bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting Long-Term Facial Nerve Outcomes After Resection of Vestibular Schwannoma
Authors: Tawfik Kareem O. , Alexander Thomas H. , Saliba Joe , Mastrodimos Bill , Cueva Roberto A.
Published: November 2020

Objectives:

1) Describe the effect of tumor size on facial nerve (FN) outcomes after microsurgical resection of vestibular schwannoma (VS).

2) Describe the effect of surgical approach, preoperative radiation, and early postoperative facial function on long-term FN outcomes.

Study Design:

Retrospective analysis.

Setting:

Tertiary referral center.

Patients:

Adult (≥18 yr) patients underwent translabyrinthine or retrosigmoid VS resection by a single neurotologist and single neurosurgeon between February 2008 and December 2017.

Main Outcome Measures:

Long-term FN outcomes (≥12 mo) according to House–Brackmann (HB) grade.

Results:

During the study period, 350 patients underwent VS resection, of whom 290 met inclusion criteria. Translabyrinthine surgery was performed in 54% (n = 158) and retrosigmoid in 45% (n = 131). One patient underwent a combined approach. Among patients who underwent retrosigmoid approach, none had a tumor more than 30 mm. Gross total resection was achieved in 98% (n = 283). Long-term HB1–2 function was achieved in 90% (n = 261). On univariate analysis, tumor size (per cm increase), history of preoperative radiation, and worse HB score at discharge predicted worse FN function. Multivariate analysis showed that tumor size (per cm increase) and history of radiation were independent predictors of FN function. For patients with tumors less than 30 mm, multivariate analysis of tumor size and surgical approach was performed; tumor size remained predictive of worse FN function (odds ratio [OR] 2.362, p = 0.0035), whereas surgical approach was not significantly predictive (p = 0.7569).

Conclusion:

Tumor size and history of radiation predict long-term FN function after VS resection. When accounting for tumor size, the translabyrinthine and retrosigmoid approaches yield equivalent FN results.
Rural-Urban Differences in Nursing Home Risk-adjusted Rates of Emergency Department Visits
Authors: Xu Huiwen , Bowblis John R. , Caprio Thomas V. , Li Yue , Intrator Orna
Published: November 2020

Background:

Higher risk-adjusted rate of emergency department (ED) visits might reflect poor quality of nursing home (NH) care; however, existing evidence is limited regarding rural-urban differences in ED rates of NHs, especially for long-stay residents.

Objectives:

To determine and quantify sources of rural-urban differences in NH risk-adjusted rates of any ED visit, ED without hospitalization or observation stay (outpatient ED), and potentially avoidable ED visits (PAED) of long-stay residents.

Research Design:

We calculated quarterly NH risk-adjusted rates using 2011–2013 national Medicare claims and Minimum Data Set 3.0, and then implemented Generalized Estimating Equation models to examine rural-urban differences in ED rates and Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition to quantify the contributions of NH and market factors.

Subjects:

Privately owned, free-standing NHs in the United States (N=13,260).

Results:

Over the study period, risk-adjusted rates averaged 9.8% for any ED, 3.3% for outpatient ED, and 3.2% for PAED. Compared with urban NHs, rural NHs were associated with significantly lower rates of any ED, outpatient ED, and PAED (β=−1.67%, −0.44%, and −0.28%; all P<0.01). Observable differences in market factors (nursing home bed concentration, hospital beds, and the existence of a critical access hospital) explained about half of the rural-urban differences in rates of any ED and PAED, but not outpatient ED.

Conclusions:

Decomposition analyses suggested that lower ED rates in rural NHs appear to be related to market availability of hospital resources. Policymakers may focus on not only reducing unnecessary ED visits but also ensuring equitable hospital access in rural areas.
Integration of Clozapine-associated Harm Obsessions into Cognitive Behavioral Conceptualization and Treatment Planning for Thought Broadcasting: A Case Study
Authors: KOPELOVICH SARAH L. , WOOD KEITH , COTES ROBERT O. , GOLDSMITH DAVID R.
Published: November 2020

Background and Objectives:

As many as 30% of individuals with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder experience obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS). Clozapine has demonstrated superior efficacy for the treatment of medication-resistant schizophrenia but it is also associated with an increased risk for OCS. Because pharmacologic management of clozapine-related OCS can be particularly challenging, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) should be considered. Nevertheless, there are few detailed accounts of CBT for OCS and schizophrenia.

Methods:

The authors describe the interdisciplinary outpatient care of a client who had a 25-year history of schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, and OCS. The case formulation was used to guide interventions to target core schemas of being dangerous and defective. The case study describes the cognitive behavioral formulation, treatment targets, treatment course, and functional and symptom response.

Results:

The client received 21 sessions of a formulation-based CBT for psychosis protocol, which included a 6-session course of exposure with response prevention, consisting of imaginal and in vivo exposure to multiple salient harm stimuli. Reduced ratings of distress and a 50% reduction in OCS suggest that habituation and inhibitory learning occurred. The treatment of OCS resulted in the complete resolution of thought broadcasting. Subsequently, the client was more successful in his efforts to adhere to an action schedule.

Limitations:

The use of both the treatment approach described in this clinical case report and contemporaneous medication management preclude comment on the mechanism(s) of the therapeutic change observed in this case.

Conclusions:

This report presents a means of conceptualizing the interplay between thought broadcasting and harm obsessions and discusses considerations in identifying and treating individuals with similar comorbid conditions, particularly in the context of clozapine treatment for medication-resistant psychosis.
Two Clinically Important but Underutilized and Misunderstood Tools: Formulas to Estimate Creatinine Clearance and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring
Authors: PRESKORN SHELDON H.
Published: November 2020

This column first reviews 2 key equations that are central to clinical pharmacology. Clinicians can use the first equation to predict the effect of a specific dose of a specific drug in specific circumstances on the basis of 3 variables: (1) the drug’s pharmacodynamics, (2) the drug’s pharmacokinetics, and (3) biological variance in the individual patient. Clinicians can use the second equation to determine the concentration of a drug that a patient will achieve on a given dose depending on the patient’s ability to clear the drug from the body. These 2 equations allow prescribers to predict whether the dose of a drug a patient is receiving is likely to achieve the desired clinical response (not so low that it is clinically ineffective or so high that it causes adverse effects that interfere with the patient’s ability to tolerate or benefit from the treatment). The author then describes 2 tools clinicians can use to determine a patient’s ability to clear a drug from the body, and thus calculate the concentration of the drug using Equation 2. These tools are: (1) estimation of creatinine clearance and (2) therapeutic drug monitoring.
Sensory Recovery of the Breast following Innervated and Noninnervated Lateral Thigh Perforator Flap Breast Reconstruction
Authors: Beugels Jop , van Kuijk Sander M. J. , Lataster Arno , van der Hulst René R. W. J. , Tuinder Stefania M. H.
Published: November 2020

Background:

The lateral thigh perforator flap, based on the tissue of the upper lateral thigh, is an excellent option for autologous breast reconstruction. The aim of this study was to introduce the technique to perform a nerve coaptation in lateral thigh perforator flap breast reconstruction and to analyze the results by comparing the sensory recovery of the reconstructed breast and donor site between innervated and noninnervated lateral thigh perforator flaps.

Methods:

A prospective cohort study was conducted of patients who underwent an innervated or noninnervated lateral thigh perforator flap breast reconstruction between December of 2014 and August of 2018. Direct nerve coaptation was performed between a branch of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve and the anterior cutaneous branch of the intercostal nerve. Sensory testing was performed with Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments to assess the sensation of the native skin, flap skin, and donor site during follow-up.

Results:

In total, 24 patients with 37 innervated lateral thigh perforator flaps and 18 patients with 26 noninnervated lateral thigh perforator flaps were analyzed (median follow-up, 17 and 15 months, respectively). Significantly lower mean monofilament values were found for the native skin (adjusted difference, −0.83; p = 0.011) and flap skin (adjusted difference, –1.11; p < 0.001) of the reconstructed breast in innervated compared to noninnervated flaps. For the donor site, no statistically significant differences were found between both groups.

Conclusions:

Nerve coaptation in lateral thigh perforator flap breast reconstruction resulted in a significantly better sensory recovery of the reconstructed breast compared to noninnervated flaps. The data also suggest that harvesting a sensory nerve branch does not compromise the sensory recovery of the upper lateral thigh.
Endoscopy-Assisted Total Mastectomy with and without Immediate Reconstruction: An Extended Follow-Up, Multicenter Study
Authors: Kuo Yao-Lung , Chang Chih-Hao , Chang Tzu-Yen , Chien Hsiung-Fei , Liao Li-Min , Hung Chin-Sheng , Lin Shih-Lung , Chen Shou-Tung , Chen Dar-Ren , Lai Hung-Wen
Published: November 2020

Background:

Endoscopy-assisted total mastectomy has been used for surgical intervention of breast cancer patients; however, large cohort studies with long-term follow-up data are lacking.

Methods:

Breast cancer patients who underwent endoscopy-assisted total mastectomy from May of 2009 to March of 2018 were collected prospectively from multiple centers. Clinical outcome, impact of different phases, oncologic results, and patient-reported aesthetic outcomes of endoscopy-assisted total mastectomy were reported.

Results:

A total of 436 endoscopy-assisted total mastectomy procedures were performed; 355 (81.4 percent) were nipple-sparing mastectomy, and 81 (18.6 percent) were skin-sparing mastectomy. Three hundred fourteen (75.4 percent) of the procedures were associated with immediate breast reconstruction; 255 were prosthesis based and 59 were associated with autologous flaps. The positive surgical margin rate for endoscopy-assisted total mastectomy was 2.1 percent. In morbidity evaluation, there were 19 cases (5.4 percent) with partial nipple necrosis, two cases (0.6 percent) with total nipple necrosis, and three cases (0.7 percent) with implant loss. Compared with the early phase, surgeons operating on patients in the middle or late phase had significantly decreased operation time and blood loss. With regard to patient-reported cosmetic outcomes, approximately 94.4 percent were satisfied with the aesthetic results. Patients who underwent breast reconstruction with preservation of the nipple had higher satisfaction rates. Over a median follow-up of 54.1 ± 22.4 months, there were 14 cases of locoregional recurrence (3.2 percent), three distant metastases (0.7 percent), and one mortality (0.2 percent).

Conclusion:

This multicenter study showed that endoscopy-assisted total mastectomy is a reliable surgical intervention for early breast cancer, with high patient satisfaction.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, IV.
Universal screening for blunt cerebrovascular injury
Authors: Black Jonathan A. , Abraham Peter J. , Abraham Mackenzie N. , Cox Daniel B. , Griffin Russell L. , Holcomb John B. , Hu Parker J. , Kerby Jeffrey D. , Liptrap Elizabeth J. , Thaci Bart , Harrigan Mark R. , Jansen Jan O.
Published: November 2020

BACKGROUND

Blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI) can result in thromboembolic stroke. Many trauma centers selectively screen patients with cervical computed tomographic angiography (CTA) based on clinical criteria. In 2016, our institution adopted universal screening for BCVI for all blunt trauma patients. The aim of this study was to accurately determine the incidence of BCVI and to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the Denver criteria (DC), expanded Denver criteria (eDC), and Memphis criteria (MC) in selecting patients for screening.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study of adult (≥16 years) blunt trauma patients who presented to the Level I trauma center at University of Alabama at Birmingham. We reviewed all CTA reports and selected CTA images to obtain the true incidence rate of BCVI. We then evaluated the diagnostic performance of the DC, eDC, and MC.

RESULTS

A total of 6,800 patients who had suffered blunt trauma were evaluated, of whom 6,287 (92.5%) had a neck CTA. Of these, 480 (7.6%) patients had CTA evidence of BCVI. The eDC identified the most BCVI cases (sensitivity 74.7%) but had the lowest positive predictive value (14.6%). The DC and MC had slightly greater positive predictive values (19.6% and 20.6%, respectively) and had the highest diagnostic ability in terms of likelihood ratio (2.8 and 2.9) but had low sensitivity (57.5% and 47.3%). Consequently, if relying on the traditional screening criteria, the DC, eDC, and MC would have respectively resulted in 42.5%, 25.3%, and 52.7% of patients with BCVI identified by universal screening not receiving a neck CTA to screen for BCVI.

CONCLUSION

Blunt cerebrovascular injury is even more common than previously thought. The diagnostic performance of selective clinical screening criteria is poor. Consideration should be given to the implementation of universal screening for BCVI using neck CTA in all blunt trauma patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Diagnostic, level III.
Neuroprotective effects of aromatic turmerone on activity deprivation-induced apoptosis in cerebellar granule neurons
Authors: Saga Yuya , Hatakenaka Yudai , Matsumoto Miho , Yoshioka Yuri , Matsumura Shinichi , Zaima Nobuhiro , Konishi Yoshiyuki
Published: November 2020

Ar-turmerone, which is a major bioactive component found in the essential oil derived fromCurcuma longa, has been reported to inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in cancer cell lines. Recently, ar-turmerone has been reported to increase the proliferation of neuronal stem cells, in contrast to its actions in cancer cells. These observations raise the possibility that ar-turmerone serves specific functions in neuronal cell lineages. However, the effects of ar-turmerone on postmitotic neurons remain elusive. In the present study, we investigated the neuroprotective functions of ar-turmerone in primary cerebellar granule neuronal cultures. We found that ar-turmerone increased the survival of neurons following activity deprivation. Consistently, the induction of cleaved caspase-3, a hallmark of apoptosis, was prevented by ar-turmerone, although neither the level of reactive oxygen species nor the mitochondrial membrane potential was affected. This study reports a neuroprotective function for ar-turmerone, providing new insights into the potential therapeutic applications of ar-turmerone for neurological disorders.
Melatonin ameliorated CUMS-induced depression-like behavior via restoring endoplasmic reticulum stress in rat hippocampus
Authors: Wang Shengdong , Xu Xiaohong , Ju Xuan , Wang Shuqi , Li Jing , Yan Pan , Yu Zhenghe , Song Mingfen
Published: November 2020

Melatonin is a hormone synthesized and secreted by the pineal gland with the effect of regulating sleep rhythm. Circadian and sleep disturbances may be central for understanding the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. Recently, the melatonergic system has been implicated in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. In this study, we observed the effects of melatonin on depression-like behavior induced by chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) in rats, and its molecular mechanism was explored. Adult male Sprague–Dawley rats were exposed to CUMS for 4 weeks. Melatonin or saline was injected intraperitoneally. Behavioral changes of Sprague–Dawley rats were detected by the open field test, sugar preference test, elevated O maze test and forced swimming test. In addition, the plasma corticosterone level and the expression of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related protein in the hippocampus of rats were measured. Compared with the control group, the CUMS-exposed Sprague–Dawley rats showed depression-like behavior, which was significantly improved by melatonin treatment. Moreover, CUMS induced endoplasmic reticulum stress and JNK phosphorylation in the hippocampus. Melatonin treatment could significantly reverse the endoplasmic reticulum stress and JNK phosphorylation induced by CUMS. These results suggest that melatonin improves depression-like behavior by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress induced by CUMS. This study demonstrates that melatonin can improve depression-like behavior induced by CUMS, which may be related to the inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress and JNK phosphorylation in rat hippocampus.
In vitro: Natural Compounds (Thymol, Carvacrol, Hesperidine, And Thymoquinone) Against Sars-Cov2 Strain Isolated From Egyptian Patients
Authors: Seadawy M.G , Gad A.F , Elhoseny M.F , ELharty B.El , Shamel M.D , Elfiky Abdo A. , Ahmed Aya , Zekri Abdel Rahman N.
Published: November 2020

The current pandemic of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has badly affected our life during the year 2020. SARS-CoV-2 is the primary causative agent of the newly emerged pandemic. Natural flavonoids, Terpenoid and Thymoquinone are tested against different viral and host-cell protein targets. These natural compounds have a good history in treating Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Molecular docking combined with cytotoxicity and plaque reduction assay is used to test the natural compounds against different viral (Spike, RdRp, and Mpro) and host-cell (TMPRSS II, keap 1, and ACE2) targets. The results demonstrate the binding possibility of the natural compounds (Thymol, Carvacrol, Hesperidine, and Thymoquinone) to the viral main protease (Mpro). Some of these natural compounds were approved to start clinical trail from Egypt Center for Research and Regenerative Medicine ECRRM IRB (Certificate No.IRB00012517)
An assessment of the literature on cause-related marketing: implications for international competitiveness and marketing research
Authors: Vrontis Demetris , Christofi Michael , Katsikeas Constantine S.
Published: November 2020

Purpose

A substantial, albeit scattered, body of research evidence is accumulating in the cause-related marketing (CRM) research stream. Thus, there is a need of a systematic overview of extant literature to map and holistically understand the CRM domain.

Design/methodology/approach

To address this issue and make progress in this important area, the authors systematically review and critically examine the state of academic research on CRM.

Findings

Based on a systematic review of 105 journal articles published over the past 30 years, the results reveal that CRM research is a vibrant and rapidly growing domain in the broader marketing field. This assessment exercise also shows that the current state of knowledge about CRM is characterized by persisting knowledge gaps, conflicting empirical results, theoretical inconsistencies, as well as by the absence of international marketing research on the CRM domain.

Originality/value

Therefore, the authors critically evaluate the extant CRM research with the aim of increasing its coherence, quality, scope, impact and international dimension. Based on this evaluation, the authors develop an ambitious research agenda that addresses a number of promising research paths embracing different international perspectives. Finally, the authors discuss the contributions to the literature and the implications for both academics and practitioners.
The experience of adults recovering from an eating disorder in professionally-led support groups
Authors: Waller Archana , Paganini Chiara , Andrews Katrina , Hutton Vicki
Published: November 2020

Purpose

The aim of the study is to explore the experience of eating disorder support group participants. The research question is “What is the experience of adults recovering from an eating disorder in a professionally-led monthly support group?”

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study explored the experience of adults recovering from an eating disorder in a professionally-led monthly support group. Participants were 18 adults recovering from an eating disorder who attended a monthly support group. The data were collected using an online anonymous survey and then analysed using a thematic analysis.

Findings

The main themes that emerged were: (1) sharing the pain and promise, (2) cautions and concerns and (3) facilitators have influence. The findings indicate that the support group provided a safe space to share their lived experience, that it reduced stigma and isolation, and improved participants' motivation and engagement. Moreover, the results revealed some challenges to the functioning of the group. These included management of discussions and dominant members, need for psycho-educational information and managing intense feelings, relating to body-related comparison and other mental disorder comorbidities.

Originality/value

This is the first study highlighting the valuable role of the facilitator in balancing content with compassion, in ensuring safety in the group, and potentially fulfilling a valuable education function in supporting participants in their eating disorder recovery journey.
Cockayne syndrome proteins CSA and CSB maintain mitochondrial homeostasis through NAD+ signaling
Authors: Okur Mustafa N. , Fang Evandro F. , Fivenson Elayne M. , Tiwari Vinod , Croteau Deborah L. , Bohr Vilhelm A.
Published: November 2020

Cockayne syndrome (CS) is a rare premature aging disease, most commonly caused by mutations of the genes encoding the CSA or CSB proteins. CS patients display cachectic dwarfism and severe neurological manifestations and have an average life expectancy of 12 years. The CS proteins are involved in transcription and DNA repair, with the latter including transcription‐coupled nucleotide excision repair (TC‐NER). However, there is also evidence for mitochondrial dysfunction in CS, which likely contributes to the severe premature aging phenotype of this disease. While damaged mitochondria and impaired mitophagy were characterized in mice with CSB deficiency, such changes in the CS nematode model and CS patients are not fully known. Our cross‐species transcriptomic analysis in CS postmortem brain tissue, CS mouse, and nematode models shows that mitochondrial dysfunction is indeed a common feature in CS. Restoration of mitochondrial dysfunction through NAD+ supplementation significantly improved lifespan and healthspan in the CS nematodes, highlighting mitochondrial dysfunction as a major driver of the aging features of CS. In cerebellar samples from CS patients, we found molecular signatures of dysfunctional mitochondrial dynamics and impaired mitophagy/autophagy. In primary cells depleted for CSA or CSB, this dysfunction can be corrected with supplementation of NAD+ precursors. Our study provides support for the interconnection between major causative aging theories, DNA damage accumulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and compromised mitophagy/autophagy. Together, these three agents contribute to an accelerated aging program that can be averted by cellular NAD+ restoration.
Altered Resting‐State Neural Oscillations and Spectral Power in Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Candelaria‐Cook Felicha T. , Schendel Megan E. , Flynn Lucinda , Hill Dina E. , Stephen Julia M.
Published: November 2020

Background

Consumption of alcohol during pregnancy impacts fetal development and may lead to a variety of physical, cognitive, and behavioral abnormalities in childhood collectively known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). The FASD spectrum includes children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), partial fetal alcohol syndrome (pFAS), and alcohol‐related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND). Children with a FASD or prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) have impaired white matter, reduced structural volumes, impaired resting‐state functional connectivity when measured with fMRI, and spectral hypersynchrony as infants. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) provides high temporal resolution and good spatial precision for examining spectral power and connectivity patterns unique from fMRI. The impact of PAE on MEG resting‐state spectral power in children remains unknown.

Methods

We collected 2 minutes of eyes‐open and eyes‐closed resting‐state data in 51 children (8 to 12 years of age) with 3 subgroups included: 10 ARND/PAE, 15 FAS/pFAS, and 26 controls (TDC). MEG data were collected on the Elekta Neuromag system. The following spectral metrics were compared between subgroups: power, normalized power, half power, 95% power, and Shannon spectral entropy (SSE). MEG spectral data were correlated with behavioral measures.

Results

Our results indicate children with FAS/pFAS had reduced spectral power and normalized power, particularly within the alpha frequency band in sensor parietal and source superior parietal and lateral occipital regions, along with elevated half power, 95% power, and SSE. We also found select hemisphere specific effects further indicating reduced corpus callosum connectivity in children with a FASD. Interestingly, while the ARND/PAE subgroup had significant differences from the FAS/pFAS subgroup, in many cases spectral data were not significantly different from TDC.

Conclusions

Our results were consistent with previous studies and provide new insight into resting‐state oscillatory differences both between children with FAS and TDC, and within FASD subgroups. Further understanding of these resting‐state variations and their impact on cognitive function may help provide early targets for intervention and enhance outcomes for individuals with a FASD.
Defying death: incorporating fossils into the phylogeny of the complex thalloid liverworts (Marchantiidae, Marchantiophyta) confirms high order clades but reveals discrepancies in family‐level relationships
Authors: Flores Jorge R. , Bippus Alexander C. , Suárez Guillermo M. , Hyvönen Jaakko
Published: November 2020

In recent years, the use of extensive molecular and morphological datasets has clarified the phylogenetic relationships among the orders of complex thalloid liverworts (Marchantiidae). However, previous studies excluded extinct taxa; thereby, undersampling the actual taxonomic diversity of the group. Here, we conducted a total‐evidence analysis of Marchantiidae incorporating fossils. The combined dataset consisted of 11 genes—sampled from the nuclear, mitochondrial and plastid genomes—and 128 morphological characters. Sixty‐two species, representing all classes and orders within Marchantiophyta and genera within Marchantiidae were included in the analyses. Six fossils were scored from literature: two assigned to the outgroup (Metzgeriothallus sharonae and Pallaviciniites sandaolingensis) and four to the ingroup (Marchantites cyathodoides, M. huolinhensis, Ricciopsis ferganica and R. sandaolingensis). Tree searches were conducted using parsimony as the optimality criterion. Clade sensitivity was assessed across a wide range of weighting regimes. Also, we evaluated the influence of fossils on the inferred topologies and branch support. Our results were congruent with previously inferred clades above the order level: Neohodgsoniales was sister to a clade formed by Sphaerocarpales and Marchantiales. However, relationships among families within Marchantiales contradicted recent studies. For instance, a clade consisting of Monosoleniaceae, Wiesnerellaceae and Targioniaceae was sister to the morphologically simple taxa instead of being nested within them as in previous studies. Novel synapomorphies were found for several clades within Marchantiales. Outgroup fossils were more influential than Marchantiidae fossils on overall topologies and branch support values. Except for a single weighting scheme, sampling continuous characters and down‐weighting characters improved fossil stability. Ultimately, our results challenge the widespread notion that bryophyte fossils are problematic for phylogenetic inference.
Coil embolization of artery in advance endoscopic necrosectomy for walled‐off necrosis can prevent arterial bleeding
Authors: Honta Shunsuke , Hayashi Tsuyoshi , Katanuma Akio
Published: November 2020

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Cytokeratin expression in plasmablastic lymphoma – a possible diagnostic pitfall in the routine work‐up of tumours
Authors: Huettl Katrin S , Staiger Annette M , Horn Heike , Frontzek Fabian , Goodlad John R , Tapia Gustavo , Rosenwald Andreas , Klapper Wolfram , Fend Falko , Climent Fina , Castellvi Josep , Tzankov Alexandar , Dirnhofer Stefan , Baptista Maria João , Navarro José‐Tomas , Anagnostopoulos Ioannis , Hartmann Wolfgang , Lenz Georg , Ott German
Published: November 2020

Aims

Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a rare aggressive B‐cell lymphoma that frequently arises at extranodal sites in the setting of immunosuppression. The diagnosis of PBL is complex, owing to a frequent solid or cohesive growth pattern, and an often unusual immunophenotype. Several case reports have described cytokeratin (CK) expression in PBL, introducing a diagnostic pitfall. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of CK expression in PBL in the largest series available to date.

Methods and results

By using immunohistochemistry in a cohort of 72 PBLs, we identified CK8/18 positivity in 11 of 72 cases (15%) and AE1/3 positivity in six of 65 cases (9%), clearly contrasting with a control series of non‐PBL aggressive B‐cell lymphomas (one of 96 diffuse large B‐cell lymphomas), as well as with data in the literature describing only occasional CK expression in haematological neoplasms.

Conclusions

Our data indicate CK expression in a substantial number (15%) of PBLs. In view of the particular morphological features of PBL and its frequent negativity for the common leukocyte antigen and B‐cell markers, this feature represents a pitfall in the routine diagnostic work‐up of PBL, and requires more extensive immunohistochemical and molecular characterisation of cases entering the differential diagnosis.
De Ginebra a San José: las normas de la OIT y el sistema interamericano de protección de los derechos humanos
Authors: DUHAIME Bernard , DÉCOSTE Éloïse
Published: November 2020

Los autores analizan cómo los órganos interamericanos de derechos humanos utilizan las normas de la OIT como referencia en asuntos de libertad sindical y de asociación y derechos de los pueblos indígenas. Exponen los límites del método por litispendencia y competencia y analizan cómo estas normas han influido en la reciente jurisprudencia interamericana sobre ciertos derechos económicos, sociales y culturales. Defienden la conveniencia de este método de referencias cruzadas, que permite a los órganos interamericanos basarse en interpretaciones autorizadas, al tiempo que aumenta la credibilidad, la legitimidad normativa y la universalidad de sus decisiones.
Irreverence Rules: The Politics of Authenticity and the Carnivalesque Aesthetic in Black South African Women's Stand-Up Comedy
Authors: FINLEY JESSYKA
Published: November 2020

This article argues that the aesthetic practices of black women stand-ups in South Africa take up the concrete ways black people all over the world use performances, within theatrical or everyday practices, to create, shape, and transform their worlds. Reading stand-up as a genre of diaspora culture meant to contend with issues of antiblack racism, economic and social marginalization, and the legacy of (neo)colonialism, this article examines the ways humor and comedy manifest transnational intimacies and affinities via the circulation of black women's comic culture. Black women's stand-up comedy enables us to orient our understanding of the inextricable link between aesthetic choices and diaspora as the locus of the production of blackness, and as a particular sensibility rooted in the struggle against colonialism, antiblack racism, and the struggle for human rights and recognition.
The possibility that long‐term isometric handgrip exercise contributes to left atrial enlargement in patients with hypertension
Authors: Kemi Yuta , Hoshide Satoshi , Yamashita Eiji , Kario Kazuomi
Published: November 2020

Hypertension guidelines recommend isometric handgrip exercise (IHG) as a non‐pharmacological treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate whether IHG is safe for hypertensive patients. The participants were mostly middle‐aged to elderly patients with hypertension. Participants wore a pedometer for 4 weeks and were then divided into two groups: Those who had taken at least 7000 steps per day were placed in an IHG‐only group (n = 11), and those who took fewer steps were placed in an IHG + walking group (n = 4). Both groups then performed IHG for 12 weeks. No significant blood pressure reduction occurred from before to after intervention in either group. In the IHG‐only group, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) was significantly higher and left atrial (LA) volume (24.6 ± 9.1 to 36.4 ± 17.9 mL, P = .007) was significantly larger after intervention than before. Long‐term IHG may induce both LA enlargement and increased BNP in hypertensive patients.
Neurexin‐2 is a potential regulator of inflammatory pain in the spinal dorsal horn of rats
Authors: Xu Longsheng , Feng Qingli , Deng Housheng , Zhang Xiaoping , Ni Huadong , Yao Ming
Published: November 2020

Chronic pain is one of the serious conditions that affect human health and remains cure still remains a serious challenge as the molecular mechanism remains largely unclear. Here, we used label‐free proteomics to identify potential target proteins that regulate peripheral inflammatory pain and reveal its mechanism of action. Inflammation in peripheral tissue was induced by injecting complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) into rat hind paw. A proteomic method was adopted to compare the spinal dorsal horn (SDH) in peripheral inflammatory pain (PIP) model rats with controls. Differential proteins were identified in SDH proteome by label‐free quantification. The role of screened target proteins in the PIP was verified by small interfering RNA (siRNA). A total of 3072 and 3049 proteins were identified in CFA and normal saline (NS) groups, respectively, and 13 proteins were identified as differentially expressed in the CFA group. One of them, neurexin‐2, was validated for its role in the inflammatory pain. Neurexin‐2 was up‐regulated in the CFA group, which was confirmed by quantitative PCR. Besides, intrathecal siRNA‐mediated knock‐down of neurexin‐2 attenuated CFA‐induced mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia and reduced the expression of SDH membrane glutamate receptors (eg mGlu receptor 1, AMPA receptor) and postsynaptic density (eg PSD‐95, DLG2). These findings increased the understanding of the role of neurexin‐2 in the inflammatory pain, implicating that neurexin‐2 acts as a potential regulatory protein of inflammatory pain through affecting synaptic plasticity in the SDH of rats.
Is it sexy to be sexist? How stereotyped humor affects romantic attraction
Authors: Betz Diana E. , DiDonato Theresa E.
Published: November 2020

Sexist humor is a common form of disparagement humor that is nonetheless understudied in romantic attraction contexts. Three experiments investigated how sexist humor is perceived and received during relationship initiation. In Study 1 (n = 262) participants rated self‐directed sexist humor as more affiliative (only women), less aggressive, and more self‐defeating than other‐directed sexist humor. Study 2 (n = 209) replicated these findings and found that women romantically preferred men who used self‐ rather than other‐directed sexist humor, an effect mediated by perceived warmth. Self‐directed sexist humor's attractiveness advantage persisted in Study 3 (n = 667), which also included manipulations of self‐disparaging, group‐disparaging, and benign humor. Results suggest a romantic cost for men telling sexist jokes that disparage women.
The onset of the Messinian Salinity Crisis in the central Mediterranean recorded by pre‐salt carbonate/evaporite deposition
Authors: Borrelli Mario , Perri Edoardo , Critelli Salvatore , Gindre‐Chanu Laurent
Published: November 2020

The Calcare di Base is a carbonate/evaporitic unit formed before the deposition of the massive halite bodies in the main depozones of the Mediterranean region, and has been at the centre of a fiery debate between different ‘schools of thought’ about its genesis, environmental conditions and timing of deposition. It crops out extensively in Southern Italy, across Neogene basins located on the Tyrrhenian and Ionian margins of northern Calabria, where it was studied through a detailed facies and stratigraphic analysis that revealed the presence of a continental/shallow‐marine to slope system, active during the onset of the Messinian Salinity Crisis. During the Calcare di Base deposition, an arid climate regime with intermittent humid phases occurred with a precession forced cyclicity, facing an overall generally cold climatic period. During arid periods, stressed environmental conditions permitted the establishment of widespread microbial‐mediated carbonate production, frequently associated with evaporitic (gypsum‐dominated) deposition, along a sabkha‐type environment with extensive salinas and hypersaline coastal lagoons grading seaward into a carbonate/evaporite shallow‐marine shelf. This is testified to by microbial boundstones and dissolution breccias commonly associated with nodular gypsum and arenites affected by desiccation, typically forming metre‐scale shallowing‐upward peritidal cycles. Seaward, gravity flow deposits are interpreted as re‐sedimented shelf limestones, defining a slope apron. Mixed carbonate/evaporite megabreccias and disorganized floatbreccias were deposited along the upper slope, whereas soft deformation with slides, slumps and channelized turbidites further developed along the lower slope to basin. During the humid climate episodes, that affected the platform system with a precession‐forced cyclicity, the carbonate production was reduced together with the evaporitic deposition, leading to the widespread deposition of marlstones and fine to coarse siliciclastic deposits.
Two measures of systemic inflammation are positively associated with haemoglobin levels in adolescent girls living in rural India: a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Ahankari A. S. , Kabra P. , Tata L. J. , Hayter M. , Fogarty A. W.
Published: November 2020

Objective

This study tested the hypothesis that systemic inflammation is inversely associated with haemoglobin levels in adolescent girls in India.

Methods

The study population consisted of adolescent girls aged between 10 and 19 years living in a remote rural region in Maharashtra State, India. Data were collected on anthropometric measures, and a venous blood sample was taken and tested for complete blood count and C‐reactive protein (CRP).

Results

Of 679 individuals who were invited to the research site to participate, data were available from 401 participants giving a response rate of 59%. Median blood CRP was 1.26 mg/l (Range 0.00 to 26.33), and 167 (41.6%) participants had CRP level < 1.0 mg/l. The mean haemoglobin was 12.24 g/dl (standard deviation [SD] 1.51), and the mean total white blood cells (WBC) count was 9.02 × 103/μl (SD 2.00). With each g/dl increase in blood haemoglobin, the risk of having an elevated CRP of ≥ 1 mg/l increased with an odds ratio of 1.16 (95% CI 1.01 to 1.33,P = 0.03). Total WBC count was also positively associated with blood haemoglobin, increasing by 0.24 × 103/μl (95% CI 0.11 to 0.37,P < 0.001) per g/dl increase in haemoglobin. Both analyses were adjusted for age.

Conclusions

In this population, blood haemoglobin levels were positively associated with two measures of systemic inflammation, contrary to the primary hypothesis being tested. Other unmeasured environmental exposures may modify haemoglobin levels in this population. Understanding this observation may help design better public health interventions to improve the well‐being of adolescent girls in India.
Effect of Coolant Water Temperature of Emergency Core Cooling System on Failure Probability of Reactor Pressure Vessel
Authors: Lu Kai , Katsuyama Jinya , Masaki Koichi , Watanabe Tadashi , Li Yinsheng
Published: November 2020

Structural integrity assessment of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) is important for the safe operation of nuclear power plant. For an RPV in a pressurized water reactor (PWR), pressurized thermal shock (PTS) resulted from rapid coolant water injection due to a loss-of-coolant accident is an issue of particular concern. The coolant water temperature in the emergency core cooling system (ECCS) can influence the integrity of RPV subjected to PTS events; thus, this paper is focused on investigating the effect of coolant water temperature of ECCS on failure probability of an RPV. First, thermal-hydraulic (TH) analyses were conducted for a Japanese PWR model plant by using RELAP5, and different coolant water temperatures in ECCS were considered to investigate the effect of coolant water temperature on TH behaviors during a PTS event. Using the TH analysis results, probabilistic fracture mechanics (PFM) analyses were performed for the RPV of the Japanese model plant. Based on the PFM analysis results, the effect of coolant water temperature on failure probability of the RPV was quantified.
The Transcription Factor SomA Synchronously Regulates Biofilm Formation and Cell Wall Homeostasis in
Aspergillus fumigatus
Authors: Chen Yuan , Le Mauff Francois , Wang Yan , Lu Ruiyang , Sheppard Donald C. , Lu Ling , Zhang Shizhu
Published: November 2020

The cell wall is essential for fungal viability and is absent from human hosts; thus, drugs disrupting cell wall biosynthesis have gained more attention. Caspofungin is a member of a new class of clinically approved echinocandin drugs to treat invasive aspergillosis by blocking β-1,3-glucan synthase, thus damaging the fungal cell wall. Here, we demonstrate that caspofungin and other cell wall stressors can induce galactosaminogalactan (GAG)-dependent biofilm formation in the human pathogen
Aspergillus fumigatus
. We further identified SomA as a master transcription factor playing a dual role in both biofilm formation and cell wall homeostasis. SomA plays this dual role by direct binding to a conserved motif upstream of GAG biosynthetic genes and genes involved in cell wall stress sensors, chitin synthases, and β-1,3-glucan synthase. Collectively, these findings reveal a transcriptional control pathway that integrates biofilm formation and cell wall homeostasis and suggest SomA as an attractive target for antifungal drug development.
Loss of the Conserved Alveolate Kinase MAPK2 Decouples
Toxoplasma
Cell Growth from Cell Division
Authors: Hu Xiaoyu , O’Shaughnessy William J. , Beraki Tsebaot G. , Reese Michael L.
Published: November 2020

Toxoplasma gondii
is a ubiquitous intracellular protozoan parasite that can cause severe and fatal disease in immunocompromised patients and the developing fetus. Rapid parasite replication is critical for establishing a productive infection. Here, we demonstrate that a
Toxoplasma
protein kinase called MAPK2 is conserved throughout the Alveolata and essential for parasite replication. We found that parasites lacking MAPK2 protein were defective in the initiation of daughter cell budding and were rendered inviable. Specifically,
T. gondii
MAPK2 (TgMAPK2) appears to be required for centrosome replication at the basal end of the nucleus, and its loss causes arrest early in parasite division. MAPK2 is unique to the Alveolata and not found in metazoa and likely is a critical component of an essential parasite-specific signaling network.
Fermented-Food Metagenomics Reveals Substrate-Associated Differences in Taxonomy and Health-Associated and Antibiotic Resistance Determinants
Authors: Leech John , Cabrera-Rubio Raul , Walsh Aaron M. , Macori Guerrino , Walsh Calum J. , Barton Wiley , Finnegan Laura , Crispie Fiona , O’Sullivan Orla , Claesson Marcus J. , Cotter Paul D.
Published: November 2020

Fermented foods are regaining popularity worldwide due in part to a greater appreciation of the health benefits of these foods and the associated microorganisms. Here, we use state-of-the-art approaches to explore the microbiomes of 58 of these foods, identifying the factors that drive the microbial composition of these foods and potential functional benefits associated with these populations. Food type, i.e., dairy-, sugar-, or brine-type fermented foods, was the primary driver of microbial composition, with dairy foods found to have the lowest microbial diversity and, notably, potential health promoting attributes were more common in fermented foods than nonfermented equivalents. The information provided here will provide significant opportunities for the further optimization of fermented-food production and the harnessing of their health-promoting potential.
Bathing adaptations in the homes of older adults and their carers (BATH-OUT): a qualitative extended follow-up study with concurrent nested outcome assessments
Authors: Golding-Day Miriam , Whitehead Phillip
Published: November 2020

Objective

We previously completed a nested qualitative interview study, as part of a feasibility randomised controlled trial with 21 older adults and five carers who had an accessible shower installed in their home. The objective of this study was to follow-up the participants approximately 24 months on.

Design

This was an extended follow-up study comprising semi-structured interviews to explore the longer-term experiences of the older adults. To elaborate and add breadth to the findings these were supplemented with concurrent nested outcome assessment measures.

Setting

The study was conducted within one local authority City Council housing adaptations service.

Participants

Thirteen older adults (mean age: 76; SD: 6.87) and three carers from the original study completed the extended follow-up study.

Interventions

The intervention in the original study was the provision of an accessible showering facility either by immediate provision or routine 4-month wait.

Results

Findings were presented thematically with three themes identified: environment, autonomy with personal care and wider occupation. Improvements in the physical and social environment combined with greater autonomy in personal care were reported to impact more widely on older adults’ occupations including other self-care activities and leisure. These are consistent with domains underpinning social care related quality of life particularly personal safety, cleanliness and occupation. The results of the outcome assessments support the qualitative themes demonstrating sustained improvements in quality of life, independence in daily living and reduced fear of falling.

Conclusion

This research suggests the positive lived experiences reported immediately after the installation of the accessible shower are still evident up to 28 months later in this cohort of older adults. Future research should investigate medium to longer-term outcomes with a more diverse sample.

Trial Registration

ISRCTN14876332; Post-results.