bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving reporting standards for phenotyping algorithm in biomedical research: 5 fundamental dimensions
Authors: Wei Wei-Qi , Rowley Robb , Wood Angela , MacArthur Jacqueline , Embi Peter J , Denaxas Spiros
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Phenotyping algorithms enable the interpretation of complex health data and definition of clinically relevant phenotypes; they have become crucial in biomedical research. However, the lack of standardization and transparency inhibits the cross-comparison of findings among different studies, limits large scale meta-analyses, confuses the research community, and prevents the reuse of algorithms, which results in duplication of efforts and the waste of valuable resources.

Recommendations

Here, we propose five independent fundamental dimensions of phenotyping algorithms—complexity, performance, efficiency, implementability, and maintenance—through which researchers can describe, measure, and deploy any algorithms efficiently and effectively. These dimensions must be considered in the context of explicit use cases and transparent methods to ensure that they do not reflect unexpected biases or exacerbate inequities.
Assessment of insecticide risk quantification methods: Introducing the Pesticide Risk Tool and its improvements over the Environmental Impact Quotient
Authors: Meys Eleanor L , Mineau Pierre , Werts Peter , Nelson Sally G A , Larson Ariel , Hutchison William D
Published: January 2024

Tools for quantifying nontarget pesticide risks have long been used for documenting the benefits of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs. One resource receiving little attention is the Pesticide Risk Tool (PRT), developed by the IPM Institute in Madison, WI. The PRT includes 15 indices and uses a probabilistic approach to assess the risk for the environmental and human health effects of insecticides, fungicides, and herbicides. In this article, we compare the PRT to the Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ) to highlight the PRT’s approach to characterizing risk and several improvements over the EIQ. Comparing the calculated risk scores between the EIQ and PRT shows a similar trend with organophosphate insecticides, usually reflecting the highest toxicity risks, with more pronounced differences for pyrethroids and neonicotinoids, but exact toxicity rankings differ. Advantages of the PRT over the EIQ include the probabilistic approach to quantify risk and reliance on field impact data where available, the use of raw data for inputs versus a scoring system, correction of known issues with the EIQ, and its greater diversity of risk indices. Some disadvantages of the PRT include its lack of data on discontinued products, the absence of a total risk score, use of different scoring scales between indices, and its cost. However, given the pros and cons of each method, we believe the PRT to be a useful tool for researchers, extension professionals, and growers who wish to account for environmental and human health risks when building IPM programs.
Causal inference over stochastic networks
Authors: Clark Duncan A , Handcock Mark S
Published: January 2024

Claiming causal inferences in network settings necessitates careful consideration of the often complex dependency between outcomes for actors. Of particular importance are treatment spillover or outcome interference effects. We consider causal inference when the actors are connected via an underlying network structure. Our key contribution is a model for causality when the underlying network is endogenous; where the ties between actors and the actor covariates are statistically dependent. We develop a joint model for the relational and covariate generating process that avoids restrictive separability and fixed network assumptions, as these rarely hold in realistic social settings. While our framework can be used with general models, we develop the highly expressive class of Exponential-family Random Network models (ERNM) of which Markov random fields and Exponential-family Random Graph models are special cases. We present potential outcome-based inference within a Bayesian framework and propose a modification to the exchange algorithm to allow for sampling from ERNM posteriors. We present results of a simulation study demonstrating the validity of the approach. Finally, we demonstrate the value of the framework in a case study of smoking in the context of adolescent friendship networks.
The genomic basis of nitrogen utilization efficiency and trait plasticity to improve nutrient stress tolerance in cultivated sunflower
Authors: Temme Andries A , Kerr Kelly L , Nolting Kristen M , Dittmar Emily L , Masalia Rishi R , Bucksch Alexander K , Burke John M , Donovan Lisa A
Published: January 2024

Maintaining crop productivity is challenging as population growth, climate change, and increasing fertilizer costs necessitate expanding crop production to poorer lands whilst reducing inputs. Enhancing crops’ nutrient use efficiency is thus an important goal, but requires a better understanding of related traits and their genetic basis. We investigated variation in low nutrient stress tolerance in a diverse panel of cultivated sunflower genotypes grown under high and low nutrient conditions, assessing relative growth rate (RGR) as performance. We assessed variation in traits related to nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUtE), mass allocation, and leaf elemental content. Across genotypes, nutrient limitation generally reduced RGR. Moreover, there was a negative correlation between vigor (RGR in control) and decline in RGR in response to stress. Given this trade-off, we focused on nutrient stress tolerance independent of vigor. This tolerance metric correlated with the change in NUtE, plasticity for a suite of morphological traits, and leaf element content. Genome-wide associations revealed regions associated with variation and plasticity in multiple traits, including two regions with seemingly additive effects on NUtE change. Our results demonstrate potential avenues for improving sunflower nutrient stress tolerance independent of vigor, and highlight specific traits and genomic regions that could play a role in enhancing tolerance.
Gauging the roles of parliamentary staff
Authors: Brandsma Gijs Jan , Otjes Simon
Published: January 2024

There is a small but growing literature on the staffs working in national parliaments. These are mostly single-country studies studying one role that staff can play or one principal that they serve. Our contribution provides a comprehensive measurement instrument of the role of parliamentary staff, which takes into account organisational diversity within and between parliaments. We recognise four types of staff that may be present to a greater or lesser extent in different parliaments, which have different principals (PPG staff, personal staff, plenary or committee staff). These different staffs can play different roles (information broker, advisor, ghostwriter, compromise facilitator and marketeer). We apply this typology to the Dutch lower house and find out how different types of staff combine multiple roles in practice.
Transcription factor CaHDZ15 promotes pepper basal thermotolerance by activating HEAT SHOCK FACTORA6a
Authors: Mou Shaoliang , He Weihong , Jiang Haitao , Meng Qianqian , Zhang Tingting , Liu Zhiqin , Qiu Ailian , He Shuilin
Published: January 2024

High temperature stress (HTS) is a serious threat to plant growth and development and to crop production in the context of global warming, and plant response to HTS is largely regulated at the transcriptional level by the actions of various transcription factors (TFs). However, whether and how homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) TFs are involved in thermotolerance are unclear. Herein, we functionally characterized a pepper (Capsicum annuum) HD-Zip I TF CaHDZ15. CaHDZ15 expression was upregulated by HTS and abscisic acid in basal thermotolerance via loss- and gain-of-function assays by virus-induced gene silencing in pepper and overexpression in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. CaHDZ15 acted positively in pepper basal thermotolerance by directly targeting and activating HEAT SHOCK FACTORA6a (HSFA6a), which further activated CaHSFA2. In addition, CaHDZ15 interacted with HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN 70-2 (CaHsp70-2) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase1 (CaGAPC1), both of which positively affected pepper thermotolerance. CaHsp70-2 and CaGAPC1 promoted CaHDZ15 binding to the promoter of CaHSFA6a, thus enhancing its transcription. Furthermore, CaHDZ15 and CaGAPC1 were protected from 26S proteasome-mediated degradation by CaHsp70-2 via physical interaction. These results collectively indicate that CaHDZ15, modulated by the interacting partners CaGAPC1 and CaHsp70-2, promotes basal thermotolerance by directly activating the transcript of CaHSFA6a. Thus, a molecular linkage is established among CaHsp70-2, CaGAPC1, and CaHDZ15 to transcriptionally modulate CaHSFA6a in pepper thermotolerance.
Racial/ethnic disparities in the trajectories of insomnia symptoms from childhood to young adulthood
Authors: Singh Rupsha , Atha Raegan , Lenker Kristina P , Calhoun Susan L , Liao Jiangang , He Fan , Vgontzas Alexandros N , Liao Duanping , Bixler Edward O , Jackson Chandra L , Fernandez-Mendoza Julio
Published: January 2024

Study Objectives

To examine differences in the longitudinal prevalence of childhood insomnia symptoms across black/African American, Hispanic/Latinx, and non-Hispanic white groups.

Methods

Participants were 519 children from the Penn State Child Cohort (baseline [V1] from 2000–2005) who were followed up 8 years later as adolescents (V2) and 15 years later as young adults (S3). Mean age at S3 was 24.1 ± 2.7 years. Approximately, 76.5% identified as non-Hispanic white, 12.9% as black/African American, 7.1% as Hispanic/Latinx, and 3.5% as “other” race/ethnicity. Insomnia symptoms were defined as parent-reported (childhood) or self-reported (adolescence and young adulthood) moderate-to-severe difficulties initiating/maintaining sleep. Longitudinal trajectories of insomnia symptoms were identified across three-time points and the odds of each trajectory were compared between racial/ethnic groups, adjusting for sex, age, overweight, sleep apnea, periodic limb movements, psychiatric/behavioral disorders, and psychotropic medication use.

Results

Black/African Americans compared to non-Hispanic whites were at significantly higher odds of having a childhood-onset persistent trajectory through young adulthood (OR = 2.58, 95% CI [1.29, 5.14]), while Hispanics/Latinx were at nonsignificantly higher odds to have the same trajectory (OR = 1.81, 95% CI [0.77, 4.25]). No significant racial/ethnic differences were observed for remitted and waxing-and-waning trajectories since childhood or incident/new-onset trajectories in young adulthood.

Conclusions

The results indicate that disparities in insomnia symptoms among black/African American and, to a lesser extent, Hispanic/Latinx groups start early in childhood and persist into young adulthood. Identifying and intervening upon upstream determinants of racial/ethnic insomnia disparities are warranted to directly address these disparities and to prevent their adverse health sequelae.

Clinical Trial Information

N/A; Not a clinical trial.
Examining Racial and Gender Diversity in the Plastic Surgery Pipeline: Where is the Leak?
Authors: Persad-Paisley Elijah M. , Uriarte Sarah A. , Kuruvilla Annet S. , Menville Jesse E. , Baranwal Navya , Francalancia Stephanie C. , Lou Mary Y. , Zeyl Victoria G. , Rivera Perla Krissia M. , Rao Vinay , Kalliainen Loree K.
Published: January 2024

Background:

There is limited information about minority representation throughout the plastic and reconstructive surgery (PRS) pipeline. The aim of this study was to examine trends in representation among minorities at different stages of the PRS training pathway, starting with potential candidates in high school through practicing physicians.

Methods:

The PRS pipeline was defined as high school; college; medical school applicants, matriculants, and graduates; PRS residency applicants, matriculants, and active residents; and PRS practicing physicians. Racial data for each stage were obtained from the US Census and Association of American Medical Colleges. The proportion of races at each stage were divided by their US population counterpart proportions to produce representation quotients (RQs). Medians and interquartile ranges (IQRs) are reported. Mann–Whitney U tests compared RQ values within identities between successive stages.

Results:

Black students had high representation in high school (RQ = 1.26 [IQR: 1.21–1.29]) but had significant, stepwise decreases in representation in subsequent stages. A similar trend was observed for Hispanic individuals, who had their highest representation in high school (1.43 [1.37–1.50]), followed by significant decreases in RQ at nearly every subsequent stage up to and including practicing physicians (0.30 [0.28–0.31). Asian individuals were overrepresented at every stage (high school RQ: 1.01 [1.00–1.03]; practicing physician RQ: 2.30 [2.27–2.32]). White individuals were underrepresented before residency but had an RQ that approximated 1 in subsequent stages.

Conclusions:

Racial minorities experienced decreases in representation at each successive stage in the PRS pipeline following high school. Ongoing diversity efforts should focus on premedical recruitment and professional support for minority students.
Patient blood management in major digestive surgery: Recommendations from the Italian multisociety (ACOI, SIAARTI, SIdEM, and SIMTI) modified Delphi consensus conference
Authors: Catarci Marco , Tritapepe Luigi , Rondinelli Maria Beatrice , Beverina Ivo , Agostini Vanessa , Buscemi Filippo , Amisano Marco , Attinà Grazia Maria , Baldini Gabriele , Cerutti Alessandro , Moretti Cinzia , Procacci Rossella , D’Antico Sergio , Errigo Gabriella , Baldazzi Gianandrea , Ardu Massimiliano , Benedetti Michele , Abete Roberta , Azzaro Rosa , Delrio Paolo , Lucentini Valeria , Mazzini Paolo , Tessitore Loretta , Giuffrida Anna Chiara , Gizzi Chiara , Borghi Felice , Ciano Paolo , Carli Simona , Iovino Stefania , Manca Pietro Carmelo , Manzini Paola , De Franciscis Silvia , Murgi Emilia , Patrizi Federica , Di Marzo Massimiliano , Serafini Riccardo , Olana Soraya , Ficari Ferdinando , Garulli Gianluca , Trambaiolo Paolo , Volpato Elisabetta , Montemurro Leonardo Antonio , Coppola Luigi , Pace Ugo , Rega Daniela , Armellino Mariano Fortunato , Basti Massimo , Bottino Vincenzo , Ciaccio Giovanni , Luridiana Gianluigi , Marini Pierluigi , Nardacchione Francesco , De Angelis Vincenzo , Giarratano Antonino , Ostuni Angelo , Fiorin Francesco , Scatizzi Marco
Published: January 2024

Patient blood management (PBM) is defined as the timely application of evidence-based medical and surgical concepts designed to maintain a surgical patient’s hemoglobin concentration, optimize hemostasis, and minimize blood loss in an effort to improve the outcomes. PBM is able to reduce mortality up to 68%, reoperation up to 43%, readmission up to 43%, composite morbidity up to 41%, infection rate up to 80%, average length of stay by 16%–33%, transfusion from 10% to 95%, and costs from 10% to 84% after major surgery. It should be noticed, however, that the process of PBM implementation is still in its infancy, and that its potential to improve perioperative outcomes could be strictly linked to the degree of adherence/compliance to the whole program, with decoupling and noncompliance being significant factors for failure. Therefore, the steering committees of four major Italian scientific societies, representing general surgeons, anesthesiologists and transfusion medicine specialists (Associazione Chirurghi Ospedalieri Italiani; Società Italiana di Anestesia, Analgesia, Rianimazione e Terapia Intensiva; Società Italiana di Emaferesi e Manipolazione Cellulare; Società Italiana di Medicina Trasfusionale e Immunoematologia), organized a joint modified Delphi consensus conference on PBM in the field of major digestive surgery (upper and lower gastrointestinal tract, and hepato-biliopancreatic resections), whose results and recommendations are herein presented.
Magnitude, associated factors of difficult airway, and predictive value of airway examinations among maxillofacial surgery patients at public hospitals in Southern Ethiopia: a multicentre cross-sectional study
Authors: Ali Abas , Kassahun Bilen , Habtu Elias , Debalkie Ashebir , Seid Kerima , Awol Redi , Suleman Mohammed , Girma Bizuwork , Eanga Shamill , Oumer Abdi , Mosa Hassen , Tafesse Dawit , Bati Temesgen , Dendir Getahun
Published: January 2024

Background:

“Difficult airway” is the clinical situation in which a conventionally trained anesthesiologist experiences difficulty with mask ventilation, laryngoscopy, and difficulty with tracheal intubation, or both. Associated factors and predictive value difficult airways, maxillofacial surgery study setup is under studied.

Objective:

To determine the magnitude and associated factors of difficult airways and predictive value of airway examinations among adult patients who underwent maxillofacial surgery at public hospitals in Southern Ethiopia 2022.

Methods and materials:

An institutional-based multicenter cross-sectional study was conducted among 250 maxillofacial patients from March to 30 June 2022 at selected hospitals. The data were entered into Epi_Data software version 4.3 and analyzed by STATA software version 14. All variables that were statistically significant in bivariate analysis, at the P less than 0.25, were included in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. The predictive value or the effectiveness of airway examinations in predicting difficult airways was analyzed by receiver operating curve.

Results:

In the current study, the magnitude of difficult airways was 21.2% (95% CI = 16.3–26.1%) and the magnitude of difficult intubation, difficult laryngoscopy, and difficult mask ventilation was 6.4% (95% CI 3.3–9.4%), 9.6% (95% CI 6.1–13%), and 13.6% (95% CI (9.1–16.8%), respectively. History of head and neck surgery adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=6.3, 95% CI (2.85–14.34), cervical collar AOR=4.9, 95% CI (1.96–12.49), and cervical spine injury AOR=2.4, 95% CI (1.07–5.38) were independently and significantly associated with difficulty of airway. Modified Mallampati class and sternomental distance were identified as good preoperative tests to predict difficult laryngoscopy, intubation, and mask ventilation.

Conclusion and recommendation:

The magnitude of difficult airways was maxillofacial surgery. Among various airway assessment tests, no single test was perfectly accurate. Anaesthesia professionals are recommended to use a combination of preoperative airway assessments.
Paediatric Moyamoya disease: acute presentation with fever and confusion in an 8-year-old: a case report
Authors: Karki Deepika , Pant Prashant , Paudel Sandip , Kumar Sah Sumit , Regmi Samiksha , Bhandari Sanjeev
Published: January 2024

Introduction and importance:

Moyamoya is a chronic vaso-occlusive cerebrovascular disorder which involves internal carotid artery and its proximal branches, forming compensatory Moyamoya vessels. It may manifest with diverse symptoms, but early detection is crucial for a favourable prognosis.

Case presentation:

The authors present a case of an 8-year-old child who presented to the emergency with acute onset fever and confusion in speech. Although the symptoms were vague, she was advised for a thorough investigation. MRI of the brain revealed an infarct on the brain that raised suspicion of a vaso-occlussive disorder. Subsequent magnetic resonance angiography and digital subtraction angiography revealed underlying Moyamoya disease.

Clinical discussion:

Although the initial diagnosis of Moyamoya disease can be challenging, prompt diagnosis and simple medical measures like single antiplatelet regimens are useful for secondary ischaemic prevention.

Conclusion:

This case highlights the essence of considering Moyamoya disease as one of the differentials while dealing with children presenting with subtle cerebrovascular symptoms.
Colocalization of Increased Midbrain Signals in Neuroinflammation and Tau PET Imaging Suggests the Diagnosis of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
Authors: Lu Jiaying , Ge Jingjie , Yu Hai , Zhao Guixian , Chen Xiangjun
Published: January 2024

Clinical overlap with multiple other neurological diseases makes the diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis challenging; consequently, a broad range of neurological diseases are misdiagnosed as autoimmune encephalitis. A 58-year-old man presented with abnormal behavior, irritability for 3 years, oculomotor disturbance, unsteady walking, and dysphagia and was suspected as having anti–dipeptidyl-peptidase–like protein 6 (DPPX) encephalitis as the anti-DPPX antibody was positive in the serum. However, the therapeutic effect of immunotherapy was unsatisfactory. Subsequently, colocalization of increased midbrain signals was observed in neuroinflammation PET using [18F]DPA-714 and in tau PET using [18F]florzolotau, suggesting the diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy.
BactEXTRACT: an R Shiny app to quickly extract, plot and analyse bacterial growth and gene expression data
Authors: Dénéréaz Julien , Veening Jan-Willem
Published: January 2024

To streamline the analysis and visualization of bacterial growth and gene expression data obtained by microtitre plate readers, we developed BactEXTRACT, an intuitive, easy-to-use R Shiny application. BactEXTRACT simplifies the transition from raw optical density, fluorescence and luminescence measurements to publication-ready plots. This package offers a user-friendly interface that reduces the complexity involved in growth curve and gene expression analysis and is generally applicable. BactEXTRACT is available at https://veeninglab.com/bactextract.
Citrobacter enshiensis sp. nov., isolated from seleniferous soil
Authors: Zhang Sasa , Li Kui , Peng Jing , Wang Haoyang , Sun Jiayin , Guo Yanbin
Published: January 2024

Two Gram-stain-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped bacterial strains, S171T and S2-9, were isolated from seleniferous soil in China. Comprehensive phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA genes, multilocus sequences and whole genome sequences indicated that the two strains belonged to the genus

Citrobacter

. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values of strains S171T and S2-9 with the closest relative

Citrobacter koseri

NCTC 10786T were 83.6–83.7% and 27.7–27.8 %, respectively, which were below the species cutoff values. The ANI and dDDH values between the two strains were 97.9% and 84.8 %, respectively. The biochemical characteristics revealed that selenite tolerance, H2S and indole production, arginine dihydrolase, ornithine decarboxylase, as well as acid production from carbon sources such as d-sorbitol and arbutin are distinctive features of the two strains. Based on these results, strain S171T and strain S2-9 represent a novel species of the genus

Citrobacter

, for which the name Citrobacter enshiensis sp. nov. is proposed, with strain S171T (=GDMCC 1.3637T=JCM 35851T) as the type strain. The genome size of strain S171T was 4.92 Mb with a G+C content of 52.6 mol%. The genome size of strain S2-9 was 4.89 Mb with a G+C content of 52.6 mol%.
A dual-gene reporter-amplifier architecture for enhancing the sensitivity of molecular MRI by water exchange
Authors: Huang Yimeng , Chen Xinyue , Zhu Ziyue , Mukherjee Arnab
Published: January 2024

The development of genetic reporters for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is essential for investigating biological functions in intact animals. However, current MRI reporters have low sensitivity, making it challenging to create significant contrast against the tissue background, especially when only a small percentage of cells express the reporter. To overcome this limitation, we developed an approach that amplifies signals by co-expressing an MRI reporter gene, Oatp1b3, with a water channel, aquaporin-1 (Aqp1). We first show that the expression of Aqp1 amplifies the paramagnetic relaxation effect of Oatp1b3 by facilitating transmembrane water exchange. This mechanism provides Oatp1b3-expressing cells with access to a larger water pool compared with typical exchange-limited conditions. We further demonstrated that our methodology allows dual-labeled cells to be detected using approximately 10-fold lower concentrations of contrast agent than that in the Aqp1-free scenario. Finally, we show that our approach enables the imaging of mixed-cell populations containing a low fraction of Oatp1b3-labeled cells that are otherwise undetectable based on Oatp1b3 expression alone.
Expression diversity of cichlid MHC alleles
Authors: Bracamonte Seraina E. , Hablützel Pascal I. , Lozano-Martín Carlos , Barluenga Marta
Published: January 2024

Diversification by natural selection is a major source of biodiversity. The selective pressures imposed by parasites on their hosts have the potential to increase diversity at immunologically relevant genes and maintain high polymorphism within and among populations. The immune genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are a hallmark of parasite-mediated selection. These genes frequently show local adaptation to the prevailing parasites. Although associations between parasites and alleles have been identified, they are often imperfect, indicating that parasite-mediated selection goes beyond sequence identity. Here, we explored allele-specific expression of MHC class IIB in cichlid fish and its relationship with sequence diversity. This revealed a few highly abundant alleles with consistently low expression, and many relatively rare alleles with high expression levels that were variable among individuals. Alleles that formed functional supertypes also had similar expression. This suggests that rare alleles may be those responding to parasites and that similar functionality may be provided by different alleles in different individuals. Our results further suggest that there could be an optimal number of MHC alleles per individual and that deviations from this optimum are compensated by adjusting expression levels. The common and lowly expressed alleles may have attained different functions, a patterns that appears to be consistent in Neotropical and African cichlids. Our study shows that MHC expression is highly variable among alleles potentially interacting with parasites, providing an additional substrate for selection. Furthermore, our study exemplifies how combining genetic diversity with detailed expression information can help identifying functionally relevant diversity.
Cell cycle length regulates heterochromatin reprogramming during early development in non-mammalian vertebrates
Authors: Fukushima Hiroto S , Ikeda Takafumi , Ikeda Shinra , Takeda Hiroyuki
Published: January 2024

Heterochromatin marks such as H3K9me3 undergoes global erasure and re-establishment after fertilization, and the proper reprogramming of H3K9me3 is essential for early development. Despite the widely conserved dynamics of heterochromatin reprogramming in invertebrates and non-mammalian vertebrates, previous studies have shown that the underlying mechanisms may differ between species. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanism of H3K9me3 dynamics in medaka (Japanese killifish,Oryzias latipes) as a non-mammalian vertebrate model, and found that rapid cell cycle during the cleavage stages causes DNA replication-dependent passive erasure of H3K9me3. We also found that cell cycle slowing, toward the mid-blastula transition, permits increasing nuclear accumulation of H3K9me3 histone methyltransferase Setdb1, leading to the onset of H3K9me3 re-accumulation. We further demonstrated that cell cycle length in early development regulates H3K9me3 reprogramming in zebrafish andXenopus laevisas well. Together with the previous studies in invertebrates, we propose that the cell cycle length-dependent mechanism for both global erasure and re-accumulation of H3K9me3 is widely conserved among rapid-cleavage species of non-mammalian vertebrates and invertebrates such asDrosophila,C. elegansand teleost fish.
COVID-19 vaccine uptake and effectiveness by time since vaccination in the Western Cape province, South Africa: An observational cohort study during 2020-2022
Authors: Kassanjee Reshma , Davies Mary-Ann , Heekes Alexa , Mahomed Hassan , Hawkridge Anthony J , Wolmarans Milani , Morden Erna , Jacobs Theuns , Cohen Cheryl , Moultrie Harry , Lessells Richard J , Der Walt Nicolette Van , Arendse Juanita O , Goeiman Hilary , Mudaly Vanessa , Wolter Nicole , Walaza Sibongile , Jassat Waasila , von Gottberg Anne , Hannan Patrick L , Rousseau Petro , Feikin Daniel , Cloete Keith , Boulle Andrew
Published: January 2024

Background

There are few data on the real-world effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and boosting in Africa, which experienced high levels of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a mostly vaccine-naïve population, and has limited vaccine coverage and competing health service priorities. We assessed the association between vaccination and severe COVID-19 in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Methods

We performed an observational cohort study of >2 million adults during 2020-2022. We described SARS-CoV-2 testing, COVID-19 outcomes, and vaccine uptake over time. We used multivariable cox models to estimate the association of BNT162b2 and Ad26.COV2.S vaccination with COVID-19-related hospitalisation and death, adjusting for demographic characteristics, underlying health conditions, socioeconomic status proxies and healthcare utilisation.

Results

By end 2022, only 41% of surviving adults had completed vaccination and 8% a booster dose, despite several waves of severe COVID-19. Recent vaccination was associated with notable reductions in severe COVID-19 during distinct analysis periods dominated by Delta, Omicron BA.1/2 and BA.4/5 (sub)lineages: within 6 months of completing vaccination or boosting, vaccine effectiveness was 46-92% for death (range across periods), 45-92% for admission with severe disease or death, and 25-90% for any admission or death. During the Omicron BA.4/5 wave, within 3 months of vaccination or boosting, BNT162b2 and Ad26.COV2.S were each 84% effective against death (95% CIs: 57-94 and 49-95, respectively). However, there were distinct reductions of VE at larger times post completing or boosting vaccination.

Conclusions

Continued emphasis on regular COVID-19 vaccination including boosting is important for those at high risk of severe COVID-19 even in settings with widespread infection-induced immunity.
Intranasal oxytocin improves interoceptive accuracy and heart-beat evoked potentials in a cardiac interoceptive task
Authors: Zhou Menghan , Cheng Lanqing , Zhou Yibo , Zhu Siyu , Zhang Yuan , Kendrick Keith M. , Yao Shuxia
Published: January 2024

Background

Interoception represents perception of the internal bodily state which is closely associated with social/emotional processing and physical health in humans. Understanding the mechanism underlying interoceptive processing, particularly its modulation, is thus of great importance. Given overlap between oxytocinergic pathways and interoceptive signaling substrates in both peripheral visceral organs and the brain, intranasal oxytocin administration is a promising approach for modulating interoceptive processing.

Methods

In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subject design, 80 healthy male participants were recruited to perform a cardiac interoceptive task during electroencephalograph (EEG) and electrocardiograph (ECG) recording to examine whether intranasal administration of the neuropeptide oxytocin can modulate interoceptive processing. We also collected data in a resting state to examine whether we could replicate previous findings.

Results

Results showed that in the interoceptive task oxytocin increased interoceptive accuracy at the behavioral level which was paralleled by larger heartbeat-evoked potential amplitudes on the neural level. Heartbeat-evoked potential amplitudes were found to be positively correlated with interoceptive accuracy across groups. However, there were no significant effects of oxytocin on EEG or ECG during resting-state.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that oxytocin may only have a facilitatory effect on interoceptive processing during task-based conditions. Our findings not only provide new insights into the modulation of interoceptive processing via targeting the oxytocinergic system but also provide proof of concept evidence for the therapeutic potential of intranasal oxytocin in mental disorders with dysfunctional interoception.

Clinical Trials Registration

Registry name: UESTC-neuSCAN-83 URL: https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/prs/app/action/ViewOrUnrelease?uid=U0002QSK%ts=14%sid=S000BB9A%cx=-xxsuzb

Registration number:NCT05245708
Genome-wide association study of DXA-derived hip morphology identifies associations with 4 loci in Chinese populations
Authors: Zheng Jiayi , Ge Jieyu , Faber Benjamin G. , Lin Huandong , Ebsim Raja , Lindner Claudia , Cootes Timothy , Li Jin , Tobias Jonathan H. , Gao Xin , Wang Sijia
Published: January 2024

Objective

To identify genetic factors associated with hip morphology in Chinese populations.

Methods

An 85-point Statistical Shape Model (SSM) was applied to extract hip shape modes (HSMs). Diameter of the femoral head (DFH), femoral neck width (FNW) and hip axis length (HAL) were obtained from SSM points using Python scripts. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted in the Shanghai Changfeng (SC) cohort (N=5,310) for each phenotype of DXA-derived hip morphology. Replication of GWAS was conducted in the Core cohort (N=917).

Results

GWAS identified a total of 331 SNPs in 14 loci that were associated with features of hip morphology in the SC cohort. 4 of 14 loci were replicated in the Core cohort: rs143383 (GDF5) associated with HAL (P = 9.4×10−10), rs11614913 (MIR196A2)associated with HSM9 (P = 2.8 ×10−10), rs35049516 (SUPT3H) associated with HSM4 (P = 4.3 ×10−10) and rs7761119 (UST) associated with HSM8 (P = 1.7×10−8). Of these, two loci were known to affect hip morphology, including rs143383 (GDF5) and rs35049516 (SUPT3H), whereas rs11614913 (MIR196A2) and rs7761119 (UST) were novel. There was also overlap with previous GWAS of HSM and other hip-based metrics.

Conclusions

In the largest East Asian ancestry hip shape GWAS to date we identified and replicated four loci associated with different aspects of hip morphology(GDF5, MIR196A2, SUPT3H, UST).Strong SNP-to-gene evidence was found. All four loci have previously been implicated in musculoskeletal development, however this is the first report that rs11614913 (MIR196A2)and rs7761119 (UST) are associated with hip morphology. Despite the small sample size, this study paves the way for trans-ancestry meta-analyses.
Validation of the QAMAI tool to assess the quality of health information provided by AI
Authors: Vaira Luigi Angelo , Lechien Jerome R. , Abbate Vincenzo , Allevi Fabiana , Audino Giovanni , Beltramini Giada Anna , Bergonzani Michela , Boscolo-Rizzo Paolo , Califano Gianluigi , Cammaroto Giovanni , Chiesa-Estomba Carlos M. , Committeri Umberto , Crimi Salvatore , Curran Nicholas R. , di Bello Francesco , di Stadio Arianna , Frosolini Andrea , Gabriele Guido , Gengler Isabelle M. , Lonardi Fabio , Maniaci Antonino , Maglitto Fabio , Mayo-Yáñez Miguel , Petrocelli Marzia , Pucci Resi , Saibene Alberto Maria , Saponaro Gianmarco , Tel Alessandro , Trabalzini Franco , Trecca Eleonora M.C. , Vellone Valentino , Salzano Giovanni , De Riu Giacomo
Published: January 2024

Objective

To propose and validate the Quality Assessment of Medical Artificial Intelligence (QAMAI), a tool specifically designed to assess the quality of health information provided by AI platforms.

Study design

observational and valuative study

Setting

27 surgeons from 25 academic centers worldwide.

Methods

The QAMAI tool has been developed by a panel of experts following guidelines for the development of new questionnaires. A total of 30 responses from ChatGPT4, addressing patient queries, theoretical questions, and clinical head and neck surgery scenarios were assessed. Construct validity, internal consistency, inter-rater and test-retest reliability were assessed to validate the tool.

Results

The validation was conducted on the basis of 792 assessments for the 30 responses given by ChatGPT4. The results of the exploratory factor analysis revealed a unidimensional structure of the QAMAI with a single factor comprising all the items that explained 51.1% of the variance with factor loadings ranging from 0.449 to 0.856. Overall internal consistency was high (Cronbach’s alpha=0.837). The Interclass Correlation Coefficient was 0.983 (95%CI 0.973-0.991; F(29,542)=68.3;p<0.001), indicating excellent reliability. Test-retest reliability analysis revealed a moderate-to-strong correlation with a Pearson’s coefficient of 0.876 (95%CI 0.859-0.891;p<0.001)

Conclusions

The QAMAI tool demonstrated significant reliability and validity in assessing the quality of health information provided by AI platforms. Such a tool might become particularly important/useful for physicians as patients increasingly seek medical information on AI platforms.
Solar neutrinos and
ν2
visible decays to
ν1
Authors: de Gouvêa André , Weill Jean , Sen Manibrata
Published: January 2024

Experimental bounds on the neutrino lifetime depend on the nature of the neutrinos and the details of the potentially new physics responsible for neutrino decay. In the case where the decays involve active neutrinos in the final state, the neutrino masses also qualitatively impact how these manifest themselves experimentally. In order to further understand the impact of nonzero neutrino masses, we explore how observations of solar neutrinos constrain a very simple toy model. We assume that neutrinos are Dirac fermions and there is a new massless scalar that couples to neutrinos such that a heavy neutrino—ν2 with mass m2—can decay into a lighter neutrino—ν1 with mass m1—and a massless scalar. We find that the constraints on the new physics coupling depend, sometimes significantly, on the ratio of the daughter-to-parent neutrino masses and that, for large-enough values of the new physics coupling, the “dark side” of the solar neutrino parameter space—sin2 θ12∼0.7—provides a reasonable fit to solar neutrino data, if only B8 or Be7 neutrino data alone are considered, but no allowed region is found in the combined analysis. Our results generalize to other neutrino-decay scenarios, including those that mediate

ν

2

→

ν

1

ν

¯

3

ν

3

when the neutrino mass ordering is inverted mass and m2>m1≫m3, the mass of ν3.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Nonfactorizable corrections to Higgs boson production in weak boson fusion
Authors: Asteriadis Konstantin , Brønnum-Hansen Christian , Melnikov Kirill
Published: January 2024

We discuss the nonfactorizable corrections to Higgs boson production in weak boson fusion at the Large Hadron Collider. Such corrections depend on the finite part of the two-loop virtual amplitude qQ→q′Q′+H which, up to now, has only been computed in the eikonal approximation. We combine this contribution with real-virtual and double-real nonfactorizable QCD corrections and study their impact on the various observables in weak boson fusion. We find that the nonfactorizable corrections are strongly dominated by the two-loop virtual contributions, while all other contributions play a very minor role. This striking imbalance between real and virtual contributions is caused by a process-specific kinematic suppression of the former and a particular enhancement of the virtual corrections related to a Glauber phase.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
QED of Bernabéu-Tarrach sum rule for electric polarizability and its implication for the Lamb shift
Authors: Biloshytskyi Volodymyr , Ciobotaru-Hriscu Iulian , Hagelstein Franziska , Lensky Vadim , Pascalutsa Vladimir
Published: January 2024

We attempt to rehabilitate a sum rule (proposed long ago by Bernabéu and Tarrach) which relates the electric polarizability of a particle to the total photoabsorption of quasireal longitudinally polarized photons by that particle. We discuss its perturbative verification in quantum electrodynamics (QED), which is largely responsible for the skepticism about its validity. The failure of the QED test can be understood via the Sugawara-Kanazawa theorem and is due to the nonvanishing contour contribution in the pertinent dispersion relation. We show another example where this contribution is absent and the perturbative test works exactly. On the empirical side, we show that the sum rule gives a reasonable estimate of the πN-channel contribution to the proton electric polarizability. If this sum rule is valid indeed, there should be a sum rule for the so-called “subtraction function” entering the data-driven calculations of the polarizability effects in the Lamb shift. We have written down a possible sum rule for the subtraction function and verified it in a perturbative calculation.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Effects of salt spray duration on the fretting corrosion behavior of the Inconel 690 alloy tubes
Authors: Yin Meigui , Zhang Lei , Huang Longxiang
Published: January 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of surface salt spray duration on the fretting wear and electrochemical corrosion behaviors of Inconel 690 alloy.

Design/methodology/approach

A high-temperature steam generator was applied to salt spray test samples, a fretting wear rig was used to realize the damage behavior tests, an electrochemical workstation was applied to analysis the changes of each sample’s corrosion dynamic response before and after fretting wear.

Findings

The thickness of the oxide film that formed on sample surface was increased with the salt spray duration, and somewhat it could act as lubrication during the fretting wear process; however, the corrosive chloride would accelerate the fretting mechanical damage behavior.

Originality/value

In a salt steam spray condition, the fretting tribo-corrosion behaviors of Inconel 690 alloy surface was studied.
An implementation of climate-related financial policies to promote a nation’s participation in global value chains: evidence from an international database
Authors: Hà Lê Thanh
Published: January 2024

Purpose

This study aims to investigate two issues: (1) a nexus between climate-related financial policies (CRFP) and global value chains (GVC) and (2) the government’s policies to help countries enhance the efficient use of CRFP in improving a country’s likelihood to participate in GVC.

Design/methodology/approach

To investigate the connection between GVC and CRFP, the authors incorporate that backward participation is measured using foreign value-added, while domestic value-added is used to measure forward participation, quantified as proportions of gross exports. The study analyses yield significant insights across a span of 20 developing countries and 26 developed countries over the period from 2010 to 2020.

Findings

Regarding the first issue, the authors affirm the presence of a linear link between GVC and CRFP, implying that involvement in CRFP is advantageous for both backward and forward participation. Furthermore, the authors identify long-term GVC and CRFP cointegration and confirm its long-term effects. Notably, the expression of a linear relationship between GVC and CRFP appears to be stronger in developing countries.

Research limitations/implications

The study findings, together with previous research, highlight the importance of financial policies relating to climate change (CRFP) in the context of economic growth. Climate change’s consequences for financial stability and GVC highlight the importance of expanded policymakers and industry participation in tackling environmental concerns.

Practical implications

Regarding the second issue, the study findings suggest critical policy implications for authorities by highlighting the importance of financial stability and expanded policymakers in promoting countries' participation in GVC.

Originality/value

This paper investigates the link between GVC performance and CRFP, offering three significant advances to previous research. Moreover, as a rigorous analytical method, this study adopts a typical error model with panel correction that accounts for cross-sectional dependency and stationarity.
Pluralism and corporate governance reform
Authors: Rees Chris
Published: January 2024

Purpose

The article considers the utility of a pluralist perspective in the context of current debates around UK corporate governance reform. Oxford School pluralism advanced both a description of how industrial relations (IR) operated in practice plus a prescription for how it should operate. Whilst economic conditions are different today, a pluralist framing provides not only a useful way of understanding interests in firm governance (description) but also a solid grounding for a pragmatic reform agenda (prescription).

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing from key texts in the field, the article considers core concepts within pluralist discourse and discusses their relevance to contemporary policy debates.

Findings

The article provides a short outline of recent economic and political developments and considers how a pluralist framing helps explain firm-level interests, challenging the dominant narrative of shareholder primacy. It then asks what policy interventions might flow from this analysis of capital and labour investments, and how feasible they are in the current UK context. This allows a discussion of levels of analysis (evident in materialist theories such as “radical pluralism” and the “disconnected capitalism thesis”). Finally, it reflects briefly on the links between corporate governance and wider patterns of inequality, suggesting the pluralist position is consistent with a Durkheimian sociology focusing on the potential in state-led regulatory interventions to tackle anomie and strengthen social solidarity.

Originality/value

The article brings together literature from what are often treated as relatively discrete areas of enquiry (employment relations and corporate governance) and also considers the public policy implications of these connections.
Enhancing digital literacy in education: educational directions
Authors: Chan Gloria Hongyee
Published: January 2024

Purpose

The significance of digital literacy in online social capital accumulation and surviving the contemporary society is widely recognised. Despite that the current generation is regarded as “digital natives”, their levels and nature of digital literacy vary. To generate educational insights, this study investigates the type(s) of digital literacy which are mostly related to the online social capital accumulation, and how one’s socio-economic background affects the connection between digital literacy and online social capital.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 1,747 participants aged 13–30 were invited to take part in a quantitative study. Spearman's rank correlation analysis, hierarchical regression analysis and mediation analyses were performed to investigate the relationship between participants' demographic background, engagement in the online platforms, digital literacy and online social capital.

Findings

The results showed that the creative dimension of digital literacy was mostly significantly predictive of online social capital accumulation. Also, education significantly affected the relationship between the creative dimension of digital literacy and online social capital more than demographic background.

Originality/value

Results suggest that education helps enhance digital literacy, offsetting the influence of socio-demographic background. The author examines the implications of how to implement training programmes in youth settings to enhance students' digital literacy and benefit those who are marginalised.