bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing Public Tick Identification Ability and Tick Bite Riskiness Using Passive Photograph-Based Crowdsourced Tick Surveillance
Authors: Kopsco Heather L , Duhaime Roland J , Mather Thomas N
Published: November 2020

Tick identification is critical for assessing disease risk from a tick bite and for determining requisite treatment. Data from the University of Rhode Island’s TickEncounter Resource Center’s photo-based surveillance system, TickSpotters, indicate that users incorrectly identified their submitted specimen 83% of the time. Of the top four most commonly submitted tick species, western blacklegged ticks (Ixodes pacificus Cooley & Kohls [Ixodida: Ixodidae]) had the largest proportion of unidentified or misidentified submissions (87.7% incorrectly identified to species), followed by lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum Linneaus [Ixodida: Ixodidae]; 86.8% incorrect), American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis Say [Ixodida: Ixodidae]; 80.7% incorrect), and blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis Say [Ixodida: Ixodidae]; 77.1% incorrect). More than one quarter of participants (26.3%) submitted photographs of ticks that had been feeding for at least 2.5 d, suggesting heightened risk. Logistic regression generalized linear models suggested that participants were significantly more likely to misidentify nymph-stage ticks than adult ticks (odds ratio [OR] = 0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.23, 0.68, P < 0.001). Ticks reported on pets were more likely to be identified correctly than those found on humans (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.01–2.04, P < 0.001), and ticks feeding for 2.5 d or longer were more likely to be misidentified than those having fed for one day or less (OR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.29–0.65, P < 0.001). State and region of residence and season of submission did not contribute significantly to the optimal model. These findings provide targets for future educational efforts and underscore the value of photograph-based tick surveillance to elucidate these knowledge gaps.
Evaluation of Lotions of Botanical-Based Repellents Against Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: Qualls Whitney A , Xue Rui-De , Farooq Muhammad , Peper Steven T , Aryaprema Vindhya , Blore Kai , Weaver Richard , Autry Dena , Talbalaghi Asghar , Kenar James , Cermak Steven C , Zhu Junwei J
Published: November 2020

Thirteen botanical product repellent compounds such as 2-undecanone, capric, lauric, coconut fatty acids (and their methyl ester derivatives), and catnip oil were formulated in either Coppertone or Aroma Land lotions and evaluated against laboratory-reared Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquitoes. These formulations contained 7–15 wt/wt of the botanical repellent as the major active ingredient either pure or as mixtures. USDA standard repellent test cages were used to determine the complete protection time (CPT) of the different formulated repellents. Two of the evaluated formulations, a 7% capric acid in Coppertone (CPT 2.7 ± 0.6 h) and 7% coconut fatty acids containing carrylic acid, capric acid, and lauric acid in Coppertone (CPT 2.3 ± 2.0 h), provided strong repellency against mosquitoes up to 3 h, which was equivalent to the (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) DEET control (CPT 2.7 ± 0.6 h). This work suggests future potential for these botanical product-based repellents as alternatives to commercial DEET-containing products.
The accreted nuclear clusters of the Milky Way
Authors: Pfeffer Joel , Lardo Carmela , Bastian Nate , Saracino Sara , Kamann Sebastian
Published: November 2020

A number of the massive clusters in the halo, bulge, and disc of the Galaxy are not genuine globular clusters (GCs) but instead are different beasts altogether. They are the remnant nuclear star clusters (NSCs) of ancient galaxies since accreted by the Milky Way. While some clusters are readily identifiable as NSCs and can be readily traced back to their host galaxy (e.g. M54 and the Sagittarius Dwarf galaxy), others have proven more elusive. Here, we combine a number of independent constraints, focusing on their internal abundances and overall kinematics, to find NSCs accreted by the Galaxy and trace them to their accretion event. We find that the true NSCs accreted by the Galaxy are: M54 from the Sagittarius Dwarf, ω Centari from Gaia-Enceladus/Sausage, NGC 6273 from Kraken, and (potentially) NGC 6934 from the Helmi Streams. These NSCs are prime candidates for searches of intermediate-mass black holes (BHs) within star clusters, given the common occurrence of galaxies hosting both NSCs and central massive BHs. No NSC appears to be associated with Sequoia or other minor accretion events. Other claimed NSCs are shown not to be such. We also discuss the peculiar case of Terzan 5, which may represent a unique case of a cluster–cluster merger.
The nearby magnetic cool DZ white dwarf PM J08186−3110
Authors: Kawka Adela , Vennes Stéphane , Allard Nicole F , Leininger T , Gadéa F X
Published: November 2020

We present an analysis of photometric, spectroscopic, and spectropolarimetric data of the nearby, cool, magnetic DZ white dwarf PM J08186−3110. High-dispersion spectra show the presence of Zeeman splitted spectral lines due to the presence of a surface average magnetic field of 92 kG. The strong magnesium and calcium lines show extended wings shaped by interactions with neutral helium in a dense, cool helium-rich atmosphere. We found that the abundance of heavy elements varied between spectra taken 10 years apart but we could not establish a time-scale for these variations; such variations may be linked to surface abundance variations in the magnetized atmosphere. Finally, we show that volume-limited samples reveal that about 40 per cent of DZ white dwarfs with effective temperatures below 7000 K are magnetic.
Striations, integrals, hourglasses, and collapse – thermal instability driven magnetic simulations of molecular clouds
Authors: Wareing C J , Pittard J M , Falle S A E G
Published: November 2020

The MHD version of the adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) code, MG, has been employed to study the interaction of thermal instability, magnetic fields, and gravity through 3D simulations of the formation of collapsing cold clumps on the scale of a few parsecs, inside a larger molecular cloud. The diffuse atomic initial condition consists of a stationary, thermally unstable, spherical cloud in pressure equilibrium with lower density surroundings and threaded by a uniform magnetic field. This cloud was seeded with 10 per cent density perturbations at the finest initial grid level around n = 1.1 cm−3 and evolved with self-gravity included from the outset. Several cloud diameters were considered (100, 200, and 400 pc) equating to several cloud masses (17 000, 136 000, and 1.1 × 106 M⊙). Low-density magnetic-field-aligned striations were observed as the clouds collapse along the field lines into disc-like structures. The induced flow along field lines leads to oscillations of the sheet about the gravitational minimum and an integral-shaped appearance. When magnetically supercritical, the clouds then collapse and generate hourglass magnetic field configurations with strongly intensified magnetic fields, reproducing observational behaviour. Resimulation of a region of the highest mass cloud at higher resolution forms gravitationally bound collapsing clumps within the sheet that contain clump-frame supersonic (M ∼ 5) and super-Alfvénic (MA ∼ 4) velocities. Observationally realistic density and velocity power spectra of the cloud and densest clump are obtained. Future work will use these realistic initial conditions to study individual star and cluster feedback.
Demography of galactic technosignatures
Authors: Grimaldi Claudio
Published: November 2020

Probabilistic arguments about the existence of technological life beyond Earth traditionally refer to the Drake equation to draw possible estimates of the number of technologically advanced civilizations releasing, either intentionally or not, electromagnetic emissions in the Milky Way. Here, we introduce other indicators than Drake’s number ND to develop a demography of artificial emissions populating the Galaxy. We focus on three main categories of statistically independent signals (isotropic, narrow beams, and rotating beacons) to calculate the average number NG of emission processes present in the Galaxy and the average number of them crossing Earth, $\bar{k}$, which is a quantity amenable to statistical estimation from direct observations. We show that $\bar{k}$ coincides with ND only for isotropic emissions, while $\bar{k}$ can be orders of magnitude smaller than ND in the case of highly directional signals. We further show that while ND gives the number of emissions being released at the present time, NG considers also the signals from no longer active emitters but whose emissions still occupy the Galaxy. We find that as long as the average longevity of the emissions is shorter than about 105 yr, NG is fully determined by the rate of emissions alone, in contrast to ND and $\bar{k}$ which depend also on the emission longevity. Finally, using analytic formulas of NG, ND, and $\bar{k}$ determined for each type of emission processes here considered, we provide a comprehensive overview of the values these quantities can possibly achieve as functions of the emission birthrates, longevities, and directionality.
The role of radiolysis in the modelling of C2H4O2 isomers and dimethyl ether in cold dark clouds
Authors: Paulive Alec , Shingledecker Christopher N , Herbst Eric
Published: November 2020

Complex organic molecules (COMs) have been detected in a variety of interstellar sources. The abundances of these COMs in warming sources can be explained by syntheses linked to increasing temperatures and densities, allowing quasi-thermal chemical reactions to occur rapidly enough to produce observable amounts of COMs, both in the gas phase, and upon dust grain ice mantles. The COMs produced on grains then become gaseous as the temperature increases sufficiently to allow their thermal desorption. The recent observation of gaseous COMs in cold sources has not been fully explained by these gas-phase and dust grain production routes. Radiolysis chemistry is a possible non-thermal method of producing COMs in cold dark clouds. This new method greatly increases the modelled abundance of selected COMs upon the ice surface and within the ice mantle due to excitation and ionization events from cosmic ray bombardment. We examine the effect of radiolysis on three C2H4O2 isomers – methyl formate (HCOOCH3), glycolaldehyde (HCOCH2OH), and acetic acid (CH3COOH) – and a chemically similar molecule, dimethyl ether (CH3OCH3), in cold dark clouds. We then compare our modelled gaseous abundances with observed abundances in TMC-1, L1689B, and B1-b.
Gas-phase spectroscopic characterization of neutral and ionic polycyclic aromatic phosphorus heterocycles (PAPHs)
Authors: Oliveira Ricardo R , Molpeceres Germán , Fantuzzi Felipe , Quitián-Lara Heidy M , Boechat-Roberty Heloisa M , Kästner Johannes
Published: November 2020

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) constitute an essential family of compounds in interstellar (ISM) and circumstellar (CSM) media. Recently, formation routes for the corresponding polycyclic aromatic phosphorus heterocycles (PAPHs) in astrophysical environments have been proposed. In order to contribute to a better understanding of the phosphorus chemistry in the ISM, infrared (IR) spectra and selected properties of PAPHs were computed at the density functional theory level for neutral, cationic, and anionic species. Our results reveal that several protonated PAPHs do not have planar backbones, and all species have permanent dipole moments between 2D and 4D. Closed-shell PAPHs have similar ionization potentials compared to the parent PAHs, below the Lyman threshold limit. In addition, all PAPHs show positive electron affinities higher than those of PAHs. Protonation preferably occurs on the heteroatom but with lower proton affinities than those of the corresponding nitrogen analogues (polycyclic aromatic nitrogen heterocycles). In general, neutral species have similar IR spectra profile with the most intense bands around 800 cm−1 (12.5 μm) related to C−H wagging. Charge and protonation affect the IR spectra mainly by decreasing the intensities of these modes and increasing the ones between 1000 (10.0 μm) and 1800 cm−1 (5.6 μm). The P−H stretching appears in a different spectral region, between 2300 (4.3 μm) and 2700 cm−1 (3.7 μm). Our results are discussed in the context of distinct sources where PAHs and phosphorus are detected. PAPHs, in particular the coronene derivatives, can contribute to the unidentified infrared emission band at 6.2 μm.
A Sister Lineage of Sampled Retroviruses Corroborates the Complex Evolution of Retroviruses
Authors: Wang Jianhua , Han Guan-Zhu
Published: November 2020

The origin and deep history of retroviruses remain mysterious and contentious, largely because the diversity of retroviruses is incompletely understood. Here, we report the discovery of lokiretroviruses, a novel major lineage of retroviruses, within the genomes of a wide range of vertebrates (at least 137 species), including lampreys, ray-finned fishes, lobe-finned fishes, amphibians, and reptiles. Lokiretroviruses share a similar genome architecture with known retroviruses, but display some unique features. Interestingly, lokiretrovirus Env proteins share detectable similarity with fusion glycoproteins of viruses within the Mononegavirales order, blurring the boundary between retroviruses and negative sense single-stranded RNA viruses. Phylogenetic analyses based on reverse transcriptase demonstrate that lokiretroviruses are sister to all the retroviruses sampled to date, providing a crucial nexus for studying the deep history of retroviruses. Comparing congruence between host and virus phylogenies suggests lokiretroviruses mainly underwent cross-species transmission. Moreover, we find that retroviruses replaced their ribonuclease H and integrase domains multiple times during their evolutionary course, revealing the importance of domain shuffling in the evolution of retroviruses. Overall, our findings greatly expand our views of the diversity of retroviruses, and provide novel insights into the origin and complex evolutionary history of retroviruses.
High-resolution visualization and quantification of nucleic acid–based therapeutics in cells and tissues using Nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS)
Authors: He Cuiwen , Migawa Michael T , Chen Kai , Weston Thomas A , Tanowitz Michael , Song Wenxin , Guagliardo Paul , Iyer K Swaminathan , Bennett C Frank , Fong Loren G , Seth Punit P , Young Stephen G , Jiang Haibo
Published: November 2020

Nucleic acid therapeutics (NATs) have proven useful in promoting the degradation of specific transcripts, modifying gene expression, and regulating mRNA splicing. In each situation, efficient delivery of nucleic acids to cells, tissues and intracellular compartments is crucial—both for optimizing efficacy and reducing side effects. Despite successes in NATs, our understanding of their cellular uptake and distribution in tissues is limited. Current methods have yielded insights into distribution of NATs within cells and tissues, but the sensitivity and resolution of these approaches are limited. Here, we show that nanoscale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) imaging can be used to define the distribution of 5-bromo-2′-deoxythymidine (5-BrdT) modified antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) in cells and tissues with high sensitivity and spatial resolution. This approach makes it possible to define ASO uptake and distribution in different subcellular compartments and to quantify the impact of targeting ligands designed to promote ASO uptake by cells. Our studies showed that phosphorothioate ASOs are associated with filopodia and the inner nuclear membrane in cultured cells, and also revealed substantial cellular and subcellular heterogeneity of ASO uptake in mouse tissues. NanoSIMS imaging represents a significant advance in visualizing uptake and distribution of NATs; this approach will be useful in optimizing efficacy and delivery of NATs for treating human disease.
COVID19 Drug Repository: text-mining the literature in search of putative COVID19 therapeutics
Authors: Tworowski Dmitry , Gorohovski Alessandro , Mukherjee Sumit , Carmi Gon , Levy Eliad , Detroja Rajesh , Mukherjee Sunanda Biswas , Frenkel-Morgenstern Milana
Published: November 2020

The recent outbreak of COVID-19 has generated an enormous amount of Big Data. To date, the COVID-19 Open Research Dataset (CORD-19), lists ∼130,000 articles from the WHO COVID-19 database, PubMed Central, medRxiv, and bioRxiv, as collected by Semantic Scholar. According to LitCovid (11 August 2020), ∼40,300 COVID19-related articles are currently listed in PubMed. It has been shown in clinical settings that the analysis of past research results and the mining of available data can provide novel opportunities for the successful application of currently approved therapeutics and their combinations for the treatment of conditions caused by a novel SARS-CoV-2 infection. As such, effective responses to the pandemic require the development of efficient applications, methods and algorithms for data navigation, text-mining, clustering, classification, analysis, and reasoning. Thus, our COVID19 Drug Repository represents a modular platform for drug data navigation and analysis, with an emphasis on COVID-19-related information currently being reported. The COVID19 Drug Repository enables users to focus on different levels of complexity, starting from general information about (FDA-) approved drugs, PubMed references, clinical trials, recipes as well as the descriptions of molecular mechanisms of drugs’ action. Our COVID19 drug repository provide a most updated world-wide collection of drugs that has been repurposed for COVID19 treatments around the world.
Renin–angiotensin system blocker discontinuation and adverse outcomes in chronic kidney disease
Authors: Walther Carl P , Winkelmayer Wolfgang C , Richardson Peter A , Virani Salim S , Navaneethan Sankar D
Published: November 2020

Background

Treatment with renin–angiotensin system inhibitors (RASIs), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) is the standard of care for those with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and albuminuria. However, ACEI/ARB treatment is often discontinued for various reasons. We investigated the association of ACEI/ARB discontinuation with outcomes among US veterans with non-dialysis-dependent CKD.

Methods

We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients in the Veterans Affairs healthcare system with non-dialysis-dependent CKD who subsequently were started on ACEI/ARB therapy (new user design). Discontinuation events were defined as a gap in ACEI/ARB therapy of ≥14 days and were classified further based on duration (14–30, 31–60, 61–90, 91–180 and >180 days). This was treated as a time-varying risk factor in adjusted Cox proportional hazards models for the outcomes of death and incident end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), which also adjusted for relevant confounders.

Results

We identified 141 252 people with CKD and incident ACEI/ARB use who met the inclusion criteria; these were followed for a mean 4.87 years. There were 135 356 discontinuation events, 68 699 deaths and 6152 incident ESKD events. Discontinuation of ACEI/ARB was associated with a higher risk of death [hazard ratio (HR) 2.3, 2.0, 1.99, 1.92 and 1.74 for those discontinued for 14–30, 31–60, 61–90, 91–180 and >180 days, respectively]. Similar associations were noted between ACEI and ARB discontinuation and ESKD (HR 1.64, 1.47, 1.54, 1.65 and 1.59 for those discontinued for 14–30, 31–60, 61–90, 91–180 and >180 days, respectively).

Conclusions

In a cohort of predominantly male veterans with CKD Stages 3 and 4, ACEI/ARB discontinuation was independently associated with an increased risk of subsequent death and ESKD. This may be due to the severity of illness factors that drive the decision to discontinue therapy. Further investigations to determine the causes of discontinuations and to provide an evidence base for discontinuation decisions are needed.
Subthalamic Nucleus Subregion Stimulation Modulates Inhibitory Control
Authors: van Wouwe Nelleke C , Neimat Joseph S , van den Wildenberg Wery P M , Hughes Shelby B , Lopez Alexander M , Phibbs Fenna T , Schall Jeffrey D , Rodriguez William J , Bradley Elise B , Dawant Benoit M , Wylie Scott A
Published: November 2020

Patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) often experience reductions in the proficiency to inhibit actions. The motor symptoms of PD can be effectively treated with deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN), a key structure in the frontal–striatal network that may be directly involved in regulating inhibitory control. However, the precise role of the STN in stopping control is unclear. The STN consists of functional subterritories linked to dissociable cortical networks, although the boundaries of the subregions are still under debate. We investigated whether stimulating the dorsal and ventral subregions of the STN would show dissociable effects on ability to stop. We studied 12 PD patients with STN DBS. Patients with two adjacent contacts positioned within the bounds of the dorsal and ventral STN completed two testing sessions (OFF medication) with low amplitude stimulation (0.4 mA) at either the dorsal or ventral contacts bilaterally, while performing the stop task. Ventral, but not dorsal, DBS improved stopping latencies. Go reactions were similar between dorsal and ventral DBS STN. Stimulation in the ventral, but not dorsal, subregion of the STN improved stopping speed, confirming the involvement of the STN in stopping control and supporting the STN functional subregions.
Isothiocyanate Derivatives of Glucosinolates as Efficient Natural Fungicides
Authors: Dubey Sylvain , Guignard Florian , Pellaud Sébastien , Pedrazzetti Matteo , van der Schuren Alja , Gaume Alain , Schnee Sylvain , Gindro Katia , Dubey Olga
Published: November 2020

Fungal pathogens on crops account for losses that exceed US$200 billion annually. At present, chemical fungicides are widely used in the agricultural industry. Many of these products have a detrimental effect on human and animal health and are consequently forbidden postharvest, especially in Europe. Despite efforts to develop natural crop protection, very few have been commercialized. We explored the physicochemical characteristics of (i) glucosinolate derivatives from the present study and previously published papers in the light of their known biological roles and (ii) fungitoxic glucosinolate derivatives compared with natural and chemical fungicides. We found that 13 out of 31 tested natural and semisynthetic isothiocyanates are efficient fungicides against widespread species of plant pathogens alone and in a synergistic manner. Interestingly, physicochemical characteristics of fungitoxic glucosinolate derivatives differ from those showing no activities or known for their insecticidal or insect-attractive properties. The comparison of physicochemical characteristics of natural and semisynthetic fungitoxic glucosinolate derivatives with other fungicides (natural, semisynthetic, and synthetic) revealed that isothiocyanate glucosinolate derivatives clustered with nonglucosinolate derivatives plant fungicides as well as with some synthetic ones. Most of the fungicides show high bioaccumulation potential and lipophilic properties that most likely allow them to go through membranes.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Treatment for Anxiety and Substance Use Disorders During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Strategies
Authors: Satre Derek D. , Iturralde Esti , Ghadiali Murtuza , Young-Wolff Kelly C. , Campbell Cynthia I. , Leibowitz Amy S. , Sterling Stacy A.
Published: November 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to exacerbate existing anxiety and substance use disorders (SUDs) and increase vulnerability among individuals previously free of these conditions. Numerous pandemic-related stressors—coronavirus infection fears, social distancing and isolation, activity restrictions, financial insecurity and unemployment, caregiving or childcare responsibilities—place a substantial burden both on the general population and on many health care providers. Anxiety symptoms such as worry, tension, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and sleep disruption are increasingly prevalent. For individuals in SUD treatment, anxiety can complicate efforts to achieve treatment goals. In this commentary, we outline the potential impact of anxiety on substance use problems during the COVID-19 crisis and describe key behavioral, pharmacological, and digital health treatment considerations. We highlight populations of special concern due to heightened vulnerability and challenges accessing services, strategies to support health care providers, and directions for future research.
The deleterious effects of war and conflict on the provision of health care for vulnerable populations and the potential effects of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations in conflict zones
Authors: Valand Poonam , Miles Joanna , Pandya Ankur N.
Published: November 2020

Conflict as opposed to just war, has devastating effects on the host population in a variety of ways. The plight of the internally displaced population (internal refugees) and the increased urbanization of this latter phenomenon, pose stark challenges on an already broken and beleaguered administration that may or may not be sympathetic to the needs of its people. We discuss the effects of conflict on the provision of health care, hygiene, sanitation, mental health as well as maternal and child health. Finally, we discuss the added complication and implications of the current COVID-19 pandemic ravaging health infrastructures worldwide.
Evaluating the Relationship of Intraocular Pressure and Anterior Chamber Volume With Use of Prostaglandin Analogues
Authors: Scott Jessica A. , Roberts Cynthia J. , Mahmoud Ashraf M. , Jain Shelly Gupta
Published: November 2020

Précis:

In this prospective study, naive prostaglandin use in primary open-angle glaucoma was associated with scleral biomechanical alteration and intraocular pressure (IOP) measuring errors.

Purpose:

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of naïve use of prostaglandin analogues (PGA) on IOP and anterior chamber volume (ACV), as well as investigate how PGAs might affect corneal and scleral stiffness and their impact on ocular rigidity.

Materials and Methods:

This study was a prospective study of 21 recently diagnosed open-angle glaucoma patients (33 eyes) initiating medical therapy with a topical prostaglandin eye drop. Corneal morphologic and biomechanical parameters as well as IOP were measured at 3 visits over a 4-month period with the following equipment: Pentacam, Corvis ST, Ocular Response Analyzer, Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) and Pascal dynamic contour tonometry.

Results:

The study demonstrated a significant decrease in mean IOP with initiation of PGA in all 4 tonometers (P<0.0001). The greatest change in IOP occurred in the first 4 weeks of treatment (P<0.0001). The mean ACV showed a significant decrease at visit 2 (P<0.02) and visit 3 (P<0.04) compared with baseline visit 1. However, there was a paradoxical increase in ACV in 37% of eyes at visit 2, despite a significant mean reduction in IOP by GAT and dynamic contour tonometry.

The IOP/ACV ratio at visit 1 significantly predicted the reduction in respective measures of IOP, as well as scleral stiffness measured by stiffness parameter-highest concavity.

Conclusion:

In clinical practice, GAT may not be the most appropriate tonometer for measuring IOP in PGA treated eyes due the measurement errors from ocular biomechanical alteration. The IOP/ACV ratio could potentially serve as a new diagnostic parameter to determine the likelihood of PGA treatment success.
Recovery and Quality of Life After Trauma: A 6-Month Follow-Up Study
Authors: Nasirian Sara , Engström My , Forsberg Anna , Fagevik Olsén Monika
Published: November 2020

Background:

Injuries were the most common cause of hospitalization in Sweden in 2017. There is a lack of knowledge about trauma recovery and its relation to health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after hospitalization due to minor trauma. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate recovery and HRQoL at discharge from hospital and 3 and 6 months after the trauma.

Methods:

This is a secondary analysis of data from a prospective follow-up study. Fifty-seven patients who sustained physical trauma were included. Recovery was measured with postoperative recovery profile and HRQoL 3 and 6 months after discharge. The association between the outcomes was analyzed, as well as the impact of gender, age, Injury Severity Score (ISS), and trauma mechanism using nonparametric statistics.

Results:

There was a significant improvement in recovery and HRQoL between discharge and 3 months after the trauma (p < .001) as well as between 3 and 6 months after the trauma (p < .001) except for EQ-5D VAS scale (p = .222). However, only 14 (25%) patients viewed themselves as fully recovered 6 months after the incident. Correlation between recovery and HRQoL increased after discharge and was at its strongest 6 months after the trauma (r
s > .071).

Conclusion:

Trauma mechanism has an impact on recovery but not gender, age, or ISS score. Most patients did not consider themselves fully recovered even at 6 months postinjury, indicating that they require additional support to manage their recovery.
A Guide to Academic Crisis Response
Authors: Hayes Rose , McCauley Linda
Published: November 2020

Background

COVID-19 has tested the capacity of every nursing school, but its impact has varied according to the size, location, and baseline infrastructure of each school. This makes the pandemic an important lens through which to study crisis management principles, such as flexibility and scalability (the ability to expand and reduce efforts based on situational demands).

Purpose

This article provides a roadmap for academic crisis management, modeled on the National Incident Management System (NIMS). It is tailored to the unique needs of nursing schools and applies COVID-19 as a case study.

Methods

The authors explore the elements of the NIMS that were deployed within 1 top-ranked school of nursing during COVID-19.

Results and Conclusions

The article includes best practices, tips, and resources to help academic nurse leaders and educators navigate large-scale or unprecedented crises, such as COVID-19.
Quality of Resuscitative Care Provided to an Infant With Abusive Head Trauma in Community Emergency Departments
Authors: Lutfi Riad , Berrens Zachary J. , Ackerman Laurie L. , Montgomery Erin E. , Mustafa Manahil , Kirby Michele L. , Pearson Kellie J. , Abu-Sultaneh Samer , Abulebda Kamal
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Abusive head trauma (AHT) is a very common and serious form of physical abuse, and a major cause of mortality and morbidity for young children. Early Recognition and supportive care of children with AHT is a common challenge in community emergency department (CEDs). We hypothesized that standardized, in situ simulation can be used to measure and compare the quality of resuscitative measures provided to children with AHT in a diverse set of CEDs.

Methods

This prospective, simulation-based study measured teams' performance across CEDs. The primary outcome was overall adherence to AHT using a 15-item performance assessment checklist based on the number of tasks performed correctly on the checklist.

Results

Fifty-three multiprofessional teams from 18 CEDs participated in the study. Of 270 participants, 20.7% were physicians, 65.2% registered nurses, and 14.1% were other providers. Out of all tasks, assessment of airway/breathing was the most successfully conducted task by 53/53 teams (100%). Although 43/53 teams (81%) verbalized the suspicion for AHT, only 21 (39.6%) of 53 teams used hyperosmolar agent, 4 (7.5%) of 53 teams applied cervical spine collar stabilization, and 6 (11.3%) of 53 teams raised the head of the bed. No significant difference in adherence to the checklist was found in the CEDs with an inpatient pediatric service or these with designated adult trauma centers compared with CEDs without. Community emergency departments closer to the main academic center outperformed CEDs these that are further away.

Conclusions

This study used in situ simulation to describe quality of resuscitative care provided to an infant presenting with AHT across a diverse set of CEDs, revealing variability in the initial recognition and stabilizing efforts and provided and targets for improvement. Future interventions focusing on reducing these gaps could improve the performance of CED providers and lead to improved patient outcomes.
Integrative Analysis of Prognostic Biomarkers for Acute Rejection in Kidney Transplant Recipients
Authors: Cao Yue , Alexander Stephen I. , Chapman Jeremy R. , Craig Jonathan C. , Wong Germaine , Yang Jean Y.H.
Published: November 2020

Background.

Noninvasive biomarkers may predict adverse events such as acute rejection after kidney transplantation and may be preferable to existing methods because of superior accuracy and convenience. It is uncertain how these biomarkers, often derived from a single study, perform across different cohorts of recipients.

Methods.

Using a cross-validation framework that evaluates the performance of biomarkers, the aim of this study was to devise an integrated gene signature set that predicts acute rejection in kidney transplant recipients. Inclusion criteria were publicly available datasets of gene signatures that reported acute rejection episodes after kidney transplantation. We tested the predictive probability for acute rejection using gene signatures within individual datasets and validated the set using other datasets. Eight eligible studies of 1454 participants, with a total of 512 acute rejections episodes were included.

Results.

All sets of gene signatures had good positive and negative predictive values (79%–96%) for acute rejection within their own cohorts, but the predictability reduced to <50% when tested in other independent datasets. By integrating signature sets with high specificity scores across all studies, a set of 150 genes (included CXCL6, CXCL11, OLFM4, and PSG9) which are known to be associated with immune responses, had reasonable predictive values (varied between 69% and 90%).

Conclusions.

A set of gene signatures for acute rejection derived from a specific cohort of kidney transplant recipients do not appear to provide adequate prediction in an independent cohort of transplant recipients. However, the integration of gene signature sets with high specificity scores may improve the prediction performance of these markers.
COVID-19 and Solid Organ Transplantation: A Review Article
Authors: Azzi Yorg , Bartash Rachel , Scalea Joseph , Loarte-Campos Pablo , Akalin Enver
Published: November 2020

The coronavirus pandemic has significantly impacted solid organ transplantation (SOT). Early in the outbreak period, transplant societies recommended suspending living kidney transplant programs in communities with widespread transmission to avoid exposing recipients to increased risk of immunosuppression, while recommendations were made to reserve deceased-donor kidney transplantation for likely life-saving indications. SOT recipients may be at high risk from COVID-19 disease due to chronic immunosuppressive treatment and other medical comorbidities. Mortality rates reported between 13 to over 30% in SOT recipients. In addition to high rates of complications and mortality attributable to COVID-19 infections, the pandemic has also led to additional complexities in transplantation including new questions regarding screening of donors and recipients, decision making to accept a patient for kidney transplant or wait after pandemic. The clinical implications of COVID-19 infection may also differ depending on the type of the transplanted organ and recipient comorbidities which further impacts decisions on continuing transplantation during the pandemic. Transplant activity during a pandemic should be tailored with careful selection of both donors and recipients. Furthermore, while tremendous strides have been made in treatment strategies and vaccinations, the impact of these in transplant recipients may be attenuated in the setting of their immunosuppression. In this review, we aim to summarize several aspects of COVID-19 in transplantation, including the immune response to SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics, clinical outcomes in SOT recipients, and end-stage kidney disease patients, transplant activity during the pandemic, and treatment options for COVID-19 disease.
Evidence supporting the microbiota–gut–brain axis in a songbird
Authors: Slevin Morgan C. , Houtz Jennifer L. , Bradshaw David J. , Anderson Rindy C.
Published: November 2020

Recent research in mammals supports a link between cognitive ability and the gut microbiome, but little is known about this relationship in other taxa. In a captive population of 38 zebra finches (
Taeniopygia guttata
), we quantified performance on cognitive tasks measuring learning and memory. We sampled the gut microbiome via cloacal swab and quantified bacterial alpha and beta diversity. Performance on cognitive tasks related to beta diversity but not alpha diversity. We then identified differentially abundant genera influential in the beta diversity differences among cognitive performance categories. Though correlational, this study provides some of the first evidence of an avian microbiota–gut–brain axis, building foundations for future microbiome research in wild populations and during host development.
A new non-mammalian eucynodont from the Chinle Formation (Triassic: Norian), and implications for the early Mesozoic equatorial cynodont record
Authors: Kligman Ben T. , Marsh Adam D. , Sues Hans-Dieter , Sidor Christian A.
Published: November 2020

The Upper Triassic tetrapod fossil record of North America features a pronounced discrepancy between the assemblages of present-day Virginia and North Carolina relative to those of the American Southwest. While both are typified by large-bodied archosaurian reptiles like phytosaurs and aetosaurs, the latter notably lacks substantial representation of mammal relatives, including cynodonts. Recently collected non-mammalian eucynodontian jaws from the middle Norian Blue Mesa Member of the Chinle Formation in northeastern Arizona shed light on the Triassic cynodont record from western equatorial Pangaea. Importantly, they reveal new biogeographic connections to eastern equatorial Pangaea as well as southern portions of the supercontinent. This discovery indicates that the faunal dissimilarity previously recognized between the western and eastern portions of equatorial Pangaea is overstated and possibly reflects longstanding sampling biases, rather than a true biogeographic pattern.
An ecophysiological model of plant–pest interactions: the role of nutrient and water availability
Authors: Zaffaroni Marta , Cunniffe Nik J. , Bevacqua Daniele
Published: November 2020

Empirical studies have shown that particular irrigation/fertilization regimes can reduce pest populations in agroecosystems. This appears to promise that the ecological concept of bottom-up control can be applied to pest management. However, a conceptual framework is necessary to develop a mechanistic basis for empirical evidence. Here, we couple a mechanistic plant growth model with a pest population model. We demonstrate its utility by applying it to the peach–green aphid system. Aphids are herbivores which feed on the plant phloem, deplete plants’ resources and (potentially) transmit viral diseases. The model reproduces system properties observed in field studies and shows under which conditions the diametrically opposed plant vigour and plant stress hypotheses find support. We show that the effect of fertilization/irrigation on the pest population cannot be simply reduced as positive or negative. In fact, the magnitude and direction of any effect depend on the precise level of fertilization/irrigation and on the date of observation. We show that a new synthesis of experimental data can emerge by embedding a mechanistic plant growth model, widely studied in agronomy, in a consumer–resource modelling framework, widely studied in ecology. The future challenge is to use this insight to inform practical decision making by farmers and growers.
Modelling co-translational dimerization for programmable nonlinearity in synthetic biology
Authors: Stoof Ruud , Goñi-Moreno Ángel
Published: November 2020

Nonlinearity plays a fundamental role in the performance of both natural and synthetic biological networks. Key functional motifs in living microbial systems, such as the emergence of bistability or oscillations, rely on nonlinear molecular dynamics. Despite its core importance, the rational design of nonlinearity remains an unmet challenge. This is largely due to a lack of mathematical modelling that accounts for the mechanistic basis of nonlinearity. We introduce a model for gene regulatory circuits that explicitly simulates protein dimerization—a well-known source of nonlinear dynamics. Specifically, our approach focuses on modelling co-translational dimerization: the formation of protein dimers during—and not after—translation. This is in contrast to the prevailing assumption that dimer generation is only viable between freely diffusing monomers (i.e. post-translational dimerization). We provide a method for fine-tuning nonlinearity on demand by balancing the impact of co- versus post-translational dimerization. Furthermore, we suggest design rules, such as protein length or physical separation between genes, that may be used to adjust dimerization dynamicsin vivo. The design, build and test of genetic circuits with on-demand nonlinear dynamics will greatly improve the programmability of synthetic biological systems.
Phytoliths can cause tooth wear
Authors: Rodriguez-Rojas Fernando , Borrero-Lopez Oscar , Constantino Paul J. , Henry Amanda G. , Lawn Brian R.
Published: November 2020

Comparative laboratory sliding wear tests on extracted human molar teeth in artificial saliva with third-body particulates demonstrate that phytoliths can be as effective as silica grit in the abrasion of enamel. A pin-on-disc wear testing configuration is employed, with an extracted molar cusp as a pin on a hard disc antagonist, under loading conditions representative of normal chewing forces. Concentrations and sizes of phytoliths in the wear test media match those of silica particles. Cusp geometries and ensuing abrasion volumes are measured by digital profilometry. The wear data are considered in relation to a debate by evolutionary biologists concerning the relative capacities of intrinsic mineral bodies within plant tissue and exogenous grit in the atmosphere to act as agents of tooth wear in various animal species.
Signalling boosts the evolution of cooperation in repeated group interactions
Authors: Martinez-Vaquero Luis A. , Santos Francisco C. , Trianni Vito
Published: November 2020

Many biological and social systems show significant levels of collective action. Several cooperation mechanisms have been proposed, yet they have been mostly studied independently. Among these, direct reciprocity supports cooperation on the basis of repeated interactions among individuals. Signals and quorum dynamics may also drive cooperation. Here, we resort to an evolutionary game-theoretical model to jointly analyse these two mechanisms and study the conditions in which evolution selects for direct reciprocity, signalling, or their combination. We show that signalling alone leads to higher levels of cooperation than when combined with reciprocity, while offering additional robustness against errors. Specifically, successful strategies in the realm of direct reciprocity are often not selected in the presence of signalling, and memory of past interactions is only exploited opportunistically in the case of earlier coordination failure. Differently, signalling always evolves, even when costly. In the light of these results, it may be easier to understand why direct reciprocity has been observed only in a limited number of cases among non-humans, whereas signalling is widespread at all levels of complexity.
The utility of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy in assisted reproduction
Authors: Asampille Gitanjali , Cheredath Aswathi , Joseph David , Adiga Satish K. , Atreya Hanudatta S.
Published: November 2020

Infertility affects approximately 15–20% of individuals of reproductive age worldwide. Over the last 40 years, assisted reproductive technology (ART) has helped millions of childless couples. However, ART is limited by a low success rate and risk of multiple gestations. Devising methods for selecting the best gamete or embryo that increases the ART success rate and prevention of multiple gestation has become one of the key goals in ART today. Special emphasis has been placed on the development of non-invasive approaches, which do not require perturbing the embryonic cells, as the current morphology-based embryo selection approach has shortcomings in predicting the implantation potential of embryos. An observed association between embryo metabolism and viability has prompted researchers to develop metabolomics-based biomarkers. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy provides a non-invasive approach for the metabolic profiling of tissues, gametes and embryos, with the key advantage of having a minimal sample preparation procedure. Using NMR spectroscopy, biologically important molecules can be identified and quantified in intact cells, extracts or secretomes. This, in turn, helps to map out the active metabolic pathways in a system. The present review covers the contribution of NMR spectroscopy in assisted reproduction at various stages of the process.
Modelling population dynamics in a unicellular social organism community using a minimal model and evolutionary game theory
Authors: Garde Ravindra , Ewald Jan , Kovács Ákos T. , Schuster Stefan
Published: November 2020

Most unicellular organisms live in communities and express different phenotypes. Many efforts have been made to study the population dynamics of such complex communities of cells, coexisting as well-coordinated units. Minimal models based on ordinary differential equations are powerful tools that can help us understand complex phenomena. They represent an appropriate compromise between complexity and tractability; they allow a profound and comprehensive analysis, which is still easy to understand. Evolutionary game theory is another powerful tool that can help us understand the costs and benefits of the decision a particular cell of a unicellular social organism takes when faced with the challenges of the biotic and abiotic environment. This work is a binocular view at the population dynamics of such a community through the objectives of minimal modelling and evolutionary game theory. We test the behaviour of the community of a unicellular social organism at three levels of antibiotic stress. Even in the absence of the antibiotic, spikes in the fraction of resistant cells can be observed indicating the importance of bet hedging. At moderate level of antibiotic stress, we witness cyclic dynamics reminiscent of the renowned rock–paper–scissors game. At a very high level, the resistant type of strategy is the most favourable.