bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Short-Term COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Endoscopy Delays Did Not Translate to Deleterious Outcomes for Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Chambers Jason , Malhi Gurpreet , Mikail Maria , Khanna Reena , Wilson Aze
Published: February 2022

Background

The management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) requires frequent endoscopic assessment. It is unknown if measures put in place to reduce the spread of the virus SARS-CoV-2, including the delay of non-urgent patient assessments, resulted in deleterious outcomes for patients with IBD. Therefore, we aimed to determine if delays in endoscopy during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with an increased risk of adverse IBD outcomes (emergency room, ER presentation, hospitalization, surgery, or escalation of drug therapy).

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was performed in patients with IBD scheduled for outpatient endoscopies between March and August 2019 and 2020 at two tertiary care centers affiliated with Western University, London, Canada. Data pertaining to endoscopy timing, IBD drug prescription, ER attendance, hospitalization, and surgery were collected.

Results

A total of 1160 endoscopies (2019, n = 718; 2020, n = 442) occurred during the study periods in 669 (2019) and 414 (2020) patients with IBD, respectively. More endoscopies were delayed in 2020 than 2019 (26.7% vs. 9.7%, respectively, P < 0.0001). Endoscopy delay was not associated with an increased risk of an adverse IBD outcome (OR = 1.23, 95%CI = 0.89–1.34, P = 0.20). Fewer adverse IBD outcomes were seen in the 2020 cohort who had endoscopy delays (n = 33/115, 28.7%) versus those without delay (n = 176/299, 58.9%, P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

More endoscopy delays occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, delays in general were not associated with adverse IBD outcomes, and in particular, endoscopy delays during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with fewer deleterious IBD outcomes, suggesting that patients with IBD in need of urgent endoscopy were appropriately identified.
A Risky Bet: Climate Change and the EU’s Microprudential Framework for Banks
Authors: Smoleńska Agnieszka , van 't Klooster Jens
Published: February 2022

Banking regulation and supervision have a key role to play in realizing the EU’s climate change objectives. In this article, we analyse the EU-level initiatives currently underway to decarbonize the banking system, in particular with regard to the microprudential rulebook. We document how regulators work hard to fit climate policy into the existing objectives of the microprudential framework. We also assess whether these efforts are likely to be successful by sketching two ways forward, which involve their own distinct hazards. The first is a ‘Deferential Transition’, which sees policymakers rely on banks and external rating providers to develop adequate internal risk management procedures while taking a largely agnostic approach as to what methodologies are appropriate. If this is the way forward, we see a number of risks: banks have a clear incentive to downplay risk, while large financial institutions gain a significant advantage and the division of responsibility between banks and supervisors becomes blurred. We also outline the scenario of a ‘Guided Transition’, in which regulators provide fine-grained guidance on the future that banks should anticipate. Although we broadly think this approach is the more effective route to greening EU banking, we also see challenges of an entirely different sort: regulators will unavoidably face political choices and EU lawmakers will need to consider issues of legality, legitimacy, and accountability. In this regard, we argue, the EU faces a risky bet.
Jewishness, antiquity and civilization
Authors: Stammers Tom
Published: February 2022

Alfred Mond (1868–1930), 1st Baron Melchett, was a towering figure in early twentieth-century politics and economics, but his significance as an art collector has never been acknowledged. Like his brother, Robert, he has been overshadowed by the stature of his father, Ludwig Mond, with whose collections both were intimately involved. This essay uses the evidence of Alfred Mond’s collections of paintings, sculptures and antiquities to consider his relationship to his German cultural heritage, as well as his evolving understanding of his Jewishness. It seeks to reclaim Mond’s significance as a patron and lover of the arts in both a public and a private capacity.
Mitochondrial Diversity of the Asian Tiger Mosquito Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Misbah Suzana , Low Van Lun , Mohd Rahim Nurul Farhana , Jaba Rizzuaeammie , Basari Norasmah , Ya’cob Zubaidah , Abu Bakar Sazaly
Published: February 2022

Aedes albopictus is one of the main mosquito vectors responsible for transmitting arboviruses to humans and animals. The ability of this mosquito to support virus transmission has been linked to vector competence, which is partly attributed to the genetic disparities in Ae. albopictus population. At present, little is known about the biologically important traits of Ae. albopictus in Malaysia. Thus, the study aims to determine the genetic variation of Ae. albopictus based on the mitochondria-encoded sequences of cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI). A statistical parsimony network of 253 taxa aligned as 321 characters of the COI gene revealed 42 haplotypes (H1–H42), of which H1 was the most widespread haplotype in Peninsular Malaysia. Three highly divergent haplotypes (H21, H30, and H31) were detected from the northern population. Overall, haplotype and nucleotide diversities were 0.576 and 0.003, respectively, with low genetic differentiation (FST = 0.039) and high gene flow (Nm = 12.21) across all populations.
Activating the “Big Man”: Social Status, Patronage Networks, and Pro-Social Behavior in African Bureaucracies
Authors: Harris Adam S , Meyer-Sahling Jan-Hinrik , Mikkelsen Kim Sass , Schuster Christian
Published: February 2022

Public service delivery by African states is often characterized as particularist, favoring ethnic, personal or political networks of those inside the state over universalist, pro-social services to citizens. One explanation for particularist service delivery focuses on societal patronage norms, with “Big Men” providing for members of their networks. Despite the prominence of this line of reasoning and the anecdotal prevalence of “Big Men” in politics and society, hardly any research has quantitatively assessed the effects of “big man” governance inside the state. Through a behavioral experiment with over 1,300 Ugandan bureaucrats, our article seeks to address this gap. In the experiment, we find that activating social status—that is, “big man” status—in bureaucrats embedded in patronage networks significantly curbs their pro-social behavior. Our article contributes an important empirical micro-foundation to help explain one cause of limited universal service delivery by bureaucrats.
William Morris, News from Nowhere, and the Hammersmith Bridge: Visual Encounters
Authors: Pearson Richard
Published: February 2022

This article discusses a central symbol in William Morris’ News from Nowhere (1890): that of the ‘bridge’. I argue that Morris’ use of the Hammersmith Suspension Bridge as a ‘gateway’ to his imagined journey up the river Thames to Lechlade was stimulated by the alterations and rebuilding work carried out on the bridge in the 1880s. The article traces the debates and developments surrounding the bridge during the period when Morris had moved into his Hammersmith house (Guest’s lodgings at the start of the novel), which enjoyed a view of the bridge from its windows. In response to the industrial bridge architecture of the nineteenth century, Morris describes a future where the bridges of the Thames have returned to something like the medieval models he espouses. The article follows the route of Guest’s Thames boat journey in Nowhere, describing the contemporary bridges Morris mentions in the text, and considering aspects of the transformation or disappearance of these in Nowhere. As Guest reaches the Upper Thames, his future world and the present day merge in the descriptions of the medieval bridges that survive in both his own day and the utopian future, providing an ironic condemnation of the capitalist Victorian architecture and an oblique argument for conservation concerns. The metaphor of the ‘bridge’ becomes crucial to his political position, bridging his medieval idealism to his modern socialism. The essay provides an image gallery of the bridges in the novel.
Mesophyll conductance is unaffected by expression of Arabidopsis PIP1 aquaporins in the plasmalemma of Nicotiana
Authors: Clarke Victoria C , De Rosa Annamaria , Massey Baxter , George Aleu Mani , Evans John R , von Caemmerer Susanne , Groszmann Michael
Published: February 2022

In plants with C3 photosynthesis, increasing the diffusion conductance for CO2 from the substomatal cavity to chloroplast stroma (mesophyll conductance) can improve the efficiencies of both CO2 assimilation and photosynthetic water use. In the diffusion pathway from substomatal cavity to chloroplast stroma, the plasmalemma and chloroplast envelope membranes impose a considerable barrier to CO2 diffusion, limiting photosynthetic efficiency. In an attempt to improve membrane permeability to CO2, and increase photosynthesis in tobacco, we generated transgenic lines in Nicotiana tabacum L. cv Petite Havana carrying either the Arabidopsis PIP1;2 (AtPIP1;2) or PIP1;4 (AtPIP1;4) gene driven by the constitutive dual 2x35S CMV promoter. From a collection of independent T0 transgenics, two T2 lines from each gene were characterized, with western blots confirming increased total aquaporin protein abundance in the AtPIP1;2 tobacco lines. Transient expression of AtPIP1;2-mGFP6 and AtPIP1;4-mGFP6 fusions in Nicotiana benthamiana identified that both AtPIP1;2 and AtPIP1;4 localize to the plasmalemma. Despite achieving ectopic production and correct localization, gas exchange measurements combined with carbon isotope discrimination measurements detected no increase in mesophyll conductance or CO2 assimilation rate in the tobacco lines expressing AtPIP. We discuss the complexities associated with trying to enhance gm through modified aquaporin activity.
The detectability of nightside city lights on exoplanets
Authors: Beatty Thomas G
Published: February 2022

Next-generation missions designed to detect biosignatures on exoplanets will also be capable of placing constraints on technosignatures (evidence for technological life) on these same worlds. Here, I estimate the detectability of nightside city lights on habitable, Earth-like, exoplanets around nearby stars using direct-imaging observations from the proposed LUVOIR and HabEx observatories, assuming these lights come from high-pressure sodium lamps. I consider how the detectability scales with urbanization fraction: from Earth’s value of 0.05 per cent, up to the limiting case of an ecumenopolis – or planet-wide city. Though an Earth analogue would not be detectable by LUVOIR or HabEx, planets around M-dwarfs close to the Sun would show detectable signals at $3\, \sigma$ from city lights, using 300 h of observing time, for urbanization levels of 0.4–3 per cent, while city lights on planets around nearby Sun-like stars would be detectable at urbanization levels of ${\gtrsim}10{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. The known planet Proxima b is a particularly compelling target for LUVOIR A observations, which would be able to detect city lights 12 times that of Earth in 300 h, an urbanization level that is expected to occur on Earth around the mid-22nd century. An ecumenopolis, or planet-wide city, would be detectable around roughly 30–50 nearby stars by both LUVOIR and HabEx, and a survey of these systems would place a $1\, \sigma$ upper limit of ${\lesssim}2$ to ${\lesssim}4{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, and a $3\, \sigma$ upper limit ${\lesssim}10$ to ${\lesssim}15{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$, on the frequency of ecumenopolis planets in the Solar neighbourhood assuming no detections.
Deep learning methods for obtaining photometric redshift estimations from images
Authors: Henghes Ben , Thiyagalingam Jeyan , Pettitt Connor , Hey Tony , Lahav Ofer
Published: February 2022

Knowing the redshift of galaxies is one of the first requirements of many cosmological experiments, and as it is impossible to perform spectroscopy for every galaxy being observed, photometric redshift (photo-z) estimations are still of particular interest. Here, we investigate different deep learning methods for obtaining photo-z estimates directly from images, comparing these with ‘traditional’ machine learning algorithms which make use of magnitudes retrieved through photometry. As well as testing a convolutional neural network (CNN) and inception-module CNN, we introduce a novel mixed-input model that allows for both images and magnitude data to be used in the same model as a way of further improving the estimated redshifts. We also perform benchmarking as a way of demonstrating the performance and scalability of the different algorithms. The data used in the study comes entirely from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) from which 1 million galaxies were used, each having 5-filtre (ugriz) images with complete photometry and a spectroscopic redshift which was taken as the ground truth. The mixed-input inception CNN achieved a mean squared error (MSE) =0.009, which was a significant improvement ($30{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) over the traditional random forest (RF), and the model performed even better at lower redshifts achieving a MSE = 0.0007 (a $50{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ improvement over the RF) in the range of z < 0.3. This method could be hugely beneficial to upcoming surveys, such as Euclid and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), which will require vast numbers of photo-z estimates produced as quickly and accurately as possible.
Identification, mass, and age of primary red clump stars from spectral features derived with the LAMOST DR7
Authors: He Xu-Jiang , Luo A-Li , Chen Yu-Qin
Published: February 2022

Although red clump (RC) stars are easy to identify due to their stability of luminosity and colour, about 20–50 per cent are actually red giant branch (RGB) stars in the same location on the HR diagram. In this paper, a sample of 210 504 spectra for 184 318 primary RC (PRC) stars from the LAMOST DR7 is identified, which has a purity of higher than 90 per cent. The RC and the RGB stars are successfully distinguished through LAMOST spectra (R ∼ 1800 and signal-to-noise ratio >10) by adopting the XGBoost ensemble learning algorithm, and the secondary RC stars are also removed. The SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) value is used to explain the top features that the XGBoost model selected. The features are around Fe5270, MgH & Mg Ib, Fe4957, Fe4207, Cr5208, and CN, which can successfully distinguish RGB and RC stars. The XGBoost is also used to estimate the ages and masses of PRC stars by training their spectra with Kepler labelled asteroseismic parameters. The uncertainties of mass and age are 13 and 31 per cent, respectively. Verifying the feature attribution model, we find that the age-sensitive element XGBoost is consistent with the literature. Distance of the PRC stars is derived by KS absolute magnitude calibrated by Gaia EDR3, which has an uncertainty of about 6 per cent and shows the stars mainly located at the Galactic disc. We also test the XGBoost with R ∼ 250, which is the resolution of the Chinese Space Station Telescope under construction; it is still capable of finding sensitive features to distinguish RC and RGB.
VETTAM: a scheme for radiation hydrodynamics with adaptive mesh refinement using the variable Eddington tensor method
Authors: Menon Shyam H , Federrath Christoph , Krumholz Mark R , Kuiper Rolf , Wibking Benjamin D , Jung Manuel
Published: February 2022

We present Variable Eddington Tensor (VET)-closed Transport on Adaptive Meshes (VETTAM), a new algorithm to solve the equations of radiation hydrodynamics (RHD) with support for adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) in a frequency-integrated, two-moment formulation. The method is based on a non-local VET closure computed with a hybrid characteristics scheme for ray tracing. We use a Godunov method for the hyperbolic transport of radiation with an implicit backwards-Euler temporal update to avoid the explicit time-step constraint imposed by the light-crossing time, and a fixed-point Picard iteration scheme to handle the nonlinear gas-radiation exchange term, with the two implicit update stages jointly iterated to convergence. We also develop a modified wave-speed correction method for AMR, which we find to be crucial for obtaining accurate results in the diffusion regime. We demonstrate the robustness of our scheme with a suite of pure radiation and RHD tests, and show that it successfully captures the streaming, static diffusion, and dynamic diffusion regimes and the spatial transitions between them, casts sharp shadows, and yields accurate results for rates of momentum and energy exchange between radiation and gas. A comparison between different closures for the radiation moment equations, with the Eddington approximation (0th-moment closure) and the M1 approximation (1st-moment closure), demonstrates the advantages of the VET method (2nd-moment closure) over the simpler closure schemes. VETTAM has been coupled to the AMR FLASH (magneto-)hydrodynamics code and we summarize by reporting performance features and bottlenecks of our implementation.
Evolutionary map of the Universe (EMU): 18-cm OH-maser discovery in ASKAP continuum images of the SCORPIO field
Authors: Ingallinera A , Cavallaro F , Loru S , Marvil J , Umana G , Trigilio C , Breen S , Bordiu C , Buemi C S , Bufano F , Collier J , Etoka S , Filipović M D , Goldman S R , Hopkins A M , Koribalski B S , Leto P , Norris R P , Riggi S , Schillirò F , Tremblay C , van Loon J Th
Published: February 2022

Low- and intermediate-mass stars end their life dispersing their outer layers into the circumstellar medium, during the asymptotic and post-asymptotic giant branch phases. OH masers at 18 cm offer an effective way to probe their circumstellar environment. In this work, we present the discovery of seven OH maser sources likely associated with such evolved stars from the visual inspection of Australian SKA Pathfinder (ASKAP) continuum images. These seven sources do not emit real continuum emission, but the high sensitivity of our images allows us to detect their maser emission, resembling continuum sources. To confirm their nature, we carried out spectral-line observations with ATCA. All the sources showed the double-peaked spectra at 1612 MHz, typical of evolved stars. The detection of maser emission in continuum images can be a complementary and easy-to-use method to discover new maser sources with the large-area deep surveys conducted with the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) precursors. The implication for radio stars studies are remarkable since pure OH maser sources (i.e. with no continuum associated) represent, at a sensitivity of $100\,\mu \mathrm{Jy\,beam}^{-1}$, about 4 per cent of all Galactic sources and by far the most numerous stellar population.
Interspecific competition among terrestrial slugs
Authors: Watz Johan , Nyqvist Daniel
Published: February 2022

Interspecific competition among terrestrial gastropods has previously been considered to have little effect on population dynamics and local distribution. Recent studies, however, demonstrate several cases in which interspecific competition plays a major role in structuring terrestrial gastropod communities. To explore the general importance of interspecific competition for the ecology of slugs, we conducted a semi-systematic literature review, synthesizing available peer-reviewed literature relating interspecific interactions to the following: (1) mortality and reproduction; (2) activity, movement, feeding and growth; and (3) habitat use and geographical distribution of slugs. To support the literature on slugs, we also reviewed literature on terrestrial snails. The body of available literature is relatively limited, but the effect of interspecific competition on survival, reproduction, movement and activity has clearly been demonstrated in laboratory experiments for different slug species. The occurrence of interspecific competition seems, however, to be species specific, and no negative effects due to the presence of heterospecifics have been reported for many of the species combinations investigated to date. Most of the studies demonstrating interspecific effects between slug species involved interference from a few aggressive species (mainly Limax maximus as the aggressor). In addition, several correlative studies have indicated that in terrestrial gastropods, habitat use and geographical distribution might be mediated by interspecific competition. Further, well-designed experiments are needed to explore the general importance of interspecific competition among slugs, potentially with a focus on interactions between invasive and native species, where the lack of a shared evolutionary history and niche separation may increase the intensity of competition. Such experimental studies may produce information that has implications for the conservation of native species, as well as for management of invasive pests, because interspecific competition may result in local extinction of vulnerable species and influence the possibility of non-native species establishing invasive populations in new areas.
Highly Oxidising Conditions in Volatile-Rich El Hierro Magmas: Implications for Ocean Island Magmatism
Authors: Taracsák Zoltán , Longpré Marc-Antoine , Tartèse Romain , Burgess Ray , Edmonds Marie , Hartley Margaret E
Published: February 2022

Recent studies investigating magmatic volatile contents indicate widespread enrichment of carbon, sulfur, and halogens in ocean island basalts (OIBs). At El Hierro in the Western Canary Islands, magmas with exceptionally high CO2 and S contents have been erupting throughout the Holocene. High S content of up to 5200 ppm requires an oxidised mantle source, but estimates of initial magmatic oxygen fugacity (fO2) are sparse. Here, we present estimates of fO2 and magmatic temperature for El Hierro together with a global mantle potential temperature dataset to evaluate redox and temperature conditions in the early stages of melt evolution for volatile-rich OIBs. Oxygen fugacities calculated using vanadium partitioning between melt inclusions (MIs) and their olivine hosts are >FMQ + 2.9 (2.9 log10 units above the fayalite-magnetite-quartz buffer), indicating that El Hierro magmas are highly oxidised. MI and matrix glass sulfur speciation data record fO2 between FMQ-1 to FMQ + 2; these values strongly depend on the position of the S2− to S6+ transition relative to the FMQ buffer. Nonetheless, glass sulfur speciation data record lower oxygen fugacity than V partitioning data, indicating MIs were able to maintain Fe3+/ΣFe and S6+/ΣS equilibrium with the surrounding melt during their evolution. The high fO2 of El Hierro magmas is coupled with an average mantle potential temperature estimate of 1443 ± 66°C (1σ, n = 17) for the broader Canary Islands, which is slightly higher than the average potential temperature estimated for adjacent mid-ocean ridge segments (1427 ± 33°C, 1σ, n = 474), albeit the two values are well within error. We find that ~98% of Canary Island rock compositions are not suitable for calculation of mantle potential temperatures using currently available methods. This is caused by the presence of substantial pyroxenite and volatile-enriched peridotite mantle domains under the Canary Islands. A wider compositional calibration of various petrological models is necessary to precisely determine mantle potential temperatures for volatile-rich alkali basalts. Our high oxygen fugacity estimates for El Hierro magmas reflect the fertile, fusible, and volatile-enriched nature of the mantle source beneath the Western Canary Islands.
miR2105 and the kinase OsSAPK10 co-regulate OsbZIP86 to mediate drought-induced ABA biosynthesis in rice
Authors: Gao Weiwei , Li Mingkang , Yang Songguang , Gao Chunzhi , Su Yan , Zeng Xuan , Jiao Zhengli , Xu Weijuan , Zhang Mingyong , Xia Kuaifei
Published: February 2022

Mediating induced abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis is important for enhancing plant stress tolerance. Here, we found that rice (Oryza sativa L.) osa–miR2105 (miR2105) and the Stress/ABA-activated protein kinase (OsSAPK10) coordinately regulate the rice basic region-leucine zipper transcription factor (bZIP TF; OsbZIP86) at the posttranscriptional and posttranslational levels to control drought-induced ABA biosynthesis via modulation of rice 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (OsNCED3) expression. OsbZIP86 expression is regulated by miR2105-directed cleavage of the OsbZIP86 mRNA. OsbZIP86 encodes a nuclear TF that binds to the promoter of the ABA biosynthetic gene OsNCED3. OsSAPK10 can phosphorylate and activate OsbZIP86 to enhance the expression of OsNCED3. Under normal growth conditions, altered expression of miR2105 and OsbZIP86 displayed no substantial effect on rice growth. However, under drought conditions, miR2105 knockdown or OsbZIP86 overexpression transgenic rice plants showed higher ABA content, enhanced tolerance to drought, lower rates of water loss, and more stomatal closure of seedlings, compared with wild-type rice Zhonghua 11; in contrast, miR2105 overexpression, OsbZIP86 downregulation, and OsbZIP86 knockout plants displayed opposite phenotypes. Collectively, our results show that the “miR2105-(OsSAPK10)-OsbZIP86-OsNCED3” module regulates the drought-induced ABA biosynthesis without penalty on rice growth under normal conditions, suggesting candidates for improving drought tolerance in rice.
Influencing Police and Community Relations in Abu Dhabi with a Soft Power Approach during COVID-19
Authors: Al Hanaee Mohamed , Davies Amanda
Published: February 2022

Soft power policing is emerging as the policing catch phrase in 2021 in part arising from multiple police–community relations challenges gaining an increasing public focus globally. This article presents the soft power approach to policing engaged by Abu Dhabi police pre- and during the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the underpinning strategies and initiatives deployed to sustain community trust and confidence levels in Abu Dhabi Police. A review of global indexes promotes Abu Dhabi Police as a world leader in police–community relations, an achievement sustained throughout the COVID-19 global crisis. This research explores the ways in which achievements are impacted by a sustained and an all-encompassing policing approach that places soft power at the centre of police and community relations.
Police Officer Responses to Deadly Encounters with the Public: Understanding Situational Characteristics that Impact Decision-Making
Authors: Cook Ryan , Summers Diana , Paulk Rachel , Kirsch Eric
Published: February 2022

In the USA, police officer–citizen encounters are routine, and while rare, high-profile shootings underscore the acute strains that exist between the police and communities when force is inappropriately applied. This collaborative partnership explored the situational contexts that impact officer decision-making in deadly force encounters in order to inform training and practice initiatives. In this study, we analysed 39 officers’ responses to 233 simulated encounters with the public using a firearms training system. We coded participants’ performance into one of the five possible outcomes (pass, missed target, suspect shot first, shot victim, and shot too soon). The most commonly occurring outcome was pass (44.6%), followed by suspect shooting first (29.6%), and missed target (12.9%). Content analysis of self-identified situational factors revealed that across all scenarios, the officers’ decision was most commonly informed by suspect cues, environmental factors, and the presence of a firearm. Implications of the findings are discussed.
The inter-relationships of the neural basis of rumination and inhibitory control: neuroimaging-based meta-analyses
Authors: Song Xiaoqi , Long Jixin , Wang Chanyu , Zhang Ruibin , Lee Tatia M C
Published: February 2022

Rumination, as a clinical manifestation and pathogenic factor of depression, has long been the focus of psychological research regarding its causes and ameliorating approaches. Behavioral studies have shown that rumination is related to inhibitory control deficits, which provides ideas for reducing it. However, the neural relationship between them has not been clearly discussed. In this study, we first used multi-level kernel density analysis to conduct two meta-analyses of published functional magnetic resonance imaging studies: one was rumination comprising 17 studies with 180 foci, and the other was inhibitory control comprising 205 studies with 3791 foci. Conjunction analysis was then performed to explore the common brain regions and further decode them through Neurosynth to confirm the cognitive specificity. Results showed that rumination was mainly related to the default mode network (DMN), while inhibitory control was associated with the frontoparietal network (FPN). In addition, the common activation areas were mainly concentrated in the bilateral precuneus, right superior frontal gyrus, bilateral median cingulate, paracingulate gyri, and the left triangular part of inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Decoding results also revealed they were involved in inhibition, memory retrieval, and self-related processes. Our findings support that rumination is associated with inhibitory control and can be explained neurologically by an antagonistic relationship between the DMN and FPN. In sum, inhibitory control may be related to rumination via inhibiting task-unrelated attention and controlling self-related processing. This research will help us understand and predict rumination from the perspective of inhibitory control and reduce rumination through behavioral training of inhibitory control or the application of neuromodulation techniques to common activation regions.
Thoughts on Pain, Physical Activity, and Body in Patients With Recurrent Low Back Pain and Fear: An Interview Study
Authors: André Maria , Lundberg Mari
Published: February 2022

Objective

The purpose of this study was to explore thoughts and ideas about the body and pain in patients with nonspecific low back pain (LBP) who have a high degree of fear of movement.

Methods

Patients with nonspecific LBP and a high degree of fear of movement, as measured using the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia, were asked to participate in the study. Individual semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 participants. The material was analyzed using content analysis with an inductive approach.

Results

From these patients’ stories, an overarching theme—decreased confidence in the body becomes a barrier to living life to the fullest—emerged. This theme was further divided into 4 subthemes: (1) “What is wrong with my body?”—the constant search for an explanation; (2) searching for the right way to move; (3) loss of mobility means a lack of meaning in life; and (4) the message from health care professionals guides feelings, thoughts, and movement behavior.

Conclusion

This study indicates that the message of keeping physically active when experiencing LBP has succeeded, but patients with fear require support to feel secure and have enough confidence in their body to move and exercise. Clinicians need to better incorporate evidence-based practice for patients with fear and support them so that they can apply an understanding of pain to their bodies and their every day life.

Impact

These results offer guidance for health care professionals to enhance their practice by providing more updated information to their patients who have recurrent LBP and fear. With better support, patients may be able to regain confidence in their bodies and live their lives to the fullest.

Lay Summary

If you have recurrent LBP and fear of moving your body, ask your health care professional to provide you with updated knowledge on pain and to help you regain confidence in your body so that you can live your life to the fullest.
“I Don’t Know Why I’ve Got this Pain!” Allostasis as a Possible Explanatory Model
Authors: Rabey Martin , Moloney Niamh
Published: February 2022

Explaining the onset and maintenance of pain can be challenging in many clinical presentations. Allostasis encompasses the mechanisms through which humans adapt to stressors to maintain physiological stability. Due to related neuro-endocrine-immune system effects, allostasis and allostatic load (the cumulative effects on the brain and body that develop through the maintenance of physiological stability) offer the potential to explain the development and maintenance of musculoskeletal pain in certain cases. This paper outlines the concept of allostatic load, highlights the evidence for allostatic load in musculoskeletal pain conditions to date, and discusses mechanisms through which allostatic load influences pain, with particular focus on hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and sympathetic nervous system function and central, brain-driven governance of these systems. Finally, through case examples, consideration is given as to how allostatic load can be integrated into clinical reasoning and how it can be used to help explain pain to individuals and guide clinical decision-making.

Impact

Awareness of the concept of allostatic load, and subsequent assessment of physical and psychological stressors potentially contributing to allostatic load, may facilitate a broader understanding of the multidimensional presentations of many people with pain, both acute and persistent. This may facilitate discussion between clinicians and their patients regarding broader influences on their presentations and drive more targeted and inclusive pain management strategies.
Electrospinning of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory Ag@hesperidin core-shell nanoparticles into nanofibers used for promoting infected wound healing
Authors: Ren Xiuli , Hu Yanan , Chang Linna , Xu Shibo , Mei Xifan , Chen Zhenhua
Published: February 2022

Bacterial infection and excessive inflammation are still the main obstacles to wound repair. Thus, antibacterial and anti-inflammation nanomaterials are always attracting for infected wound healing. In this work, ultra-uniform (∼20 nm) and colloidally stable Ag nanoparticles (Ag-Hes NPs) with core-shell structure were prepared by using hesperidin as reducing and capping agent. The obtained Ag-Hes NPs present effective antibacterial properties on both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Ag-Hes NPs also got high 1,1-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging capability of 69%. Under the package of polyvinyl alcohol and sodium alginate, Ag-Hes NPs were encapsulated into electro spun nanofibers to form hydrogel (Ag-Hes@H). This strategy provides a moisture environment which could enrich and release Ag-Hes NPs gradually. Cell experiments and animal wound healing investigation proved that Ag-Hes@H could promote the proliferation and migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and accelerate infected wound healing. Meanwhile, Ag-Hes@H significantly reduced the expression of inflammatory cytokines, including IL-6, MMP9 and TNF-α. Immunohistochemistry data further suggested that Ag-Hes@H accelerated wound closure by promoting collagen deposition and skin cell proliferation. The designed antibacterial and anti-inflammatory Ag-Hes@H has great potential for promoting infected wound healing.
A Retrospective Observational Study Exploring 30- and 90-Day Outcomes for Patients With COVID-19 After Percutaneous Tracheostomy and Gastrostomy Placement*
Authors: Kiser Stephanie B. , Sciacca Kate , Jain Nelia , Leiter Richard , Mazzola Emanuele , Gelfand Samantha , Jehle Jonathan , Bernacki Rachelle , Lamas Daniela , Cooper Zara , Lakin Joshua R.
Published: February 2022

OBJECTIVES:

To determine the 30- and 90-day outcomes of COVID-19 patients receiving tracheostomy and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG).

DESIGN:

Retrospective observational study.

SETTING:

Multisite, inpatient.

PATIENTS:

Hospitalized COVID-19 patients who received tracheostomy and PEG at four Boston hospitals.

INTERVENTIONS:

Tracheostomy and PEG placement.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:

The primary outcome was mortality at 30 and 90 days post-procedure. Secondary outcomes included continued device presence, place of residence, complications, and rehospitalizations. Eighty-one COVID-19 patients with tracheostomy and PEG placement were included. At 90 days post-device placement, the mortality rate was 9.9%, 2.7% still had the tracheostomy, 32.9% still had the PEG, and 58.9% were at home.

CONCLUSIONS:

More than nine-in-10 patients in our population of COVID-19 patients who underwent tracheostomy and PEG were alive 90 days later and most were living at home. This study provides new information regarding the outcomes of this patient population that may serve as a step in guiding clinicians, patients, and families when making decisions regarding these devices.
Sleep and Circadian Health of Critical COVID-19 Survivors 3 Months After Hospital Discharge
Authors: Benítez Iván D. , Moncusí-Moix Anna , Vaca Rafaela , Gort-Paniello Clara , Minguez Olga , Santisteve Sally , Carmona Paola , Torres Gerard , Fagotti Juliane , Labarca Gonzalo , Torres Antoni , González Jessica , de Gonzalo-Calvo David , Barbé Ferran , Targa Adriano D. S.
Published: February 2022

OBJECTIVES:

To evaluate the sleep and circadian rest-activity pattern of critical COVID-19 survivors 3 months after hospital discharge.

DESIGN:

Observational, prospective study.

SETTING:

Single-center study.

PATIENTS:

One hundred seventy-two consecutive COVID-19 survivors admitted to the ICU with acute respiratory distress syndrome.

INTERVENTIONS:

Seven days of actigraphy for sleep and circadian rest-activity pattern assessment; validated questionnaires; respiratory tests at the 3-month follow-up.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:

The cohort included 172 patients, mostly males (67.4%) with a median (25th–75th percentile) age of 61.0 years (52.8–67.0 yr). The median number of days at the ICU was 11.0 (6.00–24.0), and 51.7% of the patients received invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV). According to the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), 60.5% presented poor sleep quality 3 months after hospital discharge, which was further confirmed by actigraphy. Female sex was associated with an increased score in the PSQI (p < 0.05) and IMV during ICU stay was able to predict a higher fragmentation of the rest-activity rhythm at the 3-month follow-up (p < 0.001). Furthermore, compromised mental health measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was associated with poor sleep quality (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS:

Our findings highlight the importance of considering sleep and circadian health after hospital discharge. Within this context, IMV during the ICU stay could aid in predicting an increased fragmentation of the rest-activity rhythm at the 3-month follow-up. Furthermore, compromised mental health could be a marker for sleep disruption at the post-COVID period.
The β1-Adrenergic Receptor Contributes to Sepsis-Induced Immunosuppression Through Modulation of Regulatory T-Cell Inhibitory Function*
Authors: Durand Manon , Hagimont Eugénie , Louis Huguette , Asfar Pierre , Frippiat Jean-Pol , Singer Mervyn , Gauchotte Guillaume , Labat Carlos , Lacolley Patrick , Levy Bruno , Glenn Chousterman Benjamin , Kimmoun Antoine
Published: February 2022

OBJECTIVES:

Although cardiovascular benefits of β1-adrenergic receptor blockade have been described in sepsis, little is known about its impact on the adaptive immune response, specifically CD4 T cells. Herein, we study the effects of β1-adrenergic receptor modulation on CD4 T-cell function in a murine model of sepsis.

DESIGN:

Experimental study.

SETTING:

University laboratory.

SUBJECTS:

C57BL/6 mice.

INTERVENTIONS:

High-grade sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture in wild-type mice (β1
+/+) with or without esmolol (a selective β1-adrenergic receptor blocker) or in β1-adrenergic receptor knockout mice (β1
–/–). At 18 hours after surgery, echocardiography was performed with blood and spleen collected to analyze lymphocyte function.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:

At 18 hours, β1
+/+ cecal ligation and puncture mice exhibited characteristics of high-grade sepsis and three surrogate markers of immunosuppression, namely decreased splenic CD4 T cells, reduced CD4 T-cell proliferation, and increased regulatory T lymphocyte cell proportions. Pharmacologic and genetic β1-adrenergic receptor blockade reversed the impact of sepsis on CD4 T and regulatory T lymphocyte proportions and maintained CD4 T-cell proliferative capacity. β1-adrenergic receptor blocked cecal ligation and puncture mice also exhibited a global decrease in both pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators and improved in vivo cardiovascular efficiency with maintained cardiac power index despite the expected decrease in heart rate.

CONCLUSIONS:

β1-adrenergic receptor activation enhances regulatory T lymphocyte inhibitory function and thus contributes to sepsis-induced immunosuppression. This can be attenuated by β1-adrenergic receptor blockade, suggesting a potential immunoregulatory role for this therapy in the management of sepsis.
Structural-Functional Glaucoma Progression Trajectory in 2-Dimensional Space
Authors: de Gainza Agustina , Morales Esteban , Salazar Diana , Yu Fei , Afifi Abdelmonem , Nouri-Mahdavi Kouros , Caprioli Joseph
Published: February 2022

Précis:

We describe a method that provides rapid visualization of glaucomatous change in a 2-dimensional (2D) structural and functional (S/F) space.

Purpose:

To describe a method to visualize glaucomatous change in a 2D S/F space.

Design:

This was a retrospective longitudinal observational study.

Subjects:

Group I included 64 normal and 64 glaucomatous eyes used to develop the structural score. Group II included 957 glaucomatous eyes used to plot the structural-functional progression vectors.

Methods:

Subjects were arranged in 2 groups. Group I was a cross-sectional group used to develop a structural score which were applied to longitudinal measurements of patients in group II for vectoral analysis. Visual field index was used as a functional score. Vectors were created for each eye to define structural (x) and functional (y) progression. The structural and functional components were calculated with linear models of optical coherence tomography scores and visual field index. The resultant vector and its confidence interval were plotted in 2D S/F space.

Main Outcome Measures:

Combined structural-functional glaucomatous progression.

Results:

Group I included 64 normal and 64 glaucomatous eyes. We calculated 957 vectors (957 eyes of 582 OAG patients) in group II. The mean (±SD) follow-up period was 6.9 (±1.5) years and mean baseline mean deviation (MD) was −4.3 (±5.4). Preperimetric, mild, moderate, and severe groups included 159, 288, 299, and 211 eyes, respectively. Mean baseline MDs in these groups were 0.8, −1.0, −3.7, and −11.2 dB, and mean vector slopes were 0.88, 1.00, 1.98, and 2.69.

Conclusion:

We present a method that presents glaucoma progression in a 2D S/F space. This approach integrates a large amount of longitudinal numerical data and provides the clinician with a rapid and intuitive summary of the patient’s glaucoma trajectory.
Smell Sensitivity in Primary Open-angle Glaucoma and Pseudoexfoliation Glaucoma
Authors: Dikmetas Ozlem , Aygün Orhan , Kocabeyoglu Sibel , Süslü Ahmet E. , Kilic Büsra , Karakaya Jale , Iester Michele , Irkec Murat
Published: February 2022

Précis:

This cross-sectional study of 20 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), 20 with exfoliative glaucoma (XFG), 20 with exfoliation syndrome (XS) showed that exfoliative group had a significantly lower smell identification level as compared with the control groups.

Purpose:

To investigate smell sensitivity in POAG, XFG, and XFS in comparison with healthy controls.

Materials and Methods:

This prospective, cross-sectional study included 20 patients with POAG, 20 with XFG, and 20 with XFS. The control group consisted of 20 age-matched and sex-matched healthy subjects with no evidence of ocular disease. The Sniffin’ Sticks smell test was used to determine the, threshold values, and to assess the ability of smell identification, and differentiation in all patients One eye per patient was included for statistical purposes. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the differences between the groups. Tukey honestly significant difference was used as a post hoc test when significant differences were detected among the 3 groups.

Results:

The XFG, POAG, and control groups showed a significant difference in the odor discrimination, odor identification, and threshold discrimination identification scores. The median (minimum-maximum) smell threshold levels for the POAG, XFG, and XFS groups and healthy controls were 4.5 (0 to 7.5), 4 (0 to 7.5), 5 (4.5 to 6), and 5.5 (4 to 7.5), respectively. The smell differentiation values for the POAG, XFG, and XFS groups and healthy controls were 12 (2 to 14), 8 (0 to 13), 11 (10 to 13), and 12 (9 to 14), respectively. Smell sensitivity for the POAG, XFG, and XFS groups and healthy controls were 26 (4 to 30.5), 19 (0 to 29.5), 28.3 (22.8 to 30.5), and 29 (26.5 to 32), respectively. The smell sensitivity and differentiation were significantly different among the groups (P<0.001). The XFG group had a significantly lower smell identification level than the POAG, XFS, and control groups.

Conclusion:

Patients with XFS and XFG revealed reduced smell sensitivity and identification compared with patients with POAG and those without glaucoma. These findings provide new insights into neural degeneration and pseudoexfoliation.
Development of a Preliminary Question Prompt List as a Communication Tool for Adults With Achalasia
Authors: Zhuo Justin , Triadafilopoulos George , Bredenoord Albert J. , Clarke John O. , Fass Ronnie , Gyawali Chandra P. , Hawn Mary , Hwang Joo Ha , Kahrilas Peter J. , Katzka David A. , Low Donald , Massey Benson T. , Patel Dhyanesh , Penagini Roberto , Roman Sabine , Savarino Edoardo , Smout André J. , Swanstrom Lee , Tatum Roger , Vela Marcelo F. , Zaninotto Giovanni , Kamal Afrin N.
Published: February 2022

Background:

Question prompt lists (QPLs) are structured sets of disease-specific questions that enhance patient-physician communication by encouraging patients to ask questions during consultations.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to develop a preliminary achalasia-specific QPL created by esophageal experts.

Methods:

The QPL content was derived through a modified Delphi method consisting of 2 rounds. In round 1, experts provided 5 answers to the prompts “What general questions should patients ask when given a new diagnosis of achalasia” and “What questions do I not hear patients asking, but given my expertise, I believe they should be asking?” In round 2, experts rated questions on a 5-point Likert scale. Questions considered “essential” or “important” were accepted into the QPL. Feedback regarding the QPL was obtained in a pilot study wherein patients received the QPL before their consultation and completed surveys afterwards.

Results:

Nineteen esophageal experts participated in both rounds. Of 148 questions from round 1, 124 (83.8%) were accepted into the QPL. These were further reduced to 56 questions to minimize redundancy. Questions were categorized into 6 themes: “What is achalasia,” “Risks with achalasia,” “Symptom management in achalasia,” “Treatment of achalasia,” “Risk of reflux after treatment,” and “Follow-up after treatment.” Nineteen patients participated in the pilot, most of whom agreed that the QPL was helpful (84.2%) and recommended its wider use (84.2%).

Conclusions:

This is the first QPL developed specifically for adults with achalasia. Although well-received in a small pilot, follow-up studies will incorporate additional patient feedback to further refine the QPL content and assess its usability, acceptability, and feasibility.