bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acaricidal and Insecticidal Activities of Essential Oils and Constituents ofTasmannia lanceolata(Poir.) A.C.Sm. (Canellales: Winteraceae) AgainstTetranychus urticaeKoch (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae) andMyzus persicaeSulzer (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Authors: Lee Min-Woo , Lee Dong-Ho , Nam Il , Lee Jae-Woo , Huh Min-Jung , Park Il-Kwon
Published: January 2023

The negative side effects of synthetic pesticides have drawn attention to the need for environmentally friendly agents to control arthropod pests. To identify promising candidates as botanical pesticides, we investigated the acaricidal and insecticidal activities of 44 plant-derived essential oils (EOs) against Tetranychus urticae Koch and Myzus persicae Sulzer. Among the tested EOs, Tasmannia lanceolata (Poir.) A.C.Sm. (Tasmanian pepper) essential oil (TPEO) exhibited strong acaricidal and insecticidal activity. Mortality rates of 100% and 71.4% against T. urticae and M. persicae, respectively, were observed with TPEO at a concentration of 2 mg/ml. Polygodial was determined to be the primary active component after bioassay-guided isolation of TPEO using silica gel open-column chromatography, gas chromatography, and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Polygodial demonstrated acaricidal activity against T. urticae with mortality rates of 100%, 100%, 61.9%, and 61.6% at concentrations of 1, 0.5, 0.25, and 0.125 mg/ml, respectively. Insecticidal activity against M. persicae was also evident, with mortality rates of 88.5%, 85.0%, 46.7%, and 43.3% at respective concentrations of 1, 0.5, 0.25, and 0.125 mg/ml. Insecticidal and acaricidal activities of TPEO were greater than those of Eungjinssag, a commercially available organic agricultural material for controlling mites and aphids in the Republic of Korea. These findings suggest that TPEO is a promising candidate for mites and aphids control.
scHi-CSim: a flexible simulator that generates high-fidelity single-cell Hi-C data for benchmarking
Authors: Fan Shichen , Dang Dachang , Ye Yusen , Zhang Shao-Wu , Gao Lin , Zhang Shihua
Published: January 2023

Single-cell Hi-C technology provides an unprecedented opportunity to reveal chromatin structure in individual cells. However, high sequencing cost impedes the generation of biological Hi-C data with high sequencing depths and multiple replicates for downstream analysis. Here, we developed a single-cell Hi-C simulator (scHi-CSim) that generates high-fidelity data for benchmarking. scHi-CSim merges neighboring cells to overcome the sparseness of data, samples interactions in distance-stratified chromosomes to maintain the heterogeneity of single cells, and estimates the empirical distribution of restriction fragments to generate simulated data. We demonstrated that scHi-CSim can generate high-fidelity data by comparing the performance of single-cell clustering and detection of chromosomal high-order structures with raw data. Furthermore, scHi-CSim is flexible to change sequencing depth and the number of simulated replicates. We showed that increasing sequencing depth could improve the accuracy of detecting topologically associating domains. We also used scHi-CSim to generate a series of simulated datasets with different sequencing depths to benchmark scHi-C clustering methods.
Informative core identification in complex networks
Authors: Miao Ruizhong , Li Tianxi
Published: January 2023

In a complex network, the core component with interesting structures is usually hidden within noninformative connections. The noises and bias introduced by the noninformative component can obscure the salient structure and limit many network modeling procedures’ effectiveness. This paper introduces a novel core–periphery model for the noninformative periphery structure of networks without imposing a specific form of the core. We propose spectral algorithms for core identification for general downstream network analysis tasks under the model. The algorithms enjoy strong performance guarantees and are scalable for large networks. We evaluate the methods by extensive simulation studies demonstrating advantages over multiple traditional core–periphery methods. The methods are also used to extract the core structure from a citation network, which results in a more interpretable hierarchical community detection.
Modelling matrix time series via a tensor CP-decomposition
Authors: Chang Jinyuan , He Jing , Yang Lin , Yao Qiwei
Published: January 2023

We consider to model matrix time series based on a tensor canonical polyadic (CP)-decomposition. Instead of using an iterative algorithm which is the standard practice for estimating CP-decompositions, we propose a new and one-pass estimation procedure based on a generalized eigenanalysis constructed from the serial dependence structure of the underlying process. To overcome the intricacy of solving a rank-reduced generalized eigenequation, we propose a further refined approach which projects it into a lower-dimensional full-ranked eigenequation. This refined method can significantly improve the finite-sample performance. We show that all the component coefficient vectors in the CP-decomposition can be estimated consistently. The proposed model and the estimation method are also illustrated with both simulated and real data, showing effective dimension-reduction in modelling and forecasting matrix time series.
Breast metastases from primary tumor of the urinary tract: case series
Authors: Laraqui Yasmine , Mahdi Youssef , Agouri Hajar El , Khmou Mouna , Boujida Ismail , Raissouni Khouloud , Echcharif Soumaya , El Khannoussi Basma
Published: January 2023

Breast metastasis from urological tract is exceptional, with a few sporadic cases reported in the literature. They can be confused with a primary breast cancer, especially in patients without clinical history, leading to an inappropriate and invasive treatment. Therefore, we have summarized some characteristics of metastatic breast tumors through this retrospective study.
An Application of Adaptive Cluster Sampling to Surveying Informal Businesses
Authors: Aga Gemechu , Francis David C , Jolevski Filip , Rodriguez Meza Jorge , Wimpey Joshua Seth
Published: January 2023

Informal business activity is ubiquitous around the world, but it is nearly always uncaptured by administrative data, registries, or commercial sources. For this reason, there are rarely adequate sampling frames available for survey implementers wishing to measure the activity and characteristics of the sector. This article applies a well-established sampling method for rare and/or clustered populations, Adaptive Cluster Sampling (ACS), to a novel population of informal businesses. Generally, it shows that efficiency gains through the application of ACS, when compared to Simple Random Sampling (SRS), are large, particularly at higher levels of fieldwork effort. In particular, ACS efficiency gains over SRS remain sizable at higher values of initial starting samples, but with comparatively high expansion thresholds, which can reduce the fieldwork effort.
Functionality of the bacteriocin sakacin G produced by Lactobacillus curvatus ACU-1 on cooked sausages under industrial conditions
Authors: Rivas Franco Paolo , Garro Oscar Alfredo
Published: January 2023

Biopreservation is an alternative to prevent the growth of pathogens and reduce microbial spoilage in food based on the use of microorganisms and/or their metabolic products. The objective of this study was to determine the optimal mode of application and the effectiveness of cell-free supernatant (CFS) from Lactobacillus curvatus ACU-1, containing sakacin G, in Vienna-type sausages to control Listeria and spoilage flora. The functionality and the optimal dosage form between CFS, producing bacteria, a combination or concentrate of bacteriocin applied on Vienna-type sausages before and after stuffing the casings on an industrial scale were determined. Sakacin G was effective for the control of Listeria applied to the casing both before and after stuffing. The application of the antimicrobial on the ready sausages inhibits both lactic acid bacteria and mesophilic microorganisms from zero sampling time. The heat resistance of the bacteriocin in the food was verified under industrial manufacturing conditions. The antimicrobial activity of sakacin G was maintained throughout the period studied in all the conditions tested. In conclusion, the application of CFS containing bacteriocin is useful given both before and after casing stuffing; but the application prior to the stuffing is more practical for the process of elaboration.
Questions We Share
Authors: Dieleman Karen
Published: January 2023

For my Victorian literature course of autumn 2022, I set myself a goal of not privileging either the secularisation thesis or a potential sacramentalisation thesis, but of helping students see that serious writers almost always address the same set of foundational questions—even as, given their individuality and context, they respond to them differently, as we all do. In the Reformed Christian tradition, such foundational questions are understood to inform all academic inquiry, making all teaching and research neither religiously neutral nor radically relative. Within this context, I consider with my students the question ‘what foundational questions does the religious impulse at the heart of humankind ask?’ through a renewed reading of Genesis 1–3.
Isolation of a fungal calcineurin A mutant suggests that amoebae can counter-select virulence attributes of microbes
Authors: Idnurm Alexander
Published: January 2023

Evolutionary selection pressures that resulted in microbes found within environmental reservoirs that can cause diseases in animals are unknown. One hypothesis is that predatory organisms select microbes able to counteract animal immune cells. Here, a non-pathogenic yeast, Sporobolomyces primogenomicus, was exposed to predation by Acanthamoeba castellanii. Strains emerged that were resistant to being killed by this amoeba. All these strains had altered morphology, growing as pseudohyphae. The mutation in one strain was identified: CNA1 encodes the calcineurin A subunit that is highly conserved in fungi and where it is essential for their virulence in hosts including mammals, insects, and plants.
Polarized signatures of adiabatically expanding hotspots in Sgr A*’s accretion flow
Authors: Michail Joseph M , Yusef-Zadeh Farhad , Wardle Mark , Kunneriath Devaky
Published: January 2023

We report 235 GHz linear and circular polarization (LP and CP) detections of Sgr A* at levels of $\sim 10\,{{\rm per\, cent}}$ and $\sim -1\,{{\rm per\, cent}}$, respectively, using ALMA. We describe the first full-Stokes modelling of an observed submillimetre flare with an adiabatically expanding synchrotron hotspot using a polarized radiative transfer prescription. Augmented with a simple full-Stokes model for the quiescent emission, we jointly characterize properties of both the quiescent and variable components by simultaneously fitting all four Stokes parameter light curves. The hotspot has magnetic field strength 71 G, radius 0.75 Schwarzschild radii, and expands at speed 0.013c assuming magnetic equipartition. The magnetic field’s position angle projected in the plane-of-sky is ≈55° East of North, which previous analyses reveal as the accretion flow’s angular momentum axis and further supports Sgr A* hosting a magnetically arrested disc. The magnetic field is oriented approximately perpendicular to the line of sight, which suggests repolarization as the cause of the high circular-to-linear polarization ratio observed at radio frequencies. We additionally recover several properties of the quiescent emission, consistent with previous analyses of the accretion flow, such as a rotation measure ≈−4.22 × 105 rad m−2. Our findings provide critical constraints for interpreting and mitigating the polarized variable emission in future Event Horizon Telescope images of Sgr A*.
The feedback of quasars on their galactic environment
Authors: Ferrara Andrea , Zana Tommaso , Gallerani Simona , Sommovigo Laura
Published: January 2023

Quasar outflows might either quench (negative) or enhance (positive feedback) star formation in galaxies located in the quasar environment. The possible outcome depend on 4 parameters: The quasar (σ) and satellite (σ*) halo velocity dispersion, their relative distance, d, and satellite disc radius, rd. We find that: (i) small satellites with $\sigma _* \lt 164\ \sigma _{200}^{2/3}\, \rm km\ s^{-1}$ have their star formation quenched; (ii) in larger satellites, star formation, and hence UV/far-infrared (FIR) luminosity, is instead boosted by >80 per cent in a burst with typical duration of 5–10 Myr, if the following positive feedback criterion is met: d/rd < 15(Q/η)1/2σ200, where Q ≈ 1 is the satellite disc Toomre parameter; the disruption parameter (see equation 17) must be η > 1 to prevent complete satellite gas removal. We compare our predictions with ALMA data finding that observed satellites of z ≃ 6 QSOs on average form stars at a 3 × higher rate with respect to field galaxies at the same redshift. Further tests of the model are suggested.
Pneumocystis jiroveciiInfections Among COVID-19 Patients: A Case Series and Literature Review
Authors: Amstutz Paul , Bahr Nathan C , Snyder Karen , Shoemaker D Matthew
Published: January 2023

Background

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP) is a serious, emerging complication of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Methods

We performed a systematic review of published cases. We describe 6 new cases of PCP/COVID-19 coinfection. Among our cases (n = 6) and those in the literature (n = 69) with available data, the median age (interquartile range [IQR]) was 59 (44–77) years (n = 38), 72% (47/65) were male, and the mortality rate was 30.9% (21/68).

Results

Long-term corticosteroid use was noted in 45.1% (23/51), advanced HIV infection (defined as a CD4 count <200 cells/μL) in 17.6% (9/51), and antineoplastic chemotherapy in 13.7% (7/51), consistent with known PCP risk factors. Notably, 56.7% (38/47) had verifiable risk factors for PCP (high-dose corticosteroids, immunosuppressive therapy, and HIV infection) before COVID-19 infection. A median absolute lymphocyte count (IQR) of 0.61 (0.28–0.92) ×103 cells/mm3 (n = 23) and CD4 count (IQR) of 66 (33–291.5) cells/mm3 (n = 20) were also discovered among the study population.

Conclusions

These findings suggest a need for greater attention to PCP risk factors among COVID-19 patients and consideration of PCP prophylaxis in these high-risk populations.
How Does It Feel to Be the Problem?
Authors: Gonzalez Van Cleve Nicole
Published: January 2023

This chapter is a call for Du Boisian criminology, an approach to criminal justice scholarship that situates race and racism as central to the social organization of criminal justice policies, practices, and institutions. By centering W. E. B. Du Bois’s color line, this approach interrogates how criminal justice institutions and their frontline stakeholders express racism through legal institutions. A Du Boisian approach reveals how punishment is a construction of the racial order, a physical and cultural performance of the color line, where segregation and stigma are punitively reenacted under the guise of the law and the power of the state. This approach promises to initiate critical analyses in the field of criminology. Essentially, this chapter is a corrective—a demand for Du Bois to take his rightful place as a founding theorist within the subfield of the sociology of punishment and the broader field of criminal justice.
Detection of the longest periodic variability in 6.7 GHz methanol masers of G5.900−0.430
Authors: Tanabe Yoshihiro , Yonekura Yoshinori , MacLeod Gordon C
Published: January 2023

Long-term monitoring observations with the Hitachi 32 m radio telescope of the 6.7 GHz methanol masers associated with the high-mass star-forming region G5.900−0.430 are presented. A period of flux variability at approximately 1260 d is detected in the features at VLSR = 9.77 and 10.84 km s−1, while a secondary shorter period, 130.6 d, is determined for the 0.66 km s−1 feature. This is only the second source which has two different periods. The period of ∼1260 d is approximately twice as long as the longest known period of 6.7 GHz methanol masers. The variability pattern of the symmetric sine curves and the consistency with the expected period–luminosity relation suggest that the mechanism of the maser flux variability of the 9.77 and 10.84 km s−1 features in this source can be explained by protostellar pulsation instability. On the other hand, because the 0.66 km s−1 feature has an intermittent and asymmetric variability profile, we propose that this feature is explained by the colliding wind binary or spiral shock models. Obtaining the spatial distribution of the 0.66 km s−1 feature using very long baseline interferometry will lead to a better understanding of this source.
OverexpressingVitamin C Defective 2reduces fertility and alters Ca2+ signals in Arabidopsis pollen
Authors: Weigand Chrystle , Brady Deborah , Davis James A , Speicher Tori , Bacalso Jonathan , Jones Dylan , Miller Gad , Choi Won-Gyu , Harper Jeffrey F
Published: January 2023

A potential strategy to mitigate oxidative damage in plants is to increase the abundance of antioxidants, such as ascorbate (i.e. vitamin C). In Arabidopsis (A. thaliana), a rate-limiting step in ascorbate biosynthesis is a phosphorylase encoded by Vitamin C Defective 2 (VTC2). To specifically overexpress VTC2 (VTC2 OE) in pollen, the coding region was expressed using a promoter from a gene with ∼150-fold higher expression in pollen, leading to pollen grains with an eight-fold increased VTC2 mRNA. VTC2 OE resulted in a near-sterile phenotype with a 50-fold decrease in pollen transmission efficiency and a five-fold reduction in the number of seeds per silique. In vitro assays revealed pollen grains were more prone to bursting (greater than two-fold) or produced shorter, morphologically abnormal pollen tubes. The inclusion of a genetically encoded Ca2+ reporter, mCherry-GCaMP6fast (CGf), revealed pollen tubes with altered tip-focused Ca2+ dynamics and increased bursting frequency during periods of oscillatory and arrested growth. Despite these phenotypes, VTC2 OE pollen failed to show expected increases in ascorbate or reductions in reactive oxygen species, as measured using a redox-sensitive dye or a roGFP2. However, mRNA expression analyses revealed greater than two-fold reductions in mRNA encoding two enzymes critical to biosynthetic pathways related to cell walls or glyco-modifications of lipids and proteins: GDP-d-mannose pyrophosphorylase (GMP) and GDP-d-mannose 3′,5′ epimerase (GME). These results support a model in which the near-sterile defects resulting from VTC2 OE in pollen are associated with feedback mechanisms that can alter one or more signaling or metabolic pathways critical to pollen tube growth and fertility.
Criminal Proof: Fixed or Flexible?
Authors: Ross Lewis
Published: January 2023

Should we use the same standard of proof to adjudicate guilt for murder and petty theft? Why not tailor the standard of proof to the crime? These relatively neglected questions cut to the heart of central issues in the philosophy of law. This paper scrutinises whether we ought to use the same standard for all criminal cases, in contrast with a flexible approach that uses different standards for different crimes. I reject consequentialist arguments for a radically flexible standard of proof, instead defending a modestly flexible approach on non-consequentialist grounds. The system I defend is one on which we should impose a higher standard of proof for crimes that attract more severe punishments. This proposal, although apparently revisionary, accords with a plausible theory concerning the epistemology of legal judgments and the role they play in society.
School, Studying, and Smarts: Gender Stereotypes and Education Across 80 Years of American Print Media, 1930–2009
Authors: Boutyline Andrei , Arseniev-Koehler Alina , Cornell Devin J
Published: January 2023

In this article, we apply computational word embeddings to a 200-million-word corpus of American print media (1930–2009) to examine how education-relevant gender stereotypes changed as women’s educational attainment caught up with and eventually surpassed men’s. This case presents a rare opportunity to observe how cultural components of the gender system transform alongside the reversal of an important pattern of stratification. We track six stereotypes that prior work linked to academic outcomes. Our results suggest that stereotypes most closely tied to the core stereotypical distinction between women as communal and men as agentic remained unchanged. The other stereotypes we tracked, however, became increasingly gender polarized: as school and studying gained feminine associations, intelligence and unintelligence gained masculine ones. Unexpectedly, we observe that trends in the gender associations of intelligence and studying are near-perfect mirror opposites, suggesting an interrelationship. We use these observations to further elaborate contemporary theoretical accounts of the gender system, arguing that this system persists partly because stereotypes shift to reinterpret social change in terms of a durable hierarchical distinction between women and men.
Manger space restriction does not negatively impact growth efficiency of feedlot heifers program fed a concentrate-based diet to gain 1.36 kg daily
Authors: Gubbels Erin R , Rusche Warren C , Smith Zachary K
Published: January 2023

The objective of this research was to determine the influence manger space restriction had on program-fed feedlot heifers during the growing phase. Charolais × Angus heifers [initial body weight (BW) = 329 ± 22.1 kg] were used in a 109-d backgrounding study. Heifers were received approximately 60 d prior to study initiation. Initial processing (53 d before study initiation) included individual BW, application of an identification tag, vaccination against viral respiratory pathogens and clostridial species, and administration of doramectin pour-on for control of internal and external parasites. All heifers were administered 36 mg of zeranol at study initiation and were assigned to 1 of 10 pens (n = 5 pens/treatment with 10 heifers/pen) in a randomized complete block design (blocked by location). Each pen was randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: 20.3 cm (8IN) or 40.6 cm (16IN) of linear bunk space/heifer. Heifers were individually weighed on days 1, 14, 35, 63, 84, and 109. Heifers were programmed to gain 1.36 kg daily based on predictive equations set forth by the California Net Energy System. To calculate predictive values, a final BW of 575 kg was assumed to be the mature BW of the heifers and tabular net energy values of 2.05 NEm and 1.36 NEg from days 1 to 22, 2.00 NEm and 1.35 NEg from days 23 to 82, and 1.97 NEm and 1.32 NEg from days 83 to 109 were used. Data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS 9.4 with manger space allocation as the fixed effect and block as the random effect. No differences (P > 0.35) were observed between 8IN or 16IN heifers for initial BW, final BW, average daily gain, dry matter intake, feed efficiency, variation in daily weight gain within each pen or applied energetic measures. No differences (P > 0.50) were observed between treatments for morbidity. Although not statistically analyzed, 8IN heifers appeared to have looser stools during the first 2 weeks compared to the 16IN heifers. These data suggest restricting manger space allocation from 40.6 to 20.3 cm did not negatively influence gain efficiency or the efficiency of dietary net energy utilization in heifers programmed fed a concentrate-based diet to gain 1.36 kg daily. The use of tabular net energy values and required net energy of maintenance and retained energy equations are effective means to program cattle to a desired rate of daily gain during the growing phase.
The European Union’s response to the Covid-19 crisis and (the legitimacy of) the Union’s legal order
Authors: Delhomme Vincent , Hervey Tamara
Published: January 2023

In EU legal scholarship, crises are associated with further European integration, often with legal and institutional innovations. Our analysis, covering examples of all aspects of ‘Union Covid law’, investigates two questions. To what extent is this true for the Covid-19 crisis—is Union Covid law what we expected? How has the pandemic re-shaped our understanding of the Union’s legal order, and especially its legitimacy? We draw out three broad overlapping themes, the ‘market/social’, ‘science/politics’, and ‘technocracy/democracy’ dimensions of Union law. We consider both the Union’s health law, and its economic governance, alongside other changes across a wide sweep of Union law including institutional law, and numerous aspects of internal market law, such as competition/state aids and consumer protection law. Overall, we show that Union Covid law is mostly predictable. However, our analysis demonstrates two important surprises. First, a narrow notion of the disciplines of the internal market, usually supposed to be fundamental to Union law, has been profoundly challenged. Second, the Union has not only deployed all its existing redistributive competences to respond to the pandemic. The Union has also effectively redefined its fiscal and economic governance powers to create a redistributive facility which, though formally limited in time, far exceeds in scale and scope any previous Union redistributive activity. Past Union crisis responses involved changes taking place outside Union legal structures, with the law sometimes ‘playing catch up’ in later Treaty amendments. This time, the Union’s Covid-19 crisis response at least purportedly takes place within existing legal constraints. This is new. We show, on the one hand, that the Union’s ‘output’ legitimacy has been enhanced. The Union is not forever condemned to lack legitimacy because of its economic constitutional settlement. The idea of a Union based on a legally encoded dominance of the ‘economic’ over ‘health’ interests—already widely discredited in Union health law scholarship—is replaced by Union law based on creative interpretations of formal competences, designed to meet the needs of human health as well as Union-wide economic recovery. On the other hand, however, the move to executive and technocratic governance associated with the Union’s pandemic response is a step backwards in terms of ‘input’ and ‘throughput’ legitimacy, in terms of both policy substance and law enforcement. The lack of democratic or judicial oversight over Union Covid-19 (soft) law negatively affects the legitimacy of Union law.
B cell‐dependent subtypes and treatment‐based immune correlates to survival in stage 3 and 4 lung adenocarcinomas
Authors: Raju Paul Susan , Valiev Ivan , Korek Skylar E. , Zyrin Vladimir , Shamsutdinova Diana , Gancharova Olga , Zaitsev Alexander , Nuzhdina Ekaterina , Davies Diane L. , Dagogo‐Jack Ibiayi , Frenkel Felix , Brown Jessica H. , Hess Joshua M. , Viet Sarah , Petersen Jason L. , Wright Cameron D. , Ott Harald C. , Auchincloss Hugh G. , Muniappan Ashok , Shioda Toshihiro , Lanuti Michael , Davis Christel M. , Ehli Erik A. , Hung Yin P. , Mino‐Kenudson Mari , Tsiper Maria , Sluder Ann E. , Reeves Patrick M. , Kotlov Nikita , Bagaev Alexander , Ataullakhanov Ravshan , Poznansky Mark C.
Published: January 2023

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer‐related deaths worldwide. Surgery and chemoradiation are the standard of care in early stages of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), while immunotherapy is the standard of care in late‐stage NSCLC. The immune composition of the tumor microenvironment (TME) is recognized as an indicator for responsiveness to immunotherapy, although much remains unknown about its role in responsiveness to surgery or chemoradiation. In this pilot study, we characterized the NSCLC TME using mass cytometry (CyTOF) and bulk RNA sequencing (RNA‐Seq) with deconvolution of RNA‐Seq being performed by Kassandra, a recently published deconvolution tool. Stratification of patients based on the intratumoral abundance of B cells identified that the B‐cell rich patient group had increased expression of CXCL13 and greater abundance of PD1+ CD8 T cells. The presence of B cells and PD1+ CD8 T cells correlated positively with the presence of intratumoral tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS). We then assessed the predictive and prognostic utility of these cell types and TLS within publicly available stage 3 and 4 lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) RNA‐Seq datasets. As previously described by others, pre‐treatment expression of intratumoral 12‐chemokine TLS gene signature is associated with progression free survival (PFS) in patients who receive treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Notably and unexpectedly pre‐treatment percentages of intratumoral B cells are associated with PFS in patients who receive surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation. Further studies to confirm these findings would allow for more effective patient selection for both ICI and non‐ICI treatments.
The Reliability of the AO Spine Upper Cervical Classification System in Children: Results of a Multi-Center Study
Authors: O’Neill Nora P. , Mo Andrew Z. , Miller Patricia E. , Glotzbecker Michael P. , Li Ying , Fletcher Nicholas D. , Upasani Vidyadhar V. , Riccio Anthony I. , Spence David , Garg Sumeet , Krengel Walter , Birch Craig , Hedequist Daniel J.
Published: January 2023

Background:

There is no uniform classification system for traumatic upper cervical spine injuries in children. This study assesses the reliability and reproducibility of the AO Upper Cervical Spine Classification System (UCCS), which was developed and validated in adults, to children.

Methods:

Twenty-six patients under 18 years old with operative and nonoperative upper cervical injuries, defined as from the occipital condyle to the C2–C3 joint, were identified from 2000 to 2018. Inclusion criteria included the availability of computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging at the time of injury. Patients with significant comorbidities were excluded. Each case was reviewed by a single senior surgeon to determine eligibility. Educational videos, schematics describing the UCCS, and imaging from 26 cases were sent to 9 pediatric orthopaedic surgeons. The surgeons classified each case into 3 categories: A, B, and C. Inter-rater reliability was assessed for the initial reading across all 9 raters by Fleiss’s kappa coefficient (kF) along with 95% confidence intervals. One month later, the surgeons repeated the classification, and intra-rater reliability was calculated. All images were de-identified and randomized for each read independently. Intra-rater reproducibility across both reads was assessed using Fleiss’s kappa. Interpretations for reliability estimates were based on Landis and Koch (1977): 0 to 0.2, slight; 0.2 to 0.4, fair; 0.4 to 0.6, moderate; 0.6 to 0.8, substantial; and >0.8, almost perfect agreement.

Results:

Twenty-six cases were read by 9 raters twice. Sub-classification agreement was moderate to substantial with ακestimates from 0.55 for the first read and 0.70 for the second read. Inter-rater agreement was moderate (kF 0.56 to 0.58) with respect to fracture location and fair (kF 0.24 to 0.3) with respect to primary classification (A, B, and C). Krippendorff’s alpha for intra-rater reliability overall sub-classifications ranged from 0.41 to 0.88, with 0.75 overall raters.

Conclusion:

Traumatic upper cervical injuries are rare in the pediatric population. A uniform classification system can be vital to guide diagnosis and treatment. This study is the first to evaluate the use of the UCCS in the pediatric population. While moderate to substantial agreement was found, limitations to applying the UCCS to the pediatric population exist, and thus the UCCS can be considered a starting point for developing a pediatric classification.

Level of Evidence:

Level III.
A Data-Driven Approach to Identify the Predictors of Perceived Health Status Among Chinese and Korean Americans
Authors: Park Jung In , Lee Grace Eunyoung , Lee Sunmin
Published: January 2023

Asian Americans are the country's fastest-growing racial group, and several studies have focused on the health outcomes of Asian Americans, including perceived health status. Perceived health status provides a summarized view of the health of populations for diverse domains, such as the psychological, social, and behavioral aspects. Given its multifaceted nature, perceived health status should be carefully approached when examining any variables' influence because it results from interactions among many variables. A data-driven approach using machine learning provides an effective way to discover new insights when there are complex interactions among multiple variables. To date, there are not many studies available that use machine learning to examine the effects of diverse variables on the perceived health status of Chinese and Korean Americans. This study aims to develop and evaluate three prediction models using logistic regression, random forest, and support vector machines to find the predictors of perceived health status among Chinese and Korean Americans from survey data. The prediction models identified specific predictors of perceived health status. These predictors can be utilized when planning for effective interventions for the better health outcomes of Chinese and Korean Americans.
Using Virtual Reality for Deep Inferior Epigastric Perforator Flap Preoperative Planning
Authors: Freidin Dor , Singolda Roei , Tejman-Yarden Shai , Parmat Yisrael , Liran Alon , Ofir Hagit , Saukhat Olga , Haik Josef , Barnea Yoav , Tessone Ariel
Published: January 2023

Introduction:

This study was designed to compare VR stereoscopical three-dimensional (3D) imaging with two-dimensional computed tomography angiography (CTA) images for evaluating the abdominal vascular anatomy before autologous breast reconstruction.

Methods:

This prospective case series feasibility study was conducted in two tertiary medical centers. Participants were women slated to undergo free transverse rectus abdominis muscle, unilateral or bilateral deep inferior epigastric perforator flap immediate breast reconstruction. Based on a routine CTA, a 3D VR model was generated. Before each procedure, the surgeons examined the CTA and then the VR model. Any new information provided by the VR imaging was submitted to a radiologist for confirmation before surgery. Following each procedure, the surgeons completed a questionnaire comparing the two methods.

Results:

Thirty women between 34 and 68 years of age were included in the study; except for one, all breast reconstructions were successful. The surgeons ranked VR higher than CTA in terms of better anatomical understanding and operative anatomical findings. In 72.4% of cases, VR models were rated having maximum similarity to reality, with no significant difference between the type of perforator anatomical course or complexity. In more than 70% of the cases, VR was considered to have contributed to determining the surgical approach. In four cases, VR imaging modified the surgical strategy, without any complications.

Conclusions:

VR imaging was well-accepted by the surgeons who commented on its importance and ease compared with the standard CTA presentation. Further studies are needed to determine whether VR should become an integral part of preoperative deep inferior epigastric perforator surgery planning.
Malassezia restricta promotes alcohol-induced liver injury
Authors: Zeng Suling , Hartmann Phillipp , Park Minji , Duan Yi , Lang Sonja , Llorente Cristina , Wang Yanhan , Cabré Noemí , Fouts Derrick E. , Bacher Petra , Jung Won Hee , Stärkel Peter , Schnabl Bernd
Published: January 2023

Chronic alcohol consumption is associated with intestinal fungal dysbiosis, yet we understand little about how alterations of intestinal fungi (mycobiota) contribute to the pathogenesis of alcohol-associated liver disease. By reanalyzing internal transcribed spacer 2 amplicon sequencing of fecal samples from a cohort of 66 patients with alcohol use disorder for presence (as opposed to relative abundance) of fungal species, we observed that the presence of Malassezia restricta was associated with increased markers of liver injury. M. restricta exacerbates ethanol-induced liver injury both in acute binge and chronic ethanol-feeding models in mice. Using bone marrow chimeric mice, we found that the disease exacerbating effect by M. restricta was mediated by C-type lectin domain family 4, member N on bone marrow-derived cells. M. restricta induces inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in Kupffer cells through C-type lectin domain family 4, member N signaling. Targeting fungal pathobionts might be a therapeutic strategy for alcohol-associated liver disease.
Sodium cholate ameliorates nonalcoholic steatohepatitis by activation of FXR signaling
Authors: Pan Linyu , Yu Ze , Liang Xiaolin , Yao Jiyou , Fu Yanfang , He Xu , Ren Xiaoling , Chen Jiajia , Li Xuejuan , Lu Minqiang , Lan Tian
Published: January 2023

Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has become a major cause of liver transplantation and liver-associated death. The gut-liver axis is a potential therapy for NASH. Sodium cholate (SC) is a choleretic drug whose main component is bile acids and has anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, and hepatoprotective effects. This study aimed to investigate whether SC exerts anti-NASH effects by the gut-liver axis. Mice were fed with an high-fat and high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet for 20 weeks to induce NASH. Mice were daily intragastric administrated with SC since the 11th week after initiation of HFHC feeding. The toxic effects of SC on normal hepatocytes were determined by CCK8 assay. The lipid accumulation in hepatocytes was virtualized by Oil Red O staining. The mRNA levels of genes were determined by real-time quantitative PCR assay. SC alleviated hepatic injury, abnormal cholesterol synthesis, and hepatic steatosis and improved serum lipid profile in NASH mice. In addition, SC decreased HFHC–induced hepatic inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen deposition. The target protein-protein interaction network was established through Cytoscape software, and NR1H4 [farnesoid x receptor (FXR)] was identified as a potential target gene for SC treatment in NASH mice. SC-activated hepatic FXR and inhibited CYP7A1 expression to reduce the levels of bile acid. In addition, high-dose SC attenuated the abnormal expression of cancer markers in NASH mouse liver. Finally, SC significantly increased the expression of FXR and FGF15 in NASH mouse intestine. Taken together, SC ameliorates steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis in NASH mice by activating hepatic and intestinal FXR signaling so as to suppress the levels of bile acid in NASH mouse liver and intestine.
Spontaneous Descemet Layer Dissection Without Pneumodissection in Femtosecond Laser-Assisted Mushroom-Type Deep Anterior Lamellar Keratoplasty
Authors: Montolío-Marzo Elena , Díaz-Valle David , Burgos-Blasco Barbara , Etxabe Haizea , Gegúndez-Fernández José Antonio
Published: January 2023

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to describe a case of spontaneous Descemet layer dissection without pneumodissection in femtosecond laser-assisted mushroom-type deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty.

Methods:

This study is a case report.

Results:

A 46-year-old woman diagnosed with reticular dystrophy underwent, in her left eye, mushroom configuration femtosecond laser-assisted DALK (F-DALK). After laser trephination and removal of the superficial stroma using manual dissection, a type 2 BB formation was observed intraoperatively in the AS-OCT without signs of an associated microperforation. A deeper stromal removal was accomplished by layer-by-layer manual dissection, while the BB persisted. After stromal dissection, the donor cornea was secured with 8 interrupted 10-0 nylon sutures. The next day AS-OCT showed a detachment of DM. After 1 week, a spontaneous resolution of the DM detachment was observed.

Conclusions:

This unknown F-DALK intraoperative complication has been detected through intraoperative AS-OCT images which may improve our understanding of F-DALK surgery and possible complications associated with femtolaser-assisted procedures.
Herpetic Eye Disease After SARS-CoV-2 Vaccination: A CDC-VAERS Database Analysis
Authors: Singh Rohan Bir , Parmar Uday Pratap Singh , Ichhpujani Parul , Jeng Bennie H. , Jhanji Vishal
Published: January 2023

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the cases of herpes simplex and zoster ophthalmicus after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and assess the clinical presentations in patients.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis of cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) between December 11, 2020, and July 1, 2022. Patients diagnosed with herpes simplex ophthalmicus (HSO) and herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) after vaccination with BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech), mRNA-1273 (Moderna), and Ad26.COV2.S (Janssen) were included in the study. We performed a descriptive analysis of patient demographics, history, and ophthalmic and systemic clinical presentations. The correlations between vaccine type and continuous variables were assessed by the one-way analysis of variance test. In addition, we used the Pearson χ2 test to assess the association between 3 vaccines and categorical variables. A post hoc analysis was performed between HSO and HZO onset intervals after vaccination, dose, and vaccine type. The 30-day risk analysis was also performed for HSO and HZO onset postvaccination using the reverse Kaplan–Meier analysis.

Results:

A total of 1180 cases of HZO (983, 83.30%) and HSO (180, 15.25%) were reported. The mean age of patients with HZO and HSO was 59.02 ± 19.05 and 52.68 ± 17.83 years, respectively. Most of the cases of HZO (795, 80.87%) and HSO (131, 72.78%) were reported in patients who received BNT162b2. In the cohort, 63.28% and 65.56% diagnosed with HZO and HSO were women. About one third of HZO (36.52%) and HSO (35.56%) cases were reported after the first dose. More than half of the cases of HZO (61.34%) and HSO (64.45%) were reported within the first 2 weeks after vaccination. The estimated crude reporting rate (per million doses) in the United States was 0.25, 0.22, and 0.47 for BNT162b2, mRNA-1273, and Ad26.COV2.S, respectively. The onset interval for HZO was significantly shorter in patients who received BNT162b2 (20.51 ± 56.20 days, P = 0.030) compared with patients who received mRNA-1273 (36.56 ± 108.67 days) and Ad26.COV2.S (39.66 ± 60.15 days) vaccines. The 30-day risk analysis showed a significantly higher risk of HZO after BNT162b2 than the other 2 vaccines (P = 0.011).

Conclusions:

The low crude reporting rate suggests that HZO and HSO after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination occur rarely. This study provides insights into the possible temporal association between reported HSO and HZO after SARS-CoV-2 vaccines; however, further investigations are required to delineate the possible underlying immunological mechanisms.
Treatment of Clozapine-Associated Sialorrhea
Authors: Miodownik Chanoch , Kreinin Anatoly , Lerner Paul P. , Sokolik Shmuel , Lerner Vladimir
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Hypersalivation is one of the most prevalent and distressing adverse effects associated with clozapine treatment. Currently, there is no standard therapeutic approach toward how to overcome it. Clinicians use various medications for managing this adverse effect. However, some of the agents are not effective enough, whereas others can induce other adverse effects. Recently, several reviews have been published on the treatment of clozapine-associated hypersalivation, in which the focus was on drugs from various pharmacological groups, and little attention was paid to drugs from the group of substituted benzamides. The intention of this brief narrative review is to draw the attention of clinicians to the use of the benzamide group for the treatment of this unpleasant adverse effect.

Methods

A MEDLINE search was conducted to identify published treatment studies and case reports in the literature from 2000 to September 2021, concerning a treatment of clozapine-associated hypersalivation, mainly substituted benzamides.

Results

Accumulating evidence during the last 2 decades indicates that agents derived from the benzamide group may be effective and safe agents for treatment of clozapine-associated hypersalivation. Whether with a psychotropic effect or without, medications from this group may produce a beneficial response.

Conclusions

Substitute benzamide derivatives have emerged as effective and well-tolerated agents for treatment clozapine-associated hypersalivation.
Virtual Visitation in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Chheda Sadhana , Tullius Zoe , Tejeda Kristine A. , Leiner Marie
Published: January 2023

This 5-year study evaluated a virtual visitation implementation initiative in a neonatal intensive care unit. Our objectives were to (1) use the Plan-Do-Study-Act methodological framework to implement a virtual visitation program, (2) investigate whether implementation of virtual visitation could be done with no patient harm and minimal workflow disruption, (3) foster a top-down participatory structure for decision making, and (4) evaluate parent use and satisfaction. The study involved a qualitative and quantitative description of cycles and results. Routine collection of outcome data allowed problems that arose as a result of changing practices to be quickly and efficiently addressed. The study results suggested that the virtual visitation implementation initiative in a neonatal intensive care unit using Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles helped create an environment of trust and provided benefits. A steady increase in the use of virtual visitation by parents and their extended families indicated utilization. During the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual visitation helped families feel connected with each other and their neonate, despite being in separate locations.
NeoConnect
Authors: Antinora Christina , Taylor-Ducharme Sharon , Asselin Sarah , Jacquet Christelle , Ducharme-Roy Daphney , Wazneh Laila , Morrison Samantha , Sinclair Kishawnna , Duby Jessica
Published: January 2023

Background:

Familial involvement in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) reduces parental stress and strengthens parental-infant bonding. However, parents often face barriers to in-person visitation. The coronavirus disease-2019 COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated limitations to parental bedside presence.

Objective:

To design, implement, and evaluate a technology-based program to connect NICU babies with their families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

We created NeoConnect at our level IV NICU, which included parental audio recordings and video chats between parents and their babies. Parental and NICU staff input on NeoConnect was gathered via preimplementation surveys. Inaugural families and staff members completed a postparticipation survey.

Results:

Prior to implementation, all parents who were surveyed (n = 24) wished they could be more involved in their baby's care. In the first 3 months of NeoConnect, 48 families participated in the audio recording project and 14 families participated in the video chat initiative. Following implementation, 85% of surveyed staff (28/33) reported that the patients became calmer when listening to their parents' recorded voice and 100% of surveyed parents (6/6) reported that video chats reduced their stress level.

Conclusion:

Harnessing technology as a tool to increase parental involvement in the NICU is feasible and beneficial for NICU patients and their families.