bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Socialize, Eat More, and Feel Better
Authors: Stockbridge Melissa D. , Bahouth Mona N. , Zink Elizabeth K. , Hillis Argye E.
Published: January 2023

Objective

Stroke commonly leads to feelings of isolation and loneliness, especially during the hospital period. The aim of the Communal Eating program was to support patient well-being through introducing opportunities for patients to eat lunch together.

Design

Patients admitted to the Brain Rescue Unit who were identified as appropriate by their attending physicians, nurses, or other clinicians were recruited to attend communal lunch. Their mood, quality of life, loneliness, communication, swallowing safety, and eating behavior were examined.

Results

Those who attended two or more sessions tended to have been lonelier and more psychosocially impaired at baseline. Patients who had one or fewer lunch showed no significant differences from baseline to posthospitalization on any measure. However, for those who ate two or more lunches, changes in loneliness and quality of life trended toward improvement. There was scant evidence of changes to communication or eating habits.

Conclusion

Implementing a communal eating program in the acute hospital setting was very feasible and widely supported by patients, families, and staff. The results thus far show modest trends toward fulfilling the goal of supporting emotional well-being, while potentially supporting increased intake and, importantly, do not evidence any measurable harm.
Challenges and Opportunities in Academic Physiatry
Authors: Morgenroth David C. , Knowlton Tiffany , Apkon Susan , Blauwet Cheri A. , Burns Anthony S. , Vallejos Cecilia Córdova , Frontera Walter , Hearn Sandra L. , Jayabalan Prakash , Lim Peter A. , Moroz Alex , Perret Danielle , Powell Danielle , Puderbaugh Matt , Rivers W. Evan , Sowa Gwendolyn , Verduzco-Gutierrez Monica , Celnik Pablo A.
Published: January 2023

Environmental scans determine trends in an organization’s or field’s internal and external environment. The results can help shape goals, inform strategic decision making, and direct future actions. The Association of Academic Physiatrists convened a strategic planning group in 2020, composed of physiatrists representing a diversity of professional roles, career stages, race and ethnicity, gender, disability status, and geographic areas of practice. This strategic planning group performed an environmental scan to assess the forces, trends, challenges, and opportunities affecting both the Association of Academic Physiatrists and the entire field of academic physiatry (also known as physical medicine and rehabilitation, physical and rehabilitation medicine, and rehabilitation medicine). This article presents aspects of the environmental scan thought to be most pertinent to the field of academic physiatry organized within the following five themes: (1) Macro/Societal Trends, (2) Technological Advancements, (3) Diversity and Global Outreach, (4) Economy, and (5) Education/Learning Environment. The challenges and opportunities presented here can provide a roadmap for the field to thrive within the complex and evolving healthcare systems in the United States and globally.
Development and Implementation of a Standard Assessment Battery Across the Continuum of Care for Patients After Stroke
Authors: Lien Peiting , Deluzio Sandra , Adeyemo Jessica , Langton-Frost Nicole , Lavezza Annette , Daley Kelly , Friedel Stacey , Pruski April , French Margaret A. , Raghavan Preeti
Published: January 2023

Stroke rehabilitation occurs across the continuum of care starting in the acute hospital and through the inpatient and outpatient settings. Rehabilitation aims to minimize impairments and maximize function in individuals after stroke. Because patients often undergo rehabilitation for extended periods, longitudinal assessment of impairment, activity, and participation can facilitate the evaluation of patients’ progress toward recovery, as well as communication and decision making to guide clinical practice regarding the intervention(s) to be used and may also be leveraged for clinical research. However, the clinical implementation of a standard assessment battery that spans the continuum of care for patients after stroke is challenging because of operational and time constraints. Here, we describe the development and implementation of a standard assessment battery across the continuum of care by physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists at the Sheikh Khalifa Stroke Institute. We specifically describe our experience in (1) identifying the core team to lead the process, (2) selecting the measures for the standard assessment battery, and the timeframe for administration, and (3) implementing the standard assessment battery in routine clinical practice.
Discovery, implications and initial use of semi-synthetic organisms with an expanded genetic alphabet/code
Authors: Romesberg Floyd E.
Published: January 2023

Much recent interest has focused on developing proteins for human use, such as in medicine. However, natural proteins are made up of only a limited number of canonical amino acids with limited functionalities, and this makes the discovery of variants with some functions difficult. The ability to recombinantly express proteins containing non-canonical amino acids (ncAAs) with properties selected to impart the protein with desired properties is expected to dramatically improve the discovery of proteins with different functions. Perhaps the most straightforward approach to such an expansion of the genetic code is through expansion of the genetic alphabet, so that new codon/anticodon pairs can be created to assign to ncAAs. In this review, I briefly summarize more than 20 years of effort leading ultimately to the discovery of synthetic nucleotides that pair to form an unnatural base pair, which when incorporated into DNA, is stably maintained, transcribed and used to translate proteins inEscherichia coli. In addition to discussing wide ranging conceptual implications, I also describe ongoing efforts at the pharmaceutical company Sanofi to employ the resulting ‘semi-synthetic organisms' or SSOs, for the production of next-generation protein therapeutics.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Reactivity and mechanism in chemical and synthetic biology’.
Delivery Characterization of SPL84 Inhaled Antisense Oligonucleotide
Authors: Ozeri-Galai Efrat , Friedman Lital , Ofra-Barchad-Avitzur  , Markovetz Matthew R , Boone William , Rouillard Kaitlyn R , Stampfer Chava D , Oren Yifat S , Hill David B , Kerem Batsheva , Hart Gili
Published: January 2023

The last years have shown enormous advancement in the therapeutic potential of RNA-related treatments, specifically for antisense oligonucleotide (ASO)-based drugs, leading to increased numbers of ASO regulatory approvals. In this study we focus on SPL84, an inhaled ASO-based drug, developed for the treatment of the pulmonary disease, Cystic Fibrosis (CF). Pulmonary drug delivery is challenging, due to a variety of biological, physical, chemical, and structural barriers, especially when aiming to target the cell nucleus. The efficient distribution of SPL84 in the lungs, penetration into the cells and nucleus, and stability are critical parameters that will impact drug efficacy in a clinical setting. In this study, we demonstrate the proper distribution and cell and nucleus penetration of SPL84 in mouse and monkey lungs. In vivo and in vitro studies confirmed the stability and mobility of our inhaled ASO drug through CF patient-derived mucus and in lung lysosomal extracts. Our results, supported by a promising pre-clinical pharmacological effect, emphasize the high potential of SPL84 as an effective drug for the treatment of CF patients.

In addition, successfully tackling the lung distribution of SPL84 and specific cell targeting offers huge opportunities for further development of SpliSense inhaled ASO-based drugs for unmet pulmonary diseases.
Did COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccines influence the patterns of Dengue in 2021: An exploratory analysis of two observational studies from North India
Authors: Kaur Upinder , Jethwani Parth , Mishra Shraddha , Dehade Amol , Yadav Ashish Kumar , Chakrabarti Sasanka , Chakrabarti Sankha Shubhra
Published: January 2023

Background

Dengue which is endemic in India and has been occurring for decades apparently witnessed a rise in disease burden in 2021 in specific regions of the nation. We aim to explore less studied risk factors of Dengue occurrence and severity in the post-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 vaccination era.

Methods

This was an exploratory analysis involving participants from two prior observational studies conducted during the period of Feb 2021-April 2022 in a tertiary hospital in North India. Healthcare workers constituted the majority of study participants. Individuals were stratified into five groups based on COVID-19 infection and timing of vaccination: CovidNoVaccine (CNV), VaccineNoCOVID (VNC), CovidAfterVaccine (CAV), VaccineAfterCOVID (VAC) and NoVaccineNoCovid (NVNC) groups. The occurrence of lab-confirmed Dengue and severe forms of Dengue were the main outcomes of interest. We tried to predict determinants of Dengue occurrence and severity with a particular focus on COVID-19 history and vaccination status.

Results

A total of 1520 vaccinated individuals and 181 unvaccinated individuals were included. Of these 1701 participants, symptomatic Dengue occurred in 133 (7.8%) and was of ‘severe’ category in 42 (31.6%). Individuals with a history of COVID-19 in 2020 had 2 times higher odds of developing symptomatic Dengue. The VAC group had 3.6, 2- and 1.9 times higher odds of developing Dengue than the NVNC, VNC, and CAV groups. The severity of dengue was not affected by COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccination.

Conclusions

COVID-19 may enhance the risk of developing symptomatic dengue. Future research dealing with long COVID should explore the propensity of COVID-19 victims towards symptomatic forms of other viral illnesses. Individuals receiving the COVID-19 vaccine after recovering from COVID-19 particularly seem to be at greater risk of symptomatic dengue and need long-term watchfulness. Possible mechanisms, such as antibody-mediated enhancement or T-cell dysfunction, should be investigated in COVID-19-recovered and vaccinated individuals. Further large-scale, multicentric, robust studies with a better enrolment of unvaccinated people will help understand the interplay of factors involved in COVID-19 and Dengue.
Validation of a MALDI-TOF MS method for SARS-CoV-2 detection on the Bruker Biotyper and nasopharyngeal swabs. A Brazil - UK collaborative study
Authors: Lovison Otávio A. , Grigaitė Raminta , Volpato Fabiana C. Z. , Iles Jason K. , Lacey Jon , Barreto Fabiano , Pandiri Sai R. , Balzan Lisiane da Luz R. , Cantarelli Vlademir V. , Barth Afonso Luis , Martins Andreza F. , Iles Ray K.
Published: January 2023

We had developed a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry method for detection of SARS-CoV-2 virus in saliva-gargle samples using Shimadzu MALDI-TOF mass spectrometers in the UK. This was validated in the USA to CLIA-LDT standards for asymptomatic infection detection remotely via sharing protocols, shipping key reagents, video conference and data exchange. In Brazil, more so than in the UK and USA, there is a need to develop non-PCR dependent rapid affordable SARS-CoV-2 infection screening tests, which also identify variant SARS-CoV-2 and other virus infections. Travel restrictions necessitated remote collaboration with validation on the available Clinical MALDI-TOF – the Bruker Biotyper (microflex® LT/SH) – and on nasopharyngeal swab samples, as salivary gargle samples were not available. The Bruker Biotyper was shown to be almost log10^3 more sensitive at detection of high molecular weight spike proteins. A protocol for saline swab soaks out was developed and duplicate swab samples collected in Brazil were analysed by MALDI-TOF MS. The swab collected sample spectra varied from that of gargle-saliva in three additional mass peaks in the mass region expected for IgG heavy chains and human serum albumin. A subset of clinical samples with additional high mass, probably Spike-related proteins, were also found. Spectral data comparisons and analysis, subjected to machine learning algorithms in order to resolve RT-qPCR positive from RT-qPCR negative swab samples, showed a 78% agreement with RT-qPCR scoring for SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Using Neurocognitive Assessments to Predict and Differentiate Dementias: A Protocol for a Systematic Review
Authors: Nguyen Ho Phuong Thuy , Chen Christopher Li-Hsian , Tan Eric Josiah
Published: January 2023

Neurocognitive impairment is the primary feature of all types of dementia. This article presents the protocol for a systematic review of the available literature on the associations between cognitive task performance and various aspects of dementia prediction, specification and intervention outcomes.
Preoperative functional connectivity by magnetic resonance imaging for refractory neocortical epilepsy
Authors: Johnson Emily A. , Lee John J. , Hacker Carl D. , Park Ki Yun , Rustamov Nabi , Daniel Andy G. S. , Shimony Joshua S. , Leuthardt Eric C.
Published: January 2023

Objective

Patients with refractory epilepsy experience extensive and invasive clinical testing for seizure onset zones treatable by surgical resection. However, surgical resection can fail to provide therapeutic benefit, and patients with neocortical epilepsy have the poorest therapeutic outcomes. This case series studied patients with neocortical epilepsy who were referred for surgical treatment. Prior to surgery, patients volunteered for resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) in addition to imaging for the clinical standard of care. This work examined the variability of functional connectivity in patients, estimated from rs-fMRI, for associations with surgical outcomes.

Methods

This work examined pre-operative structural imaging, pre-operative rs-fMRI, and post-operative structural imaging from seven epilepsy patients. Review of the clinical record provided Engel classifications for surgical outcomes. A novel method assessed pre-operative rs-fMRI from patients using comparative rs-fMRI from a large cohort of healthy control subjects and estimated Gibbs distributions for functional connectivity in patients compared to healthy controls.

Results

Three patients had Engel classification Ia, one patient had Engel classification IIa, and three patients had Engel classification IV. Metrics for variability of functional connectivity, including absolute differences of the functional connectivity of each patient from healthy control averages and probabilistic scores for absolute differences, were higher for patients classified as Engel IV, for whom epilepsy surgery provided no meaningful improvement.

Significance

This work continues on-going efforts to use rs-fMRI to characterize abnormal functional connectivity in the brain. Preliminary evidence indicates that the topography of variant functional connectivity in epilepsy patients may be clinically relevant for identifying patients unlikely to have favorable outcomes after epilepsy surgery. Widespread topographic variations of functional connectivity also support the hypothesis that epilepsy is a disease of brain resting-state networks.
Construction of tongue image-based machine learning model for screening patients with gastric precancerous lesions
Authors: Ma Changzheng , Zhang Peng , Li Shao
Published: January 2023

Screening patients with precancerous lesions of gastric cancer (PLGC) is important for gastric cancer prevention. It could improve the accuracy and convenience of PLGC screening to uncover and integrate valuable characteristics of noninvasive medical images involving in PLGC, by applying machine learning methodologies. In this study, based on unbiasedly uncovering potential associations between tongue image characteristics and PLGC and integrating gastric cancer-related canonical risk factors, including age, sex, Hp infection, we focused on tongue images and constructed a tongue image-based PLGC screening deep learning model (AITongue). Then, validation analysis on an independent cohort of 1,995 patients revealed the AITongue model could screen PLGC individuals with an AUC of 0.75, 10.3% higher than that of the model constructed with gastric cancer-related canonical risk factors. Of note, we investigated the value of the AITongue model in predicting PLGC risk by establishing a prospective PLGC follow-up cohort, reaching an AUC of 0.71. In addition, we have developed a smartphone-based App screening system to enhance the application convenience of the AITongue model in the natural population. Collectively, our study has demonstrated the value of tongue image characteristics in PLGC screening and risk prediction.

Trial Registration

ChiCTR2100044006
Risk Factors Associated with Falls in Older Adults with Dementia and Alzheimer’s Diseases among Older Adults in the United States
Authors: Baniasadi Tayebeh
Published: January 2023

Objective

This study aimed to examine the risk of fall, fall injury, and fall numbers among older adults with dementia and Alzheimer diseases. Additionally, this study explored the relationship of falls by medication use of neurodegenerative diseases.

Methods

The survey data from the years 2020 of Health and Retirement Study Consumption and Activities Mail Survey (HRS CAMS) was used. The HRS CAMS includes information of demographic characteristics, fall information, and medical background including dementia and Alzheimer diseases, and medication record. A regression model was used to test whether neurodegenerative diseases and medications was associated with fall risk factors.

Results

The sample (n = 8782) was predominately female (54.7%) and white (60.7%) with a mean age of 70.4 years. When controlled for covariates, the findings show 10 percent higher risk of fall for elderly people with dementia and Alzheimer. People with dementia were 9% more likely to have higher risk of injury by fall and those with dementia and Alzheimer’s had more than 7 times of higher chance of a higher number of falls. Using Alzheimer’s prescription was associated with lower 90% lower risk of fall than controls.

Conclusions

Dementia and Alzheimer diseases are significant risk factor for falls in older adults. This study suggests that older adults with neurodegenerative diseases have higher risk, and needs more regular medical checkups to decrease the risk of fall.
Microglia transcriptional profiling in major depressive disorder shows inhibition of cortical grey matter microglia
Authors: Scheepstra Karel W.F. , Mizee Mark R. , van Scheppingen Jackelien , Adelia Adelia , Wever Dennis , Mason Matthew R.J. , Dubbelaar Marissa L. , Hsiao Cheng-Chih , Eggen Bart J.L. , Hamann Jörg , Huitinga Inge
Published: January 2023

Background

Microglia have been implicated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD), but information on biological mechanisms is limited. Therefore, we investigated the gene expression profile of microglial cells in relation to neuronal regulators of microglia activity in well-characterized MDD and control autopsy brains.

Methods

Pure, intact microglia were isolated at brain autopsy from occipital cortex grey matter (GM) and corpus callosum white matter (WM) of 13 MDD and 10 age-matched control donors for RNA sequencing. Top differentially expressed genes were validated using immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. Since gene expression changes were only detected in GM microglia, neuronal regulators of microglia were investigated in cortical tissue and synaptosomes from the cortex by RT-qPCR and Western blot.

Results

Transcriptome analysis revealed 92 genes differentially expressed in GM microglia of MDD, but none in WM compared to the control Of these, 81 genes were less abundantly expressed in GM MDD, including CD163, MKI67, SPP1, CD14, FCGR1A/C, andC1QA/B/C. Accordingly, pathways related to effector mechanisms, such as the complement system and phagocytosis were differentially regulated in GM microglia in MDD. IHC staining revealed significantly lower expression of CD163 protein in MDD. Whole tissue analysis showed an increase inCD200(p<0.001) andCD47(p=0.068) mRNA, and CD47 protein was significantly elevated (p<0.05) in synaptic fractions of MDD cases.

Conclusions

Transcriptional profiling indicates an immune-suppressed microglial phenotype in MDD, possibly caused by neuronal regulation.
“The early years are like a foundation for the future”Perspectives, facilitators and challenges of Anganwadi Workers’ in supporting early child development interventions in Hyderabad, India: Qualitative findings from A Scalable Programme Incorporating Early Child Development Interventions (ASPIRE)
Authors: Lall Gitanjali , Roy Reetabrata , Chandrika Kunduru Sharath , Divan Gauri
Published: January 2023

ICDS, a large public health programme, addresses the needs of children with ‘Anganwadi Workers (AWW)’ as frontline agents of delivery. This paper describes formative work done with AWWs, as part of ASPIRE to assess their understanding of Early Child Development (ECD) and acceptability of a novel ECD intervention. Framework analysis of their responses from FGDs led to identification of three themes:1) time use 2) understanding of ECD and 3) delivering messages using videos. The findings suggest that AWWs tight schedules, often leave them feeling overburdened with work. They are aware of factors that can aid as well as hinder child growth and development, but their understanding of play is limited to games played by older children. They expressed acceptability in using a video intervention, specifying features that would increase relevance for families. These have implications for ECD intervention development, training needs of AWWs as well as policymakers in the field.

What We Already Know

Frontline workers are one of the most effective agents for delivery of universal ECD interventions in the community, given their relationships with families

Anganwadi Workers (AWW), are government frontline workers in India who work to improve the nutritional and health status of children, improve the capacity of the mothers to take care of their children’s health and nutritional needs and to support pre-school learning opportunities

AWWs are overburdened with work and lack the time as well as proper facilities for intervention delivery

What This Article Adds

Integration of novel ECD interventions delivered by frontline workers need to take into account their existing work schedules and associated challenges

Training on ECD interventions will need to broaden AWWs understanding of the critical foundational experiences which responsive caregiving and early child stimulation can provide

The factors that are promoters in effective implementation of community-based ECD interventions
Fully Quantitative Measurements of Differential Antibody Binding to a Spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Proteins: Wuhan, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Omicron BA.1, BA.4, BA.5, BA.2.75 and BA.2.12.1
Authors: James-Pemberton Philip H. , Kohli Shivali , Westlake Aaron C. , Antill Alex , Hunt Jade , Olkhov Rouslan V. , Shaw Andrew M.
Published: January 2023

A fully quantitative comparative analysis has been performed on the differential antibody binding to a spectrum of Spike proteins to the SARS-CoV-2 variants Wuhan, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron BA.1, BA.1, BA.4, BA.5, BA.2.75 and BA.2.12.1. The immunity profile was determined for four patient cohorts: pre-pandemic, the first infection in the pandemic, Wuhan(+), and two vaccinated cohorts, the initial double-vaccination with AstraZeneca (AZ) and Pfizer and a final boosted cohort including with known vaccination but unknown mixture of natural infection. A universal protection immunity endotype, U(+), with significant antibody levels to all ten variants was observed in with a incidence of 11% (95% CI 4% - 25%) in the Wuhan(+) cohort challenging directly the ‘one-and-done’ immunity claim. The U(+) incidence rises to 22% (95% CI 12% - 37%) in the double-vaccinated cohort and 54% (95% CI 39% - 68%) in the triple vaccinated cohort. The remaining patients in each cohort show a spectrum of immunity with some drop-out immunity endotypes, U(±), showing poor antibody response to one or more variants. The U(±) incidence in the triple vaccination cohort is 41% (95% CI 28% - 57%) suggesting patients with poor sterilising sera may not clear a SARS-CoV-2 infection leading to viral persistence and mobile microcolonies that may provide a pathophysiology for the symptoms of long Covid.

Funding

Exeter University Alumni, Attomarker Ltd-funded PhD studentship (PJP) at the University of Exeter and Attomarker Ltd funding directly.
Circulating Cell-Free RNA in Blood as a Host Response Biomarker for the Detection of Tuberculosis
Authors: Chang Adrienne , Loy Conor J. , Lenz Joan S. , Steadman Amy , Andama Alfred , Nhung Nguyen Viet , Yu Charles , Worodria William , Denkinger Claudia M. , Nahid Payam , Cattamanchi Adithya , De Vlaminck Iwijn
Published: January 2023

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a leading cause of death from an infectious disease worldwide. This is partly due to a lack of tools to effectively screen and triage individuals with potential TB. Whole blood RNA signatures have been extensively studied as potential biomarkers for TB, but they have failed to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHOs) target product profiles (TPPs) for a non-sputum triage or diagnostic test. In this study, we investigated the utility of plasma cell-free RNA (cfRNA) as a host response biomarker for TB. We used RNA profiling by sequencing to analyze plasma samples from 182 individuals with a cough lasting at least two weeks, who were seen at outpatient clinics in Uganda, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Of these individuals, 100 were diagnosed with microbiologically-confirmed TB. Our analysis of the plasma cfRNA transcriptome revealed 541 differentially abundant genes, the top 150 of which were used to train 15 machine learning models. The highest performing model led to a 9-gene signature that had a diagnostic accuracy of 89.1% (95% CI: 83.6-93.4%) and an area under the curve of 0.934 (95% CI: 0.8674-1) for microbiologically-confirmed TB. This 9-gene signature exceeds the optimal WHO TPPs for a TB triage test (sensitivity: 96.2% [95% CI: 80.9-100%], specificity: 89.7% [95% CI: 72.4-100%]) and was robust to differences in sample collection, geographic location, and HIV status. Overall, our results demonstrate the utility of plasma cfRNA for the detection of TB and suggest the potential for a point-of-care, gene expression-based assay to aid in early detection of TB.

One Sentence Summary

This study is the first to investigate the utility of circulating RNA in plasma as a new class of host response signature for tuberculosis and provides evidence that plasma RNA signatures are highly specific for TB and robust against differences in patient cohorts and sample processing.
Maternal exposure to environmental levels of carbamazepine induces mild growth retardation in mouse embryos
Authors: Orit Douek-Maba , Rotem Kalev-Altman , Vered Mordehay , Hilla Hayby-Averbuch , Neta Shlezinger , Benny Chefetz , Dalit Sela-Donenfeld
Published: January 2023

As chemical pollution is constantly increasing, the impact on the environment and public health must be investigated. This study focuses on the anticonvulsant drug carbamazepine (CBZ), which is ubiquitously present in the environment. Due to its physicochemical properties and stability during wastewater treatment, CBZ is detected in reclaimed wastewater, surface water and groundwater. In water-scarce regions heavily relying on treated wastewater for crop irrigation, CBZ is detected in arable land, produce and even in humans consuming crops irrigated with recealimed wastewater. Aalthough environmental levels of CBZ are very low, risks associated with unintentional exposure to CBZ are essential to be revealed.

In perinatal medicine, CBZ is a teratogen; its prescription to pregnant women increases the risk for fetal malformations. This raises the concern of whether environmental exposure to CBZ may also impact embryogenesis. Studies in zebrafish and chick embryos or in cell culture have indicated negative outcomes upon exposure to low CBZ levels. Yet, these systems do not recapitulate the manner by which human fetuses are exposed to pharmaceuticals via maternal uptake.

Here, we employed the mouse model to determine whether maternal exposure to environmental-relevant doses of CBZ will impact embryonic development. No effects on fertility, number of gestation sacs, gross embryonic malformations or fetal survival were detected. Yet, embryos were growth-delayed compared to controls (p=0.0011), as manifested in lower embryonic stage and somite number, earlier morphological features and reduction in mitotically-active cells.

This study provides the first evidence for the effect of environmental concentration of CBZ on the developmental kinetics of maternally-exposed mammalian embryos. While the developmental delay was relatively modest, its consistency in high number of biological replicates, together with the known implication of developmental delay on post-natal health, calls for further in-depth risk analyses to reveal the effects of pharmaceuticals released to the environment on public health.
Governance in financial institutions: key elements and preventing the failures
Authors: Srivastava Ashish
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The need for robust governance standards in financial institutions requires no overemphasis. However, instances of governance failures have been a recurring global phenomenon. This paper examines the key elements of governance in financial institutions, evaluates reasons for failures and suggests ways to strengthen governance and prevent such failures.

Design/methodology/approach

The author follows a descriptive design and a behavioural approach to understand the governance issues in financial institutions.

Findings

The author identifies key elements of governance, and the potential reasons for failures and highlights that the structure of boards, thrust on the adoption of best practices and regulatory guidelines are necessary but not sufficient to ensure failsafe governance standards. The author emphasises the need for recognition of behavioural factors and a focus on continuous monitoring and red flagging of the conduct of key stakeholders by the third and fourth lines of defence. An effective whistle-blower policy, a clear focus on organisational culture and the subjugation of individuals to the systems can improve the robustness of the governance standards in financial institutions.

Originality/value

To the best of the author's knowledge and belief, the observations and suggestions made in the paper are original. The paper contributes by offering a nuanced perspective for strengthening governance in financial institutions.
Assessing business process orientation using multi-criteria decision-making
Authors: Viegas Renan Alves , Costa Ana Paula Cabral Seixas
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Over the years, several business process management maturity models (BPM-MMs) have been proposed. Despite great advances, some issues concerning the effectiveness of their practical functionality still need to be addressed. These are related to three important aspects of BPM maturity assessment and improvement: their mechanisms for evaluating maturity (clarity, availability and accuracy), their flexibility (compliance) and their structure (path to maturity). The main goal with this article is to address such issues by introducing a new concept to evaluate and improve BPM maturity.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors proceed in accordance with a design science research (DSR) integrating multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) with intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs).

Findings

The authors’ proposal provides a practical BPM maturity framework and its assessment procedure to support organizations to determine and improve their initiatives appropriately, which means that it fully or partially addresses all the issues raised. To demonstrate the applicability of this framework, a real application was conducted, and a parallel between existing BPM-MMs is presented to emphasize its advances.

Originality/value

It is the first time that the MCDM approach has been used to support BPM maturity assessment. This approach not only takes into account the uncertainties and subjectivities inherent to this type of decision problem but also allows it to be treated quantitatively, thus making it possible to obtain more accurate results even with less experienced teams.
The moderating effect of women directors on the relationship between corporate social responsibility and corporate tax avoidance? Evidence from Malaysia
Authors: Rakia Riguen , Kachouri Maali , Jarboui Anis
Published: January 2023

Purpose

This study aims to provide a valuable contribution by exploring the moderating effect of women directors on the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate tax avoidance of Malaysian listed companies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a sample consisting of 78 Malaysian firms over the 2010–2017 period. A moderation model that specifies the interaction between CSR, women directors and corporate tax avoidance motivates this study.

Findings

The results show that a high level of CSR is negatively associated with corporate tax avoidance in firms with a higher percentage of women on the board.

Practical implications

The findings may be of interest to the academic researchers, investors and regulators. For academic researchers, it is interested in discovering the dynamic relation between CSR, woman on the board and tax avoidance. For investors, the results show that the existence of female directors on the board reduces the corporate tax avoidance. For regulators, the results advise the worldwide policy maker to give the importance of female roles to improve the engagement firms in CSR reporting.

Originality/value

This paper extends the existing literature by examining the moderating effect of women directors on the relationship between CSR and corporate tax avoidance in the Malaysian context.
Shariah review of Brownian motion of Islamic stock market elements: establishing the benchmarks of Islamic econophysics
Authors: Shah Syed Alamdar Ali , Fianto Bayu Arie , Imtiaz Batool , Sukmana Raditya , Mohd Ruslan Rafiatul Adlin Hj
Published: January 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to perform Shariah review of Brownian motion that is used for prediction of Islamic stock prices and their volatility.

Design/methodology/approach

It uses the Shariah compliant development model guidelines to review the Brownian motion and its applications.

Findings

The model of Brownian motion does not involve any variable that renders it non-Shariah compliant; neither all applications of Brownian motion are Shariah compliant. Because the model is based on stochastic properties that involve randomness, therefore the issue of gharar takes the utmost important to handle in the applications of the model. The results need to be analyzed strictly in accordance with the Shariah whether they create any element of gharar or uncertainty in case of expected price and volatility estimates.

Research limitations/implications

The research suffers from the limitation that it analyses only one model of physics, i.e. Brownian motion model from Shariah perspective.

Practical implications

The research opens an area for Shariah analysis of results generated from the application of advanced models of physics on matters related to Islamic financial markets.

Originality/value

The originality of this study stems from the fact that to the best of the authors’ knowledge, it is the first study that extends Shariah guidelines into Financial physics for making the foundations of Islamic econophysics.
High plant diversity and characteristic plant community structure in broad‐leaved evergreen forests on Amami‐Oshima and Tokunoshima Islands, Japan's newest natural World Heritage Site
Authors: Toyama Hironori , Tagane Shuichiro , Aiba Shin‐ichiro , Ugawa Shin , Suzuki Eizi , Yamazaki Kaito , Fuse Kengo , Takashima Atsushi , Kadoya Taku , Takeuchi Yayoi
Published: January 2023

Amami‐Oshima and Tokunoshima Islands (the Amami Islands) are part of an important area for biogeography in Japan. Although the uniqueness of the islands' flora is well recognized, their plant diversity, including non‐tree life forms, has yet to be compared with that of other regions. Here, we characterize the plant community structure of the Amami Islands, and analyze the α and β diversity patterns with respect to environmental factors as well as the frequency of threatened and endemic species compared with that in regions at higher and lower latitudes. We used 5 × 100 m plots at seven sites on the Amami Islands, three sites further north, and one site further south to record the abundance of all vascular plant species and tree sizes. We also used tree census data from five plots from the Monitoring Sites 1000 Project. Three principal components from five environmental variables were used as factors affecting diversity. We found that the broad‐leaved evergreen forests on the Amami Islands have higher α diversity resulting from species richness anomalies in shared families among regions. Additionally, generalized linear mixed models indicated that temperature and altitude affect α diversity positively. Furthermore, multiple regression models on distance matrices showed that temperature and regional differences in weather conditions affect β diversity. Tree species were found to affect species diversity and rareness, but herbaceous plants also affect these parameters substantially. These results indicate that the two studied islands are biodiversity hotspots and that evaluating herbaceous species is important for determining forest biodiversity.
Affordable Care Act state Medicaid expansion and human papillomavirus vaccination among adolescent and young adult US women: A national study
Authors: Agénor Madina , Unger Emily S. , McConnell Margaret A. , Brown Courtney , Rosenthal Meredith B. , Haneuse Sebastien , Bowen Deborah J. , Austin S. Bryn
Published: January 2023

Objective

To ascertain the impact of Affordable Care Act (ACA) state Medicaid expansion on human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among both adolescent and young adult US women.

Data Sources

We used state‐level data on ACA Medicaid expansion and individual‐level data on US women aged 15–25 years living at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) from the 2011–2017 waves of the National Survey of Family Growth (N = 2408).

Study Design

We conducted a quasi‐experimental study examining the association between ACA state Medicaid expansion and HPV vaccination initiation among eligible adolescent and young adult US women.

Methods

We used linear probability modeling within a difference‐in‐differences approach, adjusting for individual‐ and state‐level covariates.

Principal Findings

Adjusting for individual‐ and state‐level covariates, we found a negative association between Medicaid expansion and HPV vaccination among US women aged 15–25 years living in low‐income households in the first year post‐expansion (coefficient: −15.9 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −30.1, −1.6 points). In contrast, we observed a positive association in the third year post‐expansion (coefficient: 20.5 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −1.8, 42.9 points).

Conclusions

Medicaid expansion may have increased HPV vaccination among adolescent and young adult US women over time. Additional research is needed to identify the mechanisms and differential effects of Medicaid expansion on HPV vaccination among diverse subgroups of US women.
Overflow metabolism at the thermodynamic limit of life: How carboxydotrophic acetogens mitigate carbon monoxide toxicity
Authors: Allaart Maximilienne T. , Diender Martijn , Sousa Diana Z. , Kleerebezem Robbert
Published: January 2023

Carboxydotrophic metabolism is gaining interest due to its applications in gas fermentation technology, enabling the conversion of carbon monoxide to fuels and commodities. Acetogenic carboxydotrophs play a central role in current gas fermentation processes. In contrast to other energy‐rich microbial substrates, CO is highly toxic, which makes it a challenging substrate to utilize. Instantaneous scavenging of CO upon entering the cell is required to mitigate its toxicity. Experiments conducted with Clostridium autoethanogenum at different biomass‐specific growth rates show that elevated ethanol production occurs at increasing growth rates. The increased allocation of electrons towards ethanol at higher growth rates strongly suggests that C. autoethanogenum employs a form of overflow metabolism to cope with high dissolved CO concentrations. We argue that this overflow branch enables acetogens to efficiently use CO at highly variable substrate influxes by increasing the conversion rate almost instantaneously when required to remove toxic substrate and promote growth. In this perspective, we will address the case study of C. autoethanogenum grown solely on CO and syngas mixtures to assess how it employs acetate reduction to ethanol as a form of overflow metabolism.
Risk assessment of Hass avocado and Mexican Lauraceae for attack by redbay ambrosia beetle (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae)
Authors: Kendra Paul E. , Guillén Larissa , Tabanca Nurhayat , Montgomery Wayne S. , Schnell Elena Q. , Deyrup Mark A. , Cloonan Kevin R.
Published: January 2023

The redbay ambrosia beetle,Xyleborus glabratusEichhoff (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), vectors the mycopathogen that causes laurel wilt, a lethal vascular disease of trees in the Lauraceae. Since being detected in Georgia, USA in 2002, this invasive pest has become established in 11 additional states.

With continued spread,X. glabratuswill likely enter Mexico. In advance of this event, this study was initiated to assess the risk posed to eight native laurels and Hass avocados, the predominant cultivar grown in Mexico.

Wood bolts from each species were used in (a) field tests to determine the relative attraction of femaleX. glabratus, (b) laboratory bioassays to evaluate boring preferences, and (c) GC–MS analyses to identify host kairomones. For comparison, tests included control bolt treatments consisting of silkbay (an attractive U.S. laurel) and Simmonds avocado (a Florida cultivar susceptible to laurel wilt).

Hass avocado and two native laurels (Persea schiedeanaandOcotea heribertoivel aff.) were highly attractive to females and elicited strong boring responses. These species were high in sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, including α‐copaene and α‐cubebene.

Results of this study suggest thatX. glabratuscould become a serious agricultural and forest pest upon incursion into Mexico, with severe economic and ecological impacts.
Management of traumatic brain injury in the non‐neurosurgical intensive care unit: a narrative review of current evidence
Authors: Wiles M. D. , Braganza M. , Edwards H. , Krause E. , Jackson J. , Tait F.
Published: January 2023

Each year, approximately 70 million people suffer traumatic brain injury, which has a significant physical, psychosocial and economic impact for patients and their families. It is recommended in the UK that all patients with traumatic brain injury and a Glasgow coma scale ≤ 8 should be transferred to a neurosurgical centre. However, many patients, especially those in whom neurosurgery is not required, are not treated in, nor transferred to, a neurosurgical centre. This review aims to provide clinicians who work in non‐neurosurgical centres with a summary of contemporary studies relevant to the critical care management of patients with traumatic brain injury. A targeted literature review was undertaken that included guidelines, systematic reviews, meta‐analyses, clinical trials and randomised controlled trials (published in English between 1 January 2017 and 1 July 2022). Studies involving key clinical management strategies published before this time, but which have not been updated or repeated, were also eligible for inclusion. Analysis of the topics identified during the review was then summarised. These included: fundamental critical care management approaches (including ventilation strategies, fluid management, seizure control and osmotherapy); use of processed electroencephalogram monitoring; non‐invasive assessment of intracranial pressure; prognostication; and rehabilitation techniques. Through this process, we have formulated practical recommendations to guide clinical practice in non‐specialist centres.
Renal medicine in the intensive care unit: a narrative review
Authors: Boyer N. , Horne K. , Selby N. M. , Forni L. G.
Published: January 2023

Kidney disease, both acute and chronic, is commonly encountered on the intensive care unit. Due to the role the kidneys play in whole body homeostasis, it follows that their dysfunction has wide‐ranging implications and can affect prescribing and therapeutic management. This narrative review discusses the pathophysiology of acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease, and how this relates to critically unwell patients. We cover several aspects of the management of renal dysfunction on the critical care unit, exploring some of the recurrent themes within the literature, including type and timing of kidney replacement therapy, management of acute kidney injury, as well as discussing how novel biomarkers for acute kidney injury may help to identify patients suffering from acute kidney injury as well as risk stratifying these patients. We discuss how early involvement of specialist nephrology services can improve outcomes in patients with kidney disease as well as offer valuable diagnostic and specialist management advice, particularly for patients with established end stage kidney disease and patients who are already known to nephrology services. We also explore some of the ongoing research questions that need to be answered within this arena.
Initial safety outcomes for the Rigicon Infla10® inflatable penile prosthesis
Authors: Wilson Steven K. , Wen Lexiaochuan , Rossello Mariano , Maria Pedro , Carrion Rafael , Perito Paul , Ralph David , Antonini Gabriele , Carvajal Alejandro , Ozturk Metin I. , Chung Eric
Published: January 2023

Objective

To analyse data from patient information forms (PIFs) submitted to the manufacturer of a new three‐piece inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP), the Rigicon Infla10®, to summarize early outcomes.

Methods

A retrospective review of PIFs from 319 patients implanted with the IPP between 6 January 2019 and 31 December 2021 was performed to assess device durability and rates of reoperation for infection, mechanical failure or medical reasons.

Results

The mean ± sd (range) follow‐up was 21.2 ± 11 (5–36) months and the mean ± sd patient age was 58.5 ± 8.7 years. Of the total, 4.4% of devices required removal or revision. Complications included mechanical failure (2.5%) and component migration (0.7%). No infections were observed in this series. One patient (0.4%) required revision for inadequate straightening of Peyronie's disease. Three patients (0.9%) requested device removal because of dissatisfaction. A total of 95.6% of the Rigicon Infla10 devices were free from explant or revision 21 months after the original implant date. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed the rates of cumulative survival of the device at 12, 24, 36 months were 95.6%, 94.7% and 93.7%, respectively.

Conclusions

The vast majority of the early Rigicon Infla10 IPPs implanted prior to January 2022 were included in this retrospective analysis of volunteered PIFs. These early results demonstrate initial durability from reoperation equivalent to that of other contemporary devices.