bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non‐theatre emergency airway management: a multicentre prospective observational study
Authors: Gibson J. , Leckie T. , Hayward J. , Hodgson L. ,   the South East Anaesthetic Research Chain
Published: August 2023

Emergency airway management events are common, unpredictable and associated with high complication rates. This multicentre prospective observational study across eight acute NHS hospitals in southeast England reports the incidence and nature of non‐theatre emergency airway management events. Data were collected from non‐theatre emergency airway management, including adverse events, over a continuous 28‐day window, and recorded on an electronic case report form. Events were classified according to type (advanced airway; simple airway; and cardiac arrest). A total of 166 events were recorded, with 111 advanced airway events involving tracheal intubation or tracheostomy management. Senior personnel with three or more years of airway management experience were present for 105/111 (95%) advanced airway management episodes. There was a significant reduction in consultant or equivalent presence out‐of‐hours (21/64, 33%) vs. in‐hours (34/47, 72%) (p < 0.001). We found high utilisation of videolaryngoscopy (95/106, 90%) and universal use of capnography for all advanced airway management events. This was lower during cardiac arrest when videolaryngoscopy was used in 11/16 (69%) of tracheal intubations and capnography in 21/32 (66%) of all cardiac arrest episodes. Adverse outcomes during advanced airway management (excluding during cardiac arrest) occurred in 53/111 (48%) episodes, including hypoxia (desaturation to SpO2 < 80% in 14/111, 13%) and hypotension (systolic blood pressure < 80 mmHg in 27/111, 25%). Adverse outcomes were not associated with time of day or experience level of airway practitioners. We conclude that there is a disparity between consultant presence for advanced airway interventions in‐ and out‐of‐hours; high utilisation of videolaryngoscopy and capnography, especially for advanced airway interventions; and a high incidence of hypotension and hypoxaemia, including critical values, during non‐theatre airway management.
Predicting stroke and mortality in mitral stenosis with atrial flutter: A machine learning approach
Authors: Rauf Amer , Ullah Asif , Rathi Usha , Ashfaq Zainab , Ullah Hidayat , Ashraf Amna , Kumar Jateesh , Faraz Maria , Akhtar Waheed , Mehmoodi Amin , Malik Jahanzeb
Published: August 2023

Background

Our study hypothesized that an intelligent gradient boosting machine (GBM) model can predict cerebrovascular events and all‐cause mortality in mitral stenosis (MS) with atrial flutter (AFL) by recognizing comorbidities, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic parameters.

Methods

The machine learning model was used as a statistical analyzer in recognizing the key risk factors and high‐risk features with either outcome of cerebrovascular events or mortality.

Results

A total of 2184 patients with their chart data and imaging studies were included and the GBM analysis demonstrated mitral valve area (MVA), right ventricular systolic pressure, pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, and surgery as the most significant predictors of transient ischemic attack (TIA/stroke). MVA, PAP, LVEF, creatinine, hemoglobin, and diastolic blood pressure were predictors for all‐cause mortality.

Conclusion

The GBM model assimilates clinical data from all diagnostic modalities and significantly improves risk prediction performance and identification of key variables for the outcome of MS with AFL.
Experiencing Harpa: Revelatory architecture and the spatial encounter
Authors: Thilmany Drew Nathan
Published: August 2023

Drawing on Heidegger’s The Origin of the Work of Art and Art and Space, this article explores how people experience Harpa, a world‐renown work of architectural art. Following partners from Henning Larsen Architects, the firm responsible for supervising the design process with the artist Olafur Eliasson, I trace the impact of spatial experience from architectural experts to people struggling to articulate their encounter, unpacking links between Harpa and the quiet transformation of tourists, the stacking of stones, and the performance of art in a space that is widely regarded as a work of art in its own right. Folding Heidegger through Harpa, the text explores art as a non‐representational way of approaching phenomena that evade other forms of understanding, opening a space of revelation: an immeasurable distance in which the transcendent interconnectedness world and earth step forward.
The efficacy of hybrid neuroprostheses in the rehabilitation of upper limb impairment after stroke, a narrative and systematic review with a meta‐analysis
Authors: Höhler Chiara , Trigili Emilio , Astarita Davide , Hermsdörfer Joachim , Jahn Klaus , Krewer Carmen
Published: August 2023

Background

Paresis of the upper limb (UL) is the most frequent impairment after a stroke. Hybrid neuroprostheses, i.e., the combination of robots and electrical stimulation, have emerged as an option to treat these impairments.

Methods

To give an overview of existing devices, their features, and how they are linked to clinical metrics, four different databases were systematically searched for studies on hybrid neuroprostheses for UL rehabilitation after stroke. The evidence on the efficacy of hybrid therapies was synthesized.

Results

Seventy‐three studies were identified, introducing 32 hybrid systems. Among the most recent devices (n = 20), most actively reinforce movement (3 passively) and are typical exoskeletons (3 end‐effectors). If classified according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, systems for proximal support are expected to affect body structures and functions, while the activity and participation level are targeted when applying Functional Electrical Stimulation distally plus the robotic component proximally. The meta‐analysis reveals a significant positive effect on UL functions (p < 0.001), evident in a 7.8‐point Mdiff between groups in the Fugl–Meyer assessment. This positive effect remains at the 3‐month follow‐up (Mdiff = 8.4, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Hybrid neuroprostheses have a positive effect on UL recovery after stroke, with effects persisting at least three months after the intervention. Non‐significant studies were those with the shortest intervention periods and the oldest patients. Improvements in UL functions are not only present in the subacute phase after stroke but also in long‐term chronic stages. In addition to further technical development, more RCTs are needed to make assumptions about the determinants of successful therapy.
Viability assessment of livers donated after circulatory determination of death during normothermic regional perfusion
Authors: Steinberg Irene , Patrono Damiano , De Cesaris Enrico , Lucà Michele , Catalano Giorgia , Marro Matteo , Rizza Giorgia , Simonato Erika , Brazzi Luca , Romagnoli Renato , Zanierato Marinella
Published: August 2023

Background

Abdominal normothermic regional perfusion (A‐NRP) allows in‐situ reperfusion and recovery of abdominal organs metabolism in donors after circulatory death (DCD). Besides improving liver transplantation outcomes, liver injury and function can be assessed during A‐NRP.

Methods

To refine liver viability assessment during A‐NRP, prospectively collected data of controlled DCD donors managed at our Institution between October 2019 and May 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Baseline characteristics, procedural variables and A‐NRP parameters of donors whose liver was successfully transplanted were compared to those of donors whose liver was discarded.

Results

Twenty‐seven donors were included and in 20 (74%) the liver was accepted (positive outcome). No differences between study groups were observed concerning baseline characteristics and warm ischemia times (WIT). Initial lactate levels were positively correlated with functional WIT (r2 = 0.4, p = 0.04), whereas transaminase levels were not. Blood flow during A‐NRP was comparable, whereas oxygen consumption (VO2) was significantly higher in the positive outcome group after 1 h. Time courses of lactate, AST and ALT were significantly different between study groups (p < 0.001). Donors whose liver was accepted showed faster lactate clearance, a difference which was amplified by normalizing lactate clearance to oxygen delivery (DO2) and VO2. Lactate clearance was correlated to transaminase levels and DO2‐normalized lactate clearance was the parameter best discriminating between study groups.

Conclusions

DO2‐normalized lactate clearance may represent an element of liver viability assessment during A‐NRP.
How do changes in household economic conditions affect cognitive function?
Authors: Ishikawa Yumi
Published: August 2023

This study examines the effects of changes in household economic conditions on cognitive function using individual panel data from the National Survey of the Japanese Elderly. This study captures the objective and subjective economic conditions and examines which aspects of economic conditions affect cognitive function. The results demonstrate that deterioration in economic conditions damages cognitive function. In particular, objective economic conditions measured by income affect the cognitive function of Japanese men. This study also assesses possible pathways through which economic conditions affect cognitive function.
Effects of long‐term mowing on species diversity, biomass and composition of plant community in a semi‐arid grassland in northeastern China
Authors: Hassan Nazim , Zhong Zhiwei , Wang Deli , Zhu Yu , Naeem Iqra , Ahungu Abel Bui , Wan Ho Yi , Li Xiaofei
Published: August 2023

Questions

How does long‐term, moderate‐intensity mowing affect plant community diversity, biomass, and composition in semi‐arid grasslands? And what are the underlying mechanisms that drive differences in plant community structure and functions between mowed and unmowed grasslands?

Location

A semi‐arid grassland in Jilin Province, northeastern China.

Methods

In a 30‐year experiment, we investigated long‐term effects of mowing on the grassland ecosystem in northeastern China by comparing plant community diversity, biomass, and composition between mowed and unmowed permanent plots across six grasslands.

Results

Long‐term mowing did not affect plant species richness, but increased species evenness by 29%. Mowing had little effects on above‐ground (shoot) and below‐ground (root) biomass. The unchanged above‐ground biomass in the mowed areas was attributed to a trade‐off between biomass of grasses and forbs: mowing significantly increased forb biomass by 50%, but reduced grass biomass by 20% and the grass to forb biomass ratio by 46%. Mowing also reduced biomass of the dominant Leymus chinensis grass by 24% and litter biomass by 56%. Regression analyses indicated that the species evenness was negatively affected by L. chinensis biomass and litter biomass.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that, although long‐term moderate mowing has limited effects on plant species richness and plant biomass, such a managed strategy can greatly reduce the dominance of grass species and allow the growth of forb species, leading to a higher species evenness in the plant community. This win–win situation promotes forage production for farmers while increasing plant diversity for conservation, suggesting that current mowing tactics can be a sustainable management practice in this ecosystem. However, the continuous loss of plant litter because of mowing may have negative influences on soil nutrient availability in the long run. From this perspective, a short‐term halt in mowing or fertilization that allows plants and soil nutrients to recover could represent a more optimal protocol for management.
Alkaline phosphatase to treat ischaemia–reperfusion injury in living‐donor kidney transplantation: APhIRI I feasibility pilot study
Authors: Steenvoorden Thei S. , van Duin Robert E. , Rood Janneke A. J. , Peters‐Sengers Hessel , Nurmohamed Azam S. , Bemelman Frederike J. , Vogt Liffert , van der Heijden Joost W.
Published: August 2023

Aims

Ischemia‐reperfusion injury (IRI) during kidney transplant procedures is associated with adverse outcome. Alkaline phosphatase (AP) is an enzyme that has the potential to dampen IRI. Prior to this study, it had not been tested in the setting of kidney transplantation. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and feasibility of peri‐procedural AP administration in living donor kidney transplantation.

Methods

In this double blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled, single‐center pilot study, all eligible recipients of living donor kidneys were asked to give informed consent. AP (bRESCAP) or a placebo was administered intravenously over 24 hours after the transplantation procedure. The primary outcome—graft function at 1 year—was represented by iohexol measured glomerular filtration rate (mGFR). Serum and urine biomarkers within seven days after surgery were used as surrogate markers of kidney function and injury.

Results

Eleven patients were enrolled of whom five were treated with bRESCAP and six with placebo. After 1 year, mGFR was not different between groups. No specific adverse events were observed in the bRESCAP group. Urine expression of injury biomarkers CCL14, NGAL and Cystatin C was lower in the bRESCAP group at day seven. This was statistically significant.

Conclusion

This study illustrates that bRESCAP treatment is feasible in kidney transplantation, might have a dampening effect on IRI induced renal inflammation, and raises no safety concerns. Future research will evaluate the effects of bRESCAP treatment in donation after circulatory death kidney transplantation where IRI is more pronounced.
Establishment of a measurement system to evaluate breast milk transfer of biological agents using dry filter paper: A multi‐institutional study
Authors: Saito Jumpei , Yakuwa Naho , Hosokawa Yoshihiko , Hamada Hiromi , Suzuki Tomo , Sago Haruhiko , Kaneko Kayoko , Yamatani Akimasa , Murashima Atsuko
Published: August 2023

Aims

Information on breastfeeding and safety of biologics in infants is lacking due to difficulties in case collection. We evaluated methods for determining the concentration of biologics in breast milk using a dry filter method that can simplify the collection, storage and transport of breast milk.

Methods

To generate dried filter paper (DFP) samples, approximately 30 μL of breast milk was placed onto a Whatman 903 card and punched out. After extraction, the supernatant was measured using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Three concentrations of each drug were prepared in liquid breast milk (LBM) and DFP samples to determine their stability up to 28 days after storage at 2–8°C or −20°C for LBM and 25 ± 5°C for DFP. LBM and DFP samples were also provided by nursing mothers using biologics during lactation, and drug concentrations in both samples were compared. The agreement between the two measurement methods was confirmed by Bland–Altman analysis.

Results

Breast milk was provided by 12 mothers who used biologics (tocilizumab, abatacept, etanercept, golimumab, sarilumab and belimumab). The coefficients of variation for within‐run and between‐run precision for the six drugs were within 15% for both LBM and DFP, and accuracy was within 90%–110% of the quality controls. After 28 days, concentrations remained at more than 90%. The difference between the values obtained by each method was within the acceptable range of error (−12.1 to +16.6 ng/mL).

Conclusions

A method for determining the concentration of biologics using DFP is expected to help improve pharmacotherapy for lactating women.
Discrimination during childbirth and postpartum care utilization among Black birthing people in California, United States
Authors: James Kortney Floyd , Hicks Megan , Choi Kristen R. , Tobin Courtney S. Thomas
Published: August 2023

Background

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between discrimination during childbirth hospitalization and postpartum care utilization among Black birthing people in California, United States.

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of data from the Listening to Mothers in California survey, a population‐based survey of individuals with a singleton hospital‐based birth in California in 2016. The primary outcome was number of postpartum care visits. The primary exposures were racial, language, and insurance discrimination. A multiple linear regression model was used to estimate associations between discrimination and postpartum care use, adjusting for sociodemographic covariates.

Results

Black birthing people in the sample had an average of two postpartum visits. Almost 15% of the sample reported one or more forms of discrimination during hospital‐based childbirth. In adjusted models, racial discrimination (β = 0.09, 95% CI = 0.04–0.14, p < 0.01) and language discrimination (β = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.98–1.07, p < 0.01) were associated with increased postpartum visits, while insurance discrimination was linked to decreased postpartum visits (β = −0.96, 95% CI = −1.04 to −0.89, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

Among Black birthing people in California, the drivers of postpartum care utilization after childbirth are complex. There are multiple negative drivers (e.g., experiencing racial and language discrimination and unmet needs), barriers (e.g., insurance discrimination), and positive drivers (e.g., clinician type and education) that affect postpartum care utilization among Black birthing people.
Evidence that implementation intentions reduce self‐harm in the community
Authors: Paterson Abigail , Elliott Mark A. , Nicholls Louise A. Brown , Rasmussen Susan
Published: August 2023

Objectives

Implementation intentions are ‘IF‐THEN’ plans that encourage goal‐intended behaviour. This study was designed to test whether an intervention encouraging the formation of implementation intentions can reduce self‐harm in the community.

Design

A randomized controlled design was used.

Methods

At pre‐intervention, outcome variables (self‐harm in both specified and unspecified critical situations and suicidality) and potential moderators of implementation intentions (goal intention, mental imagery, and exposure to self‐harm) were measured using self‐report questionnaires. The participants (N = 469, aged 18–66 years, 86.4% female, 6.8% male and 6.7% other) were then randomized to either an experimental (implementation intention) or control task. At three‐months post‐intervention, self‐report questionnaires were used again to measure the outcome variables.

Results

There were no overall differences between the conditions at post‐intervention. However, goal intention and mental imagery, but not exposure to self‐harm, moderated the effects of condition on self‐harm in specified critical situations. At high (mean + 1SD) levels of both goal intention and mental imagery, the experimental condition reported self‐harming less frequently in the situations specified in their implementation intentions.

Conclusions

Implementation intentions therefore represent a useful intervention for reducing self‐harm in specified critical situations for people in the community who wish to avoid self‐harm and those who frequently experience self‐harm and suicide related mental imagery.
A novel small molecule inhibitor of p38⍺ MAP kinase augments cardiomyocyte cell cycle entry in response to direct cell cycle stimulation
Authors: Abouleisa Riham R. E. , Miller Jessica M. , Gebreil Ahmad , Salama Abou Bakr M. , Dwenger Marc , Abdelhafez Hania , Wahid Reham M. , Adewumi Adeniyi T. , Soliman Mahmoud E. S. , Abo‐Dya Nader E. , Mohamed Tamer M. A.
Published: August 2023

Background and Purpose

Myocardial infarction (MI) is the leading cause of mortality globally due in part to the limited ability of cardiomyocytes (CMs) to regenerate. Recently, we demonstrated that overexpression of four‐cell cycle factors, CDK1, CDK4, cyclin B1 and cyclin D1 (4F), induced cell division in ~20% of the post‐mitotic CMs overexpressed 4F. The current study aims to identify a small molecule that augments 4F‐induced CM cycle induction.

Experimental Approach, Key Results

Screening of small molecules with a potential to augment 4F‐induced cell‐cycle induction in 60‐day‐old mature human induced pluripotent cardiomyocytes (hiPS‐CMs) revealed N‐(4,6‐Dimethylpyridin‐2‐yl)‐4‐(pyridine‐4‐yl)piperazine‐1‐carbothioamide (NDPPC), which activates cell cycle progression in 4F‐transduced hiPS‐CMs. Autodock tool and Autodock vina computational methods showed that NDPPC has a potential interaction with the binding site at the human p38⍺ mitogen‐activated protein kinase (p38⍺ MAP kinase), a critical negative regulator of the mammalian cell cycle. A p38 MAP kinase activity assay showed that NDPPC inhibits p38⍺ with 5–10 times lower IC50 compared to the other P38 isoforms in a dose‐dependent manner. Overexpression of p38⍺ MAP kinase in CMs inhibited 4F cell cycle induction, and treatment with NDPPC reversed the cell cycle inhibitory effect.

Conclusion and Implications

NDPPC is a novel inhibitor for p38 MAP kinase and is a promising drug to augment CM cell cycle response to the 4F. NDPPC could become an adjunct treatment with other cell cycle activators for heart failure treatment.
Stratified activity: Vertical partitioning of the diel cycle by rainforest mammals in Borneo
Authors: Haysom Jessica K. , Deere Nicolas J. , Mahyudin Azniza , Struebig Matthew J.
Published: August 2023

Animal activity is driven by the environmental conditions and physical structure of a habitat, and the need to interact with, or avoid, other animals. Knowledge of the proportion of the 24‐hour cycle spent active (activity level), and the time/s of day in which activity is concentrated (activity pattern), informs our understanding of species' ecology and community dynamics. In multidimensional habitats such as tropical rainforests, arboreal (canopy‐dwelling) taxa comprise up to three‐quarters of vertebrate assemblages; yet, wildlife surveys are typically limited to ground level. Terrestrial‐only sampling can result in activity metrics that do not take account of species' full use of horizontal and vertical habitat space. We paired ground‐ and canopy‐level camera traps to characterize mammal activity across vertical strata in Borneo. Additionally, we sampled unlogged and recovering‐logged rainforest to evaluate whether this activity was impacted by logging. Activity across vertical strata varied substantially among 37 species. Arboreal mammals were predominantly nocturnal or diurnal but never cathemeral, terrestrial mammals were mostly nocturnal or cathemeral, and semi‐arboreal mammals appeared to fill the temporal niches under‐utilized by other groups. Differences in activity between unlogged and recovering‐logged forest were minimal, with 92% of species found in both forest types retaining the same activity pattern. Our study demonstrates that the inclusion of canopy‐based sampling provides much greater insights into overall rainforest mammal activity than terrestrial sampling alone. Our results suggest that the varying opportunities and constraints of each stratum act in concert to influence the diel patterns of tropical mammals.

Abstract in Malay is available with online material.
Nucleus‐localized circSLC39A5 suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma development by binding to STAT1 to regulate TDG transcription
Authors: Liu Meiliang , Lai Mingshuang , Li Deyuan , Zhang Ruirui , Wang Lijun , Peng Wenyi , Yang Jialei , He Wanting , Sheng Yonghong , Xiao Suyang , Nan Aruo , Zeng Xiaoyun
Published: August 2023

Accumulating evidence indicates that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are inextricably linked to cancer development. However, the function and mechanism of nucleus‐localized circRNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still require investigation. Here, qRT‐PCR and receiver‐operating characteristic curve were used to detect the expression and diagnostic potential of circSLC39A5 for HCC. The biological function of circSLC39A5 in HCC was investigated in vitro and in vivo. Nucleoplasmic separation assay, fluorescence in situ hybridization, RNA pulldown, RNA immunoprecipitation, the HDOCK Server, the NucleicNet Webserver, crosslinking‐immunoprecipitation, MG132 treatment, and chromatin immunoprecipitation were utilized to explore the potential molecular mechanism of circSLC39A5 in HCC. The results showed that circSLC39A5 was downregulated in both HCC tissues and plasma and was associated with satellite nodules and lymph node metastasis/vascular invasion. CircSLC39A5 was stably expressed in plasma samples under different storage conditions, showing good diagnostic potential for HCC (AUC = 0.915). CircSLC39A5 inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion, facilitated the apoptosis of HCC cells, and was associated with low expression of Ki67 and CD34. Remarkably, circSLC39A5 is mainly localized in the nucleus and binds to the transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1), affecting its stabilization and expression. STAT1 binds to the promoter of thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG). Overexpression of circSLC39A5 elevates TDG expression and reverses the increase of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression and the overactive cell proliferation caused by TDG silencing. Our findings uncovered a novel plasma circRNA, circSLC39A5, which may be a potential circulating diagnostic marker for HCC, and the mechanism by which nucleus‐localized circSLC39A5 exerts a transcriptional regulatory role in HCC by affecting STAT1/TDG/PCNA provides new insights into the mechanism of circRNAs.
In vivo protective efficacy of astaxanthin against ionizing radiation‐induced DNA damage
Authors: Aşcı Çelik Dilek , Toğay Vehbi Atahan
Published: August 2023

Astaxanthin, a carotenoid pigment, is believed to be effective in the repair of DNA damage. Our study evaluates the effect of astaxanthin on DNA damage in rats exposed to whole‐body radiotherapy using the comet assay. Thirty‐two male rats were randomly divided into four groups (control, ionizing radiation, astaxanthin, and radiation+astaxanthin). The radiation and radiation+astaxanthin groups were exposed to X‐rays at a dose of 8 gray (0.62 gray/min). Astaxanthin was administered at 4 mg/kg by gavage for 7 days starting from irradiation. The %TailDNA parameter was chosen as an indicator of DNA damage and the results were compared using one‐way ANOVA. %TailDNA was 3.24 ± 3.12 in the control group, 2.85 ± 2.73 in the astaxanthin group, 4.11 ± 7.90 in the radiation group, and 3.59 ± 4.05 in the radiation+astaxanthin group. There was a significant increase in DNA damage in the radiation group, compared with the control and astaxanthin groups (p < .001). DNA damage was reduced in the radiation+astaxanthin group compared with the radiation group (p < .05). Although this decrease did not reduce damage to the level of the control group, it was significant. The decrease in radiation‐induced DNA damage by astaxanthin administration in our study supports the hypothesis that astaxanthin is a promising agent for against/reducing DNA damage.
A new experimental rat model of nocebo‐related nausea involving double mechanisms of observational learning and conditioning
Authors: Zhang Yu , Huang Wanbin , Shan Zhengming , Zhou Yanjie , Qiu Tao , Hu Luyu , Yang Liu , Wang Yue , Xiao Zheman
Published: August 2023

Aim

The nocebo effect, such as nausea and vomiting, is one of the major reasons patients discontinue therapy. The underlying mechanisms remain unknown due to a lack of reliable experimental models. The goal of this study was to develop a new animal model of nocebo‐related nausea by combining observational learning and Pavlovian conditioning paradigms.

Methods

Male Sprague–Dawley rats with nitroglycerin‐induced migraine were given 0.9% saline (a placebo) or LiCl (a nausea inducer) following headache relief, according to different paradigms.

Results

Both strategies provoked nocebo nausea responses, with the conditioning paradigm having a greater induction impact. The superposition of two mechanisms led to a further increase in nausea responses. A preliminary investigation of the underlying mechanism revealed clearly raised peripheral and central cholecystokinin (CCK) levels, as well as specific changes in the 5‐hydroxytryptamine and cannabinoid systems. Brain networks related to emotion, cognition, and visceral sense expressed higher c‐Fos‐positive neurons, including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insula, basolateral amygdala (BLA), thalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVT), hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), periaqueductal gray (PAG), and dorsal raphe nucleus‐dorsal part (DRD). We also found that nausea expectances in the model could last for at least 12 days.

Conclusion

The present study provides a useful experimental model of nocebo nausea that might be used to develop potential molecular pathways and therapeutic strategies for nocebo.
Iron overload suppresses hippocampal neurogenesis in adult mice: Implication for iron dysregulation‐linked neurological diseases
Authors: Li Jie , Ding Yiqian , Zhang Jianhua , Zhang Yating , Cui Yiduo , Zhang Yi , Chang Shiyang , Chang Yan‐Zhong , Gao Guofen
Published: August 2023

Aims

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is an important player in brain homeostasis and its impairment participates in neurological diseases. Iron overload has emerged as an irreversible factor of brain aging, and is also closely related to degenerative disorders, including cognitive dysfunction. However, whether brain iron overload alters hippocampal neurogenesis has not been reported. We investigated the effect of elevated iron content on adult hippocampal neurogenesis and explored the underlying mechanism.

Methods

Mouse models with hippocampal iron overload were generated. Neurogenesis in hippocampus and expression levels of related molecules were assessed.

Results

Iron accumulation in hippocampus remarkably impaired the differentiation of neural stem cells, resulting in a significant decrease in newborn neurons. The damage was possibly attributed to iron‐induced downregulation of proprotein convertase furin and subsequently decreased maturation of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), thus contributing to memory decline and anxiety‐like behavior of mice. Supportively, knockdown of furin indeed suppressed hippocampal neurogenesis, while furin overexpression restored the impairment.

Conclusion

These findings demonstrated that iron overload damaged hippocampal neurogenesis likely via iron–furin–BDNF pathway. This study provides new insights into potential mechanisms on iron‐induced neurotoxicity and the causes of neurogenesis injury and renders modulating iron homeostasis and furin expression as novel therapeutic strategies for treatment of neurological diseases.
Classification analysis of burnout people's brain images using ontology‐based speculative sense model
Authors: Sivaparthipan Chandrakirishnan Balakrishnan , Kumar Priyan Malarvizhi , Chandu Thota , Muthu BalaAnand , Ali Mohammed Hasan , Tomaš Boris
Published: August 2023

Burnout is a state of exhaustion that results from prolonged, excessive workplace stress. This can be examined with the biological explications of burnout and physical consequences and classified against prolonged vigorous activities. The research aims to classify burnout people's brain images against prolonged emotional activities using ontology analysis of treatment and prevention and intermediate layers formation based on a speculative sense model. In this segment, the Ontology analysis of Treatment and prevention and intermediate layers formation based on a hypothetical sense model is employed for burnout people's classification analysis. The methodology is performed in the platform of ontology creation and performs the classification analysis. The calculation analysis found the result, and the brain images were classified. The classification analysis of burnout people's brain images, separation of prolonged vigorous activities, and the ontology creation for treatment and prevention against burnout people's brain images were obtained. The analysis received the result, and the results of the precision, recall, storage, computation time, specificity, and classification of burnout people's brain images were obtained. Furthermore, all these Ontology analysis of Treatment and prevention and intermediate layers formation based on a hypothetical sense model had the prediction sensitivity (SN) over 50% and specificity (SP) over 90%. The Classification of Burnout People's Brain performance comparison shows that the proposed system is much more successful than existing methods, especially on a scoring accuracy of 98%.
Socioeconomic status and in‐hospital outcomes for patients undergoing heart transplantation or ventricular assist device implantation
Authors: Minhas Abdul Mannan Khan , Fudim Marat , Garan A Reshad , Davis Jonathan D. , Fonarow Gregg C. , Antoine Steve M. , Fedson Savitri , Nambi Vijay , Abramov Dmitry
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Although lower socioeconomic status (SES) has been associated with worse in‐hospital outcomes among patients with heart failure, the in‐hospital outcomes for patients undergoing durable Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) implantation or Heart Transplantation (HT) based on SES have not been well characterized.

Methods

We analyzed data from the National Inpatient Sample of hospitalizations between January 2016 and December 2020 of patients aged 18 and over who underwent a HT or newly implanted LVAD. Quartile classification of the median household income of the patient's residential zip code was used to estimate SES. Multivariable analyses with logistic and linear regression were used to evaluate the effects of SES on inpatient outcomes including inpatient mortality, length of stay, and key inpatient complications.

Results

A total of 16,265 weighted hospitalizations for new LVAD implantation and 14,320 weighted hospitalizations for HT were identified. In multivariable analysis, among patients undergoing HT or LVAD implantation respectively, there were no significant differences between the lowest and highest SES quartiles among important in‐hospital outcomes including length of stay (adj B‐coeff .56, (−3.59)–(4.71), p = .79 and adj B‐coeff 2.40, (−.21)–(5.02), p = .07) and mortality (aOR 1.02, .61–1.70, p = .94 and aOR 1.08, .72–1.62, p = .73). There were also no differences based on SES quartile in important inpatient complications including stroke and cardiac arrest.

Conclusion

In this analysis from the National Inpatient Sample, we demonstrate that SES, evaluated by median zip code income, was not associated with important in‐hospital metrics including mortality and length of stay among patients undergoing LVAD or HT.
Green Growth and the Balance‐of‐payments Constraint
Authors: Oberholzer Basil
Published: August 2023

The notion of green growth emphasizes environmental and climate policies that make economic activities more sustainable while contributing to higher growth. In developing countries, the ability of such policies to help solve the most pressing economic challenges is essential for green growth to be a viable concept. Notably, current account deficits, foreign exchange shortage and external debt accumulation are serious obstacles to economic development. The analysis in this article therefore approaches green growth from a new perspective. With a focus on energy, the article estimates the impact of the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy on the balance‐of‐payments constrained growth of energy‐importing developing and emerging economies. It assumes that their current economic structure otherwise remains the same. Since renewable energy production is more efficient than fossil fuel combustion and reduces import dependence, the energy transition increases the annual balance‐of‐payments constrained growth rate of the selected countries by up to 2.5 percentage points on average in a scenario from the present until 2050. This means that policies in favour of renewable energy allow those countries to grow faster without accumulating foreign debt or even triggering currency crises. Consequently, staying with the current fossil fuel‐based energy system implies missing a significant potential for growth and development.
Misaligned Social Policy? Explaining the Origins and Limitations of Cash Transfers in Sudan
Authors: Ali Muez , Mann Laura
Published: August 2023

This article examines whether the transitional government in the wake of the December 2018 Sudanese revolution succeeded in realigning social policy with public demands. The article focuses on the evolution of cash transfer programmes from the 2012 cash programme under the Ingaz regime to the transitional government's programme 2021. While the recent programme was popularly viewed as a ‘World Bank programme’, its originators were in fact Sudanese professionals. Similarly, the Ingaz regime experimented with cash transfers before seeking out World Bank technical support. In this sense, cash transfers cannot be seen as an external imposition, as domestic actors have favoured them across different regimes. Yet, their appeal may still reflect the ‘choicelessness’ that Thandika Mkandawire associated with structural adjustment, as in both cases cash transfers were introduced as part of broader economic reform. Sudan's case is distinct in the sense that its domestic policy makers did not begrudgingly accept cash transfers but were enthusiastic instigators of them. The article traces the origins of this enthusiasm within Sudan's recent political history and explores the way in which alignment with international mainstream policy making locks Sudan into a bind. The country urgently needs to reverse the fragmentation of social policy along geographic and racial lines, yet these programmes do little to overcome such regional and racial inequalities. Thus, even after a popular revolution displaced the prevailing political settlement and called for radical change, policy makers remain misaligned to public demands.
Demonstration of subclinical left ventricular electrical and mechanical dysfunction in overweight subjects by frontal QRS‐T angle and 3D‐speckle tracking echocardiography
Authors: Mammadov Ganbar , Taskin Ugur , Dindas Ferhat , Dogdus Mustafa
Published: August 2023

Background

Overweightness is a considerable step in the process leading to obesity. There are no sufficient studies on the effect of cardiomyopathy defined in obese patients about overweight subjects. We thought that it may be useful to examine the myocardial involvement in overweight individuals electro‐mechanically with more sensitive techniques before the development of obesity cardiomyopathy.

Aim

The aim of the present study was to demonstrate whether or not there are subclinical left ventricular (LV) electrical and mechanical dysfunctions in overweight patients using frontal QRS‐T (fQRS‐T) angle (electrically) and 3D‐speckle tracking echocardiography (mechanically).

Methods

A total of 80 overweight patients and 80 age‐ and sex‐matched normal weight individuals were enrolled into the study. 3D‐STE examinations of the patients were performed. Electrocardiographic recordings were obtained for fQRS‐T angle assessment.

Results

The LV‐GLS and LV‐GCS were significantly depressed in the overweight group than in the normal weight group (−14.5 ± 3.4 vs. −21.7 ± 3.6, p < .001; −15.2 ± 4.6 vs. −24.3 ± 4.8, p < .001, respectively). The fQRS‐T angle was found to be increased in the overweight group (142.5 ± 39.2 vs. 114.7 ± 43.5, p = < .001). Statistically significant positive linear correlations were observed between BMI with LV‐GLS, LV‐GCS, and fQRS‐T angle. LV‐GLS and LV‐GCS were found to be disrupted linearly as BMI increased (r = .718 for BMI and LV‐GLS, r = .653 for BMI and LV‐GCS). As BMI increased, it was found that the fQRS‐T angle increased (r = .692 for BMI and fQRS‐T angle).

Conclusion

Our results support that, overweight individuals, despite their being apparently healthy, may have subclinical LV myocardial mechanical and electrical dysfunction.
Mediterranean ants can increase nymph mortality in the stink bug Nezara viridula without interfering with its egg parasitoid Trissolcus basalis
Authors: Schifani Enrico , Peri Ezio , Giannetti Daniele , Alınç Tuğcan , Colazza Stefano , Grasso Donato A.
Published: August 2023

Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) play a relevant ecological role across terrestrial ecosystems. Recent studies suggest that the presence of ants in crops could lead to a decrease in the populations of insect pests, but how these actions can vary along the different trophic levels is not well known. The southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a cosmopolitan agricultural pest which is regularly found on horticultural agroecosystems closely associated with its main egg parasitoid, Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae). We conducted laboratory experiments to test whether two Mediterranean ant species, the generalist predators Crematogaster scutellaris (Olivier) and Tapinoma magnum Mayr, attack N. viridula eggs or nymphs, and whether they interfere with the parasitization activity of T. basalis. The experiment showed that both ant species significantly increased the mortality of N. viridula nymphs, whereas they do not attack their eggs and do not interfere with the egg parasitoids. Our results suggest that ants and egg parasitoids may have an integrable role in biocontrol strategies against this pest.
CAR‐T cell therapy in hematological malignancies: Where are we now and where are we heading for?
Authors: Khan Aalia N. , Asija Sweety , Pendhari Juber , Purwar Rahul
Published: August 2023

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR‐T) therapy has emerged as a revolutionary new pillar in cancer care, particularly in relapsed/refractory (r/r) B‐cell malignancies. Following impressive clinical outcomes in hematological malignancies, the FDA‐approved six CAR‐T cell products for indications such as lymphoma, leukemia, and myeloma. Despite the numerous advantages of CAR‐T cell treatment, several challenges exist that interfere with its therapeutic efficacy. Serious adverse effects connected with the treatment continue to be a major concern. In addition, poor persistence of therapeutics and antigen escape frequently result in tumor relapse. Exorbitant treatment cost further remains a significant barrier to its effective implementation, limiting its accessibility. This review presents progress of CAR‐T research, the key obstacles that hamper promising outcomes for patients with hematological malignancies, and a few strategies to overcome them.
A scale of parent‐to‐child emotions: Adaptation, factor structure, and measurement invariance
Authors: Hada Ayako , Ohashi Yukiko , Usui Yuriko , Kitamura Toshinori
Published: August 2023

Emotions that parents feel when they think about their own child are extremely important in determining parenting approaches toward a child. Parental emotions should be defined under the rubric of human emotions that include both basic and self‐conscious emotions. The Scale for Parent‐to‐Baby Emotions (SPBE) was developed underlying this concept, whereas an applicable scale for parent‐to‐child emotions for a wider age range for both mothers and fathers is needed. This study is aimed at examining the measurement invariance of this adapted scale among Japanese families. In a cross‐sectional internet survey, men and women who had a child/children (including a fetus), whose eldest was aged up to 12 years old (N = 4600), were recruited. The questionnaire, which included the Scale for Parent‐to‐Child‐Emotions‐62 (SPCE‐62) created from the SPBE via a process of rigorous translation, focused only on the eldest child. The feasibility of the SPCE‐62 was assessed by a panel of three researchers. Each domain of both basic and self‐conscious emotions was examined both in terms of robust factor structure and stable measurement invariance by multi‐group confirmatory factor analysis. Responses to individual items were examined via item response theory, including differential item functioning. This resulted in a 43‐item SPCE consisting of 9 domains: Happiness (four items), Anger (six items), Fear (four items), Sadness (five items), Disgust (five items), Shame (five items), Guilt (seven items), Alpha Pride (three items), and Beta Pride (four items). An empirical construct of parental emotion toward a child was derived. The SPCE makes it possible to measure parent‐to‐child emotions across parents' gender and the three age ranges of the child.
Editor Profile: Daniel Longley
Authors:   The FEBS Journal Editorial Team, Longley Daniel B.
Published: August 2023

In this special interview series, we profile members of The FEBS Journal editorial board to highlight their research focus, perspectives on the journal and future directions in their field. Professor Daniel Longley is the Director of the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, UK. He has served as an Editorial Board Member of The FEBS Journal since 2021.
Bank dividend payout policy and debt seniority: Evidence from US Banks
Authors: Alhalabi Thaer , Castro Vítor , Wood Justine
Published: August 2023

Bank depositors and creditors are expected to play an important role in banks’ dividend policy since they can either discipline or incentivise managers to pay larger dividends. We provide evidence suggesting that depositors are more influential than subordinated debtholders in disciplining banks facing extreme solvency situations from wealth expropriation, which is consistent with the monitoring hypothesis. The results for solvent banks show that deposits and subordinated debt explain larger dividends, suggesting that signalling incentives drive these cash payments. Diving deeper into our groups of banks, we observe that the risk‐shifting hypothesis becomes more nuanced as listed banks exercise wealth expropriation after the crisis through the uninsured deposits channel. Our results provide significant support for major dividend theories, unravelling the debt channels through which these theories may hold.
Energy channelling, food chain length and body condition in a northern lake predator
Authors: Shipley Oliver N. , McMeans Bailey C. , Besser Alexi C. , Bloomfield Emma J. , Newsome Seth D.
Published: August 2023

Identifying potential links between food web structure and animal body condition is fundamental for predicting the long‐term persistence of populations under rapidly changing environments. Northern lakes, and the cold‐water adapted species that inhabit them, are particularly vulnerable to a warming climate.

We explored relationships among body condition and energy channel use in lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) and seasonal variation in food‐chain length in the Lake of Two Rivers, Ontario, Canada. Bayesian mixing models using carbon isotope values (δ13C) of essential amino acids showed that individuals utilising multiple energy channels had higher gonad mass, suggesting that dietary diversity has reproductive fitness benefits.

Amino acid nitrogen isotope (δ15N) analysis revealed seasonal variation in food chain length, with extension of the food web during winter and spring and truncation of the food web during summer. Although these findings illustrate increased omnivory of lake trout during summer, there was no clear evidence that seasonal changes in food chain length had an impact on trout condition.

These findings provide new insight into potential relationships between food web structure, energy flow and consumer condition in freshwater ecosystems, thereby revealing potential responses of species to shifting ecosystem states under intensifying climate change at high latitudes.