bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stereoelectroencephalography‐guided laser ablation in neocortical epilepsy: Electrophysiological correlations and outcome
Authors: Aung Thandar , Grinenko Olesya , Li Jian , Mosher John C. , Chauvel Patrick , Gonzalez‐Martinez Jorge
Published: August 2023

Objective

We aimed to study the correlation between seizure outcomes in patients with drug‐resistant epilepsy (DRE) who underwent laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) and stereoelectroencephalographic electrophysiologic patterns with respect to the extent of laser ablation.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 16 consecutive DRE patients who underwent LITT. A seizure onset zone (SOZ) was obtained from multidisciplinary patient management conferences and again was confirmed independently by two epileptologists based on conventional analysis. SOZs were retrospectively divided into localized, lobar and multilobar, and nonlocalized onset types. A posteriori‐predicted epileptogenic zone (PEZ) was identified using the previously developed “EZ fingerprint” pipeline. The completeness of the SOZ and PEZ ablation was compared and correlated with the duration of seizure freedom (SF).

Results

Of 16 patients, 11 had an a posteriori‐identified PEZ. Three patients underwent complete ablation of SOZ with curative intent, and the other 13 with palliative intent. Of three patients with complete ablation of the SOZ, two had concordant PEZ and SOZ and achieved 40‐ and 46‐month SF without seizure recurrence. The remaining patient, without any PEZ identified, had seizure recurrence within 1 month. Six of 13 patients with partial ablation of the SOZ and PEZ achieved mean seizure freedom of 19.8 months (range = 1–44) with subsequent seizure recurrence. The remaining seven patients had partial ablation of the SOZ without the PEZ identified or ablation outside the PEZ with seizure recurrence within 1–2 months, except one patient who had 40‐month seizure freedom after ablation of periventricular heterotopia.

Significance

Only complete ablation of the well‐restricted SOZ concordant with the PEZ was associated with long‐term SF, whereas partial ablation of the PEZ might lead to SF with eventual seizure recurrence. Failure to identify PEZ and ablation limited to the SOZ often led to 1–2 months of SF.
A physics‐informed generative adversarial network framework for multiaxial fatigue life prediction
Authors: He GaoYuan , Zhao YongXiang , Yan ChuLiang
Published: August 2023

Deep learning has achieved great success in multiaxial fatigue life prediction. However, when data‐driven models are used to describe data from physical processes, the relationship between inputs and outputs is agnostic. This paper proposes a deep learning framework combining generative adversarial networks and physical models to predict multiaxial fatigue life. This framework incorporates three life prediction equations in the loss function of generator, respectively. The results show that models with suitable physical constraints outperform neural networks in predicting results. Introducing the Smith–Watson–Topper model as a physical loss degrades the predictive performance of the physics‐informed network. On the contrary, introducing Fatemi–Socie and Shang–Wang model as physical loss improves the predictive performance of physics‐informed network. Learning using physics knowledge can lead to the ability of model to generate data that satisfy the governing equations of physics.
Long‐term patency of arteriovenous fistulas for hemodialysis: A decade's experience in a transplant unit
Authors: Pfister Matthias , d'Avalos Lorenzo Viggiani , Müller Philip C. , de Rougemont Olivier , Bonani Marco , Kobe Adrian , Puippe Gilbert , Nickel Felix , Rössler Fabian
Published: August 2023

Background

The heterogeneous quality of studies on arteriovenous fistulas outcome, with variable clinical settings and large variations in definitions of patency and failure rates, leads to frequent misinterpretations and overestimation of arteriovenous fistula patency. Hence, this study aimed to provide realistic and clinically relevant long‐term arteriovenous fistula outcomes.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed all autologous arteriovenous fistulas at our center over a 10‐year period (2012–2022). Primary and secondary patency analysis was conducted using the Kaplan–Meier method; multivariate analysis of variance was used to detect outcome predictors. Vascular access‐specific endpoints were defined according to the European guidelines on vascular access formation.

Findings

Of 312 arteriovenous fistulas, 57.5% (n = 181) were radio‐cephalic (RC_AVF), 35.2% (n = 111) brachio‐cephalic (BC_AVF), and 6.3% (n = 20) brachio‐basilic (BB_AVF). 6, 12, and 24 months follow‐up was available in 290 (92.1%), 282 (89.5%), and 259 (82.2%) patients, respectively. Primary patency rates at 6, 12, and 24 months were 39.5%, 34.8%, and 27.2% for RC_AVF, 58.3%, 44.4%, and 27.8% for BC_AVF, and 40.0%, 42.1%, and 22.2% for BB_AVF (p = 0.15). Secondary patency rates at 6, 12, and 24 months were 65.7%, 63.8%, and 59.0% for RC_AVF, 77.7%, 72.0%, and 59.6% for BC_AVF, and 65.0%, 68.4%, and 61.1% for BB_AVF (p = 0.29). Factors associated with lower primary and secondary patency were hemodialysis at time of arteriovenous fistula formation (p = 0.037 and p = 0.024, respectively) and higher Charlson Comorbidity Index (p = 0.036 and p < 0.001, respectively). Previous kidney transplant showed inferior primary patency (p = 0.005); higher age inferior secondary patency (p < 0.001).

Discussion

Vascular access care remains challenging and salvage interventions are often needed to achieve maturation or maintain patency. Strict adherence to standardized outcome reporting in vascular access surgery paints a more realistic picture of arteriovenous fistula patency and enables reliable intercenter comparison.
‘We are somehow fixated on this being a diabetes drug’: a qualitative study exploring the views of cardiologists and nephrologists about sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor initiation
Authors: Milder Tamara Y. , Stocker Sophie L. , Baysari Melissa T. , Day Richard O. , Greenfield Jerry R.
Published: August 2023

Background

Sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are now indicated for heart failure and chronic kidney disease (CKD), irrespective of the presence of diabetes. Hence, cardiologists and nephrologists have an important role in initiating these drugs.

Aims

To explore cardiologists' and nephrologists' perspectives regarding initiating SGLT2i and their safety monitoring practices when initiating SGLT2i.

Methods

Purposive and snowball approaches were used to recruit participants working in diverse areas in New South Wales, Australia. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 12 cardiologists and 12 nephrologists. Interviews were conducted until thematic saturation was reached. Emergent themes were identified from transcripts. An iterative general inductive approach was used for data analysis.

Results

There was a reluctance amongst most non‐heart‐failure subspecialist cardiologists to initiate SGLT2i. Reasons included the perception of SGLT2i as diabetes drugs, concern about side effects, lack of experience and issues with follow‐up. In contrast, nephrologists reported feeling confident to initiate SGLT2i. Nephrologists varied in their opinions about the severity of CKD at which SGLT2i initiation was reasonable and monitoring of renal function following initiation. Government subsidisation was an important factor in the decision to prescribe SGLT2i to people without diabetes.

Conclusions

Our findings highlight the complex transition from the perception of SGLT2i as diabetes drugs to cardiometabolic and reno‐protective agents. Interdisciplinary collaboration may enable greater confidence amongst specialists to initiate SGLT2i, including in patients with CKD. Additionally, there is a need for clear and detailed guidance about SGLT2i prescription in patients with renal dysfunction and renal function monitoring following SGLT2i initiation.
Impact of COVID‐19 and lockdown on COPD admissions to Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand 2020–2021: a combined quantitative and qualitative study
Authors: Zhang Xianzhi , Wilkinson Amanda , Storer Malina , Epton Michael J.
Published: August 2023

Background

During the year following New Zealand's first COVID‐19 lockdown, a 33% reduction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)‐related admissions occurred and persisted beyond this period at Christchurch Hospital.

Aim

To identify contributing factors which may have resulted in a persistent decrease in COPD hospitalisation rates at Christchurch Hospital following the 2020 COVID‐19 lockdown.

Methods

Using an explanatory sequential mixed‐methods research design, we (i) retrospectively analysed hospital admissions and primary healthcare access by people with COPD (n = 1358) in Canterbury before, during and after COVID lockdown (24 March 2019 to 2021) and (ii) undertook individual interviews from a sample of patients (n = 14).

Results

Patients who were not re‐admitted following the COVID‐19 lockdown had fewer general practice encounters, acute primary care access, antibiotic and prednisone prescriptions. Proportionally fewer Māori and more Pacific patients were admitted with COPD following lockdown. Positive contributing factors at a primary care level included improvements in primary care interactions and medication management. At a patient and community level, there were improvements in lifestyle, self‐management practices, social support and contact precautions. However, a subgroup of patients described negative effects such as social isolation.

Conclusion

A combination of patient, primary care and community‐level factors led to an overall persistent decrease in COPD admissions following the COVID‐19 lockdown. Future targeted and individualised measures focusing on these modifiable factors may decrease future COPD‐related hospital admissions. The study design facilitated further explanation about factors that contributed to the persistent decrease in hospital admissions among people living with COPD and has underscored the importance of social support, patient empowerment and reduction in barriers in accessing care in admission reduction.
Autoimmunity in immune checkpoint inhibitor‐induced immune‐related adverse events: A focus on autoimmune skin toxicity and pneumonitis
Authors: Berner Fiamma , Flatz Lukas
Published: August 2023

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have revolutionized cancer therapy. However, their use is frequently associated with immune‐related adverse events (irAEs) potentially affecting any organ. The mechanisms mediating such irAEs remain poorly understood and biomarkers to predict the development of irAEs are lacking. Growing evidence shows the importance of self‐antigens in mediating irAEs during ICI therapy, in particular the well‐described melanocyte differentiation antigens in melanoma patients. This review will focus on two novel classes of self‐antigens involved in mediating autoimmune skin toxicity and pneumonitis in non‐small cell lung cancer patients treated with immunotherapy. T cells specific for these self‐antigens are thought to not only mediate irAEs but are thought to simultaneously mediate anti‐tumor responses and are therefore associated with both autoimmune toxicity and response to ICI therapy. We further discuss emerging cellular and proteomic immune signatures of irAEs that may serve as biomarkers to help predict which patients are at higher risk of developing these irAEs. The determination of new tumor antigens involved in ICI therapy and the identification of related biomarkers brings us a step forward in the mechanistic understanding of ICIs and will help to monitor patients at higher risk of developing irAEs. Lastly, we discuss the current challenges in collecting research samples for the study of ICI‐related mechanisms and in distinguishing between immune signatures of response and those of irAEs.
Domestic violence against women has increased during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A perspective paper about the need for change to current and future practice
Authors: Usher Kim , Jackson Debra , Fatema Syadani Riyad , Jones Rikki
Published: August 2023

The COVID‐19 outbreak led to widespread disruption and stress to people's lives. Concern about the escalation of domestic violence (DV) rates and related mental health issues soon emerged following the implementation of strategies aimed at curbing the spread of the virus. This perspective paper presents an overview of the issues, argues for greater recognition of the link between DV against women and serious emotional distress, and the need for greater awareness and knowledge about DV among mental health professionals. While we acknowledge that men also experience DV, their rates are much lower than for women and in this paper our focus is on women.
Reconstructing ancient dispersal through Antarctica: A case study of stream‐inhabiting beetles
Authors: Sýkora Vít , Herrera‐Alsina Leonel , Maier Crystal , Martínez‐Román Nicolás Rafael , Archangelsky Miguel , Bilton David T. , Seidel Matthias , Leschen Richard A. B. , Fikáček Martin
Published: August 2023

Aim

Although Antarctica hosted a diverse fauna and flora in the past, its modern climate is too extreme for many lineages: their recent extinction makes it difficult to include the continent in historical biogeographical analyses. We use southern temperate stream‐inhabiting beetles as a model to explore whether Antarctica may be included in historical biogeographic reconstructions in a group absent from Antarctica today, and to test its role in shaping the current distribution of stream‐inhabiting insects.

Taxon

Coleoptera, Elmidae.

Location

Southern Hemisphere temperate regions and Antarctica.

Methods

We included Antarctica in historical biogeographic analyses indirectly, as a component of distance matrices specifying the relative positions of continents, or by specifying Antarctica as a stepping‐stone between remaining continents (in LEMAD). We used a newly constructed dated phylogeny of Elmidae to test the performance of these constrained analyses under different parameter settings and geographical scenarios.

Results

Antarctica can be implemented into historical biogeographic analyses via indirect constraints to produce biologically relevant reconstructions when long‐distance dispersal events are highly penalized, the maximum number of areas per species is low, and expected extinction rates are high (in LEMAD). Unconstrained models, including those without Antarctica, result in simpler scenarios with fewer biogeographic events and better fit to data. The origin of austral clades of Elmidae post‐date the separation of Gondwanan landmasses.

Main Conclusions

Antarctica can be included in historical biogeographic reconstructions under a priori assumptions that (1) it was part of the ancient biogeography of the clade, (2) the taxon has limited dispersal ability, making long‐distance dispersal highly unlikely and (3) maximum range size is limited. These assumptions may be biologically justified for many animal groups. Over‐water dispersal has been crucial in shaping the modern distribution of austral stream‐inhabiting beetles, likely facilitated by ocean currents and dispersal through Antarctica until the Oligocene.
AAK1‐like: A putative pseudokinase with potential roles in cargo uptake in bloodstream form Trypanosoma brucei parasites
Authors: Black Jennifer A. , Klinger Christen M. , Lemgruber Leandro , Dacks Joel B. , Mottram Jeremy C. , McCulloch Richard
Published: August 2023

Selection and internalization of cargo via clathrin‐mediated endocytosis requires adaptor protein complexes. One complex, AP‐2, acts during cargo selection at the plasma membrane. African trypanosomes lack all components of the AP‐2 complex, except for a recently identified orthologue of the AP‐2‐associated protein kinase 1, AAK1. In characterized eukaryotes, AAK1 phosphorylates the μ2 subunit of the AP‐2 complex to enhance cargo recognition and uptake into clathrin‐coated vesicles. Here, we show that kinetoplastids encode not one, but two AAK1 orthologues: one (AAK1L2) is absent from salivarian trypanosomes, while the other (AAK1L1) lacks important kinase‐specific residues in a range of trypanosomes. These AAK1L1 and AAK1L2 novelties reinforce suggestions of functional divergence in endocytic uptake within salivarian trypanosomes. Despite this, we show that AAK1L1 null mutant Trypanosoma brucei, while viable, display slowed proliferation, morphological abnormalities including swelling of the flagellar pocket, and altered cargo uptake. In summary, our data suggest an unconventional role for a putative pseudokinase during endocytosis and/or vesicular trafficking in T. brucei, independent of AP‐2.
Experiences of in‐hospital care among dementia caregivers in the context of high neighborhood‐level disadvantage
Authors: Golden Blair P. , Block Laura , Benson Clark , Cotton Quinton D. , Wieben Ann , Kaiksow Farah , Gilmore‐Bykovskyi Andrea
Published: August 2023

Background

Persons living with dementia (PLWD) experience high rates of hospitalization and rehospitalization, exposing them to added risk for adverse outcomes including delirium, hastened cognitive decline, and death. Hospitalizations can also increase family caregiver strain. Despite disparities in care quality surrounding hospitalizations for PLWD, and evidence suggesting that exposure to neighborhood‐level disadvantage increases these inequities, experiences with hospitalization among PLWD and family caregivers exposed to greater levels of neighborhood disadvantage are poorly understood. This study examined family caregiver perspectives and experiences of hospitalizations among PLWD in the context of high neighborhood‐level disadvantage.

Methods

We analyzed data from the Stakeholders Understanding of Prevention Protection and Opportunities to Reduce HospiTalizations (SUPPORT) study, an in‐depth, multisite qualitative study examining hospitalization and rehospitalization of PLWD in the context of high neighborhood disadvantage, to identify caregiver perspectives and experiences of in‐hospital care. Data were analyzed using rapid identification of themes; duplicate transcript review was used to enhance rigor.

Results

Data from N = 54 individuals (47 individual interviews, 2 focus groups with 7 individuals) were analyzed. Sixty‐three percent of participants identified as Black/African American, 35% as non‐Hispanic White, and 2% declined to report. Caregivers' experiences were largely characterized by PLWD receiving suboptimal care that caregivers viewed as influenced by system pressures and inadequate workforce competencies, leading to communication breakdowns and strain. Caregivers described poor collaboration between clinicians and caregivers with regard to in‐hospital care delivery, including transitional care. Caregivers also highlighted the lack of person‐focused care and the exclusion of the PLWD from care.

Conclusions

Caregiver perspectives highlight opportunities for improving hospital care for PLWD in the context of neighborhood disadvantage and recognition of broader issues in care structure that limit their capacity to be actively involved in care. Further work should examine and develop strategies to improve caregiver integration during hospitalizations across diverse contexts.
BACE2 deficiency impairs expression and function of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in brain endothelial cells
Authors: He Tongrong , d'Uscio Livius V. , Katusic Zvonimir S.
Published: August 2023

Beta‐site amyloid precursor protein (APP)‐cleaving enzyme 2 (BACE2) is highly expressed in cerebrovascular endothelium. Notably, BACE2 is one of the most downregulated genes in cerebrovascular endothelium derived from patients with Alzheimer's disease. The present study was designed to determine the role of BACE2 in control of expression and function of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Genetic downregulation of BACE2 with small interfering RNA (BACE2siRNA) in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) significantly decreased expression of eNOS and elevated levels of eNOS phosphorylated at threonine residue Thr495, thus leading to reduced production of nitric oxide (NO). BACE2siRNA also suppressed expression of APP and decreased production and release of soluble APPα (sAPPα). In contrast, adenovirus‐mediated overexpression of APP increased expression of eNOS. Consistent with these observations, nanomolar concentrations of sAPPα and APP 17mer peptide (derived from sAPPα) augmented eNOS expression. Further analysis established that γ‐aminobutyric acid type B receptor subunit 1 and Krüppel‐like factor 2 may function as downstream molecular targets significantly contributing to BACE2/APP/sAPPα‐induced up‐regulation of eNOS. In agreement with studies on cultured human endothelium, endothelium‐dependent relaxations to acetylcholine and basal production of cyclic GMP were impaired in cerebral arteries of BACE2‐deficient mice. We propose that in the brain blood vessels, BACE2 may function as a vascular protective protein.

image
Moral beacons: Understanding moral character and moral influence
Authors: Helzer Erik G. , Cohen Taya R. , Kim Yeonjeong , Iorio Alessandro , Aven Brandy
Published: August 2023

Objective

We introduce the concept of moral beacons—individuals who are higher in moral character than their peers and prominent within their social environment—and examine the degree to which moral beacons increase the moral awareness of their peers.

Background

Using data from cohorts of students in graduate business education across two universities, we applied theory and methods from organizational behavior, personality psychology, and social networks analysis to test two research questions about moral beacons.

Method

We used latent profile analysis of data from personality questionnaires and social network surveys completed by graduate business students at two universities (N = 502) to identify individuals classified as moral beacons. We used peer nominations and an in‐class business case discussion exercise to assess moral influence.

Results

Latent profile analysis identified a latent class of moral beacons in our sample. These individuals received more nominations from their peers in end‐of‐class surveys as guides for moral thought and action and positively impacted the moral awareness of their peers in a discussion of a difficult business case about possible lead poisoning of employees, but did not significantly change their counterparts' moral awareness in a different case.

Conclusions

These results provide promising initial evidence that moral beacons can be distinguished from their peers by both moral character and social prominence and can act as guides for others, at times encouraging greater consideration of the moral aspects of situations and decisions. As these results are the first of their kind, we encourage further replication and investigations of moral beacons and moral influence in other settings.
Characterisation of parathyroid hormone concentration in extremely preterm or very low birthweight infants in routine clinical screening for metabolic bone disease: A service evaluation cohort study
Authors: Levene Ilana , Dhami Amraj , Moreno Mar , Shine Brian , Chinoy Amish , Padidela Raja , Molnar Zoltan
Published: August 2023

Aim

To characterise parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations in infants at high risk for metabolic bone disease, in order to assist clinical decisions around the use of PTH for screening.

Methods

Infants born under 28 weeks' postmenstrual age or with birthweight under 1.5 kg in a tertiary neonatal unit in the UK were included. Clinical guidance was to assess PTH concentration in the first 3 weeks after birth. Clinical information was extracted from prospective records.

Results

Sixty‐four infants had mean birth gestation of 26 weeks and birthweight of 882 g. Median PTH (sent on median day 18 of life) was 9.2 pmol/L (interquartile range 5.3–17 pmol/L). Sixty‐seven per cent of infants had a PTH greater than 7 pmol/L. For 22% of the infants, raised PTH was not accompanied by abnormal phosphate or alkaline phosphatase. Eighty‐nine per cent of infants tested were insufficient or deficient for 25‐hydroxyvitamin D.

Conclusions

Universal screening highlights the high frequency of high PTH in this high‐risk population, implying a need for calcium supplementation. A considerable number of infants would not be identified as showing potential signs of metabolic bone disease if the assessment excludes the use of PTH. The high level of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D deficiency may be a confounder.
Neonatal clinical examination and selective ultrasound screening are not reliable for the early diagnosis of hip dysplasia: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Johnson Mitchell D , Kuschel Carl , Donnan Leo
Published: August 2023

Aim

To compare the incidence, clinical features and timing of initial treatment of early‐ and later‐presenting developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) in infancy in the context of a risk‐based selective ultrasound screening programme.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective observational study of infants born at a tertiary perinatal centre in Melbourne, Australia, between July 2016 and June 2020 and treated for DDH up to 18 months of age at a tertiary paediatric centre. The incidence of DDH was calculated for early‐ and later‐presenting cases. Clinical features and ultrasound indications were analysed using multivariate logistic regression.

Results

There were 192 infants with DDH requiring treatment, 100 (52%) of which were not detected by universal neonatal hip examination and selective ultrasound screening based on risk factors (overall incidence 6.3 per 1000 livebirths). The median age at which treatment was commenced was delayed by 8 weeks for the later‐presenting group compared to those detected through screening (16.7 vs. 7.9 weeks, P < 0.001). Skin crease asymmetry was associated with later presentation (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 44.03, 95% confidence interval (CI) 9.99–333), whilst breech presentation (aOR 0.08, 95% CI 0.02–0.26) and Barlow/Ortolani test positivity (aOR 0.06, 95% CI 0.01–0.25) were associated with early presentation. Only 39 (1.45%) infants receiving a screening ultrasound had DDH.

Conclusion

Approximately half of all infants with DDH were not detected by combining risk‐based selective ultrasound screening with neonatal clinical findings, highlighting the failure of this screening method to reliably detect a significant proportion of dysplastic infant hips.
‘Credible, but not really reliable’: teachers' responses to children's literature on energy production and the environment
Authors: Lammert Catherine
Published: August 2023

Incorporating climate change into literacy curriculum is an important goal globally, but one that has gone unmet in typical elementary classrooms. One reason may be a lack of preparation of teachers to select texts on this topic. This research involved preservice elementary literacy teachers in a children's literature course evaluating children's picture books on the environmental topic of energy production. Preservice teachers rated each text's enjoyability for students, the credibility of the content, and discussed the underlying assumptions about natural resources in each narrative. A sequential explanatory mixed‐methods analysis was applied. Findings suggest that preservice teachers generally found texts about energy production to be enjoyable for children, and they did not believe that books on energy production might evoke fear or frustration amongst elementary students. However, they differed in their views of authorial credibility. Some felt that personal experiences with text content (i.e., being an indigenous author writing about the need to preserve tribal lands) strengthened authors' credibility while others believed personal closeness made the text more opinionated and therefore less credible. This research suggests the need for elementary teachers to be better prepared to interrogate corporate bias and personal bias in texts about climate change.
Another Fever Year? Making sense of pandemics with a historical graphic novel
Authors: Griffith Robin , Smith Jennifer M.
Published: August 2023

This qualitative study highlights how children's literature can serve as a springboard for discussing current events while making connections with a similar historical event. Undergraduate students enrolled in children's literature courses read the graphic novel Fever Year: The Killer Flu of 1918 and discussed the parallels between the book and the COVID‐19 pandemic. Findings indicate strong text‐to‐self and text‐to‐world connections between the events of the flu of 1918 highlighted in the graphic novel and those of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Connections included restrictions and closures, mask mandates, vaccine development, medical theories, and theories of spread. Information dissemination and consumption was a prominent theme.
Selection on standing genetic variation mediates convergent evolution in extremophile fish
Authors: Ryan Kara , Greenway Ryan , Landers Jake , Arias‐Rodriguez Lenin , Tobler Michael , Kelley Joanna L.
Published: August 2023

Hydrogen sulfide is a toxic gas that disrupts numerous biological processes, including energy production in the mitochondria, yet fish in the Poecilia mexicana species complex have independently evolved sulfide tolerance several times. Despite clear evidence for convergence at the phenotypic level in these fishes, it is unclear if the repeated evolution of hydrogen sulfide tolerance is the result of similar genomic changes. To address this gap, we used a targeted capture approach to sequence genes associated with sulfide processes and toxicity from five sulfidic and five nonsulfidic populations in the species complex. By comparing sequence variation in candidate genes to a reference set, we identified similar population structure and differentiation, suggesting that patterns of variation in most genes associated with sulfide processes and toxicity are due to demographic history and not selection. But the presence of tree discordance for a subset of genes suggests that several loci are evolving divergently between ecotypes. We identified two differentiation outlier genes that are associated with sulfide detoxification in the mitochondria that have signatures of selection in all five sulfidic populations. Further investigation into these regions identified long, shared haplotypes among sulfidic populations. Together, these results reveal that selection on standing genetic variation in putatively adaptive genes may be driving phenotypic convergence in this species complex.
Beneficial effects of empagliflozin and liraglutide on the cerebral microcirculation of diabetic rats
Authors: d'Avila Joana Costa , Carlos Aluana Santana , Vieira Raimundo Lima , Vergueiro Carla , Lima Aline Teixeira , Silva Isaias dos Santos , de Figueiredo Vivian Carvalho , Chateaubriand Paulo Henrique Petrone , Moreno Adalgiza Mafra , de Castro Faria Neto Hugo Caire , Estato Vanessa , Siqueira Rodrigo Azeredo
Published: August 2023

Objectives

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the antidiabetics liraglutide, a GLP‐1 analog, and empagliflozin, an SGLT‐2 inhibitor, on the brain microcirculation of diabetic rats.

Methods

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) was experimentally induced in male Wistar rats by combining a high‐fat diet and a low dose of streptozotocin (35 mg/kg). Liraglutide (100 μg/kg s.c.) and empagliflozin (10 mg/kg, oral) were administered for 5 weeks. Body weight was monitored periodically. Oral glucose tolerance, fasting glycemia, and blood triglycerides were evaluated after the treatments. Endothelial–leukocyte interactions in the brain microcirculation and structural capillary density were assessed.

Results

DM rats presented metabolic and cerebrovascular alterations. Liraglutide treatment decreased body weight and blood triglycerides of DM rats. Empagliflozin treatment improved glucose tolerance but only the combination therapy significantly reduced fasting blood glucose. Both treatments and their combination reduced leukocyte adhesion into the endothelium of brain venules. However, empagliflozin was more effective in preventing DM‐induced microvascular rarefaction.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that chronic treatment with SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP‐1 receptor agonists may serve as potential therapeutic approaches to prevent microvascular complications associated with diabetes.
The Ecclesiological and Missiological Perspectives of Synodality
Authors: Nowotnik Jan
Published: August 2023

The aim of this paper is to appreciate more deeply the ecclesiological and missiological perspectives of synodality and thus to suggest that synodality is not something new or created as the whim of Pope Francis but that it is rooted in the Church's ecclesiology from its earliest times and as such finds an expression in the Church's life and mission. In this paper I will demonstrate that the Church has always been a synodal Church and what we are witnessing now is a valid theological development which takes us into the third millennium. I wish to set my examination of synodality in its ecclesiological and missiological perspectives and thereby posit that these two branches or routes lead into the one synodal pathway. I will show that as we examine the ecclesiological perspective of synodality we shall see that it is set in a renewed sense of mission. For this, we will need to co-operate with God and each other, as Pope Francis hinted at in 2015.
Uncovering the secrets to vibrant flowers: the role of carotenoid esters and their interaction with plastoglobules in plant pigmentation
Authors: Watkins Jacinta L.
Published: August 2023

This article is a Commentary onLiet al. (2023),240: 285–301.
Courage in the Anthropocene: Towards a philosophical anthropology of the present
Authors: Reid Julian
Published: August 2023

In the late 18th century, Immanuel Kant attracted attention for his criticisms of colonialism, that problematized the established boundaries between civilization and barbarism, and chastised English colonialism in particular. Some years later, however, in his lectures on Anthropology, he ventured some oddly racist views, concerning the specific differences between European and Indigenous peoples. Kant's racism is by now well‐documented. However, less attention has been paid to the peculiarities of that racism, and especially its foundations in a theory of virtue. His racism comes to light especially in his discussions of the virtues of patience and courage, and in passages which have rarely been subject to critical scrutiny still to this day. This article starts out from an analysis of the functions of Kant's concepts of courage and patience in his account of European versus Indigenous difference, with a view to interrogating the politics of virtue in the present, where this discussion is reoccurring in new guises. What Kant considered courage has now been devalorized, while what he considered patience is now valorized. This reversal of perspectives on what counts as virtuous has occurred in correlation with a reversal in western perspectives on Indigeneity. Such that contemporary accounts of courage are correlated with contemporary accounts of Indigeneity. These reversals of perspective must be understood in context of the transformation which philosophical anthropology has undergone under the duress of the Anthropocene. Contemporary works by Dipesh Chakrabarty and Jonathan Lear are of great relevance to this correlated transformation and will be discussed here. The article analyses what both Chakrabarty and Lear understand by courage today, its relevance to the Anthropocene, and points out the limitations of their theories. Ultimately the article argues for a rethinking of the definition of courage as a political virtue of the Anthropocenic present.
Can we dissociate hypervigilance to social threats from altered perceptual decision‐making processes in lonely individuals? An exploration with Drift Diffusion Modeling and event‐related potentials
Authors: Mąka Szymon , Chrustowicz Marta , Okruszek Łukasz
Published: August 2023

It has been hypothesized that lonely individuals demonstrate hypervigilance toward social threats. However, recent studies have raised doubts about the reliability of tasks commonly used to measure attentional biases toward threats. Two alternative approaches have been suggested to overcome the limitations of traditional analysis of attentional bias. First, the neurophysiological indicators of orienting to threats were shown to have superior psychometric characteristics compared to overt measures of behavioral performance. The second approach involves utilizing computational modeling to isolate latent components corresponding to specific cognitive mechanisms from observable data. To test the usefulness of these approaches in loneliness research, we analyzed behavioral and electroencephalographic (EEG) data from 26 lonely and 26 non‐lonely participants who performed a dot‐probe task using a computational modeling approach. We applied the Drift Diffusion Model (DDM) and extracted N2pc—an event‐related potential that serves as an indicator of spatial attention. No evidence for social threat hypervigilance has been found in DDM parameters nor in N2pc characteristics in the current study. However, we did observe decreased drift rate and increased variability in drift rate between trials within the lonely group, indicating reduced efficiency in perceptual decision‐making among lonely individuals. These effects were not detected using standard behavioral measures used in the dot‐probe paradigm. Given that DDM indicators were sensitive to differences in perceptual discrimination between the two groups, even when no overt differences were found in standard behavioral measures, it may be postulated that computational approaches offer a more comprehensive understanding of cognitive processes.
Attentional suppression of weight‐related distractors among females with weight dissatisfaction
Authors: Yao Jiayi , Leng Xuechen , Chen Yixuan , Chen Minran , Liu Aixin , Feng Chengzhi , Feng Wenfeng
Published: August 2023

Although many studies have investigated attentional biases toward weight‐related information among individuals with weight dissatisfaction, the mechanisms underlying the processing of task‐irrelevant and spatial‐irrelevant weight‐related information as distractors remain unclear. Participants were assigned to groups according to their levels of weight dissatisfaction to address this question. Participants with high weight dissatisfaction (HWD) were assigned to the experimental group; those with low weight dissatisfaction (LWD) were assigned to a control group. By recording event‐related potentials during a visual search task along the median vertical line, fatness‐related/thinness‐related/neutral words and scrambled strokes were presented horizontally in pairs as task‐irrelevant distractors. The results showed that intact words facilitated fast attentional orienting compared to scrambled strokes, as revealed by the significant N2pc for all types of intact words for both the HWD and LWD groups. More importantly, only fatness‐ and thinness‐related words elicited the evident PD in the HWD group, and the PD amplitudes were larger in the HWD group compared to the LWD group. These findings suggest that weight‐related distractors were actively suppressed after initial attentional orienting among females with HWD. This reveals the mechanisms of attentional biases toward weight‐related information among females with HWD and contributes to the model of the cognitive‐behavioral theory of body image disturbance. These results may help enhance prevention and interventions for reducing weight dissatisfaction.
Citizenship and inheritance law in Florence: Round two of the conflict between and Borromei and Pazzi
Authors: Kuehn Thomas
Published: August 2023

In 2020 Renaissance Studies [34 (2020): 243–59] published an essay entitled “Lorenzo de' Medici and Inheritance Law in Florence,” discussing the use of legislation by Lorenzo de' Medici to advantage Carlo Borromei in inheritance from his uncle, to the disadvantage of his cousin, Beatrice, who was married to a Pazzi. The legislation removed legal uncertainty in Florentine inheritance law. Another consilium for the Pazzi has emerged, arising in the aftermath of the legislation, taking an entirely different path to try to deny Carlo Borromei full access to the estate, on the grounds he was not a Florentine citizen and so unable to enjoy the benefits of Florence's new statute. The author of the consilium was a Sienese. His arguments shift the grounds of discussion, while not entirely escaping the whiff of sour grapes by the Pazzi at having lost in the first round. Citizenship emerges as a performative matter, described in terms of things like residence and tax paying. But it was also a matter at the discretion of other citizens. The renewed legal assault on the Borromei offers insight into the many meanings and dimensions of citizenship, as well as the resolve, soon to become fatal, of the Pazzi.
Some mechanisms leading to underdispersion: Old and new proposals
Authors: Puig Pedro , Valero Jordi , Fernández‐Fontelo Amanda
Published: August 2023

In statistical modeling, it is important to know the mechanisms that cause underdispersion. Several mechanisms that lead to underdispersed count distributions are revisited from new perspectives, and new ones are introduced. These include procedures based on the number of arrivals in arrival processes, such as renewal and pure birth processes and steady‐state distributions of birth‐death processes, like queues with state‐dependent service rates. Weighted Poisson and other well‐known underdispersed distributions are also related to birth‐death processes. Classical and variable binomial thinning mechanisms are also viewed as important procedures for generating underdispersed distributions, which can also generate bivariate count distributions with negative correlation. Some example applications are shown, one of which is related to Biodosimetry.
Testing the missing at random assumption in generalized linear models in the presence of instrumental variables
Authors: Duan Rui , Liang C. Jason , Shaw Pamela A. , Tang Cheng Yong , Chen Yong
Published: August 2023

Practical problems with missing data are common, and many methods have been developed concerning the validity and/or efficiency of statistical procedures. On a central focus, there have been longstanding interests on the mechanism governing data missingness, and correctly deciding the appropriate mechanism is crucially relevant for conducting proper practical investigations. In this paper, we present a new hypothesis testing approach for deciding between the conventional notions of missing at random and missing not at random in generalized linear models in the presence of instrumental variables. The foundational idea is to develop appropriate discrepancy measures between estimators whose properties significantly differ only when missing at random does not hold. We show that our testing approach achieves an objective data‐oriented choice between missing at random or not. We demonstrate the feasibility, validity, and efficacy of the new test by theoretical analysis, simulation studies, and a real data analysis.
Organ‐enriched gene expression during floral morphogenesis in wild barley
Authors: Chen Gang , Mishina Kohei , Wang Qi , Zhu Hongjing , Tagiri Akemi , Kikuchi Shinji , Sassa Hidenori , Oono Youko , Komatsuda Takao
Published: August 2023

Floral morphology varies considerably between dicots and monocots. The ABCDE model explaining how floral organ development is controlled was formulated using core eudicots and applied to grass crops. Barley (Hordeum. vulgare) has unique floral morphogenesis. Wild barley (H. vulgare ssp. spontaneum), which is the immediate ancestor of cultivated barley (H. vulgare ssp. vulgare), contains a rich reservoir of genetic diversity. However, the wild barley genes involved in floral organ development are still relatively uncharacterized. In this study, we generated an organ‐specific transcriptome atlas for wild barley floral organs. Genome‐wide transcription profiles indicated that 22 838 protein‐coding genes were expressed in at least one organ. These genes were grouped into seven clusters according to the similarities in their expression patterns. Moreover, 5619 genes exhibited organ‐enriched expression, 677 of which were members of 47 transcription factor families. Gene ontology analyses suggested that the functions of the genes with organ‐enriched expression influence the biological processes in floral organs. The co‐expression regulatory network showed that the expression of 690 genes targeted by MADS‐box proteins was highly positively correlated with the expression of ABCDE model genes during floral morphogenesis. Furthermore, the expression of 138 genes was specific to the wild barley OUH602 genome and not the Morex genome; most of these genes were highly expressed in the glume, awn, lemma, and palea. This study revealed the global gene expression patterns underlying floral morphogenesis in wild barley. On the basis of the study findings, a molecular mechanism controlling floral morphology in barley was proposed.
Topical ropivacaine hydrochloride 0.5% and lidocaine hydrochloride 2% significantly reduce corneal sensitivity without short‐term negative side effects in horses
Authors: Minaldi Michael P. , Fidler Laura E. , Betbeze Caroline M. , Wills Robert , Fontenot Robin L. , Telle Mary R.
Published: August 2023

Objective

To evaluate corneal sensitivity and acute side effects following application of ropivacaine hydrochloride 0.5% and lidocaine hydrochloride 2% on the healthy equine cornea.

Animals Studied

Eight healthy adult horses.

Procedure

A randomized, masked, crossover study design was utilized. Baseline Semiquantitative Preclinical Ocular Toxicology (SPOT) scores and corneal touch thresholds (CTT) using a Cochet‐Bonnet esthesiometer were recorded and measured, respectively, for eight healthy adult horses before medication application. Commercially available eyewash was used as a negative control. Ropivacaine hydrochloride 0.5% or lidocaine hydrochloride 2% solution was sprayed on a randomly selected eye, and the contralateral eye received eyewash. CTT was measured in both eyes at 1, 5, 15, 25, 35, 45, 55, 65, and 75 min post‐application. Post‐application SPOT scores were recorded immediately following the trial. Linear mixed model statistical analyses (mean ± standard error) were performed (p < .05).

Results

Mean eyewash CTT (3.41 cm ± 0.464) was significantly different from ropivacaine‐treated (1.44 cm ± 0.562) (p = .008) and lidocaine‐treated eyes (1.75 cm ± 0.562) (p = .024); CTT was not significantly different between drug groups (p = .88). Time to maximum anesthesia was not significantly different between ropivacaine (13.25 min ± 3.353) and lidocaine (16.25 min ± 3.353) (p = .40). No side effects were appreciated as confirmed by SPOT.

Conclusions

Ropivacaine and lidocaine similarly decreased corneal sensitivity when applied topically without clinically evident short‐term ocular side effects. Lidocaine may be preferable in clinical settings due to its large, multi‐use vials and similar effects to ropivacaine.