bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nicht‐Biologika‐Immunsuppressiva bei entzündlichen und autoimmunen Hautkrankheiten
Authors: Kanatoula Danai Dionysia , Bodner Euna , Ghoreschi Kamran , Meier Katharina , Solimani Farzan
Published: March 2024

Nicht‐Biologika‐Immunsuppressiva wie Azathioprin, Dapson oder Methotrexat sind grundlegende Behandlungsmöglichkeiten für ein breites Spektrum von Autoimmunerkrankungen und chronisch‐entzündlichen Hauterkrankungen. Einige dieser Medikamente wurden ursprünglich bei malignen Erkrankungen (zum Beispiel Azathioprin oder Methotrexat) oder Infektionskrankheiten (zum Beispiel Hydroxychloroquin oder Dapson) eingesetzt, werden aber heute hauptsächlich wegen ihrer immunsuppressiven/immunmodulierenden Wirkung verwendet. Obwohl Dermatologen über jahrelange klinische Erfahrung mit diesen Arzneimitteln verfügen, sind einige der Wirkmechanismen noch nicht vollständig geklärt und noch Gegenstand der Forschung. Obwohl diese Medikamente häufig eingesetzt werden, führen mangelnde Erfahrung oder fehlendes Wissen über ihre Sicherheitsprofile und ihr Management zu einer skeptischen Haltung bei den Ärzten. Hier fassen wir den Wirkmechanismus und das detaillierte Management der Nebenwirkungen der am häufigsten verwendeten immunsuppressiven Medikamente für Hautkrankheiten zusammen. Darüber hinaus diskutieren wir den Umgang mit diesen Medikamenten während der Schwangerschaft und Stillzeit sowie ihre Wechselwirkung und Handhabung im Zusammenhang mit Impfungen.
Whistle‐blowing and the incentive to hire
Authors: De Mot Jef , Mungan Murat C.
Published: March 2024

We consider a previously neglected cost of whistle‐blower awards: employers may base their hiring decisions, on the margin, not on the productivity of an employee but rather on the probability that the employee will become a whistle‐blower. We develop a three‐stage model to examine how productivity losses due to distortions at the hiring stage influence optimal whistle‐blower rewards. We characterize optimal rewards for whistle‐blowing, and show that when rewards can be chosen according to either the benefits of the employer from offending or the productivity of the worker being hired, productivity‐based rewards are superior to benefit‐based rewards.
Macroprudential policies and Brexit: A welfare analysis
Authors: Rubio Margarita
Published: March 2024

Brexit will have implications on financial stability and the implementation of macroprudential policies. The United Kingdom (UK) will no longer be subject to the jurisdiction of the European Systemic Risk Board. This paper studies the welfare implications of this change of regime. By means of a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model, I compare the pre‐Brexit scenario with the new one, in which the UK sets macroprudential policy independently. I find that, after Brexit, the UK is better off by setting its own macroprudential policy without taking into account Europe's welfare as a whole.
Foraging habits of Northwest Atlantic hooded seals over the past 30 years: Future habitat suitability under global warming
Authors: Vacquié‐Garcia Jade , Spitz Jérôme , Hammill Mike , Stenson Garry B. , Kovacs Kit M. , Lydersen Christian , Chimienti Marianna , Renaud Mathylde , Méndez Fernandez Paula , Jeanniard du Dot Tiphaine
Published: March 2024

The Arctic is a global warming ‘hot‐spot’ that is experiencing rapid increases in air and ocean temperatures and concomitant decreases in sea ice cover. These environmental changes are having major consequences on Arctic ecosystems. All Arctic endemic marine mammals are highly dependent on ice‐associated ecosystems for at least part of their life cycle and thus are sensitive to the changes occurring in their habitats. Understanding the biological consequences of changes in these environments is essential for ecosystem management and conservation. However, our ability to study climate change impacts on Arctic marine mammals is generally limited by the lack of sufficiently long data time series. In this study, we took advantage of a unique dataset on hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) movements (and serum samples) that spans more than 30 years in the Northwest Atlantic to (i) investigate foraging (distribution and habitat use) and dietary (trophic level of prey and location) habits over the last three decades and (ii) predict future locations of suitable habitat given a projected global warming scenario. We found that, despite a change in isotopic signatures that might suggest prey changes over the 30‐year period, hooded seals from the Northwest Atlantic appeared to target similar oceanographic characteristics throughout the study period. However, over decades, they have moved northward to find food. Somewhat surprisingly, foraging habits differed between seals breeding in the Gulf of St Lawrence vs those breeding at the “Front” (off Newfoundland). Seals from the Gulf favoured colder waters while Front seals favoured warmer waters. We predict that foraging habitats for hooded seals will continue to shift northwards and that Front seals are likely to have the greatest resilience. This study shows how hooded seals are responding to rapid environmental change and provides an indication of future trends for the species—information essential for effective ecosystem management and conservation.
Advances and knowledge gaps on climate change impacts on honey bees and beekeeping: A systematic review
Authors: Zapata‐Hernández Germán , Gajardo‐Rojas Martina , Calderón‐Seguel Matías , Muñoz Ariel A. , Yáñez Karen P. , Requier Fabrice , Fontúrbel Francisco E. , Ormeño‐Arriagada Pablo I. , Arrieta Héctor
Published: March 2024

The Western honey bee Apis mellifera is a managed species that provides diverse hive products and contributing to wild plant pollination, as well as being a critical component of crop pollination systems worldwide. High mortality rates have been reported in different continents attributed to different factors, including pesticides, pests, diseases, and lack of floral resources. Furthermore, climate change has been identified as a potential driver negatively impacting pollinators, but it is still unclear how it could affect honey bee populations. In this context, we carried out a systematic review to synthesize the effects of climate change on honey bees and beekeeping activities. A total of 90 articles were identified, providing insight into potential impacts (negative, neutral, and positive) on honey bees and beekeeping. Interest in climate change's impact on honey bees has increased in the last decade, with studies mainly focusing on honey bee individuals, using empirical and experimental approaches, and performed at short‐spatial (<10 km) and temporal (<5 years) scales. Moreover, environmental analyses were mainly based on short‐term data (weather) and concentrated on only a few countries. Environmental variables such as temperature, precipitation, and wind were widely studied and had generalized negative effects on different biological and ecological aspects of honey bees. Food reserves, plant‐pollinator networks, mortality, gene expression, and metabolism were negatively impacted. Knowledge gaps included a lack of studies at the apiary and beekeeper level, a limited number of predictive and perception studies, poor representation of large‐spatial and mid‐term scales, a lack of climate analysis, and a poor understanding of the potential impacts of pests and diseases. Finally, climate change's impacts on global beekeeping are still an emergent issue. This is mainly due to their diverse effects on honey bees and the potential necessity of implementing adaptation measures to sustain this activity under complex environmental scenarios.
A new empirical framework to quantify the hydraulic effects of soil and atmospheric drivers on plant water status
Authors: Mencuccini Maurizio , Anderegg William R. L. , Binks Oliver , Knipfer Thorsten , Konings Alexandra G. , Novick Kim , Poyatos Rafael , Martínez‐Vilalta Jordi
Published: March 2024

Metrics to quantify regulation of plant water status at the daily as opposed to the seasonal scale do not presently exist. This gap is significant since plants are hypothesised to regulate their water potential not only with respect to slowly changing soil drought but also with respect to faster changes in air vapour pressure deficit (VPD), a variable whose importance for plant physiology is expected to grow because of higher temperatures in the coming decades. We present a metric, the stringency of water potential regulation, that can be employed at the daily scale and quantifies the effects exerted on plants by the separate and combined effect of soil and atmospheric drought. We test our theory using datasets from two experiments where air temperature and VPD were experimentally manipulated. In contrast to existing metrics based on soil drought that can only be applied at the seasonal scale, our metric successfully detects the impact of atmospheric warming on the regulation of plant water status. We show that the thermodynamic effect of VPD on plant water status can be isolated and compared against that exerted by soil drought and the covariation between VPD and soil drought. Furthermore, in three of three cases, VPD accounted for more than 5 MPa of potential effect on leaf water potential. We explore the significance of our findings in the context of potential future applications of this metric from plant to ecosystem scale.
Accelerated neuropathy among chronic kidney disease patients undergoing hemodialysis: Analysis of an institutional cluster
Authors: Sathiavageesan Subrahmanian , Murugan Subramani
Published: March 2024

Background

Accelerated neuropathy is a rare syndrome of rapidly worsening peripheral neuropathy, typically described in end‐stage kidney disease (ESKD) patients undergoing dialysis. In our center, we encountered a surge in the occurrence of accelerated neuropathy among ESKD patients undergoing hemodialysis, which prompted systematic research.

Methods

In this case–control study, we present the clinical features, electrophysiologic findings, and outcome of a series of patients who developed accelerated neuropathy after commencing hemodialysis for ESKD. Those who initiated hemodialysis and did not develop accelerated neuropathy were included as controls. We used logistic regression to identify predictors of accelerated neuropathy.

Results

Among 436 ESKD patients who initiated hemodialysis over 4 years, 17 were diagnosed with accelerated neuropathy. The median‐time (interquartile range) from hemodialysis initiation to presentation with accelerated neuropathy was 3 weeks (2–6). It typically presented as acute onset of unsteadiness of gait necessitating assistance for ambulation. Electrophysiology revealed length‐dependent symmetric sensorimotor axonal neuropathy. Diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR] 4.1, 95% CI 1.2–13.9, p = 0.02), pre‐existing peripheral neuropathy (OR 9.25, 95% CI 2.79–30.6, p < 0.001), and serum alkaline phosphatase (OR 1.2 for every 10 U increase, 95% CI 1.00–1.52, p = 0.04) significantly predicted accelerated neuropathy. With continued dialysis and supportive care, neurologic status improved, total‐neuropathy score (summary score of peripheral nerve dysfunction incorporating clinical and electrophysiological parameters) declined from 26.5 to 18.4 (p < 0.001) and most regained unassisted ambulation.

Conclusion

This study presents the largest series of patients with accelerated neuropathy and has identified predictors. However, in view of the unusually high incidence of accelerated neuropathy we speculate that other unidentified factor(s) could be underlying its pathogenesis.
MONETARY POLICY UNDER NATURAL DISASTER SHOCKS
Authors: Cantelmo Alessandro , Fatouros Nikos , Melina Giovanni , Papageorgiou Chris
Published: March 2024

With climate change increasing the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, what should central banks do in response to these catastrophic events? Looking at IMF reports for 34 disaster‐years, which occurred in 16 disaster‐prone countries from 1999 to 2017, reveals lack of any systematic approach adopted by monetary authorities in response to climate shocks. Using a small‐open‐economy New‐Keynesian model with disaster shocks, we show that consistent with textbook theory, inflation targeting remains the welfare‐optimal regime. Therefore, the best strategy for monetary authorities is to resist the impulse of accommodating in response to catastrophic natural disasters, and focus on price stability.
The unintended cost of data breach notification laws: Evidence from managerial bad news hoarding
Authors: Obaydin Ivan , Xu Limin , Zurbruegg Ralf
Published: March 2024

We investigate how nonfinancial disclosure laws exacerbate agency issues in firms. Our analysis focuses on the staggered adoption of state‐level notification laws that require firms to disclose data breaches. Our findings reveal that the introduction of these laws increases the risk of stock price crashes. Managers appear motivated to accumulate unfavorable news in an effort to prevent market overreactions associated with the mandatory disclosure of data breaches. Cross‐sectional analyses also reveal that the impact is stronger when managers have a greater incentive, or greater ability, to hoard information. Our results highlight that nonfinancial disclosures can have unintended consequences for firm information asymmetries and potentially adverse market impacts in cases where the regulation is unable to consider all stakeholders.
Identification of key biomarkers for predicting CAD progression in inflammatory bowel disease via machine‐learning and bioinformatics strategies
Authors: Tang Xiaoqi , Zhou Yufei , Chen Zhuolin , Liu Chunjiang , Wu Zhifeng , Zhou Yue , Zhang Fan , Lu Xuanyuan , Tang Liming
Published: March 2024

The study aimed to identify the biomarkers for predicting coronary atherosclerotic lesions progression in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Related transcriptome datasets were seized from Gene Expression Omnibus database. IBD‐related modules were identified via Weighted Gene Co‐expression Network Analysis. The ‘Limma’ was applied to screen differentially expressed genes between stable coronary artery disease (CAD) and acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Subsequently, we employed protein‐protein interaction (PPI) network and three machine‐learning strategies to further screen for candidate hub genes. Application of the receiver operating characteristics curve to quantitatively evaluate candidates to determine key diagnostic biomarkers, followed by a nomogram construction. Ultimately, we performed immune landscape analysis, single‐gene GSEA and prediction of target‐drugs. 3227 IBD‐related module genes and 570 DEGs accounting for AMI were recognized. Intersection yielded 85 shared genes and mostly enriched in immune and inflammatory pathways. After filtering through PPI network and multi‐machine learning algorithms, five candidate genes generated. Upon validation, CTSD, CEBPD, CYP27A1 were identified as key diagnostic biomarkers with a superior sensitivity and specificity (AUC > 0.8). Furthermore, all three genes were negatively correlated with CD4+ T cells and positively correlated with neutrophils. Single‐gene GSEA highlighted the importance of pathogen invasion, metabolism, immune and inflammation responses during the pathogenesis of AMI. Ten target‐drugs were predicted. The discovery of three peripheral blood biomarkers capable of predicting the risk of CAD proceeding into AMI in IBD patients. These identified biomarkers were negatively correlated with CD4+ T cells and positively correlated with neutrophils, indicating a latent therapeutic target.
Prediction of future insulin‐deficiency in glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibody enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay‐positive patients with slowly‐progressive type 1 diabetes
Authors: Kawasaki Eiji , Awata Takuya , Ikegami Hiroshi , Imagawa Akihisa , Oikawa Yoichi , Osawa Haruhiko , Katsuki Takeshi , Kanatsuna Norio , Kawamura Ryoichi , Kozawa Junji , Kodani Noriko , Kobayashi Tetsuro , Shimada Akira , Shimoda Masayuki , Takahashi Kazuma , Chujo Daisuke , Tsujimoto Tetsuro , Tsuchiya Kyoichiro , Terakawa Aiko , Terasaki Jungo , Nagasawa Kan , Noso Shinsuke , Fukui Tomoyasu , Horie Ichiro , Yasuda Kazuki , Yasuda Hisafumi , Yanai Hidekatsu , Hanafusa Toshiaki , Kajio Hiroshi ,   the Japanese Type 1 Diabetes Database Study (TIDE‐J)
Published: March 2024

Aims/Introduction

This study aimed to identify risk factors that contribute to the progression of slowly‐progressive type 1 diabetes by evaluating the positive predictive value (PPV) of factors associated with the progression to an insulin‐dependent state.

Materials and Methods

We selected 60 slowly‐progressive type 1 diabetes patients who tested positive for glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibodies (GADA) at diagnosis from the Japanese Type 1 Diabetes Database Study. GADA levels in these patients were concurrently measured using both radioimmunoassay (RIA) and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques.

Results

Compared with the non‐progressor group (fasting C‐peptide [F‐CPR] levels maintained ≥0.6 ng/mL), the progressor group showed a younger age at diagnosis, lower body mass index (BMI), lower F‐CPR levels and a higher prevalence of insulinoma‐associated antigen‐2 autoantibodies (IA‐2A). The PPV of RIA‐GADA increased from 56.3 to 70.0% in the high titer group (≥10 U/mL), and further increased to 76.9, 84.2, 81.0 and 75.0% when combined with specific thresholds for age at diagnosis <47 years, BMI <22.6 kg/m2, F‐CPR <1.41 ng/mL and IA‐2A positivity, respectively. In contrast, the PPV of ELISA‐GADA (71.8%) remained the same at 73.1% in the high titer group (≥180 U/mL), but increased to 81.8, 82.4 and 79.0% when evaluated in conjunction with age at diagnosis, BMI and F‐CPR level, respectively.

Conclusions

Our findings show that, unlike RIA‐GADA, ELISA‐GADA shows no association between GADA titers and the risk of progression to an insulin‐dependent state. The PPV improves when age at diagnosis, BMI and F‐CPR levels are considered in combination.
Communicating clean technology: Green premium, competition, and ecolabels
Authors: Sengupta Aditi
Published: March 2024

In markets where differences in the environmental performance of competing firms arise due to differences in technology that cannot be altered in the short run and firms have private information about their own current technology, I show that market competition creates a strategic disincentive for adopting ecolabels (even if the cost of adoption is negligible) to directly and credibly communicate this private information to environmentally conscious consumers. Firms adopt ecolabels only if the green premium that buyers are willing to pay is large relative to the production cost advantage of dirty firms; ecolabels reduce market power, increase the market share of clean firms, and reduce expected environmental damage. I analyze firms' strategic (long‐run) incentive to invest in the development of clean technology where the outcome of such investment is uncertain. The availability of an ecolabel to directly communicate private information about the final outcome of such an investment enhances the expected net surplus whereas it reduces the ex ante strategic incentive to invest which in turn lowers industry investment in cleaner technology, relative to the case with no ecolabels.
Integrative taxonomy of metazoan parasites of the bluntnose sixgill sharkHexanchus griseus(Bonnaterre, 1788) in the Mediterranean Sea, with the resurrection ofGrillotia acanthoscolexRees, 1944 (Cestoda: Trypanorhyncha)
Authors: Lopez‐Verdejo Alejandro , Palomba Marialetizia , Crocetta Fabio , Santoro Mario
Published: March 2024

Appropriate diagnoses of parasites of apex marine predators are crucial to understand their biodiversity, host specificity, biogeography, and life cycles. Such diagnoses are also informative of ecological and biological characteristics of both host and environment in which the hosts and their parasites live. We here (i) investigate the parasite fauna of a bluntnose sixgill sharkHexanchus griseus(Bonnaterre, 1788) obtained from the Gulf of Naples (Tyrrhenian Sea), (ii) characterize molecularly all its metazoan parasites, and (iii) resurrect and report the main morphological features and phylogenetic position ofGrillotia acanthoscolex, a cestode species previously synonymized withGrillotia adenoplusia. A rich parasite fauna represented by eight different taxa was found, including two monogeneans (Protocotyle griseaandProtocotyle taschenbergi), one digenean (Otodistomum veliporum), four cestodes (Crossobothrium dohrnii,Clistobothriumsp.,G. acanthoscolex, andG. adenoplusia), and one copepod (Protodactylina pamelae). Sequencing of these samples accounts for an important molecular baseline to widen the knowledge on the parasitic fauna of bluntnose sixgill sharks worldwide and to reconstruct their correct food chains. The bluntnose sixgill shark was found to be a definitive host for all endoparasites found here, confirming that it occupies an apex trophic level in the Mediterranean Sea. The taxa composition of the trophic parasite fauna confirms that the bluntnose sixgill shark mostly feeds on teleost fish species. However, the occurrence of two phillobothrid cestodes (C. dohrniiandClistobothriumsp.) suggests that it also feeds on squids. Finally, we emphasize the importance of using integrative taxonomic approaches in the study of parasites from definitive and intermediate hosts to elucidate biology and ecology of taxa generally understudied in the Mediterranean Sea.
Expansion and improvement of ChinaMu by MuT‐seq and chromosome‐level assembly of theMu‐starter genome
Authors: Liang Lei , Wang Yuancong , Han Yanbin , Chen Yicong , Li Mengfei , Wu Yibo , Ma Zeyang , Zhao Han , Song Rentao
Published: March 2024

ChinaMu is the largest sequence‐indexedMutator(Mu) transposon insertional library in maize (Zea mays). In this study, we made significant improvements to the size and quality of the ChinaMu library. We developed a newMu‐tag isolation method Mu‐Tn5‐seq (MuT‐seq). Compared to the previous method used by ChinaMu, MuT‐seq recovered 1/3 more germinal insertions, while requiring only about 1/14 of the sequencing volume and 1/5 of the experimental time. Using MuT‐seq, we identified 113,879 germinal insertions from 3,168Mu‐active F1families. We also assembled a high‐quality genome for theMu‐active lineMu‐starter, which harbors the initial active MuDR element and was used as the pollen donor for the mutation population. Using theMu‐starter genome, we recovered 33,662 (15.6%) additional germinal insertions in 3,244 (7.4%) genes in theMu‐starter line. TheMu‐starter genome also improved the assignment of 117,689 (54.5%) germinal insertions. The newly upgraded ChinaMu dataset currently contains 215,889 high‐quality germinal insertions. These insertions cover 32,224 pan‐genes in theMu‐starter and B73Ref5 genomes, including 23,006 (80.4%) core genes shared by the two genomes. As a test model, we investigatedMuinsertions in the pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) superfamily, discovering insertions for 92% (449/487) ofPPRgenes in ChinaMu, demonstrating the usefulness of ChinaMu as a functional genomics resource for maize.
Revitalizing the lower face: Therapeutic insights and an innovative treatment guideline for jowl rejuvenation
Authors: Magacho‐Vieira Fabiano Nadson , Bezerra Luíza Jorgiana Riotinto , Boro Daniel , Santos Fernanda Araújo
Published: March 2024

Background

The intricate mechanisms of jowl formation, which ultimately lead to loss of lower jaw definition, skin laxity, and localized fat accumulation, involve interrelated factors such as skin aging, fat redistribution, muscle dynamics, and loss of support.

Aims

To propose a structured approach to the treatment of the jowl area that is comprehensive and tailored to the needs of each individual patient.

Materials and Methods

This integrative review combines a meticulous analysis of the literature with practical insights from real‐world clinical settings. The authors draw on their extensive clinical experience to bridge research findings with practical clinical perspectives.

Results

This study presents a guideline for addressing jowl formation that starts with the major aging processes and, based on simple diagnostic questions, suggests minimally invasive interventions, including collagen stimulators, energy‐based devices, lipolytic injectables, polydioxanone threads, and hyaluronic acid fillers.

Discussion

The guideline emphasizes the significance of personalized treatments while also acknowledging the need for comprehensive evaluation and recognizing the ever‐evolving nature of aesthetic interventions in jowl management.

Conclusion

This systematic approach can not only simplify diagnostic and treatment decisions for dermatologists but also enhance patient satisfaction by customizing treatment plans based on individual characteristics and expectations.
Metapolitical seduction: Women's language and white nationalism
Authors: Tebaldi Catherine
Published: March 2024

This paper examines the enregisterment of white nationalist women's language as metapolitical seduction, in anti‐feminist conversion videos designed both to seduce men and to restore them to their proper place—above women. First, the paper analyzes the metapragmatics of submissive femininity, then the characters this far right fairy tale invents, and finally how they come to represent a metapolitical order which aligns gender, nation, tradition, and language. Women's language contributes to the white nationalist metapolitical project of resurrecting white masculinity and re‐gendering the world, also revealing mechanisms by which white supremacy is made to appear not only normal, but desirable.
I am home. The circle is complete: The reunification of fostered/adopted relatives
Authors: Landers Ashley L. , Danes Sharon M. , Morgan Amy A. , Simpson Jessica E. , Merritt Shamora , Hawk Sandy White
Published: March 2024

Objective

This study examined the underlying, unseen meanings accompanying the progressive verification of the reunification process experienced by American Indian fostered/adopted relatives who were separated from family of origin as children.

Background

Reunification is most often explored as an outcome (i.e., a result) and few studies examine the process of reunification (i.e., what happens or what facilitates it) or the underlying meaning of the reunification process for American Indian fostered/adopted relatives.

Method

A secondary data analysis was conducted on survey data from the Experiences of Adopted and Fostered Individuals Project. The sample consisted of 70 American Indian relatives who were fostered/adopted as children and reunified as adults. Thematic analysis was conducted on open‐ended survey data.

Results

Four themes emanated from the data including: (1) searching, (2) facilitating, (3) calling home, and (4) repatriating. Participants searched for their families of origin using information and records (i.e., names of birth family, birth/adoption records). Reunification was facilitated by agencies, hired professionals, courts, and tribes. Relatives were called home by family, tribe, and ancestors. They repatriated through mail, phone, social media, and registries.

Conclusion

This study contributed to the literature by using place identity theory to understand the progressive nature of the perceptions and comprehensions experienced by American Indian relatives during the reunification process. Place identity verification undergirds the process of reunification for American Indian fostered/adopted relatives including the underlying, unseen meanings that accompany the reunification process.
Testimonios on participatory action research as a critical race approach to studying Southeast Asian american Refugee subjects
Authors: Nguyen Angela‐MinhTu D. , Huynh Que‐Lam , Chang Richard , Lieng Nathan
Published: March 2024

Instead of being agents of inquiry and change, Southeast Asian American (SEAA; Viet, Hmong, Lao, Cambodian) refugee subjects are often objectified and essentialized by researchers in the social sciences. In this article, we document our collaborative journeys to unlearn colonial and racist ways of thinking about and conducting research on marginalized communities, including our own SEAA communities. Specifically, we present participatory action research (PAR) and testimonios—two examples of counter‐storytelling—as promising critical race methodologies. Using PAR, our team of academic researchers and participant‐researchers collaborated on research to create change in our communities. To assess our experiences with PAR, we used testimonios to share our self‐reflections and stories on the research process and the training relationship. We end by offering suggestions for using PAR and testimonios to engage in anti‐colonial and anti‐racist research.
‘Patient’ or ‘professional’? Negotiating accommodations and identity in fieldwork education
Authors: Edelist Tracey , Zaman Shahbano , Katzman Erika , Jarus Tal
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Despite legislation mandating accommodation policies in postsecondary education, support for students with disabilities is often not implemented within health and human services (HHS) education programs, particularly in fieldwork settings. As part of a Canada‐wide study exploring the experiences of disabled students in 10 HHS programs, we examined how HHS students described their experiences accessing accommodations in fieldwork to understand how conceptions of disability relate to students' fieldwork experiences. Using a critical disability studies framework, we explored how HHS fieldwork education understands disability, accommodations and professional competence and what those understandings reveal about the discrepancy between mandated accommodations and what happens in practice.

Methods

Thirty‐five students requiring accommodations in HHS fieldwork education participated in interviews. Through a critical interpretive analysis of interview data, we developed first‐person composite narratives to show the richness and complexity of the students' diverse, yet similar, subjective experiences with fieldwork accommodations.

Findings

Two composite narratives demonstrate how conceptions of disability incommensurate with professional competence expectations influenced student experiences with disclosing disability and obtaining accommodations in fieldwork. Fear of stigma and having one's competence questioned, or having accommodation requests denied for being misaligned with professional expectations, demonstrate how HHS fieldwork education and practice are upheld by ableist systemic structures.

Discussion

The dominant medical model of disability in HHS education creates institutional barriers that require students to constantly (re)construct their ‘professional’ identity in relation to their ‘patient’ identity. This patient–professional identity construction relates to HHS professional competency standards and assumptions about what makes a ‘good’ professional. Suggestions include reworking competency standards and implementing critical pedagogical approaches to teach future and current HHS professionals to question both personal and practice assumptions. With institutional backing, such changes may support diversity within HHS and a culture shift toward more equitable education and health care.
Fear beyond danger
Authors: de Vignemont Frédérique
Published: March 2024

Many agree that the more we feel that we can handle a given situation, the less afraid we are. But why? Is the situation no longer dangerous or is fear a response to more than danger? Here I analyze situations in which one reacts in cold blood to danger and argue that the formal object of fear is not the dangerous, but the unsafe. The unsafe indicates not only how the world is, but also how it can be handled. Safety, and its negative counterpart, are characterized by their duality, both evaluative (is the snake dangerous?) and agentive (is it under control?).
Neuropilin‐1 enhances temozolomide resistance in glioblastoma via the STAT1/p53/p21 axis
Authors: Huang Ping , Zhang Lixia , Wang Hongwei , Dou Changwu , Ju Haitao , Yue Peng , Ren Jiaxing
Published: March 2024

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most prevalent primary intracranial tumor. Temozolomide (TMZ) is the first‐line chemotherapy for GBM. Nonetheless, the development of TMZ resistance has become a main cause of treatment failure in GBM patients. Evidence suggests that neuropilin‐1 (NRP‐1) silencing can attenuate GBM cell resistance to TMZ. This study aims to determine potential mechanisms by which NRP‐1 affects TMZ resistance in GBM. The parental U251 and LN229 GBM cells were exposed to increasing concentrations of TMZ to construct TMZ‐resistant GBM cells (U251/TMZ, LN229/TMZ). BALB/c nude mice were injected with U251/TMZ cells to establish the xenograft mouse model. Functional experiments were carried out to examine NRP‐1 functions. Western blotting and real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to evaluate molecular protein and mRNA expression, respectively. Immunohistochemical staining showed NRP‐1 and STAT1 expression in mouse tumors. The results showed that NRP‐1 was highly expressed in TMZ‐resistant cells. Moreover, knocking down NRP‐1 attenuated the TMZ resistance of U251/TMZ cells, while upregulating NRP‐1 enhanced TMZ resistance of the parental cells. NRP‐1 silencing elevated GBM cell sensitivity to TMZ in tumor‐bearing mice. Depleting NRP‐1 reduced STAT1, p53, and p21 expression in U251/TMZ cells. STAT1 depletion offset NRP‐1 silencing evoked attenuation of GBM cell resistance to TMZ. Collectively, our study reveals that NRP‐1 enhances TMZ resistance in GBM possibly by regulating the STAT1/p53/p21 axis.
Influence of the gut and airway microbiome on asthma development and disease
Authors: Smulders Tamar , Van Der Schee Marc P. , Maitland‐Van Der Zee Anke H. , Dikkers Frederik G. , Van Drunen Cornelis M.
Published: March 2024

There are ample data to suggest that early‐life dysbiosis of both the gut and/or airway microbiome can predispose a child to develop along a trajectory toward asthma. Although individual studies show clear associations between dysbiosis and asthma development, it is less clear what (collection of) bacterial species is mechanistically responsible for the observed effects. This is partly due to issues related to the asthma diagnosis and the broad spectrum of anatomical sites, sample techniques, and analysis protocols that are used in different studies. Moreover, there is limited attention for potential differences in the genetics of individuals that would affect the outcome of the interaction between the environment and that individual. Despite these challenges, the first bacterial components were identified that are able to affect the transcriptional state of human cells, ergo the immune system. Such molecules could in the future be the basis for intervention studies that are now (necessarily) restricted to a limited number of bacterial species. For this transition, it might be prudent to develop an ex vivo human model of a local mucosal immune system to better and safer explore the impact of such molecules. With this approach, we might move beyond association toward understanding of causality.
Cohort profile: The Assessing Imperial Valley Respiratory Health and the Environment (AIRE) study
Authors: Farzan Shohreh F. , Kamai Elizabeth , Duenas Barahona Dayane , Ornelas Yoshira Van Horne , Zuidema Christopher , Wong Michelle , Torres Christian , Bejarano Esther , Seto Edmund , English Paul , Olmedo Luis , Johnston Jill
Published: March 2024

Background

The Children's Assessing Imperial Valley Respiratory Health and the Environment (AIRE) study is a prospective cohort study of environmental influences on respiratory health in a rural, southeastern region of California (CA), which aims to longitudinally examine the contribution of a drying saline lake to adverse health impacts in children.

Objectives

This cohort was established through a community–academic partnership with the goal of assessing the health effects of childhood exposures to wind‐blown particulate matter (PM) and inform public health action. We hypothesize that local PM sources are related to poorer children's respiratory health.

Population

Elementary school children in Imperial Valley, CA.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Methods

Between 2017 and 2019, we collected baseline information on 731 children, then follow‐up assessments yearly or twice‐yearly since 2019. Data have been collected on children's respiratory health, demographics, household characteristics, physical activity and lifestyle, via questionnaires completed by parents or primary caregivers. In‐person measurements, conducted since 2019, repeatedly assessed lung function, height, weight and blood pressure. Exposure to air pollutants has been assessed by multiple methods and individually assigned to participants using residential and school addresses. Health data will be linked to ambient and local sources of PM, during and preceding the study period to understand how spatiotemporal trends in these environmental exposures may relate to respiratory health.

Preliminary Results

Analyses of respiratory symptoms indicate a high prevalence of allergies, bronchitic symptoms and wheezing. Asthma diagnosis was reported in 24% of children at enrolment, which exceeds both CA state and US national prevalence estimates for children.

Conclusions

The Children's AIRE cohort, while focused on the health impacts of the drying Salton Sea and air quality in Imperial Valley, is poised to elucidate the growing threat of drying saline lakes and wind‐blown dust sources to respiratory health worldwide, as sources of wind‐blown dust emerge in our changing climate.
Crisis, what crisis? The National Health Service since 1948
Authors: Stewart John
Published: March 2024

This article examines the history of the National Health Service from the perspective of the ‘crises’ it has experienced almost continuously since its foundation in 1948. Three themes are examined: scientific revolution, professional bodies, and, especially, political economy. A concluding discussion suggests that there is scope for rethinking how we envisage the NHS, and the ends it pursues.
Micropulse transscleral cyclophotocoagulation in canine glaucoma: A retrospective study evaluating sweep velocity
Authors: Benitez‐Vera Valeria , Bras Dineli , Montiani‐Ferreira Fabiano
Published: March 2024

Objective

To report preliminary results of MP‐TSCP in canine patients with glaucoma while evaluating sweep velocity, treatment efficacy, and safety utilizing standardized surgical parameters.

Animal studied

Client‐owned dogs that underwent MP‐TSCP at a veterinary referral hospital.

Procedure

Medical records of 19 eyes (14 dogs) treated with MP‐TSCP were reviewed. Eleven eyes were treated with a 10 s/sweep (s) velocity and 8 eyes with a 20 s/s. Laser duty cycle was set at 31.3%, mean laser energy was 2766 mW, and mean duration was 120 s per hemisphere. Minimum post‐operative follow‐up was 6 months. Outcomes of intraocular pressure (IOP), vision status, degree of antiglaucoma medications, and complications were evaluated.

Results

There was a significantly lower median (IQR) IOP (<25 mmHg) at each timepoint postoperatively compared to IOP pre‐operatively (p < 0.05). The overall success rate for IOP control at 6 months was 84%, 100% for the 10 s/s and 62.5% for the 20 s/s. Vision was preserved in 10/11 (90%) eyes from the 10 s/s group and 4/8 (50%) eyes from the 20 s/s group at 6 months. Average number of glaucoma medications in the 10 s/s group decreased from 4.4 to 1.5 and from 3.3 to 2.5 in the 20 s/s group. Post‐operative complications were mild and resolved within 1 week.

Conclusions

MP‐TSCP is a non‐invasive treatment alternative for canine glaucoma. Employing higher energy levels rendered long‐term IOP control while retaining a high safety profile with minimal postoperative complications. There was no statistical difference between a 10 s/s and 20 s/s surgical velocity, both leading to successful surgical outcomes up to 6 months post‐operatively.
Dogs on the move: Estimating the risk of rabies in imported dogs in the United States, 2015–2022
Authors: Pieracci Emily G. , Wallace Ryan , Maskery Brian , Brouillette Colleen , Brown Clive , Joo Heesoo
Published: March 2024

Background

Dog‐mediated rabies virus variant (DMRVV), a zoonotic pathogen that causes a deadly disease in animals and humans, is present in more than 100 countries worldwide but has been eliminated from the United States since 2007. In the United States, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded four instances of rabies in dogs imported from DMRVV‐enzootic countries since 2015. However, it remains uncertain whether the incidence of DMRVV among imported dogs from these countries significantly surpasses that of domestically acquired variants among domestic U.S. dogs.

Aim

This evaluation aimed to estimate the number of dogs imported from DMRVV‐enzootic countries and compare the risk of rabies between imported dogs and the U.S. domestic dog population.

Materials and Methods

Data from the CDC's dog import permit system (implemented during 2021 under a temporary suspension of dog importation from DMRVV‐enzootic countries) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Automated Commercial Environment system, each of which records a segment of dogs entering the U.S. from DMRVV‐enzootic countries, was analysed. Additionally, we estimated the incidence rate of rabies in dogs imported from DMRVV‐enzootic countries and compared it to the incidence rate within the general U.S. dog population, due to domestically acquired rabies variants, over the eight‐year period (2015–2022).

Results

An estimated 72,589 (range, 62,660–86,258) dogs were imported into the United States annually between 2015 and 2022 from DMRVV‐enzootic countries. The estimated incidence rate of rabies was 16 times higher (range, 13.2–19.4) in dogs imported from DMRVV‐enzootic countries than that estimated for domestically acquired rabies in the general U.S. dog population.

Conclusions

Preventing human exposure to dogs with DMRVV is a public health priority. The higher risk of rabies in dogs imported from DMRVV‐enzootic countries supports the need for importation requirements aimed at preventing the reintroduction of DMRVV into the United States.
Long‐time existence of Brownian motion on configurations of two landmarks
Authors: Habermann Karen , Harms Philipp , Sommer Stefan
Published: March 2024

We study Brownian motion on the space of distinct landmarks in , considered as a homogeneous space with a Riemannian metric inherited from a right‐invariant metric on the diffeomorphism group. As of yet, there is no proof of long‐time existence of this process, despite its fundamental importance in statistical shape analysis, where it is used to model stochastic shape evolutions. We make some first progress in this direction by providing a full classification of long‐time existence for configurations of exactly two landmarks, governed by a radial kernel. For low‐order Sobolev kernels, we show that the landmarks collide with positive probability in finite time, whilst for higher‐order Sobolev and Gaussian kernels, the landmark Brownian motion exists for all times. We illustrate our theoretical results by numerical simulations.
Multigraded algebras and multigraded linear series
Authors: Cid‐Ruiz Yairon , Mohammadi Fatemeh , Monin Leonid
Published: March 2024

This paper is devoted to the study of multigraded algebras and multigraded linear series. For an ‐graded algebra , we define and study its volume function , which computes the asymptotics of the Hilbert function of . We relate the volume function to the volume of the fibers of the global Newton–Okounkov body of . Unlike the classical case of standard multigraded algebras, the volume function is not a polynomial in general. However, in the case when the algebra has a decomposable grading, we show that the volume function is a polynomial with nonnegative coefficients. We then define mixed multiplicities in this case and provide a full characterization for their positivity. Furthermore, we apply our results on multigraded algebras to multigraded linear series. Our work recovers and unifies recent developments on mixed multiplicities. In particular, we recover results on the existence of mixed multiplicities for (not necessarily Noetherian) graded families of ideals and on the positivity of the multidegrees of multiprojective varieties.
Mechanism for feature learning in neural networks and backpropagation-free machine learning models
Authors: Radhakrishnan Adityanarayanan , Beaglehole Daniel , Pandit Parthe , Belkin Mikhail
Published: March 2024

Understanding how neural networks learn features, or relevant patterns in data, for prediction is necessary for their reliable use in technological and scientific applications. In this work, we presented a unifying mathematical mechanism, known as average gradient outer product (AGOP), that characterized feature learning in neural networks. We provided empirical evidence that AGOP captured features learned by various neural network architectures, including transformer-based language models, convolutional networks, multilayer perceptrons, and recurrent neural networks. Moreover, we demonstrated that AGOP, which is backpropagation-free, enabled feature learning in machine learning models, such as kernel machines, that a priori could not identify task-specific features. Overall, we established a fundamental mechanism that captured feature learning in neural networks and enabled feature learning in general machine learning models.
Multimodality integrated microresonators using the Moiré speedup effect
Authors: Ji Qing-Xin , Liu Peng , Jin Warren , Guo Joel , Wu Lue , Yuan Zhiquan , Peters Jonathan , Feshali Avi , Paniccia Mario , Bowers John E. , Vahala Kerry J.
Published: March 2024

High-
Q
microresonators are indispensable components of photonic integrated circuits and offer several useful operational modes. However, these modes cannot be reconfigured after fabrication because they are fixed by the resonator’s physical geometry. In this work, we propose a Moiré speedup dispersion tuning method that enables a microresonator device to operate in any of three modes. Electrical tuning of Vernier coupled rings switches operating modality to Brillouin laser, bright microcomb, and dark microcomb operation on demand using the same hybrid-integrated device. Brillouin phase matching and microcomb operation across the telecom C-band is demonstrated. Likewise, by using a single-pump wavelength, the operating mode can be switched. As a result, one universal design can be applied across a range of applications. The device brings flexible mixed-mode operation to integrated photonic circuits.
Amphibian hatchlings find mother’s milk
Authors: Wake Marvalee H.
Published: March 2024

Egg-laying amphibian females produce lipid-rich “milk” to feed offspring after hatching
Brazil is hoping and waiting for a new vaccine as dengue rages
Authors: Triunfol Marcia
Published: March 2024

A locally produced vaccine did well in a phase 3 clinical trial but won’t be available until at least 2025
How to diagnose IgE-mediated food allergy
Authors: Lieberman Jay , Muraro Antonella , Blaiss Michael
Published: March 2024

Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergy is an immune response, typically to a food protein. Accurate diagnosis reduces unnecessary dietary restrictions and economic and psychological burden on patients and caregivers but relies on a rigorous clinical history, specific IgE diagnostic tests and, where needed, oral food challenge. Increased awareness is needed around which patients to test for IgE-mediated food allergy, as well as terms commonly associated with IgE-mediated food allergy testing, in order to optimise patient diagnosis and management. Herein, we describe approaches to diagnosis of IgE-mediated food allergy, appropriate interpretation of results and risks of overtesting.