bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment and outcomes of multidrug‐resistant tuberculosis in Auckland, 1995–2018
Authors: Cutfield Tim , Mowlem Lydia , Paynter Jennifer , Christmas Timothy , Harrison Adrian , Lewis Christopher , Newton Sandra , Nisbet Mitzi
Published: May 2021

Background

New Zealand has a low burden of tuberculosis; however, multidrug‐resistant tuberculosis (MDR‐TB) still represents a challenge for clinicians. This is the first description of clinical aspects of MDR‐TB in New Zealand.

Aims

To evaluate the treatment and outcomes of patients with MDR‐TB disease in Auckland. Secondary aims were to review the incidence and clinical characteristics of MDR‐TB disease.

Methods

Clinical data were obtained for patients treated for MDR‐TB at Auckland District Health Board (ADHB).

Results

There were 60 patients nationally with MDR‐TB between 1989 and 2018; 41 (69%) of 60 patients received care at ADHB. Pulmonary infection was present in 36 (88%) of 41 patients, with 19 (46%) of 41 patients with smear‐positive sputum (smear 1–2+ in 6/41, 15%; smear 3–4+ in 13/41, 32%). The median duration of treatment was 22 months (range 7.5–26) for 18 (44%) of 41 patients who completed MDR‐TB treatment by August 2018. The median duration of amikacin treatment was 6 months (range 2–12) for the 23 (61%) of 38 patients in whom these data were available. All 38 patients who received treatment for MDR‐TB experienced adverse effects, most commonly gastrointestinal (66%), neurological (50%), ototoxicity (47%) and psychiatric (37%). Complications of intravenous access were experienced by 10 (27%) of 37 patients. Of the 19 (46%) of 41 patients who completed treatment, 18 (95%) achieved cure. There was one case who had recurrence because of inadequate treatment, and one case who had spontaneous resolution without treatment. Seventeen (41%) patients left Auckland prior to completion of treatment, mostly to return to their country of origin (15/17, 88%).

Conclusion

MDR‐TB is uncommon in New Zealand. Treatment is frequently associated with adverse events; however, rates of cure for people completing treatment in New Zealand are high.
Six‐month respiratory outcomes and exercise capacity of COVID‐19 acute respiratory failure patients treated with continuous positive airway pressure
Authors: Damanti Sarah , Ramirez Giuseppe Alvise , Bozzolo Enrica Paola , Rovere‐Querini Patrizia , De Lorenzo Rebecca , Magnaghi Cristiano , Scotti Raffaella , Di Lucca Giuseppe , Marinosci Alessandro , Strada Silvia , Di Terlizzi Gaetano , Vitali Giordano , Martinenghi Sabina , Compagnone Nicola , Landoni Giovanni , Tresoldi Moreno
Published: May 2021

Background

COVID‐19 long‐term sequelae are ill‐defined since only a few studies have explored the long‐term consequences of this disease so far.

Aims

To evaluate the 6‐month respiratory outcome and exercise capacity of COVID‐19 acute respiratory failure (ARF) patients treated with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) during the first wave of the ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic.

Methods

A retrospective observational study included COVID‐19 patients with ARF. Interventions included CPAP during hospitalisation and 6‐month follow up. Frailty assessment was carried out through frailty index (FI), pO2/FiO2 during hospitalisation and at follow up, respiratory parameters, 6‐min walking test (6MWT) and the modified British Medical Research Council (mMRC) and Borg scale at follow up.

Results

More than half of the patients had no dyspnoea according to the mMRC scale. Lower in‐hospital pO2/FiO2 correlated with higher Borg scale levels after 6MWT (ρ 0.27; P 0.04) at the follow‐up visit. FI was positively correlated with length of hospitalisation (ρ 0.3; P 0.03) and negatively with the 6MWT distance walked (ρ −0.36; P 0.004).

Conclusions

Robust and frail patients with COVID‐19 ARF treated with CPAP outside the intensive care unit setting had good respiratory parameters and exercise capacity at 6‐month follow up, although more severe patients had slightly poorer respiratory performance compared with patients with higher PaO2/FiO2 and lower FI.
Anything goes? Exploring the limits of employment law in UK hospitality and catering
Authors: Ioannou Gregoris , Dukes Ruth
Published: May 2021

Through a case study of the UK hospitality and catering sector, this article explores the limits of employment law as a means of protecting workers from ill or unfair treatment. Finding microbreaches of the law to be common practice in the sector—akin to industry norms or ‘custom and practice’—it considers the routinisation of these microbreaches as an instance of conflict between formal legal rules and social norms. The conflict is problematic because it means that workers are less likely to perceive breach of their legal rights as an injustice worthy of challenge. The industry norms observed have been formed under the influence of an asymmetrical distribution of information and power, including organisational control over the labour process. If employment law is to be made effective, a realignment of legal rules with social norms is needed and, at the same time, the correction of this asymmetry.
DEA cross‐efficiency ranking method considering satisfaction and consensus degree
Authors: Wu Dongdong , Wang Yuhong , Liu Yong , Wu Jie
Published: May 2021

Cross‐efficiency evaluation in data envelopment analysis is an effective way to rank decision‐making units (DMUs). However, different cross‐efficiency evaluation models derived from different perspectives generate different cross‐efficiency rankings. The information resulting from the various perspectives may be valuable and should not be ignored. In this paper, we propose an innovative composite method for ranking DMUs by calculating the Shannon entropy of the obtained cross‐efficiency scores derived from the perspectives of satisfaction and consensus. Also, we adopt grey incidence analysis to compare the rankings of different cross‐efficiency models. The calculation procedure using Shannon entropy and grey incidence analysis is illustrated on an example to generate the composite ranking result and compare it to other cross‐efficiency model rankings. The cross‐efficiency ranking using both satisfaction and consensus information provides a new comprehensive perspective in group evaluation. A practical example is used to show that the cross‐efficiency results obtained from the composite perspective of satisfaction and consensus should be widely accepted in practical decision‐making.
Size, Insularity and Democracy
Authors: Anckar Dag , Anckar Carsten
Published: May 2021

In a recent book on “Democracy and Development” (1992) Axel Hadenius stumbles over the observation that island states are of special interest: on a scale running from 0 to 10, the average level of democracy is 7.1 for island states while for others it is 3.6. This, according to Hadenius, is due to the fact that island states are far more Protestant dominated than others. Contesting this view, three points are argued in this article. First, the attempt to explain away the relationship between insularity and democracy by introducing Protestantism into the explanatory design is questioned on grounds of methodology, the leading argument being that comparative analyses should not treat differences in factors like Protestantism as matters of degree. A second argument is about concept‐stretching: the overall travel capacity of concepts like Protestantism is questioned for the universe of small island states, where custom and the accommodation of traditional authority must be credited with filtrating functions. Secondly, theoretical reasons and empirical illustrations are introduced to suggest that one is well advised to consider small island states as a separate category, imbued with democracy and democratic procedures. Thirdly, due notice is taken of the fact that several small island states, such as Cape Verde, the Comoros, Sao Tome and Principe, the Seychelles and Western Samoa, have undergone transitions to democracy during the time span after Hadenius's research (1988), the level of democracy for small island states therefore being now even higher.
Homing in on the specific phenotype(s) of central respiratory chemoreceptors
Authors: Richerson G. B. , Wang W. , Hodges M. R. , Dohle C. I. , Diez‐Sampedro A.
Published: May 2021

To some it may seem that we now know less about respiratory chemoreception than we did 20 years ago. Back then, it was widely accepted that the central respiratory chemoreceptors (CRCs) were located exclusively on or near the surface of the ventrolateral medulla (VLMS). Now, instead, it is generally believed that there are widespread sites of chemoreception, and there is little agreement on when and how each of these sites is involved in respiratory control. However, those in the field know that this actually is progress, primarily because we have gone from simply identifying candidate regions, to identifying specific neuronal subtypes that may be the sensors. In this invited review, we have been asked to discuss some of the current controversies in the field. First, we define the minimal requirements for a cell to be a CRC, and what assumptions can not be made without more data. Then we review the evidence that two neuronal subtypes, serotonergic neurones of the midline raphé and glutamatergic neurones of the retrotrapezoid nucleus, are chemoreceptors. There is evidence supporting a role in respiratory chemoreception for both types of neurone, as well as the other candidates, but there is also information that is missing. Future work will need to focus on which of the candidates are indeed chemoreceptors, what percentage of the overall response each one contributes, and how this percentage varies under different conditions.
Stability and Kinetic Properties of Immobilized Rhodotorula gracilisd‐Amino Acid Oxidase
Authors: Pilone Mirella S. , Pollegioni Loredano , Butò Simona
Published: May 2021

d‐Amino acid oxidase form Rhodotorula gracilis has been immobilized with the use of amine reactive coupling chemistries. Coupling to Affi‐Gel 10 was very effective: yields of 50 to 60% were attained under optimal conditions with a specific activity of immobilized enzyme comparable to that of the free suspended preparation. No loss of the coenzyme FAD was observed under any experimental conditions. Immobilized d‐amino acid oxidase exhibited a marked enhancement of stability against inactivation on heating, on pH shifts, and on denaturating agents; a relevant operational and storage stability was furthermore shown by the coupled system. Substrate specificity of the Affi‐Gel‐coupled enzyme was broader than for free enzyme; lowered apparent Kms and unchanged specific activity values for d‐alanine, d‐leucine, d‐proline, d‐valine, and cephalosporin C were determined for immobilized enzyme compared to the soluble form.
Entrapment of protein protease inhibitors in red blood cells
Authors: Falcioni G. , Gabbianelli R. , Santroni AM , Concetti A. , Zolla L. , Brunori M.
Published: May 2021

Aprotinin and alpha 1‐proteinase inhibitor have been encapsulated in human red blood cells (RBC) by a dialysis technique that involves transient hypotonic haemolysis followed by isotonic resealing. Both protease inhibitors can be encapsulated to a considerable extent. These molecules are released only by haemolysis of the cells and that excludes the possibility of using loaded erythrocytes for a slow release of the inhibitor(s) in the blood stream. However, the stability of the two inhibitors, the evidence for the binding of aprotinin to RBC components, and the results showing inhibition of endogenous proteolytic activity indicate that the inhibitors may be valuable in blocking, at least partially, undesired intraerythrocytic proteolytic reactions.
Effects of T‐2 toxin on ethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Koshinsky HA , Cosby RH , Khachatourians GG
Published: May 2021

A trichothecene mycotoxin, T‐2 toxin, inhibits several aspects of cellular physiology in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, including protein synthesis and mitochondrial functions. We have studied growth of, glucose utilization by, and ethanol production by S. cerevisiae and show that they are inhibited by T‐2 toxin between 20 and 200 micrograms/ml in a dose‐dependent manner. At 200 micrograms/ml, T‐2 toxin causes cell death. This apparent inhibition of ethanol production was found to be the result of growth inhibition. On the basis of biomass or glucose consumption, T‐2 toxin increased the amount of ethanol present in the culture. This suggests that T‐2 inhibits oxidative but not fermentative energy metabolism by inhibiting mitochondrial function and shifting glucose catabolism toward ethanol formation. As T‐2 toxin does not directly inhibit ethanol production by S. cerevisiae, this system could be used for ethanol production from trichothecene‐contaminated grain products.
Perspectives on Inclusion: Close Encounters of the Creative Kind
Authors: Woolhouse Clare , Hastings Charlotte , Hallett Fiona
Published: May 2021

This article considers what might be learnt about inclusion as a concept and practice from sharing visual research data within a public art exhibition and associated workshops. The catalyst for the exhibition and workshops stemmed from a project that involved children and young people creating visual images that they felt represented inclusion or exclusion. The project was designed to explore, and rethink, concepts around educational and social inclusion. The images the children created were ‘artified’ to anonymise them and formed the central material for an exhibition held at Tate Liverpool in June 2018. The exhibition was designed to facilitate active engagement from individuals of all ages within the community so that their ‘voices’, perspectives and experiences might be acknowledged and shared in respectful ways. The underpinning idea behind this was to display research data as art and generate further data by undertaking ‘research through art’. The article will detail how a range of multimodal methods were utilised to invite a more tactile and emotional engagement from visitors to enhance their experience and encourage them to move beyond passive viewing and participate in a more visceral and embodied engagement. The approaches utilised within the exhibition are explored to illuminate how a more active multimodal engagement within educational and public spaces might be encouraged. The article concludes with a discussion around how using public spaces can lead to reinterpreting the ways in which we understand inclusion and marginalisation within society.
Expanding from the Small Screen – Arts Practice for Affective Digital Presence
Authors: Matthews Miranda
Published: May 2021

Responding to conditions of lockdown and social distancing since March 2020, the Centre for Arts and Learning (CAL) at Goldsmiths is researching how arts practice and creative processes can sustain an affective presence in digital learning environments. In this article I discuss our research into how artist educators and students have adapted to the necessity for online learning, including the difficulties of doing so. I refer to a posthumanist, Deleuzian theoretical map that connects with the different collaborative, practice research assemblages we are working with this year. In discussion is a project for engaging with artists and creatives and their learning developments since March 2020 called Finding Comfort within Discomfort. Participants speak for themselves from Instagram and Linktree. The CAL online recorded events with myself and Francis Gilbert; Heather Barnett and Sarah Christie; Jane Prophet; Kimberley Foster, Karl Foster and Victoria Mitchell are referred to as ‘cultural texts’ in hybrid digital/material/embodied arts practice. This research observes ways of expressing emotive release, expanding embodiment from the small screen, and making connections with others that can be adaptive to their different cultural, localised situations. The research seeks to further transferable, affective creative processes.
Niche evolution reveals disparate signatures of speciation in the ‘great speciator’ (white‐eyes, Aves: Zosterops)
Authors: Engler Jan O. , Lawrie Yvonne , Cabral Juliano S. , Lens Luc , Martínez‐Meyer Enrique
Published: May 2021

Aim

Recent breakthroughs in environmental niche models (ENMs) have substantially improved our insights in niche evolution. Assuming that closely related taxa have similar niches (i.e. niche conservatism), the combination of ENMs with phylogenetic information allows the reconstruction of ancestral niches. This reconstruction helps to identify the underlying speciation processes leading to diversification (i.e. ecological speciation under niche divergence and mutation‐order speciation under niche conservatism). Here, we studied the niche evolution in white‐eyes (the so‐called ‘great speciator’) to understand their extraordinarily fast diversification rate, wide distribution and rather conserved phenotypes. In a broader perspective, unravelling niche evolution in white‐eyes can shed light on how different niche properties such as climate, habitat or trophic level may contribute to diversification.

Location

Asian‐Pacific and Afrotropics.

Taxon

White‐eyes (Aves, genus: Zosterops).

Methods

We selected 10 wide‐ranging taxa that are equally distributed across the genus’ range and phylogeny. We studied niche evolution for a series of thermal and precipitation‐related niche axes separately. We used a time‐calibrated phylogeny encompassing the study taxa and estimated ancestral environmental niches in geographic and environmental niche spaces.

Results

We found that niche evolution in Zosterops is primarily driven by ecological speciation. Thermal niches, in particular, are characterized by a higher level of conservatism, as compared to precipitation‐related niche axes. The fact that the youngest species diverged strongest stands in stark contrast to expectations stemming from niche conservatism.

Main conclusions

Contrasting evolutionary patterns in different niche axes suggest different underlying evolutionary pressures. Hence, future studies on niche evolution should take possible disparities between niche axes into account.
Evaluation of serum magnesium differences in hypertensive crises and control patients: A randomly matched case‐control study
Authors: Onor IfeanyiChukwu O. , Johnston Emily K. , Little Nicole G. , Hill Lashira M. , Lawal Oluwabunmi E. , Payne Casey J. , Coleman Mallory R. , Huynh Carolkim H. , Bilbe Sarah E. , Ayyad Ahlam A. , Jones Kabrea J. , Kinnard Jasmine D. , Dastoori Rosanna , Rolland Devinn K. , Miller Amanda S. , Beyl Robbie A. , Gillard Christopher J. , Okogbaa John I. , Sarpong Daniel F. , Hadgu Rim M. , Borghol Amne , Okpechi Samuel C. , Naljayan Mihran V. , Sanne Shane E. , Guillory Shane G. ,   CardioRenal Research Group (CRRG)
Published: May 2021

Although the role of magnesium in blood pressure has been well studied among hypertensive patients, no study has explored the role of magnesium in hypertensive crises. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the differences in serum magnesium levels between hypertensive crises patients and matched controls (age‐, sex‐, race‐, and diabetes‐matched) in a 1:1 random match. This study is a single‐center, retrospective, chart review, case‐control study of patients with hypertensive crises (case group) and patients without hypertensive crises (control group). Patients were included in the case group if they were 18 years of age or older with hypertensive crises and have a documented magnesium level. The control group patients were required to be 18 years of age or older, have no diagnosis of hypertensive crises, and have a documented magnesium level. The primary outcome of the study was to compare the mean serum magnesium in patients with hypertensive crises versus patients without hypertensive crises. Three hundred and fifty‐eight patients were included in the study: 179 patients in both the case group and control group. The primary outcome results showed that serum magnesium concentration was not significantly different between the case group (1.89 ± 0.29 mg/dl) and control group (1.90 ± 0.31 mg/dl) (p = .787). This study found no significant difference in serum magnesium levels in patients with hypertensive crises compared to a random matched control group. Larger observational or experimental studies may be useful to evaluate the effect of magnesium on blood pressure in hypertensive crises.
Synthesis and radioprotective effects of novel hybrid compounds containing edaravone analogue and 3‐n‐butylphthalide ring‐opening derivatives
Authors: Li Xuejiao , Wang Xinxin , Miao Longfei , Liu Yahong , Lin Xiaona , Guo Yuying , Yuan Renbin , Tian Hongqi
Published: May 2021

As the potential risk of radiation exposure is increasing, radioprotectors studies are gaining importance. In this study, novel hybrid compounds containing edaravone analogue and 3‐n‐butylphthalide ring‐opening derivatives were synthesized, and their radioprotective effects were evaluated. Among these, compound 10a displayed the highest radioprotective activity in IEC‐6 and HFL‐1 cells. Its oral administration increased the survival rates of irradiated mice and alleviated total body irradiation (TBI)‐induced hematopoietic damage by mitigating myelosuppression and improving hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell frequencies. Furthermore, 10a treatment prevented abdominal irradiation (ABI)‐induced structural damage to the small intestine. Experiment results demonstrated that 10a increased the number of Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells, lysozyme+ Paneth cells and Ki67+ transient amplifying cells, and reduced apoptosis of the intestinal epithelium cells in irradiated mice. Moreover, in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated that the radioprotective activity of 10a is associated to the reduction of oxidative stress and the inhibition of DNA damage. Furthermore, compound 10a downregulated the expressions of p53, Bax, caspase‐9 and caspase‐3, and upregulated the expression of Bcl‐2, suggesting that it could prevent irradiation‐induced intestinal damage through the p53‐dependent apoptotic pathway. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that 10a is beneficial for the prevention of radiation damage and has the potential to be a radioprotector.
Editorial: ‘No pain ‐ No gain’ – Towards the inclusion of mental health costs in balanced "lockdown" decision‐making during health pandemics
Authors: Sonuga‐Barke Edmund J.S.
Published: May 2021

Since the beginning of the COVID‐19 pandemic in early 2020, many governments have implemented national or regional lockdowns to slow the spread of infection. The widely anticipated negative impact these interventions would have on families, including on their mental health, were not included in decision models. The purpose of this editorial is, therefore, to stimulate debate by considering some of the barriers that have stopped governments setting the benefits of lockdown against, in particular, mental health costs during this process and so to make possible a more balanced approach going forward. First, evidence that lockdown causes mental health problems needs to be stronger. Natural experimental studies will play an essential role in providing such evidence. Second, innovative health economic approaches that allow the costs and benefits of lockdown to be compared directly are required. Third, we need to develop public health information strategies that allow more nuanced and complex messages that balance lockdown’s costs and benefits to be communicated. These steps should be accompanied by a major public consultation/engagement campaign aimed at strengthening the publics’ understanding of science and exploring beliefs about how to strike the appropriate balance between costs and benefits in public health intervention decisions.
External validation of the modified LACE+, LACE+, and LACE scores to predict readmission or death after hospital discharge
Authors: Staples John A. , Wiksyk Bradley , Liu Guiping , Desai Sameer , van Walraven Carl , Sutherland Jason M.
Published: May 2021

Background

Unplanned hospital readmissions are common adverse events. The LACE+ score has been used to identify patients at the highest risk of unplanned readmission or death, yet the external validity of this score remains uncertain.

Methods

We constructed a cohort of patients admitted to hospital between 1 October 2014 and 31 January 2017 using population‐based data from British Columbia (Canada). The primary outcome was a composite of urgent hospital readmission or death within 30 days of index discharge. The primary analysis sought to optimize clinical utility and international generalizability by focusing on the modified LACE+ (mLACE+) score, a variation of the LACE+ score which excludes the Case Mix Group score. Predictive performance was assessed using model calibration and discrimination.

Results

Among 368,154 hospitalized individuals, 31,961 (8.7%) were urgently readmitted and 5428 (1.5%) died within 30 days of index discharge (crude composite risk of readmission or death, 9.95%). The mLACE+ score exhibited excellent calibration (calibration‐in‐the‐large and calibration slope no different than ideal) and adequate discrimination (c‐statistic, 0.681; 95%CI, 0.678 to 0.684). Higher risk dichotomized mLACE+ scores were only modestly associated with the primary outcome (positive likelihood ratio 1.95, 95%CI 1.93 to 1.97). Predictive performance of the mLACE+ score was similar to that of the LACE+ and LACE scores.

Conclusion

The mLACE+, LACE+ and LACE scores predict hospital readmission with excellent calibration and adequate discrimination. These scores can be used to target interventions designed to prevent unplanned hospital readmission.
Miliolidium n. gen, a New Symbiodiniacean Genus Whose Members Associate with Soritid Foraminifera or Are Free‐Living
Authors: Pochon Xavier , LaJeunesse Todd C.
Published: May 2021

The dinoflagellate family Symbiodiniaceae comprises numerous divergent genera containing species whose ecologies range from endosymbiotic to free‐living. While many associate with invertebrates including corals, sea anemones, jellyfish, giant clams, and flatworms, others occur within the cytoplasm of large protists, most notably benthic foraminifera in the sub‐family Soritinae. Recent systematic revisions to the Symbiodiniaceae left out formal naming of some divergent lineages because each lacked a representative type species to erect new genus names. Here we provide genetic, morphological and ecological evidence to describe a new genus and species. Miliolidium n. gen. is closely related to the genus Durusdinium and contains several genetically divergent ecologically distinct lineages found in distant geographic locations indicating an Indo‐Pacific wide distribution. One of these, Miliolidium leei n. sp., is represented by an isolate cultured from Amphisorus sp. originally collected in the Gulf of Eilat, northern Red Sea. Its peripheral chloroplast extensions are uniquely petal‐ or lobe‐shaped, and cells possess a pyrenoid with three stalks connecting to chloroplasts, and without thylakoid intrusions. It is related to an isolate cultured from an azooxanthellate sponge from Palau and another that is commonly harbored by the soritid Marginopora vertebralis in shallow reef habitats from Guam. Research on Symbiodiniaceae diversity including free‐living species in benthic habitats and those mutualistic with soritid foraminifera remains extremely limited as does our knowledge of their diversity, physiology, biogeography, and ecology.
Development of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) application for detection and genotyping of RSIV‐type megalocytiviruses
Authors: Sakseepipad Channapha , Nozaki Reiko , Yoshii Keisuke , Fukuda Yutaka , Mizuno Kaori , Kawakami Hidemasa , Hirono Ikuo , Kondo Hidehiro
Published: May 2021

Red sea bream iridovirus (RSIV) belonging to the genus Megalocytivirus of the family Iridoviridae is the cause of serious mass mortality of cultured marine fishes. RSIV‐type megalocytiviruses show extremely high nucleotide sequence identities. Thus, epidemiological studies on this virus are limited. This study developed two primer sets amplifying the regions possessing single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) to determine the relationships and divergence of RSIV‐type megalocytiviruses isolated from cultured marine fishes in Japan. The two regions were designed according to the genome sequences of the representative RSIV genotype II of megalocytivirus members in GenBank. The SNP 1 and 2 regions have sequences homologous to hypothetical protein ORF 24 and ORF 31, respectively, of RSIV (accession no. AP017456.1). By sequencing the regions, 53 polymorphic sites were identified. The phylogenetic analysis of 25 RSIV‐type megalocytivirus isolates, classified into RSIV cluster, was clustered into eight haplotypes (seven haplotypes from Oita, two haplotypes from Ehime, and one haplotype shared between Oita and Ehime). These findings suggested that SNP in the RSIV genome is a powerful application for the detection and identification of RSIV‐type megalocytiviruses.
Compaction, flowability, and dissolution kinetics of Andrographis paniculata, Eurycoma longifolia, Labisia pumila, and Orthosiphon stamineus powders
Authors: Roslan Nur Syahida , Yusof Yus Aniza , Azhar Ali Muhammad , Chin Nyuk Ling , Anuar Mohd Shamsul , Pin Kar Yong
Published: May 2021

The herbal powders included Andrographis paniculata, Eurycoma longifolia, Labisia pumila, and Orthosiphon stamineus are well known due to their therapeutic properties and usually consumed as herbal supplement that is available in different forms. The aim of this work was to investigate the compaction, flowability, and dissolution kinetics of selected herbal powders in the form of tablets and powders. A universal testing machine with forces ranging of 4.0–9.8 kN was used to compress the herbal powders in a 13 mm cylindrical uniaxial die. The compacted tablets were dissolved in three different mediums; distilled water, simulated saliva, and hydrochloric acid solution as to create the environment in drinking water, human mouth, and gastric fluid, respectively. The dissolution profile was compared based on the best fitting of mathematical model equations. The results shown that the dissolution of all selected herbal powders in all three dissolution mediums was best fitted in Korsmeyer–Peppas Model, Zero Order Kinetic Model, and Weibull Model, and tablets were completely dissolved within 2–6 min in all three mediums. It can be further tested with another type of powders. The data are essential in predicting the compaction, flow characteristics, and dissolution kinetics of herbal powders.

Practical Applications

Dried herbs are being used as natural remedy but their fluffy and sticky textures make them difficult to convert into a standard form of medicine like tablet or capsules. Flowablity, compressibility, and dissolution kinetics of any kind of herbal powder are the basic parameters to convert into tablet, capsule of pouch filling. Therefore, four Malaysian herbal powders were selected to process into different forms such as tablet, capsules, and cereal formulations. For this purpose, a comprehensive study has been carried out to increase the understanding of flow, compression, and dissolution characteristics of selected Malaysian herbal powders. The findings of the present study can also be applied to other herbs and leaves powders. The findings of present research work provides basic fundamentals for nutraceutical industry to produce better quality herbal powder, easy to handle, transport, and store and convert them into a standard form of tablet or capsules.
Civil disobedience in the domestic sphere: The case of the Hetero‐gay family
Authors: Erera Pauline I. , Segal‐Engelchin Dorit , Weatherley Richard A.
Published: May 2021

This article considers women who establish diverse families, focusing on the hetero‐gay family as a point of departure. These women challenge patriarchal imperatives through implicit acts of civil disobedience, creating an alternative to the constraints of the traditional two‐parent different‐sex family. We show how the concept of civil disobedience, conventionally restricted to the field of law and public policy, applies as well to the domestic sphere of family life, a potential arena of contention and activism. This case example illustrates the utility of taking into account the reciprocal influences of families and the larger social and political context in which they are imbedded.
Bilingualism, assessment language, and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in Mexican Americans
Authors: Briceño Emily M. , Mehdipanah Roshanak , Gonzales Xavier F. , Heeringa Steven G. , Levine Deborah A. , Langa Kenneth M. , Zahs Daniel , Garcia Nelda , Longoria Ruth , Morgenstern Lewis B.
Published: May 2021

Background/Objectives

Assessment of cognition in linguistically diverse aging populations is a growing need. Bilingualism may complicate cognitive measurement precision, and bilingualism may vary across Hispanic/Latinx sub‐populations. We examined the association among bilingualism, assessment language, and cognitive screening performance in a primarily non‐immigrant Mexican American community.

Design

Prospective, community‐based cohort study: The Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC)‐Cognitive study.

Setting

Nueces County, Texas.

Participants

Community‐dwelling Mexican Americans age 65+, recruited door‐to‐door using a two‐stage area probability sampling procedure.

Measurements

Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA); self‐reported bilingualism scale. Participants were classified as monolingual, Spanish dominant bilingual, English dominant bilingual, or balanced bilingual based upon bilingualism scale responses. Linear regressions examined relationships among bilingualism, demographics, cognitive assessment language, and MoCA scores.

Results

The analytic sample included 547 Mexican American participants (60% female). Fifty‐eight percent were classified as balanced bilingual, the majority (88.6%) of whom selected assessment in English. Balanced bilinguals that completed the MoCA in English performed better than balanced bilinguals that completed the MoCA in Spanish (b = −4.0, p < 0.05). Among balanced bilinguals that took the MoCA in Spanish, education outside of the United States was associated with better performance (b = 4.4, p < 0.001). Adjusting for demographics and education, we found no association between the degree of bilingualism and MoCA performance (p's > 0.10).

Conclusion

Bilingualism is important to consider in cognitive aging studies in linguistically diverse communities. Future research should examine whether cognitive test language selection affects cognitive measurement precision in balanced bilinguals.
Goldilocks and propofol dosage in older adults: Too much, too little, or just right?
Authors: Devinney Michael J. , Berger Miles
Published: May 2021

This editorial comments on the article by Schonberger et al. in this issue.
Prediction equations for estimating body weight in older adults
Authors: Guerra Rita S. , Sousa‐Santos Ana R. , Sousa Ana S. , Valdiviesso Rui , Afonso Cláudia , Moreira Pedro , Padrão Patrícia , Borges Nuno , Santos Alejandro , Ferro Graça , Martins Cátia , Amaral Teresa F.
Published: May 2021

Background

Assessing body weight in older adults may be challenging. Hence, the present study aimed to develop and cross‐validate updated and reproducible equations to estimate body weight in a large sample of older adults, namely among the older‐old.

Methods

In total, 1456 individuals aged ≥ 65 years, from the Nutrition UP 65 study, were included in the present analysis. The participants were randomly assigned to one of two sub‐samples: development (n = 991) and validation samples (n = 465). Prediction equations using height, mid‐upper arm circumference (MUAC), waist circumference (WC), calf circumference (CC) and triceps skinfold thickness (TST) were generated for the development sample using multiple regression analysis and then validated using the validation sample.

Results

The model with five predictor variables generated the following equations: females 65–79 years: −114.682 + 0.522 height (cm) + 0.620 MUAC (cm) + 0.517 WC (cm) + 0.893 CC (cm) + 0.111 TST (mm) (adjusted r2 = 0.883, standard error of the estimate (SEE) = 4.4); females ≥ 80 years: −110.806 + 0.494 height (cm) + 0.637 MUAC (cm) + 0.500 WC (cm) + 0.986 CC (cm) + 0.021 TST (mm) (adjusted r2 = 0.890, SEE = 3.9); males 65–79 years: −114.875 + 0.558 height (cm) + 0.073 MUAC (cm) + 0.671 WC (cm) + 0.717 CC (cm) + 0.182 TST(mm) (adjusted r2 = 0.820, SEE=5.0); and males ≥ 80 years: −128.789 + 0.546 height (cm) + 0.202 MUAC (cm) + 0.612 WC (cm) + 1.236 CC (cm) + 0.093 TST (mm) (adjusted r2 = 0.906, SEE = 3.5).

Conclusions

Body weight can be estimated with good accuracy in older adults using these sex‐ and age‐specific equations generated from regression models using three to five anthropometric predictor variables.
The E3 ligase XBAT35 mediates thermoresponsive hypocotyl growth by targeting ELF3 for degradation in Arabidopsis
Authors: Zhang Lin‐Lin , Li Wei , Tian Ying‐Ying , Davis Seth Jon , Liu Jian‐Xiang
Published: May 2021

Plants are capable of coordination of their growth and development with ambient temperatures. EARLY FLOWERING3 (ELF3), an essential component of the plant circadian clock, is also involved in ambient temperature sensing, as well as in inhibiting the expression and protein activity of the thermoresponsive regulator phytochrome interacting factor 4 (PIF4). The ELF3 activity is subjected to attenuation in response to warm temperature; however, how the protein level of ELF3 is regulated at warm temperature remains less understood. Here, we report that the E3 ligase XB3 ORTHOLOG 5 IN ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA, XBAT35, mediates ELF3 degradation. XBAT35 interacts with ELF3 and ubiquitinates ELF3. Loss‐of‐function mutation of XBAT35 increases the protein level of ELF3 and confers a short‐hypocotyl phenotype under warm temperature conditions. Thus, our findings establish that XBAT35 mediates ELF3 degradation to lift the inhibition of ELF3 on PIF4 for promoting thermoresponsive hypocotyl growth in plants.
GmMs1 encodes a kinesin‐like protein essential for male fertility in soybean (Glycine max L.)
Authors: Nadeem Muhammad , Chen Andong , Hong Huilong , Li Dongdong , Li Jiajia , Zhao Duo , Wang Wei , Wang Xiaobo , Qiu Lijuan
Published: May 2021

The application of heterosis is a promising approach for greatly increasing yield in soybean (Glycine max L.). Nuclear male sterility is essential for hybrid seed production and the utilization of heterosis. Here we report the cloning of the gene underlying the soybean male‐sterile mutant ms‐1, which has been widely used for recurrent selection in soybean breeding programs. We initially delimited the ms1 locus to a 16.15 kb region on chromosome 13, based on SLAF_BSA sequencing followed by genotyping of an F2 population segregating for the locus. Compared with the same region in fertile plants, the mutant region lacks a sequence of approximately 38.7 kb containing five protein‐coding genes, including an ortholog of the kinesin‐like protein gene NACK2, named GmMs1. The GmMs1 knockout plants generated via CRISPR/Cas‐mediated gene editing displayed a complete male‐sterile phenotype. Metabolic profiling showed that fertile anthers accumulated starch and sucrose normally, whereas sterile anthers had higher anthocyanin levels and lower flavonoid levels and lower antioxidant enzyme activities. These results provide insights into the molecular mechanisms governing male sterility and demonstrate that GmMs1 could be used to create male‐sterile lines through targeted mutagenesis. These findings pave the way for designing seed production technology and an intelligent male‐sterile line system to utilize heterosis in soybean.
Vanity and food waste: Empirical evidence from China
Authors: Gao Li , Mei Yingdan , Yang Xiaohan , Zhao Congyu , Li Daimeng
Published: May 2021

Food waste has gained tremendous attention in recent years, not only because food resources are becoming scarce, but also the increasingly awareness of food saving. This research aims to examine how vanity, a psychological factor, affects at‐home and outdoor food waste behaviors in China. The data we use is based on a face‐to‐face questionnaire interview in three provinces of China through a stratified sampling method and eventually, 305 valid questionnaires are acquired. It has been found that there is a significantly positive relationship between food waste and vanity, which is robust with various specifications.
Perception of family sense of coherence among Chinese couples with infertility
Authors: Ngai Fei Wan , Lam Winsome
Published: May 2021

Aims and objectives

To explore perceptions of family sense of coherence among infertile couples and to provide a theoretical interpretation of the comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness of couples’ experiences coping with infertility.

Background

Infertility is a devastating experience for many couples and can have long‐lasting psychosocial consequences. Family sense of coherence has the potential to facilitate a couple's adjustment to the life crisis of infertility and may provide a useful conceptual lens to understand experiences of infertility.

Methods

Sixty‐four couples with infertility participated in semi‐structured interviews at subfertility clinics. Data were analysed using the constant comparative approach of grounded theory. COREQ guidelines were followed in reporting the study.

Results

Three major themes related to infertility emerged from the interviews: comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness. The couples experienced psychological strain while making cognitive sense of infertility. The significance of children, which is embedded in traditional Chinese culture, created a sense of meaning and purpose in couples’ lives and motivated them to mobilise both internal and external resources to cope with the demands of infertility and its treatment.

Conclusions

The findings indicate that the salutogenic model of family sense of coherence can contribute to our understanding of the experiences of infertility among Chinese couples.

Relevance to clinical practice

The results offer a theoretical framework that healthcare professionals can use to help couples cope with the life crisis of infertility by strengthening their sense of family coherence.
Remnant cholesterol predicts progression of diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy in type 1 diabetes
Authors: Jansson Sigfrids F. , Dahlström E. H. , Forsblom C. , Sandholm N. , Harjutsalo V. , Taskinen M.‐R. , Groop P.‐H.
Published: May 2021

Background

We aimed to assess whether remnant cholesterol concentration and variability predict the progression of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and severe diabetic retinopathy (SDR) in type 1 diabetes.

Methods

This observational prospective study covered 5150 FinnDiane Study participants. Remnant cholesterol was calculated as total cholesterol – LDL cholesterol – HDL cholesterol and variability as the coefficient of variation. DN category was based on consensus albuminuria reference limits and the progression status was confirmed from medical files. SDR was defined as retinal laser treatment. For 1338 individuals, the severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) was graded using the ETDRS classification protocol. Median (IQR) follow‐up time was 8.0 (4.9–13.7) years for DN and 14.3 (10.4–16.3) for SDR.

Results

Remnant cholesterol (mmol L−1) was higher with increasing baseline DN category (P < 0.001). A difference was also seen comparing non‐progressors (0.41 [0.32–0.55]) with progressors (0.55 [0.40–0.85]), P < 0.001. In a Cox regression analysis, remnant cholesterol predicted DN progression, independently of diabetes duration, sex, HbA1c, systolic blood pressure, smoking, BMI, estimated glucose disposal rate and estimated glomerular filtration rate (HR: 1.51 [1.27–1.79]). Remnant cholesterol was also higher in those who developed SDR (0.47 [0.36–0.66]) than those who did not (0.40 [0.32–0.53]), P < 0.001, and the concentration increased stepwise with increasing DR severity (P < 0.001). Regarding SDR, the HR for remnant cholesterol was 1.52 (1.26–1.83) with the most stringent adjustment. However, remnant cholesterol variability was not independently associated with the outcomes.

Conclusions

Remnant cholesterol concentration, but not variability, predicts DN progression and development of SDR. However, it remains to be elucidated whether the associations are causal or not.
Functional appliance treatment for mandibular fractures: A systematic review with meta‐analyses
Authors: Stähli Corinne , Eliades Theodore , Papageorgiou Spyridon N.
Published: May 2021

Objectives

Mandibular collum fractures among growing patients can lead to abnormal growth, function, esthetics and ultimately quality of life. Among the proposed treatment alternatives, orthopaedic treatment with functional appliances has been suggested, with encouraging results. Aim of the present systematic review was to critically appraise existing evidence on the outcome of functional appliance treatment among growing patients with mandibular collum fractures.

Materials and methods

Eight databases were searched up to October 2020 for randomised and non‐randomised clinical studies assessing functional appliance treatment outcome for children with mandibular fractures. After duplicate study selection, data extraction and risk of bias assessment, random effects meta‐analyses of mean differences (MD) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were performed, followed by assessment of the quality of evidence with GRADE.

Results

A total of 8 unique studies (one prospective and nine retrospective non‐randomised) with 223 children could be identified. Functional appliance treatment was associated with greater anteroposterior condyle dimensions of the injured condyle compared with the contralateral healthy condyle (3 studies; MD = 0.87 mm; 95% CI = 0.30 to 1.45 mm; p = .003). No difference was found in the mesiodistal condyle size between the injured and the contralateral healthy joint (3 studies; MD = −0.05 mm; 95% CI = −1.05 to 0.95 mm; p = .92), but collum length was smaller at the injured side compared with the contralateral one (1 study; MD = −2.89 mm; 95% CI = −5.29 to −0.49 mm; p = .02). Treatment outcome might be influenced by patient age, patient sex and severity/localisation of the fracture, but the quality of evidence for all analyses was very low due to methodological limitations leading to bias.

Conclusions

While some evidence exists that functional appliances might lead to good clinical rehabilitation of fractured mandibular condyles, including considerable bone remodelling, available studies are small and have methodological weaknesses.