bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Frank Barr: Avant-Garde Designer in Mid-Century Chicago?
Authors: Gehl Paul F
Published: June 2023

A popular 1941 gallery show in Chicago entitled “The Advance Guard of Advertising Artists” included five prominent European advocates of modernist design and four Americans who did daring and innovative work. All but one of these designers is today included in the mid-century design canon. The odd man out was Frank Barr (1906–1955), a Chicago letterpress printer with a modest, entirely local reputation both before and after the exhibit. This article explores Barr’s career to explicate the meaning of avant-garde design during at the period and shed light on the larger question of canonical status. Chicago was a major industrial and printing hub that nonetheless seemed provincial in design terms into the 1930s. Many design professionals educated there (like Barr) had remained content with the opportunities the city provided. The arrival of the New Bauhaus in 1937 injected new vitality into the local design scene and gave birth to a fresh sense of Chicago’s potentially international credentials. Barr’s career spanned the two decades of this transition and provides a useful case study of provincialism, avant-garde status, and internationalism.
Pear psylla and natural enemy thresholds for successful integrated pest management in pears
Authors: DuPont S Tianna , Strohm Chris , Kogan Clark , Hilton Rick , Nottingham Louis , Orpet Robert
Published: June 2023

Pear psylla, Cacopsylla pyricola (Förster), is the most economically challenging pest of commercial pears in Washington and Oregon, the top producers of pears in the United States. The objective of this study was to quantify economic injury levels and thresholds for pear psylla. We used the relationship between pear psylla adult and nymph densities, and fruit downgraded due to psylla honeydew marking to identify injury levels. We calculated economic injury levels using the cost of downgraded fruit and average management costs (spray materials and labor). Using economic injury levels, we determined economic thresholds for pear psylla, which include predicted pest population growth, natural enemy predation, and anticipated delays between when pest populations are measured and when managers apply interventions. Economic thresholds generated by this study were 0.1–0.3 second-generation nymphs per leaf and 0.2–0.8 third-generation nymphs per leaf depending on predicted price and yield for insecticide applications at 1,300 pear psylla degree days in the second generation and 2,600 pear psylla degree days in the third generation. Natural enemy inaction thresholds identified by this study were 6 Deraeocoris brevis or 3 Campylomma verbasci immatures per 30 trays or 2 earwigs per trap for third-generation optional insecticide applications.
Towards terminological resources tailored to the users’ needs: Terminology extraction based on appositive constructions
Authors: Speranza Giulia , di Buono Maria Pia , Monti Johanna
Published: June 2023

Terminological resources (TRs) are indispensable tools for accessing a specialized domain of knowledge. In this article, we propose a methodology for extracting terms and relevant linguistic information, useful for different users, hinging on the nature of some special linguistic structures: appositive constructions. The case study for our proof of concept in this investigation is the domain of Cultural Heritage. For such purpose, we compile a parallel Italian–English domain corpus in the specialized sub-domain of archaeology, for extracting data to be later stored in TRs tailored to three target users: (1) translators and interpreters, (2) technical communicators, and (3) the general public or laypeople.
Terminologie collaborative: analyse d'un projet inter-universitaire outillé en contexte européen
Authors: Elbaz Pascale , Loupaki Elpida
Published: June 2023

The purpose of this article is to analyze a collaborative terminology project undertaken jointly by three academic institutions as well as a Terminology Unit, in the framework of a European cooperation. For this purpose, we will analyze the theoretical and practical aspects necessary for a successful collaboration, including methodology and workflow; we will evaluate the performance of the different tools that were used by our students; we will present FAIRterm, a recently developed resource for collaborative compilation of multilingual terminology records, which our teams were the first to test the beta version. Our terminology approach is textual and descriptive, and our framework is that of higher education, in the specialization of professional translation.
A systematic review of Automatic Term Extraction: What happened in 2022?
Authors: Di Nunzio Giorgio Maria , Marchesin Stefano , Silvello Gianmaria
Published: June 2023

Automatic Term Extraction (ATE) systems have been studied for many decades as, among other things, one of the most important tools for tasks such as information retrieval, sentiment analysis, named entity recognition, and others. The interest in this topic has even increased in recent years given the support and improvement of the new neural approaches. In this article, we present a follow-up on the discussions about the pipeline that allows extracting key terms from medical reports, presented at MDTT 2022, and analyze the very last papers about ATE in a systematic review fashion. We analyzed the journal and conference papers published in 2022 (and partially in 2023) about ATE and cluster them into subtopics according to the focus of the papers for a better presentation.
PO+−He collision: ab initio potential energy surface and inelastic rotational rate coefficients
Authors: Chahal Pooja , Dhilip Kumar T J
Published: June 2023

Computations involving quantum dynamics are performed to attain cross-sections corresponding to rotational de-excitation and excitation rates of the PO+ species including four rotational lines recently detected in the interstellar molecular clouds. New ab initio potential energy surface (PES) for PO+−He collision is constructed by using CCSD(T) method and basis set extrapolated to complete basis set limit (CBS) considering a rigid rotor approximation. The PES is then trained to create neural network (NN) model to construct an augmented surface with angular coordinates at 1° intervals. The PES has a global minimum located at $\theta =110{}^{\circ }$ and R = 3.1 Å. An analytical fitting is performed on the NN surface to obtain the first 41 radial coefficients needed to solve the equations of the coupled-channel method. The essentially precise close coupling approach is used to compute the rotational (de-)excitation cross-sections till 1400 cm−1 with rotational states converged up to 26. Further, these cross-sections are thermally averaged to get the rate coefficients for various rotational transitions till 200 K. The propensity rule favours the odd transitions (Δj = 1) for the current study. The rate for the transition 5 → 4 is found to be higher than transition 1→ 0 by a factor of 3.1 at T = 20 K that decreases to 2.1 at T = 100 K.
A new buoyancy instability in galaxy clusters due to streaming cosmic rays
Authors: Kempski Philipp , Quataert Eliot , Squire Jonathan
Published: June 2023

Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are believed to provide the energy that prevents runaway cooling of gas in the cores of galaxy clusters. However, how this energy is transported and thermalized throughout the Intracluster Medium (ICM) remains unclear. In recent work, we showed that streaming cosmic rays (CRs) destabilize sound waves in dilute ICM plasmas. Here, we show that CR streaming in the presence of gravity also destabilizes a pressure-balanced wave. We term this new instability the CR buoyancy instability (CRBI). In stark contrast to standard results without CRs, the pressure-balanced mode is highly compressible at short wavelengths due to CR streaming. Maximal growth rates are of order (pc/pg)β1/2ωff, where pc/pg is the ratio of CR pressure to thermal gas pressure, β is the ratio of thermal to magnetic pressure, and ωff is the free-fall frequency. The CRBI operates alongside buoyancy instabilities driven by background heat fluxes, i.e. the heat-flux-driven buoyancy instability (HBI) and the magneto-thermal instability (MTI). When the thermal mean free path lmfp is ≪ the gas scale height H, the HBI/MTI set the growth rate on large scales, while the CRBI sets the growth rate on small scales. Conversely, when lmfp ∼ H and (pc/pg)β1/2 ≳ 1, CRBI growth rates exceed HBI/MTI growth rates even on large scales. Our results suggest that CR-driven instabilities may be partially responsible for the sound waves/weak shocks and turbulence observed in galaxy clusters. CR-driven instabilities generated near radio bubbles may also play an important role redistributing AGN energy throughout clusters.
The broadening of the main sequence in the open cluster M38
Authors: Griggio M , Salaris M , Bedin L R , Cassisi S
Published: June 2023

Our recent multiband photometric study of the colour width of the lower main sequence of the open cluster M37 has revealed the presence of a sizeable initial chemical composition spread in the cluster. If initial chemical composition spreads are common amongst open clusters, this would have major implications for cluster formation models and the foundation of the chemical tagging technique. Here, we present a study of the unevolved main sequence of the open cluster M38, employing Gaia DR3 photometry and astrometry, together with newly acquired Sloan photometry. We have analysed the distribution of the cluster’s lower main-sequence stars with a differential colour–colour diagram made of combinations of Gaia and Sloan magnitudes, like in the study of M37. We employed synthetic stellar populations to reproduce the observed trend of M38 stars in this diagram and found that the observed colour spreads can be explained simply by the combined effect of differential reddening across the face of the cluster and the presence of unresolved binaries. There is no need to include in the synthetic sample a spread of initial chemical composition as instead necessary to explain the main sequence of M37. Further photometric investigations like ours, as well as accurate differential spectroscopic analyses on large samples of open clusters, are necessary to understand whether chemical abundance spreads are common among the open cluster population.
Cognitive Archaeology
Authors: Donald Merlin
Published: June 2023

This chapter examines the status of a theory of brain-culture coevolution derived largely from evidence within cognitive science. The theory employed archeological evidence to estimate the time and order of adaptative change. It proposed that the emergence of the human mind took place in three stages, each highly social and interactive, culminating in a novel multi-level memory system distributed across many brains, instead of restricted to a single brain. In the first stage, this cognitive-cultural system stored and transmitted procedural memories, mostly in the form of embodied skills. The system gradually expanded its reach to encompass various kinds of abstract and symbolic knowledge in later stages. While the basics of that theory are still in force, material culture has been strongly confirmed as a factor driving both brain and cognitive evolution in the later stages. Complex material culture, and the unpredictable “cognitive ecology” that it creates, placed brain plasticity and semantic memory under strong selection pressure well over a million years ago, and is still playing an active role in the realization of the genetic potential of the brain. As language and literacy have evolved, a minority “theoretic culture” has emerged in recent millennia, assuming top governance in human cognitive affairs. There is a real possibility that humanity is entering into a fourth cognitive transition period, driven by communication technology; this is briefly considered.
Ideas of Cognitive Evolution in the Making
Authors: Gowlett John A. J.
Published: June 2023

Our studies of the evolution of the human mind and thinking have deep roots, going back far beyond the time when cognitive science emerged as a new label in the 1980s. A path of work, narrow but continuous in one discipline or other, extends from Darwin and Spencer to Lloyd Morgan, McDougall, Schmidt, Sherrington, Leroi-Gourhan, and Oakley. Others such as Rivers and Bartlett worked in related disciplines, including anthropology and experimental psychology. The school of Behaviorism was prominent, but not followed by all, as neuroscience and cybernetics developed new directions over a period, accelerated by the Second World War. The idea of separate levels of genetic and cultural evolution was well known to evolutionary biologists of the 1950s such as Julian Huxley. There are multiple intersecting threads of thought, rather than a tapestry in these developments, but they allow us to follow scholarly insights through a long period. These ideas remain useful to us now because they have the potential to renew and reinvigorate conventional thinking. This account explores the genesis of those ideas as relevant to the archaeology of human evolution.
Identification of small-molecule inhibitors against the interaction of RNA-binding protein PSF and its target RNA for cancer treatment
Authors: Takayama Ken-ichi , Matsuoka Seiji , Adachi Shungo , Honma Teruki , Yoshida Masahito , Doi Takayuki , Shin-ya Kazuo , Yoshida Minoru , Osada Hiroyuki , Inoue Satoshi
Published: June 2023

Diverse cellular activities are modulated through a variety of RNAs, including long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), by binding to certain proteins. The inhibition of oncogenic proteins or RNAs is expected to suppress cancer cell proliferation. We have previously demonstrated that PSF interaction with its target RNAs, such as androgen-induced lncRNA CTBP1-AS, is critical for hormone therapy resistance in prostate and breast cancers. However, the action of protein–RNA interactions remains almost undruggable to date. High-throughput screening (HTS) has facilitated the discovery of drugs for protein–protein interactions. In the present study, we developed an in vitro alpha assay using Flag peptide–conjugated lncRNA, CTBP1-AS, and PSF. We then constructed an effective HTS screening system to explore small compounds that inhibit PSF–RNA interactions. Thirty-six compounds were identified and dose-dependently inhibited PSF–RNA interaction in vitro. Moreover, chemical optimization of these lead compounds and evaluation of cancer cell proliferation revealed two promising compounds, N-3 and C-65. These compounds induced apoptosis and inhibited cell growth in prostate and breast cancer cells. By inhibiting PSF–RNA interaction, N-3 and C-65 up-regulated signals that are repressed by PSF, such as the cell cycle signals by p53 and p27. Furthermore, using a mouse xenograft model for hormone therapy–resistant prostate cancer, we revealed that N-3 and C-65 can significantly suppress tumor growth and downstream target gene expression, such as the androgen receptor (AR). Thus, our findings highlight a therapeutic strategy through the development of inhibitors for RNA-binding events in advanced cancers.
Short-Term Effect of Spinal Manipulation on the Magnitude of Exophoria in Adults Who Are Asymptomatic: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Fernández-Seguín Lourdes Mª , Peinado-Asensio Manuel , Díaz-Mancha Juan Antonio , Cortés-Vega María-Dolores , Heredia-Rizo Alberto M
Published: June 2023

Objective

This study aimed to assess the immediate and short-term effects of cervical spinal manipulation (SM), compared with a placebo, on the magnitude of near and distance exophoria in adults with asymptomatic exophoria.

Methods

In this single-blind, randomized controlled trial, individuals with a clinical diagnosis of horizontal exophoria confirmed with the prism alternating cover test (PACT) were allocated to a single intervention session using a high-velocity, low-amplitude cervical SM technique or a sham intervention (manual contact under the head). Outcomes were the magnitude of horizontal heterophoria, as a measure of binocular vision efficiency at near (40 cm) or distance (4 m) fixation, using the PACT. Evaluations were made at baseline, immediately after intervention, and at a 1-week follow-up.

Results

From May to September 2021, 44 volunteers (23 women), with a mean age of 35 (SD = 9.5) years, were recruited and equally distributed into the study groups. All participants completed follow-up assessments, and no adverse events were reported. There was a significant time × group interaction for exophoria at near vision, but not at distance fixation. The SM group showed a significant decrease of near exophoria compared with the control group at the 1-week follow-up (mean difference = −1.09 prism diopters; 95% CI = −0.20 to −1.98 prism diopters).

Conclusion

The use of cervical SM therapy resulted in a significant reduction of the magnitude of horizontal exophoria at near vision (medium effect size), compared with the placebo, in young adults who are asymptomatic. However, these effects were not observed at distance fixation and should be considered cautiously due to the pre–post design with a single intervention session and the short-term follow-up.

Impact

The findings suggest short-term benefits of SM therapy can manage undiagnosed ocular convergence disorders, although changes were not clinically relevant.
‘I was terrified for my child’: understanding the link between the Dengvaxia® controversy and the measles vaccine hesitancy in Pasay City, Philippines
Authors: Miras Alejandro Perez , Regencia Zypher Jude G , Baja Emmanuel S
Published: June 2023

Background

The Dengvaxia® (dengue vaccine) controversy has been identified as one of the main reasons for the measles vaccine hesitancy in the Philippines. Our study aimed to identify various issues related to the Dengvaxia® controversy and to link these issues with the social perspective of measles vaccine refusal.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews and a focus group discussion using ethnography research were conducted with 41 parents and healthcare workers in Pasay City. Using Victor Turner's Social Drama Theory, our study identified existing social issues relating to the different angles of the Dengvaxia® controversy and the measles vaccine hesitancy.

Results

Misinformation on the failed Dengvaxia® rollout implementation has challenged the fundamental understanding of the importance of immunization programs. Our findings on vaccine hesitancy in the community showed a complex problem with compounded factors, including medical populism, moral panics and other social views. We described how Pasay City’s clinic waiting room became a significantly important scenario where individuals often discuss information, concerns and experiences on vaccines and vaccine hesitancy.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that the Dengvaxia® controversy may reduce the measles vaccination confidence in the Philippines. Lack of transparency played a crucial role in this dilemma, producing a cascading effect on the other vaccines' safety.
A review of hydrogels used in endoscopic submucosal dissection for intraoperative submucosal cushions and postoperative management
Authors: Chen Zhihong , Ding Jie , Wu Chengheng , Wei Dan , Sun Jing , Fan Hongsong , Guo Zhenzhen
Published: June 2023

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has been clinically proved to have prominent advantages in the treatment of early gastrointestinal cancers over traditional surgery, including less trauma, fewer complications, a quicker recovery and lower costs. During the procedure of ESD, appropriate and multifunctional submucosal injected materials (SIMs) as submucosal cushions play an important role, however, even with many advances in design strategies of SIMs over the past decades, the performance of the submucosal cushions with postoperative management function seems to be still unsatisfactory. In this review, we gave a brief historical recount about the clinical development of SIMs, then some common applications of hydrogels used as SIMs in ESD were summarized, while an account of the universal challenges during ESD procedure was also outlined. Going one step further, some cutting-edge functional strategies of hydrogels for novel applications in ESD were exhibited. Finally, we concluded the advantages of hydrogels as SIMs for ESD as well as the treatment dilemma clinicians faced when it comes to deeply infiltrated lesions, some technical perspectives about linking the clinical demand with commercial supply were also proposed. Encompassing the basic elements of SIMs used in ESD surgery and the corresponding postoperative management requirements, this review could be a good reference for relevant practitioners in expanding the research horizon and improving the well-being index of patients.
Evaluating co-creation in social innovation projects: Towards a process orientated framework for EU projects and beyond
Authors: Meister Broekema Peter , Bulder Elisabeth A M , Horlings Lummina G
Published: June 2023

In the last two decades, co-creation and social innovation have become important concepts in academic research and public policy. The two concepts are conceptually linked, but this relationship has hardly been problematized in academic literature. In addition, social innovation and especially co-creation are not defined in EU policies, but merely included because they support policy aims. The lack of problematization and definition not only hampers progress in the academic field, but is also constringing co-creation into an exercise of merely including stakeholders therefore neglecting the full potential of co-creation. The key question addressed in this article is therefore: how can we evaluate the application of co-creation in EU-funded social innovation projects? A literature review revealed that co-creation and social innovation have become connected only very recently in academic literature. In this publication, we analyse the meta narratives of this emerging body of literature and conclude that we can distinguish three distinct segments with their own characteristics. We used these insights to develop an adaptive evaluation framework. This framework can be used to assess the application of co-creation within social innovation in, for example, EU-funded projects. This could push the emerging academic field forward and open up new research themes and designs. We also suggest that the framework could specifically support policymakers in their efforts to evaluate processes of co-creation instead of focusing on the dominant impact evaluations.
Vestibular tissue changes following administration of intravaginal prasterone: a vulvoscopic open-label pilot study in menopausal women with dyspareunia
Authors: Goldstein Sue W , Goldstein Irwin , Kim Noel N
Published: June 2023

Background

Prasterone, an intravaginal dyspareunia treatment in menopausal women, improves vaginal health through intracellular conversion of dehydroepiandrosterone into androgens and estrogens. Phase 3 trials for prasterone showed significant improvement in vaginal tissue health and reduction of pain.

Aim

To assess vestibular changes with daily use of intravaginal prasterone in menopausal women with moderate to severe dyspareunia.

Methods

This open-label prospective pilot study was conducted over 20 weeks. It included 11 menopausal women (median age, 56 years) who were treated daily with intravaginal inserts of 6.5-mg prasterone and assessed monthly. During vulvoscopy, vestibular pain was assessed by cotton-tipped swab testing, and vestibular and vaginal health was independently assessed with the Visual Scale (VS). In addition, vulvoscopic photographs were obtained and assessed via the Vulvoscopic Genital Tissue Appearance (VGTA) scale to evaluate overall genital tissue health. Mean changes from baseline for genital tissue health and pain assessments were analyzed by repeated measures 1-way analysis of variance, followed by a Dunnett post hoc test. Sexual event diaries were completed and adverse events recorded.

Outcomes

Outcomes included indices of genital tissue health: pain assessment by cotton-tipped swab testing, VS of the vestibule and vagina, VGTA, and sexual event diary.

Results

Aggregate scores from the cotton-tipped swab test progressively improved, reaching statistical significance at week 16, which was maintained through week 20 (−7.27, P = .019). VS scores significantly improved from baseline by week 4 and were maintained through week 20 for the vestibule (−3.00, P = .004) and vagina (−4.00, P = .002). An overall 1607 vulvoscopic photographs were examined; all showed reduction in vestibular erythema and pallor at the end of the study. The mean change from baseline at week 20 for the VGTA score was −7.9 (P = .0016). Intercourse associated with pain was reduced from 81.3% of initiated events during the first month of the study to 8.3% during the last month. Sexual activities that were discontinued due to discomfort were reduced from 45.8% to 6.3%. No prasterone-related serious adverse events were reported.

Clinical Implications

Prasterone, a safe and effective intravaginal hormone treatment, significantly improves vestibular health parameters.

Strengths and Limitations

Strengths are the prospective study design and the use of multiple outcome measures to assess vestibular tissue health and pain associated with sexual activity. Limitations are the small study cohort and use of nonvalidated outcome measures.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that intravaginal prasterone exerts biologic activity on the androgenic endodermal vestibule, as the medication passes from vagina to vestibule, resulting in amelioration of pain associated with sexual activity.
pBLAM1-x: standardized transposon tools for high-throughput screening
Authors: Alejaldre Lorea , Anhel Ana-Mariya , Goñi-Moreno Ángel
Published: June 2023

The engineering of pre-defined functions in living cells requires increasingly accurate tools as synthetic biology efforts become more ambitious. Moreover, the characterization of the phenotypic performance of genetic constructs demands meticulous measurements and extensive data acquisition for the sake of feeding mathematical models and matching predictions along the design-build-test lifecycle. Here, we developed a genetic tool that eases high-throughput transposon insertion sequencing (TnSeq): the pBLAM1-x plasmid vectors carrying the Himar1 Mariner transposase system. These plasmids were derived from the mini-Tn5 transposon vector pBAMD1-2 and built following modular criteria of the Standard European Vector Architecture (SEVA) format. To showcase their function, we analyzed sequencing results of 60 clones of the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440. The new pBLAM1-x tool has already been included in the latest SEVA database release, and here we describe its performance using laboratory automation workflows.

Graphical Abstract
A revision and histological investigation of Saltoposuchus connectens (Archosauria: Crocodylomorpha) from the Norian (Late Triassic) of south-western Germany
Authors: Spiekman Stephan N F
Published: June 2023

Crocodylomorpha is the stem-lineage of modern crocodylians and the only pseudosuchian (i.e. crocodylian-line archosaurs) clade that survived the Triassic–Jurassic mass extinction event. Its earliest members, the non-crocodyliform crocodylomorphs, also known as ‘sphenosuchians’, were terrestrial and mostly small-bodied (<2 m long), although some large-bodied forms are known. Saltoposuchus connectens is one of the first described crocodylomorph species but it remains poorly studied, in part due to its contentious taxonomy. Here, all referred Saltoposuchus specimens are described in detail for the first time and its taxonomy is revised, with additional taxonomic implications for the British crocodylomorph Terrestrisuchus gracilis and the coelophysoid theropod Procompsognathus triassicus. Saltoposuchus connectens is clearly distinguished from Terrestrisuchus gracilis based on both cranial and postcranial features. The phylogenetic analysis finds that Saltoposuchus connectens, Terrestrisuchus gracilis, and Litargosuchus leptorhynchus form a clade of gracile, long-legged crocodylomorphs, identified as Saltoposuchidae Crush 1984. A histological section of a femur reveals highly vascularized fibrolamellar tissue in the second-largest specimen of Saltoposuchus connectens (SMNS 12596), indicating sustained high growth rates. A similar pattern was previously observed in Terrestrisuchus sp., contrasting with slower growth rates in the crocodylomorph Hesperosuchus agilis. These findings suggest that saltoposuchids had a high resting metabolic rate and active lifestyle.
LSD1 interacting with HSP90 promotes skin wound healing by inducing metabolic reprogramming of hair follicle stem cells through the c‐MYC/LDHA axis
Authors: Li Shuiqi , Yu Jie , Zhang Jiangan , Li Xiaohong , Yu Jianbin
Published: June 2023

It has been demonstrated that hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) can contribute to wound closure and repair. However, the specific mechanism remains unclear due to the complexity of the wound repair process. Lysine‐specific demethylase 1 (LSD1), an important gene for the regulation of stem cell differentiation, has been reported to participate in wound healing regulation. Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), a chaperone protein, is recently discovered to be a driver gene for wound healing. This study explored the molecular mechanisms by which the binding between LSD1 and HSP90 affects the role of HFSCs during skin wound healing. Following bioinformatics analysis, the key genes acting on HFSCs were identified. The expression of LSD1, HSP90, and c‐MYC was found to be upregulated in differentiated HFSCs. Analysis of their binding affinity revealed that LSD1 interacted with HSP90 to enhance the stability of the transcription factor c‐MYC. Lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) has been documented to be essential for HFSC activation. Therefore, we speculate that LDHA may induce the differentiation of HFSCs through glucose metabolism reprogramming. The results showed that c‐MYC activated LDHA activity to promote glycolytic metabolism, proliferation, and differentiation of HFSCs. Finally, in vivo animal experiments further confirmed that LSD1 induced skin wound healing in mice via the HSP90/c‐MYC/LDHA axis. From our data, we conclude that LSD1 interacting with HSP90 accelerates skin wound healing by inducing HFSC glycolytic metabolism, proliferation, and differentiation via c‐MYC/LDHA axis.
RUNX1T1 modulates myogenic differentiation by regulating the calcium signaling pathway and the alternative splicing of ROCK2
Authors: Deng Kaiping , Liu Zhipeng , Su Yalong , Zhang Zhen , Fan Yixuan , Zhang Yanli , Wang Feng
Published: June 2023

RUNX1T1 (Runt‐related transcription factor 1, translocated to 1) plays a wide‐ranging and diverse role in cellular development, including hematopoiesis and adipogenesis. However, little is known about the function of RUNX1T1 in the skeletal muscle development. Here, we assessed the impact of RUNX1T1 on the proliferation and myogenic differentiation of goat primary myoblasts (GPMs). It was observed that RUNX1T1 is highly expressed during the early stages of myogenic differentiation and the fetal stage. Moreover, the knockdown of RUNX1T1 promotes the proliferation and inhibits myogenic differentiation and mitochondrial biogenesis of GPMs. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that significantly differentially expressed genes in RUNX1T1 knockdown cells were enriched in the calcium signaling pathway. Additionally, we discovered that RUNX1T1 regulates alternative splicing (AS) events involved in myogenesis. We also show that silencing RUNX1T1 blocked the Ca2+‐CAMK signaling pathway and reduced the expression levels of muscle‐specific isoforms of recombinant rho associated coiled coil containing crotein kinase 2 (ROCK2) during myogenic differentiation, partially explaining why RUNX1T1 deficiency leads to the impairment of myotube formation. These findings suggest that RUNX1T1 is a novel regulator of myogenic differentiation that regulates the calcium signaling pathway and AS of ROCK2. Overall, our results highlight the critical role of RUNX1T1 in myogenesis and broaden our understanding of myogenic differentiation.
Understanding Quality Improvement and Continuing Professional Mentorship: A Needs Assessment Study to Inform the Development of a Community of Practice
Authors: Taube-Schiff Marlene , Larkin Persephone , Fibiger Eugenia , Lin Elizabeth , Wiljer David , Sockalingam Sanjeev
Published: June 2023

Introduction:

Quality improvement (QI) programming attempts to bridge the gap between patient care and standards of care. Mentorship could be a means through which QI is fostered, developed, and incorporated into continuing professional development (CPD) programs. The current study examined (1) models of implementation for mentorship within the Department of Psychiatry of a large Canadian academic center; (2) mentorship as a potential vehicle for alignment of QI practices and CPD; and (3) needs for the implementation of QI and CPD mentorship programs.

Methods:

Qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 individuals associated with the university's Department of Psychiatry. The data were analyzed through thematic analyses with two independent coders using COREQ guidelines.

Results:

Our results identified uncertainty among the participants regarding the conceptualization of QI and CPD, illustrating difficulties in determining whether mentorship could be used to align these practices. Three major themes were identified in our analyses: sharing of QI work through communities of practices; the need for organizational support; and relational experiences of QI mentoring.

Discussion:

A greater understanding of QI is necessary before psychiatry departments can implement mentorship to enhance QI practices. However, models of mentorship and needs for mentorship have been made clear and include a good mentorship fit, organizational support, and opportunities for both formal and informal mentorship. Changing organizational culture and providing appropriate training is necessary for enhancing QI.
Measuring Health Care Work–Related Contextual Factors: Development of the McGill Context Tool
Authors: Thomas Aliki , St-Onge Christina , Renaud Jean-Sébastien , George Catherine , Iqbal Muhammad Zafar , Brousseau Martine , Dyer Joseph-Omer , Gallagher Frances , Lacasse Miriam , Ledoux Isabelle , Vachon Brigitte , Rochette Annie
Published: June 2023

Introduction:

Contextual factors can influence healthcare professionals' (HCPs) competencies, yet there is a scarcity of research on how to optimally measure these factors. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a comprehensive tool for HCPs to document the contextual factors likely to influence the maintenance, development, and deployment of professional competencies.

Methods:

We used DeVellis' 8-step process for scale development and Messick's unified theory of validity to inform the development and validation of the context tool. Building on results from a scoping review, we generated an item pool of contextual factors articulated around five themes: Leadership and Agency, Values, Policies, Supports, and Demands. A first version of the tool was pilot tested with 127 HCPs and analyzed using the classical test theory. A second version was tested on a larger sample (n = 581) and analyzed using the Rasch rating scale model.

Results:

First version of the tool: we piloted 117 items that were grouped as per the themes related to contextual factors and rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Cronbach alpha for the set of 12 retained items per scale ranged from 0.75 to 0.94. Second version of the tool included 60 items: Rasch analysis showed that four of the five scales (ie, Leadership and Agency, Values, Policies, Supports) can be used as unidimensional scales, whereas the fifth scale (Demands) had to be split into two unidimensional scales (Demands and Overdemands).

Discussion:

Validity evidence documented for content and internal structure is encouraging and supports the use of the McGill context tool. Future research will provide additional validity evidence and cross-cultural translation.
Health Professions Education Strategies for Enhancing Capacity for Task-Shifting and Task-Sharing Implementation in Africa: A Scoping Review
Authors: Okoroafor Sunny C. , Dela Christmals Christmal
Published: June 2023

Introduction:

To compensate for the shortage of health workers and effectively use the available health workforce to provide access to health services at various levels of the health system, several countries are implementing task-shifting and task-sharing (TSTS). This scoping review was conducted to synthesize evidence on health professions education (HPE) strategies applied to enhance capacities for TSTS implementation in Africa.

Methods:

This scoping review was conducted using the enhanced Arksey and O'Malley's framework for scoping reviews. The sources of evidence included CINAHL, PubMed, and Scopus.

Results:

Thirty-eight studies conducted in 23 countries provided insights on the strategies implemented in various health services contexts including general health, cancer screenings, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health, HIV/AIDS, emergency care, hypertension, tuberculosis, eye care, diabetes, mental health, and medicines. The HPE strategies applied were in-service training, onsite clinical supervision and mentoring, periodic supportive supervision, provision of job aides, and preservice education.

Discussion:

Scaling up HPE based on the evidence from this study will contribute immensely to enhancing the capacity of health workers in contexts where TSTS are being implemented or planned to provide quality health services based on the population's health needs.
Changing profiles of cardiovascular disease and risk factors in China: a secondary analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Authors: Wang Huan , Zhang Hao , Zou Zhiyong
Published: June 2023

Background:

Understanding the changing profiles of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and modifiable risk factors is essential for CVD prevention and control. We aimed to report the comprehensive trends in CVD and risk factors in China from 1990 to 2019.

Methods:

Data on the incidence, death, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of total CVD and its 11 subtypes for China were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The CVD burden attributable to 12 risk factors was also retrieved. A secondary analysis was conducted to summarize the leading causes of CVD burden and attributable risk factors.

Results:

From 1990 to 2019, the number of CVD incidence, death, and DALYs considerably increased by 132.8%, 89.1%, and 52.6%, respectively. Stroke, ischemic heart disease, and hypertensive heart disease accounted for over 95.0% of CVD deaths in 2019 and remained the top three causes during the past 30 years. Between 1990 and 2019, the age-standardized rate of stroke decreased significantly (percentage of decreased incidence: -9.3%; death: -39.8%; DALYs: -41.6%), while the rate of ischemic heart disease increased (percentage of increased incidence: 11.5%; death: 17.6%; DALYs: 2.2%). High systolic blood pressure, unhealthy diet, tobacco, and air pollution continued to be the major contributors to CVD deaths and DALYs (attributing to over 70% of the CVD burden), and the high body mass index (BMI)-associated CVD burden had the largest increase between 1990 and 2019.

Conclusions:

The significant increases in the number of CVD incident cases, deaths, and DALYs suggest that the CVD burden is still a concern. Intensified strategies and policies are needed to maintain promising progress in stroke and to reduce the escalating burden of ischemic heart disease. The CVD burden attributable to risk factors has not yet made adequate achievements; even worse, high BMI has contributed to the increasing CVD burden.
Patient Experiences after Open Trigger Finger Release in Patients with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes—A Retrospective Study Using Patient-reported Outcome Measures
Authors: Rydberg Mattias , Zimmerman Malin , Gottsäter Anders , Åkesson Anna , Eeg-Olofsson Katarina , Arner Marianne , Dahlin Lars B.
Published: June 2023

Background:

Trigger finger is overrepresented among patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Whether DM affects the outcome after open trigger finger release (OTFR) in patients with DM is not known. Our aim was thus to explore outcomes after OTFR in patients with type 1 (T1D) and type 2 DM (T2D).

Methods:

Data included patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) from all OTFRs performed between 2010 and 2020 registered in the Swedish national registry for hand surgery in individuals over 18 years cross-linked with the Swedish National Diabetes Register (NDR). PROMs included QuickDASH and HQ8, a questionnaire designed for national registry for hand surgery, preoperative and at 3 and 12 months postoperative. HQ8 included pain on load, pain on motion without load, and stiffness. Outcome was calculated using linear-mixed models and presented as means adjusted for age and stratified by sex.

Results:

In total, 6242 OTFRs were included, whereof 496 had T1D (332, 67% women) and 869 had T2D (451, 52% women). Women with T1D reported more symptoms of stiffness (P < 0.001), and women with T2D reported more pain on load (P < 0.05), motion without load (P < 0.01), and worse overall result at 3 months. At 12 months, however, no differences were found in any of the HQ-8 PROMs among men or women. Women with T2D had slightly higher QuickDASH scores at 3 and 12 months.

Conclusion:

Patients with T1D and T2D can expect the same results after OTFR as individuals without DM, although the improvement might take longer especially among women with T2D.
Risk Factors and Prognosis Analysis of Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in Patients With Acute Severe Cerebral Stroke
Authors: Chen Zengdian , Lin Weiguo , Zhang Faqin , Cao Wen
Published: June 2023

Goals:

We aim to explore the relationship between the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB). We develop a nomogram model to predict mortality in critically ill stroke patients.

Study:

This is a retrospective study based on the MIMIC IV database. We extracted clinical information including demographic data, comorbidities, and laboratory indicators. Univariate and multivariable logistic regressions were used to assess and identify risk factors for the occurrence of UGIB and for the in-hospital mortality of critically ill stroke patients. The resulting model was used to construct a nomogram for predicting in-hospital mortality.

Results:

Five thousand seven hundred sixteen patients from the MIMIC-IV database were included in our analysis. UGIB occurred in 109 patients (1.9%), whereas the PPI use rate was as high as 60.6%. Chronic liver disease, sepsis, shock, anemia, and increased level of urea nitrogen were independent risk factors for the occurrence of UGIB in severe stroke patients. We identified age, heart failure, shock, coagulopathy, mechanical ventilation, continuous renal replacement therapy, antiplatelet drugs, anticoagulation, simplified acute physiology score-II, and Glasgow coma score as independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality in severe stroke patients. The C-index for the final nomograms was 0.852 (95% confidence interval: 0.840, 0.864).

Conclusions:

We found that the overall rate of UGIB in severe stroke patients is low, whereas the rate of PPI usage is high. In our study, PPI was not identified as a risk factor for the occurrence of UGIB and UGIB was not associated with all-cause mortality. More clinical trials are needed to evaluate the benefits of using PPI in critically ill stroke patients.
Defining the presymptomatic phase of frontotemporal dementia
Authors: Russell Lucy L. , Rohrer Jonathan D.
Published: June 2023

Purpose of review

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a clinically, pathologically and genetically heterogeneous disorder. Whilst disease modifying therapies trials are mostly focused on the symptomatic phase, future studies will move earlier in the disease aiming to prevent symptom onset. This review summarizes the recent work to better understand this presymptomatic period.

Recent findings

The presymptomatic phase can be split into preclinical and prodromal stages. The onset of the preclinical phase is defined by the first presence of pathological inclusions of tau, TDP-43 or fused in sarcoma in the brain. Definitive biomarkers of these pathologies do not yet exist for FTD. The prodromal phase is defined by the onset of mild symptoms. Recent work has highlighted the wide phenotypic spectrum that occurs, with the concept of mild cognitive ± behavioural ± motor impairment (MCBMI) being put forward, and additions to scales such as the CDR plus NACC FTLD now incorporating neuropsychiatric and motor symptoms.

It will be important to better characterize the presymptomatic period moving forward and develop robust biomarkers that can be used both for stratification and outcome measures in prevention trials. The work of the FTD Prevention Initiative aims to facilitate this by bringing together data from natural history studies across the world.
Characteristics and Prognosis of Binocular Diplopia in Patients With Giant Cell Arteritis
Authors: Chazal Thibaud , Clavel Gaelle , Leturcq Tifenn , Philibert Manon , Lecler Augustin , Vignal-Clermont Catherine
Published: June 2023

Background:

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a large vessel vasculitis associated with a risk of permanent ophthalmologic complications. Data about diplopia prognosis in GCA are scarce. This study was designed to better characterize diplopia in newly diagnosed GCA patients.

Methods:

All consecutive patients diagnosed with GCA from January 2015 to April 2021 in a French tertiary ophthalmologic center were retrospectively reviewed. GCA diagnosis relied on a positive temporal artery biopsy or high-definition MRI.

Results:

Among 111 patients diagnosed with GCA, 30 patients (27%) had diplopia. Characteristics of patients with diplopia were similar to other GCA patients. Diplopia resolved spontaneously in 6 patients (20%). Diplopia was attributed to cranial nerve palsy in 21/24 patients (88%), especially third (46%) and sixth cranial nerve (42%). Ocular ischemic lesions occurred in 11 of the 30 patients with diplopia (37%); 2 patients developed vision loss after initiation of corticosteroids. In the remaining 13 patients, diplopia resolved after treatment onset in 12 patients (92%) with a median delay of 10 days. Patients treated intravenously tended to have a quicker improvement than those treated orally, but with a similar resolution rate of diplopia at 1 month. Two patients had relapse of diplopia at 4 and 6 weeks after an initial treatment course of 24 and 18 months, respectively.

Conclusions:

Diplopia is a rare feature at GCA diagnosis, but should raise clinician suspicion for GCA when associated with cephalic symptoms and prompt the initiation of corticosteroids to prevent ocular ischemic complications.