bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment of COVID-19 anxiety by auricular points
Authors: Wang Xingxin , Zhao Yulei , Yang Xinyu , Fan Zhongqi , Wang Ziyue , Zhang Ping , Chen Jun
Published: April 2022

Background:

In December 2019, a series of acute, atypical respiratory diseases was identified in Wuhan, China. The source of the illnesses was attributed to a novel coronavirus, named the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), and the subsequent disease it causes was named the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Evidence from previous coronavirus outbreaks has shown that infected patients are at risk for developing psychiatric and mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.

Methods:

According to the retrieval strategies, randomized controlled trials on auricular points for anxiety in patients with coronavirus 2019 will be obtained from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang Data, Chinese Scientific Journals Database, PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, regardless of publication date or language. Studies will be screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the Cochrane risk bias assessment tool will be used to evaluate the quality of the literature. The network meta-analysis will be performed with the Markov chain Monte Carlo method and carried out with Stata 14.2 and WinBUGS 1.4.3 software. Ultimately, the quality of the evidence obtained from the results will be evaluated.

Results:

This study will evaluate whether auricular points can effectively treat anxiety in patients with COVID-19.

Conclusion:

This study will provide evidence for whether auricular points is beneficial to the treatment of anxiety in patients with COVID-19.

INPLASY registration number:

CRD42022302649.
Dexmedetomidine dosage in critically ill patients undergoing intraoperative wake-up test
Authors: Yang Ting , Mudabbar Muhammad Saqib , Chen Tao , Jia Hong , Fu Qiang , Liu Bin
Published: April 2022

Objective:

The aim of this study was to find the optimum dosage of dexmedetomidine in Spinal Orthopedic Scoliosis Correction Surgery when used in combination with propofol and remifentanil in American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) III patients with severe scoliosis undergoing intraoperative wake-up test.

Materials and methods:

We selected a total of 60 ASA III ≤40 years old patients who underwent Spinal Orthopedic Scoliosis Correction Surgery (SOSCS) and randomized them into groups A, B, and C. Group A was administered 0.2 μg/(kg·h) of dexmedetomidine, group B 0.3 μg/(kg·h), and group C 0.4 μg/(kg·h). The main parameters monitored were: wake-up time; wake-up quality; adverse effects that occur while the patient is awake; postoperative awareness of intraoperative wake-up test; heart rate (HR); mean arterial pressure (MAP); and oxygen saturation (SpO2). Values of these parameters were monitored at 7 timestamps separated by 5 minutes >30 minutes.

Results:

Group B had a higher MAP at 10 minutes before wake-up (P = .03) and at the moment of wake-up (P = .04) than group A. The Wake-up time of group A was 14.95 ± 7.42 minutes, group B was 14.7 ± 6.52 minutes, which was significantly shorter than that of group C 21.3 ± 10.02 minutes (P = .02). The wake-up quality was excellent. All other parameters had no significant statistical differences.

Conclusion:

Doses of 0.2 to 0.3 μg/(kg·h) have shorter wake-up time and fewer hemodynamic fluctuations compared to 0.4 μg/(kg·h).
Chaga mushroom-induced oxalate nephropathy that clinically manifested as nephrotic syndrome
Authors: Kwon Ohyun , Kim Yaerim , Paek Jin Hyuk , Park Woo Yeong , Han Seungyeup , Sin Hyungchan , Jin Kyubok
Published: April 2022

Rationale

The Chaga mushroom (Hymenochaetaceae, Inonotus obliquus) is a fungus belonging to the Hymenochaetaceae family. It is parasitic on birch and other tree species. Chaga mushrooms are rich in various vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Some people consider these mushrooms medicinal as they have been reported to suppress cancer progression through anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. However, recent studies have reported that excessive ingestion of Chaga mushrooms can cause acute oxalate nephropathy.

Patient concerns

A 69-year-old man who ingested Chaga mushroom powder (10–15 g per day) and vitamin C (500 mg per day) for the past 3 months developed acute kidney injury (AKI) with the clinical manifestations of nephrotic syndrome (NS).

Diagnosis

Pathological findings showed focal acute tubular injury and the deposition of calcium oxalate crystals in the tubules. Light microscopy showed interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy, and electron microscopy showed the effacement of the foot processes in podocytes. Based on these results, the diagnosis was acute oxalate nephropathy accompanied by minimal change disease (MCD).

Interventions

The patient's kidney function did not improve with supportive care, such as hydration and blood pressure control. Thus, we recommended hemodialysis and the administration of a high dose of steroids (intravenous hydrocortisone 500 mg twice a day for 3 days and oral prednisolone at 1 mg/kg).

Outcomes

The patient's kidney function recovered just 1 month after the start of treatment, and the MCD was completely remitted.

Lessons

In cases of AKI with an unknown cause, it is important to closely observe the patient's medication history, and it is recommended to perform kidney biopsy. Furthermore, this study showed that active dialysis and high-dose steroid treatment can restore kidney function in patients with AKI caused by acute oxalate nephropathy with MCD.
Effects of the working experience, educational background, professional titles, and hospital grades of intensive care unit doctors on clinical glucocorticoid use in acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Xuan Nanxia , Zhang Xing , Hu Wenqing , Chen Guodong , Wang Yesong , Zhang Shufang , Cui Wei , Zhang Gensheng
Published: April 2022

Although glucocorticoids are commonly used for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome in the intensive care unit, the exact attitudes of different intensive care unit (ICU) doctors about glucocorticoid usage are largely unknown. Herein, we investigated the practice of glucocorticoid application for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) by ICU doctors in China. Questionnaires were developed and sent to ICU doctors at 45 hospitals to perform statistics and analysis. ICU doctors with more working experience and professional titles had more knowledge of ARDS. Glucocorticoids were more likely to be used for ARDS caused by chemical inhalation. Doctors with longer working experience, better educational background, and higher professional titles used fewer glucocorticoids. In addition, 97.2%of the doctors considered using methylprednisolone or hydrocortisone first, 50.9% used glucocorticoids within 24hours of onset, and 37.1% insisted that steroid therapy should last 3 to 5days. Although ICU doctors with more working experience and professional titles have a better understanding of glucocorticoid use in ARDS, the majority of clinical practices and attitudes are similar among different doctors regardless of working experience, educational background, professional titles, or hospital grades.
Diagnosis of gestational diabetes
Authors: Cha Hyun-Hwa , Lee Won Ki , Kim Sujeong , Kim Hyun Mi , Kim Mi Ju , Seong Won Joon
Published: April 2022

We aimed to determine the upper and lower cutoff values to simplify the diagnosis of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We investigated the 50-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results from 1441 pregnancies and identified 423 gravidas who underwent the 100-g OGTT from 2011 to 2019. We collected the results of 50- and 100-g OGTTs. Moreover, we obtained the sum of the 50-g OGTT and 0-hour values, and the sum of those levels and 1-hour values. We determined the upper cutoff at 50-g OGTT, 0-, 1-hour, sum of 50-g OGTT and 0-hour results, and sum of those levels and 1-hour results for the confirmation of GDM. Also, we determined the lower cutoff at these tests for the exclusion of GDM. The upper cutoffs in 50-g OGTT, 0-, 1-hour, the sum of 50-g OGTT and 0-hour were 222, 115, 212, and 315 mg/dL, respectively. The lower cutoffs in 50-g OGTT, 0-, 1-hour, the sum of 50-g OGTT and 0-hour were 131, 65, 151, and 208 mg/dL, respectively. In addition, we discovered that the upper and lower cutoffs in the sum of 50-g OGTT, 0- and 1-hour values were >516 and <373 mg/dL, respectively. We implemented these cutoffs to our study group at 50-g OGTT and 0-, 1-hour of 100-g OGTT. It could omit 2- and 3-hour sampling in 216 gravidas (51.1%). Our approach was able to simplify GDM diagnostic steps in half of our study group.
Service coverage and health workforce allocation strategies for geriatric and palliative care in low- and middle-income countries
Authors: Bhattacharyya Dipika Shankar , Hossain Md. Hasibul , Dutta Goutam Kumar , Nowrin Iffat , Saif-Ur-Rahman KM
Published: April 2022

Background:

Advances in medical science coupled with increased people's income results an elevated average of life expectancy even in the resource poor countries. The growing number of aged population, however, has drawn little attention in health system discourse of low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). Nevertheless, ensuring availability of appropriate service and properly trained and skilled health workforce is an absolute necessity for a functional geriatric and palliative healthcare. Given the lack of specialist geriatricians in LMICs contexts, there are other health workforce strategies that might be effective in building a proper health system response to this growing demand. Therefore, we aimed to identify and synthesize evidence on the existing health workforce-related strategies taken to provide geriatric and palliative care in LMICs.

Methods:

We will follow the recommendations provided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we will search the Medline/PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane database from January 2011 to December 2021 using a comprehensive search strategy. Two independent reviewers will screen the title and abstracts text using the specified inclusion and exclusion criteria. For the finally included articles, full manuscripts will be retrieved, and reviewers will appraise and extract data using standardized form independently. The third reviewer will resolve any disagreements appear in the process. The findings of the review be synthesized using the narrative synthesis approach to analyse descriptive quantitative and qualitative data. Furthermore, meta-analysis will be done provided that the data meet certain requirement as per Cochrane guideline. Rayyan software will be used to manage and synthesize data. Revman software will be used to do meta-analysis, if data support.

Results:

Findings of this review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Conclusion:

This systematic review will identify the existing effective strategies taken to provide geriatric and palliative care, in LMICs.
Efficacy of psychological interventions for irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: Yao Fei , Wu Xutao , Zhao Huacheng , Gan Chun
Published: April 2022

Background:

Guidelines for the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) recommend that psychological therapies should be considered, but their relative efficacy is unknown. We performed a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis to try to resolve this uncertainty.

Methods:

Two individual researchers conducted the platform searches on Ovid Medline In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Ovid PsycINFO, Ovid Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Ovid Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Scopus from inception to February 2022. Systematic review and meta-analysis of the data will be performed in STATA13.0 software according to the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses protocols guidelines. Two authors independently performed the literature searching, data extraction, and quality evaluation. Risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for randomized controlled trials.

Results:

A synthesis of current evidence of psychological interventions for IBS will be provided in this study.

Conclusion:

This result will provide a comprehensive analysis and synthesis to inform practitioners and policy makers about the effectiveness of psychological interventions for patients with IBS.
The effect of additional facet joint block for analgesia in patients with thoracolumbar compression fracture undergoing percutaneous kyphoplasty surgery
Authors: Xu Rongmin , Li Shundong , Chen Guojun , Fan Xin
Published: April 2022

Background:

There is currently no pooled data in the literature to support whether additional facet joint block results in better clinical analgesia after percutaneous kyphoplasty. We assessed the existing evidence on the safety and efficacy of facet joint block in the treatment of patients with thoracolumbar compression fractures undergoing percutaneous kyphoplasty based on qualified trials.

Methods:

We will search PubMed, Springer, ScienceDirect, Wanfang, and Cochrane Library databases through April, 2022. Cohort studies focusing on assessing and comparing the effect of facet joint block and control group will be included. The studies are screened and evaluated by 2 reviewers independently for eligibility. The following outcome measures must be showed: pain scores, Oswestry Disability Index, satisfaction, and complications observed within both groups from baseline to the end of follow-up period. Review Manager software (v 5.3; Cochrane Collaboration) is used for the meta-analysis. A P value of <.05 is considered to be statistically significant. Two independent reviewers will assess the risk of bias of the included studies at study level.

Results:

It is hypothesized that additional facet joint block is associated with better pain control.

Conclusions:

This study expects to provide credible and scientific evidence for the efficacy and safety of facet joint block in the treatment of patients with thoracolumbar compression fractures undergoing percutaneous kyphoplasty.

Registration number:

10.17605/OSF.IO/ARY3C.
Efficacy and safety of vernakalant for cardioversion of recent-onset atrial fibrillation
Authors: Li Hong , Liang Yi , Song Xuejing , Liu-Huo Wu-Sha , Chen Wen , Tang Chao , Zhao Lizhi , Bai Xue
Published: April 2022

Background:

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common tachyarrhythmia encountered in clinical practice and is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the efficacy and safety of vernakalant for cardioversion of recent-onset AF.

Methods:

A comprehensive systematic literature search will be conducted in Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) about the vernakalant with AF. Two reviewers will independently assess the quality of the selected studies according to the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for RCTs. The bias risk of the RCT will be assessed by the Cochrane risk of bias (ROB) tool. The quality of the evidence will be evaluated by Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Results from these questions will be graphed and assessed using Review Manager 5.3.

Results:

The results of this meta-analysis will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Conclusion:

This review will evaluate the safety and efficacy of vernakalant for patients with AF, provide more recommendations for patients or researchers, and high-level evidence for clinical decision-making.
Fiberoptic-guided nerve integrity monitoring tube intubation assisted by video-laryngoscope with external laryngeal manipulation in a patient with anteriorly displaced larynx due to huge goiter with retropharyngeal involvement
Authors: Kim Ji-Yoon , Yeom Ji-Yong , Youn Si-Jeong , Lee Jeong-Eun , Oh Jin-Young , Byun Sung-Hye
Published: April 2022

Rationale:

Goiter, an abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland, can induce airway distortion or tracheal compression. Airway management can be challenging for anesthesiologists, depending on the location and size of the mass as well as the patient's airway conditions, although it is reported that most cases can easily be managed by oral intubation.

Patient concerns:

A 61-year-old female patient who had planned for a total thyroidectomy due to a huge goiter was intubated with nerve integrity monitoring (NIM) tubes, using video laryngoscopy (VL) and oral fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) alone. The respective attempts initially failed.

Diagnosis:

The patient's thyroid mass extended from the C3 cervical spine level to the T1 thoracic spine level with retropharyngeal involvement, causing an upper airway anatomical alteration that made intubation difficult. FOB manipulation was challenging due to the acute angulation of the laryngeal inlet and the tongue and the consequent interruption by the epiglottis. There was resistance to tube introduction, despite counterclockwise rotation of the NIM tube, due to acute angulation of the larynx and circumferential narrowing of the oropharyngeal and supraglottic space.

Interventions:

In the first step of FOB-guided intubation, external laryngeal manipulation (ELM) was performed to improve the angle of the glottic opening and to elevate epiglottis tip. This allowed for FOB introduction into the trachea. VL was then performed transorally to elevate the tongue base and increase space, using the blade. ELM was applied simultaneously to move the glottis lower, thereby reducing the angle of the tube passage.

Outcomes:

The NIM tube was successfully introduced into the trachea with counterclockwise rotation in FOB-guided intubation.

Lessons:

The combination of techniques using basic and popular devices and maneuvers, such as ELM and VL, may be useful for the successful management of difficult airways related to retropharyngeal goiter, without the need for surgical airway.
Assessment of Patient Health-Related Quality of Life and Functional Outcomes in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome*
Authors: Ames Stefanie G. , Banks Russell K. , Zinter Matt S. , Fink Ericka L. , McQuillen Patrick S. , Hall Mark W. , Zuppa Athena , Meert Kathleen L. , Mourani Peter M. , Carcillo Joseph A , Carpenter Todd , Pollack Murray M. , Berg Robert A. , Mareboina Manvita , Holubkov Richard , Dean J. Michael , Notterman Daniel A. , Sapru Anil ,   for the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network (CPCCRN)
Published: April 2022

OBJECTIVES:

To describe health-related quality of life (HRQL) and functional outcomes in pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and to determine risk factors associated with poor outcome defined as death or severe reduction in HRQL at 28 days or ICU discharge.

DESIGN:

Prospective multisite cohort-outcome study conducted between 2019 and 2020.

SETTING:

Eight academic PICUs in the United States.

PATIENTS:

Children with ARDS based on standard criteria.

INTERVENTIONS:

Patient characteristics and illness severity were collected during PICU admission. Parent proxy-report measurements were obtained at baseline, day 28/ICU discharge, month 3, and month 9, utilizing Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory and Functional Status Scale (FSS). A composite outcome evaluated using univariate and multivariate analysis was death or severe reduction in HRQL (>25% reduction in the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory at day 28/ICU discharge.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:

This study enrolled 122 patients with a median age of 3 years (interquartile range, 1–12 yr). Common etiologies of ARDS included pneumonia (n = 63; 52%) and sepsis (n = 27; 22%). At day 28/ICU discharge, half (50/95; 53%) of surviving patients with follow-up data reported a greater than 10% decrease in HRQL from baseline, and approximately one-third of participants (n = 19/61; 31%) reported a greater than 10% decrease in HRQL at 9 months. Trends in FSS were similar. Of 104 patients with data, 47 patients (45%) died or reported a severe decrease of greater than 25% in HRQL at day 28/ICU discharge. Older age was associated with an increased risk of death or severe reduction in HRQL (odds ratio, 1.08; CI, 1.01–1.16).

CONCLUSIONS:

Children with ARDS are at risk for deterioration in HRQL and FSS that persists up to 9 months after ARDS. Almost half of children with ARDS experience a poor outcome including death or severe reduction in HRQL at day 28/ICU discharge.
Perceived Influence of Plain Cigarette Packaging on Smoking Behavior: A Systematic Review
Authors: Jetly Kavita , Ismail Aniza , Hassan Noraryana , Mohammed Nawi Azmawati
Published: April 2022

Context:

Worldwide, the number of cigarette smokers is increasing. All tobacco products come in packs. Packaging and branding are important elements of advertising and promotion. The plain packaging concept introduced by the World Health Organization, where marketing elements such as branding appeal are removed from the cigarette pack, is said to be effective for reducing smoking habits. The objective of this systematic review was to determine the influence of plain packaging on smoking behavior.

Method:

This systematic review was conducted using 2 databases (Scopus and Web of Science). We did not search for unpublished reports. The search was performed from September 2020 to December 2020 in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The inclusion criteria were original article that used a qualitative or quantitative method, English-language article, published in 2016-2020, and availability of full-text article.

Results:

A total of 15 studies were included. All of the studies had adequate methodological quality. Most of the studies reported the effectiveness of plain packaging in preventing smoking initiation among nonsmokers. However, more studies reported no effect of plain packaging on smoking behavior among smokers. Furthermore, there was a greater impact of plain packaging on smoking behavior among female smokers and those who had recently started smoking.

Conclusions:

Plain packaging is more effective for evoking negative smoking behavior among nonsmokers than among smokers. As many of the included studies did not stratify the results based on age group and gender, future research should address these issues.
Comparison of 68Ga-FAPI and 18F-FDG PET/CT in Dermatofibrosarcoma Protuberans
Authors: Wu Junhao , Zhang Shumao , Rao Zijuan , Wang Yingwei , Zhang Chunyin
Published: April 2022

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is a rare soft tissue sarcoma with a high recurrence rate. Herein, we present 68Ga-FAPI and 18F-FDG PET/CT findings of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans in a 45-year-old man. Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans only shows limited FDG uptakes on 18F-FDG PET/CT, but demonstrated intense tracer uptakes on 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT. In this case, 68Ga-FAPI was superior to 18F-FDG PET/CT in detecting dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.
PET With 11C-Methyl-l-Methionine as a Predictor of Consequential Outcomes at the Time of Discontinuing Temozolomide-Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Residual IDH-Mutant Lower-Grade Glioma
Authors: Beppu Takaaki , Iwaya Takeshi , Sato Yuichi , Nomura Jun-ichi , Terasaki Kazunori , Sasaki Toshiaki , Yamada Noriyuki , Fujiwara Shunrou , Sugai Tamotsu , Ogasawara Kuniaki
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The aim of this study was to clarify whether PET with 11C-methyl-l-methionine (11C-met PET) can predict consequential outcomes at the time of discontinuing temozolomide (TMZ)-adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with residual isocitrate dehydrogenase gene (IDH)–mutant lower-grade glioma.

Patients and Methods

Among 30 patients showing residual lesions of IDH-mutant lower-grade glioma, we compared the tumor-to-normal brain tissue ratio of standardized uptake values (SUVT/N) from 11C-met PET at the time of discontinuing TMZ-adjuvant chemotherapy with putative predictive factors including age, Karnofsky Performance Scale, number of courses of adjuvant therapy, residual tumor size, and promotor methylation status of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyl-transferase gene (MGMT). For each factor, progression-free survival (PFS) was compared between groups divided by cutoff values, determined to predict tumor relapse using receiver operating characteristic curves for each factor. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using log-rank testing and Cox regression analysis, respectively. In addition, PFS was compared between patients grouped by combined findings from multiple predictors identified from univariate and multivariate analyses.

Results

Univariate and multivariate analyses identified SUVT/N from 11C-met PET and MGMT methylation status as independent predictors of outcomes after TMZ discontinuation. When comparing 3 groups assigned by the combination of MGMT and SUVT/N findings, PFS differed significantly among groups.

Conclusions

The present study suggested that 11C-met PET at the time of discontinuing TMZ-adjuvant chemotherapy allows prediction of outcomes at least comparable to MGMT methylation status in patients with residual IDH-mutant lower-grade glioma. Further, 11C-met PET allows more precise prediction of outcomes by assessment in combination with MGMT findings.
Pseudemcibacter aquimaris gen. nov., sp. nov., isolated from an aquaculture farm
Authors: Wang Yu , Liu Yanbo , Li Yanyan , Sun Jia , Lai Qiliang , Zhu Hongmei , Zhou Hantao
Published: April 2022

A rod-shaped, Gram-stain-negative, aerobic and non-motile bacterium, designated strain Y4T, was isolated from an aquaculture farm in Xiamen, PR China. Strain Y4T had 94.8, 93.3 and 91.8 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to

Paremcibacter congregatus

ZYLT,

Emcibacter nanhaiensis

HTCJW17T and

Luteithermobacter gelatinilyticus

MEBiC09520T, respectively. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain Y4T was 42.7 mol%. The average amino acid identity and percentage of conserved proteins values between strain Y4T and type strains of the family

Emcibacteraceae

were 57.9–58.6 % and 44.5–47.6 %, respectively. Optimal growth was observed at 28 °C, at pH 7.0 and with 2 % (w/v) NaCl. The novel strain Y4T required Ca2+, K+ and Mg2+ ions in addition to NaCl for growth. The dominant fatty acids of strain Y4T were summed feature 3 (C16 : 1
 ω7c/C16 : 1
 ω6c), summed feature 8 (C18 : 1
 ω7c/C18 : 1
 ω6c) and C14 : 0 2-OH. The polar lipid profile contained phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidyglycerol, three unidentified aminolipids, four unidentified aminophospholipids and two unidentified lipids. Cells contained exclusively ubiquinone Q-10. On the basis of the polyphasic analysis, strain Y4T (=MCCC 1K06278T=KCTC 82926T) is considered to represent a novel species in a novel genus of the family

Emcibacteraceae

, for which the name Pseudemcibacter aquimaris gen. nov., sp. nov. is proposed.
The dark art of syphilis serology - an analysis of testing algorithms at a UK reference laboratory
Authors: Scobie Antonia , Brown Colin S. , French Patrick , Donati Matthew , Muir Peter , Templeton Kate , Higgins Stephen P. , Patel Hemanti , Alexander Sarah , Fifer Helen
Published: April 2022

Introduction. Due to the complex nature of treponemal serology interpretation, testing algorithms vary across the UK.

Gap statement. There is currently no gold standard method for interpretation of discordant serology results.

Aim. To analyse serological response in early infection and to determine the best approach for discordant total antibody EIA and TPPA samples.

Methodology. National reference laboratory serology and PCR (genital ulcer swabs) results from 2010 to 2017 were extracted from an electronic laboratory database.

Results. A total of 24149 sera underwent analysis. Of syphilis PCR positive cases with contemporaneous sera, 33% (17/52) were IgM positive/equivocal, whilst all were EIA and TPPA positive. No sera with isolated IgM positivity (0/90) demonstrated seroconversion consistent with early treponemal infection, in contrast to 17% (2/12) of sera with isolated TPPA positivity. Isolated EIA positivity was observed in 6.2% (1499/24149) samples with the same result on repeat testing in 73% (154/211). In 100 samples with discordant EIA/TPPA results, IgG Immunoblot was more commonly positive (12/41, 29%) or equivocal (24/41, 59%), in those with a higher EIA antibody index, compared to those with a low antibody index, of which none tested positive and 2/3 (67 %) were equivocal.

Conclusion. Isolated IgM positivity was not helpful in identifying early infection; isolated total antibody EIA positivity is unlikely to be a significant finding. IgG immunoblot testing was unable to determine clear treponemal antibody status in nearly half of all EIA/TPPA discordant samples.
Stress response modulation: the key to survival of pathogenic and spoilage bacteria during poultry processing
Authors: Marmion Maitiú , Macori Guerrino , Whyte Paul , Scannell Amalia G. M.
Published: April 2022

The control of bacterial contaminants on meat is a key area of interest in the food industry. Bacteria are exposed to a variety of stresses during broiler processing which challenge bacterial structures and metabolic pathways causing death or sublethal injury. To counter these stresses, bacteria possess robust response systems that can induce shifts in the transcriptome and proteome to enable survival. Effective adaptive responses, such as biofilm formation, shock protein production and metabolic flexibility, require rapid induction and implementation at a cellular and community level to facilitate bacterial survival in adverse conditions. This review aims to provide an overview of the scientific literature pertaining to the regulation of complex adaptive processes used by bacteria to survive the processing environment, with particular focus on species that impact the quality and safety of poultry products like

Campylobacter

spp.,

Salmonella enterica

and

Pseudomonas

spp.
Evaluating drivers of spatiotemporal individual condition of a bottom-associated marine fish
Authors: Lindmark Max , Anderson Sean C. , Gogina Mayya , Casini Michele
Published: April 2022

An organism’s body condition describes its mass given its length and is often positively associated with fitness. The condition of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in the Baltic Sea has declined dramatically since the early 1990s, possibly due to increased competition, food limitation, and hypoxia. However, the effect of biotic and abiotic variables on body condition have not been evaluated at local scales, which is important given spatial heterogeneity. We evaluate changes in distribution, experienced environmental conditions, and individual-level condition of cod in relation to covariates at different spatial scales using geostatistical models with spatial and spatiotemporal random effects. Oxygen, sprat biomass, and temperature were positively related to condition, and depth negatively associated, but the effect sizes of these variables were small—spatial and spatiotemporal latent variables explained almost five times more variation than fixed effects. We also show that accounting for the heterogenous distribution of cod leads to both lover levels and steeper trends over time in experienced oxygen compared to those in the environment. Understanding the drivers of spatiotemporal variation in body condition is critical for predicting responses to environmental change and to effective fishery management; yet low explanatory power of covariates on individual condition constitutes a major challenge.
DNA metabarcoding reveals the threat of rapidly expanding barred owl populations to native wildlife in western North America
Authors: Kryshak Nicholas F. , Fountain Emily D. , Hofstadter Daniel F. , Dotters Brian P. , Roberts Kevin N. , Wood Connor M. , Kelly Kevin G. , Papraniku Isabel F. , Kulzer Paige J. , Wray Amy K. , Kramer H. Anu , Dumbacher John P. , Keane John J. , Shaklee Paula A. , Gutiérrez R.J. , Peery M. Zachariah
Published: April 2022

Invasive predators can have detrimental impacts on native species and biological communities through direct consumptive effects and indirect effects on trophic interactions. As an invasive, apex predator achieving high densities, barred owls (Strix varia) may pose a substantial threat to native wildlife in western North American forests. Studies of the trophic ecology of barred owls in their invasive range, however, have involved morphological examinations of prey remains with limited taxonomic resolution. We conducted DNA metabarcoding using intestinal samples collected from barred owls at the leading edge of their range expansion in northeastern California. Using customized primers, we screened the intestinal contents of 124 barred owls and detected a broad diet of 78 unique prey types (48 vertebrates and 30 invertebrates), including many previously undetected prey types. Mammals were the most consumed vertebrate class (frequency of occurrence = 65%), followed by amphibians (32%), birds (22%), and reptiles (19%). Diets differed regionally but were similar among ages and sexes and exhibited limited variation in response to local environmental conditions. Our work highlights the generalist predatory strategy of invasive barred owls, indicates that they will not serve as ecological replacements for the congeneric spotted owls (S. occidentalis) they displace, and identifies numerous native species potentially threatened by their range expansion. Expanding currently limited barred owl removals could benefit native species and wildlife communities in western North America. More broadly, DNA metabarcoding provides a powerful tool for conducting detailed assessments of species consumed by invasive predators, potentially incentivizing conservation actions and improving outcomes.
Gut microbiota analysis of the western honeybee (Apis mellifera L.) infested with the mite Varroa destructor reveals altered bacterial and archaeal community
Authors: Kim Minji , Kim Woo Jae , Park Soo-Je
Published: April 2022

The western honeybee, Apis mellifera L., is a crop pollinator that makes royal jelly and other hive products. However, widespread concerns arise about opportunistic diseases (e.g., bacteria, fungi, or mites) or chemicals that have an effect on the health and number of colonies, as well as their activity. The relationships between the gut microbiota and its host are currently being researched extensively. The effects of Varroa destructor infection on the gut microbial community, in particular, have received little investigation. This work utilized amplicon sequencing of the bacterial and archaeal 16S rRNA genes to assess the bacterial and archaeal communities of adult bee groups (healthy and affected by Varroa designed in NG and VG, respectively) and larvae from Varroa destructor-infected hives. Our results suggest that the genus Bombella was substantially dominant in larvae, while the genera Gillamella, unidentified Lactobacillaceae, and Snodgrassella were significantly dominant in adult bees. NG and VG, on the other hand, did not differ statistically significantly. The PICRUSt study revealed a significant difference in the KEGG classifications of larvae and adult bee groups. A greater number of genes involved in cofactor and vitamin production were identified in larvae. Additionally, despite the complexity of the honeybee’s bacterial community, all groups exhibited a straightforward archaeal community structure. Surprisingly, methanogen was detected in low abundance in the microbiota of honeybees. In summary, larvae and adult bees infected with Varroa destructor exhibit altered gut microbiota composition and function.
BIN2 phosphorylates the Thr280 of CO to restrict its function in promotingArabidopsisflowering
Authors: Ju Lan , Dong Huixue , Yang Ruizhen , Jing Yexing , Zhang Yunwei , Liu Liangyu , Zhu Yingfang , Chen Kun-Ming , Sun Jiaqiang
Published: April 2022

CONSTANS (CO) is a central regulator of floral initiation in response to photoperiod. In this study, we show that the GSK3 kinase BIN2 physically interacts with CO and the gain-of-function mutantbin2-1displays late flowering phenotype through down-regulation ofFTtranscription. Genetic analyses show that BIN2 genetically acts upstream of CO in regulating flowering time. Further, we illustrate that BIN2 phosphorylates the Thr280 residue of CO. Importantly, the BIN2 phosphorylation of Thr280 residue restricts the function of CO in promoting flowering. Moreover, we reveal that the N-terminal part of CO harboring the B-Box domain mediates the interaction of both CO-CO and BIN2-CO. We find that BIN2 inhibits the formation of CO dimer/oligomer. Taken together, this study reveals that BIN2 regulates flowering time through phosphorylating the Thr280 of CO and inhibiting the CO-CO interaction inArabidopsis.

Highlight

BIN2 regulates flowering time through phosphorylating the Thr280 of CO inArabidopsis.
Supersymmetric Five-Point Gluon Amplitudes in AdS Space
Authors: Alday Luis F. , Gonçalves Vasco , Zhou Xinan
Published: April 2022

We present the tree-level five-point amplitude of the lowest Kaluza-Klein mode of super-Yang-Mills theory on AdS5×S3, dual to the correlator of the flavor current multiplet in the dual 4d N=2 superconformal field theory. Its color and kinematical structure is particularly simple and resembles that of the flat-space gluon amplitude.

Published by the American Physical Society
2022
Classification of diffraction patterns using a convolutional neural network in single-particle-imaging experiments performed at X-ray free-electron lasers
Authors: Assalauova Dameli , Ignatenko Alexandr , Isensee Fabian , Trofimova Darya , Vartanyants Ivan A.
Published: April 2022

Single particle imaging (SPI) at X-ray free-electron lasers is particularly well suited to determining the 3D structure of particles at room temperature. For a successful reconstruction, diffraction patterns originating from a single hit must be isolated from a large number of acquired patterns. It is proposed that this task could be formulated as an image-classification problem and solved using convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures. Two CNN configurations are developed: one that maximizes the F1 score and one that emphasizes high recall. The CNNs are also combined with expectation-maximization (EM) selection as well as size filtering. It is observed that the CNN selections have lower contrast in power spectral density functions relative to the EM selection used in previous work. However, the reconstruction of the CNN-based selections gives similar results. Introducing CNNs into SPI experiments allows the reconstruction pipeline to be streamlined, enables researchers to classify patterns on the fly, and, as a consequence, enables them to tightly control the duration of their experiments. Incorporating non-standard artificial-intelligence-based solutions into an existing SPI analysis workflow may be beneficial for the future development of SPI experiments.
Scipion-ED: a graphical user interface for batch processing and analysis of 3D ED/MicroED data
Authors: Bengtsson Viktor E. G. , Pacoste Laura , de la Rosa-Trevin José Miguel , Hofer Gerhard , Zou Xiaodong , Xu Hongyi
Published: April 2022

Three-dimensional electron diffraction (3D ED)/microcrystal electron diffraction (MicroED) techniques are gaining in popularity. However, the data processing often does not fit existing graphical user interface software, instead requiring the use of the terminal or scripting. Scipion-ED, described in this article, provides a graphical user interface and extendable framework for processing of 3D ED/MicroED data. An illustrative project is described, in which multiple 3D ED/MicroED data sets collected on tetragonal lysozyme were processed with DIALS through the Scipion-ED interface. The ability to resolve unmodelled features in the electrostatic potential map was compared between three strategies for merging data sets.
Crystal structures and electrochemical properties of nickel(II) complexes with N,N′,N′′,S-tetradentate Schiff base ligands
Authors: Hirotsu Masakazu , Sanou Junhei , Nakae Toyotaka , Matsunaga Takumi , Kinoshita Isamu
Published: April 2022

The thiolate nickel complexes {2-[({2-[(2-aminoethyl-κN)(methyl)amino-κN]ethyl}imino-κN)methyl]benzenethiolato-κS}nickel(II) chloride, [Ni(C12H18N3S)]Cl (1), and [2-({[2-(piperazin-1-yl-κ2
N
1,N
4)ethyl]imino-κN}methyl)benzenethiolato-κS]nickel(II) hexafluorophosphate dichloromethane monosolvate, [Ni(C13H18N3S)]PF6·CH2Cl2 (2), were synthesized by the reactions of 2-(tert-butylthio)benzaldehyde, triamines, and nickel(II) salts. Both complexes have a nickel ion surrounded by an N,N′,N′′,S-tetradentate ligand, forming a square-planar geometry. The terminal N,N-chelating moiety is N,N-dialkylethane-1,2-diamine for 1 and 1-alkylpiperazine for 2. The N—Ni—N bite angle in the terminal N,N-chelate ring in 2 [76.05 (10)°] is much smaller than that in 1 [86.16 (6)°]. Cyclic voltammograms of 1 and 2 in aqueous media indicated that the reduction and oxidation potentials of 2 are more positive than those of 1. The smaller bite angle of the terminal piperazine chelate in 2 reduces the electron-donating ability of the tetradentate ligand, resulting in a positive shift of the redox potentials. Both complexes exhibit catalytic activity for proton reduction, and the piperazine moiety in 2 is effective in reducing the overpotential.
The impact of government nonmarket policy on a firm's financial performance: a lesson from COVID-19 pandemic lockdown's policy
Authors: Brahmana Rayenda Khresna , Setiawan Doddy , Trinugroho Irwan
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This paper examines the effect of lockdown on a firm's financial performance. The authors aim to fill in the debate over the corporate world's repercussions from governments' COVID-19 response. Therefore, it is imperative to understand what effect the lockdown policy has on firm financial performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study data are cross-sectional, covering a sample of 246 listed firms in Indonesia. The lockdown policy and period data were retrieved from the Indonesian Ministry of Health COVID-19 special task force website. The authors’ empirical model for performance specification is based on annual data, following a common performance function in economics and finance literature. In addition to controlling for the standard error and province effect, the authors also controlled the COVID-19 cases and the province effect.

Findings

The lockdown deteriorates the firm's profitability, but it is not up to making the firms at financial distress level. Simply put, lockdown erodes the profitability significantly, leading to declining performance; however, it does not mean the firms generate default.

Research limitations/implications

Several shortcomings in the authors’ empirical setup need to be tackled for future research. For example, the study findings may limit the short-run effect but not the long-run effect (5–10 years after the pandemic). The findings also do not give room to justify that lockdown should not be imposed due to its deteriorating effect on the corporate world. Therefore, the authors leave this as a scope for future research.

Originality/value

This research is among the pioneer papers evaluating the effect of the government policy for mitigating the repercussions of COVID-19, and it reveals how this policy affects corporations.
The dark side of innovation in local authorities: influential typologies and impacted modalities
Authors: El Kadiri Boutchich Driss , Gallouj Nizar
Published: April 2022

Purpose

This study aims to highlight the negative effects of innovation with regard to innovation typologies and human, organizational, economic and societal variables in local authorities.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the above objective, radial basis function, based on Softmax activation function, and partitioning variable, is applied on a sample of Moroccan local authorities.

Findings

The findings show that the typologies of innovation that significantly impact the aforementioned variables are standard innovation/tailor-made innovation, social innovation/commercial innovation and incremental innovation/breakthrough innovation. They also reveal that the modalities considerably impacted by innovation are deviance in reaction, procedural injustice, increase of hidden costs and negative effect on ethics-culture.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is original in that it can contribute to the research in the field of innovation, as it deals with its negative effects in terms of typologies, which are rarely processed in innovation research. Additionally, to overcome these negative effects, this work uses neural networks that are very scarcely used in such studies on innovation.
HumOSCM for pandemic response
Authors: Wagner Stephan M. , Tabaklar Tunca , Seifert Lysann
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Humanitarian organizations have faced the unprecedented consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this article, the authors therefore discuss how epidemics and pandemics, specifically Ebola and COVID-19, have affected humanitarian operations and supply chain management (HumOSCM), and how HumOSCM has contributed to preparedness for and response to epidemics and pandemics. The authors present lessons learned from responses to Ebola and COVID-19.

Design/methodology/approach

For this study, the authors review the scholarly HumOSCM literature, use documentary evidence from practitioner literature and apply a theory synthesis approach to derive recommendations on how HumOSCM could strengthen future responses to epidemics and pandemics.

Findings

The conceptualizations highlight the importance of strengthening collaboration, capability and capacity for the response to epidemics and pandemics. Furthermore, the components that can enhance the degree of collaboration, and hence, response formation, are discussed.

Research limitations/implications

As a non-empirical article, it suffers from the limitations of conceptual research. Hence, empirical testing of the proposed framework is recommended. The framework and propositions can serve as a basis for future studies.

Practical implications

The conceptual framework can help humanitarian organizations and other actors in the humanitarian sector to better understand how to prepare for future responses to epidemics and pandemics, in particular by considering the components that enhance the degree of collaboration, as well as through capability development and capacity building.

Originality/value

This article begins a discussion of how HumOSCM should evolve to better respond to future epidemics and pandemics.