bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chromosome-level genome assembly of Phrynocephalus forsythii using third-generation DNA sequencing and Hi-C analysis
Authors: Qi Yue , Zhao Wei , Zhao Yangyang , Niu Chenkai , Cao Shuhui , Zhang Yingmei
Published: March 2023

Phrynocephalus forsythii is a viviparous sand lizard that is endemic to the Tarim Basin with a broad altitudinal range of 872–3,100 m. Such variation in altitude and ecological variables can offer an opportunity to uncover genetic mechanisms of ectothermic adaptation to extreme environments at high- and low-altitude. Furthermore, the evolutionary relationship of karyotype with two different chromosome numbers (2n = 46 or 2n = 48) in the Chinese Phrynocephalus is unclear. In this study, a chromosome-level reference genome of P. forsythii was assembled. The genome assembly size was 1.82 Gb with a contig N50 length of 46.22 Mb, 20,194 protein-coding genes were predicted and 95.50% of these genes were annotated in functional public databases. After cluster contigs into chromosome level using Hi-C paired-end reads, we found that two chromosomes of P. forsythii were originated from one ancestral chromosome of species with 46 chromosomes. Comparative genomic analysis revealed that numerous characteristics associated with high- or low-altitude adaptation, including energy metabolism pathways, hypoxic adaptation, and immune, exhibit rapid changes or show signals of positive selection in the P. forsythii genome. This genome provides an excellent genome resource for the study of the karyotype evolution and ecological genomics of Phrynocephalus.
Acute heart failure presentation, management, and outcomes in cancer patients: a national longitudinal study
Authors: Coles Briana , Welch Catherine A , Motiwale Rishabh S , Teece Lucy , Oliver-Williams Clare , Weston Clive , de Belder Mark A , Lambert Paul C , Rutherford Mark J , Paley Lizz , Kadam Umesh T , Lawson Clare A , Deanfield John , Peake Michael D , McDonagh Theresa , Sweeting Michael J , Adlam David ,   VICORI collaborative, Darby Sarah , Gale Chris , Hawkins Mike , Lyon Alexander , Rashbass Jem , Reulen Raoul , Timmis Alistair Ring Adam , Lai Sally Vernon Jennifer , Charlton Paul , Donkor Akosua , Fazal Nadeem , Gunesh Anil , Harrison Andrew , Khushnood Abbas , Goodwin Andrew , Ludman Peter , McDonagh Theresa , Murgatroyd Francis , Shand Brian , Vernon Sally , Forman David
Published: March 2023

Aims

Currently, little evidence exists on survival and quality of care in cancer patients presenting with acute heart failure (HF). The aim of the study is to investigate the presentation and outcomes of hospital admission with acute HF in a national cohort of patients with prior cancer.

Methods and results

This retrospective, population-based cohort study identified 221 953 patients admitted to a hospital in England for HF during 2012–2018 (12 867 with a breast, prostate, colorectal, or lung cancer diagnosis in the previous 10 years). We examined the impact of cancer on (i) HF presentation and in-hospital mortality, (ii) place of care, (iii) HF medication prescribing, and (iv) post-discharge survival, using propensity score weighting and model-based adjustment. Heart failure presentation was similar between cancer and non-cancer patients. A lower percentage of patients with prior cancer were cared for in a cardiology ward [−2.4% age point difference (ppd) (95% CI −3.3, −1.6)] or were prescribed angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor antagonists (ACEi/ARB) for heart failure with reduced ejection fraction [−2.1 ppd (−3.3, −0.9)] than non-cancer patients. Survival after HF discharge was poor with median survival of 1.6 years in prior cancer and 2.6 years in non-cancer patients. Mortality in prior cancer patients was driven primarily by non-cancer causes (68% of post-discharge deaths).

Conclusion

Survival in prior cancer patients presenting with acute HF was poor, with a significant proportion due to non-cancer causes of death. Despite this, cardiologists were less likely to manage cancer patients with HF. Cancer patients who develop HF were less likely to be prescribed guideline-based HF medications compared with non-cancer patients. This was particularly driven by patients with a poorer cancer prognosis.
Trimethylamine N-oxide is associated with long-term mortality risk: the multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis
Authors: Wang Meng , Li Xinmin S , Wang Zeneng , de Oliveira Otto Marcia C , Lemaitre Rozenn N , Fretts Amanda , Sotoodehnia Nona , Budoff Matthew , Nemet Ina , DiDonato Joseph A , Tang Wai Hong Wilson , Psaty Bruce M , Siscovick David S , Hazen Stanley L , Mozaffarian Dariush
Published: March 2023

Aims

Little is known about associations of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a novel gut microbiota-generated metabolite of dietary phosphatidylcholine and carnitine, and its changes over time with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in the general population or in different race/ethnicity groups. The study aimed to investigate associations of serially measured plasma TMAO levels and changes in TMAO over time with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a multi-ethnic community-based cohort.

Methods and results

The study included 6,785 adults from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis. TMAO was measured at baseline and year 5 using mass spectrometry. Primary outcomes were adjudicated all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Secondary outcomes were deaths due to kidney failure, cancer, or dementia obtained from death certificates. Cox proportional hazards models with time-varying TMAO and covariates assessed the associations with adjustment for sociodemographics, lifestyles, diet, metabolic factors, and comorbidities. During a median follow-up of 16.9 years, 1704 participants died and 411 from CVD. Higher TMAO levels associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality [hazard ratio (HR): 1.12, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08–1.17], CVD mortality (HR: 1.09, 95% CI: 1.00–1.09), and death due to kidney failure (HR: 1.44, 95% CI: 1.25–1.66) per inter-quintile range, but not deaths due to cancer or dementia. Annualized changes in TMAO levels associated with higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.05–1.14) and death due to kidney failure (HR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.26–1.89) but not other deaths.

Conclusion

Plasma TMAO levels were positively associated with mortality, especially deaths due to cardiovascular and renal disease, in a multi-ethnic US cohort.
Treatment of late paravalvular regurgitation after transcatheter aortic valve implantation: prognostic implications
Authors: Landes Uri , Hochstadt Aviram , Manevich Lisa , Webb John G , Sathananthan Janarthanan , Sievert Horst , Piayda Kerstin , Leon Martin B , Nazif Tamim M , Blusztein David , Hildick-Smith David , Pavitt Chris , Thiele Holger , Abdel-Wahab Mohamed , Van Mieghem Nicolas M , Adrichem Rik , Sondergaard Lars , De Backer Ole , Makkar Raj R , Koren Ofir , Pilgrim Thomas , Okuno Taishi , Kornowski Ran , Codner Pablo , Finkelstein Ariel , Loewenstein Itamar , Barbash Israel , Sharon Amir , De Marco Federico , Montorfano Matteo , Buzzatti Nicola , Latib Azeem , Scotti Andrea , Kim Won-Keun , Hamm Christian , Franco Luis Nombela , Mangieri Antonio , Schoels Wolfgang H , Barbanti Marco , Bunc Matjaz , Akodad Myriama , Rubinshtein Ronen , Danenberg Haim
Published: March 2023

Aims

Paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The effect of transcatheter interventions to treat PVR after the index TAVI was investigated.

Methods and results

A registry of consecutive patients who underwent transcatheter intervention for ≥ moderate PVR after the index TAVI at 22 centers. The principal outcomes were residual aortic regurgitation (AR) and mortality at 1 year after PVR treatment. A total of 201 patients were identified: 87 (43%) underwent redo-TAVI, 79 (39%) plug closure, and 35 (18%) balloon valvuloplasty. Median TAVI-to-re-intervention time was 207 (35; 765) days. The failed valve was self-expanding in 129 (63.9%) patients. The most frequent devices utilized were a Sapien 3 valve for redo-TAVI (55, 64%), an AVP II as plug (33, 42%), and a True balloon for valvuloplasty (20, 56%). At 30 days, AR ≥ moderate persisted in 33 (17.4%) patients: 8 (9.9%) after redo-TAVI, 18 (25.9%) after plug, and 7 (21.9%) after valvuloplasty (P = 0.036). Overall mortality was 10 (5.0%) at 30 days and 29 (14.4%) at 1 year: 0, 8 (10.1%), and 2 (5.7%) at 30 days (P = 0.010) and 11 (12.6%), 14 (17.7%), and 4 (11.4%) at 1 year (P = 0.418), after redo-TAVI, plug, and valvuloplasty, respectively. Regardless of treatment strategy, patients in whom AR was reduced to ≤ mild had lower mortality at 1 year compared with those with AR persisting ≥ moderate [11 (8.0%) vs. 6 (21.4%); P = 0.007].

Conclusion

This study describes the efficacy of transcatheter treatments for PVR after TAVI. Patients in whom PVR was successfully reduced had better prognosis. The selection of patients and the optimal PVR treatment modality require further investigation.
Promoting extinction or minimizing growth? The impact of treatment on trait trajectories in evolving populations
Authors: Raatz Michael , Traulsen Arne
Published: March 2023

When cancers or bacterial infections establish, small populations of cells have to free themselves from homoeostatic regulations that prevent their expansion. Trait evolution allows these populations to evade this regulation, escape stochastic extinction and climb up the fitness landscape. In this study, we analyze this complex process and investigate the fate of a cell population that underlies the basic processes of birth, death, and mutation. We find that the shape of the fitness landscape dictates a circular adaptation trajectory in the trait space spanned by birth and death rates. We show that successful adaptation is less likely for parental populations with higher turnover (higher birth and death rates). Including density- or trait-affecting treatment we find that these treatment types change the adaptation dynamics in agreement with a geometrical analysis of fitness gradients. Treatment strategies that simultaneously target birth and death rates are most effective, but also increase evolvability. By mapping physiological adaptation pathways and molecular drug mechanisms to traits and treatments with clear eco-evolutionary consequences, we can achieve a much better understanding of the adaptation dynamics and the eco-evolutionary mechanisms at play in the dynamics of cancer and bacterial infections.
Perceived Discrimination in Health Care for LGBTQIA+ People Living With Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Bayram Ece , Weigand Alexandra J , Flatt Jason D
Published: March 2023

Objectives

People who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, asexual, other non-cisgender, and non-heterosexual identities (LGBTQIA+) experience discrimination when accessing health care. We investigated specific experiences of LGBTQIA+ people with Parkinson’s disease (PwP) as they are less known.

Methods

Data were obtained from Fox Insight for PwP identifying as LGBTQIA+ (n = 210), cisgender, heterosexual women (n = 2,373) or cisgender, heterosexual men (n = 2,453). Discrimination in Medical Settings Scale responses and reports of whether gender identity or sexual orientation played a role in the perceived discrimination were compared across the groups.

Results

Parkinson’s diagnosis age was the youngest for LGBTQIA+ PwP. Despite similar levels of education with cisgender, heterosexual men, LGBTQIA+ people had lower levels of income and were more likely to be unemployed. Cisgender, heterosexual women and LGBTQIA+ PwP reported greater discrimination than cisgender, heterosexual men. Compared to cisgender, heterosexual men; LGBTQIA+ people (25%) and cisgender, heterosexual women (20%) were more likely to report their gender affected how they were treated; LGBTQIA+ PwP (19%) were more likely to report their sexual orientation affected how they were treated.

Discussion

Women and LGBTQIA+ PwP may be at a higher risk for discrimination in medical settings. Facing disparities while receiving health care based on gender or sexual orientation can affect the health care utilization of PwP. Health care providers should consider their behaviors and interactions with PwP to ensure inclusive and welcoming health care environments.
Data Access under the Draft Data Act, Competition Law and the DMA: Opening the Data Treasures for Cowmpetition and Innovation?
Authors: Schweitzer Heike , Metzger Axel
Published: March 2023

In the ongoing transformation from ‘industrial capitalism’ towards an ‘informational capitalism’, one of the core challenges is for the law to design and enforce an appropriate legal framework for access to and use of data. Focusing on access to data generated by the use of products or online services (product and online services usage data), the aim of this paper is to describe and systematize the core elements of this legal framework in the making and to provide some guidance on how it could be further developed. Access by the users of products or online services to the individual-level data that their usage generates must be distinguished from access to bundled individual-level and aggregated data by third parties. With regard to data co-generators’ access to individual-level product usage data, the Draft Data Act proposes to create new rights to access that will become part of a new private law infrastructure of data rights. These access rights are granted independently of whether the data holder is dominant. With regard to data co-generators’ access to individual-level services usage data, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) establishes rights of access only vis-à-vis gatekeepers within the meaning of the DMA. Third-party undertakings who request access to bundled individual-level or aggregated data can, as of now, only base their claim on Art. 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and – in the case of search data – on Art. 6(11) DMA. A regulatory approach has been proposed as an alternative. This paper strives to systematize this hodgepodge of approaches and discern the broader principles that can guide the legislature in creating and fleshing out the legal framework for data. Ideally, markets for bundled individual level or aggregated data will emerge based on the rights of data co-generators to access individual-level data. For this to happen, data intermediaries will have to play a larger role and succeed in bundling and marketing such data.
Recent Trends in Investment Arbitration on the Right to Regulate, Environment, Health and Corporate Social Responsibility: Too Much or Too Little?
Authors: Baltag Crina , Joshi Riddhi , Duggal Kabir
Published: March 2023

The article addresses the recent trends in investment arbitration, focusing on the evolution of international investment agreements from the perspective of the right of the States to regulate in public interest, as well as of the provisions concerning environment, health, and corporate social responsibility. These issues have been chosen because they highlight areas where the tension between sovereign and private interests is evident, as well as where States often face resistance in implementing public policy. Furthermore, the discussion is opportune as the mandate entrusted to the UNCITRAL Working Group III concerned with investor-State dispute settlement reform is limited to procedural aspects of such reform, leaving to the discretion of the States, as treaty-makers, the regulation of the substantive issues concerning foreign investments. The analysis of the international investment agreements concluded between January 2018 and December 2020 demonstrates that treaty language is constantly evolving to protect and expand the scope of States’ regulatory autonomy. The article concludes that investor-State dispute settlement remains the framework in which environmental, human rights and corporate social responsibility obligations can be smoothly integrated within the international investment law, allowing both States and investors to take advantage of and be held accountable for their respective obligations.
Individual and joint effect of indoor air pollution index and ambient particulate matter on fetal growth: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Zhou Shuang , Guo Yuming , Su Tao , Chen Gongbo , Liu Hui , Li Qin , Bao Heling , Ji Yuelong , Luo Shusheng , Liu Zheng , Wang Hui , Liu Jue , Han Na , Wang Hai-Jun
Published: March 2023

Background

Limited studies have examined the effect of prenatal exposure to particulate matter with diameter of <2.5 µm (PM2.5) and <1 μm (PM1) on fetal growth using ultrasound measurements with inconsistent results. No study has evaluated the joint effect of the indoor air pollution index and ambient particulate matter on fetal growth.

Methods

We conducted a prospective birth cohort study in Beijing, China in 2018, including 4319 pregnant women. We estimated prenatal PM2.5 and PM1 exposure using a machine-learning method and calculated the indoor air pollution index based on individual interviews. Gender- and gestational age-adjusted Z-score of the abdominal circumference (AC), head circumference (HC), femur length (FL) and estimated fetal weight (EFW) was calculated and then undergrowth was defined. A generalized estimating equation was used to evaluate the individual and joint effect of indoor air pollution index, PM2.5 and PM1 on fetal Z-score and undergrowth parameters.

Results

One unit increase in the indoor air pollution index was associated with −0.044 (95% CI: −0.087, −0.001) and −0.050 (95% CI: −0.094, −0.006) decrease in the AC and HC Z-scores, respectively. PM1 and PM2.5 were associated with decreased AC, HC, FL and EFW Z-scores, and higher risk of undergrowth. Compared with exposure to lower PM1 (≤ median) and no indoor air pollution, those exposed to higher PM1 (> median) and indoor air pollution had decreased EFW Z-scores (β = −0.152, 95% CI: −0.230, −0.073) and higher risk of EFW undergrowth (RR = 1.651, 95% CI: 1.106, 2.464). Indoor air pollution and ambient PM2.5 exposure had a similar joint effect on the Z-scores and undergrowth parameters of fetal growth.

Conclusions

This study suggested that indoor air pollution and ambient PM exposure had individual and joint negative effects on fetal growth.
The Child-Rearing Scale as a Measure of Authoritarianism in a Non-Western Context: Evidence from Mass and Elite Surveys in Russia
Authors: Zhirkov Kirill , Ponarin Eduard , Rivera Sharon Werning
Published: March 2023

The child-rearing scale (CRS) as a measure of authoritarianism holds promise for cross-cultural public opinion research but its validity beyond the Western and, in particular, American context has never been investigated. We address this gap by studying the scale’s validity in Russia, a particularly interesting case due to its long history as a left-wing authoritarian regime. We also combine data from mass and elite surveys conducted in 2020 to explore the structure and performance of the CRS across different subpopulations. Using these data, we replicate the overall structure of the scale and confirm its validity. However, we also show that some indicators perform differently across masses and elites. Our findings suggest that the CRS is a valid measure of authoritarianism outside the United States but also show that its external linkages can vary across specific groups, depending on the country under examination.
Statelessness, Inability or Unwillingness to Return, and the ‘Country of His Former Habitual Residence’ as the Country of Reference for the Purposes of Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees
Authors: Fripp Eric
Published: March 2023

In the case of persons ‘not having a nationality’, article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees provides that a claim to protection as a refugee must be made good by reference to the ‘country of his former habitual residence’ on the basis of being ‘unable or unwilling to return to it’ for a relevant reason. This article focuses on the rubric for qualification as a refugee for those ‘not having a nationality’. It addresses questions of interpretation, including the meaning of the phrases ‘not having a nationality’ and ‘country of his former habitual residence’; whether an individual may have multiple countries of former habitual residence; and, if so, how such cases are to be addressed, consistent with the Convention’s text and its underlying protective purpose.
Reckoning with Conservation Violence on Indigenous Territories: Possibilities and Limitations of a Transitional Justice Response
Authors: Luoma Colin
Published: March 2023

This article reflects on the merits of applying transitional justice to wrongs caused by the creation and enforcement of protected areas on Indigenous Peoples’ territories, referred to herein as ‘conservation violence.’ Conservation violence commonly infringes on an interrelated set of human rights, constituting a principal threat to both Indigenous Peoples and the environment. This wrongdoing has not been adequately scrutinized in transitional justice discourse, despite the field’s recent expansion into areas of Indigenous and environmental harm. This article argues there are sound conceptual and pragmatic reasons for transitional justice to engage with conservation violence, with potential benefits flowing to both Indigenous Peoples and nature. Yet, it is unlikely to deliver what Indigenous Peoples principally demand, namely restitution of their lands, territories and resources. This raises concerns regarding the suitability of applying conventional transitional justice in this context and dictates that any process should be approached modestly, cautiously and in complement to broader, long-term reforms aimed at land restitution and decolonization.
K-Theory and the Universal Coefficient Theorem for Simple Separable Exact C*-Algebras Not Isomorphic to Their Opposites
Authors: Phillips N Christopher , Viola Maria Grazia
Published: March 2023

We construct uncountably many mutually nonisomorphic simple separable stably finite unital exact C*-algebras that are not isomorphic to their opposite algebras. In particular, we prove that there are uncountably many possibilities for the $K_0$-group, the $K_1$-group, and the tracial state space of such an algebra. We show that these C*-algebras satisfy the Universal Coefficient Theorem, which is new even for the already known example of an exact C*-algebra nonisomorphic to its opposite algebra produced in an earlier work.
Pitfalls and Tensions in Digitalizing Talent Acquisition: An Analysis of HRM Professionals’ Considerations Related to Digital Ethics
Authors: Koivunen Sami , Sahlgren Otto , Ala-Luopa Saara , Olsson Thomas
Published: March 2023

The practices of organizational talent acquisition are rapidly transforming as a result of the proliferation of information systems that support decision-making, ranging from applicant tracking systems to recruitment chatbots. As part of human resource management (HRM), talent acquisition covers recruitment and team-assembly activities and is allegedly in dire need for digital aid. We analyze the pitfalls and tensions of digitalization in this area through a lens that builds on the interdisciplinary literature related to digital ethics. Using three relevant landmark papers, we analyzed qualitative data from 47 interviews of HRM professionals in Finland, including team-assembly facilitators and recruitment experts. The analysis highlights 14 potential tensions and pitfalls, such as the tension between requesting detailed data versus respecting privacy and the pitfall of unequal treatment across application channels. We identify that the values of autonomy, fairness and utility are often especially at risk of being compromised. We discuss the tendency of the binary considerations related to human and automated decision making, and the reasons for the incompatibility between current digital systems and organizations’ needs for talent acquisition.
Framework of the Centralized Interactive Phenomics Resource (CIPHER) standard for electronic health data-based phenomics knowledgebase
Authors: Honerlaw Jacqueline , Ho Yuk-Lam , Fontin Francesca , Gosian Jeffrey , Maripuri Monika , Murray Michael , Sangar Rahul , Galloway Ashley , Zimolzak Andrew J , Whitbourne Stacey B , Casas Juan P , Ramoni Rachel B , Gagnon David R , Cai Tianxi , Liao Katherine P , Gaziano J Michael , Muralidhar Sumitra , Cho Kelly
Published: March 2023

The development of phenotypes using electronic health records is a resource-intensive process. Therefore, the cataloging of phenotype algorithm metadata for reuse is critical to accelerate clinical research. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has developed a standard for phenotype metadata collection which is currently used in the VA phenomics knowledgebase library, CIPHER (Centralized Interactive Phenomics Resource), to capture over 5000 phenotypes. The CIPHER standard improves upon existing phenotype library metadata collection by capturing the context of algorithm development, phenotyping method used, and approach to validation. While the standard was iteratively developed with VA phenomics experts, it is applicable to the capture of phenotypes across healthcare systems. We describe the framework of the CIPHER standard for phenotype metadata collection, the rationale for its development, and its current application to the largest healthcare system in the United States.
“Are we there yet?” Ten persistent hazards and inefficiencies with the use of medication administration technology from the perspective of practicing nurses
Authors: Taft Teresa , Rudd Elizabeth Anne , Thraen Iona , Kazi Sadaf , Pruitt Zoe M , Bonk Christopher W , Busog Deanna-Nicole , Franklin Ella , Hettinger Aaron Z , Ratwani Raj M , Weir Charlene R
Published: March 2023

Objectives

(1) Characterize persistent hazards and inefficiencies in inpatient medication administration; (2) Explore cognitive attributes of medication administration tasks; and (3) Discuss strategies to reduce medication administration technology-related hazards.

Materials and Methods

Interviews were conducted with 32 nurses practicing at 2 urban, eastern and western US health systems. Qualitative analysis using inductive and deductive coding included consensus discussion, iterative review, and coding structure revision. We abstracted hazards and inefficiencies through the lens of risks to patient safety and the cognitive perception-action cycle (PAC).

Results

Persistent safety hazards and inefficiencies related to MAT organized around the PAC cycle included: (1) Compatibility constraints create information silos; (2) Missing action cues; (3) Intermittent communication flow between safety monitoring systems and nurses; (4) Occlusion of important alerts by other, less helpful alerts; (5) Dispersed information: Information required for tasks is not collocated; (6) Inconsistent data organization: Mismatch of the display and the user’s mental model; (7) Hidden medication administration technologies (MAT) limitations: Inaccurate beliefs about MAT functionality contribute to overreliance on the technology; (8) Software rigidity causes workarounds; (9) Cumbersome dependencies between technology and the physical environment; and (10) Technology breakdowns require adaptive actions.

Discussion

Errors might persist in medication administration despite successful Bar Code Medication Administration and Electronic Medication Administration Record deployment for reducing errors. Opportunities to improve MAT require a deeper understanding of high-level reasoning in medication administration, including control over the information space, collaboration tools, and decision support.

Conclusion

Future medication administration technology should consider a deeper understanding of nursing knowledge work for medication administration.
Reactive oxygen species are associated with the inhibitory effect of N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-retinamide on the entry of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2
Authors: Hayashi Yasuhiro , Huang Xuhao , Tanikawa Takashi , Tanigawa Kazunari , Yamamoto Mizuki , Gohda Jin , Inoue Jun-ichiro , Fukase Koichi , Kabayama Kazuya
Published: March 2023

N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-retinamide (4-HPR) inhibits the dihydroceramide Δ4-desaturase 1 (DEGS1) enzymatic activity. We previously reported that 4-HPR suppresses the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein-mediated membrane fusion through a decrease in membrane fluidity in a DEGS1-independent manner. However, the precise mechanism underlying the inhibition of viral entry by 4-HPR remains unclear. In this study, we examined the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the inhibition of membrane fusion by 4-HPR because 4-HPR is a well-known ROS-inducing agent. Intracellular ROS generation was found to be increased in the target cells in a cell–cell fusion assay after 4-HPR treatment, which was attenuated by the addition of the antioxidant, α-tocopherol (TCP). The reduction in membrane fusion susceptibility by 4-HPR treatment in the cell–cell fusion assay was alleviated by TCP addition. Furthermore, fluorescence recovery after photobleaching analysis showed that the lateral diffusion of glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored protein and SARS CoV-2 receptor was reduced by 4-HPR treatment and restored by TCP addition. These results indicate that the decrease in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-mediated membrane fusion and membrane fluidity by 4-HPR was due to ROS generation. Taken together, these results demonstrate that ROS production is associated with the 4-HPR inhibitory effect on SARS-CoV-2 entry.
Electrical Burn and Associated Factors That Prolong In-patient Stay in a Level Three Burn Unit
Authors: Tróchez-Sanchez Juan Pablo , Garcia-Perdomo Herney Andres
Published: March 2023

Electrical trauma is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, which have been reduced by improved medical care, as measured by the length of stay (LOS) as a marker for this population’s quality of care. This paper will review the clinical and demographic characteristics, LOS in the hospital, and variables related to patients with electrical burns. A retrospective cohort study was conducted at a specialized burn unit in Southwest Colombia. Five hundred seventy-five electrical burn-related admissions from 2000 to 2016 were reviewed for the LOS and variables including patient-related (age, gender, marital status, education, and occupation), location of the accident (domestic vs labor-related), voltage, direct contact, arc, flash, flame, clinical presentation (burn surface area, depth, single or multiple organ injury, secondary infection, and abnormal labs), and treatment (surgical procedures and intensive care unit [ICU] admission). Univariate and bivariate analysis, with its 95% CI (confidence interval). We also performed a multiple logistic regression. LOS was correlated to males, age greater than 20 years, construction workers, high voltage injuries, severe burns by area and depth, infection, ICU admission, and multiple surgical procedures or extremity amputation. LOS due to electrical injury was observed to be significantly associated with the following variables, carpal tunnel release (OR [odds ratio]= 4.25, 95% CI [confidence interval] 1.70–5.20); amputation (OR = 2.81, 95% CI 1.60–5.10); infection (OR = 2.60, 95% CI 1.30–5.20); site of infection, mainly wound (OR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.10–1.44); associated injury (OR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.00–3.24); work or domestic accident (OR = 1.83, 95% CI 1.00–3.32); aged 20–40 years (OR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.00–2.10); CPK (OR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.00–2.00); and third-degree burns (OR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.00–2.80). Risk factors for LOS secondary to electrical injury should be appropriately addressed. Prevention at high-risk workplaces is imperative. Mitigating the injury with appropriate management of infection and timely surgical interventions play an essential role in the successful treatment of these patients.
Cryptic diversity in endoparasitic isopods (Bopyroidea: Entoniscidae) from mud crabs (Panopeidae) along the Atlantic coast of North America, with the description of a new genus and new species as revealed by molecular and larval characters: the long and the short of it
Authors: Williams Jason D , Boyko Christopher B , Tepolt Carolyn K , Blakeslee April M H
Published: March 2023

Although intertidal crabs from the western Atlantic coast are relatively well studied for some parasite fauna, their parasitic isopods are poorly known. We document two endoparasitic entoniscids (Cancrion carolinusPearse & Walker, 1939 and Cryptocancrion brevibrachiumn. gen., n. sp.) from mud (Brachyura: Panopeidae) and stone (Brachyura: Menippidae) crabs based on molecular and morphological data, including descriptions of their epicaridium larvae. Although these species cannot be distinguished based on adult female characters, molecular data and larval and male morphologies show that two species are present, sometimes sympatrically. The only other species of CancrionGiard & Bonnier, 1887 from the Atlantic coast of North America is Cancrion needleriPearse & Walker, 1939, described from adult specimens parasitizing Dyspanopeus sayi (Smith, 1869) from Prince Edward Island, Canada. Larvae of this species were never described and we consider it a species inquirenda. Cryptocancrion brevibrachiumn. gen., n. sp. is documented to have epicaridium larvae with a “short-armed” morphology (sixth pereopod subequal in length to pereopods 1–5), and the adults parasitize at least three mud crabs: D. sayi, Panopeus herbstiiH. Milne Edwards, 1834, and Rhithropanopeus harrisii (Gould, 1841). By contrast, Cancrion carolinus (originally described from P. herbstii collected in Beaufort, NC, USA) has epicaridium larvae with a “long-armed” morphology (sixth pereopod approximately twice the length of pereopods 1–5) and is found in at least four host species: Eurypanopeus depressus (Smith, 1869), P. herbstii, and R. harrisii and the stone crab Menippe mercenaria (Say, 1818). We describe C. brevibrachiumn. gen., n. sp. and redescribe C. carolinus based on type material and fresh specimens. The cryptic nature of these entoniscids indicates that examination of epicaridium larvae and/or molecular data are needed to properly identify species.
Phylogenetic analysis of problematic Asian species ofArtemiaLeach, 1819 (Crustacea, Anostraca), with the descriptions of two new species
Authors: Asem Alireza , Yang Chaojie , Eimanifar Amin , Hontoria Francisco , Varó Inmaculada , Mahmoudi Farnaz , Fu Chun-Zheng , Shen Chun-Yang , Rastegar-Pouyani Nasrullah , Wang Pei-Zheng , Li Weidong , Yao Liping , Meng Xinyu , Dan Ya-Ting , Rogers D Christopher , Gajardo Gonzalo
Published: March 2023

Species of Artemia are regionally endemic branchiopod crustaceans composed of sexual species and parthenogenetic lineages, and represent an excellent model for studying adaptation and speciation to extreme and heterogeneous hypersaline environments. We tested hypotheses of whether populations from the Tibetan Plateau belong to A. tibetianaAbatzopoulos, Zhang & Sorgeloos,1998 and whether a population from Kazakhstan is a new species, using other Asian species of Artemia as outgroups. We conducted a multitrait phylogenetic study based on the complete mitogenome, mitochondrial (COI, 12S, 16S) and nuclear (microsatellites, ITS1) markers, and a suit of uni- and multivariate morphological traits. Our results led to the discovery of two new species, one from the Tibetan Plateau (Haiyan Lake) in China (Artemia sorgeloosin. sp.) and a second from Kazakhstan (Artemia amatin. sp.). Our analysis demonstrate that A. tibetiana and A. amatin. sp. are monophyletic, whereas A. sorgeloosin. sp., and A. tibetiana are polyphyletic. Evolutionary relationships based on mitochondrial and nSSR markers suggest that A. tibetiana may have arisen from a past hybridization event of a maternal ancestor of A. tibetiana with A. sorgeloosin. sp. or its ancestor. We present the complete mitogenome of A. tibetiana, A. amatin. sp., and A. sorgeloosin. sp. We also provide a novel taxonomic identification key based on morphology, emphasizing the phenotype as a necessary component of the species concept.
Glucose- and disaccharide-containing baits impede secondary mortality in glucose-averse German cockroaches
Authors: McPherson Samantha , Wada-Katsumata Ayako , Silverman Jules , Schal Coby
Published: March 2023

Glucose aversion in the German cockroach, Blattella germanica (L.), results in behavioral resistance to insecticidal baits. Glucose-averse (GA) cockroaches reject foods containing glucose, even in relatively low concentrations, which protects the cockroaches from ingesting lethal amounts of toxic baits. Horizontal transfer of baits and the resulting secondary mortality have been documented in German cockroaches, including in insecticide resistant strains. However, the effects of the GA trait on secondary mortality have not been investigated. We hypothesized that ingestion of insecticide baits that contain glucose or glucose-containing disaccharides would result in behaviorally relevant glucose levels in the feces, possibly deterring coprophagy by GA nymphs. We fed adult female cockroaches hydramethylnon baits rich in either glucose, fructose, sucrose, or maltose and compared secondary mortality of GA and wild-type (WT) nymphs via coprophagy. When adult females were fed baits containing glucose, sucrose, or maltose and their feces offered to nymphs, secondary mortality was significantly lower in GA nymphs than in WT nymphs. However, survival of GA and WT nymphs was similar on feces generated by adult females fed fructose bait. Analysis of feces indicated that disaccharides in baits were hydrolyzed into glucose, some of which was excreted in the feces of females that ingested the bait. Based on these results, we caution that baits containing glucose or glucose-containing oligosaccharides may impede cockroach interventions; while GA adults and large nymphs avoid ingesting such baits, first instars reject the glucose-containing feces of any WT cockroaches that consumed the bait.
Energy Geopolitics and Climate Law: Interdisciplinary Environmental Law Scholarship in a Geopolitical World
Authors: Boute Anatole
Published: March 2023

Energy geopolitics has received limited attention in the climate law scholarship, despite the importance of the energy sector for climate change and the impact of energy crises on the effectiveness of decarbonisation mechanisms. The shock caused by the current war in Ukraine shows that, in a geopolitical world, geopolitical analysis must be integrated into climate, and more generally environmental, law analysis.
Access to Data for Environmental Purposes: Setting the Scene and Evaluating Recent Changes in EU Data Law
Authors: Finck Michèle , Mueller Marie-Sophie
Published: March 2023

Few policy issues will be as defining to the EU’s future as its reaction to environmental decline, on the one hand, and digitalisation, on the other. Whereas the former will shape the (quality of) life and health of humans, animals and plants, the latter will define the future competitiveness of the internal market and relatedly, also societal justice and cohesion. Yet, to date, the interconnections between these issues are rarely made explicit, as evidenced by the European Commission’s current policy agendas on both matters. With this article, we hope to contribute to, ideally, a soon growing conversation about how to effectively bridge environmental protection and digitalisation. Specifically, we examine how EU law shapes the options of using data—the lifeblood of the digital economy—for environmental sustainability purposes, and ponder the impact of on-going legislative reform.
Risk, Reward, and Resilience Framework: Integrative Policy Making in a Complex World
Authors: Roberts Anthea
Published: March 2023

In the last few years, many states around the world have faced a series of shocks to their economies—from the seizing up of global supply chains to the weaponization of trade and finance—that have catapulted concerns about how to strike a balance between risk, reward, and resilience into the center of public discussions and policy-making. This Article provides a new Risk, Reward, and Resilience Framework, which synthesizes and integrates insights from diverse disciplines and domains. I set out the drivers of each element, how they are connected, and resulting policy choices. To illustrate its practical application, I apply Risk, Reward, and Resilience Framework to two case studies involving economic interdependence: the COVID-19 supply chain shock and China’s economic coercion of Australia. In doing so, I provide policymakers with a new mental model for thinking about and working through complex policy challenges.
Phagocytosis via complement receptor 3 enables microbes to evade killing by neutrophils
Authors: Smirnov Asya , Daily Kylene P , Gray Mary C , Ragland Stephanie A , Werner Lacie M , Brittany Johnson Morgan , Eby Joshua C , Hewlett Erik L , Taylor Ronald P , Criss Alison K
Published: March 2023

CR3 (CD11b/CD18; αmβ2 integrin) is a conserved phagocytic receptor. The active conformation of CR3 binds the iC3b fragment of complement C3 as well as many host and microbial ligands, leading to actin-dependent phagocytosis. There are conflicting reports about how CR3 engagement affects the fate of phagocytosed substrates. Using imaging flow cytometry, we confirmed that binding and internalization of iC3b-opsonized polystyrene beads by primary human neutrophils was CR3-dependent. iC3b-opsonized beads did not stimulate neutrophil reactive oxygen species, and most beads were found in primary granule-negative phagosomes. Similarly, Neisseria gonorrhoeae that does not express phase-variable Opa proteins suppresses neutrophil reactive oxygen species and delays phagolysosome formation. Here, binding and internalization of Opa-deleted (Δopa) N. gonorrhoeae by adherent human neutrophils was inhibited using blocking antibodies against CR3 and by adding neutrophil inhibitory factor, which targets the CD11b I-domain. No detectable C3 was deposited on N. gonorrhoeae in the presence of neutrophils alone. Conversely, overexpressing CD11b in HL-60 promyelocytes enhanced Δopa N. gonorrhoeae phagocytosis, which required the CD11b I-domain. Phagocytosis of N. gonorrhoeae was also inhibited in mouse neutrophils that were CD11b-deficient or treated with anti-CD11b. Phorbol ester treatment upregulated surface CR3 on neutrophils in suspension, enabling CR3-dependent phagocytosis of Δopa N. gonorrhoeae. Neutrophils exposed to Δopa N. gonorrhoeae had limited phosphorylation of Erk1/2, p38, and JNK. Neutrophil phagocytosis of unopsonized Mycobacterium smegmatis, which also resides in immature phagosomes, was CR3-dependent and did not elicit reactive oxygen species. We suggest that CR3-mediated phagocytosis is a silent mode of entry into neutrophils, which is appropriated by diverse pathogens to subvert phagocytic killing.
Review of three neglected species of Ctenomys (Rodentia: Ctenomyidae) from Argentina
Authors: Sánchez R Tatiana , Tomasco Ivanna H , Díaz M Mónica , Barquez Rubén M
Published: March 2023

Ctenomys is one of the most speciose genera among South American rodents, whose systematics have not yet been fully elucidated. One of the difficulties for clarifying the identity of its species is the limited information available on some of them, erected more than a century ago and of which only the original descriptions are known, generally very poorly detailed. Our study provides new information about Ctenomys coludo Thomas 1920, based on the collection of topotype specimens that allowed us to perform more detailed morphological and molecular analyses, and to compare them with the available information referred to the holotype, with specimens deposited in museum collections, and other species of the genus that have been proposed as related to C. coludo. Our results allow us to place C. coludo as a member of the mendocinus group, proposing C. famosus Thomas, 1920 as a junior synonym for C. coludo. We also recognize Ctenomys johannis as a valid and full species, and provide unpublished information on it from the collection of specimens at the type locality. Thus, we add new areas for the distribution of these species and present their phylogenetic relationships.
Wei-Tong-Xin exerts anti-inflammatory effects through TLR4-mediated macrophages M1/M2 polarization and affects GLP-1 secretion
Authors: Zhang Xiaoying , Yang Xihan , Zhang Shuanglin , Wang Jinyu , Wang Mengshi , Ma Tiancheng , Wan Meiqi , Lv Xinyan , Yan Tingxu , Jia Ying
Published: March 2023

Objectives

The present study was undertaken to explore the effects and mechanisms of Wei-Tong-Xin (WTX) in inhibiting lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory response of macrophages, in turn, to study the influences on GLP-1 secretion of GLUTag cells.

Methods

We first evaluated the activation of Raw 264.7 cells and measured the intracellular ROS, CD86 and CD206 levels by flow cytometry. The expressions of proteins were detected by western blot and immunofluorescence. GLP-1 levels were detected by ELISA kits. TLR4 siRNA was used to investigate the role of TLR4 in the regulation of macrophage polarization by WTX.

Key findings

The results showed that WTX inhibited LPS-induced polarization of macrophages toward the M1 phenotype, but promoted the M2 phenotype. Meanwhile, WTX inhibited the TLR4/MyD88 pathway. The polarization of M1 phenotype promoted GLP-1 secretion by GLUTag cells, which was inhibited by WTX. The results of siRNA showed that WTX exhibited anti-inflammatory effects through targeting TLR4.

Conclusions

Overall, WTX inhibited polarization of macrophages towards M1 phenotype but promoted the amounts of M2 phenotype, further the macrophages regulated by WTX alleviated GLP-1 content secreted by GLUTag cells. The aforementioned results were produced by WTX-mediated TLR4.
Radio-pathological diagnosis of a retroperitoneal cavernous hemangioma
Authors: Khazaal Ahmed S , Sultan Omar M , Rasheed Inas A A M
Published: March 2023

Retroperitoneal cavernous hemangioma (RCH) is a rare benign vascular malformation. Only a few cases of RCH were reported. Here we present a case of RCH in a 66-year-old female complaining of long-standing progressive dull abdominal pain.
Methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disease detected as a colorectal mass lesions: a case report
Authors: Shirakabe Katsudai , Mizokami Ken
Published: March 2023

Methotrexate-related lymphoproliferative disorder (MTX-LPD) is a rare but serious complication that occurs in patients treated with methotrexate (MTX); although MTX-LPD has been reported recently, the incidence in the colon is very low. A 79-year-old woman who had been receiving MTX for 15 years came to our hospital complaining of postprandial abdominal pain and nausea. Computed tomography scan showed the dilation of the small bowel and a tumor in the cecum. In addition, numerous nodular lesions were seen in the peritoneum. Ileal-transverse colon bypass surgery was performed for small bowel obstruction. Histopathological findings of both the cecum and the peritoneal nodules revealed the diagnosis of MTX-LPD. We report MTX-LPD occurring in the colon; it is important to consider MTX-LPD when intestinal symptoms occur during MTX therapy.