bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hustler Populism, Anti-Jubilee Backlash And Economic Injustice In Kenya’s 2022 Elections
Authors: Lockwood Peter
Published: April 2023

Deputy President William Ruto’s victorious presidential campaign in Kenya’s 2022 elections saw him champion the plight of the ‘hustlers’, young informal economy workers on low, piecemeal incomes. Reconfiguring political identities around notions of economic hardship and struggle, Ruto’s campaign appeared emblematic of what scholars have recently identified as a turn towards ‘populism’ in Africa, transmuting ethno-nationalist identities into class-based ones. However, whilst Ruto’s campaign capitalized on rising prices to devastating political effect, he also channelled discontent with the Jubilee government and its unmet promises of shared prosperity. Drawing on ethnographic data collected in central Kenya’s Kiambu region since 2017, this article understands Ruto’s victory not through the lens of ‘hustler populism’ but rather as an anti-Jubilee ‘backlash’. Ruto’s campaign took advantage of Uhuru Kenyatta’s personal unpopularity as voters increasingly questioned the nature of ‘dynastic’ authority and ‘state capture’, seeking to punish Uhuru personally for his failures to create prosperity in the region whilst enriching himself at their expense. Elaborating on these tensions, the article points towards broken ‘moral economies’ between voters and politicians as a vital field of research.
Decoding CRISPR–Cas PAM recognition with UniDesign
Authors: Huang Xiaoqiang , Zhou Jun , Yang Dongshan , Zhang Jifeng , Xia Xiaofeng , Chen Yuqing Eugene , Xu Jie
Published: April 2023

The critical first step in Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)–associated (CRISPR–Cas) protein-mediated gene editing is recognizing a preferred protospacer adjacent motif (PAM) on target DNAs by the protein’s PAM-interacting amino acids (PIAAs). Thus, accurate computational modeling of PAM recognition is useful in assisting CRISPR–Cas engineering to relax or tighten PAM requirements for subsequent applications. Here, we describe a universal computational protein design framework (UniDesign) for designing protein–nucleic acid interactions. As a proof of concept, we applied UniDesign to decode the PAM–PIAA interactions for eight Cas9 and two Cas12a proteins. We show that, given native PIAAs, the UniDesign-predicted PAMs are largely identical to the natural PAMs of all Cas proteins. In turn, given natural PAMs, the computationally redesigned PIAA residues largely recapitulated the native PIAAs (74% and 86% in terms of identity and similarity, respectively). These results demonstrate that UniDesign faithfully captures the mutual preference between natural PAMs and native PIAAs, suggesting it is a useful tool for engineering CRISPR–Cas and other nucleic acid-interacting proteins. UniDesign is open-sourced at https://github.com/tommyhuangthu/UniDesign.
CONNECTOR, fitting and clustering of longitudinal data to reveal a new risk stratification system
Authors: Pernice Simone , Sirovich Roberta , Grassi Elena , Viviani Marco , Ferri Martina , Sassi Francesco , Alessandrì Luca , Tortarolo Dora , Calogero Raffaele A , Trusolino Livio , Bertotti Andrea , Beccuti Marco , Olivero Martina , Cordero Francesca
Published: April 2023

Motivation

The transition from evaluating a single time point to examining the entire dynamic evolution of a system is possible only in the presence of the proper framework. The strong variability of dynamic evolution makes the definition of an explanatory procedure for data fitting and clustering challenging.

Results

We developed CONNECTOR, a data-driven framework able to analyze and inspect longitudinal data in a straightforward and revealing way. When used to analyze tumor growth kinetics over time in 1599 patient-derived xenograft growth curves from ovarian and colorectal cancers, CONNECTOR allowed the aggregation of time-series data through an unsupervised approach in informative clusters. We give a new perspective of mechanism interpretation, specifically, we define novel model aggregations and we identify unanticipated molecular associations with response to clinically approved therapies.

Availability and implementation

CONNECTOR is freely available under GNU GPL license at https://qbioturin.github.io/connector and https://doi.org/10.17504/protocols.io.8epv56e74g1b/v1.
Outcomes of livers from donation after circulatory death donors with extended agonal phase and the adjunct of normothermic regional perfusion
Authors: Richards James A , Gaurav Rohit , Upponi Sara S , Swift Lisa , Fear Corrina , Webb Gwilym J , Allison Michael E D , Watson Christopher J E , Butler Andrew J
Published: April 2023

The liver performs important functions that are essential for life. If the liver fails, patients will die unless they receive a new liver from a donor (transplant). Unfortunately, there are not enough livers for everyone and some patients die while waiting for a suitable organ. This article describes a novel technique that allows resuscitation and testing of a potential donor liver so that more patients can safely receive a transplant.
Building an Infectious Disease Diversity, Equity, and Antiracism (ID2EA) Curriculum: A Single Center's Experience and Reflections
Authors: Gleeson Shana E , Zapata Heidi , Bathgate Meghan E , Emu Brinda , Frederick Jennifer , Friedland Gerald , Golden Marjorie P , Meyer Jaimie P , Radin Joanna , Sideleau Robert , Shaw Albert , Shenoi Sheela V , Trubin Paul A , Virata Michael , Barakat Lydia A , Desruisseaux Mahalia S
Published: April 2023

In response to longstanding healthcare inequities unmasked by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic, the infectious diseases (ID) section at the Yale School of Medicine designed and implemented a pilot curriculum integrating Infectious Disease Diversity, Equity, and Antiracism (ID2EA) into ID educational training and measured program outcomes. We herein describe a mixed-methods assessment of section members on whether the ID2EA curriculum affected their beliefs and behaviors regarding racism and healthcare inequities. Participants rated the curriculum as useful (92% averaging across sessions) and effective in achieving stated learning objectives (89% averaging across sessions), including fostering understanding of how inequities and racism are linked to health disparities and identifying strategies to effectively deal with racism and inequities. Despite limitations in response rates and assessment of longer-term behavioral change, this work demonstrates that training in diversity, equity, and antiracism can be successfully integrated into ID physicians’ educational activities and affect physicians’ perspectives on these topics.
Long-term clinical outcomes of tricuspid valve replacement using bovine versus porcine valves: a nationwide population-based study
Authors: Sohn Suk Ho , Kang Yoonjin , Kim Ji Seong , Hwang Ho Young , Kim Kyung Hwan , Choi Jae Woong
Published: April 2023

OBJECTIVES

The early and long-term clinical outcomes of bovine versus porcine tricuspid valve replacement (TVR) were compared based on the nationwide database from the National Health Insurance Service.

METHODS

Of 1464 patients who underwent TVR from 2002 to 2018 in Korea, 541 were enrolled after excluding mechanical TVR, re-TVR, complex congenital heart disease, Ebstein anomaly and age <19 years at operation. Bovine (group B) and porcine valves (group P) were used in 342 and 199 patients, respectively. The median follow-up duration was 4.1 years [interquartile range 1.2–9.0]. Inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis was performed for adjustment between the groups. Early and long-term clinical outcomes, including all-cause mortality, ischaemic stroke, haemorrhagic stroke, endocarditis and reoperation, were compared.

RESULTS

In inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis, operative mortality and early clinical outcomes were comparable between the groups. The cumulative incidence of all-cause mortality demonstrated no significant differences between the groups [36.8% vs 38.0% at 5 years in group B versus group P; adjusted hazard ratio = 0.93; P = 0.617]. The cumulative incidence of cardiac death, ischaemic stroke, haemorrhagic stroke and endocarditis also demonstrated no significant differences between the groups (28.1% vs 25.9%, 7.1% vs 1.2%, 3.2% vs 4.2% and 9.7% vs 6.0% at 5 years in group B versus group P, respectively). However, the cumulative incidence of reoperation was higher in group B than in group P (20.2% vs 3.4% at 5 years in group B vs group P; adjusted hazard ratio = 4.76; P = 0.006).

CONCLUSIONS

Early clinical outcomes and long-term outcomes, including all-cause mortality, cardiac death, ischaemic stroke, haemorrhagic stroke and endocarditis, were comparable between bovine and porcine TVRs. However, porcine valves demonstrated a lower cumulative incidence of reoperation than bovine valves.
Biomarker-based prediction of fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular outcomes in individuals with diabetes mellitus
Authors: Haller Paul M , Goßling Alina , Magnussen Christina , Brenner Hermann , Schöttker Ben , Iacoviello Licia , Costanzo Simona , Kee Frank , Koenig Wolfgang , Linneberg Allan , Sujana Chaterina , Thorand Barbara , Salomaa Veikko , Niiranen Teemu J , Söderberg Stefan , Völzke Henry , Dörr Marcus , Sans Susana , Padró Teresa , Felix Stephan B , Nauck Matthias , Petersmann Astrid , Palmieri Luigi , Donfrancesco Chiara , De Ponti Roberto , Veronesi Giovanni , Ferrario Marco M , Kuulasmaa Kari , Zeller Tanja , Ojeda Francisco M , Blankenberg Stefan , Westermann Dirk ,   for the BiomarCaRE Consortium
Published: April 2023

Aims

The role of biomarkers in predicting cardiovascular outcomes in high-risk individuals is not well established. We aimed to investigate benefits of adding biomarkers to cardiovascular risk assessment in individuals with and without diabetes.

Methods and results

We used individual-level data of 95 292 individuals of the European population harmonized in the Biomarker for Cardiovascular Risk Assessment across Europe consortium and investigated the prognostic ability of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI), N-terminal prohormone of brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Cox-regression models were used to determine adjusted hazard ratios of diabetes and log-transformed biomarkers for fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular events. Models were compared using the likelihood ratio test. Stratification by specific biomarker cut-offs was performed for crude time-to-event analysis using Kaplan–Meier plots. Overall, 6090 (6.4%) individuals had diabetes at baseline, median follow-up was 9.9 years. Adjusting for classical risk factors and biomarkers, diabetes [HR 2.11 (95% CI 1.92, 2.32)], and all biomarkers (HR per interquartile range hs-cTnI 1.08 [95% CI 1.04, 1.12]; NT-proBNP 1.44 [95% CI 1.37, 1.53]; hs-CRP 1.27 [95% CI 1.21, 1.33]) were independently associated with cardiovascular events. Specific cut-offs for each biomarker identified a high-risk group of individuals with diabetes losing a median of 15.5 years of life compared to diabetics without elevated biomarkers. Addition of biomarkers to the Cox-model significantly improved the prediction of outcomes (likelihood ratio test for nested models P < 0.001), accompanied by an increase in the c-index (increase to 0.81).

Conclusion

Biomarkers improve cardiovascular risk prediction in individuals with and without diabetes and facilitate the identification of individuals with diabetes at highest risk for cardiovascular events.
Atrial Fibrillation can adversely impact Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction by its association with Heart Failure Progression and Mortality: A Post-Hoc Propensity Score–Matched Analysis of the TOPCAT Americas Trial
Authors: Saksena Sanjeev , Slee April , Natale Andrea , Lakkireddy Dhanunjaya R , Shah Dipen , Di Biase Luigi , Lewalter Thorsten , Nagarakanti Rangadham , Santangeli Pasquale
Published: April 2023

Aims

Prevalent atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with excess cardiovascular (CV) death (D) and hospitalizations (H) in heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction (pEF). We evaluated if it had an independent role in excess CVD in HFpEF and studied its impact on cause-specific mortality and HF morbidity.

Methods and results

We used propensity score–matched (PSM) cohorts from the TOPCAT Americas trial to account for confounding by other co-morbidities. Two prevalent AF presentations at study entry were compared: (i) subjects with Any AF event by history or on electrocardiogram (ECG) with PSM subjects without an AF event and (ii) subjects in AF on ECG with PSM subjects in sinus rhythm. We analyzed cause-specific modes of death and HF morbidity during a mean follow-up period of 2.9 years. A total of 584 subjects with Any AF event and 418 subjects in AF on ECG were matched. Any AF was associated with increased CVH [hazard ratio (HR) 1.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11–1.61, P = 0.003], HFH (HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.12–1.86, P = 0.004), pump failure death (PFD) (HR 1.95, 95% CI 1.05–3.62, P = 0.035), and HF progression from New York Heart Association (NYHA) classes I/II to III/IV (HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.04–1.62, P = 0.02). Atrial fibrillation on ECG was associated with increased risk of CVD (HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.02–2.09, P = 0.039), PFD (HR 2.21, 95% CI 1.11–4.40, P = 0.024), and CVH and HFH (HR 1.37, 95% CI 1.09–1.72, P = 0.006 and HR 1.65, 95% CI 1.22–2.23, P = 0.001, respectively). Atrial fibrillation was not associated with risk of sudden death. Both Any AF and AF on ECG cohorts were associated with PFD in NYHA class III/IV HF.

Conclusion

Prevalent AF can be an independent risk factor for adverse CV outcomes by its selective association with worsening HF, HFH, and PFD in HFpEF. Prevalent AF was not associated with excess sudden death risk in HFpEF. Atrial fibrillation was also associated with HF progression in early symptomatic HFpEF and PFD in advanced HFpEF.

Trial registration

TOPCAT trial is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov:identifier NCT00094302.
Digest: Massive mixing and merging of Madagascar Gemsnakes
Authors: Ottenburghs Jente
Published: April 2023

Introgressive hybridization can give rise to reticulated patterns in a phylogeny. In a recent study, DeBaun et al. detected 12 reticulation events across the phylogeny of the Madagascar Gemsnakes, suggesting that their evolutionary history cannot be captured in a bifurcating tree. Moreover, identifying the true network of a group is difficult when using only available extant data. The evolution of these snakes might thus be even more tangled than we currently think.
Rapid generation of Caenorhabditis elegans single-copy transgenes combining recombination-mediated cassette exchange and drug selection
Authors: Nonet Michael L
Published: April 2023

I outline a streamlined method to insert large, single-copy transgenes into the Caenorhabditis elegans genome using recombination-mediated cassette exchange (RMCE) that relies solely on drug selection yielding a homozygous fluorescent protein (FP) marked transgene in 3 generations (8 days) at high efficiency (>1 insertion per 2 injected P0 animals). Landing sites for this approach are available on four chromosomes in several configurations which yield lines marked in distinct cell types. An array of vectors permit creating transgenes using a variety of selection methods (HygR, NeoR, PuroR, and unc-119) that yield lines expressing different colored FPs (BFP, GFP, mNG, and Scarlet). Although these transgenes retain a plasmid backbone and a selection marker, the inclusion of these sequences typically does not alter the expression of several cell-specific promoters tested. However, in certain orientations, promoters exhibit crosstalk with adjacent transcription units. In cases where crosstalk is problematic, the loxP-flanked fluorescent marker, plasmid backbone, and hygR gene can be excised by crossing through germline Cre expressing lines also created using this technique. Finally, genetic and molecular reagents designed to facilitate customization of both targeting vectors and landing sites are also described. Together, the rapid RMCE toolbox provides a platform for developing further innovative uses of RMCE to create complex genetically engineered tools.
A hybrid implicit-explicit discontinuous Galerkin spectral element time domain (DG-SETD) method for computational elastodynamics
Authors: Liu Qi Qiang , Zhuang Mingwei , Zhan Weichen , Shi Linlin , Liu Qing Huo
Published: April 2023

A hybrid implicit-explicit (IMEX) discontinuous Galerkin spectral element time domain (DG-SETD) algorithm is proposed to simulate 3D elastic wave propagation in inhomogeneous media. In this method, the original problem can be divided into a number of well designed subdomains, and the mesh generation of different subdomains is completely independent, thus allowing flexible spatial discretization of complex geometry. The neighboring subdomains are connected by a Riemann transmission condition (RTC), and spectral elements with different interpolation orders can be used in different subdomains to maximize the computational efficiency of multiscale problems to facilitate parallel computing for different subdomains. In particular, the explicit or implicit time iteration scheme can be appropriately selected for a subdomain according to the size of its mesh elements to increase the global time step increment, thus giving higher computational efficiency: For subdomains with coarse meshes, the explicit time integration scheme is used and the time step increment is limited by the Courant−Friedrichs−Lewy (CFL) stability condition; for subdomain with fine structures and thus fine meshes, an implicit time integration scheme is used so that a large time step increment can be used without affecting the stability. In addition, a jump condition of displacement and velocity is introduced to accurately simulating fractures and faults, including lossless and viscous fractures with plane, curve or cross structures. This avoids the volume modeling of the extremely thin fracture structures, and effectively reduces the number of degrees of freedoms (DoFs) in the discretized system without the loss of accuracy. The accuracy, robustness and efficiency of the DG-SETD algorithm are demonstrated by quantitative comparisons of the waveforms with the commercial finite element software COMSOL.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Gene Expression Associated With Fluoroquinolone Resistance and Efflux Pump Inhibition
Authors: van der Heijden Yuri F , Maruri Fernanda , Blackman Amondrea , Morrison Robert , Guo Yan , Sterling Timothy R
Published: April 2023

Background

We evaluated the relationship between response to efflux pump inhibition in fluoroquinolone-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) isolates and differences in gene expression and expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL).

Methods

We determined ofloxacin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for ofloxacin-resistant and -susceptible Mtb isolates without and with the efflux pump inhibitor verapamil. We performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), whole genome sequencing (WGS), and eQTL analysis, focusing on efflux pump, transport, and secretion-associated genes.

Results

Of 42 ofloxacin-resistant Mtb isolates, 27 had adequate WGS coverage and acceptable RNA-seq quality. Of these 27, 7 had >2-fold reduction in ofloxacin MIC with verapamil; 6 had 2-fold reduction, and 14 had <2-fold reduction. Five genes (including Rv0191) had significantly increased expression in the MIC fold change >2 compared to <2 groups. Among regulated genes, 31 eQTLs (without ofloxacin) and 35 eQTLs (with ofloxacin) had significant allele frequency differences between MIC fold change >2 and <2 groups. Of these, Rv1410c, Rv2459, and Rv3756c (without ofloxacin) and Rv0191 and Rv3756c (with ofloxacin) have previously been associated with antituberculosis drug resistance.

Conclusions

In this first reported eQTL analysis in Mtb, Rv0191 had increased gene expression and significance in eQTL analysis, making it a candidate for functional evaluation of efflux-mediated fluoroquinolone resistance in Mtb.
Age Patterns of HSV-2 Incidence and Prevalence in Two Ugandan Communities: A Catalytic Incidence Model Applied to Population-Based Seroprevalence Data
Authors: Whittles Lilith K , Galiwango Ronald M , Mpagazi Josephine , Tobian Aaron A R , Ssekubugu Robert , Jackson Jade , Peer Austin D , Kennedy Caitlin , Nakalanzi Margaret , Ndyanabo Anthony , Kigozi Godfrey , Chang Larry W , Serwadda David , Manabe Yukari C , Gaydos Charlotte A , Laeyendecker Oliver , Quinn Thomas C , Reynolds Steven J , Kagaayi Joseph , Eaton Jeffrey W , Grabowski M Kate
Published: April 2023

Background

Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is an incurable sexually transmitted infection associated with increased risk of acquiring and transmitting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). HSV-2 is highly prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, but population-level estimates of incidence are sparse.

Methods

We measured HSV-2 prevalence from cross-sectional serological data among adults aged 18–49 years in 2 south-central Uganda communities (fishing, inland). We identified risk factors for seropositivity, then inferred age patterns of HSV-2 with a Bayesian catalytic model.

Results

HSV-2 prevalence was 53.6% (n = 975/1819; 95% confidence interval, 51.3%–55.9%). Prevalence increased with age, was higher in the fishing community, and among women, reaching 93.6% (95% credible interval, 90.2%–96.6%) by age 49 years. Factors associated with HSV-2 seropositivity included more lifetime sexual partners, HIV positive status, and lower education. HSV-2 incidence peakied at age 18 years for women and 19–20 years for men. HIV prevalence was up to 10-fold higher in HSV-2–positive individuals.

Conclusions

HSV-2 prevalence and incidence were extremely high, with most infections occurring in late adolescence. Interventions against HSV-2, such as future vaccines or therapeutics, must target young populations. Remarkably higher HIV prevalence among HSV-2–positive individuals underscores this population as a priority for HIV prevention.
Longitudinal trends in meconium drug detection in 46 US states between the years 2015 and 2020
Authors: Pandya Vrajesh , Wilker Chase , Johnson-Davis Kamisha L
Published: April 2023

Maternal drug use during pregnancy has significant health and socio-legal implications. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration publishes self-reported rates of drug use during pregnancy; however, comprehensive long-term laboratory data on neonatal drug exposure are lacking. Over 175,000 meconium specimens originating from 46 US states were analyzed at ARUP Laboratories between the years 2015 and 2020. A retrospective investigation of drug positivity rates, multidrug detection and median drug concentrations was conducted for 28 compounds in six drug classes. The overall meconium drug positivity rate was lowest in 2015 (47.3%), which increased over 6 years, reaching a peak in 2020 (53.4%). 11-Nor-9-carboxy-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC-COOH) was the most frequently detected compound across all 6 years. The second most frequently detected analyte was morphine in 2015–2016 and amphetamines in 2017–2020. The THC-COOH positivity rate rose from 29.7% in 2015 to 38.2% in 2020. The positivity rates for stimulants also increased in the range of 0.4–2.9% in 2020 compared to 2015. Conversely, opioid positivity rates declined in the range of 1.6–2.3% in 2020 as compared to 2015. The most common two-drug combination was THC-COOH–opioids (2.4%) in 2015–2016, which was replaced by THC-COOH–amphetamines (2.6%) in 2017–2020. The most common three-drug combination was THC-COOH–opioids–amphetamines throughout all 6 years. Neonatal drug exposure positivity rates have increased over the past 6 years based on retrospective data analysis from the patient population submitted for testing at ARUP Laboratories.
In vitro biochemical characterization and identification of hemolytic bacteria associated with life history of Culicoides peregrinus (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), a vector of bluetongue virus
Authors: Sarkar Ankita , Banerjee Paramita , Kar Surajit , Chatterjee Soumendranath , Mazumdar Abhijit
Published: April 2023

Gut bacterial communities in insects provide several beneficial roles like nutrition, digestion, fecundity, and survival of the host. The microbial communities of Culicoides spp. (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) vary with parity, developmental stages, and environmental factors. Previous studies have revealed the presence of hemolytic bacteria in adult Culicoides peregrinus Kieffer (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae), an important vector of bluetongue virus (BTV). Our objectives were (i) to identify bacterial communities with hemolytic activities associated with all life stages and (ii) to compare between reared and field-collected adults including age graded females. Bacterial identification followed Sanger sequencing of 16S rRNA. In vitro biochemical characterizations including antibiotic sensitivity tests were also done. The majority of bacterial species were beta hemolytic with one, Alcaligenes faecalis, showing alpha hemolysis. Most bacterial species were observed in field-collected adults except Proteus spp. Throughout the life history of the vector, Bacillus cereus (CU6A, CU1E) and Paenibacillus sp. (CU9G) were detected indicating their possible role in blood digestion within the gut of this vector species. In vivo hemolytic activities of these culturable bacterial communities within this vector may be addressed in future. These hemolytic bacterial communities may be targeted to develop novel and effective strategies for vector control.
Which Kind of Body in “Mental” Pathologies? Phenomenological Insights on the Nature of the Disrupted Self
Authors: Bizzari Valeria
Published: April 2023

Guided by a phenomenological perspective, this paper aims to account for the existence of a corporeal consciousness—something that clinicians should take into account, not merely in the case of physical pathologies but especially in the case of mental disorders. Firstly, I will highlight three cases: schizophrenia, depression, and autism spectrum disorder. Then, I will show how these cases correspond to three different kinds of bodily existence: disembodiment (in the case of schizophrenia), chrematization (in melancholic depression), and dyssynchrony (in the autism spectrum disorder). Finally, I will argue for the importance of an “expressive common environment” between the patient and the clinician, who are two distinct, embodied conscious subjects resonating with one another. In this view, the primary goal of the therapeutic process seems to develop a shared understanding of the patient’s life-world, which finds its main expression through the disrupted body.
Cannabis use among cancer survivors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2019-2021
Authors: Sarkar Sayantani , Braun Ilana M , Nayak Manan , Bryan Angela D , Poghosyan Hermine
Published: April 2023

We estimated the prevalence of past 30-day cannabis use, evaluated reasons for use, and identified individual-level factors associated with cannabis use among cancer survivors before (2019) and during (2020 and 2021) the COVID-19 pandemic. Cancer survivors, aged 18 years and older, were identified from the 2019 (n = 8185), 2020 (n = 11 084), and 2021 (n = 12 248) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Prevalence of past 30-day cannabis use among survivors held steady through the pandemic (8.7%, 7.4%, and 8.4% in 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively). Of those who used cannabis, 48.7% used it for medical reasons in 2019, 54.5% in 2020, and 43.5% in 2021. Survivors were more likely to report past 30-day cannabis use if they were younger, male, current or former tobacco smokers, and binge alcohol consumers and if they experienced poor mental health in the past 30-days. Our study identified subpopulations of cancer survivors that need to be targeted for evidence-informed discussions about cannabis use.
Validation of the adapted female sexual function index among Chinese cisgender heterosexual women and sexual and gender minority women
Authors: Wu Chanchan , Chau Pui Hing , Choi Edmond Pui Hang
Published: April 2023

Background

The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) remains the most widely used scale for assessing female sexual function. However, while an adapted version of the FSFI has been proven to be suitable for Western sexual minority women, it has yet to be used in China.

Aim

This study aimed to validate the Mandarin Chinese version of the adapted FSFI among Chinese cisgender heterosexual women and sexual and gender minority women, and evaluate its psychometric properties.

Methods

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted. The modified scoring method related to zero responses was examined, and structural validity, internal consistency, internal reliability, convergent validity, and known-group validity were evaluated.

Outcomes

The primary measure was the adapted FSFI, and the Positive Sexuality Scale and the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale–Short Form were used to test convergent validity.

Results

A total of 431 Chinese adult women were recruited, including 193 cisgender heterosexual women and 238 sexual and gender minority women. Confirmatory factor analysis using the original scores supported the original 6-factor model. Using both Cronbach’s α and McDonald’s ω, the results showed that the values of the total scale and 6 subscales were in the 0.76 to 0.98 and 0.83 to 0.98 ranges, respectively, indicating satisfactory reliability. Moderate-to-strong correlations among the total FSFI scores and positive sexuality and sexual satisfaction were found (r = 0.32-0.71), supporting good convergent validity.

Clinical Implications

The adapted FSFI facilitates the use of more inclusive language in the clinical setting, allowing for a more comprehensive and unbiased assessment of sexual function in all women.

Strengths and Limitations

This study recruited both cisgender women of varied sexual orientations and gender minorities who were assigned female at birth, demonstrating that the adapted FSFI could be suitably applied to sexual minority populations. However, from a fully inclusive perspective of sex and gender, there is no research on how to accurately evaluate transgender women with female external genitalia or appropriately assess those with a female reproductive system but who do not self-identify as female. Therefore, more in-depth research is needed to further revise the FSFI for better use in the wider female population.

Conclusion

This Chinese version of the adapted FSFI has good psychometric properties and is a reliable and valid instrument to assess female sexual function. Furthermore, the modified scoring method could be an effective alternative among samples of sexually inactive women.
Lessons from a century of apical dominance research
Authors: Beveridge Christine A , Rameau Catherine , Wijerathna-Yapa Akila
Published: April 2023

The process of apical dominance by which the apical bud/shoot tip of the plant inhibits the outgrowth of axillary buds located below has been studied for more than a century. Different approaches were used over time, with first the physiology era, the genetic era, and then the multidisciplinary era. During the physiology era, auxin was thought of as the master regulator of apical dominance acting indirectly to inhibit bud outgrowth via unknown secondary messenger(s). Potential candidates were cytokinin (CK) and abscisic acid (ABA). The genetic era with the screening of shoot branching mutants in different species revealed the existence of a novel carotenoid-derived branching inhibitor and led to the significant discovery of strigolactones (SLs) as a novel class of plant hormones. The re-discovery of the major role of sugars in apical dominance emerged from modern physiology experiments and involves ongoing work with genetic material affected in sugar signalling. As crops and natural selection rely on the emergent properties of networks such as this branching network, future work should explore the whole network, the details of which are critical but not individually sufficient to solve the ‘wicked problems’ of sustainable food supply and climate change.
Reliability of a terbinafine agar containing method for the screening of dermatophyte resistance
Authors: Bidaud Anne-Laure , Normand Anne-Cécile , Jabet Arnaud , Brun Sophie , Delliere Sarah , Cremer Geneviève , Foulet Françoise , Ayachi Aymen , Imbert Sébastien , Hennequin Christophe , Dannaoui Éric , Moreno-Sabater Alicia
Published: April 2023

The increase in terbinafine resistance worldwide due to Trichophyton indotineae underlies the need for surveillance networks, deploying easy to perform methods to correctly identify resistant isolates and thereby reduce their spread. In the present study, we evaluated the performances of the terbinafine containing agar method (TCAM). Different technical parameters, such as culture medium (RPMI agar [RPMIA] or Sabouraud dextrose agar [SDA]) and inoculum size, were evaluated. Our study showed that terbinafine susceptibility determined using the TCAM was reliable and independent of the inoculum or medium used. We then performed a multicenter, blinded study. 5 isolates of T. indotineae and 15 of genotype I or II of T. interdigitale, including 5 terbinafine-resistant isolates (4 T. indotineae and 1 T. interdigitale), were sent to eight clinical microbiology laboratories. Each laboratory analyzed the 20 isolates’ terbinafine susceptibility by the TCAM using both culture media. TCAM allowed all participants to correctly determine the terbinafine susceptibility of analyzed isolates without prior training. All participants agreed that the dermatophyte tested, regardless of species or genotype, grew better on SDA than on RPMIA medium but accumulated fungal growth after 14 days eventually minimized the effect of this difference. In conclusion, TCAM is a reliable, easy to perform screening method for assessing terbinafine resistance. However, despite good performances, TCAM is a qualitative method and minimal inhibitory concentrations must be determined by the European Committee for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing standardized method to follow the evolution of terbinafine resistance levels.
The DIVING3D Survey – Deep IFS View of Nuclei of Galaxies – III. Analysis of the nuclear region of the early-type galaxies of the sample
Authors: Ricci T V , Steiner J E , Menezes R B , Slodkowski Clerici K , da Silva M D
Published: April 2023

We analysed the nuclear region of all 56 early-type galaxies from the DIVING3D Project, which is a statistically complete sample of objects that contains all 170 galaxies in the Southern Hemisphere with B < 12.0 mag and galactic latitude |b| < 15°. Observations were performed with the Integral Field Unit of the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph. Emission lines were detected in the nucleus of 86 ± 5 per cent of the objects. Diagnostic diagrams were used to classify 52 ± 7 per cent of the objects as LINERs or Seyferts, while the other 34 ± 6 per cent galaxies without H β or [O iii] lines in their spectra were classified as weak emission line objects. Transition Objects are not seen in the sample, possibly because the seeing-limited data cubes of the objects allow one to isolate the nuclei of the galaxies from their circumnuclear regions, avoiding contamination from H ii regions. A broad line region is seen in 29 ± 6 per cent of the galaxies. Of the 48 galaxies with emission-line nuclei, 41 have signs of AGNs. Some objects also have indications of shocks in their nuclei. Lenticular galaxies are more likely to have emission lines than ellipticals. Also, more luminous objects have higher [N ii]/H α ratios, which may be associated with the mass-metalicity relation of galaxies. A direct comparison of our results with the Palomar Survey indicates that the detection rates of emission lines and also of type 1 AGNs are higher in the DIVING3D objects. This is a consequence of using a more modern instrument with a better spatial resolution than the Palomar Survey observations.
DeepAlloDriver: a deep learning-based strategy to predict cancer driver mutations
Authors: Song Qianqian , Li Mingyu , Li Qian , Lu Xun , Song Kun , Zhang Ziliang , Wei Jiale , Zhang Liang , Wei Jiacheng , Ye Youqiong , Zha Jinyin , Zhang Qiufen , Gao Qiang , Long Jiang , Liu Xinyi , Lu Xuefeng , Zhang Jian
Published: April 2023

Driver mutations can contribute to the initial processes of cancer, and their identification is crucial for understanding tumorigenesis as well as for molecular drug discovery and development. Allostery regulates protein function away from the functional regions at an allosteric site. In addition to the known effects of mutations around functional sites, mutations at allosteric sites have been associated with protein structure, dynamics, and energy communication. As a result, identifying driver mutations at allosteric sites will be beneficial for deciphering the mechanisms of cancer and developing allosteric drugs. In this study, we provided a platform called DeepAlloDriver to predict driver mutations using a deep learning method that exhibited >93% accuracy and precision. Using this server, we found that a missense mutation in RRAS2 (Gln72 to Leu) might serve as an allosteric driver of tumorigenesis, revealing the mechanism of the mutation in knock-in mice and cancer patients. Overall, DeepAlloDriver would facilitate the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying cancer progression and help prioritize cancer therapeutic targets. The web server is freely available at: https://mdl.shsmu.edu.cn/DeepAlloDriver.
Clinical Characteristics of the 2019 Eastern Equine Encephalitis Outbreak in Michigan
Authors: Ladzinski Adam T , Tai Aisha , Rumschlag Matthew T , Smith Christopher S , Mehta Aditya , Boapimp Pimpawan , Edewaard Eric J , Douce Richard W , Morgan Larry F , Wang Michael S , Fisher-Hubbard Amanda O , Cummings Matthew J , Jagger Brett W
Published: April 2023

Background

Eastern equine encephalitis virus is a mosquito-borne alphavirus responsible for unpredictable outbreaks of severe neurologic disease in animals and humans. While most human infections are asymptomatic or clinically nonspecific, a minority of patients develops encephalitic disease, a devastating illness with a mortality rate of ≥30%. No treatments are known to be effective. Eastern equine encephalitis virus infection is rare in the United States, with an annual average nationwide incidence of 7 cases between 2009 and 2018. However, in 2019, 38 cases were confirmed nationwide, including 10 in Michigan.

Methods

Data from 8 cases identified by a regional network of physicians in southwest Michigan were abstracted from clinical records. Clinical imaging and histopathology were aggregated and reviewed.

Results

Patients were predominantly older adults (median age, 64 years), and all were male. Results of initial arboviral cerebrospinal fluid serology were frequently negative, and diagnosis was not made until a median of 24.5 days (range, 13–38 days) after presentation, despite prompt lumbar punctures in all patients. Imaging findings were dynamic and heterogeneous, with abnormalities of the thalamus and/or basal ganglia, and prominent pons and midbrain abnormalities were displayed in 1 patient. Six patients died, 1 survived the acute illness with severe neurologic sequelae, and 1 recovered with mild sequelae. A limited postmortem examination revealed diffuse meningoencephalitis, neuronophagia, and focal vascular necrosis.

Conclusions

Eastern equine encephalitis is a frequently fatal condition whose diagnosis is often delayed, and for which no effective treatments are known. Improved diagnostics are needed to facilitate patient care and encourage the development of treatments.
Methodology in State Constitutional Rights Interpretation
Authors: Williams Robert F. , Friedman Lawrence
Published: April 2023

This chapter explores the mistaken premise underlying the perception of the power of decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court interpreting individual rights under the federal Constitution. It addresses the legitimacy of independent state constitutional decision-making before turning to issues of teaching and sequencing regarding state constitutional interpretive methodologies. The chapter examines the criteria approach to state constitutional interpretation and the search for factors justifying divergence from federal precedent. It canvasses the state experience with the criteria approach in Washington, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Connecticut. The chapter employs two cases studies of state court use of the criteria approach in New Jersey and Washington, in the context of garbage search cases. The chapter critiques the criteria approach and addresses the continuing legitimacy and methodology debates and other procedural issues associated with the New Judicial Federalism. Finally, the chapter looks at substantive due process and economic regulation under state constitutions.
Amending and Revising State Constitutions
Authors: Williams Robert F. , Friedman Lawrence
Published: April 2023

Part V surveys the range of methods and processes for change in the texts of state constitutions—both individual amendments and more comprehensive revisions. Each of these processes differs from the others and also produces different kinds of constitutional history materials that remain available for the interpretation process. In addition, amending and revising state constitutions often leads to litigation over these processes. This leads to a substantial judicial involvement in the processes of state constitutional amendment and revision that generates a number of legal doctrines that must be taken into account; similar doctrines are virtually nonexistent in federal constitutional law. The use of state constitutional amendments as elements of governance has become more common in the states.
The Bounds of Defense
Authors: Strawser Bradley Jay
Published: April 2023

Most people believe that killing someone, while generally morally wrong, can in some cases be a permissible act. Most people similarly believe that war, while awful, can be justified. This book addresses both subjects as equal parts in a larger meditation on the ethics of harm and moral responsibility—whether in war collectively or in individual cases of self-defense—and whatever it is that lies in between the two. The book sets out by examining the moral justification for individual defensive killing and then tests its application to collective war as a natural outgrowth of the former. In seeking sincere answers to these morally vexing questions, it offers a novel theory of liability attribution based upon evidence-relative norms: we should only be held morally responsible for what we could possibly know is wrong based on the evidence before us. In developing this theory of liability as it applies to war, Bounds of Defense also gives a robust apologia of what has been called as “revisionist” just war theory and charts a neo-liberal basis for just war theory grounded on the value of individual autonomy along the way. The entire book is an earnest attempt to take individual rights and responsibilities seriously in our thinking over killing and the horrors of war.
Artist Winemaker
Authors: Waterhouse Andrew L. , Gislason Nick E.
Published: April 2023

The creation of artisanal wine starts by creating a vineyard where the site is compatible with the specific grape varieties that are planted there. Once the vineyard is established, the cultivation techniques such as irrigation, pruning, and cover crops will affect the grape qualities. The harvest timing decision has a major impact on the resulting wine, and the subsequent winemaking decisions on crushing, pressing, yeast and barrel selection, as well as many other choices can result in a very particular, perhaps unique wine. A question is whether or not the wine is truly unique, and could an informed taster identify the artisan winemaker?
Artisanal Fruits and Vegetables
Authors: Trout Rosemary E. , Trout Joseph J.
Published: April 2023

Artisanal crop farming commonly employs organic and sustainable principles and focuses on traditional methods, heirloom cultivars, and pronounced consideration for seasonality, consumer preference, and environmentally healthy, ethical, and equitable farming. Certain requirements must be met for a fruit or vegetable to be labeled as organic, and many artisans go to the trouble of meeting them. Artisans often use natural alternatives to pesticides and herbicides and pick and harvest their crop by hand. Organically grown crops tend to contain higher levels of phenols, and some also have more ascorbic acid. Artisans may also grow heirloom varieties of crops, which existed prior to commercialization. The local and sustainable nature of artisanal fruits and vegetables adds to their desirability among many consumers.
Louis Hjelmslev on the correlational structure of language
Authors: Cigana Lorenzo
Published: April 2023

Occupying a central place in the thought of Louis Hjelmslev (1899–1965), the paper reproduced in this chapter presents the results of his research into the general principles governing the oppositional nature of morphemic categories. Through this research, he arrived at a novel version of ‘markedness’, a central theoretical concept in structuralism. Originally developed by Jakobson and Trubetzkoy, markedness deals with the asymmetrical relationship in a pair of linguistic units belonging to the same paradigm, such as morphemes or phonemes, where one signals a distinctive feature (and is specific) while the other does not (being non-specific and inclusive). Hjelmslev’s formulation of markedness offered important insights into the epistemological underpinnings of this theoretical posit. This paper was composed in 1933 and expected to be published in the same year in the Bulletins of the Copenhagen Linguistic Circle, as Hjelmslev’s next major theoretical statement after his Principes de grammaire générale (1928), but, mysteriously, it did not appear until 1973, in the second volume of his Essais linguistiques. The reasons for this delay involve both external factors of human interaction and internal conceptual difficulties. The introductory essay first reconstructs the dynamics of the Copenhagen School, with a focus on the academic and private rivalries between Hjelmslev and Viggo Brøndal before dealing with the theoretical tensions between the similar and yet competing models of markedness developed by Hjelmslev and Brøndal. The introduction and notes to this chapter make extensive use of Hjelmslev’s correspondence and unpublished manuscripts held at the Royal Library of Copenhagen.
Émile Benveniste on the relation between linguistic and social structures
Authors: Laplantine Chloé
Published: April 2023

Émile Benveniste (1902–1976) is often identified as one of the chief representatives of European linguistic structuralism. Even so, his view of language as subjective activity would seem to run counter to the supposedly objective approach which most often characterizes structuralism. The article ‘Structure of language and structure of society’ (1970) examines a problem that has been debated since the beginning of the twentieth century and which is properly a structuralist question. The relationship between the structure of language and the structure of society has been examined from a variety of points of view: Antoine Meillet (1866–1936), for example, argued that changes in society induce changes in language; Marxist theory held that language is the mirror of society; Edward Sapir (1884–1939) made language and society independent from each other in order to counter racialist theories; Claude Lévi-Strauss (1908–2009) advanced the hypothesis that the structure of a language can be deduced from a kinship system. Benveniste’s proposition, ‘language is the interpreter of society’—a proposition which can also be found in the article ‘Semiology of language’ (1969)—aims to show that the linguistic activity of producing meaning (value) gives shape to all social representations, and to make the study of language as discourse central to any attempt to understand social practice.