bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new approach to postvasectomy semen analyses eliminates the need to evaluate a fresh specimen
Authors: Kiessling Ryan J. , Hauser Alexander , Eyre Robert C. , Kiessling Ann A.
Published: November 2022

Background

According to current guidelines, confirmation that vasectomy results in sterility depends on microscopic examination of postvasectomy semen for the presence of spermatozoa. Guidelines established in 2012 require examination of a fresh specimen within 2 h of collection, which necessitates the patient making an appointment with either the surgeon's office or a licensed clinical laboratory. Twenty‐five to 42% of patients fail to comply with postvasectomy semen analysis (PVSA).

Objectives

To determine if an at‐home semen collection kit can substitute for the evaluation of a fresh specimen and improve patient compliance with postvasectomy spermatozoa assessment.

Materials and methods

The kit contains a patented aldehyde‐fixative that maintains spermatozoa and semen cells in suspension for quantitation. Patients order a PVSA kit to be delivered to their home and can collect a semen specimen and return it to the laboratory through regular US mail.

Results

From January 2011 through December 2018, 6096 men undergoing vasectomy by 184 urologists in 33 states in the US ordered PVSA kits, of which 5408 (89%) returned at least one for analysis. Of those, 398 men (7.4%) returned the first kit with greater than 10,000 spermatozoa/ml within a year of vasectomy, of which only 4.4% contained greater than 100,000 spermatozoa/ml 12 weeks postsurgery. This suggests that fewer than 5% of postvasectomy patients might need follow‐up fresh semen analyses, greatly easing the logistical burden of PVSA. Ninety percent of surgeons returning a patient satisfaction questionnaire said their patients “never” complained about using PVSA kits.

Discussion and conclusion

These data support the adoption of a new standard for PVSA that does not involve an initial evaluation of a fresh semen specimen.
Incidence of second primary cancers among survivors of childhood cancer: A population‐based study, Osaka, Japan, 1975–2015
Authors: Odani Satomi , Nakata Kayo , Inoue Masami , Kato Mizuki , Saito Mari Kajiwara , Morishima Toshitaka , Hashii Yoshiko , Hara Junich , Kawa Keisei , Miyashiro Isao
Published: November 2022

Second primary cancer (SPC) is one of the most life‐threatening late effects of childhood cancers. We investigated the incidence and survival outcomes of SPC in childhood cancer patients in Japan. Data were obtained from the population‐based Osaka Cancer Registry. Individuals diagnosed with cancer at age 0–14 years during 1975–2014 and survived 2 months or longer were followed through December 2015. The risk of developing SPC was assessed with standardized incidence ratio (SIR), excess absolute risk (EAR, per 100,000 person‐years), and cumulative incidence. Multivariable Poisson regression analysis was carried out to assess relative risks of SPC by treatment method. Survival analysis was undertaken using the Kaplan–Meier method. Of 7229 childhood cancer survivors, 101 (1.4%) developed SPC after a median of 11.6 years. Overall SIR was 5.0, which corresponded with 84.3 EAR. The cumulative incidence was 0.9%, 2.1%, and 3.4% at 10, 20, and 30 years, respectively. Among all SPCs, the type that contributed most to the overall burden was cancers in the central nervous system (EAR = 28.0) followed by digestive system (EAR = 15.1), thyroid (EAR = 8.3), and bones and joints (EAR = 7.8); median latency ranged from 2.0 years (lymphomas) to 26.6 years (skin cancers). Patients treated with radiotherapy alone were at a 2.58‐fold increased risk of developing SPC compared to those who received neither chemotherapy nor radiotherapy. Among patients who developed SPCs, 5‐year and 10‐year survival probabilities after SPC diagnosis were 61.7% and 52.0%, respectively. Risk‐based long‐term follow‐up planning is essential to inform survivorship care and help reduce the burden of SPCs in childhood cancer survivors.
Survival outcomes in hypopharyngeal cancer in the West of Scotland Cancer Network
Authors: Poon Wai‐Yan , Paterson Claire , McLoone Philip , Grose Derek , Schipani Stefano , Lamb Carolynn , James Allan , Wilson Christina
Published: November 2022

Key Points

Most patients (82%) present with locally advanced disease.

Most patients (90%) have a smoking history, over one third have poor PS and all have co‐morbidities (58% single, 42% multiple).

7% of patients were unsuitable for investigations to obtain a histological diagnosis, nearly half of patients were unsuitable for anti‐cancer treatment.

In those treated radically, the pattern of treatment failure is loco‐regional.

Multi‐modality treatment with surgery and RT appears to confer a survival advantage in patients with stage 4a/b disease.
Retrospective analysis of the impact of pre‐transplant implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator status on long‐term prognosis in heart transplant patients
Authors: Dean Matthew , Zoni Cesar Rodrigo , Copeland Laurel A. , Pickett Christopher , Sudhakar Chittoor B. Sai , Ravi Yazhini
Published: November 2022

Background

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) post‐heart transplantation affects 8%–35% of patients; however, the risk profile remains to be completely elucidated. While pre‐transplant ICDs are typically removed during transplantation, no information exists to suggest if this pre‐transplant risk stratification is also associated with post‐transplant outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of pre‐transplant ICD status on long‐term prognosis post‐heart transplant.

Methods

The United Network for Organ Sharing registry was queried for all adult heart transplant recipients from 2010 to 2018. Patients were categorized as with versus without ICD prior to heart transplantation. Survival was compared using Kaplan‐Meier analysis. Proportional hazards regression analysis assessed the impact of ICDs adjusting for clinical and demographic covariates.

Results

Of 19 026 patients included, 78.6% (n = 14 960) had received an ICD at time of registration. Patients with an ICD were older [54.9 (±11.6) years vs. 48.6 (±15.3) years, p < .001], less likely to be female [25.7% (n = 3842) vs. 31.2% (n = 1269), p < .001], and more commonly diabetic [29.3% (n = 4376) vs 23.5% (n = 954), p < .001]. Kaplan‐Meier analysis showed no difference in unadjusted survival trajectory by ICD status (chi‐square = .48, p = .49). Survival was unrelated to ICD status in the multivariable model (HR = .98; 95% CI .90–1.07).

Conclusions

Patients receiving an ICD pre‐transplant had a higher prevalence of risk factors for SCD than non‐ICD patients, yet ICD status prior to heart transplantation was not associated with a change in long‐term prognosis post‐heart transplantation.
High‐frequency oscillations (250–500 Hz) in animal models of Alzheimer's disease and two animal models of epilepsy
Authors: Lisgaras Christos Panagiotis , Scharfman Helen E.
Published: November 2022

Objective

To test the hypothesis that high‐frequency oscillations (HFOs) between 250 and 500 Hz occur in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and thus are not unique to epilepsy.

Methods

Experiments were conducted in three mouse models of AD: Tg2576 mice that simulate a form of familial AD, presenilin 2 knock‐out (PS2KO) mice, and the Ts65Dn model of Down's syndrome. We recorded HFOs using wideband (0.1–500 Hz, 2 kHz) intra‐hippocampal and cortical surface electroencephalography (EEG) at 1 month until 24 months of age during wakefulness, slow wave sleep (SWS), and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. In addition, interictal spikes (IISs) and seizures were analyzed for the possible presence of HFOs. Comparisons were made to the intra‐hippocampal kainic acid and pilocarpine models of epilepsy.

Results

We describe for the first time that hippocampal and cortical HFOs are a new EEG abnormality in AD mouse models. HFOs occurred in all transgenic mice but no controls. They were also detectable as early as 1 month of age and prior to amyloid beta plaque neuropathology. HFOs were most frequent during SWS (vs REM sleep or wakefulness). Notably, HFOs in the AD and epilepsy models were indistinguishable in both spectral frequency and duration. HFOs also occurred during IISs and seizures in the AD models, although with altered spectral properties compared to isolated HFOs.

Significance

Our data demonstrate that HFOs, an epilepsy biomarker with high translational value, are not unique to epilepsy and thus not disease specific. Our findings also strengthen the idea of hyperexcitability in AD and its significant overlap with epilepsy. HFOs in AD mouse models may serve as an EEG biomarker, which is detectable from the scalp and thus amenable to noninvasive detection in people at risk for AD.
Facial emotions recognition using local monotonic pattern and grey level co‐occurrence matrices images aided development
Authors: Almukhtar Firas H.
Published: November 2022

In this article, local monotonic pattern (LMP) paired with grey level co‐occurrence matrix (GLCM) methods are suggested to identify facial emotions with a high identification rate even when the face pictures are rotated. The proposed method extracts image features using the properties of the LMP algorithm and features extracted from the GLCM, which are then fed into the Support Vector Machine (SVM) process that reduces the dimensionality of the features vector and classifies the output into different facial expressions or emotions. The SVM performance rate is then compared to the K‐nearest neighbour approach (KNN) to see which method produces the best facial emotion identification and categorization. The study identified facial emotions in the images using advanced algorithms of GLCM and LMP models to be compared. As a result, the accuracy of SVM and KNN was utilized to determine the method's usefulness in classification using the application of MATLAB. A result of more than 93% was achieved using the SVM method compared with 89.4% using the KNN for the recognition process. The study also demonstrated that this approach would lead to more classification outcomes if the LMP and GLCM are combined with an edge‐based technique yielding a new method that is more efficient and more effective.
Revisiting “ill will versus poor skill”: Relationship dissatisfaction, intimate partner violence, and observed “communication skills deficits”
Authors: Heyman Richard E. , Slep Amy M. Smith , Giresi Jill , Baucom Katherine J. W.
Published: November 2022

For decades, researchers, interventionists, and the lay public have subscribed to the notion that couples low in relationship satisfaction and/or experiencing psychological, physical, or sexual intimate partner violence (IPV) have communication skills deficits. In contrast, experimental studies of communication have concluded that differences were more likely due to partners' “ill will than poor skill.” We revisited this debate by recruiting a fairly generalizable sample of couples (N = 291) via random‐digit dialing and asking them to discuss two top conflict areas (“at your best” and “as you typically do”), thus measuring will—conscious inhibition of hostility and negative reciprocity and production of positivity (i.e., the “conflict triad”). The conflict triad was observed with the Rapid Marital Interaction Coding System, Second Generation. We found partial support for the hypotheses grounded in Finkel's I3 meta‐model. Frequency of hostility was associated with a complicated satisfaction × IPV‐extent × conversation type × gender interaction, indicating that couples' communication skills are multi‐determined. Unhappier couples showed almost no change in positivity when at their best, whereas happier couples nearly doubled their positivity despite their considerably higher typical positivity mean. Negative reciprocity was associated with satisfaction and IPV‐extent but not conversation type, implying that immediate instigation combined with risk factors overwhelms conscious inhibition. Intervention implications are discussed.
Racial socialization and perceived social support for African American fathers in academia
Authors: Williams Ebony K.
Published: November 2022

Objective

The purpose of this study was to understand the role that racial socialization plays in African American fathers' abilities to balance the responsibilities of being productive scholars and active parents and understand how racial socialization affects the perceived social support in the home and work environments.

Background

Though there is research on the microaggressions and implicit bias that African American faculty face, there is little research that specifically details the experiences of those balancing both the father and faculty member roles.

Method

Data were collected using semistructured interviews with 20 African American fathers who were employed as faculty members at various institutions in the United States. Additionally, I explored how the murders related to the #SayTheirName movement influenced conversations fathers had with their children related to racial socialization and anti‐Black racism in the United States.

Results

Participants noted that they experienced microaggressions in their academic environments. They were perceived as intimidating or characterized as the Angry Black Man. These perceptions were sources of mundane extreme environmental stress for participants. An emergent finding related to social support and work–life balance was that most study participants were members of Black Greek Letter Organizations (BGLOs) and found instrumental, informational, and emotional social support from these relationships.

Conclusion

Racial socialization received in their upbringing was a source of self‐efficacy for some participants. Additionally, perceived social support from the home and work environment was important for the participants' individual development, yet it was not the primary factor that influenced their work–life balance.
The value of thymus and activation related chemokine immunohistochemistry in classic Hodgkin lymphoma diagnostics
Authors: Kilsdonk Melvin , Veldman Carlijn , Rosati Stefano , Plattel Wouter , Diepstra Arjan
Published: November 2022

Aims

Classic Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) should be distinguished from its wide variety of histological mimics, including reactive conditions and mature B and T cell neoplasms. Thymus and activation‐related chemokine (TARC) is produced in extremely high quantities by the Hodgkin/Reed–Sternberg (HRS) tumour cells and is largely responsible for the attraction of CD4+ T cells into the cHL tumour micro‐environment. In the current study we evaluated the diagnostic potential of TARC immunohistochemistry in daily practice in a tertiary referral centre in the Netherlands.

Methods and results

A total of 383 cases, approximately half of which were cHL mimics, were prospectively evaluated in the period from June 2014 to November 2020. In 190 cHL cases, 92% were TARC‐positive and the majority of cases showed strong and highly specific staining in all HRS cells (77%). In most cases, TARC could discriminate between nodular lymphocyte‐predominant and lymphocyte‐rich Hodgkin lymphoma. HRS‐like cells in mature lymphoid neoplasms were rarely positive (6.4%) and there was no TARC staining at all in 64 reactive lymphadenopathies.

Conclusions

TARC immunohistochemistry has great value in differentiating between cHL and its mimics, including nodular lymphocyte‐predominant Hodgkin lymphoma, reactive lymphadenopathies and mature lymphoid neoplasms with HRS‐like cells.
Research trends in Australia and New Zealand Nephrology: basic science and gender equity in peril
Authors: Purvis Megan R. , Robertson Harry , Patrick Ellis , Rogers Natasha M.
Published: November 2022

Basic science research remains fundamental to progress in clinical care, understanding of disease pathophysiology and underpinning the evolution of personalised medicine. Exposure to research is pivotal to educating students, but a declining profile of basic science research has the potential to erode research capacity further. The capacity for women to engage in research and remain in academia long term is continually challenged by negative gender‐based experiences and institutional barriers. The authors explored themes and authorship of abstracts presented at Australia and New Zealand–‐based nephrology conferences, as a surrogate marker of trends in research activity and gender engagement. Basic science research and female senior authorship declined during the study period, which has serious implications for the future of nephrology.
High rates of the SDHB p.Arg46Gln pathogenic variant predisposes New Zealand Māori to phaeochromocytoma/paraganglioma
Authors: Shand James A. D. , van Schalkwyk Johan , Beavis Vanessa , Niyagama Anjana , Taylor Saana , Eagleton Carl
Published: November 2022

Background

Phaeochromocytomas (PCC) and paragangliomas (PGL; together PPGL) are rare tumours of the adrenal medulla or extra‐adrenal paraganglia. They may secrete catecholamines with significant cardiovascular effects. Management of PPGL is predominantly surgical, despite the anaesthetic risks related to potential haemodynamic instability. Meticulous pre‐treatment and intra‐operative management are required to improve cardiovascular outcomes.

Aims

There are limited local data regarding the incidence of PPGL and the clinical characteristics of individuals diagnosed with these tumours in New Zealand. We undertook a retrospective study investigating the local practice and patient characteristics with an additional focus on intra‐operative haemodynamic stability and post‐operative outcomes.

Methods

Electronic patient records were searched for individuals with a diagnosis of PPGL. Clinical records and electronic databases were interrogated for pre‐operative, intra‐operative and post‐operative data points. Particular attention was paid to rates and types of germline mutations, intra‐operative haemodynamic stability and post‐operative renal and cardiovascular outcomes.

Results

We identified 49 individuals with PPGL, of whom 34 were from the local area. This gave a local incidence of PPGL of around five cases per million people per year. Māori were significantly over‐represented in our cohort, with this being in part due to high rates of the SDHB R46Q mutation.

Over 95% of our cohort met pre‐specified pre‐operative blood pressure parameters. Intra‐operative monitoring revealed a tendency to hypotension, but this did not translate into adverse post‐operative outcomes, which were infrequent.

Conclusions

Māori were over‐represented due to high rates of germline SDHB R46Q mutations. There were few post‐operative adverse outcomes in this contemporary cohort.
Effect of combined UV‐thermosonication and Ecklonia cava extract on advanced glycation end‐products in soymilk
Authors: Park Jong Jin , Olawuyi Ibukunoluwa Fola , Lee Won Young
Published: November 2022

Thermal treatment is used to inactivate microbes in soymilk, but it increases the amount of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Therefore, this study examined if ultraviolet light with thermo‐sonication (UVTS) and Ecklonia cava extract (EX) could provide an alternative process to prevent AGEs formation in processed soymilk. A coiled tube UV reactor was used simultaneously with an ultrasonic generator for UVTS treatment, while an autoclave was employed for thermal treatment. UVTS treatment was examined at different temperatures and flow rates to achieve a 5‐log reduction of pre‐inoculated Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium in soymilk. After confirming EX's anti‐glycation effects against fructosamine, ɑ‐dicarbonyl compounds, protein carbonyl content, and AGEs formation, it was added to soymilk before the UVTS. The ɑ‐dicarbonyl compounds (glyoxal and methylglyoxal) and AGEs (Nε‐(1‐carboxymethyl)‐l‐lysine [CML] and Nε‐(1‐carboxyethyl)‐l‐lysine [CEL]) in soymilk increased after autoclaving (AC). Compared with AC, the UVTS with .05% EX decreased glyoxal, methylglyoxal, CML, and CEL by 78%, 82%, 32%, and 59%, respectively. These results indicated that UVTS with EX could be an alternative pasteurization process for soymilk that minimizes AGEs formation.
Soluble soybean polysaccharide/TiO2 nanocomposites: Biological activity, release behavior, biodegradability, and biosafety
Authors: Salarbashi Davoud , Tafaghodi Mohsen , Rajabi Omid , Fazli Bazzaz Bibi Sedigheh , Soheili Vahid
Published: November 2022

This study aimed to produce and characterize eco‐friendly SSPS nanocomposites incorporated with various concentrations of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) (1%, 3%, and 7%). The antimicrobial activity of the nanocomposite films against five strains of pathogenic bacteria was examined. Salmonella typhi PTCC 1609 was the most sensitive species to TiO2 NPs at concentrations equal to the synthetic antibiotic. The migration of TiO2 to ethanol and acetic acid, as two food simulants increased when the initial nano‐TiO2 content increased. The release profiles for TiO2 in two simulants of ethanol and acetic acid indicated a non‐Fickian release, and the release kinetics were concentration‐dependent. SSPS/TiO2 nanocomposites degraded easily and thus have the potential to be applied as an eco‐friendly packaging system. Oral administration of doses of 1, 12.5, 25, 50, and 75 mg/kg TiO2 revealed that the dose of 50 and 75 mg/kg increased malondialdehyde (p < .001) concentration in the liver tissue. In addition, it decreased glutathione (p < .001) concentration in the liver tissue.
Portal vein thrombosis compromises the performance of MELD and MELD‐Na scores in patients with cirrhosis
Authors: Ouyang Renjie , Li Hai , Tan Wenting , Wang Xianbo , Zheng Xin , Huang Yan , Meng Zhongji , Gao Yanhang , Qian Zhiping , Liu Feng , Lu Xiaobo , Shi Yu , Shang Jia , Liu Junping , Deng Guohong , Zheng Yubao , Yan Huadong , Jiang Xiuhua , Zhang Yan , Qiao Liang , Zhou Yi , Hou Yixin , Xiong Yan , Chen Jun , Luo Sen , Gao Na , Ji Liujuan , Li Jing , Zheng Rongjiong , Ren Haotang , Wang Haiyu , Zhong Guotao , Li Beiling , Chen Jinjun
Published: November 2022

Background and Aims

The accuracy of model for end‐stage liver disease (MELD) and MELD with sodium (MELD‐Na) scores in reflecting the clinical outcomes of patients with cirrhosis and portal vein thrombosis (PVT) remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of scores in predicting 90‐day mortality in patients with cirrhosis and PVT.

Methods

Post hoc analysis was performed in two prospective cohorts (NCT02457637 and NCT03641872). The correlation between the MELD/MELD‐Na score and 90‐day liver transplantation (LT)‐free mortality was investigated in patients with cirrhosis with and without PVT.

Results

In this study, 2826 patients with cirrhosis were included, and 255 (9.02%) had PVT. The cumulative incidence of 90‐day LT‐free mortality did not significantly differ between patients with and without PVT (log‐rank P = 0.0854). MELD [area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC), 0.649 vs. 0.842; P = 0.0036] and MELD‐Na scores (AUROC, 0.691 vs. 0.851; P = 0.0108) were compared in patients with and without PVT, regarding the prediction of 90‐day LT‐free mortality. In MELD < 15 and MELD‐Na < 20 subgroups, patients with PVT had a higher 90‐day LT‐free mortality than those without PVT (7.91% vs. 2.64%, log‐rank P = 0.0011; 7.14% vs. 3.43%, log‐rank P = 0.0223), whereas in MELD ≥ 15 and MELD‐Na ≥ 20 subgroups, no significant difference was observed between patients with and without PVT.

Conclusions

The performance of MELD and MELD‐Na scores in predicting 90‐day LT‐free mortality of patients with cirrhosis was compromised by PVT. MELD < 15 or MELD‐Na < 20 may underestimate the 90‐day LT‐free mortality in patients with PVT.
Glucocorticoid regulation of diurnal spine plasticity in the murine ventromedial prefrontal cortex
Authors: Miller Alex M. , Daniels Renata M. , Sheng Julietta A. , Wu T. John , Handa Robert J.
Published: November 2022

The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) regulates fear acquisition, fear extinction, mood, and HPA axis function. Multiple brain regions exhibit time‐of‐day dependent variations in learning, long term potentiation (LTP), and dendritic morphology. Glucocorticoids have been implicated in the regulation of dendritic structure in the context of stress. Glucocorticoids are also known to regulate molecular clock entrainment via upregulation of Per1 transcription. In the present study, C57BL/6 N mice were sacrificed at three distinct times of day (ZT3, ZT12, and ZT16, lights off at ZT12) and Per1 mRNA expression was measured in the infralimbic and prelimbic vmPFC subregions using droplet digital (dd) PCR after recovering from adrenalectomy or sham surgery for 10 days. Sham mice showed Per1 rhythmicity in both infralimbic (IL) and prelimbic (PL) cortex, with peak expression occurring at ZT12. Adrenalectomized mice showed reductions in Per1 amplitude at ZT12 in both IL and PL, suggesting that the vmPFC molecular clock is entrained by diurnal glucocorticoid oscillations. Thy1‐eGFP mice were used to visualize and quantify dendritic spine density on deep layer pyramidal dendrites at ZT 3, 12, and 16. Spine density in both PL and IL exhibited changes between the light (inactive) and dark (active) phases, with peak spine density observed at ZT16 and trough spine density observed at ZT3. These changes in spine density were restricted to changes in long thin and stubby type spines. To determine if changes in spine density is regulated by glucocorticoid oscillations, the 11β‐hydroxylase inhibitor metyrapone was administered 2 h prior to the onset of the active phase (ZT10) daily for 7 days. Metyrapone administration blocked both the diurnal peak of plasma corticosterone and peak spine densities in the IL and PL at ZT16. These results suggest that vmPFC molecular clock gene and dendritic spine diurnal rhythms depend on intact diurnal glucocorticoid oscillations.
Ambiguous loss in organ donor families: A constructivist grounded theory
Authors: Avilés Lissette , Kean Susanne , Tocher Jennifer
Published: November 2022

Aims and Objectives

Explore families' experiences when being approached for organ donation authorisation after brainstem death.

Background

The complexities of potential organ donor families' experiences include challenges related to emotional distress, coping with the loss and the organ donation decision‐making process, and support needed. A lack of conceptual clarity was found concerning families' experiences when being approached for organ donation authorisation, which guided the study.

Design

Constructivist grounded theory.

Methods

Seventy‐one participants, including healthcare professionals and families, were recruited from two large hospitals in Chile between 2017 and 2019. Field notes, documents (n = 80), interviews (n = 27) and focus groups (n = 14) were collected and analysed following Charmaz's constructivist grounded theory principles and practices until theoretical saturation was reached. The study is reported using the COREQ checklist.

Results

A third type of ambiguous loss of bereaved families' experience was developed as a fourfold process: (1) impending loss, (2) confirming loss, (3) ambiguous loss and organ donation decision‐making and (4) organ donation as a third type of ambiguous loss. This grounded theory expands the concepts of ambiguous loss by Boss, dying by Glaser and Strauss and grief by Brinkmann, enabling explanation of families' experiences.

Conclusion

Families of potential organ donors develop a highly complex grieving process, which may play a significant role in the organ donation decision‐making process. Ambiguity is embedded in how donor families reframe the existence of the donor through the act of giving life.

Relevance to clinical practice

The findings shed light on families' experiences on the organ donation process after brainstem death. The study can be used in nursing practice, education and to inform policy nationally and globally, mainly due to the current focus on quantitative measures and legislative changes fostering individual decision‐making.

Patient or Public Contribution

Families contributed through their first‐hand experiences of the organ donation process.
New understanding of multidrug efflux and permeation in antibiotic resistance, persistence, and heteroresistance
Authors: Manrique Pedro D. , López Cesar A. , Gnanakaran S. , Rybenkov Valentin V. , Zgurskaya Helen I.
Published: November 2022

Antibiotics effective against Gram‐negative ESKAPE pathogens are a critical area of unmet need. Infections caused by these pathogens are not only difficult to treat but finding new therapies to overcome Gram‐negative resistance is also a challenge. There are not enough antibiotics in development that target the most dangerous pathogens and there are not enough novel drugs in the pipeline. The major obstacle in the antibiotic discovery pipeline is the lack of understanding of how to breach antibiotic permeability barriers of Gram‐negative pathogens. These barriers are created by active efflux pumps acting across both the inner and the outer membranes. Overproduction of efflux pumps alone or together with either modification of the outer membrane or antibiotic‐inactivating enzymes and target mutations contribute to clinical levels of antibiotics resistance. Recent efforts have generated significant advances in the rationalization of compound efflux and permeation across the cell envelopes of Gram‐negative pathogens. Combined with earlier studies and novel mathematical models, these efforts have led to a multilevel understanding of how antibiotics permeate these barriers and how multidrug efflux and permeation contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance and heteroresistance. Here, we discuss the new developments in this area.
Asymmetry of Posterior Condyles in Resection Plane and Axial Curvature for Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Li Changzhao , Chen Jiarong , Yang Yiming , jin Yan , Wang Cong , Tsai Tsung‐Yuan , Li Pingyue
Published: November 2022

Objective

Understanding the morphology of the distal femur is essential for improving bone‐implant match in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and understanding the mechanisms behind knee kinematics. However, little is known about the asymmetry of the posterior condyles. Thus, this study aimed to thoroughly investigate asymmetries in sizes and shapes between the medial and lateral posterior condyles before and after femoral resections during TKA in osteoarthritic (OA) knees.

Methods

Three‐dimensional femoral models of 74 OA knees were constructed using computed tomography images. The morphologic measurements of the posterior condyle pre‐ and post‐simulated osteotomy for TKA included the radii of the posterior condyles fitted to a circle on the sagittal and axial planes of the femoral coordinate system, the inclination angle of the articular surface and resected surface, and the width and height of the resected surface. Differences in the data were assessed using Student's t‐test, and correlations were evaluated using the Pearson product–moment correlation.

Results

The radii of the medial posterior condyles fitted to the circle were, on average, 6 mm larger than those of the lateral condyles on the axial plane (p < 0.001) and 0.7 mm smaller than those of the lateral condyles on the sagittal plane (p = 0.046). The inclination angles of the medial and lateral posterior condyles on the axial plane were significantly different with both pre‐simulated and post‐simulated osteotomy, respectively (both p < 0.001). The resected plane of the lateral posterior condyles displaced opposite inclination directions between the distal and proximal portions. Neither heights or widths of the medial posterior condyles were significantly different from those of their lateral counterparts (both p > 0.107).

Conclusions

This study found asymmetrical inclination of the resected surface and coronal radii between the medial and lateral posterior condyles, which may relate to the posterolateral overhang of the lateral condyle after TKA and the progression of the knee OA. These findings provides valuable morphological information and may help improve the implant designs for TKA.
The Effect of Arthroscopic Extra‐Articular Entire Coracohumeral Ligament Release for Patients with Recalcitrant Frozen Shoulder
Authors: Li Dan‐mei , Zhang Chuan , Xiang Xian‐Xiang , Cheng Yong‐Feng , Zhang Lai‐Fu , Ma Kun
Published: November 2022

Objective

The thickened coracohumeral ligament (CHL) is an important part of the typical manifestations and magnetic resonance imaging of frozen shoulder. However, only a few clinical studies with limited cases on arthroscopic extra‐articular entire CHL release exist in the literature. This study was to evaluate the effect of arthroscopic extra‐articular entire CHL release for patients with recalcitrant frozen shoulder.

Methods

From February 2014 to February 2020, 81 cases of recalcitrant frozen shoulder patients treated with surgery in a single‐center shoulder department and followed for more than 2 years were analyzed. Arthroscopic 360° capsular release was performed with intra‐articular partial release (IPR group) or additional extra‐articular entire release (IPR + EER group) of CHL. The same rehabilitation program was performed after surgery in both groups. Visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, range of motion (ROM), and the Constant–Murley scoring system was evaluated before operation, at 3 months after operation, 6 months after operation, and the final follow‐up. T‐test, Mann–Whitney U‐test and chi‐squared test were used to compared data.

Results

There were 39 patients in the IPR group, with an average follow‐up of 29.2 months. A total of Forty‐two patients in the IPR + EER group completed a mean follow‐up of 25.7 months. All incisions healed in stages. There were significant differences in Constant–Murley shoulder score, VAS score, and ROM before operation and at the final follow‐up in both groups (both P < 0.001). The VAS score of the IPR + EER group was lower than that of the IPR group at 3 months after surgery (P < 0.05), and 6 months after operation (P < 0.05). External rotation, internal rotation, and abduction of ROMs and Constant–Murley shoulder score were significantly greater in the IPR + EER group at 3 months (P < 0.001, P < 0.05, P < 0.001, P < 0.05, respectively) and 6 months after operation (P < 0.001, P < 0.05, P < 0.001, P < 0.05, respectively). At the last follow‐up, there was no significant difference in forward flexion, internal rotation, and abduction of ROMs, VAS, and the Constant–Murley shoulder score between the IPR and IPR + EER groups. The external rotation of the IPR + EER group was still greater than that of the IPR group at the last follow‐up (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Arthroscopic extra‐articular entire coracohumeral ligament release could solve early pain of shoulder joint, recover shoulder joint functions effectively, and achieve a satisfactory efficacy in the treatment of recalcitrant frozen shoulder.
Mental health mobile application self‐help for adolescents exhibiting psychological distress: A single case experimental design
Authors: Badesha Kiran , Wilde Sarah , Dawson David L.
Published: November 2022

Objectives

The present demand for child and adolescent mental health services exceeds the capacity for service provision. Greater research is required to understand the utility of accessible self‐help interventions, such as mobile apps. This study sought to investigate whether use of a mental health app, underpinned by CBT, led to changes in psychological distress amongst adolescents. Mechanisms of change were examined, specifically whether changes are attributable to cognitive strategies.

Design

This study utilised a multiple‐baseline single‐case experimental design, tracking variables across baseline and intervention phases. Surveys assessing participant experience were also administered.

Methods

Five participants with moderate‐to‐severe levels of psychological distress engaged with a CBT‐based app over five weeks. Participants were recruited from both a well‐being service and the general population. Supplementary weekly calls to participants offered clarification of app content.

Results

A small overall effect of the intervention of psychological distress was evident; however, outcomes were dependent on the analysis conducted. The intervention appeared to promote an increase in use of adaptive cognitive strategies but not negative thinking styles. The CBT app did not promote changes in participant well‐being. Participant feedback highlighted practical challenges of utilising the app.

Conclusions

The clinical benefits of app‐based CBT were small, and a range of barriers to engagement were recognised. While further research is required, caution should be exercised in the interpretation of studies reporting on app effectiveness.
Neo‐Humean rationality and two types of principles
Authors: Strandberg Caj
Published: November 2022

According to the received view in metaethics, a Neo‐Humean theory of rationality entails that there cannot be any objective moral reasons, i.e. moral reasons that are independent of actual desires. In this paper, I argue that there is a version of this theory that is compatible with the existence of objective moral reasons. The key is to distinguish between (i) the process of rational deliberation that starts off in an agent's actual desires, and (ii) the rational principle that an agent employs in such a process. I maintain that it is the latter which explains why it is rational for an agent to have a certain desire, not the former. As a result, there might be two types of principles. The second type of principle leaves room for objective moral reasons.
Migrationsland DDR? Recuperating the Histories of Non‐European Vertragsarbeiter*innen in the GDR and Beyond
Authors: Nenno Nancy P.
Published: November 2022

The current focus on diversity and inclusion amid calls to decolonize the German curriculum prompts us once again to examine what we understand to be “German” about German Studies. This article pursues this agenda by addressing a lacuna in our understanding and representation of migrants to Germany, specifically the presence, history, and legacies of labor migrants to East Germany. The first half of this article contextualizes the German Democratic Republic's (GDR) recruitment of foreign workers and examines key similarities and differences between the East and West German guest worker program models. This section focuses particularly on the labor migrants recruited from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the People's Republic of Mozambique – the largest cohorts of non‐European workers recruited by the GDR – and concludes with a brief overview of the long afterlife of the Vertragsarbeiter*innen through the Wende, reunification, and beyond. The second section offers a range of texts and assignments keyed to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) guidelines for integrating the narratives of Vertragsarbeiter*innen into German language and Studies curricula. Recuperating the history of non‐European contract workers in East Germany serves to expand our conception of German Studies and to dismantle artificially exclusive boundaries, thereby working toward the deterritorialization of the discipline.
Why Did Cities Evolve in Gharb Al-Andalus? Network analysis as a potential method for charting city growth
Authors:   University of Leicester, Santos Joel
Published: November 2022

The Muslim presence in the Iberian Peninsula has been closely associated with urban centres since the 8th century. Using an approach based on Network Theory, the purpose of this article is to understand and debate the influence that various cities exerted on each other through communication routes during the Islamic presence in the Gharb Al-Andalus – now in modern-day Portugal - and how this influence affected the growth of those cities. This study intends to use statistical analysis based on Network Theory and on its centrality measures in order to build a network of geographical relationships between the cities of the Gharb Al-Andalus. The study of these centrality measures indicates that mutation in the importance of such cities might result from their geographic location, but also by the influence that each city had over the nearest ones. The theory is by measuring the centrality value of a city at a certain moment, it would be possible to indicate the probability that the city would either grow or decline in the subsequent period. This influence on growth was surely due to political, military, religious or commercial contacts but, likewise, by the different ways cities were connected (terrestrial, fluvial and maritime).
Heat Transfer and Friction in a Rectangular Channel With Varying Numbers of Walls Roughened With 90-Deg Transverse or 45-Deg V-Shaped Ribs
Authors: Alsaleem Sulaiman M. , Wright Lesley M. , Han Je-Chin
Published: November 2022

An experimental investigation was performed to measure the regionally averaged heat transfer distributions and friction factors for fully developed turbulent flow in a rectangular channel with a width-to-height aspect ratio (AR = 3). Data for transverse 90-deg and 45-deg V-shaped, carbon steel ribs placed on one, two, or four sides of the channel were reported for a Reynolds number range (Re = 5,000–60,000). The pitch-to-rib height ratio (P/e) was set at 10 while the rib height-to-channel hydraulic diameter (e/Dh) is 0.041. This corresponds to a roughness Reynolds number range (e+=25−500). For both rib configurations, results show the highest thermal performance was achieved in the channels with four-ribbed wall followed by the two and one-ribbed wall channels, respectively. Using the law of the wall similarity, friction roughness functions (R) and heat transfer roughness functions (G) were developed based on four-sided friction and heat transfer data. Moreover, friction and heat transfer data of similar rib designs were obtained from literature and correlated to the corresponding friction and heat transfer roughness functions. Covering a wide range of roughness Reynolds numbers, more robust heat transfer and friction correlations were developed which can be used by designers to accurately predict both heat transfer and friction in ribbed channels with different numbers of ribbed walls. Using these correlations, one can predict the measured friction and heat transfer data of this study with maximum errors of 9% and 7%, respectively.
Optimal Design of a Kinematically Redundant Planar Parallel Mechanism Based on Error Sensitivity and Workspace
Authors: Li Xiao , Qu Haibo , Li Guanming , Guo Sheng , Dong Guoqiang
Published: November 2022

In this paper, the dimensional optimization of a (2PRR)-R + 2RRR (P and R represent the prismatic and revolute joint, respectively, and the underline indicates that the joint is the actuator) kinematically redundant parallel mechanism is performed by taking the integrated error sensitivity index and workspace as the objectives. Based on the matrix method, a generalized method for error modeling of the planar three-degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) parallel mechanism is proposed. The process of the generalized error modeling method is explained, and the error model of the planar (2PRR)-R + 2RRR kinematically redundant parallel mechanism is established. Based on the proposed error model, the error sensitivity indices of different dimension types are calculated. In order to reduce the error sensitivity and expand the workspace, the elitist non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) is used for multi-objective optimization of the mechanism. The comparative analysis between the optimized and the non-optimized mechanism is carried out from three aspects: error sensitivity, distribution of low-error sensitivity area, and area of the workspace. The results show that the optimization algorithm not only expands the workspace of the mechanism but also effectively reduces the error sensitivity in the workspace.
Experimental Subsonic Flutter of a Linear Turbine Blade Cascade With Various Mode Shapes and Chordwise Torsion Axis Locations
Authors: Eret Petr , Tsymbalyuk Volodymyr
Published: November 2022

Axial flow turbomachinery is susceptible to self-excited vibrations known as flutter, primarily affecting high-aspect ratio rotor blades. Experimental studies of blade flutter are essential to understanding the phenomenon. The existing research has shown that the most critical factor in determining the aerodynamic stability of the blade is the mode shape. In this work, measurements of subsonic flutter of a linear turbine blade cascade with various mode shapes and torsion axis locations in a chordwise direction are carried out. The cascade consists of eight blades representing the reduced tip sections of the last stage blade of the steam turbine rotor, and central four flexibly mounted blades are forced to vibrate in pure bending and pure torsion modes and a combined motion. Both the traveling wave mode approach and the influence coefficient method are tested. The results show that the pure torsion mode is insensitive to increasing reduced frequency and is aerodynamically unstable for each positive angle of incidence tested, while pure bending and combined modes become less stable with the increased angle of incidence. In addition, high sensitivity of blade behavior to changes in torsion axis position and phase shift between bending and torsion motions is demonstrated.
Interfering with STING
Authors: Baek Amy E.
Published: November 2022

The clathrin-associated adaptor protein complex AP-1 stops STING signaling at the Golgi.
Draft Genome Sequence of a Washington Isolate of “
Candidatus
Phytoplasma pruni”
Authors: Wright Alice A. , Harper Scott J.
Published: November 2022

Illumina sequencing of a
Prunus avium
tree with X-disease symptoms was performed to obtain a draft genome of “
Candidatus
Phytoplasma pruni.” The genome consists of 14 contigs covering 588,767 bp. This is the first metagenome to be sequenced from the current X-disease epidemic in stone fruit in the Pacific Northwest.
Characterization of MxiE- and H-NS-Dependent Expression of
ipaH7.8
,
ospC1
,
yccE
, and
yfdF
in Shigella flexneri
Authors: Hall Chelsea P. , Jadeja Niti B. , Sebeck Natalie , Agaisse Hervé
Published: November 2022

The expression of horizontally acquired genes, including virulence genes, is subject to complex regulation involving xenogeneic silencing proteins, and counter-silencing mechanisms. The pathogenic properties of
Shigella flexneri
mainly rely on the acquisition of the type 3 secretion system (T3SS) and cognate effector proteins, whose expression is repressed by the xenogeneic silencing protein H-NS.
Supplemental Material: Europium anomalies in detrital zircons record major transitions in Earth geodynamics at 2.5 Ga and 0.9 Ga
Authors: Triantafyllou Antoine , al. et
Published: November 2022

Additional figures, datasets with a compilation of detrital zircon data (U-Pb and trace element) and references; the detailed statistical treatment for zircon U-Pb and trace composition as well as the parameters and solid solution models used for thermodynamic modelling; and links to a GitHub repository that contains two Python codes built to perform bootstrap analysis and timeseries plotting on the zircon U-Pb and trace elements dataset. 
Supplemental Material: Origin of the Sierras Pampeanas, Argentina: Flat-slab subduction and inherited structures
Authors: Liu Xiaowen , Currie Claire A.
Published: November 2022

Numerical modeling methods and supplemental Figures S1–S4, Movies S1 and S2, and Table S1 (model material properties). 