bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of replacing a portion of fish meal with unfermented and/or fermented soybean meal on the growth performance, antioxidant and immunity capacity and related gene expression in juvenile Coho Salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch
Authors: Zhang Qin , Wang Jiajing , Yang Qiuyue , Xu Lixiao , Xu Jian , Liu Yongqiang , Tong Tong
Published: June 2023

This study investigated the effect of replacing a portion of fish meal with unfermented and/or fermented soybean meal in juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch). Four groups of juveniles (initial weight 110.31 ± 3.12 g) in triplicate were fed for 90 days on four different iso‐nitrogen and iso‐lipid diets. The G0 diet comprised 28% fish meal protein (control group). In the other three diets (G1, G2, and G3), 10% of the fish meal protein was replaced with unfermented and/or fermented soybean meal protein. The main results were: Compared with G0, the WGR, SGR, CF; the contents of GLU, TP, ALB, T‐CHO, and T‐AOC, the activities of AKP, CAT, SOD, GST, GSH‐PX, O2·‐CR, OH·‐CR, and GSH and the expressions of SOD, GSH‐PX, GST, CAT, and Nrf2 genes of juvenile coho salmon in G3 were significantly (p < 0.05) increased, However, the FCR, HSI, the content of MDA, and the expressions of TNF‐α and IL‐6 genes of juvenile coho salmon in G3 were significantly (p < 0.05) decreased. There was no significant effect (p > 0.05) of diet on their survival rate (SR). In conclusion, the fermented soybean meal in the juvenile coho salmon diet can replace 10% of the fish meal protein.
Bite or flight? Behavioral interactions between bark anoles and brown anoles in their nonnative range
Authors: Clifton I. T. , Gripshover N. D. , Amador A. G. , Aquino W. , Fernandez J. , Mathieu M. , Menendez A. , Quintana C. , Rhoades S. , Suarez G. , Cox C. L.
Published: June 2023

Both intra‐ and interspecific interactions play crucial roles in defining the structure of ecological communities. However, the specific behavioral processes underlying this structuring are often unclear and must be inferred from contemporary interactions. Rapid spread of nonnative species has resulted in increasingly homogenized communities, and this homogenization provides an excellent opportunity to study the behavioral processes that lead to stable communities of introduced species in novel habitats. Here, we compared the behavior of brown anoles (Anolis sagrei) and bark anoles (A. distichus) when faced with an incursion by an unknown brown anole to examine the intra‐ and interspecific interactions underlying the structuring of novel communities in South Florida, USA. We found that brown anoles were consistently more aggressive toward intruders than bark anoles, and this pattern was accentuated when they encountered intruders of the same sex. Conversely, bark anoles were likely to flee when they encountered intruder brown anoles. We also found that brown anoles were likely to attack intruders regardless of whether they engaged in aggressive behavioral displays while bark anoles were likely to flee regardless of whether the intruder engaged in behavioral displays. Our findings suggest that behavioral interactions could play a significant role in structuring the novel Anolis communities in South Florida and demonstrate the importance of aggressive interactions both within and between species.
Behavior‐based price discrimination in the domestic and international mixed duopoly
Authors: Okuyama Suzuka
Published: June 2023

This study investigates mixed markets in which a social welfare‐maximizing public firm and a private firm engage in behavior‐based price discrimination (BBPD). A total of two cases are considered: one where domestic shareholders completely own the private firm and one where foreign shareholders completely own it. In the domestic mixed duopoly, BBPD is irrelevant from the viewpoint of domestic social welfare. This is because poaching does not occur. In the international mixed duopoly, BBPD improves domestic social welfare, as BBPD reduces the outflow of the private firm's profit to foreign shareholders. In both cases, privatization is more undesirable under BBPD than uniform pricing.
Understanding Heterogeneity in the Impact of Public Preschool Programs
Authors: Watts Tyler W. , Jenkins Jade M. , Dodge Kenneth A. , Carr Robert C. , Sauval Maria , Bai Yu , Escueta Maya , Duer Jennifer , Ladd Helen , Muschkin Clara , Peisner‐Feinberg Ellen , Ananat Elizabeth
Published: June 2023

We examine the North Carolina Pre‐K (NC Pre‐K) program to test the hypothesis that observed variation in effects resulting from exposure to the program can be attributed to interactions with other environmental factors that occur before, during, or after the pre‐k year. We examine student outcomes in 5th grade and test interaction effects between NC's level of investment in public pre‐k and moderating factors. Our main sample includes the population of children born in North Carolina between 1987 and 2005 who later attended a public school in that state, had valid achievement data in 5th grade, and could be matched by administrative record review (n = 1,207,576; 58% White non‐Hispanic, 29% Black non‐Hispanic, 7% Hispanic, 6% multiracial and Other race/ethnicity). Analyses were based on a natural experiment leveraging variation in county‐level funding for NC Pre‐K across NC counties during each of the years the state scaled up the program. Exposure to NC Pre‐K funding was defined as the per‐4‐year‐old‐child state allocation of funds to a county in a year. Regression models included child‐level and county‐level covariates and county and year fixed effects.

Estimates indicate that a child's exposure to higher NC Pre‐K funding was positively associated with that child's academic achievement 6 years later. We found no effect on special education placement or grade retention. NC Pre‐K funding effects on achievement were positive for all subgroups tested, and statistically significant for most. However, they were larger for children exposed to more disadvantaged environments either before or after the pre‐k experience, consistent with a compensatory model where pre‐k provides a buffer against the adverse effects of prior negative environmental experiences and protection against the effects of future adverse experiences. In addition, the effect of NC Pre‐K funding on achievement remained positive across most environments, supporting an additive effects model. In contrast, few findings supported a dynamic complementarity model. Instrumental variables analyses incorporating a child's NC Pre‐K enrollment status indicate that program attendance increased average 5th grade achievement by approximately 20% of a standard deviation, and impacts were largest for children who were Hispanic or whose mothers had less than a high school education. Implications for the future of pre‐k scale‐up and developmental theory are discussed.
Use of a QDOT MICRO catheter to identify a premature ventricular contraction origin in the right ventricular anterior papillary muscle in a repaired truncus arteriosus
Authors: Itoh Taihei , Ishida Yuji , Kimura Masaomi , Tomita Hirofumi
Published: June 2023

The ventricular papillary muscles (VPMs) can be a source of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs). Catheter ablation of VPM PVCs is challenging because of the anatomical complexity, such as the apical structures in proximity to the ventricular walls. The QDOT MICRO catheter (Biosense Webster, Diamond Bar, CA, USA) has microelectrodes embedded along the circumference of its distal tip and can provide information on which side of its tip myocardial activation is earlier. This repaired truncus arteriosus case demonstrates the usefulness of the microelectrode recording in identifying a PVC origin in a right VPM apex close to the right ventricular anterior wall.
Permanently provisional: An ethnographic analysis of responsive governance practices in and through meetings
Authors: Visser E. Lianne
Published: June 2023

Scholars of responsive forms of governance tend to analyze agreements, arrangements, and architectures. Yet, these forms of governance also require actual actors to act and interact, something that has been scarcely empirically studied. Taking a practice‐theoretical approach, I explore how responsive governance is accomplished in and through meetings. This study is based on participant observation, interviews, and document analysis of governance of child and family services in the Netherlands. It contributes to our current understanding of responsive forms of governance by situating its everyday practice in meetings. A second contribution can be found in the thorough analysis of its everyday practices, with actors continuously calibrating tasks, performance, scope, and authority. Third, this study develops an understanding of how practices of responsive governance relate to structural governance arrangements, exposing how structural contours can be challenged and changed, while other actions result in changes that remain invisible.
Environmental risk assessment of the contamination of river water and sediments from the Bor mining area, East Serbia―Secondary Cu enrichment at the reservoir site
Authors: Osenyeng Olaotse , Ishiyama Daizo , Đorđievski Stefan , Adamović Dragana , Ogawa Yasumasa
Published: June 2023

The study area is within the Bor copper mining region, Eastern Serbia, where wastewaters from the Bor metallurgical/smelting facilities have caused serious copper (Cu) and arsenic (As) contamination to the Timok river system. The operating conditions at smelting facilities control the pH of the river waters, resulting in highly acidic waters in 2019 than 2015. This study compares the mobility of Cu and As and risk assessment of river water contamination during both years as well as assessing the risks of riverbed sediments contamination and investigating the origins of Cu and As pollution. In the river system, As generally existed as a particulate species in the entire study area during both years and was widely removed from river waters by sorption onto the hydrous ferric oxides (HFO), whereas dissolved Cu was removed from river waters only at neutral pH conditions with hydrous aluminum oxides (HAO) and HFO at the downstream reservoir site of Timok River. Despite the similarity in Cu mobility during both years, the lower pH of river waters in 2019 than 2015 enabled dissolved Cu species to be transported farther downstream, resulting in a higher level of river water pollution. The contamination factor (CF), used to estimate levels of sediment pollution, had higher values for Cu and As compared to Zn, Pb, Co, and Ni. The CF values of Cu were the highest in sediments near the Bor metallurgical/smelting facilities and at downstream reservoir site, whereas the CF values of As were generally high in the entire research field. Additionally, the ecological risk potential (Er) values of Cu were the highest in sediments of the Bor River and Timok River, reflecting an enrichment of Cu at these sites. Finally, a clarification on the origin of Cu pollution and risks of mobilization was inferred from the sequential extraction test. The predominant Cu species in sediments of the upstream region were oxidizable and residual, hosted by copper sulfides originating from the flotation tailings, suggesting a relatively low risk of Cu release from these sediments. However, at the downstream site (especially reservoir sediments), the contribution of acid‐soluble Cu was 34.8%, suggesting a higher risk of Cu release. The highest contributions of acid‐soluble and reducible Cu (18%) at the reservoir site were promoted by the effective settlement of Cu‐sorbing HAO and HFO. The Cu contents of these two fractions were 0.86 wt%, almost three times higher than that of Cu ore in Veliki Krivelj open pit mine.
Judicial recentralization as political control: Evidence from the judicial leader rotation in China
Authors: Li Zeren , Wang Zeyuan
Published: June 2023

Objective

This study analyzes how authoritarian leaders use the judicial system to solve the principal–agent problem in the government hierarchy. We argue that autocrats recentralize court personnel to enhance the central government's monitoring power over local officials.

Methods

Our empirical analysis takes advantage of a judicial personnel rotation reform in which the Chinese Communist Party recentralized court personnel by rotating provincial‐level court leaders in 14 out of 31 provinces.

Results

Panel data analysis shows that judicial recentralization increased adjudicated administrative lawsuits by nearly 30 percent. We also demonstrate that the enhancement in judicial responsiveness is not driven by alternative channels such as learning or the substitution between different ways of petitions.

Conclusion

This study explores the dilemma faced by authoritarian leaders in balancing the need for an effective court system to address local governance issues while maintaining control, highlighting the compromise solution of recentralizing local judiciaries to partially insulate them from local interference.
Agroforestry potential for adaptation to climate change: A soil‐based perspective
Authors: Rolo Víctor , Rivest David , Maillard Émilie , Moreno Gerardo
Published: June 2023

Agricultural systems face several challenges that threaten their capacity to feed the world while maintaining a healthy and functional environment. Climate change, together with soil degradation, biodiversity loss, resource scarcity and invasive species, is a major threat to agricultural systems worldwide. In this context, new practices have been proposed to circumvent or minimize these threats. Yet, these mostly focus on the farm or plant level (e.g., breeding for stress‐tolerant species), while frequently overlooking belowground components (e.g., soil organic carbon accrual). By interlinking above‐ and below‐ground components, the likelihood of limiting the negative effects of current threats to agricultural systems can be maximized. This review explores current knowledge regarding agroforestry and its effects on belowground components as a key property in the reducing effects of climate change. We first review tree effects on key soil properties of agricultural systems. We synthesize evidence regarding agroforestry systems response to current environmental threats that are related to climate change. We continue by discussing how soil processes play a fundamental role in the capacity of agroforestry systems to cope with climate change. We conclude by proposing options on how resilience of agroforestry systems could be further enhanced.
Burial in the western Central Andes through Oligocene to Miocene ignimbrite flare‐ups recorded by low‐temperature thermochronology in the Cañete Canyon, Peru
Authors: Audin Laurence , Gérard Benjamin , Gautheron Cécile , Schwartz Stéphane , Benavente Carlos , Robert Xavier , van der Beek Peter , Pinna‐Jamme Rosella , Balvay Mélanie , Bernet Matthias , Margirier Audrey , Zerathe Swann
Published: June 2023

Thermochronological data are essential to constrain thermal and exhumation histories in active mountain ranges. In the Central Andes, bedrock outcrops are rare, being blanketed by widespread late Palaeogene–Neogene and younger volcanic formations. For this reason, the exhumation history of the Western Cordillera (WC) in the Peruvian Andes has only been investigated locally along the mountain range. Dense thermochronological data are only available in canyons of the Arequipa (16° S) and Cordillera Negra regions (10° S). We present new apatite (U‐Th)/He and fission‐track data from the 1 km deep Cañete Canyon (13° S), where the Oligo‐Miocene deposits are preserved lying conformably on an Eocene palaeo‐topographic surface. Thermal modelling of thermochronological data indicate that the 30–20 Ma ignimbrite deposits overlying the bedrock were thick enough to cause burial reheating. We demonstrate that burial associated with thick volcanic formations should be taken into account when interpreting thermochronological data from the WC or in similar volcanic‐arc settings.
GERDH: an interactive multi‐omics database for cross‐species data mining in horticultural crops
Authors: Cheng Hua , Zhang Hua , Song Jing , Jiang Jiafu , Chen Sumei , Chen Fadi , Wang Likai
Published: June 2023

Horticultural plants contribute immensely to the quality of human's life. The rapid development of omics studies on horticultural plants has resulted in large volumes of valuable growth‐ and development‐related data. Genes that are essential for growth and development are highly conserved in evolution. Cross‐species data mining reduces the impact of species heterogeneity and has been extensively used for conserved gene identification. Owing to the lack of a comprehensive database for cross‐species data mining using multi‐omics data from all horticultural plant species, the current resources in this field are far from satisfactory. Here, we introduce GERDH (https://dphdatabase.com), a database platform for cross‐species data mining among horticultural plants, based on 12 961 uniformly processed publicly available omics libraries from more than 150 horticultural plant accessions, including fruits, vegetables and ornamental plants. Important and conserved genes that are essential for a specific biological process can be obtained by cross‐species analysis module with interactive web‐based data analysis and visualization. Moreover, GERDH is equipped with seven online analysis tools, including gene expression, in‐species analysis, epigenetic regulation, gene co‐expression, enrichment/pathway and phylogenetic analysis. By interactive cross‐species analysis, we identified key genes contributing to postharvest storage. By gene expression analysis, we explored new functions of CmEIN3 in flower development, which was validated by transgenic chrysanthemum analysis. We believe that GERDH will be a useful resource for key gene identification and will allow for omics big data to be more available and accessible to horticultural plant community members.
Transfusion medicine curricular content for general pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists: A national multi‐specialty Delphi consensus study
Authors: Lieberman Lani , Hajjaj Omar I. , Walsh Catharine M. , Lin Yulia ,   the Canadian Obstetrical Pediatric Transfusion Network and the University of Toronto Quality in Utilization, Education and Safety in Transfusion Medicine (QUEST) Research Program
Published: June 2023

Background

Although pediatric residents frequently order blood products, transfusion medicine (TM) education is both limited and unstandardized during postgraduate training. Using Delphi methodology, this study aimed to identify and prioritize which pediatric TM curricular topics are most important to inform postgraduate training in TM for general pediatricians and pediatric subspecialists.

Methods

A national panel of experts iteratively rated potential curricular topics, on a 5‐point scale, to determine their priority for inclusion within a TM curriculum. After each round, responses were analyzed. Topics receiving a mean rating <3/5 were removed from subsequent rounds and remaining topics were resent to the panel for further ratings until consensus was achieved, defined as Cronbach α ≥ 0.95. At conclusion of the Delphi process, topics rated ≥4/5 were considered core curricular topics, while topics rated ≥3 to <4 were considered extended topics.

Results

Forty‐five TM experts from 17 Canadian institutions and 12 subspecialties completed the first Delphi round and 31 completed the second. Fifty‐seven potential curricular topics were generated from a systematic literature review and Delphi panelists. Two survey rounds were completed before consensus was achieved. Seventy‐three topics in six domains reached consensus: 31 core curricular topics and 42 extended topics. There were no significant differences in ratings between TM and non‐TM specialists.

Discussion

A multispecialty Delphi panel reached consensus in identification of curricular topics for pediatric resident physicians. These results set the stage to develop a pediatric TM curriculum that will be foundational for pediatric trainees to enhance learning and improve transfusion safety.
Ultrasonographic features of Marek's disease in a chicken
Authors: Vali Yasamin , Vobornik Angela , Thaller Denise , Bagheri Sina
Published: June 2023

A 4‐year‐old chicken was presented with a history of anorexia, depression, and blindness. An ultrasound examination of the coelomic cavity was performed that revealed splenomegaly, hepatic nodules, and hypoechoic thickening of the intestinal wall. Ultrasonography of the coelomic cavity was done and revealed splenomegaly, nodular hepatic changes, and hypoechoic thickening of the intestinal wall. A diagnosis of Marek's disease was made based on the history and extension of the abdominal organ changes and confirmed by histopathology. This study describes an ultrasonographic appearance of Marek's disease in a chicken and emphasizes the importance and benefits of ultrasonography in staging the progression of Marek's disease.
Comments and illustrations of the WFUMB CEUS liver guidelines: Rare focal liver lesions – non-infectious, non-neoplastic
Authors: Möller Kathleen , Stock Bahar , Ignee André , Zadeh Ehsan Safai , De Molo Chiara , Serra Carla , Jenssen Christian , Lim Adrian , Görg Christian , Dong Yi , Klinger Christoph , Tana Claudio , Meloni Maria Franca , Sparchez Zeno , Francica Giampiero , Dirks Klaus , Hollerweger Alois , Kinkel Horst , Weskott Hans-Peter , Montagut Nathally Espinosa , Srivastava David , Dietrich Christoph F.
Published: June 2023

In this series of papers on comments and illustrations of the World Federation for Medicine and Biology (WFUMB) guidelines on contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) the topics of non-infectious and non-neoplastic focal liver lesions (FLL) are discussed. Improved detection and characterization of common FLL are the main topics of these guidelines but detailed and illustrating information is missing. The focus in this paper is on non-infectious and non-neoplastic FLL and their appearance on B-mode, Doppler ultrasound and CEUS features. Knowledge of these data should help to raise awareness of these rarer findings, to think of these clinical pictures in the corresponding clinical situation, to interpret the ultrasound images correctly and thus to initiate the appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic steps in time.
N2O grown high Al composition nitrogen doped β-(AlGa)2O3/β-Ga2O3 using MOCVD
Authors: Alema Fikadu , Itoh Takeki , Brand William , Tadjer Marko , Osinsky Andrei , Speck James S.
Published: June 2023

We report on the MOCVD growth of smooth (010) (AlxGa1–x)2O3 and (100) (AlyGa1–y)2O3 epitaxial films on β-Ga2O3 substrates with (010) and (100) orientations, respectively, using N2O for oxidation. High resolution x-ray diffraction was used to evaluate the phase purity and strain characteristics of the (AlGa)2O3 layers and estimate the Al composition. The incorporation efficiency of Al into the (AlGa)2O3 films depends on process conditions, including chamber pressure, growth temperature, and gas phase Al concentration. Layers grown at lower reactor pressure and substrate temperature and higher gas phase Al concentration showed higher Al incorporation. Pure beta phase (AlGa)2O3 films with a record high Al composition of x = 30% for a film grown on a (010) β-Ga2O3 substrate and with an Al composition of up to y = 45% on the (100) β-Ga2O3 substrate was realized by introducing ∼18% Al mole fraction into the reactor. N2O grown β-(AlGa)2O3/β-Ga2O3 superlattice structures with an Al composition of 5% were also demonstrated on both substrate orientations. When higher gas phase Al concentration is introduced into the reactor, pure γ-phase (AlxGa1–x)2O3 is grown on (010) β-Ga2O3 substrates. In contrast, on the (100) β-Ga2O3 substrate, the (AlyGa1–y)2O3 layers are β-phase, but with two separate Al compositions owing to the local Al segregation. The nitrogen doping of (010) β-(AlxGa1–x)2O3 with [N] ranging 6 × 1017–2 × 1019 cm−3 was achieved using N2O. Higher Al composition and lower substrate temperature lead to higher N incorporation. The results show that using N2O as an oxygen source can lead to the growth of high Al content β-(AlGa)2O3, which paves the way for the realization of efficient power devices, such as modulation-doped field effect transistors.
From Gearshifts to Gigabytes: An Analysis of How NASCAR Used iRacing to Engage Fans During the COVID-19 Shutdown
Authors: Greenhalgh Greg , Goebert Chad
Published: June 2023

The sport industry is at an inflection point where all major professional sport leagues in North America are struggling to attract the same avid fans, once a staple within the industry. Furthermore, not only are the number of avid fans decreasing, the average age of avid sport fans is increasing. In other words, the current state of the sport industry indicates that fans are decreasing in number while simultaneously aging out of traditional professional sports. The current study aimed to investigate the ability of a traditional sport, NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) in this case, to utilize an esport, iRacing, to attract new and more diverse fans. Through a partnership with Zoomph, Twitter content was analyzed and revealed the shift from traditional racing to iRacing by NASCAR. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it assisted them in attracting new, more diverse fans whose sentiment on Twitter was positive. Overall, the current study demonstrated that traditional sport properties may be well served by tapping into the esport space in an authentic way to enhance their core product(s).
How Psychologists in Men’s English Football Academies Evaluate Their Working Context and Adopt an Appropriate Professional Practice Framework
Authors: Feddersen Niels Boysen , Champ Francesca , Sæther Stig Arve , Littlewood Martin
Published: June 2023

This study examined how psychologists working in men’s English football academies evaluate their working context when choosing a professional practice framework for guiding applied psychology provisions. Sixteen psychologists—six women and 10 men—participated in two semistructured interviews. A stepwise inductive–deductive approach in the analysis was used. The authors found that 13 of the psychologists adopted humanistic psychology as their guiding framework. In exploring the reasoning, three categories were developed: (a) motives for choosing a humanistic approach, (b) challenges when applying a humanistic approach, and (c) perpetuating stigma and restrictive assumptions regarding sport psychology. The study shows that humanistic psychology might be an effective approach to countering some dehumanizing features in the current English academy context (e.g., an overreliance on metrics). However, the Premier League, the Football Association, and other governing football organizations should notice the drawbacks of how psychologists sometimes must collude with the current system to establish psychology in the academy before later expanding provisions.
“To Build a More Just Society”: Women’s National Basketball Association Teams’ Uses of Social Media for Advocacy
Authors: Antunovic Dunja , Pegoraro Ann , Mumcu Ceyda , Soltis Kimberly , Lough Nancy , Lebel Katie , LaVoi Nicole M.
Published: June 2023

Sports brands and properties are using social media platforms to take a stand on controversial social issues. This paper draws on the concept of corporate social advocacy to examine how Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) teams used their social media platforms to communicate about social issues during the 2021 season. We conducted a thematic and semantic analysis of advocacy-related tweets to examine the communicative actions and salient issues across the teams’ accounts. WNBA teams posted about racial justice, women’s empowerment, and LGBTQ+ rights, which represent a shift in the WNBA’s discursive promotional strategies. The findings of the study indicate that WNBA teams’ use of social media to take a stand on social issues aligns with, and extends, conceptualizations of corporate social advocacy. Further, social media advocacy provides insight into the sociocultural significance and the economic viability of women’s sport.
Delayed engagement of host defenses enables SARS-CoV-2 viremia and productive infection of distal organs in the hamster model of COVID-19
Authors: Carrau Lucia , Frere Justin J. , Golynker Ilona , Fajardo Alvaro , Rivera Cristobal F. , Horiuchi Shu , Roonprapunt Tyler , Minkoff Judith M. , Blanco-Melo Daniel , TenOever Benjamin
Published: June 2023

Clinical presentations that develop in response to infection result from interactions between the pathogen and host defenses. SARS-CoV-2, the etiologic agent of COVID-19, directly antagonizes these defenses, leading to delayed immune engagement in the lungs that materializes only as cells succumb to infection and are phagocytosed. Leveraging the golden hamster model of COVID-19, we sought to understand the dynamics between SARS-CoV-2 infection in the airways and the systemic host response that ensues. We found that early SARS-CoV-2 replication was largely confined to the respiratory tract and olfactory system and, to a lesser extent, the heart and gastrointestinal tract but generated a host antiviral response in every organ as a result of circulating type I and III interferons. Moreover, we showed that diminishing the response in the airways by immunosuppression or administration of SARS-CoV-2 intravenously resulted in decreased immune priming, viremia, and increased viral tropism, including productive infection of the liver, kidney, spleen, and brain. Last, we showed that productive infection of the airways was required for mounting an effective and system-wide antiviral response. Together, these data illustrate how COVID-19 can result in diverse clinical presentations in which disease outcomes can be a by-product of the speed and strength of immune engagement. These studies provide additional evidence for the mechanistic basis of the diverse clinical presentations of COVID-19 and highlight the ability of the respiratory tract to generate a systemic immune defense after pathogen recognition.
Effects of Dihydroartemisinin against Cystic Echinococcosis
In Vitro
and
In Vivo
Authors: Wen Limei , Zhang Jiawei , Zhao Jun , Gong Yuehong , Zhang Haibo , Yang Jianhua , Wang Jianhua
Published: June 2023

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a disease caused by the infection of
Echinococcus granulosus
.
Complete Genome Sequence of Legionella cardiaca Strain H63
T
, Isolated from a Case of Native Valve Endocarditis
Authors: Lopez Alberto E. , Mayoral Joshua , Cianciotto Nicholas P.
Published: June 2023

We report the complete genome sequence of
Legionella cardiaca
strain H63
T
, which had been isolated from aortic valve tissue from a patient with native endocarditis. The genome assembly contains a single 3,477,232-bp contig, with a G+C content of 38.59%, and is predicted to encode 2,948 proteins.
Genome Sequences of the Two
Telluria
Type Strains, Telluria chitinolytica ACM 3522
T
and Telluria mixta DSM 29330
T
Authors: Frediansyah Andri , Miess Henrike , Cleenwerck Ilse , Gross Harald
Published: June 2023

High-quality draft genome sequences were obtained for the two type strains
Telluria chitinolytica
ACM 3522
T
and
Telluria mixta
DSM 29330
T
. The genomes of both strains show a considerable biosynthetic potential to produce secondary metabolites.
Six-Year Retrospective Analysis of Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Antifungal Susceptibilities of Candidiasis from a Tertiary Care Hospital in South China
Authors: Bilal Hazrat , Zhang Dongxing , Shafiq Muhammad , Khan Muhammad Nadeem , chen Canhua , Khan Sabir , Wang Qian , Cai Lin , Islam Rehmat , Hu Haibin , Zeng Yuebin
Published: June 2023

This study provides important information on the burden of candidiasis, particularly candidemia, and the antifungal susceptibility of
Candida
species among hospitalized patients in an underdeveloped region of China. First, the finding that azoles were least effective against
Candida
species causing candidemia is particularly noteworthy, as it suggests the possibility of resistance to this class of antifungal agents.
Enhancement of β-Lactam-Mediated Killing of Gram-Negative Bacteria by Lysine Hydrochloride
Authors: Hong Shouqiang , Su Shaopeng , Gao Qiong , Chen Miaomiao , Xiao Lisheng , Cui Runbo , Guo Yinli , Xue Yunxin , Wang Dai , Niu Jianjun , Huang Haihui , Zhao Xilin
Published: June 2023

Antibiotic resistance among Gram-negative pathogens is a serious medical problem. The present work describes a new study in which a nontoxic nutrient increases the lethal action of clinically important β-lactams.
Heavy Ion Radiation Directly Induced the Shift of Oral Microbiota and Increased the Cariogenicity of
Streptococcus mutans
Authors: Wang Zheng , Yang Ge , Zhou Xuedong , Peng Xian , Li Mingyun , Zhang Miaomiao , Lu Dong , Yang Deqin , Cheng Lei , Ren Biao
Published: June 2023

The oral microbiome is crucial to understanding the pathogenesis of radiation caries. Although heavy ion radiation has been used to treat head and neck cancers in some proton therapy centers, its correlation with dental caries, especially its direct effects on the oral microbiome and cariogenic pathogens, has not been reported previously.
Context matters for disability and priority setting for musculoskeletal diseases: revisiting the egalitarian approach to disability weights and disability-adjusted life-years
Authors: Pigeolet Manon , Franco Helena , Nussbaum Lisa , Corlew Daniel Scott , Meara John G
Published: June 2023

Health metrics have evolved with increasing sophistication. The disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) has emerged as a widely used metric. While DALYs vary between countries, the global disability weights (DWs) that are integral to the DALY ignore the potential impact of local factors on the burden of disease. Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), a spectrum of hip pathologies, typically develops during early childhood and is a leading cause of early hip osteoarthritis. This paper explores the variability in the DW for DDH in relation to to local health environments using select health system indicators.

The DW for DDH increases with decreasing income level of countries. The Human Development Index and the Gross Domestic Product per capita are both negatively correlated with (p<0.05) the DW for DDH per country. For the indicators surgical workforce, surgical procedures and hospital beds per 1000 population, there is a significant negative correlation in countries not meeting the minimum standard of that indicator (p<0.05), while for countries meeting that minimum standard, the correlation between DW for DDH and the respective indicator is not significantly different from zero.

Consideration should be given to re-establishing the DWs for health entities in countries that do not meet the minimum standards of a functional health system. This would more accurately reflect the burden of disease from a functional perspective in LMICs, and perhaps allow for more informed priority setting within LMICs and for donors. The establishment of these DWs should not start from scratch; our data suggest that the variability in DWs due to context can most likely be modelled using health system and financial protection indicators already in use today.
Prevalence of post-dialysis fatigue: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Dou Junkai , Liu Huan , Ma Yuan , Wu Ying-ying , Tao Xiu-bin
Published: June 2023

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to synthesise data on the prevalence of post-dialysis fatigue (PDF) among haemodialysis (HD) patients.

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Data sources

China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, Chinese Biological Medical Database, PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science were searched from their inception to 1 April 2022.

Eligibility criteria

We selected patients who must receive HD treatment for at least 3 months. Cross-sectional or cohort studies published in Chinese or English were eligible for inclusion. The main search terms used in the abstract were: “renal dialysis”, “hemodialysis” and “post-dialysis”, in combination with the word “fatigue”.

Data extraction and synthesis

Two investigators independently performed data extraction and quality assessment. Data were pooled to estimate the overall prevalence of PDF among HD patients using the random-effects model. Cochran’s Q and I2statistics were adopted to evaluate heterogeneity.

Result

A total of 12 studies were included, with 2152 HD patients, of which 1215 were defined as having PDF. The overall prevalence of PDF in HD patients was 61.0% (95% CI: 53.6% to 68.3%, p<0.001, I2=90.0%). Subgroup analysis failed to explain the source of heterogeneity, but univariable meta-regression showed that a mean age of ≥50 years might be the source of heterogeneity. Egger’s test revealed no publication bias among the studies (p=0.144).

Conclusions

PDF is highly prevalent among HD patients.
Approaches to consent in public health research in secondary schools
Authors: Bonell Chris , Humphrey Neil , Singh Ilina , Viner Russell M , Ford Tamsin
Published: June 2023

Objectives

We assess different approaches to seeking consent in research in secondary schools.

Design

We review evidence on seeking active versus passive parent/carer consent on participant response rates and profiles. We explore the legal and regulatory requirements governing student and parent/carer consent in the UK.

Results

Evidence demonstrates that requiring parent/carer active consent reduces response rates and introduces selection biases, which impact the rigour of research and hence its usefulness for assessing young people’s needs. There is no evidence on the impacts of seeking active versus passive student consent but this is likely to be marginal when researchers are directly in communication with students in schools. There is no legal requirement to seek active parent/carer consent for children’s involvement in research on non-medicinal intervention or observational studies. Such research is instead covered by common law, which indicates that it is acceptable to seek students’ own active consent when they are judged competent. General data protection regulation legislation does not change this. It is generally accepted that most secondary school students age 11+ are competent to provide their own consent for interventions though this should be assessed individually.

Conclusion

Allowing parent/carer opt-out rights recognises their autonomy while giving primacy to student autonomy. In the case of intervention research, most interventions are delivered at the level of the school so consent can only practically be sought from head teachers. Where interventions are individually targeted, seeking student active consent for these should be considered where feasible.
Feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of virtual reality as a patient education tool for people with cancer undergoing immunotherapy: a protocol for a randomised controlled pilot study in a regional setting
Authors: van der Kruk Shannen R , Gunn Kate M , MacDougall Hamish , Milne Donna , Smith Katherine , Zielinski Rob
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Patient education is a critical component of healthcare delivery. However, medical information and knowledge are complex and can be difficult for patients and families to comprehend when delivered verbally. The use of virtual reality (VR) to convey medical information to patients may bridge this communication gap and lead to more effective patient education. It may be of increased value to those with low health literacy and levels of patient activation, in rural and regional settings. The objective of this randomised, single-centre pilot study is to examine the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of VR as an education tool for people with cancer. The results will provide data to inform the feasibility of a future randomised controlled trial, including sample size calculations.

Methods and analysis

Patients with cancer undergoing immunotherapy will be recruited. A total of 36 patients will be recruited and randomised to one of three trial arms. Participants will be randomised 1:1:1 to receive VR, a two-dimensional video or standard care (ie, verbal communication and information leaflets). Feasibility will be assessed by recruitment rate, practicality, acceptability, usability and related adverse events. The potential impact of VR on patient-reported outcomes (ie, perceived information provision quality, knowledge about immunotherapy and patient activation) will be assessed and stratified by information coping style (ie, monitors vs blunters) whenever statistical analyses are significant. The patient-reported outcomes will be measured at baseline, post-intervention and 2 weeks post-intervention. In addition, semistructured interviews will be conducted with health professionals and participants randomised to the VR trial arm, to further explore acceptability and feasibility.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval was obtained from the Greater Western Human Research Ethics Committee, New South Wales Local Health District (2022/ETH01760). Informed consent will be obtained from all participants. Findings will be disseminated via relevant conference presentations and publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

ACTRN12622001473752.
Teaching medical students about nutrition: from basic principles to practical strategies
Authors: Jones Glenys , Craigie Angela M , Zaremba Suzanne M M , Jaffee Ally , Mellor Duane D
Published: June 2023

Poor nutrition is widely recognised as one of the key modifiable risks to health and life, with doctors in an ideal position to recognise when suboptimal nutrition is impacting on their patients’ health and provide them with advice and support to create sustainable and achievable diet and lifestyle modifications. However, it has been acknowledged that nutrition training within medical schools is extremely varied, and in many cases inadequate. The Association for Nutrition UK Undergraduate Curriculum in Nutrition for Medical Doctors provides medical schools with guidance on what should be included in the training of all medical students. This paper discusses three key ways in which medical schools can support the implementation of nutrition into their teaching; incorporating nutrition within the core medical curriculum teaching, the use of subject specific experts to support and deliver nutrition training, and the inclusion of nutrition within formal assessment so as to reinforce and cement learnings into practical, applicable actions and advice.
Injured worker outcomes after compensation system overhaul: an interrupted time series study
Authors: Lane Tyler J , Di Donato Michael F , Collie Alex
Published: June 2023

Objective

In 2015, South Australia replaced its workers’ compensation system with the aim of improving return to work rates. We examined whether this was achieved by focusing on the duration of time off work, as well as claim processing times and claim volumes to understand how this may have been achieved.

Methods

The primary outcome was mean weeks of compensated disability duration. Secondary outcomes tested alternative mechanisms of a change in disability duration: (1) mean employer report and insurer decision times to evaluate whether there had been changes in claim processing and (2) claim volumes to determine whether the new system altered the cohort under investigation. Outcomes were aggregated into monthly units and analysed with an interrupted time series design. Three condition subgroups—injury, disease and mental health—were compared in separate analyses.

Results

While disability duration steadily declined before theRTW Actcame into effect, afterwards it flatlined. A similar effect was observed in insurer decision time. Claim volumes gradually increased. Employer report time gradually decreased. Condition subgroups mostly followed a similar pattern to overall claims, though the increase in insurer decision time appears largely driven by changes in injury claims.

Conclusions

The increase in disability duration after theRTW Acttook effect may be attributable to an increase in insurer decision time, which itself could be due to the disruption of overhauling a compensation system or the elimination of provisional liability entitlements that incentivised early decision making and provided early intervention.
Clinical evaluation of pulsatile tinnitus: history and physical examination techniques to predict vascular etiology
Authors: Cummins Daniel D , Caton M Travis , Hemphill Kafi , Lamboy Allison , Tu-Chan Adelyn , Meisel Karl , Narsinh Kazim H , Amans Matthew R
Published: June 2023

Background

Pulsatile tinnitus (PT) may be due to a spectrum of cerebrovascular etiologies, ranging from benign venous turbulence to life threatening dural arteriovenous fistulas. A focused clinical history and physical examination provide clues to the ultimate diagnosis; however, the predictive accuracy of these features in determining PT etiology remains uncertain.

Methods

Patients with clinical PT evaluation and DSA were included. The final etiology of PT after DSA was categorized as shunting, venous, arterial, or non-vascular. Clinical variables were compared between etiologies using multivariate logistic regression, and performance at predicting PT etiology was determined by area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC).

Results

164 patients were included. On multivariate analysis, patient reported high pitch PT (relative risk (RR) 33.81; 95% CI 3.81 to 882.80) compared with exclusively low pitch PT and presence of a bruit on physical examination (9.95; 2.04 to 62.08; P=0.007) were associated with shunting PT. Hearing loss was associated with a lower risk of shunting PT (0.16; 0.03 to 0.79; P=0.029). Alleviation of PT with ipsilateral lateral neck pressure was associated with a higher risk of venous PT (5.24; 1.62 to 21.01; P=0.010). An AUROC of 0.882 was achieved for predicting the presence or absence of a shunt and 0.751 for venous PT.

Conclusion

In patients with PT, clinical history and physical examination can achieve high performance at detecting a shunting lesion. Potentially treatable venous etiologies may also be suggested by relief with neck compression.
Parity-odd 3-point functions from CFT in momentum space and the chiral anomaly
Authors: Corianò Claudio , Lionetti Stefano , Maglio Matteo Maria
Published: June 2023

We illustrate how the Conformal Ward Identities (CWI) in momentum space for parity-odd correlators determine the structure of a chiral anomaly interaction, taking the example of the VVA (vector/vector/axial-vector) and AAA correlators in momentum space. Only the conservation and the anomalous WIs, together with the Bose symmetry, are imposed from the outset for the determination of the correlators. We use a longitudinal/transverse decomposition of tensor structures and form factors. The longitudinal (L) component is fixed by the anomaly content and the anomaly pole, while in the transverse (T) sector we define a new parameterization. We relate the latter both to the Rosenberg original representation of the VVA and to the longitudinal/transverse (L/T) one, first introduced in the analysis of $$g-2$$

g
-
2

of the muon in the investigation of the diagram in the chiral limit of QCD. The correlators are completely identified by the conformal constraints whose solutions are fixed only by the anomaly coefficient, the residue of the anomaly pole. In both cases, our CFT result matches the one-loop perturbative expression, as expected. The CWIs for correlators of mixed chirality $$J_L J J_R$$

J
L

J

J
R

generate solutions in agreement with the all-orders nonrenormalization theorems of perturbative QCD and in the chiral limit.
Endothelial-specific loss of IKKβ disrupts pulmonary endothelial angiogenesis and impairs postnatal lung growth
Authors: Rao Shailaja , Liu Min , Iosef Cristiana , Knutsen Carsten , Alvira Cristina M.
Published: June 2023

This study highlights the cell-specific complexity of nuclear factor kappa B signaling in the developing lung by demonstrating that inducible loss of IKKβ in endothelial cells impairs alveolarization, disrupts EC angiogenic function, and broadly represses genes important for vascular development.