bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of Black Cumin Seed Oil (BCSO) (Nigella sativa L.) as an Immunomodulator in The Healthy Active Smoker Volunteer
Authors: Hidayati T , Akrom A , Apriani L , Indrayanti  , Sun S
Published: August 2021

A Black cumin seed oil (BCSO) contains many unsaturated fatty acids and essential oils that are antioxidative. The Black Cumin Seed Oil (BCSO), both in vitro and in vivo, has been used as an immunomodulatory compound and is expected to increase lymphocytes number and IL-2 expression. The purpose of this study is to find out how BCSO influences the percentage of peripheral blood lymphocytes and IL-2 expression in active smokers. A total of 36 healthy, active volunteer smokers aged> 18 years were divided into four groups. Group I (placebo) was given a 3x1 capsule/day placebo; group 2, 3, and 4 were given a dose of BCSO 3x1, 3x2, and 3x3 capsule/day. Placebo and BCSO interventions were provided for 30 days. A flow cytometer determined the percentage of lymphocytes and IL-2 expression. There were no significant differences between groups. Based on IL-2 test subjects’ average rate, the lowest IL-2 expression was in the placebo group (1.67%) and increased in the BCSO group (3.54%, 3.49%, and 3.72%). The effect of BCSO administration on the percentage of lymphocytes and IL-2 expression were not statistically significant.
Jamu Reduce Oxidative Stress from Active Smokers in a Rural Area of Yogyakarta
Authors: Darmawan E , Akrom A , Lerebulan E F , Adnan A
Published: August 2021

One cigarette contains 4,000 chemicals with nicotine as the main component. Nicotine is an oxidant compound that can cause lipid peroxidation. The product of lipid peroxidation is malondialdehyde. MDA is toxic to cell membranes. Jamu (Indonesian traditional herbal medicine) is one of the endogenous antioxidants made from natural ingredients. Thus, this study aimed to determine the level of MDA based on demographic and lifestyle data of female volunteers in Indonesia. Design. Cross-Sectional Study. Methods. A total of 127 female volunteers qualified according to inclusion and exclusion criteria filled the informed consent. Blood plasma samples obtained were analyzed for the MDA profile using a high-performance liquid chromatography technique. Results. The average plasma MDA levels in female volunteers are exposed to cigarette smoke and consume jamu of 5,23 ± 3,57 µmo/L. There was not any significant relationship between MDA levels with the demographic data (age, education, and occupation) and lifestyle (habits of consuming jamu, vegetables, supplements, and doing exercises) (p> 0.05). Conclusion. Demographic and lifestyle data do not have any significant relationship with MDA levels, cigarette smoke exposure, and a habit of drinking jamu
Prospect of Low Land Rice Sustainability in South Sumatera, Indonesia
Authors: Antoni M , Zahri I , Adriani D , A Thoni A K
Published: August 2021

This study aims to determine the factual conditions regarding the scale of business and technology adoption related to the need for rice agricultural labor, the amount of production and productivity that have an impact on meeting the living needs of farmers and their families. The research method used for primary data collection with Multi Stage Random Sampling. Research areas are Musi Rawas Regency and Banyuasin Regency, which respectively represent agricultural areas with technical irrigation and tidal swamps. In each district, two villages were selected, so that there were four sample villages, and 50 farmers in each village were selected, so there were 200 respondent farmers. The results showed rice farming in tidal areas use less labor but wider cultivated area, higher productivity and welfare than farmers in irrigated areas. Potential labor transition from one sector to others in irrigated areas is greater than the tidal area, so rice farming sustainability in tidal land is than technical irrigation area.
Food as a Basis for Good Health and Well-Being
Authors: Murkovic M
Published: August 2021

Healthy food is a result of huge efforts to produce safe products. This starts with the supply of safe raw materials which are handled with the support of a series of safety protocols. These include the use of low storage temperatures, clean working environment, sufficiently high cooking temperatures, and safe and hygienic logistic measures. The consumer himself can contribute to the safety by a few simple measures to keep the food at home safe. However, there are more points that have to be considered with safe foods. These include the presence of inherent toxic substances that might be present in the raw materials (e.g. arsenic in drinking water, alkaloids in plant foods, carcinogenic substances formed during heating). In addition to these basic food related issues the uptake of food – which is also a social event – can contribute to the well-being which is also part of a healthy life.
Kinetic Study of Removal of Congo Red and Direct Green
Authors: Said Muhammad , Indwi Saputri Lavini , Hasanudin  , Loekitowati Hariani Poedji , Yong Ng Law
Published: August 2021

The pillarization process of Al/Fe metal oxide compound in bentonite has been carried. The study of weight adsorbent, pH, adsorption time, concentration and temperature adsorption were investigated to get the optimum condition of Congo red and Direct green removal. In addition, the pseudo kinetic and isotherm model were also determined to investigate the rate and type of adsorption. From the experiment, the optimum weight of adsorbent, pH, adsorption time, concentration and temperature were 0.3 g, 2, 45 minute, 90 mg/L, respectively. Thus, the pseudo kinetic model follow the pseudo second order while the Freundlich model was use as the isotherm model. As conclusion, The Pillarization success to enhance the adsorption capacity of bentonite to remove the Congo red and Direct green dyes.
Source of apportionment of Air Quality Parameters at Federal Port of Malaysia with Emphasis on Ship Emission
Authors: Samsudin M S , Azid A , Razik M A , Zaudi M A , Shaharudin S M
Published: August 2021

Air pollution is becoming a major environmental issue in Malaysia. Centered on data obtained from the Malaysian Department of Environment (DOE), this analysis focused on identifying possible causes of air quality heterogeneity across the research area. 14 air quality parameters in 7 monitoring stations for ten years (2009 – 2018) were gathered. To determine the source of air pollution around the study region, the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) approach from a chemometric methodology was applied. The PCA method has identified three varimax factor (VF) with 11 air quality parameters are the most significant parameters around the study area. It can be inferred from the analysis that the use of the PCA approach in chemometric techniques can be applied for the purpose of source apportionment. Accordingly, this study suggested that efforts should be put as a priority in the monitoring of ships emissions sources in Malaysia Federal Ports area and successful management of Malaysian air quality.
Horizontal and vertical influences in colonial legal transplantation: water by-laws in British Palestine
Authors: Schorr David B
Published: August 2021

Local by-laws were the primary tool for local governments in British-ruled Palestine to exercise their authority, and water was the paradigmatic subject for local legislation. Looking at the diffusion of legal norms in local by-laws in the 1930s and 1940s, the article examines the dynamics of lawmaking in a context characterized both by imperial rule and intercommunal conflict. The article asks two major questions: to what extent did the by-laws adopt legal norms and forms across communal boundaries? And was the legislation passed by local governments as the product of local preferences and initiative, or did it rather reflect the desires of the British rulers? Understanding the processes of legal transplantation at the local level can help shed light on a number of issues. For the history of Mandate Palestine, it can refine our understanding of the degree to which the Arab and Jewish communities, engaged in sustained conflict, nonetheless interacted in the fields of urban infrastructure and local lawmaking. For imperial environmental history, it provides an opportunity to test theories about water policy as an expression of top-down power. For the legal history of empire, it highlights a level of lawmaking, located somewhere between imperial imposition and indigenous resistance, that has largely been neglected. And for understanding of legal transplantation or diffusion, it offers a fine-grained case study in the way in which legal norms might move—and transform—across jurisdictional, communal, and cultural lines.
PHIAF: prediction of phage-host interactions with GAN-based data augmentation and sequence-based feature fusion
Authors: Li Menglu , Zhang Wen
Published: August 2021

Phage therapy has become one of the most promising alternatives to antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial diseases, and identifying phage-host interactions (PHIs) helps to understand the possible mechanism through which a phage infects bacteria to guide the development of phage therapy. Compared with wet experiments, computational methods of identifying PHIs can reduce costs and save time and are more effective and economic. In this paper, we propose a PHI prediction method with a generative adversarial network (GAN)-based data augmentation and sequence-based feature fusion (PHIAF). First, PHIAF applies a GAN-based data augmentation module, which generates pseudo PHIs to alleviate the data scarcity. Second, PHIAF fuses the features originated from DNA and protein sequences for better performance. Third, PHIAF utilizes an attention mechanism to consider different contributions of DNA/protein sequence-derived features, which also provides interpretability of the prediction model. In computational experiments, PHIAF outperforms other state-of-the-art PHI prediction methods when evaluated via 5-fold cross-validation (AUC and AUPR are 0.88 and 0.86, respectively). An ablation study shows that data augmentation, feature fusion and an attention mechanism are all beneficial to improve the prediction performance of PHIAF. Additionally, four new PHIs with the highest PHIAF score in the case study were verified by recent literature. In conclusion, PHIAF is a promising tool to accelerate the exploration of phage therapy.
Minimal information for chemosensitivity assays (MICHA): a next-generation pipeline to enable the FAIRification of drug screening experiments
Authors: Tanoli Ziaurrehman , Aldahdooh Jehad , Alam Farhan , Wang Yinyin , Seemab Umair , Fratelli Maddalena , Pavlis Petr , Hajduch Marian , Bietrix Florence , Gribbon Philip , Zaliani Andrea , Hall Matthew D , Shen Min , Brimacombe Kyle , Kulesskiy Evgeny , Saarela Jani , Wennerberg Krister , Vähä-Koskela Markus , Tang Jing
Published: August 2021

Chemosensitivity assays are commonly used for preclinical drug discovery and clinical trial optimization. However, data from independent assays are often discordant, largely attributed to uncharacterized variation in the experimental materials and protocols. We report here the launching of Minimal Information for Chemosensitivity Assays (MICHA), accessed via https://micha-protocol.org. Distinguished from existing efforts that are often lacking support from data integration tools, MICHA can automatically extract publicly available information to facilitate the assay annotation including: 1) compounds, 2) samples, 3) reagents and 4) data processing methods. For example, MICHA provides an integrative web server and database to obtain compound annotation including chemical structures, targets and disease indications. In addition, the annotation of cell line samples, assay protocols and literature references can be greatly eased by retrieving manually curated catalogues. Once the annotation is complete, MICHA can export a report that conforms to the FAIR principle (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) of drug screening studies. To consolidate the utility of MICHA, we provide FAIRified protocols from five major cancer drug screening studies as well as six recently conducted COVID-19 studies. With the MICHA web server and database, we envisage a wider adoption of a community-driven effort to improve the open access of drug sensitivity assays.
Deconvolution of expression for nascent RNA-sequencing data (DENR) highlights pre-RNA isoform diversity in human cells
Authors: Zhao Yixin , Dukler Noah , Barshad Gilad , Toneyan Shushan , Danko Charles G , Siepel Adam
Published: August 2021

Motivation

Quantification of isoform abundance has been extensively studied at the mature RNA level using RNA-seq but not at the level of precursor RNAs using nascent RNA sequencing.

Results

We address this problem with a new computational method called Deconvolution of Expression for Nascent RNA-sequencing data (DENR), which models nascent RNA-sequencing read-counts as a mixture of user-provided isoforms. The baseline algorithm is enhanced by machine-learning predictions of active transcription start sites and an adjustment for the typical ‘shape profile’ of read-counts along a transcription unit. We show that DENR outperforms simple read-count-based methods for estimating gene and isoform abundances, and that transcription of multiple pre-RNA isoforms per gene is widespread, with frequent differences between cell types. In addition, we provide evidence that a majority of human isoform diversity derives from primary transcription rather than from post-transcriptional processes.

Availability and implementation

DENR and nascentRNASim are freely available at https://github.com/CshlSiepelLab/DENR (version v1.0.0) and https://github.com/CshlSiepelLab/nascentRNASim (version v0.3.0).

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Diagnosis and epidemiology of winged scapula in breast cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Plaza Meza Milger P , Marín Fermín Theodorakys , Maffulli Nicola
Published: August 2021

Background

Winged scapula (WS) is a critical complication of axillary surgery in patients treated for breast cancer, and is associated with pain, impairment of the upper extremity’s function and poor performance in daily activities.

Sources of data

A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed following the PRISMA guidelines. Two independent reviewers searched PubMed, Embase and Virtual Health Library databases from January 1, 2000 to December 1, 2020. Clinical studies evaluating the diagnosis and epidemiology of WS among breast cancer surgery (BCS) patients were included.

Areas of agreement

The diagnosis of WS relies almost entirely on physical assessment. Studies have suggested a high variability in the report of the incidence of WS given the subjectivity of its diagnosis, and the different criteria used during clinical assessment.

Areas of controversy

The diagnosis of WS in BCS patients remains a challenge given the lack of standardized diagnostic protocols. Physical examination cannot rely on one manoeuvre only, as it may overlook patients with subtle injuries or overweight and contributing to the underreporting of its incidence.

Growing points

BCS patients undergoing axillary lymph node dissection experience a significantly higher incidence of WS than those undergoing sentinel lymph node dissection. The global incidence of WS after BCS is 16.79%. Additionally, the anterior flexion test and the push-up test are the most commonly performed diagnostic manoeuvers.

Areas timely for developing research

Further studies should aim for objective diagnostic tests, especially when the condition is not evident.
Virtual Community Mental Health Support during the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis: Balancing Accessibility with Online Security
Authors: Cypers Scott Jared , Lopez Amy
Published: August 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent quarantine orders led to a lot of uncertainty, fear, and mental health difficulty around the world. To be able to support the community during this time of crisis, especially when no in-person crisis services could be provided, an online mental health support and parenting group was offered to the community. While the primary goal of this group was to provide communitywide mental health support to as many parents as possible, the group was quickly compromised by people using the technology to disrupt the support program. The interference from disruptors to the security of the online program through so-called Zoombombing quickly created a dilemma as to how to safely provide quality care. This article provides a case report of a community-based parenting support program and explores the challenge of providing wide-scale online mental health care while also protecting the privacy and security of community members and the integrity of the program. In developing this project to support the community during the pandemic, several lessons were learned about use of virtual platforms, online security, and finding ways to care for the community through crisis.
The Breeding Information Management System (BIMS): an online resource for crop breeding
Authors: Jung Sook , Lee Taein , Gasic Ksenija , Campbell B. Todd , Yu Jing , Humann Jodi , Ru Sushan , Edge-Garza Daniel , Hough Heidi , Main Dorrie
Published: August 2021

In this era of big data, breeding programs are producing ever larger amounts of data. This necessitates access to efficient management systems to keep track of cross, performance, pedigree, geographical and image-based data, as well as genotyping data. In this article, we report the progress on the Breeding Information Management System (BIMS), a free, secure and online breeding management system that allows breeders to store, manage, archive and analyze their private breeding data. BIMS is the first publicly available database system that enables individual breeders to integrate their private phenotypic and genotypic data with public data and, at the same time, have complete control of their own breeding data along with access to tools such as data import/export, data analysis and data archiving. The integration of breeding data with publicly available genomic and genetic data enhances genetic understanding of important traits and maximizes the marker-assisted breeding utility for breeders and allied scientists. BIMS incorporates the use of the Android App Field Book, open-source phenotype data collection software for phones and tablets that allows breeders to replace hard copy field books, thus alleviating the possibility of transcription errors while providing faster access to the collected data. BIMS comes with training materials and support for individual or small group training and is currently implemented in the Genome Database for Rosaceae, CottonGEN, the Citrus Genome Database, the Pulse Crop Database, and the Genome Database for Vaccinium.

Database URLs: (https://www.rosaceae.org/), (https://www.cottongen.org/), (https://www.citrusgenomedb.org/), (https://www.pulsedb.org/) and (https://www.vaccinium.org/)
Rotational atherectomy in a dire situation: a case report
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Saibal , Batra Vishal , Yusuf Jamal , Kumar Sravan
Published: August 2021

Background

Traditionally rotablation is considered as contraindicated in presence of visible thrombus or dissection. However, clinical situations may force us to undertake rotablation in presence of thrombus or dissection. We report a case of coronary rotablation done successfully in setting of acute thrombotic occlusion over an underlying non-healed dissection.

Case summary

A non-dilatable lesion in proximal left anterior descending (LAD) artery after rotablation with a 1.5 mm burr resulting in non-flow limiting Type A dissection with TIMI3 flow was left on conservative management to allow it to heal. But the patient developed ST-elevation myocardial infarction on the 9th post-intervention day due to thrombotic occlusion of the LAD at the site of dissection. At this time, we were compelled to do rotablation as a lifesaving procedure in presence of both thrombus and underlying dissection with a successful outcome.

Discussion

Rotablation in presence of dissection can lead to entrapment of the flap in the rotating burr leading to progression of dissection distally or sometimes there can be subintimal tracking of burr leading to perforation. In thrombotic lesions, rotablation can cause further increase in platelet activation and aggregation by the spinning burr or distal embolization of the thrombotic material promoting slow or no flow. In this unusual case with limited options for achieving successful revascularization, some out of the box steps were taken with all recommended precautions and successful outcome achieved.
Capnocytophaga canimorsus and infective endocarditis—making a dog’s dinner of the aortic valve: a case report
Authors: Sri Anita , Droscher Edward , De Palma Rodney
Published: August 2021

Background

Capnocytophaga canimorsus, a bacterium found in the oral cavities of healthy cats and dogs, is rarely reported as a cause of infective endocarditis. In this report we describe such a case in a young, male dog owner who presented acutely unwell in heart failure.

Case summary

A 47-year-old male presented with a subacute onset of fever, night sweats, weight loss, dyspnoea, and peripheral oedema. On clinical examination typical features of infective endocarditis, heart failure, and aortic regurgitation were found. The patient had no conventional risk factors for infective endocarditis but was a dog owner. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed vegetations on the right coronary and non-coronary cusps of the aortic valve causing severe eccentric aortic regurgitation and left ventricular dilatation. Initial blood cultures taken prior to the initiation of antimicrobial therapy showed no growth. The patient underwent aortic valve and root replacement and a 16S ribosomal RNA polymerase chain reaction (16S rRNA PCR) of the resected aortic valve tissue, using the additional primer set 785F/1175R targeting the V5–7 region of 16S rRNA, identified C. canimorsus. The patient was treated post-operatively with a 6-week course of meropenem and made a good recovery.

Discussion

Suspicion of C. canimorsus causing infective endocarditis should be considered in culture-negative infective endocarditis in individuals who have close contact with dogs or cats. Those who are immunocompetent can be susceptible to this infection and so this diagnosis should not be disregarded in healthy individuals. A 16S rRNA PCR can help identify this bacterium and should be used early in cases of culture-negative infective endocarditis.
Atypical presentation of scimitar syndrome with severe hepatomegaly: a case report
Authors: Cruz-Galbán Alba , Ruiz-Cantador José , González-García Ana Elvira
Published: August 2021

Background 

Scimitar syndrome is a rare congenital disease characterized by partial or total anomalous pulmonary venous return from the right lung into the systemic venous system, and accounts for 0.5–2% of all congenital heart disease. Severe forms of the disease are diagnosed in childhood. However, because of the benign form of the syndrome in adults, many are asymptomatic, or present only mild symptoms including exertional dyspnoea, arrhythmias, and respiratory infections. We report an atypical presentation with hepatomegaly.

Case summary 

A 24-year-old woman was evaluated for abdominal discomfort. Physical examination revealed a remarkable hepatomegaly. Chest X-ray revealed dextroversion, enlargement of the right cavities, and a curvilinear opacity known as ‘scimitar sign’. A transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated right ventricular dilation and a venous collector draining into right suprahepatic vein, which was severely dilated, with large hepatomegaly. Scimitar syndrome was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Therefore, the patient underwent surgery, redirecting the pulmonary venous return to left atrium. Three months later, the patient remained asymptomatic and both the hepatomegaly and the right chamber volumes normalized.

Discussion 

Abdominal discomfort, as in our clinical case, is a highly atypical presentation of scimitar syndrome. It is important for physicians to be aware that diagnostic suspicion can be established from a chest X-ray, on which the scimitar sign can be distinguished in many cases. The diagnosis must be confirmed with other imaging modalities, such as echocardiography, MRI, or computed tomography. Corrective surgery may relieve the symptoms related to liver congestion at follow-up.
Acute necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis possibly triggered by an antimigraine drug as an uncommon cause of acute heart failure: a case report
Authors: Beck-da-Silva Luís , Maulaz Alexandre , Schvartzman Paulo , Oliveira Francine Hehn , Stifft Jonathas , Astigarraga Claudia , Kronfeld Matias
Published: August 2021

Background

Epigastric or chest pain with an abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) in a young, otherwise healthy patient should trigger an investigation to rule out myocarditis. The myocarditis covers a wide spectrum of severity. The search for the aetiologic factor could be definitive for the success of therapy.

Case summary

A previously healthy 29-year-old woman presented to the Emergency Room with epigastric pain, eosinophilia, and an abnormal ECG. A thorough evaluation including cardiac magnetic resonance and endomyocardial biopsy was undertaken. A diagnosis of acute necrotizing eosinophilic myocarditis was made.

Discussion

The case is particularly unique for its suspected predisposing trigger: an antimigraine drug. A possible systemic hypersensitivity reaction, reflected by the occurrence of concomitant severe serum eosinophilia, acute myocarditis, and central nervous system vasculitis, was successfully treated with steroids, further supporting the diagnosis.
An eco-systems biology approach for modeling tritrophic networks reveals the influence of dietary amino acids on symbiont dynamics of Bemisia tabaci
Authors: Selvaraj Gopinath , Santos-Garcia Diego , Mozes-Daube Netta , Medina Shlomit , Zchori-Fein Einat , Freilich Shiri
Published: August 2021

Metabolic conversions allow organisms to produce essential metabolites from the available nutrients in an environment, frequently requiring metabolic exchanges among co-inhabiting organisms. Here, we applied genomic-based simulations for exploring tri-trophic interactions among the sap-feeding insect whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), its host-plants, and symbiotic bacteria. The simplicity of this ecosystem allows capturing the interacting organisms (based on genomic data) and the environmental content (based on metabolomics data). Simulations explored the metabolic capacities of insect-symbiont combinations under environments representing natural phloem. Predictions were correlated with experimental data on the dynamics of symbionts under different diets. Simulation outcomes depict a puzzle of three-layer origins (plant-insect-symbionts) for the source of essential metabolites across habitats and stratify interactions enabling the whitefly to feed on diverse hosts. In parallel to simulations, natural and artificial feeding experiments provide supporting evidence for an environment-based effect on symbiont dynamics. Based on simulations, a decrease in the relative abundance of a symbiont can be associated with a loss of fitness advantage due to an environmental excess in amino-acids whose production in a deprived environment used to depend on the symbiont. The study demonstrates that genomic-based predictions can bridge environment and community dynamics and guide the design of symbiont manipulation strategies.
The Association of Stress, Metabolic Syndrome, and Systemic Inflammation With Neurocognitive Function in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos and Its Sociocultural Ancillary Study
Authors: Marquine María J , Gallo Linda C , Tarraf Wassim , Wu Benson , Moore Alison A , Vásquez Priscilla M , Talavera Gregory , Allison Matthew , Muñoz Elizabeth , Isasi Carmen R , Perreira Krista M , Bigornia Sherman J , Daviglus Martha , Estrella Mayra L , Zeng Donglin , González Hector M
Published: August 2021

Objectives

Identifying sociocultural correlates of neurocognitive dysfunction among Hispanics/Latinos, and their underlying biological pathways, is crucial for understanding disparities in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. We examined cross-sectional associations between stress and neurocognition, and the role that metabolic syndrome (MetS) and systemic inflammation might play in these associations.

Method

Participants included 3,045 adults aged 45–75 (56% female, education 0–20+ years, 86% Spanish-speaking, 23% U.S.-born), enrolled in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos and its Sociocultural Ancillary Study. Global neurocognition was the primary outcome and operationalized as the average of the z scores of measures of learning and memory, word fluency, and processing speed. Stress measures included self-report assessments of stress appraisal (perceived and acculturative stress) and exposure to chronic and traumatic stressors. MetS was defined via established criteria including waist circumference, high blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, fasting plasma glucose, and high levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Systemic inflammation was represented by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP).

Results

Separate survey multivariable linear regression models adjusting for covariates showed that higher perceived (b = −0.004, SE = 0.002, p < .05) and acculturative stress (b = −0.004, SE = 0.001, p < .0001) were significantly associated with worse global neurocognition, while lifetime exposure to traumatic stressors was associated with better global neurocognition (b = 0.034, SE = 0.009, p < .001). Neither MetS nor hs-CRP were notable pathways in the association between stress and neurocognition; rather, they were both independently associated with worse neurocognition in models including stress measures (ps < .05).

Discussion

These cross-sectional analyses suggest that stress appraisal, MetS, and systemic inflammation may be targets to reduce neurocognitive dysfunction among Hispanics/Latinos.
A New Measure of Community Health: Findings From the Healthy Aging Data Reports
Authors: Porell Frank , Dugan Elizabeth , Silverstein Nina M , Lee Chae Man
Published: August 2021

Background and Objectives

The purpose of this study was to develop a multidimensional measure of community healthy aging that is more nuanced than existing measures. The social–ecological framework guided this analysis of the latent structure of community prevalence rates of chronic diseases and functional impairments.

Research Design and Methods

The sample was 471 communities in Massachusetts (n = 319) and New Hampshire (n = 152). Data were drawn from publicly available healthy aging data reports for both states. Community prevalence rates for 45 chronic conditions, rates of mortality, and Medicare service utilization were estimated with the 2014–2015 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Beneficiary Summary Files and used in factor analyses to explore the latent structure of community healthy aging.

Results

Results revealed a multidimensional structure composed of 4 latent population health components: serious complex chronic disease, indolent chronic disease, physical disability, and psychological disability. We found that while lower community socioeconomic status is a major determinant of all 4 components of population health, it is predictably associated with higher levels of serious complex chronic disease and physical disability and yet surprisingly with lower levels of indolent chronic disease and psychological disability.

Discussion and Implications

The 4-dimensional model provides a more nuanced measure of community healthy aging than mortality rate, and it identifies community health disparities that otherwise may go undetected. Understanding the multiple levels that influence community healthy aging may reveal new interventions or programs to improve it and allow policymakers or other stakeholders to more accurately tailor interventions to match the conditions of need.
Corticosteroids in adult respiratory distress syndrome – an inconvenient truth?
Authors: Shulman Rob , Montanari Cecilia , Pinheiro Inês , Longobardo Alessia , Benhalm Suzanne , Polhill Sara , Singer Mervyn , Bellingan Geoff , Arulkumaran Nishkantha
Published: August 2021

Objectives

Recent studies have demonstrated mortality benefits from corticosteroid use in COVID-19 patients requiring respiratory support. However, clinical practice may warrant the use of corticosteroids outside the context of a clinical trial. Such data are rarely, if ever, reported. We explored the use of corticosteroids for adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) indications in patients with non-COVID ARDS.

Methods

We retrospectively studied patients with moderate-to-severe ARDS, admitted to our intensive care unit (ICU) between January 2018 and March 2020.

Key findings

Of the 91 patients with ARDS identified, 80% were treated with a corticosteroid during their ICU admission. Of these, 73 (82%) had corticosteroids administered for reasons other than ARDS.

Conclusions

Corticosteroid use for non-ARDS indications is commonplace in ARDS patients in our ICU. The use of corticosteroids outside a randomisation process in randomised clinical trials may be more common than appreciated and needs to be routinely reported.
Sustained heat stress elevated corneal and body surface temperatures and altered circulating leukocytes and metabolic indicators in wether lambs supplemented with ractopamine or zilpaterol
Authors: Barnes Taylor L , Burrack Rachel M , Schmidt Ty B , Petersen Jessica L , Yates Dustin T
Published: August 2021

Understanding how β adrenergic agonists influence the physiology of heat stress could lead to mitigation options. We sought to investigate body surface temperatures in feedlot wethers supplemented with ractopamine or zilpaterol and exposed to heat stress for 18 d. Corneal and skin temperatures were assessed via infrared thermography at 1- and 2-m distances. Rectal temperatures and circulating leukocytes, metabolites, and electrolytes were also measured. Heat stress increased (P < 0.05) rectal temperatures in unsupplemented and zilpaterol-supplemented lambs but not in ractopamine-supplemented lambs. Heat stress also increased (P < 0.05) surface temperatures of the cornea, nose, ear, and back, regardless of supplement. Observations were comparable between thermography performed at 1 and 2 m, and higher emissivity settings generally produced less variation. Heat stress tended to increase (P = 0.08) blood monocytes in unsupplemented but not ractopamine- or zilpaterol-supplemented lambs. Granulocytes were increased (P < 0.05) by heat stress in ractopamine-supplemented lambs but decreased (P < 0.05) in zilpaterol-supplemented lambs. Blood glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol did not differ among groups, and blood lactate was reduced (P < 0.05) by heat stress in zilpaterol-supplemented lambs only. Blood Na+ was reduced (P < 0.05) and Ca2+ increased (P < 0.05) by heat stress, regardless of supplement. These findings indicate that β1- and β2-adrenergic agonists differentially relieve some but not all heat stress-induced changes in stress indicators. Moreover, corneal and skin surface temperatures measured by infrared thermography reasonably identified body temperature changes at a distance of 2 m.
Bacillus subtilis (Bacillales, Bacillaceae) Spores Affect Survival and Population Growth in the Grain Aphid Sitobion avenae (Hemiptera, Aphididae) in Relation to the Presence of the Facultative Bacterial Endosymbiont Regiella insecticola (Enterobacteriales, Enterobacteriaceae)
Authors: Álvarez-Lagazzi Alan P , Cabrera Nuri , Francis Frederic , Ramírez Claudio C
Published: August 2021

The grain aphid Sitobion avenae (Fabricius) is one of the most important cereal pests, damaging crops through sap sucking and virus transmission. Sitobion avenae harbors the secondary endosymbiont Regiella insecticola, which is highly prevalent in populations in south-central Chile and other regions of the world. In order to develop ecological alternatives for biological control, we studied the effect of applying the spores of a strain of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis on the survival and fecundity of the most prevalent genotype of S. avenae in central Chile. The strain selected was one that in previous studies had shown the ability to outcompete other bacteria. Using clones of this aphid genotype infected and uninfected with R. insecticola, we found that applying B. subtilis spores through artificial diets and spraying on leaves decreased both adult survival and nymph production. The detection of spores within the aphid body was negatively correlated with nymph production and was lower in the presence of R. insecticola when applied in diets. B. subtilis spores applied on leaves reduced the number of aphids, an effect that was stronger on aphids harboring R. insecticola. A possible interaction between endosymbiotic bacteria and bacterial antagonists within the aphid body is discussed.
Targeting Credit through Community Members
Authors: Vera-Cossio Diego
Published: August 2021

Locally targeted programs may exploit available information transmitted through local networks to improve the selection of beneficiaries, but the effective use of this information is not granted when the selection of beneficiaries entails balancing multiple targeting criteria that are costly to verify. This paper analyzes how local committees balance issues of neediness, productivity, risk, and favoritism to allocate subsidized loans to Thai villagers. Local committees in charge of managing village funds provided credit to richer, less-productive, and elite-connected villagers threatening the program’s sustainability. Informal markets partially attenuated the targeting distortions by redirecting credit from connected to unconnected households, albeit at high interest rates. Counterfactual exercises show that eliminating the connection-based distortions would reduce within-village inequality by 9.7% and modestly increase village-level output by 0.9%–1.5%.
The application of multi-grounded source transient electromagnetic method in the detections of coal seam goafs in Gansu Province, China
Authors: Lu Kailiang , Li Xiu , Fan Ya'nan , Zhou Jianmei , Qi Zhipeng , Li Wenhan , Li He
Published: August 2021

Unknown coal seam goafs will pose various safety hazards in construction and engineering designs, thus the accurate detections of coal seam goafs have become engineering problems that urgently require effective solutions. Multi-grounded source transient electromagnetic methods have the advantages of large detection depths and the easy deployment of emission sources. Therefore, they can be used for explorations in such complex areas as mountains, lakes and swamps. Previously, grounded source transient electromagnetic methods had only one emission source arranged on the surface, and were relatively rarely used in field explorations with multi-grounded sources. This study analyses the electromagnetic response differences between multi-grounded sources and a single-grounded source. The results reveal that the electromagnetic responses of multi-grounded sources were larger. Transient electromagnetic signals were be targeted using combinations of multi-grounded sources, which successfully strengthened the detection abilities. As a result, this study was able to achieve the goals of increasing the detection depths and improving the ability to distinguish geological anomalies. In addition, this research investigation referred to the theory of implicit functions and used the z components of the decay voltage to calculate the apparent resistivity. Finally, the results of the field data of a coal goaf located in Gansu Province, China, showed that the applied multi-grounded sources transient electromagnetic method could obtain higher resolution in coal seam goaf resistivity distribution information.
Structural and Functional Brain Imaging in Long-Term Survivors of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treated With Chemotherapy: A Systematic Review
Authors: Gandy Kellen , Scoggins Matthew A , Jacola Lisa M , Litten Molly , Reddick Wilburn E , Krull Kevin R
Published: August 2021

Background

The effect of chemotherapy on brain development in long-term survivors of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was systematically reviewed.

Methods

A systematic search of Pubmed, Scopus, and PsycINFO databases was conducted to identify articles published between January 2000 and February 2020 that implemented magnetic resonance imaging to assess brain structure and function in pediatric ALL survivors (diagnosed younger than 21 years of age). The review included articles that were published on children diagnosed with ALL between 0 and 21 years of age and treated with chemotherapy-only protocols. Articles meeting the inclusion criteria described survivors on average of 5 years or more from diagnosis and were peer-reviewed articles and original studies.

Results

The search yielded 1975 articles with 23 articles meeting inclusion criteria. The review revealed that survivors had statistically significant alterations in brain anatomy, most commonly a smaller hippocampus and impaired microstructural white matter integrity in frontal brain regions. Survivors also had impaired brain function including lower brain network efficiency and altered resting state connectivity. Survivors also displayed widespread reductions in brain activation (ie, frontal, temporal, parietal brain regions) during cognitive tasks.

Conclusion

Although the neurotoxic effects of cancer treatment are reduced in the absence of cranial radiation, survivors treated on chemotherapy-only protocols still display long-term alterations in brain structure and function, which contribute to lifelong neurocognitive late effects.
Accessing vulnerable undocumented migrants through a healthcare clinic including a community outreach programme: a 12-year retrospective cohort study in Denmark
Authors: Knudtzen Fredrikke C , Mørk Lone , Nielsen Vibeke N , Astrup Birgitte S
Published: August 2021

Background

Little is known about the healthcare needs of the increasing number of undocumented migrants in Europe. We aimed to gain knowledge about undocumented migrants use of a free healthcare clinic including an outreach programme in Denmark.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all patients registered in the database at the AmiAmi healthcare clinic in Fredericia, Denmark, 1 January 2006–30 July 2019.

Results

In all, 579 patients from 47 different countries were included, of which 525 (90.7%) were cis-women (= assigned female sex at birth and identifies as female). They had a total of 3135 consultations (median 3, interquartile range 2–6), and 19% used the clinic over a period of >2 years. In all, 820 consultations (26%) were done as part of the outreach programme, and the number of outreach contacts increased significantly over the study period (P < 0.001). Of 738 tests for sexually transmitted infections (STIs), 76 (13.1%) patients were found positive for one or several STIs. Transgender women and cross-dressing men had significantly higher risk of STIs (25.8% vs 10.3%, P = 0.007) compared with cis-women. Of 94 patients referred to the public healthcare system, the majority (n = 64) was referred to the department of gynaecology during pregnancy or for induced abortion. A total of 52 patients (9.0%) reported being submitted to abuse or violence while in Denmark, and another 24 (4.1%) were registered as victims of human trafficking.

Conclusions

Our results highlight the multifaceted healthcare needs of undocumented migrants, with an increasing use of healthcare services over the study period. It underlines the importance of outreach programmes to reach this patient group at their place of work or stay. Finally, it emphasizes that transgender female and cross-dressing male sex workers are an especially vulnerable group with higher risk of human immunodeficiency virus and other STIs compared with cis-women.
Rapid Review on the Effectiveness of Telehealth Interventions for the Treatment of Behavioral Health Disorders
Authors: Bellanti Dawn M , Kelber Marija S , Workman Don E , Beech Erin H , Belsher Brad E
Published: August 2021

Introduction

The Psychological Health Center of Excellence conducted a rapid review of the literature to investigate the effectiveness of behavioral health treatments (i.e., evidence-based psychotherapy and psychiatry) delivered in person compared to telehealth (TH; i.e., video teleconference and telephone).

Materials and Methods

The rapid review methods included a systematic search of a single database (PubMed), hand-searching of relevant systematic reviews, dual screening, single-person data abstraction verified by a second person, and dual risk of bias assessment. Due to heterogeneity across studies, no quantitative analyses were conducted.

Results

Twenty-two randomized controlled trials (RCTs), eight of which were non-inferiority trials, evaluated the effectiveness of TH via telephone or video teleconferencing compared to in-person (IP) delivery for patient populations with posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and mixed diagnoses. The majority of RCTs and all but one of the eight non-inferiority trials found that clinical outcomes did not differ between TH and IP treatment delivery. Two studies found that subgroups with higher symptom severity (hopelessness and anxiety disorders, respectively) in the TH group had worse treatment-related outcomes than IP participants with similar symptom profiles. The majority of studies found no significant differences in satisfaction with care, quality of the therapeutic alliance, or study discontinuation between TH and IP groups.

Conclusion

Based on evidence from 22 RCTs, the use of TH platforms, including video conference and telephone modalities, generally produces similar outcomes as face-to-face provision of psychotherapy and psychiatry services.
37 new validated planets in overlapping K2 campaigns
Authors: de Leon J P , Livingston J , Endl M , Cochran W D , Hirano T , García R A , Mathur S , Lam K W F , Korth J , Trani A A , Dai F , Díez Alonso E , Castro-González A , Fridlund M , Fukui A , Gandolfi D , Kabath P , Kuzuhara M , Luque R , Savel A B , Gill H , Dressing C , Giacalone S , Narita N , Palle E , Van Eylen V , Tamura M
Published: August 2021

We analysed 68 candidate planetary systems first identified during Campaigns 5 and 6 (C5 and C6) of the NASA K2 mission. We set out to validate these systems by using a suite of follow-up observations, including adaptive optics, speckle imaging, and reconnaissance spectroscopy. The overlap between C5 with C16 and C18, and C6 with C17, yields light curves with long baselines that allow us to measure the transit ephemeris very precisely, revisit single transit candidates identified in earlier campaigns, and search for additional transiting planets with longer periods not detectable in previous works. Using vespa, we compute false positive probabilities of less than 1 per cent for 37 candidates orbiting 29 unique host stars and hence statistically validate them as planets. These planets have a typical size of 2.2 R⊕ and orbital periods between 1.99 and 52.71 d. We highlight interesting systems including a sub-Neptune with the longest period detected by K2, sub-Saturns around F stars, several multiplanetary systems in a variety of architectures. These results show that a wealth of planetary systems still remains in the K2 data, some of which can be validated using minimal follow-up observations and taking advantage of analyses presented in previous catalogues.