bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long‐term abundance dynamics of the South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens) in the most important breeding colony in central Chile
Authors: Sepúlveda Maritza , Carrasco Pablo , Quiñones Renato
Published: July 2021

Long‐term studies that monitor changes in the abundance of pinnipeds are particularly relevant given that these long‐lived species are considered to be indicators of the quality of the ecosystems around them. We report a continuous record of the total abundance by sex and age‐classes of the South American sea lion (Otaria flavescens) in Cobquecura, the most important breeding colony in central Chile over a twelve‐year period (2008 to 2020). We also analysed the demographic trends in South American sea lion abundance at this location. A total of 110 and 43 sea/land based and aerial censuses were performed over the studied period, respectively. The number of sea lions on land was highest in the summer months, which corresponds to the breeding season of the species. The abundance ranged from a minimum of 870 to a maximum of 4,531 individuals from sea/land‐based observations, and from 796 to 4,854 from aerial censuses. This variation was mainly influenced by the number of adult females, the most abundant age‐class in the colony. On the contrary, adult and sub‐adult males were least abundant in the population. The highest numbers of pups were registered in February of each year, ranging from 448 in February 2009 to 1,214 in February 2017. During the study period, we estimated a finite growth rate (λ) of 1.031, suggesting an increase in the population size in the colony, especially in the number of pups. Considering Cobquecura is highly susceptible to anthropogenic disturbance, developing effective long‐term protection through adequate management is critical to better conserve the South American sea lion in the most important breeding colony in central Chile.
How religious tolerance can emerge among religious people: An investigation on the roles of intellectual humility, cognitive flexibility, and trait aggressiveness
Authors: Lubis Syahid Izharuddin , Sianipar Agnes
Published: July 2021

For years, religious tolerance between religious groups has been a critical sociopolitical problem throughout the world. To date, there has been little research that investigates the psychological mechanisms underlying the emergence of tolerance in religious people. The purpose of this study is to examine whether the roles of intellectual humility and cognitive flexibility in mediating the relationship between religiosity and religious tolerance are dependent on aggressiveness. We employed mediation analyses over data collected from 226 Indonesian Muslim students to test our predictions. Results showed that intellectual humility and cognitive flexibility significantly mediated the influence of religiosity in increasing religious tolerance. As predicted, intellectual humility was the more potent mediator among religious participants who possessed a high level of aggressiveness, whereas cognitive flexibility was the more potent mediator among religious participants with a low level of aggressiveness. The aggressiveness of religious participants also determined whether intellectual humility or cognitive flexibility would increase religious tolerance. Our findings suggest the importance of developing intellectual humility and cognitive flexibility to promote tolerant behaviour among religious people.
Caesarean section and increased neonatal mortality risk in meta‐analysis of 33 sub‐Saharan Africa Demographic and Health Surveys
Authors: Olukade Tawa , Uthman Olalekan A.
Published: July 2021

Aim

To examine the factors associated with the risk of neonatal mortality following caesarean births at country‐level in sub‐Saharan Africa.

Methods

We used meta‐analytic procedure to synthesize the results of most recent nationally representative cross‐sectional Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) datasets for 33 sub‐Saharan Africa countries conducted between 2010 and 2018. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed for all countries.

Results

The overall caesarean section (CS) rate was 4.9%, neonatal mortality was 2.8% and Post‐CS neonatal mortality was 4.3%. The rates of CS were generally low and only five countries had CS rates at or above 10%. The overall pooled result showed a statistically significant increase in the odds of neonatal mortality after a caesarean section (CS) OR 1.7 (95% CI 1.53 –1.89; I2 = 39.3%, p < 0.012); such that children delivered via CS were 70% more likely not to survive beyond the first 30 days. Geographical variations existed in the measure of association between caesarean section and neonatal mortality.

Conclusion

This paper has provided evidence on the low rates of CS and the associated neonatal mortality risk compared to normal deliveries in sub‐Saharan Africa.
Systematic review: hepatitis C viraemic allografts to hepatitis C‐negative recipients in solid organ transplantation
Authors: Raasikh Taaj , Jamali Taher , Flores Avegail , Cotton Ronald T. , Ramanathan Venkat , Tan Henkie P. , Hernaez Ruben
Published: July 2021

Background

Given the success of direct‐acting antivirals (DAAs) in treating hepatitis C (HCV), interest is growing in utilizing solid organs from allografts with active HCV to expand donor availability.

Aim

To review post‐transplant outcomes and patient survival in HCV‐negative recipients receiving solid organ transplants (SOT) from viraemic, that is, HCV+/NAT+ (nucleic acid testing) allografts.

Methods

A literature search was conducted on PubMed and EMBASE from 01/01/2007 to 4/17/2021 for articles matching eligibility criteria. Two authors independently screened titles and abstracts. Disagreements were solved by a third independent reviewer. Methodological quality assessment was done using a modified Newcastle‐Ottawa scale (NOS). Data synthesis was done qualitatively using median, ranges and percentages.

Results

Thirty‐five studies were included (or 852 SOTs): 343 kidney, 233 heart, 204 liver, and 72 lung transplants from viraemic allografts. Of the recipients eligible for sustained virological response at 12 weeks (SVR12) calculation, 100% achieved cure from HCV. No deaths/graft failures were reported to be related to HCV transmission. Seven SOT recipients had viral relapse, with all seven patients treated successfully. Four patients developed fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis with complete resolution post‐treatment.

Conclusions

Transplanting viraemic organs into uninfected individuals can become the standard of care for patients who do not have contraindications to DAAs.
That which feeds: Sacred solidarities and roots of resistance
Authors: Case Emalani
Published: July 2021

Sponsored by the Asia Pacific Viewpoint, this paper was originally delivered as a keynote address at the New Zealand Geographical Society (NZGS) conference in November of 2020. Building on the conference theme, ‘Embracing Diversity: Expanding Geographies’, it argues that any consideration of our diverse, layered and growing environments must consider the sacred. Rather than focus solely on what are often deemed ‘sacred’ sites – or those places marked by physical signposts, particular rituals or sanctioning – it encourages us to think deeply about the everyday sacred though recognising how places feed. Flowing between places and times, between Kumutoto Stream in Te Whanganui‐a‐Tara and Pōhakuloa in Hawaiʻi, this paper is a call to stand on whenua and see it, smell it, taste it and love it. It is an invitation to relate to place on an intimate level. It is a prompting to be critical of the urban and colonially constructed spaces that have become naturalised in our daily lives and to uncover the stories, histories and peoples they work to displace and erase so that we can plant collective roots of resistance and solidarity for better futures.
Inhibition of heat shock protein (HSP) 90 reverses signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3‐mediated muscle wasting in cancer cachexia mice
Authors: Niu Mengyuan , Song Shiyu , Su Zhonglan , Wei Lulu , Li Li , Pu Wenyuan , Zhao Chen , Ding Yibing , Wang Jinglin , Cao Wangsen , Gao Qian , Wang Hongwei
Published: July 2021

Background and Purpose

Cancer cachexia is a common cause of death among cancer patients with no currently effective treatment available. In animal models, aberrant activation of STAT3 in skeletal muscle contributes to muscle wasting. However, clinically the factors regulating STAT3 activation and the molecular mechanisms involved remain incompletely understood.

Experimental Approach

The expression of HSP90 and the activation of STAT3 were detected in muscle from the patients with cancer cachexia or the tumour‐bearing cachectic mice. HSP90 inhibitors, including 17DMAG (alvespimycin) and PU‐H71, were administered to cachexic mice and cachexia parameters, weight loss, food intake, survival rate, body composition, serum metabolites, muscle wasting pathology and catabolic activation were analysed. The co‐culture of C2C12 myotube cells with C26 conditioned media was performed to investigate the pathological mechanism involved in catabolic muscle wasting. The roles of HSP90, STAT3 and FOXO1 in myotube atrophy were explored via overexpression or knockdown.

Results

An enhanced interaction between activated STAT3 and HSP90 in the skeletal muscle of cancer cachexia patients, is a crucial for the development of cachectic muscle wasting. HSP90 inhibitors 17DMAG and PU‐H71 alleviated the muscle wasting in C26 and models or the myotube atrophy of C2C12 cells induced by C26 conditional medium. Prolonged STAT3 activation transactivated FOXO1 by binding directly to its promoter and triggered the muscle wasting in a FOXO1‐dependent manner in muscle cells.

Conclusion and Implications

The HSP90/STAT3/FOXO1 axis plays a critical role in cachectic muscle wasting, which might be a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of cancer cachexia.
Detecting ecological thresholds for biodiversity in tropical forests: Knowledge gaps and future directions
Authors: Shennan‐Farpón Yara , Visconti Piero , Norris Ken
Published: July 2021

Protecting tropical forests and their biological diversity is a global priority. Understanding if thresholds of forest cover exist beyond which biodiversity displays non‐linear declines is key to developing appropriate conservation strategies and policies, but uncertainty remains around the identification and characteristics of these thresholds. We performed a global systematic review of studies using forest cover gradient to identify an ecological threshold across tropical forest ecosystems. Our systematic review finds 68 ecological thresholds reported in 33 peer‐reviewed publications. Three main conclusions emerged: first, we show clear geographical gaps in ecological thresholds studies, with 72% of reported thresholds found in South America, over half in Brazil; second, we see ecological threshold studies follow taxonomic biases in line with wider conservation research; and third, there is a lack of homogeneity and comparability in the metrics and sampling designs used to identify a threshold. This global review shows interest in ecological thresholds continues to grow, but further evidence is needed to understand their application in tropical forest management. We identify the main gaps in knowledge and provide guidance to focus research efforts on six key aspects to better understand their potential as a policy‐making tool for tropical forest conservation.

Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.
99mTc‐labeled antibiotics for infection diagnosis: Mechanism, action, and progress
Authors: Naqvi Syed Ali Raza
Published: July 2021

Discovery of penicillin marked a turning point in the history of infection therapy which also led to the emergence of bacterial resistance. It is now 100 years to fight with ever‐muted variants of pathogens by developing more and more antibiotics. Since 1987 to todate, no successful class of antibiotic was introduced; this three decade period is known as “the discovery void” period. While, the clinically approved antibiotics are gradually dying in front of bacterial resistance due to which bacterial infections are appearing leading cause of death and disability. Nuclear medicine imaging technique is the strongest modality to diagnose and follow‐up of deep‐seated and complicated infections. However, the selection of radiolabeled antimicrobial agents plays critical role in gaining sensitivity and specificity of the imaging results. This review comprises of two main sections; first section explains antibiotic targets, and second section explains the imaging efficacy of 99mTc‐labeled antimicrobial agents against bacterial infection along with the emphasis on progress and update of 99mTc‐labeled antibiotics as infection imaging probes. The review, in conclusion, could be an acceleration for radiopharmaceutical chemists for designing and developing 99mTc‐labeled antimicrobial agents to improve infection imaging quality.
Children with cerebral palsy: A cross‐sectional study of their sleep and their caregiver's sleep quality, psychological health and well‐being
Authors: Lang Cathryne P. , Boucaut Amanda , Guppy Max , Johnston Leanne M.
Published: July 2021

Background

Children with cerebral palsy (CP) are more likely to experience sleep problems. Their sleep difficulties have been shown to be related to poorer sleep quality for their parents and caregivers. While poor sleep has been linked with poorer psychological health in other populations, few studies have focused on the potential effects of children's and caregivers' sleep disturbance on caregivers' psychological health and well‐being in families of children with CP. This study investigated the association between caregivers' psychological health and well‐being and their sleep quality and the sleep of their children with CP.

Method

Ninety‐four caregivers (86% mothers; age range = 29–76 years) of children with CP aged 4 to 14 years of varying physical abilities (Gross Motor Function Classification Scale expanded and revised—level I (24), II (20), III (16), IV (10), V (24)) were recruited from a state‐wide rehabilitation service. Caregivers completed the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale‐21, Warwick‐Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, Resilience Scale, Pediatric Sleep Questionnaire, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and a demographic questionnaire.

Results

Sleep problems were reported for 55% of children. Poor sleep quality was reported by 71% of caregivers. While 25% of caregivers reported positive well‐being and 86% reported high to very high levels of resilience, 44% reported poor psychological health. Child sleep problems were related to poorer caregiver sleep quality (r = 0.47, p < 0.001). Poorer caregiver sleep quality was related to poorer caregiver psychological health (r = 0.43–0.51, all p < 0.001) and well‐being (r = −0.48, p < 0.001), but not resilience (r = 0.18, p = 0.11).

Conclusions

High numbers of children with CP and their caregivers experience poor sleep that extends far past infancy. Poor sleep quality is associated with poorer psychological health and well‐being for caregivers. Further development of responsive support services that address caregivers' sleep is essential.
The feasibility of family‐centred early intervention for children with disabilities in mainland China: Practitioners' perceptions
Authors: Su Hui , Llewellyn Gwynnyth , Yi Yali , Gao Yaqian , Liu Jinxia
Published: July 2021

Background

Family‐centred practice (FCP) has become a recommended practice for early intervention services for children with disabilities in many countries. However, its feasibility in Chinese context has been unclear. This study is the first to explore the perceptions of early intervention service practitioners about the implementation of FCP in mainland China.

Methods

Focus groups were employed to collect data from 37 early intervention practitioners who attended a workshop about FCP in Wuhan, China and two officers from the provincial disabled persons' federation. The data were analysed thematically.

Results

Four themes were identified: (a) family‐centred early intervention is possible, (b) traditional concepts are not friendly towards FCP, (c) parents do not collaborate and (d) financing and personal resources are not sufficient to implement FCP. Chinese practitioners agreed with the philosophies of FCP; however, there was concern that widespread implementation may meet conceptual and practical challenges.

Conclusions

The results highlighted practitioners were optimistic and keen for FCP implementation in the Chinese context, but to do so across China may still be some way in the future.
Early Adolescents’ Food Selection After Evaluating the Healthiness of Remote Peers’ Food Choices
Authors: Cobo‐Reyes Ramón , Lacomba Juan A. , Lagos Francisco , Zenker Christina , Reuben Ernesto
Published: July 2021

This study investigates whether asking early adolescents to evaluate the food choices of remote peers improves their own food selection. Participants were students from fifth (N = 219, Mage = 9.30 years) and sixth grades (N = 248, Mage = 10.28 years) of varying nationalities living in the United Arab Emirates (race and ethnicity were not collected). Students saw peers’ healthy or unhealthy food choices before picking their own food. In some conditions, students also critically evaluated the healthiness of the peers’ choices. Evaluation of peer choices led to healthier decisions (d = .53) to the point that it offsets the negative impact of observing unhealthy peer choices. This effect is larger for sixth graders compared to fifth graders.
Deep Compositional Denoising for High‐quality Monte Carlo Rendering
Authors: Zhang Xianyao , Manzi Marco , Vogels Thijs , Dahlberg Henrik , Gross Markus , Papas Marios
Published: July 2021

We propose a deep‐learning method for automatically decomposing noisy Monte Carlo renderings into components that kernel‐predicting denoisers can denoise more effectively. In our model, a neural decomposition module learns to predict noisy components and corresponding feature maps, which are consecutively reconstructed by a denoising module. The components are predicted based on statistics aggregated at the pixel level by the renderer. Denoising these components individually allows the use of per‐component kernels that adapt to each component's noisy signal characteristics. Experimentally, we show that the proposed decomposition module consistently improves the denoising quality of current state‐of‐the‐art kernel‐predicting denoisers on large‐scale academic and production datasets.
Real‐time Monte Carlo Denoising with Weight Sharing Kernel Prediction Network
Authors: Fan Hangming , Wang Rui , Huo Yuchi , Bao Hujun
Published: July 2021

Real‐time Monte Carlo denoising aims at removing severe noise under low samples per pixel (spp) in a strict time budget. Recently, kernel‐prediction methods use a neural network to predict each pixel's filtering kernel and have shown a great potential to remove Monte Carlo noise. However, the heavy computation overhead blocks these methods from real‐time applications. This paper expands the kernel‐prediction method and proposes a novel approach to denoise very low spp (e.g., 1‐spp) Monte Carlo path traced images at real‐time frame rates. Instead of using the neural network to directly predict the kernel map, i.e., the complete weights of each per‐pixel filtering kernel, we predict an encoding of the kernel map, followed by a high‐efficiency decoder with unfolding operations for a high‐quality reconstruction of the filtering kernels. The kernel map encoding yields a compact single‐channel representation of the kernel map, which can significantly reduce the kernel‐prediction network's throughput. In addition, we adopt a scalable kernel fusion module to improve denoising quality. The proposed approach preserves kernel prediction methods’ denoising quality while roughly halving its denoising time for 1‐spp noisy inputs. In addition, compared with the recent neural bilateral grid‐based real‐time denoiser, our approach benefits from the high parallelism of kernel‐based reconstruction and produces better denoising results at equal time.
DONeRF: Towards Real‐Time Rendering of Compact Neural Radiance Fields using Depth Oracle Networks
Authors: Neff T. , Stadlbauer P. , Parger M. , Kurz A. , Mueller J. H. , Chaitanya C. R. A. , Kaplanyan A. , Steinberger M.
Published: July 2021

The recent research explosion around implicit neural representations, such as NeRF, shows that there is immense potential for implicitly storing high‐quality scene and lighting information in compact neural networks. However, one major limitation preventing the use of NeRF in real‐time rendering applications is the prohibitive computational cost of excessive network evaluations along each view ray, requiring dozens of petaFLOPS. In this work, we bring compact neural representations closer to practical rendering of synthetic content in real‐time applications, such as games and virtual reality. We show that the number of samples required for each view ray can be significantly reduced when samples are placed around surfaces in the scene without compromising image quality. To this end, we propose a depth oracle network that predicts ray sample locations for each view ray with a single network evaluation. We show that using a classification network around logarithmically discretized and spherically warped depth values is essential to encode surface locations rather than directly estimating depth. The combination of these techniques leads to DONeRF, our compact dual network design with a depth oracle network as its first step and a locally sampled shading network for ray accumulation. With DONeRF, we reduce the inference costs by up to 48× compared to NeRF when conditioning on available ground truth depth information. Compared to concurrent acceleration methods for raymarching‐based neural representations, DONeRF does not require additional memory for explicit caching or acceleration structures, and can render interactively (20 frames per second) on a single GPU.
Q‐NET: A Network for Low‐dimensional Integrals of Neural Proxies
Authors: Subr Kartic
Published: July 2021

Integrals of multidimensional functions are often estimated by averaging function values at multiple locations. The use of an approximate surrogate or proxy for the true function is useful if repeated evaluations are necessary. A proxy is even more useful if its own integral is known analytically and can be calculated practically. We design a family of fixed networks, which we call Q‐NETs, that can calculate integrals of functions represented by sigmoidal universal approximators. Q‐NETs operate on the parameters of the trained proxy and can calculate exact integrals over any subset of dimensions of the input domain. Q‐NETs also facilitate convenient recalculation of integrals without resampling the integrand or retraining the proxy, under certain transformations to the input space. We highlight the benefits of this scheme for diverse rendering applications including inverse rendering, sampled procedural noise and visualization. Q‐NETs are appealing in the following contexts: the dimensionality is low (< 10D); integrals of a sampled function need to be recalculated over different sub‐domains; the estimation of integrals needs to be decoupled from the sampling strategy such as when sparse, adaptive sampling is used; marginal functions need to be known in functional form; or when powerful Single Instruction Multiple Data/Thread (SIMD/SIMT) pipelines are available.
Video‐Based Rendering of Dynamic Stationary Environments from Unsynchronized Inputs
Authors: Thonat T. , Aksoy Y. , Aittala M. , Paris S. , Durand F. , Drettakis G.
Published: July 2021

Image‐Based Rendering allows users to easily capture a scene using a single camera and then navigate freely with realistic results. However, the resulting renderings are completely static, and dynamic effects – such as fire, waterfalls or small waves – cannot be reproduced. We tackle the challenging problem of enabling free‐viewpoint navigation including such stationary dynamic effects, but still maintaining the simplicity of casual capture. Using a single camera – instead of previous complex synchronized multi‐camera setups – means that we have unsynchronized videos of the dynamic effect from multiple views, making it hard to blend them when synthesizing novel views. We present a solution that allows smooth free‐viewpoint video‐based rendering (VBR) of such scenes using temporal Laplacian pyramid decomposition video, enabling spatio‐temporal blending. For effects such as fire and waterfalls, that are semi‐transparent and occupy 3D space, we first estimate their spatial volume. This allows us to create per‐video geometries and alpha‐matte videos that we can blend using our frequency‐dependent method. We also extend Laplacian blending to the temporal dimension to remove additional temporal seams. We show results on scenes containing fire, waterfalls or rippling waves at the seaside, bringing these scenes to life.
Rendering Point Clouds with Compute Shaders and Vertex Order Optimization
Authors: Schütz Markus , Kerbl Bernhard , Wimmer Michael
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we present several compute‐based point cloud rendering approaches that outperform the hardware pipeline by up to an order of magnitude and achieve significantly better frame times than previous compute‐based methods. Beyond basic closest‐point rendering, we also introduce a fast, high‐quality variant to reduce aliasing. We present and evaluate several variants of our proposed methods with different flavors of optimization, in order to ensure their applicability and achieve optimal performance on a range of platforms and architectures with varying support for novel GPU hardware features. During our experiments, the observed peak performance was reached rendering 796 million points (12.7GB) at rates of 62 to 64 frames per second (50 billion points per second, 802GB/s) on an RTX 3090 without the use of level‐of‐detail structures. We further introduce an optimized vertex order for point clouds to boost the efficiency of GL_POINTS by a factor of 5× in cases where hardware rendering is compulsory. We compare different orderings and show that Morton sorted buffers are faster for some viewpoints, while shuffled vertex buffers are faster in others. In contrast, combining both approaches by first sorting according to Morton‐code and shuffling the resulting sequence in batches of 128 points leads to a vertex buffer layout with high rendering performance and low sensitivity to viewpoint changes.
Optimised Path Space Regularisation
Authors: Weier Philippe , Droske Marc , Hanika Johannes , Weidlich Andrea , Vorba Jiří
Published: July 2021

We present Optimised Path Space Regularisation (OPSR), a novel regularisation technique for forward path tracing algorithms. Our regularisation controls the amount of roughness added to materials depending on the type of sampled paths and trades a small error in the estimator for a drastic reduction of variance in difficult paths, including indirectly visible caustics. We formulate the problem as a joint bias‐variance minimisation problem and use differentiable rendering to optimise our model. The learnt parameters generalise to a large variety of scenes irrespective of their geometric complexity. The regularisation added to the underlying light transport algorithm naturally allows us to handle the problem of near‐specular and glossy path chains robustly. Our method consistently improves the convergence of path tracing estimators, including state‐of‐the‐art path guiding techniques where it enables finding otherwise hard‐to‐sample paths and thus, in turn, can significantly speed up the learning of guiding distributions.
Occupational allergic contact dermatitis: A 24‐year, retrospective cohort study from Turkey
Authors: Özkaya Esen , Elinç Aslan Meryem Sevinç
Published: July 2021

Background

Limited data exist on occupational allergic contact dermatitis (OACD) in Turkey.

Objectives

To investigate the epidemiologic profile of OACD in Turkey.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study on 294 patients with OACD among 2801 consecutively patch‐tested patients in the Allergy Unit of the Dermatology Department of İstanbul Faculty of Medicine between 1996 and 2019.

Results

The overall prevalence of OACD was 10.5%, showing a male predominance. OACD was most frequently seen in construction workers (45.2%), followed by hairdressers, metalworkers, health care workers, and miscellaneous. The main relevant allergens were chromium in cement, thiurams in rubber gloves, hairdressing chemicals, resins/glues/plastics, metals, isothiazolinones, and fragrances. Hands were the mainly involved site (95.6%). Airborne eczema was observed in 21.4%. Hand and foot eczema and co‐sensitizations to chrome and thiuram and chrome and cobalt were significantly associated with being a construction worker. Sensitizations to isothiazolinones in house painters, ammonium persulfate and p‐phenylenediamine in hairdressers, and colophonium increased after 2010.

Conclusion

This was the largest group of data on OACD from Turkey, reflecting the importance of rubber glove allergy in all occupations and the striking increase in ammonium persulfate allergy among hairdressers. Chrome and cobalt were still the main cement allergens in Turkey, where the cement directive is not yet in force.
Patients’ perceptions of surgery for inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Spinelli Antonino , Carvello Michele , Adamina Michel , Panis Yves , Warusavitarne Janindra , Tulchinsky Hagit , Bemelman Willem A , Kotze Paulo Gustavo , D’Hoore Andre , Lastikova Lucie , Danese Silvio , Peyrin‐Biroulet Laurent , Avedano Luisa , Pagnini Francesco
Published: July 2021

Aim

Surgery is indicated in selected patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, due to a negative perception, surgery may be delayed, leading to possible unfavourable outcomes. The aim of this work was to investigate patients’ perceptions of surgery and the impact on reported outcomes.

Method

An international multilingual online survey was used to query IBD patients’ experiences of surgery, information sources, expectations and concerns, quality of life (QoL) and feelings.

Results

The survey was completed by 425 of 510 participants. Crohn's disease was more frequent (61%) than ulcerative colitis (36%). Most patients primarily learned about surgery from their gastroenterologist and were informed of the risks and benefits by the surgeon. In almost one‐third of patients indication for surgery was not a shared decision between gastroenterologist and surgeon. Seventy per cent of patients naïve to surgery were not aware of any surgical options. The majority of patients (80%) perceived surgery as the last option after many medical treatments rather than an alternative therapeutic option (20%). Sixteen per cent of patients obtained their primary information from the Internet, while 82.4% used the Internet to obtain additional information. Fear of surgical complications was cited by 73% of patients, while relief from symptoms was indicated by 31%. Most patients coped with their stoma better than expected or as they expected. Negative feelings decreased after surgery, while a lasting improvement in positive feelings and QoL was reported.

Conclusion

Despite the negative perception of surgery and the delayed involvement of surgeons as a source of information and in the decision‐making process, the majority of respondents experienced positive outcomes from surgery, including improvement QoL and acceptance of the stoma.
A retrospective evaluation of catheter ablation in atrial flutter post cardiac transplantation
Authors: Taylor Mark E. , McDiarmid Adam K. , Matthews Iain G. , Kakarla Jayant , McComb Janet M. , Parry Gareth , Lord Stephen W.
Published: July 2021

Background

Atrial flutter is the most common arrhythmia post cardiac transplantation. Observational studies in the non‐transplant population have shown prognostic benefit with catheter ablation; however, there are no data in the heart transplant population.

Objectives

This study evaluated the experience of catheter ablation in atrial flutter post cardiac transplantation.

Methods

A retrospective review of experience of late onset atrial flutter at the Freeman Hospital, Newcastle‐upon‐Tyne, UK, between 1985 and January 2020.

Results

Sixty eight of the 722 patients who survived 6 months post cardiac transplantation developed late atrial flutter giving an incidence of 9.4%. Thirty‐two patients were managed with ablation with treatment largely determined by time of flutter onset. Kaplan Meier estimates for arrhythmia free survival post first ablation for organized atrial arrhythmias was 83.3% at 1 year. Kaplan‐Meier estimates for median survival post onset of atrial arrhythmias treated with ablation was 11.34 years (95% CI 8.00–14.57), compared to 5.79 years in patients managed medically (95%CI 2.26–9.32) (P = .026).

Conclusions

Atrial flutter is an important late complication of cardiac transplantation. Patients treated with ablation in the modern era had increased survival compared to a historical cohort.
Cytological features of BCOR‐CCNB3 sarcoma: Comparison with Ewing sarcoma and synovial sarcoma
Authors: Watabe Shiori , Kikuchi Yoshinao , Mukaiyama Junji , Kato Tomomi , Sato Kenji , Imanishi Jungo , Torigoe Tomoaki , Yazawa Yasuo , Ishida Tsuyoshi , Motoi Toru , Yasuda Masanori , Uozaki Hiroshi
Published: July 2021

Introduction

BCOR‐CCNB3 sarcoma (BCS) is one of the histological types classified as an undifferentiated small round cell sarcoma of bone and soft tissue. This sarcoma frequently develops in males under 20 years of age. Histologically, a delicate capillary network has been reported as a conspicuous finding. In this study, the cytological findings of BCS were observed in two cases of primary lesions and one case of a lung metastatic lesion. The cytological findings of BCS were compared with its histological mimics, and the characteristic findings of BCS were examined.

Methods

Three cases of BCS were studied, and a cytological comparison was performed with 8 cases of Ewing sarcoma (ES) and 10 cases of synovial sarcoma (SS; monophasic type: 7 cases, biphasic type: 2 cases, poorly differentiated: 1 case).

Results

In all BCS cases, small clusters with thin and delicate vascular cores and tiny vascular fragments were conspicuous. In ES and SS cases, although small clusters with vascular cores were observed, the vascular cores were thicker than in BCS, and no tiny vascular fragments appeared in most cases. Cytomorphological differences of tumour cells were also observed among BCS, ES, and SS. Predominantly rounded nuclei with fine chromatin and inconspicuous nucleoli can be cytological clues for BCS.

Conclusions

BCS shows characteristic cytological findings that make the diagnosis of BCS more likely than that of ES and SS. Cytological evaluation is a useful tool for appropriate differential diagnosis that leads to a more accurate final diagnosis and rapid treatment.
Improvising an E‐state: The Struggle for Cash Transfer Digitalization in Mozambique
Authors: Castel‐Branco Ruth
Published: July 2021

Over the last decades, there has been a proliferation of cash transfer programmes across the global South. Digital technologies have given this seeming countermovement a boost by promising to instantaneously transfer cash from the coffers of development agencies and national governments to the pockets of the poor, sidestepping the neo‐patrimonial state. With the COVID‐19 crisis, tech billionaires have teamed up with development institutions to fast‐track ‘digital payment ecosystems’ under the guise of financial inclusion and fiscal savings. Much has been written about how such initiatives accelerate the financialization of social welfare and collateralization of the poor by trapping cash transfer recipients in relations of credit and debt. Less has been written about grassroots strategies to claw back power from digital control. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted in Mozambique, this article explores three sites of contention at the interface of digital technologies and cash transfer administration: the development of an information management system, the application of a proxy means test and the outsourcing of cash transfer payments to private providers. While not always successful, the article concludes, counter‐hegemonic repertoires of action are critical to shaping the terms of cash transfer administration amidst a global ‘war of position’ in policy making.
Licogliflozin versus placebo in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: A randomized, double‐blind, phase 2 trial
Authors: Tan Susanne , Ignatenko Stanislav , Wagner Frank , Dokras Anuja , Seufert Jochen , Zwanziger Denise , Dunschen Karin , Zakaria Marjorie , Huseinovic Neda , Basson Craig T. , Mahling Ping , Fuhrer Dagmar , Hinder Markus
Published: July 2021

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is characterized by hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance. The dual sodium‐glucose co‐transporter 1/2 inhibitor (SGLT1/2i) licogliflozin (LIK066) ameliorates hyperinsulinism in patients with diabetes and obesity. This study examines the effect of licogliflozin on androgens in women with PCOS. In a multicentre, randomized, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind, 2‐week trial, patients with PCOS received licogliflozin 50 mg or placebo three times a day (TID). Changes in free testosterone (FT), other androgens and variables of insulin resistance were analysed. Concentration of FT did not change (TRLIK066:TRPCB [FT]: 0.88; 90% CI: 0.70‐1.11; P = .353). Licogliflozin reduced androstendione (A4) by 19% (TRLIK066:TRPCB [A4]: 0.81; 90% CI: 0.68‐0.99; P = .089) and dehydroepiandrosteron sulphate (DHEAS) by 24% (TRLIK066:TRPCB [DHEAS]: 0.76; 90% CI: 0.65‐0.89; P = .008). Hyperinsulinaemia was reduced by 70% by licogliflozin (highest insulin concentration [MAXI]; TRLIK066:TRPCB [MAXI]: 0·26; 90% CI:0.20‐0.34; P < .001 and area under the curve insulin [AUCI]; TRLIK066:TRPCB [AUCI]: 0.32; 90% CI: 0.25‐0.41; P < .001). Diarrhoea and nausea occurred as common adverse events. Dual inhibition of SGLT1/2 ameliorates hyperinsulinaemia and hyperandrogenaemia in women with PCOS. Licogliflozin may represent a promising novel treatment option for PCOS.
Integrating the monoamine and cytokine hypotheses of depression: Is histamine the missing link?
Authors: Hersey Melinda , Hashemi Parastoo , Reagan Lawrence P.
Published: July 2021

Psychiatric diseases, like depression, largely affect the central nervous system (CNS). While the underlying neuropathology of depressive illness remains to be elucidated, several hypotheses have been proposed as molecular underpinnings for major depressive disorder, including the monoamine hypothesis and the cytokine hypothesis. The monoamine hypothesis has been largely supported by the pharmaceuticals that target monoamine neurotransmitters as a treatment for depression. However, these antidepressants have come under scrutiny due to their limited clinical efficacy, side effects, and delayed onset of action. The more recent, cytokine hypothesis of depression is supported by the ability of immune‐active agents to induce “sickness behaviour” akin to that seen with depression. However, treatments that more selectively target inflammation have yielded inconsistent antidepressive results. As such, neither of these hypotheses can fully explain depressive illness pathology, implying that the underlying neuropathological mechanisms may encompass aspects of both theories. The goal of the current review is to integrate these two well‐studied hypotheses and to propose a role for histamine as a potential unifying factor that links monoamines to cytokines. Additionally, we will focus on stress‐induced depression, to provide an updated perspective of depressive illness research and thereby identify new potential targets for the treatment of major depressive disorder.
Functional root trait‐based classification of cover crops to improve soil physical properties
Authors: Hudek Csilla , Putinica Cristinel , Otten Wilfred , De Baets Sarah
Published: July 2021

Cover crop use is a well‐established soil conservation technique and has been proven effective for erosion control and soil remediation in many arable systems. Whereas the obvious protection mechanism of cover crops occurs through the canopy, plant roots perform multiple functions. It is important to consider the soil functions delivered by different root systems in order to increase the uptake of cover crops for sustainable soil and water management. A classification of cover crop root systems up to 0.6 m deep based on functional traits will allow us to better study their potential role in soil bio‐engineering, soil structural improvements for hydrological services and soil resource protection. This was a glasshouse experiment, using large 1‐m3 containers filled with loam soil, loose topsoil and compacted subsoil, in which seven cover crop species (oat, rye, buckwheat, vetch, radish, mustard, phacelia) were grown for 90 days. Root cores were taken at the end of the experiment, washed and imaged to determine root traits (total root length density, average root diameter, root specific length and root surface area) for both the topsoil and subsoil layers. Root identity was determined from a distinctive combination of single root traits and related to three soil functional variables, representing soil structural improvement, runoff mitigation and erosion control. The results showed that total root length and root surface area correlate well with aggregate stability and soil macroporosity. Buckwheat, mustard and rye had significantly greater aggregate stability, as well as 10, 8 and 7% greater microporosity, respectively, at the interface with the compacted layer when compared to the control bare soil. Furthermore, average root diameter negatively correlated with soil macroporosity, indicating that cover crops with a fine root system are more beneficial for creating pore‐space than those with thicker taproots. Selecting cover crop species with the right root traits is therefore crucial to improve soil health.

Highlights

Roots of cover crops are a largely unexplored frontier for bio‐engineering of agricultural soils.

Combinations of root traits were identified that most improve soil characteristics.

Cover crops with finer root systems were better at enhancing porosity.

Root length and surface area were most important for enhancing soil structure.
Field observation of hunting behavior by larva and adult of diving beetle Dytiscus marginalis Linnaeus, 1758 preying on Lissotriton boscai (Lataste, 1879)
Authors: Eiroa Julio , Sabucedo Daniel X. , Mucientes Gonzalo
Published: July 2021

Dytiscids prey on a variety of items including other invertebrates but also larger prey such as frogs and fish. However, there have been no reports concerning predation on caudata adults by larvae of dytiscids. In this paper, we describe a predation event by a larva of diving beetles of the species Dytiscus marginalis Linnaeus, 1758 on an adult Iberian newt Lissotriton boscai (Lataste, 1879). This report represents the first observation of hunting behavior of larvae of diving beetles preying on a living post‐metamorphic newt.
Search for genetic loci involved in the constitution and skin type of a Japanese women using a genome‐wide association study
Authors: Inoue Yu , Hasebe Yuichi , Igarashi Toshio , Kawagishi‐Hotta Mika , Okuno Ryosuke , Yamada Takaaki , Hasegawa Seiji
Published: July 2021

The constitution and skin type of individuals are influenced by various factors. Recently, the influence of genetic predispositions on these has been emphasized. To date, genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) have shown several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that affect individual's constitution and skin type. However, these studies have mainly focused on the Caucasian population, and only a few association analyses with the constitution and skin type of individuals involving a Japanese population have been conducted. In this study, we conducted a GWAS analysis of 9 phenotypes regarding the constitution or skin type of 1108 Japanese women based on a questionnaire. As a result, in addition to SNPs known to be involved in phenotypes in the past, we discovered new SNPs and genetic regions related to darkness of pigmented spots, skin flushing, frequency of rough skin and responsiveness to cosmetics.
The Roles of Mothers' Perceptions of Grandmothers' Gatekeeping and Fathers' Parenting Competence in Maternal Gatekeeping
Authors: Wang Jingyi , Schoppe‐Sullivan Sarah J.
Published: July 2021

Objective

This study investigated how new mothers' perceptions of maternal grandmothers' gatekeeping behaviors and perceptions of fathers' parenting competence are associated with maternal gatekeeping behaviors.

Background

In the development of coparenting relationships at the transition to parenthood, the roles of extended family members, although important, have received little research attention. Grandmothers' gatekeeping may serve as a reference for maternal gatekeeping behaviors, but its role depends on mothers' own perceptions of fathers' parenting competence.

Method

Mothers from 172 dual‐earner, different‐gender couples reported their own mothers' gatekeeping behaviors and their own perceptions of fathers' parenting competence at 3 months postpartum. Maternal gatekeeping behaviors toward fathers were reported by mothers at both 3 and 9 months postpartum.

Results

When mothers perceived that maternal grandmothers engaged in higher levels of gatekeeping behaviors, mothers engaged in more gate‐opening behaviors but only when mothers perceived fathers as highly competent. There were no significant associations between mothers' perceptions of grandmothers' gatekeeping and maternal gate‐closing behaviors.

Conclusion

Adult mothers, who likely have developed their own sets of ideas about parenting, are still susceptible to support and criticism from their own mothers.

Implications

Practitioners would do well to encourage expectant and new parents to consider the role of extended family in the development of their coparenting relationships and to develop plans for support‐seeking, boundary management, and negotiation of conflicts. To help reduce maternal gate‐closing and enhance maternal gate‐opening behaviors, practitioners could support fathers' development of parenting skills and help mothers develop awareness of fathers' skills.