bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Revision Surgery for Adjacent Segment Degeneration After Fusion for Lumbar Spondylolisthesis
Authors: Duan Ping-Guo , Mummaneni Praveen V. , Berven Sigurd H. , Mayer Rory , Ruan Hui-Bing , Chang Chih-Chang , Chou Dean
Published: September 2020

Study Design.

Retrospective study.

Objective.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is an association between revision surgery rates for adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) and Roussouly type after L4-5 transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) for spondylolisthesis.

Summary of Background Data.

Revision surgery for ASD is known to occur after spinal fusion; however, it is unclear whether rates of ASD are associated with certain Roussouly types.

Methods.

Patients who underwent L4-5 TLIF for spondylolisthesis at the University of California San Francisco from January 2006 to December 2016 with minimum 2-year follow-up were retrospectively analyzed by Roussouly type. Revision surgery for ASD was noted and correlated by Roussouly type. Spinopelvic parameters were also measured for correlation. A value of P < 0.05 was significant.

Results.

There were 174 patients who met inclusion criteria, (59 males and 115 females). The average age was 62.3 (25–80) years. A total of 132 patients had grade I spondylolisthesis, and 42 had grade II. Mean follow-up was 45.2 months (24–497). A total of 22 patients (12.6%) underwent revision surgery for ASD after L4-5 TLIF. When classified by Roussouly type, revision surgery rates for ASD were: 1, 14.3%; 2, 22.6%; 3, 4.9%; and 4, 15.6% (P = 0.013). Type 3 spines with normal PI-LL (8.85° ± 6.83°) had the lowest revision surgery rate (4.9%), and type 2 spines with PI-LL mismatch (11.06° ± 8.81°) had the highest revision surgery rate (22.6%), a four-fold difference (P = 0.013). The PI-LL mismatch did not change significantly in each type postoperatively (P > 0.05).

Conclusion.

We found that there may be a correlation between Roussouly type and revision surgery for ASD after L4-5 TLIF for spondylolisthesis, with type 2 spines having the highest rate. Spinopelvic parameters may also correlate with revision surgery for ASD after L4-5 TLIF.

Level of Evidence: 4
Sun Protective Clothing and Sun Avoidance: The Most Critical Components of Photoprotection in Patients With Melanoma
Authors: Patel Sagar P. , Chien Anna L.
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND

Ultraviolet radiation is the main modifiable risk factor for melanoma which can be reduced by avoiding excess sun exposure.

OBJECTIVE

We sought to explore (1) sun protective practices, (2) effectiveness of these sun protective practices, and (3) vitamin D supplementation in patients with melanoma.

METHODS

Using the National Health Interview Survey, the authors conducted a cross-sectional analysis to investigate sun protective behaviors and sunburns among adults with melanoma compared with those without skin cancer. We calculated adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 95% confidence interval (95% CI), and p-values using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Patients with melanoma reported increased use of sun avoidance, shade, sunscreen, long sleeves, and hats, but had similar sunburn rates compared with those without skin cancer. Only sun avoidance and long sleeves were associated with decreased odds of sunburn. Patients with melanoma also reported decreased vitamin D supplementation.

CONCLUSION

Although it is reassuring that patients with melanoma practice sun protective behaviors, this does not always translate into reduced sunburns. Physicians should emphasize the importance of photoprotection, especially sun avoidance and sun protective clothing, to reduce future melanoma risk.
Air Conditioning and Heat-related Mortality
Authors: Sera Francesco , Hashizume Masahiro , Honda Yasushi , Lavigne Eric , Schwartz Joel , Zanobetti Antonella , Tobias Aurelio , Iñiguez Carmen , Vicedo-Cabrera Ana M. , Blangiardo Marta , Armstrong Ben , Gasparrini Antonio
Published: September 2020

Background:

Air conditioning has been proposed as one of the key factors explaining reductions of heat-related mortality risks observed in the last decades. However, direct evidence is still limited.

Methods:

We used a multi-country, multi-city, longitudinal design to quantify the independent role of air conditioning in reported attenuation in risk. We collected daily time series of mortality, mean temperature, and yearly air conditioning prevalence for 311 locations in Canada, Japan, Spain, and the USA between 1972 and 2009. For each city and sub-period, we fitted a quasi-Poisson regression combined with distributed lag non-linear models to estimate summer-only temperature–mortality associations. At the second stage, we used a novel multilevel, multivariate spatio-temporal meta-regression model to evaluate effect modification of air conditioning on heat–mortality associations. We computed relative risks and fractions of heat-attributable excess deaths under observed and fixed air conditioning prevalences.

Results:

Results show an independent association between increased air conditioning prevalence and lower heat-related mortality risk. Excess deaths due to heat decreased during the study periods from 1.40% to 0.80% in Canada, 3.57% to 1.10% in Japan, 3.54% to 2.78% in Spain, and 1.70% to 0.53% in the USA. However, increased air conditioning explains only part of the observed attenuation, corresponding to 16.7% in Canada, 20.0% in Japan, 14.3% in Spain, and 16.7% in the USA.

Conclusions:

Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that air conditioning represents an effective heat adaptation strategy, but suggests that other factors have played an equal or more important role in increasing the resilience of populations.
Modeling Desert Dust Exposures in Epidemiologic Short-term Health Effects Studies
Authors: Tobías Aurelio , Stafoggia Massimo
Published: September 2020

Background:

Desert dust is assumed to have substantial adverse effects on human health. However, the epidemiologic evidence is still inconsistent, mainly because previous studies used different metrics for dust exposure and its corresponding epidemiologic analysis. We aim to provide a standardized approach to the methodology for evaluating the short-term health effects of desert dust.

Methods:

We reviewed the methods commonly used for dust exposure assessment, from use of a binary metric for the occurrence of desert dust advections to a continuous one for quantifying particulate matter attributable to desert dust. We presented alternative time-series Poisson regression models to evaluate the dust exposure–mortality association, from the underlying epidemiological and policy-relevant questions. A set of practical examples, using a real dataset from Rome, Italy, illustrate the different modeling approaches.

Results:

We estimate substantial effects of desert dust episodes and particulate matter with diameter <10 μm (PM10) on daily mortality. The estimated effect of non-desert PM10 was 1.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.4, 3.2) for a 10 μg/m3 rise of PM10 at lag 0 for dust days, 0.4% (95% CI = −0.1, 0.8) for non-dust days, and 0.6% (95% CI = −0.5, 2.1) for desert PM10.

Conclusion:

The standardized modeling approach we propose could be applicable elsewhere, in and near hot spots, which could lead to more consistent evidence on the health effects of desert dust from future studies.
Aspiration Pneumonia After External Dacryocystorhinostomy Under Local Anesthesia Without Sedation: A Case Report
Authors: Verplaetse Viktor , Meijers Björn , Lorent Natalie , Coolen Johan , Vermeersch Pieter , Mombaerts Ilse
Published: September 2020

Amid the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, an 89-year-old male with chronic kidney disease presented with acute dacryocystitis and a persistent dry cough. After a course of antibiotics, external dacryocystorhinostomy was performed under local anesthesia without sedation. During planned hemodialysis in the early hours after the procedure, the patient developed nausea and hematemesis followed by severe dyspnea and hypoxemia. The patient was diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia, a previously unreported complication in lacrimal surgery.
Dual-tracer radionuclide imaging in hyperparathyroidism: thallium-201 parathyroid scintigraphy revisited
Authors: Siraj Qaisar Hussain , Javaid Amir , Rasulova Nigora
Published: September 2020

Objectives

99mTc-sestamibi is the current radiopharmaceutical of choice for the localization of hyperactive lesions of the parathyroid glands in patients with hyperparathyroidism. However, there are multiple factors that adversely affect the accumulation and retention 99mTc-sestamibi in the hyperfunctioning parathyroid tissue, resulting in a false-negative scan. The objective of this study was to investigate the possibility of an incremental diagnostic role of thallium-201 parathyroid scintigraphy in patients with presumably false-negative 99mTc-sestamibi scan results.

Patients and methods

The study comprised of 22 patients including 16 with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and 6 with secondary hyperparathyroidism where 99mTc-sestambi scan was initially negative, inconclusive or where additional lesions were suspected on the single-photon computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) scan with the CT component identifying lesion(s) without significant 99mTc-sestamibi uptake.

Results

The results of our study show that in 22 patients (5 male, 17 female; age range 26–81; median age 53.4) further imaging with thallium-201 SPECT/CT scan showed 46.5% additional lesions in patients with hyperparathyroidism caused by an adenomatous or hyperplastic parathyroid lesion. In patients with PHPT caused by an adenomatous or hyperplastic parathyroid lesion, further imaging with thallium-201 showed 59% additional hyperactive parathyroid lesions. In patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism, further imaging with thallium-201 SPECT/CT showed additional 33.3% hyperplastic parathyroid lesions.

Conclusion

The results of this pilot study strongly advocate a role for thallium parathyroid SPECT/CT imaging in patients with primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism where the initial 99mTc-sestamibi scan is deemed to be false-negative in the presence of biochemical hyperparathyroidism.
Monitoring jaw osteomyelitis therapy with single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography
Authors: Heimann Ilsedore , Kuttenberger Johannes , della Chiesa Andrea , Bhure Ujwal , del Sol Pérez-Lago Maria , Roos Justus E. , Lima Thiago V.M. , Strobel Klaus
Published: September 2020

Objective

The aim of the study was to evaluate the value of single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) for therapy response assessment of jaw osteomyelitis.

Materials and methods

Thirty-four baseline and 74 follow-up SPECT/CT examinations for therapy response assessment were performed in 34 patients with jaw osteomyelitis. SPECT/CT and planar late-phase bone scintigraphy images were assessed at baseline and follow-up, according to the following criteria: tracer uptake grade (0 = no uptake, 1 = low uptake, 2 = moderate uptake and 3 = high uptake); and morphologic signs (osteolysis, sequestration, sclerosis, periosteal reaction and pathologic fracture).

Results

At baseline, SPECT/CT showed marked (grade 2 or 3) uptake in 91% (31/34) of the patients, osteolysis in 85% (29/34), sclerosis in 71% (24/34), periosteal reaction in 44% (15/34) and a sequestrum in 24% (8/34). In 24 patients with clinically complete remission during or after at least 12 months’ therapy, bone scintigraphy showed grade 0 or 1 uptake in 100% (24/24) and SPECT/CT in 91% (22/24) of the patients. Sclerosis with the disappearance of osteolysis, sequestration and periosteal reactions was the predominant morphologic finding in complete responders (68%; 16/24). In 10 patients with symptoms of exacerbation of the osteomyelitis, 80% (8/10) showed increasing uptake, 90% (9/10) sclerosis, 80% osteolysis (8/10) and 40% (4/10) osteolysis and periosteal reactions.

Conclusion

SPECT/CT is a valuable tool to accurately assess therapy response, disease exacerbation and complications of jaw osteomyelitis. Low-grade (grade 1) residual tracer uptake is common in patients with clinically complete remission and is suggestive of ongoing bone remodeling and healing.
Blastomycosis
Authors: Johnson Elizabeth M. , Martin Maria D. , Sharma Ruchi , Meyer Cristopher A. , Kanne Jeffrey P.
Published: September 2020

Blastomycosis is an endemic fungal infection caused by Blastomyces, a soil-dwelling dimorphic fungus found predominantly in North America. In this pictorial essay, we illustrate the varied imaging features of blastomycosis along with a brief description of the epidemiology, clinical aspects, and differential diagnosis, emphasizing clues that can help radiologists arrive at this diagnosis.
Nature contact by window opening and depressive symptoms among Older Adults: A cross-sectional analysis of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey
Authors: Jin Xurui , Zhang Hao , Zhang Kehan , Leng Yu , Zhao Yali , Zeng Yi , (Jim) Zhang Junfeng , Yao Yao
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND

Recent evidence suggests that window-view and window-ventilation may contribute to mental wellbeing. Compared to their younger counterparts, older adults spend more time at home and have less contact with natural environments due to social isolation and physical decline. However, the association of residential window-opening with depressive symptoms is understudied among older populations.

METHODS

We used data from a community-based cohort study conducted in 23 provinces of China including 13,125 adults age 65 years or older (mean age: 83.8 years [SD: 11.1]). We created the window opening index (WOI) as a proxy of window-view and window-ventilation, leveraging relevant data on self-reported frequencies of manual window opening at home. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the 10-item version of the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale no fewer than 10. We used multivariate logistic regression model to examine the association between window opening and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

In the multivariate logistic regression model controlling for a set of well-designed mood-influencing environmental and individual-level covariates, a protective effect of window opening on depressive symptoms was observed, with 16% lower odds per interquartile increment in WOI (odds ratio: 0.84, 95%-CI: 0.81-0.87). Subgroup analyses indicated that the beneficial effects were more pronounced among those with higher socioeconomic status (higher levels of education, urban residents) and better surrounding environments (lower exposure of ambient fine particular matter, proximity to park, or higher levels of residential greenness).

DISCUSSION

The results point to the benefits of well-designed household window-opening environments on the mental health of older populations and suggest a synergistic effect of window-opening and favorable surrounding natural environment.
A response to Yurko et al: H-MAGMA, inheriting a shaky statistical foundation, yields excess false positives
Authors: de Leeuw Christiaan , Sey Nancy Y. A. , Posthuma Danielle , Won Hyejung
Published: September 2020

Hi-C coupled multimarker analysis of genomic annotation (H-MAGMA) was initially developed to advance MAGMA by assigning non-coding SNPs to their cognate genes based on threedimensional chromatin architecture. Yurko and colleagues raised concerns that the SNP-wise mean gene-analysis model of MAGMA may allow inflation in type I errors. Accordingly, we updated MAGMA and found that the updated version (MAGMA v.1.08) effectively controls for error rate inflation. Intrigued by this result, H-MAGMA was also updated by implementing MAGMA v.1.08. As expected, H-MAGMA v.1.08 detected a smaller set of risk genes than its original version (v.1.07), but the overall statistical architecture remained largely unchanged between v.1.07 and v.1.08. H-MAGMA v.1.08 was then applied to genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of five psychiatric disorders, from which we recapitulated our previous findings that psychiatric disorder risk genes display neuronal and prenatal enrichment. Therefore, issues raised by Yurko and colleagues can be overcome by using (H-)MAGMA v.1.08.
A longitudinal study of white matter functional network in mild traumatic brain injury
Authors: Jia Xiaoyan , Chang Xuebin , Bai Lijun , Wang Yulin , Dong Debo , Gan Shuoqiu , Wang Shan , Li Xuan , Yang Xuefei , Sun Yinxiang , Li Tianhui , Xiong Feng , Niu Xuan , Yan Hao
Published: September 2020

The mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) results in traumatic axonal injury, which damages the long-distance white matter (WM) connections and thus disrupts the functional connectome of large-scale brain networks that support cognitive function. Patterns of WM structural damage following mTBI were well documented using diffusion tensor imaging, however, the functional organization of WM and its association with grey matter functional networks (GM-FNs) and cognitive assessments remains unknown. The present study adopted resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore WM functional properties in mTBI patients (113 acute patients, 56 chronic patients, 47 healthy controls (HCs)). Eleven large-scale WM functional networks (WM-FNs) were constructed by the k-means clustering algorithm which carried out in voxel-wise WM functional connectivity (FC). Compared to HCs, acute mTBI patients showed enhanced FC between inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) WM-FN and primary sensorimotor WM-FNs, and cortical primary sensorimotor GM-FNs. And FC between IFOF WM-FN and anterior cerebellar GM-FN was positively correlated with information processing speed. Moreover, all of these WM-FNs abnormalities were returned to the normal level at the chronic stage. Our findings suggest the compensatory mechanism of cognitive deficits in the acute stage and its involvement in facilitating recovery from cognitive deficits in the chronic stage. The convergent damage of the IFOF network highlighted its key role in our understanding of the pathophysiology mechanism of mTBI patients and thus might be regarded as a biomarker in the acute stage and a potential indicator of treatment effect.
NDRG1 expression is an independent prognostic factor in inflammatory breast cancer
Authors: Villodre Emilly S , Gong Yun , Huo Lei , Yoon Esther C , Ueno Naoto T , Woodward Wendy A , Tripathy Debu , Song Juhee , Debeb Bisrat G
Published: September 2020

NDRG1 is widely described as a metastasis suppressor in breast cancer. However, we found that NDRG1 is critical in promoting tumorigenesis and brain metastasis in mouse models of inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), a rare but highly aggressive form of breast cancer. We hypothesized that NDRG1 is a prognostic marker associated with poor outcome in patients with IBC. Microarray gene expression data from the IBC Consortium dataset were analyzed to compareNDRG1expression between IBC and non-IBC tumors and among breast cancer subtypes. NDRG1 levels in tissue microarrays from 64 IBC patients were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining with anti-NDRG1 primary antibody (32 NDRG1-low [≤ median], 32 NDRG1-high [>median]). Overall and disease-free survival (OS and DSS) were analyzed with Kaplan–Meier curves and log-rank test.NDRG1mRNA expression was higher in IBC than in non-IBC tumors (p=0.007), and in more aggressive HER2+ and basal-like vs luminal IBC subtypes (p<0.0001). Univariate analysis showed NDRG1 expression, tumor grade, disease stage, estrogen receptor (ER) status, and receipt of adjuvant radiation to be associated with OS and DSS. NDRG1-high patients had poorer 10-year OS and DSS than NDRG1-low patients (OS, 19% vs 45%,p=0.0278; DSS, 22% vs 52%,p=0.0139). On multivariable analysis, NDRG1 independently predicted OS (hazard ratio [HR]=2.034,p=0.0274) and DSS (HR=2.287,p=0.0174). NDRG1-high ER-negative tumors had worse outcomes OS,p=0.0003; DSS,p=0.0003; and NDRG1-high tumors that received adjuvant radiation treatment had poor outcomes (OS,p=0.0088; DSS,p=0.0093). NDRG1 correlated positively with aggressive tumor characteristics in IBC and was a significant independent prognostic factor for DSS and OSS in IBC patients. Targeting NDRG1 may represent a novel strategy for improving clinical outcomes for patients with IBC.
Prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM antibodies among Danish and Swedish Falck emergency and non-emergency healthcare workers
Authors: Laursen Jannie , Petersen Janne , Didriksen Maria , Iversen Kasper , Ullum Henrik
Published: September 2020

Background

Knowledge about the COVID-19 outbreak is still sparse especially in a cross-national setting. COVID-19 is caused by a SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of the study is to contribute to the surveillance of the pandemic by bringing new knowledge about SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity among healthcare workers and evaluating whether certain job functions is associated with a higher risk of being infected, and to clarify if such association is mediated by the number of individuals that the employees meet during a workday. Finally, we will investigate regional and national differences in seroprevalence.

Methods

A bi-national prospective observational cohort study including 3,272 adults employed at Falck in Sweden and Denmark. Participants were tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies every second week for a period of 8 weeks from June 22, 2020 until August 10, 2020. Descriptive statistics as well as multivariable logistic regression analyses were applied.

Results

Of the 3,272 Falck employees participating in this study, 159 (4.9%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The seroprevalence was lower among Danish Falck employees than among those from Sweden (2.8% in Denmark and 8.3% in Sweden). We also found that number of customer or patient contacts during a workday was the most prominent predictor for seropositivity, and that ambulance staff was the most vulnerable staff group.

Conclusions

Our study presents geographical variations in seroprevalence within the Falck organization and shows evidence that social interaction is one of the biggest risk factors for getting infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Key points

SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence vary between Denmark and Sweden, between job types and is mostly affected by number of social interactions among Falck healthcare workers
Context-Dependent Relationships between Locus Coeruleus Firing Patterns and Coordinated Neural Activity in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex
Authors: Joshi Siddhartha , Gold Joshua I.
Published: September 2020

Ascending neuromodulatory projections from the locus coeruleus (LC) affect cortical neural networks via the release of norepinephrine (NE). However, the exact nature of these neuromodulatory effects on neural activity patternsin vivois not well understood. Here we show that in awake monkeys, LC activation is associated with changes in coordinated activity patterns in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). These relationships, which are largely independent of changes in firing rates of individual ACC neurons, depend on the type of LC activation: ACC pairwise correlations tend to be reduced when ongoing (baseline) LC activity increases but enhanced when external events evoke transient LC responses. Both relationships covary with pupil changes that reflect LC activation and arousal. These results suggest that modulations of information processing that reflect changes in coordinated activity patterns in cortical networks can result partly from ongoing, context-dependent, arousal-related changes in activation of the LC-NE system.
3Cnet: Pathogenicity prediction of human variants using knowledge transfer with deep recurrent neural networks
Authors: Won Dhong-gun , Lee Kyoungyeul
Published: September 2020

Thanks to the improvement of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), genome-based diagnosis for rare disease patients become possible. However, accurate interpretation of human variants requires massive amount of knowledge gathered from previous researches and clinical cases. Also, manual analysis for each variant in the genome of patients takes enormous time and effort of clinical experts and medical doctors. Therefore, to reduce the cost of diagnosis, various computational tools have been developed for the pathogenicity prediction of human variants. Nevertheless, there has been the circularity problem of conventional tools, which leads to the overlap of training data and eventually causes overfitting of algorithms. In this research, we developed a pathogenicity predictor, named as 3Cnet, using deep recurrent neural networks which analyzes the amino-acid context of a missense mutation. 3Cnet utilizes knowledge transfer of evolutionary conservation to train insufficient clinical data without overfitting. The performance comparison clearly shows that 3Cnet can find the true disease-causing variant from a large number of missense variants in the genome of a patient with higher sensitivity (recall = 13.9 %) compared to other prediction tools such as REVEL (recall = 7.5 %) or PrimateAI (recall = 6.4 %). Consequently, 3Cnet can improve the diagnostic rate for patients and discover novel pathogenic variants with high probability.
Estimating Multiple Latencies in the Auditory System from Auditory Steady-State Responses on a Single EEG Channel
Authors: Wang Lei , Noordanus Elisabeth , van Opstal A. John
Published: September 2020

The latency of the auditory steady-state response (ASSR) may provide valuable information regarding the integrity of the auditory system, as it could potentially reveal the presence of multiple intracerebral sources. To estimate multiple latencies from high-order ASSRs, we propose a novel two-stage procedure that consists of a nonparametric estimation method, called apparent latency from phase coherence (ALPC), followed by a heuristic sequential forward selection algorithm (SFS). Compared with existing methods, ALPC-SFS requires few prior assumptions, and is straightforward to implement for higher-order nonlinear responses to multi-cosine sound complexes with their initial phases set to zero. It systematically evaluates the nonlinear components of the ASSRs by estimating multiple latencies, automatically identifies involved ASSR components, and reports a latency consistency index (LCI). To verify the proposed method, we performed simulations for several scenarios: two nonlinear subsystems with different or overlapping outputs. We compared the results from our method with predictions from existing, parametric methods. We also recorded the EEG from ten normal-hearing adults by bilaterally presenting superimposed tones with four frequencies that evoke a unique set of ASSRs. From these ASSRs, two major latencies were found to be stable across subjects on repeated measurement days. The two latencies are dominated by low-frequency (LF) (near 40 Hz, at around 41-52 ms) and high-frequency (HF) (>80 Hz, at around 21-27 ms) ASSR components. The frontal-central (FC) brain region showed longer latencies on LF components, but shorter latencies on HF components, when compared with temporal-lobe regions. In conclusion, the proposed nonparametric ALPC-SFS method, applied to zero-phase, multi-cosine sound complexes is more suitable for evaluating embedded nonlinear systems underlying ASSRs than existing methods. It may therefore be a promising objective measure for hearing performance and auditory cortex (dys)function. The Matlab scripts for the ALPC-SFS method is available here: https://github.com/ieeeWang/ALPC-SFS-method-Matlab-scripts.
A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Pregnancy and COVID-19: Signs and Symptoms, Laboratory Tests and Perinatal Outcomes
Authors: Hassanipour Soheil , Faradonbeh Saeed Bagheri , Momeni Khalil , Heidarifard Zahra , Khosousi Mohammad-Javad , Khosousi Leila , Ameri Hosein , Arab-Zozani Morteza
Published: September 2020

Background

COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 appeared in December 2019 in Wuhan, China.

Objective

We aimed to investigate the clinical manifestation include signs and symptoms, laboratory results, and perinatal outcomes in pregnant women with COVID-19.

Materials and Methods

We searched PubMed via LitCovid hub, Embase, Scopus, Web of sciences, and Google scholar on 07 April 2020. Meta-analysis was performed via CMA software using the Mantel-Haenszel method. The event rate with 95% CI was calculated for each variable.

Results

Ten studies were selected. The pooled prevalence for fever, post-partum fever, cough, myalgia, fatigue, dyspnea, sore throat, and diarrhea were 66.8 %, 37.1 %, 35.5 %, 24.6 %, 14.9%, 14.6 %, 11.5%, and 7.6 %, respectively. Laboratory test results were 49.8 % for lymphopenia, 47.7 % for leukocytosis, 83.7 % for elevated neutrophil ratio, 57 % for elevated C-reactive protein, and 71.4 % for decreased lymphocyte ratio. The rate of cesarean section for delivery in all cases was 84%. Only one case was the newborn of a mother with COVID-19 positive. Also, there was only one death due to Decreased lymphocyte ratio.

Conclusion

Fever was the most common signs and symptoms in pregnant women with COVID-19. Among the laboratory tests, the highest amount was related to elevated neutrophil ratio. It seems that due to the differences between pregnant women and the general population, special measures should be considered to treat these patients.
Colonies ofAcropora formosawith greater survival potential show conservative calcification rates
Authors: Clark Vanessa , Mellow-Athayde Matheus A. , Dove Sophie
Published: September 2020

Coral reefs are facing increasingly devasting impacts from ocean warming and acidification due to anthropogenic climate change. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, potential solutions have focused either on reducing light stress during heating, or the potential for identifying or engineering “super corals”. These studies, however, have tended to focus primarily on the bleaching response of corals, and assume that corals that bleach earlier in a thermal event are more likely to die. Here, we explore how survival, potential bleaching, and coral skeletal growth (as branch extension and densification) varies for conspecifics collected from distinctive reef zones at Heron Island on the Southern Great Barrier Reef. A series of reciprocal transplantation experiments were undertaken using the dominant reef building coral (Acropora formosa) between the highly variable ‘reef flat’ and the less variable ‘reef slope’ environments. Coral colonies originating from the reef flat had higher rates of survival and thicker tissues but reduced rates of calcification than conspecifics originating from the reef slope. The energetics of both populations however benefited from greater light intensity offered in the shallows. Reef flat origin corals moved to the lower light intensity of reef slope reduced protein density and calcification rates. ForA. formosa, genetic difference, or long-term entrainment to a highly variable environment, appeared to promote coral survival at the expense of calcification. The response divorces coral resilience from carbonate coral reef resilience, a response that was further exacerbated by reductions in irradiance. As we begin to discuss interventions necessitated by the CO2that has already been released to the atmosphere, we need to prioritise our focus on the properties that maintain valuable carbonate ecosystems. Rapid and dense calcification by corals such as branchingAcroporais essential to the ability of carbonate coral reefs to rebound following disturbances events, but may be the first property that is sacrificed to enable coral genet survival under stress.
Diversity and distribution of landscape types in Norway
Authors: Simensen Trond , Erikstad Lars , Halvorsen Rune
Published: September 2020

Norwegian landscapes are changing at an increasingly rapid rate, and systematically structured information about observable landscape variation is required for knowledge-based management of landscape diversity. Here we present the first version of a complete, area-covering, evidence-based landscape-type map of Norway, simultaneously addressing geo-ecological, bio-ecological and land-use related variation at the landscape level. We do so by applying map algebra operations on publicly available geographical data sets with full areal coverage for Norway. The type system used in the mapping is supported by systematically structured empirical evidence. We present the results of the mapping procedure, including the geographical distribution and descriptive statistics (abundance and areal coverage) for each of the identified landscape types. We identify nine major landscape types based on coarse-scale landform variation and, within the six inland and coastal major types, 284 minor landscape types are defined based on the composition of geo-ecological, bio-ecological, and land use-related landscape properties. The results provide new insights into the geography of Norwegian marine, coastal and inland landscapes. We discuss potential errors, uncertainties and limitations of the landscape-type maps, and address the potential value of this new tool for research, management and planning purposes.
Herbal medicine of Kursi Wufarikun Ziyabit inhibits mitochondrial ATP production to activate AMPK in hepatocytes in therapy of type 2 diabetes
Authors: Yasen Mireguli , Jiang Lan , Sharofova Mizhgona , Xin Xuelei , Nuraliev Yusuf , Ye Jianping , Aisa Haji Akber
Published: September 2020

The herbal medicine of Kursi Wufarikun Ziyabit contains two herbs (Geranium collinumSteph.ex Willd andHypericum ScabrumLnn) in the formula of ethnomedicine. It is usually used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus with a significant therapeutic efficacy. However, the molecular mechanism remains unknown for the action of medicine. In this study, we investigated the mechanism with a focus on an extract (GC30) of the medicine in the regulation of energy metabolism in hepatocytes. GC30 was prepared from a crude extract of the medicine through elution of an AB-8 macro porous resin column loaded with the medicine in 30% ethanol. GC30 exhibited an activity in the inhibition of triglyceride (TG) accumulation in the mouse hepatocytes through a suppression of SREBP1c activity. FGF21 (fibroblast growth factor 21) expression was induced by GC30 in a dosage-dependent manner at concentrations of 25 - 100 μg/ml. The induction was observed in mRNA and protein of FGF21, which were peaked at 2 hours and lasted for 8 hours in the response to GC30 (100 μg/ml). The transcription of FGF21 gene was induced by GC30 for an increase in the FGF21 gene promoter activity. AMPK and PKA activities were induced by GC30 with an elevation in their phosphorylation status, which were associated with a reduction in ATP abundance and an increase in CREB phosphorylation in cells treated with GC30. Oxygen consumption of mitochondria was inhibited in the hepatocytes by GC30. These activities of GC30 were similar to those of diabetes medicines including metformin and berberine. The data suggest that GC30 inhibited ATP production in mitochondria to activate AMPK and PKA in the hepatocytes to induce FGF21 expression. This study suggests a novel activity of the herbal medicine in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism in the hepatocytes.
A roadmap for the characterization of energy metabolism in human cardiomyocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Emanuelli Giulia , Zoccarato Anna , Papadopoulos Angelos , Chong Mei , Beretta Matteo , Betteridge Kai , Streckfuss-Bömeke Katrin , Shah Ajay M
Published: September 2020

Human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CM) are an increasingly employed model in cardiac research and drug discovery. A significant limitation with respect to clinical translation is their immature structural and functional phenotype. Cellular metabolism plays an integral role in determining phenotype but the metabolic profile of hiPSC-CM during maturation is poorly characterized. In this study we employ a combination of methods including extracellular flux and13C-glucose flux analyses to study the metabolic profile of hiPSC-CM over a 12 week maturation period. Results show a progressive remodeling of pathways involved in energy metabolism and substrate utilization. The oxidative capacity of hiPSC-CM and particularly their ability to utilize fatty acids increased with time. In parallel, relative glucose oxidation was reduced while glutamine oxidation was maintained at similar levels. Anaerobic glycolysis as assessed by lactate production was maintained throughout the 12 week period but with significant alterations in proximal glycolytic enzymes such as hexokinase and phosphofructokinase. We also observed a progressive maturation of mitochondrial oxidative capacity at comparable levels of mitochondrial content between timepoints. The time-dependent restructuring of the hiPSC-CM metabolic profile indicates their potential to overcome the lack of full maturation previously reported and enhance their applicability for pharmacological studies and cardiac disease modeling.
Acinetobacter baylyi regulates type IV pilus synthesis by employing two extension motors and a motor protein inhibitor
Authors: Ellison Courtney K. , Dalia Triana N. , Klancher Catherine A. , Shaevitz Joshua W. , Gitai Zemer , Dalia Ankur B.
Published: September 2020

Bacteria use extracellular appendages called type IV pili (T4P) for diverse behaviors including DNA uptake, surface sensing, virulence, protein secretion, and twitching motility1. Dynamic extension and retraction of T4P is essential for their function, yet little is known about the mechanisms controlling these dynamics or the extent to which their regulation is conserved across bacterial species. Here, we develop Acinetobacter baylyi as a new model to study T4P by employing a recently developed pilus labeling method2,3. Our findings overturn the current dogma that T4P extension occurs through the action of a single, highly conserved motor, PilB, by showing that T4P synthesis in A. baylyi is dependent on an additional, phylogenetically distinct motor, TfpB. Furthermore, we uncover an inhibitor of T4P extension that specifically binds to and inhibits PilB but not TfpB. These results expand our understanding of T4P regulation and highlight how inhibitors might be exploited to inhibit T4P synthesis.
β-adrenergic control of sarcolemmal CaV1.2 abundance by small GTPase Rab proteins
Authors: del Villar Silvia G. , Voelker Taylor L. , Spooner Heather C. , Dickson Eamonn J. , Dixon Rose E.
Published: September 2020

The number and activity of Cav1.2 channels in the cardiomyocyte sarcolemma tunes the magnitude of Ca2+-induced Ca2+release and myocardial contraction. β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) activation stimulates sarcolemmal insertion of CaV1.2 channels. This supplements the pre-existing sarcolemmal CaV1.2 population, forming large ‘super-clusters’ wherein neighboring channels undergo enhanced cooperative-gating behavior, amplifying Ca2+influx and myocardial contractility. Here, we determine this stimulated insertion is fueled by an internal reserve of early- and recycling endosome-localized, pre-synthesized CaV1.2 channels.βAR-activation decreased CaV1.2/endosome colocalization in ventricular myocytes, as it triggered ‘emptying’ of endosomal CaV1.2 cargo into the sarcolemma. We examined the rapid dynamics of this stimulated insertion process with live-myocyte imaging of channel trafficking, and discovered that CaV1.2 are often inserted into the sarcolemma as pre-formed, multi-channel clusters. Likewise, entire clusters were removed from the sarcolemma during endocytosis, while in other cases, a more incremental process suggested removal of individual channels. The amplitude of the stimulated insertion response was doubled by co-expression of constitutively-active Rab4a, halved by co-expression of dominant-negative Rab11a, and abolished by co-expression of dominant-negative mutant Rab4a. In ventricular myocytes,βAR-stimulated recycling of CaV1.2 was diminished by both nocodazole and latrunculin-A, suggesting an essential role of the cytoskeleton in this process. Functionally, cytoskeletal disruptors preventedβAR-activatedCa2+current augmentation. Moreover,βAR-regulation of CaV1.2 was abolished when recycling was halted by co-application of nocodazole and latrunculin-A. These findings reveal thatβAR-stimulation triggers an on-demand boost in sarcolemmal CaV1.2 abundance via targeted, Rab4a and Rab11a-dependent insertion of CaV1.2 channels is essential forβAR-regulation of cardiac CaV1.2.

Significance Statement

The L-type voltage-gated Ca2+channel CaV1.2 is essential for excitation-contraction coupling in the heart. During the fight-or-flight response, CaV1.2 channel activity is augmented as a result of PKA-mediated phosphorylation, downstream of β-adrenergic receptor (βAR) activation. We discovered that enhanced sarcolemmal abundance of CaV1.2 channels, driven by stimulated insertion/recycling of specific CaV1.2 containing endosomes, is essential forβAR-mediated regulation of these channels in the heart. These data reveal a new conceptual framework of this critical and robust pathway for on-demand tuning of cardiac EC-coupling during fight-or-flight.
International work integrated learning (WIL) in undergraduate paramedicine programs: a cross-sectional survey of practice models in Australasia
Authors: Johnson Sarah , Thyer Liz , Simpson Paul
Published: September 2020

Purpose

The proliferation of undergraduate paramedicine programs has led to a surge in demand for work integrated learning (WIL), placing pressure on domestic ambulance service placement capacity. The objective of this study was to establish a baseline understanding of international WIL in paramedicine university programs.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional study design was utilized to gather data from Australasian universities offering undergraduate paramedicine. A telephone survey was used to gather quantitative and qualitative data using a tailored questionnaire.

Findings

Of 15 eligible paramedicine programs, seven program leads participated. All offered international WIL, predominantly short-duration format in locations including United Kingdom, USA, Israel, Nepal, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, New Zealand, South Africa, Finland, Canada and Vanuatu. Two distinct models were identified: academic-accompanied, group “study tours” and unaccompanied individual placements. International WIL is common in paramedicine but placement models, rationale and expected learning experiences are diverse.

Originality/value

International WIL is an increasing component of paramedicine and other health discipline degrees, yet the pedagogical rationale for their inclusion and typology is not always clear. This paper provides an insight into the variance in international WIL typology in a single health discipline highlighting the heterogeneity and need for future research linking into the structure, support and assessment of international WIL.
Testing the role of functional trait expression in plant–plant facilitation
Authors: van der Merwe Stephni , Greve Michelle , Olivier Bernard , le Roux Peter C.
Published: September 2020

Positive biotic interactions between plant species may strongly affect species and community‐level patterns, but the processes through which benefactor species alter the performance of interacting species (via, e.g. beneficial mechanisms like resource provisioning) are still inadequately understood. One poorly explored potential explanation is that plant–plant facilitation could occur through the impact of benefactor species on the functional trait expression of beneficiary species. Indeed, plant species that affect local conditions can modify functional trait expression of interacting species, thereby improving their performance and resulting in a facilitative interaction. However, the response of intraspecific trait variation to biotically driven microhabitat modification, and its role in determining the outcome of plant–plant interactions, has rarely been explored.

Here, we test whether growing with benefactor species affects the expression of functional traits of eight species, encompassing different plant growth forms, in two contrasting study systems. This is achieved using a paired sampling approach to compare values of seven functional traits of conspecific individuals growing within and adjacent to cushion plants (i.e. benefactor species which are known to strongly alter microhabitat conditions and to have positive effects on some of the focal species). In addition, we test whether the effect of biotic interactions on functional trait expression changes along elevational gradients, as the outcome of biotic interactions is expected to vary with elevation.

Contrary to predictions, in both systems, intraspecific trait variation was not well explained by the biotic interaction with the cushion plant species or the variation in abiotic conditions associated with elevational gradients. Where biotic interactions did affect functional trait expression and bivariate trait relationships, traits responded variably between species, suggesting that context specificity may be a constraint to predicting how intraspecific trait variation responds to plant–plant interactions, adding to the growing body of literature that challenges the generality and predictability of the drivers of intraspecific trait variation.

This research, therefore, suggests that benefactor species’ facilitative process is likely not through an impact on intraspecific trait expression, and that instead other processes may be more important for translating beneficial microhabitat modification or increased resource availability by benefactor species into positive impacts on beneficiary species.

A freePlain Language Summarycan be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
A Cu‐only superoxide dismutase from stripe rust fungi functions as a virulence factor deployed for counter defense against host‐derived oxidative stress
Authors: Zheng Peijing , Chen Liyang , Zhong Suye , Wei Xiaobo , Zhao Qi , Pan Qinglin , Kang Zhensheng , Liu Jie
Published: September 2020

Plants quickly accumulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) to resist against pathogen invasion, while pathogens strive to escape host immune surveillance by degrading ROS. However, the nature of the strategies that fungal pathogens adopt to counteract host‐derived oxidative stress is manifold and requires deep investigation. In this study, a superoxide dismutase (SOD) from Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst) PsSOD2 with a signal peptide (SP) and the glycophosphatidyl inositol (GPI) anchor, strongly induced during infection, was analysed for its biological characteristics and potential role in wheat–Pst interactions. The results showed that PsSOD2 encodes a Cu‐only SOD and responded to ROS treatment. Heterologous complementation assays in Saccharomyces cerevisiae suggest that the SP of PsSOD2 is functional for its secretion. Transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves revealed that PsSOD2 is localized to the plasma membrane. In addition, knockdown of PsSOD2 by host‐induced gene silencing reduced Pst virulence and resulted in restricted hyphal development and increased ROS accumulation. In contrast, heterologous transient assays of PsSOD2 suppressed flg22‐elicited ROS production. Taken together, our data indicate that PsSOD2, as a virulence factor, was induced and localized to the plasma membrane where it may function to scavenge host‐derived ROS for promoting fungal infection.