bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-term durability of a reimplantation valve-sparing aortic root replacement can be expected in both Marfan syndrome and Loeys-Dietz syndrome
Authors: Seike Yoshimasa , Yokawa Koki , Koizumi Shigeki , Masada Kenta , Inoue Yosuke , Morisaki Hiroko , Morisaki Takayuki , Sasaki Hiroaki , Matsuda Hitoshi
Published: January 2022

OBJECTIVES

The goal of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes of a valve-sparing root replacement using the reimplantation technique for annuloaortic ectasia in patients with Marfan syndrome (MFS) and in those with Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS).

METHODS

We reviewed 103 patients with MSF with mutations in the fibrillin-1 gene and 28 patients with LDS with mutations in the transforming growth factor-beta receptor and 2, SMAD3 and transforming growth factor beta-2 from 1988 to 2020.

RESULTS

Forty-four (42.7%) patients with MFS [26 men, 31 (7.6) years] and 10 (35.7%) patients with Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) [7 men, 22 (standard deviation: 8.6) years] who had no aortic dissection and underwent valve-sparing root replacement were included. The preoperative sinus diameter [46 (45–50.5) mm in those with MFS vs 48 (47–50) mm in those with LDS, p = 0.420] and the percentage of aortic insufficiency > grade 2+ [31.8% (10/44) in patients with MFS vs 10.0% (1/10) in those with LDS, p = 0.667] revealed no significant differences between the 2 groups. The cumulative incidences of aortic insufficiency greater than grade 1 (p = 0.588) and aortic valve reoperation (p = 0.310) were comparable between the 2 groups. Patients with LDS had a higher tendency towards aortic dissection after the initial operation (p = 0.061) and a significantly higher cumulative incidence of aortic reoperation (p = 0.003) versus those with MFS.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with MFS and those with LDS showed similar cumulative incidences of recurrent aortic valve insufficiency and aortic valve reoperation. Those with LDS revealed a higher cumulative incidence of aortic reoperation and a greater tendency towards aortic dissection after the initial operation compared with those with MFS.
Frozen elephant trunk in acute aortic type a dissection: risk analysis of concomitant root replacement
Authors: Beckmann Erik , Martens Andreas , Kaufeld Tim , Natanov Ruslan , Krueger Heike , Rudolph Linda , Haverich Axel , Shrestha Malakh
Published: January 2022

OBJECTIVES

To analyse whether full root replacement increases perioperative risks in patients who undergo frozen elephant trunk for acute aortic dissection.

METHODS

Between March 2013 and December 2019, 115 patients underwent emergency frozen elephant trunk for acute dissection. Patients without root replacement were assigned to group A, while patients with concomitant full root replacement to group B.

RESULTS

Mean age was 50.8 (12.5) years and 85 (73.9%) patients were male. Preoperative malperfusion was present in 49 (42.6%) patients. In group B, 27 (41.5%) patients received composite root replacement and 38 (33.0%) aortic valve-sparing David procedure. Cardiopulmonary-bypass and cross-clamp times were 252.5 (208.5–293.0) and 96.0 (40.5–148.0) min in group A, and 310.0 (274.0–346.5) and 121.0 (89.0–182.0) in group B (P < 0.001). Continuous myocardial perfusion was used in 40 (80.0%) patients of group A and 59 (90.8%) of group B (P = 0.098). Disabling stroke was present in 10 (20.0%) patients in group A and 12 (18.5%) in group B (P = 0.835). Thirty-day mortality was 12.0% (n = 6) in group A and 9.2% (n = 6) in group B (P = 0.630). The 1- and 5-year survival rates were 80% and 62% in group A, and 81% and 79% in group B. Logistic regression analysis identified age (odds ratio = 1.117, 95% confidence interval = 1.004–1.242, P = 0.041), cardiopulmonary-bypass time (odds ratio = 1.012, 95% confidence interval = 1.001–1.022, P = 0.029) and abdominal malperfusion (odds ratio = 17.394, 95% confidence interval = 2.030–149.013, P = 0.009) to be associated with 30-day mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Full root replacement does not increase the perioperative risk in patients who undergo frozen elephant trunk for acute dissection. Careful patient selection is important for such complex procedures. Continuous myocardial perfusion can help reducing the risk for intraoperative complications during such complex operations.
Heart transplantation from an extended criteria donation after circulatory death donor
Authors: Vokshi Ismail , Large Stephen , Berman Marius , Tsui Steven
Published: January 2022

Transplantation of donation after circulatory death (DCD) donor hearts is gaining acceptance. However, DCD heart selection has been understandably cautious. We report a case of reconditioning a DCD heart using thoraco-abdominal normothermic regional perfusion in a 46-year-old donor who suffered irreversible brain injury following emergency type-A aortic dissection repair. The DCD heart was procured with cold preservation and directly transplanted into a 63-year-old male who was bridged to transplant with extracorporeal life support. The recipient required a brief period of mechanical circulatory support post-transplant but made a good recovery. To our knowledge, this is the first report of successful heart transplantation from such an extended criteria DCD donor.
Biological substrate modification suppresses ventricular arrhythmias in a porcine model of chronic ischaemic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Dawkins James F. , Ehdaie Ashkan , Rogers Russell , Soetkamp Daniel , Valle Jackelyn , Holm Kevin , Sanchez Lizbeth , Tremmel Ileana , Nawaz Asma , Shehata Michael , Wang Xunzhang , Prakosa Adityo , Yu Joseph , Van Eyk Jennifer E , Trayanova Natalia , Marbán Eduardo , Cingolani Eugenio
Published: January 2022

Aims

Cardiomyopathy patients are prone to ventricular arrhythmias (VA) and sudden cardiac death. Current therapies to prevent VA include radiofrequency ablation to destroy slowly conducting pathways of viable myocardium which support re-entry. Here, we tested the reverse concept, namely that boosting local tissue viability in zones of slow conduction might eliminate slow conduction and suppress VA in ischaemic cardiomyopathy.

Methods and results

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles laden with bioactive cargo. Exosomes secreted by cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCEXO) reduce scar and improve heart function after intramyocardial delivery. In a VA-prone porcine model of ischaemic cardiomyopathy, we injected CDCEXO or vehicle into zones of delayed conduction defined by electroanatomic mapping. Up to 1-month post-injection, CDCEXO, but not the vehicle, decreased myocardial scar, suppressed slowly conducting electrical pathways, and inhibited VA induction by programmed electrical stimulation. In silico reconstruction of electrical activity based on magnetic resonance images accurately reproduced the suppression of VA inducibility by CDCEXO. Strong anti-fibrotic effects of CDCEXO, evident histologically and by proteomic analysis from pig hearts, were confirmed in a co-culture assay of cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts.

Conclusion

Biological substrate modification by exosome injection may be worth developing as a non-destructive alternative to conventional ablation for the prevention of recurrent ventricular tachyarrhythmias.
A qualitative study on men’s experiences of health after treatment for ischaemic heart disease
Authors: Elbrønd Pia Gammelgaard , Larsen Malene , Missel Malene , Bay Laila Twistmann , Petersson Nadja Buch , Oliffe John L , Borregaard Britt
Published: January 2022

Aims

Globally, ischaemic heart disease (IHD) is one of the leading causes of mortality among men, and the health management of men is pivotal to prevention and recovery. Many men delay help-seeking and lack knowledge of disease symptomologies. Thus, the aim was to explore how men experience and manage their health while suffering from ischaemic heart disease and having received treatment with coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methods and results

The study applied a qualitative approach designed within a phenomenological–hermeneutical methodology. Interviews were conducted between April and November 2019 with a criterion sample of 21 male patients within 1–2 weeks post-discharge. The analysis was guided by Paul Ricoeur’s theory of text interpretation. After analysing the interviews, the following themes were identified: A functioning body as health, illuminating how a functioning body leads to a feeling of independence; misinterpreting signs of illness showing how symptoms are interpreted as signs of ageing rather than disease; and navigating life with ischaemic heart disease focusing on how men retain or maintain health after the threat to life.

Conclusion

The findings of this study provide insight into men’s health and their health management: illuminating how a functioning body can give men a sense of freedom and control, making it difficult to interpret signs of illness, and thus, failing to seek help and feel motivated to make changes when facing a serious health threat. These perspectives should be considered when planning future care and communication with male patients.
Changes in fish skin microbiota along gradients of eutrophication in human-altered rivers
Authors: Côte Jessica , Jacquin Lisa , Veyssière Charlotte , Manzi Sophie , Etienne Roselyne , Perrault Annie , Cambon Marine C , Jean Séverine , White Joël
Published: January 2022

The skin microbiota plays a major role in health of organisms but it is still unclear how such bacterial assemblages respond to changes in environmental conditions and anthropogenic perturbations. In this study, we investigated the effects of the eutrophication of freshwater ecosystems on the skin microbiota of fish. We sampled wild gudgeon Gobio occitaniae from 17 river sites along an eutrophication gradient and compared their skin microbiota diversity and composition, using a 16s rRNA gene metabarcoding approach. Results showed a tendency for higher taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity in highly eutrophic sites linked to the presence of suspended organic matters. We also highlighted significant links between eutrophication and skin microbiota taxonomic composition and beta-diversity. In contrast, skin microbiota characteristics did not correlate with host factors such as age or sex, although microbiota beta-diversity did vary significantly according to host parasite load. To conclude, our study highlights the importance of environmental factors, especially eutrophication, on the diversity and composition of skin mucus bacterial communities. Because changes in the skin microbiota may induce potential deleterious consequences on host health and population persistence, our results confirm the importance of accounting for host-microbiota interactions when examining the consequences of anthropogenic activities on aquatic fauna.
Diagnostic performance of elastography on liver fibrosis in antiviral treatment-naive chronic hepatitis B patients: a meta-analysis
Authors: Mingkai Li , Sizhe Wan , Xiaoying Wu , Ying Lin , Wu Bin
Published: January 2022

Background

This study aimed to assess the performance of transient elastography (TE), two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE), and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) for staging significant fibrosis and cirrhosis in untreated chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

Methods

Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched for terms involving CHB, TE, 2D-SWE, and MRE. Other etiologies of chronic liver disease, previous treatment in patients, or articles not published in SCI journals were excluded. Hierarchical non-linear models were used to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of TE, 2D-SWE, and MRE. Heterogeneity was explored via analysis of threshold effect and meta-regression.

Results

Twenty-eight articles with a total of 4,540 untreated CHB patients were included. The summary areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) using TE, 2D-SWE, and MRE for predicting significant fibrosis (SF) were 0.84, 0.89, and 0.99, respectively. The AUROC values of TE, 2D-SWE, and MRE for staging cirrhosis were 0.9, 0.94, and 0.99, respectively. Based on the meta-analysis of studies with head-to-head comparison, 2D-SWE is superior to TE (0.92 vs 0.85, P < 0.01) in staging significant fibrosis.

Conclusion

TE, 2D-SWE, and MRE express acceptable diagnostic accuracies in staging significant fibrosis and cirrhosis in untreated CHB patients. 2D-SWE outperforms TE in detecting significant fibrosis in treatment-naive people with hepatitis B virus.
MOET: a web-based gene set enrichment tool at the Rat Genome Database for multiontology and multispecies analyses
Authors: Vedi Mahima , Nalabolu Harika S , Lin Chien-Wei , Hoffman Matthew J , Smith Jennifer R , Brodie Kent , De Pons Jeffrey L , Demos Wendy M , Gibson Adam C , Hayman G Thomas , Hill Morgan L , Kaldunski Mary L , Lamers Logan , Laulederkind Stanley J F , Thorat Ketaki , Thota Jyothi , Tutaj Monika , Tutaj Marek A , Wang Shur-Jen , Zacher Stacy , Dwinell Melinda R , Kwitek Anne E
Published: January 2022

Biological interpretation of a large amount of gene or protein data is complex. Ontology analysis tools are imperative in finding functional similarities through overrepresentation or enrichment of terms associated with the input gene or protein lists. However, most tools are limited by their ability to do ontology-specific and species-limited analyses. Furthermore, some enrichment tools are not updated frequently with recent information from databases, thus giving users inaccurate, outdated or uninformative data. Here, we present MOET or the Multi-Ontology Enrichment Tool (v.1 released in April 2019 and v.2 released in May 2021), an ontology analysis tool leveraging data that the Rat Genome Database (RGD) integrated from in-house expert curation and external databases including the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI), The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), The Gene Ontology Resource, UniProt-GOA, and others. Given a gene or protein list, MOET analysis identifies significantly overrepresented ontology terms using a hypergeometric test and provides nominal and Bonferroni corrected P-values and odds ratios for the overrepresented terms. The results are shown as a downloadable list of terms with and without Bonferroni correction, and a graph of the P-values and number of annotated genes for each term in the list. MOET can be accessed freely from https://rgd.mcw.edu/rgdweb/enrichment/start.html.
Associations of Visual Function With Cognitive Performance in Community-Based Older Adults: The Eye Determinants of Cognition Study
Authors: Arsiwala Lubaina T , Guo Xinxing , Ramulu Pradeep Y , Sharrett A Richey , Mihailovic Aleksandra , Swenor Bonnielin K , Mosley Thomas , Dong YaNan , Abraham Alison G
Published: January 2022

Background

Given the detrimental impacts of visual and cognitive impairment separately, in older adults, understanding their coexistence could inform strategies against age-related cognitive changes.

Methods

Participants from Washington County (White) and Jackson (Black) sites of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study were recruited who differed on racial, regional, urbanicity, and community-based factors. Presenting distance visual acuity (DVA; representing vision loss due to disease or lack of eye-care), corrected DVA (representing optimal correction for refractive loss of vision), and contrast sensitivity were measured. Factor scores for global cognition, memory, executive function, and language domains were calculated for 3 visits. We quantified the associations of vision measures with change in cognitive scores, stratified by community/race, using generalized estimating equations.

Results

In 982 participants, mean (standard deviation [SD]) baseline age was 74 (4) years, with 37% males and 45% Jackson/Black participants. As hypothesized, after accounting for potential confounders, in the better-eye, worse presenting DVA was associated with greater 10-year decline rate in global cognition, memory, and executive function in Washington County/White participants (eg, global cognition: −0.08 SD [95% confidence interval: −0.12, −0.04]). Worse corrected DVA was associated with greater 10-year decline rate in executive function in Washington County/White participants (−0.10 SD [−0.15, −0.04]). Better contrast sensitivity was associated with lower 10-year decline rate in global cognition and executive function in Washington County/White participants (eg, global cognition: 0.10 SD [0.06,0.14]). None of these associations were confirmed in Jackson/Black participants.

Conclusions

Our study supports a functional link between some vision measures and cognition in older adults, but in only 1 of the 2 communities studied.
The informal economy as a provider of assistive technology: lessons from Indonesia and Sierra Leone
Authors: Walker Julian H , Tebbutt Emma
Published: January 2022

Promoting the use of assistive technology (AT) is crucial for the health and well-being of users, but there is a huge global problem of unmet need for AT. In this context informal (unregulated) providers of AT play a significant role of meeting AT user need, particularly in less-resourced settings. This study draws on research into formal and informal AT provision in low-income urban communities in Indonesia and Sierra Leone to explore the potential of informal providers in addressing unmet need. Specifically, it looks at the different performance of formal and informal providers regarding the availability and the adequacy of AT that they provide. The study concludes by proposing further research into the scope for coproduction of AT between formal and informal providers.
Being small at the right moment: Path dependence after a shift in the technological regime
Authors: Hepp Jasper
Published: January 2022

This paper explores the impact of technological change on industry concentration and the underlying firm dynamics. Within the agent-based model EURACE@Unibi, it is shown that an exogenous acceleration in technological change in the capital goods sector leads to a diverging firm population in the downstream consumption goods sector in terms of productivities and skills and in turn also to a higher market concentration. A novel ex-post analysis at the micro level shows that the later dominant firms were relatively small at the beginning but benefited from a virtuous cycle between their capital choice and the skill level within their workforce that is initiated by a fortunate outcome on the labor market.
Seaweed ecosystems may not mitigate CO2 emissions
Authors: Gallagher John Barry , Shelamoff Victor , Layton Cayne
Published: January 2022

Global seaweed carbon sequestration estimates are currently taken as the fraction of the net primary production (NPP) exported to the deep ocean. However, this perspective does not account for CO2 from the consumption of external subsidies. Here, we clarify: (i) the role of export relative to seaweed net ecosystem production (NEP) for a closed system and one more likely open to subsidies; (ii) the importance of subsidies by compiling published estimates of NEP from seaweed-dominated ecosystems; and (iii) discuss their impact on the global seaweed net carbon balance and other sequestration constraints as a mitigation service. Examples of seaweed NEP (n = 18) were sparse and variable. Nevertheless, the average NEP (−4.0 mmol C m–2 d–1 SE ± 12.2) suggested that seaweed ecosystems are a C source, becoming increasingly heterotrophic as their export is consumed. Critically, mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions was mixed relative to their replacement or baseline states, and where CO2 is supplied independently of organic metabolism and atmospheric exchange, we caution a sole reliance on NEP or NPP. This will ensure a more accurate seaweed mitigation assessment, one that does exceed their capacity and is effective within a compliance and carbon trading scheme.
Shifting seasonal timing of peak abundance of two invading ctenophore populations in the Black Sea during the period 1991–2017
Authors: Vereshchaka A L , Shatravin A V , Lunina A A
Published: January 2022

Factors affecting zooplankton dynamics, especially in shelf-sea ecosystems such as the Black Sea influenced by eutrophication, overfishing, climate variability, and biological invaders, merit special attention for successful development and management. We used coherence functions (phase angle) to analyze time series (918 samples collected every 10 days) of the two invading ctenophores Mnemiopsis leidyi and Beroe ovata and mesoplankton (seven species) in 1991–2017. We observed a constant behavior of focal mesoplankton taxa (no shift of phase angle along the time axis) against such environmental benchmarks as surface temperature and surface chlorophyll concentration. Conversely, development of the ctenophore populations progressively accelerated (phase angle decreased) against both mesoplankton and environmental benchmarks. Mnemiopsis was leading this racing and followed by Beroe: (i) in 1991–1998 (before the Beroe invasion) peaks of Mnemiopsis were lagging by ∼1½ months temperature peaks; (ii) in 1998–2002 (Beroe appeared) Mnemiopsis peaks were shifting earlier in time and (iii) in 2002–2008 they became leading Beroe peaks by ∼1½ months; (iv) in 2009–2013, Beroe peaks were also shifting earlier in time, and (v) in 2013–2017, Beroe has shifted by ∼1½ months and became nearly in-phase with Mnemiopsis. Our results provide a deeper insight into adaptive strategies of invading ctenophores and enable prognoses of ctenophore blooms.
A parallel sampling algorithm for some nonlinear inverse problems
Authors: Volkov Darko
Published: January 2022

We derive a parallel sampling algorithm for computational inverse problems that present an unknown linear forcing term and a vector of nonlinear parameters to be recovered. It is assumed that the data are noisy and that the linear part of the problem is ill-posed. The vector of nonlinear parameters ${m} $ is modeled as a random variable. A dilation parameter $\alpha $ is used to scale the regularity of the linear unknown and is also modeled as a random variable. A posterior probability distribution for $({m}, \alpha )$ is derived following an approach related to the maximum likelihood (ML) regularization parameter selection (Galatsanos, N. P. & Katsaggelos, A. K. (1992). Methods for choosing the regularization parameter and estimating the noise variance in image restoration and their relation. IEEE Trans. Image Process., 1, 322–336). A major difference in our approach is that, unlike in Galatsanos, N. P. & Katsaggelos, A. K. (1992, Methods for choosing the regularization parameter and estimating the noise variance in image restoration and their relation. IEEE Trans. Image Process., 1, 322–336), we do not limit ourselves to the maximum likelihood value of $\alpha $. We then derive a parallel sampling algorithm where we alternate computing proposals in parallel and combining proposals to accept or reject them as in Calderhead, B. (2014, A general construction for parallelizing metropolis- hastings algorithms. Proc. Natl Acad Sci, 111, 17408–17413). This algorithm is well suited to problems where proposals are expensive to compute. We then apply it to an inverse problem in seismology. We show how our results compare favorably to those obtained from the ML, the Generalized Cross Validation and the Constrained Least Squares algorithms.
Acute appendicitis during the COVID-19 pandemic—changes in incidence and clinical presentation but not in patients’ outcome
Authors: Wolf Sebastian , Schrempf Matthias , Vlasenko Dmytro , Schoeler Claus , Erckmann Frank , Von Parpart Patrick , Paschwitz Rieke , Anthuber Matthias , Sommer Florian
Published: January 2022

Background

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an ongoing severe issue.

Objective

The aim of this study was to compare the incidence, severity and treatment of acute appendicitis (AA) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted between January 2019 and April 2020 in one high-volume center. A comparison was performed between two groups (Group A: patients admitted with AA before the COVID-19 pandemic; Group B: patients admitted with AA at the beginning of the pandemic) in terms of the incidence of AA and clinical and pathological outcomes. The incidence of AA was also analyzed in six surrounding peripheral hospitals.

Results

A total of 94 patients were identified, 54 in Group A and 40 in Group B (57% vs. 43%). Demographic data were comparable between groups. AA in Group B showed a significant higher rate of histological advanced cases (10 (18.5%) Group A vs. 20 (50%) Group B, P = 0.001) and the need for postoperative antibiotic treatment (6 (11.1%) Group A vs. 11 (27.5%) Group B, P = 0.045). During the pandemic, a higher percentage of patients were treated at peripheral hospitals (Group A: 54/111 vs. 40/126).

Conclusion

During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic there was a significant decrease of patients with AA in a high-volume center, which showed more advanced disease of AA. This significant decrease in the high-volume center correlates with an increase in patients with AA in peripheral hospitals and represents a change in patient flow during the onset of the pandemic.
Strategic Cruelty: Legitimizing Violence in the European Union's Border Regime
Authors: Sajjad Tazreena
Published: January 2022

Violent border practices against irregular migration are not new, although increasing xenophobia and anti-immigrant sentiments have drawn greater attention to such practices in recent years. Such measures—both in and at the borders—constitute organized violence on migrant bodies, making them permanently insecure. This is particularly striking in the context of European liberal democracies with its established discourse of human rights, which have since the 1990s consolidated a formidable architecture of deterrence and which have intensified such efforts with the 2015 “migrant crisis” with increasing sea interceptions, restrictive anti-immigrant measures, and the criminalization of solidarity efforts. This article asks: How does the European Union (EU) legitimize violence in its border regime and reconcile this regime with its core identity as a defender of human rights and a “normative superpower”? By drawing on critical discourse analysis and reviewing policy statements, speeches, and press releases, it identifies the discourse topics, discursive strategies, and linguistic means through which EU migration discourse seeks to legitimize its sprawling architecture of strategic cruelty against irregular migration. This article argues that the purpose of the resulting discourse is to “absolve and resolve”—absolving the union as a whole of guilt and resolving the cognitive dissonance between the professed identity of the EU as supremely humanitarian and the observable inhumane acts of itself and its member states. This explains how the EU can employ strategic cruelty to mitigate the arrival of migrants while simultaneously maintaining moral standing to chastise individual members for “violating” the hegemonic collective identity of the union.
The complete mitochondrial genome of the spot prawn,Pandalus platycerosBrandt in von Middendorf, 1851 (Decapoda: Caridea: Pandalidae), assembled from linked-reads sequencing
Authors: Cronin Timothy J , Jones Steven J M , Baeza J Antonio
Published: January 2022

Pandalus platyceros Brandt in von Middendorf, 1851, the spot prawn, is a commercially important pandalid shrimp that sustains a small fishery in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. We report, for the first time, the complete mitochondrial genome of P. platyceros, while also testing whether linked-reads sequencing (10X Genomics) data can be used to assemble complete and accurate mitochondrial genomes. The pipeline GetOrganelle assembled and circularized the complete mitochondrial chromosome of P. platyceros with an average coverage of 28.2x from a dataset of 5 M pairs of linked reads. The AT-rich mitochondrial genome of P. platyceros is 16,628 bp in length and comprised of 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 ribosomal RNA genes, and 24 transfer RNA genes. One copy of all tRNA genes was present, except for tRNA-G, which had three copies. A single 1,077 bp-long intergenic space was assumed to be the D-loop/Control region. Selective pressure analysis indicated the PCGs were under purifying selection, although levels differed among genes. The highest KA:KS ratios were found in nad4 and nad4l, suggesting weaker purifying selection and environmental constraints on these genes. The KA:KS ratios for cob and cox1 were a magnitude lower than the ratios in other PCGs, suggesting strong purifying selection acting upon these genes. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis based on all PCGs that included a total of 91 species of shrimps supported the monophyly of the infraorder Caridea and family Pandalidae. Furthermore, the monophyly of other caridean families, including Alvinocaridae, Atyidae, Thoridae, Lysmatidae, and Palaemonidae was also supported by the same analysis. Our results thus suggest that mitochondrial PCGs have enough phylogenetic information to resolve relationships at high taxonomic levels (families) in Caridea. This study contributes new genomic resources for this commercially important species and demonstrates that linked-reads sequencing can be used to assemble accurate mitochondrial genomes.
The complete mitochondrial genome of the Atlantic ghost crabOcypode quadrata(Fabricius, 1787) (Brachyura: Ocypodidae: Ocypodinae)
Authors: O’Brien Connor , Bracken-Grissom Heather D , Baeza J Antonio
Published: January 2022

The semi-terrestrial Atlantic ghost crab Ocypode quadrata (Fabricius, 1787) is a medium-sized species that inhabits the supralittoral zone in sandy temperate and tropical beaches of the western Atlantic Ocean. Despite the relevant ecological role of O. quadrata and its use as a bio-indicator, there are currently few genetic and genomic resources for this species. This study assembled and characterized in detail the complete mitochondrial genome of O. quadrata from Illumina short paired-end reads. The software NOVOplasty assembled and circularized the complete mitochondrial genome of the Atlantic ghost crab with an average coverage of 162×, per nucleotide. The AT-rich mitochondrial genome of O. quadrata is 15,547 bp in length, consisting of 13 protein coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and two ribosomal RNA genes (rrnL and rrnS). A single 685 bp long non-coding nucleotide region is assumed to be the D-loop/control region. The observed gene order in O. quadrata is identical to that reported for all congeneric species with known mitochondrial genomes. A selective pressure analysis indicates that all the PCGs are under purifying selection. Differences in KA/KS ratios among genes indicate strong purifying selection in the cox1, cox2, cox3, and atp6 genes, and weaker purifying selection in the atp8 gene. The 22 tRNA genes range from 64 to 70 bp in length, and all the tRNAs show a conventional “cloverleaf” secondary structure except for trnS1 that is missing the D-arm, in agreement to that reported for other brachyuran crabs with tRNA secondary depictions published. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis based on all PCGs that included a total of 18 species of crabs fully supported the monophyly of the family Ocypodidae. The monophyly of the subfamilies Ocypodinae and Ucinidae was also highly supported by the analysis. These results suggest that mitochondrial PCGs have “phylogenetic signal” to reveal natural relationships at high taxonomic levels in crabs belonging to the family Ocypodidae. This study represents a new genomic resource for this ecologically relevant bioindicator ghost crab.
‘I shall now go on selling as much as I can to these people’
Authors: Davoli Silvia
Published: January 2022

This article reassesses the collecting activities of Herbert Stern (1851–1919), 1st Baron Michelham, and his wife, Geraldine (1882–1927), at the start of the twentieth century, when their lives were lived partly in France and partly in Britain. The first section provides a general overview of the Stern family and their social, cultural and philanthropic activities, which were comparable in scope and range with those of other German–Jewish families established in the United Kingdom at the time. The later sections outline their progressive detachment from this model in favour of a decidedly cosmopolitan direction, a transformation initiated by Lord and Lady Michelham and completed with the assistance of the Jewish art dealer Joseph Duveen.
Effects of Irradiated Sterile Male and Mating Sequence on the Fertility of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae)
Authors: Chen Yongzhuo , Pan Hui , Li Jing , Pan Deng , Liu Pengcheng , Hu Haoyuan
Published: January 2022

The sterile insect technique has been explored in the laboratory to control populations of Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), a globally invasive pest. We studied the reproductive behavior of D. suzukii including mating frequency, time between matings, and mating duration among non-irradiated flies. Irradiation doses were tested at 0, 60, 90, 110, 120, 150, and 180 Gy to select the optimal dose for producing sterile males. In addition, we examined the effects of mating sequence on offspring production where females were presented with irradiated males first and then wild males, or the reverse. Female D. suzukii were found to mate twice on average through their lifespan, with 16.53 ± 12.05 d between matings. The first mating duration was 24.64 ± 1.52 min shorter than the second mating. A dose of 90 Gy was suitable where irradiated males lived as long as non-irradiated males, and few eggs hatched from matings. The mating sequence experiment revealed first-male parentage preference. Wild females that mated with a wild male and then irradiated male produced more offspring than females mated with an irradiated and then wild male. Overall, the influence of mating sequence should be taken into consideration when applying the sterile insect technique (SIT) to control D. suzukii populations.
Altered Mental Status After Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant
Authors: Failing Jarrett J. , Abu Saleh Omar M. , Whitaker Jennifer A.
Published: January 2022

Human herpesvirus (HHV) 6 is a member of the Betaherpesvirinae family. There are 2 species of the virus, HHV-6A and HHV-6B, but most infections in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients are due to HHV-6B. Risk factors for activating a latent HHV-6 infection include severe immunosuppression, umbilical cord blood transplant, bone marrow transplant with an unrelated donor, and corticosteroid treatment. Symptoms include memory loss (classically anterograde amnesia), confusion, delirium, and loss of consciousness. The recommended first-line agents for treatment of HHV-6 encephalitis are ganciclovir or foscarnet for 3 to 6 weeks.
Premature Closure
Authors: Challener Douglas W. , Marcelin Jasmine R. , Tande Aaron J.
Published: January 2022

Shortcuts in clinical reasoning delay accurate diagnoses and result in inappropriate treatment. Psychologists have described these shortcuts as heuristics and have created a classification system for these errors. The defined heuristics include premature closure, anchoring bias, blind obedience, the availability heuristic, and framing effects. With greater knowledge of the common diagnostic pitfalls, physicians can attempt to avoid these errors.
The Other Coinfection
Authors: Tan Eugene M. , Marcelin Jasmine R. , Rizza Stacey A.
Published: January 2022

Patients may have an acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis D virus (HDV) coinfection from concurrent transmission, or they may have HDV superinfection of a chronic HBV infection. HBV and HDV coinfection can present as a mild, self-limited infection, but it may progress to fulminant hepatitis or cirrhosis for 20% of patients. Patients with an HDV superinfection of a chronic HBV infection can present with acute hepatitis or exacerbation of an existing liver disease. To diagnose HDV infection, all patients with positive test results for hepatitis B surface antigen should undergo testing for anti-HDV immunoglobulin G or total antibodies. Treatment goals include suppressing replication of HDV and HBV. To tailor antimicrobial activity against HDV, an HBV treatment regimen could include weekly standard or pegylated interferon-alfa for 12 to 18 months.
An Earache Too Far
Authors: Esquer-Garrigos Zerelda , Marcelin Jasmine R. , Hernandez-Acosta Alfonso , Sampathkumar Priya
Published: January 2022

Despite the development of effective systemic antibiotic therapy, bacterial meningitis continues to be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Numerous studies of different populations report that Steptococcus pneumoniae is the species most commonly involved in bacterial meningitis cases. The prevalence of S pneumoniae in bacterial meningitis can range from 50% to 70%, and incidence rates increase with age. In recent years, pneumococcal vaccination has decreased the incidence of meningitis cases caused by the serotypes included in the vaccine. The current recommended treatment for suspected pneumococcal meningitis is vancomycin plus a third-generation cephalosporin until susceptibilities are determined.
Not So Good
Authors: Challener Douglas W. , Marcelin Jasmine R.
Published: January 2022

Good syndrome (GS) is a hypogammaglobulinemia associated with the presence of a thymoma. Patients with GS often are adults who present with recurrent upper respiratory tract infections and anterior mediastinal masses. GS has no formal diagnostic criteria. The syndrome is defined most commonly as a thymoma plus humoral and cellular immune deficiency. The cause of GS is not known. The primary clinical manifestations of GS are caused by the immunodeficiency. Patients with GS are susceptible to a wide range of infections. Treatment of GS consists of thymectomy and immunoglobulin replacement with intravenous immunoglobulin.
A Little Atypical
Authors: Vijayvargiya Prakhar , Marcelin Jasmine R. , Esquer-Garrigos Zerelda , Whitaker Jennifer A.
Published: January 2022

Legionnaires disease (LD) is caused by an intracellular gram-negative bacillus of the genus Legionella. Human infection occurs via inhalation of infectious aerosols. Fever with pulse-temperature dissociation, diarrhea, nonproductive cough, and confusion can indicate LD. The preferred method for diagnosis is to perform both a urine antigen test and a sputum culture. Levofloxacin and azithromycin are the antibiotics that are most active against LD. The usual antibiotic course lasts for 7 to 10 days, with up to 21 days of therapy recommended for immunocompromised patients. LD is noncontagious and person-to-person transmission does not occur.
Thrombocytopenia
Authors: Abeykoon Jithma P. , Abu Saleh Omar M. , Rivera Candido E.
Published: January 2022

Drug-induced thrombocytopenia (DITP) is commonly attributed to antimicrobial agents; 153 drugs are believed to have a high probability of causing immune-mediated thrombocytopenia. Rifampin is categorized as a definite cause of DITP. Median time to presentation with thrombocytopenia after rifampin exposure is 1 to 2 weeks. DITP in current medical practice largely remains a clinical diagnosis. The therapy for DITP is discontinuation of the offending agent. Although DITP is associated with a high incidence of morbidity and mortality, the possibility of completely reversing it by discontinuing the offending agent indicates that an accurate and timely diagnosis is vital.
Ulcerative Skin Lesions in a Returned Traveler
Authors: Fida Madiha , Tan Eugene M. , Enzler Mark J.
Published: January 2022

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) may present as a disseminated infection (visceral) or with lesions involving the skin or oral or nasal mucosa. Leishmaniasis is transmitted by the bite of infected sand flies. Diagnosis of CL is made by histopathologic observation of the amastigote form of the parasite, by parasite cultures, or by molecular methods. In immunocompetent individuals, infection may resolve without treatment. Therapeutic options include cryotherapy, thermotherapy, and photodynamic therapy or topical paromomycin. Preventive strategies include individual protective measures such as minimizing exposed skin, using bed nets, applying insect repellents to bare skin, and wearing permethrin-treated clothing.
A Chronic Polyarthritis
Authors: Challener Douglas W. , Marcelin Jasmine R. , Cawcutt Kelly A.
Published: January 2022

Whipple disease (WD) is a rare, systemic illness characterized by weight loss, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and arthralgias. Common features at presentation are colicky abdominal pain and watery diarrhea that lead to weight loss, plus arthralgia and arthritis. Diagnosis is often established with small-bowel examination and biopsy. WD usually is curable, but successful treatment requires prolonged courses of antibiotics. Effective treatment of long-term classical or localized WD consists of induction therapy with intravenous ceftriaxone or penicillin G for 2 weeks, followed by 1 year of maintenance therapy with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole.
Detection of anti-Histoplasma capsulatum antibodies and seroconversion patterns in critically ill patients with COVID-19: An underdiagnosed fungal entity complicating COVID-19?
Authors: Toscanini María A , Barberis Fernanda , Benedetti María F , Garrido Agustín Videla , Posse Gladys B , Capece Paula , Daneri Gabriela López , Nusblat Alejandro D , Cuestas María L
Published: January 2022

The patients with severe COVID-19 are at increased risk for invasive fungal infections, such as invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and candidiasis, which increase morbidity and mortality. However, clinicians should also consider the possibility of reactivating latent Histoplasma capsulatum in patients with severe COVID-19 living within areas of endemicity who have worsening respiratory function or sepsis, even if they do not have classical risk factors for histoplasmosis (e.g., HIV/AIDS). Bearing in mind this scenario, serum samples of 39 non-HIV/AIDS patients from Buenos Aires hospitalized due to severe COVID-19 pneumonia were analyzed for anti-H. capsulatum-specific IgG antibodies by an in-house ELISA. Antibodies against H. capsulatum were detected in the sera of 8/39 patients (20.51%). To exclude the possibility that these antibodies arose from past exposure of these patients to the fungus, paired serum samples obtained after an interval of at least 10 days were evaluated. Of them, five patients (62.5%) with negative anti-H. capsulatum antibodies at baseline became seropositive 7–10 days later. Three patients (37.5%) had positive anti-H. capsulatum antibodies at baseline, but at time point 2, one of them became seronegative and the other one diminished the antibody titers (4000 vs. 16000 at baseline). The remaining patients displayed higher antibody titers at time point 2 (4000 vs. 1000 at baseline) and died immediately thereafter. In conclusion, awareness of the possibility of fungal co-infections is essential to reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment in order to help prevent severe illness and death from these infections.

Lay summary

This study verifies that patients with severe COVID-19 at ICU are at risk for histoplasmosis reactivation in endemic areas. Accurate diagnosis of this deadly fungal disease among critically ill patients with COVID-19 living in endemic areas for histoplasmosis is needed.
Study of timing and spectral properties of the X-ray pulsar 1A 0535+262 during the giant outburst in 2020 November–December
Authors: Mandal Manoj , Pal Sabyasachi
Published: January 2022

We made a detailed study of the timing and spectral properties of the X-ray pulsar 1A 0535+262 during the recent giant outburst in 2020 November and December. The flux of the pulsar reached a record value of ∼12.5 Crab as observed by Swift/BAT (15–50 keV) and the corresponding mass accretion rate was ∼6.67 × 1017 g s−1 near the peak of the outburst. There was a transition from the subcritical to the supercritical accretion regime which allows exploring different properties of the source in the supercritical regime. A q-like feature was detected in the hardness–intensity diagram during the outburst. We observed high variability and strong energy dependence of pulse profiles during the outburst. Cyclotron Resonant Scattering Feature (CRSF) was detected at ∼44 keV from the NuSTAR energy spectrum in the subcritical regime and the corresponding magnetic field was B ≃ 4.9 × 1012 G. The energy of the CRSF was shifted towards lower energy in the supercritical regime. The luminosity dependence of the CRSF was studied and during the supercritical regime, a negative correlation was observed between the line energy and luminosity. The critical luminosity was ∼6 × 1037erg s−1 above which a state transition occurred. A reversal of correlation between the photon index and luminosity was observed near the critical luminosity. The NuSTAR spectra can be described by a composite model with two continuum components, a blackbody emission, cut-off power law, and a discrete component to account for the iron emission line at 6.4 keV. An additional cyclotron absorption feature was included in the model.
Co-evolution of massive black holes and their host galaxies at high redshift: discrepancies from six cosmological simulations and the key role of JWST
Authors: Habouzit Mélanie , Onoue Masafusa , Bañados Eduardo , Neeleman Marcel , Anglés-Alcázar Daniel , Walter Fabian , Pillepich Annalisa , Davé Romeel , Jahnke Knud , Dubois Yohan
Published: January 2022

The James Webb Space Telescope will have the power to characterize high-redshift quasars at z ≥ 6 with an unprecedented depth and spatial resolution. While the brightest quasars at such redshift (i.e. with bolometric luminosity $L_{\rm bol}\geqslant 10^{46}\, \rm erg/s$) provide us with key information on the most extreme objects in the Universe, measuring the black hole (BH) mass and Eddington ratios of fainter quasars with $L_{\rm bol}= 10^{45}-10^{46}\, \rm erg\,s^{ -1}$ opens a path to understand the build-up of more normal BHs at z ≥ 6. In this paper, we show that the Illustris, TNG100, TNG300, Horizon-AGN, EAGLE, and SIMBA large-scale cosmological simulations do not agree on whether BHs at z ≥ 4 are overmassive or undermassive at fixed galaxy stellar mass with respect to the MBH − M⋆ scaling relation at z = 0 (BH mass offsets). Our conclusions are unchanged when using the local scaling relation produced by each simulation or empirical relations. We find that the BH mass offsets of the simulated faint quasar population at z ≥ 4, unlike those of bright quasars, represent the BH mass offsets of the entire BH population, for all the simulations. Thus, a population of faint quasars with $L_{\rm bol}= 10^{45}-10^{46}\, \rm erg\,s^{ -1}$ observed by JWST can provide key constraints on the assembly of BHs at high redshift. Moreover, this will help constraining the high-redshift regime of cosmological simulations, including BH seeding, early growth, and co-evolution with the host galaxies. Our results also motivate the need for simulations of larger cosmological volumes down to z ∼ 6, with the same diversity of subgrid physics, in order to gain statistics on the most extreme objects at high redshift.