bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The prognostic values of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in traumatically injured patients upon admission: A mini-Review
Authors: Hosseini Maryam , Fazeli Pooria , Hajivalili Mahsa , Paydar Shahram
Published: September 2023

Subsequent to trauma and systemic inflammatory response syndrome, the typical reaction is an enhancement of the total white blood cell count. Neutrophils are abundant circulating leukocytes in humans that play a crucial role in initial immune response against invading microbes through phagocytosis and exerting inflammatory mediators. However, lymphocytes are the main cellular compartments of the immune system that are negatively affected in the setting of trauma. The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), which can be easily measured in daily clinical practices, is an alternative marker of inflammation before any clinical findings can be observed. Therefore, in this mini-review study, we briefly discussed recent evidence on NLR variations at the time of hospitalization and its prognostic values in trauma patients. Most investigations declared high values of NLR potentially have a poor prognosis in traumatically ill patients on admission and contribute to coagulopathy, increased hospitalization and mortality. Moreover, given that various cut-off points have been considered for the NLR value, receiving a unique one and linking with subsequent outcomes of the disease should be in ongoing researches.
Dynamic analysis of precast ultra-high performance concrete tunnel under internal explosion
Authors: Mai Viet-Chinh , Vu Ngoc Quang , Nguyen Van Tu , Nguyen Xuan Dai
Published: September 2023

Underground structures hold great significance in the infrastructure of modern society. With the rapid construction of such facilities, the possibility of explosions occurring inside these structures due to unforeseen accidents or deliberate acts cannot be ignored. Past catastrophic events have demonstrated the necessity of implementing anti-blast design for underground structures, particularly in vulnerable locations. This promotes investigations into the behavior of underground structures subjected to internal explosions. For the first time, a thorough simulation model is developed using the multi-material Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian approach to examine a full-scale precast ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) tunnel under internal explosion. The precast tunnel structure closely resembles real construction configurations. The simulation model takes into account the simultaneous interaction between the tunnel and the surrounding soil. The accuracy of the suggested simulation model is validated against experimental results. For various explosive charge weights, tunnel lining thicknesses, materials, and tunnel shapes, extensive parametric simulations are conducted. Results obtained highlighted UHPC's superiority as a substitute for conventional concrete due to its strong blast-resistant capacity. The findings from this research also shed light on the precast UHPC tunnel's structural response to an interior explosion, that can assist designers and managers choose the best design for blast protection.
A rare case of arthrogryposis multiplex congenita in a 2-year-old boy case report
Authors: Waseem Asfia , Shah Aresha Masood , Hussain Abbas Ali , Kumar Sumeet , Fatima Kiran
Published: September 2023

Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) is an uncommon condition present from birth that is marked by a combination of weakened muscles and multiple joint contractures. We present a case of a 2-year-old boy with AMC, who was born to consanguineous parents in Saudi Arabia. He presented with musculoskeletal abnormalities of all four limbs, including symmetric contractures in multiple joints of the body, bilateral developmental dysplasia of the hip, and vertical talus. Dysmorphic features included low-set ears, chin recession, triangular face, and nevus flammeus on the face. The child also had lactose intolerance, gastritis, inguinal hernia, and right-sided undescended testis. Surgical interventions were planned after a multidisciplinary team discussion. This case report highlights the good prognosis of AMC with all four-limb involvement and the importance of a thorough physical examination and a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis and management of AMC.
Hydro-heritage for healing? Examining the gendered experience of water in post-conflict Swat, Pakistan
Authors: Mustafa Daanish , Khan Muhammad Salman , De Nardi Helmut , Caron James , Naz Arab , Ullah Mohsin , Gul Aneela
Published: September 2023

Water has been formulated as a resource or a hazard within water resources geography. We propose that reframing of water as hydro-heritage opens up richer analytical possibilities for examining the pluriverses and multiple ontologies that animate gendered experience of water. We are concerned with how hydro-heritage has or could have contributed to healing in the post-conflict Swat valley of Pakistan. We highlight how the Taliban insurgency and the reconstruction following its military defeat displaced people's worlds of meaning in Swat. We find that the pre-conflict mountain springs were a site for an enchanted affective encounter between humans and non-humans, where a multifaceted gendered experience of water was enacted. The developmental imaginaries of the Pakistan state in the post-conflict reconstruction phase and the accompanying social changes deracinated water and springs from their pluriversal moorings towards ‘modern water’ with damaging material and emotional consequences for the people of Swat. This was particularly pronounced in terms of gendered access to water, health and mobility. We suggest that water as hydro-heritage has the potential to heal, provided people's worlds of meaning and experience of water are recentred in developmental imaginaries.
von Willebrand factor modulates immune complexes and the recall response against factor VIII in a murine hemophilia A model
Authors: Oleshko Olga , Vollack-Hesse Nadine , Tiede Andreas , Hegermann Jan , Curth Ute , Werwitzke Sonja
Published: September 2023

Achieving tolerance toward factor VIII (FVIII) remains an important goal of hemophilia treatment. Up to 40% of patients with severe hemophilia A (HA) develop neutralizing antibodies against FVIII, and the only proven treatment to achieve tolerance is infusion of FVIII over prolonged periods in the context of immune tolerance induction. Here, we addressed the role of von Willebrand factor (VWF) as a modulator of anti-FVIII antibody effector functions and the FVIII-specific recall response in an HA mouse model. Analytical ultracentrifugation was used to demonstrate formation of FVIII-containing immune complexes (FVIII-ICs). VWF did not fully prevent FVIII-IC formation but was rather incorporated into larger macromolecular complexes. VWF prevented binding of FVIII-ICs to complement C1q, most efficiently when it was preincubated with FVIII before the addition of antibodies. It also prevented binding to immobilized Fc-γ receptor and to bone marrow–derived dendritic cells. An in vitro model of the anti-FVIII recall response demonstrated that addition of VWF to FVIII abolished the proliferation of FVIII-specific antibody-secreting cells. After adoptive transfer of sensitized splenocytes into immunocompetent HA mice, the FVIII recall response was diminished by VWF. In summary, these data indicate that VWF modulates the formation and effector functions of FVIII-ICs and attenuates the secondary immune response to FVIII in HA mice.
Runx1-R188Q germ line mutation induces inflammation and predisposition to hematologic malignancies in mice
Authors: Ahmad Mohd Hafiz , Hegde Mahesh , Wong Waihay J. , Mohammadhosseini Mona , Garrett Lisa , Carrascoso Anneliese , Issac Neethu , Ebert Benjamin , Silva Jeffrey C. , Pihan German , Zhu Lihua J. , Wolfe Scot A. , Agarwal Anupriya , Liu P. Paul , Castilla Lucio H.
Published: September 2023

Germ line mutations in the RUNX1 gene cause familial platelet disorder (FPD), an inherited disease associated with lifetime risk to hematopoietic malignancies (HM). Patients with FPD frequently show clonal expansion of premalignant cells preceding HM onset. Despite the extensive studies on the role of RUNX1 in hematopoiesis, its function in the premalignant bone marrow (BM) is not well-understood. Here, we characterized the hematopoietic progenitor compartments using a mouse strain carrying an FPD-associated mutation, Runx1R188Q. Immunophenotypic analysis showed an increase in the number of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) in the Runx1R188Q/+ mice. However, the comparison of Sca-1 and CD86 markers suggested that Sca-1 expression may result from systemic inflammation. Cytokine profiling confirmed the dysregulation of interferon-response cytokines in the BM. Furthermore, the expression of CD48, another inflammation-response protein, was also increased in Runx1R188Q/+ HSPCs. The DNA-damage response activity of Runx1R188Q/+ hematopoietic progenitor cells was defective in vitro, suggesting that Runx1R188Q may promote genomic instability. The differentiation of long-term repopulating HSCs was reduced in Runx1R188Q/+ recipient mice. Furthermore, we found that Runx1R188Q/+ HSPCs outcompete their wild-type counterparts in bidirectional repopulation assays, and that the genetic makeup of recipient mice did not significantly affect the clonal dynamics under this setting. Finally, we demonstrate that Runx1R188Q predisposes to HM in cooperation with somatic mutations found in FPDHM, using 3 mouse models. These studies establish a novel murine FPDHM model and demonstrate that germ line Runx1 mutations induce a premalignant phenotype marked by BM inflammation, selective expansion capacity, defective DNA-damage response, and predisposition to HM.
Mechanisms for leaf color changes in Osmanthus fragrans ‘Ziyan Gongzhu’ using physiology, transcriptomics and metabolomics
Authors: Guo Peng , Huang Ziqi , Zhao Wei , Lin Nan , Wang Yihan , Shang Fude
Published: September 2023

Background

Color-leaved O. fragrans is a variety of Osmanthus fragrans, which has both the fragrance of Osmanthus and the color of color-leaved plants. However, the molecular mechanism of color change of color-leaved O. fragrans is not clear. In this study, we analyzed the regulatory mechanism of four different color leaves of ‘Ziyan Gongzhu’ through physiological, transcriptome and metabolome levels.

Results

Firstly, we measured the leaf pigments content and leaf chromatic parameters for correlation analysis, indicating a significant correlation between them. Overall, the content of chlorophyll a + b is low and the content of anthocyanin is high in T1 and T2 leaves, along with low expression of chlorophyll synthesis genes (HEMA, CHLG, and CAO, etc.) and high expression of anthocyanin synthesis genes (F3H, F3’H, DFR and ANS, etc.), resulting purple red and light purple in T1 and T2 leaves, respectively. It was also found that the pigment closely related to the color leaves of ‘Ziyan Gongzhu’ was cyanidin. The content anthocyanins, may be regulated by two putative MYB activators (OfMYB3 and OfMYB4) and two putative MYB repressors (OfMYB1 and OfMYB2). In contrast, the content of chlorophyll a + b is high and the content of anthocyanin is low in T3 and T4 leaves, along with high expression of chlorophyll synthesis genes and low expression of anthocyanin synthesis genes, resulting yellow green and dark green in T3 and T4 leaves, respectively. And abnormal chloroplast development affects chlorophyll content in T1, T2, and T3 leaves. Although the content of carotenoids first dropped in T2 leaves, it then rapidly accumulated in T4 leaves, in sync with the increase in the expression of genes related to carotenoid biosynthesis (ZDS, LHYB, and ZEP, for example). Analysis of photosynthetic, carbohydrate and hormone-related differentially abundant metabolites (DAMs) and DEGs found that they may participate in the regulation of leaf color change of ‘Ziyan Gongzhu’ by affecting pigment synthesis.

Conclusion

Our results pave the way for a comprehensive knowledge of the regulatory processes governing leaf color in ‘Ziyan Gongzhu’ and identify possible genes for application regarding molecular colored-leaf cultivar breeding.
A case report of a brain abscess due to prevotella oris and a review of the literature
Authors: Li Chenlu , Lv Chaonan , Yu Miao , Zhang Yajing , Ling Ling , Yue Wei
Published: September 2023

Background

Brain abscesses caused by Prevotella oris are rarely reported. Here, we described a case of a brain infection caused by Prevotella oris that was detected by metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS).

Case presentation

A 63-year-old man with no medical history reported headache in the right frontotemporal region, fever, and intermittent diplopia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed abnormal signals and enhancement changes in the superior sellar region. mNGS testing showed that cerebrospinal fluid collected from the spine was positive for Prevotella oris. After receiving a combined treatment of antibiotic therapy, the patient recovered well.

Conclusion

We reviewed the relevant literature and summarized the characteristics and prognosis of this type of bacterial infection to provide ideas for clinicians to diagnose and treat this disease.
Predicting sepsis onset in ICU using machine learning models: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Yang Zhenyu , Cui Xiaoju , Song Zhe
Published: September 2023

Background

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition caused by an abnormal response of the body to infection and imposes a significant health and economic burden worldwide due to its high mortality rate. Early recognition of sepsis is crucial for effective treatment. This study aimed to systematically evaluate the performance of various machine learning models in predicting the onset of sepsis.

Methods

We conducted a comprehensive search of the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases, covering studies from database inception to November 14, 2022. We used the PROBAST tool to assess the risk of bias. We calculated the predictive performance for sepsis onset using the C-index and accuracy. We followed the PRISMA guidelines for this study.

Results

We included 23 eligible studies with a total of 4,314,145 patients and 26 different machine learning models. The most frequently used models in the studies were random forest (n = 9), extreme gradient boost (n = 7), and logistic regression (n = 6) models. The random forest (test set n = 9, acc = 0.911) and extreme gradient boost (test set n = 7, acc = 0.957) models were the most accurate based on our analysis of the predictive performance. In terms of the C-index outcome, the random forest (n = 6, acc = 0.79) and extreme gradient boost (n = 7, acc = 0.83) models showed the highest performance.

Conclusion

Machine learning has proven to be an effective tool for predicting sepsis at an early stage. However, to obtain more accurate results, additional machine learning methods are needed. In our research, we discovered that the XGBoost and random forest models exhibited the best predictive performance and were most frequently utilized for predicting the onset of sepsis.

Trial registration

CRD42022384015
Use of immunoinformatics and the simulation approach to identify Helicobacter pylori epitopes to design a multi-epitope subunit vaccine for B- and T-cells
Authors: Chaleshtori Zahra Ahmadzadeh , Rastegari Ali Asghar , Nayeri Hashem , Doosti Abbas
Published: September 2023

Background

Helicobacter pylori cause a variety of gastric malignancies, gastric ulcers, and cause erosive diseases. The extreme nature of the bacterium and the implantation of this bacterium protects it against designing a potent drug against it. Therefore, employing a precise and effective design for a more safe and stable antigenic vaccine against this pathogen can effectively control its associated infections. This study, aimed at improving the design of multiple subunit vaccines against H. pylori, adopts multiple immunoinformatics approaches in combination with other computational approaches.

Results

In this regard, 10 HTL, and 11 CTL epitopes were employed based on appropriate adopted MHC binding scores and c-terminal cut-off scores of 4 main selected proteins (APO, LeoA, IceA1, and IceA2). An adjuvant was added to the N end of the vaccine to achieve higher stability. For validation, immunogenicity and sensitization of physicochemical analyses were performed. The vaccine could be antigenic with significantly strong interactions with TOLK-2, 4, 5, and 9 receptors. The designed vaccine was subjected to Gromacs simulation and immune response prediction modelling that confirmed expression and immune-stimulating response efficiency. Besides, the designed vaccine showed better interactions with TLK-9.

Conclusions

Based on our analyses, although the suggested vaccine could induce a clear response against H. pylori, precise laboratory validation is required to confirm its immunogenicity and safety status.
Temporomandibular joint disc repositioning and occlusal splint for adolescents with skeletal class II malocclusion: a single-center, randomized, open-label trial
Authors: Sun Jiali , Zhu Huimin , Lu Chuan , Zhao Jieyun , Nie Xin , Yang Zhi , He Dongmei
Published: September 2023

Background

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc repositioning through open suturing (OSu) is a new disc repositioning method. Its result for adolescents with condylar resorption and dentofacial deformities combined with and without postoperative occlusal splints (POS) has not been well studied.

Objective

This study was to evaluate and compare the effects of OSu with and without POS in the treatment of TMJ anterior disc displacement without reduction (ADDwoR) in adolescent skeletal Class II malocclusion.

Methods

A total of 60 adolescents with bilateral ADDwoR were enrolled in this study. They were randomly allocated into two groups: OSu with and without POS. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and lateral cephalometric radiographs were used to measure changes in condylar height and the degree of skeletal Class II malocclusion from before operation and at 12 months postoperatively. Changes in these indicators were compared within and between the two groups.

Results

After OSu, both groups exhibited significant improvements in condylar height and occlusion at the end of 12 months follow-up (P < 0.05). The group of OSu with POS had significantly more new bone formation (2.83 ± 0.75 mm vs. 1.42 ± 0.81 mm, P < 0.001) and improvement in dentofacial deformity than the group of OSu only (P < 0.05). The new bone height was significantly correlated with POS (P < 0.001), the changes of SNB (P = 0.018), overjet (P = 0.012), and Wits appraisal (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

These findings indicated that OSu can effectively stimulate condylar regeneration and improve skeletal Class II malocclusion in adolescents with bilateral ADDwoR. The results are better when combined with POS.

Trial registration

This trial was prospectively registered on the chictr.org.cn registry with ID: ChiCTR1900021821 on 11/03/2019
Cervical ulcer caused by group B streptococcus with bacterial vaginosis: a case report
Authors: Chen Yi , Wu Dan
Published: September 2023

The female genital ulcer is a manifestation of many diseases, which may vary depending on the etiology, disease duration, age, and host immunity. A middle-aged (40–50 years) woman had a 4-month history of vaginal bleeding. The results of syphilis, herpes, the cervical cancer, tuberculosis, and fungi or acute cervical inflammation caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma hominis were negative through the blood test and the biopsy. Cervical discharge culture revealed positive for group B Streptococcus and bacterial vaginosis. The patient was treated with oral antibiotics for 7 days. One month later, repeat colposcopy revealed a smooth cervix and complete ulcer disappearance, while cervical discharge culture retested no group B Streptococcus and bacterial vaginosis. The patient was diagnosed with cervical ulcer. Complete medical history taking and bacterial culture of cervical discharge are important for identifying the etiology of the cervical ulcer and deciding the appropriate treatment for the disease.
Chronic stress and turnover intention of resident physicians after experiencing COVID-19
Authors: Jia Qingwen , Qu Yi , Huo Huisheng , Yin Hongxia , Jiang Meijun , You Dianping
Published: September 2023

Background

Previous studies have explored the stress and turnover intention of healthcare workers, but as important backup talents in the healthcare system, resident physicians have received little attention from researchers, especially after experiencing COVID-19. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the chronic stress and turnover intention of resident physicians after experiencing COVID-19.

Methods

From June to August 2022, we conducted a questionnaire survey on resident physicians in the Children's Hospital of Hebei Province through the online platform (Wenjuanxing) to evaluate their chronic stress and turnover intention after experiencing COVID-19. For the collected data, we used frequency and percentage to make the statistical description, the Chi-square test to make a univariate analysis on the scores of chronic stress and turnover intention scale, and binary logistic regression analysis to explore the influencing factors of turnover intention.

Results

Out of 143 respondents, we finally received 127 questionnaires, with a response rate of 88.81%. Among 127 respondents, 80.31% of resident physicians experienced varying degrees of chronic stress (mild: 36.22%, moderate: 35.43%, severe: 8.66%), and 74.80% of resident physicians showed varying degrees of turnover intention (mild: 23.62%, moderate: 37.79%, severe: 13.39%). Moreover, age (OR = 0.772, P = 0.042), identity (OR = 8.648, P = 0.021), and chronic stress levels (mild: OR = 6.938, P = 0.003; moderate: OR = 44.049, P < 0.003; severe: OR = 46.141, P = 0.004) can significantly affect turnover intention.

Conclusion

In this study, we reported a relatively high proportion of resident physicians with high chronic stress and high turnover intention after experiencing COVID-19. We suggest that the relevant departments should pay more attention to the resident physicians’ group and formulate corresponding measures to solve the problems faced by the resident physicians and ensure the stability of the health human resources.
Concordance between 8-1-1 HealthLink BC Emergency iDoctor-in-assistance (HEiDi) virtual physician advice and subsequent health service utilization for callers to a nurse-managed provincial health information telephone service
Authors: Duncan Ross , Stewart Kurtis , Scheuermeyer Frank X. , Abu-Laban Riyad B. , Ho Kendall , Lavallee Danielle , Christenson Jim , Wood Nancy , Bryan Stirling , Hedden Lindsay
Published: September 2023

Background

British Columbia 8–1-1 callers who are advised by a nurse to seek urgent medical care can be referred to virtual physicians (VPs) for supplemental assessment and advice. Prior research indicates callers’ subsequent health service use may diverge from VP advice. We sought to 1) estimate concordance between VP advice and subsequent health service use, and 2) identify factors associated with concordance to understand potential drivers of discordant cases.

Methods

We linked relevant provincial administrative databases to obtain inpatient, outpatient, and emergency service use by callers. We developed operational definitions of concordance collaboratively with researcher, patient, VP, and management perspectives. We used Kaplan–Meier curves to describe health service use post-VP consultation and Cox regression to estimate the association of caller factors (rurality, demography, attachment to primary care) and call factors (reason, triage level, time of day) with concordance as hazard ratios.

Results

We analyzed 17,188 calls from November 16, 2020 to April 30, 2021. Callers advised to attend an emergency department (ED) immediately were the most concordant (73%) while concordance was lowest for those advised to seek Family Physician (FP) care either immediately (41%) or within 7 days (47%). Callers unattached to FPs were less likely to schedule an FP visit (hazard ratio = 0.76 [95%CI: 0.68–0.85]). Rural callers were less likely to attend an ED within 48 h when advised to go immediately (0.53 [95%CI:0.46–0.61]) compared to urban callers. Rural callers advised to see an FP, either immediately (1.28 [95%CI:1.01–1.62]) or within 7 days (1.23 [95%CI: 1.11–1.37]), were more likely to do so than urban callers.

Interpretation

Concordance between VP advice and subsequent caller health service use varies substantially by category of advice and caller rurality. Concordance with advice to “Go to ED” is high overall but to access primary care is below 50%, suggesting potential issues with timely access to FP care. Future research from a patient/caller centered perspective may reveal additional barriers and facilitators to concordance.
Understanding the relationship between circulating lipids and risk of chronic kidney disease: a prospective cohort study and large-scale genetic analyses
Authors: Wang Yutong , Zhang Li , Zhang Wenqiang , Tang Mingshuang , Cui Huijie , Wu Xueyao , Zhao Xunying , Chen Lin , Yan Peijing , Yang Chao , Xiao Chenghan , Zou Yanqiu , Liu Yunjie , Zhang Ling , Yang Chunxia , Yao Yuqin , Li Jiayuan , Liu Zhenmi , Jiang Xia , Zhang Ben
Published: September 2023

Background

This study aims to comprehensively investigate the phenotypic and genetic relationships between four common lipids (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, HDL-C; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-C; total cholesterol, TC; and triglycerides, TG), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

Methods

We first investigated the observational association of lipids (exposures) with CKD (primary outcome) and eGFR (secondary outcome) using data from UK Biobank. We then explored the genetic relationship using summary statistics from the largest genome-wide association study of four lipids (N = 1,320,016), CKD (Ncase = 41,395, Ncontrol = 439,303), and eGFR(N = 567,460).

Results

There were significant phenotypic associations (HDL-C: hazard ratio (HR) = 0.76, 95%CI = 0.60–0.95; TG: HR = 1.08, 95%CI = 1.02–1.13) and global genetic correlations (HDL-C: $${r}_{g}$$

r
g

= − 0.132, P = 1.00 × 10–4; TG: $${r}_{g}$$

r
g

= 0.176; P = 2.66 × 10–5) between HDL-C, TG, and CKD risk. Partitioning the whole genome into 2353 LD-independent regions, twelve significant regions were observed for four lipids and CKD. The shared genetic basis was largely explained by 29 pleiotropic loci and 36 shared gene-tissue pairs. Mendelian randomization revealed an independent causal relationship of genetically predicted HDL-C (odds ratio = 0.91, 95%CI = 0.85–0.98), but not for LDL-C, TC, or TG, with the risk of CKD. Regarding eGFR, a similar pattern of correlation and pleiotropy was observed.

Conclusions

Our work demonstrates a putative causal role of HDL-C in CKD and a significant biological pleiotropy underlying lipids and CKD in populations of European ancestry. Management of low HDL-C levels could potentially benefit in reducing the long-term risk of CKD.

Graphical Abstract
Romosozumab in osteoporosis: yesterday, today and tomorrow
Authors: Wu Dong , Li Lei , Wen Zhun , Wang Guangbin
Published: September 2023

Osteoporosis is a systemic bone disease characterized by low bone mass, microarchitectural deterioration, increased bone fragility, and fracture susceptibility. It commonly occurs in older people, especially postmenopausal women. As global ageing increases, osteoporosis has become a global burden. There are a number of medications available for the treatment of osteoporosis, categorized as anabolic and anti-resorptive. Unfortunately, there is no drugs which have dual influence on bone, while all drugs have limitations and adverse events. Some serious adverse events include jaw osteonecrosis and atypical femoral fracture. Recently, a novel medication has appeared that challenges this pattern. Romosozumab is a novel drug monoclonal antibody to sclerostin encoded by the SOST gene. It has been used in Japan since 2019 and has achieved promising results in treating osteoporosis. However, it is also accompanied by some controversy. While it promotes rapid bone growth, it may cause serious adverse events such as cardiovascular diseases. There has been scepticism about the drug since its inception. Therefore, the present review comprehensively covered romosozumab from its inception to its clinical application, from animal studies to human studies, and from safety to cost. We hope to provide a better understanding of romosozumab for its clinical application.
Artificial switches induce the bespoke production of functional compounds in marine microalgae Chlorella by neutralizing CO2
Authors: Gu Jiahua , Xiao Yuan , Wu Mingcan , Wang Aoqi , Cui Xinyu , Xin Yi , Paithoonrangsarid Kalyanee , Lu Yandu
Published: September 2023

To improve the CO2 tolerance of a marine microalga Chlorella sp. of which the production capacity has been demonstrated industrially, a mutant library was created and a strain hct53 was screened. Compared to the parental strain, hct53 shows a high CO2 capture capacity, while starch biosynthesis is compromised, with increases in health beneficial metabolites and antioxidant capacity. Global gene expression and genome-wide mutation distribution revealed that transcript choreography was concomitant with more active CO2 sequestration, an increase in the lipid synthesis, and a decrease in the starch and protein synthesis. These results suggest that artificial trait improvement via mutagenesis, couple with multiomics analysis, helps discover genetic switches that induce the bespoke conversion of carbon flow from “redundant metabolites” to valuable ones for functional food.
Quantitative proteomic analysis of local and systemic extracellular vesicles during Eimeria falciformis infectious cycle in the host
Authors: Olajide Joshua Seun , Qu Zigang , Yang Shunli , Yang Bin , Xu Xiao , Wang Jing , Cai Jianping
Published: September 2023

Background

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membranous structures that are formed during pathophysiology, host-parasite interactions and parasite motility. Typically, apicomplexan-infected host cells secrete EVs which traverse local and systemic strata of the host as the parasites develop.

Methods

Extracellular vesicles were isolated from the caecum and serum of Eimeria falciformis-infected mice during oocyst ingestion (0 h post-infection [0 hpi]), merozont stages 1 and 2 (68 and 116 hpi), oocyst shedding (7 days post-infection [7 dpi]) and host recovery (10 dpi) and subsequently characterized and profiled by tandem mass tag (TMT).

Results

With the progression of E. falciformis life stages, subpopulation of EVs bearing EV biomarkers, including CD9, CD82, heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules, increased. A total of 860 and 1024 differentially expressed proteins were identified in serum EVs (sEVs) and caecum EVs (cEVs), respectively. Identified immune-related molecules (such as cytokines, receptors, immunoglobins, complements, hormones, inflammasomes), ion exchange and cell death-associated proteins were significantly expressed, at least during the E. falciformis first and second merozont stages. Bioinformatics assessment indicated that sEV proteins were at all time points implicated in antigen processing and presentation as well as natural killer cell-mediated cytotoxicity (68 hpi), complement activation/blood coagulation (116 hpi/10 dpi) and catabolic activities (7 dpi). In contrast, cEV proteins were involved in catabolic process, ion transport and antigen presentation (68 and 116 hpi). Host response to E. falciformis infection was similar to intestinal bacterium at 7 dpi and cell adhesion and intercellular protein transport at 10 dpi. In both systems, ferroptosis and necroptosis were common across the parasite’s infectious cycle while apoptosis occurred at 68 hpi.

Conclusion

The proteomic data indicate that E. falciformis infection co-opts cellular and humoral responses through EV secretions, and that, host cell death and ionic imbalance are associated with E. falciformis infection. This study offers additional insight into host-parasite interactions and host regulatory EV proteins as potential disease indicators or diagnostic molecules.

Graphical Abstract
Dynamics of protozoal excretion in the faeces of calves during the first 28 days after arrival at the fattening farm indicate infection before regrouping and show poor temporal correlation with diarrhoea
Authors: Bauer Jessica , Kaske Martin , Oehm Andreas , Schnyder Manuela
Published: September 2023

Background

Calves in dairy cattle production in Switzerland are transported to a fattening farm at the age of 3–5 weeks, and frequently suffer from diarrhoea within the first 14 days after arrival. To characterise the role of intestinal protozoa in this, we investigated the excretion dynamics of Eimeria, Cryptosporidium and Giardia during the first 28 days after the arrival and regrouping of calves at fattening farms.

Methods

A total of 610 faecal samples from 122 calves (mean age 37.3 days; mean body weight 79.8 kg) were collected on seven different fattening farms during the first 28 days after the arrival and regrouping of the animals. The farms were visited between January and April (cold season; n = 4) and between June and August (warm season; n = 3). The samples were collected rectally on days 1, 4, 7, 14 and 28, assessed for consistency, and analysed using the McMaster method for quantitative determination of the number of Eimeria oocysts per gram of faeces (OPG), flotation for morphological differentiation of the unsporulated Eimeria oocysts, a concentration method for the semi-quantitative determination of Giardia cysts, and modified Ziehl–Neelsen staining for semi-quantitative determination of Cryptosporidium oocysts.

Results

Overall, 50.8% (62/122) of the animals had diarrhoea during the study period. However, the faecal excretion of protozoal pathogens was neither associated with diarrhoea nor with body weight gain of the animals. Altogether, 90.2% (110/122) of the calves were Eimeria positive. Eimeria zuernii was excreted by 51 (41.8%) and Eimeria bovis by 68 (55.7%) animals. In the warm season more animals tested positive for Eimeria and OPGs were higher than in the cold season. There was no correlation between the age of the calves and the OPG values. Overall, 64.8% (79/122) of the calves excreted Eimeria oocysts within the first 7 days, indicating that they had been infected with the parasite on the dairy farm of origin. Eighty-nine calves (73.0%) excreted Giardia cysts, with more positive animals in the cold (80.3%) compared with the warm season (64.3%). Only Giardia duodenalis assemblage E was identified. Cryptosporidium oocysts were microscopically detected in 14 animals (11.5%) on five farms. Cryptosporidium spp. were present in a total of 12 animals, i.e. Cryptosporidium parvum in nine, Cryptosporidium ryanae in two, and Cryptosporidium bovis in one animal.

Conclusions

A better understanding of the temporal dynamics of protozoal infections in calves is helpful for the implementation of appropriate measures to protect the health of these animals at a critical phase in their lives. Our results indicate that factors other than those examined in the present study contributed to the onset of diarrhoea in the calves.

Graphical abstract
Hard Labor and Sweet Delights
Authors: Highfill Juli
Published: September 2023

Luisa Carnés’s novel Tea Rooms: Mujeres obreras (1934) recounts the corporeal and sensory experience of workers in a pastelería, capturing their hunger and fatigue amid the smells of freshly baked pastries. These working women are thus inserted into economic space, defined as the production, distribution, and consumption of the material goods that sustain life and give pleasure. The novel makes palpable their desire to enjoy the consumer products that surround them—whether in the tea room, in nearby shops, or in the cinema across the street—pleasurable goods that remain beyond their means. In the musical comedy El bailarín y el trabajador (1936), a ruined señorito, formerly a ballroom dancer, finds himself relegated to working in a cookie factory. As he redirects his bodily exertion from nonproductive to productive labor, he sings of the working life as “dulce y sabrosa” (sweet and flavorful). Based on a play by Jacinto Benavente (1925), and repurposed in the era of the Popular Front, the film attempts to ease class conflict by celebrating the working life and asserting interclass harmony, thereby appealing to viewers on both the left and right. But despite its bourgeois perspective, the striking shots of the machinery, with the masa (dough) emerging from the cylinders—flattened, stamped, and cut into cookies—clearly suggest the masses in the process of organizing and coming to consciousness. And juxtaposed with these factory scenes are segments showing the glamorous, “sweet” life of the idle rich. Both the novel, with its Marxist critique, and the film, with its bourgeois message, mobilize affects by deploying the material metaphors of foodstuffs—sweets, in this case—that provide not so much sustenance as pleasure. These two works thus foreground in quite different ways the notion of “communal luxury,” the right of workers to beauty, to pleasure, and to a life of the mind.
Skin to Skin
Authors: Viestenz William
Published: September 2023

This article analyzes two Catalan novels, Albert Sánchez Piñol’s Victus: Barcelona 1714 (2012) and Martí Domínguez’s L’esperit del temps (2019), in light of the concept of immunity developed by the Italian theorist Roberto Esposito. It is argued that the two works share an affinity by demonstrating the material relevance of Esposito’s concepts, especially with reference to the skin as the basis for biopolitics. Victus links the rending of skin to textuality but simultaneously uses the breaking open of the body to highlight community as an assemblage of diverse material actors and agents. L’esperit del temps situates Nazi thanatopolitics at the intersection of biology and law, emphasizing how a politics of death relies on what kinds of matter, such as the phenotype of skin, are fetishized, pathologized, and subjected to human-centered techniques of power. Domínguez returns to the Second World War to comment on more contemporary concerns regarding bioethics and the increasingly mainstream presence of extremist politics in Europe. Opening the discussion with the reflections on skin of Donna Haraway and Jean-Luc Nancy, the article closes by engaging with Haraway’s work on companionship and the “illicit fusion” of beings, particularly in the historical period referred to as the “Chthulucene,” in which kinship and multispecies assemblages are viewed as tools for survival.
Picturing Herself in Africa
Authors: Johnson Grace L. Sanders
Published: September 2023

This essay explores the relationship between imaging, archival cataloging, and African diasporic belonging through the developed and undeveloped photography of Haitian anthropologist Suzanne Comhaire-Sylvain. Using her family correspondences and research on folklore to contextualize her image-based archive on Haiti, the Belgian Congo, and Nigeria, the author proposes that Comhaire-Sylvain’s visual catalog is rendered legible through her undeveloped images taken in Africa. Tracing Comhaire-Sylvain’s contortions in front of and behind the camera, the author shows that her undeveloped and unpublished imaging practices of play and experimentation exemplify a medium of scholarly and personal reflexivity that troubled the authority of her professional research practice and enlivened the range of her diasporic expression. With particular attention given to photos taken during her time in the Belgian Congo between 1943 and 1945 and her long-stay return to Haiti in 1957, the author argues that Comhaire-Sylvain’s imaging catalog is most provocatively read as an assemblage bound by her use of folklore as a unique technology for crafting meaning between overlapping sites of diasporic belonging and intellectual inquiry.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of a Cyclic Stilbene Derivative with Simultaneous Two-photon Absorption Character
Authors: Santiko Erik Budi , Babu Shrestha Binod , Zhang Fan , Wu Cheng-Lin , Lin Tzu-Chau , Abe Manabu
Published: September 2023

A new cyclic stilbene derivative, 6-(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)-N,N-diphenyl-7,8-dihydronaphthalen-2-amine (D2PDN), featuring a quadrupolar system having electron-donating substituents (NPh2), was synthesized and characterized in this study. The fluorescence quantum yield was 89% (under air) and 99% (under argon) in toluene. The two-photon (2P) cross-section was determined to be 166 GM at 700 nm using 2P-excitation fluorescence method. The 2P-responsive chromophore in near-infrared region has reversible oxidation signals at 0.17, 0.28, and 0.53 V vs Fc0/Fc+. Compound D2PDN, E*ox = −2.83 V, was found to be a simultaneous 2P-responsive photoredox catalyst.
Optimal Insurance: Dual Utility, Random Losses, and Adverse Selection
Authors: Gershkov Alex , Moldovanu Benny , Strack Philipp , Zhang Mengxi
Published: September 2023

We study a generalization of the classical monopoly insurance problem under adverse selection (see Stiglitz 1977) where we allow for a random distribution of losses, possibly correlated with the agent’s risk parameter that is private information. Our model explains patterns of observed customer behavior and predicts insurance contracts most often observed in practice: these consist of menus of several deductible-premium pairs or menus of insurance with coverage limits–premium pairs. A main departure from the classical insurance literature is obtained here by endowing the agents with risk-averse preferences that can be represented by a dual utility functional (Yaari 1987). (JEL D81, D82, D86, D91, G22)
Koncepcja prostego języka w procesach partycypacji społecznej
Authors: Śwital Paweł
Published: September 2023

Celem artykułu jest ukazanie koncepcji prostego języka w procesach partycypacji społecznej w Polsce. Udział obywateli we współdecydowaniu publicznym wpisuje się w realizację idei społeczeństwa obywatelskiego. Partycypacja społeczna przyczynia się do włączenia mieszkańców jednostek samorządu terytorialnego do wspólnego podejmowania rozstrzygnięć. W praktyce ustawodawczej obserwuje się wzmacnianie prawnych form partycypacji społecznej. Jednak jedną z głównych barier udziału obywateli w życiu publicznym jest niski poziom aktywności obywatelskiej. Przyczyną tego działania może być specjalistyczny język urzędowy, niezrozumiały dla przeciętnego obywatela. W związku z tym wdrażana jest koncepcja prostego języka, która może zachęcić obywateli do brania udziału w konsultacjach społecznych, jak również pozwoli zrozumieć działania podejmowane przez organy administracji publicznej. W pracy zostaną przedstawione pojęcia partycypacji społecznej, dialogu i konsultacji jako podstawa komunikowania się administracji z obywatelami. Następnie zostanie poruszona kwestia zdefiniowania języka urzędowego. Autor przedstawi także działania na rzecz wprowadzania koncepcji prostego języka i dobrych praktyk w tym zakresie. W ostatniej części zostaną wykazane podstawy posługiwania się językiem niespecjalistycznym w partycypacji społecznej.
Blind Dynamic Resource Allocation in Closed Networks via Mirror Backpressure
Authors: Kanoria Yash , Qian Pengyu
Published: September 2023

We study the problem of maximizing payoff generated over a period of time in a general class of closed queueing networks with a finite, fixed number of supply units that circulate in the system. Demand arrives stochastically, and serving a demand unit (customer) causes a supply unit to relocate from the “origin” to the “destination” of the customer. The key challenge is to manage the distribution of supply in the network. We consider general controls including customer entry control, pricing, and assignment. Motivating applications include shared transportation platforms and scrip systems. Inspired by the mirror descent algorithm for optimization and the backpressure policy for network control, we introduce a rich family of mirror backpressure (MBP) control policies. The MBP policies are simple and practical and crucially do not need any statistical knowledge of the demand (customer) arrival rates (these rates are permitted to vary in time). Under mild conditions, we propose MBP policies that are provably near optimal. Specifically, our policies lose at most [Formula: see text] payoff per customer relative to the optimal policy that knows the demand arrival rates, where K is the number of supply units, T is the total number of customers over the time horizon, and η is the demand process’ average rate of change per customer arrival. An adaptation of MBP is found to perform well in numerical experiments based on data from NYC Cab.

This paper was accepted by Gabriel Weintraub, revenue management and market analytics.

Funding: Y. Kanoria was supported by the National Science Foundation’s Division of Civil, Mechanical, and Manufacturing Innovation [Grant CMMI-1653477].

Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4934 .
The effect of implementing the COMFORT communication model on communication skills of nursing students
Authors: Mahdiabadi Farzad Reisi , Mirzaei Samaneh , Entezari Ahmad , Nasiriani Khadijeh
Published: September 2023

Background:

Effective communication as a key component of palliative care requires sufficient knowledge and experience to make nursing interventions successful.

Aim:

This quasi-experimental study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the COMFORT communication model as an intervention to improve student nurses’ communication skills while they are under clinical training in specialist palliative care inpatient units.

Methods:

The population sample included 86 student nurses who were randomly assigned into two groups of 40. The intervention group received training on communication skills using the COMFORT communication model. Nine lectures were delivered online or offline; the lectures lasted between 25 to 60 minutes. The control group received the conventional educational programme about communication with patients and families, according to the curriculum of the bachelor's degree in nursing. Data were collected using the Communication Skills Questionnaire and Communication Skills Attitude Scale and analysed using IBM® SPSS® Statistics 22.0.

Results:

The findings showed that, after the implementation of COMFORT communication model, there was a statistically significant difference in communication skills between the intervention group (122.95±9.36) and the control group (110.1±8.92). There was also a significant difference in attitudes toward communication skills between the intervention group (90.25±8.86) and the control group (90.85±9.15) (P=0.0001). The findings of the study revealed that the COMFORT Communication model created significant statistical differences in the student's attitude, knowledge and communication skills.

Conclusion:

Novice nurses sometimes struggle with the level of communication skills needed when caring for patients with an end-stage illness. The implementation of the COMFORT communication model significantly improved communication skills and attitudes toward communication. Due to the need to establish effective communication as the core of nursing practice, the implementation of this training programme is recommended for students and qualified nurses, particularly when providing palliative care.