bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of hydroxychloroquine on disease progression and ICU admissions in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection
Authors: Awad Nirvana , Schiller Daryl S , Fulman Magda , Chak Azfar
Published: February 2021

Purpose

To evaluate whether use of hydroxychloroquine was associated with a reduced likelihood of intensive care unit (ICU) admission in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the early weeks of the pandemic.

Methods

A retrospective, observational cohort study was conducted to determine selected treatment outcomes in 336 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at an acute care community hospital in the Hudson Valley region of New York from March 20 to April 20, 2020. Eligibility included admission to the hospital, a laboratory-confirmed diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, and no need for intubation or intensive care at admission. The median (interquartile range) ages of patients who received hydroxychloroquine (n = 188) and those who did not (n = 148) were 68 (58-82) and 64 (51-73) years, respectively. In a multivariable model that included age, gender, obesity, diabetes, and hydroxychloroquine use, patients who received hydroxychloroquine were significantly more likely than those not treated with the drug to be transferred to an ICU (odds ratio, [OR], 8.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.8-17) and significantly more likely to be intubated (OR, 7.99; 95% CI, 3.76-16.91); these associations were not influenced by disease severity. In-hospital mortality did not differ significantly with disease severity between those who did and those who did not receive hydroxychloroquine.

Conclusion

Hydroxychloroquine use was significantly associated with increased risks of ICU admission and intubation in patients with mild, moderate, and severe symptoms of COVID-19. There were no significant between-group differences in mortality with use vs nonuse of hydroxychloroquine.
The landscape of different molecular modules in an immune microenvironment during tuberculosis infection
Authors: Zhang Nan , Luo Xizi , Huang JuanJuan , Song Hongyan , Zhang Xinyue , Huang Honglan , Zhao Shishun , Wang Guoqing
Published: February 2021

Tuberculosis is a chronic inflammatory disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. When tuberculosis invades the human body, innate immunity is the first line of defense. However, how the innate immune microenvironment responds remains unclear. In this research, we studied the function of each type of cell and explained the principle of an immune microenvironment. Based on the differences in the innate immune microenvironment, we modularized the analysis of the response of five immune cells and two structural cells. The results showed that in the innate immune stress response, the genes CXCL3, PTGS2 and TNFAIP6 regulated by the nuclear factor kappa B(NK-KB) pathway played a crucial role in fighting against tuberculosis. Based on the active pathway algorithm, each immune cell showed metabolic heterogeneity. Besides, after tuberculosis infection, structural cells showed a chemotactic immunity effect based on the co-expression immunoregulatory module.
Neuroinflammation is highest in areas of disease progression in semantic dementia
Authors: Pascual Belen , Funk Quentin , Zanotti-Fregonara Paolo , Cykowski Matthew D , Veronese Mattia , Rockers Elijah , Bradbury Kathleen , Yu Meixiang , Nakawah Mohammad O , Román Gustavo C , Schulz Paul E , Arumanayagam Anithachristy S , Beers David , Faridar Alireza , Fujita Masahiro , Appel Stanley H , Masdeu Joseph C
Published: February 2021

Despite epidemiological and genetic data linking semantic dementia to inflammation, the topography of neuroinflammation in semantic dementia, also known as the semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia, remains unclear. The pathology starts at the tip of the left temporal lobe where, in addition to cortical atrophy, a strong signal appears with the tau PET tracer 18F-flortaucipir, even though the disease is not typically associated with tau but with TDP-43 protein aggregates. Here, we characterized the topography of inflammation in semantic variant primary progressive aphasia using high-resolution PET and the tracer 11C-PBR28 as a marker of microglial activation. We also tested the hypothesis that inflammation, by providing non-specific binding targets, could explain the 18F-flortaucipir signal in semantic variant primary progressive aphasia. Eight amyloid-PET-negative patients with semantic variant primary progressive aphasia underwent 11C-PBR28 and 18F-flortaucipir PET. Healthy controls underwent 11C-PBR28 PET (n = 12) or 18F-flortaucipir PET (n = 12). Inflammation in PET with 11C-PBR28 was analysed using Logan graphical analysis with a metabolite-corrected arterial input function. 18F-flortaucipir standardized uptake value ratios were calculated using the cerebellum as the reference region. Since monoamine oxidase B receptors are expressed by astrocytes in affected tissue, selegiline was administered to one patient with semantic variant primary progressive aphasia before repeating 18F-flortaucipir scanning to test whether monoamine oxidase B inhibition blocked flortaucipir binding, which it did not. While 11C-PBR28 uptake was mostly cortical, 18F-flortaucipir uptake was greatest in the white matter. The uptake of both tracers was increased in the left temporal lobe and in the right temporal pole, as well as in regions adjoining the left temporal pole such as insula and orbitofrontal cortex. However, peak uptake of 18F-flortaucipir localized to the left temporal pole, the epicentre of pathology, while the peak of inflammation 11C-PBR28 uptake localized to a more posterior, mid-temporal region and left insula and orbitofrontal cortex, in the periphery of the damage core. Neuroinflammation, greatest in the areas of progression of the pathological process in semantic variant primary progressive aphasia, should be further studied as a possible therapeutic target to slow disease progression.
Photo-oxygenation by a biocompatible catalyst reduces amyloid-β levels in Alzheimer’s disease mice
Authors: Ozawa Shuta , Hori Yukiko , Shimizu Yusuke , Taniguchi Atsuhiko , Suzuki Takanobu , Wang Wenbo , Chiu Yung Wen , Koike Reiko , Yokoshima Satoshi , Fukuyama Tohru , Takatori Sho , Sohma Youhei , Kanai Motomu , Tomita Taisuke
Published: February 2021

Amyloid formation and the deposition of the amyloid-β peptide are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis. Immunotherapies using anti-amyloid-β antibodies have been highlighted as a promising approach for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease by enhancing microglial clearance of amyloid-β peptide. However, the efficiency of antibody delivery into the brain is limited, and therefore an alternative strategy to facilitate the clearance of brain amyloid is needed. We previously developed an artificial photo-oxygenation system using a low molecular weight catalytic compound. The photocatalyst specifically attached oxygen atoms to amyloids upon irradiation with light, and successfully reduced the neurotoxicity of aggregated amyloid-β via inhibition of amyloid formation. However, the therapeutic effect and mode of actions of the photo-oxygenation system in vivo remained unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that photo-oxygenation facilitates the clearance of aggregated amyloid-β from the brains of living Alzheimer’s disease model mice, and enhances the microglial degradation of amyloid-β peptide. These results suggest that photo-oxygenation may represent a novel anti-amyloid-β strategy in Alzheimer’s disease, which is compatible with immunotherapy.
Oncogenic transcriptomic profile is sustained in the liver after the eradication of the hepatitis C virus
Authors: Takeda Haruhiko , Takai Atsushi , Iguchi Eriko , Mishima Masako , Arasawa Soichi , Kumagai Ken , Eso Yuji , Shimizu Takahiro , Takahashi Ken , Ueda Yoshihide , Taura Kojiro , Hatano Etsuro , Iijima Hiroko , Aoyagi Haruyo , Aizaki Hideki , Marusawa Hiroyuki , Wakita Takaji , Seno Hiroshi
Published: February 2021

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) developing after hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication is a serious clinical concern. However, molecular basis for the hepatocarcinogenesis after sustained virologic response (SVR) remains unclear. In this study, we aimed to unveil the transcriptomic profile of post-SVR liver tissues and explore the molecules associated with post-SVR carcinogenesis. We analysed 90 RNA sequencing datasets, consisting of non-cancerous liver tissues including 20 post-SVR, 40 HCV-positive and 7 normal livers, along with Huh7 cell line specimens before and after HCV infection and eradication. Comparative analysis demonstrated that cell cycle- and mitochondrial function-associated pathways were altered only in HCV-positive non-cancerous liver tissues, whereas some cancer-related pathways were up-regulated in the non-cancerous liver tissues of both post-SVR and HCV-positive cases. The persistent up-regulation of carcinogenesis-associated gene clusters after viral clearance was reconfirmed through in vitro experiments, of which, CYR61, associated with liver fibrosis and carcinogenesis in several cancer types, was the top enriched gene and co-expressed with cell proliferation-associated gene modules. To evaluate whether this molecule could be a predictor of hepatocarcinogenesis after cure of HCV infection, we also examined 127 sera from independent HCV-positive cohorts treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), including 60 post-SVR-HCC patients, and found that the elevated serum Cyr61 was significantly associated with early carcinogenesis after receiving DAA therapy. In conclusion, some oncogenic transcriptomic profiles are sustained in liver tissues after HCV eradication, which might be a molecular basis for the liver cancer development even after viral clearance. Among them, up-regulated CYR61 could be a possible biomarker for post-SVR-HCC.
A Commonsian approach to crime: the Mafia and the economic power to withhold
Authors: Champeyrache Clotilde
Published: February 2021

This paper is a plea for an institutionalist approach to crime. The argument is based on the Italian Mafia’s infiltration of legitimate businesses. The focus is on the power dimension of this infiltration. I begin by emphasising how the traditional branch of crime economics is unable to correctly address this issue. I then use the tools provided by Commons, especially his definition of property and the capacity to withhold and his distinction between will-in-vacuo and will-in-action. Access to property rights over productive entities for Mafiosi provides a perfect illustration of how the capacity to hold rights turns into a power to withhold them from others. Legal Mafia-owned enterprises should not be seen as a step toward normalisation of the Mafia, but rather as a mark of the extension of their criminal power.
A meta-analysis of the capitalisation of CAP direct payments into land prices
Authors: Varacca Alessandro , Guastella Giovanni , Pareglio Stefano , Sckokai Paolo
Published: February 2021

The impact of the European Union common agricultural policy direct payments on land prices has received substantial attention in recent years, leading to heterogeneous evidence of capitalisation for both coupled and decoupled payments. In this paper, we provide an extensive review of the empirical works addressing this issue econometrically and compare their results through a Bayesian meta-regression model, focussing on the impact of decoupling and its implementation schemes. We find that the introduction of decoupled payments increased the capitalisation rate, although the extent of this increment hinges on the implementation scheme adopted by the member state.
Benzodiazepine deprescription strategies in chronic users: a systematic review
Authors: Ribeiro Péricles Ricardo de Souza , Schlindwein Aline Daiane
Published: February 2021

Background

As long-term use of benzodiazepines increases, adverse effects also become more frequent, especially in elderly adults. Due the potential of causing dependence, poor patient adherence and a lack of awareness of side effects, deprescription is challenging.

Objective

This study aimed to identify what are the effective approaches to motivate and promote deprescription of benzodiazepines.

Methods

We used MeSH terms to search in five databases that were MEDLINE, Cochrane CENTRAL, LILACS, SCIELO and Science Direct. Then, we selected articles accordingly to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Risk of bias assessment for randomized controlled trials and prospective interventional studies was made using RoB 2.0 and ROBINS-I tools, respectively. For cohort studies, we used the clarity group by McMaster University tool.

Results

Database search retrieved 412 results, and 11 studies were selected for analysis. Interventions focusing on patient education to improve community awareness about deprescription presented better discontinuation rates and more potential on motivating discussions about deprescribing with physicians. Interventions based on counselling by different health professionals were not well evaluated as they presented four of six studies as high, serious or critical risk of bias.

Conclusions

Although the comparison of different strategies was impaired by the high risk of bias in some studies, patient education focused interventions presented good results. Future studies should consider doing a follow-up of 6 months or longer with evaluation of withdrawal symptoms and sleep patterns, inclusion of young adults on the sample and some form of cognitive evaluation that might influence the results of the intervention.
Effects of different management options of Norway spruce on radiative forcing through changes in carbon stocks and albedo
Authors: Kellomäki Seppo , Väisänen Hannu , Kirschbaum Miko U F , Kirsikka-Aho Sara , Peltola Heli
Published: February 2021

Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst. (L.)) in the boreal zone can be managed as even-aged or uneven-aged stands, or be grown with no management at all. Here, we investigated how these management options affect carbon dynamics, particularly the carbon stocks in the forest ecosystem (trees and soil), and albedo, and their combined effect on radiative forcing compared to a reference case, clear-cut site before planting seedlings. This allowed us to assess the potential of different management regimes to mitigate global warming. We ran long-term simulations under the current climate on a sub-mesic site in central Finland (62oN) using an eco-physiological forest-ecosystem model. Compared to even-aged management, no management (old-growth forest) increased ecosystem carbon stocks by 47 per cent and decreased albedo by 15 per cent, whereas uneven-aged management reduced ecosystem carbon stocks by 16 per cent and increased albedo by 10 per cent. Only the no management option resulted in a significant net cooling effect whereas for even-aged and uneven-aged management, the opposing effects of changes in albedo and carbon stocks largely cancelled each other with little remaining net effect. On the other hand, the latter one even made a small net warming contribution. Overall, maintaining higher ecosystem carbon stocks implied the larger cooling benefits. This was evident even though lower albedo enhanced radiation absorption, and thus warming. Increasing use of the no management option by forest owners may require proper incentives such as compensation for lost harvest incomes.
Moho density contrast in Antarctica determined by satellite gravity and seismic models
Authors: Abrehdary M , Sjöberg L E
Published: February 2021

As recovering the crust–mantle/Moho density contrast (MDC) significantly depends on the properties of the Earth's crust and upper mantle, varying from place to place, it is an oversimplification to define a constant standard value for it. It is especially challenging in Antarctica, where almost all the bedrock is covered with a thick layer of ice, and seismic data cannot provide a sufficient spatial resolution for geological and geophysical applications. As an alternative, we determine the MDC in Antarctica and its surrounding seas with a resolution of 1° × 1° by the Vening Meinesz-Moritz gravimetric-isostatic technique using the XGM2019e Earth Gravitational Model and Earth2014 topographic/bathymetric information along with CRUST1.0 and CRUST19 seismic crustal models. The numerical results show that our model, named HVMDC20, varies from 81 kg m−3 in the Pacific Antarctic mid-oceanic ridge to 579 kg m−3 in the Gamburtsev Mountain Range in the central continent with a general average of 403 kg m−3. To assess our computations, we compare our estimates with those of some other gravimetric as well as seismic models (KTH11, GEMMA12C, KTH15C and CRUST1.0), illustrating that our estimates agree fairly well with KTH15C and CRUST1.0 but rather poor with the other models. In addition, we compare the geological signatures with HVMDC20, showing how the main geological structures contribute to the MDC. Finally, we study the remaining glacial isostatic adjustment effect on gravity to figure out how much it affects the MDC recovery, yielding a correlation of the optimum spectral window (7≤ n ≤12) between XGM2019e and W12a GIA models of the order of ∼0.6 contributing within a negligible $ \pm 14$ kg m−3 to the MDC.
Phone-based monitoring to evaluate health policy and program implementation in Kenya
Authors: Ashigbie Paul G , Rockers Peter C , Laing Richard O , Cabral Howard J , Onyango Monica A , Mboya John , Arends Daniella , Wirtz Veronika J
Published: February 2021

Monitoring and evaluating policies and programs in low- and middle-income countries are often difficult because of the lack of routine data. High mobile phone ownership in these countries presents an opportunity for efficient data collection through telephone interviews. This study examined the feasibility of collecting data on medicines through telephone interviews in Kenya. Data on the availability and prices of medicines at 137 health facilities and 639 patients were collected in September 2016 via in-person interviews. Between December 2016 and December 2017, monthly telephone interviews were conducted with health facilities and patients. An unannounced in-person interview was conducted with respondents to validate the telephone interview within 24 h. A bottom-up itemization costing approach was used to estimate the costs of telephone and in-person data collection. In-depth interviews were conducted with data collectors and respondents to explore their perceptions on both modes of data collection. The level of agreement between data on medicines availability collected through phone and in-person interviews was strong at the health facility level [kappa = 0.90; confidence interval (CI) 0.88–0.92] and moderate at the household level (kappa = 0.50, CI 0.39–0.60). Price data from telephone and in-person interviews showed strong intra-class correlation at health facilities [intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.96] and moderate intra-class correlation at households (ICC = 0.47). The cost per phone interview at health facilities and households were $19.73 and $16.86, respectively, compared to $186.20 for a baseline in-person interview. Participants considered telephone interviews to be more convenient. In countries with high cell phone penetration, telephone data collection should be considered in monitoring and evaluating public health programs especially at health facilities. Additional strategies may be needed to optimize this mode of data collection at the household level. Variations in cell phone ownership, telecommunication network and data collection costs across different settings may limit the generalizability of the findings from this study.
The missing sense of peace: diplomatic approachment and virtualization during the COVID-19 lockdown
Authors: Bramsen Isabel , Hagemann Anine
Published: February 2021

With the unprecedented COVID-lockdown in 2020, many peace diplomatic efforts turned virtual. This represented a temporary loss of many of the usual practices of peace diplomacy and provided an opportunity to examine micro-dynamics of both virtual diplomacy and face-to-face meetings. Based on interviews with parties and mediators involved in the Syrian and Yemeni peace processes we analyze the affordances of virtual and physical meetings respectively. We find that virtual meetings condition peace diplomacy by broadening accessibility, putting confidentiality at risk, allowing for higher frequency of meetings, often disrupting interaction, but also in some instances equalizing it. The transition to virtual also meetings demonstrated what is lost in the absence of physicality: bodily presence, spending longer periods of time together, the possibility of reconciliatory interaction and sharing informal space. When this is missing, it hampers conditions for what we call the sense of peace, that is, the visceral potential of meeting physically, which we conceptualize to include a sense of understanding, togetherness and trust. We further propose a wider application of this conception beyond peace diplomacy, in the form of diplomatic approachment. Finally, we suggest strategies in virtual diplomacy and discuss how virtual and physical diplomacy may supplement each other.
Diurnally fluctuatingpCO2 enhances growth of a coastal strain ofEmiliania huxleyiunder future-projected ocean acidification conditions
Authors: Li Futian , Xu Jiekai , Beardall John , Gao Kunshan
Published: February 2021

The carbonate chemistry in coastal waters is more variable compared with that of open oceans, both in magnitude and time scale of its fluctuations. However, knowledge of the responses of coastal phytoplankton to dynamic changes in pH/pCO2 has been scarcely documented. Hence, we investigated the physiological performance of a coastal isolate of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi (PML B92/11) under fluctuating and stable pCO2 regimes (steady ambient pCO2, 400 μatm; steady elevated pCO2, 1200 μatm; diurnally fluctuating elevated pCO2, 600–1800 μatm). Elevated pCO2 inhibited the calcification rate in both the steady and fluctuating regimes. However, higher specific growth rates and lower ratios of calcification to photosynthesis were detected in the cells grown under diurnally fluctuating elevated pCO2 conditions. The fluctuating pCO2 regime alleviated the negative effects of elevated pCO2 on effective photochemical quantum yield and relative photosynthetic electron transport rate compared with the steady elevated pCO2 treatment. Our results suggest that growth of E. huxleyi could benefit from diel fluctuations of pH/pCO2 under future-projected ocean acidification, but its calcification was reduced by the fluctuation and the increased concentration of CO2, reflecting a necessity to consider the influences of dynamic pH fluctuations on coastal carbon cycles associated with ocean global changes.
An unusual bulla in azygoesophageal recess in a patient with secondary spontaneous pneumothorax
Authors: Ito Shinya , Takahashi Koji , Yoshimura Takashi
Published: February 2021

We report a case of secondary spontaneous pneumothorax in which the causative bulla was successfully managed by thoracoscopic surgery. A 64-year-old male was admitted presenting with a right pneumothorax. Chest computed tomography revealed a bulla located in the azygoesophageal recess. Thoracoscopic surgery confirmed an unusual bulla extending along the thoracic spine with a fistula at the tip. We describe the intriguing features of this unique bulla and speculate on its aetiology for the first time.
Report of an interactive three-dimensional anatomical model to be used as an intraoperative aid in lung anatomical resections for non-small lung cancer
Authors: Sandri Alberto , Gagliasso Matteo , Veltri Andrea , Leo Francesco
Published: February 2021

The possibility of using three-dimensional reconstructions as an intraoperative aid to thoracic surgeons has not yet been fully explored. With this in mind, we developed a technology based on a three-dimensional virtual model of lungs obtained from lung computed tomography scans, the Hyper-Accuracy Three-Dimensional reconstruction (HA3D™), which aids the surgeon during surgery. We tested this technology while performing a uniportal video-assisted thoracic surgery right upper lobectomy for lung cancer.
Longitudinal thermocapillary slip about a dilute periodic mattress of protruding bubbles
Authors: Yariv Ehud , Kirk Toby L
Published: February 2021

A common realization of superhydrophobic surfaces comprises of a periodic array of cylindrical bubbles which are trapped in a periodically grooved solid substrate. We consider the thermocapillary animation of liquid motion by a macroscopic temperature gradient which is longitudinally applied over such a bubble mattress. Assuming a linear variation of the interfacial tension with the temperature, at slope $\sigma _T$, we seek the effective velocity slip attained by the liquid at large distances away from the mattress. We focus upon the dilute limit, where the groove width $2c$ is small compared with the array period $2l$. The requisite velocity slip in the applied-gradient direction, determined by a local analysis about a single bubble, is provided by the approximation $$\begin{align*}& \pi \frac{G\sigma_T c^2}{\mu l} I(\alpha), \end{align*}$$wherein $G$ is the applied-gradient magnitude, $\mu $ is the liquid viscosity and $I(\alpha )$, a non-monotonic function of the protrusion angle $\alpha $, is provided by the quadrature, $$\begin{align*}& I(\alpha) = \frac{2}{\sin\alpha} \int_0^\infty\frac{\sinh s\alpha}{ \cosh s(\pi-\alpha) \sinh s \pi} \, \textrm{d} s. \end{align*}$$
On the rate of convergence of the Gaver–Stehfest algorithm
Authors: Kuznetsov Alexey , Miles Justin
Published: February 2021

The Gaver–Stehfest algorithm is widely used for numerical inversion of the Laplace transform. In this paper we provide the first rigorous study of the rate of convergence of the Gaver–Stehfest algorithm. We prove that Gaver–Stehfest approximations converge exponentially fast if the target function is analytic in a neighbourhood of a point and they converge at a rate $o(n^{-k})$ if the target function is $(2k+3)$-times differentiable at a point.
Semiclassical Limits of Distorted Plane Waves in Chaotic Scattering Without a Pressure Condition
Authors: Ingremeau Maxime
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we study the semiclassical behavior of distorted plane waves, on manifolds that are Euclidean near infinity or hyperbolic near infinity, and of non-positive curvature. Assuming that there is a strip without resonances below the real axis, we show that distorted plane waves are bounded in $L^2_{loc}$ independently of $h$ and that they admit a unique semiclassical measure and we prove bounds on their $L^p_{loc}$ norms.
Pneumococcal Meningitis Outbreaks in Africa, 2000–2018: Systematic Literature Review and Meningitis Surveillance Database Analyses
Authors: Franklin Kat , Kwambana-Adams Brenda , Lessa Fernanda C , Soeters Heidi M , Cooper Laura , Coldiron Matthew E , Mwenda Jason , Antonio Martin , Nakamura Tomoka , Novak Ryan , Cohen Adam L
Published: February 2021

Background

The meningitis belt of sub-Saharan Africa has traditionally experienced large outbreaks of meningitis mainly caused by Neisseria meningitidis. More recently, Streptococcus pneumoniae has been recognized as a cause of meningitis outbreaks in the region. Little is known about the natural history and epidemiology of these outbreaks, and, in contrast to meningococcal meningitis, there is no agreed definition for a pneumococcal meningitis epidemic. The aim of this analysis was to systematically review and understand pneumococcal meningitis outbreaks in Africa between 2000 and 2018.

Methods

Meningitis outbreaks were identified using a systematic literature review and analyses of meningitis surveillance databases. Potential outbreaks were included in the final analysis if they reported at least 10 laboratory-confirmed meningitis cases above baseline per week with ≥50% of cases confirmed as pneumococcus.

Results

A total of 10 potential pneumococcal meningitis outbreaks were identified in Africa between 2000 and 2018. Of these, 2 were classified as confirmed, 7 were classified as possible, and 1 was classified as unlikely. Three outbreaks spanned more than 1 year. In general, the outbreaks demonstrated lower peak attack rates than meningococcal meningitis outbreaks and had a predominance of serotype 1. Patients with pneumococcal meningitis tended to be older and had higher case fatality rates than meningococcal meningitis cases. An outbreak definition, which includes a weekly district-level incidence of at least 10 suspected cases per 100 000 population per week, with >10 cumulative confirmed cases of pneumococcus per year, would have identified all 10 potential outbreaks.

Conclusions

Given the frequency of and high case fatality from pneumococcal meningitis outbreaks, public health recommendations on vaccination strategies and the management of outbreaks are needed. Improved laboratory testing for S. pneumoniae is critical for early outbreak identification.
Using AI To Increase Project Management Maturity
Authors: Skinner Lloyd
Published: February 2021

Every company has goals. Part of running a business is knowing how to reach those goals in an effcient way, writes Lloyd Skinner, Chief Executive Offcer at Greyfly. Having dedicated project management in place isn't enough — it needs maturity.
Tom Ilube: Defining Leadership, Culture and Strategy
Authors: Melsom Blair
Published: February 2021

Tom Ilube CBE FBCS sets a leadership example in an industry where it pays to take smart risks. In this interview with Blair Melsom MBCS, he talks about work, culture and rolling the dice.
BCS Impact Report
Authors: Penketh Claire
Published: February 2021

As the third national lockdown throws the digital divide into sharper focus, BCS continues to speak boldly on issues from home-schooling to our analysis of the loss of police database records. Claire Penketh reports.
Relative Yield Loss From Stem Borers (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and Rice Water Weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Rice
Authors: Wilson B E , Villegas J M , Stout M J , Landry K J
Published: February 2021

The rice water weevil, Lissorhoptrus oryzophilus Kuschel, is the most important economic pest of rice in the United States with the ability to substantially reduce rice yields. Stem borers, including the Mexican rice borer, Eoreuma loftini (Dyar), are emerging as more consistent pests in Louisiana and Texas, but the relationship between blanked panicles (whiteheads) caused by stem borer feeding and yield loss is not well understood. A series of field trials was conducted in Louisiana from 2019 to 2020 to determine the relative yield loss by manipulating infestations of both pests with selective insecticides. Results indicate losses from L. oryzophilus infestations are greater than those for E. loftini in early planted rice. In contrast, relative yield losses were approximately equal in later planted rice in 2019, in which E. loftini infestations were high. Additive impacts of the root-feeding L. oryzophilus and the stem-feeding E. loftini were not observed in our study. Linear regression revealed that each increase of one whitehead per square meter is associated with a 1.7% loss in yield. Results from ratoon rice suggest that protection from L. oryzophilus in the main crop also improves yield in the second crop. Collectively, results demonstrate the continued need for effective L. oryzophilus management programs to prevent economic losses. Conversely, findings suggest that benefits of E. loftini control may be minimal in many instances. Control of E. loftini is most likely to be economical under conditions where high populations are anticipated such as in late-planted fields or regions that previously had high infestations.
Tonic Immobility Is Influenced by Starvation, Life Stage, and Body Mass in Ixodid Ticks
Authors: Oyen Kennan J , Croucher Lillian , Benoit Joshua B
Published: February 2021

The ability to escape predation modulates predator–prey interactions and represents a crucial aspect of organismal life history, influencing feeding, mating success, and survival. Thanatosis, also known as death feigning or tonic immobility (TI), is taxonomically widespread, but understudied in blood-feeding vectors. Hematophagous arthropods, such as ticks, are unique among animals as their predators (birds, mice, lizards, frogs, and other invertebrates) may also be their source of food. Therefore, the trade-off between predator avoidance and host-seeking may shift as the time since the last bloodmeal increases. Because ticks are slow-moving and unable to fly, or otherwise escape, we predicted that they may use TI to avoid predation, but that TI would be influenced by time since the last bloodmeal (starvation). We therefore aimed to quantify this relationship, examining the effect of starvation, body mass, and ontogeny on TI for two tick species: Dermacentor variabilis (Say) (Acari: Ixodidae) and Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille) (Acari: Ixodidae). As we predicted, the duration and use of TI decreased with time since feeding and emergence across species and life stages. Therefore, ticks may become more aggressive in their search for a bloodmeal as they continue to starve, opting to treat potential predators as hosts, rather than avoiding predation by feigning death. Antipredator behaviors such as TI may influence the intensity and amount of time ticks spend searching for hosts, driving patterns of tick-borne pathogen transmission. This identification and quantification of a novel antipredation strategy add a new component to our understanding of tick life history.
The dosimetry evaluation of 3D printing non-coplanar template-assisted CT-guided 125I seed stereotactic ablation brachytherapy for pelvic recurrent rectal cancer after external beam radiotherapy
Authors: Wang Hao , Peng Ran , Li Xuemin , Wang Yuxia , Jiang Yuliang , Ji Zhe , Guo Fuxin , Tian Suqing , Sun Haitao , Fan Jinghong , Wang Junjie
Published: February 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate the safety and accuracy of computed tomography (CT)-guided 125I seed implantation assisted by a three-dimensional printing non-coplanar template (3D-PNCT) for treating pelvic locally recurrent rectal cancer (LRRC) patients. A total of 13 patients with 18 masses received 125I seed implantation. The dosimetric parameters of pre-implantation and post-implantation were calculated to evaluate the quality of 125I seed implantation. Doses delivered to the organs at risk (OAR) were also calculated. Differences between pre-implantation and post-implantation were compared by the paired t-test. The mean number of 125I seeds pre-implantation and post-implantation was 67.1 and 68.8, respectively. The mean values of D90 (dose that was delivered to 90% of the target volume), D100 (dose that was delivered to 100% of the target volume), V100 (the target volume receiving 100% of the prescription dose) and V150 (the target volume receiving 150% of the prescription dose) pre-implantation and post-implantation were 136.6 and 135.2 Gy, 63.5 and 71.0 Gy, 90.3% and 90.3% and 62.1% and 62.2%, respectively. Dosimetric outcomes were evaluated quantitatively using the dose volume indices, i.e. coverage index (CI), external volume index (EI) and relative dose homogeneity index (HI). The mean values of those indices pre-implantation and post-implantation were 0.62 and 0.61, 0.31 and 0.33, and 0.31 and 0.31, respectively. The mean doses delivered to OAR pre-implantation and post-implantation for the bladder (D2cc) and bowel (D2cc) were 33.4 and 34.4 Gy, and 58.6 and 61.8 Gy, respectively. The parameters mentioned above fitted well, and no significant difference was found among them. It is concluded that CT-guided 125I seed implantation assisted by 3D-PNCT could be a safe and accurate salvage modality for treating LRRC patients; the ideal pre-prescription dose could be achieved. Also, addition of 3D-PNCT could minimize radiation damage to the surrounding normal tissues.
A rare case of thymoma with entire-tumor calcification
Authors: Asakawa Ayaka , Ishibashi Hironori , Kobayashi Masashi , Shirai Toshizumi , Okubo Kenichi
Published: February 2021

A 49-year-old woman presented with cough, and chest X-rays showed an abnormal shadow. Chest computed tomography showed an anterior mediastinal 40-mm mass with massive calcification. The patient underwent mediastinal tumor excision performed using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. Pathological findings revealed the tumor to be a type B3 thymoma, with massive calcification occupying almost all of the thymoma. Due to high risk of recurrence, we performed completion thymectomy. Pathological findings revealed no remaining thymoma tissue in the residual thymus. Mediastinal tumor with entire calcification could be a candidate for surgical excision.
An unusually delayed presentation of massive haematemesis following stab injury to the chest
Authors: Adesuyi Abidemi A , Situ Oladele O
Published: February 2021

Penetrating thoracoabdominal injury is a common presentation in the trauma resuscitation room with the possibility of a myriad of injuries which may involve thoracic and abdominal viscera. Management is usually operative however non-operative management is a possibility especially following knife stab injuries when compared with gunshot injuries. Clinical presentation will depend on the injured organ, extent of injury and time from injury to presentation. Unusual presentation of delayed haematemesis is a possibility with injury to the stomach, however, due to its rarity, a high index of suspicion with emergency surgery will help to mitigate the fatal consequences that may follow. This type of presentation is not documented in the available on-line literature which portends the importance of this paper. This case highlights the possibility of this clinical presentation and importance of early management to improve patient outcome.
Lung adenocarcinoma diagnosed incidentally after renal biopsy for suspected right renal cancer
Authors: Nepal Sat Prasad , Shichijo Takeshi , Ogawa Yoshio , Nakasato Takehiko , Nakagami Yoshihiro , Morita Jun , Oshinomi Kazuhiko , Maeda Yoshiko , Unoki Tsutomu , Inoue Tatsuki , Kato Ryosuke , Amano Satoshi , Mizunuma Moyuru
Published: February 2021

We present a case of lung adenocarcinoma metastasizing to the right clear cell renal cell carcinoma diagnosed by computed tomography (CT)-guided renal biopsy and immunohistochemistry. A 72-year-old male patient had right lower abdominal pain for 3 days, followed by right loin pain for 10 days. On CT scan, renal cell cancer was suspected with multiple metastases. Renal cell cancer with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma was diagnosed on CT-guided renal biopsy with positive immunohistochemical markers. The patient, unfortunately, expired after few days of diagnosis. Tumor-to-tumor metastasis is an unusual disease, and its tumors are aggressive. A definite diagnosis of tumor-to-tumor metastasis is a clinical challenge. Immunohistochemistry helped us in the diagnosis without the primary lesion biopsy.
Religious ‘Slogans’ in 1 Corinthians: Wit, Wisdom, and the Quest for Status in a Roman Colony
Authors: Holloway Paul A
Published: February 2021

First Corinthians contains a number of well-known maxims, commonly called ‘slogans’ in the commentary tradition, but which Paul’s contemporaries would have called sententiae (Gk. γνῶμαι). A handful of these appear to have been coined by rival teachers at Corinth. Others have obviously been composed by Paul himself, often in direct response to his competitors. Commentators have long studied these ‘slogans’, especially those attributable to Paul’s rivals, for information about the Corinthian assembly. But why sententiae in the first place? And why at Corinth and not, say, at Paul’s earlier foundation at Thessalonica? The answer to these neglected questions lies in the essential role sententiae came to play in the elite rhetoric of Paul’s day, rhetoric Paul first confronted at Corinth. Paul would always lack the education to match the easy eloquence of his cultural betters. But he could with effort imitate their genus dicendi or way of speaking in his written correspondence, which he first attempts in 1 Corinthians. The mixed result is neatly summarized in 2 Corinthians 10:10: ‘His letters, they say, are weighty and strong; nevertheless, his physical presentation is weak and his speech contemptible’. Readers of Paul’s Corinthian letters do well to consider his cultural precarity.
Dynamic histone acetylation in floral volatile synthesis and emission in petunia flowers
Authors: Patrick Ryan M , Huang Xing-Qi , Dudareva Natalia , Li Ying
Published: February 2021

Biosynthesis of secondary metabolites relies on primary metabolic pathways to provide precursors, energy, and cofactors, thus requiring coordinated regulation of primary and secondary metabolic networks. However, to date, it remains largely unknown how this coordination is achieved. Using Petunia hybrida flowers, which emit high levels of phenylpropanoid/benzenoid volatile organic compounds (VOCs), we uncovered genome-wide dynamic deposition of histone H3 lysine 9 acetylation (H3K9ac) during anthesis as an underlying mechanism to coordinate primary and secondary metabolic networks. The observed epigenome reprogramming is accompanied by transcriptional activation at gene loci involved in primary metabolic pathways that provide precursor phenylalanine, as well as secondary metabolic pathways to produce volatile compounds. We also observed transcriptional repression among genes involved in alternative phenylpropanoid branches that compete for metabolic precursors. We show that GNAT family histone acetyltransferase(s) (HATs) are required for the expression of genes involved in VOC biosynthesis and emission, by using chemical inhibitors of HATs, and by knocking down a specific HAT gene, ELP3, through transient RNAi. Together, our study supports that regulatory mechanisms at chromatin level may play an essential role in activating primary and secondary metabolic pathways to regulate VOC synthesis in petunia flowers.
Initial Clinical Laboratory Response to COVID-19: A Survey of Medical Laboratory Professionals
Authors: Nuñez-Argote Letycia , Baker Dana P , Jones Andrew P
Published: February 2021

Objective

To explore the experiences of medical laboratory professionals (MLPs) and their perceptions of the needs of clinical laboratories in response to COVID-19.

Methods

We surveyed laboratory professionals working in United States clinical laboratories during the initial months of the pandemic.

Results

Overall clinical laboratory testing and overtime work for laboratorians decreased during the first months of the pandemic. Laboratory professionals reported better or unchanged job satisfaction, feelings toward their work, and morale in their workplace, which were related to healthcare facility and laboratory leadership response. They reported receiving in-kind gifts, but no hazard pay, for their essential work. Important supply needs included reagents and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Conclusion

The response by healthcare facilities and laboratory leadership can influence MLPs job satisfaction, feelings toward their work, and laboratory morale during a pandemic. Current COVID-19 laboratory testing management, in the absence of sufficient reagents and supplies, cannot fully address the needs of clinical laboratories.
Breastfeeding During Military Service: Different Countries, Different Possibilities
Authors: Holmquist Ivana , Pohnan Radek , Stritecka Hana , Spevakova Barbora , Vasek Tomas , Bostikova Vanda
Published: February 2021

Introduction

Breastfeeding is a human biological norm that is widely acknowledged as the ideal form of nutrition for all infants. Human milk saves lives, improves long-term health for the both mother and infant, and significantly reduces health care-related costs. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for at least 6 months and thereafter to continue with breastfeeding, in addition to complimentary foods for at least 1 year or longer. The World Health Organization extends this recommendation to at least 2 years or beyond this age.

Materials and Methods

Multiple complex policies and directives would not be necessary if a federal law would entitle all new mothers to an adequate length of paid maternity leave and would protect parents during the time they personally care for their infants. Although a nationally mandated maternity leave is not available, the DoD should create a coherent global policy applicable to all active duty personnel across all branches of the U.S. Military. A global policy would govern positive change across all military branches and create consistent work conditions conducive for mothers to achieve their personal breastfeeding goals. In addition, a global policy would improve the military employees’ health as well as maintain retention of military personnel.

Results

A comparison of the U.S. Armed Forces to the Czech Armed Forces shows that the individual breastfeeding policies and directives of the U.S. Military branches are certainly steps in the right direction to support breastfeeding military members.

Conclusion

The well-documented evidence of long-term breastfeeding health benefits in addition to the economic benefits justifies such global military policy and would be a foundation to a national maternity leave policy, given that the USA is the only developed country without nationally mandated statutory entitlement to paid maternity leave.
CARPool: fast, accurate computation of large-scale structure statistics by pairing costly and cheap cosmological simulations
Authors: Chartier Nicolas , Wandelt Benjamin , Akrami Yashar , Villaescusa-Navarro Francisco
Published: February 2021

To exploit the power of next-generation large-scale structure surveys, ensembles of numerical simulations are necessary to give accurate theoretical predictions of the statistics of observables. High-fidelity simulations come at a towering computational cost. Therefore, approximate but fast simulations, surrogates, are widely used to gain speed at the price of introducing model error. We propose a general method that exploits the correlation between simulations and surrogates to compute fast, reduced-variance statistics of large-scale structure observables without model error at the cost of only a few simulations. We call this approach Convergence Acceleration by Regression and Pooling (CARPool). In numerical experiments with intentionally minimal tuning, we apply CARPool to a handful of gadget-iii  N-body simulations paired with surrogates computed using COmoving Lagrangian Acceleration. We find ∼100-fold variance reduction even in the non-linear regime, up to $k_\mathrm{max} \approx 1.2\, h {\rm Mpc^{-1}}$ for the matter power spectrum. CARPool realizes similar improvements for the matter bispectrum. In the nearly linear regime CARPool attains far larger sample variance reductions. By comparing to the 15 000 simulations from the Quijote suite, we verify that the CARPool estimates are unbiased, as guaranteed by construction, even though the surrogate misses the simulation truth by up to $60{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ at high k. Furthermore, even with a fully configuration-space statistic like the non-linear matter density probability density function, CARPool achieves unbiased variance reduction factors of up to ∼10, without any further tuning. Conversely, CARPool can be used to remove model error from ensembles of fast surrogates by combining them with a few high-accuracy simulations.