bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vergleich der fraktionierten laserunterstützten Medikamentengabe und der intraläsionalen Injektion von Triamcinolonacetonid bei Nagelpsoriasis
Authors: Nassar Amany , Atef Hadeel , Eldeeb Fatma , Alakad Rania
Published: June 2022

Hintergrund und Ziele

Die Behandlung der Nagelpsoriasis ist wegen mangelnder Penetration topischer Therapeutika durch die Nagelplatte häufig unbefriedigend. Daher sind innovative Methoden zur adäquaten Verabreichung des Arzneimittels in den Nagel erforderlich. In dieser Studie vergleichen wir die Wirksamkeit der intraläsionalen Corticosteroid‐Injektion mit topischer Applikation nach fraktionierter CO2‐Laser‐Behandlung bei Fingernagelpsoriasis.

Patienten und Methoden

In der Studie wurden 36 Patienten mit Fingernagelpsoriasis in zwei Gruppen eingeteilt. Bei Gruppe A wurden die Nägel mit intraläsionalen Injektionen von Triamcinolon behandelt, in Gruppe B durch fraktionierte CO2‐Lasertherapie, gefolgt von topischer Applikation des Arzneimittels in sechs Sitzungen. Die Beurteilung erfolgte anhand des NAPSI und eines dermatoskopischen Scores.

Ergebnisse

Beide Modalitäten führten zu signifikanter Besserung der Psoriasis an Nagelmatrix und Nagelbett. Statistisch signifikante Unterschiede zwischen den Gruppen bestanden weder klinisch noch dermatoskopisch. Die Laserbehandlung war mit signifikant geringeren Schmerz‐Scores (P = 0,03) und höherer Patientenzufriedenheit (P = 0,007) verbunden.

Schlussfolgerungen

Die fraktionierte CO2‐Laser‐unterstützte Applikation topischer Steroide könnte eine effektive und gut verträgliche Therapie der Nagelpsoriasis sein, die eine der intraläsionalen Injektion vergleichbare Wirksamkeit hat.
A concert for babies: Attentional, affective, and motor responses in an infant audience
Authors: Kragness Haley E. , Berezowska Bryna , Cirelli Laura K.
Published: June 2022

Many of our most powerful musical experiences are shared with others, and researchers have increasingly investigated responses to music in group contexts. Though musical performances for infants are growing in popularity, most research on infants’ responses to live music has focused on solitary caregiver‐infant pairs. Here, we report infants’ attentional, affective, and motor responses to live music as audience members. Two groups of caregiver‐infant (6–18 months) pairs (50 total) watched a short musical performance with two song styles – lullaby and playsong. Caregivers were instructed to watch passively or interactively. The playsong captured more infant attention and, especially in the interactive condition, elicited more infant smiles. Notably, infant attention was more coordinated with their own caregiver than a random caregiver, and infants with no experience attending group musical events in the past were especially attentive to the performance. Infants were more likely to generate movements when parents remained still. Overall, infants’ responses to live musical performance in an audience were influenced by song style, caregiver behavior, and their own musical histories. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q61qnDMW8dU.

Research Highlights

Infants’ responses to live musical performances are shaped by the music, by their caregivers, and by their own musical histories

During a concert for babies, a playsong more effectively elicited infant attention and smiles than a lullaby, especially when caregivers were interactive

Infant attention was more coordinated with their own caregiver than with other caregivers watching the same show
The effect of population aging on pension enforcement: Do firms bear the burden?
Authors: Zhang Jiakai , Zhao Renjie
Published: June 2022

Population aging is widely assumed to have detrimental effects on economic development, especially through an increased social security burden. This paper starts with the potential problems of the pension system in China. We investigate how local governments respond to population aging and the impact of population aging on the firm pension contributions using administrative data from the period 2008–2015. We present three findings. First, population aging increases the pension contributions of firms. Second, fiscal pressure is the channel through which population aging affects pension enforcement. Last, the pension administration system could affect the net impact of population aging.
Training the equine respiratory muscles: Inspiratory muscle strength
Authors: Fitzharris Laura E. , Hezzell Melanie J. , McConnell Alison K. , Allen Kate J.
Published: June 2022

Background

Little is known about the response of the equine respiratory muscles to training.

Objectives

To measure an index of inspiratory muscle strength (IMSi) before and after a period of conventional exercise training (phase 1) and inspiratory muscle training (IMT), comparing high‐load (treatment) and low‐load (control) groups (phase 2).

Study design

Prospective randomised controlled trial.

Methods

Phase 1: Twenty National Hunt Thoroughbred racehorses performed an inspiratory muscle strength test (IMST) twice on two occasions; when unfit at timepoint A (July), and when race fit at timepoint B (October). Phase 2: Thirty‐five Thoroughbred racehorses at race fitness were randomly assigned into a high‐load (treatment, n = 20) or low‐load (control, n = 15) IMT group. The high‐load group followed an IMT protocol that gradually increased the inspiratory pressure applied every 4 days. The low‐load group underwent sham IMT with a low training load. The IMT was performed 5 days/week for 10 weeks. The IMST was performed twice on two occasions, timepoint B (October) and timepoint C (January). Conventional exercise training and racing continued during the study period. The peak IMSi values obtained from the different groups at timepoints A, B and C were compared using a Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test.

Results

Phase 1: There was a significant increase in IMSi from timepoint A: 22.5 cmH2O (21–25) to timepoint B: 26 cmH2O (24–30) (p = 0.015). Phase 2: From timepoint B to C there was a significant increase in IMSi for the high‐load group 34 cmH2O (28–36) (p = 0.001) but not the low‐load group 26 cmH2O (24–30) (p = 0.929). The peak IMSi at timepoint C was significantly higher for the high‐load than low‐load group (p = 0.019).

Main limitations

Single centre study with only National Hunt horses undergoing race‐training included.

Conclusions

In horses undergoing race training there is a significant increase in IMSi in response to conventional exercise training and high‐load IMT.
Environmental Concerns and Impression Offsetting: New Evidence on Dividend Payout
Authors: Wang Ying , Li Mingsheng , Kamar Amina
Published: June 2022

We apply the impression management theory and propose that firms located in more polluted areas have strong incentives to offset the negative perceptions of their local area pollution due to shareholders’ environmental concerns. In terms of dividend policy, we predict and find that location greenness (LG), a proxy for environmental image, negatively affects firms’ dividend payouts. The effect is more pronounced for firms with high information asymmetry and agency costs. The dividend payouts due to LG have a larger impact on agency cost reductions than regular dividends. Firms use dividends and social engagements as substitutes to enhance their reputation.
Cover crop functional types differentially alter the content and composition of soil organic carbon in particulate and mineral‐associated fractions
Authors: Zhang Ziliang , Kaye Jason P. , Bradley Brosi A. , Amsili Joseph P. , Suseela Vidya
Published: June 2022

Cover crops (CCs) can increase soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration by providing additional OC residues, recruiting beneficial soil microbiota, and improving soil aggregation and structure. The various CC species that belong to distinct plant functional types (PFTs) may differentially impact SOC formation and stabilization. Biogeochemical theory suggests that selection of PFTs with distinct litter quality (C:N ratio) should influence the pathways and magnitude of SOC sequestration. Yet, we lack knowledge on the effect of CCs from different PFTs on the quantity and composition of physiochemical pools of SOC. We sampled soils under monocultures of three CC PFTs (legume [crimson clover]; grass [triticale]; and brassica [canola]) and a mixture of these three species, from a long‐term CC experiment in Pennsylvania, USA. We measured C content in bulk soil and C content and composition in contrasting physical fractions: particulate organic matter, POM; and mineral‐associated organic matter, MAOM. The bulk SOC content was higher in all CC treatments compared to the fallow. Compared to the legume, monocultures of grass and brassica with lower litter quality (wider C:N) had higher proportion of plant‐derived C in POM, indicating selective preservation of complex structural plant compounds. In contrast, soils under legumes had greater accumulation of microbial‐derived C in MAOM. Our results for the first time, revealed that the mixture contributed to a higher concentration of plant‐derived compounds in POM relative to the legume, and a greater accumulation of microbial‐derived C in MAOM compared to monocultures of grass and brassica. Mixtures with all three PFTs can thus increase the short‐ and long‐term SOC persistence balancing the contrasting effects on the chemistries in POM and MAOM imposed by monoculture CC PFTs. Thus, despite different cumulative C inputs in CC treatments from different PFTs, the total SOC stocks did not vary between CC PFTs, rather PFTs impacted whether C accumulated in POM or MAOM fractions. This highlights that CCs of different PFTs may shift the dominant SOC formation pathways (POM vs. MAOM), subsequently impacting short‐ and long‐term SOC stabilization and stocks. Our work provides a strong applied field test of biogeochemical theory linking litter quality to pathways of C accrual in soil.
Insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus in older adults: Current status and future prospects
Authors: Ikegami Hiroshi , Hiromine Yoshihisa , Noso Shinsuke
Published: June 2022

The recent increase in life expectancy has resulted in an increase in the number of older adults with diabetes mellitus. In addition to type 2 diabetes, in which aging is a well‐known risk factor, individuals with type 1 and other types of diabetes are also increasing owing to longevity in the general population and improved prognosis of the disease and comorbidities. Insulin‐dependent state in type 1 diabetes and other types of diabetes, such as diabetes after pancreatectomy, inevitably requires insulin treatment for survival; however, daily injection of insulin is often hampered in older adults due to impaired cognitive function or limited activities of daily living. In this review, we aimed to discuss the current situation of insulin‐dependent diabetes mellitus in older adults and highlight future prospects. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 549–553.
Celecoxib attenuates hepatosteatosis by impairing de novo lipogenesis via Akt‐dependent lipogenic pathway
Authors: Zhang Cong , Lu Yuzhen , Song Yingying , Chen Liang , Hu Junjie , Meng Yan , Chen Xin , Li Shan , Zheng Guohua , Qiu Zhenpeng
Published: June 2022

Mounting evidence indicates that hepatic de novo lipogenesis is a common abnormality in non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. We investigated whether a selective COX‐2 inhibitor, celecoxib, alleviates hepatic steatosis by targeting an Akt‐driven lipogenic pathway. We estimated the efficacy of celecoxib in a novel Akt‐driven NAFLD mouse model established via hydrodynamic transfection of activated forms of AKT and in fructose‐fed NAFLD mice that exhibited increased insulin‐independent hepatic lipogenesis. AKT‐transfected and insulin‐stimulated human hepatoma cells were used for the in vitro experiments. Haematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting were performed for mechanistic studies. The results revealed that celecoxib ameliorated hepatic steatosis in the AKT‐triggered NAFLD mice. Mechanistically, celecoxib effectively suppressed AKT/mTORC1 signalling and its downstream lipogenic cascade in the Akt‐driven NAFLD mice and in vitro. Furthermore, celecoxib had limited efficacy in alleviating hepatic lipid accumulation and showed no influence on lipogenic proteins associated with hepatic lipogenesis in fructose‐administered mice. This study suggests that celecoxib may be favourable for the treatment of NAFLD, especially in the subset with Akt‐triggered hepatic lipogenesis.
Long non‐coding RNA SNHG5 mediates periodontal inflammation through the NF‐κB signalling pathway
Authors: Han Yineng , Huang Yiping , Yang Qiaolin , Jia Lingfei , Zheng Yunfei , Li Weiran
Published: June 2022

Aim

We investigated the role of long non‐coding RNAs and small nucleolar RNA host gene 5 (SNHG5) in the pathogenesis of periodontitis.

Materials and Methods

A ligature‐induced periodontitis mouse model was established, and gingival tissues were collected from patients with periodontitis and healthy controls. Inflammatory cytokines were detected using quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction and western blotting analyses. Direct interactions between SNHG5 and p65 were detected by RNA pull‐down and RNA immunoprecipitation assays. Micro‐computed tomography, haematoxylin and eosin staining, and immunohistochemical staining were used to measure periodontal bone loss.

Results

SNHG5 expression was down‐regulated in human and mouse periodontal tissues compared to that in the healthy controls. In vitro experiments demonstrated that SNHG5 significantly ameliorated tumour necrosis factor α‐induced inflammation. Mechanistically, SNHG5 directly binds to the nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) p65 subunit and inhibits its translocation, thereby suppressing the NF‐κB signalling pathway activation and reducing the nucleotide‐binding oligomerization domain‐like receptor family pyrin domain‐containing three inflammasome expression. Locally injecting si‐SNHG5 aggravated the periodontal destruction.

Conclusion

This study revealed that SNHG5 mediates periodontal inflammation through the NF‐κB signalling pathway, providing a potential therapeutic target for periodontitis treatment.
Soft and hard tissue changes after immediate implant placement with or without a sub‐epithelial connective tissue graft: Results from a 6‐month pilot randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Guglielmi Davide , Di Domenico Giovanna Laura , Aroca Sofia , Vignoletti Fabio , Ciaravino Vincenzo , Donghia Rossella , de Sanctis Massimo
Published: June 2022

Aim

The present pilot RCT aimed to investigate the influence of a connective tissue graft (CTG) in combination with the immediate implant placement (IIP) on hard and soft tissue healing, without a bone replacement graft in the gap between the implant and the socket walls.

Materials and Methods

Thirty patients requiring extraction of one anterior tooth (from premolar to premolar) were randomly assigned to one of the two treatment groups (test: IIP + CTG; control: IIP). Cone‐beam computed tomography and optically scans were performed before tooth extraction and at 6‐month follow‐up. Then, DICOM files were superimposed in order to allow the evaluation of osseous ridge and buccal bone changes, while the superimposition of DICOM and Standard Tessellation Language files allowed for evaluating of soft tissue contour. For testing the differences between the two groups, the non‐parametric test as Wilcoxon rank‐sum test, was used.

Results

Twenty‐six of the 30 enrolled patients attended the 6‐month follow‐up visit. The four patients of the control group that were lost to follow‐up were analysed under the intention‐to‐treat principle. No statistically significant differences between the groups were observed for the vertical buccal bone resorption (p = .90), as well as for the horizontal buccal bone resorption at all measured levels. Significant differences were found between the test and control groups in the horizontal dimensional changes of osseous ridge at the most coronal aspect (p = .0003 and p = .02). Changes in tissue contour were between −0.32 and −0.04 mm in the test group and between −1.94 and −1.08 mm in the control group, while changes in soft tissue thickness varied between 1.33 and 2.42 mm in the test group and between −0.16 and 0.88 mm in the control group, with statistically significant differences for both variables at all measured levels. At 6 months, the mean volume increase was 6.76 ± 8.94 mm3 and 0.16 ± 0.42 mm3 in the test and control groups, respectively, with a statistically significant difference.

Conclusions

The findings of the present study indicate that the adjunct of a CTG at the time of IIP, without bone grafting, does not influence vertical bone resorption. Within the limits of this study, it can be suggested that the adjunct of a CTG at the time of IIP, without bone grafting, reduces the horizontal changes of the alveolar ridge. Moreover, it allows maintenance of the tissue contour due to an increase in soft tissue thickness.
Biogeography, autecology, and phylogeny of Percolomonads based on newly described species
Authors: Hohlfeld Manon , Meyer Claudia , Schoenle Alexandra , Nitsche Frank , Arndt Hartmut
Published: June 2022

Percolomonads (Heterolobosea) are aquatic heterotrophic flagellates frequently found in saline waters up to hypersaline environments. We isolated and cultivated seven strains of percolomonad flagellates from marine waters and sediments as well as from a hypersaline inland lake in the Atacama Desert. Morphological characterizations, comprising light and scanning electron microscopy, revealed only slight differences between the strains mainly limited to the cell shape, length of flagella, and length of the ventral feeding groove. Phylogenetic analyses of the 18S and 28S rDNA genes showed the formation of three fully supported clades within the Percolomonadida: the Percolomonadidae, the Barbeliidae fam. nov. and the Lulaidae fam. nov. We describe two new families (Barbeliidae fam. nov., Lulaidae fam. nov.), a new genus (Nonamonas gen. nov.), and five new species (Percolomonas adaptabilis sp. nov., Lula levis sp. nov., Barbelia pacifica sp. nov., Nonamonas montiensis gen. et sp. nov., Nonamonas santamariensis gen. et sp. nov.). Salinity experiments showed that P. adaptabilis sp. nov. from the Atlantic was better adapted to high salinities than all other investigated strains. Moreover, comparisons of our cultivation‐based approach with environmental sequencing studies showed that P. adaptabilis sp. nov. seems to be globally distributed in marine surface waters while other species seem to be more locally restricted.
Aerobic exercise training and neurocognitive function in cognitively normal older adults: A one‐year randomized controlled trial
Authors: Tarumi Takashi , Patel Neena R. , Tomoto Tsubasa , Pasha Evan , Khan Ayaz M. , Kostroske Kayla , Riley Jonathan , Tinajero Cynthia D. , Wang Ciwen , Hynan Linda S. , Rodrigue Karen M. , Kennedy Kristen M. , Park Denise C. , Zhang Rong
Published: June 2022

Background

Current evidence is inconsistent on the benefits of aerobic exercise training for preventing or attenuating age‐related cognitive decline in older adults.

Objective

To investigate the effects of a 1‐year progressive, moderate‐to‐high intensity aerobic exercise intervention on cognitive function, brain volume, and cortical thickness in sedentary but otherwise healthy older adults.

Methods

We randomized 73 older adults to a 1‐year aerobic exercise or stretching‐and‐toning (active control) program. The primary outcome was a cognitive composite score calculated from eight neuropsychological tests encompassing inductive reasoning, long‐term and working memory, executive function, and processing speed. Secondary outcomes were brain volume and cortical thickness assessed by MRI, and cardiorespiratory fitness measured by peak oxygen uptake (VO2).

Results

One‐year aerobic exercise increased peak VO2 by ∼10% (p < 0.001) while it did not change with stretching (p = 0.241). Cognitive composite scores increased in both the aerobic and stretching groups (p < 0.001 for time effect), although no group difference was observed. Total brain volume (p < 0.001) and mean cortical thickness (p = 0.001) decreased in both groups over time, while the reduction in hippocampal volume was smaller in the stretching group compared with the aerobic group (p = 0.040 for interaction). Across all participants, improvement in peak VO2 was positively correlated with increases in cognitive composite score (r = 0.282, p = 0.042) and regional cortical thickness at the inferior parietal lobe (p = 0.016).

Conclusions

One‐year aerobic exercise and stretching interventions improved cognitive performance but did not prevent age‐related brain volume loss in sedentary healthy older adults. Cardiorespiratory fitness gain was positively correlated with cognitive performance and regional cortical thickness.
The crafty power of text: methods for a sociology of legislative drafting
Authors: GRABHAM EMILY
Published: June 2022

This article proposes that socio‐legal scholars study statutes and legislative drafting on their own terms. Legislative drafting may seem to have little relevance within approaches that emphasize law's wider social effects. Yet statutes can be defamiliarized, and the dynamics through which they are drafted better understood. This can help statutes to answer for their legal and social power and also assist scholars working in law and other disciplines to grasp the distinctiveness of legal doctrine.

Drawing on findings from my current research, I argue that sociologies of legislative drafting could contribute to, and be informed by, two contemporary debates: first, the status of legal technical expertise, and second, the aesthetics of law. Unpicking these thickly knotted ontologies of law and drafting could be achieved through historical, ethnographic, and experimental visual methods. These methods potentially help us to tackle something akin to an ‘obviation of legal form’ through which statutory text is seen to be distinct from, and subservient to, law's legal and political substance.
Sexual assault and harassment (SAH) victimization disparities between sexual minority and heterosexual Chinese youth
Authors: Li Muzi Nina , Zhou Xiang , Cao Wenzhen , Tang Kun
Published: June 2022

Sexual assault and harassment (SAH) has become an increasing global concern that disproportionately impacts gender and sexual minority youth, yet research is scarce outside Western nations. In addition, sexual assault and sexual harassment are closely related experiences in both academic inquiries on sexual victimization and public discussion in the global #Metoo movement. Drawing from a large Chinese college student sample (N = 50,818), we investigated the prevalence of SAH victimization during childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood, as well as the SAH disparities between sexual minority and heterosexual youth. The population‐weighted prevalence of SAH victimization was estimated to be 20.23% during childhood, 42.87% during adolescence, and 21.87% during emerging adulthood, with more than half of the youth (55.41%) having ever experienced any SAH. Logistic regression results suggested girls and sexual minorities were disproportionally impacted across childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood. The discussion is framed in the context of Chinese culture and current Chinese legislation related to SAH.
Impact of mandatory COVID‐19 shelter‐in‐place order on controlled substance use among rural versus urban communities in the United States
Authors: Maeng Daniel , Li Yue , Lawrence Michele , Keane Sinead , Cross Wendi , Conner Kenneth R. , Lee Hochang B.
Published: June 2022

Purpose

Mandatory COVID‐19 shelter‐in‐place (SIP) orders have been imposed to fight the pandemic. They may also have led to unintended consequences of increased use of controlled substances especially among rural communities due to increased social isolation. Using the data from the American Association of Poison Control Centers, this study tests the hypothesis that the poison control centers received higher rates of calls related to exposures to controlled substances from rural counties than they did from urban counties during the SIP period.

Methods

Call counts received by the poison control centers between October 19, 2019 and July 6, 2020 due to exposure to controlled substance (methamphetamine, opioids, cocaine, benzodiazepines, and other narcotics) were aggregated to per‐county‐per‐month‐per‐10,000 population exposure rates. A falsification test was conducted to reduce the possibility of spurious correlations.

Findings

During the study period, 2,649 counties in the United States had mandatory SIP orders. The rate of calls reporting exposure to any of the aforementioned controlled substances among the rural counties was higher (14%; P = .047) relative to the urban counties. This overall increase was due to increases in the rates of calls reporting exposure to opioids (26%; P = .017) and methamphetamine (39%; P = .077). Moreover, the rate of calls reporting exposures at home was also higher among the rural counties (14%; P = .069).

Conclusion

The mandatory SIP orders may have had an unintended consequence of exacerbating the use of controlled substances at home in rural communities relative to urban communities.
Executive Functions and Academic Performance: The Moderating Role of Distress Tolerance
Authors: Andrés María Laura , Canet‐Juric Lorena , García‐Coni Ana , Olsen Cintia Daniela , Vernucci Santiago , Galli Juan Ignacio , Introzzi Isabel , Richaud María Cristina
Published: June 2022

The aim of this study was to analyze the moderating effect of distress tolerance (DT) on the relationship between executive functions and academic performance (AP). Participants were 270 children aged 9–12 years. Executive functions (EFs)—working memory (WM), inhibition, and cognitive flexibility—and DT were evaluated using computerized tasks. Direct measures of reading comprehension and mathematical calculation, as well as school grades, were used to assess AP. Results showed that verbal WM and cognitive flexibility were positively associated with reading indicators, but to a greater extent among children with medium and low DT. A positive association was found between visuospatial WM, and a mathematical indicator, to a greater extent among children with medium and low DT. The EFs did not show explanatory capacity for AP in children with high DT. These results suggest that DT could function as a “compensatory” resource.
Ino80 is required for H2A.Z eviction from hypha‐specific promoters and hyphal development of Candida albicans
Authors: Zhao Qun , Dai Baodi , Wu Hongyu , Zhu Wencheng , Chen Jiangye
Published: June 2022

ATP‐dependent chromatin remodeling complexes play important roles in many essential cellular processes, including transcription regulation, DNA replication, and repair. Evicting H2A.Z, a variant of histone H2A, from the promoter of hypha‐specific genes is required for hyphal formation in Candida albicans. However, the mechanism that regulates H2A.Z removal during hyphal formation remains unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that Ino80, the core catalytic subunit of the INO80 complex, was recruited to hypha‐specific promoters during hyphal induction in Arp8 dependent manner and facilitated the removal of H2A.Z. Deleting INO80 or mutating the ATPase site of Ino80 impairs the expression of hypha‐specific genes (HSGs) and hyphal development. In addition, we showed that Ino80 was essential for the virulence of C. albicans during systemic infections in mice. Interestingly, Arp5, an INO80 complex‐specific component, acts in concert with Ino80 during DNA damage responses but is dispensable for hyphal induction. Our findings clarified that Ino80 was critical for hyphal development, DNA damage response, and pathogenesis in C. albicans.
Early childhood allergy linked with development of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Nemet Shay , Asher Ilan , Yoles Israel , Baevsky Tuvia , Sthoeger Zev
Published: June 2022

Background

Previous studies reported controversial results regarding the association between allergic disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)/autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The aim of this article was to investigate whether allergic disorders are associated with ADHD/ASD in a large cohort of pediatric patients.

Methods

A retrospective study using the pediatric (0–18 year) database (ICD‐9‐CM codes) of Clalit Health Services during the years (2000–2018). Diagnosis of all disorders was made by specialist physicians.

Results

A total of 117 022 consecutive non‐selective allergic children diagnosed with one or more allergic disorder (asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, skin, food, or drug allergy) and 116 968 non‐allergic children were enrolled to our study. The mean follow‐up period was 11 ± 6 years. The presence of allergic disorders in early childhood (mean age of allergic diagnosis 4.5 ± 4.3 years) in boys as well as in girls significantly increased the risk to develop ADHD (O.R 2.45, CI 2.39–2.51; p < .0001), ASD (O.R 1.17, CI 1.08–1.27; p < .0001), or both ADHD + ASD (O.R 1.5, CI 1.35–1.79; p < .0001). Children with more than one allergic comorbidity revealed a much higher risk. In a multivariable analysis (adjusted for age at study entry, number of yearly visits, and gender), the risk of allergic children to develop ADHD and ADHD + ASD, but not ASD alone, remained significantly higher.

Conclusion

Allergic disorder in early childhood significantly increased the risk to develop ADHD, and to a less extend ASD, in later life.
Advancing health equity: Organizational characteristics emphasized by health department nurse lead executives
Authors: Kett Paula M. , Bekemeier Betty , Herting Jerald R. , Altman Molly R.
Published: June 2022

Objective

To compare nurse and non‐nurse lead executives’ relationship with organizational characteristics supporting performance and health equity in local health departments (LHD).

Design

This was a cross‐sectional quantitative study.

Sample

The final national sample consisted of 1447 LHDs using the 2019 Profile of Local Health Departments survey.

Measurements

We used multivariable logistic and negative binomial regression analyses to explore the relationship between nurse versus non‐nurse LHD lead executives and involvement in ten organizational characteristics including community health assessment (CHA) and community health improvement plan (CHIP) completion and policy activities related to the social determinants of health (SDOH).

Results

Multivariable logistic regression models showed that, for nurse lead executives, the odds of having completed a CHA is 1.49 times, and the odds of having completed a CHIP is 1.56 times, that of non‐nurse lead executives. Negative binomial regression models predicted nurse lead executives, compared to non‐nurses, to perform 1.18 times more SDOH‐related policy activities.

Conclusion

Results suggest that nurse lead executives are more likely than non‐nurses to emphasize assessment in their work and engage in upstream‐focused policy activities. As such, they are important partners in work to facilitate health equity.
Systematic review of photodynamic therapy for the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa
Authors: Reshetylo Sofiya , Narla Shanthi , Bakker Caitlin , Freeman Thomas , Farah Ronda S. , Hamzavi Iltefat H. , Goldfarb Noah
Published: June 2022

Objective

To perform a systematic review of available literature regarding the use of 5‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA) and ALA derivative photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and provide recommendations on its use.

Methods

A systematic review was performed of all published studies up to September 1, 2019 from nine databases, including PubMed, that evaluated PDT in the treatment of HS. For each study, quality of evidence and risk of bias was evaluated. Recommendations from the body of evidence were created based on Strength of Recommendation and Taxonomy (SORT) criteria.

Results

Eighteen studies met inclusion criteria. The majority of studies had a high risk of bias. Blue light PDT with 20% ALA and red light PDT with 16% methyl aminolevulinate (MAL) demonstrated some benefit based on a small number of poor‐quality studies with a high risk of bias (Grade C, level III evidence). The most promising results were for 1%–5% ALA with intralesional diode, with good to complete response in 78%–94% of anatomic sites treated (Grade B, level II evidence).

Limitations

The majority of studies contained high levels of bias, with significant heterogeneity between studies. Conclusions are limited by small samples sizes, lack of randomized controlled trials, and differing protocols.

Conclusion

Further studies are needed to determine the clinical efficacy of 20% ALA with blue light and MAL with red light. Intralesional diode PDT shows the most promise and warrants further investigation in larger, randomized controlled trials.
Metabolomic profiling of Dezhou donkey seminal plasma related to freezability
Authors: Wang Zhaofei , Yu Jie , Zhong Shuai , Fan Zhaobin , Wang Fuwen , Ji Chuanliang , Wang Yantao , Lei Chuzhao , Dang Ruihua , Zhao Fuwei
Published: June 2022

Donkeys are indispensable livestock in China because they have transport function and medicinal value. With the popularization of artificial insemination on donkeys, semen cryopreservation technology has gradually become a research hotspot. Seminal plasma is a necessary medium for transporting sperm and provides energy and nutrition for sperm. Seminal plasma metabolites play an important role in the process of sperm freezing, and also have an important impact on sperm motility and fertilization rate after freezing and thawing. In this study, liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analysis was used to compare the metabolic characteristics of seminal plasma of high freezability (HF) and low freezability (LF) male donkeys. We identified 672 metabolites from donkey seminal plasma, of which 33 metabolites were significantly different between the two groups. Metabolites were identified and categorized according to their major chemical classes, including homogeneous non‐metal compounds, nucleosides, nucleotides, and analogues, organosulphur compounds, phenylpropanoids and polyketide, organoheterocyclic compounds, organic oxygen compounds, benzenoids, organic acids and derivatives, lipids and lipid‐like molecules, organooxygen compounds, alkaloids and derivatives, organic nitrogen compounds. The results showed that the contents of phosphatidylcholine, piceatannol and enkephalin in donkey semen of HF group were significantly higher than those of LF group (p < .05), while the contents of taurocholic and lysophosphatidic acid were significantly lower than those of LF group (p < .05). The different metabolites were mainly related to sperm biological pathway response and oxidative stress. These metabolites may be considered as candidate biomarkers for different fertility in jacks.
Heirs Property, Critical Race Theory, and Reparations☆
Authors: Bailey Conner , Thomson Ryan
Published: June 2022

We use critical race theory (CRT) to examine the involuntary loss of land and homes among Black residents of the southeastern United States and in particular among the Gullah/Geechee. An Afro‐indigenous population, the Gullah/Geechee have deep roots in the federally designated Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, an area of sea islands and coastal Lowcountry within 25 coastal counties in North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. We identify legal vulnerabilities associated with heirs property, in particular tax sales and predatory partition actions, as mechanisms used within the legal system to dispossess owners of their land. Our use of CRT allows us to understand heirs property as a legacy of the Jim Crow era and to recognize material motivations behind continued racial discrimination that has led to involuntary land loss. CRT also leads us to consider the question of empowerment of the Gullah/Geechee population through a program of reparations for wrongful taking of land and homes since coastal development began roughly 70 years ago. One possible mechanism for reparations is to increase existing lodging taxes on coastal tourism along the Gullah/Geechee coast.
Old‐age poverty in a pension latecomer: The impact of basic pension expansions in South Korea
Authors: Lee Kun
Published: June 2022

Pension systems and old‐age poverty have been studied mainly from comparative perspectives, but causal evidence on the relationship between the two is still rare. This study investigates to what extent implementing non‐contributory pensions to a latecomer contributory pension system with a wide coverage gap alleviates old‐age poverty, based on the case of recent Basic Pension expansions in South Korea. Using nationally representative household data from 2011 to 2019, we employ a quasi‐experimental difference‐in‐difference design to estimate the impact of policy expansions on a set of outcomes measuring old‐age poverty, employment and household income components. The results show that three reforms in 2014, 2018 and 2019 have significantly reduced older people's poverty rate, and they were more effective in reducing extreme poverty. While policy effects after the 2014 expansion are robust in our set of alternative estimations, those after the joint reforms of 2018 and 2019 are less consistent and show signals of a stronger ‘crowding‐out’ effect on private transfer income than those after 2014. We found no convincing evidence that non‐contributory pensions discourage older people's labour market participation. Our findings contribute to the literature on public pension evaluations by elucidating how non‐contributory pensions affect old‐age poverty and tackle social and economic inequalities via various channels of income components, while also mitigating endogeneity biases observed in previous studies.
Current advances in transfusion medicine 2021: A critical review of selected topics by the AABB Clinical Transfusion Medicine Committee
Authors: Metcalf Ryan A. , Cohn Claudia S. , Allen Elizabeth S. , Bakhtary Sara , Gniadek Thomas , Gupta Gaurav , Harm Sarah , Haspel Richard , Hess Aaron , Jacobson Jessica , Lokhandwala Parvez M. , Murphy Colin , Poston Jacqueline , Prochaska Micah T. , Raval Jay S. , Saifee Nabiha H. , Salazar Eric , Shan Hua , Zantek Nicole D. , Pagano Monica B.
Published: June 2022

Background

Each year the AABB Clinical Transfusion Medicine Committee (CTMC) procures a synopsis highlighting new, important, and clinically relevant studies in the field of transfusion medicine (TM). This has been made available as a publication in Transfusion since 2018.

Methods

CTMC members reviewed and identified original manuscripts covering TM‐related topics published electronically (ahead‐of‐print) or in print from December 2020 to December 2021. Selection of publications was discussed at committee meetings and chosen based on perceived relevance and originality. Next, committee members worked in pairs to create a synopsis of each topic, which was then reviewed by additional committee members. The first and senior authors assembled the final manuscript. Although this synopsis is extensive, it is not exhaustive, and some articles may have been excluded or missed.

Results

The following topics are included: blood products; convalescent plasma; donor collections and testing; hemoglobinopathies; immunohematology and genomics; hemostasis; patient blood management; pediatrics; therapeutic apheresis; and cell therapy.

Conclusions

This synopsis highlights and summarizes recent key developments in TM and may be useful for educational purposes.
The effects of leukoreduction on canine blood unit weight and processing time
Authors: Trinder Richard D. , Lo Eva , Humm Karen R.
Published: June 2022

Background

Despite a lack of strong evidence of benefit, leukoreduction is employed to decrease the risk of leukocyte‐induced transfusion reactions. However, the impact of leukoreduction on blood bank costs and inventory management is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to determine whether leukoreduction of whole blood increases total processing time and weight loss from packed red blood cells (PRBCs) and plasma relative to bags created from nonleukoreduced whole blood.

Key findings

A total of 68 canine whole blood collections were divided equally into leukoreduced and nonleukoreduced groups (N = 34 in each). There was no significant difference between groups in mean PRBC or plasma unit weights or processing times. Leukoreduced PRBC bags lost a significantly greater proportion of weight during processing than did nonleukoreduced PRBC bags (P < 0.01), which is attributed to red and white blood cells lost in the filtration process.

Significance

Leukoreduction did not lead to a significant increase in processing times or smaller PRBCs or plasma bags compared to nonleukoreduced bags. The blood remaining in the leukoreduction filter following filtration is primarily composed of red blood cells, with minimal plasma retained.
Effect of light intensity on the tear production, central corneal thickness, and intraocular pressure in broiler chickens
Authors: Yaygingul Rahime , Dereli Fidan Evrim , Okur Erdi Ziya , Özturan Yalçın Alper , Akin İbrahim
Published: June 2022

Objective

The objective of the present study was to examine the effect of different light intensities on tear production, corneal thickness, and intraocular pressure in broilers.

Animals studied

Both eyes of 72 male broilers were evaluated in this study.

Materials and Methods

Broilers were divided into the following three groups: low light intensity (n = 24, 5 lux), moderate light intensity (n = 24, 20 lux), and high light intensity (n = 24, 80 lux). The eyes of all birds (n = 72) underwent a complete ophthalmic examination, which included the Schirmer tear test (STT‐I), intraocular pressure (IOP), and the central cornea thickness measurement (CCT). The effect of light intensity on the Schirmer test, intraocular pressure, and central corneal thickness values was examined at eye and animal level (right and left eyes separately and cumulatively/no distinguishing left or right) by using one‐way ANOVA.

Results

At the animal level, without discrimination of left and right eye measurements, statistically significant differences were found between 5–20 and 20–80 lux groups on IOP measurements (p < .05). The difference in CCT measurements between the 5 and 20 lux groups was statistically significant (p < .05), and the corneal thickness of the 5 lux group animals was found to be statistically significant and higher than the 20 lux group (p < .05).

Conclusions

In conclusion, light intensity has an influence on eye health in broilers. Present results may attribute to the future studies as a reference value for broilers raised under different light intensities.
FEED CONVERSION RATE, GROWTH PERFORMANCE AND BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF AZOLLA ON POULTRY AND LIVESTOCK: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Authors: Khairol Anuar Nurul Atiqah , Aris Farizan , Mat Jalil Mohd Taufiq , Ahmad Kamil Khairunnisa , Zakaria Nurul Aili
Published: June 2022

The rapid rise in soybean prices has necessitated a potential replacement protein source for animal feed. Azolla is a Salviniaceae duckweed with valuable properties that have captivated the public. Its abundance reduces feed costs, which account for the majority of overall production costs. The research on Azolla is extensive, but the efficiency as a potential feed for livestock and poultry is limited. Thus, there is an urgent need to study the efficacy of Azolla as feed materials. A systematic literature review was conducted to collect and analyze information on Azolla as feed materials. Following the Report Standards for Systematic Evidence Synthesis (ROSES) protocol, 13 studies (years 2000-2021) were extracted and reviewed from Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. Three aspects were primarily highlighted to review the efficacy of using Azolla as feed: (1) feed conversion rate, (2) growth performance, and (3) biological effects on poultry and livestock. This study revealed that the efficacy and proportion of Azolla in feed vary by animal type. The findings offer greater information on current research directions on this subject.
Novel Modeling of Heat and Moisture Diffusion in Adhesive Joints
Authors: Gerini-Romagnoli Marco , Nassar Sayed A.
Published: June 2022

A novel two-dimensional shear stress-heat and moisture diffusion model is proposed for adhesive single-lap joints. Spatial and time-dependent material properties are derived from coupled partial differential equations governing moisture diffusion and heat transfer through the exposed adhesive edges. Constituting differential equations are numerically solved for the shear stress distribution in the bonded area. Several diffusion scenarios and boundary conditions are analyzed. Significant improvements are achieved in the prediction of the shear stress distribution in the adhesive layer when compared to the one-dimensional models in the literature. Scenarios of moisture diffusion generate stress gradients through the bondline, while the relatively fast internal thermal conductivity reduces temperature differentials within the joint. Moisture diffusion in the adhesive layer is significantly accelerated at high temperatures. The results of the proposed model show reasonable agreement with a three-dimensional finite element analysis.
A Hybrid Algorithm Based on GRNN and Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm for Welding Nugget Diameter Prediction
Authors: Shao Jiayin , Wang Shilong , Yang Bo , Zhang Zhengping , Wang Yankai
Published: June 2022

Resistance spot welding (RSW) is applied extensively by automotive manufacturers for assembling the structural and body components of vehicles. The current method of welding quality inspection is off-line inspection after welding, which cannot provide real-time feedback on welding quality and cannot meet the rhythm of modern production. Therefore, the online non-destructive testing technology of welding quality is worth studying. In this study, an RSW quality prediction model is developed using the improved grasshopper optimization algorithm combined with the generalized regression neural network (GRNN) algorithm, in which the actual process parameters including welding current, welding voltage, energy, power, and pulse width are used as inputs to predict the nugget diameter. During the network training process, the optimization algorithm is used for finding the optimum smoothing factor σ of GRNN, chaotic mapping, and non-uniform mutation are added to the traditional grasshopper optimization algorithm to enhance the optimization ability of the algorithm. Through bootstrap sampling, a comparison experiment about the prediction effect of the proposed quality prediction model with earlier methods is carried out, and the analysis of the experimental results leads to a conclusion that the accuracy of the proposed welding quality prediction model is higher.
Human impacts as the main driver of tropical forest carbon
Authors: Pyles Marcela Venelli , Magnago Luiz Fernando Silva , Maia Vinícius Andrade , Pinho Bruno X. , Pitta Gregory , de Gasper André L. , Vibrans Alexander C. , dos Santos Rubens Manoel , van den Berg Eduardo , Lima Renato A. F.
Published: June 2022

Understanding the mechanisms controlling forest carbon storage is crucial to support “nature-based” solutions for climate change mitigation. We used a dataset of 892 Atlantic Forest inventories to assess the direct and indirect effects of environmental conditions, human impacts, tree community proprieties, and sampling methods on tree above-ground carbon stocks. We showed that the widely accepted drivers of carbon stocks, such as climate, soil, topography, and forest fragmentation, have a much smaller role than the forest disturbance history and functional proprieties of the Atlantic Forest. Specifically, within-forest disturbance level was the most important driver, with effect at least 30% higher than any of the environmental conditions individually. Thus, our findings suggest that the conservation of tropical carbon stocks may be dependable on, principally, avoiding forest degradation and that conservation policies focusing only on carbon may fail to protect tropical biodiversity.