bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Equine herpesvirus 1 elicits a strong pro-inflammatory response in the brain of mice
Authors: Mesquita Leonardo P. , Costa Rafael C. , Zanatto Dennis A. , Bruhn Fábio R. P. , Mesquita Laís L. R. , Lara M. C. C. S. H. , Villalobos E. M. C. , Massoco Cristina O. , Mori Claudia M. C. , Mori Enio , Maiorka Paulo C.
Published: February 2021

Equine herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) is an emerging pathogen that causes encephalomyelitis in horses and non-equid species. Several aspects of the immune response in the central nervous system (CNS), mainly regarding the role of inflammatory mediators during EHV-1 encephalitis, remain unknown. Moreover, understanding the mechanisms underlying extensive neuropathology induced by viruses would be helpful to establish therapeutic strategies. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate some aspects of the innate immune response during highly neurovirulent EHV-1 infection. C57BL/6 mice infected intranasally with A4/72 and A9/92 EHV-1 strains developed a fulminant neurological disease at 3 days post-inoculation with high viral titres in the brain. These mice developed severe encephalitis with infiltration of monocytes and CD8+ T cells to the brain. The inflammatory infiltrate followed the detection of the chemokines CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, CCL5, CXCL2, CXCL9 and CXCL-10 in the brain. Notably, the levels of CCL3, CCL4, CCL5 and CXCL9 were higher in A4/72-infected mice, which presented higher numbers of inflammatory cells within the CNS. Pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukins (ILs) IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-12β, and tumour necrosis factor (TNF), were also detected in the CNS, and Toll-like receptor (TLR) TLR2, TLR3 and TLR9 genes were also upregulated within the brain of EHV-1-infected mice. However, no expression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and IL-12α, which are important for controlling the replication of other herpesviruses, was detected in EHV-1-infected mice. The results show that the activated innate immune mechanisms could not prevent EHV-1 replication within the CNS, but most likely contributed to the extensive neuropathology. The mouse model of viral encephalitis proposed here will also be useful to study the mechanisms underlying extensive neuropathology.
Developing Functional Network Connectivity of the Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex Mediates Externalizing Psychopathology in Adolescents with Child Neglect
Authors: Silveira Sarita , Boney Simone , Tapert Susan F. , Mishra Jyoti
Published: February 2021

Childhood adversity in form of child abuse and neglect is associated with elevated risk for psychopathologies. We investigated whether development of functional brain networks important for executive function (EF) could serve as potential mediators of this association. We analyzed data of 475 adolescents, a subsample of the multisite longitudinal NCANDA (National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence) cohort with completed measures of childhood trauma, resting-state functional brain connectivity data, and internalizing/externalizing psychopathological syndrome data at baseline and follow-up years 1-4. Using parallel process latent growth models, we found that childhood adversity was associated with increased risk for externalizing/internalizing behaviors. We specifically investigated whether functional connectivity of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) to brain regions within the cingulo-opercular (CO) network, a well-known EF network that underlies control of attention and self-regulation, mediates the association between adversity and psychopathological behaviors. We found that childhood adversity, specifically neglect was negatively associated with functional connectivity of the dACC within the CO network, and that this connectivity mediated the association between child neglect and externalizing behaviors. Our study advances a mechanistic understanding of how childhood adversity may impact the development of psychopathology, highlighting the relevance of dACC functional networks particularly for externalizing psychopathology.
Emergence of first strains of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 in Romania
Authors: Lobiuc Andrei , Dimian Mihai , Sturdza Olga , Filip Roxana , Covasa Mihai
Published: February 2021

United Kingdom reported the emergence of a new and highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7. that rapidly spread to other contries. The impact of this new mutation that occurs in the S protein, on infectivity, virulence and current vaccine effectiveness is still under evaluation. We have identified the first cases of the B.1.1.7 variant in samples collected from Romanian patients, of which one was traced to the UK region where the new variant was originally sequenced. Mutations in the Nsp3 protein, N844S and D455N and L15F in Orf3a were also detected, indicating common ancestry with UK strains as well as remote connections with strains from Nagasaki, Japan. These results indicate, for the first time, the presence and characteristics of the new variant B.1.1.7 in Romania and underscore the need for increased genomic sequencing in confirmed COVID-19 patients.
Clearing spheroids for 3D fluorescent microscopy: combining safe and soft chemicals with deep convolutional neural network
Authors: Ahmad Ali , Goodarzi Saba , Frindel Carole , Recher Gaëlle , Riviere Charlotte , Rousseau David
Published: February 2021

In life sciences, there are increasing interest in 3D culture models to better reproduce the 3D environment encountered in-vivo. Imaging of such 3D culture models is instrumental for drug discovery, but face several issues before its use becomes widespread. Extensive microscopic investigation of these 3D cell models faces the challenge of light penetration in depth in opaque biological tissues. To overcome this limit, diverse clearing techniques have emerged over the past decades. However, it is not straightforward to choose the best clearing protocols, and assess quantitatively their clearing efficiency. Focusing on spheroids, we propose a combination of fast and cost-effective clearing procedure for such medium-sized samples. A generic method with local contrast metrics and deep convolutional neural network-based segmentation of nuclei is proposed to quantify the efficiency of clearing. We challenged this method by testing the possibility to transfer segmentation knowledge from a clearing protocol to another. The later results support the pertinence of training deep learning algorithms on cleared samples to further use the segmentation pipeline on non-cleared ones. This second step of the protocol gives access to digital clearing possibilities applicable to live and high-throughput optical imaging.
Environmentally-induced mdig is a major contributor to the severity of COVID-19 through fostering expression of SARS-CoV-2 receptor NRPs and glycan metabolism
Authors: Zhang Qian , Thakur Chitra , Fu Yao , Bi Zhuoyue , Qiu Yiran , Wadgaonkar Priya , Xu Liping , Almutairy Bandar , Zhang Wenxuan , Stemmer Paul , Chen Fei
Published: February 2021

The novel β-coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has infected more than 101 million people and resulted in 2.2 million death worldwide. Recent epidemiological studies suggested that some environmental factors, such as air pollution, might be the important contributors to the mortality of COVID-19. However, how environmental exposure enhances the severity of COVID-19 remains to be fully understood. In the present report, we provide evidence showing that mdig, a previously reported environmentally-induced oncogene that antagonizes repressive trimethylation of histone proteins, is a master regulator for SARS-CoV-2 receptors neuropilin-1 (NRP1) and NRP2, cathepsins, glycan metabolism and inflammation, key determinants for viral infection and cytokine storm of the patients. Depletion of mdig in bronchial epithelial cells by CRISPR-Cas-9 gene editing resulted in a decreased expression of NRP1, NRP2, cathepsins, and genes involved in protein glycosylation and inflammation, largely due to a substantial enrichment of lysine 9 and/or lysine 27 trimethylation of histone H3 (H3K9me3/H3K27me3) on these genes as determined by ChIP-seq. These data, accordingly, suggest that mdig is a key mediator for the severity of COVID-19 in response to environmental exposure and targeting mdig may be one of the effective strategies in ameliorating the symptom and reducing the mortality of COVID-19.
Contextualization of causal regulatory networks from toxicogenomics data applied to drug-induced liver injury
Authors: Trairatphisan Panuwat , de Souza Terezinha Maria , Kleinjans Jos , Jennen Danyel , Saez-Rodriguez Julio
Published: February 2021

Toxicogenomics studies typically reveal a group of genes relevant to the pathophysiology of drug-induced organ injury. In recent years, network-based methods have become an attractive analytical approach as they can capture not only the global changes of regulatory gene networks but also the relationships between their components. Among them, a causal reasoning approach additionally depicts the mechanisms of regulation that connect upstream regulators in signaling networks towards their downstream gene targets.

In this work, we applied CARNIVAL, a causal network contextualisation tool, to infer upstream regulatory signaling networks based on gene expression microarray data from the TG-GATEs database. We focussed on six compounds that induce observable histopathologies linked to drug-induced liver injury (DILI) from repeated dosing experiments in rats. We compared responsesin vitroandin vivoto identify potential cross-platform concordances in rats as well as network preservations between rat and human. Our results showed similarities of enriched pathways and network motifs between compounds. These pathways and motifs induce the same pathology in rats but not in humans. In particular, the causal interactions “LCK activates SOCS3, which in turn inhibits TFDP1” was commonly identified as a regulatory path among the fibrosis-inducing compounds. This potential pathology-inducing regulation illustrates the value of our approach to generate hypotheses that can be further validated experimentally.
Cannabinoids is a “No-Go” While a Cancer Patient is on Immunotherapy; but is It Safe to Use Psychedelics During Cancer Immunotherapy?
Authors: Romach E. Amit , Nachliely M. , Moran O. , Brami M. , Lamensdorf I.
Published: February 2021

The use of Psychedelics by patients with cancer to relieve anxiety and depression has increased in the past few years. Since Psychedelics have immunomodulatory effects, their consumption among cancer patients should be carefully considered due to their potential negative effects on the tumor immune stroma, especially in view of the increase in the utilization of therapeutic approaches that are based on immune activation such as treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Preclinical data provided in this report indicate a potentially negative impact on tumor growth as a result of Psychedelics consumption during treatment with ICIs. Furthermore, our research suggests that the use of psychedelic agents (Lysergic acid diethylamide [LSD] or Psylocibin) might diminish the beneficial therapeutic benefits of ICIs.

It might be necessary to expend this line of research in order to validate these findings, in view of the increase use of cannabinoids and psychedelics among cancer patients, some of them being treated with immune-based modalities.
TRIM71deficiency causes germ cell loss during mouse embryogenesis and promotes human male infertility
Authors: Torres-Fernández Lucia A. , Emich Jana , Port Yasmine , Mitschka Sibylle , Wöste Marius , Schneider Simon , Fietz Daniela , Oud Manon S. , Persio Sara Di , Neuhaus Nina , Kliesch Sabine , Hölzel Michael , Schorle Hubert , Friedrich Corinna , Tüttelmann Frank , Kolanus Waldemar
Published: February 2021

Mutations affecting the germline can result in infertility or the generation of germ cell tumors (GCT), highlighting the need to identify and characterize the genes controlling the complex molecular network orchestrating germ cell development. TRIM71 is a stem cell-specific factor essential for embryogenesis, and its expression has been reported in GCT and adult mouse testes. To investigate the role of TRIM71 in mammalian germ cell embryonic development, we generated a germline-specific conditionalTrim71knockout mouse (cKO) using the early primordial germ cell (PGC) markerNanos3as a Cre-recombinase driver. cKO mice are infertile, with male mice displaying a Sertoli cell-only (SCO) phenotype, which in humans is defined as a specific subtype of non-obstructive azoospermia characterized by the absence of developing germ cells in the testes’ seminiferous tubules. Infertility originates during embryogenesis, as the SCO phenotype was already apparent in neonatal mice. Thein vitrodifferentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) into PGC-like cells (PGCLCs) revealed reduced numbers of PGCLCs inTrim71-deficient cells. Furthermore,in vitrogrowth competition assays with wild type and CRISPR/Cas9-generatedTRIM71mutant NCCIT cells, a human GCT-derived cell line which we used as a surrogate model for proliferating PGCs, showed that TRIM71 promotes NCCIT cell proliferation and survival. Our data collectively suggest that germ cell loss in cKO mice results from combined defects during the specification and maintenance of PGCs prior to their sex determination in the genital ridges. Last, via exome sequencing analysis, we identified severalTRIM71variants in a cohort of infertile men, including a loss-of-function variant in a patient with SCO phenotype. Our work reveals for the first time an association ofTRIM71variants with human male infertility, and uncovers further developmental roles for TRIM71 in the generation and maintenance of germ cells during mouse embryogenesis.
Dichlorido(pyridine-κN)[2,3,5,6-tetrakis(pyridin-2-yl)pyrazine-κ3
N
2,N
1,N
6]nickel(II)
Authors: Ha Kwang
Published: February 2021

In the title complex, [NiCl2(C5H5N)(C24H16N6)], the NiII ion is six-coordinated in a distorted octahedral coordination environment defined by three N atoms of the tridentate 2,3,5,6-tetra-2-pyridylpyrazine ligand, one N atom of the pyridine ligand and two Cl− anions, with the latter being mutually trans. The complex is disposed about a twofold rotation axis along the a axis. The complex molecules are connected in the crystal via C—H...Cl, C—H...N and π–π [closest inter-centroid separation = 3.7446 (14) Å between pyridyl rings].
Frugal-based innovation model for sustainable development: technological and market turbulence
Authors: Iqbal Qaisar , Ahmad Noor Hazlina , Li Zeyun
Published: February 2021

Purpose

This study draws on the upper echelon perspective and effectuation theory to put insights on the relationship between sustainable leadership and sustainable performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study had adopted the cluster-sampling approach to collect data from 500 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) established in China and India with 46.60% response rate. The SmartPLS 3.0 was employed for data analysis.

Findings

This study verified the mediating role of frugal innovation in emerging markets. Both market and technological turbulence significantly moderated the sustainable leadership-frugal innovation relationship. Nevertheless, the effect of sustainable leadership on frugal innovation did not vary for the different values of entrepreneurial bricolage.

Originality/value

This article contributes by revealing the moderating effect of market and technological turbulence as moderator. Greater market and technological turbulence led to greater impact of sustainable leadership practices on frugal innovation.
The ambidextrous and differential effects of directive versus empowering leadership: a study from project context
Authors: Zheng Junwei , Gou Xueqin , Wu Guangdong , Zhao Xianbo , Li Hongyang , Liu Bingsheng
Published: February 2021

Purpose

This study investigated the differential effects of empowering leadership and directive leadership in projects. Moreover, how the complex interplay between empowering and directive leadership styles influences both leader–member exchange and project performance was also explored.

Design/methodology/approach

Polynomial regression analysis and response surface modeling were applied to analyze 161 matched data collected from project members and managers worked in different projects located in China.

Findings

Four leadership styles were identified, i.e. ambidextrous, delegating, directive and laissez-faire styles. These may be combined with empowering and directive leadership. With regard to (in)congruence, leader–member exchange and project performance improved with ambidextrous style as a form of high–high congruence between empowering and directive leadership compared with laissez-faire style (i.e. low–low congruence). Results were better when a delegating style was combined with empowering leadership at a high level compared with the combination of directive style as directive leadership at a high level. Leader–member exchange was identified to exert a mediating role of the (in)congruence on project performance.

Originality/value

This study confirmed the contingent viewpoint of leadership by identifying distinct leadership styles applied in projects. Furthermore, the co-existence of empowering leadership and directive leadership was examined, and the underlying mechanism between the (in)congruence of empowering and directive leadership and project performance was identified.
Linking organizational emotional capability to innovation performance in high‐tech innovating firms
Authors: Sun Rui , Li Shu Wen , Liu Wei
Published: February 2021

Previous research on the association between organizational emotional capability and organizational innovation still stays in the conceptual framework stage with inadequate empirical studies. According to affective events theory, this study proposed and examined a multiple mediated moderation model of how emotional capability affects innovation performance. Based on matched multi‐source surveys of R&D department managers and employees and employees in 435 Chinese high‐tech innovating firms, we found that organizational commitment and organizational learning acted as mediators on the relationship between organizational emotional capability and innovation performance, external environmental dynamics moderated the relationship between emotional capability and commitment, external environmental competitiveness moderated the relationship between organizational commitment and learning, and environmental dynamics and competitiveness have a positive joint moderating effect on the relationship between emotional capability and organizational commitment. The findings of this study make essential contributions to the research of organizational capability and innovation in dynamic and competitive environments.
Psychometric properties of unemployment syndrome scale and relevance to clinical practice
Authors: Bocchino Anna , Lepiani Isabel , Gilart Ester , Medialdea Maria Jesus , Rodriguez María Dueñas
Published: February 2021

Purpose

This study was designed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the newly completed unemployment syndrome scale (USS).

Method

Using a cross‐sectional descriptive design, 319 long‐term unemployed people completed a questionnaire.

Findings

Internal consistency reliability was supported by Cronbach's α value of .912 for the total scale. To assess the construct validity of the USS, we examined convergent validity, known‐groups validity, and exploratory factor analysis. We also assessed convergent validity by examining the relationship between the USS and five other related and known concepts. The Exploratory Factor Analysis performed on the USS extracted three factors with Eigen values >1 (Kaiser's Criterion), which explained the variability of 55.16%. As hypothesized, all correlations were moderate. On the other hand, regarding known‐groups validity, the hypotheses were validated.

Conclusions

This evidence of the reliability and validity of USS supports its use in research and clinical practice to evaluate the impact of long‐term unemployment and its treatment.

Relevance to clinical practice

The USS is a Spanish clinical tool for the assessment of patients with unemployment syndrome symptoms and integral needs care by nursing professionals.
Do Social Cognition Deficits Recover with Abstinence in Alcohol‐Dependent Patients?
Authors: Rupp Claudia I. , Junker David , Kemmler Georg , Mangweth‐Matzek Barbara , Derntl Birgit
Published: February 2021

Background

Despite growing evidence of the presence and clinical relevance of deficits in social cognition in individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD), less is known about the potential of “natural” recovery with abstinence in this neurocognitive domain. This study investigated the abstinence‐based recovery of neurocognitive social abilities in alcohol‐dependent patients (ADP) using a prospective longitudinal design with follow‐up assessment under controlled conditions of abstinence during alcohol dependence inpatient treatment.

Methods

Seventy‐seven participants (42 ADP and 35 healthy controls [HC]) performed social cognition testing, including facial emotion recognition, perspective taking, and affective responsiveness twice (baseline/T1 and follow‐up/T2) during comparable follow‐up periods. Assessment of social cognition in abstinent ADP was conducted at the beginning (T1; within the first 2 weeks) and at the end (T2; within the last 2 weeks) of long‐term (2 months) abstinence‐oriented alcohol dependence inpatient treatment. Only patients abstinent for >14 days (last heavy drinking day >21 days) at baseline (T1) and who remained abstinent at follow‐up (T2) were included.

Results

ADP, who on average were nearly 2 months abstinent at T1, showed poorer social cognition in all 3 areas (emotion recognition, perspective taking, and affective responsiveness) than HC. There was no difference between groups on the change in performance over time, and group differences (ADP vs. HC) remained significant at T2, indicating persistent social cognition deficits in ADP following controlled abstinence during inpatient treatment.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate no natural recovery of social cognition impairments in ADP during an intermediate to long‐term period of abstinence (2+ months), the usual active treatment phase. Research aimed at developing interventions that focus on the improvement of social cognition deficits (e.g., social cognition training) and determining whether they benefit short‐ and long‐term clinical outcomes in AUD seems warranted.
Long‐term results for traumatic sternoclavicular joint dislocation treated with a sternoclavicular joint‐specific plate
Authors: Wang Shouli , Chen Zhongyi , Lin Lie , Pan Qiaohong , Wang Bin , Liu Fucun , Zhang Chuanyi
Published: February 2021

Background

The treatment of traumatic sternoclavicular joint (SCJ) dislocation (SCJD) with internal fixation has been reported with good short‐term results, but data on its long‐term results are scarce.

Methods

Patients with traumatic SCJD treated with an SCJ‐specific plate between January 2003 and January 2018 were evaluated retrospectively. All implants were routinely removed. Data from radiography, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, the visual analogue scale and abduction and forward elevation of the shoulder were collected and evaluated before the index surgery, at implant removal and at the latest follow‐up.

Results

A total of 22 patients were included in this study with a mean follow‐up period of 94.8 months. All patients maintained good reduction after the index surgery and implant removal. The visual analogue scale significantly improved from 7.1 ± 1.3 before the index surgery to 0.9 ± 1.0 at implant removal (P < 0.001) and to 1.0 ± 1.1 at the latest follow‐up (P < 0.001); the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score significantly improved from 37.9 ± 10.1 to 90.8 ± 7.8 (P < 0.001) and to 86.7 ± 8.6; and both abduction and forward elevation of the shoulder significantly improved at the latest follow‐up (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the clinical results after implant removal.

Conclusion

Traumatic SCJD treated with an SCJ‐specific plate appeared to be efficient, with satisfactory clinical and radiological results at long‐term follow‐up.
Evaluation of safety and foeto‐maternal outcome following non‐obstetric surgery in pregnancy: a retrospective single‐site Australian study
Authors: Choi Ho Nam , Ng Bertrand Ren Joon , Arafat Yasser , Mendis Balapuwaduge A. S. , Dharmawardhane Anoj , Lucky Tarana
Published: February 2021

Background

Existing data on safety of non‐obstetric surgery during pregnancy appear limited and conflicting. This study aimed to assess perinatal outcomes and complications in pregnant women undergoing non‐obstetric surgeries.

Methods

A single‐site Australian study was performed utilizing a 10‐year data (2009–2018) collected retrospectively. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the characteristics of the study population. Statistical analyses between groups were conducted by independent t‐test or Mann–Whitney (for means between groups) and by chi‐squared/Fisher's exact test (for categorical variables).

Results

A total of 108 pregnant women underwent non‐obstetric surgery, with an increasing trend in annual numbers since 2014. The majority of women (91%) underwent surgeries as an emergency procedure, and under general anaesthesia (69.8%). Procedures during the first trimester comprised 45%, making it the most common trimester for non‐obstetric surgeries. The most common cause for surgery arose in the gastrointestinal/digestive tract (39%). Overall perinatal complication rate was 19% with the rate of miscarriage/foetal loss, preterm birth and intrauterine growth restriction/small for gestational age being 4.7%, 10.4% and 3.8%, respectively. A total of 46 patients underwent intra‐abdominal surgery. The most common surgery in the laparoscopy group was appendicectomy (56%), whereas adnexal pathology (54%) contributed to the majority of laparotomies. Subgroup comparison showed no significant difference in perinatal outcomes except for caesarean delivery rate (24% versus 67% for laparoscopy versus open, respectively (P = 0.04)).

Conclusion

With an overall perinatal complication rate of 19%, the rate of adverse perinatal outcomes following non‐obstetric surgery during pregnancy in our study was low and comparable to those of the general population.
The experiences of adults with intellectual disabilities attending a mindfulness‐based group intervention
Authors: Croom Sarah , Chadwick Darren D. , Nicholls Wendy , McGarry Ali
Published: February 2021

Accessible summary

Mindfulness helps us to “slow down” and notice how we are thinking and how we are feeling. When we notice our thoughts and our feelings, we can choose to do the things that help us to feel better. We wanted to know what people with learning disabilities thought of mindfulness. Nine people with learning disabilities told us what they thought about mindfulness.

We found out that:

People enjoyed mindfulness activities and the chance to socialise with other people

People showed some understanding of mindfulness

People could do the mindfulness activities

Background

A growing body of research supports the efficacy of mindfulness‐based intervention programmes (MBPs) for people with intellectual disabilities. Existing literature calls for focus on the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities participating in MBPs.

Materials and Methods

This study explored the experiences of nine adults with intellectual disabilities attending an eight‐week group MBP delivered within the community. Two audio‐recorded group discussions and seven semi‐structured interviews were thematically analysed.

Results

Themes were as follows: participants’ experience of the group as a meaningful and enjoyable activity; opportunities for socialisation, sharing, friendship and support; the significance of participant–facilitator relationships; and how participants understood and experienced the mindfulness exercises and concepts.

Conclusions

Some understanding of mindfulness was evident, and participants demonstrated an ability to engage in mindfulness exercises. Findings inform the development of effective MBPs for people with intellectual disabilities.
The pouch behaving badly: management of morbidity after ileal pouch–anal anastomosis
Authors: Deputy Mohammed , Segal Jonathan , Reza Lillian , Worley Guy , Costello Samuel , Burns Elaine , Faiz Omar , Clark Susan , Hart Ailsa
Published: February 2021

Aim

Ileal pouch–anal anastomosis (IPAA), or a ‘pouch’, allows restoration of intestinal continuity after proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis or familial adenomatous polyposis. Most patients have a good long‐term outcome after IPAA, but in a significant proportion the functional outcome and quality of life are unsatisfactory. We term this outcome ‘the pouch behaving badly’. Managing this, especially one is when unfamiliar with the possible underlying pathologies, is a challenge for both patient and clinician. We aim to outline the clinical approach to the pouch behaving badly, highlighting key aspects of investigation and management.

Method

This is a narrative review of the literature covering the investigation and management of postoperative complications and morbidity after IPAA.

Results

Management of the pouch behaving badly requires a careful clinical assessment. The patient may present with multiple symptoms and a clear picture of the symptomatology and past history should be constructed before thorough examination and specialist investigation. We divide the pathology that underlies this clinical scenario into surgical, inflammatory, mechanical, functional and dysplastic causes and outline the investigation and management of each one.

Conclusion

The pouch behaving badly is a challenging problem for both patient and clinician. A detailed clinical assessment with careful specialist investigation is key to diagnosing the underlying pathology. We stress the importance of patient‐centred care – the aim is to improve quality of life.
Home assessment of visual working memory in pre‐schoolers reveals associations between behaviour, brain activation and parent reports of life stress
Authors: McKay Courtney A. , Shing Yee Lee , Rafetseder Eva , Wijeakumar Sobanawartiny
Published: February 2021

Visual working memory (VWM) is reliably predictive of fluid intelligence and academic achievements. The objective of the current study was to investigate individual differences in pre‐schoolers’ VWM processing by examining the association between behaviour, brain function and parent‐reported measures related to the child's environment. We used a portable functional near‐infrared spectroscopy system to record from the frontal and parietal cortices of 4.5‐year‐old children (N = 74) as they completed a colour change‐detection VWM task in their homes. Parents were asked to fill in questionnaires on temperament, academic aspirations, home environment and life stress. Children were median‐split into a low‐performing (LP) and a high‐performing (HP) group based on the number of items they could successfully remember during the task. LPs increasingly activated channels in the left frontal and bilateral parietal cortices with increasing load, whereas HPs showed no difference in activation. Our findings suggest that LPs recruited more neural resources than HPs when their VWM capacity was challenged. We employed mediation analyses to examine the association between the difference in activation between the highest and lowest loads and variables from the questionnaires. The difference in activation between loads in the left parietal cortex partially mediated the association between parent‐reported stressful life events and VWM performance. Critically, our findings show that the association between VWM capacity, left parietal activation and indicators of life stress is important to understand the nature of individual differences in VWM in pre‐school children.
Greater small nerve fibre damage in the skin and cornea of type 1 diabetic patients with painful compared to painless diabetic neuropathy
Authors: Ferdousi Maryam , Azmi Shazli , Kalteniece Alise , Petropoulos Ioannis Nikolaos , Ponirakis Georgios , Asghar Omar , Alam Uazman , Marshall Andrew , Boulton Andrew J. M. , Efron Nathan , Soran Handrean , Jeziorska Maria , Malik Rayaz A.
Published: February 2021

Background and aim

Damage to small nociceptive fibres may contribute to painful diabetic neuropathy. We aimed to compare large and small nerve fibre measurements together with skin biopsy and corneal confocal microscopy in patients with type 1 diabetes and painful or painless diabetic neuropathy.

Methods

We have assessed the McGill pain questionnaire, neuropathy disability score, vibration perception threshold, warm and cold sensation thresholds, electrophysiology, corneal confocal microscopy and skin biopsy in participants with type 1 diabetes and painful (n = 41) or painless (n = 50) diabetic neuropathy and control subjects (n = 50).

Results

The duration of diabetes, body mass index, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), blood pressure and lipid profile did not differ between subjects with painful and painless neuropathy. Neuropathy disability score and vibration perception threshold were higher and sural nerve conduction velocity was lower, but sural nerve amplitude, peroneal nerve amplitude and conduction velocity and cold and warm sensation thresholds did not differ between patients with painful compared to painless diabetic neuropathy. However, intraepidermal nerve fibre density, corneal nerve fibre density, corneal nerve branch density and corneal nerve fibre length were significantly lower in subjects with painful compared to painless diabetic neuropathy.

Conclusions

There is evidence of more severe neuropathy, particularly small fibre damage in the skin and cornea, of patients with painful compared to painless diabetic neuropathy.
Inhibition of tau amyloid formation and disruption of its preformed fibrils by Naphthoquinone–Dopamine hybrid
Authors: Paul Ashim , Viswanathan Guru KrishnaKumar , Huber Adi , Arad Elad , Engel Hamutal , Jelinek Raz , Gazit Ehud , Segal Daniel
Published: February 2021

Misfolding and aggregation of tau protein, into pathological amyloids, are hallmarks of a group of neurodegenerative diseases collectively termed tauopathies and their modulation may be therapeutically valuable. Herein, we describe the synthesis and characterization of a dopamine‐based hybrid molecule, naphthoquinone–dopamine (NQDA). Using thioflavin S assay, CD, transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, Congo Red birefringence, and large unilamellar vesicle leakage assays, we demonstrated its efficacy in inhibiting the in vitro aggregation of key tau‐derived amyloidogenic fragments, PHF6 (VQIVYK) and PHF6* (VQIINK), prime drivers of aggregation of full‐length tau in disease pathology. Isothermal titration calorimetry analysis revealed that the interaction between NQDA and PHF6 is spontaneous and has significant binding efficiency driven by both entropic and enthalpic processes. Furthermore, NQDA efficiently disassembled preformed fibrils of PHF6 and PHF6* into nontoxic species. Molecular dynamic simulations supported the in vitro results and provided a plausible mode of binding of NQDA with PHF6 fibril. NQDA was also capable of inhibiting the aggregation of full‐length tau protein and disrupting its preformed fibrils in vitro in a dose‐dependent manner. In a comparative study, the IC50 value (50% inhibition of fibril formation) of NQDA in inhibiting the aggregation of PHF6 (25 µm) was ~ 17 µm, which is lower than for other bona fide amyloid inhibitors, naphthoquinone‐tryptophan, rosmarinic acid, epigallocatechin gallate, ~ 21, ~ 77, or ~ 19 µm, respectively. Comparable superiority of NQDA was observed for inhibition of PHF6*. These findings suggest that NQDA can be a useful scaffold for designing new therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies.
Informed options trading prior to insider trades
Authors: Hao (Grace) Qing , Li Keming
Published: February 2021

We find abnormal volatility spreads in the options market immediately before corporate insider stock trades, suggesting informed options trading prior to insider trades. The informed options trading is more pronounced for large insider trades, firms in more corrupt areas, and insider purchases in firms with high information asymmetry. Furthermore, the abnormal volatility spreads are positively associated with the post‐trade abnormal returns. In the aftermath of the Securities and Exchange Commission's squawk box cases, informed options trading before insider trades mostly disappeared except for a group of insider stock sales related to insider derivatives transactions such as employee stock options exercises.
Network centrality, connections, and social capital: Evidence from CEO insider trading gains
Authors: El‐Khatib Rwan , Jandik Dobrina , Jandik Tomas
Published: February 2021

Chief executive officer's (CEO's) insider trading gains are affected by the position of the CEO within the hierarchy of all executives, as assessed by network centrality. CEOs with high centrality earn superior abnormal returns following their company's stock purchases, consistent with social capital advantage. Social capital and trading gains are positively associated primarily in firms that are riskier, have weak governance, or are managed by CEOs with no background in finance. High‐centrality CEOs also gain by selling their shares prior to a bad news event experienced by their firm. Finally, trading gains are positively affected by CEOs having past connections to the chief financial officers.
A manipulative field experiment reveals the ecological effects of invasive mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) in a tropical wetland
Authors: Tsang Alphonse Hin Fat , Dudgeon David
Published: February 2021

The mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis: Poeciliidae) is one of the world's most widespread invaders, but our ability to predict the consequences for native species in the tropics is limited by a paucity of research and a lack of knowledge of how environmental factors influence mosquitofish impacts.

We undertook a field experiment using cages to manipulate mosquitofish densities in a Hong Kong wetland during the warm wet season and the cool dry season. We measured fish effects on invertebrates and periphyton, and tested whether the results were affected by vegetation type (sedge vs. water lily).

Mosquitofish reduced abundance and richness of invertebrates, and altered assemblage composition, but had no effect on periphyton biomass. Effects on invertebrate abundance were consistent between seasons, but mosquitofish reduced invertebrate richness only during the wet season, when effects on assemblage composition were more obvious. Vegetation type had no influence on the experimental results.

This study adds to the few tropical, or Asian, field studies of the ecological impacts of mosquitofish, and is, as far as we are aware, the only such study measuring their seasonal variability. While we detected some cage effects during our field experiment, they were insufficient to obscure the strong influence of mosquitofish on invertebrate abundance and composition.
The Association of Oral Health Status and socio‐economic determinants with Oral Health‐Related Quality of Life among the elderly: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Baniasadi Kamal , Armoon Bahram , Higgs Peter , Bayat Amir‐Hossein , Mohammadi Gharehghani Mohammad Ali , Hemmat Morteza , Fakhri Yadolah , Mohammadi Rasool , Fattah Moghaddam Ladan , Schroth Robert J.
Published: February 2021

Objective

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between poor Oral Health‐Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) and oral health determinants (eg being 75 years of age or greater, marital status, smoking status, denture wearing, depression, low educational level (≤8th grade), poor general health, caries history, tooth‐induced pain, decayed, missing filled teeth (DMFT) scores and periodontal diseases) among the elderly.

Methods

Formal search strategies in PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane and Web of Science were performed to identify studies in English published before 1 December 2019. We assessed the impacts of the oral health determinants including being 75 years of age or greater, marital status, smoking status, denture wearing, depression, low educational level (≤8th grade), poor general health, caries history, tooth‐induced pain, DMFT scores and periodontal diseases) on OHRQoL among elderly individuals. The data were analysed using Stata 12.0 software.

Results

In total, 19 publications met the inclusion criteria of this meta‐analysis. Findings indicate a positive association between low educational level (ie ≤8th grade), marital status, depression, smoking status, denture wearing, poor general health, tooth‐induced pain, periodontal diseases and poor OHRQoL among the elderly. We also observed a negative association between DMFT, being older than 75 years of age on poor OHRQoL among the elderly.

Conclusions

This review identified that several oral health determinants were associated with poor OHRQoL. The efficacy of preventive measures and the economic aspects of tooth replacement approaches should be explored in the future. Developing oral healthcare plans and policies with the specific aim of improving OHRQoL among this group is essential.
Sing for me, Mama! Infants' discrimination of novel vowels in song
Authors: Falk Simone , Fasolo Mirco , Genovese Giuliana , Romero‐Lauro Leonor , Franco Fabia
Published: February 2021

When adults speak or sing with infants, they sound differently than in adult communication. Infant‐directed (ID) communication helps caregivers to regulate infants' emotions and helps infants to process speech information, at least from ID‐speech. However, it is largely unclear whether infants might also process speech information presented in ID‐singing. Therefore, we examined whether infants discriminate vowels in ID‐singing, as well as potential differences with ID‐speech. Using an alternating trial preference procedure, infants aged 4–6 and 8–10 months were tested on their discrimination of an unfamiliar non‐native vowel contrast presented in ID‐like speech and singing. Relying on models of early speech sound perception, we expected that infants in their first half year of life would discriminate the vowels, in contrast to older infants whose non‐native sound perception should deteriorate, at least in ID‐like speech. Our results showed that infants of both age groups were able to discriminate the vowels in ID‐like singing, while only the younger group discriminated the vowels in ID‐like speech. These results show that infants process speech sound information in song from early on. They also hint at diverging perceptual or attentional mechanisms guiding infants' sound processing in ID‐speech versus ID‐singing toward the end of the first year of life.
Assessment of a new algorithm to detect atrial fibrillation in home blood pressure monitoring device among healthy adults and patients with atrial fibrillation
Authors: Watanabe Tomonori , Tomitani Naoko , Yasui Nobuhiko , Kabutoya Tomoyuki , Hoshide Satoshi , Kario Kazuomi
Published: February 2021

The authors evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of a new algorithm for detecting atrial fibrillation (AF) using a home blood pressure (BP) monitor. Three serial BP values were measured in 205 subjects with sinus rhythm and 75 subjects with AF confirmed by electrocardiogram. Irregular pulse peak (IPP) 15 was defined as follows: |interval of pulse peak ‐ the average of the interval of the pulse peak| ≥ the average of the interval of the pulse peak × 15%. Irregular heartbeat (IHB) was defined as follows: beats of IPP ≥ total pulse × 20%. The sensitivities of IPP15 for diagnosing AF defined as two or three IHBs of three readings were 1.0 and 0.99, and the corresponding specificities were 0.97 and 0.99, respectively. The algorithm using two or more IHBs of three readings in the setting of IPP15 had the highest diagnostic accuracy for AF.
Volvox barberi (Chlorophyceae) actively forms two‐dimensional flocks in culture
Authors: Balasubramanian Ravi N. , McCourt Richard M.
Published: February 2021

Volvox barberi is a multicellular green alga forming spherical colonies of 10,000–50,000 differentiated somatic and germ cells. We observed that in culture, these colonies actively self‐organized in just a few minutes into “flocks” that contained as many as 100 colonies moving and rotating collectively for hours. The colonies in flocks formed two‐dimensional, irregular, active crystals, that is, geometric lattices within which individual colonies rotated separately. These groupings sometimes disassembled back into individual colonies just as quickly, but in some cases, flocks persisted over several hours. Close inspection of flock formation in the presence of a tracer dye suggested that colony and flock rotations were producing vortices in the fluid medium over a range spanning multiple flock diameters, perhaps providing a physical mechanism for aggregation.
Speech induced binaural beats: Electrophysiological assessment of binaural interaction
Authors: Schroeer Andreas , Corona-Strauss Farah I. , Ozdamar Ozcan , Bohorquez Jorge , Strauss Daniel J.
Published: February 2021

This paper introduces and evaluates a speech signal manipulation scheme that generates transient speech induced binaural beats (SBBs). These SBBs can only be perceived when different signals are presented dichotically (to both ears). Event-related potentials were recorded in 22 normal-hearing subjects. Dichotic stimulus presentation reliably evoked auditory late responses (ALRs) in all subjects using such manipulated signals. As control measurements, diotic stimulation modalities were presented to confirm that the ALRs were not evoked by the speech signal itself or that the signal manipulation scheme created audible artifacts. Since diotic measurements evoked no ALRs, responses from dichotic stimulation are a pure correlate of binaural interaction. While there are several auditory stimuli (mostly modulated sinusoids or noise) that share this characteristic, none of them are based on running speech. Because SBBs can be added to any arbitrary speech signal, they could easily be combined with psychoacoustic tests, for example speech reception thresholds, adding an objective measure of binaural interaction.
Age groups that sustain resurging COVID-19 epidemics in the United States
Authors: Monod Mélodie , Blenkinsop Alexandra , Xi Xiaoyue , Hebert Daniel , Bershan Sivan , Tietze Simon , Baguelin Marc , Bradley Valerie C. , Chen Yu , Coupland Helen , Filippi Sarah , Ish-Horowicz Jonathan , McManus Martin , Mellan Thomas , Gandy Axel , Hutchinson Michael , Unwin H. Juliette T. , van Elsland Sabine L. , Vollmer Michaela A. C. , Weber Sebastian , Zhu Harrison , Bezancon Anne , Ferguson Neil M. , Mishra Swapnil , Flaxman Seth , Bhatt Samir , Ratmann Oliver ,   on behalf of the Imperial College COVID-19 Response Team
Published: February 2021

Age-specific contact

How can the resurgent epidemics of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) during 2020 be explained? Are they a result of students going back to school? To address this question, Monod
et al.
created a contact matrix for infection based on data collected in Europe and China and extended it to the United States. Early in the pandemic, before interventions were widely implemented, contacts concentrated among individuals of similar age were the highest among school-aged children, between children and their parents, and between middle-aged adults and the elderly. However, with the advent of nonpharmaceutical interventions, these contact patterns changed substantially. By mid-August 2020, although schools reopening facilitated transmission, the resurgence in the United States was largely driven by adults 20 to 49 years of age. Thus, working adults who need to support themselves and their families have fueled the resurging epidemics in the United States.

Science
, this issue p.
eabe8372