bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nurses job satisfaction identified by personal preferences and perceived saturation divergence: a comparative cross-sectional study in Czech hospitals between 2011 and 2021
Authors: Vevoda Jiri , Navratilova Daniela , Machaczka Ondrej , Ambroz Petr , Vevodova Sarka , Tomietto Marco
Published: November 2023

Background

The perception of the quality of care provided by the medical institution to patients is directly affected by the job satisfaction of nurses. The feeling of job satisfaction is caused besides other things by the subjective expectations of employees about what their work should provide them with in return. The aim of the study is to evaluate and compare job satisfaction of hospital nurses in the Czech Republic in 2011 and 2021 by identifying differences between their personal preferences and perceived saturation.

Methods

The respondents are hospital nurses in the Czech Republic in 2011 and 2021. A developed questionnaire was used to determine the job satisfaction factors. The order of factors of personal preferences, perceived saturation and differences between them was compiled. For evaluation was used the Euclidean distance model that enables to capture the order and determine the significance given by the distance in which the factors are located.

Results

At the top of personal preferences of hospital nurses, the factors salary and patient care are in the first two places with a similar distance. The salary factor is the most preferred by hospital nurses in both evaluated periods, and at the same time there is the greatest discrepancy between personal preferences and perceived saturation. By contrast, image of profession and working conditions were sufficiently saturated by the employer in both periods, but nurses do not significantly prefer these factors.

Conclusions

The salary and patient care (i.e. the mission of the nurse’s work itself) are at the top of personal preferences of hospital nurses, with an exclusive position among other factors. We consider it important that the hospital management emphasizes them in the management of hospital nurses. At the same time, the patient care is perceived by the hospital nurses as one of the most saturated factors - in contrast to salary, which is located at the complete opposite pole as the least saturated factor and therefore emerges from the mutual comparison as the factor with the greatest degree of divergence. The stated conclusions are valid for both compared periods. New method of data evaluation was successfully tested.
System analysis based on the pyroptosis-related genes identifes GSDMD as a novel therapy target for skin cutaneous melanoma
Authors: Zhao Shixin , Zhu Yongkang , Liu Hengdeng , He Xuefeng , Xie Julin
Published: November 2023

Background

Skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) is the most aggressive skin cancer, accounting for more than 75% mortality rate of skin-related cancers. As a newly identified programmed cell death, pyroptosis has been found to be closely associated with tumor progression. Nevertheless, the prognostic significance of pyroptosis in SKCM remains elusive.

Methods

A total of 469 SKCM samples and 812 normal samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases. Firstly, differentially expressed pyroptosis-related genes (PRGs) between normal samples and SKCM samples were identified. Secondly, we established a prognostic model based on univariate Cox and LASSO Cox regression analyses, which was validated in the test cohort from GSE65904. Thirdly, a nomogram was used to predict the survival probability of SKCM patients. The R package “pRRophetic” was utilized to identify the drug sensitivity between the low- and high-risk groups. Tumor immune infiltration was evaluated using “immuneeconv” R package. Finally, the function of GSDMD and SB525334 was explored in A375 and A2058 cells.

Results

Based on univariate Cox and LASSO regression analyses, we established a prognostic model with identified eight PRGs (AIM2, CASP3, GSDMA, GSDMC, GSDMD, IL18, NLRP3, and NOD2), which was validated in the test cohort. SKCM patients were divided into low- and high-risk groups based on the median of risk score. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that high-risk patients had shorter overall survival than low-risk patients. Additionally, time-dependent ROC curves validated the accuracy of the risk model in predicting the prognosis of SKCM. More importantly, 4 small molecular compounds (SB525334, SR8278, Gemcitabine, AT13387) were identified, which might be potential drugs for patients in different risk groups. Finally, overexpression of GSDMD and SB525334 treatment inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of SKCM cells.

Conclusion

In this study, we constructed a prognostic model based on PRGs and identified GSDMD as a potential therapeutic target, which provide new insights into SKCM treatment.
CD4+CCR8+ Tregs in ovarian cancer: a potential effector Tregs for immune regulation
Authors: Liu Shuna , Tao Ziqi , Lou Jianfang , Li Rong , Fu Xin , Xu Juan , Wang Ting , Zhang Lei , Shang Wenwen , Mao Yepeng , Wang Fang
Published: November 2023

Background

Tregs are key drivers of immunosuppression in solid tumors. As an important chemokine receptor on Tregs, the regulatory effect of CCR8 on tumor immunity has received more and more attention. However, the current research on CCR8 in the immune microenvironment of ovarian cancer has not been clear.

Methods

Bioinformatics analysis was used to compare the transcriptome differences between CD4+ T cells in the peripheral circulation and infiltrated in ovarian tumor tissues. RT-PCR was used to detect the expression levels of chemokine receptor-related differential genes on CD4+ T cells in peripheral blood and ovarian tumor tissues. Multiparameter flow cytometry was used to detect the proportion and phenotypic characteristics of CD4+CCR8+ Tregs and CD4+CCR8− Tregs in different sample types. The expression level of CCR8 ligands was detected at multiple levels. To explore the important role of CCR8-CCL1 and CCR8-CCL18 axis in the migration and invasion of CD4+CCR8+ Tregs into ovarian tumor tissues by establishing a chemotaxis system in vitro.

Results

In this study, significantly different gene expression profiles were found between peripheral circulating CD4+ T cells and infiltrating CD4+ T cells in ovarian tumor tissues, in which chemokine-chemokine receptor signaling pathway was significantly enriched in all three groups of differential genes. The expression level of CCR8 in infiltrating CD4+ T cells of ovarian cancer tissue was significantly higher than that in peripheral blood of healthy controls and ovarian cancer patients, and high expression of CCR8 was significantly correlated with advanced tumor stage and poor differentiation. CD4+CCR8+ Tregs are the main type of infiltrating CD4+ Tregs in ovarian tumor tissues, which have stronger immunosuppressive phenotypes, secrete more inhibitory cytokines and have stronger proliferation ability. The ligands CCL1 and CCL18 corresponding to CCR8 were significantly overexpressed in ovarian tumor tissues, and the CCR8-CCL1 and CCR8-CCL18 axis played a key role in the migration and infiltration of CD4+CCR8+ Tregs into ovarian tumor tissues.

Conclusions

The results of this study may help to understand the phenotypic characteristics and recruitment process of Tregs in the tumor, and provide new ideas for improving the immunosuppressive status of the ovarian cancer microenvironment.
Tuberculosis among children and adolescents with rheumatic diseases - case series
Authors: Lima Lenita de Melo , Fonseca Adriana Rodrigues , Sant’Anna Clemax Couto , Parente Ana Alice Amaral Ibiapina , Aurilio Rafaela Baroni , Sant’Anna Maria de Fátima Bazhuni Pombo
Published: November 2023

Background: Rheumatic patients have a higher frequency of tuberculosis(TB) than the general population. This study aimed to describe children and adolescents with TB and rheumatic diseases(RD) who were being treated in a reference center. Methods: A series of TB cases were investigated in a reference center for childhood TB in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from 1995 to 2022. Results: Fifteen patients with underlying RD and TB were included with 8(53%) being female. The mean age at RD diagnosis was 7.10years (SD ± 0,57 years), and the mean age at TB diagnosis was 9.81 years(SD ± 0.88 years). A total of 9 cases of pulmonary TB(PTB) and 6 cases of extrapulmonary TB—pleural(2), joint/osteoarticular(1), cutaneous(1), ocular(1), and peritoneal(1)- were described. The RD observed in the 15 patients included juvenile idiopathic arthritis(9), juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus(3), juvenile dermatomyositis(1), polyarteritis nodosa(1), and pyoderma gangrenosum(1). Among the immunosuppressants/immunobiologics, methotrexate(8) was the most commonly used, followed by corticosteroids(6), etanercept(2), mycophenolate mofetil(1), cyclosporine A(1), adalimumab(1), and tocilizumab(1). The most common symptoms were fever and weight loss, and a predominance of PTB cases was noted. GeneXpert MTB/RIF® was performed in six patients and was detectable in two without rifampicin resistance; Xpert Ultra® was performed in five patients, and traces with indeterminate rifampicin resistance were detected in three. One female patient discontinued treatment, and another passed away. Conclusions: The case series demonstrated the importance of suspecting and investigating TB in RD affected patients who are using immunosuppressants/ immunobiologics, particularly in countries with high rates of TB such as Brazil.
Healthcare workers’ freedom of movement in times of pandemics: an emerging norm of customary international law
Authors: Constantin Andrés , Sternstein Aliya
Published: November 2023

Background

A shortage of healthcare workers can hinder the ability to prepare for and respond to global security threats caused by diseases that are prone to pandemics. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the shortage of healthcare workers became a growing concern worldwide. Recognizing these challenges, countries adopted measures to ensure healthcare workers’ freedom of movement in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the WHO continues the negotiation process to reform the 2005 International Health Regulations and to adopt a new Pandemic Treaty, with one key provision relating to healthcare workers’ mobility, questions remain as to whether States will actually adopt a binding international legal instrument or whether its effectiveness will be watered down by the intrinsic vulnerabilities of an international legal system that has (too) often been unable to tame geopolitical interests. Considering these challenges, we assessed the emergence of a norm of customary international law allowing the free movement of healthcare workers during pandemics.

Methods

Our study examined the laws and policies adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic concerning healthcare workers’ mobility in 10 countries, representing all continents. The country selection was based on regional representation and a preliminary analysis indicating their early adoption of measures related to healthcare workers’ mobility. Temporal limits were set. To gather relevant data, we employed various methods including research databases, media sources, and the COVID-19 Law Lab database.

Results

Our research identified and assessed instances of state practice and evidence of opinio juris to determine whether a norm of customary international law mandating states to ensure healthcare workers’ freedom of movement during pandemics exists.

The findings indicate a strong consensus towards ensuring the free movement of healthcare workers in times of pandemics as a way to respond to outbreaks of disease. Within months, Argentina, Colombia, Kenya, South Africa, India, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States, ten nations representing most regions of the world, recognized, as law, the practice of excluding healthcare workers from prohibitions on movement.

Conclusion

Ultimately, this discussion is critical for global health because if a norm does exist in this regard, it will further strengthen pandemic legal preparedness efforts. As such, it becomes clear that the reform of the 2005 International Health Regulations and/or the adoption of a new pandemic treaty will bolster the strength of this emerging norm of customary international law and crystallize it. These legal instruments would propel a norm that is already in the process of formulation into existence. Thus, crystallizing a norm that is otherwise emerging among states.
First clinical application of image-guided intraoperative electron radiation therapy with real time intraoperative dose calculation in recurrent rectal cancer: technical procedure
Authors: Roeder Falk , Fastner Gerd , Fussl Christoph , Sedlmayer Felix , Stana Markus , Berchtold Johannes , Jäger Tarkan , Presl Jaroslav , Schredl Philipp , Emmanuel Klaus , Colleselli Daniela , Kotolacsi Gabriel , Scherer Philipp , Steininger Philipp , Gaisberger Christoph
Published: November 2023

Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) is a radiation technique applying a single fraction with a high dose during surgery. We report the first abdomino-pelvic application of an image-guided intraoperative electron radiation therapy with intraoperative real time dose calculation based on the individual intraoperative patient anatomy. A patient suffering from locoregionally recurrent rectal cancer after treatment with neoadjuvant re-chemoradiation was chosen for this approach. After surgical removal of the recurrence, an adequate IORT applicator was placed as usual. A novel mobile imaging device (ImagingRing, MedPhoton) was positioned around the patient covering the region to be treated with the IORT-applicator in place. It allowed the acquisition of three-dimensional intraoperative cone-beam computed tomography images suitable for dose calculation using an automated scaling (heuristic object and head scatter as well as hardening corrections) of Hounsfield units. After image acquisition confirmed the correct applicator position, the images were transferred to our treatment planning system for intraoperative dose calculation. Treatment could be accomplished using the calculated dose distribution. We herein describe the details of the procedure including necessary adjustments in the typically used IORT equipment and work flow. We further discuss the pros and cons of this new approach generally overcoming a decade long limitation of IORT procedures as well as future perspectives regarding IORT treatments.
Panax japonicus C.A. Meyer: a comprehensive review on botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics and authentication
Authors: Chen Yuan , Liu Meiqi , Wen Jinli , Yang Zijie , Li Guohui , Cao Ying , Sun Lili , Ren Xiaoliang
Published: November 2023

Background

Panax japonicus C.A. Meyer (Zhujieshen) is widely used in traditional medicine as a tonic hemostatic and anti-inflammatory agent in China, Japan, and Korea. Furthermore, it is used as an important substitute for ginseng roots by minority ethnic groups in China. The purpose of this review is to summarize the latest research on Zhujieshen in recent years, aiming at providing a systematic overview of the current knowledge, and perspectives for future research and exploitation.

Main body

This review examines the research advances in botanical profile, phytochemicals, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and authentication of Zhujieshen. Various compounds have been reported as active components, mainly including saponins, volatile oils, and polysaccharides. Pharmacological investigations have demonstrated that Zhujieshen is an important herb with significant bioactivities, such as anti-inflammatory, hepato-protective, cardio-protective, neuro-protective, anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-thrombotic and immunomodulatory activities.

Conclusion

Currently, research on Zhujieshen is in the preliminary stages, and further research is required to understand the active compounds present and mechanisms of action. We hope that this comprehensive review of Zhujieshen will serve as a background for future research and exploitation.
Simple model systems reveal conserved mechanisms of Alzheimer’s disease and related tauopathies
Authors: Jiang Yuwei , MacNeil Lesley T.
Published: November 2023

The lack of effective therapies that slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related tauopathies highlights the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the fundamental cellular mechanisms underlying these diseases. Model organisms, including yeast, worms, and flies, provide simple systems with which to investigate the mechanisms of disease. The evolutionary conservation of cellular pathways regulating proteostasis and stress response in these organisms facilitates the study of genetic factors that contribute to, or protect against, neurodegeneration. Here, we review genetic modifiers of neurodegeneration and related cellular pathways identified in the budding yeastSaccharomyces cerevisiae, the nematodeCaenorhabditis elegans, and the fruit flyDrosophila melanogaster, focusing on models of AD and related tauopathies. We further address the potential of simple model systems to better understand the fundamental mechanisms that lead to AD and other neurodegenerative disorders.
A pilot trial of an online guided self-help cognitive behavioral therapy program for bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder in Japanese patients
Authors: Ohsako Noriaki , Kimura Hiroshi , Hashimoto Tasuku , Hosoda Yutaka , Inaba Yosuke , Iyo Masaomi , Nakazato Michiko
Published: November 2023

Background

The purpose of this study was to develop an internet-based Guided Self-Help CBT (iGSH-CBT) for Bulimia Nervosa (BN) / Binge Eating Disorder (BED) for Japanese patients and to test its feasibility.

Methods

A single-arm feasibility study. After baseline assessment, patients underwent a 16-week iGSH-CBT program, our Japanese adaption of the European-based Salut BN program. During the treatment period, weekly email support from trained counselors was provided. Evaluations were performed at baseline, after 8 weeks, at the end of the 16-week intervention, and at 2 months after treatment had ended. The primary outcome measure was the change in the weekly frequency of objective binging. Secondary outcomes were the change in the weekly frequency of objective purge episodes, responses on self-report questionnaires of the frequencies of binging and purging, psychopathological characteristics of eating disorders found on BITE, EDE-Q, EDI-2, HADS and EQ-5D, measurements of motivation, and completion of intervention (vs. dropout).

Results

Participants were 9 female outpatients with BN (n = 5) or BED (n = 4), of whom 8 (88.9%) attended the assessment at the end of the 16-week intervention. Mean age was 28 years (SD = 7.9). Percent change of the weekly frequency of objective binging was -4.40%, and at the end of the 16-week intervention 25% of the participants had achieved symptom abstinence.

Conclusions

No adverse events were observed during the treatment period and follow-up, and the implementation and operation of the program could be performed without any major problems, confirming the feasibility of iGSH-CBT for BN and BED for Japanese patients. Although no significant change was observed in the weekly frequency of objective binging, the abstinence rate from bulimic behaviors of those who completed the assessments was 25.0% at the end of treatment, and the drop-out rate was 11.1%. iGSH-CBT may be an acceptable and possibly even a preferred method of CBT delivery for Japanese patients with BN or BED, and our Japanese adaptation of Salut BN seems feasible.

Trial registration

UMIN, UMIN000031962. Registered 1 April 2018 - Retrospectively registered, https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000036334
Exploring the known chemical space of the plant kingdom: insights into taxonomic patterns, knowledge gaps, and bioactive regions
Authors: Domingo-Fernández Daniel , Gadiya Yojana , Mubeen Sarah , Healey David , Norman Bryan H. , Colluru Viswa
Published: November 2023

Plants are one of the primary sources of natural products for drug development. However, despite centuries of research, only a limited region of the phytochemical space has been studied. To understand the scope of what is explored versus unexplored in the phytochemical space, we begin by reconstructing the known chemical space of the plant kingdom, mapping the distribution of secondary metabolites, chemical classes, and plants traditionally used for medicinal purposes (i.e., medicinal plants) across various levels of the taxonomy. We identify hotspot taxonomic clades occupied by a large proportion of medicinal plants and characterized secondary metabolites, as well as clades requiring further characterization with regard to their chemical composition. In a complementary analysis, we build a chemotaxonomy which has a high level of concordance with the taxonomy at the genus level, highlighting the close relationship between chemical profiles and evolutionary relationships within the plant kingdom. Next, we delve into regions of the phytochemical space with known bioactivity that have been used in modern drug discovery. While we find that the vast majority of approved drugs from phytochemicals are derived from known medicinal plants, we also show that medicinal and non-medicinal plants do not occupy distinct regions of the known phytochemical landscape and their phytochemicals exhibit properties similar to bioactive compounds. Moreover, we also reveal that only a few thousand phytochemicals have been screened for bioactivity and that there are hundreds of known bioactive compounds present in both medicinal and non-medicinal plants, suggesting that non-medicinal plants also have potential therapeutic applications. Overall, these results support the hypothesis that there are many plants with medicinal properties awaiting discovery.
Infinitely many radial solutions of superlinear elliptic problems with dependence on the gradient terms in an annulus
Authors: Zhu Yan , Ma Ruyun , Su Xiaoxiao
Published: November 2023

In this paper, we are concerned with elliptic problems $$ \textstyle\begin{cases} -\Delta u= f(u)+ g( \vert x \vert ,u,\frac{x}{ \vert x \vert }\cdot \nabla u),&x\in \Omega , \\ u|_{\partial \Omega}=0, \end{cases} $$

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Post-traumatic growth and influencing factors among parents of premature infants: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Wang Fang , Zhang Shuo , Liu Chunyan , Ni Zhihong
Published: November 2023

Background

Post-traumatic growth is a positive psychological change that may aid recovery in individuals experiencing trauma. Owing to the lack of research in the area of parental care for premature infants, we decided to explore the levels and factors influencing post-traumatic growth among parents of premature infants in neonatal intensive care units. We believe that these findings will help reassess existing care practices so that healthcare providers can promptly identify negative emotions and take necessary measures to help develop the potential to enhance post-traumatic growth.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted using convenience sampling between February and September 2022. Data were analysed using independent sample t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Bivariate correlations were analysed using the Pearson’s or Spearman’s method, and related factors were analysed using multiple linear regression. We followed the SRQR checklist throughout the study period.

Results

A total of 217 patients were effectively treated, with a recovery rate of 98.64%. Univariate analysis showed that the length of hospital stay, presence of only one child, parents’ age, marital status, education level, working status, and per capita monthly familial income were influencing factors. Bivariate analysis showed that post-traumatic growth was moderately and positively correlated with perceived social support, rumination, and family resilience. Multiple linear regression showed that purposeful contemplation, family resilience, education, family support, age, and marital status entered into the regression equation and together accounted for 47.4% of the total variation.

Conclusions

It is necessary to pay attention to post-traumatic growth and familial stability in these families, provide aid in building a good support system, and encourage parents to mobilise their family and favourable factors to increase post-traumatic growth levels.
In vitro evaluation of enzymatically derived blackcurrant extract as prebiotic cosmetic ingredient: extraction conditions optimization and effect on cutaneous microbiota representatives
Authors: Petrov Ivanković Anja , Milivojević Ana , Ćorović Marija , Simović Milica , Banjanac Katarina , Jansen Patrick , Vukoičić Ana , van den Bogaard Ellen , Bezbradica Dejan
Published: November 2023

Background

Blackcurrant is a rich source of polyphenols with proven physiological activity, that have lately been classified as emerging prebiotics, making its extracts suitable for application in functional food and bioactive cosmetics. However, these biomolecules are trapped in cell wall structures and nowadays, enzymatic hydrolysis is recognised as powerful tool for extraction efficiency improvement in an environmentally sound manner. This study aimed to optimize enzyme-assisted extraction to maximize yields of blackcurrant polyphenols. In addition, their prebiotic potential was tested by examining their influence on typical skin microbiota representatives as model microorganisms—beneficial coagulase-negative Staphylococcus epidermidis and two opportunistic pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and Cutibacterium acnes.

Results

Among four examined commercial enzyme preparations, Viscozyme® L and Rohapect® MC, demonstrated the highest potential as extraction enhancers by increasing antioxidant activity, total polyphenol, and flavonoid contents. Furthermore, their synergetic effect enabled 95.3% increase in polyphenol concentration compared to conventional extraction with a maximum of 27.6 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g dry matter (DM) at a total enzyme concentration of 0.05 mL/g DM (Viscozyme® L to Rohapect® MC ratio 2:1) after 60 min. HPLC profiles of two samples showed differences in polyphenol composition indicating simultaneous extraction–biotransformation. At a concentration of 0.025 mg GAE/mL, PAS (prebiotic activity score) values were 0.096 and 0.172 for conventionally and enzymatically obtained extract, respectively. Moderate inhibitory effect of optimal extract concentration on Cutibacterium acnes was shown, as well. Hydrogel prepared with optimal extract concentration showed improved hydration effect, decreased irritability and increased dermatological compatibility comparing to basic formulation.

Conclusions

Overall results demonstrated that blackcurrant extract obtained under optimized conditions using enzymes possesses an emerging prebiotic potential for selective skin microbiota stimulation.

Graphical Abstract
Transforming writing education: WAC faculty experiences and challenges in Saudi universities
Authors: Alharbi Majed Abdullah , Albelihi Hani Hamd
Published: November 2023

Writing across the curriculum (WAC) has been viewed as a movement that links several academic fields across various academic departments in different institutions. WAC has emerged as a powerful pedagogical tool for improving students’ learning outcomes and critical thinking. While the practice of WAC as an independent learning unit is not formally implemented in all Saudi universities, teaching writing across the disciplines is pervasive. The principal objective of this research project is to inform writing specialists and policymakers in Saudi higher education about the status of WAC on Saudi campuses. Through five faculty narratives and group interviews, this research collects and analyzes faculty experiences, challenges, perceptions, and institutional expectations concerning writing practices across the disciplines at predominantly undergraduate, teaching-oriented Saudi universities. Findings indicate that faculty members utilize WAC to encourage critical thinking and improve students’ overall linguistic competence. While instructors face challenges, participants reported the need to develop a community of practice to enhance WAC culture in Saudi Arabia. The study recommends that educators form cross-institutional teams to collectively design culturally sensitive, locally rooted, and responsive writing practices.
Comparison of the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics between type 1 and type 2 narcolepsy: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Niijima Kuniyuki , Wakai Masakazu
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Narcolepsy is a chronic brain disease characterized by excessive sleepiness and classified into two types based on the presence of cataplexy or reduced level of cerebrospinal fluid orexin-A (hypocretine-1): narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) and narcolepsy type 2 (NT2). These two types differ in symptoms other than cataplexy, as well as in certain examination findings. The present study aimed to investigate the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of NT1 by comparing its features with those of NT2.

Methods

Subjects were 118 first diagnosed and untreated patients with narcolepsy. They underwent both polysomnography (PSG) and multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) as a sleep test. Diagnosis was established in accordance with International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Third Edition, and the type of narcolepsy was determined by the presence or absence of cataplexy, patients with cataplexy were diagnosed with NT1, and without cataplexy were diagnosed with NT2. We investigated characteristics of the patients, PSG and MSLT outcomes, and applied a suite of duly statistical analysis to account for each parameter.

Results

Among the 118 subjects, 35 patients (29.7%) were NT1, and 83 patients (70.3%) were NT2. Excessive daytime sleepiness which was measured by Japanese version of Epworth sleepiness scale (JESS) was significantly higher in NT1 than NT2. Furthermore, the presence of sleep hallucination (n = 29, 82.9%), sleep paralysis (n = 18, 51.4%), difficult maintaining sleep (n = 22, 62.9%), and sleep related movement and behavior disorders (n = 7, 20.0%) were significantly higher in NT1 than those in NT2. Additionally, parameters indicative of sleep fragmentation, such as the arousal index and wake time after sleep onset measured in PSG, exhibited a statistically significant increase in NT1 when contrasted with NT2.

Conclusions

Fragmentation of nocturnal sleep which is explained by the high arousal index and the long wake time after sleep onset on PSG was considered a characteristic finding of NT1 compared with NT2, and the patients with NT1 experienced greater difficulty of maintaining sleep. Concomitantly, the prevalence of NT1 in this study may be a representative value of the prevalence of NT1 among the patients with narcolepsy in Japan.
Risk of control failure to insecticides malathion, profenophos + cypermethrin mixture, and fipronil in boll weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) populations from Bahia, Brazil
Authors: Coelho Beatriz S. , Leite Suzany A. , dos Santos Mateus P. , Guedes Raul N. C. , Bastos Cristina S. , Moreira Aldenise A. , Bonfim João E. V. , Castellani Maria A.
Published: November 2023

Background

To control the boll weevil Anthonomus grandis grandis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a key pest of cotton in the Americas, insecticides have been intensively used to manage their populations, increasing selection pressure for resistant populations. Thus, this study aimed to detect insecticide resistance and assess insecticide control failure likelihood of boll weevil populations exposed to malathion, profenophos + cypermethrin, and fipronil insecticides.

Results

Twelve populations of the boll weevil were collected from commercial cotton fileds of the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. These populations were exposed to malathion, profenophos + cypermethrin mixture, and fipronil, at their respective maximum label dose for field applications. Three replicates of 10 adult beetles were exposed to the insecticides and mortality was recorded after 24 h treatment. The control failure likelihood was determined after 48 h. Highest median lethal times (LT50) were observed for malathion and the profenophos + cypermethrin mixture. Resistance to at least one insecticide was detected in 11 populations; three populations were resistant to malathion and profenophos + cypermethrin; seven were resistant to all insecticides tested. The resistance levels were low (< 10-fold) for the three insecticides. Among 12 populations tested, 58% of them exhibited significant risk of control failure for the insecticides malathion and profenophos + cypermethrin. The insecticide fipronil was efficient for the control of the boll weevil in 83% of the populations.

Conclusions

The results confirm the significant risk of insecticide control failure in the boll weevil populations to the main compounds used in the region. Thus, proper insecticide resistance management plans are necessary for the boll weevil in the region, particularly for malathion and profenophos + cypermethrin insecticides.
Augmented dynamics of nonlinear systems: A review
Authors: Punetha Nirmal , Khatun Anjuman Ara , Jafri Haider Hasan , Prasad Awadhesh , Shrimali Manish Dev
Published: November 2023

We discuss a simple yet powerful control technique called “Linear Augmentation” (LA) for nonlinear dynamical systems. The linear augmentation can be perceived as a type of interaction that may occur naturally in dynamical systems as an environmental effect, or can be explicitly added to a system in order to control its collective dynamical behavior. LA has been known to effectively regulate resulting dynamics of various dynamical systems and can be used as a powerful control strategy in various applications. Examples include targeting attractor(s), regulating multistable dynamics, suppression of extreme events, and controlling chimera states in the nonlinear dynamical systems.
β Cell Stress and Endocrine Function During T1D: What Is Next to Discover?
Authors: Vived Celia , Lee-Papastavros Alexander , Aparecida da Silva Pereira Jéssica , Yi Peng , MacDonald Tara L
Published: November 2023

Canonically, type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a disease characterized by autoreactive T cells as perpetrators of endocrine dysfunction and β cell death in the spiral toward loss of β cell mass, hyperglycemia, and insulin dependence. β Cells have mostly been considered as bystanders in a flurry of autoimmune processes. More recently, our framework for understanding and investigating T1D has evolved. It appears increasingly likely that intracellular β cell stress is an important component of T1D etiology/pathology that perpetuates autoimmunity during the progression to T1D. Here we discuss the emerging and complex role of β cell stress in initiating, provoking, and catalyzing T1D. We outline the bridges between hyperglycemia, endoplasmic reticulum stress, oxidative stress, and autoimmunity from the viewpoint of intrinsic β cell (dys)function, and we extend this discussion to the potential role for a therapeutic β cell stress-metabolism axis in T1D. Lastly, we mention research angles that may be pursued to improve β cell endocrine function during T1D. Biology gleaned from studying T1D will certainly overlap to innovate therapeutic strategies for T2D, and also enhance the pursuit of creating optimized stem cell-derived β cells as endocrine therapy.
The Eighteenth-CenturyHôtel Particulier
Authors: Thompson Victoria E.
Published: November 2023

This article examines discussions of Parisian hôtels particuliers (townhomes) in eighteenth-century texts on architecture and mœurs (mores). It focuses on how exterior decoration was used to comment on the social order and on the relationship between public and private and shows how both were undergoing transformations in the eighteenth century. Exterior decoration meant to indicate the rank of the inhabitant was increasingly obscured by the practices of the wealthy, regardless of rank. The exterior of the townhome was a visible boundary between public (the street) and private (the home); it was also the entrance to residences that often combined private and public functions. Luxury townhomes housed government officials, some of whom bought their public offices. On the Right Bank, many townhomes were built by financiers, who lent privately held funds to the state. In written texts, multiple concerns about the instability of status and wealth focused on townhomes. These texts played a role in the articulation of a public realm completely differentiated from private ownership.
Le réseau d'affaires francophone dans la haute vallée de l'Ohio et le Kentucky entre 1783 et 1815
Authors: Deperne Marcel
Published: November 2023

Précis

En 1787, l'Ordonnance du Nord-Ouest ouvre à la colonisation les immenses territoires situés à l'ouest des Appalaches. Un même esprit révolutionnaire, inspiré par les Lumières, s'empare au même moment des Etats-Unis et de la France et pousse migrants, exilés, et réfugiés à voir en la jeune république américaine un havre de paix et un pays de cocagne propice à l'accomplissement de leur « rêve américain ». Dans un monde en pleine mutation, ils partent donc, malgré leurs différences de parcours et de personnalité, avec le seul projet commun de « tenter la fortune ». « Français » venus de France ou d'autres pays francophones et réfugiés de Saint-Domingue forment une vaste nébuleuse composée d'individus isolés, anciens membres déçus des sociétés de colonisation, ou de commerçants, spéculateurs ou hommes d'affaires. Connectés aux réseaux des ports atlantiques, ils développent dans la haute vallée de l'Ohio et le Kentucky, région-carrefour et lieu de toutes les mobilités, un grand réseau d'affaires.
The Long War on Drugs
Authors: Foster Anne L.
Published: November 2023

Since the early twentieth century, the United States has led a global prohibition effort against certain drugs in which production restriction and criminalization are emphasized over prevention and treatment as means to reduce problematic usage. This “war on drugs” is widely seen to have failed, and periodically decriminalization and legalization movements arise. Debates continue over whether the problems of addiction and crime associated with illicit use of drugs stem from their illegal status or the nature of the drugs themselves. In The Long War on Drugs Anne L. Foster explores the origin of the punitive approach to drugs and its continued appeal despite its obvious flaws. She provides a comprehensive overview, focusing not only on a political history of policy developments but also on changes in medical practices and understanding of drugs. Foster also outlines the social and cultural changes prompting different attitudes about drugs; the racial, environmental, and social justice implications of particular drug policies; and the international consequences of US drug policy.
Moderate mass loss enhances flight performance via alteration of flight kinematics and postures in a passerine bird
Authors: Kou Guanqun , Wang Yang , Ge Shiyong , Yin Yuan , Sun Yanfeng , Li Dongming
Published: November 2023

Many birds experience fluctuations in body mass throughout the annual life cycle. The flight efficiency hypothesis posits that adaptive mass loss can enhance avian flight ability. However, whether birds can increase additional wing loading following mass loss and how birds adjust flight kinematics and postures remain largely unexplored. We investigated physiological changes in body condition in breeding female Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus) through a dietary restriction experiment and determined the changes in flight kinematics and postures. Body mass decreased significantly, but the external maximum load and mass-corrected total load increased significantly after 3 days of dietary restriction. After 6 days of dietary restriction (DR6), hematocrit, pectoralis and hepatic fat content, take-off speed, theoretical maximum range speed and maximum power speed declined significantly. Notably, the load capacity and power margin remained unchanged relative to the control group. The wing stroke amplitude and relative downstroke duration were not affected by the interaction between diet restriction and extra load. Wing stroke amplitude significantly increased after DR6 treatment, while the relative downstroke duration significantly decreased. The stroke plane angle significantly increased after DR6 treatment only in the load-free condition. In addition, the sparrows adjusted their body angle and stroke plane angle in response to the extra load, but stroke amplitude and wingbeat frequency remained unchanged. Therefore, birds can maintain and even enhance their flight performance by adjusting flight kinematics and postures after a short-term mass loss.
Disproportionate role of nuclear-encoded proteins in organismal and mitochondrial thermal performance in a copepod
Authors: Kayhani Kamron , Barreto Felipe S.
Published: November 2023

Determining the mechanisms by which organisms evolve thermal tolerance is crucial to predicting how populations may respond to changes in local temperature regimes. Although evidence of relationships between mitochondrial background and thermal adaptation have been found, the presence of both nuclear-encoded and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA)-encoded proteins warrants experiments aimed at parsing out the relative role of each genome in thermal adaptation. We investigated the relative role of mtDNA-encoded products in thermal tolerance between two divergent populations of Tigriopus californicus using first-generation (F1) hybrids that vary in maternally inherited mtDNA but are heterozygous for population-specific alleles across nuclear loci. We tested two measures of thermal tolerance, (1) survivorship to acute thermal stress and (2) thermal stability of mitochondrial performance in Complex I-fueled ATP synthesis, both across a range of increasing temperatures. We found that the southern population (San Diego, CA, USA) outperformed the northern population (Strawberry Hill, OR, USA) in survivorship, and that both reciprocal F1 hybrid crosses had intermediate survival. Mitochondria from the San Diego population displayed greater stability in ATP synthesis with increasing temperatures compared with those from Strawberry Hill. Interestingly, hybrids from both cross directions had synthesis profiles that were very similar to that of Strawberry Hill. Taken together, these results suggest that the relative role of the mtDNA in these phenotypes is negligible compared with that of elements encoded by nuclear DNA in this system.
Better together: isolation impedes memory formation for configural learning in Lymnaea stagnalis
Authors: Kagan Diana , Hollings Jasper , Batabyal Anuradha , Lukowiak Ken
Published: November 2023

Social interactions play an important role in learning and memory. There is great variability in the literature regarding the effects of social isolation on cognition. Here, we investigated how memory formation was affected when Lymnaea stagnalis, our model system, were socially isolated at three different time periods: before, during or after the configural learning training procedure. Each group of snails underwent configural learning where we recorded and compared their feeding behaviour before and after the pairing of an appetitive food stimulus with predator kairomones (i.e. the training procedure). We found that isolating snails before the training procedure had no effect on their learning and memory. However, when snails were isolated either during the training procedure or immediately after the training procedure, they no longer formed memory. These data provide further insight into how isolation impacts cognitive functioning in the context of higher-order learning.
Locomotor effects of a fibrosis-based immune response in stickleback fish
Authors: Matthews David G. , Maciejewski Meghan F. , Wong Greta A. , Lauder George V. , Bolnick Daniel I.
Published: November 2023

The vertebrate immune system provides an impressively effective defense against parasites and pathogens. However, these benefits must be balanced against a range of costly side-effects including energy loss and risks of auto-immunity. These costs might include biomechanical impairment of movement, but little is known about the intersection between immunity and biomechanics. Here, we show that a fibrosis immune response to Schistocephalus solidus infection in freshwater threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) has collateral effects on their locomotion. Although fibrosis is effective at reducing infection, some populations of stickleback actively suppress this immune response, possibly because the costs of fibrosis outweigh the benefits. We quantified the locomotor effects of the fibrosis immune response in the absence of parasites to investigate whether there are incidental costs of fibrosis that could help explain why some fish forego this effective defense. To do this, we induced fibrosis in stickleback and then tested their C-start escape performance. Additionally, we measured the severity of fibrosis, body stiffness and body curvature during the escape response. We were able to estimate performance costs of fibrosis by including these variables as intermediates in a structural equation model. This model revealed that among control fish without fibrosis, there is a performance cost associated with increased body stiffness. However, fish with fibrosis did not experience this cost but rather displayed increased performance with higher fibrosis severity. This result demonstrates that the adaptive landscape of immune responses can be complex with the potential for wide-reaching and unexpected fitness consequences.
Determining energy expenditure in a large seabird using accelerometry
Authors: Sutton Grace J. , Angel Lauren P. , Speakman John R. , Arnould John P. Y.
Published: November 2023

The trade off between energy gained and expended is the foundation of understanding how, why and when animals perform any activity. Based on the concept that animal movements have an energetic cost, accelerometry is increasingly being used to estimate energy expenditure. However, validation of accelerometry as an accurate proxy for field metabolic rate in free-ranging species is limited. In the present study, Australasian gannets (Morus serrator) from the Pope's Eye colony (38°16′42″S 144°41′48″E), south-eastern Australia, were equipped with GPS and tri-axial accelerometers and dosed with doubly labelled water (DLW) to measure energy expenditure during normal behaviour for 3–5 days. The correlation between daily energy expenditure from the DLW and vectorial dynamic body acceleration (VeDBA) was high for both a simple correlation and activity-specific approaches (R2=0.75 and 0.80, respectively). Varying degrees of success were observed for estimating at-sea metabolic rate from accelerometry when removing time on land using published energy expenditure constants (R2=0.02) or activity-specific approaches (R2=0.42). The predictive capacity of energy expenditure models for total and at-sea periods was improved by the addition of total distance travelled and proportion of the sampling period spent at sea during the night, respectively (R2=0.61–0.82). These results indicate that accelerometry can be used to estimate daily energy expenditure in free-ranging gannets and its accuracy may depend on the inclusion of movement parameters not detected by accelerometry.