bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using Rhodamine B to assess the movement of small mammals in an urban slum
Authors: Awoniyi Adedayo Michael , Souza Fábio Neves , Zeppelini Caio Graco , Xavier Bárbara Inês A. , Barreto Ana Maria , Santiago Diogo César C. , Santana Juliet Oliveira , da Silva Eduardo Mendes , Costa Federico , Begon Michael , Khalil Hussein
Published: July 2021

The small mammals, especially rats are pest species that are present in cities world‐wide. The rat moves around and into residences and other anthropogenic structures. It is especially ubiquitous in urban slums and a threat to infrastructure and public health due to the pathogens it carries and transmits. Effective control of rat populations in most urban areas has been unsuccessful, despite several rodent control efforts. Limited information about rat movement distance has hindered identification of control units and effective scales at which to enact control during interventions.

We evaluated the suitability of Rhodamine B, a non‐toxic biomarker, for assessing the distance travelled by rats in urban slums. We tracked rats over two campaigns between 2019 and 2020.

Overall, 27.9% of trapped rats showed signs of Rhodamine B in their whiskers under fluorescence microscope. This shows that our method provides a viable alternative for investigating the movement of small mammals in this area. We found that rats move up to 90 m distance in urban slums, with smaller rats travelling more actively than bigger rats.

Information obtained from this study should be useful in guiding efficient rodent control initiatives to reduce the risk of household rodent infestation and rodent‐borne disease in urban slums.
Moving‐resting process with measurement error in animal movement modeling
Authors: Hu Chaoran , Elbroch Mark , Meyer Thomas , Pozdnyakov Vladimir , Yan Jun
Published: July 2021

Statistical modeling of animal movement is of critical importance. The continuous trajectory of an animal’s movements is only observed at discrete, often irregularly spaced time points. Most existing models do not allow inactivity periods such as resting or sleeping.

The recently proposed moving‐resting (MR) model is a Brownian motion governed by a telegraph process, which allows periods of inactivity in one state of the telegraph process. The MR model, like any other continuous‐time model, naturally handles unequal sampling intervals.

The MR model shows promise in modeling the movements of predators with long inactive periods, such as many felids, but the lack of accommodation of measurement errors seriously prohibits its application in practice. Here we incorporate measurement errors in the MR model and derive basic properties of the model. Inferences are based on a composite likelihood using the Markov property of the chain composed by every other observed increments.

The performance of the method is validated in finite sample simulation studies. Application to the movement data of a mountain lion in Wyoming illustrates the utility of the method.
Addressing gender inequities: Creation of a multi‐institutional consortium of women physicians in academic emergency medicine
Authors: Lee Lois K. , Platz Elke , Klig Jean , Samuels‐Kalow Margaret E. , Temin Elizabeth S. , Nagurney Justine , Marsh Regan , Rouhani Shada , Huancahuari Nadia , Dubosh Nicole M. , Boyle Katherine L. , Stack Anne , Dobiesz Valerie A.
Published: July 2021

Gender inequity is pervasive in medicine, including emergency medicine (EM), and is well documented in workforce representation, leadership, financial compensation, and resource allocation. The reasons for gender inequities in medicine, including academic EM, are multifactorial and include disadvantageous institutional parental, family, and promotion policies; workplace environment and culture; implicit biases; and a paucity of women physician leader role models, mentors, and sponsors. To address some of the challenges of gender inequities and career advancement for women in academic EM, we established an innovative, peer‐driven, multi‐institutional consortium of women EM faculty employed at four distinct hospitals affiliated with one medical school. The consortium combined financial and faculty resources to execute gender‐specific programs not feasible at an individual institution due to limited funding and faculty availability. The programs included leadership skill‐building and negotiation seminars for consortium members. The consortium created a collaborative community designed specifically to enrich career development for women in academic EM, with a formal organizational structure to connect faculty from four hospitals under one academic institution. The objective of this report is to describe the creation of this cross‐institutional consortium focused on career development, academic productivity, and networking and sharing best practices for work–life integration for academic EM women faculty. This consortium‐building model could be used to enhance existing institutional career development structures for women and other physician communities in academic medicine with unique career advancement challenges.
Global equity fund performance adjusted for equity and currency factors
Authors: Gallagher David R. , Harman Graham , Schmidt Camille H. , Warren Geoffrey J.
Published: July 2021

We present a method for evaluating performance of global equity funds that decomposes excess returns versus market indices into contributions from six equity and three currency factors plus alpha. We apply the method to a sample of institutional fund mandates, and uncover outperformance stemming from stock selection while finding that both equity and currency factor exposures detract from returns. Our methodological contribution is to propose a portfolio holding‐based approach for identifying return sources for funds investing internationally that can account for multiple factor exposures including those arising from currency.
Elucidating the interaction between maternal physical activity and circulating myokines throughout gestation: A scoping review
Authors: Goudreau Alexandra D. , Everest Catherine , Nagpal Taniya S. , Puranda Jessica L. , Bhattacharjee Jayonta , Vasanthan Tarushika , Adamo Kristi B.
Published: July 2021

Physical activity (PA) during pregnancy provides both maternal and fetal health benefits. It has been theorized that myokines, peptides secreted by contracting skeletal muscle, may play an important mechanistic role in facilitating the health benefits obtained from prenatal exercise. The objective of this review was to synthesize the current literature on the relationship between maternal PA and myokine response. A search strategy was developed using the terms pregnancy, PA, IL‐6, IL‐10, IL‐13, and TNF‐α. A systematic search was completed in July 2020, in Medline, SPORTDiscus, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and in November 2020 for unpublished dissertations (grey literature; Proquest). Both human‐ and animal‐based studies of any design were included, while commentaries and editorial articles were excluded. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers and summarized narratively. Data were thematically summarized based on the myokine and whether findings were from human or animal studies. Ten studies were included in this review. Findings from studies that examined IL‐6, IL‐10, and TNF‐α suggest a trimester‐specific interaction between PA and myokine levels; no studies evaluated IL‐13. Future research should investigate the PA‐myokine relationship throughout all stages of gestation.
The Emergence of a Rhizomatic Mode of Consciousness through Body Movement: Ethnography of Taijiquan Martial Artists
Authors: Paul Tomáš
Published: July 2021

Taijiquan is a Chinese martial art currently passed on in its various forms worldwide. The following text draws a map of bodies, places, and entities that compose the act of becoming a Taijiquan practitioner in the Czech Republic. The purpose of this study is to create a space for a discussion between the research of martial arts and the anthropology of consciousness by illustrating the transformations of consciousness that originate in years or decades of rigorous martial art practice. This focus contrasts traditional anthropology of consciousness subjects as there is no significant immediate shift of consciousness from “ordinary” to “extraordinary” states—a result of the different rhythm and tempo of practicing Taijiquan. The theoretical framework that allows this discussion is inspired by Deleuze and Guattari's cosmology, which proves useful for understanding those longitudinal changes in consciousness. Their conceptions of the arborescent and rhizomatic provide a tool to illustrate consciousness as an ever‐changing map, never stabilized in a normal conserved state as it outlines how the dissolution of borders of consciousness (deterritorialization) should always be observed complementarily with their tightening (reterritorialization).
An investigation into the effects of ocular nebulization combined with meibomian gland massage on ocular surface status and corneal higher‐order aberrations for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction
Authors: Lin Fangyu , Mao Xinjie , Ma Lirong , Liu Huiying
Published: July 2021

Purpose

To evaluate ocular surface status and corneal higher‐order aberrations after a new ocular nebulization therapy combined with meibomian gland massage for the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD).

Patients and methods

This prospective randomized study involved 38 patients diagnosed with MGD. Subjects were classified into two groups: the nebulization and meibomian gland massage group (or NB group, 14 patients, 28 eyes) and the eye drop group (or ED group, 24 patients, 48 eyes). Azithromycin solution and esculin and digitalis glycoside eye drops were tested in the therapy. Best‐corrected visual acuity (BCVA) testing; noncontact tonometry; fundoscopy; the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire; tear film assessment encompassing tear meniscus height (TMH) and non‐invasive keratograph breakup time (NIKBUT); corneal fluorescein staining; the Schirmer I test (SIT); and anterior, posterior and total corneal aberrations were evaluated at 1 and 3 months after treatment.

Results

At 3 months, the NB group showed significantly better improvement than the ED group in terms of TMH (0.23 ± 0.04 versus 0.19 ± 0.05, p = 0.002) and first breakup time (f‐BUT; 7.42 ± 2.49 versus 5.53 ± 2.12, p = 0.001). The average breakup time (Av‐BUT) of the NB group was significantly longer than that of the ED group at 1 month (9.52 ± 2.70 versus 8.02 ± 2.33, p = 0.013) and 3 months (5.53 ± 2.12 versus 8.35 ± 2.38, p = 0.018). Both groups achieved improvement in corneal fluorescein staining (CFS) and SIT results at 1 and 3 months (p < 0.05). At the 3‐month follow‐up, anterior corneal trefoil aberrations decreased significantly in the NB group (p = 0.008), and improvements in anterior corneal coma aberrations and posterior corneal higher‐order aberrations (HOAs) were observed in the ED group (p < 0.05) over the 4 mm pupil zone. Over a 6 mm zone at 3 months, anterior, posterior and total trefoil aberrations as well as total HOAs were significantly decreased in the NB group (p < 0.05), while posterior HOAs and trefoil aberrations were found to be decreased in the ED group (p < 0.05). For individual Zernike terms, anterior and total corneal Z(3, −3) showed decreases over the 4 and 6 mm zones, while no improvement was detected in the NB group at 3 months.

Conclusion

In terms of comfort and visual quality, nebulization therapy combined with meibomian gland massage to deliver azithromycin solution and esculin and digitalis glycoside eye drops appears to be more effective in treating clinical symptoms and signs of MGD than simply applying esculin and digitalis glycoside eye drops.
PRESERFLO™ MicroShunt versus trabeculectomy: first results on efficacy and safety
Authors: Pillunat Karin R. , Herber Robert , Haase Maike A. , Jamke Melanie , Jasper Carolin S. , Pillunat Lutz E.
Published: July 2021

Purpose

To report efficacy and safety outcomes of the PRESERFLO™ MicroShunt compared with trabeculectomy, the current gold‐standard treatment for advanced glaucoma, in the early and intermediate postoperative period.

Methods

Institutional prospective interventional cohort study of primary open‐angle glaucoma (POAG) patients scheduled for the PRESERFLO™ MicroShunt. The comparison group were POAG patients who had had received trabeculectomy and were matched for age, known duration of disease, number and classes of intraocular pressure (IOP)‐lowering medications to ensure a similar conjunctival condition. The study is part of the Dresden Glaucoma and Treatment Study (DGTS), was not randomized, but used a uniform study design, with the same inclusion and exclusion criteria as well as standardized definitions of success and failure. Main outcome measures: mean diurnal IOP (mdIOP, mean of 6 measurements), diurnal peak IOP, diurnal IOP fluctuations, glaucoma medical therapy, success rates, visual acuity, visual fields, surgical complications and interventions, and severe adverse events.

Results

Fifty‐two eyes of 52 patients, 26 in each group, were analysed. At 6 months, median [Q25, Q75] mdIOP was 10.8 [9.5–12.2] mmHg in the microshunt and 10.3 [7.6–11.8] mmHg in the trabeculectomy group. Reduction in mdIOP (p = 0.458), peak diurnal IOP (p = 0.539), and median diurnal fluctuation (p = 0.693) was not statistically significantly different between groups. The rate of interventions was statistically significantly higher in the trabeculectomy compared with the microshunt group (p = 0.004). None of the patients experienced severe adverse events.

Conclusion

Both procedures are equally effective and safe in lowering mdIOP in patients with POAG. Because the microshunt is less invasive with less follow‐up and interventions needed postoperatively, it might be recommended earlier in the treatment of glaucoma.
Multi‐inflammatory syndrome and Kawasaki disease in children during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A nationwide register‐based study and time series analysis
Authors: Koskela Ulla , Helve Otto , Sarvikivi Emmi , Helminen Merja , Nieminen Tea , Peltola Ville , Renko Marjo , Saxén Harri , Pasma Hanna , Pokka Tytti , Honkila Minna , Tapiainen Terhi
Published: July 2021

Aim

We investigated whether the ongoing COVID‐19 pandemic was associated with the occurrence of Kawasaki disease or with multi‐inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS‐C).

Methods

This national Finnish register‐based study was based on laboratory‐confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infections, MIS‐C and Kawasaki disease cases. We performed a time series analysis on the occurrence of Kawasaki disease in 2016–2020.

Results

In 2020, there were 5170 laboratory‐confirmed COVID‐19 cases in children under 18 years of age and five fulfilled the MIS‐C case definition. The occurrence of MIS‐C was 0.97 per 1000 (95% confidence interval: 0.31‐2.26) laboratory‐confirmed SARS‐CoV‐2 infections in children. Our time series analysis showed that Kawasaki disease cases decreased during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The seasonally adjusted incidence rate ratio was 0.49 (95% confidence interval: 0.32‐0.74) when it was compared to pre‐pandemic levels. This coincided with a reduced occurrence of respiratory infections, due to social distancing in the population.

Conclusion

This nationwide register‐based study found that MIS‐C was a rare complication of the SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. The occurrence of Kawasaki disease and respiratory infections decreased during the pandemic. This suggests that transmissible microbes may play an important role in Kawasaki disease and social distancing may have a protective effect.
Editorial: volatile organic compound analysis to improve faecal immunochemical testing in the detection of colorectal cancer
Authors: Hanna George B. , Cross Amanda J.
Published: July 2021

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Chandrapalan et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16405 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16511
Editorial: non‐erosive reflux disease is often not GERD—time to change the definition or abandon the term?
Authors: Katz Philip
Published: July 2021

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Kim et al and Kim & Park papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16477 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16510
Editorial: trends in alcohol use and alcohol‐related liver disease in the US population
Authors: Barnard Abbey , Dave Shravan
Published: July 2021

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Singal et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16461 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16520
Letter: predictive model for gastric cancer after eradication of Helicobacter pylori—a survival analysis using a deep learning algorithm
Authors: Arai Junya , Aoki Tomonori , Hayakawa Yoku , Niikura Ryota , Suzuki Nobumi , Yamada Atsuo , Hirata Yoshihiro , Koike Kazuhiko
Published: July 2021

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Leung et al and Lui & Leung papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16272 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16499
Editorial: topiramate for cyclic vomiting syndrome—for refractory patients only?
Authors: Rangan Vikram , Lembo Anthony J.
Published: July 2021

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Mooers et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16457 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16516
Letter: is there no conclusive evidence for the effect of tranexamic acid on mortality in gastrointestinal bleeding?
Authors: Lin Yu‐Ci , Chen Chia‐Yun , Chang Chun‐Chao , Kang Yi‐No
Published: July 2021

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Chang et al paper. To view this article, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16261
Letter: tofacitinib in treatment‐refractory ulcerative colitis—a single centre real‐world experience in Australia. Authors' reply
Authors: Biemans Vince B. C. , Straatmijer Tessa , Hoentjen Frank , Pierik Marieke J.
Published: July 2021

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Biemans et al and Lo et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.15689 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16468
Editorial: inconclusive diagnosis of GERD—are new parameters in impedance‐pH‐metry ready for clinical use?
Authors: Sergeev Ilia , Sifrim Daniel
Published: July 2021

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Ribolsi et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16481 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16529
Letter: response of eosinophilic oesophagitis to proton pump inhibitor therapy—the importance of biopsies at index endoscopy
Authors: Chen Lynna , Glance Simon , Garg Mayur
Published: July 2021

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Frazzoni et al paper. To view this article, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16371
Editorial: an elastography‐based two‐step approach to detect NAFLD with compensated advanced chronic liver disease—authors' reply
Authors: Zhou Yu‐Jie , Zheng Ming‐Hua
Published: July 2021

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Zhou et al and Wong papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16487 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.16507
“Work Is Mandaa”: Breadwinning, Sexual Fitness, and Anti‐Productivism among Cycle Rickshaw Men in North India
Authors: Beckhorn Patrick
Published: July 2021

Men who migrate to Delhi, India, from West Bengal to fulfill the male breadwinner expectation by operating cycle rickshaws claim that business is slow, which keeps their families’ expectations for remittances low and helps camouflage their slacking. Slacking is a crucial activity in light of the men’s belief that operating a cycle rickshaw dries out their bodies such that it reduces their sexual fitness. Their laziness supports the masculine goal of remaining sexually fit, and when they privilege this goal over the demand for productivity inherent in the breadwinner role, the standard analytic of productive versus reproductive labor becomes untenable. It is instead argued that the men’s behavior reveals a limited case of anti‐productivism. Studies of anti‐productivism are usually confined to Western workers, and those that take gender into account usually focus on workers’ gendered positions in society’s division of labor. This article shows how clashes between gender ideals at the somatic level can provoke an anti‐productivist response. It also shows that tension between culturally particular ideas about the embodied consequences of labor performance and workers’ gendered body ideals can have profound effects on the workers’ orientation to their labor.1
Uberized Care: Employment Status, Surveillance, and Technological Erasure in the Home Health Care Sector
Authors: Glaser Alana Lee
Published: July 2021

The emergence of hailing and platform labor applications across industries has generated productive theorizing on new forms of worker control, exploitation, and data commodification. Yet, despite their significant use of labor brokerage platforms, care workers are overlooked in political and scholarly analyses of the current platform‐based economy. In this article, I describe two facets of the United States home health‐care industry to identify how the problems of platform labor—namely, loss of employee status coupled with decentralized oversight and routinization—germinated in the highly exploitative realm of home health care for decades prior to uberized and gig‐economy capitalism. In so doing, I consider how technological oversight of remote care workers codifies care in accordance with managerial priorities and reimbursement protocols and I argue that for‐profit home‐care jobs in the United States presaged processes of precarity, decentralization, surveillance, codification, and data generation that now appear nearly ubiquitous across industries.
Good Mothers and Good Workers: Discipline and Care in Chile's Grape‐Packing Plants
Authors: Radovic‐Fanta Jelena
Published: July 2021

This article explores the affective dimensions of precarious labor in Chile's grape‐export industry in the centrally located Aconcagua Valley. Although the country's billion‐dollar fruit industry is marked as an example of successful development, female seasonal workers (calledtemporeras) navigate hazardous working conditions and noncompliance of labor laws. Contrary to common assumptions of workers' alienation from labor, their personal identities are deeply entangled in their workplace. This article examines how management invokes temporeras' identities as mothers and care providers as a disciplinary mechanism. At the same time, workers articulate motherhood as a form of endurance. Although efforts by the Chilean government attempt to regulate the fruit‐export sector, there is a dismal lack of enforcement of recent labor laws. As a result, temporeras bear the burden of safeguarding their physical well‐being. I conclude by suggesting that social relations and the moral textures of everyday interactions provide the possibilities through which workers endure precarious labor.
Updated results of the placebo‐controlled, phase III JAKARTA trial of fedratinib in patients with intermediate‐2 or high‐risk myelofibrosis
Authors: Pardanani Animesh , Tefferi Ayalew , Masszi Tamás , Mishchenko Elena , Drummond Mark , Jourdan Eric , Vannucchi Alessandro , Jurgutis Mindaugas , Ribrag Vincent , Rambaldi Alessandro , Koh Liang Piu , Rose Shelonitda , Zhang Jun , Harrison Claire
Published: July 2021

Fedratinib, an oral Janus kinase‐2 (JAK2) inhibitor, reduces splenomegaly and improves symptom burden in patients with myelofibrosis. Regulatory approval of fedratinib 400‐mg daily was based on results of an updated analysis of the pivotal phase III, placebo‐controlled JAKARTA trial in patients with JAK‐inhibitor‐naïve myelofibrosis. At week 24, spleen volume response rate was 47% and symptom response rate was 40% with fedratinib 400 mg, versus 1% and 9% respectively, with placebo. Common adverse events were diarrhoea, nausea, anaemia, and vomiting. No Wernicke encephalopathy occurred in patients receiving fedratinib 400 mg/day. These updated data support use of first‐line fedratinib in patients with myelofibrosis.
Statin use and survival in 16 098 patients with non‐Hodgkin lymphoma or chronic lymphocytic leukaemia treated in the rituximab era
Authors: Brånvall Elsa , Ekberg Sara , Eloranta Sandra , Wästerlid Tove , Birmann Brenda M. , Smedby Karin E.
Published: July 2021

Statin use has been associated with reduced mortality from several cancers but also suggested, in vitro, to diminish the effectiveness of lymphoma treatments including rituximab. The present study aimed to assess the association of statin use with mortality in patients with non‐Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) and chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). We identified all incident NHLs and CLLs in Sweden from 2007 to 2013 with subtype information in the Swedish Lymphoma and Cancer Registers. Using Cox regression, we estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association of pre‐ or post‐diagnosis statin use (yes/no, intensity) with lymphoma‐specific, cardiovascular, or all‐cause mortality; and for follicular lymphoma (FL) by initial treatment strategy (active/watch‐and‐wait). Among 16 098 incident NHL/CLL patients, 20% used statins at diagnosis. Pre‐ and post‐diagnosis statin use, and statin intensity were not consistently associated with any mortality outcome in patients with NHL, overall or for any subtype. For actively treated patients with FL, statin use did not appear to increase lymphoma‐specific mortality (vs. non‐users, HR [95% CI]after diagnosis 0·87 [0·45–1·67]). For CLL, statin use was associated with all‐cause and cardiovascular but not consistently with lymphoma‐specific mortality. In conclusion, statin use was not associated with improved lymphoma survival but appears safe to use during lymphoma treatment.
What we repeatedly do: Evaluating the determinants and consequences of habit enactment during daily goal‐pursuit
Authors: Williamson Laverl Z. , Wilkowski Benjamin M.
Published: July 2021

Many theorists have stressed the benefits of goal‐conducive habits. However, past research has not yet demonstrated that habits benefit goal‐pursuit in daily life independently of more effortful forms of goal‐pursuit. Additionally, it is unclear if habits are triggered independently of conscious self‐regulatory processes. To address these issues, we conducted three intensive experience sampling studies. We found that habitual behaviours facilitated goal‐progress independently of effortful goal‐directed behaviours. Additionally, we evaluated three sets of predictions regarding the relationship between habits and other effortful self‐regulatory processes. The goal‐independent account suggests that habits function independently of planning and testing processes. The goal‐dependent account suggests that habits are influenced by these processes, and the hybrid account suggests that these processes indirectly influence habits through their association with contextual cue exposure. The results were consistent with the hybrid account, in that planning and testing were associated with habit enactment, but this association was mediated by contextual cue exposure. Collectively, our results suggest that one must consider both conscious self‐regulatory processes and automatic cue‐response associations to understand how the benefits of goal‐conducive habits are realized in daily life.
Rock magnetic properties of Grand Lake sediments as evidence of environmental changes during the last 60 000 years in North‐East Russia
Authors: Minyuk Pavel , Subbotnikova Tatyana
Published: July 2021

Dansgaard–Oeschger events of the last glacial cycle are widely observed in the North Atlantic sector. In far northeast Asia, however, a lack of data means the presence or absence of these events is uncertain and, if present, the mechanisms that connect this region with the North Atlantic remain unresolved. A sediment record from Grand Lake, North‐East Russia (latitude 60°44′N, longitude 151°53′E), spans much of the last glacial cycle and shows strong variations in magnetic parameters. These variations are related to sedimentation changes that were likely influenced by the palaeoclimate. Rock magnetic properties of a 1020‐cm‐long sediment core were determined for four lithological units. Additionally, samples taken from across the modern catchment aided the interpretation of the magnetic properties of the down‐core sediments. Magnetic minerals in all sediment units consist of detrital, oxidized Ti‐poor titanomagnetites. Sediments of Holocene age (Unit 1) display the lowest values of magnetic susceptibility (MS), saturation magnetization (Js) and saturation remanence (Jrs), and reflect dilution by biogenic silica and organic matter. Variations of magnetic properties in Units 2, 3 and 4, which correspond to Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 2, 3 and 4, respectively, parallel granulometric changes. Massive sediment structure, which characterizes Unit 3, has a coarser grain size and higher MS, Jrs and Js as compared with the laminated sediments of Unit 2 and Unit 4, suggesting higher‐energy catchment processes. Nine distinct peaks in MS, Js and Jrs within MIS 3 coincide with TiO2 minima and with high pollen percentages of trees and shrubs, supporting the conclusion that lake and catchment sediment processes are associated with fluctuating regional climate. While the dating is not resolved enough to be certain, the data are suggestive that these cycles correlate with Dansgaard–Oeschger events.
Towards PET imaging of the dynamic phenotypes of microglia
Authors: Beaino Wissam , Janssen Bieneke , Vugts Danielle J , de Vries Helga E , Windhorst Albert D
Published: July 2021

There is increasing evidence showing the heterogeneity of microglia activation in neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. It has been hypothesized that pro-inflammatory microglia are detrimental and contribute to disease progression, while anti-inflammatory microglia play a role in damage repair and remission. The development of therapeutics targeting the deleterious glial activity and modulating it into a regenerative phenotype relies heavily upon a clearer understanding of the microglia dynamics during disease progression and the ability to monitor therapeutic outcome in vivo. To that end, molecular imaging techniques are required to assess microglia dynamics and study their role in disease progression as well as to evaluate the outcome of therapeutic interventions. Positron emission tomography (PET) is such a molecular imaging technique, and provides unique capabilities for non-invasive quantification of neuroinflammation and has the potential to discriminate between microglia phenotypes and define their role in the disease process. However, several obstacles limit the possibility for selective in vivo imaging of microglia phenotypes mainly related to the poor characterization of specific targets that distinguish the two ends of the microglia activation spectrum and lack of suitable tracers. PET tracers targeting translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) have been extensively explored, but despite the success in evaluating neuroinflammation they failed to discriminate between microglia activation statuses. In this review, we highlight the current knowledge on the microglia phenotypes in the major neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases. We also discuss the current and emerging PET imaging targets, the tracers and their potential in discriminating between the pro- and anti-inflammatory microglia activation states.
Reduced infiltration of regulatory T cells in tumours from mice fed daily with gamma-tocotrienol supplementation
Authors: Subramaniam Shonia , Anandha Rao Jeya Seela , Ramdas Premdass , Ng Mei Han , Kannan Kutty Methil , Selvaduray Kanga Rani , Radhakrishnan Ammu Kutty
Published: July 2021

Gamma-tocotrienol (γT3) is an analogue of vitamin E with beneficial effects on the immune system, including immune-modulatory properties. This study reports the immune-modulatory effects of daily supplementation of γT3 on host T helper (Th) and T regulatory cell (Treg) populations in a syngeneic mouse model of breast cancer. Female BALB/c mice were fed with either γT3 or vehicle (soy oil) for 2 weeks via oral gavage before they were inoculated with syngeneic 4T1 mouse mammary cancer cells (4T1 cells). Supplementation continued until the mice were euthanized. Mice (n = 6) were euthanized at specified time-points for various analysis (blood leucocyte, cytokine production and immunohistochemistry). Tumour volume was measured once every 7 days. Gene expression studies were carried out on tumour-specific T lymphocytes isolated from splenic cultures. Supplementation with γT3 increased CD4+ (p < 0.05), CD8+ (p < 0.05) T-cells and natural killer cells (p < 0.05) but suppressed Treg cells (p < 0.05) in peripheral blood when compared to animals fed with the vehicle. Higher interferon (IFN)-γ and lower transforming growth factor (TGF)-ꞵ levels were noted in the γT3 fed mice. Immunohistochemistry findings revealed higher infiltration of CD4+ cells, increased expression of interleukin-12 receptor-beta-2 (IL-12ꞵ2R), interleukin (IL)-24 and reduced expression of cells that express the forkhead box P3 (FoxP3) in tumours from the γT3-fed animals. Gene expression studies showed the down-regulation of seven prominent genes in splenic CD4+ T cells isolated from γT3-fed mice. Supplementation with γT3 from palm oil-induced T cell-dependent cell-mediated immune responses and suppressed T cells in the tumour microenvironment in a syngeneic mouse model of breast cancer.
Selective laser trabeculoplasty: A review
Authors: Landers John
Published: July 2021

Glaucoma is the second most prevalent cause of blindness worldwide, and the only effective management is the lowering of intraocular pressure (IOP). Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) has become an essential part of glaucoma management since its commercial release in 2001. It has been an improvement from the previous argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT), by using 1% of the laser energy, reducing the amount of anterior segment inflammation and minimising the degree of mechanical injury to the trabecular meshwork. There is now a large volume of work that demonstrates SLT is equally effective as ALT and topical medication in lowering IOP. It is simple to perform, with a well described side‐effect profile, and is long‐lasting and repeatable. This review will summarise the current literature on SLT for each of these topics.
A semi‐Markov model comparing the lifetime cost‐effectiveness of mesh prophylaxis to prevent parastomal hernia in patients undergoing end colostomy creation for rectal cancer
Authors: Mohiuddin Syed , Reeves Barnaby C. , Smart Neil J. , Hollingworth William ,   the CIPHER study group
Published: July 2021

Aim

Parastomal hernia (PSH) is a common problem following colostomy. Using prophylactic mesh during end colostomy creation may reduce PSH incidence, but concerns exist regarding the optimal type of mesh, potential long‐term complications, and cost‐effectiveness of its use. We evaluated the cost‐effectiveness of mesh prophylaxis to prevent PSH in patients undergoing end colostomy creation for rectal cancer.

Methods

We developed a decision‐analytical model, stratified by rectal cancer stages I–IV, to estimate the lifetime costs, quality‐adjusted life‐years (QALYs) and net monetary benefits (NMBs) of synthetic, biologic and no mesh from a UK NHS perspective. We pooled the mesh‐related relative risks of PSH from 13 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and superimposed these on the baseline (no mesh) risk from a population‐based cohort. Uncertainty was assessed in sensitivity analyses.

Results

Synthetic mesh was less costly and more effective than biologic and no mesh to prevent PSH for all rectal cancer stages. At the willingness‐to‐pay threshold of £20,000/QALY, the incremental NMBs (95% CI) ranged between £1,706 (£1,692 to £1,720) (stage I) and £684 (£678 to £690) (stage IV) for synthetic versus no mesh, and £2,038 (£1,997 to £2,079) (stage I) and £1,671 (£1,653 to £1,689) (stage IV) for synthetic versus biologic mesh. Synthetic mesh was more cost‐effective than no mesh unless the relative risk of PSH was ≥0.95 for stages I–III and ≥0.93 for stage IV. [Correction added on 05 October 2021 after first online publication: The estimation of health outcomes (QALYs) for all three interventions evaluated (synthetic mesh; biologic mesh; no mesh) have been corrected in this version.]

Conclusions

Synthetic mesh was the most cost‐effective strategy to prevent the formation of PSH in patients after end colostomy for any rectal cancer stage; however, conclusions are dependent on which subset of RCTs are considered to provide the most robust evidence.
Use of prophylactic mesh during initial stoma creation to prevent parastomal herniation: a systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Mohiuddin Syed , Hollingworth William , Rajaretnam Niroshini , Reeves Barnaby C. , Smart Neil J.
Published: July 2021

Aim

Parastomal hernia (PSH) is a common complication following stoma creation. Previous reviews found mesh reinforcement during initial stoma creation beneficial in reducing PSH incidence. Since then, several multicentre randomised controlled trials (RCTs) produced widely ranging results rendering previous findings debatable. This current review assessed whether combining the latest larger multicentre RCTs would alter the previous findings.

Methods

The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and Embase were searched from the respective dates of inception until 15 January 2021. RCTs were included if they compared mesh with no mesh during initial stoma creation in adult patients to prevent PSH. Included RCTs were summarised narratively and meta‐analysed to estimate the relative risk (RR) of PSH incidence (primary analysis), peristomal complications and PSH repair (secondary analyses). Several subgroup analyses were performed, including mesh type (synthetic/biologic), surgical technique (open/laparoscopic) and mesh position (sublay/intraperitoneal).

Results

Thirteen RCTs were included in the primary meta‐analysis (1070 patients); PSH incidence was reduced in patients with mesh compared with patients without mesh at maximal follow‐up (RR = 0.54; 95% CI 0.39–0.77; I2 = 67%; P < 0.01). The number of PSH repairs was fewer in patients who had mesh (RR = 0.63; 0.35–1.14; I2 = 6%; P = 0.39), with no difference in peristomal complications (RR = 0.96; 0.55–1.70; I2 = 0%; P = 0.71), comparing with no mesh. Subgroup analyses suggested that placing synthetic mesh using an open sublay technique might be more beneficial.

Conclusions

Prophylactic mesh reinforcement during initial stoma creation reduces PSH incidence and potentially its repair, without an increase in peristomal complications. However, substantial heterogeneity among included RCTs limits confidence in the results.
Cytomorphological spectrum of cysticercosis: A study of 26 cases
Authors: Gupta Deepika , Gupta Prajwala , Jain Swasti , Rahar Seema
Published: July 2021

Background

Cysticercosis is a systemic parasitic disease caused by the larval stage of Taenia solium. It is the most common parasitic disease worldwide. Fine needle aspiration cytology can play an important role in prompt recognition of this disease.

Objective

To study the role of FNAC in the diagnosis of cysticercosis.

Materials and methods

This study included 26 patients with parasitic infestation who presented with palpable subcutaneous and intramuscular nodules at different sites. Their clinical presentations and fine needle aspiration cytomorphological features are reported.

Results

The age range of these patients was 7‐60 years. The majority were males. The most commonly affected site was head and neck followed by upper extremity. Most of the cases were clinically misdiagnosed as lipomas, neurofibromas, lymphadenitis, epidermal inclusion cyst, sialadenitis, and soft tissue tumours. The aspirate was clear fluid in the majority of cases. All of the cases revealed fragments of bladder wall with associated granulomas in seven cases and giant cells in four cases. However, none of the case revealed hooklets.

Conclusion

Fine needle aspiration cytology can provide a simple, minimally invasive, low‐cost, outpatient diagnostic technique for the diagnosis of cysticercosis, as cytological diagnosis is quite clear when the actual parasitic structures are identified in the smear.
Prospective for Yemen’s violent contradictions
Authors: Kadri Jude
Published: July 2021

This article aims to provide an analysis of the military capacity, ideological power, war strategies, and class interests of the different parties in the current Yemeni war. On one level, this article aims to unveil the strengths of the different players in Yemen as well as their interactions in order to show the current balance of power that appears to be in favor of the Houthis. On another level, it aims to show that even though the Houthis are “winning” or might have even “won” the war already, the overall class tensions are creating structural misery in Yemen (through bombings, state failure, widespread famine, and more). The severity and deep political meaning of these class tensions overdetermined by imperialism reveal a gloomy prospect for Yemen. Indeed, because of the nature of the overlapping contradictions, the Houthis will stay dominant nationally, but the war will go on under different forms.
Cross‐habituation to deterrents correlates with desensitisation of the corresponding deterrent neuron in the larva of the black cutworm, Agrotis ipsilon
Authors: Zhou Dong‐Sheng , Teng Tao , Liu Jian‐Hui , Long Jiu‐Mei
Published: July 2021

Habituation (accepting food sources previously rejected) and cross‐habituation (accepting food sources containing deterrents after exposure to unrelated deterrents) induced by dietary experience are observed in lepidopteran larvae, but the physiological mechanisms underlying these phenomena are poorly understood. In this study, behavioural and electrophysiological responsiveness to three unrelated deterrents were investigated in larvae of Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Caterpillars were fed with one of four diets: ‘normal’ artificial diet or diet with low amounts of the alkaloid strychnine, the phenolic chlorogenic acid (CA), or the diterpene fumaropimaric acid (FA). These three chemicals are structurally different and are all deterrent to A. ipsilon caterpillars. In behavioural, dual‐choice assays with chemical‐treated leaf discs, caterpillars reared on normal diet fed less on treated discs, i.e., were highly deterred by the three chemicals. However, caterpillars fed on chemical‐infused diets did not distinguish between treated and non‐treated discs, i.e., they showed behavioural habituation. In triple‐choice leaf disc assays, larvae fed with CA were deterred by both CA and FA and vice versa, i.e., larvae fed diet with CA or FA showed cross‐habituation. There was no cross‐habituation between strychnine and CA/FA. Electrophysiological recordings revealed that the same deterrent neuron in the lateral sensilla styloconica responds to CA and FA. Desensitisation of this neuron, through exposure to CA or FA in diet, was correlated with the observed cross‐habituation. A different deterrent neuron, in the medial sensilla styloconica, responded to strychnine. Thus, no generalisation of either habituation or desensitisation occurred to deterrents that elicited responses from different deterrent neurons in the lateral and the medial sensilla styloconica. Cross‐habituation to deterrents correlated with desensitisation of the corresponding deterrent neuron.
Biochemical and immune responses of model organism Galleria mellonella after infection with Escherichia coli
Authors: Sugeçti Serkan
Published: July 2021

Galleria mellonella L. (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is used as an invertebrate model organism to study the virulence of bacteria pathogenic to humans. In this study, the oxidative effects of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (Migula) (Enterobacteriaceae) on the model organism were investigated. The levels of metabolic enzymes, non‐enzymatic antioxidants, and biochemical parameters were measured in the hemolymph of G. mellonella larvae 2, 4, 6, and 8 h after E. coli inoculation. The results show that the levels of cell damage indicators – such as aspartate transferase, alanine transferase, and lactate dehydrogenase – increased 8 h after E. coli infection. The levels of creatine kinase, alkaline phosphatase, and amylase increased in order to regulate the energy metabolism (negatively affected by the E. coli infection) and to reduce the biochemical effects of oxidative damage. Amounts of the non‐enzymatic antioxidants uric acid, bilirubin, and albumin also increased after E. coli infection, whereas the amount of total protein was not affected. Altogether, E. coli infection caused oxidative stress and damage to the hemolymph of G. mellonella.
Leukoaraiosis and acute ischemic stroke
Authors: Tang Xiaojia , Jiang Li , Luo Yuhan , Fan Hongyang , Song Lilong , Liu Peipei , Chen Yingzhu
Published: July 2021

Ischaemic stroke is characterized by high morbidity, high disability rate, high mortality and high recurrence rate, which can have a grave impact on the quality of life of the patients and consequently becomes an economic burden on their families and society. With the developments in imaging technology in recent years, patients with acute cerebral infarction are predominantly more likely to be diagnosed with leukoaraiosis (LA). LA is a common degenerative disease of the nervous system, which is related to cognitive decline, depression, abnormal gait, ischaemic stroke and atherosclerosis. The aetiology of LA is not clear and there is no gold standard for imaging assessment. Related studies have shown that LA has an adverse effect on the prognosis of cerebral infarction, but some experts have contrary beliefs. Hence, we undertook the present review of the literature on the mechanism and the effect of LA on the prognosis of patients with acute ischaemic stroke.
Co‐aggregation of mixture components of montmorillonite, kaolinite and humus
Authors: Zhang Yekun , He Aizhou , Tian Rui , Yang Shishu , Li Hang
Published: July 2021

Soil particle aggregation is closely related to soil quality and pollutant migration in the environment. Soil is a naturally complex system with multi‐components, including different organic and inorganic particles. However, current studies with respect to particle aggregation by dynamic light scattering (DLS) have centred on single‐component particles. Therefore, the application of DLS to mixture components is an important issue in soil science research. In this study, montmorillonite (Mont), kaolinite (Kaol) and humic acid (HA) particles were mixed in different mass ratios to form two‐ and three‐mixture components, and then the aggregation kinetics of the mixture components in KNO3 solutions were studied by DLS. The results showed that (a) for any given mixing ratio of two‐ and three‐mixture component particles, there was only one critical coagulation concentration (CCC) value observed for the mixture components; (b) the CCCs of the two‐mixture components aggregation were always between the CCC values of each single component in the mixture, and the CCC values of the three‐mixture components aggregation were always between those of the two‐components aggregation. Based on those experimental results we concluded that, for mixture components aggregation, all the components would participate in the aggregation with equal probability, and the aggregation should be driven by the average DLVO forces of the mixture components. Therefore, for the mixture components of natural soil, the soil particle aggregation would be a co‐aggregation process, and the DLS technique would thus be a useful tool to study the real soil aggregation. Meanwhile, HA would decrease soil particle aggregation by increasing the DLVO/XDLVO repulsive forces, rather than promoting soil particle aggregation.

Highlights

The aggregation of mixture colloids analysed by DLS is an important issue in soil science research.

There was only one CCC for mixture colloids with different colloidal components.

The aggregation of mixture colloids (soil) is a co‐aggregation process.

HA will decrease soil particle aggregation by increasing the DLVO/XDLVO repulsive forces.