bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developmental ethanol exposure produces deficits in long‐term potentiation in vivo that persist following postnatal choline supplementation
Authors: Titterness A. K. , Gräfe E. L. , Acosta C. , Rodriguez C. , Thomas J. D. , Christie B. R.
Published: June 2024

Background

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is one of the leading causes of neurodevelopmental disorder for which there is a pressing need for an effective treatment. Recent studies have investigated the essential nutrient choline as a postnatal treatment option. Supplementation with choline has produced improvements in behavioral tasks related to learning and memory and reverted changes in methylation signature following third‐trimester equivalent ethanol exposure. We examined whether there are related improvements in hippocampal synaptic plasticity in vivo.

Methods

Sprague–Dawley offspring were administered binge‐levels of ethanol from postnatal day (PND) 4 to 9, then treated with choline chloride (100 mg/kg/day) from PND 10 to 30. In vivo electrophysiology was performed on male and female offspring from PND 55 to 70. Long‐term potentiation (LTP) was induced in the medial perforant pathway of the dentate gyrus using a theta‐burst stimulation (TBS) protocol, and field‐evoked postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) were evoked for 60 min following the conditioning stimulus.

Results

Developmental ethanol exposure caused long‐lasting deficits in LTP of the slope of the evoked responses and in the amplitude of the population spike potentiation. Neither deficit was rescued by postnatal choline supplementation.

Conclusions

In contrast to our prior findings that choline can improve hippocampal plasticity (Nutrients, 2022, 14, 2004), here we found that deficits in hippocampal synaptic plasticity due to developmental ethanol exposure persisted into adulthood despite adolescent choline supplementation. Future research should examine more subtle changes in synaptic plasticity to identify synaptic changes that mirror behavioral improvements.
Emergency laparotomy in older adults with geriatric medicine input: implications of demographics, frailty and comorbidities on outcomes
Authors: Teh Ryan , Teo Serene , Trivedi Anand , Kumarasinghe Anuttara Panchali
Published: June 2024

Background

We (1) describe West Australian (WA) older adults undergoing emergency laparotomy (EL) in a tertiary‐centre Acute Surgical Unit (ASU) with proactive geriatrician input and (2) explore the impact of Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS) and Charlson's Comorbidity Index (CCI) on patient outcomes.

Methods

We performed a prospective cohort‐study of older adults undergoing EL, between April 2021 and April 2022, in a tertiary ASU, with dedicated geriatrician‐led perioperative care via the Older Adult Surgical Inpatient Service (OASIS).

Results

Of 114 patients, average age was 76.7 ± 7.61 years‐old (range 65–96), with 35.1% (n = 40) frail (CFS 5–7), 18.4% (n = 21) vulnerable (CFS 4) and 46.5% (n = 74) not frail (CFS 1–3). 61.4% (n = 70) were severely comorbid (CCI ≥5), 34.2% (n = 39) moderately comorbid (CCI 3–4), and 4.4% (n = 5) mildly comorbid (CCI 1–2).

95.9% (n = 109) EL patients were reviewed by OASIS.

Inpatient mortality was 7.9% (n = 9) and 1‐year mortality 16.7% (n = 19). Majority, 64.9% (n = 74), were discharged directly home with 17.5% (n = 20) discharged with in‐home rehabilitation. Each increment in CCI was associated with increased in‐hospital (HR 1.38, p = 0.034) and 1‐year (HR 1.39, p = 0.006) mortality, and each increment in CFS with 1‐year mortality (HR 1.62, p = 0.016). Higher CFS but not CCI was associated with increased level of care at discharge. Age was not statistically significant with any outcomes.

Conclusion

We describe demographics, frailty and comorbidity of 114 older adults undergoing EL in ASU. We suggest CFS and CCI as independent risk‐stratification tools, and proactive management of both comorbidity, and frailty, should be incorporated into preoperative optimisation.
The newborn behavioural observations system: A relationship‐building intervention to support families in the neonatal intensive care unit
Authors: Johnson Lise C. , McManus Beth , Blanchard Yvette , Nugent J. Kevin
Published: June 2024

Aim

Relationship‐based interventions for neonatal intensive care unit families have potential to improve parent and infant outcomes; yet, their implementation has been modest within systems of care for high‐risk newborns. The purpose of this paper is to describe a relationship‐building intervention, the newborn behavioural observation system, summarise the evidence supporting its use, and address its clinical application for high‐risk parent–infant dyads in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Methods

We summarise the extant literature describing the use of the newborn behavioural observation system in high‐risk populations.

Results

While the body of literature supporting the use of the newborn behavioural observation system is modest, several randomised controlled studies have highlighted statistically significant and clinically meaningful gains in infant development and parental mental health. In these studies, the intervention was often integrated into existing systems of care and included high‐risk parent–infant dyads.

Conclusion

The newborn behavioural observation system is a promising intervention designed to support the early challenges of high‐risk infants and their parents. Future research should examine its effects in diverse neonatal intensive care unit populations and professionals, strive for continuity of care from inpatient to post‐discharge follow‐up and developmental support services, and include more longitudinal studies.
Using machine learning to unveil relevant predictors of adherence to recommended health‐protective behaviors during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Denmark
Authors: Lilleholt Lau , Chapman Gretchen B. , Böhm Robert , Zettler Ingo
Published: June 2024

What were relevant predictors of individuals' proclivity to adhere to recommended health‐protective behaviors during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Denmark? Applying machine learning (namely, lasso regression) to a repeated cross‐sectional survey spanning 10 months comprising 25 variables (Study 1; N = 15,062), we found empathy toward those most vulnerable to COVID‐19, knowledge about how to protect oneself from getting infected, and perceived moral costs of nonadherence to be strong predictors of individuals' self‐reported adherence to recommended health‐protective behaviors. We further explored the relations between these three factors and individuals' self‐reported proclivity for adherence to recommended health‐protective behaviors as they unfold between and within individuals over time in a second study, a Danish panel study comprising eight measurement occasions spanning eight months (N = 441). Results of this study suggest that the relations largely occurred at the trait‐like interindividual level, as opposed to at the state‐like intraindividual level. Together, the findings provide insights into what were relevant predictors for individuals' overall level of adherence to recommended health‐protective behaviors (in Denmark) as well as how these predictors might (not) be leveraged to promote public adherence in future epidemics or pandemics.
Community engagement, service learning, and underrepresented college student success: An examination of multiple cohorts
Authors: Do Tai , Hufnagle Ashley S. , Maruyama Geoffrey , Lopez‐Hurtado Isabel , Song Wei , Furco Andrew
Published: June 2024

Previous literature has demonstrated the positive benefits of Service Learning (SL) participation on college student outcomes. This study explored whether SL participation during the first year of college appeared to be a potentially useful community engagement and pedagogical lever for enhancing college students’ academic achievement, retention, and graduation outcomes. Particular attention focused on college students from groups under‐represented in higher education. We used propensity score matching to create comparable treatment (SL participation) and control (non‐SL participation) groups. We then examined the role of SL participation in the first‐year on college student outcome using four matched samples of college students who were first‐years in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. Overall, we found that participation in SL during the first college year benefits college students' long‐term academic outcomes (cumulative GPA, cumulative credits earned, year‐to‐year retention, and graduation within 4–6 years), particularly for college students from under‐represented backgrounds.
Response adaptive salvage treatment with daratumumab–lenalidomide–dexamethasone for newly diagnosed transplant‐eligible multiple myeloma patients failing front‐line bortezomib‐based induction therapy—ALLG MM21
Authors: Lim S. , Reynolds J. , Quach H. , Hutchinson A. , Kerridge I. , Janowski W. , Bergin K. , Spencer A.
Published: June 2024

In Australia, bortezomib‐based induction (V‐IND) is used in >90% of newly diagnosed transplant‐eligible multiple myeloma (MM) patients. Four cycles of V‐IND with bortezomib–cyclophosphamide–dexamethasone or bortezomib–lenalidomide–dexamethasone are available via the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme prior to autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Patients who demonstrate suboptimal response or who are refractory to V‐IND demonstrate inferior survival, representing a subgroup of MM where an unmet need persists. We evaluated an early, response‐adapted approach in these patients by switching to an intensive sequential therapeutic strategy incorporating daratumumab–lenalidomide–dexamethasone‐based (DRd) salvage, high‐dose melphalan ASCT followed by DRd consolidation and R maintenance. The overall response rate following four cycles of DRd salvage was 72% (95% credible interval: 57.9–82.4); prespecified, dual, Bayesian proof‐of‐concept criteria were met. Euro‐flow minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity was 46% in the intention‐to‐treat population and 79% in the evaluable population following 12 cycles of DRd consolidation. At the 24‐month follow‐up, median progression‐free survival and overall survival were not reached. DRd salvage was well tolerated with grade 3 and 4 events reported in 24% and 8% respectively. Response‐adapted DRd combined with ASCT achieves high rates of MRD negativity and durable disease control in this functional high‐risk group.
Plakins are involved in the regulation of centrosome position in polarized epithelial cells
Authors: Geay Juliana , Margaron Yoran , Gentien David , Reyal Fabien , Puisieux Alain , Blanchoin Laurent , Guyon Laurent , Théry Manuel
Published: June 2024

Background Information

The control of epithelial cell polarity is key to their function. Its dysregulation is a major cause of tissue transformation. In polarized epithelial cells,the centrosome is off‐centred toward the apical pole. This asymmetry determines the main orientation of the microtubule network and intra‐cellular traffic. However, the mechanism regulating centrosome positioning at the apical pole of polarized epithelial cells is still poorly undertood.

Results

In this study we used transcriptomic data from breast cancer cells to identify molecular changes associated with the different stages of tumour transformation. We correlated these changes with variations in centrosome position or with cell progression along the epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), a process that involves centrosome repositioning. We found that low levels of epiplakin, desmoplakin and periplakin correlated with centrosome mispositioning in cells that had progressed through EMT or tissue transformation. We further tested the causal role of these plakins in the regulation of centrosome position by knocking down their expression in a non‐tumorigenic breast epithelial cell line (MCF10A). The downregulation of periplakin reduced the length of intercellular junction, which was not affected by the downregulation of epiplakin or desmoplakin. However, down‐regulating any of them disrupted centrosome polarisation towards the junction without affecting microtubule stability.

Conclusions

Altogether, these results demonstrated that epiplakin, desmoplakin and periplakin are involved in the maintenance of the peripheral position of the centrosome close to inter‐cellular junctions. They also revealed that these plakins are downregulated during EMT and breast cancer progression, which are both associated with centrosome mispositioning.

Significance

These results revealed that the down‐regulation of plakins and the consequential centrosome mispositioning are key signatures of disorganised cytoskeleton networks, inter‐cellular junction weakening, shape deregulation and the loss of polarity in breast cancer cells. These metrics could further be used as a new readouts for early phases of tumoral development.
Invasive squamous cell carcinoma within a plaque of circumscribed palmar hypokeratosis
Authors: Araya Luis , Horcajada Celia , Moreno Amalia , Borbujo Jesús M. , Tardío Juan C.
Published: June 2024

Circumscribed palmar hypokeratosis (CPH) is a localized disorder of epidermal keratinization that is presented as a well‐delimited, depressed, erythematous plaque on the palms or on the soles. It is histopathologically characterized by an abrupt thinning of the corneal epidermal layer. CPH is considered a benign condition, but a few cases with dysplastic changes/carcinoma in situ in the hypokeratotic epidermis have been described. We report hereby a case of invasive squamous cell carcinoma developed within a plaque of CPH. The pathogenesis of the malignant changes in this disorder remains to be clarified. Clinicians should be aware of the potential for developing malignancy in CPH and carry out a closer follow‐up of this disorder.
Phenotypes of Polish primary care patients using hierarchical clustering: Exploring the risk of mortality in the LIPIDOGEN2015 study cohort
Authors: Chen Yang , Gue Ying , Banach Maciej , Mikhailidis Dimitri , Toth Peter P. , Gierlotka Marek , Osadnik Tadeusz , Golawski Marcin , Tomasik Tomasz , Windak Adam , Jozwiak Jacek , Lip Gregory Y. H. ,   the LIPIDOGRAM Investigators
Published: June 2024

Background

Comorbidities in primary care do not occur in isolation but tend to cluster together causing various clinically complex phenotypes. This study aimed to distinguish phenotype clusters and identify the risks of all‐cause mortality in primary care.

Methods

The baseline cohort of the LIPIDOGEN2015 sub‐study involved 1779 patients recruited by 438 primary care physicians. To identify different phenotype clusters, we used hierarchical clustering and investigated differences between clinical characteristics and mortality between clusters. We then performed causal analyses using causal mediation analysis to explore potential mediators between different clusters and all‐cause mortality.

Results

A total of 1756 patients were included (mean age 51.2, SD 13.0; 60.3% female), with a median follow‐up of 5.7 years. Three clusters were identified: Cluster 1 (n = 543) was characterised by overweight/obesity (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2), older (age ≥ 65 years), more comorbidities; Cluster 2 (n = 459) was characterised by non‐overweight/obesity, younger, fewer comorbidities; Cluster 3 (n = 754) was characterised by overweight/obesity, younger, fewer comorbidities. Adjusted Cox regression showed that compared with Cluster 2, Cluster 1 had a significantly higher risk of all‐cause mortality (HR 3.87, 95% CI: 1.24–15.91), whereas this was insignificantly different for Cluster 3. Causal mediation analyses showed that decreased protein thiol groups mediated the hazard effect of all‐cause mortality in Cluster 1 compared with Cluster 2, but not between Clusters 1 and 3.

Conclusion

Overweight/obesity older patients with more comorbidities had the highest risk of long‐term all‐cause mortality, and in the young group population overweight/obesity insignificantly increased the risk in the long‐term follow‐up, providing a basis for stratified phenotypic risk management.
Foodwork in the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic: The emotional experience among upper‐ and middle‐class women in Brazil
Authors: Kestering Virginia Therezinha , Quagliato Henrique , Tamanini Marlene
Published: June 2024

Previous studies have shown that middle‐ and upper‐class, primarily white, women can relieve their workload and resolve family conflicts by relying on the labor of poor and/or racialized women or accessing services that facilitate their foodwork. However, the spreading of COVID‐19 and the necessity of social distancing have temporarily made the access of these facilitators difficult or impossible. Since women have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic consequences on the sexual division of labor, this paper examines how the pandemic affects women's emotional experience with domestic foodwork in Brazil. Drawing from the 588 upper‐ and middle‐class women's responses to an online survey, we have identified six emotional experiences influenced by the pandemic: (1) obligation, (2) overload, (3) fear, (4) safety, (5) relaxation, and (6) family time appreciation. However, the changes caused by the sanitary crises do not explain alone the new emotions experienced with domestic foodwork. Class and gender can interfere or potentialize how women feel about it during the pandemic. Obligation, overload, and fear were enhanced when the participants could not access services that were used to relieve their foodwork burden, especially when faced with an unequal sexual division of labor. In turn, safety, relaxation, and family time appreciation were facilitated by a better dynamic of domestic tasks sharing alongside the certainty to access good quality food. By analyzing these factors, this paper enhances the theoretical understanding of contextual and situational domestic foodwork emotional experience because it observes the outcomes of critical reduction of networks that used to sustain this practice involvement.
Understanding academic vocabulary learning in higher education: Perspectives from first‐year undergraduates in Hong Kong
Authors: Chung Edsoulla , Wan Aaron , Fung Daniel
Published: June 2024

The learning of academic vocabulary, which consists of words commonly found in academic discourse across disciplines, is crucial for success in higher education. However, studies have shown that English as a second language (ESL) students face significant challenges acquiring this vocabulary, particularly during their first year of university. Given the pivotal role that learners’ beliefs play in language learning, understanding their beliefs regarding their academic vocabulary learning (AVL) can provide educators with insights into the teaching strategies that effectively address the difficulties learners encounter. Accordingly, this mixed‐methods study examined the beliefs of 172 first‐year ESL undergraduates in Hong Kong regarding their AVL. Quantitative findings indicated that although students generally recognised the importance of developing academic vocabulary, their beliefs about their competence and effective learning methods varied. The students’ English proficiency level was also found to be associated with their beliefs. An analysis of open‐ended responses further revealed that the students faced challenges related to the infrequent occurrence of academic vocabulary in non‐academic contexts, its complex nature, as well as the difficulty of retaining newly learned words. The paper concludes by discussing pedagogical implications and directions for future research.
A revenue management approach for tourism logistics optimization
Authors: Di Puglia Pugliese Luigi , Guerriero Francesca , Miglionico Giovanna
Published: June 2024

Tourism is a very complex industry and represents one of the most profitable activity in the world. A tourist product requires the execution of several multifaceted activities. Indeed, transportation, accommodation, entertainment, food, and beverages represent only some of the products/services required by a tourist. It is evident that a single enterprise cannot provide all the components of a tourist product, but several interrelated actors should collaborate. This leads to a very complex supply tourist chain that needs to be optimized. The relevant theories and methods of logistics can be used to efficiently manage all the flows that are generated in a tourist chain. The definition of appropriate policies, at the different nodes of the chain, can improve the performance of all the actors involved in tourism logistics. In this paper, we concentrate our attention on tour operators that are relevant in the touristic logistic chain since they are involved in several activities. We introduce different revenue management policies to support tour operators in the decision of accepting the most profitable tourist requests. A request consists of flights and hotel booking, characterized by a starting time of the trip and the length of stay at the destination. We allow for various combinations of flight legs and multiple categories of hotels to accommodate a variety of customer preferences and needs. A computational study is carried out by considering different scenarios, and the performance of the considered revenue management policies is analyzed in detail.
Fugitive Study at University: Moving Beyond Neoliberal Affect Through Aesthetic Experimentation with Space‐Times
Authors: Trafí‐Prats Laura
Published: June 2024

The article proposes a relational pedagogy centred on study, to contest the affective condition of the present and how it shapes narratives of young people being disengaged and with a lack of future. In doing so, it draws from affect theory and black radical studies to outline a more complex approach to affect in university experience. It mobilises the concept of study, advanced by Stefano Harney and Fred Moten in their book The Undercommons, to direct attention to less linear and transparent space‐times where study, a practice of affecting and being affected by what others do to you and what you do with it, exceeds the frameworks of the university. Further to this, the article connects study and fugitivity to what Moten calls an aesthetics of the break practiced across black studies. In doing so, it links affect to complex spatial‐temporal relationalities that emerge from sensuous experimentation and creative speculation, which engage both in university and its escape. These ideas are explored through a participatory study with university students in Manchester, UK called Sensing the Black Outdoors. I present the findings derived from radical sensory‐spatial experiments, which led to: (a) visual encounters centred in not looking away and staying with the material presence of blackness and (b) the development of collective experiments with sensory media for feeling and imagining alternative experiences of space and time in the city.
Precise risk‐prediction model including arterial stiffness for new‐onset atrial fibrillation using machine learning techniques
Authors: Kanegae Hiroshi , Fujishiro Kentaro , Fukatani Kyohei , Ito Tetsuya , Kario Kazuomi
Published: June 2024

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia and is an important risk factor for ischemic cerebrovascular events. This study used machine learning techniques to develop and validate a new risk prediction model for new‐onset AF that incorporated the use electrocardiogram to diagnose AF, data from participants with a wide age range, and considered hypertension and measures of atrial stiffness. In Japan, Industrial Safety and Health Law requires employers to provide annual health check‐ups to their employees. This study included 13 410 individuals who underwent health check‐ups on at least four successive years between 2005 and 2015 (new‐onset AF, n = 110; non‐AF, n = 13 300). Data were entered into a risk prediction model using machine learning methods (eXtreme Gradient Boosting and Shapley Additive Explanation values). Data were randomly split into a training set (80%) used for model construction and development, and a test set (20%) used to test performance of the derived model. The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve for the model in the test set was 0.789. The best predictor of new‐onset AF was age, followed by the cardio‐ankle vascular index, estimated glomerular filtration rate, sex, body mass index, uric acid, γ‐glutamyl transpeptidase level, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure at cardio‐ankle vascular index measurement, and alanine aminotransferase level. This new model including arterial stiffness measure, developed with data from a general population using machine learning methods, could be used to identify at‐risk individuals and potentially facilitation the prevention of future AF development.
Lifestyle counseling in patients with hypertension in primary health care and its association with antihypertensive pharmacotherapy
Authors: Lindblom Sebastian , Ivarsson Charlotte , Wändell Per , Bergqvist Monica , Norrman Anders , Eriksson Julia , Lund Lena , Hagströmer Maria , Hasselström Jan , Sandlund Christina , Carlsson Axel C
Published: June 2024

The study aimed to investigate differences in hypertensive‐ and cardio‐preventive pharmacotherapy depending on if patients with hypertension received lifestyle counseling or not, including the difference between men and women. Data from the Region Stockholm VAL database was used to identify all patients with a hypertension diagnosis and had visited a primary health care center within the past five years. Data included registered diagnoses, pharmacotherapy, and codes for lifestyle counseling. Logistic regression adjusted for age and comorbidity (diabetes, stroke, coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, gout, obesity, heart failure) was used, presenting results as odds ratios (OR) with 99% confidence interval (CI). The study included 130,030 patients with hypertension; 63,402 men and 66,628 women. Patients receiving recommended lifestyle counseling were more frequently treated with three or more hypertensive drugs: women OR 1.38 (1.31, 1.45) and men = 1.36 (1.30, 1.43); certain drug classes: calcium antagonists: women 1.09 (1.04, 1.14) and men 1.11 (1.06, 1.16); thiazide diuretics: women 1.26 (1.20, 1.34) and men 1.25 (1.19, 1.32); and aldosterone antagonists: women 1.25 (1.12, 1.41) and men 1.49 (1.34, 1.65). Patients receiving recommended level of lifestyle counseling with concomitant coronary heart disease, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, or stroke were more frequently treated with statins than those who did not. Further, recommended lifestyle counseling was significantly associated with anticoagulant treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation. Lifestyle counseling according to recommendations in national guidelines was significantly associated with a more thorough pharmacological treatment of hypertension, statins, and antithrombotic drugs as well as anticoagulants, in both men and women.
The antibacterial, antioxidant, and insecticidal activities of essential oils from Thymus vulgaris L., Salvia officinalis L., and Ocimum basilicum L.
Authors: Oliveira Cassia Duarte , Cardoso Maria das Graças , Batista Luis Roberto , Alves Eduardo , Rosa Maria Beatriz Pereira , Ferreira Vanuzia Rodrigues Fernandes , de Souza Luciano , Pineda Maria , Fernandes Antonia Isadora , Nelson David Lee , Haddi Khalid
Published: June 2024

The essential oils from Thymus vulgaris, Salvia officinalis, and Ocimum basilicum were extracted by hydrodistillation, characterized by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry, and quantified by gas chromatography/flame ionization detector. The principal constituents were thymol, ρ‐cymene and carvacrol (T. vulgaris); camphor, β‐pinene, and 1,8‐cineole (S. officinalis); and (E)‐anethole, linalool, and 1,8‐cineole (O. basilicum). The essential oil from T. vulgaris was the most effective, forming inhibition halos of 46.16 ± 0.16 and 26.38 ± 0.33 mm, respectively, for Salmonella choleraesuis and Listeria monocytogenes. This essential oil was also more effective against S. choleraesuis, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 8.85 mg mL−1, and a minimum inhibitory concentration of 17.71 mg mL−1 for L. monocytogenes. No bactericidal activity against S. choleraesuis and L. monocytogenes was observed for the essential oils from S. officinalis, and O. basilicum. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the addition of essential oils left the bacterial cells damaged and deformed. Significant 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging capacity and lipid substrate protection were observed in the β‐carotene bleaching assay for the essential oil from T. vulgaris, with IC50 of 231.13 ± 0.53 and 15.25 ± 0.38 μg mL−1, respectively. A dose‐dependent relationship between antioxidant activity and concentrations was observed in the tests. Toxicities of LC50 = 1.24, 3.51 and 1.19 mg mL−1 against Drosophila suzukii flies, respectively, were observed for the essential oils from T. vulgaris, S. officinalis, and O. basilicum. Results suggest that essential oils can be promising antioxidant agents, insecticides, and inhibitors of pathogenic bacteria.
Inhalation of hydrogen gas mitigates sevoflurane‐induced neuronal apoptosis in the neonatal cortex and is associated with changes in protein phosphorylation
Authors: Iketani Masumi , Hatomi Mai , Fujita Yasunori , Watanabe Nobuhiro , Ito Masafumi , Kawaguchi Hideo , Ohsawa Ikuroh
Published: June 2024

Inhalation of hydrogen (H2) gas is therapeutically effective for cerebrovascular diseases, neurodegenerative disorders, and neonatal brain disorders including pathologies induced by anesthetic gases. To understand the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of H2 on the brain, we investigated the molecular signals affected by H2 in sevoflurane‐induced neuronal cell death. We confirmed that neural progenitor cells are susceptible to sevoflurane and undergo apoptosis in the retrosplenial cortex of neonatal mice. Co‐administration of 1–8% H2 gas for 3 h to sevoflurane‐exposed pups suppressed elevated caspase‐3‐mediated apoptotic cell death and concomitantly decreased c‐Jun phosphorylation and activation of the c‐Jun pathway, all of which are induced by oxidative stress. Anesthesia‐induced increases in lipid peroxidation and oxidative DNA damage were alleviated by H2 inhalation. Phosphoproteome analysis revealed enriched clusters of differentially phosphorylated proteins in the sevoflurane‐exposed neonatal brain that included proteins involved in neuronal development and synaptic signaling. H2 inhalation modified cellular transport pathways that depend on hyperphosphorylated proteins including microtubule‐associated protein family. These modifications may be involved in the protective mechanisms of H2 against sevoflurane‐induced neuronal cell death.

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Religion and Policy Preferences in Context: Born‐Again Christian Identity, Support for Inclusive COVID‐19 Aid, and the Broader Political Environment
Authors: Seto Christopher H. , Ortiz Selena E.
Published: June 2024

How COVID‐19 economic aid should be distributed continues to be an important societal question, with relevance to current and future public health policy. We argue that religious identities condition the influence of broader political context on COVID‐19 policy preferences, serving as social conduits through which political attitudes are transmitted. We analyze original U.S. survey data (N = 989), to examine support for inclusive (i.e., including undocumented immigrants) COVID‐19 economic aid. We find that individuals’ religious identities interact with county‐level political context to influence COVID‐19 policy preferences. Born‐Again Christian individuals are more strongly affected by conservative political climates compared to their religious and nonreligious peers, after controlling for individual political characteristics and a host of sociodemographic factors. Findings support the conceptualization of conservative religious identities as social conduits for political messaging and show the importance of religion to how policy opinions are shaped by the broader environment.
The future perspectives of the European Unified Patent Court in the light of the existing intellectual property courts in the United States and Japan
Authors: Khuchua Tamar
Published: June 2024

The entering into force of Europe's Unified Patent Court (UPC) on 1 June 2023 shifts the question on whether and how a specialised and unified court should be designed to the question on how the already conceived court shall function to meet the set institutional and substantive goals for the European patent adjudication. Despite the contextual legal and economic differences, the examples of the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) and the Tokyo Intellectual Property High Court (IPHC) can serve as guidance for the new European court, especially in its early days of operation. This article, outlining both the differences and similarities in the origins of the three courts, articulates upon the challenges as well as the achievements of the United States and Japanese examples to shed light on the future perspectives of the UPC and wherever relevant, provide policy‐oriented and practical recommendations for those in charge of shaping the UPC's jurisprudence. To this end, it is submitted that particular attention should be paid to ensuring the wide range of competences of the UPC judges; the interinstitutional dialogue between the UPC and the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) as well as the dialogue among the UPC judges, including the encouragement of dissenting opinions; consultation of public, if possible in the form of amicus curiae briefs; and international cooperation with existing specialised IP courts worldwide. Based on evidenced foreign practices, these mechanisms are argued to serve the objectives of avoiding ‘overspecialisation’, achieving uniformity while maintaining accuracy, securing the new court's legitimacy and, finally, fostering global judicial harmonisation.
A UPLC‐MS/MS method for quantification of metabolites in the ethylene biosynthesis pathway and its biological validation in Arabidopsis
Authors: Cao Da , Depaepe Thomas , Sanchez‐Muñoz Raul , Janssens Hilde , Lemière Filip , Willems Tim , Winne Johan , Prinsen Els , Van Der Straeten Dominique
Published: June 2024

The plant hormone ethylene is of vital importance in the regulation of plant development and stress responses. Recent studies revealed that 1‐aminocyclopropane‐1‐carboxylic acid (ACC) plays a role beyond its function as an ethylene precursor. However, the absence of reliable methods to quantify ACC and its conjugates malonyl‐ACC (MACC), glutamyl‐ACC (GACC), and jasmonyl‐ACC (JA‐ACC) hinders related research.

Combining synthetic and analytical chemistry, we present the first, validated methodology to rapidly extract and quantify ACC and its conjugates using ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC‐MS/MS). Its relevance was confirmed by application to Arabidopsis mutants with altered ACC metabolism and wild‐type plants under stress.

Pharmacological and genetic suppression of ACC synthesis resulted in decreased ACC and MACC content, whereas induction led to elevated levels. Salt, wounding, and submergence stress enhanced ACC and MACC production. GACC and JA‐ACC were undetectable in vivo; however, GACC was identified in vitro, underscoring the broad applicability of the method.

This method provides an efficient tool to study individual functions of ACC and its conjugates, paving the road toward exploration of novel avenues in ACC and ethylene metabolism, and revisiting ethylene literature in view of the recent discovery of an ethylene‐independent role of ACC.
Meta‐analysis of high‐power short‐duration versus cryoballoon ablation for atrial fibrillation
Authors: Lin Limin , Huang Ying , Huang Qunying , Yu Fuling , Mao Yinjun
Published: June 2024

Background

The existing literature regarding the treatment strategy for high‐power short‐duration (HPSD) ablation in patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (AF) is currently insufficient. The objective of this study is to perform a comparative analysis evaluating the effectiveness, safety, and procedural efficiency of HPSD versus cryoballoon ablation (CBA) for AF.

Methods

A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases to identify trials comparing HPSD with CBA for AF from their inception until December 25, 2023. Treatment effect measures were expressed as odds ratio (OR), mean difference (MD), accompanied by a 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

The analysis comprised six eligible trials involving a total enrollment of 2481 patients. No statistically significant disparities were observed in recurrent atrial arrhythmia (OR 0.90; 95% CI, 0.71–1.16) or total complications (OR 0.65; 95% CI, 0.38–1.12) between the two ablation techniques examined in this study. However, HPSD technique exhibited a significantly prolonged procedure time (MD 27.42; 95% CI, 19.03 to 35.81). Conversely, no significant differences were observed between the two modalities in terms of total fluoroscopy duration (MD −4.37; 95% CI −10.70 to 1.96) and ablation time (MD 7.95; 95% CI −3.97 to 19.88). Furthermore, HPSD demonstrated significantly higher odds of extrapulmonary vein (PV) trigger ablation compared to CBA (OR 18.86; 95% CI, 5.12–69.49). The subgroup analyses revealed that CBA continued to exhibit superior procedure time (except for the paroxysmal AF subgroup: [MD 29.52; 95% CI −4.25 to 63.60]), while no significant differences in safety and efficacy (except for the HPSD ≥ 70 W subgroup: [OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.20–0.97]) outcomes were still observed.

Conclusion

Among patients undergoing ablation therapy for AF, both HPSD and CBA demonstrate comparable efficacy and safety profiles; however, HPSD is associated with longer procedural time and higher rates of extra‐PV trigger ablation.
The frequency of superior cluneal nerve entrapment diagnosed with ultrasound‐guided nerve block in patients with low back pain: A prospective, cross‐sectional study
Authors: Kiral Busra Sezer , Misirlioglu Tugce Ozekli , Terlemez Rana , Palamar Deniz , Kiral Dogan , Aygun Eren , Akgun Kenan
Published: June 2024

Introduction

To determine the frequency of superior cluneal nerve entrapment (SCN‐E) in patients who applied to our outpatient clinic with low back pain.

Methods

Two hundred patients with mechanical low back pain persisting more than 3 months were included in our study. All patients were evaluated with detailed clinical history and physical examination. Ultrasound‐guided diagnostic injection was performed in patients who had tenderness on the posterior iliac crest and whose main complaint emerged by pressing on this point. Patients with 70% or greater pain relief 1 h after the injection were considered as SCN‐E. The frequency and clinical features of SCN‐E were determined and compared with other mechanical low back pain.

Results

The mean age of the patients included in our study was 48.56 ± 14.11 years, with 138 female and 62 male patients. The diagnostic injection was performed on 31 patients and considered positive in 24 of them. The frequency of SCN‐E was determined as 12%. The Hip‐Knee Flexion Test was determined to be more specific for SCN‐E than other causes of low back pain, the sensitivity and specificity of the test were 41.67% and 88.64% (p = 0.001; p < 0.01). In addition, all demographic and clinical features in patients diagnosed with SCN‐E were found to be similar to other mechanical low back pain cases.

Conclusions

In patients with chronic low back pain, SCN‐E is not a rare cause and is often overlooked. Increasing the awareness and experience of physicians on SCN‐E will prevent patients from being exposed to unnecessary surgical or non‐surgical treatments.
Xenopus as a model system for studying pigmentation and pigmentary disorders
Authors: El Mir Joudi , Nasrallah Ali , Thézé Nadine , Cario Muriel , Fayyad‐Kazan Hussein , Thiébaud Pierre , Rezvani Hamid‐Reza
Published: June 2024

Human pigmentary disorders encompass a broad spectrum of phenotypic changes arising from disruptions in various stages of melanocyte formation, the melanogenesis process, or the transfer of pigment from melanocytes to keratinocytes. A large number of pigmentation genes associated with pigmentary disorders have been identified, many of them awaiting in vivo confirmation. A more comprehensive understanding of the molecular basis of pigmentary disorders requires a vertebrate animal model where changes in pigmentation are easily observable in vivo and can be combined to genomic modifications and gain/loss‐of‐function tools. Here we present the amphibian Xenopus with its unique features that fulfill these requirements. Changes in pigmentation are particularly easy to score in Xenopus embryos, allowing whole‐organism based phenotypic screening. The development and behavior of Xenopus melanocytes closely mimic those observed in mammals. Interestingly, both Xenopus and mammalian skins exhibit comparable reactions to ultraviolet radiation. This review highlights how Xenopus constitutes an alternative and complementary model to the more commonly used mouse and zebrafish, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in melanocyte cell biology and related diseases.
Kant and Overdemandingness I: The Demandingness of Imperfect Duties
Authors: Saunders Joe , Slater Joe , Sticker Martin
Published: June 2024

The Overdemandingness Objection maintains that an ethical theory or principle that demands too much should be rejected, or at least moderated. Traditionally, overdemandingness is considered primarily a problem for consequentialist ethical theories. Recently, Kant and Kantian ethics have also become part of the debate. This development helps us better understand both overdemandingness and problems with Kant's ethics. In this, the first of a pair of papers, we introduce the distinction between perfect and imperfect duties as well as a framework for understanding the overdemandingness objection that allows us to discuss overdemandingness across different ethical theories. We then consider two ways that Kantians have sought to avoid the implication that imperfect duties may be overly demanding: (1) via the latitude of imperfect duties, and (2) by the suggestion that the wider system of duties is self‐moderating. We conclude that it is unclear whether the two most prominent ways of addressing the overdemandingness objection work, challenging them on their own terms, and observing that they are inapplicable to potential demandingness concerns pertaining to perfect duties.
Data Over Dogma: A Brief Introduction to Experimental Philosophy of Religion
Authors: Church Ian M.
Published: June 2024

Experimental philosophy of religion is the project of taking the tools and resources of the human sciences—especially psychology and cognitive science—and bringing them to bear on issues within philosophy of religion toward explicit philosophical ends. This paper introduces readers to experimental philosophy of religion. §2 explores the contours of experimental philosophy of religion by contrasting it with a few related fields: the psychology of religion and cognitive science of religion, on the one hand, and natural theology, on the other. §3 offers a brief history of experimental philosophy of religion. The goal in this section is to highlight the ancient pedigree of this emerging area of research; as the contemporary experimental philosophy of religion literature expands and proliferates, it's important to remember that this field has deep historical roots. Then, §4 focuses on the following questions: Why should we care about experimental philosophy of religion? And why is it needed?
Fibroblast activation protein and disease severity, progression, and survival in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Prior Thomas Skovhus , Hoyer Nils , Davidsen Jesper Rømhild , Shaker Saher Burhan , Hundahl Malthe Pallesgaard , Lomholt Søren , Deleuran Bent Winding , Bendstrup Elisabeth , Kragstrup Tue Wenzel
Published: June 2024

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is characterized by progressive fibrosis in the lungs. Activated fibroblasts play a central role in fibrogenesis and express fibroblast activation protein α. A truncated, soluble form (sFAP) can be measured in blood and is a potential novel biomarker of disease activity. The aim was to study the association between sFAP and clinical, radiological, and histopathological measures of disease severity, progression, and survival in a prospective, multicentre, real‐world cohort of patients with IPF. Patients with IPF were recruited from the tertiary interstitial lung disease centres in Denmark and followed for up to 3 years. Baseline serum levels of sFAP were measured by ELISA in patients with IPF and compared to healthy controls. Pulmonary function tests, 6‐minute walk test and quality of life measures were performed at baseline and during follow‐up. The study included 149 patients with IPF. Median sFAP in IPF was 49.6 ng/mL (IQR: 43.1–61.6 ng/mL) and in healthy controls 73.8 ng/mL (IQR: 62.1–92.0 ng/mL). Continuous sFAP was not associated with disease severity, progression or survival (p > 0.05). After dichotomization of sFAP below or above mean sFAP + 2 SD for healthy controls, higher levels of sFAP were associated with lower FVC % predicted during follow‐up (p < 0.01). Higher than normal serum levels of sFAP were associated with longitudinal changes in FVC % predicted, but sFAP did not show clear associations with other baseline or longitudinal parameters. As such, sFAP has limited use as a biomarker of disease progression or survival in patients with IPF.
Characterization of ophthalmic lesions and normal ocular parameters in a flock of captive MacQueen's (houbara) bustards (Chlamydotis macqueenii)
Authors: Simonis Kiara M. , Baron Hamish R. , Wernery Ulrich , Joseph Marina , Giannikaki Stamatina , Azmanis Panagiotis N.
Published: June 2024

Objectives

To determine normal ocular parameters of the MacQueen's bustard (Chlamydotis macqueenii) and describe ophthalmic lesions in a captive bred population.

Animals Studied

Captive breeding population of 257 Macqueen's bustards.

Methods

All birds were screened for ocular abnormalities using direct ophthalmoscopy. Abnormalities were photographed. Normative values for Schirmer tear test‐1 (STT‐1), applanation tonometry, aerobic and anaerobic bacterial culture, fungal culture, and transcorneal ocular ultrasonography were derived from multiple cohorts of clinically normal adult birds. Five birds with ocular pathology also underwent transcorneal ultrasonography. Statistical comparisons for normative values between OD and OS, and males and females were made using a paired t‐test or Mann–Whitney U‐test, with a significance level of p < .05.

Results

Mean tear production based on Schirmer tear test 1 (STT‐1) was 10.16 ± 4.61 mm/min (3–21 mm/min). Mean intraocular pressure (IOP) was 12.42 ± 4.94 mm Hg (5–26 mm Hg). Staphylococcus species were the most isolated bacteria from the conjunctival surfaces of normal birds (85%). Significant differences were found in transcorneal ultrasonographic measurements between males and females for axial globe length (p = .032), vitreous body depth (p = .049) and lens thickness (p = .0428). Corneal fibrosis was the most observed ocular abnormality amongst eyes with pathological changes (39%).

Conclusions

Schirmer tear testing, tonometry and transcorneal ultrasound can easily be utilized in MacQueen's bustards and provide reproducible results. Normal parameters for these tests were determined, and common pathological ocular changes were described in this species.