‘happy children’ while securing their future success shape diverse strategies that transcend traditional local–global and sedentary–mobile dichotomies. This highlights more complex motivations behind educational choices, emphasizing goals beyond mere capital accumulation or lifestyle consumption.
Microstructure and mechanical properties of a porous ceramic composite with needle‐like mullite and zirconia
Authors: López Paula V. , Mocciaro Anabella , Hernández María F. , Richard Diego , Rendtorff Nicolás M.
Published: June 2024

Porous mullite ceramics have good properties for high‐temperature applications, but porosity gives place to ceramics with low mechanical strength, which restricts the service life in their potential applications. Therefore, performing modifications at the microscale to increase the mechanical strength has become a current challenge to expand its application fields. This work describes the properties of a porous mullite–zirconia composite produced by ceramic processing, using industrial kaolin and stabilized zirconia as raw materials. The growth of mullite needle‐like grains to reinforce the ceramic was promoted by the addition of a molybdenum oxide precursor. The effect of zirconia on the composite was analyzed through an experimental multi‐technique approach and considering a pure mullite sample, identically processed, as a reference. The novel composite has a porosity of about 50%, and presents a homogeneous microstructure, with interlocked mullite needle‐like grains and dispersed rounded zirconia grains. This morphology restricts the mullite tendency to shrink during sintering, giving the material a higher stiffness. In particular, the presence of zirconia in the composite improves both the flexural strength and the apparent Young modulus of the material (about 20% and up to 600%, respectively). These results encourage further investigations to establish this composite for different technological applications.
The influence of aging and the microbiome in multiple sclerosis and other neurologic diseases
Authors: Fettig Naomi M. , Pu Annie , Osborne Lisa C. , Gommerman Jennifer L.
Published: June 2024

The human gut microbiome is well‐recognized as a key player in maintaining health. However, it is a dynamic entity that changes across the lifespan. How the microbial changes that occur in later decades of life shape host health or impact age‐associated inflammatory neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) is still unclear. Current understanding of the aging gut microbiome is largely limited to cross‐sectional observational studies. Moreover, studies in humans are limited by confounding host‐intrinsic and extrinsic factors that are not easily disentangled from aging. This review provides a comprehensive summary of existing literature on the aging gut microbiome and its known relationships with neurological diseases, with a specific focus on MS. We will also discuss preclinical animal models and human studies that shed light on the complex microbiota–host interactions that have the potential to influence disease pathology and progression in aging individuals. Lastly, we propose potential avenues of investigation to deconvolute features of an aging microbiota that contribute to disease, or alternatively promote health in advanced age.
Identification of Various Recombinants in a Patient Coinfected With the Different SARS‐CoV‐2 Variants
Authors: Sayama Yusuke , Sakagami Akie , Okamoto Michiko , Sakamoto Masahiro , Koizumi Hikari , Kimura Yoko , Dapat Clyde , Saito Mayuko , Suzuki Yuko , Sasaki Mie , Sugawara Naoko , Oshitani Hitoshi
Published: June 2024

Background

Viral recombination that occurs by exchanging genetic materials between two viral genomes coinfecting the same host cells is associated with the emergence of new viruses with different virulence. Herein, we detected a patient coinfected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) Delta and Omicron variants and identified various recombinants in the SARS‐CoV‐2 full‐length spike gene using long‐read and Sanger sequencing.

Methods

Samples from five patients in Japan with household transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) were analyzed using molecular assays for detection and identification of SARS‐CoV‐2. Whole‐genome sequencing was conducted using multiplex PCR with short‐read sequencing.

Results

Among the five SARS‐CoV‐2‐positive patients, the mutation‐specific assay identified the Delta variant in three, the Omicron variant in one, and an undetermined in one. The undermined patient was identified as Delta using whole‐genome sequencing, but samples showed a mixed population of Delta and Omicron variants. This patient was analyzed for viral quasispecies by long‐read and Sanger sequencing using a full‐length spike gene amplicon. In addition to the Delta and Omicron sequences, the viral quasispecies analysis identified nine different genetic recombinant sequences with various breakpoints between Delta and Omicron sequences. The nine detected recombinant sequences in the spike gene showed over 99% identity with viruses that were detected during the Delta and Omicron cocirculation period from the United States and Europe.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that patients coinfected with different SARS‐CoV‐2 variants can generate various viral recombinants and that various recombinant viruses may be produced during the cocirculation of different variants.
Using in situ UO2 bicrystal sintering to understand grain boundary dislocation nucleation kinetics and creep
Authors: Dillon Shen J. , Finkeldei Sarah C. , Lang Eric , Hattar Khalid , Nelson Andrew T.
Published: June 2024

Capillary evolution at bicrystal UO2 grain boundaries is characterized using in situ transmission electron microscopy. The discontinuous nature of the densification process, both particle rotation and axial strain, along with the large activation stress for densification support a hypothesis that grain boundary strain in UO2 follows nucleation rate limited kinetics at low to intermediate stresses, that is, less than . The temperature dependence of the average activation stress for sintering agrees well with analysis of bulk sintering data and creep data reported within the literature when analyzed in the context of a grain boundary dislocation nucleation rate limited kinetic model.
Extraction of a 6‐year‐old leadless pacemaker (MICRA transcatheter pacing system) using commercially available removal tools: A case report
Authors: Chmielewska‐Michalak Lidia , Gwizdała Adrian , Ciepłucha Aleksandra , Katarzyńska‐Szymańska Agnieszka , Ochotny Romuald , Lesiak Maciej , Mitkowski Przemysław
Published: June 2024

Introduction

Leadless pacemakers are associated with a low risk of infection, so indications for their removal are rare. One can expect that the dwell time of the device correlates with a more difficult removal, but it has not been proved so far.

Methods and Results

We present a case of a patient in whom MICRA transcatheter pacing system was successfully removed with nondedicated commercially available tools, 70 months after implantation.

Conclusion

A successful removal of the MICRA leadless pacemaker is possible, and may be safe even many years after the device implantation, despite a lack of dedicated tools. Due to the potential risk of complications, the benefits and risks of the procedure should be weighted before making a final decision.
miR‐31‐5p suppresses myocardial hypertrophy by targeting Nfatc2ip
Authors: Zhao Lamei , Qian Xiaotao , Ren Zhenxing , Wang Ailing
Published: June 2024

Cardiac hypertrophy, worldwide known as an adaptive functional compensatory state of myocardial stress, is mainly believed to proceed to severe heart diseases, even to sudden death. Emerging studies have explored the microRNA alteration during hypertrophy. However, the mechanisms of microRNAs involved in cardiac hypertrophy are still uncertain. We studied young rats to establish abdominal aorta coarctation (AAC) for 4 weeks. With the significant downregulated cardiac function and upregulated hypertrophic biomarkers, AAC‐induced rats showed enlarged myocardiocytes and alterations in microRNAs, especially downregulated miR‐31‐5p. miR‐31‐5p targets the 3′UTR of Nfatc2ip and inhibits myocardial hypertrophy in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we verified that Nfatc2ip is necessary and sufficient for cardiac hypertrophy in neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. Moreover, we found miR‐31‐5p inhibited the colocalization of Nfatc2ip and hypertrophic gene β‐Mhc. Luciferase assay and ChiP‐qPCR test demonstrated that Nfatc2ip binded to the core‐promoter of β‐Mhc and enhanced its transcriptional activity. Above all, our study found a new pathway, mir‐31‐5p/Nfatc2ip/β‐Mhc, which is involved in cardiac hypertrophy, suggesting a potential target for intervention of cardiac hypertrophy.
Homocysteine concentration in coronary artery disease and severity of coronary lesions
Authors: Luo Zhi , Tang Kai , Huang Gang , Wang Xiao , Zhou Shiheng , Dai Daying , Yang Hanxuan , Jiang Wencai
Published: June 2024

Our previous study reckons that the impact of the rs1801133 variant of 5,10‐methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) on coronary artery disease (CAD) is possibly mediated by cardiometabolic disorder. This study is performed to verify this hypothesis. Four hundred and thirty CAD patients and 216 CAD‐free individuals were enrolled in this case–control study. The rs1801133 variant was genotyped by PCR‐RFLP. Severity of coronary lesions was evaluated by number of stenotic coronary vessels and extent of coronary stenosis. The rs1801133 T allele significantly increased homocysteine levels in patients with CAD and CAD‐free individuals. Individuals with the T allele of rs1801133 had an increased risk of developing CAD. In contrast, individuals with the TT genotype of rs1801133 were at high risk of multiple vessel lesions. The carriers of CT genotype had higher levels of systolic blood pressure (SBP), low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C), and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP), and lower levels of apolipoprotein A1 (APOA1) than those with CC genotype in male patients with CAD. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and precision‐recall (PR) curve indicated that hyperhomocysteinemia was sensitive to predict the severity of CAD. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that homocysteine, rs1801133, age, smoking, weight, body mass index (BMI), lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)], and hs‐CRP were independent risk factors for CAD. The increased risk of CAD and severity of coronary lesions associated with rs1801133 in the Chinese Han population were attributed, at least partly, to high homocysteine levels. Hyperhomocysteinemia had a high predictive value for severe CAD or multiple vessel lesions.
Molecular pathogenesis of metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease, steatohepatitis, hepatic fibrosis and liver cirrhosis
Authors: Saito Takashi , Tsuchishima Mutsumi , Tsutsumi Mikihiro , George Joseph
Published: June 2024

Metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is characterized by intense deposition of fat globules in the hepatic parenchyma that could potentially progress to liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Here, we evaluated a rat model to study the molecular pathogenesis of the spectrum of MASLD and to screen therapeutic agents. SHRSP5/Dmcr rats were fed a high‐fat and cholesterol (HFC) diet for a period of 12 weeks and evaluated for the development of steatosis (MASLD), steatohepatitis, fibrosis and cirrhosis. A group of animals were sacrificed at the end of the 4th, 6th, 8th and 12th weeks from the beginning of the experiment, along with the control rats that received normal diet. Blood and liver samples were collected for biochemical and histopathological evaluations. Immunohistochemical staining was performed for α‐SMA and Collagen Type I. Histopathological examinations demonstrated steatosis at the 4th week, steatohepatitis with progressive fibrosis at the 6th week, advanced fibrosis with bridging at the 8th week and cirrhosis at the 12th week. Biochemical markers and staining for α‐SMA and Collagen Type I demonstrated the progression of steatosis to steatohepatitis, hepatic fibrosis and liver cirrhosis in a stepwise manner. Control animals fed a normal diet did not show any biochemical or histopathological alterations. The results of the present study clearly demonstrated that the HFC diet‐induced model of steatosis, steatohepatitis, hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis is a feasible, quick and appropriate animal model to study the molecular pathogenesis of the spectrum of MASLD and to screen potent therapeutic agents.
Advocating for the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive Against the Odds: Strategies and Legitimation
Authors: Thorens Morgane , Bernaz Nadia , Hospes Otto
Published: June 2024

Developing legislation to counter the negative impacts of businesses' transnational activities on human rights and the environment is a recent trend. Supporters of such legislation have campaigned to convince policy‐makers to adopt strong law, but this legitimation process has not been theorised. Using Vaara et al.'s theoretical framework, we uncover the six discursive legitimation strategies used by the proponents of the European Union (EU) Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) to legitimise its creation. Based on interviews with proponents, we offer two main findings. First, the directive's supporters seek to reverse the narrative that legislation with extraterritorial implications is neo‐colonial by arguing instead that the neoliberal status quo exemplifies neo‐colonial exploitation. Second, non‐governmental organisations (NGOs) can convince businesses of the directive's advantages by using playing down, mimicry and rationalisation as discursive legitimation strategies. These findings have major implications for debates on how to make the CSDDD effective in regulating business operations in the Global South.
Histological characteristics of oocyte differentiation in the captive longnose seahorse Hippocampus trimaculatus (Leach, 1814)
Authors: Senarat Sinlapachai , Chumee Supawadee , Kaneko Gen , Wandee Satiya , Kenthao Anan , Kongtueng Piyamat , Uribe Mari Carmen , Nganvongpanit Korakot , Iida Atsuo , Sornying Peerapon
Published: June 2024

This study aimed to explore the reproductive histology and oocyte differentiation of the longnose seahorse Hippocampus trimaculatus (Leach, 1814) in captivity. Five mature healthy females were histologically observed. The reproductive systems of the five specimens exhibited similar morphological characteristics with a pair of saccular creamy white ovaries merging caudally into a single gonoduct. There were two germinal ridges lined with a layer of germinal epithelium (GE). The ovarian maturation of this species was considered asynchronous. The oogenic cells were classified into oogonia and oocytes at several developmental phases based on their size and characteristics. Oogonia were identified among the connective tissue in the middle area of the GE. The stromal compartment contained oocytes that were classified into four distinct phases: the primary growth (PG) phase having two steps (perinucleolar and oil droplets‐cortical alveolar steps) and the secondary growth (SG) phase with three oocyte types, including early SG oocytes, late SG oocytes, and fully grown oocytes. The atretic oocytes (AO) were observed in all stages of oogenesis. Postovulatory follicles were also seen among the ovarian connective tissue. The occurrence of postovulatory follicles suggested that the specimens analysed in this study were in the spawning period. This research provides new insights into the identification of the reproductive cycles and morphological characteristics of the ovary of H. trimaculatus.
To live with floods or not: Intersectionality of drivers of urban households' adaptation and relocation intentions
Authors: Twerefou Daniel Kwabena , Abeney Jacob Opantu , Tete Larbi Reuben , Dovie Delali Benjamin K.
Published: June 2024

The intent of households to relocate amidst floods in Ghana's Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, using combined socio‐demographic and physical factors is analyzed within 1206 households. The National Master Sampling Frame of Ghana's Population and Housing Census is utilized for the sampling. The Probit estimation technique is employed to understand the intersectionality of social, economic, demographic, and physical considerations influencing households' decision‐making regarding relocation amidst flood risks. The findings show households' reluctance to relocate contrary to relocation considered mostly as preferred adaptation. The likelihood of relocating exhibited a non‐linear pattern, decreasing only when a population was younger until age 55 before reversing. Indigenous households preferred not to relocate. In communities where place attachment and revenue sources significantly impacted relocation decisions, households with secondary education, past flood experiences, and non‐indigenous status influenced higher perception of flood risk. Therefore, relocation as an effective global adaptation strategy to floods is not widespread. Thus, empowering households to accept a certain level of flood risk potentially avoids maladaptation and involves a combination of hard infrastructure measures and regulatory approaches in places of residence that do not compromise livelihoods. However, if relocation becomes necessary, a right‐based approach must be favored over an absolute risk‐based approach.
Pre‐post‐evaluation of a dementia‐specific advance care planning toolkit for Japanese primary care clinicians
Authors: Kistler Christine E. , Inoue Machiko , Matsui Tomoko , Abe Michiko , Le Donne Monique , Kiyota Ayano , Lin Feng‐Chang , Yang Yumei , Hanson Laura C.
Published: June 2024

Background

The population of people living with dementia (PLwD) continues to grow in Japan where advance care planning (ACP) for PLwD is relatively new. Our aim was to evaluate the feasibility and cultural acceptability of a dementia‐specific ACP communication skills toolkit for Japanese primary care clinicians.

Methods

We delivered 13 training sessions in primary care clinics across central Japan and conducted a post‐training survey to assess whether the toolkit increased confidence in dementia‐specific ACP communication skills and the acceptability of the toolkit with the following four statements: (1) The language in the sessions was clear, (2) The sessions took an appropriate amount of time to complete, (3) The design of the sessions was an effective educational method, and (4) The sessions were culturally appropriate for communication with Japanese patients with dementia and their family members. We asked participants to respond using a 5‐point Likert scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree.

Results

All participants were Japanese and included 80 physicians (mean age 39.8 years), 33 nurses (mean age 45.7 years), and 58 other participants (mean age 42.9 years), who were 30.0%, 87.9%, and 55.2% female, respectively. Most participants practiced in rural settings. In pre‐ post‐comparisons, participant confidence increased in determining capacity, understanding dementia prognosis, goals of care, eliciting surrogates, recommending self‐care practices to families, and leading family meetings (all p < 0.001). Most participants strongly agreed or agreed that the toolkit was an effective method (96.9%), took an appropriate amount of time (94.5%), contained clear language (89.8%), and was culturally appropriate (73.6%).

Conclusions

Dementia‐specific ACP communication skills toolkit can be delivered in Japan. Japanese primary care clinicians generally felt the dementia‐specific ACP toolkit increased their confidence in ACP communication skills and was acceptable. The language, time, and design were well received, though further work is needed to improve the cultural appropriateness of the toolkit.
Co‐designing The Healthy Gut Diet for Preventing Gestational Diabetes: Co‐design methods and process outcomes
Authors: Meloncelli Nina , Wilkinson Shelley A. , Rushton Alita , Pateman Kelsey , Gallaher Sam , O'Connor Hannah , Kearney Lauren , de Jersey Susan
Published: June 2024

Background

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common and costly condition of pregnancy. The Healthy Gut Diet for Preventing Gestational Diabetes study is a novel randomised controlled trial that aims to prevent GDM through a diet that modulates the gut microbiota for pregnant women with GDM risk factors. Despite increasing interest in co‐designing interventions with consumers (lived experience experts), co‐design methods and outcomes are often poorly reported. The present study aims to report on the co‐design process used to develop The Healthy Gut Diet intervention.

Methods

Co‐design occurred across three online workshops with consumer participants (women with a lived experience of GDM, n = 11), researchers (n = 6) and workshop co‐facilitators (including a consumer co‐facilitator, n = 2). The workshops explored women's preferences for the mode and length of education sessions, as well as the types of information and supportive resources women wanted to receive, and undertook a “behaviour diagnosis” to understand barriers and enablers to the target behaviours (eating for gut health). The final intervention is reported according to the Template for Intervention Description and Replication.

Results

A co‐designed dietary intervention (The Healthy Gut Diet), delivered via telehealth, with a suite of educational and supportive resources that integrates published behaviour change techniques, was developed. Generally, the co‐design process was reported as a positive experience based on participant feedback and evidenced by no participant dropouts over the 3‐month study period.

Conclusions

Co‐design is recognised as a process that creates a partnership between lived experience experts and researchers who can engage and empower research recipients and improve health behaviours.
Organised and non‐organised activities contribute to overall physical activity levels in adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Izquierdo‐Gomez R. , Shields N.
Published: June 2024

Background

Participation in organised and non‐organised physical activities among adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome is underexplored. This study aimed to examine differences between organised and non‐organised physical activities among adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome.

Methods

Forty participants with Down syndrome (27 woman; mean age 21.4 ± 4.9 years) were recruited. Data on physical activity participation were collected by self‐ or proxy‐reported questionnaires about attendance, involvement and type of physical activity.

Results

Adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome participated in more organised than non‐organised activities (P < 0.05), more often (P < 0.05), but there was no difference in the total time spent participating in these activities overall. Participants spent more time in vigorous physical activity during organised activities (P < 0.05) and spent more time in light physical activity during non‐organised physical activities (P < 0.05). Dancing (organised activity) and walking (non‐organised activity) were the most reported activities.

Conclusions

Participation in both organised and non‐organised physical activities is important to increase overall physical activity levels of adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome. Future research exploring physical activity preferences may help guide the planning and adaption of community programmes for this group.
Myelination by signaling through Arf guanine nucleotide exchange factor
Authors: Torii Tomohiro , Miyamoto Yuki , Yamauchi Junji
Published: June 2024

During myelination, large quantities of proteins are synthesized and transported from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)‐trans‐Golgi network (TGN) to their appropriate locations within the intracellular region and/or plasma membrane. It is widely believed that oligodendrocytes uptake neuronal signals from neurons to regulate the endocytosis‐ and exocytosis‐mediated intracellular trafficking of major myelin proteins such as myelin‐associated glycoprotein (MAG) and proteolipid protein 1 (PLP1). The small GTPases of the adenosine diphosphate (ADP) ribosylation factor (Arf) family constitute a large group of signal transduction molecules that act as regulators for intracellular signaling, vesicle sorting, or membrane trafficking in cells. Studies on mice deficient in Schwann cell–specific Arfs‐related genes have revealed abnormal myelination formation in peripheral nerves, indicating that Arfs‐mediated signaling transduction is required for myelination in Schwann cells. However, the complex roles in these events remain poorly understood. This review aims to provide an update on signal transduction, focusing on Arf and its activator ArfGEF (guanine nucleotide exchange factor for Arf) in oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells. Future studies are expected to provide important information regarding the cellular and physiological processes underlying the myelination of oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells and their function in modulating neural activity.

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Fibrotic reaction to hyaluronic acid fillers in the face
Authors: Peros Ioannis , Haneke Eckart
Published: June 2024

Background

Hyaluronic acids (HAs) can have very different actions not only depending on injector and host factors but also depending on their molecular weight. Whereas short chain HA has immunological activity long chain HA influences fibroblasts and may stimulate them to produce collagen. Although this is generally thought to be a positive feature it may be disadvantageous in certain localizations.

Patients and Methods

We have encountered 23 patients who developed fibrous tissue next to the nasolabial folds accentuating them and becoming very obvious while smiling. Hyaluronidase injection did not reduce this mass.

Results

Intralesional triamcinolone acetonide injection led to rapid improvement.

Discussion

Fibrotic tissue reaction not responding to hyaluronidase may be the result of HA injection and can effectively be treated with intralesional steroid injection
Evaluation of the clinical efficacy of ultra‐fast track anesthesia for endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy of palmar hyperhidrosis
Authors: Zhang Wenqing , Lin Jinglian , Zhao Huijuan , Chen Xuhang , Lin Zhijian , Lin Jian
Published: June 2024

Objective

In this study, we investigated the safety and practicability of ultra‐fast track anesthesia (UFTA) for endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS).

Methods

A total of 72 patients with palmar hyperhidrosis undergoing ETS were randomly divided into three groups: the UFTA group (group I), the group undergoing single‐lumen tracheal intubation with local infiltration anesthesia technique (group II), and the group undergoing single‐lumen tracheal intubation with routine anesthesia (group III). Mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) were recorded for all three groups at the following six time points: Before anesthetics administration (T0), the time of intubating or inserting laryngeal mask airway (T1), the time of incising skin (T2), the time of disconnecting of the right sympathetic nerve (T3), the time of disconnecting of the left sympathetic nerve (T4), the time of withdrawing the tracheal tube or laryngeal mask airway (T5), and the time of transferring the patient to a post‐anesthesia care unit (PACU) (T6). The three groups were compared from the following perspectives: surgery duration; anesthesia recovery duration, that is, the duration from discontinuation of anesthesia to extubating the tracheal tube; the dose of propofol and remifentanil per kilogram body mass per unit time interval (the time at the end of the procedure, which lasted from anesthesia induction to incision suturing); and the visual analog scale (VAS) in the resting state in the PACU.

Results

Based on pairwise comparisons, the average HR and average MAP values of the three groups differed significantly from T2 to T6 (p < 0.05). As demonstrated by the correlation analysis between remifentanil and propofol with HR and MAP, the doses of the total amount of remifentanil and propofol were lower, and group I used less remifentanil and propofol than group II. No patient in group I experienced throat discomfort following surgery. Patients in groups II and III experienced a range of postoperative discomfort. The VAS scores of groups I and II were significantly lower than those of group III, with group I lower than group II.

Conclusion

When utilized in ETS, UFTA can provide effective anesthesia for minor traumas. It is safe, effective, and consistent with the enhanced recovery philosophy of fast‐track surgery departments.
Use of Portable Air Cleaners in Washington State Schools: A Qualitative Analysis Based on the Technology Acceptance Model
Authors: Carmona Nancy , Seto Edmund , Hayward Lisa , Tan Shirlee , Lee Sinang , Kemperman Brandon , Truong Jenna , Austin Elena
Published: June 2024

BACKGROUND

The US government allocated over $2.5 billion in “Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER)” funds to Washington State for COVID‐19 response and ventilation improvements. Despite available funding, gaps persist in supporting schools to successfully use portable air cleaners (PACs). We evaluated PAC needs within King County, Washington and characterized factors influencing schools' purchase and use of PACs.

METHODS

Public Health—Seattle & King County (PHSKC) assessed school's ventilation systems and IAQ improvements through a survey (N = 17). Separately, semi‐structured interviews (N = 13) based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) were conducted with school personnel. A thematic analysis using inductive and deductive coding was conducted and logistic regression models assessed the predictive capability of the TAM.

RESULTS

The PHSKC survey findings informed our recommendations. Positive attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs in ease of use and effectiveness of PACs were facilitators to PAC use. While barriers included a lack of training, education, and concerns about PAC maintenance and sustainability. TAM constructs of perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEU) were predictive of having the intention to use PACs in schools.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a critical need for solutions to circumvent challenges to implementing PACs in schools. This characterization provides insight for promoting PAC use in IAQ‐impacted schools.
The judicial superego: Implicit egoism, internalized racism, and prejudice in three million sentencing decisions
Authors: Chen Daniel L.
Published: June 2024

I document implicit egoism across 3 million sentencing decisions. In administrative data from the U.S. New Orleans District Attorney's office for 1988–1999 and Chile for 2014–2019, sentences are 8% longer and 2% longer, respectively, when the judge and defendant's first initials match. Name letter effects measure implicit self‐esteem. Faced with ego threat, high self‐esteem individuals punish negatively valenced targets as self‐regulation. In New Orleans, effects are larger for Black defendants labeled by police as “N” rather than “B.” Consistent with recent theoretical models, Black–White sentence differences double for egoist judges, and this effect is especially pronounced among Black judges.
A mineralogical and isotopic study of the historic monomict eucrite Padvarninkai
Authors: Barrett T. J. , King A. J. , Degli‐Alessandrini G. , Hammond S. J. , Humphreys‐Williams E. , Schmidt B. , Greenwood R. C. , Abernethy F. A. J. , Anand M. , Rudnickaitė E.
Published: June 2024

The Padvarninkai meteorite is a relatively understudied eucrite, initially misclassified as a shergottite given its strong shock characteristics. In this study, a comprehensive examination of the petrology; mineral composition; major, minor, and trace element abundances; and isotopic composition (C, O) is presented. Padvarninkai is a monomict eucrite consisting of a fine to coarse‐grained lithology and impact melt veins. Pyroxene grains are typically severely fractured and mosaicked whilst plagioclase is either partially or totally converted to maskelynite. Based on shock features observed in pyroxene, plagioclase, and apatite, Padvarninkai can be given a shock classification of M‐S4/5. Despite the high shock experienced by this sample, some of the original igneous textures remain. Compositionally, Padvarninkai is a main group eucrite with a flat REE pattern (~10–12 × CI) and elevated Ni abundances. Whilst both new and literature oxygen isotopes are similar to other eucrites, however, Padvarninkai displays an anomalously high δ13C value. To reconcile the high Ni and δ13C value, impact contamination modeling was conducted. These models could not reconcile both the high Ni and δ13C value with the eucritic δ18O values, arguing against impact as a source for these anomalies.
Reliability study for the Japanese version of the Columbia Muscle Cramp Scale in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Sawada Masahiro , Hirayama Takehisa , Yanagihashi Masaru , Fukushima Koji , Izumi Yuishin , Naoi Tameto , Morita Mitsuya , Warita Hitoshi , Aoki Masashi , Iguchi Yohei , Katsuno Masahisa , Ogawa Nobuhiro , Urusitani Makoto , Ishihara Tomohiko , Onodera Osamu , Murakami Yoshitaka , Mitsumoto Hiroshi , Kano Osamu
Published: June 2024

Background

The Columbia Muscle Cramp Scale (CMCS) is a useful tool for evaluating muscle cramps commonly observed in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The CMCS comprises five subdomains: triggering factors, frequency, location, severity, and the degree to which cramps affect overall daily living.

Aim

This study aimed to evaluate the reliability of the CMCS, which was translated into Japanese.

Methods

Thirty patients with ALS (17 men and 13 women) from seven facilities were evaluated twice by two different evaluators (doctors, nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech‐language‐hearing therapists). The degree of inter‐ and intra‐rater agreement was evaluated using kappa statistics. Weighted kappa statistics and 95% confidence intervals accounted for multiple‐order responses.

Results

The average age was 60.4 (standard deviation: 10.4, range: 39–77) years. The kappa statistics for the inter‐rater reliability of the CMCS items showed moderate to very good agreement, ranging from 0.56 (cramp triggering) to 0.91 (daily activity) at visit 1 and 0.51 (severity) to 0.96 (daily activity) at visit 2. The kappa statistics for the intra‐rater reliability of the CMCS items also showed moderate to good agreement, ranging from 0.45 (frequency) to 0.79 (cramp triggering).

Conclusion

The Japanese version of the CMCS demonstrated intra‐ and inter‐rater reliability agreement and is expected to be useful for evaluating muscle cramps in patients with ALS.
AN ARCHAEOLOGY OF BODY TRACES: FINDING EVERYDAY HANDS FROM MINOAN CRETE
Authors: Simandiraki‐Grimshaw Anna
Published: June 2024

The traces of marks left by human bodies on surviving archaeological artefacts can be a rich and informative source for understanding everyday individuals and their practices in the past. Nevertheless, such traces have tended to be neglected or generalized in archaeology, in favour of elite artefacts and manufacturing statistics – or in pursuit of ‘clean’, forensically amenable evidence, e.g. dry fingerprints. Using two case studies from Bronze Age Crete, this paper calls for an attitudinal, as much as a methodological, shift in how we exploit the remnants of gestural preferences, limitations and mistakes which we have hitherto chosen to dismiss. I argue that, if we want to understand nameless individuals of past societies, we need to overcome our implicit aversion to the mundane and everyday and to find new ways of exploring the ‘messy’, inconvenient, but also abundant fleeting moments of bodies no longer extant.
Potential sites of transgression in Michael Crummey's The Innocents: Questioning theoretical and ethical boundaries
Authors: Feldman‐Kolodziejuk Ewelina
Published: June 2024

The article offers a reading of Michael Crummey's The Innocents (2019) through the lens of potential transgressions, such as the crossing of moral boundaries, cultural appropriation, or the secondary colonization of the Indigene. It argues the validity of reading Canadian invader–settler stories in the light of postcolonial studies and discusses the hazards of literary representation of First Nations in historical fiction produced by non‐Native writers. Secondly, the critical analysis focuses on the subversive rewriting of the biblical tale of Adam and Eve as Crummey's strategy for negotiating his (island's) settler identity. Finally, the chapter problematizes the incestuous nature of Ada and Evered's relationship as a potential though highly disputable transgression.
Total Hip Arthroplasty Combined with Proximal Femoral Reconstruction Effectively Treats Severe Hip Deformities: A Novel Osteotomy Technique
Authors: Shen Xianyue , Zhang Rongwei , Mei Jiawei , Zhang Xianzuo , Huang Wei , Zhu Chen
Published: June 2024

Objective

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) combined with proximal femoral reconstruction is a novel osteotomy technique developed to address severe hip deformities. There is a paucity of robust clinical and radiological evidence regarding the outcomes of this novel osteotomy technique. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of THA combined with proximal femoral reconstruction during the early follow‐up.

Methods

This is a retrospective case series of 63 hips who underwent THA combined with proximal femoral reconstruction at a single institution between January 2020 and July 2023. The mean age of patients was 39.6 ± 12.6 years. The mean follow‐up was 25.6 ± 3.8 months. Surgical characteristics and perioperative variables were evaluated to assess the efficacy of this technique. Harris hip score (HHS) was utilized to evaluate hip function. Leg length discrepancy (LLD) was evaluated in X‐ray. The incidence of major adverse events including deep vein thrombosis (DVT), osteolysis, nonunion of the osteotomy, intraoperative femoral fracture, and infection was also evaluated. Paired‐samples t‐test was used to compare preoperative and postoperative HHS and LLD.

Results

The mean operative time was 125.1 min. The mean size of the acetabular components used was 45.2 mm, and the stem size was 7.5. The primary friction interface was ceramic‐on‐ceramic, accounting for 92.1% of cases. The average length of hospital stay was 8.5 days. The mean cost of treatment was 46,296.0 Yuan. There was a significant improvement in postoperative HHS (p < 0.001) and LLD (p < 0.001) compared to preoperative values. The incidence of deep venous thrombosis was 4.8%; osteolysis rates for the cup and stem were 4.8% and 6.4%, respectively. The non‐union and dislocation rates were 1.6% and 3.2%, respectively. There was no incidence of postoperative infection.

Conclusion

The novel osteotomy surgical procedure yields reliable and impressive clinical and radiological outcomes, with minimal complications. We advocate for its use in complex primary THA cases involving severe proximal femoral deformities.
Rhizobacterial Bacillus enrichment in soil enhances smoke tree resistance to Verticillium wilt
Authors: Guo Ruifeng , Li Bimeng , Zhao Yize , Tang Chen , Klosterman Steven J. , Wang Yonglin
Published: June 2024

Verticillium wilt, caused by the soilborne fungus Verticillium dahliae, poses a serious threat to the health of more than 200 plant species worldwide. Although plant rhizosphere‐associated microbiota can influence plant resistance to V. dahliae, empirical evidence underlying Verticillium wilt resistance of perennial trees is scarce. In this study, we systemically investigated the effect of the soil microbiota on the resistance of smoke trees (Cotinus coggygria) to Verticillium wilt using field, greenhouse and laboratory experiments. Comparative analysis of the soil microbiota in the two stands of smoke trees suggested that Bacillus represented the most abundant and key microbial genus related to potential disease suppression. Smoke tree seedlings were inoculated with isolated Bacillus strains, which exhibited disease suppressiveness and plant growth‐promoting properties. Furthermore, repletion of Bacillus agents to disease conducive soil significantly resulted in reduced incidence of smoke tree wilt and increased resistance of the soil microbiota to V. dahliae. Finally, we explored a more effective combination of Bacillus agents with the fungicide propiconazole to combat Verticillium wilt. The results establish a foundation for the development of an effective control for this disease. Overall, this work provides a direct link between Bacillus enrichment and disease resistance of smoke trees, facilitating the development of green control strategies and measurements of soil‐borne diseases.