bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maintaining Ethical Physician-Industry Relationships
Authors: Singh Armaan , Singer Eric A. , Modi Parth K.
Published: January 2025

Financial relationships between physicians and the healthcare industry are common and are increasingly concerning to patients, physicians, and policymakers. After the passage of the Affordable Care Act and the development of the Open Payments Program (Sunshine Act), considerably more data have become available to researchers and the general public. As a result, more is now known more about the breadth and effects of physician financial relationships with health care industry entities. This chapter reviews the recent empirical work examining financial relationships between physicians and industry, guidance for the management of these relationships from professional societies, and strategies for addressing these relationships.
Health Quality of Life
Authors: Deimling Gary T.
Published: January 2025

Considerable research has already documented that the long-term and late effects of cancer and its treatment may persist into later life for long-term survivors. The National Cancer Institute and the National Institute on Aging have both noted that understanding the contribution of cancer to the older individual’s health, comorbidities, and functional health is critical in reducing the burden of cancer among older cancer survivors. These are examined in the context of continuing symptoms reported by survivors, often referred to as late or long-term effects, focusing on three symptoms common among both cancer survivors and older adults: pain, fatigue, and weakness. The chapter concludes by examining survivors’ assessment of their overall health satisfaction. Both foundational and recent research findings are discussed, including those from the Cancer Survivors Research Program (CSRP) research and cancer survivors’ narratives.
Altered Life Perspectives After Cancer
Authors: Eva  , Kahana Boaz
Published: January 2025

This final chapter of the book appropriately focuses on the possible altered life perspectives and transformations that cancer has the potential to make among older adult long-term survivors. These life changes are viewed as the ultimate outcomes of cancer survival, as portrayed in the accompanying model. This figure identifies the key issues that have been introduced in the preceding seven chapters that may give rise to an altered life perspective after cancer. As with all prior chapters, it provides a review of the foundational and recent research including that of the Cancer Survivors Research Program (CSRP) and as well as those from the Elderly Care Research Center (ECRC) focusing on the posttraumatic transformation that may be reflected in the altered life perspectives of cancer survivors. The chapter ends, like the previous chapters, with a review of the narratives provided by the cancer survivor participants in our research, which, in this chapter, focuses on significant life changes that reflect both their hopes and fears after cancer.
Dexamethasone in the Prophylaxis of Radiation-Induced Pain Flare After Palliative Radiotherapy for Bone Metastases
Authors: Maxwell Meredith , Quest Tammie E.
Published: January 2025

Two-hundred ninety-eight patients from Canadian medical centers with nonhematologic malignancy and painful bone metastasis were enrolled in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. Patients received either dexamethasone or placebo prior to a single 8-Gy dose to bone metastases and for 4 days thereafter. Participants in the group treated with dexamethasone had reduced radiation-induced pain flares and mean pain scores on days 1–5 after radiation treatment. There was no difference in the overall response to radiation therapy.
Psilocybin for Depression and Anxiety in Cancer Patients
Authors: Quest Tammie E. , Zarrabi Ali John
Published: January 2025

Fifty-one cancer patients with symptoms of depression and anxiety were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, crossover trial using low-dose psilocybin (placebo) and high-dose psilocybin (intervention group) combined with psychotherapy with 5 weeks between dosing sessions and at 6-month follow-up. Participants in the intervention group had large decreases in clinician- and self-rated measures of depression and anxiety. They also had improvements in quality of life, life meaning, and optimism and decreases in death anxiety at 5 weeks. Significant changes in depression and anxiety were durable for around 80% of participants at 6-month follow-up. A mystical-type experience on the drug session day mediated the effect of psilocybin dose on the therapeutic outcomes.
The Use of Opioids for Breakthrough Pain in Acute Palliative Care Unit by Using Doses Proportional to Opioid Basal Regimen
Authors: Malik Jimi S. , Quest Tammie E.
Published: January 2025

The optimal choice of opioid to treat breakthrough cancer-related pain is still controversial. Over a 6-month period in a single acute palliative care unit, 503 episodes of breakthrough pain among 66 cancer patients were studied, showing statistically significant improvement in pain severity among all the opioids given, regardless of the opioid choice and modality of administration used. The majority (84.9%) of breakthrough pain episodes were treated with the first opioid administration. Intravenous morphine and oral transmucosal fentanyl were the most frequently administered opioids. This study helps to clarify the efficacy and safety of different opioids used in proportion to the basal opioid regimen.
Randomized Controlled Trial of Oral Docusate in Patients on Hospice
Authors: Stevens Abby
Published: January 2025

This trial compared a bowel regimen of docusate + senna to placebo + senna among people admitted to inpatient hospice receiving opioid analgesics. The study found no significant differences in stool frequency, volume, or consistency when comparing the 2 groups. There was no statistical difference in the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale between the groups. While this study is not definitive and should be interpreted with caution, clinicians can use these findings to scrutinize the routine use of docusate to prevent or treat opioid-induced constipation. Avoiding or deprescribing docusate when not beneficial can reduce the pill burden on patients and caregivers and focus scarce hospice resources on more effective interventions to prevent constipation.
Equianalgesic Conversion From Intravenous Hydromorphone to Oral Opioids
Authors: Strassels Scott A.
Published: January 2025

In “The Conversion Ratio From Intravenous Hydromorphone to Oral Opioids in Cancer Patients,” Reddy et al. provide guidance to clinicians who need to rotate patients from intravenous (IV) hydromorphone (HM) to oral HM. Data for this analysis were derived from the electronic health record from nearly 400 people who were admitted to a comprehensive cancer center in the United States between 2010 and 2014. The median conversion ratio for this change was 1 mg HM:2.5 oral HM, while the median opioid rotation ratio from IV HM to an equivalent morphine dose was 11.46. To help avoid calculation errors, the authors suggested using an opioid rotation ratio of 10. Further research is needed to understand the application of equianalgesic conversion in people who were excluded from this study.
Guideline-Driven Versus Single-Agent Antiemetic Therapy in Patients With Advanced Cancer
Authors: Stayer Sarah , Tatum Paul
Published: January 2025

Nausea is a common symptom in patients with advanced cancer. Current practice encourages providers to identify the etiology and associated neurotransmitters and prescribe an agent that targets the cause. Other studies use single-agent therapy, regardless of cause, and report symptom improvement. This study randomized patients to treatment by clinical-based guidelines with physician-identified causes of nausea versus single-agent haloperidol. Clinical-based guidelines controlled the nausea more quickly after 24 hours, but both methods were effective at 72 hours. This study concluded that either single-agent or etiology-based approaches were effective, and most nausea can be treated with affordable, widely available medications. More expensive alternative medications should be reserved for refractory nausea.
Headache associated with cough, exertion, sex, and sport
Authors: Kernick David , Moreno David
Published: January 2025

This chapter covers a range of headaches precipitated by exertion, including cough, exercise, and sexual activity. Excluding an underlying secondary cause is an important first step, but in many cases mechanisms are unclear and evidence-based treatment limited. A classification and clinical approach to headache in sport is described.
Headache in the older person
Authors: Kernick David
Published: January 2025

Although less common than among younger age groups, headache can present a diagnostic challenge in the older adult. Temporal arteritis should be considered in all cases. Older people may view pain as a normal part of ageing, and self-reporting and referral decline with increasing cognitive impairment. This chapter describes the diagnosis and management of the most common headache types in the older person.
Facial pain and cranial neuralgias
Authors: Khalil Hisham
Published: January 2025

Facial pain is common in primary care and hospital-based practice, and a multidisciplinary approach involving the GP, neurologist, maxillofacial surgeon, and otolaryngologist is often required. This chapter describes a management framework set within a pragmatic classification of pain associated with the upper respiratory tract and sinuses, primary headache syndromes, neuralgias, pain arising from the eye, and pure facial pain without neurological signs.
Building your psychotherapy skills
Authors: Rinaldi Matthew
Published: January 2025

The concept of co-constructed transference is explained along with clear guidance on how to identify the transference. This starts with identifying countertransference and some questions that the psychodynamic psychotherapy trainee might want to ask themselves to clarify it in their minds. It is recommended that new trainees draw their patient’s increasing attention to the transference over a session and over the course of their first therapy. Finally, the chapter explores whether therapists need to interpret the transference, or whether thinking about it alone is sufficient to promote change.
Supervision
Authors: Rinaldi Matthew
Published: January 2025

Supervision for trainees learning psychodynamic psychotherapy is different and similar to other forms of supervision wherein the trainee can expect to get feedback on their performance and develop their understanding. The process can vary, particularly if the trainee is in a group or individual supervision, and between different supervisors. Trainees are encouraged to direct their learning, make the most of process notes, understand and work through difficulties in supervision, and understand psychodynamic psychotherapy alongside adapted models. The patient assessment process is summarized along with opportunities for further development in this specialty.
Changing-look inspirals: trends and switches in AGN disc emission as signposts for merging black hole binaries
Authors: Zrake Jonathan , Clyburn Madeline , Feyan Samuel
Published: January 2025

Using grid-based hydrodynamics simulations and analytic modeling, we compute the electromagnetic (EM) signatures of gravitational wave (GW) driven inspirals of massive black hole binaries that accrete gas from circumbinary discs, exploring the effects of varying gas temperatures, viscosity laws, and binary mass ratios. Our main finding is that active galactic nuclei (AGNs) that host inspiraling binaries can exhibit two sub-types of long-term secular variability patterns: Type-A events which dim before merger and brighten afterward, and Type-B events which brighten before merger and dim afterward. In both types, the merger coincides with a long-lasting chromatic change of the AGN appearance. The sub-types correspond to the direction of angular momentum transfer between the binary and the disc, and could thus have correlated GW signatures if the gas-induced torque can be inferred from GW phase drift measurements by LISA. The long-term brightness trends are caused by steady weakening of the disc-binary torque that accompanies orbital decay, it induces a hysteresis effect whereby the disc ‘remembers’ the history of the binary’s contraction. We illustrate the effect using a reduced model problem of an axisymmetric thin disc subjected at its inner edge to the weakening torque of an inspiraling binary. The model problem yields a new class of self-similar disc solutions, which capture salient features of the multidimensional hydrodynamics simulations. We use these solutions to derive variable AGN disc emission signatures within years to decades of massive black hole binary mergers in AGNs. Spectral changes of Mrk 1018 might have been triggered by an inspiral-merger event.
The prototype double-faced white dwarf has a thin hydrogen layer across its entire surface
Authors: Bédard Antoine , Tremblay Pier-Emmanuel
Published: January 2025

Some white dwarfs undergo significant changes in atmospheric composition owing to the diffusion and mixing of residual hydrogen in a helium-rich envelope. Of particular interest are a few objects exhibiting hydrogen and helium line variations modulated by rotation, revealing surface composition inhomogeneities. Recently, the hot ultramassive white dwarf ZTF J203349.80+322901.1 emerged as the most extreme such specimen, with hydrogen and helium lines successively appearing and vanishing in antiphase, suggesting a peculiar double-faced configuration. However, standard atmosphere models fail to reproduce the observed spectrum at all rotation phases, hampering further interpretation. Here, we perform a new analysis of ZTF J203349.80+322901.1 using stratified atmosphere models, where hydrogen floats above helium, and obtain excellent fits to the phase-resolved spectra. Our results imply that an extremely thin hydrogen layer covers the entire surface but varies from optically thick to optically thin across the surface, thus producing the observed spectral variations. We present new envelope models indicating that the hydrogen layer arises from a delicate interplay between diffusion and convection. We discuss possible explanations for the surface layer asymmetry, including an asymmetric magnetic field and a non-uniform internal hydrogen distribution. Finally, we highlight implications for expanding and understanding the emerging class of inhomogeneous white dwarfs.
The effect of task switching on productivity: evidence from major league baseball pitchers
Authors: Farnell Alex , Mills Brian , O’Sullivan Vincent , Simmons Robert , Berri David
Published: January 2025

There are few opportunities, outside of a laboratory setting, to study how workers respond to the demands of task switching. A priori, task switching might either harm or benefit productivity, and thus it becomes an empirical question. Faced with difficulties in the measurement of productivity and task switching, we turn to an industry that produces accurate, detailed, and comparable measures of worker production, namely starting pitchers in Major League Baseball. Our results suggest that task switching, between pitching and batting, can improve subsequent pitching performance, though heterogeneity in this effect is present. We discuss implications for wider labour market settings.
Identification of a novel stomatal opening chemical, PP242, that inhibits early abscisic acid signal transduction in guard cells
Authors: Oh Airi , Kimura Riku , Inoue Shinpei , Sato Taiyo , Hayashi Yuki , Sato Ayato , Takahashi Yohei , Kinoshita Toshinori
Published: January 2025

Plants control their stomatal apertures to optimize carbon dioxide uptake and water loss. Stomata open in response to light through the phosphorylation of the penultimate residue, Thr, of plasma membrane (PM) H+-ATPase in guard cells. Stomata close in response to drought and the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA), and ABA suppresses the light-induced activation of PM H+-ATPase. However, the signaling pathways that regulate the stomatal aperture remain unclear. Previously, we identified a target of rapamycin (TOR) inhibitor, temsirolimus, to induce stomatal opening through chemical screening. In the present study, we further investigated other TOR inhibitors and identified PP242 as a novel stomatal opening chemical. PP242 induced stomatal opening even in the dark, as well as phosphorylation of the penultimate Thr of PM H+-ATPase in guard cells. Interestingly, PP242 completely suppressed ABA-induced stomatal closure, and inhibited ABA-induced activation of SNF1-related protein kinase 2s (SnRK2s), which are essential kinases for ABA signal transduction in guard cells. In vitro biochemical analysis revealed that PP242 did not directly inhibit SnRK2 but rather inhibited upstream ABA-signaling components, specifically B3 clade Raf-like kinases. A quadruple mutant of B3 clade Raf-like kinases exhibited an open stoma phenotype that resembled the effect of PP242. However, PP242 still induced stomatal opening in this mutant, suggesting that PP242 also targets other guard cell components. Together, these results reveal that PP242 induces stomatal opening partly by inhibiting steady-state ABA signal transduction.
Effect of non-invasive brain stimulation on cancer-related pain: evidence from meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Zhang Yaqi , He Xiuyun , Gong Chen , Wang Yafei , You Longfei , Lin Yangyang , Wang Yuling , Feng Beibei
Published: January 2025

Purpose

Cancer-related pain (CRP) is one of the most challenging disorders among cancer survivors. Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) is an emerging technique for alleviating pain. Although there is evidence suggesting that NIBS can alleviate CRP, higher level evidence is still required to further substantiate its efficacy and safety. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of NIBS interventions for CRP via a meta-analysis.

Methods

Databases such as MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), ClinicalTrials.gov, China National Knowledge Infrastructure were systematically searched using key terms related to pain, cancer, and NIBS. The primary outcome was pain intensity and the secondary outcome was depression. After extracting and assessing data from the included literature, we performed Meta-analysis using RevMan 5.4.1 software.

Results

The results encompassed 11 randomized controlled trials papers, involving 714 patients. The Meta-analysis findings indicated that NIBS demonstrated a significant reduction in pain intensity scores {SMD −0.72 [95% confidence interval (CI), −1.00 to −0.43], P < 0.00001}. NIBS also had a notable effect on depression [SMD −0.62 (95% CI, −0.93 to −0.31), P = 0.0004]. However, subgroup analysis revealed that one single session of NIBS did not show statistical significance in analgesic effect. Furthermore, no matter targeting the M1 and DLPFC areas, as well as using either rTMS or tDCS, resulted in significant reductions in pain intensity.

Conclusion

NIBS exhibited a promising trend in alleviating CRP and enhancing treatment effectiveness. Nonetheless, due to limitations in the quantity and quality of the included studies, these findings warrant further validation through additional research.
Effects of Credit Expansions on Stock Market Booms and Busts
Authors: Hansman Christopher , Hong Harrison , Jiang Wenxi , Liu Yu-Jane , Meng Juan-Juan
Published: January 2025

There is causal evidence that mortgage credit expansions increase house prices. Does an expansion of margin lending increase stock prices? Because unconstrained arbitrageurs are more important for pricing stocks than homes, the impact is not obvious. Tests are limited because sizable shocks to margin lending are rare. We examine a major Chinese margin-lending expansion between 2010 and 2015. Institutional holding, regression discontinuity, and event study evidence—exploiting the rollout of margin lending across stocks—shows that arbitrageurs anticipated and bought in advance of a significant causal effect of credit. We develop a model to rationalize our findings. Our estimates suggest that margin debt contributes to stock market fluctuations.
Increased default mode network activation in depression and social anxiety during upward social comparison
Authors: Acuña Alejo , Morales Sebastián , Uriarte-Gaspari Laura , Aguirre Nara , Brandani Antonella , Huart Natalia , Mattos Javier , Pérez Alfonso , Cuña Enrique , Waiter Gordon , Steele Douglas , Armony Jorge L , García-Fontes Margarita , Cabana Álvaro , Gradin Victoria B
Published: January 2025

Social comparisons are a core feature of human life. Theories posit that social comparisons play a critical role in depression and social anxiety triggering negative evaluations about the self, as well as negative emotions. We investigated the neural basis of social comparisons in participants with major depression and/or social anxiety (MD-SA, n = 56) and healthy controls (n = 47) using functional magnetic resonance imaging. While being scanned participants performed a social comparison task, during which they received feedback about their performance and the performance of a coplayer. Upward social comparisons (being worse than the coplayer) elicited high levels of negative emotions (shame, guilt, and nervousness) across participants, with this effect being enhanced in the MD-SA group. Notably, during upward comparison the MD-SA group showed greater activation than the control group in regions of the default mode network (DMN). Specifically, for upward comparison MD-SA participants demonstrated increased activation in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and reduced deactivation in the posteromedial cortex, regions linked to self-referential processing, inferences about other people’s thoughts, and rumination. Findings suggest that people with depression and social anxiety react to upward comparisons with a more negative emotional response, which may be linked to introspective processes related to the DMN.
Dexmedetomidine plays a protective role in sepsis-associated myocardial injury by repressing PRMT5-mediated ferroptosis
Authors: Wang Dan , Wang Jun , Yang Li , Wang Xin , Huang Sijian
Published: January 2025

Sepsis rapidly contributed to multiorgan failure, most typically damaging the cardiovascular system, and there were no effective treatments. Dexmedetomidine (Dex) has good therapeutic effects on sepsis-induced organ injury. Our work aimed to probe the pharmacological effects of Dex on ferroptosis in sepsis-associated myocardial injury (S-MI) and define underlying mechanism of action. Cardiomyocytes were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for mimicking S-MI model in vitro. The septic mice were constructed by cecum ligation and puncture operation. The mRNA and protein expressions were assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction or western blot. Cell survival was determined by cell counting kit-8, lactic dehydrogenase release, and flow cytometry assays. 2′,7’-Dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate staining measured cellular reactive oxygen species level. The secretion levels of inflammatory cytokines, ferroptosis-related indicators were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification level of protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) mRNA was examined by methylated RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation (Me-RIP) assay. The interaction between methyltransferase like 3 (METTL3)/fat mass and obesity-associated protein (FTO) and PRMT5 was analyzed by RNA immunoprecipitation assay. Dex treatment alleviated LPS-induced cardiomyocyte injury and ferroptosis, while these effects of Dex were reversed by Erastin treatment. Mechanically, Dex ameliorated PRMT5 expression in LPS-induced cardiomyocytes by regulating METTL3/FTO catalyzed m6A modification on PRMT5 mRNA. Rescue experiments confirmed that PRMT5 overexpression abolished Dex-mediated inhibitory roles on LPS-induced cardiomyocyte injury and ferroptosis. Moreover, Dex administration alleviated inflammation, ferroptosis, and myocardial injury in septic mice. Taken together, Dex repressed PMRT5 expression in a m6A-dependent manner, thus lightening LPS-triggered ferroptosis to alleviate cardiomyocyte injury.
Relationship between the density of Ditylenchus destructor in soil at harvest evaluated using real-time PCR and sweetpotato disease incidence
Authors: Cheng Zejun , Pu Haoshuai , Zheng Wei , Miao Pu , Wei Jiaming , Zhao Zhe , Zhang Xiaomei , Cheng Xianghan , Toyota Koki , Xu Jian-qiang , Huang Xiaobo , Hou Wenbang
Published: January 2025

Sweetpotato Stem Rot Nematode (Ditylenchus destructor) causes the most devastating disease affecting sweetpotato production in China. The objectives of this study were: i) establish a quantification method using real-time PCR for D. destructor of sweetpotato; ii) analyze the effect of D. destructor density at harvest on the percentage of disease incidence in sweetpotatoes; and iii) evaluate the effect of soil physical properties on disease incidence. Populations of D. destructor isolated from 28 different production areas in Henan Province exhibited identical sequences, and then real-time PCR specific primers (PRNf and PRNr) were designed. The primer set domostrated a 100% match with the sequences of D. destructor from three regions in China, but did not align perfectly with different species within the genus Ditylenchus isolated from nine other countries. There were two and thirteen base mismatches with the closely related species D. africanus and D. gallaeformans, respectively. The log-transformed number of inoculated nematodes (x) to soil was highly correlated with the corresponding Ct value (y), resulting in the quantification curve (y = -1.0859 x + 432.025, R2 = 0.9866, P < 0.01). This quantification curve was utilized to evaluate the densities of D. destructor in wheat fields that were not cultivated with sweetpotato and in fields under continuous sweetpotato cultivation. The results showed no detection in the wheat fields, and the densities ranged from 0 to 13,300 ± 1020 individuals/20 g dry soil. At harvest, the D. destructor density established negative correlation with soil pH (y = -1.7431x + 12.568, R2 = 0.6028 , P < 0.05). When soil pH values were between 5.6 to 6.8, and the density of D. destructor at harvest was less than 160 ± 30/20 g soil, the percentage of disease incidence at harvest was 0. A significant correlation was established between D. destructor density and the severity of sweetpotato disease. The results indicate that the specific primer set developed in this study allows for the accurate and rapid quantification of D. destructor density in the soil, as well as the prediction of disease incidence in sweetpotato.
Efficacy of Selected Fungicides for Control of Phytophthora blight (Phytophthora capsici) of Processing Pumpkin, 2024
Authors: Redhu Sahil , Pandey Krishna Raj , Babadoost Mohammad
Published: January 2025

This study was conducted to evaluate efficacy of selected fungicides for control of Phytophthora blight, caused by Phytophthora capsici, in commercial processing pumpkin field in Illinois. The field was naturally infested with P. capsici. Plots of 18 treatments were established on 15 May and harvested on 24 August 2024. Applications of fungicides, at 7-day interval, began on 5 July and ended on 16 August. Fungicides were applied with a backpack sprayer using 50 gallons of water per acre. The incidence of infected vines was 38.33% in untreated plots, while vine infection in treated plots ranged from 1.67 to 23.33%. The incidence of infected fruits ranged from 3.49% (in plots sprayed with Forum 4.16SC) to 45.40% (in untreated plots). The highest fruit yield (68,793 lb/A) was in the plots sprayed with Revus plus Kocide-3000 plus ProPhyt alternated with Ranman plus Silwet-77 plus ProPhyt. Fruit yield (20,916 lb/A) in untreated plots was the lowest.
Managing advanced pigmentary glaucoma when medical and laser treatment has failed
Authors: Larsen Christine L. , Nakatsuka Austin , Nguyen Bac , Yung Edward , Schehlein Emily , Van Tassel Sarah H. , Kamat Shivani , Havens Shane
Published: January 2025

A 50-year-old dentist was referred for management of advanced pigmentary glaucoma in his left eye. He reported onset of blurring in the left eye approximately 9 months ago, when he was found to have intraocular pressure (IOP) in the 40s. He presented on maximum topical medical therapy to include fixed combination netarsudil + latanoprost, brimonidine + brinzolamide, and timolol in the left eye. He used latanoprost alone in the right eye. The referring ophthalmologist had performed selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) 3 months earlier, which was deemed ineffective. Ocular history was notable for moderate myopia and long-term contact lens wear; the patient stated he required contact lenses underneath his procedural loupes for work purposes. Medical history and medication use was otherwise unremarkable.

Examination revealed a corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) of 20/25. A relatively afferent pupillary defect was found in the left eye. The IOP was 18 mm Hg in the right eye and 30 mm Hg in the left eye in the setting of mean pachymetry at 552 and 548 in the right and left eyes, respectively. The patient displayed classic findings of pigment dispersion, including Krukenberg spindles in both eyes and midperipheral iris transillumination defects in the left eye. Gonioscopy revealed open angles in both eyes with dense trabecular meshwork pigment. Posterior bowing of the iris near the insertion was evident in both eyes but more dramatic in appearance in the left. This finding was demonstrated on anterior segment imaging (Figures 1 and 2

JOURNAL/jcrsoc/04.03/02158035-202501000-00012/figure1/v/2025-01-30T210536Z/r/image-tiff

JOURNAL/jcrsoc/04.03/02158035-202501000-00012/figure2/v/2025-01-30T210536Z/r/image-tiff

). Lenses were clear, and the fundus examination was otherwise unremarkable except for an enlarged cup-to-disc ratio of 0.7 in the right eye and a near total cup with diffusely thin neuroretinal rim in the left. Optical coherence tomography of the nerve fiber layer and retinal ganglion cell layer was received from the referring provider. It was normal in the right eye and showed diffuse thinning of both scans in the left. A visual field was also normal in the right eye. The 24-2 visual field in the left eye showed a central island, and subsequent 10-2 testing demonstrated similar dense constriction (Figure 3

JOURNAL/jcrsoc/04.03/02158035-202501000-00012/figure3/v/2025-01-30T210536Z/r/image-tiff

).

Please comment on your management of the patient's left eye.
The challenge of antimicrobial resistance in the Asia-Pacific: a pediatric perspective
Authors: Huong Nguyen Xuan , Harrison Michelle , Kasahara Erena , Marais Ben , Putri Nina Dwi , Williams Phoebe CM
Published: January 2025

Purpose of review

The densely populated Asia Pacific region is home to 600 million children, and suffers from a significant burden of morbidity and mortality due to infections associated with antimicrobial resistance (AMR). We aimed to identify the drivers, challenges and potential opportunities to alter the burden of AMR within the region.

Recent findings

Despite the high AMR burden borne by the Asia Pacific region, there are limited (and geographically imbalanced) published data to delineate the contemporary epidemiology of serious multidrug-resistant bacterial infections in children. Furthermore, the region is impacted by overcrowded and poorly resourced healthcare facilities, insufficient microbiological resources, and widespread community and environmental antibiotic use leading to limited efficacy for frequently prescribed antibiotics. Vaccine coverage is also inadequate and inequitable, further driving the burden of infectious disease (and antibiotic overuse) in children.

Summary of implications

There are many challenges in implementing antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention and control programs to reduce the excessive AMR disease burden in children across the Asia Pacific region, yet locally-driven strategies have successfully reduced antibiotic overuse in some settings, and should be replicated. Reducing the AMR disease burden will require improved healthcare resourcing, including better access to microbiological diagnosis, and multidisciplinary approaches to enhance infection prevention and antibiotic prescribing.
Transforming RN-Baccalaureate Education Using Insights From a National Faculty Needs Assessment
Authors: Heywood Natalie , Williams Rhonda , Blackwell Deborah , Hommes Tiffany , Franklin Sherri , Nichols Lynn Stover
Published: January 2025

Background:

The recent American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Essentials revision emphasizes direct clinical experiences across 4 spheres of care in RN-Baccalaureate (RN-B) education, creating challenges for online, asynchronous programs. Differentiating between prelicensure and postlicensure education complicates the integration of these requirements. Understanding RN-B faculty needs is critical for curricular transformation.

Purpose:

This needs assessment examines challenges faced by RN-B faculty in integrating the AACN Essentials into nursing curricula and provides resources critical for the transition to them.

Methods:

A web-based needs assessment was conducted with RN-B faculty across the United States. It included a demographic questionnaire, 5 quantitative questions, and 3 qualitative items.

Results:

The assessment revealed a need for enhanced academic support, resources, communication, and collaboration to facilitate implementation.

Conclusion:

This article offers insights, recommendations, and resources for RN-B faculty engaged in curricular transformation, emphasizing targeted support for adopting the AACN Essentials.
Analysis of Timely Follow-Up in the Evaluation of Postmenopausal Bleeding
Authors: Atkins Sage , Nolin Angela , Unnithan Shakthi , Myers Evan R. , Kruse Danielle E. , Erkanli Alaattin , Havrilesky Laura J.
Published: January 2025

OBJECTIVE:

To characterize guideline-adherent follow-up in patients evaluated with transvaginal ultrasonography (TVUS) for postmenopausal bleeding.

METHODS:

We conducted a retrospective study of patients with an intact uterus and postmenopausal bleeding who presented to a single academic institution and underwent TVUS between January 2013 and December 2022. Primary outcome measures were prompt follow-up, defined as receipt of endometrial sampling within 3 months of a finding of thickened or inadequately visualized endometrium, diagnosis of endometrial cancer, cancer stage at diagnosis, and rates of tissue sampling. Associations between sociodemographic variables and prompt follow-up were assessed. A Pareto analysis was performed to describe reasons for lack of prompt follow-up.

RESULTS:

Of 1,671 patients with thickened endometrium, 307 (18.4%) did not receive prompt follow-up; of 389 patients with inadequately visualized endometrium, 128 (33.0%) did not receive prompt follow-up. Sociodemographic variables were not associated with prompt follow-up. Clinician-related factors, including misinterpretation of ultrasound results, accounted for 46.1% of delayed or absent follow-up for thickened endometrium and 58.4% of inadequately visualized endometrium. The rates of diagnosing endometrial cancer within 1 year were similar after findings of thickened endometrium (8.8%; 95% CI, 7.5–10.3%) compared with inadequately visualized (7.7%; 95% CI, 5.3–10.9%) endometrium.

CONCLUSION:

Clinician misinterpretation of TVUS performed for postmenopausal bleeding was the most common reason for delayed or absent follow-up. Given observed suboptimal rates of prompt follow-up after findings of thickened or inadequately visualized endometrium on ultrasonography and similar rates of an eventual cancer diagnosis in these cohorts, efforts should be focused on clinician understanding of ultrasonographic endometrial evaluation. To simplify the diagnostic process and reduce the risk of missing a cancer diagnosis, universal endometrial sampling for patients with postmenopausal bleeding could be considered.
68Ga-FAPI-04 Versus 18F-FDG PET/CT in Duodenal Synovial Sarcoma
Authors: Zhan Fenglin , Liu Xin , Zhou Hangcheng , Wang Xuemei , Yao Xiaobo
Published: January 2025

A previously healthy 18-year-old man with a 9-month history of upper abdominal pain and significant weight loss underwent gastroscopy, revealing an ulcerative lesion in the duodenal bulb. Enrolled in a clinical trial, both 18F-FDG and 68Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT demonstrated similar metabolic activity, though 68Ga-FAPI-04 offered superior lesion delineation. Pathology confirmed synovial sarcoma. This case highlights the potential utility of 68Ga-FAPI-04 as a radiopharmaceutical for evaluating rare gastrointestinal synovial sarcomas.
Swarm systems as a platform for open-ended evolutionary dynamics
Authors: Sayama Hiroki
Published: January 2025

Artificial swarm systems have been extensively studied and used in computer science, robotics, engineering and other technological fields, primarily as a platform for implementing robust distributed systems to achieve pre-defined objectives. However, such swarm systems, especially heterogeneous ones, can also be utilized as an ideal platform for creating open-ended evolutionary dynamics that do not converge toward pre-defined goals but keep exploring diverse possibilities and generating novel outputs indefinitely. In this article, we review Swarm Chemistry and its variants as concrete sample cases to illustrate beneficial characteristics of heterogeneous swarm systems, including the cardinality leap of design spaces, multi-scale structures/behaviours and their diversity, and robust self-organization, self-repair and ecological interactions of emergent patterns, all of which serve as the driving forces for open-ended evolutionary processes. Applications to science, engineering and art/entertainment as well as the directions of further research are also discussed.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘The road forward with swarm systems’.
Swarm shepherding using bearing-only measurements
Authors: Li Aiyi , Ogura Masaki , Wakamiya Naoki
Published: January 2025

Drawing inspiration from natural herding behaviours, shepherding provides a method for swarm guidance that utilizes steering agents and can be applied in biological and robotics systems at various scales. However, while most shepherding research has relied on the precise sensing capabilities of steering agents, these assumptions do not necessarily hold in real-world tasks. To fill in the gap between practice and literature, in this study, we demonstrate that swarm shepherding can be achieved via bearing-only measurements, and explore the minimum amount of information required. We initially formulate our algorithm for a single agent and subsequently expand its application to accommodate multiple agents, incorporating strategies tailored for herding multiple swarms. Numerical simulations show the effectiveness of the algorithm under various initial placements and configurations. The minimum amount of information required by the proposed algorithm for successful shepherding, i.e. a moderate angular accuracy for the steering agents and limited communication between them, is also determined. Our proposed bearing-only algorithm offers crucial insights into swarm dynamics, which may have applications across a variety of domains, such as agriculture and search and rescue.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘The road forward with swarm systems’.
Boecheraor not? Genomic insights and taxonomic reassessment of the misclassified Asian speciesB. calcarea(Brassicaceae)
Authors: Mandáková Terezie , Pouch Milan , Hloušková Petra , German Dmitry A. , Windham Michael D. , Trávníček Pavel , Lysak Martin A.
Published: January 2025

The genusBoechera(Brassicaceae) serves as a model system for studying apomictic reproduction and ecological adaptations, with most species concentrated in North America. Rare occurrences ofBoecheraspecies beyond their typical range offers unique opportunities to investigate genome evolution in extralimital environments. One such species,B. calcarea, was described from the Chandalaz Range in northeastern Asia (Russia). This study aimed to investigate the genome structure and evolutionary history ofB. calcarea. However, our analyses reveal that the species does not belong toBoechera. Instead, an integrative approach combining cytogenetic, phylogenetic and repeatome analyses identified the species as a member of an ancestral clades within the tribe Arabideae. The diploidParryodes calcarea(Dudkin) D.A.German & Lysak (2n= 16) exhibits Arabideae-specific chromosomal signatures, including multiple centromere repositionings. These findings clarify the misattribution ofP. calcareatoBoechera, leavingBoechera falcataandBorodinia macrophyllaas the only Old World representatives of the Boechereae. This study highlights the importance of integrative methodologies in resolving taxonomic ambiguities and provides new insights into the diversification of the largest cruciferous tribe, Arabideae.
Transmissible antimicrobial resistance inEscherichia coliisolated from household drinking water in Ibadan, Nigeria
Authors: Rabiu Akeem G. , Falodun Olutayo I. , Dada Rotimi A. , Afolayan Ayorinde O. , Akinlabi Olabisi C. , Akande Elizabeth T. , Okeke Iruka N.
Published: January 2025

Contaminated household water in peri-urban urban communities is a reservoir for virulentEscherichia coli, but its role in the environmental transmission of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) remains poorly understood. This study characterizedE. colifrom household water and additionally aimed to investigate the transmissibility of ARGs from drug-resistant isolates. Twenty-fiveE. colifrom thirteen household well water sources were tested for resistance to 14 antibiotics by disc diffusion and whole-genome sequenced using the Illumina platform. The ARGs and plasmid replicon types were respectively predicted using ResFinder and PlasmidFinder. Multidrug-resistant strains carrying plasmid replicons found in unrelated strains were conjugated with nalidixic acid-resistant (NALR)E. coliC600using the solid plate method. Fifteen isolates displayed a multi-drug resistance (MDR) phenotype with 18 possessing ARGs that confer resistance to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, macrolide, sulphonamide, aminoglycoside, chloramphenicol, β-lactams, and tetracycline. Fifteen of the 25 isolates belonged to sequence type detected more than once, and fourteen of these were multidrug resistant. Through solid plate mating, beta-lactam-resistantqnrS1-tet-dfrA14-positive strains bearing IncFI-, IncHI2, and IncHI2A successfully transferred ampicillin resistance to a nalidixic acid-resistant derivative ofE. coli-C600. This research highlights the urgent need to safeguard household water sources against fecal contamination to curb the dissemination of ARGs among bacterial populations in this environment.
Elucidating Molecular Mechanisms Governing TNF-Alpha-Mediated Regulation of Amyloid Beta 42 Uptake in Blood-Brain Barrier Endothelial Cells
Authors: Salian Vrishali S. , Curan Geoffry L. , Lowe Val J. , Tang Xiaojia , Kalari Krishna R. , Kandimalla Karunya K.
Published: January 2025

Cerebrovascular inflammation is prevalent in a majority of Alzheimer’s patients. Inflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), circulating in the plasma have been shown to cause the inflammation of blood-brain barrier (BBB) endothelium lining the cerebral microvasculature. The BBB inflammation has been implicated in the increase of toxic Aβ accumulation within Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain. TNF-alpha in the peripheral circulation can aggravate the accumulation of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides in Alzheimer’s disease brain. In the current study, we have shown that the exposure to TNF-alpha leads to an increase in Aβ42 accumulation in mice and BBB endothelial cells in vitro. Moreover, dynamic SPECT/CT imaging in wild-type (WT) mice infused with TNF-alpha increased the permeability and influx of Aβ42 into the mice brain. In addition, our results show that TNF-alpha modifies the expression of cofilin, actin, and dynamin, which are critical components for Aβ endocytosis by BBB endothelial cells. These results offer a mechanistic understanding of how TNF-alpha may promote Aβ accumulation at the BBB and the underlying interactions between inflammation and Aβ exposure that drives BBB dysfunction. Hence, a therapeutic intervention aimed at addressing cerebrovascular inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease may potentially reduce Aβ induced cerebrovascular toxicity in Alzheimer’s disease brain.

Significance statement

Increased levels of TNF-alpha circulating in the plasma are considered significant factors in the consequences of Aβ pathology in Alzheimer’s disease, where it can promote cerebrovascular inflammation and BBB dysfunction. However, the role of TNF-alpha, in exacerbating Aβ pathology by increasing Aβ accumulation at the BBB endothelial cells remains only partially understood. In this study, we demonstrated that TNF-alpha enhances Aβ42 accumulation in the BBB endothelium by altering the expression of the BBB endocytosis machinery, specifically cofilin, actin, and dynamin. These findings are anticipated to contribute to the development of therapeutic approaches aimed at addressing elevated cytokine levels in Alzheimer’s disease.
Multiplex mapping of protein-protein interaction interfaces
Authors: He Jingxuan , Zou Ling-Nan , Pareek Vidhi , Benkovic Stephen J.
Published: January 2025

We describe peptide mapping throughSplitAntibioticResistanceComplementation (SpARC-map), a method to identify the probable interface between two interacting proteins. Our method is based on in vivo affinity selection inside a bacterial host, and uses high throughput DNA sequencing results to infer the location of protein-protein interaction (PPI) interfaces. SpARC-map uses only routine microbiology techniques, with no reliance on specialized instrumentation or reconstituting protein complexes in vitro; it can be tuned to detect PPIs over a broad range of affinities; it can be multiplexed to probe multiple PPIs in parallel; its nonspecific background can be precisely measured, enabling the sensitive detection of weak PPIs. Using SpARC-map, we recover the known interface in the (p21-PCNA complex. We also use SpARC-map to probe the purinosome, the weakly bound complex of six purine biosynthetic enzymes, where no PPI interfaces are known. There, we identify interfaces that satisfy structural requirements for substrate channeling; we also identify protein surfaces that participate in multiple distinct interactions, which we validate using site-specific photocrosslinking in live human cells. Finally, we show that SpARC-map results can impose stringent constraints on outputs from machine learning based structure prediction.
WITHDRAWN: Distinctive Occupancy of Brain Coupling Modes across Autism spectrum subtypes
Authors: Miguel Vânia , Farinha Miguel , Deleglise Alvaro , Vohryzek Jakub , Cruzat Josephine , Hancock Fran , Morgado Pedro , Deco Gustavo , Cabral Joana
Published: January 2025

Withdrawal statement

The authors have withdrawn this manuscript due to ethical considerations regarding the classification and nomenclature of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) subtypes used in our analysis of the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) dataset. While the statistical methods and analysis techniques employed in the study remain valid, recent discussions in the field regarding the appropriate terminology and classification of ASD (Bearer et al., 2024) have led us to reconsider the framework of our research. As this manuscript no longer aligns with current ethical standards in ASD research, this work should not be cited as a reference.

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