bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of telehealth‐assisted interventions for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Saragih Ita Daryanti , Schorr Erica , Porta Carolyn M. , Batubara Sakti Oktaria , Lee Bih‐O
Published: July 2022

Background

Telehealth‐assisted interventions have been used as secondary prevention measures in cardiac rehabilitation, especially for the delivery of information between healthcare service providers and patients. However, as the application of this intervention modality broadens, investigation of its effects in secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is necessary.

Aims

To identify the effectiveness of telehealth‐assisted interventions for secondary prevention of CVD.

Design

Systematic review and meta‐analysis.

Methods

The PRISMA protocol was used to conduct a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomised controlled trials. The full text of articles was obtained from six databases for the period from database establishment to 25 November 2021. To assess the methodological quality of the studies reviewed, the updated Cochrane risk‐of‐bias checklist for randomised trials was employed. A meta‐analysis was performed using a random‐effects model to calculate the pooled effects of telehealth‐assisted interventions for secondary CVD prevention.

Results

The final analysis included 4012 individuals from 18 different trials. Telehealth‐assisted interventions were shown to improve medication adherence (standardised mean difference [SMD]: 0.31; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.33–0.59) and reduce depression (SMD: −0.28; 95% CI: −0.46 to −0.10).

Conclusions

Telehealth‐assisted interventions appear to improve adherence to medication and reduce depression of individuals with CVD. These intervention strategies could be offered to both healthcare providers and individuals with CVD as an option in delivering and facilitating the use of health services to improve health behaviours and overall outcomes. Furthermore, this study may be used as guidance for future research to provide an appropriate plan of care for this population.

Relevance to clinical practice

The findings imply that the delivery of care remotely via telehealth‐assisted interventions for secondary prevention of CVD is beneficial in improving CVD survivors' health and access to healthcare services.

Trial registration

The International Prospective Register of Systematic Review: (PROSPERO): CRD 42021290111.
A review on drawdown risk measures and their implications for risk management
Authors: Geboers Hans , Depaire Benoît , Annaert Jan
Published: July 2022

As highlighted by the recent market turmoil following COVID‐19, markets can experience significant retracements or drawdowns. While these recent market moves have definitely been large, significant drawdowns have been around since the start of financial markets. Various risk metrics such as Value at Risk and volatility are used to describe risk. The intuitive drawdown risk measure, which is often used in practice alongside the above metrics, is receiving more and more academic attention. In this article we provide a systematic review of the literature on the drawdown risk measures. We describe two different methodologies for calculating drawdowns and analyze drawdown based risk measures used in risk management, portfolio construction and optimization. Finally we discuss the statistical properties related to drawdowns. Based on the research done so far, we identify several areas for further research.
Risk factors of maternal intrapartum fever and the effect of fever duration on neonatal morbidity in different temperature
Authors: Yin Huifen , Hu Rong
Published: July 2022

Aim

To investigate the clinical risk factors of intrapartum fever and explore the relationship between fever duration and neonatal morbidity of different fever peak.

Methods

A case–control study was conducted, and 714 pregnant women were divided into fever and nonfever group. Multivariable logistic regression model was estimated to evaluate the risk factors for maternal intrapartum fever. Receiver operating characteristic curve was adopted to explore the relationship between fever duration and fetal distress of different fever peak to find the cut‐off point, then the neonatal outcomes of women with fever ≥38°C in two groups of different fever duration were compared.

Results

Epidural analgesia (odds ratio [OR]: 6.89, p < 0.001), longer time of membrane rupture (OR: 1.06, p < 0.001) and longer time of first stage of labor (OR: 1.04, p = 0.03) were considered as independent risk factors for maternal fever. For women with temperature <38°C, fever duration was not associated with fetal distress, whereas the women with temperature ≥38°C, fever duration longer than 93.5 min was a good predictor of fetal distress (Area under curve (AUC) = 0.82, p < 0.05). Further analysis showed that infants of women with fever peak ≥38°C and fever duration longer than 90 min had a higher rate of 1 min Apgar score <7 (15.5% vs. 2.2%, p = 0.03), assisted ventilation (29.6% vs. 11.1%, p = 0.02), and admission to neonatal ward (87.3% vs. 60.0%, p = 0.001).

Conclusions

Epidural analgesia, longer time of membrane rupture, and longer time of first stage of labor were considered as independent risk factors for maternal intrapartum fever. For women with fever ≥38°C, controlling fever time less than 90 min might be helpful to reduce neonatal morbidity.
Targeting stem cells in myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Woll Petter S. , Yoshizato Tetsuichi , Hellström‐Lindberg Eva , Fioretos Thoas , Ebert Benjamin L. , Jacobsen Sten Eirik W.
Published: July 2022

The genetic architecture of cancer has been delineated through advances in high‐throughput next‐generation sequencing, where the sequential acquisition of recurrent driver mutations initially targeted towards normal cells ultimately leads to malignant transformation. Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are hematologic malignancies frequently initiated by mutations in the normal hematopoietic stem cell compartment leading to the establishment of leukemic stem cells. Although the genetic characterization of MDS and AML has led to identification of new therapeutic targets and development of new promising therapeutic strategies, disease progression, relapse, and treatment‐related mortality remain a major challenge in MDS and AML. The selective persistence of rare leukemic stem cells following therapy‐induced remission implies unique resistance mechanisms of leukemic stem cells towards conventional therapeutic strategies and that leukemic stem cells represent the cellular origin of relapse. Therefore, targeted surveillance of leukemic stem cells following therapy should, in the future, allow better prediction of relapse and disease progression, but is currently challenged by our restricted ability to distinguish leukemic stem cells from other leukemic cells and residual normal cells. To advance current and new clinical strategies for the treatment of MDS and AML, there is a need to improve our understanding and characterization of MDS and AML stem cells at the cellular, molecular, and genetic levels. Such work has already led to the identification of promising new candidate leukemic stem cell molecular targets that can now be exploited in preclinical and clinical therapeutic strategies, towards more efficient and specific elimination of leukemic stem cells.
Interactive effects of CO2, temperature, irradiance, and nutrient limitation on the growth and physiology of the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus (Cyanophyceae)
Authors: Laws Edward A. , McClellan S. Alex
Published: July 2022

The marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus was grown in a continuous culture system to study the interactive effects of temperature, irradiance, nutrient limitation, and the partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2) on its growth and physiological characteristics. Cells were grown on a 14:10 h light:dark cycle at all combinations of low and high irradiance (50 and 300 μmol photons ⋅ m−2 ⋅ s−1, respectively), low and high pCO2 (400 and 1000 ppmv, respectively), nutrient limitation (nitrate‐limited and nutrient‐replete conditions), and temperatures of 20–45°C in 5°C increments. The maximum growth rate was ~4.5 · d−1 at 30–35°C. Under nutrient‐replete conditions, growth rates at most temperatures and irradiances were about 8% slower at a pCO2 of 1000 ppmv versus 400 ppmv. The single exception was 45°C and high irradiance. Under those conditions, growth rates were ~45% higher at 1000 ppmv. Cellular carbon:nitrogen ratios were independent of temperature at a fixed relative growth rate but higher at high irradiance than at low irradiance. Initial slopes of photosynthesis–irradiance curves were higher at all temperatures under nutrient‐replete versus nitrate‐limited conditions; they were similar at all temperatures under high and low irradiance, except at 20°C, when they were suppressed at high irradiance. A model of phytoplankton growth in which cellular carbon was allocated to structure, storage, or the light or dark reactions of photosynthesis accounted for the general patterns of cell composition and growth rate. Allocation of carbon to the light reactions of photosynthesis was consistently higher at low versus high light and under nutrient‐replete versus nitrate‐limited conditions.
Communities with an anchor institution have higher coronavirus vaccination rates
Authors: Harris Alexandra , Maechling Claude R. , Holl Jane L. , McHugh Megan
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Anchor institutions (“anchors”) are large employers, rooted in a community by reason of mission, capital, or relationships. Many anchors have encouraged coronavirus vaccination for employees and their families. Our objective was to determine whether the presence of an anchor was associated with a higher county‐level vaccination rate.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study focused on 745 small‐ and mid‐sized US counties. We used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Reference USA's US Business Database, Economic Innovation Group's Distressed Communities Index database, 2021 County Health Ratings and Rankings, 2020 US Presidential Election popular vote data, and National Center for Health Statistics urban‐rural classification data. We constructed 3 explanatory variables of interest: a binary variable indicating whether the county had an anchor; a continuous variable representing the number of anchors within a county; and the percent of all workers in the county who were employed by an anchor. Multivariable linear regression models were adjusted for race/ethnicity, political party allegiance, rurality, economic distress, and prevalence of smoking and adult obesity.

Findings

Counties with an anchor had vaccination rates 2.31 (P<.01) percentage points higher than those without an anchor. The number of anchors in a county was also significantly associated with higher vaccination rates.

Conclusions

Efforts by anchors to encourage vaccination may have been successful, and that anchors may be well positioned to amplify public health messages. However, the influence and efforts of anchors to increase vaccination did not fully mitigate disparities in vaccination rates by race, ethnicity, and political party allegiance.
Retrospective evaluation of the ST segment electrocardiographic features in 180 healthy dogs
Authors: Romito G. , Castagna P. , Pelle N. G. , Testa F. , Sabetti M. C. , Cipone M.
Published: July 2022

Objectives

Normal features of the ST segment are poorly characterised in dogs. This study aimed to describe ST segment characteristics in a population of healthy dogs.

Materials and Methods

Medical records were reviewed to identify healthy dogs that underwent an electrocardiogram. Several ST segment qualitative parameters were evaluated: presence/absence of deviation, type of deviation (depression/elevation) and morphological patterns of depression (horizontal, downsloping, upsloping and sagging) and elevation (horizontal, concave and convex). Moreover, the amplitude of ST segment depression/elevation was measured. The potential effect of sex, bodyweight, age and somatotype on the presence/absence of ST segment deviation was evaluated through binary logistic regression.

Results

One hundred and eighty dogs were enrolled. The deviation was evident in 43 of 180 dogs (23.9%), among which 36 showed depression and seven showed elevation. The median depression amplitude was 0.1 (range 0.05 to 0.3) mV. The mean elevation amplitude was 0.136 ±0.055 mV. Concerning depression morphology, the horizontal pattern was overrepresented, followed by the downsloping and upsloping ones. Concerning elevation morphology, all dogs showed a concave pattern. No meaningful effect of sex, bodyweight, age and somatotype on the presence/absence of ST segment deviation was documented.

Clinical Significance

Normal features of canine ST segment were described and made available for clinical use.
The impact of COVID‐19 on Italian adolescents’ sleep and its association with psychological factors
Authors: Bacaro Valeria , Meneo Debora , Curati Sara , Buonanno Carlo , De Bartolo Paola , Riemann Dieter , Mancini Francesco , Martoni Monica , Baglioni Chiara
Published: July 2022

Insomnia and circadian dysregulation during adolescence represent important risk factors for emotional and psychological problems. Recent studies have shown that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic has been linked to a high prevalence of behavioural sleep problems in the general population. This study aimed to provide two pictures of two different time points of the pandemic regarding the prevalence of sleep problems in adolescents and their association with psychological health variables. Two different independent large samples of Italian adolescents aged 13–17 years were recruited at two pandemic time points. A total of 1,146 adolescents at Time 1 (T1; April 2020) and 1,406 at Time 2 (T2; April 2021) took part in the study. Measures of insomnia symptoms, sleep hygiene, chronotype, psychological distress and emotion regulation were collected. Prevalence of insomnia was 12.13% at T1 and 23.19% at T2. Furthermore, high levels of poor sleep habits (late bedtime, poor sleep hygiene, use of electronic devices at bedtime) were also detected at both time points. Insomnia symptoms strongly correlated with poor sleep hygiene, higher psychological distress, and emotional suppression at both time points. Results highlighted an alarming picture for two large samples at two different time points of the pandemic that showed a potential negative impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic, in both the first outbreak and in the later phase of the pandemic, on sleep habits, psychological distress and insomnia symptoms in adolescents. This strongly suggests the need for monitoring these variables and their interaction in the post‐pandemic period and to develop and promote interventions for insomnia and circadian disturbances during adolescence.
The independent associations of physical activity and sleep with neural activity during an inhibitory task: cross‐sectional results from the MONITOR‐OA study
Authors: Falck Ryan Stanley , Hsu Chun Liang , Silva Narlon Cassio Boa Sorte , Li Linda C. , Best John R. , Liu‐Ambrose Teresa
Published: July 2022

Sleep and physical activity (PA) are important for the maintenance of executive functions. Whether these lifestyle factors independently contribute to associated neural correlates of executive functions is unknown. We therefore investigated the independent associations of PA and sleep with neural activity during executive performance using task‐based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Baseline data from a subset of participants (n = 29) enrolled in a randomised trial were used for this cross‐sectional analysis. We measured PA, sleep duration and efficiency for 7 days using the SenseWear Mini and examined neural activity underlying response inhibition using the Go/NoGo executive performance task. Brain activation patterns during the NoGo condition were contrasted to activation patterns during the Go condition (i.e., NoGo–Go). We constructed two separate models (controlling for age, sex, and education) to examine the independent associations of (i) PA and sleep duration; and (ii) PA and sleep efficiency with brain activation. Significant clusters were corrected for multiple comparisons (p < 0.05) to determine region‐specific activation patterns. The mean (SD) participant age was 61 (9) years, and 79% were female. PA was independently associated with greater task‐related blood‐oxygen‐level dependent (BOLD) signal activity in the left cingulate gyrus; longer sleep duration was independently associated with greater BOLD signal activity in the left putamen. Higher sleep efficiency was independently associated with increased BOLD signal activity in the left hippocampus. PA, sleep duration, and efficiency are each independently associated with greater neural activity underlying response inhibition, which further illustrates that PA and sleep are each uniquely important for brain health.
Systemic inflammation is linked to liver fibrogenesis in patients with advanced chronic liver disease
Authors: Simbrunner Benedikt , Villesen Ida Falk , Königshofer Philipp , Scheiner Bernhard , Bauer David , Paternostro Rafael , Schwabl Philipp , Timelthaler Gerald , Ramazanova Dariga , Wöran Katharina , Stift Judith , Eigenbauer Ernst , Stättermayer Albert Friedrich , Marculescu Rodrig , Pinter Matthias , Møller Søren , Trauner Michael , Karsdal Morten , Leeming Diana Julie , Reiberger Thomas , Mandorfer Mattias
Published: July 2022

Background & Aims

Experimental evidence indicates that systemic inflammation (SI) promotes liver fibrogenesis. This study investigated the potential link between SI and fibrogenesis in patients with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD).

Methods

Serum biomarkers of SI (CRP, IL‐6, procalcitonin [PCT]) and extracellular matrix (ECM) turnover (i.e., fibrogenesis/fibrolysis) were analysed in 215 prospectively recruited patients with ACLD (hepatic venous pressure gradient [HVPG] ≥6 mm Hg) undergoing hepatic vein catheterization. Patients with non‐elective hospitalization or bacterial infection were excluded. Histological alpha‐smooth muscle actin (α‐SMA) area was quantified on full biopsy scans by automated morphometric quantification in a subset of 34 patients who underwent concomitant transjugular liver biopsy.

Results

Histological α‐SMA proportionate area correlated with enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) score (Spearman's ρ = 0.660, p < .001), markers of collagen formation (PRO‐C3, ρ = 0.717, p < .001; PRO‐C6, ρ = 0.526, p = .002) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases‐1 (TIMP1; ρ = 0.547, p < .001), indicating that these blood biomarkers are capable of reflecting the dynamic process of ECM turnover. CRP, IL‐6 and PCT levels correlated with ELF, biomarkers of collagen synthesis/degradation and TIMP1, both in compensated and decompensated patients. Multivariate linear regression models (adjusted for HVPG) confirmed that CRP, IL‐6 and PCT were independently linked to markers of liver fibrogenesis and ECM turnover.

Conclusion

Systemic inflammation is linked to both liver fibrogenesis and ECM turnover in ACLD and this association is not confounded by the severity of liver disease, as evaluated by HVPG. Our study confirms experimental data on the detrimental impact of SI on ECM deposition and fibrosis progression in a thoroughly characterized cohort of patients with ACLD.
Evidence of increased mussel abundance related to the Pacific marine heatwave and sea star wasting
Authors: Traiger Sarah B. , Bodkin James L. , Coletti Heather A. , Ballachey Brenda , Dean Thomas , Esler Daniel , Iken Katrin , Konar Brenda , Lindeberg Mandy R. , Monson Daniel , Robinson Brian , Suryan Robert M. , Weitzman Benjamin P.
Published: July 2022

Mussels occupy a key middle trophic position in nearshore food webs linking primary producers to predators. Climate‐related environmental changes may synergistically combine with changes in predator abundance to affect intertidal ecosystems. We examined the influence of two major events on mussel (Mytilus trossulus) abundance in the northern Gulf of Alaska: the recent Pacific marine heatwave (PMH, 2014–2016) and an outbreak of sea star wasting (SSW). We investigated how mussel abundance changed since the onset of SSW and whether the density of predatory sea stars or PMH‐related temperature metrics explain variation in mussel abundance. Sea stars and mussels were surveyed since 2005 approximately annually in four regions of the northern Gulf of Alaska: Katmai (KATM), Kachemak Bay (KBAY), Kenai Fjords (KEFJ) and western Prince William Sound (WPWS). Mussel percent cover in the mid‐intertidal increased 1–3 years after declines in sea stars at all regions and in the low‐intertidal at KATM, KBAY, and KEFJ, but not at WPWS. After the onset of SSW, large (≥20 mm length) mussel density and mussel bed width increased at KATM but not the other regions. Total mussel densities, including recruits, did not differ before and after the onset of SSW. The total number of sea stars significantly explained variation in mussel metrics, but the proportions of the three sea star species examined did not. We did not find strong evidence for direct effects of temperature on mussels. The effects of the PMH and the SSW outbreak appear to have combined, with increased temperatures indirectly benefiting mussels in concert with relaxed top‐down pressure from sea stars, allowing for increased mussel abundance. Changing mussel abundance may affect intertidal local productivity and the abundance or performance of other nearshore consumers of mussels.
Newborn weight change and predictors of underweight in the neonatal period in Guinea‐Bissau, Nepal, Pakistan and Uganda
Authors: Flaherman Valerie J. , Ginsburg Amy S. , Nankabirwa Victoria , Braima da Sa Augusto , Medel‐Herrero Alvaro , Schaefer Eric , Dongol Srijana , Shrestha Akina , Nisar Imran , Altaf Muddassir , Liaquat Khushboo , Baloch Benazir , Rahman Najeeb , Shafiq Yasir , Ariff Shabina , Jehan Fyezah , Roberts Susan B.
Published: July 2022

In low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMIC), growth impairment is common; however, the trajectory of growth over the course of the first month has not been well characterised. To describe newborn growth trajectory and predictors of growth impairment, we assessed growth frequently over the first 30 days among infants born ≥2000 g in Guinea‐Bissau, Nepal, Pakistan and Uganda. In this cohort of 741 infants, the mean birth weight was 3036 ± 424 g. For 721 (98%) infants, weight loss occurred for a median of 2 days (interquartile range, 1–4) following birth until weight nadir was reached 5.9 ± 4.3% below birth weight. At 30 days of age, the mean weight was 3934 ± 592 g. The prevalence of being underweight at 30 days ranged from 5% in Uganda to 31% in Pakistan. Of those underweight at 30 days of age, 56 (59%) had not been low birth weight (LBW), and 48 (50%) had reached weight nadir subsequent to 4 days of age. Male sex (relative risk [RR] 2.73 [1.58, 3.57]), LBW (RR 6.41 [4.67, 8.81]), maternal primiparity (1.74 [1.20, 2.51]) and reaching weight nadir subsequent to 4 days of age (RR 5.03 [3.46, 7.31]) were highly predictive of being underweight at 30 days of age. In this LMIC cohort, country of birth, male sex, LBW and maternal primiparity increased the risk of impaired growth, as did the modifiable factor of delayed initiation of growth. Interventions tailored to infants with modifiable risk factors could reduce the burden of growth impairment in LMIC.
Diet quality during pregnancy and its association with social factors: 3D Cohort Study (Design, Develop, Discover)
Authors: Yu Yamei , Feng Cindy , Bédard Brigitte , Fraser William , Dubois Lise
Published: July 2022

Good diet quality during pregnancy provides adequate nutrition to support both the mothers and the fetus. The objective of this study is to describe the distribution of diet quality during pregnancy and to study the association between social factors and diet quality during pregnancy in a Canadian population. This study was based on 1535 pregnant women who provided dietary information in the 3D Cohort Study in Quebec, Canada. A 3‐day food record was used to collect dietary intake in the second trimester of pregnancy. A Canadian adaption of the Healthy Eating Index (HEI‐C) 2010 was used to quantify diet quality. Univariate and multiple linear regression models were used to calculate unadjusted and adjusted effect estimates and confidence intervals for the association between social factors and HEI‐C. The mean HEI‐C 2010 score in this study was 62.9 (SD: 11.2). Only 4.5% and 8.3% of the pregnant women consumed the recommended amounts of whole grains and ‘greens and beans’, respectively. Diet quality was lower in some subgroups of pregnant women. After multivariable adjustment, lower diet quality was observed in participants who were less educated, younger, overweight or obese before pregnancy, or parous. There was an interaction between ethnicity and immigration status on diet quality in pregnancy. These findings could be useful for health practitioners and policymakers in developing strategies to improve the diet quality of pregnant women.
Does a child's mid‐upper arm circumference‐for‐age z‐score represent another nutritional indicator of childhood malnutrition status?
Authors: Haque Md Ahshanul , Choudhury Nuzhat , Ahmed S. M. Tanvir , Farzana Fahmida Dil , Ali Mohammad , Naz Farina , Raihan Mohammad Jyoti , Rahman Sheikh Shahed , Siddiqua Towfida Jahan , Faruque Abu Syed Golam , Ahmed Tahmeed
Published: July 2022

Child wasting is defined as a weight‐for‐height/length z‐score (WLZ/WHZ) < −2, and this indicator of nutritional status is used worldwide. However, a precise measurement is required for the assessment of a child's nutritional status, which may not always be possible due to expensive instruments, especially in poor resource settings. In some instances, mid‐upper arm circumference‐for‐age z‐score (MUACZ) is also being used for screening purposes, which is a simple and useful nutritional indicator. The objective of this paper is to identify the optimal cut‐off point for the MUACZ to identify wasted children, and also to determine if the same factors are associated with MUACZ and wasting. Data were derived from the Suchana evaluation data. The optimal cut‐off value was estimated via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis using acute malnutrition as a gold standard with maximum sensitivity and specificity. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the associated factors with the MUACZ. Using the gold standard indicator of nonwasting (WLZ ≥ −2), a positive outcome, the optimal cut‐off point for the MUACZ was −1.27. The area under the ROC curve was 0.88, indicating that the model had a power of 88% to differentiate between the positive and negative classes. It implies that a child's MUACZ was correlated with WLZ, and a MUACZ below −1.27 appeared to accurately identify wasting among children aged 3–23 months. MUACZ < −1.27 might be another useful indicator of childhood wasting than a WLZ < −2.
Demography and evolutionary history of grey wolf populations around the Bering Strait
Authors: Pacheco Carolina , Stronen Astrid Vik , Jędrzejewska Bogumiła , Plis Kamila , Okhlopkov Innokentiy M. , Mamaev Nikolay V. , Drovetski Sergei V. , Godinho Raquel
Published: July 2022

Glacial and interglacial periods throughout the Pleistocene have been substantial drivers of change in species distributions. Earlier analyses suggested that modern grey wolves (Canis lupus) trace their origin to a single Late Pleistocene Beringian population that expanded east and westwards, starting c. 25,000 years ago (ya). Here, we examined the demographic and phylogeographic histories of extant populations around the Bering Strait with wolves from two inland regions of the Russian Far East (RFE) and one coastal and two inland regions of North‐western North America (NNA), genotyped for 91,327 single nucleotide polymorphisms. Our results indicated that RFE and NNA wolves had a common ancestry until c. 34,400 ya, suggesting that these populations started to diverge before the previously proposed expansion out of Beringia. Coastal and inland NNA populations diverged c. 16,000 ya, concordant with the minimum proposed date for the ecological viability of the migration route along the Pacific Northwest coast. Demographic reconstructions for inland RFE and NNA populations reveal spatial and temporal synchrony, with large historical effective population sizes that declined throughout the Pleistocene, possibly reflecting the influence of broadscale climatic changes across continents. In contrast, coastal NNA wolves displayed a consistently lower effective population size than the inland populations. Differences between the demographic history of inland and coastal wolves may have been driven by multiple ecological factors, including historical gene flow patterns, natural landscape fragmentation, and more recent anthropogenic disturbance.
Simultaneous Total Ankle Replacement and Contralateral Ankle Arthrodesis for Bilateral Ankle Osteoarthritis: A Retrospective Study Focused on Clinical Outcomes and Cost‐effectiveness
Authors: Chen Jun , Wu Shizhou , Li Yaxing , Chen Yu , Liu Xi , Qin Boquan , Zhang Hui
Published: July 2022

Objective

Total ankle replacement (TAR) and ankle arthrodesis (AA) are two common surgical treatment options for end‐stage ankle osteoarthritis. However, few reports compare the outcomes of simultaneous TAR and contralateral AA for bilateral ankle osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to assess changes in pain, joint range of movement (ROM), functional outcomes, patient satisfaction, and cost‐effectiveness following simultaneous TAR and contralateral AA.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted on 12 patients with bilateral end‐stage ankle osteoarthritis who underwent simultaneous TAR and contralateral AA in our institution between May 2016 and August 2018, and who had a minimum of two‐year follow‐up data. Clinical and radiological follow‐up data for all patients were collected after 4 months, 1 year and 2 years. The results were assessed clinically on a visual analogue scale (VAS) and included ROM, American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle hindfoot score, and satisfaction questionnaire. The total hospital costs of patients were also recorded. Independent sample t tests were conducted to compare continuous variables between groups. Paired sample t‐tests were conducted to compare changes from the preoperative to postoperative evaluations within each group.

Results

Both surgical groups presented with pain reduction (P < 0.001) at the one‐year postoperative session, which was generally consistent until the two‐year follow‐up. There was a significant increase (P < 0.001) in the mean AOFAS score postoperatively in both ankles. The functional outcomes at the one‐ and two‐year follow‐up were significantly better in patients in the TAR group than in those in the AA group (P < 0.001). Joint ROM differences were observed between the two groups after surgery (decreased ankle ROM in arthrodesis, P < 0.001; increased ankle ROM in arthroplasty, P < 0.001). The mean satisfaction score was 2 (range, 1–4) for the TAR group and 3 (range, 1–5) for the AA group. A significant difference in the satisfaction score was observed between the two groups (P = 0.036). Simultaneous TAR and contralateral AA was 34.1% less expensive than simultaneous bilateral TAR. No intraoperative complications were noted in either group. Wound healing occurred without problems within 2 weeks after surgery. No symptomatic deep venous thrombosis was found during follow‐up.

Conclusion

TAR had better patient‐perceived post‐operative function and preserves more anatomic sagittal plane motion compared to ankles undergoing AA. In addition, simultaneous TAR and contralateral AA are more cost‐effective than simultaneous bilateral TAR, with lower costs for the average patient.
Acute and long‐term success of left atrial anterior line and mitral isthmus line ablation in patients after mitral valve surgery
Authors: Bertels Jana , Rottner Laura , Heeger Christian‐Hendrik , Maurer Tilman , Reissmann Bruno , Ouyang Feifan , Mathew Shibu , Wohlmuth Peter , Schlüter Michael , Kuck Karl‐Heinz , Metzner Andreas , Lemeš Christine
Published: July 2022

Background

Perimitral flutter and atrial fibrillation may occur in patients with prior surgical mitral valve (MV) repair or replacement and can be challenging for percutaneous catheter ablation. This study sought to determine the feasibility, acute success and durability of catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation or atrial tachycardia by way of a mitral isthmus line (MIL) or an anterior line (AL).

Methods

A total of 81 patients (49 males, mean age 62±11 years) with prior MV replacement (n = 30) or reconstruction (n = 51) underwent creation of a MIL (34) and/or an AL (72).

Results

Acute bidirectional block of the MIL was successfully achieved in 24/34 cases and of the AL in 64/72 patients. Patients of the control group without prior MV surgery were matched 1:1 with the valve group. In the AL control subgroup, acute bidirectional block was achieved in 65/72 patients. Acute blockage in the MIL control subgroup could be achieved in 31/34 patients. The MIL valve subgroup showed the worst results in terms of durability, whereas a similar trend emerged in the control group and the AL valve subgroup (probability of failure in MIL valve subgroup 2.224 vs. MIL control subgroup 0.605 [Hazard Ratio (HR) = 0.27, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.11–0.65), P = .004]; probability of failure in AL valve subgroup 0.844 vs. AL control subgroup 1.03 [HR = 1.22 (95% CI, 0.66–2.26), P = .523]).

Conclusions

Percutaneous creation of MIL and AL is feasible and safe in patients with prior MV replacement/repair and associated with moderate acute and long‐term success rates to achieve bidirectional block.
Sentientism, Motivation, and Philosophical Vulcans
Authors: Roelofs Luke
Published: July 2022

If moral status depends on the capacity for consciousness, what kind of consciousness matters exactly? Two popular answers are that any kind of consciousness matters (Broad Sentientism), and that what matters is the capacity for pleasure and suffering (Narrow Sentientism). I argue that the broad answer is too broad, while the narrow answer is likely too narrow, as Chalmers has recently argued by appeal to ‘philosophical Vulcans’. I defend a middle position, Motivational Sentientism, on which what matters is motivating consciousness: any kind of consciousness which presents its subject with reasons for action.
Alopecia and hyperpigmentation in a neonatal patient with lanosterol synthase gene deficiency and Spectrin alpha, non‐erythrocytic 1 mutation
Authors: Xiao Teresa L. , Rosenblatt Adena E.
Published: July 2022

Lanosterol synthase is required for cholesterol synthesis, and deficiencies have been associated with hypotrichosis as well as neuroectodermal syndromes including intellectual delay and epilepsy. Here, we report a case of lanosterol synthase deficiency in a 4‐day‐old patient who presented with alopecia and a previously unreported dermatologic manifestation of congenital localized hyperpigmentation.
Temptation at your door: Receiving mate poaching attempts and perceived Partners' desirability
Authors: Birnbaum Gurit E.
Published: July 2022

Committed individuals cope with the threat of alternative partners by using strategies that undermine their allure. However, in an era, in which alternative mates lurk around every corner, these strategies may lose their effectiveness. Two studies investigated this possibility, examining how being the target of online mate poaching influenced perceptions of current and alternative partners. In both studies, partnered undergraduate students chatted online with a confederate of the other sex who behaved either flirtatiously or neutrally. Then, participants completed a measure of implicit perception of their partner (Study 1) or described a sexual fantasy (Study 2). The fantasies were coded for expressions of desire for current and alternative partners. Results showed that receiving mate poaching attempts decreased the appeal of current partners while increasing the desirability of alternatives. These findings demonstrate the circumstances that weaken resistance to temptations, pointing to a route by which online interactions may impair relationship functioning.
Economic costs and health utility values associated with extremely preterm birth: Evidence from the EPICure2 cohort study
Authors: Achana Felix , Johnson Samantha , Ni Yanyan , Marlow Neil , Wolke Dieter , Khan Kamran , Petrou Stavros
Published: July 2022

Background

Preterm birth is associated with adverse health and developmental sequelae that impose a burden on finite resources and significant challenges for individuals, families and societies.

Objectives

To estimate economic outcomes at age 11 associated with extremely preterm birth using evidence from a whole population study (EPICure2 study).

Methods

The study population comprised a sample of children born at ≤26 completed weeks of gestation during 2006 in England (n = 200) and a comparison group of classmates born at term (n = 143). Societal costs were estimated using parent and teacher reports of service utilisation, and valuations of work losses and additional care costs to families. Utility scores for the Health Utilities Index Mark 2 (HUI2) and Mark 3 (HUI3) were generated using UK and Canadian value sets. Generalised linear regression was used to estimate the impact of extremely preterm birth on societal costs and utility scores.

Results

Unadjusted mean societal costs that excluded provision of special educational support in mainstream schools during the 11th year after birth were £6536 for the extremely preterm group and £3275 for their classmates, generating a difference of £3262 (95% confidence interval [CI] £1912, £5543). The mean adjusted cost difference was £2916 (95% CI £1609, £4224), including special educational needs provision in mainstream schools increased the adjusted cost difference to £4772 (95% CI £3166, £6378). Compared with birth at term, extremely preterm birth generated mean‐adjusted utility decrements ranging from 0.13 (95% CI 0.09, 0.18) based on the UK HUI2 statistical inference tariff to 0.28 (95% CI 0.18, 0.37) based on the Canadian HUI3 tariff.

Conclusions

The adverse economic impact of extremely preterm birth persists into late childhood. Further longitudinal studies conducted from multiple perspectives are needed to understand the magnitude, trajectory and underpinning mechanisms of economic outcomes following extremely preterm birth.
On the determination and rank for the environmental risk aspects for ship navigating in the Arctic based on big Earth data
Authors: Liu Yang , Ma Xiaoxue , Qiao Weiliang , Han Bing
Published: July 2022

The unique, ambiguous, and complex navigable environment determines the essential difference between Arctic shipping routes and conventional routes in regard to safety issues. To achieve a scientific understanding of the characteristics and variations of environmental risks involved in the Arctic shipping, it is essential to rationally address the uncertainty and incompleteness of environment‐related risk information. In this study, fuzzy evidential reasoning is introduced to carry out multisource heterogeneous data fusion and spatiotemporal dynamic assessment of navigable environmental risks for Arctic shipping routes. Based on big Earth data collected from the European Center for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts, National Snow And Ice Data Center, National Center for Environmental Information, and University of Bremen from 2012 to 2019, a case study of the Northeast Passage is considered to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed methodology. Finally, the results are described from three aspects: spatial distribution, temporal changes, and sensitivity analysis, with consideration of the entire passage and five marginal seas at the same time. Based on these findings, the prospect of application of big Earth data in risk assessment is further discussed from two aspects of knowledge acquisition by big data and risk analysis at different scales, to inspire sustainable development of Arctic shipping.
Medical capacity investment for epidemic disease: The effects of policymaker's confidence and public trust
Authors: Chen Xin , Dong Yucheng , Wu Meng
Published: July 2022

Due to the server bed shortage, which has raised ethical dilemmas in the earliest days of the COVID‐19 crisis, medical capacity investment has become a vital decision‐making issue in the attempt to contain the epidemic. Furthermore, economic strength has failed to explain the significant performance difference across countries in combatting COVID‐19. Unlike common diseases, epidemic diseases add substantial unpredictability, complexity, and uncertainty to decision‐making. Knowledge miscalibration on epidemiological uncertainties by policymaker's over‐ and underconfidence can seriously impact policymaking. Ineffective risk communication may lead to conflicting and incoherent information transmission. As a result, public reactions and attitudes could be influenced by policymakers' confidence due to the level of public trust, which eventually affects the degree to which an epidemic spreads. To uncover the impacts of policymakers' confidence and public trust on the medical capacity investment, we establish epidemic diffusion models to characterize how transmission evolves with (and without) vaccination and frame the capacity investment problem as a newsvendor problem. Our results show that if the public fully trusts the public health experts, the policymaker's behavioral bias is always harmful, but its effect on cost increment is marginal. If a policymaker's behavior induces public reactions due to public trust, both the spread of the epidemic and the overall performance will be significantly affected, but such impacts are not always harmful. Decision bias may be beneficial when policymakers are pessimistic or highly overconfident. Having an opportunity to amend initially biased decisions can debias a particular topic but has a limited cost‐saving effect.
Equivalence scales in a developing country with extensive inequality
Authors: Koch Steven F.
Published: July 2022

This study estimates food budget share equations to calculate household equivalence scales that incorporate base‐independence and address potential endogeneity, even though an instrument that satisfies the usual exclusion restriction may not be available. The application incorporates semi‐parametric methods, control functions and heteroscedasticity instrumentation, allowing for heterogeneity in household preferences. The application is founded on the most recent income and expenditure data that are available for South Africa. We find that there is extensive heterogeneity and that endogeneity matters. Failing to account for endogeneity leads to overstated equivalence scales in nearly every circumstance. When we fit our calculated scales to a typical
equivalence structure via non‐linear least squares, we find values of
near unity and values of
mostly below 0.5. Thus, our analysis suggests that a square‐root scale is more appropriate than other scales that have been used to examine poverty and inequality in South Africa.
Diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic arthritis with asymptomatic involvement of the temporomandibular joint: A case report
Authors: Ferrazzo Kívia Linhares , Thomas Alexander , Danesi Cristiane Cademartori , Marquezan Mariana , Ferrazzo Vilmar Antonio
Published: July 2022

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a broad term that describes a group of heterogeneous rheumatologic diseases, mainly characterized by inflammation in the joints of children and young people up to 16 years of age. Its etiology is still not well understood and the diagnosis, essentially clinical, begins with the exclusion of other joint diseases. When the disease affects the temporomandibular joint, diagnosis is a challenge, as many patients are asymptomatic. The objective of this paper is to present a case of JIA with severe involvement of the temporomandibular joint and to discuss the clinical, radiographic, laboratory findings and the importance of early diagnosis. The lack of diagnosis of active arthritis in the temporomandibular joint in patients with JIA can cause irreversible effects such as micrognathia, malocclusion and reduced maximum mouth opening. Early diagnosis of temporomandibular joint involvement in JIA is important and needs to be investigated early in the clinical manifestation of systemic disease. Laboratory tests and clinical history are important to define treatment and prognosis, but not to predict temporomandibular joint arthritis. Imaging exams are important diagnostic tools to identify morphological changes in soft and hard tissues of the temporomandibular joint.
Unsupervised and semi‐supervised learning: the next frontier in machine learning for plant systems biology
Authors: Yan Jun , Wang Xiangfeng
Published: July 2022

Advances in high‐throughput omics technologies are leading plant biology research into the era of big data. Machine learning (ML) performs an important role in plant systems biology because of its excellent performance and wide application in the analysis of big data. However, to achieve ideal performance, supervised ML algorithms require large numbers of labeled samples as training data. In some cases, it is impossible or prohibitively expensive to obtain enough labeled training data; here, the paradigms of unsupervised learning (UL) and semi‐supervised learning (SSL) play an indispensable role. In this review, we first introduce the basic concepts of ML techniques, as well as some representative UL and SSL algorithms, including clustering, dimensionality reduction, self‐supervised learning (self‐SL), positive‐unlabeled (PU) learning and transfer learning. We then review recent advances and applications of UL and SSL paradigms in both plant systems biology and plant phenotyping research. Finally, we discuss the limitations and highlight the significance and challenges of UL and SSL strategies in plant systems biology.
Potato virus X‐delivered CRISPR activation programs lead to strong endogenous gene induction and transient metabolic reprogramming in Nicotiana benthamiana
Authors: Selma Sara , Gianoglio Silvia , Uranga Mireia , Vázquez‐Vilar Marta , Espinosa‐Ruiz Ana , Drapal Margit , Fraser Paul D. , Daròs José‐Antonio , Orzáez Diego
Published: July 2022

Programmable transcriptional regulators based on CRISPR architecture are promising tools for the induction of plant gene expression. In plants, CRISPR gene activation is effective with respect to modulating development processes, such as the flowering time or customizing biochemical composition. The most widely used method for delivering CRISPR components into the plant is Agrobacterium tumefaciens‐mediated genetic transformation, either transient or stable. However, as a result of their versatility and their ability to move, virus‐derived systems have emerged as an interesting alternative for supplying the CRISPR components to the plant, in particular guide RNA (gRNA), which represents the variable component in CRISPR strategies. In the present study, we describe a Potato virus X‐derived vector that, upon agroinfection in Nicotiana benthamiana, serves as a vehicle for delivery of gRNAs, producing highly specific virus‐induced gene activation. The system works in combination with a N. benthamiana transgenic line carrying the remaining complementary CRISPR gene activation components, specifically the dCasEV2.1 cassette, which has been shown previously to mediate strong programmable transcriptional activation in plants. Using an easily scalable, non‐invasive spraying method, we show that gRNA‐mediated activation programs move locally and systemically, generating a strong activation response in different target genes. Furthermore, by activating three different endogenous MYB transcription factors, we demonstrate that this Potato virus X‐based virus‐induced gene reprogramming strategy results in program‐specific metabolic fingerprints in N. benthamiana leaves characterized by distinctive phenylpropanoid‐enriched metabolite profiles.