bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment Beliefs of Children and Adolescents With Chronic Diseases: Development of the Rehabilitation Treatment Beliefs Questionnaire for Children and Adolescents
Authors: Metzner Gloria , Höhn Cindy , Nau Anne , Sehlbrede Matthias , Waldeck Edith , Glattacker Manuela
Published: March 2022

Objective

Rehabilitation is an important component in the health care of children and adolescents with chronic diseases and aims at supporting patients’ self-regulation for dealing with the disease. Patients’ beliefs about illness and treatment are core elements in the self-regulation process. While questionnaires measuring illness beliefs for children and adolescents exist, questionnaires about their rehabilitation-related treatment beliefs are lacking. We therefore developed a questionnaire to assess the rehabilitation-related treatment beliefs of children and adolescents with chronic diseases (Rehabilitation Treatment Beliefs Questionnaire, RTBQ) and tested its psychometric properties.

Methods

Ahead of their rehabilitation, children and adolescents, aged 12–17 years, answered 129 items, which were developed based on previous qualitative findings exploring children and adolescents’ rehabilitation-related treatment beliefs. Psychometric testing included item analyses, exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency and bivariate correlations of the extracted scales, and the discriminatory power and difficulty of the final items.

Results

The sample consisted of 170 participants with a mean age of 14.3 years (SD = 1.6); 53.5% were female. After item analyses, 47 items remained for the exploratory factor analysis which revealed 22 items allocated to 4 scales: “expectations of communication and interaction,” “expectations of the treatment process,” “expectations of treatment success and sustainability,” and “expectations of one’s own role in the rehabilitation process.” The psychometric properties were acceptable to good.

Conclusions

The RTBQ assesses various dimensions of rehabilitation-related treatment beliefs of children and adolescents with chronic diseases. While first psychometric results are promising, further psychometric testing is needed.
Intramuscular myxoma of the biceps brachii muscle: a case report
Authors: Pankratjevaite Lina , Christensen Louise Fischer , Pranckevicius Tadas , Razbadauskiene Sigita
Published: March 2022

Intramuscular myxoma (IM) is a rare benign tumour. It may occur at any age but most commonly occurs among older women. The preoperative diagnosis of IM is complicated. The diagnosis can only be definitively established by histopathological examination. The treatment of choice is radical surgical excision. We report a case of a 41-year-old woman with an IM of the biceps brachii muscle.
The diverse roles of histone 2B monoubiquitination in the life of plants
Authors: Zarreen Fauzia , Karim Mir Jishan , Chakraborty Supriya
Published: March 2022

Covalent modification of histones is an important tool for gene transcriptional control in eukaryotes, which coordinates growth, development, and adaptation to environmental changes. In recent years, an important role for monoubiquitination of histone 2B (H2B) has emerged in plants, where it is associated with transcriptional activation. In this review, we discuss the dynamics of the H2B monoubiquitination system in plants and its role in regulating developmental processes including flowering, circadian rhythm, photomorphogenesis, and the response to abiotic and biotic stress including drought, salinity, and fungal, bacterial, and viral pathogens. Furthermore, we highlight the crosstalk between H2B monoubiquitination and other histone modifications which fine-tunes transcription and ensures developmental plasticity. Finally, we put into perspective how this versatile regulatory mechanism can be developed as a useful tool for crop improvement.
Traumatic Optic Neuropathy: The Forgotten Concussion
Authors: Chalela Julio A
Published: March 2022

Cerebral concussions are a well-recognized issue in military and civilian practice. Although most physicians are well versed in recognizing concussion symptoms, many are not as adept at diagnosing and managing comorbid traumatic optic neuropathy (TON). Traumatic optic neuropathy typically follows cerebral concussions but is often not diagnosed as its symptoms are attributed to brain injury or the presence of altered consciousness impedes its recognition. We hereby describe a soldier who sustained a cerebral concussion with an associated unrecognized TON. We review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of TON.
A numerical inversion ofmsin iexoplanet distribution: the sub-Saturn desert is more depleted than observed and hint of a Uranus mass gap
Authors: Bertaux Jean-Loup , Ivanova Anastasiia
Published: March 2022

The detection of an exoplanet orbiting another star with the radial velocity (RV) method allows to determine only a minimum mass of the planet, msin i, m being the true mass and i the angle of inclination of the planet orbital polar axis with the line of sight. Given an observed discretized distribution of m sin i apparent masses f0(msin i), we have designed a simple algorithm to find a unique true mass distribution f(m) that would reproduce exactly the observed distribution f0(m sin i). The method is based on a particular geometrical representation of exoplanets. It calls for the use of spheres and cylinders, and is somewhat similar (though different) to the Abel inversion, widely used in atmospheric physics. We have applied this algorithm to the latest sample of RV discovered planets containing 909 planets. We confirm the existence of a sub-Saturn desert (at least for periods < 100 d), most depleted in the mass Srange in the range 0.1–0.2 Mjup (∼32–64 M⊕), detected in the raw m sin i distribution, and amplified in the inverted f(m) true mass distribution by a factor ∼1.7. We argue that this result is robust, and would remain even if other biases of the RV surveys would be included. Differences with a recent model of population synthesis are discussed. Focusing on lighter planets, we found a likely statistically significant gap of planets in the observed m sin i distribution in the narrow range of 13.7–15.2 M⊕ containing Uranus.
Eigenvectors of solar magnetic field in cycles 21–24 and their links to solar activity indices
Authors: Zharkova V V , Shepherd S J
Published: March 2022

Using full disc synoptic maps of solar background magnetic field captured from the Wilcox Solar Observatory for 30 latitudinal bands for cycles 21–24, principal components (PCs) or eigenvectors of magnetic oscillations are obtained. The PCs are shown to come in pairs assigned to magnetic waves produced by dipole, quadruple, sextuple, and octuple magnetic sources. The first pair is linked to dipole magnetic waves with their summary curve revealing a reasonable fit to the averaged sunspot numbers in cycles 21–24. This verifies the previous results and confirms the summary curve as additional proxy of solar activity decreasing towards grand solar minimum in cycles 25–27. There is also a noticeable asymmetry in latitudinal distributions of these PCs showing an increased activity in Northern hemisphere in odd cycles and in Southern hemisphere in even ones similar to the N–S asymmetries observed in sunspots. The second pair of PCs linked to quadruple magnetic sources has 50${{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ smaller amplitudes than the first, while their summary curve correlates closely with soft X-ray fluxes in solar flares. Flare occurrences are also linked to variations of the next two pairs of eigenvectors, quadruple and sextuple components, revealing additional periodicity of about 2.75–3.1 yr similar to observed oscillations in flares. Strong latitudinal asymmetries in quadruple and sextuple components are correlating with the N–S asymmetries of flare occurrences skewed to Southern hemisphere in even cycles and to Northern hemisphere in odd ones. Principal component analysis of solar magnetic field raises perspectives for simultaneous prediction of general and flaring solar activity.
Impact of variable photospheric radius on exoplanet atmospheric retrievals
Authors: Taylor Jake
Published: March 2022

Inverse techniques are used to extract information about an exoplanet’s atmosphere. These techniques are prone to biased results if the appropriate forward model is not used. One assumption used in a forward model is to assume that the radius of the planet is constant with wavelength; however, a more realistic assumption is that the photospheric radius varies with each wavelength. We explore the bias induced when attempting to extract the molecular abundance from an emission spectrum, which was generated with a variable radius. We find that for low-gravity planets, the retrieval model is not able to fit the data if a constant radius model is used. We find that biased results are obtained when studying a typical hot Jupiter in the MIRI LRS wavelength range. Finally, we show that high-gravity planets do not suffer a bias. We recommend that future spectral retrievals that interpret exoplanet emission spectra should take into account a variable radius.
TREX1 degrades the 3′ end of the small DNA oligonucleotide products of nucleotide excision repair in human cells
Authors: Kim Seon Hee , Kim Geun Hoe , Kemp Michael G , Choi Jun-Hyuk
Published: March 2022

The nucleotide excision repair (NER) machinery removes UV photoproducts from DNA in the form of small, excised damage-containing DNA oligonucleotides (sedDNAs) ∼30 nt in length. How cells process and degrade these byproducts of DNA repair is not known. Using a small scale RNA interference screen in UV-irradiated human cells, we identified TREX1 as a major regulator of sedDNA abundance. Knockdown of TREX1 increased the level of sedDNAs containing the two major UV photoproducts and their association with the NER proteins TFIIH and RPA. Overexpression of wild-type but not nuclease-inactive TREX1 significantly diminished sedDNA levels, and studies with purified recombinant TREX1 showed that the enzyme efficiently degrades DNA located 3′ of the UV photoproduct in the sedDNA. Knockdown or overexpression of TREX1 did not impact the overall rate of UV photoproduct removal from genomic DNA or cell survival, which indicates that TREX1 function in sedDNA degradation does not impact NER efficiency. Taken together, these results indicate a previously unknown role for TREX1 in promoting the degradation of the sedDNA products of the repair reaction. Because TREX1 mutations and inefficient DNA degradation impact inflammatory and immune signaling pathways, the regulation of sedDNA degradation by TREX1 may contribute to photosensitive skin disorders.
When Cigarette Sales Suddenly Become Illegal: Evidence From an Online Survey of South African Smokers During COVID-19 Lockdown
Authors: van der Zee Kirsten , Filby Samantha , van Walbeek Corné
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Despite high levels of illicit trade in the tobacco market, the South African government banned the sale of tobacco products in March 2020 as part of its COVID-19 response. The ban lasted five months. We assess how the ban affected the cigarette market for a sample of smokers by comparing the price, consumption, and competitive landscapes before (March), during (May and June), and after (September) the ban.

Methods

We conducted three online surveys of cigarette smokers, asking about smoking behavior before, during, and after the ban. We use descriptive statistics and OLS regressions to estimate the impact of the ban on the South African cigarette market, focusing on the price of cigarettes.

Results

Most smokers continued smoking despite the sales ban. During the ban, prices increased by over 240%. Purchases shifted away from the normally dominant brands of the multinational tobacco companies to local/regional producers. The covariates of price changed substantially during the sales ban, the most pronounced being inter-provincial effects. After the ban, the market shifted back to its preban state, with an overall increase in price of 3.6%.

Conclusions

Cigarette sales continued despite the sales ban, further entrenching an already large illicit market. Had the government substantially increased the excise tax, rather than banned the sale of tobacco products, it would have achieved a similar public health outcome, received more revenue, and presumably not further entrenched the illicit market.

Implications

South Africa temporarily banned the sale of tobacco as part of its COVID-19 response. Despite the ban, the sale of cigarettes did not cease; rather, it caused major disruption to the cigarette market. The ban inadvertently benefited manufacturers who were previously disproportionately involved in illicit activities; these manufacturers increased their market share even after the ban was lifted. The ban may have further entrenched South Africa’s already large illicit market. Our results show that there are unintended consequences associated with a temporary ban on the sale of cigarettes.
Changes in Cigarette Smoking Behavior in Cancer Survivors During Diagnosis and Treatment
Authors: Jose Thulasee , Schroeder Darrell R , Warner David O
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Continued cigarette smoking is a critical determinant of outcome in oncology patients, but how the separate events of cancer diagnosis, cancer treatment, and completion of treatment affect smoking behavior in cancer survivors is unknown. This study described such changes, hypothesizing that they would be more pronounced for smoking-related cancers.

Methods

The Cancer Patient Tobacco Use Questionnaire (CTUQ) was sent to every cancer patient ≥ 18 y old scheduled for outpatient visits at the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center with a current or former history of tobacco use.

Results

From September 2019 to September 2020, 33,831 patients received the CTUQ, and 20,818 (62%) responded. Of the 3007 current smokers analyzed, 34% quit at diagnosis; those with smoking-related cancers were more likely to quit (40% vs. 29%, respectively, p < .001). Among those who did not quit at diagnosis, 31% quit after starting cancer treatment, and those with smoking-related cancers were more likely to quit (35% and 28%, respectively, p = .002) Among those who had quit before the completion of treatment, 13% resumed smoking after treatment ended. In multivariable analysis, patients with smoking-related cancers were more likely to report 30-d point prevalence abstinence from pre-diagnosis to the completion of treatment (adjusted OR 1.98 [95% CI 1.65, 2.36], p < .001).

Conclusions

Both cancer diagnosis and treatment prompt smoking abstinence, with most maintaining abstinence after treatment is completed. Those with smoking-related cancers are more likely to quit. These results emphasize the need to provide access to tobacco treatment services that can further support cancer patients who smoke.

Implications

Approximately one-third of cancer patients who smoke quit smoking at the time of diagnosis, an additional one-third of patients who had not yet quit did so at the initiation of treatment, and most sustained this abstinence after treatment completion. Patients with smoking-related cancers are more likely to quit. Thus, there are multiple opportunities within the cancer care continuum to intervene and support quit attempts or continued abstinence.
Occurrence and genetic evaluation of potentially pathogenic Acanthamoeba genotypes in nasal mucosa of immunocompromised patients: a case–control study in Iran
Authors: Moslemzadeh Hamid Reza , Mahami-Oskouei Mahmoud , Ahmadpour Ehsan , Niyyati Maryam , Rostami Ali , Memari Fatemeh , Spotin Adel
Published: March 2022

Background

The occurrence of granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE) was investigated due to the exposure of a large number of immunocompromised patients to opportunistic Acanthamoeba infections, which in most cases are fatal.

Methods

In this case–control study, 160 samples from the nasal mucosa of immunocompromised patients were collected between February 2019 to February 2020 in Isfahan, central Iran, using sterile cotton swabs; 150 ethnically matched controls were included. The pathogenic potential of the identified isolates was evaluated using temperature and osmotolerance assays. The identification of Acanthamoeba infection was confirmed by both morphological and phylomolecular tools.

Results

Of 310 collected samples, 32 strains, including 25 (15.6%) and 7 (4.6%) isolates, were positive for the Acanthamoeba genus in the patient and control groups, respectively. The topology of the phylogenetic tree indicated that all the Acanthamoeba strains belonged to the T4 genotype. Only five of the isolates genotyped as T4 were positive for potential pathogenic assays. The heterogeneity analysis of 18S ribosomal RNA sequences of Acanthamoeba in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and hepatitis B and C patients revealed significant genetic diversity (haplotype diversity [Hd] 0.511) compared with that of healthy individuals (Hd 0.210).

Conclusions

The circulation of pathogenic isolates of Acanthamoeba, particularly in HIV/AIDS patients, along with their genetic traits, indicates that clinicians should be more aware of fatal cases of GAE, especially in suspected encephalitis, in Iran and worldwide.
Long-lasting insecticide-treated net use and malaria infections on the Kenyan coast
Authors: Kamau Alice , Musau Moses , Mtanje Grace , Mataza Christine , Bejon Philip , Snow Robert W
Published: March 2022

Background

A study was conducted to examine the impact of long-lasting insecticide-treated net (LLIN) use on the prevalence of malaria infections across all ages, 25 y after a trial of insecticide-treated nets was conducted in the same area along the Kenyan coast.

Methods

The study comprised four community-based infection surveys and a simultaneous 12-month surveillance at six government outpatient health facilities (March 2018–February 2019). Logistic regression was used to examine the effect of LLIN use on malaria infections across all ages.

Results

There was a high level of reported LLIN use by the community (72%), notably among children <5 y of age (84%). Across all ages, the adjusted odds ratio of LLIN use against asymptomatic parasitaemia in community surveys was 0.45 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.36 to 0.57; p<0.001) and against fevers associated with infection presenting to health facilities was 0.63 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.68; p<0.001).

Conclusions

There was significant protection of LLIN use against malaria infections across all ages.
The early SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Senegal was driven by the local emergence of B.1.416 and the introduction of B.1.1.420 from Europe
Authors: Perez Lester J , Orf Gregory S , Berg Michael G , Rodgers Mary A , Meyer Todd V , Mohaimani Aurash , Olivo Ana , Harris Barbara , Mowerman Illya , Padane Abdou , Dela-del Lawson Agbogbenkou Tevi , Mboup Aminata , Mbow Moustapha , Leye Nafissatou , Touré-Kane Ndeye Coumba , Ahouidi Ambroise D , Cloherty Gavin A , Mboup Souleymane
Published: March 2022

Molecular surveillance of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is growing in west Africa, especially in the Republic of Senegal. Here, we present a molecular epidemiology study of the early waves of SARS-CoV-2 infections in this country based on Bayesian phylogeographic approaches. Whereas the first wave in mid-2020 was characterized by a significant diversification of lineages and predominance of B.1.416, the second wave in late 2020 was composed primarily of B.1.1.420. Our results indicate that B.1.416 originated in Senegal and was exported mainly to Europe. In contrast, B.1.1.420 was introduced from Italy, gained fitness in Senegal, and then spread worldwide. Since both B.1.416 and B.1.1.420 lineages carry several positive selected mutations in the spike and nucleocapsid genes, each of which may explain their local dominance, their mutation profiles should be carefully monitored. As the pandemic continues to evolve, molecular surveillance in all regions of Africa will play a key role in stemming its spread.
Fat Grafting: Basic Science, Techniques, and Patient Management
Authors: Shauly Orr , Gould Daniel J. , Ghavami Ashkan
Published: March 2022

In this review, a summary of the rich history of autologous fat grafting is provided, and a comprehensive summary of the science and theory behind autologous adipocyte transplantation, as well as the techniques commonly used is described. These include recipient site preparation, harvesting, processing, and engraftment. In addition, important considerations for preoperative and postoperative management are discussed to maximize graft retention. Special considerations in grafting to the breast, face, and buttocks are also summarized.
Salvage of a DIEP Flap after Injury to the Inferior Epigastric Vessels after Laparoscopic Surgery
Authors: Solberg Laura H.J. , Cornelissen Anouk J.M. , van Cruchten Cas , Qiu Shan Shan
Published: March 2022

The problem of previous laparoscopic scars specifically endangering the DIEP flap harvest for breast reconstruction has not been described yet. Even though in our center, preoperative imaging by means of an magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is routinely performed before a bilateral DIEP-flap reconstruction, it may not correspond with the intraoperative findings. This case was presented to increase awareness among plastic surgeons about the complications after laparoscopic surgery and to emphasize the importance of thorough history taking when performing a DIEP flap breast reconstruction after previous laparoscopic procedures.
Implant-based Breast Reconstruction after Mastectomy for Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Saldanha Ian J. , Broyles Justin M. , Adam Gaelen P. , Cao Wangnan , Bhuma Monika Reddy , Mehta Shivani , Pusic Andrea L. , Dominici Laura S. , Balk Ethan M.
Published: March 2022

Background:

Women undergoing implant-based reconstruction (IBR) after mastectomy for breast cancer have numerous options, including timing of IBR relative to radiation and chemotherapy, implant materials, anatomic planes, and use of human acellular dermal matrices. We conducted a systematic review to evaluate these options.

Methods:

We searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, and ClinicalTrials.gov for studies, from inception to March 23, 2021, without language restriction. We assessed risk of bias and strength of evidence (SoE) using standard methods.

Results:

We screened 15,936 citations. Thirty-six mostly high or moderate risk of bias studies (48,419 patients) met criteria. Timing of IBR before or after radiation may result in comparable physical, psychosocial, and sexual well-being, and satisfaction with breasts (all low SoE), and probably comparable risks of implant failure/loss or explantation (moderate SoE). No studies addressed timing relative to chemotherapy. Silicone and saline implants may result in clinically comparable satisfaction with breasts (low SoE). Whether the implant is in the prepectoral or total submuscular plane may not impact risk of infections (low SoE). Acellular dermal matrix use probably increases the risk of implant failure/loss or need for explant surgery (moderate SoE) and may increase the risk of infections (low SoE). Risks of seroma and unplanned repeat surgeries for revision are probably comparable (moderate SoE), and risk of necrosis may be comparable with or without human acellular dermal matrices (low SoE).

Conclusions:

Evidence regarding IBR options is mostly of low SoE. New high-quality research is needed, especially for timing, implant materials, and anatomic planes of implant placement.
Effect of Femtosecond Laser Cataract Surgery on Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness
Authors: Geyer Orna , Ben-Shaul Or , Lux Chen , Schwartz Sharon , Podkovyrin Olga , Stein Nili , Lavi Idit , Mathalone Nurit
Published: March 2022

Précis:

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) may cause thinning of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (pRNFL) in healthy eyes.

Purpose:

This prospective cohort study aimed to compare changes of pRNFL after FLACS using a liquid patient interface and conventional phacoemulsification cataract surgery (CPCS).

Patients and Methods:

Included were 261 eyes (261 patients) with age-related cataracts and no ocular diseases scheduled either for FLACS (222 eyes) or CPCS (39 eyes). FLACS was performed using a Ziemer LDV Z8 laser. Average and quadrant pRNFL thickness was measured using optical coherence tomography before surgery and at 1, 3, and 6 months postoperatively. Postoperative changes in pRNFL thickness were compared within and between groups.

Results:

Mean quadrant and average pRNFL thicknesses significantly increased after both surgeries (P<0.001). However, pRNFL thinning occurred after FLACS and CPCS (17% vs. 5.1%, respectively, P>0.05). FLACS eyes showed a significant and stable decrease of average pRNFL thickness (P=0.057) and a gradual decrease in pRNFL thickness of all quadrants (P≤0.018). CPCS eyes showed an initial increase of pRNFL thickness, followed by a decrease only in the nasal quadrant and average pRNFL. Preoperative pRNFL thickness was associated with thinning of the temporal quadrant (P=0.04).

Conclusions:

Both FLACS and CPCS demonstrated pRNFL thinning in some healthy eyes. Although the higher rate of pRNFL thinning after FLACS compared with CPCS lacked statistical significance, a consistent decrease in pRNFL thickness occurred in all quadrants and average pRNFL of FLACS eyes, suggesting that FLACS may lead to pRNFL thinning. Eyes with thinner preoperative pRNFL may be prone to temporal quadrant thinning after FLACS.
Analysis of Medical Device Reports Involving Ventilator-Related Incidents in a Clinical Setting
Authors: Santana Josue , Waheed Saphia
Published: March 2022

Continuous ventilators are a critical resource for the treatment and management of respiratory diseases, particularly in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare technology management professionals (HTMs) are instrumental toward protecting the safety of patients by ensuring that ventilators and ventilator accessories (ventilator-related medical devices) remain functional during their lifetime. This article discusses a retrospective analysis on the failure modes described in ventilator-related medical device reports that were submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration Medical Product Safety Network (MedSun). In addition, the article also examines MedSun case studies, obtained from medical device reports, to provide HTMs with a comprehensive analysis of the lifecycle of a safety signal and how their input is essential to improve the safety and effectiveness of medical devices. Postmarket medical device surveillance in a constantly changing medical device ecosystem benefits from the first-hand knowledge that HTMs contribute to the cross-functional collaboration between the clinical community, medical device manufacturers, and the US Food and Drug Administration.
The Use of Collaborative Testing in Entry-Level Physical Therapist Education: A Retrospective Case Report
Authors: Merlo Angela , Ediger Anna , Sasaki Chelsea
Published: March 2022

Background.

Collaborative testing involves small groups of students working together through discussion and rationalization to answer test questions. This form of testing has been found to enrich the learning experience, facilitate questioning, discussions, and debate within groups, as well as improve student performance, learning and retention, communication, and teamwork. Despite the many reported benefits, no literature exists on the use of collaborative testing in physical therapist education.

Purpose.

The purpose of this retrospective case report was to highlight student performance and feedback on a collaborative, comprehensive final exam.

Case Description.

One cohort of entry-level physical therapist students who had participated in a two-step collaborative final exam were included. Mean values for both the individual and the collaborative exam, percent change between the individual and collaborative exam, as well as student feedback on the benefits and drawbacks were reported.

Outcomes.

Exam performance increased for all students from the individual exam to the collaborative exam with a mean percent change of 12%. Students reported benefits such as the facilitation of valuable discussions, reinforcement of content, facilitation of critical thinking, insight into test-taking strategy, and reduced stress. Drawbacks included feelings of uncertainty on the accuracy of group discussions and answer selection, the lack of equitable contributions between group members, the time commitment required to take a collaborative exam, and increased stress.

Conclusions.

Collaborative testing should be considered as an assessment strategy within physical therapist education. Future research should focus on the effectiveness of collaborative assessment, including learning, retention, and critical thinking.
Neural Processing of Health Information and Hypertension Self-Management in African Americans
Authors: Still Carolyn H. , Jack Anthony I. , Wright Kathy D. , Sattar Abdus , Moore Shirley M.
Published: March 2022

Background

Uncontrolled blood pressure (BP) rates are persistently high among African Americans with hypertension. Although self-management is critical to controlling BP, little is known about the brain–behavior connections underlying the processing of health information and the performance of self-management activities.

Objectives

In this pilot study, we explored the associations among neural processing of two types of health information and a set of self-management cognitive processes (self-efficacy, activation, decision-making, and hypertension knowledge) and behaviors (physical activity, dietary intake, and medication taking) and health status indicators (BP, health-related quality of life, anxiety, and depression).

Methods

Using a descriptive cross-sectional design, 16 African Americans with uncontrolled hypertension (mean age = 57.5 years, 68.8% women) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess activation of two neural networks, the task-positive network and the default mode network, and a region in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex associated with emotion-focused and analytic-focused health information. Participants completed self-reports and clinical assessments of self-management processes, behaviors, and health status indicators.

Results

Our hypothesis that neural processing associated with different types of health information would correlate with self-management cognitive processes and behaviors and health status indicators was only partially supported. Home diastolic BP was positively associated with ventromedial prefrontal cortex activation (r = .536, p = .09); no other associations were found among the neural markers and self-management or health status variables. Expected relationships were found among the self-management processes and behaviors and health status indicators.

Discussion

To advance our understanding of the neural processes underlying health information processing and chronic illness self-management, future studies are needed that use larger samples with more heterogeneous populations and additional neuroimaging techniques.
Detection of bacterial co-infections and prediction of fatal outcomes in COVID-19 patients presenting to the emergency department using a 29 mRNA host response classifier
Authors: Ram-Mohan Nikhil , Rogers Angela J. , Blish Catherine A. , Nadeau Kari C. , Zudock Elizabeth J , Kim David , Quinn James V. , Sun Lixian , Liesenfeld Oliver ,   Stanford COVID-19 Biobank Study Group, Yang Samuel
Published: March 2022

Objective

Clinicians in the emergency department (ED) face challenges in concurrently assessing patients with suspected COVID-19 infection, detecting bacterial co-infection, and determining illness severity since current practices require separate workflows. Here we explore the accuracy of the IMX-BVN-3/IMX-SEV-3 29 mRNA host response classifiers in simultaneously detecting SARS-CoV-2 infection, bacterial co-infections, and predicting clinical severity of COVID-19.

Methods

161 patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 (52.2% female, median age 50.0 years, 51% hospitalized, 5.6% deaths) were enrolled at the Stanford Hospital ED. RNA was extracted (2.5 mL whole blood in PAXgene Blood RNA) and 29 host mRNAs in response to the infection were quantified using Nanostring nCounter.

Results

The IMX-BVN-3 classifier identified SARS-CoV-2 infection in 151 patients with a sensitivity of 93.8%. Six of 10 patients undetected by the classifier had positive COVID tests more than 9 days prior to enrolment and the remaining oscillated between positive and negative results in subsequent tests. The classifier also predicted that 6 (3.7%) patients had a bacterial co-infection. Clinical adjudication confirmed that 5/6 (83.3%) of the patients had bacterial infections, i.e. Clostridioides difficile colitis (n=1), urinary tract infection (n=1), and clinically diagnosed bacterial infections (n=3) for a specificity of 99.4%. 2/101 (2.8%) patients in the IMX-SEV-3 Low and 7/60 (11.7%) in the Moderate severity classifications died within thirty days of enrollment.

Conclusions

IMX-BVN-3/IMX-SEV-3 classifiers accurately identified patients with COVID-19, bacterial co-infections, and predicted patients’ risk of death. A point-of-care version of these classifiers, under development, could improve ED patient management including more accurate treatment decisions and optimized resource utilization.
Like host, like parasite: intraspecific divergence in a polystomatid flatworm parasite across South Africa echoes that of its frog host
Authors: Schoeman Anneke Lincoln , Kmentová Nikol , Vanhove Maarten PM , Du Preez Louis Heyns
Published: March 2022

The African Clawed FrogXenopus laevis, a global invader, exhibits marked phylogeographic divergence among native populations in southern Africa, which enhances its invasive potential. The polystomatid flatwormProtopolystoma xenopodis, as the frog’s most frequently co-introduced metazoan parasite, may be the ideal biological tag for the frog’s movement, if corresponding divergence can be demonstrated. In an integrative approach, we utilised morphometrics and molecular markers to assess divergence inP. xenopodisin its native range. We measured twelve key morphological characters from 23 flatworms and compared these statistically between flatworms collected to the north and south of the Great Escarpment Mountain Range in South Africa. Phylogenetic analyses were based on three concatenated markers, namely28Sand12S rDNAandCOX1, from six flatworms. The combination of five morphological characters, which involve egg size, gut morphology and size of the attachment hooks, differentiated northern and southern populations ofP. xenopodisin South Africa. The multilocus phylogenetic analyses supported these findings, showing a well-supported cluster of northernP. xenopodis. These findings suggest that taxonomic studies of polystomatid flatworms should make use of geographically representative data sets that consider both morphological and molecular evidence. Moreover, the findings demonstrate that the frog host and flatworm parasite exhibit corresponding phylogeographic structuring in the native range. Consequently, the phylogeography ofP. xenopodis, both in the native and invasive range of its host, may act as a key piece of evidence to reconstruct past invasion pathways ofX. laevis.
Evaluating the potential benefits and pitfalls of combining protein and expression quantitative trait loci in evidencing drug targets
Authors: Robinson Jamie W , Battram Thomas , Baird Denis A , Haycock Philip C , Zheng Jie , Hemani Gibran , Chen Chia-Yen , Gaunt Tom R
Published: March 2022

Molecular quantitative trait loci (molQTL), which can provide functional evidence on the mechanisms underlying phenotype-genotype associations, are increasingly used in drug target validation and safety assessment. In particular, protein abundance QTLs (pQTLs) and gene expression QTLs (eQTLs) are the most commonly used for this purpose. However, questions remain on how to best consolidate results from pQTLs and eQTLs for target validation.

In this study, we combined blood cell-derived eQTLs and plasma-derived pQTLs to form QTL pairs representing each gene and its product. We performed a series of enrichment analyses to identify features of QTL pairs that provide consistent evidence for drug targets based on the concordance of the direction of effect of the pQTL and eQTL. We repeated these analyses using eQŢLs derived in 49 tissues.

We found that 25-30% of blood-cell derived QTL pairs have discordant effects. The difference in tissues of origin for molecular markers contributes to, but is not likely a major source of, this observed discordance. Finally, druggable genes were as likely to have discordant QTL pairs as concordant.

Our analyses suggest combining and consolidating evidence from pQTLs and eQTLs for drug target validation is crucial and should be done whenever possible, as many potential drug targets show discordance between the two molecular phenotypes that could be misleading if only one is considered. We also encourage investigating QTL tissue-specificity in target validation applications to help identify reasons for discordance and emphasise that concordance and discordance of QTL pairs across tissues are both informative in target validation.
The DeepFaune initiative: a collaborative effort towards the automatic identification of French fauna in camera-trap images
Authors: Rigoudy Noa , Dussert Gaspard , Benyoub Abdelbaki , Besnard Aurélien , Birck Carole , Boyer Jérome , Bollet Yoann , Bunz Yoann , Caussimont Gérard , Chetouane Elias , Carriburu Jules Chiffard , Cornette Pierre , Delestrade Anne , De Backer Nina , Dispan Lucie , Le Barh Maden , Duhayer Jeanne , Elder Jean-François , Fanjul Jean-Baptiste , Fonderflick Jocelyn , Froustey Nicolas , Garel Mathieu , Gaudry William , Gérard Agathe , Gimenez Olivier , Hemery Arzhela , Hemon Audrey , Jullien Jean-Michel , Knitter Daniel , Malafosse Isabelle , Marginean Mircea , Ménard Louise , Ouvrier Alice , Pariset Gwennaelle , Prunet Vincent , Rabault Julien , Randon Malory , Raulet Yann , Régnier Antoine , Ribière Romain , Ricci Jean-Claude , Ruette Sandrine , Schneylin Yann , Sentilles Jérôme , Siefert Nathalie , Smith Bethany , Terpereau Guillaume , Touchet Pierrick , Thuiller Wilfried , Uzal Antonio , Vautrain Valentin , Vimal Ruppert , Weber Julian , Spataro Bruno , Miele Vincent , Chamaillé-Jammes Simon
Published: March 2022

Camera traps have revolutionized how ecologists monitor wildlife, but their full potential is realized only when the hundreds of thousands of collected images can be readily classified with minimal human intervention. Deep-learning classification models have allowed extraordinary progress towards this end, but trained models remain rare and are only now emerging for European fauna. We report on the first milestone of the DeepFaune initiative (https://www.deepfaune.cnrs.fr), a large-scale collaboration between more than 50 partners involved in wildlife research, conservation and management in France. We developed a classification model trained to recognize 26 species or higher-level taxa. The classification model achieved 0.97 validation accuracy and often >0.95 precision and recall for many classes. These performances were generally higher than 0.90 when tested on independent out-of-sample datasets for which we used image redundancy contained in sequence of images. We implemented our model in a software to classify images stored locally on a personal computer, so as to provide a free, user-friendly and high-performance tool for wildlife practitioners to automatically classify camera-trap images.
metaPathwayMap: A tool to predict metabolic pathway neighborhoods from structural classes of untargeted metabolomics peaks
Authors: Moghe Gaurav , Strickler Susan
Published: March 2022

Thousands of peaks detected via untargeted tandem liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) of natural extracts typically go unannotated, limiting our understanding of the metabolic pathways perturbed under different conditions. Current tools for predicting metabolic pathways from untargeted metabolomics data either require prior compound identification or are more focused on specific model species. metaPathwayMap makes use of recent advances in computational metabolomics to map peaks detected in untargeted LC-MS/MS experiments to MetaCyc pathway representations using their structural class predictions. This approach enables better insights into metabolomes of model and non-model species.

Availability and Implementation

Required Python scripts can be downloaded from the moghelab/metaPathwayMap GitHub repository and implemented on a Unix machine. This tool is also available for use through the SolCyc website (https://metapathwaymap.solgenomics.net) and via DockerHub (srs57/metapathwaymap).

Contact

gdm67@cornell.edu

Supplementary Information

Additional information is provided in Supplementary Methods, Supplementary Files 1-3 and on GitHub (https://github.com/moghelab/metaPathwayMap)
Feature-based attention multiplicatively scales the fMRI-BOLD contrast-response function
Authors: Foster Joshua J. , Ling Sam
Published: March 2022

Functional MRI (fMRI) plays a key role in the study of attention. However, there remains a puzzling discrepancy between attention effects measured with fMRI and with electrophysiological methods. While electrophysiological studies find that attention increases sensory gain, amplifying stimulus-evoked neural responses by multiplicatively scaling the contrast-response function (CRF), fMRI appears to be insensitive to these multiplicative effects. Instead, fMRI studies typically find that attention produces an additive baseline shift in the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal. These findings suggest that attentional effects measured with fMRI reflect top-down inputs to visual cortex, rather than the modulation of sensory gain. If true, this drastically limits what fMRI can tell us about how attention improves sensory coding. Here, we re-examined whether fMRI is sensitive to multiplicative effects of attention using a feature-based attention paradigm designed to preclude any possible additive effects. We measured BOLD activity evoked by a probe stimulus in one visual hemifield while participants (6 male, 6 female) attended to the probe orientation (attended condition), or to an orthogonal orientation (unattended condition), in the other hemifield. To measure CRFs in visual areas V1-V3, we parametrically varied the contrast of the probe stimulus. In all three areas, feature-based attention increased contrast gain, improving sensitivity by shifting CRFs towards lower contrasts. For a subset of visual eccentricities, we also found an increase in response gain, an increase in the responsivity of the CRF. These results provide clear evidence that the fMRI-BOLD signal is sensitive to multiplicative effects of attention.

Significance Statement

Functional MRI (fMRI) plays a central role in the study of attention because it allows researchers to precisely and non-invasively characterize the effects of attention throughout the brain. Electrophysiological studies have shown that attention increases sensory gain, amplifying stimulus-evoked neural responses. However, a growing body of work suggests that the BOLD signal that is measured with fMRI is not sensitive to these multiplicative effects of attention, calling into question what we can learn from fMRI about how attention improves sensory codes. Here, using a feature-based attention paradigm, we provide evidence that the BOLD signal can pick up multiplicative effects of attention.
Are trapping data still suited for home range estimation? An analysis with various estimators, asymptotic models and data ordering procedures
Authors: Socias-Martínez L. , Peckre L. R. , Noonan M. J.
Published: March 2022

Understanding the size of animals’ home ranges is vital for studies in ecology and conservation. Trapping datasets are an important source of information when targeting the biodiversity of an area, inconspicuous species, or high numbers of individuals in contrast to more expensive telemetry-based methods such as radio- or GPS-collaring. Currently, studies relying on trapping lack an evaluation of the performance of existing home range estimation procedures comparable to those developed for telemetry. Using animal movement simulations, we evaluate three variables reflecting the trade-offs faced by ecologists when designing a trapping study, 1) the number of observations obtained per individual, 2) the trap density and 3) the proportion of the home range area falling inside of the trapping grid. We compare the performance of five estimators on these conditions, four commonly used (AKDE, KDE, MCP, LoCoH) and a possible alternative for situations with low trap density or high number of observations (bicubic interpolation). We further test suggested benefits of using asymptotic models (Michaelis-Menten and monomolecular) to assess the total home range area when information obtained per individual is scarce, as this situation might be common in trapping datasets. In addition, we propose sorting the observations based on the distance between locations to improve the performance of asymptotic models’ estimates. Using the results of the different procedures we constructed a generalized additive model (GAM) that allows predicting the bias in home range size under the different scenarios investigated. Our results show that the proportion of the area covered by the trapping grid and the number of observations were the most important factors predicting the accuracy and reliability of the estimates. The use of asymptotic models helped obtaining an accurate estimation at lower sample sizes and this effect was further improved by distance-ordering. The autocorrelation informed KDE was the estimator performing best under most conditions evaluated. Nevertheless, bicubic interpolation can be an alternative under common trapping conditions with low density of traps and low area covered. We provide the current results to the constructed GAM as a prospective tool for ecologists planning a new study or with already collected datasets that aim at assessing the potential biases in their estimates. Reliable and accurate home range estimates using trapping data can optimize monetary costs of home range studies, potentially enlarging the span of species, researchers and questions studied in ecology and conservation.
Robust group- but limited individual-level (longitudinal) reliability and insights into cross-phases response prediction of conditioned fear
Authors: Klingelhöfer-Jens Maren , Ehlers Mana R. , Kuhn Manuel , Keyaniyan Vincent , Lonsdorf Tina B.
Published: March 2022

Here we follow the call to target measurement reliability as a key prerequisite for individual-level predictions in translational neuroscience by investigating i) longitudinal reliability at the individual and ii) group level, iii) cross-sectional reliability and iv) response predictability across experimental phases. 120 individuals performed a fear conditioning paradigm twice six month apart. Analyses of skin conductance responses, fear ratings and BOLD-fMRI with different data transformations and included numbers of trials were conducted. While longitudinal reliability was generally poor to moderate at the individual level, it was good for acquisition but not extinction at the group-level. Cross-sectional reliability was satisfactory. Higher responding in preceding phases predicted higher responding in subsequent experimental phases at a weak to moderate level depending on data specifications. In sum, the results suggest the feasibility of individual-level predictions for (very) short time intervals (e.g., cross-phases) while predictions for longer time intervals may be problematic.