bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between blood pressure and new onset of chronic kidney disease in non-diabetic Japanese adults: a population-based longitudinal study from 1998 to 2023
Authors: Okawa Yukari , Mitsuhashi Toshiharu
Published: December 2023

Background and Aims

Hypertension is a risk factor for developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). Studies of adult participants in the USA reported that hypertension increased the risk of developing CKD even in the non-diabetic population. However, studies in non-diabetic populations are limited and additional studies in other races are required. This study aimed to examine the relationship between hypertension and the development of CKD in non-diabetic Asian adults.

Methods and Results

In this longitudinal study, non-diabetic Japanese adults who took annual checkups from 1998 to 2023 were included. CKD was defined as <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, and hypertension was classified into four levels according to the guidelines of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association. The Weibull accelerated failure time model was selected because the proportional hazards assumption was violated. Of the 7 363 (men: 40.3%) people in the final cohort, 2 498 (men: 40.1%) developed CKD after a mean follow-up of 7.99 years. Elevated blood pressure (BP) and hypertension stage 2 had a 9% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1%–16%) and 11% (95% CI: 5%–17%) shorter survival time to CKD onset, respectively, than normal BP. Hypertension stage 1 also had a shorter survival to CKD onset by point estimate, but all 95% CIs crossed 1 in all models.

Conclusions

In a relatively healthy Asian population without diabetes, controlling BP to an appropriate range reduces the risk of developing CKD.
Species-level classification provides new insights into the biogeographical patterns of microbial communities in shallow saline lakes
Authors: Len Polina , Meirkhanova Ayagoz , Nugumanova Galina , Cestaro Alessandro , Jeppesen Erik , Vorobjev Ivan A , Donati Claudio , Barteneva Natasha S
Published: December 2023

Saline lakes are rapidly drying out across the globe, particularly in Central Asia, due to climate change and anthropogenic activities. We present the results of a long-read next generation sequencing analysis of the 16S rRNA-based taxonomic structure of bacteriomes of the Tengiz-Korgalzhyn lakes system. We found that the shallow endorheic, mostly saline lakes of the system show unusually low bacterioplankton dispersal rates at species-level taxonomic resolution. The major environmental factor structuring the lake’s microbial communities was salinity. The dominant bacterial phyla of the lakes with high salinity included a significant proportion of marine and halophilic species. In sum, these results, which can be applied to other lake systems of the semi-arid regions, improve our understanding of the factors influencing lake microbiomes undergoing salinization in response to climate change and other anthropogenic factors. Our results show that finer taxonomic classification can provide new insights and improve our understanding of the environmental factors influencing the microbiomes of lakes undergoing salinization in response to climate change and other anthropogenic factors.
Integration of rate and phase codes by hippocampal cell-assemblies supports flexible encoding of spatiotemporal context
Authors: Russo Eleonora , Becker Nadine , Domanski Aleks P. F. , Howe Timothy , Freud Kipp , Durstewitz Daniel , Jones Matthew W.
Published: December 2023

Spatial information is encoded by location-dependent hippocampal place cell firing rates and sub-second, rhythmic entrainment of spike times. These ‘rate’ and ‘temporal’ codes have primarily been characterized in low-dimensional environments under limited cognitive demands; but how is coding configured in complex environments when individual place cells signal several locations, individual locations contribute to multiple routes and functional demands vary? Quantifying rat CA1 population dynamics during a decision-making task, we show that the phase of individual place cells’ spikes relative to the local theta rhythm shifts to differentiate activity in different place fields. Theta phase coding also disambiguates repeated visits to the same location during different routes, particularly preceding spatial decisions. Using unsupervised detection of cell assemblies alongside theoretical simulation, we show that integrating rate and phase coding mechanisms dynamically recruits units to different assemblies, generating spiking sequences that disambiguate episodes of experience and multiplexing spatial information with cognitive context.
A new genome-scale metabolic model of oleaginous microalgae with refined lipid metabolism elucidates Microchloropsis gaditana mutant phenotypes.
Authors: Dupont-Thibert Clemence , Roy Sylvaine , Carneiro Sonia , Pereira Bruno , Careira Rafael , Vilaca Paulo , Collin Severine , Marechal Eric , Billey Elodie , Curien Gilles , Durot Maxime , Jouhet Juliette
Published: December 2023

The oleaginous microalga Microchloropsis gaditana (formerly Nannochloropsis gaditana) has gained large interest due to its potential to produce lipids for a wide range of biotechnological applications. To optimize M. gaditana growth conditions and develop new strains to enhance lipid synthesis and accumulation, a broad understanding of the organism metabolism is essential. Computational models such as genome-scale metabolic models constitute powerful tools for unravelling microorganism metabolism. In this work we present iMgadit23, a new genome-scale metabolic model for M. gaditana. Model covers 2330 reactions involving 1977 metabolites and associated with 889 genes. Pathways involved in membrane and storage glycerolipid biosynthesis and degradation have undergone thorough manual curation and have been comprehensively described based on current knowledge of M. gaditana lipid metabolism. Additionally, we developed a detailed 2D-pathway map of model content to provide a systems-level visualization of M. gaditana metabolism. We demonstrated the predictive capabilities of iMgadit23, validating its ability to qualitatively and quantitatively capture in vivo growth phenotypes under diverse environmental and genetic conditions. Model was also able to capture the role of the Bubblegum acyl-CoA synthetase in remodeling M. gaditana lipid metabolism. iMgadit23 and its 2D map constitute valuable tools to increase understanding of M. gaditana metabolism and deciphering mutant phenotypes, specifically in the context of lipid metabolism. The model holds significant promise in predicting M. gaditana metabolic capabilities, facilitating strain engineering, and optimizing cultivation processes for a broad range of industrial applications.
Performance of Large Language Models on Pharmacy Exam: A Comparative Assessment Using the NAPLEX
Authors: Angel Mirana , Xing Haiyi , Patel Anuj , Alachkar Amal , Baldi Pierre
Published: December 2023

Background

There has been considerable recent effort in integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) across different fields, including healthcare. However, the possibility of applying LLMs in pharmacy-related sciences is under-explored.

Objectives

This study aims to evaluate the capabilities and limitations of six LLMs–GPT-3.5, GPT-4, Llama-2-7B, Llama-2-13B, Llama-2-70B, and Mistral-7B, in the field of pharmacy by assessing their reasoning abilities on a sample of the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX). Additionally, we explore the potential impacts of LLMs on pharmacy education and practice.

Methods

To evaluate the LLMs, we utilized the sample of the NAPLEX exam comprising 225 multiple-choice questions sourced from the APhA Complete Review for Pharmacy, 13th Edition | Pharmacy Library. These questions were presented to the Large Language Models through either local deployment or the Application programming interface (API), and the answers generated by the LLMs were subsequently compared with the answer key.

Results

There is a notable disparity in the performance of the LLMs. GPT-4 emerged as the top performer, accurately answering 87.1% of the questions. Among the six LLMs evaluated, GPT-4 was the only model capable of passing the NAPLEX exam.

Conclusion

We examined the performance of Large Language Models based on their model size, training methods, and fine-tuning algorithms. Given the continuous evolution of LLMs, it is reasonable to anticipate that future models will effortlessly excel in exams such as the NAPLEX. This highlights the significant potential of LLMs to influence the field of pharmacy. Hence, we must evaluate both the positive and negative implications associated with the integration of LLMs in pharmacy education and practice.
Permissible domain walls in monoclinic MAB
ferroelectric phases
Authors: Biran Ido , Gorfman Semën
Published: December 2023

The concept of monoclinic ferroelectric phases has been extensively used over recent decades for the understanding of crystallographic structures of ferroelectric materials. Monoclinic phases have been actively invoked to describe the phase boundaries such as the so-called morphotropic phase boundary in functional perovskite oxides. These phases are believed to play a major role in the enhancement of such functional properties as dielectricity and electromechanical coupling through rotation of spontaneous polarization and/or modification of the rich domain microstructures. Unfortunately, such microstructures remain poorly understood due to the complexity of the subject. The goal of this work is to formulate the geometrical laws behind the monoclinic domain microstructures. Specifically, the result of previous work [Gorfman et al. (2022). Acta Cryst. A78, 158–171] is implemented to catalog and outline some properties of permissible domain walls that connect `strain' domains with monoclinic (MA
/MB
type) symmetry, occurring in ferroelectric perovskite oxides. The term `permissible' [Fousek & Janovec (1969). J. Appl. Phys.
40, 135–142] pertains to the domain walls connecting a pair of `strain' domains without a lattice mismatch. It was found that 12 monoclinic domains may form pairs connected along 84 types of permissible domain walls. These contain 48 domain walls with fixed Miller indices (known as W-walls) and 36 domain walls whose Miller indices may change when free lattice parameters change as well (known as S-walls). Simple and intuitive analytical expressions are provided that describe the orientation of these domain walls, the matrices of transformation between crystallographic basis vectors and, most importantly, the separation between Bragg peaks, diffracted from each of the 84 pairs of domains, connected along a permissible domain wall. It is shown that the orientation of a domain wall may be described by the specific combination of the monoclinic distortion parameters r = [2/(γ − α)][(c/a) − 1], f = (π − 2γ)/(π − 2α) and p = [2/(π − α − γ)] [(c/a) − 1]. The results of this work will enhance understanding and facilitate investigation (e.g. using single-crystal X-ray diffraction) of complex monoclinic domain microstructures in both crystals and thin films.
Female directors and firms’ financial performance: an empirical application of Kanter’s theory in the Indian context
Authors: Maji Santi Gopal , Saha Rupjyoti
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Given the relevance of female directors in the governance of any firm, this paper aims to examine their effect on firms’ financial performance by investigating their general impact and segregating the same into different subgroups based on Kanter’s theory.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the purpose, this study selects a sample of the top 100 listed Indian firms for the period of 2014–2018 and gathers the data pertaining to the variables under consideration from the respective firms’ annual report and corporate database Capitaline Plus. For undertaking the investigation, the authors have segregated the sample into three groups, i.e. firms with boards having less than 10% of female directors are called skewed boards; firms with boards having female directors that range from 10% to 20% are called as tilted board; and firms with boards having sizable representation of female directors of above 20%. To examine the performance impact of overall female directors and their different subgroups, the authors have used a generalized estimating equation model. For the robustness test, the authors have used the fixed-effect model.

Findings

The authors find a significant positive impact of the overall percentage of female directors on the financial performance of firms. Additionally, the results indicate that boards with a titled group of female directors and boards with a sizable representation of female directors significantly positively impact firms’ performance. However, the authors fail to extricate any significant performance impact of boards with a skewed group of female directors.

Practical implications

First, the study reveals that despite prevailing nepotism in India, female directors, owing to their core characteristics, can create a favorable perception of firms in the market. Second, it also works as an eye-opener for regulators by revealing the minimum threshold for female directors that a board should have to exploit the benefits of a gender quota rather than mere compliance with the requirements of the Companies Act, 2013. Third, it implies that more gender-diverse boards can improve a firm’s financial performance only if female directors range between the thresholds of 10% to 20%. Finally, the finding is significant for changing the business culture in India, where institutions are traditionally less supportive of women than in other emerging countries.

Originality/value

Departing from existing studies, which provide evidence on the performance impact of the overall percentage of female directors, the study unveils the differential impact of female directors on firms’ financial performance depending on their level of representation on the board. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study in the context of an emerging market to test Kanter’s theory.
Understanding the determinants of innovation across European member states: a fuzzy-set approach
Authors: Fabri Stephanie , Pace Lisa A. , Cassar Vincent , Bezzina Frank
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The European Innovation Scoreboard is an important indicator of innovation performance across European Member States. Despite its wide application, the indicator fails to highlight the interlinkages that exist among innovation measures and focuses primarily on the linear relationship between the individual measures and the predicted outcome. This study aims to address this gap by applying a novel technique, the fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), to shed light on these interlinkages and highlight the complexity of the determinants underlying innovation performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopted a configurational approach based on fsQCA that is implemented on innovation performance data from European Member States for the period 2011–2018. The approach is based on non-linearity and allows for the analysis of interlinkages based on equifinality, that is, the model recognises that there are different potential paths of high and low innovation performance. In addition, the approach allows for asymmetric relations, where a low innovation outcome is not the exact inverse of that which leads to high innovation outcome.

Findings

The results clearly indicate that innovation outcomes are not based on simple linear relations. Thus, to reap the desired effects from investments in innovation inputs, the complex set of indicators on which innovation performance is based should be taken into consideration. The results clearly indicate the elements of equifinality and asymmetric relations. Different paths lead to high innovation performance and low innovation performance.

Originality/value

The method applied to investigate the determinants of innovation performance is the prime original factor of this study. Thus, the study contributes to literature by highlighting the complexity involved in understanding innovation. By recognising and attempting to detangle this complexity, this study will assist not just academics but also policymakers in designing the necessary measures required to reach this important outcome for a country’s competitive edge.
The impact of environmental terrorism on land degradation: legal comparative studies between Indonesia and Malaysia
Authors: Trihastuti Nanik , Hananto Pulung Widhi H. , Prabandari Adya Paramita , Basir Salawati Mat , Pratama Aditya Agung , Puteri Efrema Ardratya Prakasita
Published: December 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the problem of land degradation as a category of environmental terrorism, which has been increasing along with the rise of open pit mining and oil palm plantation activities.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a doctrinal approach that aims to find the best solution to address the problem of land degradation and environmental terrorism activities in Indonesia through a comparative legal study conducted with the handling of similar cases in Malaysia, which has almost the same character as Indonesia.

Findings

This paper finds that both Indonesia and Malaysia have enacted laws and regulations to address environmental concerns. However, it turns out that relying only on law enforcement is not an optimal solution. Addressing the problem of land degradation would also require the implementation of sustainable development practices, public awareness and cooperative dialogue.

Originality/value

This paper provides a new approach to answer the inclusion of environmental degradation as environmental terrorism, which should also be considered a crime against humanity.
Dyeing of some Egyptian cotton varieties using agricultural wastes (peanut outer skin)
Authors: Bahlool Shereen Omar , Kenawy Zeinab M.
Published: December 2023

Purpose

Peanut skins are an agro-waste product with no commercial value. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate peanut skin as a natural dyestuff and to determine if this natural dye could be used in the dyeing of some Egyptian cotton cultivars.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology consists of several steps; dye extraction procedure from peanut skin through aqueous extraction, then dyeing optimized using simultaneous mordanting using alum. Finally, dyed cotton has been subjected to different textile laboratory tests, for example, color measurements and mechanical properties. Color-fastness was determined on Egyptian cotton fabric. The peanut skin as a source of natural dye and the dyed cotton sample were characterized by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis.

Findings

It was found that the natural dye extracted from peanut skin has an affinity for cotton samples and showed high dyeability with a unique color shade, good color strength and very good fastness.

Originality/value

The novelty of this paper is the extraction of color from the peanut's outer skin which is discarded as waste such as agro-waste of the agricultural process which can be used as a natural dye in the textile industry and applied to dyeing some Egyptian cotton fibers from different genotypes.
Assessment of potential predictive factors of dupilumab response in patients with moderate‐to‐severe atopic dermatitis
Authors: Melé‐Ninot Gemma , Curto‐Barredo Laia , Bonfill‐Ortí Montserrat , Expósito‐Serrano Vicente , Munera‐Campos Mónica , Figueras Nart Ignasi , Riquelme‐Mc Loughlin Constanza , Gómez‐Armayones Sara , Spertino Jorge , Serra‐Baldrich Esther
Published: December 2023

Background

Dupilumab has shown to be an effective and safe treatment for patients with moderate‐to‐severe atopic dermatitis (AD).

Objective

To evaluate the predictive factors of response (PRF) in patients with moderate‐to‐severe AD treated with dupilumab.

Methods

Observational, retrospective and multicentre study conducted on adult patients diagnosed with moderate‐to‐severe AD treated with dupilumab, with a post‐treatment follow‐up of at least 16 weeks. The primary endpoints were EASI‐75 and the IGA scale at week 52.

Results

A total of 198 patients were included in the analysis. Mean age was 38 ± 15.1 years and 116 (58.6%) were men. The most prevalent AD‐predominant phenotypes were flexural eczema (45.3%), head‐and‐neck eczema (18.2%) and erythroderma (17.7%). At week 52, 140 (86.4%) patients achieved EASI‐75 and 119 (93.0%) achieved an improvement in ≥2 points from baseline in IGA score. Women were 3.6 times more likely to achieve EASI‐75 response than men (Odds ratio: 3.58; p = 0.020). While increased body mass index significantly reduced the probability of obtaining an improvement of ≥2 points in the IGA scale at week 52 (odds ratio: 0.88; p = 0.049).

Conclusions

Dupilumab was an effective treatment in patients with moderate‐to‐severe AD. Additionally, sex and body mass index were significantly associated with achieving EASI‐75 and an improvement of ≥2 points in the IGA scale, respectively, at week 52.
Police‐recorded adult sexual assault in the Northern Territory, Australia: Alcohol involvement and alcohol policy effects
Authors: Clifford Sarah , Wright Cassandra J. C. , Miller Peter G. , Baldwin Ryan , Griffiths Kalinda E. , Smith James A. , Livingston Michael
Published: December 2023

Introduction

Between 2017 and 2018 three major alcohol policy changes were introduced in the Northern Territory (NT): the Banned Drinker Register, an individual‐level ban enforced via ID scanners at takeaway outlets; a Minimum Unit Price on alcohol; and Police Auxiliary Liquor Inspectors, who monitor takeaway outlets to prevent purchase by people who do not have a legal place to consume alcohol. We aimed to: (i) describe alcohol‐involved adult sexual assault in the NT; and (ii) estimate the impacts of these alcohol policies on police‐recorded adult sexual assault.

Methods

We used victim records for sexual assault where victims were aged 15 years and over. We undertook descriptive analyses for the NT from 2014 to 2020 and used interrupted time series analysis to assess policy impacts across the NT and in Greater Darwin.

Results

In 2020, the NT adult victimisation rate was 105 per 100,000. A large minority (40%) of adult sexual assaults involved alcohol. Interrupted time series analyses showed no effect of the Banned Drinker Register or Minimum Unit Price on sexual assault across the NT or in Greater Darwin.

Discussion and Conclusions

The rate of adult sexual assaults in the NT is extremely high and many involve alcohol. Neither the Banned Drinker Register or Minimum Unit Price were associated with changes in police‐recorded adult sexual assault in Greater Darwin or across the NT. Due to small counts, we were unable to assess policy impacts in three of the four main towns, highlighting the challenges of assessing impacts of policies on sexual assault in small population areas.
Cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with cortical thickness of medial temporal brain areas associated with spatial cognition in young but not older adults
Authors: Rosario Michael A. , Kern Kathryn L. , Mumtaz Shiraz , Storer Thomas W. , Schon Karin
Published: December 2023

Cardiorespiratory fitness has a potent effect on neurocognitive health, especially regarding the hippocampal memory system. However, less is known about the impact of cardiorespiratory fitness on medial temporal lobe extrahippocampal neocortical regions. Specifically, it is unclear how cardiorespiratory fitness modulates these brain regions in young adulthood and if these regions are differentially related to cardiorespiratory fitness in young versus older adults. The primary goal of this study was to investigate if cardiorespiratory fitness predicted medial temporal lobe cortical thickness which, with the hippocampus, are critical for spatial learning and memory. Additionally, given the established role of these cortices in spatial navigation, we sought to determine if cardiorespiratory fitness and medial temporal lobe cortical thickness would predict greater subjective sense of direction in both young and older adults. Cross‐sectional data from 56 young adults (20–35 years) and 44 older adults (55–85 years) were included. FreeSurfer 6.0 was used to automatically segment participants' 3T T1‐weighted images. Using hierarchical multiple regression analyses, we confirmed significant associations between greater cardiorespiratory fitness and greater left entorhinal, left parahippocampal, and left perirhinal cortical thickness in young, but not older, adults. Left parahippocampal cortical thickness interacted with age group to differentially predict subjective sense of direction in young and older adults. Young adults displayed a positive, and older adults a negative, correlation between left parahippocampal cortical thickness and sense of direction. Our findings extend previous work on the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and hippocampal subfield structure in young adults to left medial temporal lobe neocortical regions.
Dopamine neuron activity evoked by sucrose and sucrose‐predictive cues is augmented by peripheral and central manipulations of glucose availability
Authors: Konanur Vaibhav R. , Hurh Samantha J. , Hsu Ted M. , Roitman Mitchell F.
Published: December 2023

Food deprivation drives eating through multiple signals and circuits. Decreased glucose availability (i.e., cytoglucopenia) drives eating and also increases the value of sucrose. Ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons (DANs) contribute to the evaluation of taste stimuli, but their role in integrating glucoprivic signals remains unknown. We monitored VTA DAN activity via Cre‐dependent expression of a calcium indicator with in vivo fibre photometry. In ad libitum fed rats, intraoral sucrose evoked a phasic increase in DAN activity. To manipulate glucose availability, we administered (intraperitoneal, lateral or fourth ventricular) the antiglycolytic agent 5‐thio‐D‐glucose (5TG), which significantly augmented the phasic DAN activity to sucrose. 5TG failed to alter DAN activity to water or saccharin, suggesting the response was selective for caloric stimuli. 5TG enhancement of sucrose‐evoked DAN activity was stronger after fourth ventricular administration, suggesting a critical node of action within the hindbrain. As 5TG also increases blood glucose, in a separate study, we used peripheral insulin, which stimulates eating, to decrease blood glucose—which was associated with increased DAN activity to intraoral sucrose. DAN activity developed to a cue predictive of intraoral sucrose. While 5TG augmented cue‐evoked DAN activity, its action was most potent when delivered to the lateral ventricle. Together, the studies point to central glucose availability as a key modulator of phasic DAN activity to food and food‐cues. As glucose sensing neurons are known to populate the hypothalamus and brainstem, results suggest differential modulation of cue‐evoked and sucrose‐evoked DAN activity.
Comparison of nitrogen mineralisation patterns of Cichorium intybus and Medicago sativa
Authors: Gardner Matthew J. , Condon Jason R. , Dear Brian S. , Conyers Mark K. , Li Guangdi D.
Published: December 2023

Little is known about the rate of mineralisation of chicory (Cichorium intybus) residues and how this may influence the availability of nitrogen (N) for subsequent crops. An incubation study was conducted to compare the relative rates of N mineralisation and carbon dioxide production from different plant fractions of chicory and lucerne (Medicago sativa) over 112 days. Plants were separated into leaves, stems, fibrous roots (<1 mm), and taproots (>4 mm), which were either ground or segmented, and then mixed with soil in sealed jars. Results showed that net N mineralisation occurred from day 7 for lucerne leaves, but not until day 56 for chicory leaves. By day 112, chicory leaves only produced approximately 25% of the N mineralised by lucerne leaves. Segmented chicory taproots released 32% and 24% more of the plant N and carbon (C), respectively, than any other chicory and lucerne plant fractions despite having a C:N ratio greater than 30. The presence of a common fungal saprophyte (Rhizopus spp.) in the segmented chicory taproot treatments appeared to accelerate the net N mineralisation rate. Whilst coarse chicory roots released mineral N relatively rapidly, the lower N content observed in the chicory plant residues limited the capacity of chicory to release the same quantity of mineral N compared to lucerne. Chicory needs to be grown with a companion legume so that N mineralisation of the residues better matches the demands of N requirement for the following non‐legume cropping phase.
Perspectives and perception of haemophilia gene therapy by French patients
Authors: Pietu Geneviève , Giraud Nicolas , Chamouard Valérie , Duport Gaétan , Lienhart Anne , Dargaud Yesim
Published: December 2023

Introduction and aim

A national survey was initiated by representatives of French patients with haemophilia (AFH) and the French reference centre for haemophilia, in order to appreciate the awareness and knowledge of these patients regarding haemophilia gene therapy (HGT) and understand better their position about this innovative treatment that will soon become available.

Results

Of 143 answers received, 137 could be analysed, representing about 3.5% of patients with severe or moderate haemophilia over 16year‐old. They were 80.3% with haemophilia A and 19.7 % with haemophilia B, with a severe form of the disease for 80.3 % of them. Curiosity for HGT was formulated by 64.2% of the participants, 33.6 % being interested by this approach as soon as it will be available and 38.7 % preferring to wait until more patients have been treated. Only 3.6 % of the participants would never consider receiving HGT. The level of awareness and knowledge was estimated to be limited by 39.5 % of the patients. More than 60 % of them declared having never or almost never discussed HGT with the team of their haemophilia centre. Before deciding to get HGT, 54.4 % of the participants considered that it will be very important to compare it with their current treatment and 53.7 % would like to be better informed by their care providers.

Conclusions

These results highlight the need for training and education for patients, but also for professionals at haemophilia centres, about HGT and the shared decision‐making process. Objective, unbiased and transparent information must be available for patients about this very promising therapy which nonetheless carries more uncertainty and unknowns compared to other haemophilia treatments.
Mycobacterium haemophilum infection in immunocompetent adults: a literature review and case report
Authors: Sun Yuan , Li Huiyan
Published: December 2023

Background

Mycobacterium haemophilum has been increasingly found in severely immunocompromised patients but is scarcely reported in immunocompetent adults.

Methods

We systematically reviewed previous literature to identify studies on infection in immunocompetent adults. Articles reporting at least one case of M. haemophilum infection were included. We excluded articles involving patients who had immunosuppression‐related diseases and routinely used glucocorticoids or immunosuppressants. We also reported a case of a young immunocompetent woman infected by M. haemophilum along the eyebrows, which was probably due to the use of an eyebrow pencil retrieved from a sink drain.

Results

Twelve qualifying articles reporting M. haemophilum infection in immunocompetent adults were identified. Among them, most cases report skin lesions along the eyebrows, and the remaining had cervicofacial lymphadenitis, lesions on the arm or fingers, inflammation in the eyeballs, or ulceration in the perineal region. Most cases were caused by tattoos, make‐up, injury, or surgical operation. For diagnosis, specialized tissue culture sensitivity was roughly 75%, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test sensitivity was approximately 89%. Triple antibiotic therapy for 3 to 24 months, or surgical excision was effective in controlling infection.

Conclusion

M. haemophilum infection should be considered if routine antibacterial and glucocorticoid treatments are ineffective against the disease, even in healthy adults. To definitively diagnose this infection, conditioned tissue culture or PCR testing is required. Treatment usually involves a combination of multiple antibiotics and, if necessary, surgical removal of infected tissue.
Th9/IL‐9 may participate in the pathogenesis of multiple myeloma
Authors: Liu Yihan , Xie Yinghua , Han Xiyao , Li Pei , Zhou Jianan , Hu Xinxin , Wang Qiuyun
Published: December 2023

Introduction

This research is aimed to evaluate the correlation between Th9‐associated cytokine levels in MM patients, clinical features, and therapy.

Methods

Peripheral blood samples were taken in 52 MM patients and 20 healthy volunteers matched by sex and age. The patients with MM were separated into two groups: the untreated group (27) and the remission group (25). An enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the IL‐9 plasma levels. The levels of Th9‐associated cytokines' mRNA expression (IL‐9, PU.1, and IRF4) were measured in RT‐qPCR. We also analyzed the correlations between the IL‐9 plasma levels and the clinical parameters of newly diagnosed MM patients.

Results

The IL‐9 plasma levels and the Th9‐associated cytokines (IL‐9, PU.1, and IRF4) mRNA levels in newly diagnosed MM patients were significantly elevated than those in healthy volunteers and significantly decreased after achieving remission. Moreover, PU.1 and IRF4 had a positive correlation with the IL‐9 mRNA expression. Then, we found that the upregulation of IL‐9 plasma levels correlates with the severity of anemia and decreased albumin Levels.

Conclusion

The results demonstrate that Th9/IL‐9 may be involved in the pathogenesis of MM and is correlated with worse patient conditions such as lower hemoglobin and serum albumin. More work is necessary to confirm whether they might serve as a useful therapeutic target and prognostic marker for MM.
Microsatellite imputation using SNP data for parentage verification in four Italian sheep breeds
Authors: Ablondi Michela , Stocco Giorgia , Cortellari Matteo , Carta Antonello , Summer Andrea , Negro Alessio , Grande Silverio , Crepaldi Paola , Cipolat‐Gotet Claudio , Biffani Stefano
Published: December 2023

Microsatellite markers (MS) have been widely used for parentage verification in most of the livestock species over the past decades mainly due to their high polymorphic information content. In the genomic era, the spread of genotype information as single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) has raised the question to effectively use SNPs also for parentage testing. Despite the clear advantages of SNP panels in terms of cost, accuracy, and automation, the transition from MS to SNP markers for parentage verification is still very slow and, so far, only routinely applied in cattle. A major difficulty during this transition period is the need of SNP data for parents and offspring, which in most cases is not yet feasible due to the genotyping cost. To overcome the unavailability of same genotyping platform during the transition period, in this study we aimed to assess the feasibility of a MS imputation pipeline from SNPs in four native sheep dairy breeds: Comisana (N = 331), Massese (N = 210), Delle Langhe (N = 59) and Sarda (N = 1003). Those sheep were genotyped for 11 MS and with the Ovine SNP50 Bead Chip. Prior to imputation, a quality control (QC) was performed, and SNPs located within a window of 2 Mb from each MS were selected. The core of the developed pipeline was made up of three steps: (a) storing of both MS and SNP data in a Variant Call Format file, (b) masking MS information in a random sample of individuals (10%), (c) imputing masked MS based on non‐missing individuals (90%) using an imputation program. The feasability of the proposed methodology was assessed also among different training − testing split ratio, population size, number of flanking SNPs as well as within and among breeds. The accuracy of the MS imputation was assessed based on the genotype concordance as well as at parentage verification level in a subset of animals in which assigned parents' MS were available. A total of 8 MS passed the QC, and 505 SNPs were located within the ±2 Mb window from each MS, with an average of 63 SNPs per MS. The results were encouraging since when excluding the worst imputed MS (OARAE129), and regardless on the analyses performed (within and across breeds) for all breeds, we achieved an overall concordance rate over 94%. In addition, on average, the imputed offspring MS resulted in equivalent parentage outcome in 94% of the cases when compared to verification using original MS, highlighting both the feasibility and the eventual practical advantage of using this imputation pipeline.
Variation in functional composition of reef fishes along a tropical‐to‐temperate gradient
Authors: Clay Charlotte G. , Reimer James D. , Sommer Brigitte , Cook Katie M. , Mizuyama Masaru , Obuchi Masami , Kawamura Iori , Kise Hiroki , Beger Maria
Published: December 2023

Aims

Transformation of species and functional composition on subtropical reefs are ongoing due to poleward range shifts of some tropical species, with largely unknown consequences to ecosystem functioning. Trait‐based approaches are powerful tools to quantify such changes. Here, we evaluated changes in the trait composition of coral‐associated fish assemblages along a tropical‐to‐temperate environmental gradient of ca. 1400 km in southern Japan with abundance‐weighted trait expression to assess how trait composition changes with increasing latitude.

Location

Ryukyu Islands and southern Pacific coast of Japan.

Taxon

Reef fish.

Methods

We tested for shifts in trait space and functional redundancy, based on five morphological, life history and behavioural traits: maximum length, pelagic larval duration, trophic level, substrate preference and reproductive mode. Our trait database was coded with two approaches, first, by attributing a single value to each trait per species, and second, by fuzzy coding that allows more than one value per trait and hence considers some intraspecific trait variation.

Results

We found a reduction in specialist habitat traits (coral substrate preference, nesters and herbivores) and an increase in generalist traits (predators) with increasing latitude, along with a contraction in trait space from tropical‐to‐temperate reefs. Functional redundancy declined with increasing latitude. These trends were closely linked with latitudinal gradients in temperature, along with changes in other environmental factors such as turbidity and photosynthetically active radiation.

Main Conclusion

Functional turnover and contractions are thus likely due to the marginal conditions for coral‐associated fishes at higher latitudes, favouring generalist species, whereas increased resources at lower latitudes favour high redundancy and niche partitioning. Accounting for intraspecific trait variation indicated the same trends but highlighted increased functional vulnerability across all sites. We show that trait complexity in coral‐associated fish communities decreases from tropical‐to‐temperate reefs, highlighting the reduced functional scope that comes with marginal environmental conditions.
Responses of leaf biomechanics and underlying traits to rangeland management differ between graminoids and forbs
Authors: Segrestin Jules , Kazakou Elena , Coq Sylvain , Sartori Kevin , Richarte Jean , Rowe Nick P. , Garnier Eric
Published: December 2023

Question

Although leaf biomechanical properties have been identified as critical traits for plant‐herbivore interactions, their responses to grazing pressure have been poorly investigated. Intensification of rangeland management, associated with fertilization and an increase in grazing pressure, has been shown to favour fast‐growing species that can compensate for biomass losses due to grazing. According to the postulated trade‐off between resource acquisition and defence, it is often expected that acquisitive traits should be associated with low leaf mechanical resistance. Here we investigated the responses of two leaf biomechanical traits, and their underlying traits, to management intensification.

Location

We used a long‐term experiment in a rangeland located in the Mediterranean region of Southern France, in which three treatments corresponding to different fertilizer inputs and sheep grazing pressures were established.

Methods

We sampled 24 abundant graminoid and forb species. The responses of work to shear and force to tear to the treatments were tested together with those of growth‐related leaf traits (leaf mass per area, dry matter content). To better understand the observed patterns, we tested whether the difference between species’ leaf biomechanics could be explained by morpho‐anatomical characteristics such as leaf thickness and density.

Results

Consistent with the acquisition–defence trade‐off hypothesis, we found that graminoids from fertilized and intensely grazed areas had lower leaf resistance than those in ungrazed areas. However, no difference in leaf biomechanics was found in forbs despite a significant decrease in leaf mass per area and leaf dry matter content with management intensification. Consistent with this, we found no significant effect of morpho‐anatomical traits on either biomechanical trait in forbs.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the observed responses in graminoids result from phenotypic constraints between resource acquisition and biomechanical defence. However, these phenotypic constraints appeared to be released in forbs, questioning the idea of a universal relationship between these two functions.
Oral health knowledge and attitude among healthcare professionals of long‐term care units: A cross‐sectional survey
Authors: Baptista Ana , Gavinha Sandra , Conceição Manso Maria
Published: December 2023

Background

This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and the attitude in oral health (OH) of nurses (NUR) and auxiliary health technicians (AHT) belonging to the Long‐term Care Units (LTC).

Methods

Observational cross‐sectional study. A survey was applied in five MLTC in Porto (Portugal) to 145 healthcare works (HCW). Data were collected using structured questionnaires with questions about knowledge and attitude regarding oral care. Data analysis comparison was performed using non‐parametric tests (α = 0.05).

Results

Out of a total of 259 HCW, 145 responses were obtained (55.98% response rate). The median number of correct answers was significantly different for NUR and AHT without oral health training (OHT) (p = .035).AHT with OHT had a significantly lower number of correct answers compared to NUR with OHT (7 vs. 9, p < .001). There was no significant difference in the number of correct answers in NUR with or without OHT (p = .391) and that the AHT without OHT have a median of correct answers significantly higher than those who they have OHT (8 vs. 7, p = .020)

Conclusions

Despite the positive attitude of the HCW, the knowledge is scarce. HCW recognized the urgence to update the protocols.

Practical Implications

Integrating dentists in the LTC team, implementation of OH protocols and providing OH training should be considered to bridge existing gaps.
To be remembered: B cell memory response against SARS‐CoV‐2 and its variants in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals
Authors: Ahmed Nafees , Athavale Atharv , Tripathi Ankita H. , Subramaniam Adarsh , Upadhyay Santosh K. , Pandey Anil Kumar , Rai Ramesh Chandra , Awasthi Amit
Published: December 2023

COVID‐19 disease has plagued the world economy and affected the overall well‐being and life of most of the people. Natural infection as well as vaccination leads to the development of an immune response against the pathogen. This involves the production of antibodies, which can neutralize the virus during future challenges. In addition, the development of cellular immune memory with memory B and T cells provides long‐lasting protection. The longevity of the immune response has been a subject of intensive research in this field. The extent of immunity conferred by different forms of vaccination or natural infections remained debatable for long. Hence, understanding the effectiveness of these responses among different groups of people can assist government organizations in making informed policy decisions. In this article, based on the publicly available data, we have reviewed the memory response generated by some of the vaccines against SARS‐CoV‐2 and its variants, particularly B cell memory in different groups of individuals.
Genomic full‐length sequence of the novel HLA‐DQB1*04:01:01:04 allele
Authors: Yang John Jeongseok , Oh Heung‐Bum
Published: December 2023

The sequence of HLA‐DQB1*04:01:01:04 differs from HLA‐DQB1*04:01:01:03 by four nucleotide deletion in intron 2.
Computer vision model for the detection of canine pododermatitis and neoplasia of the paw
Authors: Smith Andrew , Carroll Patrick W. , Aravamuthan Srikanth , Walleser Emil , Lin Haley , Anklam Kelly , Döpfer Dörte , Apostolopoulos Neoklis
Published: December 2023

Background

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been used successfully in human dermatology. AI utilises convolutional neural networks (CNN) to accomplish tasks such as image classification, object detection and segmentation, facilitating early diagnosis. Computer vision (CV), a field of AI, has shown great results in detecting signs of human skin diseases. Canine paw skin diseases are a common problem in general veterinary practice, and computer vision tools could facilitate the detection and monitoring of disease processes. Currently, no such tool is available in veterinary dermatology.

Animals

Digital images of paws from healthy dogs and paws with pododermatitis or neoplasia were used.

Objectives

We tested the novel object detection model Pawgnosis, a Tiny YOLOv4 image analysis model deployed on a microcomputer with a camera for the rapid detection of canine pododermatitis and neoplasia.

Materials and Methods

The prediction performance metrics used to evaluate the models included mean average precision (mAP), precision, recall, average precision (AP) for accuracy and frames per second (FPS) for speed.

Results

A large dataset labelled by a single individual (Dataset A) used to train a Tiny YOLOv4 model provided the best results with a mean mAP of 0.95, precision of 0.86, recall of 0.93 and 20 FPS.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

This novel object detection model has the potential for application in the field of veterinary dermatology.
Comparative Analysis of the Pre- and Post-soviet Caucasian Press at the Example of Georgian Newspapers: “Sakartvelo” (Georgia) (1918) and “Kviris Palitra” (2022)
Authors: Bukia Tsitsino
Published: December 2023

In the present reality, the stability of the Caucasus region is essential for the correct and democratic development of the post-Soviet area countries. The press reflects the reality of what is happening, therefore, studying its quality and content always gives an opportunity to draw the adequate conclusion.Goal of the research is to determine to what extent the Caucasian (in particular, Georgian) press missed the path of its natural development due to appearing in the Soviet reality. What was the pre-Soviet and post-Soviet Georgian press like?The research was conducted on the basis of a comparative analysis of the content of the National Democratic Party newspaper “Sakartvelo” (Georgia) (1918) and the modern free public-political newspaper “Kviris Palitra” (2022).Before the forced unification of the Transcaucasian region into the Soviet Union, the local press was developing democratically. There were party newspapers, government and opposition publications. In modern reality, in the post-Soviet space, in the conditions of freedom of the press, newspapers show the tendency of total tabloidization. Irrelevant, unverified and biased information is often published.As a result of the research, it was determined that the pre-Soviet press was of high quality and developed democratically, and the Soviet experience had such a negative impact that in the post-Soviet reality, the Transcaucasian press did not have three decades to return to its natural development path.