bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combined APOGEE-GALAH stellar catalogues using the Cannon
Authors: Nandakumar Govind , Hayden Michael R , Sharma Sanjib , Buder Sven , Asplund Martin , Bland-Hawthorn Joss , De Silva Gayandhi M , D’Orazi Valentina , Freeman Ken C , Kos Janez , Lewis Geraint F , Martell Sarah L , Schlesinger Katharine J , Lin Jane , Simpson Jeffrey D , Zucker Daniel B , Zwitter Tomaž , Nordlander Thomas , Casagrande Luca , Lind Karin , Côtar Klemen , Stello Dennis , Wittenmyer Robert A , Tepper-Garcia Thor
Published: March 2022

APOGEE and GALAH are two high resolution multi-object spectroscopic surveys that provide fundamental stellar parameters and multiple elemental abundance estimates for about half a million stars in the Milky Way. Both surveys observe in different wavelength regimes and use different data reduction pipelines leading to significant offsets and trends in stellar parameters and abundances for the common stars observed in both surveys. Such systematic differences/offsets in stellar parameters and abundances make it difficult to effectively utilize them to investigate Galactic abundance trends in spite of the unique advantage provided by their complementary sky coverage and different Milky Way components they observe. Hence, we use the Cannon data-driven method selecting a training set of 4418 common stars observed by both surveys. This enables the construction of two catalogues, one with the APOGEE-scaled and the other with the GALAH-scaled stellar parameters. Using repeat observations in APOGEE and GALAH, we find high precision in metallicity (∼0.02–0.4 dex) and alpha abundances (∼0.02–0.03 dex) for spectra with good signal-to-noise ratio (SNR > 80 for APOGEE and SNR > 40 for GALAH). We use open and globular clusters to validate our parameter estimates and find small scatter in metallicity (0.06 dex) and alpha abundances (0.03 dex) in APOGEE-scaled case. The final catalogues have been cross-matched with the Gaia EDR3 catalogue to enable their use to carry out detailed chemo-dynamic studies of the Milky Way from perspectives of APOGEE and GALAH.
Is the orbital distribution of multiplanet systems influenced by pure three-planet resonances?
Authors: Cerioni M , Beaugé C , Gallardo T
Published: March 2022

We analyse the distribution of known multiplanet systems (N ≥ 3) in the plane of mean-motion ratios, and compare it with the resonance web generated by two-planet mean-motion resonances (2P-MMR) and pure three-planet commensurabilities (pure 3P-MMR). We find intriguing evidence of a statistically significant correlation between the observed distribution of compact low-mass systems and the resonance structure, indicating a possible causal relation. While resonance chains, such as Kepler-60, Kepler-80, and TRAPPIST-1, are strong contributors, most of the correlation appears to be caused by systems not identified as resonance chains. Finally, we discuss their possible origin through planetary migration during the last stages of the primordial disc and/or an eccentricity damping process.
The X-ray disc/wind degeneracy in AGN
Authors: Parker M L , Matzeu G A , Matthews J H , Middleton M J , Dauser T , Jiang J , Joyce A M
Published: March 2022

Relativistic Fe K emission lines from accretion discs and from disc winds encode key information about black holes, and their accretion and feedback mechanisms. We show that these two processes can in principle produce indistinguishable line profiles, such that they cannot be disentangled spectrally. We argue that it is likely that in many cases both processes contribute to the net line profile, and their relative contributions cannot be constrained purely by Fe K spectroscopy. In almost all studies of Fe K emission to date, a single process (either disc reflection or wind Compton scattering) is assumed to dominate the total line profile. We demonstrate that fitting a single process emission model (pure reflection or pure wind) to a hybrid line profile results in large systematic biases in the estimates of key parameters, such as mass outflow rate and spin. We discuss various strategies to mitigate this effect, such as including high-energy data covering the Compton hump, and the implications for future X-ray missions.
A dynamics-based density profile for dark haloes – I. Algorithm and basic results
Authors: Diemer Benedikt
Published: March 2022

The density profiles of dark matter haloes can potentially probe dynamics, fundamental physics, and cosmology, but some of the most promising signals reside near or beyond the virial radius. While these scales have recently become observable, the profiles at large radii are still poorly understood theoretically, chiefly because the distribution of orbiting matter (the one-halo term) is partially concealed by particles falling into haloes for the first time. We present an algorithm to dynamically disentangle the orbiting and infalling contributions by counting the pericentric passages of billions of simulation particles. We analyse dynamically split profiles out to 10 R200m across a wide range of halo mass, redshift, and cosmology. We show that the orbiting term experiences a sharp truncation at the edge of the orbit distribution. Its sharpness and position are mostly determined by the mass accretion rate, confirming that the entire profile shape primarily depends on halo dynamics and secondarily on mass, redshift, and cosmology. The infalling term also depends on the accretion rate for fast-accreting haloes but is mostly set by the environment for slowly accreting haloes, leading to a diverse array of shapes that does not conform to simple theoretical models. While the resulting scatter in the infalling term reaches 1 dex, the scatter in the orbiting term is only between 0.1 and 0.4 dex and almost independent of radius. We demonstrate a tight correspondence between the redshift evolution in Λ cold dark matter (ΛCDM) and the slope of the matter power spectrum. Our code and data are publicly available.
Polymerase theta-helicase promotes end joining by stripping single-stranded DNA-binding proteins and bridging DNA ends
Authors: Schaub Jeffrey M , Soniat Michael M , Finkelstein Ilya J
Published: March 2022

Homologous recombination-deficient cancers rely on DNA polymerase Theta (Polθ)-Mediated End Joining (TMEJ), an alternative double-strand break repair pathway. Polθ is the only vertebrate polymerase that encodes an N-terminal superfamily 2 (SF2) helicase domain, but the role of this helicase domain in TMEJ remains unclear. Using single-molecule imaging, we demonstrate that Polθ-helicase (Polθ-h) is a highly processive single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) motor protein that can efficiently strip Replication Protein A (RPA) from ssDNA. Polθ-h also has a limited capacity for disassembling RAD51 filaments but is not processive on double-stranded DNA. Polθ-h can bridge two non-complementary DNA strands in trans. PARylation of Polθ-h by PARP-1 resolves these DNA bridges. We conclude that Polθ-h removes RPA and RAD51 filaments and mediates bridging of DNA overhangs to aid in polymerization by the Polθ polymerase domain.
Active Smokers Are at Higher Risk of COVID-19 Death: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Patanavanich Roengrudee , Siripoon Tanatorn , Amponnavarat Salin , Glantz Stanton A
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Current evidence indicates that smoking worsens COVID-19 outcomes. However, when studies restricted their analyses to current smokers, the risks for COVID-19 severity and death are inconsistent.

Aims and Methods

This meta-analysis explored the association between current smoking and the risk for mortality based on the studies that reported all three categories of smoking (current, former, and never smokers) to overcome the limitation of the previous meta-analyses which former smokers might have been classified as nonsmokers. We searched PubMed and Embase up to January 1, 2021. We included studies reporting all three categories of smoking behaviors of COVID-19 patients and mortality outcomes. A random-effects meta-analysis and meta-regression were used to examine relationships in the data.

Results

A total of 34 articles with 35 193 COVID-19 patients was included. The meta-analysis confirmed the association between current smoking (odds ratio [OR] 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.58) and former smoking (OR 1.76, 95% CI: 1.53–2.03) with COVID-19 mortality. We also found that the risk for COVID-19 death in current smokers does not vary by age, but significantly drops by age in former smokers. Moreover, current smokers in non-high-income countries have higher risks of COVID-19 death compared with high-income countries (OR 3.11, 95% CI: 2.04–4.72 vs. OR 1.14, 95% CI: 0.91–1.43; p = .015).

Conclusions

Current and former smokers are at higher risk of dying from COVID-19. Tobacco control should be strengthened to encourage current smokers to quit and prevent the initiation of smoking. Public health professionals should take the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to promote smoking prevention and cession.

Implications

This study makes an important contribution to the existing literature by distinguishing between current and former smoking and their separate effects on COVID-19 mortality. We also explore the effects by age of patients and country income level. Findings from this study provide empirical evidence against misinformation about the relationship between smoking and COVID-19 mortality.
Educators’ occupational well-being in health and social care education
Authors: Rinne J , Leino-Kilpi H , Saaranen T , Pasanen M , Salminen L
Published: March 2022

Background

The occupational well-being (OW) of educators can be defined as a balance between resources and workload factors as seen from four aspects of working life: (i) individual, (ii) working conditions, (iii) professional competence and (iv) work community. The research in this study examined the individual aspect as particular importance to the physical and mental workability of educators.

Aims

To study the individual aspect of the OW of educators as well as the associating factors.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey design was conducted among educators working in health and social care education in Finland. The data were collected with an electronic survey using the ‘Occupational well-being of social and health care teachers—index questionnaire’. The data were analysed with an SPSS version 27 using descriptive statistics, explorative factor analysis and linear regression analysis.

Results

The educators (n = 552, response rate 31%) assessed their resources for managing their mental workload as quite poor (2.41, standard deviation [SD] 0.98). In addition, workplace support promoting OW was assessed as being quite poor (2.37, SD 0.88), and as especially requiring more measures during working hours. Associations with the individual aspect of OW were found between the personal and work-related background variables as well as overall OW.

Conclusions

The perceptions of the educators indicated that resources to cope with workload factors should be promoted. Investing in educators’ resources at work, enabling well-being actions during working hours and avoiding backlog situations would all help promote the educators’ OW.
Real-World Study of Characteristics and Treatment Outcomes Among Patients with KRAS p.G12C-Mutated or Other KRAS Mutated Metastatic Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Fakih Marwan , Tu Huakang , Hsu Hil , Aggarwal Shivani , Chan Emily , Rehn Marko , Chia Victoria , Kopetz Scott
Published: March 2022

Background

The KRAS p.G12C mutation has recently become an actionable drug target. To further understand KRAS p.G12C disease, we describe clinicopathologic characteristics, treatment patterns, overall survival (OS), and real-world progression-free survival (rwPFS) in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC), KRAS p.G12C mutations (KRAS G12C), and other KRAS mutations (KRAS non-G12C) using a de-identified database.

Patients and Methods

Clinical and tumor characteristics, including treatments received, genomic profile, and clinical outcomes were assessed for patients from a US clinical genomic database with mCRC diagnosed between January 1, 2011, and March 31, 2020, with genomic sequencing data available.

Results

Of 6477 patients with mCRC (mCRC cohort), 238 (3.7%) had KRAS G12C and 2947 (45.5%) had KRAS non-G12C mutations. Treatment patterns were generally comparable across lines of therapy (LOT) in KRAS G12C versus KRAS non-G12C cohorts. Median (95% CI) OS after the first LOT was 16.1 (13.0-19.0) months for the KRAS G12C cohort versus 18.3 (17.2-19.3) months for the KRAS non-G12C cohort, and 19.2 (18.5-19.8) months for the mCRC overall cohort; median (95% CI) rwPFS was 7.4 (6.3-9.5), 9.0 (8.2-9.7), and 9.2 (8.6-9.7) months, respectively. The different KRAS non-G12C mutations examined did not affect clinical outcomes. Median OS and rwPFS for all cohorts declined with each subsequent LOT.

Conclusions

Patients with KRAS p.G12C-mutant mCRC have poor treatment outcomes, and outcomes appear numerically worse than for those without this mutation, indicating potential prognostic implications for KRAS p.G12C mutations and an unmet medical need in this population.
The Relationship Between Patient Demographic and Clinical Characteristics and Successful Treatment Outcomes After Basivertebral Nerve Radiofrequency Ablation: A Pooled Cohort Study of Three Prospective Clinical Trials
Authors: Boody Barrett S , Sperry Beau P , Harper Katrina , Macadaeg Kevin , McCormick Zachary L
Published: March 2022

Objective

Multiple studies have demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of basivertebral nerve radiofrequency ablation (BVN RFA) for improving low back pain related to the vertebral endplate. However, the influence of patient demographic and clinical characteristics on treatment outcome is unknown.

Design

Pooled cohort study of three clinical trials of patients with vertebral endplate pain identified by Type 1 and/or Type 2 Modic changes and a correlating presentation of anterior spinal element pain.

Setting

Thirty-three global study centers.

Subjects

Patients (n = 296) successfully treated with BVN RFA.

Methods

Participant demographic and clinical characteristics were analyzed with stepwise logistic regression to identify predictors of treatment success. Three definitions of treatment success were defined: 1) ≥50% visual analog scale pain improvement, 2) ≥15-point Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) improvement, and 3) ≥50% visual analog scale or ≥15-point ODI improvement from baseline.

Results

Low back pain of ≥5 years’ duration and higher ODI scores at baseline increased the odds of treatment success, whereas baseline opioid use and higher Beck Depression Inventory scores reduced these odds. However, the three regression models demonstrated receiver-operating characteristics of 62–70% areas under the curve, and thus, limited predictive capacity.

Conclusions

This analysis identified no demographic or clinical characteristic that meaningfully increased or reduced the odds of treatment success from BVN RFA. On the basis of these findings and the high response rates from the three analyzed trials, we recommend the use of objective imaging biomarkers (Type 1 and/or 2 Modic changes) and a correlating presentation of anterior spinal element pain to determine optimal candidacy for BVN RFA.
El Niño Southern Oscillation, monsoon anomaly, and childhood diarrheal disease morbidity in Nepal
Authors: Adams Nicholas , Dhimal Meghnath , Mathews Shifali , Iyer Veena , Murtugudde Raghu , Liang Xin-Zhong , Haider Muhiuddin , Cruz-Cano Raul , Thu Dang Thi Anh , Hashim Jamal Hisham , Gao Chuansi , Wang Yu-Chun , Sapkota Amir
Published: March 2022

Climate change is adversely impacting the burden of diarrheal diseases. Despite significant reduction in global prevalence, diarrheal disease remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among young children in low- and middle-income countries. Previous studies have shown that diarrheal disease is associated with meteorological conditions but the role of large-scale climate phenomena such as El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and monsoon anomaly is less understood. We obtained 13 years (2002–2014) of diarrheal disease data from Nepal and investigated how the disease rate is associated with phases of ENSO (El Niño, La Niña, vs. ENSO neutral) monsoon rainfall anomaly (below normal, above normal, vs. normal), and changes in timing of monsoon onset, and withdrawal (early, late, vs. normal). Monsoon season was associated with a 21% increase in diarrheal disease rates (Incident Rate Ratios [IRR]: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.16–1.27). El Niño was associated with an 8% reduction in risk while the La Niña was associated with a 32% increase in under-5 diarrheal disease rates. Likewise, higher-than-normal monsoon rainfall was associated with increased rates of diarrheal disease, with considerably higher rates observed in the mountain region (IRR 1.51, 95% CI: 1.19–1.92). Our findings suggest that under-5 diarrheal disease burden in Nepal is significantly influenced by ENSO and changes in seasonal monsoon dynamics. Since both ENSO phases and monsoon can be predicted with considerably longer lead time compared to weather, our findings will pave the way for the development of more effective early warning systems for climate sensitive infectious diseases.
Incidence of systemic autoimmune myopathies and their risk of cancer in Leeds, UK: an 11-year epidemiological study
Authors: Jauniaux Benoit , Alexander Memie , Ismail Azzam
Published: March 2022

Objectives

The aims were to identify all incident adult cases of systemic autoimmune myopathies (SAMs) in the city of Leeds, UK, and to estimate the risk of cancer in SAMs as compared with the general population.

Methods

Cases of SAMs were ascertained by review of all muscle biopsy reports from the Neuropathology Laboratory. A review of medical records was undertaken for each case to review the clinical diagnosis and collect epidemiological data such as age, ethnicity, sex and comorbidities, including cancer. Leeds denominator population numbers were publicly obtainable.

Results

A total of 206 biopsy reports were identified and, after review, 50 incident cases were included in the study between June 2010 and January 2021. Of the 50 cases, 27 were male and 23 were female. The mean incidence rate of SAMs in Leeds throughout the study period was 7.42/1 000 000 person-years. The proportion of SAMs cases with a confirmed malignancy was 22%. Compared with the general population, the relative risk of cancer was significantly greater in the SAMs population (31.56; P < 0.01).

Conclusions

The incidence rate of SAMs in Leeds was consistent with data from previous literature; however, disagreement exists between different methods of SAMs case inclusion due to varying clinical criteria and definitions. SAMs are associated with an increased risk of cancer, but the pathogenesis of this relationship still requires investigating. This study supports the practice of malignancy screening and long-term surveillance in patients with SAMs.
Effectiveness of sequential biologic and targeted disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs for rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Zhao Sizheng Steven , Kearsley-Fleet Lianne , Bosworth Ailsa , Watson Kath ,   BSRBR-RA Contributors Group, Hyrich Kimme L
Published: March 2022

Objectives

Whether patients with RA benefit from repeated trials of biologic or targeted synthetic DMARDs (b/tsDMARDs) after three or more attempts is unknown. We aimed to describe treatment outcomes in each line of b/tsDMARD therapy.

Methods

Using data from the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for RA from 2001 to 2020, change to a new b/tsDMARD (except biosimilar switches) was defined as a new line of therapy. Treatment outcomes were compared across lines of therapy, including DAS28 remission (≤2.6), low disease activity (LDA, ≤3.2) at 6 months and median time to drug discontinuation. Multiple imputation was used for missing data.

Results

A total of 22 934 individuals starting a first b/tsDMARD were included (mean age 56 years, 76% female), among whom 10 823 commenced a second-line drug, 5056 third, 2128 fourth, 767 fifth and 292 sixth. Most (71%) had sufficient data for DAS28-derived outcome analyses. TNF inhibitors were the most common first-line drug, but choice of subsequent-line drugs changed over time. Seventeen percent achieved DAS28 remission following first-line, 13% second and 8–13% with third through sixth. LDA was achieved in 29% of first-line, 23% second, 17–22% through to the sixth. Patients stayed on first-line therapy for a median of 2.6 years, ranging from 1.0–1.4 years for lines two to six.

Conclusion

Many patients will eventually benefit after repeated trials of b/tsDMARD. Further research to improve treatment selection are needed to prevent prolonged trial and error approaches in some patients.
COMPARISON OF THE PROLIFERATIVE RESPONSES OF HEMATOPOIETIC STEM CELLS EXPOSED TO LOW DOSE RATE RADIATION IN VIVO AND EX VIVO
Authors: Hirouchi Tokuhisa
Published: March 2022

The hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are sensitive to radiation. Chronic exposure to low dose rate (LDR) radiation at 20 mGy/day results in a decrease in the number of HSCs and an increase of leukemia. In this study, the proliferative capacities of ex vivo HSCs, exposed to 20 mGy/day of gamma-rays for 20 days, were compared with those of in vivo HSCs from similarly whole-body-irradiated mice. Radiation suppressed the growth of the ex vivo HSCs after Day 16 of irradiation and until Day 7 post-exposure. Almost all types of cells, particularly multipotent progenitors, common myeloid progenitors, granulocytes and macrophages, were significantly reduced in number at Day 20 of irradiation and Day 7 post-exposure in culture. HSCs and multipotent progenitors irradiated in vivo, however, decreased transiently and recovered by Day 7 post-exposure. These findings suggest that the microenvironment in vivo protects HSCs from the effects of LDR radiation.
End Notes
Authors: Kennedy Maureen Shawn
Published: March 2022

An editor-in-chief steps down, with gratitude.
Sickle Cell Drug Approved for Children Ages Four to 11
Authors: Aschenbrenner Diane S.
Published: March 2022

Voxelotor (Oxbryta) has received accelerated approval to treat sickle cell disease in children ages four to 11 years. This is a new indication for the drug.

Voxelotor prevents red blood cells from forming a sickle shape, reducing the damage to tissues and red blood cells that is common with sickle cell disease.
Original Research: Losing the Art and Failing the Science of Nursing: The Experiences of Nurses Working During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Stimpfel Amy Witkoski , Ghazal Lauren , Goldsamt Lloyd A. , Zhanay Jessie , Dickson Victoria Vaughan
Published: March 2022

Purpose:

RNs have served as the bedrock of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, working under unprecedented and difficult conditions. In this study, we sought to understand the experiences of nurses working across a range of care settings in the United States during the first six months of the pandemic, and to learn more about barriers to and facilitators of their work.

Methods:

This is a qualitative descriptive study. We recruited participants online through regional professional nursing membership listservs, program directors of occupational health nursing training programs, and social media. After completing a survey, potential participants were invited to complete an individual semistructured interview via the Zoom platform. From June through August 2020, we conducted 34 interviews. Content analysis was performed using ATLAS.ti software.

Results:

The overarching theme—“Losing the art and failing the science of nursing”—underscored the barriers nurses faced in the early months of this pandemic. It reflected the deeply painful disruptions in the care nurses were accustomed to providing their patients. Themes that reflected barriers included disrupted nurse–patient connection, lack of personal protective equipment and fear of infection, lack of evidence-based guidance, and understaffing, all of which drastically altered the delivery of nursing care. Themes that reflected facilitators to nurses' work included camaraderie and strength and resourcefulness.

Conclusions:

The study findings give important direction to nurse leaders, researchers, and organizations concerning potential areas of support that nurses need during and after this pandemic. Future research should investigate the long-term impact of COVID-19 and similar public health crises on nurses, as well as interventions that could support the workforce after an extended crisis.
Planetary Health Nursing
Authors: LeClair Jessica , Potter Teddie
Published: March 2022

Planetary health is focused on the interconnectedness of the health of humans, other species, and the physical environment. Disruption of the Earth's natural ecosystems due to human overconsumption; disregard for sustainable practices; and the domination of other humans, species, and natural systems has led to an urgent moment in which humans must act to preserve these ecosystems, which support life on this planet. Restoring planetary health requires new directions for nursing. The pragmatic implications for nursing research, education, advocacy, and practice are explored in this article.
A Blog Text Analysis to Explore Psychosocial Support in Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer
Authors: Choi Eunju , Becker Heather , Kim Soojeong
Published: March 2022

Background

The achievement of developmental milestones of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) is significantly challenged by a cancer diagnosis and treatment. To help with challenges in AYAs with cancer, various types of psychosocial support have been studied to cope with cancer and seek optimal well-being. However, despite differences among AYAs’ developmental stages, AYAs with cancer are often treated as a homogeneous group in research and hospital settings.

Objective

The aim of this study was to identify and compare psychosocial support that facilitates the well-being of AYAs with cancer.

Methods

Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted on AYAs’ perceived psychosocial support as expressed on an online cancer community. Themes were identified using qualitative content analysis, and descriptive quantitative methods were used to compare themes by age and gender.

Results

Seven themes emerged: coping skill building, self-transcendence, family support, support from friends, professional support, peer support including online and offline support groups, and accommodation. There were no significant differences in the frequency of posts between age and gender variables by theme. However, the details of the themes were qualitatively different by age and gender.

Conclusions

The psychosocial support AYAs perceived may differ by age and gender. This study suggests opportunities for nurses to contribute their support to AYAs’ perceived psychosocial support throughout AYAs’ cancer journeys.

Implication for Practice

The sources of support that can help AYAs with cancer should be routinely available rather than in response to crisis.
Prevalence and Factors Associated With PTSD-Like Symptoms Linked to the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Patients With Major Depressive Disorders Seeking Emergency Care
Authors: Concerto Carmen , Rodolico Alessandro , Sturiale Serena , Caligiore Guido , Signorelli Maria Salvina , Petralia Antonino , Battaglia Fortunato , Aguglia Eugenio
Published: March 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychological impact and coping strategies experienced by depressed inpatients during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. We recruited 75 depressed inpatients. Logistic regression was used to determine predictors of PTSD-like symptoms measured with Impact of Event Scale–Revised. Predicting variables were age, sex, the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced subscales scores, the Anxiety Status Inventory total score, and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 total score. The prevalence of PTSD-like stress symptoms was 41.33%. Age, social and avoidance coping strategies, and anxiety levels were significant predictors of PTSD-like symptoms. Our findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic in depressed inpatients is associated with PTSD-like stress symptoms, anxiety, and maladaptive coping.
Persistence of Attitude Changes After Near-Death Experiences
Authors: Greyson Bruce
Published: March 2022

The aim of this study was to compare attitude changes reported by people who described near-death experiences (NDEs) at two periods two decades apart, to ascertain whether the attitude changes persisted over time. Participants completed the Life Changes Inventory (LCI) upon entry into the study and again two decades later, and the NDE Scale to quantify depth of the experience. Sixty-three participants (mean age at entry into study, 46 ± 10 years) had scores on the NDE Scale typical of other near-death experiencers. Scores on the LCI showed significant changes in attitudes toward life and death both on entry into the study and two decades later. LCI scores showed no significant change over that period, nor was there a significant correlation between change in LCI scores and time elapsed between the two administrations. NDEs appear to be unusual in the long-term persistence of attitude changes.
Masturbation as a Cause of “Sexual Neurasthenia”
Authors: Kosenko Oxana , Steger Florian
Published: March 2022

In the 18th and 19th centuries, in Europe and the United States, masturbation was seen not only as a deviant form of sexual activity but also as a cause of nervous diseases. Masturbation was originally thought to cause insanity, but with the introduction of George Miller Beard's concept of neurasthenia, it came to be considered a form of nervous exhaustion. In the current article, we analyzed the almost forgotten medical report of a “sexual neurasthenic,” written by the famous Russian writer and physician Anton Chekhov (1860–1904). This report gives us detailed information about the treatment of a patient allegedly experiencing the effects of masturbation, and thus reflects the medical discourse on masturbation in Russia in the early 1880s. It shows that although the international debate on the causes of neurasthenia had just begun, the concept of neurasthenia toward masturbation had already been put into practice at the Moscow University Clinic in 1883.
Non–Direct Care Nurses
Authors: Moscou-Jackson Gyasi , Homme Megan , Day Jenni
Published: March 2022

BACKGROUND

During times of need, hospital-based nurses in nonclinical jobs support organizations through a variety of roles.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to explore the experience of hospital-based nurses who did not provide direct patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on role and professional identity.

METHODS

Seventeen nurses participated in individual semistructured interviews.

RESULTS

Participants filled a variety of pandemic-related roles as an extension of their job. Others were placed in roles that were different but perceived as professionally beneficial. Many did not question their professional identity as a “nurse,” yet for a few, it was before they received a pandemic-related assignment. All appreciated having role choice and their skills recognized.

CONCLUSION

Nurses in nonclinical roles desire to be involved in responses to emergency events, but not as direct care providers. Involvement enables them to feel valuable despite nonclinical roles. During emergency events, nursing leaders should mobilize the talents of this workforce segment, offering role choice when feasible.
The Impact of Mindfulness on Stress and Burnout of New Graduate Nurses as a Component of a Nurse Residency Program
Authors: McNulty Denise Stage , LaMonica-Way Carol , Senneff Jo-Anne
Published: March 2022

OBJECTIVE

This evidence-based practice project assessed the impact of integrating mindfulness training into an existing nurse residency program.

BACKGROUND

Stress and burnout are endemic in healthcare. The transition to practice is associated with stress and anxiety for newly graduated nurses. Evidence supports mindfulness-based interventions to mitigate stress and burnout and improve the workplace environment and patient outcomes.

METHODS

This project employed a pre/post design to measure burnout, stress, and mindfulness, comparing means and standard deviations between intervention and comparison nurse residency cohorts. Mindfulness training was integrated at 4 points within the 1st 6 months of the residency program.

RESULTS

The intervention cohort reported significantly less burnout and stress and more mindfulness at 6 months than the comparison group.

CONCLUSIONS

Mindfulness training can be feasibly integrated into an existing nurse residency program to decrease stress and burnout for new graduate nurses during the transition to practice.
Is competition for cellular resources a driver of complex trait heritability?
Authors: Naret Olivier , Simons Yuval , Fellay Jacques , Pritchard Jonathan K
Published: March 2022

Most human complex traits are enormously polygenic, with thousands of contributing variants with small effects, spread across much of the genome. These observations raise questions about why so many variants–and so many genes–impact any given phenotype. Here we consider a possible model in which variant effects are due to competition among genes for pools of shared intracellular resources such as RNA polymerases. To this end, we describe a simple theoretical model of resource competition for polymerases during transcription. We show that as long as a gene uses only a small fraction of the overall supply of polymerases, competition with other genes for this supply will only have a negligible effect on variation in the gene’s expression. In particular, although resource competition increases the proportion of heritability explained by trans-eQTLs, this effect is far too small to account for the roughly 70% of expression heritability thought to be due to trans-regulation. Similarly, we find that competition will only have an appreciable effect on complex traits under very limited conditions: that core genes collectively use a large fraction of the cellular pool of polymerases and their overall expression level is strongly correlated (or anti-correlated) with trait values. Our qualitative results should hold for a wide family of models relating to cellular resource limitations. We conclude that, for most traits, resource competition is not a major source of complex trait heritability.
Academic Tracker: Software for Tracking and Reporting Publications Associated with Authors and Grants
Authors: Thompson Patrick T. , Powell Christian D. , Moseley Hunter N.B.
Published: March 2022

In recent years, United States federal funding agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), have implemented public access policies to make research supported by funding from these federal agencies freely available to the public. Enforcement is primarily through annual and final reports submitted to these funding agencies, where all peer-reviewed publications must be registered through the appropriate mechanism as required by the specific federal funding agency. Unreported and/or incorrectly reported papers can result in delayed acceptance of annual and final reports and even funding delays for current and new research grants. So, it’s important to make sure every peer-reviewed publication is reported properly and in a timely manner. For large collaborative research efforts, the tracking and proper registration of peer-reviewed publications along with generation of accurate annual and final reports can create a large administrative burden. With large collaborative teams, it is easy for these administrative tasks to be overlooked, forgotten, or lost in the shuffle. In order to help with this reporting burden, we have developed the Academic Tracker software package, implemented in the Python 3 programming language and supporting Linux, Windows, and Mac operating systems. Academic Tracker helps with publication tracking and reporting by comprehensively searching major peer-reviewed publication tracking web portals, including PubMed, Crossref, ORCID, and Google Scholar, given a list of authors. Academic Tracker provides highly customizable reporting templates so information about the resulting publications is easily transformed into appropriate formats for tracking and reporting purposes. The source code and extensive documentation is hosted on GitHub (https://moseleybioinformaticslab.github.io/academic_tracker/) and is also available on the Python Package Index (https://pypi.org/project/academic_tracker) for easy installation.
Hardware-Efficient Compression of Neural Multi-Unit Activity
Authors: Savolainen Oscar W. , Zhang Zheng , Feng Peilong , Constandinou Timothy G.
Published: March 2022

Brain-machine interfaces (BMI) are tools for treating neurological disorders and motor-impairments. It is essential that the next generation of intracortical BMIs is wireless so as to remove percutaneous connections, i.e. wires, and the associated mechanical and infection risks. This is required for the effective translation of BMIs into clinical applications and is one of the remaining bottlenecks. However, due to cortical tissue thermal dissipation safety limits, the on-implant power consumption must be strictly limited. Therefore, both the neural signal processing and wireless communication power should be minimal, while the implants should provide signals that offer high behavioural decoding performance (BDP). The Multi-Unit Activity (MUA) signal is the most common signal in modern BMIs. However, with an ever-increasing channel count, the raw data bandwidth is becoming prohibitively high due to the associated communication power exceeding the safety limits. Data compression is therefore required. To meet this need, this work developed hardware-efficient static Huffman compression schemes for MUA data. Our final system reduced the bandwidth to 27 bps/channel, compared to the standard MUA rate of 1 kbps/channel. This compression is over an order of magnitude more than has been achieved before, while using only 0.96 uW/channel processing power and 246 logic cells. Our results were verified on 3 datasets and less than 1% loss in BDP was observed. As such, with the use of effective data compression, an order more of MUA channels can be fitted on-implant, enabling the next generation of high-performance wireless intracortical BMIs.
Titers of antibodies the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of ancestral SARS-CoV-2 are predictive for levels of neutralizing antibodies to multiple variants
Authors: Tran Trung The , Vaage Eline Benno , Mehta Adi , Chopra Adity , Kolderup Anette , Anthi Aina , König Marton , Nygaard Gro , Lind Andreas , Müller Fredrik , Nissen-Meyer Lise Sofie , Magnus Per , Trogstad Lill , Mjaaland Siri , Søraas Arne , Midtvedt Karsten , Åsberg Anders , Barratt-Due Andreas , Medhus Asle W. , Høivk Marte Lie , Lundin Knut , Karlsen Randi Fuglaas , Dahle Reidun , Danielsson Karin , Thomassen Kristine Stien , Kro Grete Birkeland , Cox Rebecca J. , Zhou Fan , Langeland Nina , Aukrust Pål , Melum Espen , Åvitsland Tone Lise , Wiencke Kristine , Holter Jan Cato , Munthe Ludvig A. , Grødeland Gunnveig , Andersen Jan-Terje , Vaage John Torgils , Lund-Johansen Fridtjof
Published: March 2022

Diagnostic assays currently used to monitor the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines measure levels of antibodies to the receptor-binding domain of ancestral SARS-CoV-2 (RBDwt). However, the predictive value for protection against new variants of concern (VOCs) has not been firmly established. Here, we used bead-based arrays and flow cytometry to measure binding of antibodies to spike proteins and receptor-binding domains (RBDs) from VOCs in 12,000 sera. Effects of sera on RBD-ACE2 interactions were measured as a proxy for neutralizing antibodies. The samples were obtained from healthy individuals or patients on immunosuppressive therapy who had received two to four doses of COVID-19 vaccines and from COVID-19 convalescents. The results show that anti-RBDwt titers correlate with the levels of binding- and neutralizing antibodies against the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon and Omicron variants. The benefit of multiplexed analysis lies in the ability to measure a wide range of anti-RBD titers using a single dilution of serum for each assay. The reactivity patterns also yield an internal reference for neutralizing activity and binding antibody units per milliliter (BAU/ml). Results obtained with sera from vaccinated healthy individuals and patients confirmed and extended results from previous studies on time-dependent waning of antibody levels and effects of immunosuppressive agents. We conclude that anti-RBDwt titers correlate with levels of neutralizing antibodies against VOCs and propose that our method may be implemented to enhance the precision and throughput of immunomonitoring.
Dimerization processes for light-regulated transcription factor Photozipper visualized by high-speed atomic force microscopy
Authors: Tsuji Akihiro , Yamashita Hayato , Hisatomi Osamu , Abe Masayuki
Published: March 2022

Dimerization is critical for transcription factors (TFs) to bind DNA and regulate a wide variety of cellular functions; however, the single-molecular mechanisms remain to be completely elucidated. Here, we used high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM) to observe the dimerization process for a photoresponsive TF Photozipper (PZ), which consists of light-oxygen-voltage-sensing (LOV) and basic-region-leucine-zipper (bZIP) domain. HS-AFM visualized not only the oligomeric states of PZ molecules forming monomers and dimers under controlled dark–light conditions but also the domain structures within each molecule. Successive AFM movies captured the dimerization process for an individual PZ molecule and the monomer–dimer reversible transition during dark–light cycling. The high-resolution AFM images of the domain structures in PZ molecules demonstrated that the bZIP domain entangled under dark conditions was loosened owing to light illumination and fluctuated around the LOV domain. These observations revealed the role of the bZIP domain in the dimerization processes of a TF.
Glutathione-mediated plant response to high-temperature
Authors: Dard Avilien , Weiss Alizée , Bariat Laetitia , Picault Nathalie , Pontvianne Frédéric , Riondet Christophe , Reichheld Jean-Philippe
Published: March 2022

Climate change induce global warming and intense heat waves that affect plant development and productivity. Among the molecular perturbations that high temperature induces in living cells is the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can damage macromolecules of the cell and perturb the cellular redox state. To cope with deleterious effects of ROS, plant, as other organisms, have developed strategies to scavenge ROS and to regulate their redox state. Among those, glutathione plays a major role in maintaining the cellular redox state and the function of key antioxidant enzymes like peroxidases. Here, we investigated the contribution of the redox systems in plant adaptation to high temperature. We studied two different high temperature regimes: a rise of ambient temperature to 27°C inducing a plant developmental adaptation program called thermomorphogenesis, and a 37°C treatment mimicking intense heat wave and affecting plant viability. Using the genetically encoded redox marker roGFP, we show that high temperature regimes lead to cytoplasm and nuclear oxidation and impact profoundly the glutathione pool rather than the glutathione redox state. Moreover, plant can restore the pool within a few hours, which likely contribute to plant adaptation to high temperature. However, conditional glutathione deficient mutants fail to adapt to intense heat waves or to induce thermomorphogenesis, suggesting that glutathione is involved in both heat adaptation mechanisms. We also evaluate by RNAseq analyses, how plant change its genome expression signature upon heat stress and identified a marked genome expression deviation in mutant deficient in glutathione antioxidant which might contribute to its sensitivity to high temperature. Thus, we define glutathione as a major antioxidant molecule acting in the adaptation of plant to rise of temperature.
Mapping the subcortical connectome using in vivo diffusion MRI: feasibility and reliability
Authors: Kai Jason , Khan Ali R , Haast Roy AM , Lau Jonathan C
Published: March 2022

Tractography combined with regions of interest (ROIs) has been used to non-invasively study the structural connectivity of the cortex as well as to assess the reliability of these connections. However, the subcortical connectome (subcortex to subcortex) has not been comprehensively examined, in part due to the difficulty of performing tractography in this complex and compact region. In this study, we performed anin vivoinvestigation using tractography to assess the feasibility and reliability of mapping known connections between structures of the subcortex using the test-retest dataset from the Human Connectome Project (HCP). We further validated our observations using a separate unrelated subjects dataset from the HCP. Quantitative assessment was performed by computing tract densities and spatial overlap of identified connections between subcortical ROIs. Further, known connections between structures of the basal ganglia and thalamus were identified and visually inspected, comparing tractography reconstructed trajectories with descriptions from tract-tracing studies. Our observations demonstrate both the feasibility and reliability of using a data-driven tractography-based approach to map the subcortical connectomein vivo.
Social Learning of a Spatial Task by Observation Alone
Authors: Doublet Thomas , Nosrati Mona , Kentros Clifford G.
Published: March 2022

Interactions between conspecifics are central to the acquisition of useful memories in the real world. Observational learning, i.e., learning a task by observing the success or failure of others, has been reported in many species, including rodents. However, previous work in rats with NMDA-receptor blockade has shown that even extensive observation of an unexplored space through a clear barrier is not sufficient to generate a stable hippocampal representation of that space. This raises the question of whether rats can learn a spatial task in a purely observed space from watching a conspecific, and if so, does this somehow stabilize their hippocampal representation? To address these questions, we designed an observational spatial task in a two-part environment that is nearly identical to that of the aforementioned electrophysiological study, in which an observer rat watches a demonstrator animal to learn the location of a hidden reward. Our results demonstrate that rats do not need to physically explore an environment to learn a reward location, provided a conspecific demonstrates where it is. We also show that the behavioral memory is not affected by NMDA receptor blockade, suggesting that the spatial representation underlying the behavior has been consolidated by observation alone.
Mitigating the Bfl-1-mediated antiapoptotic pathway in diffuse large B cell lymphoma by inhibiting HDACs
Authors: Park Eunchae , Lee Chansub , Park Jihyun , Liu Jun , Hong Junshik , Shin Dong-Yeop , Byun Ja Min , Yun Hongseok , Koh Youngil , Yoon Sung-Soo
Published: March 2022

The authors have withdrawn their manuscript whilst they perform additional experiments to test some of their conclusions further. Therefore, the authors do not wish this work to be cited as reference for the project. If you have any questions, please contact the corresponding author.