bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Photovoice Decision Tree: Legal Considerations and Ethical Implications for Photographs and Captions
Authors: Oakes Lindsey R. , Ewald D. Rose , Orsini Muhsin Michael , Strack Robert W.
Published: March 2022

This article presents a photovoice decision tree that serves as a guide for making lawful and ethical decisions during the portions of the photovoice process that involve photograph selection, caption development, and public display of photographs and captions. Lawful and ethical considerations encompass privacy of person, privacy of place, illegal acts and obscenity, defamation, representation of truth versus actual malice, and opinion versus assertion of fact, but do not address pursuing and obtaining institutional review board approval for photovoice projects and/or other important steps of photovoice projects that are beyond the scope of this article. The decision tree presumes that a comprehensive photo release process was completed with all photovoice participants and collected from any individual captured within a photograph. The decision tree has important implications for research and practice, including movement of photovoice practitioners beyond the required institutional review board approval for research projects to consider lawful and ethical issues associated with photograph selection, caption development, and public display of photographs and captions. This decision tree can serve as a meaningful tool for all photovoice practitioners and participants to guide their lawful and ethical decisions.
Injury Prevention Education for Changing a School Environment Using Photovoice
Authors: Oono Mikiko , Nishida Yoshifumi , Kitamura Koji , Yamanaka Tatsuhiro
Published: March 2022

According to a report by the Japan Sport Council, more than 1 million injuries occur in the school environment in Japan, which is a significant burden to society in terms of children’s physical and psychological well-being as well as the costs of health care. Japanese people are becoming increasingly aware of school safety, but no effective safety education program has yet been established. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive safety education curriculum utilizing photovoice in a needs assessment of school safety and evaluated its use as a tool in student learning processes with regard to injury. The curriculum consists of two parts: (1) classroom lectures (three classes, 45 minutes each) and (2) a photovoice project (four classes, 45 minutes each). In total, 49 students participated in the education program, presenting 23 photovoice pictures. The use of photovoice enabled identification of locations of risk recognized by students and the associated photo R-map assisted students and teachers to deepen their learning about injury. We demonstrated four benefits of applying photovoice to school-based injury prevention education. These findings suggest that our photovoice-based injury prevention education program could positively impact children’s research engagement by identifying school needs, and also empower them to affect social change.
Reversed and Antegrade Iliac Side Branch Stentgraft as an Alternative or Rescue Maneuver in Complex (Thoraco)Abdominal Endovascular Aortic Repair to Preserve Renal Perfusion
Authors: Voigt Hans-Christian , Koeppel Thomas
Published: March 2022

Purpose

To describe a technique that can preserve renal perfusion in failed bridging stent implantation of renal arteries or as intentional procedure in emergency cases, when the (thoraco)abdominal aneurysm anatomy does not meet the criteria for instructions for use of an “off-the-shelf” graft. The technique is based on reversed or antegrade integration of a standard iliac side branch graft into the aortic stentgraft system, which allows cannulation of (accessory) renal vessels.

Technique

A standard iliac side branch prosthesis is deployed and re-sheathed in reversed direction on the back table. The endograft is then implanted in the unibody in analogy to an iliac limb. The iliac side branch is cannulated followed by target vessel cannulation and covered bridging stents are deployed for completion. Furthermore, an iliac side branch prothesis can also be used to preserve relevant accessory renal arteries, when implanted in delivered antegrade loading position.

Conclusion

The use of a reversed and antegrade iliac side branch technique to revascularize renal vessels is feasible and safe in selected patients. This technique may also allow to extend the range of an “offthe- shelf” (multibranch) stentgraft, when immediate treatment is required.
Cleaner XT Rotational Thrombectomy: An Efficacious Endovascular Technique for Salvage of Thrombosed Arteriovenous Access and a 12 Month Outcome Analysis
Authors: Bong Tiffany S. H. , Aw Darius K. L. , Cheng Shin Chuen , Choke Edward T. C. , Tay Jia Sheng
Published: March 2022

Purpose:

This study aims to describe an efficacious method using Cleaner XT rotational thrombectomy with catheter-directed thrombolysis and drug-eluting balloon angioplasty for the salvage of thrombosed arteriovenous fistulae and grafts.

Materials and Methods:

Retrospective analysis of all patients with thrombosed hemodialysis accesses who underwent endovascular salvage using the Cleaner XT rotational thrombectomy system at a single institution between June 2019 and September 2020 was performed. Patency was presented as Kaplan-Meier survival curves, and regression analysis was performed to examine predictors of postintervention primary patency and assisted primary patency based on Cox proportional-hazards model.

Results:

Thirty-four patients with thrombosed accesses underwent Cleaner XT rotational thrombectomy between June 2019 and September 2020. Technical and clinical success were both 100%. Mean procedure time was 62 ± 20 minutes. Mean postintervention primary patency time was 152 ± 51 days; 30, 90, 180, and 365 day postintervention primary patency rates were 89%, 80%, 68%, and 56%, respectively. Mean postintervention-assisted primary patency time was 157 ± 59 days; 30, 90, 180, and 365 day postintervention-assisted primary patency rates were 91%, 82%, 71%, and 59%, and 180 and 365 day secondary patency rates were 97.2% and 94.4%, respectively.

Conclusion:

The Cleaner XT rotational thrombectomy device demonstrates excellent clinical and technical success rates, with good patency results at all time points up to 12 months postintervention.
Light-weighted vehicle detection network based on improved YOLOv3-tiny
Authors: Ge Pingshu , Guo Lie , He Danni , Huang Liang
Published: March 2022

Vehicle detection is one of the most challenging research works on environment perception for intelligent vehicle. The commonly used object detection network is too large and can only be realized in real-time on a high-performance server. Based on YOLOv3-tiny, the feature extraction was realized using light-weighted networks such as DarkNet-19 and ResNet-18 to improve accuracy. The K-means algorithm was used to cluster nine anchor boxes to achieve multi-scale prediction, especially for small targets. For automotive applicable scenarios, the proposed vehicle detection network was executed in an embedded device. The KITTI data sets were trained and tested. Experimental results show that the average accuracy is improved by 14.09% compared with the traditional YOLOv3-tiny, reaching 93.66%, and can reach 13 fps on the embedded device.
A Collaborative Multi-Method Approach to Evaluating Indigenous Land-Based Learning With Men
Authors: Waddell-Henowitch Candice , Gobeil Jason , Tacan Frank , Ford Marti , Herron Rachel V. , Allan Jonathan A. , Kruth Madeleine L. , Spence Stephanie
Published: March 2022

In Canada, a vast majority of urban Indigenous people face distinct challenges accessing and connecting to Indigenous cultural practices. Research has found that colonial policies and practices continue to disrupt and fracture traditional methods of passing down cultural teachings, including dispossession from traditional lands in which cultural practices are rooted. This disruption continues to affect the availability of educational programming by and with Indigenous people and in Indigenous languages. This research involves a multi-method approach to observe and engage with a land-based traditional drum-making program for Indigenous men in an urban center in Southwestern Manitoba. By participating, watching, and listening to the men within the workshops through unstructured observation, Sharing Circles, individual interviews, and photovoice, we aim to understand the impacts of land-based learning on Indigenous men’s well-being. The study is designed in accordance with University and Tri-Agency ethical guidelines, integrating ownership, control, access and possession (OCAP), as well as the principles of respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility within all phases of the research. The research is co-created by the university researchers, community collaborators, and other relevant stakeholders.
Age and processing effects on perceptual and conceptual priming
Authors: Ward Emma V
Published: March 2022

Explicit (declarative) memory declines with age, but age effects on implicit (nondeclarative) memory are debated. Some studies have reported null changes in implicit memory (e.g., priming in word-fragment completion, perceptual identification, category exemplar generation) with age, while others have uncovered declines. One factor that may account for these discrepancies is processing. Evidence suggests that conceptual and perceptual processes are not equally affected by ageing, yet processing requirements have varied greatly between studies. Processing may moderate age effects on priming, but no study has systematically examined this issue. This registered report presents an experiment to manipulate processing (conceptual / perceptual) during incidental encoding of words, prior to measures of perceptual (perceptual identification) and conceptual (category verification) priming. The perceptual and conceptual priming tasks were matched on all characteristics except processing, making them highly comparable. The four orthogonal conditions (perceptual encoding, perceptual test [PP]; conceptual encoding, perceptual test [CP]; perceptual encoding, conceptual test [PC]; conceptual encoding, conceptual test [CC]) were designed to clarify situations in which age effects on implicit memory emerge, which holds important practical and theoretical implications. Significant effects of Age, Test, and an Age × Processing interaction emerged. Priming was greater in young than older adults and on the perceptual than the conceptual test, but in contrast to the predictions, the age difference was only significant when prior encoding was perceptual (i.e., in the PP and CP conditions).
Adapt or die? How traditional Spanish TV broadcasters deal with the youth target in the new audio-visual ecosystem
Authors: Casado Miguel Á , Guimerà Josep À , Bonet Montse , Llavador Jordi Pérez
Published: March 2022

This paper analyses the way in which traditional broadcasters are reorienting their strategy to reach young audiences. From this starting point, we analyse the three specific offers launched very recently by Spain's leading audio-visual groups for youth audiences. The online platforms constitute an attempt to compete with the new internet-distributed video offerings that are gaining increasing ground across the world. These platforms (Flooxer from Atresmedia, MTMAD from Mediaset and PLAYZ from TVE) have contributed to the adaptation of their company groups to the new environment in order to get closer to this hard-to-reach young audience.
“Emotions in Cultural Dynamics”: What Non-Humans Can Teach Us about the Role of Emotions in Cultural Evolution
Authors: Dezecache Guillaume , Sievers Christine , Gruber Thibaud
Published: March 2022

The role emotions play in the dynamics of cultural phenomena has long been neglected. The collection of articles recently published in Emotion Review provides an important first step into this necessary endeavor. In this commentary, we discuss this contribution by emphasizing the role epistemological parsimony should play in the future of this research agenda. The cultural behavior and emotions of chimpanzees is taken as reference.
The liberalisation of the European Union passenger rail market: New challenges for future public service contracts
Authors: Guillen Javier
Published: March 2022

The process of European Union(EU) rail market liberalisation is now at a tipping point, with the fourth railway package approved by the European Parliament and Commission and the Member States that have to embed its mandates and provisions into their national legislation. To a large extent, this has already been achieved. The railway package is structured in two main pillars – market pillar and technical pillar – with specific objectives. My paper will focus on the market pillar, particularly on the new challenges that the liberalisation of the EU passenger rail market will generate on public service contracts in effect as of 2023. The establishment of the single European railway area requires common rules on the award of public service contracts in this sector, while taking into account the specific circumstances of each Member State. Public service contracts for public passenger transport services by rail should be awarded on the basis of a competitive tendering procedure. Procedures for competitive tendering of public service contracts should be open to all operators, should be fair and should respect the principles of transparency and non-discrimination. This paper will analyse the new legal challenges that public service contracts in railway transport will encounter and what their impact will be on the process of liberalisation or the EU passenger rail market.
A Prospective Study on Autotransplantation of Mandibular Third Molars With Complete Root Formation
Authors: Dhar Shishir , Singh Gaurav , Mishra Madan , Gaur Amit
Published: March 2022

Study Design

Autotransplantation, if possible, is a viable option for replacing a missing tooth when a donor tooth is available. The most typical tooth transplant is the transfer of a third molar to a first molar site. No immune reaction results from transplants of this nature. It restores the proprioceptive function and normal periodontal healing; thus, the patient can have a natural chewing feeling and natural biological response.

Objective

This study aims to evaluate the prognosis of autotransplanted mandibular third molar and also to evaluate the cost effectiveness of the treatment performed when compared to the other treatment modalities for prosthetic rehabilitation.

Methods

A prospective study was done in the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Sardar Patel Post Graduate Institute of Dental & Medical Sciences, Lucknow, UP, India, with over 20 patients to evaluate the prognosis of autotransplanted mandibular third molars with complete root formation after atraumatic extraction of first or second mandibular molar, which were randomly selected irrespective of race, sex, caste, and socio-economic status. Regular clinical and radiographical examinations were performed over a period of 1 year and the patients were assessed for pain, swelling, infection, dry socket, periodontal pocket depth, ankylosis, root resorption, tooth mobility, and level of buccal bone in relation to cementoenamel junction (CEJ).

Results

Eighteen out of 20 transplants were successful; only 2 mandibular transplants were extracted because of abnormal horizontal and axial mobility and the reason of failure was attributed to fact that the roots of transplant were short and conical and there was lack of alveolar bone height at the recipient site in one patient, while root resorption was the reason for failure of transplant in the other patient.

Conclusions

This study assessed the efficacy of autotransplantation of molars and the viability of the procedure to replace unrestorable molar teeth; it also supports the hypothesis that transplantation of a mandibular third molar for replacement of a lost or seriously damaged molar tooth could be a reasonable alternative.
The futures dilemma:to be left behind or make a difference
Authors: Muzykina Yelena
Published: March 2022

An Interview with Sohail Inayatullah for the Special Issue on Central Asian Futures
The burnout construct with reference to healthcare providers: A narrative review
Authors: Khammissa Razia AG , Nemutandani Simon , Shangase Sindisiwe Londiwe , Feller Gal , Lemmer Johan , Feller Liviu
Published: March 2022

Burnout syndrome is a psychological response to long-term exposure to occupational stressors. It is characterized by emotional exhaustion, cognitive weariness and physical fatigue, and it may occur in association with any occupation, but is most frequently observed among professionals who work directly with people, particularly in institutional settings. Healthcare professionals who work directly with patients and are frequently exposed to work overload and excessive clinical demands, to ethical dilemmas, to pressing occupational schedules and to managerial challenges; who have to make complex judgements and difficult decisions; and who have relatively little autonomy over their job-related tasks are at risk of developing clinical burnout. In turn, clinical burnout among clinicians has a negative impact on the quality and safety of treatment, and on the overall professional performance of healthcare systems. Healthcare workers with burnout are more likely to make mistakes and to be subjected to medical malpractice claims, than do those who are burnout-naïve. Experiencing the emotional values of autonomy, competence and relatedness are essential work-related psychological needs, which have to be satisfied to promote feelings of self-realization and meaningfulness in relation to work activities, thus reducing burnout risk. Importantly, an autonomy-supportive rather than a controlling style of management decreases burnout risk and promotes self-actualization, self-esteem and a general feeling of well-being in both those in charge and in their subordinates. The purpose of this article is to discuss some of the elements constituting the burnout construct with the view of gaining a better understanding of the complex multifactorial nature of burnout. This may facilitate the development and implementation of both personal, behavioural and organizational interventions to deal with the burnout syndrome and its ramifications.
Patient Perspectives on Integrating Risk Prediction Into Kidney Care: Opinion Piece
Authors: Sparkes Dwight , Lee Loretta , Rutter Blair , Harasemiw Oksana , Thorsteinsdottir Bjoerg , Tangri Navdeep
Published: March 2022

Although Chronic Kidney Disease is common, only a relatively small proportion of individuals will reach kidney failure requiring dialysis or transplantation. Validated risk equations using routine laboratory tests have been developed that can easily be used at the bedside to help clinicians accurately predict the risk of kidney failure in their patient population, in turn informing patient-centered conversations, guiding appropriate nephrology referrals, improving the timing of dialysis treatment planning, and identifying individuals who are most likely to benefit from interventions. In this article, individuals living with kidney disease share why access to individualized prediction of kidney failure risk can help patients manage their disease and why it should be considered an essential component of kidney care.
Refracture After Removal of the PFNA in a Healed Intertrochanteric Femoral Fracture: Case Report
Authors: Jin Jin-Woo , Kim Hyeon-Soo , Jang Min-Jae
Published: March 2022

Hardware removal in a healed intertrochanteric fracture in elderly, which is not a routine procedure, should be needed in the case of irritable hardware. The reports of refracture after hardware removal can be seen as sparse in current literature, which are focused to secondary femoral neck fracture after removal of the lag screw or blade. We experienced a case of the intertrochanteric refracture and varus collapse after the PFNA removal in a healed fracture, treated with valgus trochanteric osteotomy and angled blade plate fixation. The PFNA is an innovative device for the treatment of the trochanteric fracture; however, the complications after removal never end. Therefore, the removal from healed fracture in elderly who have osteoporosis should not be recommended unless intractable pain had persisted.
The Linguistic and Situational Features of WhatsApp Messages Among High School and University Canadian Students
Authors: Alazzawie Abdulkhaliq
Published: March 2022

WhatsApp messages can be such a rich source for creative and spontaneous language geared toward more individual expression. WhatsApping provides us with a unique view into language and is an interesting prototype for thinking about language use, the various functions of this variety and how it is used to render different kinds of meanings. This study aims to explore the linguistic features of text messaging’s communicative intent, content and context. Selected samples of messages were drawn from a high school student population in Canada who provided a corpus of 100 different texts already sent and/or received for personal, educational and professional purposes. The collected data were analyzed using Biber and Conrad’s qualitative approach to register, genre, and style analysis. The result is that people use clipped sentences in a free flow of casual speech and slang. While certain abbreviations have come into such common use, to the point of becoming standard, a wide array of individualistic variance in terms of style and language usage has emerged. It is concluded that avid texters, while appearing to greatly deviate from more traditional, standard written English, are a rich source for studying creative and spontaneous language adaptation of register, genre and text according to context and text users.
Telecommuting Frequency and Preference among Japanese Workers According to Regional Cumulative COVID-19 Incidence: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Baba Hiroka , Ikegami Kazunori , Ando Hajime , Eguchi Hisashi , Tsuji Mayumi , Tateishi Seiichiro , Nagata Masako , Matsuda Shinya , Fujino Yoshihisa ,   for the CORoNaWork Project
Published: March 2022

This study aimed to examine the relationship between telecommuting and the regional cumulative COVID-19 incidence. This was a cross-sectional study analyzing 13,468 office workers. The participant groups, according to the level of cumulative COVID-19 incidence by prefecture, were used as the predictor variable, and telecommuting frequency and preference were used as outcomes. We employed an ordinal logistic regression analysis. In regions with a high cumulative COVID-19 incidence, the proportion of participants who telecommuted more than 2 days per week was 34.7%, which was approximately 20% higher than in other regions. Telecommuting preference was stronger in areas with higher COVID-19 influence. However, in other regions, the proportion of participants who did not want to telecommute was higher than that of those who wanted to telecommute. We found that telecommuting frequency and preference were higher in regions with high cumulative COVID-19 incidence.
HIV Care in the Times of COVID-19 Pandemic in Urban South Gujarat: An Operational Overview
Authors: Samudyatha U. C. , Kosambiya J. K. , Rathore Manvendra Singh
Published: March 2022

In India, the nationwide lockdown was implemented from March to May 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic. As of March 2020, there were 13.08 lakh PLHIV availing ART free of cost from Government run ART centres, To maintain the continuum of care, National AIDS Control Programme (NACP) of India adopted Multi Months Dispensation (MMD) through ART centres and Community Dispensation of ART through the various Targeted Interventions (TI) and Community Based Organizations (CBO). A mixed methods study was designed, with desk review of programmatic data, semi qualitative interviews of 250 PLHIV and 15 In-Depth Interviews of ART centre and TI/CBO staff to document the process, strengths and challenges of these strategies in Surat city of South Gujarat. While administrative, technical and networking strengths were documented, manpower constraints, interrupted laboratory services, migration and relatively passive role of PLHIV in availing services were major challenges described in this study among several others.
Mind-Body Practice, Personality Traits, and Cognitive Performance: A 10-Years Study in US Adults
Authors: Bhattacharyya Kallol Kumar , Dobbs Debra , Hueluer Gizem
Published: March 2022

It is widely established that physical activity is associated with better cognitive outcomes, and accumulating evidence suggests that mind-body practice (MBP, e.g., movement therapies such as yoga) may yield similar benefits. Personality is related to both daily activities and cognition, but its role in the association between MBP and cognition is not well understood. Using data from waves 2 and 3 (2004–2014) of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, the current study examines bidirectional temporal associations between personality traits, MBP, and cognition in healthy adults ( N = 2050). We applied a cross-lagged regression analysis to examine bidirectional effects between MBP, Big Five personality traits, and two cognitive domains (episodic memory and executive function) and controlled for relevant variables (sociodemographic factors, health, and functional status) at wave 2. MBP at baseline was independently associated with more favorable change in episodic memory, but not in executive function, both before and after including control variables. Also, episodic memory and executive function at baseline were related to increase in MBP. The findings show that MBP and cognitive function predict each other over time. There is also some evidence for cognition and personality associations over time; however, personality traits are not related to subsequent MBP.
Buddhist Reformist Movement in Sri Lanka Under the British Rule: Manufacturing of ‘Buddhist-Modern’ Subjects
Authors: Kahandagamage Anushka
Published: March 2022

The Buddhist reformist movement of nineteenth century Sri Lanka was a composite of wealth and the knowledge of the emerging local middle-class. The new middle class owned trades and industries, which facilitated the vast colonial economy. The Buddhist reformist movement, constituted of the new middle class, was engaged in manufacturing Buddhist-modern subjects to fill the emerging need for the modern labour force. The movement established regulated institutions—schools, industrial schools, work plants—which produced docile bodies. The movement created an ideology through a plethora of publications both in local and English language to sustain the forming socio-economic structures. The reformist movement crawled into the spaces where surveillance is difficult and started changing those spaces and people according to the new market structures. New ‘scientific’ institutional models from the West were introduced to the island, fusing them with Buddhism. The new elites empowered with wealth were searching for power, in local entities, where the caste was still prominent, and in the British spaces, where the race was prominent. Against this background, the growing middle class devised a governing mechanism that could be acceptable by both Western and local groups—making of Buddhist modern subjects.
Review of the physiological effects of Phyllomedusa bicolor skin secretion peptides on humans receiving Kambô
Authors: Thompson Caitlin , Williams Martin L
Published: March 2022

Kambô is an Amazonian ritual which includes the application of the defensive secretion of the Phyllomedusa bicolor frog to superficial burns made on the skin of human participants. The secretion, which contains a range of biologically active linear peptides, induces a short purgative experience that is extensively reported by participants to leave them with positive physical, emotional and spiritual after-effects. Various peptides identified in the secretion exert analgesic, vascular, and gastric effects in vivo, and antimicrobial and anti-cancer effects, among others, in vitro. While there has been some investigation into the physiological effects of various individual peptides isolated from the P. bicolor secretion, very little is known about the putative synergistic effects of concurrent administration of the complete substance through the transdermal methods used traditionally in the Kambô ritual. In this review and commentary, the authors summarize the existing biological information from animal research on peptides from the P. bicolor secretion, then consider the evidence in the context of Kambô administration to humans. The presented information suggests that specific peptides are likely to contribute to analogous physiological effects of Kambô in humans. The possibility that beyond their physiological action, the experiential or phenomenological component of these effects may have therapeutic applications is discussed, concluding with a consideration of the feasibility of human clinical research.
Mainstreaming climate resilience: A GIS-based methodology to cope with cloudbursts in Turin, Italy
Authors: Brunetta Grazia , Caldarice Ombretta , Faravelli Martino
Published: March 2022

Cities play an increasingly significant role in the challenges posed by climate change, mainly due to their role in economic and demographic drivers. It is generally agreed that the intensification of climate change effects, such as extreme weather events, requires strengthening in the mechanisms of adaptation and the endogenous self-organization of urban systems. An operative way to adapt is by mainstreaming climate resilience, i.e., the iterative process of integrating climate change considerations into policymaking, budgeting, implementation, and monitoring processes at national and subnational levels. This paper falls under this heading, and it aims at building an innovative methodology to experiment with data-driven approaches to support the resilient transition of the city of Turin in Italy. The process aims to create territorial knowledge of specific weather phenomenon, that cloudburst events are, by filling the gap of existing hazard information with original vulnerability datasets. The proposed approach will create a hydraulic vulnerability map by identifying cloudburst vulnerable areas with a GIS-based spatial overlay. The paper will employ an array of datasets combined with original modelling techniques elaborated with the help of the open-source InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs) software program. The results allow us to understand what would happen if the urban water network failed to discharge during a phenomenon of intense rain and, consequently, which city areas should undergo adaptation and transformation to reduce their flooding vulnerability.
Rate vs Rhythm Control Strategy for Atrial Fibrillation in 2022
Authors: Nabar Ashish
Published: March 2022

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a chronic and evolving condition; patients need to be explained that management could require repeated, changing, and combination of interventions. This article is intended to present and emphasize new information that was published last year regarding the suitability of rate vs rhythm control strategy for management of AF.
Introducing a New Predictor of Chorionicity in the Second and Third Trimesters: The “Cleft Sign”
Authors: Bayani Leila , Miratashi Yazdi Seyedeh Nooshin , Parooie Fateme
Published: March 2022

Objective:

The aim of this study was to suggest a new sonographic sign, which could be helpful in the determination of chorionicity in twin pregnancies, during the second and third trimesters.

Materials and Methods:

This was a retrospective study evaluating the sonographic images of 50 women with twin pregnancy. Out of 50 twin pregnancy case reviewed, only 27 were included. Those patient cases that were included were scanned by a single radiologist. The presence of a hypoechoic cleft, in the thickness of placental bulk, could be detected in all of the dichorionic pregnancy cases. This sonographic appearance was referred to as the “cleft sign.”

Results:

The “cleft sign” was present in all the dichorionic diamniotic (DC-DA) twin pregnancy cases, but no similar appearance was seen in the monochorionic diamniotic (MC-DA) twins. Considering this sign, the radiologist was able to correctly diagnose the chorionicity of all 24 patients in the second and third trimester.

Conclusion:

The findings of the present study suggest a possible role for this newly identified “cleft sign.” This sonographic appearance is a hypoechoic cleft in the thickness of placenta, of dichorionic pregnancies, as an indicator of DC twin pregnancy. In this retrospective case analysis, the “cleft sign” was diagnostically significant in the second and third trimesters.
Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Improve Growth, Morph-Physiological Responses, Water Productivity, and Yield of Rice Plants Under Full and Deficit Drip Irrigation
Authors: Abd El-Mageed Taia A. , Abd El-Mageed Shimaa A. , El-Saadony Mohamed T. , Abdelaziz Sayed , Abdou Nasr M.
Published: March 2022

Inoculating rice plants by plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) may be used as a practical and eco-friendly approach to sustain the growth and yield of drought stressed rice plants. The effect of rice inoculation using plant growth hormones was investigated under drip full irrigation (FI; 100% of evapotranspiration (ETc), and deficit irrigation (DI; 80% of ETc) on growth, physiological responses, yields and water productivities under saline soil (ECe = 6.87 dS m−1) for 2017 and 2018 seasons. Growth (i.e. shoot length and shoot dry weight), leaf photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll ‘a’ and chlorophyll ‘b’ content), air–canopy temperature (Tc–Ta), membrane stability index (MSI%), and relative water content, (RWC%) chlorophyll fluorescence (Fv/Fm) stomatal conductance (gs), total phenols, peroxidase (PO), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), nitrogen contents and water productivities (grain water productivity; G-WP and straw water productivity; S-WP) were positively affected and significantly (p < 0.05) differed in two seasons in response to the applied PGPR treatments. The highest yields (3.35 and 6.7 t ha−1 for grain and straw yields) as the average for both years were recorded under full irrigation and plants inoculated by PGPR. The results indicated that under water scarcity, application of (I80 + PGPR) treatment was found to be favorable to save 20% of the applied irrigation water, to produce not only the same yields, approximately, but also to save more water as compared to I100%.
Genome-wide investigation of maize RAD51 binding affinity through phage display
Authors: Milsted Claire , Dai Bo , Garcia Nelson , Yin Lu , He Yan , Kianian Shahryar , Pawlowski Wojciech , Chen Changbin
Published: March 2022

Background

RAD51 proteins, which are conserved in all eukaryotes, repair DNA double-strand breaks. This is critical to homologous chromosome pairing and recombination enabling successful reproduction. Work in Arabidopsis suggests that RAD51 also plays a role in plant defense; the Arabidopsis rad51 mutant is more susceptible to Pseudomonas syringae. However, the defense functions of RAD51 and the proteins interacting with RAD51 have not been thoroughly investigated in maize. Uncovering ligands of RAD51 would help to understand meiotic recombination and possibly the role of RAD51 in defense. This study used phage display, a tool for discovery of protein-protein interactions, to search for proteins interacting with maize RAD51A1.

Results

Maize RAD51A1 was screened against a random phage library. Eleven short peptide sequences were recovered from 15 phages which bound ZmRAD51A1 in vitro; three sequences were found in multiple successfully binding phages. Nine of these phage interactions were verified in vitro through ELISA and/or dot blotting.

BLAST searches did not reveal any maize proteins which contained the exact sequence of any of the selected phage peptides, although one of the selected phages had a strong alignment (E-value = 0.079) to a binding domain of maize BRCA2. Therefore, we designed 32 additional short peptides using amino acid sequences found in the predicted maize proteome. These peptides were not contained within phages. Of these synthesized peptides, 14 bound to ZmRAD51A1 in a dot blot experiment. These 14 sequences are found in known maize proteins including transcription factors putatively involved in defense.

Conclusions

These results reveal several peptides which bind ZmRAD51A1 and support a potential role for ZmRAD51A1 in transcriptional regulation and plant defense. This study also demonstrates the applicability of phage display to basic science questions, such as the search for binding partners of a known protein, and raises the possibility of an iterated approach to test peptide sequences that closely but imperfectly align with the selected phages.
Transcriptomic analysis of Vigna radiata in response to chilling stress and uniconazole application
Authors: Hu Hanqiao , Feng Naijie , Shen Xuefeng , Zhao Liming , Zheng Dianfeng
Published: March 2022

Background

Chilling injury of mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.)) during the blooming and podding stages is a major agricultural threat in Northeast China. Uniconazole (UNZ) can alleviate water deficit stress in soybean and waterlogging stress in mung bean. However, there has been no report on the effect of UNZ application on the growth and transcriptomic profile of mung bean under chilling stress.

Results

UNZ application before chilling stress at the R1 stage alleviated the decline in mung bean yield. UNZ delayed the decrease in leaf chlorophyll content under chilling stress at the R1 stage and accelerated the increase in leaf chlorophyll content during the recovery period. Eighteen separate RNA-Seq libraries were generated from RNA samples collected from leaves exposed to six different treatment schemes. The numbers of DEGs specific for UNZ treatment between D1 + S vs. D1 and D4 + S vs. D4 were 708 and 810, respectively. GO annotations showed that photosynthesis genes were obviously enriched among the genes affected by chilling stress and UNZ application. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that 4 pathways (cutin, suberin and wax biosynthesis; photosynthesis; porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism; and ribosome) were downregulated, while plant–pathogen interaction was upregulated, by chilling stress. UNZ application effectively prevented the further downregulation of the gene expression of members of these 4 KEGG pathways under chilling stress.

Conclusions

UNZ application effectively delayed the decrease in photosynthetic pigment content under chilling stress and accelerated the increase in photosynthetic pigment content during the recovery period, thus effectively limiting the decline in mung bean yield. UNZ application effectively prevented the further downregulation of the gene expression of members of 4 KEGG pathways under chilling stress and increased mung bean tolerance to chilling stress.
Impact of nodular calcification in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)
Authors: Demuyakor Abigail , Hu Sining , Koniaeva Ekaterina , Liu Minghao , Weng Ziqian , Zhao Chen , Feng Xue , He Luping , Xu Yishuo , Zeng Ming , Meng Wei , Sun Yanli , Yi Boling , Gao Zhanqun , Qin Yuhan , Jia Haibo , Mintz Gary S. , Yu Bo
Published: March 2022

Background

Calcified plaque is thought to adversely impact outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). This study sought to evaluate the impact of nodular calcification in patients with acute coronary syndrome treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Methods

Using optical coherence tomography (OCT), 500 culprit plaques with calcification were analyzed from 495 acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients on whom PCI was performed. Based on morphology, we classified calcification into two subtypes: nodular calcification and non-nodular calcification. Nodular calcification was defined as protruding mass with an irregular surface, high backscattering, and signal attenuation while non-nodular calcification was defined as an area with low backscattering heterogeneous region with a well-delineated border without protrusion into the lumen on OCT.

Results

Calcified culprit plaques were divided into nodular calcification group (n = 238) and non-nodular calcification group (n = 262). Patients with nodular calcification were older (p < 0.001) and had lower left ventricular ejection fraction (p = 0.006) compared to patients with non-nodular calcification. Minimum stent area (5.0 (3.9, 6.3) mm2 vs. 5.4 (4.2, 6.7) mm2, p = 0.011) and stent expansion (70 (62.7, 81.8) % vs. 75 (65.2, 86.6) %, p = 0.004) were significantly smaller in the nodular calcification group than in the non-nodular calcification group. Stent under-expansion was most frequent (p = 0.003) in the nodular calcification group.

Conclusion

This study demonstrate that the presence of nodular calcification is associated with a smaller minimum stent area and a higher incidence of stent under-expansion. Lesions with nodular calcification may be at risk of stent under-expansion.
Prevalence and factors associated with atrial fibrillation in older patients with obstructive sleep apnea
Authors: Wang Huanhuan , Li JianHua , Gao Yinghui , Chen Kaibing , Gao Yan , Guo JingJing , Shi Min , Zou Xiao , Xu Weihao , Zhao LiBo , Su Xiaofeng , Wang Yabin , Liu Juan , Xu Hu , Kong Xiaoxuan , Lin Junling , Qian Xiaoshun , Han Jiming , Liu Lin
Published: March 2022

Purpose

This study sought to identify the prevalence and factors associated with atrial fibrillation (AF) in older patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in China. 

Methods

This was an explorative cross-sectional study. Between January 2015 and October 2017, we continuously recruited 1285 older patients with OSA who underwent overnight polysomnography from sleep centers of multiple hospitals. They were assessed using 12-lead ECG or 24-h dynamic ECG, and their baseline demographics, clinical characteristics, sleep parameters, and medical history were determined. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the factors related to AF in these older patients with OSA.

Results

The clinician classified 122 (9.5%) patients as having AF. The prevalence of AF significantly increased with age (P < 0.05) but did not significantly differ between the mild, moderate, and severe OSA groups. Additionally, the prevalence of paroxysmal AF was 7.2% among the overall study population, and it increased with OSA severity or advanced age (P < 0.05). Persistent AF was noted in 2.3% participants, and the prevalence also increased with age. The logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR = 1.054, 95%CI: 1.027–1.018, P < 0.001), history of drinking (OR = 1.752, 95%CI: 1.070–2.867, P < 0.05), chronic heart disease (OR = 1.778, 95%CI: 1.156–2.736, P < 0.01), diabetes mellitus (OR = 1.792, 95%CI: 1.183–2.713, P < 0.01), and reduced diastolic function (OR = 2.373, 95%CI = 1.298–4.337, P < 0.01) were relevant to AF among participants with OSA.

Conclusion

The prevalence of AF is significantly common in older patients with OSA. Age, history of drinking, chronic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and reduced diastolic function are independently related to AF in these patients.
Associations among quality of life, activities, and participation in elderly residents with joint contractures in long-term care facilities: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Chen Yi-chang , Lin Keh-chung , Yeh Shu-Hui , Wang Chih-Hung , Pan Ay-Woan , Chen Hao-Ling , Chen Chen-Jung
Published: March 2022

Background

Joint contractures and degenerative osteoarthritis are the most common joint diseases in the elderly population, can lead to limited mobility in elderly individuals, can exacerbate symptoms such as pain, stiffness, and disability, and can interfere with social participation and quality of life, thus affecting mental health. However, relevant studies on this topic are very limited. This study describes the associations of joint contracture categories and sites in elderly residents in long-term care facilities with their quality of life, activities, and participation.

Methods

Elderly individuals with joint contractures who were residents in long-term care facilities were recruited. The World Health Organization (WHO) Quality of Life and the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 were used to survey the participants. Correlations, multiple linear regressions, and multiple analyses of variance, with joint contractures as the response variable, were used in the statistical analysis.

Results

The final statistical analysis included 232 participants. The explanatory power of contracture sites on activities and participation had a moderate strength of association (η2 = .113). Compared with elderly residents with joint contractures and osteoarthritis isolated to the upper limbs, those with joint contractures and osteoarthritis in both the upper and lower limbs had significantly worse activity and participation limitations. No significant differences in activity and participation were found between elderly residents with joint contractures affecting only the upper limbs and those with joint contractures affecting only the lower limbs (F1,226 = 2.604 and F1,226 = 0.674, nonsignificant). Osteoarthritis had the greatest impact on activity limitations and participation restrictions among elderly residents with joint contractures affecting both the upper and lower limbs (F1,226 = 6.251, p = .014).

Conclusions

Elderly residents in long-term care facilities belonging to minority groups, with a history of stroke, and with osteoarthritis are at a high risk of developing activity limitations and participation restrictions. Moreover, compared with other contraction sites, regardless of osteoarthritis, joint contractures affecting both the upper and lower limbs were associated with the greatest activity limitations and participation restrictions.

Trial registration

This study has been registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, registration number and date:ChiCTR2000039889 (13/11/2020).