bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pathologie und Therapie der Lymphgefäße
Authors: Brenke Rainer
Published: July 2022

Die Lymphgefäße bilden einen wichtigen Bestandteil des Lymphsystems unseres Körpers. Ihre Aufgabe besteht darin, überschüssiges Wasser, Eiweiße und anderen „lymphpflichtige Lasten“ aus dem Interstitium abzutransportieren. Bei einer Schädigung entsteht ein Lymphödem, das im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen Ödemen eiweißreich ist und damit zu Infektionen und Fibrosierungen neigt. Im vorliegenden Beitrag werden die pathophysiologischen Grundlagen und die Therapie, allem voran die Lymphdrainage, als Teil der Komplexen Physikalischen Entstauungstherapie, beschrieben.
Trägt der Magnesiumgehalt im Trinkwasser zur Gesundheit bei?
Authors: Vormann Jürgen
Published: July 2022

Magnesium wird in ausreichender Menge für die Gesunderhaltung des Körpers benötigt. Fehlt Magnesium, ist das Risiko für Herzerkrankungen, Krebs oder Diabetes mellitus erhöht. Magnesium wird jedoch nicht nur über die Nahrung, sondern auch über das Trinkwasser aufgenommen. Studien zeigen, dass eine geringe „Wasserhärte“ bzw. ein niedriger Magnesiumgehalt im Leitungswasser die Inzidenz verschiedener Erkrankungen erhöhen kann.
Brustrekonstruktion – der Einfluss des Verfahrens auf die
Lebensqualität
Authors: Schaefer Kristin Marit , Kappos Elisabeth Artemis , Haug Martin , Schaefer Dirk Johannes
Published: July 2022

Deutsch Brustkrebs und die damit verbundenen chirurgischen Eingriffe haben grosse
Auswirkungen auf die Lebensqualität der betroffenen Patientinnen. Die
Studienlage zeigt, dass der Verlust der Brust und die damit verbundene
Veränderung des Körperbildes für viele Frauen grosse
Auswirkungen auf das weibliche Selbstverständnis haben. Das hat einen
starken negativen Einfluss auf die Lebensqualität der Betroffenen. Mit
moderner klinischer Outcome Forschung unter Einbezug der Behandlungsergebnisse
aus der Patientinnenperspektive in Form von Patient-reported Outcome Measures
(PROMs) lassen sich die Zufriedenheit und Lebensqualität von Betroffenen
messen, analysieren und vergleichen. Diese Übersichtsarbeit
durchleuchtet inwiefern die Wiederherstellung der Brust für viele Frauen
eine Verbesserung der Lebensqualität bedeutet und wie die
unterschiedlichen Rekonstruktionsmethoden in ihrem Einfluss auf die
Lebensqualität und Zufriedenheit variieren. Ausserdem wird die
Wichtigkeit der standardisierten Erfassung und Analyse von PROMs in Kombination
mit objektiven klinischen Daten sowie deren Integration den Behandlungsprozess
diskutiert und die Implementierungsmöglichkeiten aufgezeigt. Eine solche
systematische Erfassung ermöglicht die Anlage von Datenbanken und
Registern, deren Auswertungen Informationen bereitstellen, die für
wissenschaftliche, wie klinische Zwecke verwendbar sind. So lassen sich,
basierend auf den Forschungsergebnissen, prognostische Modelle kreieren und
Behandlungsergebnisse in Vergleichsstudien untersuchen, die klinische
Entscheidungsfindungen und Qualitätskontrollen erleichtern.
Eine Patientin mit Ohrenschmerzen Polyurie und Polydipsie
Authors: Bidner Nora , Schnack Christoph , Brix Johanna M. , Ludvik Bernhard
Published: July 2022

Zusammenfassung Die Langerhans-Zell-Histiozytose ist eine seltene inflammatorische Knochenmarks-Neoplasie, die häufig Knochen, Lunge, Haut und Hypophyse befällt. Aufgrund der vielfältigen Klinik wird die Diagnose meist spät gestellt.

Anamnese Eine 54-jährige Patientin klagte über Ohrenschmerzen rechts seit 5 Monaten. Wegen ähnlicher Beschwerden wurde vor 3 Jahren bereits eine Mastoidektomie durchgeführt. Die Histologie ergab damals eine unspezifische Entzündung. Neu aufgetreten war eine Polydipsie.

Untersuchungen und Diagnose Die Computertomografie der Schläfenbeine ergab Osteolysen im Mastoid. In der Magnetresonanztomografie und Knochenszintigrafie wurden diese Veränderungen als uncharakteristisch entzündlich gewertet. Die Polydipsie erwies sich im Durstversuch als Symptom eines zentralen Diabetes insipidus. Schließlich gelang durch die Remastoidektomie der histologische Nachweis einer Langerhans-Zell-Histiozytose.

Therapie und Verlauf Die Patientin erhielt neben einer systemischen Chemotherapie mit Cytarabin noch Denosumab und Desmopressin.

Folgerung Eine Langerhans-Zell-Histiozytose mit Befall von Schädelknochen geht häufig mit einem Diabetes insipidus einher. Das Wissen um diese typische Konstellation kann zu einer rascheren Diagnosefindung führen und so die Prognose verbessern.
Endocarditis: Who Is Particularly at Risk and Why? Ten Years Analysis of Risk Factors for In-hospital Mortality in Infective Endocarditis
Authors: Ostovar Roya , Schroeter Filip , Erb Michael , Kuehnel Ralf-Uwe , Hartrumpf Martin , Albes Johannes M.
Published: July 2022

Background Endocarditis is continuously increasing. Evidence exist that the prognosis is adversely affected by the extent of the disease. We looked at risk factors influencing in-hospital mortality (HM).

Patients and Methods Between 2010 and 2019, 484 patients, 338 males (69.8%) with mean age of 66.1 years were operated on because of proven endocarditis. In a retrospective study, a risk factor analysis was performed.

Results Overall HM was 30.17%. Significant influencing factors (odds ratios [ORs] or p-value) for HM were: age (p = 0.004), logistic EuroSCORE (p< 0.001), gender (OR = 1.64), dialysis (OR = 2.64), hepatic insufficiency (OR = 2.17), reoperation (OR = 1.77), previously implanted valve (OR = 1.97), periannular abscess (OR = 9.26), sepsis on admission (OR = 12.88), and number of involved valves (OR = 1.96). Development of a sepsis and HM was significantly lower if Streptococcus mitis was the main pathogen in contrast to other bacteria (p< 0.001). Staphylococcus aureus was significantly more often found in patients with a previously implanted prosthesis (p = 0.03) and in recurrent endocarditis (p = 0.02), while it significantly more often showed peripheral septic emboli than the other pathogens (p< 0.001).

Conclusion Endocarditis remains life-threatening. Severe comorbidities adversely affected early outcome, particularly, in presence of periannular abscesses. Patients with suspected endocarditis should be admitted to a specialized heart center as early as possible. Streptococcus mitis appears to be less virulent than S. aureus. Further studies are required to verify these findings.
Giant Prolactinoma Embedded by Pseudoaneurysm of the Cavernous Carotid Artery Treated with a Tailored Therapeutic Scheme
Authors: Mercuri Valeria , Armocida Daniele , Paglia Francesco , Patrizia Gargiulo , Santoro Antonio , D'Angelo Luca
Published: July 2022

The coexistence of intracranial aneurysm (IA) is generally thought to be highest in patients with pituitary adenomas (PAs). Different mechanisms may play a role in aneurysm formation, but whether the PA contributes to aneurysm formation is still unclear. In the literature, there are numerous reported cases of this association; however, the analyses of the characteristics of PAs, aneurysms, and treatment management are rare and limited to a restricted number of case reports. We report a rare case of an embedded aneurysm in a macroprolactinoma treated with therapeutic management tailored to the clinical, neurological, and radiological characteristics of the patient. To select the best treatment, we reviewed the literature and reported the only cases in which the radiological characteristics of aneurysms, PAs, therapeutic management, and patient outcome are described. We aimed to understand what are the variables that determine the best therapeutic management with the best possible outcome. The presence of a large pseudoaneurysm of the internal carotid artery completely embedded in a giant macroprolactinoma is rare and needs a tailored treatment strategy. The importance of the preoperative knowledge of asymptomatic IA coexisting with PA can avoid accidental rupture of the aneurysm during surgical resection and may lead to planning the best treatment. A high degree of suspicion for an associated aneurysm is needed, and if magnetic resonance imaging shows some atypical features, digital subtraction angiography must be performed prior to contemplating any intervention to avoid iatrogenic aneurysmal rupture. Our multimodal approach with the first-line therapy of low-dose cabergoline to obtain prolactin normalization with minimum risks of aneurysms rupture and subsequent endovascular treatment with flow diverter has not been described elsewhere to our knowledge. In the cases, we suggest adopting a tailored low-dose cabergoline therapy scheme to avoid rupture during cytoreduction and initiate a close neuroradiological follow-up program.
Competence to thrive: resilience as an indicator of positive health and positive welfare in animals
Authors: Colditz Ian G.
Published: July 2022

A capacity for an animal to maintain or regain healthy functioning in the face of environmental disturbances is recognised as resilience. For the individual animal, dynamic properties of the trajectory of performance traits (e.g. daily milk yield), periodicity of physiological and behavioural variables (e.g. body temperature) and complexity of biological functions (e.g. behavioural repertoire) can provide indicators of its resilience. These indicators provide a view of the individual’s attempts to cope physically (and emotionally) with its non-shared micro-environment. The concept of resilience is examined as a multifaceted attribute that is hidden from direct measurement. The challenges for establishing relationships between general resilience and context-specific resilience such as disease resilience are explored by comparison with the multifaceted construct of temperament (personality). Lower variance in deviations from performance trajectories and stronger periodicity in rhythmic physiological and behavioural variables are mostly heritable and favourably associated with health and longevity. In humans, wellbeing is associated with health outcomes, and biomarkers of health are more strongly associated with eudaimonic than hedonic wellbeing. The psychological state of eudaimonia is associated with the capacity to express agency, function well, fulfill biological potential and express environmental mastery. The need for indicators of eudaimonia in animals has been suggested previously. Links between environmental mastery and the capacity to develop and express physiological, immune, behavioural, cognitive and affective competencies are examined. It is suggested that longitudinal data on individual animals can provide a precision physical indicator of eudaimonic positive welfare. In this view, positive welfare entails both eudaimonic and hedonic aspects of wellbeing, neither of which is alone sufficient to describe or to maximise positive welfare. Cumulative scores of resilience may have utility for assessing the lifetime welfare experience of the individual and when summed at the farm level may provide a metric for benchmarking welfare performance. Breeding for resilience selects for normativity of biological functions assessed against the individual animal’s own baseline of inherited and developmentally acquired potential. This differs from current approaches to selection for production, which aim to maximise production or production efficiency benchmarked against the group mean. Biological costs and trade-offs for resilience require further research.
Integrative genomics analysis of the ever-shrinking pectin methylesterase (PME) gene family in foxtail millet (
Authors: Ge Weina , Chen Huilong , Zhang Yingchao , Feng Shuyan , Wang Shuailei , Shang Qian , Wu Meng , Li Ziqi , Zhang Lan , Guo He , Jin Yongchao , Wang Xiyin
Published: July 2022

Pectin methylesterase (PME) plays a vital role in the growth and development of plants. Their genes can be classified into two types, with Type-1 having an extra domain, PMEI. PME genes in foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) have not been identified, and their sequence features and evolution have not been explored. Here, we identified 41 foxtail millet PME genes. Decoding the pro-region, containing the PMEI domain, revealed its more active nature than the DNA encoding PME domain, easier to be lost to produce Type-2 PME genes. We inferred that the active nature of the pro-region could be related to its harbouring more repetitive DNA sequences. Further, we revealed that though whole-genome duplication and tandem duplication contributed to producing new copies of PME genes, phylogenetic analysis provided clear evidence of ever-shrinking gene family size in foxtail millet and the other grasses in the past 100 million years. Phylogenetic analysis also supports the existence of two gene groups, Group I and Group II, with genes in Group II being more conservative. Our research contributes to understanding how DNA sequence structure affects the functional innovation and evolution of PME genes.
Organophosphate-based flame retardant (tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate) reduces fecundity and impairs embryonic development in marine invertebrates
Authors: Chiu Jill Man-Ying , Lee Yuk-Wa , Su Kelly
Published: July 2022

Context It is important to understand how marine invertebrates may be affected by tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP), as an organophosphorus flame retardant. Aim The present research verified the hypothesis that TDCIPP would adversely affect the growth, development and reproduction of Crepidula onyx (phylum Mollusca) and Tigriopus japonicus (phylum Arthropoda). Methods Effects of chronic exposure for the whole life cycle were examined at two concentrations of TDCIPP chosen on the basis of results from preliminary range-finding test. Key results Exposure to 1 and 10 μg L−1 of TDCIPP significantly reduced larval and juvenile survival rate and shell length in C. onyx. TDCIPP caused adverse reproductive effects, including abnormal embryonic development, which led to non-viable broods and the malformation of larvae. Exposure to TDCIPP resulted in a 100-fold increase in incidence rate of abnormal larva formation. In T. japonicus, exposure to TDCIPP (10 μg L−1) resulted in non-viable broods and a significant reduction in the number of eggs and number of nauplii. Conclusions Larval survival, larval growth, fecundity, and embryonic development were identified as the TDCIPP-affected ecological endpoints in the marine invertebrate C. onyx and T. japonicus. Implications From a management perspective, these results can help us assess the ecological risk posed by TDCIPP.
Cross-linguistic influence in the acquisition of articles in L3 English by Danish-Russian bilingual children
Authors: Savelieva Tatiana , Rodina Yulia
Published: July 2022

Recent models of third language acquisition (L3A) propose that previous linguistic knowledge largely has a facilitative effect. That is, either typological proximity or linguistic similarity will mostly lead to facilitation and the patterns of non-facilitation will be rather subtle. The present study investigates whether Danish-Russian bilingual children may overcome difficulties associated with knowing Russian, an article-less language, and benefit from knowing Danish when learning L3 English. To isolate the effects of each language we use a subtractive language groups design and compare article use in bilinguals and two control groups (L1 Russian-L2 English and L1 Danish-L2 English children). The results of a forced choice elicitation task show that the use of articles is near target-like in Danish-Russian and L1 Danish children and that bilinguals outperform L1 Russian children. A detailed investigation of article use, misuse and omission errors also suggests that non-facilitation from Russian is virtually non-existent. Thus, young bilinguals can successfully transfer article semantics from Danish at early stages of L3A.
Topological excitations in rotating spin–orbit-coupled spin-1 Bose–Einstein condensates with in-plane gradient magnetic field
Authors: Yang Hui , Su Xianghua , Zhang Yu , Wen Linghua
Published: July 2022

We investigate the topological excitations of rotating spin-1 ferromagnetic Bose–Einstein condensates with spin–orbit coupling (SOC) in an in-plane quadrupole field. Such a system sustains a rich variety of exotic vortex structures due to the spinor order parameter and the interplay among in-plane quadrupole field, SOC, rotation, and interatomic interaction. For the nonrotating case, with the increase of the quadrupole field strength, the system experiences a transition from a coreless polar-core vortex with a bright soliton to a singular polar-core vortex with a density hole. Without rotation but with a fixed quadrupole field, when the SOC strength increases, the system transforms from a central Mermin–Ho vortex into a criss-crossed vortex–antivortex string lattice. For the rotating case, we give a phase diagram with respect to the quadrupole field strength and the SOC strength. It is shown that the rotating system supports four typical quantum phases: vortex necklace, diagonal vortex chain cluster, single diagonal vortex chain, and few vortex states. Furthermore, the system favors novel spin textures and skyrmion excitations including an antiskyrmion, a criss-crossed half-skyrmion–half-antiskyrmion lattice, a skyrmion-meron necklace, a symmetric half-skyrmion lattice, and an asymmetric skyrmion-meron lattice.
Canopy precipitation interception in a lowland tropical forest in relation to stand structure
Authors: Cleophas F , Mahali M , Musta B , Zahari N Z , Lee L E , Bidin K
Published: July 2022

It is generally accepted that vegetation provides important ecosystem services especially in term of rainfall partitioning. This study aims to evaluate the influence of canopy structure namely crown area (CA), diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height (TH) and crown spread (CS) and stand density on the partitioning of rainfall. Twelve throughfall plots of 20 x 20 m with 64 gauges randomly placed within each plot were established. For stemflow measurements, all trees within a 100 m2 plot within the study area were collared. Interception loss was computed as the difference between precipitation and throughfall plus stemflow. Throughfall ranged from 73.47 – 82.32 % of the gross rainfall. Stemflow was found to be roughly around 2.01% of the gross rainfall. Highest interception was 24.52 % attributed to the plot having the highest above ground biomass (AGB) density. The relation between canopy interception and forest structure were analyzed by regression method. Multiple regression analysis on the potential influence of stand structure to the throughfall percentage shows that all the forest structures variables measured in this study are negatively correlated to the amount of throughfall generated. This study suggests that forests with higher value of DBH, CA, CS and TH had higher interception rate.
Modelling height-diameter relationship of fifteen tree species planted on reclaimed agricultural lands with random species effects
Authors: Wang T-Y , Lam T Y
Published: July 2022

Taiwan has a long history of reforesting degraded forest lands and reclaimed agricultural lands to improve forest ecosystem services. While the effort has been ongoing since 1950’s, very few studies attempted to understand how tree species planted on these lands are growing. To fill the knowledge gap, we established plots across elevation from 250 to 2500 m above sea level on reforested fruit orchards, betel nut farms, and bamboo plantations. Diameter and height of 15 plantation tree species were measured. Mixed effects modelling framework was applied to model tree height and diameter relationship of the 15 species with the Wykoff model. Random effects were added to species so that species with few observations could share information from species with abundant information. Preliminary results show that stand productivity and tree-level competition have potential effects on height-diameter relationship. Studying height-diameter relationship could assist decision making for better management of ecosystem services of reclaimed agricultural lands.
Diversity and composition of plant species in a communal agroforestry system at Manggatal, Sabah
Authors: Maid M , Mudi T , Ding A , Lajuni J , Kodoh J
Published: July 2022

Agrisilviculture, the practise of combining forest trees with crops and fruit trees, is common on smallholder and communal land in Sabah. This research aims to determine the diversity and composition of plant species in a communal rubber-based agrisilvicultural system at Kampung Ratau, Manggatal, Sabah. A 50 m x 200 m plot was established in an old rubber garden mixed with other plants. The plot is divided into 10 m x 10 m quadrats. All trees measuring more than 1 cm dbh, lianas and vines were recorded. Diversity indicated by the Shannon-Weiner index H 'value is 2.72 for all types of plants, 2.25 for trees, and 1.73 for lianas and vines, respectively. The Simpson index (D) is 0.87, 0.78, and 0.68 for all types of plants, trees, lianas, and vines, respectively. The Margalef index (Dm) is 5.69, 3.36, and 2.89 for all types of plants, trees, lianas, and vines, respectively. The dominant tree, liana, and vine species are Hevea brasiliensis (128), Smilax cf. laevis (96), and Lygodium cirinnatum (23). The agroforestry system can support moderately diverse plant species and contains several dominant species.
How drought tolerant are tropical woody crop species – turgor loss points for the five most common species in the emerging landscapes on the Malaysian Peninsular
Authors: Kunert N , Brändle J
Published: July 2022

Drought events are increasing with climate change and threaten the future of industrial plantations in Southeast Asia. Drought tolerance has been well investigated for oil palm plantations. A comparative study on the tolerance of different woody crop species is still missing. We assessed the leaf turgor loss point of five common woody crop species using osmometry. The aim was to assess possible future risks in terms of the species´ drought tolerance. The research was carried out in Simpang Pertang, Malaysia. We collected botanical material from five species, namely Acacia mangium, Hevea brasiliensis, Tectona grandis, Mangifera indica, and Elaeis guineensis. To assess the adaptation of the local tree species pool, we measured the turgor loss point of the 65 most abundant tree species in the Pasoh forest reserve for comparison. Measured species showed a wide range of drought tolerance, ranging from -2.56 MPa to -1.15 MPa and -2.46 MPa to -0.88 MPa for crop species and forest species, respectively. Under the current precipitation regime, there is less concern about the cultivation success of these species in the study area. With the predicted changes in rainfall intensity and frequency, a reduction in the productivity of woody crop plantations can be expected.
Discolouration and strength reduction of Bambusa vulgaris after the weathering process
Authors: Salim R M , Yuhana S , Liew K C , Ashaari Z , Wahab R , Alamjuri R H
Published: July 2022

Bambusa vulgaris Schrad was studied for its colour and strength before and after weathering process. Bamboo splits of 300 mm (length) x 20 mm (width) x original thickness were conditioned in a conditioning room at 20±2°C and 65±2% relative humidity before and after weathering for 3, 6, and 9 weeks. A Minolta colour reader and a Munsell soil colour chart were used to assess the colour changes (ΔE) and whitish value (W) of bamboo splits before and after the weathering process. Using Universal Testing Machine, the strength of weathered bamboo splits was tested. Results show the colour of bamboo splits changed dramatically (8% to 21%) over time, whereas the whitish value (W) of the bamboo splits reduced 8% to 31% after 3 to 9 weeks of exposure. Bamboo density was reduced by 3% to 17%. Modulus of Elasticity and Modulus of Rupture, in terms of strength qualities, were greatly reduced (20 MPa to 24 MPa) and (12 MPa to 16 MPa), respectively. After being exposed to the weather for 3, 6, and 9 weeks, the colour of Bambusa vulgaris changed substantially, and the density and strength of bamboo decreased.
Density profile of alkaline-treated and densified 3-layered Paraserianthes falcataria composites
Authors: Raman V , Liew K C
Published: July 2022

Wood densification is one of the wood modification methods that had been invented in the 1900s. However, this method was discontinued due to lack of knowledge to completely understand the process. Findings indicated that the procedure of wood densification had been remediated in recent years due to increase competition in construction materials and the needs of quality structural materials. In this study, low-density plantation timber,Paraserianthes falcatariawas pretreated with alkaline before undergoing densification process. The aim of this paper was to determine the density profile of the treated and untreated densified 3-layeredP. falcatariacomposites. Alkaline pretreatment using NaOH was done according to soda pulping method to remove partially lignin from the timber used. Wood densification was done according to hot-pressing mathematical modelled by previous researchers, to enhance the properties of timber, such as density, by compressing the timber cell wall structure to eliminate voids between walls. In this study, 3%, 6% and 9% NaOH were used with 0% NaOH as control and the results for density profile showed that densified composites treated with 6% NaOH has the highest density profile, while densified composites treated with 0% NaOH (control) has the lowest density profile.
Growth, osmoregulation and ionoregulation of longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) yolk-sac larvae at different salinities
Authors: Yanagitsuru Yuzo R , Daza Itza Y , Lewis Levi S , Hobbs James A , Hung Tien-Chieh , Connon Richard E , Fangue Nann A
Published: July 2022

Longfin smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys) is a threatened anadromous fish species that spawns in freshwater to moderately brackish (i.e. 5–10 ppt) reaches of the upper San Francisco Estuary and has declined to ~1% of its pre-1980s abundances. Despite 50+ years of population monitoring, the efficacy of 10+ years of conservation efforts for longfin smelt remain uncertain due to a limited understanding of how the species responds to environmental variation, such as salinity. For example, high mortality during larval stages has prevented culture efforts from closing the life cycle in captivity. Here, we investigated the effects of salinity on longfin smelt yolk-sac larvae. Newly hatched larvae from four single-pair crosses were acutely transferred to and reared at salinities of 0.4, 5, 10, 20 or 32 ppt. We compared whole-body water and sodium ion (Na+) content, notochord length and yolk-sac volume at 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours post-transfer for each salinity treatment. We found that larvae maintained osmotic and ionic balance at 0.4–10 ppt, whereas salinities ˃10 ppt resulted in decreased water and increased whole-body Na+ content. We also found that larvae grew largest and survived the longest when reared at 5 and 10 ppt, respectively, and that yolk resorption stalled at 0.4 ppt. Finally, there were significant but small interclutch variations in responses to different salinities, with clutch accounting for <8% of the variance in our statistical models. Overall, our results indicate that longfin smelt yolk-sac larvae likely perform best at moderately brackish conditions, thus yielding a mechanism that explains their distribution in field surveys and providing key information for future conservation efforts.
Application Costs and Congestion in Matching Markets
Authors: He YingHua , Magnac Thierry
Published: July 2022

A matching market often requires recruiting agents, or ‘programmes’, to costly screen ‘applicants’, and congestion increases with the number of applicants to be screened. We investigate the role of application costs: higher costs reduce congestion by discouraging applicants from applying to certain programmes; however, they may harm match quality. In a multiple-elicitation experiment conducted in a real-life matching market, we implement variants of the Gale-Shapley deferred-acceptance mechanism with different application costs. Our experimental and structural estimates show that a (low) application cost effectively reduces congestion without harming match quality.
A Case Report of Melioidotic Prostatic Abscess in a Traveler
Authors: Verdecia Jorge L , Jankowski Christopher A , Isache Carmen L , Neilsen Chad D , McCarter Yvette S , Sands Michael L , Ravi Malleswari
Published: July 2022

A 48-year-old man who had returned from Panama 5 weeks prior presented with fever, dysuria, hematuria, flank pain, and suprapubic pain and was found to have a prostatic abscess. Abscess fluid obtained during transurethral drainage grew Burkholderia pseudomallei. Blood cultures remained negative, and imaging did not show any other visceral abscess. This presentation of primary prostatic melioidosis is extremely rare in this region.
Psychosocial Interventions at the End-of-Life
Authors: Chew Nicolle Marie , Ting Ee Lynn , Kerr Lucille , Brewster David J. , Russo Philip L.
Published: July 2022

Background

The integration of holistic and effective end-of-life (EOL) care into cancer management has increasingly become a recognized field. People living with terminal cancer and their caregivers face a unique set of emotional, spiritual, and social stressors, which may be managed by psychosocial interventions.

Objectives

This study aimed to explore the types and characteristics of psychosocial interventions at the EOL for adult cancer patients and their caregivers and to identify gaps in the current literature.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted through MEDLINE (Ovid) and CINAHL from January 1, 2011, to January 31, 2021, retrieving 2453 results. A final 15 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria, reviewed by 2 independent reviewers. Ten percent of the original articles were cross-checked against study eligibility at every stage by 2 experienced researchers.

Results

Most interventions reported were psychotherapies, with a predominance of meaning or legacy-related psychotherapies. Most interventions were brief, with significant caregiver involvement. Most studies were conducted in high-income, English-speaking populations.

Conclusion

There is robust, although heterogeneous, literature on a range of psychosocial interventions at the EOL. However, inconsistencies in the terminology used surrounding EOL and means of outcome assessment made the comparison of interventions challenging.

Implication for Practice

Future studies will benefit from increased standardization of study design, EOL terminology, and outcome assessment to allow for a better comparison of intervention efficacy. There is a need for increased research in psychosocial interventions among middle- to low-income populations exploring social aspects, intimacy, and the impact of COVID-19.
multiMiAT: An optimal microbiome-based association test for multicategory phenotypes
Authors: Sun Han , Wang Yue , Xiao Zhen , Huang Xiaoyun , Wang Haodong , He Tingting , Jiang Xingpeng
Published: July 2022

Microbes affect the metabolism, immunity, digestion and other aspects of the human body incessantly, and dysbiosis of the microbiome drives not only the occurrence but also the development of disease (i.e., multiple statuses of disease). Recently, microbiome-based association tests have been widely developed to detect the association between the microbiome and host phenotype. However, existing methods have not achieved satisfactory performance in testing the association between the microbiome and ordinal/nominal multicategory phenotypes (e.g., disease severity and tumor subtype). In this paper, we propose an optimal microbiome-based association test for multicategory phenotypes, namely, multiMiAT. Specifically, under the multinomial logit model framework, we first introduce a microbiome regression-based kernel association test (multiMiRKAT). As a data-driven optimal test, multiMiAT then integrates multiMiRKAT, score test and MiRKAT-MC to maintain excellent performance in diverse association patterns. Massive simulation experiments prove the excellent performance of our method. multiMiAT is also applied to real microbiome data experiments to detect the association between the gut microbiome and clinical statuses of colorectal cancer development and the association between the gut microbiome and diverse development statuses of Clostridium difficile infections.
Understanding the impact of disease and vaccine mechanisms on the importance of optimal vaccine allocation
Authors: Abell Isobel R. , McCaw James M. , Baker Christopher M.
Published: July 2022

Vaccination is an important epidemic intervention strategy. Resource limitations and an imperative for efficient use of public resources drives a need for optimal allocation of vaccines within a population. For a disease causing severe illness in particular members of a population, an effective strategy to reduce illness might be to vaccinate those vulnerable with a vaccine that reduces the chance of catching a disease. However, it is not clear that this is the best strategy, and it is generally unclear how the difference between various vaccine strategies changes depending on population characteristics, vaccine mechanisms and allocation objective. In this paper we develop a conceptual mathematical model to consider strategies for vaccine allocation, prior to the establishment of community transmission. By extending the SEIR model to incorporate a range of vaccine mechanisms and disease characteristics, we simulate the impact of vaccination on a population with two sub-groups of differing characteristics. We then compare the outcomes of optimal and suboptimal vaccination strategies for a range of public health objectives using numerical optimisation. Our comparison serves to demonstrate that the difference between vaccinating optimally and suboptimally may be dependent on vaccine mechanism, diseases characteristics, and objective considered. We find that better resources do not guarantee better outcomes. Allocating optimally with lesser vaccine resources can produce a better outcome than allocating good vaccine resources suboptimally, dependent on vaccine mechanisms, disease characteristics and objective considered. Through a principled model-based process, this work highlights the importance of designing effective vaccine allocation strategies. This design process requires models that incorporate known biological characteristics, realistic parameters based on data analysis, etc. Overall, we see that allocation of resources can be just as crucial to the success of a vaccination strategy as the strength of resources available.
Habitual exercise evokes fast and persistent adaptation during split-belt walking
Authors: Brinkerhoff Sarah A. , Sánchez Natalia , Roper Jaimie A.
Published: July 2022

Changing movement patterns in response to environmental perturbations is a critical aspect of gait and is related to reducing the energetic cost of the movement. Exercise improves energetic capacity for submaximal exercise and may affect how people adapt movement to reach an energetic minimum. The purpose of this study was to determine whether self-reported exercise behavior influences gait adaptation in young adults. Young adults who met the optimal volume of exercise according to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (MOVE; n=19) and young adults who did not meet the optimal volume of exercise (notMOVE; n=13) walked on a split-belt treadmill with one belt moving twice the speed of the other belt for 10 minutes. Step length asymmetry (SLA) and mechanical work done by each leg were measured. Nonlinear mixed effects models compared the time course of adaptation between MOVE and notMOVE, andt-tests compared net work at the end of adaptation between MOVE and notMOVE. Compared to notMOVE, MOVE had a faster initial response to the split belt treadmill, and continued to adapt over the duration of split-belt treadmill walking. Young adults who engage in sufficient amounts of exercise responded more quickly to the onset of a perturbation, and throughout the perturbation they continued to explore movement strategies, which might be related to reduction of energetic cost. Our findings provide insights into the multisystem positive effects of exercise, including walking adaptation.
Genetic adaptation to pathogens and increased risk of inflammatory disorders in post-Neolithic Europe
Authors: Kerner Gaspard , Neehus Anna-Lena , Abel Laurent , Casanova Jean-Laurent , Patin Etienne , Laval Guillaume , Quintana-Murci Lluis
Published: July 2022

Ancient genomics can directly detect human genetic adaptation to environmental cues. However, it remains unclear how pathogens have exerted selective pressures on human genome diversity across different epochs and affected present-day inflammatory disease risk. Here, we use an ancestry-aware approximate Bayesian computation framework to estimate the nature, strength, and time of onset of selection acting on 2,879 ancient and modern European genomes from the last 10,000 years. We found that the bulk of genetic adaptation occurred after the start of the Bronze Age, <4,500 years ago, and was enriched in genes relating to host-pathogen interactions. Furthermore, we detected directional selection acting on specific leukocytic lineages and experimentally demonstrated that the strongest negatively selected immunity gene variant — the lipopolysaccharide-binding protein gene (LBP) D283G — is hypomorphic. Finally, our analyses suggest that the risk of inflammatory disorders has progressively increased in post-Neolithic Europeans, partly due to antagonistic pleiotropy following genetic adaptation to pathogens.
Emotional Vocalizations Alter Behaviors and Neurochemical Release into the Amygdala
Authors: Ghasemahmad Zahra , Mrvelj Aaron , Panditi Rishitha , Sharma Bhavya , Perumal Karthic Drishna , Wenstrup Jeffrey J.
Published: July 2022

The basolateral amygdala (BLA), a brain center of emotional expression, contributes to acoustic communication by first interpreting the meaning of social sounds in the context of the listener s internal state, then organizing the appropriate behavioral responses. We propose that modulatory neurochemicals such as acetylcholine (ACh) and dopamine (DA) provide internal-state signals to the BLA while an animal listens to social vocalizations. We tested this in a vocal playback experiment wherein we sampled fluids within the BLA and observed behavioral responses of male and female mice while presenting highly affective vocal sequences associated with either mating or restraint behaviors. In male mice, playback of restraint vocalizations increased ACh release and decreased DA release, while playback of mating sequences evoked the opposite neurochemical release patterns. In non-estrus female mice, the ACh and DA release patterns to mating playback were similar to males. Estrous females, however, showed increased ACh, associated with vigilance, as well as increased DA, associated with reward-seeking. Across these groups, increased ACh concentration was correlated with an increase in defensive behavior. These neurochemical release patterns and several behavioral responses depended on prior experience with the mating and restraint behaviors. Our results support a model in which ACh and DA provide contextual information to sound-analyzing BLA neurons that modulates their output to downstream brain regions responsible for appropriate behavioral outcomes.
The pH-sensing Rim101 pathway regulates cell size in budding yeast
Authors: Shimasawa Masaru , Sakamaki Jun-ichi , Mizushima Noboru
Published: July 2022

Although cell size regulation is crucial for cellular functions in a variety of organisms, from bacteria to humans, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Here, we identify Rim21, a component of the pH-sensing Rim101 pathway, as a positive regulator of cell size through a genome-wide screen of Saccharomyces cerevisiae deletion mutants. We found that mutants defective in the Rim101 pathway were consistently smaller than wild-type cells in the log and stationary phases. The expression of the active form of Rim101 increased the size of wild-type cells. Furthermore, the size of wild-type cells increased in response to external alkalization, which was associated with changes in both vacuolar and cytoplasmic volume. These volume changes were dependent on Rim21 and Rim101. A mutant lacking Vph1, a component of V-ATPase that is transcriptionally regulated by Rim101, was also smaller than wild-type cells, with no increase in size in response to alkalization. The loss of Vph1 suppressed the Rim101-induced increase in cell size under physiological pH conditions. Our results suggest that the cell size of budding yeast is regulated by the Rim101 and V-ATPase axis under physiological conditions as well as in response to alkaline stresses.
A systematic investigation of lactic acid bacteria-derived biosynthetic gene clusters reveals diverse antagonistic bacteriocins in the human microbiome
Authors: Zhang Dengwei , Zhang Jian , Kalimuthu Shanthini , Liu Jing , Song Zhiman , He Beibei , Cai Peiyan , Zhong Zheng , Feng Chenchen , Neelakantan Prasanna , Li Yong-Xin
Published: July 2022

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) produce various bioactive secondary metabolites (SMs), which endow LAB with a protective role for the host. However, the biosynthetic potentials of LAB-derived SMs remain elusive, particularly in their diversity, abundance, and distribution in the human microbiome. To gain an insight into the biosynthetic capacity of LAB, we analyzed the biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs) from 31,977 LAB genomes and 748 human microbiome metagenomes, identifying 130,051 BGCs. The found BGCs were clustered into 2,849 gene cluster families (GCFs), most of which are species-specific, niche-specific, and uncharacterized yet. We found that most LAB BGCs encoded bacteriocins with pervasive antagonistic activities predicted by machine learning models, potentially playing protective roles in the human microbiome. Class II bacteriocins, the most abundant LAB SMs, are particularly enriched and predominant in vaginal microbiomes. Together with experimental validation, our metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analysis showed that class II bacteriocins with antagonistic potential might regulate microbial communities in the vagina, thereby contributing to homeostasis. These discoveries of the diverse and prevalent antagonistic SMs are expected to stimulate the mechanism study of LAB’s protective roles in the host and highlight the potential of LAB as a new source of antibacterial SMs.
In-depth investigation of microRNA-mediated cross-kingdom regulation between Asian honey bee and microsporidian
Authors: Fan Xiaoxue , Zhang Wende , Zhang Kaiyao , Zhang Jiaxin , Long Qi , Wu Ying , Zhang Kuihao , Zhu Leran , Chen Dafu , Guo Rui
Published: July 2022

Asian honey bee Apis cerana is the original host for Nosema ceranae, a unicellular fungal parasite that causes bee nosemosis throughout the world. Currently, interaction between A. cerana and N. ceranae is largely unknown. Here, based on our previously gained high-quality RNA-seq and small RNA-seq data from N. ceranae-infected A. c. cerana workers’ midguts and clean spores, differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmiRNAs) in N. ceranae targeted by DEmiRNAs in host midguts and A. c. cerana DEmRNAs targeted by microsporidian DEmiRNAs were predicted using bioinformatics, and then target DEmRNAs in microsporidian and host were annotated and investigated, with a focus on targets involved in N. ceranae glycolysis/glyconeogenesis and virulence factors as well as A. c. cerana energy mechanism and immune response. It’s found that 97 down-regulated (60 up-regulated) mRNAs in NcCKM vs NcTM1 were potentially targeted by eight up-regulated (six down-regulated) miRNAs in AcCKMI1 vs AcTMI1, 44 down-regulated (15 up-regulated) mRNAs in NcCKM vs NcTM2 were putative targets of seven up-regulated (two down-regulated) miRNAs in AcCKMI2 vs AcTMI2. Additionally, miR-60-y and miR-676-y were found to up-regulate in AcCKMI1 vs AcTMI1 and target genes engaged in spore wall protein and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, while miR-60-y in AcCKMI1 vs AcTMI1 was up-regulated and potentially targeted a glycolysis/gluconeogenesis-associated gene. Comparatively, 343 down-regulated (138 up-regulated) mRNAs in AcCKM1 vs AcTM1 were putative targets of 121 up-regulated (112 down-regulated) miRNAs in NcCKMI vs NcTMI1, 247 down-regulated (110 up-regulated) mRNAs were putatively targeted by 110 up-regulated (104 down-regulated) miRNAs in NcCKMI vs NcTMI2. Further analysis showed that 31 up-regulated miRNAs in NcCKMI vs NcTMI1 potentially targeted 12 down-regulated mRNAs in AcCKM1 vs AcTM1, which were involved in five immune-related pathways such as phagasome and Jak-STAT signaling pathway, whereas nine up-regulated miRNAs in NcCKMI vs NcTMI2 putatively targeted five down-regulated mRNAs in AcCKM2 vs AcTM2, which were engaged in three immune-related pathways including endocytosis, lysosomes, and regulation of autophagy. In addition, miR-21-x was observed to up-regulate in NcCKMI vs NcTMI1 and target a oxidative phosphorylation-related gene. Finally, potential targeting relationship between two host DEmiRNAs-microsporidian DEmRNAs pairs and two microsporidian DEmiRNAs-host DEmRNAs pairs were verified on basis of RT-qPCR. Our findings not only lay a foundation for exploring the molecular mechanism underlying cross-kingdom regulation between A. c. cerana workers and N. ceranae, but also offer valuable insights into Asian honey bee-microsporidian interaction.
Signatures of contextual interference in implicit sensorimotor adaptation
Authors: Tsay Jonathan S. , Irving Carolyn , Ivry Richard B.
Published: July 2022

Contextual interference refers to the phenomenon whereby a blocked practice schedule results in faster acquisition but poorer retention of new motor skills compared to a random practice schedule. While contextual interference has been observed under a broad range of tasks, it remains unclear if this effect generalizes to the implicit and automatic recalibration of an overlearned motor skill. To address this question, we compared blocked and random practice schedules on a reaching task in which we used a feedback perturbation method that isolates implicit adaptation. The degree of implicit adaptation was quantified as the change in hand angle in the opposite direction of the perturbation, and retention was quantified as the percent of adaptation remaining after visual feedback was extinguished. In two experiments, participants tested under a random practice schedule exhibited slower implicit adaptation, but better retention compared to participants tested under a blocked practice schedule, the signature of contextual interference. These results indicate that contextual interference is not limited to the acquisition of new motor skills but also applies to the implicit adaptation of established motor skills.
Environmental pH signals the release of monosaccharides from cell wall in coral symbiotic alga
Authors: Ishii Yuu , Ishii Hironori , Kuroha Takeshi , Yokoyama Ryusuke , Deguchi Ryusaku , Nishitani Kazuhiko , Minagawa Jun , Kawata Masakado , Takahashi Shunichi , Maruyama Shinichiro
Published: July 2022

Reef-building corals thrive in oligotrophic environments due to their possession of endosymbiotic algae. Confined to the low pH interior of the symbiosome within the cell, the algal symbiont provides the coral host with photosynthetically fixed carbon. However, it remains unknown how carbon is released from the algal symbiont for uptake by the host. Here we show, using cultured symbiotic dinoflagellate, Breviolum sp., that decreases in pH directly accelerates the release of monosaccharides, i.e., glucose and galactose, into the ambient environment. Under low pH conditions, the cell surface structures were deformed and genes related to cellulase were significantly upregulated in Breviolum. Importantly, the release of monosaccharides was suppressed by the cellulase inhibitor, glucopyranoside, linking the release of carbon to degradation of the agal cell wall. Our results suggest that the low pH signals the cellulase-mediated release of monosaccharides from the algal cell wall as an environmental response in coral reef ecosystems.