bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-term prognostic value of ischaemia and cardiovascular magnetic resonance-related revascularization for stable coronary disease, irrespective of patient’s sex: a large retrospective study
Authors: Pezel Théo , Garot Philippe , Kinnel Marine , Hovasse Thomas , Champagne Stéphane , Sanguineti Francesca , Toupin Solenn , Unterseeh Thierry , Garot Jérôme
Published: September 2021

Aims

To assess the sex-specific, long-term prognostic value of myocardial ischaemia induced by stress cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and early CMR-related revascularization in consecutive patients from a large registry.

Methods and results

Between 2008 and 2010, all consecutive patients referred for stress CMR were followed for the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined by cardiovascular mortality or recurrent non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI). Early CMR-related revascularization was defined as any revascularization within 90 days after CMR. Among 3664 patients (56.9% male, mean age 69.9 ± 11.8 years), 472 (12.9%) had MACE (163 women and 309 men) after a median follow-up of 8.8 (IQR 6.9-9.5) years. Inducible ischaemia and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) by CMR were associated with MACE in women and men (all P < 0.001). In multivariable Cox regression, inducible ischaemia, LGE, and CMR-related revascularization were independent predictors of MACE both in women [heart rate (HR) 4.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.17–9.10; HR 1.82, 95% CI 1.22–2.71; HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.54–0.92, respectively; all P < 0.001] and men (HR 3.88, 95% CI 2.33–5.98; HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.16–1.89; HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.65–0.97, respectively; all P < 0.001). The addition of CMR-parameters led to improved model discrimination for MACE (C-statistic 0.61 vs. 0.71; NRI = 0.212; IDI = 0.032) for both women and men. CMR-related revascularization was associated with a lower incidence of MACE in patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF)<50%.

Conclusion

Inducible ischaemia and early CMR-related revascularization were good long-term predictors of MACE irrespective of sex. CMR-related revascularization was associated with a lower MACE incidence in the sole sub-set of patients with LVEF < 50%.
Low attendance on a peer tutoring scheme for English language learners
Authors: Mackenzie Lee
Published: September 2021

This study identifies reasons for the low attendance of a peer-tutoring scheme for English language learners at a Colombian university. In what may be the first study of its kind, the article draws on concepts from realist evaluation to analyse the data from semi-structured interviews with six EFL teachers and two peer tutoring scheme staff. The findings suggest the importance of regular communication between tutees and their English teachers for the success of such schemes. The study also identified other factors that impact low attendance such as the value of English, student anxiety, motivation, and institutional constraints. These findings have implications not only for the implementation of English language peer-tutoring programmes in other EFL contexts, but also for EFL teaching more generally. To boost participation rates in such programmes, the study recommends compulsory participation for struggling learners, teacher training in motivational strategies, and activities aimed at increasing stakeholder involvement.
Mediterranean diet, walking outdoors and polypharmacy in older patients with type II diabetes
Authors: Fortes Cristina , Mastroeni Simona , Tubili Claudio , Gianni Simona , Pandolfo Mayme Mary , Fano Valeria
Published: September 2021

Background

Polypharmacy and its adverse health effects is an emerging public health issue, with increasing prevalence among patients with multiple chronic conditions, such as older adults with diabetes. A healthy lifestyle has been shown to improve both diabetes and polypharmacy incidence. We conducted a cross-sectional study to investigate the association of a healthy lifestyle with polypharmacy and comorbidities in older people with diabetes.

Methods

All out-patients from January 2013 to June 2015 with type II diabetes aged 65 years or more from a Lazio Region reference centre for diabetes were included in the study. Socio-demographic, clinical and lifestyle data were collected from medical records and through face-to-face standardized questionnaires. The comorbidity-polypharmacy score (CPS) was used to characterize the overall patients’ frailty, by assessing concurrently the presence of comorbidities and polypharmacy. The cumulative logit model was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

Adjusted ORs for age, sex, body mass index, physical activity and cognitive status, showed that CPS score was inversely related to weekly consumption of cruciferous vegetables (OR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.35–0.90; P-trend = 0.015), leafy green vegetables (OR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.33–0.87; P-trend = 0.013) and daily intake of fruits (OR: 0.63, 95% CI: 0.41–0.97; P-trend = 0.036). Walking outdoors was found inversely related to CPS score (age- and sex-adjusted OR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.42–0.86).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that eating some dietary factors present in the Mediterranean diet and walking outdoors regularly is associated with a lower intensity of medicines need to treat comorbidities among older people with diabetes.
Hepatorenal syndrome in acute-on-chronic liver failure with acute kidney injury: more questions requiring discussion
Authors: Liu Songtao , Meng Qinghua , Xu Yuan , Zhou Jianxin
Published: September 2021

In cirrhosis with ascites, hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is a specific prerenal dysfunction unresponsive to fluid volume expansion. Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) comprises a group of clinical syndromes with multiple organ failure and early high mortality. There are differences in the characterization of ACLF between the Eastern and Western medical communities. Patients with ACLF and acute kidney injury (AKI) have more structural injuries, contributing to confusion in diagnosing HRS-AKI. In this review, we discuss progress in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of HRS-AKI, especially in patients with ACLF. Controversy regarding HRS-AKI in ACLF and acute liver failure, hepatic carcinoma, shock, sepsis, and chronic kidney disease is also discussed. Research on the treatment of HRS-AKI with ACLF needs to be more actively pursued to improve disease prognosis.
Extensive Horizontal Gene Transfer within and between Species of Coagulase-Negative Staphylococcus
Authors: Smith Joshua T , Andam Cheryl P
Published: September 2021

Members of the gram-positive bacterial genus Staphylococcus have historically been classified into coagulase-positive Staphylococcus (CoPS) and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS) based on the diagnostic presentation of the coagulase protein. Previous studies have noted the importance of horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and recombination in the more well-known CoPS species Staphylococcus aureus, yet little is known of the contributions of these processes in CoNS evolution. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships, genomic characteristics, and frequencies of HGT in CoNS, which are now being recognized as major opportunistic pathogens of humans. We compiled a data set of 1,876 publicly available named CoNS genomes. These can be delineated into 55 species based on allele differences in 462 core genes and variation in accessory gene content. CoNS species are a reservoir of transferrable genes associated with resistance to diverse classes of antimicrobials. We also identified nine types of the mobile genetic element SCCmec, which carries the methicillin resistance determinant mecA. Other frequently transferred genes included those associated with resistance to heavy metals, surface-associated proteins related to virulence and biofilm formation, type VII secretion system, iron capture, recombination, and metabolic enzymes. The highest frequencies of receipt and donation of recombined DNA fragments were observed in Staphylococcus capitis, Staphylococcus caprae, Staphylococcus hominis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, and members of the Saprophyticus species group. The variable rates of recombination and biases in transfer partners imply that certain CoNS species function as hubs of gene flow and major reservoir of genetic diversity for the entire genus.
Genome-Wide Association and Selective Sweep Studies Reveal the Complex Genetic Architecture of DMI Fungicide Resistance inCercospora beticola
Authors: Spanner Rebecca , Taliadoros Demetris , Richards Jonathan , Rivera-Varas Viviana , Neubauer Jonathan , Natwick Mari , Hamilton Olivia , Vaghefi Niloofar , Pethybridge Sarah , Secor Gary A , Friesen Timothy L , Stukenbrock Eva H , Bolton Melvin D
Published: September 2021

The rapid and widespread evolution of fungicide resistance remains a challenge for crop disease management. The demethylation inhibitor (DMI) class of fungicides is a widely used chemistry for managing disease, but there has been a gradual decline in efficacy in many crop pathosystems. Reliance on DMI fungicides has increased resistance in populations of the plant pathogenic fungus Cercospora beticola worldwide. To better understand the genetic and evolutionary basis for DMI resistance in C. beticola, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and selective sweep analysis were conducted for the first time in this species. We performed whole-genome resequencing of 190 C. beticola isolates infecting sugar beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris). All isolates were phenotyped for sensitivity to the DMI tetraconazole. Intragenic markers on chromosomes 1, 4, and 9 were significantly associated with DMI fungicide resistance, including a polyketide synthase gene and the gene encoding the DMI target CbCYP51. Haplotype analysis of CbCYP51 identified a synonymous mutation (E170) and nonsynonymous mutations (L144F, I387M, and Y464S) associated with DMI resistance. Genome-wide scans of selection showed that several of the GWAS mutations for fungicide resistance resided in regions that have recently undergone a selective sweep. Using radial plate growth on selected media as a fitness proxy, we did not find a trade-off associated with DMI fungicide resistance. Taken together, we show that population genomic data from a crop pathogen can allow the identification of mutations conferring fungicide resistance and inform about their origins in the pathogen population.
Hospital Parenting Support for Adults with Incurable End-Stage Cancer: Multidisciplinary Health Professional Perspectives
Authors: Steiner Vera , Joubert Lynette , Shlonsky Aron , Morris Anita
Published: September 2021

Patients with incurable end-stage cancer (IESC) who are parenting minor-age children often experience parenting-related distress. Parenting concerns are not always addressed as part of routine hospital-based psychosocial care. Currently, there is a lack multidisciplinary health professional (HP) perspectives in this area. An exploratory study of hospital-based HP perspectives of adult patients’ and coparents’ parenting experiences, support needs, and parenting supportive care practice was conducted. Twelve multidisciplinary HPs from one Australian tertiary hospital participated in a semistructured focus group and interviews. Data were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results showed HPs were cognizant of patients’ and coparents’ diverse parenting support needs and experiences and other aspects that comprise best practice. However, multilevel organization, HP, and patient/coparent barriers impeded optimal practice. Barriers included a nonsystemized approach to screening patients’ parenting status and parenting support needs, inadequate resources, limited professional support, hospital environment, and parent psychosocial factors. This article provides feasible options for addressing practice barriers. Reviewing what factors influence optimal parenting focus from interdisciplinary HP perspectives helped identify potential strategies that could influence a shift from medical-focused care to more holistic family-focused patient care.
The birth and development of the Italian automotive industry (1894–2015) and the Turin car cluster
Authors: Enrietti Aldo , Geuna Aldo , Nava Consuelo R , Patrucco Pier Paolo
Published: September 2021

This paper describes the early genesis and later evolution of the Italian automotive industry employing the traditional agglomeration approach combined with Klepper’s spinoff theory. It highlights the key role played by the Turin car cluster from the late 19th century. We provide the first comprehensive database of Italian automobile companies from 1894 until 2015, based on original archival research. We use historical analysis and econometric models to identify the factors contributing to the creation and success of the automotive industry in Turin. More specifically, we investigate agglomeration economies and the part played by spinoffs and institutional factors with a special emphasis on the role of local education. Our model confirms the existence of a spinoff effect and, especially, the positive effect of inherited technical skills embedded in pilots. We find support for positive agglomeration effects at the regional level, technological complementarities with aeronautics, a metropolitan cluster effect, and importance of local education. Basic and technical education seem to be particularly important initial institutional preconditions for further technical learning and scientific advancement and would make an interesting research topic.
Pollution in Environmental Law: Comparative Corpus Analysis
Authors: Reimerink Arianne
Published: September 2021

Environmental Law has been mostly ignored in terminological knowledge bases (TKBs) on the environment. EcoLexicon, a multilingual and multimodal TKB on the environment, has recently begun to include information on this transversal domain. In this study, comparative corpus analysis is carried out in Sketch Engine (Kilgarriff et al. 2014) to analyse the differences between Environmental Law and Environmental Science from the theoretical and methodological perspective of Frame-Based Terminology (Faber 2012, 2015). More specifically, the focus is on multidimensionality: how concepts change their behaviour according to the context in which they participate. The results show that different facets of the Pollution frame are highlighted and its participants change in the Environmental Law domain as compared to Environmental Science. Finally, the complex multidimensional nature of the Pollution frame is represented in EcoLexicon with a combination of graphical and linguistic expression in conceptual networks and definitions.
Impact of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on the professional practice and personal well-being of community pharmacy teams in the UK
Authors: Bhamra Sukvinder Kaur , Parmar Jasmin , Heinrich Michael
Published: September 2021

Objectives

Community pharmacy teams (CPTs) were at the frontline of dealing with patients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to explore the impact on professional practice and personal well-being of CPTs, in the UK.

Methods

A 25-item survey was designed including a range of open and closed questions. The survey was piloted before being published online via SurveyMonkey and distributed using social media platforms. A combination of opportunity and snowball sampling was employed to recruit participants who worked in community pharmacy (CP) during the pandemic.

Results

In total 758 participants (75% completion rate) including pharmacists, owners, managers, technicians, dispensers, healthcare assistants and pre-registration pharmacists took part. Increased workloads and working hours coupled with staff shortages compromised professional practice (n = 257, 35%). Some of the key challenges of working in CP during the pandemic included: a fear of contracting and passing the virus to others (n = 578, 78%), patients stockpiling medicines (n = 530, 71%) and doctors’ surgeries being closed (n = 517, 70%) The impact on emotional well-being (n = 433, 76%) included stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness; physically (n = 322, 56%) it affected sleep, pain and weight. The effects of the pandemic left 45% (n = 258/569) of participants reconsidering their future in CP as they felt demotivated, unsupported and undervalued.

Conclusion

Despite the enhanced pressures and lack of initial recognition CPTs played a vital role in caring for the population during the pandemic. Resources to better support pharmacy teams in the future not only rely on more funding for better provisions but also investing in CPTs’ well-being.
Nationality, Protection, and ‘the Country of His Nationality’ as the Country of Reference for the Purposes of Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees
Authors: Fripp Eric
Published: September 2021

The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees assumes States to be dominant actors in the international system, important in the refugee law context as potential sources of risk and/or of protection. In the refugee definition at article 1A(2), the nationality (or absence of nationality) of the individual is a central consideration. Entitlement to protection turns in significant part upon whether an individual is ‘outside the country of his nationality’ and ‘unable or … unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country’ for relevant reason. The phrase ‘the country of his nationality’ is clarified later, in the second paragraph of that article 1A(2), as meaning each country of nationality, where an individual possesses more than one nationality. In contrast, an individual ‘not having a nationality’ is assessed by reference to inability or unwillingness, for qualifying reason, ‘to return to’ a country defined by past residence, not nationality – ‘the country of his former habitual residence’.

This article examines the underlying significance of States to international refugee law as potential sources both of threat and of protection, and considers the article 1A(2) definition in the case of persons with a nationality, resting on the individual’s position as regards ‘the country of his nationality’. In doing so, it identifies particular national approaches that have treated the concept either as including countries of which an individual is not a national, but to which there is some presumed or real relationship, or as inapplicable to a State of nationality that does not provide a particular level of protection. It then considers the interpretation of the article 1A(2) definition in the case of individuals possessing multiple nationality and, in particular, whether the definition requires that a well-founded fear of persecution for relevant reason must relate directly to every country of nationality before a right to international protection arises.
Consistency of anchor-based spectral clustering
Authors: de Kergorlay Henry-Louis , Higham Desmond J
Published: September 2021

Anchor-based techniques reduce the computational complexity of spectral clustering algorithms. Although empirical tests have shown promising results, there is currently a lack of theoretical support for the anchoring approach. We define a specific anchor-based algorithm and show that it is amenable to rigorous analysis, as well as being effective in practice. We establish the theoretical consistency of the method in an asymptotic setting where data is sampled from an underlying continuous probability distribution. In particular, we provide sharp asymptotic conditions for the number of nearest neighbors in the algorithm, which ensure that the anchor-based method can recover with high probability disjoint clusters that are mutually separated by a positive distance. We illustrate the performance of the algorithm on synthetic data and explain how the theoretical convergence analysis can be used to inform the practical choice of parameter scalings. We also test the accuracy and efficiency of the algorithm on two large scale real data sets. We find that the algorithm offers clear advantages over standard spectral clustering. We also find that it is competitive with the state-of-the-art LSC method of Chen and Cai (Twenty-Fifth AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence, 2011), while having the added benefit of a consistency guarantee.
Improving service use through prediction modelling: a case study of a mathematics support centre
Authors: Howard Emma , Cronin Anthony
Published: September 2021

In higher education, student learning support centres are examples of walk-in services with nonstationary demand. For many centres, the major expenditure is tutor wages; thus, optimizing tutor numbers and ensuring value for money in this area are key. In University College Dublin, the mathematics support centre (MSC) has developed a software system, which electronically records the time each student enters the queue, their start time with a tutor and time spent with a tutor. In this paper, we show how data analysis of 25,702 student visits and tutor timetable data, spanning 6 years, is used to identify busy and quiet periods. Prediction modelling is then used to estimate the waiting time for future MSC visitors. Subsequently, we discuss how this is used for staffing optimization, i.e. to ensure there is sufficient coverage for busy times and no resource wastage during quieter periods. The analysis described resulted in the MSC reducing the number of queue abandonments and releasing funds from overstaffed hours to increase opening hours. The methods used are easily adapted for any busy walk-in service, and the code and data referenced are freely available: https://github.com/ehoward1/Math-Support-Centre-.
Iterative learning control for consensus of second-order multi-agent systems with interval uncertain topologies
Authors: Wang Liming , Zhang Guoshan
Published: September 2021

This paper is devoted to the robust consensus tracking problem of second-order nonlinear multi-agent systems (MASs) with the interval uncertain topologies. For the second-order MASs including one leader agent and multiple follower agents, a control protocol is proposed by combining the iterative learning control scheme with the sliding mode control method. By analyzing the convergence of sliding mode variables, the consensus conditions including the unknown eigenvalues and the undetermined weight coefficient are obtained. In order to deal with the difficulties of weight coefficient design caused by the unknown eigenvalues of graphs, a min-max optimization problem is formulated based on the fastest convergence of the λ-norm of sliding mode variables, then the optimal weight coefficient is obtained by solving the min-max optimization problem. Moreover, for the undirected and directed interval uncertain graphs, two algorithms about the optimal weight coefficients are proposed, respectively. Finally, three numerical simulation examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
A self-adaptive theta scheme using discontinuity aware quadrature for solving conservation laws
Authors: Arbogast Todd , Huang Chieh-Sen
Published: September 2021

We present a discontinuity aware quadrature (DAQ) rule and use it to develop implicit self-adaptive theta (SATh) schemes for the approximation of scalar hyperbolic conservation laws. Our SATh schemes require the solution of a system of two equations, one controlling the cell averages of the solution at the time levels, and the other controlling the space-time averages of the solution. These quantities are used within the DAQ rule to approximate the time integral of the hyperbolic flux function accurately, even when the solution may be discontinuous somewhere over the time interval. The result is a finite volume scheme using the theta time stepping method, with theta defined implicitly (or self-adaptively). Two schemes are developed, self-adaptive theta upstream weighted (SATh-up) for a monotone flux function using simple upstream stabilization, and self-adaptive theta Lax–Friedrichs (SATh-LF) using the Lax–Friedrichs numerical flux. We prove that DAQ is accurate to second order when there is a discontinuity in the solution and third order when it is smooth. We prove that SATh-up is unconditionally stable, provided that theta is set to be at least 1/2 (which means that SATh can be only first order accurate in general). We also prove that SATh-up satisfies the maximum principle, and is total variation diminishing under appropriate monotonicity and boundary conditions. General flux functions require the SATh-LF scheme, so we assess its accuracy through numerical examples in one and two space dimensions. These results suggest that SATh-LF is also stable and satisfies the maximum principle (at least at reasonable Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy numbers). Compared to the solutions of finite volume schemes using Crank–Nicolson and backward Euler time stepping, SATh-LF solutions often approach the accuracy of the former, but without oscillation, and they are numerically less diffuse than the latter.
Non-globally Generated Bundles on Curves
Authors: Kopper John , Mandal Sayanta
Published: September 2021

We describe the locus of stable bundles on a smooth genus $g$ curve that fail to be globally generated. For each rank $r$ and degree $d$ with $rg<d<r(2g-1)$, we exhibit a component of the expected dimension. We show, moreover, that no component has larger dimension and give an explicit description of those families of smaller dimension than expected. For large-enough degrees, we show that the locus is irreducible.
Beyond counting intended pregnancies among young women to understanding their associated factors in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Bain Luchuo Engelbert , Ahinkorah Bright Opoku , Seidu Abdul-Aziz , Budu Eugene , Okyere Joshua , Kongnyuy Eugene
Published: September 2021

Background

In this article we report the prevalence and determinants of intended or wanted pregnancies among young women 15–24 y of age in selected sub-Saharan African countries.

Methods

This cross-sectional study used pooled data from current Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2019 in 29 countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The sample size comprised 14 257 young women (15–24 y of age). Multivariable binary logistic regression models were used to present the results as adjusted odds ratios.

Results

The prevalence of intended pregnancies was 67.7%, with the highest and lowest prevalence in Gambia (89.9%) and Namibia (37.7%), respectively. Intended pregnancy was lower among young women who had knowledge of modern contraceptives, those with a secondary/higher education and those with four or more births. Lower odds of intended pregnancy were observed among young women in the richer wealth quintile and those who lived in southern Africa.

Conclusions

To reduce intended pregnancies in sub-Saharan African countries such as Gambia, Burkina Faso and Nigeria, there is a need for government and non-governmental organisations to recalibrate current and past interventions such as investment in increasing formal education for women and poverty alleviation programmes, as well as augmenting job creation, including skill-building. These interventions have to be sensitive to the cultural realities of each setting, especially with regards to early marriages and womanhood.
A starter’s guide to learning and teaching how to coproduce healthcare services
Authors: Johnson Julie K , Batalden Paul , Foster Tina , Arvidsson Charlotte , Batalden Maren , Forcino Rachel , Gäre Boel Andersson
Published: September 2021

Background

There has been insufficient attention paid to the role of learning in co-production—both how service users and professional service providers learn to co-produce effectively and how the lessons of co-production are captured at a service level.

Objective

We aimed to develop and test a curriculum to support healthcare professionals’ interest in learning how to co-produce health and healthcare services with patients.

Methods

We developed a co-production curriculum that was tested iteratively in multiple in-person and virtual teaching sessions and short courses. We conducted a formative evaluation of the co-production curriculum and teaching tools to tailor the curriculum.

Results

Several theories underpin our approach to learning and teaching how to co-produce healthcare services. The co-production curriculum is grounded in systems theory and shares elements of educational theories, namely, the postmodern curriculum matrix, the actor network theory and situated learning in communities of practice. Learning participants valued the sense of community, the experiential learning environment, and the practical methods to support their exploration of co-production.

Conclusion

This paper summarizes the educational theories that underpin our efforts to develop and implement the curriculum, reports on a formative assessment conducted with learners, and makes recommendations for creating an environment for learning how health professionals can co-produce health and healthcare with patients.
Multicenter Evaluation of a New, Fully Automated Androstenedione Electrochemiluminescence Immunoassay: Precision Analysis, Method Comparison, and Determination of Reference Ranges
Authors: Obermayer-Pietsch Barbara , de Ramon Marta , Reichmuth Claudia , Bendig Garnet , Hutzler Stefan , Taibon Judith , Rank Christopher M , Findeisen Peter
Published: September 2021

Background

Androstenedione (ASD) levels can aid diagnosis of hyperandrogenism together with other clinical/laboratory findings. We evaluated performance of the new, automated Elecsys® ASD assay vs an ASD isotope dilution-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (ID-LC-MS/MS) reference measurement procedure and determined reference ranges.

Methods

Repeatability/intermediate precision were assessed using 3 control levels and 5 human serum pools (n = 75 each; Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute EP05-A3). Method comparisons vs commercially available immunoassays [IMMULITE ASD (Siemens) and LIAISON ASD (DiaSorin)] and an ID-LC-MS/MS measurement procedure method were conducted using 421 serum samples; Passing–Bablok regression and Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated. Reference ranges and distribution of values associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) were determined in five clinical cohorts using samples from several sites/vendors.

Results

Repeatability/intermediate precision coefficients of variation across all sites were 2.01% to 3.91% and 2.43% to 4.30%, respectively (mean ASD: 7.80–34.7 nmol/L). The Elecsys ASD assay showed poor agreement with IMMULITE ASD (slope = 0.459; r = 0.856; n = 320), fair agreement with LIAISON ASD (slope = 0.625; r = 0.984; n = 327), and very good agreement with ID-LC-MS/MS (slope = 1.040; r = 0.996; n = 332). Reference ranges (2.5th–97.5th percentiles) were: children (≤8 years; n = 140), <0.525 to 1.81 nmol/L; males (≥18 years; n = 138), 0.979 to 5.32 nmol/L; and postmenopausal females (n = 140), 0.654 to 3.74 nmol/L. Reference range (5th–95th percentiles) for females with fertile cycle (≥18 years; n = 84) was 1.71 to 4.58 nmol/L. The distribution of values (2.5th–97.5th percentiles) in females with PCOS (n = 125) was 2.26 to 12.1 nmol/L.

Conclusions

Elecsys ASD assay demonstrated excellent precision and very good agreement with ID-LC-MS/MS. Reference ranges were established to support results interpretation in routine practice.
An HPLC-MS/MS Method Using a Multitoxin Clean up Column for Analysis of Seven Mycotoxins in Aquafeeds
Authors: Bi Siyuan , Xu Jingbing , Yang Xiaoshan , Zhang Peng , Lian Kaoqi , Ma Li
Published: September 2021

Background

In Guangdong Province of China, the climate is very wet, so there are many different fungi living in aquatic feeds, which produce mycotoxins. These compounds contaminate agricultural products worldwide and present a great threat to human health. It is necessary to determine their contamination level in aquatic feeds.

Objective

A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) method was developed for the quantitative analysis of aflatoxin B1, aflatoxin M1, T-2 toxin, HT-2 toxin, deoxynivalenol, ochratoxin, and zearalenone in fish and shrimp feed.

Methods

Samples were extracted with acetonitrile–water (3+1, v/v), and degreased with acetonitrile-saturated hexane. The extract was cleaned up with a multitoxin column. The target compounds were separated on a C18 chromatographic column and analyzed simultaneously by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in both positive and negative ion mode. Detected compounds were quantified using the matrix-matched external standard method.

Results

Under the optimized conditions, good linearities for the analytes in the corresponding concentration range were obtained, with correlation coefficients (r2) higher than 0.9948. LODs ranged from 1.83 to 12.63 μg/kg, and LOQs ranged from 5.49 to 37.89 μg/kg. Average recoveries for the target mycotoxins at three spiked levels ranged from 80.5 to 116.5% with RSD ranging from 2.4 to 10.4%. Twenty-three real aquafeed samples were determined by this method, and seven kinds of toxins were detected.

Conclusion

The results show that the developed method can be successfully applied for the simultaneous determination of mycotoxins in aquatic feeds.

Highlights

Multitoxin purification columns proved to be a powerful technique for determining seven mycotoxins simultaneously. This method ensured simple sample pretreatment and less operation time. The established method was successfully applied to the analysis of seven mycotoxins species in aquatic feeds.
Phenibut, a GABAB Agonist, Detected in a Fatality
Authors: Arndt Crystal , Gray Teresa R
Published: September 2021

Phenibut, a GABAB agonist structurally similar to baclofen, is not approved for medical use in the USA but is available through internet suppliers for recreational use. Calls to poison control centers for phenibut have increased over the last 5 years, and there are many case reports of severe acute intoxications and withdrawals requiring hospitalization. This case report describes the autopsy and toxicology findings of a 26-year-old male found dead at home with phenibut containers on the scene. Autopsy findings and routine toxicology testing were generally unremarkable. Scene findings prompted the validation of a qualitative liquid chromatography--tandem mass spectrometry method that confirmed the presence of phenibut in blood and urine.
The Enrica Lexie Incident and the Status of Anti-Piracy Security Personnel on Board
Authors: Odello Marco
Published: September 2021

This article focuses on a specific issue that emerged in the Arbitral Award on the Enrica Lexie case delivered in May 2020. The dispute involved Italy and India in relation to the killings of Indian fishermen by Italian marines in the waters outside India. The incident raised several legal issues concerning the application of the law of the sea, the legal determination of anti-piracy actions by States and jurisdictional immunities. The purpose of this article is to focus on one specific issue that emerges from this case: the uncertain legal status of security personnel deployed on private vessels in relation to anti-piracy protection. The first part of the article shall consider the status of military personnel deployed on merchant ships for anti-piracy protection. The problem is central to the matter because, depending on the definition of their status, limitations on the exercise of jurisdiction by other States may emerge. The second part of this article discusses more broadly the status of military and private security personnel in actions that could be defined as ‘international policing or security’ activities, which should be better clarified through better international cooperation, exchange of information and clear rules. A more defined legal setting for anti-piracy activities would prevent possible future disputes in similar cases. Furthermore, it would be useful to have clearer rules that could be applied also to face other types of crimes that occur on the sea.
NATO’s Nuclear Sharing Arrangements Revisited in Light of the NPT and the TPNW
Authors: Hayashi Mika
Published: September 2021

The nuclear sharing arrangements of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are arrangements that pre-date the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This article revisits the nuclear sharing arrangements in light of the NPT, then examines the issues in light of a new treaty, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). The question of the compatibility between these arrangements and the NPT was initially solved by an understanding that the stationing of the US nuclear weapons in host States did not involve transfer of ownership or transfer of control of these weapons to host States. Compared to the initial acceptance of this interpretation, the contemporary acceptance is less solid. The nuclear sharing arrangements are questioned or criticised in the NPT Review process, both by non-nuclear-weapon States and nuclear-weapon States. In contrast, with regard to the TPNW, there seems to be no controversy; the TPNW explicitly provides that the States Parties must not allow stationing of nuclear weapons. The nuclear sharing arrangements would be incompatible with this prohibition. The article also briefly deals with a separate question, whether a client State of extended nuclear deterrence that does not allow stationing of nuclear weapons in its territory would also contravene the prohibitions in the TPNW. Given the scope and the nature of provisions of the TPNW, the article concludes that it would, if such a client State joins the treaty without a change in its policy regarding extended deterrence.
Soybean Foliage Consumption Reduces Adult Western Corn Rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera)(Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Survival and Stimulates Flight
Authors: Spencer Joseph L , Mabry Timothy R , Levine Eli , Isard Scott A
Published: September 2021

Western corn rootworm, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, biology is tied to the continuous availability of its host (corn, Zea mays L.). Annual rotation of corn with a nonhost, like soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) was a reliable tactic to manage western corn rootworm. Behavioral resistance to annual crop rotation (rotation resistance) allowed some eastern U.S. Corn Belt populations to circumvent rotation by laying eggs in soybean and in cornfields. When active in soybean, rotation-resistant adults commonly consume foliage, in spite of detrimental effects on beetle survival. Rotation-resistant beetle activity in soybean is enabled by the expression of certain proteinases and an adapted gut microbiota that provide limited protection from soybean antiherbivore defenses. We investigated the effects of corn and soybean herbivory on rotation-resistant female survival and initiation of flight using mortality assays and wind tunnel flight tests. Among field-collected females tested with mortality assays, beetles from collection sites in a cornfield survived longer than those from collection sites in a soybean field. However, reduced survival due to soybean herbivory could be restored by consuming corn tissues. Field-collected beetles that fed on a soybean tissue laboratory diet or only water were more likely to fly in a wind tunnel than corn-feeding beetles. Regardless of collection site and laboratory diet, 90.5% of beetles that flew oriented their flights upwind. Diet-related changes in the probability of flight provide a proximate mechanism for interfield movement that facilitates restorative feeding and the survival of females previously engaged in soybean herbivory.
In-Field Capable Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Detection of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) Larvae Using a Rapid and Simple Crude Extraction Technique
Authors: Congdon B S , Webster C G , Severtson D , Spafford H
Published: September 2021

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is an economically important pest worldwide and has recently been identified in Australia. Morphological identification of S. frugiperda at early larval stages can be difficult often requiring expert microscopy analysis. Rapid and accurate in-field diagnosis is vital for management decision support and there are no tools currently available for this purpose. In this study, a sensitive, specific, and in-field capable loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay was developed to detect S. frugiperda larvae. A primer set based on a highly conserved region of the S. frugiperda cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) gene provided detection within 30 min from both total DNA and crude extractions. The crude extraction technique of crushing 10 mg of S. frugiperda material in 50 µl ddH2O and further diluting the homogenate in ddH2O is rapid, simple, and does not require heat blocks, centrifuges, or special buffers increasing its utility as a field-based technique. The primer set detected as little as 24 pg of S. frugiperda DNA and did not cross-react with any other of the lepidopteran species tested that are easily confused with S. frugiperda in Australia. Therefore, this assay could be used in-field to correctly identify the presence of S. frugiperda and thereby greatly assist with timely management decisions.
Characterization of Toxicological and Neurophysiological Effects of Natural Product Based Chromenes to Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda
Authors: McComic Sarah E , Meepagala Kumudini M , Swale Daniel R
Published: September 2021

We previously extracted and purified a chromene amide from Amyris texana and found this scaffold is moderately insecticidal and thus, this study aimed to test the insecticidal properties of 13 synthetically derived chromene analogs to the fall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda). Microinjection of chromenes with alcohol or aldehydes substitutions at the meta position on the benzopyran moiety led to moderate toxicity that was approximately 2- to 3-fold less toxic when compared to permethrin, yet microinjection of differently substituted chromenes exhibited little to no toxicity. Similarly, chromenes with alcohol or aldehydes substitutions at the meta position on the benzopyran moiety were among the most toxic chromenes studied through ingested exposure. In addition to acute toxicity, select chromenes significantly increased the percentage of developmental defects upon eclosion that prevented adult moths from being capable of flight, suggesting these compounds alter development. Interestingly, microinjection yielded differing signs of intoxication between alcohol and aldehyde substitutions where the alcohol resulted in flaccid paralysis and lethargy whereas aldehyde led to tonic contractions and hyperactivity. These contrasting signs of intoxication were also observed in electrophysiological assays where alcohol substitutions led to the depression of central neuron firing activity and aldehyde substitutions led to hyperexcitation of central neurons. In summary, the chromene amides led to acute lethality and/or altered developmental trajectories of FAW, yet the high doses required for acute mortality suggest these scaffolds hold relatively little promise for development into FAW-directed insecticides but may represent novel growth regulators for FAW.
Seasonal Flight Patterns of Chrysodeixis includens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in the Florida Panhandle and Inventory of Plusiine Species Cross-Attracted to Synthetic Pheromone
Authors: Shaw T J , Paula-Moraes S V , Hahn P G , Specht A
Published: September 2021

Chysodeixis includens (Walker) is a polyphagous economic pest in agricultural landscapes. To detect the occurrence of this pest in the field, trapping using sex pheromone lures is often implemented. However, other plusiine species are cross-attracted to these lures and may be misidentified as C. includens due to their morphological similarities. The objectives of this study were to provide region-specific information on the abundance of C. includens throughout the year as well as document the occurrence of related plusiines cross-attracted to C. includens sex pheromone traps in the Florida Panhandle. Twelve commercial fields of peanut and twelve commercial fields of cotton located across Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Jackson counties were monitored with Trécé delta traps baited with C. includens sex pheromone lures (Alpha Scents, Inc.; West Linn, OR) from June 2017 to June 2019. There was no difference in C. includens flight across dryland or irrigated fields. Identifications revealed that in addition to C. includens, the following species of the subfamily Plusiinae were crossed-attracted: Argyrogramma verruca (Fabricius) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Trichoplusia ni (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Ctenoplusia oxygramma (Geyer) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), and Rachiplusia ou (Guenée) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The occurrence of each species in the region and their flight phenology are documented. Chysodeixis includens abundance was greatest in September and decreased through December. Due to the high abundance of C. oxygramma and similar flight phenology to C. includens, this is the likeliest species to skew estimations and influence management decisions of C. includens, especially early in the crop season, when C. includens abundance is low.
Finding a Rule-Based Solution to the Appellate Body Crisis: Looking Beyond the Multiparty Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement
Authors: Gao Henry
Published: September 2021

The WTO dispute settlement system is in crisis due to the persistent blockage of the appointment of Appellate Body members by the United States. This paper reviews the US criticisms against the Appellate Body and argues that its allegations are unfounded and its approach is wrong. To deal with the US blockage, various proposals have been made, with the most popular being the Multiparty Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA) set up by several key Members including the European Union and China. After a thorough analysis of the key features of the MPIA from both theoretical and practical perspectives, this paper argues that the MPIA fails to provide a proper solution to the Appellate Body crisis due to its many defects. Instead, the paper suggests the appointment of Appellate Body members based on majority voting at the General Council. This paper concludes by noting that only such a rule-based solution can not only solve the current Appellate Body crisis but also deter similar attempts to sabotage the WTO dispute settlement system in the future.
Pest Management Needs and Limitations for Corn Earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), an Emergent Key Pest of Hemp in the United States
Authors: Britt Kadie E , Kuhar Thomas P , Cranshaw Whitney , McCullough Christopher T , Taylor Sally V , Arends Benjamin R , Burrack Hannah , Pulkoski Melissa , Owens David , Tolosa Tigist A , Zebelo Simon , Kesheimer Katelyn A , Ajayi Olufemi S , Samuel-Foo Michelle , Davis Jeffrey A , Arey Nathan , Doughty Hélène , Jones Joanne , Bolt Marguerite , Fritz Bradley J , Grant Jerome F , Cosner Julian , Schreiner Melissa
Published: September 2021

Corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), has emerged as an injurious insect pest to hemp, Cannabis sativa L., a crop newly reintroduced to the United States. Growing hemp presents a potential alternative economic opportunity for farmers but can be challenging with a market that is unstable and just developing. One of the most notable production challenges is managing corn earworm, an insect pest that is particularly damaging when it feeds on flower buds produced in cannabinoid varieties, creating extensive bud tunneling and wounds that allow entry of pathogens that can aid development and presence of bud rot. Damage to seeds is of lesser concern in hemp cultivars grown for grain and minimal risk is associated with hemp grown for fiber. Our ability to research hemp has only recently been allowed as production was largely suspended following World War II and, as such, there has been limited opportunity to develop information for empirically-based pest management recommendations. Further complicating development of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies are regulatory challenges associated with providing registration support to add hemp to pesticide labels, as it was not formally recognized as a crop by U.S. regulatory agencies until late 2019. Research needs and challenges to develop effective IPM programs for corn earworm on hemp are discussed here.