bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oddity as Commodity? The body as symbolic resource for Other-defying identity work
Authors: Jammaers Eline , Ybema Sierk
Published: January 2022

While studies on the work people undertake on their ‘identities’ in professional contexts tend to focus on inner conversations between different possible selves, this paper considers the impact of ‘inherited’ prescriptions and expectations on such inner conversations and the entwining of identity work with historic conditions written onto the body. It does so by studying performing artists with dwarfism. Taking into account their long history of stereotypical roles within the entertainment sector and their visibly ‘different’ body which guarantees to solicit the gaze of others, this study considers identity in terms of the corporeal positioning of the self of artists whose position on stage is often morally disputed, both inside and outside the community of people with dwarfism. Analysing how people use their Othered bodies as a symbolic resource for identity work, we describe three different ways of engaging in embodied identity work: identity ‘ethicalization’, through stereotype- avoiding bodywork, ‘queering’, through stereotype- provoking bodywork, and ‘distancing’, through stereotype- acting bodywork. Each strategy is an attempt to redress the incoherence between preferred (personally aspired) and ascribed (historically inherited) identity. By analysing how people preserve an aspirational self and defy the image of being Other, this study contributes to existing debates by highlighting the role of history and the symbolic use of ‘oddity’ as an instrument in embodied identity work. In addition, it offers a reflective note on the problem of ‘academic exoticism’ through the sensitization of Other bodies and on the potential of able-bodied allyship to attenuate the lack of disability knowledge in management and organization studies.
Resistance as a Way of Life: How a group of workers perpetuated insubordination to neoliberal management
Authors: Sanson David , Courpasson David
Published: January 2022

This article sheds light on how a group of workers manage to create an enduring collective resistance, in an uncongenial context of neoliberal management pushing for compliant behaviours. Research on resistance has given scant attention to the concrete conditions through which collective resisting efforts can be sustained, despite adverse contexts. We highlight the process through which everyday collective resistance produces substantial effects and becomes viewed by management and workers as an integral part of an organization’s power relations. We particularly illuminate how practices that mutually constitute belongingness and insubordination continuously reinforce collective resistance to make it the very texture of workers’ lives. We therefore analyse everyday resistance as a way of life, through which workers aim to simultaneously contest managerial authority and protect their own social boundaries in a neoliberal context. Thereby, we offer a way to reconcile recognition and post-recognition politics in a dialogue envisaging the ‘efficacy’ of resistance in a new light.
Organizing the Sharing Economy Through Experiments: Framing and taming as onto-epistemological work
Authors: Chimenti Gianluca , Geiger Susi
Published: January 2022

Prior work on performativity has illustrated how theories intervene in economic organizing. We expand this body of research by studying how concepts, and particularly those that are loosely defined and/or not widely understood, provoke their own realities through experiments. We examine how different experimental set-ups allow these concepts to be seized by a multitude of actors all wishing to instantiate worlds in their own interests, and how they potentially open up multiple competing realities as a result. We follow the concept of mobility-as-a-service as it mobilizes various experiments across public and private realms in Stockholm and Dublin, and we analyse how specific types of experiment co-produce epistemic and ontological work. Our results illustrate how different experimental designs can be conducive in taming and/or framing ambiguous concepts through interconnected processes of such onto-epistemological work. This highlights the distributed and relational and also the ‘provocative’ facets of performing ambiguous concepts through experiments. We discuss the consequences of these insights for how we think about scaling from experiments to broader socio-economic realities.
Organizing Tekhnē: Configuring processes and politics through craft
Authors: Gasparin Marta , Neyland Daniel
Published: January 2022

In this paper we investigate how craft as tekhnē configures organizations and their politics by exploring the relations of technology and organization. Through a two-year ethnographic study of remote craft villages in Vietnam, we consider how political concerns are mobilized, distributed and materialized through craft. Defining craft as a process of organizing that often involves mundane objects, but also sits at the centre of political concerns, we are interested in understanding how craft as tekhnē is realized in organizations and suggest two key features: craft as a location for politics and as a basis for mobilizing politics of scale. We provide three main contributions. First, we show that tekhnē can hold steady a focus on organizing through mundane objects. Second, we demonstrate that attending to the mundane reveals distinct relationships between technology and forms of organizing, that mobilize political concerns. Third, we explore the ways mundane objects of tekhnē are not only involved in representing and preserving cultural heritage, but also in challenging the marginalized status of these communities.
‘Painted scenes’ or ‘empty pageants’? Superficiality and depth in (realist) political thought
Authors: Tillyris Demetris , Edyvane Derek
Published: January 2022

The realist injunction to attend to the ‘realities of politics’ when we do political philosophy, though obviously appropriate, is highly platitudinous. By drawing on the underappreciated realist insights of Isaiah Berlin, Stuart Hampshire and Hannah Arendt, we elaborate a neglected distinction between two antagonistic conceptions of political reality – the realism of surface and the realism of depth – and consider its implications for the recent realist turn. We illustrate how that distinction reveals some neglected tensions and incoherencies within contemporary realism and go some way towards untangling and addressing these. Specifically, we enrich the realist charge and highlight two directions which realist scholarship can pursue in its endeavour to offer a meaningful alternative to moralism: an emphasis on i) Vichian fantasia – a kind of knowledge which entails historical awareness but also sensitivity to philology; and ii) suffering and injustice as a basis for critique and for developing a suitable political sphere.
In Utero Exposure to 3,3′,4,4′, 5-Pentachlorobiphenyl Dose-Dependently Induces N-butyl-4-(hydroxybutyl) Nitrosamine in Rats With Urinary Bladder Carcinoma
Authors: Wakui Shin , Takahashi Hiroyuki , Muto Tomoko
Published: January 2022

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are fat-soluble environmental pollutants that can accumulate in adipose tissue or be secreted in milk. N-butyl-4-(hydroxy butyl) (BBN), a rat bladder carcinogen, recruits the host metabolism to yield its ultimate carcinogenic form via CYP1s. Since estrogen receptors (ERs) mediate biological responses important for the growth of bladder carcinoma, we investigated PCNA, Cyclin D1, ERs, CYP1s, and AhR expression in BBN rat bladder carcinomas with prenatal PCB exposure. Female SD rats were treated with 7.5 μg, 250 ng, and 2.5 ng of 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB126)/kg or vehicle on days 13 to 19 post-pregnancy. Six-week-old male offspring were treated with 0.05% BBN for 10 weeks before being anesthetized and the urinary bladder wall incised to expose the bladder carcinomas. N-butyl-4-(hydroxybutyl) bladder carcinoma incidence increased with prenatal PCB exposure dose-dependently. In bladder carcinoma, PCB126 exposure significantly increased PCNA, D1, ERα, CYPIA1, CYP1B1, and AhR expression dose-dependently, and increased ERα expression was particularly prominent. However, the expression of ERβ was low, independent of the volume of PCB126 given, indicating similarity to the Vehicle group. We conclude that prenatal PCB126 exposure in rats can induce PCB126 to dose-dependently metabolize BBN via CYP1A1, and contribute to bladder carcinogenesis with upregulation of ERα expression.
Rates of pyruvate carboxylase, glutamate and GABA neurotransmitter cycling, and glucose oxidation in multiple brain regions of the awake rat using a combination of [2-13C]/[1-13C]glucose infusion and 1H-[13C]NMR ex vivo
Authors: McNair Laura M , Mason Graeme F , Chowdhury Golam MI , Jiang Lihong , Ma Xiaoxian , Rothman Douglas L , Waagepetersen Helle S , Behar Kevin L
Published: January 2022

Anaplerosis occurs predominately in astroglia through the action of pyruvate carboxylase (PC). The rate of PC (Vpc) has been reported for cerebral cortex (or whole brain) of awake humans and anesthetized rodents, but regional brain rates remain largely unknown and, hence, were subjected to investigation in the current study. Awake male rats were infused with either [2-13C]glucose or [1-13C]glucose (n = 27/30) for 8, 15, 30, 60 or 120 min, followed by rapid euthanasia with focused-beam microwave irradiation to the brain. Blood plasma and extracts of cerebellum, hippocampus, striatum, and cerebral cortex were analyzed by 1H-[13C]-NMR to establish 13C-enrichment time courses for glutamate-C4,C3,C2, glutamine-C4,C3, GABA-C2,C3,C4 and aspartate-C2,C3. Metabolic rates were determined by fitting a three-compartment metabolic model (glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons and astroglia) to the eighteen time courses. Vpc varied by 44% across brain regions, being lowest in the cerebellum (0.087 ± 0.004 µmol/g/min) and highest in striatum (0.125 ± 0.009) with intermediate values in cerebral cortex (0.106 ± 0.005) and hippocampus (0.114 ± 0.005). Vpc constituted 13–19% of the oxidative glucose consumption rate. Combination of cerebral cortical data with literature values revealed a positive correlation between Vpc and the rates of glutamate/glutamine-cycling and oxidative glucose consumption, respectively, consistent with earlier observations.
Arthroscopic Latarjet: 2 or 4 Cortical Buttons for Coracoid Fixation? A Case-Control Comparative Study
Authors: Barret Hugo , Chelli Mikael , Van Der Meijden Olivier , Langlais Tristan , Boileau Pascal
Published: January 2022

Background:

While 2 screws are traditionally used for coracoid bone block fixation, no gold standard technique has yet been established when using cortical buttons.

Purpose:

To compare anatomic and clinical outcomes of the arthroscopic Latarjet procedure using either 2 or 4 buttons for coracoid bone block fixation.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A total of 23 patients with 4-button fixation (group 4B) were matched for age at surgery, sex, and follow-up to 46 patients who had 2-button fixation (group 2B). All patients underwent guided arthroscopic Latarjet (using coracoid and glenoid guides), and a tensioning device was used to rigidify the suture button construct and get intraoperative bone block compression. The primary outcome was assessment of bone block positioning and healing using computed tomography scans performed at 2 weeks and at least 6 months after surgery. The mean ± standard deviation follow-up was 49 ± 7 months (range, 24-64 months).

Results:

The bone block healing rate was similar in both groups: 91% in group 4B versus 95.5% in group 2B. The transferred coracoid was flush to the glenoid surface in 21 patients (91%) in group 4B and 44 patients (96%) in group 2B ( P = .6); it was under the equator in 22 patients (96%) in group 4B and 44 patients (96%) in group 2B ( P≥ .99). There was no secondary bone block displacement; the rate of bone block resorption was similar between the groups: 28% in group 4B and 23% in group 2B ( P = .71). Patient-reported outcomes, return to sports, and satisfaction were also similar between the groups. The operating time was significantly longer in group 4B (95 vs 75 minutes; P = .009).

Conclusion:

A 4-button fixation technique did not demonstrate any anatomic or clinical advantages when compared with a 2-button fixation technique, while making the procedure more complex and lengthening the operating time by 20 minutes. A 2-button fixation is simple, safe, and sufficient to solidly fix the transferred coracoid bone block. The use of drill guides allows accurate graft placement, while the use of a tensioning device to rigidify the suture button construct provides high rates of bone block healing with both techniques (>90%).
Employment Trajectories Across the Life Course and Oral Health Among Older Persons in a Developing Country
Authors: Madero-Cabib Ignacio , Reyes Carla
Published: January 2022

A significant research gap on socioeconomic determinants of oral health among older persons is that socioeconomic indicators, like employment status, have essentially been problematized and measured using a cross-sectional approach. Based on a life course approach, and using data from a population-representative, face-to-face and longitudinal-retrospective survey focused on older people in Chile (N = 802), we reconstructed representative types of individual employment trajectories and measured their association with different oral health indicators in old age. Our results show that employment trajectories characterized by continuous, formal, full-time employment have a protective effect for multiple oral health indicators among older people. Our study demonstrates the need for public policies on oral health in old age to incorporate a life course approach and to consider the negative impact of constantly working in informal employment or being out of the labor market permanently, particularly in countries like Chile where temporary and informal employment has risen steadily.
Development and Validation of the Computational Thinking Test for Elementary School Students (CTT-ES): Correlate CT Competency With CT Disposition
Authors: Tsai Meng-Jung , Chien Francis Pingfan , Wen-Yu Lee Silvia , Hsu Chung-Yuan , Liang Jyh-Chong
Published: January 2022

This study aimed to develop the Computational Thinking Test for Elementary School Students (CTT-ES) to assess young children’s CT competencies in non-programming contexts and also examine the relationship between CT competencies and CT dispositions. A survey including a pool of CTT-ES candidate items and the Computational Thinking Scale (CTS) was administered to 631 elementary school students. Rasch model of the Item Response Theory and the discrimination analysis of the Classical Testing Theory were conducted for item analyses. Pearson’s correlation analyses and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between CTT-ES and CTS scores. The results showed that the final CTT-ES including 16 items had a good fitness, discrimination, and reliability to evaluate elementary students’ domain-general CT competencies. The convergent validity of CTT-ES was confirmed by its significant correlations with the CTS scores. The significant regression model not only showed students’ CT competencies can be predicted by their CT dispositions but also supported The Developmental Model of CT. This study provided a valid and reliable tool for assessing young children’s CT abilities. It also furthered our understanding about the developmental orders of CT abilities and contributed to the theoretical construction of CT.
Adaptive sliding mode control with fuzzy adjustment of switching term based on the Takagi-Sugeno model for horizontal vibration of the high-speed elevator cabin system
Authors: He Qin , Jia Tichang , Zhang Ruijun , Liu Lixin
Published: January 2022

In purpose of reducing the severe horizontal vibration of the high-speed elevator car system which is caused by the excitation of the guide rail, an adaptive sliding mode controller with fuzzy switching gain (FGASMC) is designed in this paper. At first, a 4-DOF active control dynamics model of the horizontal vibration of the elevator car is designed, on which the actuators are symmetrically distributed around the cabin center, and the accuracy of which is demonstrated by experiments. Considering the uncertainty caused by the load conditions, structural mass of the elevator, and the output gain of actuators, a Takagi-Sugeno (TS) model for controlling horizontal vibration of the car system is derived based on the designed 4-DOF dynamics model. Then, based on the TS model mentioned above, an adaptive sliding mode controller (ASMC) for suppressing the horizontal vibration of the car system is designed by a quadratic index method. To ensure the reachability of the sliding mode and keep the chattering smaller, the fuzzy method is utilized to adjust the switching gain of the ASMC. For that, an FGASMC is proposed. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed controller is verified by MATLAB simulation. The results illustrate that the designed FGASMC can effectively suppress horizontal vibration of the high-speed elevator car system, and the control effect of which is obviously superior than the linear quadratic regulator optimized by genetic algorithm, which provides a new idea for active vibration reduction of high-speed elevator car.
Investigation on runner resonance and fatigue life of a high–head pump–turbine
Authors: Li Deyou , Duan Xueqing , Yue Ning , Gong Ruzhi , Wang Hongjie , Qin Daqing , Wei Xianzhu
Published: January 2022

The structural stability and fatigue of the runner of a high-head pump-turbine was explored by conducting a numerical simulation of the entire flow passage under different working conditions. A two-way fluid-structure interaction calculation method was used, which captured the values for 5.75 fn, 9 fn, 13 fn, 18 fn, and 20 fn ( fn is rotational frequency) in pressure fluctuation. The resonance of the runner was compared with the results of the modal analysis. The rain flow and damage accumulation methods were used to predict the fatigue life. The study found that the 13 fn pressure fluctuation of the fluid in the flow passage of the pump-turbine is the primary cause of the resonance of the runner blade. The main frequency of vibration is the third natural frequency of the runner. The vibration form is up and down along the Z–axis, and there are some high-order resonances. The most vulnerable part of the entire runner is located at the T-shaped connection between the blade inlet edge and the runner crown and bottom ring. The excitation force under the small flow condition is more complicated than that under the large flow condition, which is more likely to cause fatigue damage to the runner. In addition, the damage extent of the high-stress amplitude to the runner is obviously greater than the influence of the number of stress cycles, accounting for approximately 60% of the total damage. The research results can provide a reference for the operational stability and life prediction of a high-head pump-turbine runner.
PASTRY: A nursing-developed quality improvement initiative to combat moral distress
Authors: Sarro Emily Long , Haviland Kelly , Chow Kimberly , Sequeira Sonia , McEachen Mary Eliza , King Kerry , Aho Lauren , Coyle Nessa , Zhang Hao , Lynch Kathleen A. , Voigt Louis , McCabe Mary S.
Published: January 2022

Background

High levels of moral distress in nursing professionals, of which oncology nurses are particularly prone, can negatively impact patient care, job satisfaction, and retention.

Aim

“Positive Attitudes Striving to Rejuvenate You: PASTRY” was developed at a tertiary cancer center to reduce the burden of moral distress among oncology nurses.

Research Design

A Quality Improvement (QI) initiative was conducted using a pre- and post-intervention design, to launch PASTRY and measure its impact on moral distress of the nursing unit, using Hamric’s Moral Distress Scale–Revised (MDS-R.) This program consisted of monthly 60-minute sessions allowing nurses to address morally distressing events and themes, such as clinicians giving “false hope” to patients or families. The PASTRY program sessions were led by certified clinicians utilizing strategies of discussion and mind-body practices.

Participants

Clinical nurses working on an adult leukemia/lymphoma unit.

Ethical considerations

This was a QI initiative, participation was voluntary, MDS-R responses were collected anonymously, and the institution’s Ethics Committee oversaw PASTRY’s implementation.

Findings

While improvement in moral distress findings were not statistically significant, the qualitative and quantitative findings demonstrated consistent themes. The PASTRY program received strong support from nurses and institutional leaders, lowered the nursing unit’s moral distress, led to enhanced camaraderie, and improved nurses’ coping skills.

Discussion

Measurement of moral distress is innately challenging due to its complexity. This study reinforces oncology nurses have measurable moral distress. Interventions should be implemented for a safe and healing environment to explore morally distressing clinical experiences. Poor communication among multidisciplinary team members is associated with moral distress among nurses. Programs like PASTRY may empower nurses to build support networks for change within themselves and institutions.

Conclusion

This QI initiative shows further research on moral distress reduction should be conducted to verify findings for statistical significance and so that institutional programs, like PASTRY, can be created.
Reimagining the Use of Force by Police in a Post-Floyd Nation
Authors: Smith Michael R.
Published: January 2022

At this important juncture in American policing, this essay sets forth a framework to encourage law enforcement leaders and scholars to reconceptualize the use of force from the ground up. It begins by outlining changes needed in police culture and how police view their mandate to use force in society. It next addresses use of force policy-making and synthesizes recent reviews of the policy landscape, including a recent analysis of the deadly force policy from one the nation’s largest county police agencies. It then suggests ways that better training can improve decision-making and produce better outcomes when force must be used. The essay concludes with a challenge to law enforcement leaders and policy-makers to leverage momentum from the tragic death of George Floyd to make fundamental changes in how police in America think about, train for, use, and manage coercive force in society.
Use of Muscle Flaps for Salvage of Groin Wound Infection Following Vascular Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Shimbo Keisuke , Kawamoto Haruka , Koshima Isao
Published: January 2022

Background

Groin wound infections in vascular surgery are still a common complication and challenging problem. This systematic review aimed to establish a complete view of patient characteristics and clinical outcomes for infected groin wounds following vascular surgery reconstruction using muscle flaps and to evaluate the differences in outcomes between the sartorius muscle flap (SMF), rectus femoris muscle flap (RFF), and gracilis muscle flap (GMF).

Methods

PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were systematically searched from inception to April 2021. Random-effects meta-analysis for comorbidities and outcomes and subgroup analyses for outcomes were performed.

Results

Thirty studies were included in qualitative and quantitative syntheses. Overall pooled data showed the following outcome rates: 4.5% muscle flap necrosis (95% confidence interval [CI], −3.4–12.3%; I 2 = 0%), 21.8% overall complications (95% CI, 15.8–27.7%; I 2 = 0%), 8.0% limb loss (95% CI, 1.9–14.1%; I 2 = 0%), 15.4% graft loss (95% CI, 5.0–25.3%; I 2 = 37.9%), and 7.4% 30-day mortality (95% CI, −.9–15.6%; I 2 = 0%). The rates of overall complications were 20.3% (95% CI, 12.1–28.2%; I 2 = 0%), 23.2% (95% CI, 11.2–34.5%; I 2 = 10.2%), and 18.0% (95% CI, −3.537.8%; I 2 = 0%) for the SMF, RFF, and GMF, respectively. The rate of limb loss was highest for the GMF (17.2%; 95% CI, −4.237.2%; I 2 = 0%). The rate of graft loss for the RFF was the highest (20.7%; 95% CI, .6–39.1%; I 2 = 53.9%). The rate of 30-day mortality was the lowest for the SMF (5.3%; 95% CI, −6.1–16.6%; I 2 = 0%).

Conclusions

The effectiveness and safety of muscle flap reconstruction for infected groin wounds following vascular surgery are clearly positive. This review indicated a tendency for lower complication rates with the SMF than with other muscle flaps.
Evidence-based treatments for eosinophilic esophagitis: insights for the clinician
Authors: Feo-Ortega Sara , Lucendo Alfredo J.
Published: January 2022

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by symptoms of esophageal dysfunction and eosinophil-predominant inflammation. Left untreated, EoE progresses to fibrous remodeling and stricture formation that impairs quality of life. Therefore, EoE requires either repeated treatments or maintenance therapy. Current guidelines recommend swallowed topical corticosteroids (STCs), proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), or dietary intervention as initial options to induce and maintain long-term disease remission. Impractical exclusive elemental diets and suboptimal allergy testing-directed food avoidance paved the way for empirical elimination diets. These are moderately effective and highly reproducible in inducing EoE remission and allow for identification of specific food triggers. Step-up strategies, including two- and four-food rather than six-food elimination diets, should be considered as initial approaches for dietary treatment in patients of all ages, as they reduce the need for endoscopic procedures, shorten diagnostic processing time, and avoid unnecessary restrictions. Formulations of STC originally designed for asthma therapy are suboptimal for EoE treatment, with new effervescent orodispersible tablets and viscose formulations designed to coat the esophageal mucosa providing increased effectiveness at reduced doses. The anti-inflammatory effects of PPI in EoE are independent from gastric acid secretion inhibition; despite evidence from observational research, PPIs are the most commonly prescribed first-line therapy for EoE due to their accessibility, low cost, and safety profile. Double doses of PPI only induce remission in half of EoE patients, irrespective of the drug used or patients’ age. Inflammatory rather than stricturing EoE phenotype and treatment duration up to 12 weeks increase chances of achieving EoE remission. Most responders effectively maintain long-term remission with standard PPI doses. Finally, endoscopic dilation should be considered in patients with reduced esophageal caliber or persistent dysphagia despite histological remission. This article provides a state-of-the-art review and updated discussion of current therapies and newly developed options for EoE.
Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia After mRNA COVID Vaccine
Authors: Fatima Zainab , Reece Blair R. A. , Moore J. Suzanne , Means Robert T.
Published: January 2022

Discussion of the hematologic complications of vaccination for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (COVID-19) has primarily focused on the development of vaccine-associated immune thrombosis with thrombocytopenia (VITT). Other hematologic complications are uncommon. We report the case of a patient who developed immunoglobulin G (IgG)-mediated autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) after the Moderna COVID-19 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccine.
Dynamics of Peripheral Blood T-lymphocytes Have Predictive Values for the Clinical Outcome of COVID-19 Patients in Intensive Care Unit
Authors: Wu Dongling , Zhang Xinmin , Ziemba Yonah , Haghi Nina , Brody Judith , Hsu Peihong
Published: January 2022

Background:

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with severe disease had a high mortality rate. It’s imperative to identify risk factors associated with disease progression and prognosis. Immune responses played an important role in the host’s defense against the virus. We studied the dynamics of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) in relation to the clinical outcome in COVID-19 patients in intensive care unit (ICU).

Design:

This cohort included 342 COVID-19 patients who were admitted to ICU between February 1 and May 30, 2020, with 178 having follow-up PBL analysis. The patients were divided into a group that survived and an expired group. PBL analysis was performed by flow cytometry.

Results:

At time of initial flow analysis, there were no statistically significant differences in lymphocyte, T-cell and subsets, B-cell or natural killer (NK) cell counts between the 2 groups. However, during the ICU course, the surviving group demonstrated a full recovery of CD3+ T-cells, CD4+ T-cells, and CD8+ T-cells, with no significant change in B-cells, and a slight upward trend in NK-cells. In contrast, the expired group showed no recovery in T-cells (and subsets) and no significant changes in B-cells and NK-cells. We identified the earliest time points and cut-off values for T-cell subsets that predict clinical outcomes.

Conclusion:

The results of this study suggest that evaluation of PBL in COVID-19 patients could be valuable in the study of the immune responses to the disease and the prognostication of outcome.
Multi-view manifold regularized compact low-rank representation for cancer samples clustering on multi-omics data
Authors: Wang Juan , Lu Cong-Hai , Kong Xiang-Zhen , Dai Ling-Yun , Yuan Shasha , Zhang Xiaofeng
Published: January 2022

Background

The identification of cancer types is of great significance for early diagnosis and clinical treatment of cancer. Clustering cancer samples is an important means to identify cancer types, which has been paid much attention in the field of bioinformatics. The purpose of cancer clustering is to find expression patterns of different cancer types, so that the samples with similar expression patterns can be gathered into the same type. In order to improve the accuracy and reliability of cancer clustering, many clustering methods begin to focus on the integration analysis of cancer multi-omics data. Obviously, the methods based on multi-omics data have more advantages than those using single omics data. However, the high heterogeneity and noise of cancer multi-omics data pose a great challenge to the multi-omics analysis method.

Results

In this study, in order to extract more complementary information from cancer multi-omics data for cancer clustering, we propose a low-rank subspace clustering method called multi-view manifold regularized compact low-rank representation (MmCLRR). In MmCLRR, each omics data are regarded as a view, and it learns a consistent subspace representation by imposing a consistence constraint on the low-rank affinity matrix of each view to balance the agreement between different views. Moreover, the manifold regularization and concept factorization are introduced into our method. Relying on the concept factorization, the dictionary can be updated in the learning, which greatly improves the subspace learning ability of low-rank representation. We adopt linearized alternating direction method with adaptive penalty to solve the optimization problem of MmCLRR method.

Conclusions

Finally, we apply MmCLRR into the clustering of cancer samples based on multi-omics data, and the clustering results show that our method outperforms the existing multi-view methods.
Differential microRNA expression, microRNA arm switching, and microRNA:long noncoding RNA interaction in response to salinity stress in soybean
Authors: Li Chade , Nong Wenyan , Zhao Shancen , Lin Xiao , Xie Yichun , Cheung Ming-Yan , Xiao Zhixia , Wong Annette Y. P. , Chan Ting Fung , Hui Jerome H. L. , Lam Hon-Ming
Published: January 2022

Background

Soybean is a major legume crop with high nutritional and environmental values suitable for sustainable agriculture. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs) and long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), are important regulators of gene functions in eukaryotes. However, the interactions between these two types of ncRNAs in the context of plant physiology, especially in response to salinity stress, are poorly understood.

Results

Here, we challenged a cultivated soybean accession (C08) and a wild one (W05) with salt treatment and obtained their small RNA transcriptomes at six time points from both root and leaf tissues. In addition to thoroughly analyzing the differentially expressed miRNAs, we also documented the first case of miRNA arm-switching (miR166m), the swapping of dominant miRNA arm expression, in soybean in different tissues. Two arms of miR166m target different genes related to salinity stress (chloroplastic beta-amylase 1 targeted by miR166m-5p and calcium-dependent protein kinase 1 targeted by miR166m-3p), suggesting arm-switching of miR166m play roles in soybean in response to salinity stress. Furthermore, two pairs of miRNA:lncRNA interacting partners (miR166i-5p and lncRNA Gmax_MSTRG.35921.1; and miR394a-3p and lncRNA Gmax_MSTRG.18616.1) were also discovered in reaction to salinity stress.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates how ncRNA involves in salinity stress responses in soybean by miRNA arm switching and miRNA:lncRNA interactions. The behaviors of ncRNAs revealed in this study will shed new light on molecular regulatory mechanisms of stress responses in plants, and hence provide potential new strategies for crop improvement.
Impact of patients’ beliefs about insulin on acceptance and adherence to insulin therapy: a qualitative study in primary care
Authors: Liu Changwei , De Roza Jacqueline , Ooi Chai Wah , Mathew Blessy Koottappal , Elya  , Tang Wern Ee
Published: January 2022

Background

Insulin therapy forms a cornerstone of pharmacological management of diabetes mellitus (DM). However, there remains a lack of acceptance and adherence to insulin, thereby contributing to poor DM control. This study aimed to determine the impact of patients’ beliefs about insulin on acceptance and adherence to insulin therapy.

Method

This was a qualitative study using grounded theory approach. The study took place from September 2019 to January 2021 at a cluster of primary healthcare clinics in Singapore. Maximum variation sampling was used to recruit adult patients with type 2 DM on basal or premixed insulin for at least 6 months. Semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted using a topic guide and audio recorded. Data collection continued until saturation. Data analysis utilised a constant comparison procedure and a synthesis approach.

Results

Twenty-one participants (mean age 61 years) were interviewed for this study. Data analyses showed that there were 6 main themes that emerged. Four themes influenced both insulin acceptance and adherence. These were concerns about insulin being a lifelong treatment, physical fear of insulin injection, erroneous beliefs about insulin, and perceived fear of DM complications. Two additional themes influenced adherence to insulin therapy. These were socioeconomic concerns, and concerns about side effects of insulin.

Conclusions

Patients’ beliefs about insulin impact on the acceptance and adherence to insulin therapy. Health care providers need to elicit and address these beliefs during counselling to improve acceptance and adherence to insulin therapy.
The association between olfactory and gustatory dysfunction and chronic kidney disease
Authors: Chewcharat Api , Phipps Elizabeth A. , Bhatia Khushboo , Kalim Sahir , Allegretti Andrew S. , Sise Meghan E. , Păunescu Teodor G. , Seethapathy Rituvanthikaa , Nigwekar Sagar U.
Published: January 2022

Background

Olfactory and gustatory changes may contribute to poor appetite and food aversion in chronic kidney disease (CKD), though the prevalence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction is not known in the CKD population.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study among 3527 US adults aged ≥40 years old in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 2013 and 2014. We measured the prevalence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction among patients with CKD defined as eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m2 using the “scratch and sniff” NHANES Pocket Smell Test and quinine whole-mouth test. We also examined the association between CKD and olfactory/gustatory dysfunction, and nutritional markers.

Results

The prevalence of olfactory dysfunction was 30% among CKD and 15% among non-CKD (p < 0.001). The prevalence of gustatory dysfunction was 13% among CKD and 17% among non-CKD (p = 0.10). After adjusting for confounders, CKD was significantly associated with olfactory dysfunction (OR = 1.47, 95% CI [1.07, 2.01]; p = 0.02) but not gustatory dysfunction (OR = 1.76, 95%CI [0.99, 3.11]; p = 0.05). Among the CKD population, the odds of olfactory dysfunction was 72% higher for every 10 kg decrease in grip strength (OR = 1.72, 95% CI [1.39, 2.13]; adjusted p = 0.005).

Conclusion

CKD was associated with higher odds of olfactory but not gustatory dysfunction. Olfactory dysfunction was associated with lower grip strength among those with CKD. Screening and early intervening on olfactory dysfunction among CKD may preserve muscle strength and improve nutritional status in this vulnerable population.
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on perinatal outcomes: a retrospective cohort study from Turkey
Authors: Yalçin Siddika Songül , Boran Perran , Tezel Başak , Şahlar Tuba Esra , Özdemir Pınar , Keskinkiliç Bekir , Kara Fatih
Published: January 2022

Background

Lockdowns, pregnant women’s fear from hospitalization in addition to uncertainties about appropriate birthing practices at the beginning of the pandemic may have affected the health outcomes of mother-infant couples. We aimed to explore whether pregnancy outcomes including the rates of cesarean delivery (CS), preterm, and low birth weight (LBW) births have changed during the pandemic period compared with the pre-pandemic period.

Methods

We applied a population-based retrospective cohort, before-after approach in 2020 vs. similar calendar months in 2019 for five periods [Jan-Feb (pre-pandemic); March–May (1st wave and lockdown); June–August; September–October; November–December (2nd wave and lockdown)]. The data was modelled through multiple logistic regressions using key outcomes; CS, preterm, and LBW births as the dependent variables, and adjustments were made for independent variables in SPSS software. We evaluated the modification of years by periods by adding interaction term (yearXperiod) to the model.

Results

The rate of CS in hospital births increased from 57.7% in 2019 to 60.2% in 2020. CS rates were significantly increased during the 3rd and 4th periods. The overall preterm rate was 11%. When singleton pregnancies were considered, adjusted multivariable analyses showed a decrease in preterm proportions during all time periods with respect to the pre-pandemic period. The percentage of LBW was 7.7% during the pandemic period and was found to be significantly reduced compared to the pre-pandemic period. There was a significant reduction in LBW rates in all periods except the second lockdown period.

Conclusions

Our findings suggested significant reductions in preterm and LBW births possibly due to the indirect effects of the pandemic. Moreover, strategies need to be considered to address the increased CS rates and shifting of maternity service utilization to private facilities.
Histone acetyltransferase NAA40 modulates acetyl-CoA levels and lipid synthesis
Authors: Charidemou Evelina , Tsiarli Maria A. , Theophanous Andria , Yilmaz Vural , Pitsouli Chrysoula , Strati Katerina , Griffin Julian L. , Kirmizis Antonis
Published: January 2022

Background

Epigenetic regulation relies on the activity of enzymes that use sentinel metabolites as cofactors to modify DNA or histone proteins. Thus, fluctuations in cellular metabolite levels have been reported to affect chromatin modifications. However, whether epigenetic modifiers also affect the levels of these metabolites and thereby impinge on downstream metabolic pathways remains largely unknown. Here, we tested this notion by investigating the function of N-alpha-acetyltransferase 40 (NAA40), the enzyme responsible for N-terminal acetylation of histones H2A and H4, which has been previously implicated with metabolic-associated conditions such as age-dependent hepatic steatosis and calorie-restriction-mediated longevity.

Results

Using metabolomic and lipidomic approaches, we found that depletion of NAA40 in murine hepatocytes leads to significant increase in intracellular acetyl-CoA levels, which associates with enhanced lipid synthesis demonstrated by upregulation in de novo lipogenesis genes as well as increased levels of diglycerides and triglycerides. Consistently, the increase in these lipid species coincide with the accumulation of cytoplasmic lipid droplets and impaired insulin signalling indicated by decreased glucose uptake. However, the effect of NAA40 on lipid droplet formation is independent of insulin. In addition, the induction in lipid synthesis is replicated in vivo in theDrosophila melanogasterlarval fat body. Finally, supporting our results, we find a strong association of NAA40 expression with insulin sensitivity in obese patients.

Conclusions

Overall, our findings demonstrate that NAA40 affects the levels of cellular acetyl-CoA, thereby impacting lipid synthesis and insulin signalling. This study reveals a novel path through which histone-modifying enzymes influence cellular metabolism with potential implications in metabolic disorders.
Articulating the “stem cell niche” paradigm through the lens of non-model aquatic invertebrates
Authors: Martinez P. , Ballarin L. , Ereskovsky A. V. , Gazave E. , Hobmayer B. , Manni L. , Rottinger E. , Sprecher S. G. , Tiozzo S. , Varela-Coelho A. , Rinkevich B.
Published: January 2022

Stem cells (SCs) in vertebrates typically reside in “stem cell niches” (SCNs), morphologically restricted tissue microenvironments that are important for SC survival and proliferation. SCNs are broadly defined by properties including physical location, but in contrast to vertebrates and other “model” organisms, aquatic invertebrate SCs do not have clearly documented niche outlines or properties. Life strategies such as regeneration or asexual reproduction may have conditioned the niche architectural variability in aquatic or marine animal groups. By both establishing the invertebrates SCNs as independent types, yet allowing inclusiveness among them, the comparative analysis will allow the future functional characterization of SCNs.
The impact of sex and physical performance on long-term mortality in older patients with myocardial infarction
Authors: Tonet Elisabetta , Ariza-Solé Albert , Serenelli Matteo , Formiga Francesc , Sanchis Juan , Pavasini Rita , Diez-Villanueva Pablo , Vitali Francesco , Bonanad Clara , Grazzi Giovanni , Carol Antoni , Chiaranda Giorgio , Pompei Graziella , Cardelli Laura Sofia , Caglioni Serena , Gibiino Federico , Volpato Stefano , Campo Gianluca
Published: January 2022

Background

Sex influences outcome of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). If there is a relationship between sex and physical performance is unknown.

Methods

The analysis is based on older (≥70 years) ACS patients included in the FRASER, HULK, and LONGEVO SCA prospective studies. Physical performance was assessed by Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). The primary outcome was all-cause mortality.

Results

The study included 1388 patients, and 441 (32%) were women. At presentation, women were older and more compromised than men. After a median follow-up of 998 [730–1168] days, all-cause death occurred in 334 (24.1%) patients. At univariate analysis, female sex was related to increased risk of death. After adjustments for confounding factors, female sex was no longer associated with mortality. Women showed poor physical performance compared with men (p < 0.001). SPPB values emerged as an independent predictor of death. Including clinical features and SPPB in the multivariable model, we observed a paradigm shift in the prognostic role of female sex that becomes a protective factor (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.56–0.96). Sex and physical performance showed a significant interaction (p = 0.03). For lower SPPB values (poor physical performance), sex-related changes in mortality were not recorded, while in patients with higher SPPB values (preserved physical performance), female sex was associated with better survival.

Conclusions

Two key findings emerged from the present real-life cohort of older ACS patients: (i) physical performance strongly influences long-term mortality; (ii) women with preserved physical performance have a better outcome compared to men.

Trial registration

www.clinicaltrials.gov NCT02386124 and NCT03021044
Is there an optimal inter-delivery interval in women who underwent trial of labor after cesarean delivery (TOLAC)?
Authors: Rao Jiaming , Fan Dazhi , Ma Huiting , Lin Dongxin , Zhang Huishan , Zhou Zixing , Li Pengsheng , Chen Gengdong , Lu Demei , Liu Yan , Wu Zhaoxia , He Jieyun , Liu Xinjuan , Peng BingJie , Guo Xiaoling , Liu Zhengping
Published: January 2022

Background

Inter-delivery interval (IDI) has been proven to be a factor associated with adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. However, the optimal IDI in trial of labor after cesarean delivery (TOLAC) remains unclear. We aimed to investigate the association between IDI and major maternal and neonatal outcomes in women who underwent TOLAC.

Methods

A multicenter, retrospective cohort study including five hospitals was conducted between January 2018 and December 2019 in Foshan, China. This study included 1080 pregnant women with one or two cesarean deliveries who attempted a TOLAC. Data on maternal and neonatal outcomes were collected from the electronic record system. Maternal and neonatal outcomes in different groups of IDI were compared by univariate and multivariable analyses.

Results

A short IDI of < 24 months did not show a statistically significant association with uterine rupture in the univariate analysis (P = 0.668). In multivariable analysis, the incidences of postpartum hemorrhage (OR 19.6, 95% CI:4.4–90.9, P < 0.05), preterm birth (OR 5.5, 95% CI:1.5–21.3, P < 0.05), and low birth weight (OR 3.5, 95% CI:1.2–10.3, P < 0.05) were significantly increased in women with an IDI of < 24 months than in those with a normal interval (24–59 months). Infection morbidity (OR 1.8, 95% CI:1.4–7.9, P < 0.05), transfusion (OR 7.4, 95% CI:1.4–40.0, P < 0.05), and neonatal unit admission (OR 2.6, 95% CI:1.4–5.0, P < 0.05) were significantly increased in women with an IDI of 120 months or more than in those with a normal interval. Postpartum hemorrhage (P = 0.062) had a trend similar to that of a significant IDI of 120 months or more. We found no statistically significant difference in maternal and neonatal outcomes between 24–59 months and 60–119 months.

Conclusions

An IDI of less than 24 months or 120 months or more increased the risk of major maternal and neonatal outcomes. We recommend that the optimal interval for women who underwent TOLAC should be 24 to 119 months.