bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Children’s intervention participation is associated with more positive beliefs towards active school transportation among parents
Authors: Forsberg Hanna , Rutberg Stina , Nyberg Lars , Lindqvist Anna-Karin
Published: March 2023

Insufficient physical activity among children is a critical issue and health promoting initiatives are required to reverse this trend. In response to the current situation, a school-based intervention aiming to increase physical activity with the aid of active school transportation (AST) was implemented in one municipality in northern Sweden. By adopting the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior, we aimed to analyse beliefs among parents whose children were or were not involved in the AST intervention. All municipality schools were included. There were 1024 responses from parents, comprising 610 who responded either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to participating in the intervention. An adjusted linear regression analysis showed that children’s intervention participation was significantly associated with more positive beliefs towards AST among parents. These results indicates that it is possible to influence beliefs that are important in the parental decision-making process by the use of an AST intervention. Therefore, to make children’s active transport to school the more favorable choice for parents, it seems to be worthwhile to not only give children the opportunity to participate but also to involve parents and address their beliefs when designing interventions.
Competing Views of Word Meaning: Word Embeddings and Word Senses
Authors: Grefenstette Gregory , Hanks Patrick
Published: March 2023

At least since the invention of writing, people have been troubled by the problem of what a word means. Dictionaries have traditionally been written with numbered word senses, giving the impression that the different senses of a word are fixed abstract entities, which can be used to separate usages into neat piles according to their different meanings. Adam Kilgarriff’s daring 1997 article ‘I Don’t Believe in Word Senses’ challenged this traditional view of word meaning, presenting an account in which ‘the basic units are occurrences of the word in context’. Kilgarriff went on to develop the Sketch Engine, a statistical tool that enables lexicographers and NLP researchers, teachers, and students to explore the relationship between meanings and collocations (words and their contexts). In this review article, we compare the information provided by Kilgarriff’s Word Sketches with the recently developed Word Embedding techniques and with the results of Corpus Pattern Analysis.
A case study on the design and development of solar food cooking system with a PCM as a heat storage unit
Authors: Pawar Usha , Bhole Kiran S , Oza Ankit , Panchal Hitesh , Shah Mohd Asif , Jaber Mustafa Musa
Published: March 2023

This study presents the design and fabrication of an urban solar food cooking system with a phase change material (PCM) as a heat storage tank. The effort has been taken to test the system experimentally and explore its thermal performance under actual climatic conditions of Mumbai, India. The solar heat energy is stored in the tank using commercial-grade erythritol as PCM in current research work. A heat exchanger is well designed and fabricated to regulate the flow of solar heat energy from the storage tank to the cooking vessel, similar to the domestic liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cooking system. This solar cooker is designed to cook food twice a day for four family members (equivalent to an energy of 5000 KJ). Cooking experiments were conducted on 19 April 2019 for the afternoon and evening slots with rice and potato as cooking loads, respectively. The time taken for cooking rice and potato are from 12:30 pm to 12:52 pm (22 minute) and from 05:30 pm to 05:59 pm (29 minutes), respectively. The heat transfer rate was also observed at different storage tanks and cooking unit points. The experiments show cooking is possible twice a day and considered as convenient as domestic LPG stoves. Furthermore, it was found that comparatively less time was required for cooking food than other existing solar cookers.
Preparation and properties of TiO2 photocatalytic self—cleaning coating material for glass
Authors: Yang Mengdi , Liu Guangyan , Zhao Wei , Meng Fanbin , Lao Youliang , Liang Yi
Published: March 2023

The balance of light transmittance, durability and self-cleaning performance of the coating film is the main reason that hinders the wide application of photocatalytic self-cleaning coating on building exterior glass. In this article, TiO2 powder was prepared with different concentrations of tetrabutyl titanate, hydrochloric acid and ethanol; and following with compounded polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and waterborne polyurethane as adhesives; the mixed composite coating was loaded on the glass surface by spraying method to obtain superhydrophilic glass with self-cleaning properties. The physical and chemical properties of TiO2 composite films were characterized and tested by diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, optical contact angle measuring instrument and photocatalytic testing system. The results showed that the X-ray diffractometer analysis of the powder obtained with different alcohol-ester ratios showed that the crystal synthesis was successful, and the grain size conformed to the nanometer standard. TiO2 dispersion with a concentration of 0.08 g/L, after 30 min of irradiation with an ultraviolet (UV) lamp, the methyl orange added dropwise in the solution can be completely degraded. With the increase of TiO2 concentration, the photocatalytic efficiency increased rapidly, the contact angle decreased, when the TiO2 concentration reached 0.3% and 3% binder compounding, the surface of the composite coating film was still smooth at the nanometer level, the visible light transmittance was between 86.95 and 88.89%, and the contact angle was reduced from the initial 46.49 to 14.89° after 2 h of UV illumination. After 5 repeated degradation experiments and outdoor 180-d standing test, the composite coating film has recyclability and good durability. Therefore, TiO2 composite coating prepared by this method has a wide application prospect in the daily cleaning and subsequent maintenance of building glass.
Reconciling trust and control in the military use of artificial intelligence
Authors: McFarland Tim
Published: March 2023

In regulating military applications of artificial intelligence (AI), the relationship between humans and the AI systems they operate is of central importance. AI developers commonly frame the desired human–AI relationship in terms of ‘trust’, aiming to make AI systems sufficiently ‘trustworthy’ for the task at hand and foster appropriate levels of human ‘trust’ in complex, often inscrutable, AI systems. Meanwhile, in legal and ethical discussions, the challenge is generally framed as ensuring that humans retain ‘control’ over AI such that responsible operators can reliably guide the behaviour of AI systems as required by legal and other norms. Surprisingly, few have asked whether the paradigms of ‘trust’ and ‘control’ are guiding development of the human–AI relationship in the same direction. This paper outlines the nature of trust and control as they relate to regulation of the human–AI relationship and surveys some challenges which arise in regulating the military uptake of AI systems.
Wapor News 2022
Authors:   World Association for Public Opinion Research
Published: March 2023

This is a brief about past and future activities of the World Association for Public Opinion Research and its members, as well as previews of forthcoming conferences and seminars.
The Mass of the Static Extension of Small Spheres
Authors: Harvie Brian , Wang Ye-Kai
Published: March 2023

We give a simple proof to the computation of ADM mass of the static extensions of small spheres in Wiygul [13, 14]. It makes use of the mass formula $m = \frac {1}{4\pi } \int _{\partial M} \frac {\partial V}{\partial \nu }$ for an asymptotically flat static manifold with boundary.
Whipworm Infection in Mice Increases Coinfection of Enteric Pathogens but Promotes Clearance of Ascaris Larvae From the Lungs
Authors: Polakovicova Nina , Adji Antonia Vania , Myhill Laura J , Williams Andrew R
Published: March 2023

Infection with intestinal whipworms (Trichuris spp.) causes widespread morbidity and may alter responses to enteric and extraintestinal coinfections. Here, we show that Trichuris muris infection in mice increases coinfection with 2 evolutionary divergent enteric pathogens, the bacterium Citrobacter rodentium and the helminth Heligmosomoides polygyrus. Coinfection caused reduced weight gain and promoted type 1–biased inflammation. In contrast, T. muris–infected mice were more resistant to migrating Ascaris suum larvae in the lungs. Our results highlight the divergent nature of pathogen interactions and suggest that whipworm infection is a risk factor for coinfections with other pathogens within the gastrointestinal tract.
Nationwide Hepatitis C Serosurvey and Progress Towards Hepatitis C Virus Elimination in the Country of Georgia, 2021
Authors: Gamkrelidze Amiran , Shadaker Shaun , Tsereteli Maia , Alkhazashvili Maia , Chitadze Nazibrola , Tskhomelidze Irina , Gvinjilia Lia , Khetsuriani Nino , Handanagic Senad , Averhoff Francisco , Cloherty Gavin , Chakhunashvili Giorgi , Drobeniuc Jan , Imnadze Paata , Zakhashvili Khatuna , Armstrong Paige A
Published: March 2023

Background

The country of Georgia initiated its hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination program in 2015, at which point a serosurvey showed the adult prevalence of HCV antibody (anti-HCV) and HCV RNA to be 7.7% and 5.4%, respectively. This analysis reports hepatitis C results of a follow-up serosurvey conducted in 2021, and progress towards elimination.

Methods

The serosurvey used a stratified, multistage cluster design with systematic sampling to include adults and children (aged 5–17 years) providing consent (or assent with parental consent). Blood samples were tested for anti-HCV and if positive, HCV RNA. Weighted proportions and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were compared with 2015 age-adjusted estimates.

Results

Overall, 7237 adults and 1473 children were surveyed. Among adults, the prevalence of anti-HCV was 6.8% (95% CI, 5.9–7.7). The HCV RNA prevalence was 1.8% (95% CI, 1.3–2.4), representing a 67% reduction since 2015. HCV RNA prevalence decreased among those reporting risk factors of ever injecting drugs (51.1% to 17.8%), and ever receiving a blood transfusion (13.1% to 3.8%; both P < .001). No children tested positive for anti-HCV or HCV RNA.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate substantial progress made in Georgia since 2015. These findings can inform strategies to meet HCV elimination targets.
Zoobiquity experiments show the importance of the local MMP9-plasminogen axis in inflammatory bowel diseases in both dogs and patients
Authors: Yamasaki Takeshi , Nagata Noriyuki , Atsumi Toru , Hasebe Rie , Tanaka Yuki , Ohki Izuru , Kubota Shimpei , Shinohara Yuta , Bin Teoh Yong , Yokoyama Nozomu , Sasaki Noboru , Nakamura Kensuke , Ohta Hiroshi , Katsurada Takehiko , Matsuno Yoshihiro , Hojyo Shintaro , Hashimoto Shigeru , Takiguchi Mitsuyoshi , Murakami Masaaki
Published: March 2023

Using a zoobiquity concept, we directly connect animal phenotypes to a human disease mechanism: the reduction of local plasminogen levels caused by matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP9) activity is associated with the development of inflammation in the intestines of dogs and patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We first investigated inflammatory colorectal polyps (ICRPs), which are a canine gastrointestinal disease characterized by the presence of idiopathic chronic inflammation, in Miniature Dachshund (MD) and found 31 missense disease-associated SNPs by whole-exome sequencing. We sequenced them in 10 other dog breeds and found five, PLG, TCOF1, TG, COL9A2 and COL4A4, only in MD. We then investigated two rare and breed-specific missense SNPs (T/T SNPs), PLG: c.477G > T and c.478A>T, and found that ICRPs with the T/T SNP risk alleles showed less intact plasminogen and plasmin activity in the lesions compared to ICRPs without the risk alleles but no differences in serum. Moreover, we show that MMP9, which is an NF-κB target, caused the plasminogen reduction and that intestinal epithelial cells expressing plasminogen molecules were co-localized with epithelial cells expressing MMP9 in normal colons with the risk alleles. Importantly, MMP9 expression in patients with ulcerous colitis or Crohn’s disease also co-localized with epithelial cells showing enhanced NF-κB activation and less plasminogen expression. Overall, our zoobiquity experiments showed that MMP9 induces the plasminogen reduction in the intestine, contributing to the development of local inflammation and suggesting the local MMP9-plasminogen axis is a therapeutic target in both dogs and patients. Therefore, zoobiquity-type experiments could bring new perspectives for biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Coliphage cocktails for controlling antimicrobial-resistantEscherichia coli: emphasizing polyphage and multihost interactions at different levels of multiplicity of infection
Authors: Benala Manikantha , Vaiyapuri Murugadas , Raveendran Karthika , George Joshy Chalil , Sivam Visnuvinayagam , Badireddy Madhusudana Rao
Published: March 2023

Aim

This study elucidates the in-vitro bactericidal effectiveness of polyphage cocktail combinations of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 individual coliphages against a cocktail of 20 AMR Escherichia coli.

Methods and results

Different polyphage cocktails viz., 45 two-phage combinations, 28 four-phage combinations, 15 six-phage combinations, 6 eight-phage combinations, and 1 ten-phage combination were formulated using a pool of ten coliphages that were isolated from two different geographical locations (East and West coasts of India). The different polyphage cocktails were tested at four different levels of Multiplicity of Infection (MOI) viz., MOI-1, MOI-10, MOI-100, and MOI-1000. All the 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10-phage cocktails were found to be effective in controlling the growth of a cocktail of 20 AMR bacteria when tested at MOI-1000 and MOI-100 but variations in antibacterial activity were observed at lower MOIs of 10 and 1. The ten coliphage cocktail showed lytic activity against 100% of AMR E. coli from farmed brackish water shrimp, 96% of laboratory collection of AMR E. coli, 92% of AMR E. coli from farmed freshwater fish, and 85% of AMR E. coli from market shrimp.

Conclusion

Polyphage cocktails of 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 coliphages applied at an MOI of 1000 effectively suppressed the growth of antimicrobial-resistant E. coli. The results indicated phage–phage synergy in the lytic activity of several coliphage combinations at higher MOIs of 1000 and 100 while phage–phage antagonism was evidenced at lower MOIs of 10 and 1.
Antibacterial and antibiofilm activities of Chinese propolis essential oil microemulsion againstStreptococcus mutans
Authors: Wang Fei , Yuan Jie , Wang Xinru , Xuan Hongzhuan
Published: March 2023

Aims

To solve the shortcomings of poor solubility, easy volatilization, and decomposition, propolis essential oil microemulsion (PEOME) was prepared. The antibacterial, antibiofilm activities, and action mechanism of PEOME against Streptococcus mutans was analyzed.

Methods

PEOME was prepared using anhydrous ethanol and Tween-80 as the cosurfactant and surfactant, respectively. The antibacterial activity of PEOME against S. mutans was evaluated using the agar disk diffusion method and broth microdilution method. The effects of PEOME on S. mutans biofilm was detected through the assays of crystal violet (CV), XTT reduction, lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) and calcium ions leaking, live/dead staining and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). And the antibiofilm mechanism of PEOME was elaborated by the assays of extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) production and glucosyltransferase (GTF) activity.

Results

The inhibition zone diameter (DIZ) of PEOME against S. mutans was 31 mm, while the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) was 2.5 μL mL−1. CV and XTT assays showed that PEOME could prevent fresh biofilm formation and disrupt preformed biofilm through decreasing the activities and biomass of biofilm. The leaking assays for LDH and calcium ions, as well as the live/dead staining assay, indicated that PEOME was able to damage the integrity of bacterial cell membranes within the biofilm. SEM revealed that PEOME had a noticeable inhibitory effect on bacterial adhesion and aggregation through observing the overall structure of biofilm. The assays of EPS production and GTF activity suggested that PEOME could reduce EPS production by inhibiting the activity of GTFs, thus showing an antibiofilm effect.

Conclusions

The significant antibacterial and antibiofilm activities against S. mutans of PEOME meant that PEOME has great potential to be developed as a drug to prevent and cure dental caries caused by S. mutans.
Short communication: diversity of endogenous avian leukosis virus subgroup E elements in 11 chicken breeds
Authors: Wang Ziyi , Yuan Yiming , Zheng Gang , Sun Meng , Wang Qinyuan , Wu Junfeng , Li Junying , Sun Congjiao , Wang Yongqiang , Yang Ning , Lian Ling
Published: March 2023

Avian leukosis virus subgroup E (ALVE) as a kind of endogenous retroviruses extensively exists in chicken genome. The insertion of ALVE has some effects on chicken production traits and appearance. Most of the work on ALVEs has been done with commercial breeds. We present here an investigation of ALVE elements in seven Chinese domestic breeds and four standard breeds. Firstly, we established an ALVE insertion site dataset by using the obsERVer pipeline to identify ALVEs from whole-genome sequence data of eleven chicken breeds, seven Chinese domestic breeds, including Beijing You (BY), Dongxiang (DX), Luxi Game (LX), Shouguang (SG), Silkie (SK), Tibetan (TB) and Wenchang (WC), four standard breeds, including White Leghorn (WL), White Plymouth Rock (WR), Cornish (CS), and Rhode Island Red (RIR). A total of 37 ALVE insertion sites were identified and 23 of them were novel. Most of these insertion sites were distributed in intergenic regions and introns. We then used locus-specific PCR to validate the insertion sites in an expanded population with 18~60 individuals in each breed. The results showed that all predicted integration sites in 11 breeds were verified by PCR. Some ALVE insertion sites were breeds specific, and 16 out of 23 novel ALVEs were found in only one Chinese domestic chicken breed. We randomly selected three ALVE insertions including ALVE_CAU005, ALVE_ros127, and ALVE_ros276, and obtained their insertion sequences by long-range PCR and Sanger sequencing. The insertion sequences were all 7525 bp, which were full-length ALVE insertion and all of them were highly homologous to ALVE1 with similarity of 99%. Our study identified the distribution of ALVE in 11 chicken breeds, which expands the current research on ALVE in Chinese domestic breeds.
An investigation of the effect of folic acid and its delivery routes on broiler chickens’ hatch and growth performance, blood biochemistry, anti-oxidant status, and intestinal morphology
Authors: Oladokun Samson , Adewole Deborah
Published: March 2023

This study investigated the effect of folic acid (FA) and its delivery routes (in-feed or in ovo) on broiler chicken’s hatch and growth performance, blood biochemistry, anti-oxidant status, and intestinal morphology. A total of 1,860 Cobb 500 hatching eggs were incubated for 21 d. On day 12 of incubation, viable eggs were randomly allotted to four groups: the noninjected group, in ovo saline (injected with 0.1 mL/egg of saline solution), in ovo FA 1 (injected with 0.1 ml FA containing 0.1 mg/egg; FA1), and in ovo FA 2 (injected with 0.1 ml FA containing 0.15 mg/egg). All in ovo treatments were delivered via the amnion. At hatch, chicks were re-allotted to five new treatment groups: FA1, FA2, in-feed FA (FA 3; 5mg/kg in feed), in-feed bacitracin methylene disalicylate (BMD; 55 mg/kg in feed), and negative control (NC; corn-wheat-soybean diet) in 6 replicate pens (22 birds/pen) and raised in starter (days 0 to14), grower (days 15 to 24), and finisher (days 25 to 35) phases. Hatch parameters were assessed on day 0, and body weight and feed intake (FI) were determined weekly. On day 25, 1 bird/cage was euthanized, immune organs weighed, and intestinal tissues harvested. Blood samples were collected for biochemistry and anti-oxidant (Superoxide dismutase-SOD and Malondialdehyde-MDA) analysis. Data were analyzed in a randomized complete block design. While FA1 and FA2 decreased (P < 0.001) hatchability in a dose-dependent manner, FA2 caused a 2% increase (P < 0.05) in average chick weight compared to the noninjected group. Compared to the BMD treatment, FA3 decreased (P < 0.05) average FI across all feeding phases. At the end of the trial on day 35, FA2 had similar feed conversion ratio as the BMD treatment while recording less (P < 0.001) FI. FA1 and FA2 recorded a tendency (P < 0.1) to increase MDA levels and SOD activity by 50% and 19%, respectively, compared to the NC treatment. Compared to NC treatment, FA2 increased (P < 0.01) villus height, width, and villus height to crypt depth ratio in the duodenum, and villus width in the jejunum. Besides its negative effect on hatchability, FA2 may help improve embryonic development and anti-oxidant status in broiler chickens.
Convergent changes in melanocortin receptor 1 gene are associated with black-headed coat color in sheep
Authors: Zhou Qian , Cao Chunna , Zhang Huanhuan , Liang Yilin , Zhang Xinyue , Kang Yuxin , Fang Wenwen , Lan Xianyong , Li Ran , Pan Chuanying
Published: March 2023

As one of the most obvious phenotypic traits, the coat color of sheep is an ideal model to study the genetic mechanisms underlying coat color varieties of mammals. One distinguishable coat color is the black-headed type, such as the famous black-headed Dorper sheep from Africa and Bayinbuluke sheep from Asia. In this study, we compared the genome sequences of black-headed and all-white sheep to identify causative genes for the black-headed sheep, including black-headed Dorper vs. white-headed Dorper, as well as Bayinbuluke (black-headed) vs. Small-tailed Han (all-white). The most differentiating region between black-headed sheep and all-white sheep was found to harbor a haplotype covering melanocortin receptor 1 (MC1R) gene. The share of this haplotype by the black-headed sheep from Africa and Asia suggested that the convergent change in the MC1R region is likely to determine this unique coat color. Two missense mutations (g. 14251947T > A and g. 14252090G > A) within this haplotype of MC1R gene were found. We further analyzed whole genome sequence data of 460 worldwide sheep with diverse coat colors and confirmed the association between the MC1R haplotype with pigmentation variations. Our study provides novel insights into coat color genetics in sheep and expands our knowledge of the link between MC1R gene and varying pigmentation patterns in sheep.
Analysis of Metaldehyde in Animal Whole Blood and Serum by Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Masti Riccardo , Barolo Elena , Bertolini Francesca Maria , De Arcangeli Stefano , Furlanello Tommaso , Sanchez Del Pulgar Jose
Published: March 2023

Metaldehyde, a widely used molluscicide, is the third cause of intoxication by pesticides in domestic animals in Europe. Most mammalian species are susceptible, and its exposure may lead to death within a few hours. While metaldehyde intoxication diagnosis is in most cases presumptive, based on the symptomatology or from “postmortem” analysis, few analytical methods are currently available for live animals. The aim of this work was to describe a fast analytical method for the specific and quantitative determination of metaldehyde in animal whole blood and serum at concentrations of toxicological significance. A liquid–liquid extraction with chloroform and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry quantification are proposed. The method limit of quantification (LOQ) was 0.04 µg/mL in serum and whole blood. The method was linear in the range from 0.04 to 200 µg/mL. The recovery was between 93% and 102% for LOQ, low, medium and high spike concentrations. Intra- and inter-assay relative standard deviation was <12% in all spike concentrations in both serum and whole blood, apart from one of the experiments at LOQ in whole blood, which accounted for 17.7%. The method was applied to real intoxication cases, and the concentration found in positive samples was between 29 and 69 µg/mL. The proposed method provides high sensitivity, accuracy and precision and can be used to assist in the diagnosis of metaldehyde poisoning.
Indicators of Self-Determination in Therapeutic Songwriting Lyrics Created by Adults with High LDL Cholesterol
Authors: Wojdak Christopher , Silvey Philip , Coykendall Cameron , Lin Yifei S , Bansal Amit , Shannon Kate , Wagner Heather , McIntosh Scott , Block Robert C
Published: March 2023

Individuals with low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥190 mg/dL are at high risk for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease events. Our goal was to determine if adults with this condition would express important psychological, health, and motivation themes when generating lyrics during music therapy. Thirty-one participants each created their own original song with the help of a music therapist. The lyrics were analyzed using a deductive approach guided by Self-Determination Theory (specifically the satisfaction or frustration of basic psychological needs): (1) for each entire song (macro-analysis) and (2) line-by-line (micro-analysis). Song lyrics generated during music therapy sessions by patients with a low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ≥190 mg/dL revealed the presence of the three basic needs (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) of Self-Determination Theory. The most prevalent theme identified in the macro-analysis of songs was autonomy satisfaction, coded in 25 songs (27.17% of all macro codes), and followed by competence satisfaction in 17 songs (18.48%) and relatedness satisfaction in 15 songs (16.3%). Line-by-line micro-analysis of lyrics revealed that at least one basic need of Self-Determination Theory was present in 277 of the unique lyric lines (50%); 107 (19%) for relatedness, 101 (18%) for autonomy, and 69 (13%) for competence. Need satisfaction occurred more frequently than need frustration in both analyses. However, depending on the level of analysis (macro or micro), results differed as to which themes were most prevalent. These results indicate that therapeutic songwriting may be a unique way to identify the basic psychological needs that, when satisfied, indicate self-determination.
An Interpretive Investigation of Music Therapists’ Experiences in Rural Communities of the United States
Authors: Korioth Elsa R , Silverman Michael J
Published: March 2023

People in rural communities often encounter unique circumstances when accessing healthcare services and there is a lack of literature investigating music therapy in rural areas. Since nearly 20% of the United States population lives in rural areas, it is imperative to understand not only barriers in providing and accessing music therapy but potential solutions to these challenges. Therefore, the purpose of this exploratory interpretivist study was to identify barriers and potential solutions to improve music therapy access in rural communities within the United States. We conducted semi-structured interviews with five board-certified music therapists with experience working in rural communities. We used an inductive approach to thematic analysis to analyze data and incorporated member checking and trustworthiness to clarify and verify results. We identified five themes (supported by 13 subthemes): (1) General differences between rural and urban communities; (2) Factors potentially increasing therapist burnout; (3) Factors inhibiting service user access to music therapy; (4) Potential solutions to increase access; and (5) Methods to reduce therapist burnout. The emerging themes and subthemes describe insights into the experiences of music therapists working in rural communities and identify unique challenges as well as potential methods to mitigate barriers. Implications for clinical practice, limitations, and suggestions for future research are provided.
Racial and ethnic disparities in treatment-related heart disease mortality among US breast cancer survivors
Authors: Vo Jacqueline B , Ramin Cody , Lawrence Wayne R , Barac Ana , Ho Katherine L , Rhee Jongeun , Veiga Lene H S , Berrington de González Amy
Published: March 2023

Background

Racial and ethnic disparities in heart disease mortality by initial treatment type among breast cancer survivors have not been well described.

Methods

We included 739 557 women diagnosed with first primary invasive breast cancer between 2000 and 2017 (aged 18-84 years, received surgery, survived ≥1 year, followed through 2018) in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–18 database. Standardized mortality ratios (SMRs; observed over expected) were calculated by race and ethnicity (non-Hispanic/Latina Asian American, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders [AANHPI]; non-Hispanic/Latina Black [Black]; Hispanic/Latina [Latina]; and non-Hispanic/Latina White [White]) and initial treatment (surgery only; chemotherapy with surgery; chemotherapy, radiotherapy, with surgery; and radiotherapy with surgery) compared with the racial- and ethnic-matched general population, and by clinical characteristics. Cumulative heart disease mortality was estimated accounting for competing risks.

Results

SMRs were elevated for Black and Latina women treated with surgery only and chemotherapy with surgery (SMR range = 1.15-1.21) and AANHPI women treated with chemotherapy, radiotherapy, with surgery (SMR = 1.29; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.11 to 1.48), whereas SMRs were less than 1 for White women (SMR range = 0.70-0.96). SMRs were especially high for women with advanced (regional or distant) stage among Black women for all treatment (range = 1.15-2.89) and for AANHPI and Latina women treated with chemotherapy with surgery (range = 1.28-3.61). Non-White women diagnosed at younger than age 60 years had higher SMRs, as did Black and AANHPI women diagnosed with estrogen receptor–positive breast cancers. Black women had the highest 10-year cumulative risk of heart disease mortality: aged younger than 60 years (Black: 1.78%, 95% CI = 1.63% to 1.94%) compared with White, AANHPI, and Latina women (<1%) and aged 60 years and older (Black: 7.92%, 95% CI = 7.53% to 8.33%) compared with White, AANHPI, and Latina women (range = 3.90%-6.48%).

Conclusions

Our findings illuminated striking racial and ethnic disparities in heart disease mortality among Black, AANHPI, and Latina breast cancer survivors, especially after initial chemotherapy receipt.
Kobresia pygmaea meadows as disclimax communities in the same geographic and climatic environments in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China
Authors: Lin Li , Cao Guangmin , Xu Xingliang , Zhang Fawei , Huang Junjie , Fan Bo , Li Bencuo , Li Yikang
Published: March 2023

Kobresia meadows are the main pastures for animal husbandry on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, and may represent alternative steady states associated with different grazing intensities. The ability of other plant communities to succeed these meadows remains unclear. In this study, the historical data of plant communities were analyzed in terms of the soil profile, and the present characteristics were identified by investigating their plant communities. Four types of steady states were identified, corresponding to grazing intensities of >11, 8–11, 5.5–8 and <5.5 sheep/ha. Drought alpine swamp meadows and shrub meadows could succeed to K. pygmaea meadows and K. humilis meadows under overgrazing, and their total biomass and edible biomass (estimated by Gramineae and Cyperaceae) decreased with increasing grazing intensity. The regime shift of the states occurred at a grazing intensity of 8–11 sheep/ha. This value thus represented the threshold of significant change in the production and ecological service function in the Kobresia meadow succession process. In general, increasing grazing intensities can adversely affect the service ability of meadows for livestock production and ecosystem stabilization. Our results revealed the potential degraded succession process of the alpine Kobresia meadow and the succession direction in the restoration process of degraded meadows. Additionally, this study provided a theoretical basis for evaluating the fitness between the livestock bearing capacity and carrying capacity in steady states and academic reference for policy setting pertaining to the utilization of Kobresia meadows in a sustainable development framework.
A rare case of intestinal internal hernia beneath the external iliac artery following radical cystectomy
Authors: Allan Lachlan , Perera Dinushi , Curran Richard
Published: March 2023

Gastrointestinal complications following radical cystectomy (RC) are a common occurrence, with small bowel obstruction (SBO) a known complication. Limited cases have been reported of SBO following RC due to internal herniation of the small intestine around the ureter, ileal conduit, obturator nerve and, as a consequence of retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy, even the abdominal vasculature. We present a rare case in which intestinal herniation beneath the external iliac artery (EIA) resulted in a closed-loop SBO with ischaemia and necrosis. Intra-operative transection of the unrecognised EIA occurred, necessitating primary arterial repair. This case highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for complex pathology and anatomical variations in patients following RC and other operations involving retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy.
Combined latissimus dorsi and scapular flaps for reconstruction of a large defect after a shoulder sarcoma resection
Authors: Sakamoto Akio , Noguchi Takashi , Matsuda Shuichi
Published: March 2023

Reconstruction with a pedicled latissimus dorsi flap is used for a large defect after resection of soft tissue sarcoma of the shoulder. Primary donor site closure is sometimes difficult and a skin graft is necessary, possibly delaying postoperative chemotherapy. Combined latissimus dorsi and scapular flaps are used for free flaps in head and neck reconstruction. Myxofibrosarcoma resection in the shoulder of a 76-year-old man resulted in a 16 cm diameter skin resection. The defect was reconstructed with a scapular flap (width = 5 cm) for the distal defect and a pedicled latissimus dorsi muscle flap (flap size, 10 × 7 cm) for the proximal defect. Primary closure of the donor site in the latissimus dorsi flap was easy. By adding a scapular flap to the latissimus dorsi flap, the latissimus dorsi flap area can be reduced, making it easy for primary suture and contributing to less invasive surgery.
Ocular, scrotal and abdominal trauma in a secondary blast injury
Authors: Machaku Dennis , Chambo Mkunde , Nkoronko Mugisha , Shadrack Mathayo , Sadiq Adnan , Msuya David
Published: March 2023

Blast injuries are subjected to high morbidity and mortality in the general population. They cognate to single or multiple organ-related injuries that may be life-threatening. The unique injury patterns of blast injuries make treatment therapy complex. An adult male patient presented to our setting with multiple severe deep burn wounds resulting from a dynamite explosion. His computed tomography (CT) scan revealed numerous sharp shards around his body and a ruptured hemiscrotum with exposed testicles. Surgery was immediately done and with a good post-operative outcome. The severity of these injuries escalates in relation to the proximity of the explosions. A CT scan is an imperative diagnostic imaging modality. Treatment involves resuscitation, optimization, excision of non-viable tissues and damage control surgery. Delays in management may have detrimental consequences. Therefore, for physicians to manage the diverse injury manifestations that these patients may present with, they must grasp the pathophysiological patterns of blast injuries.
Rare direct embolism of urothelial carcinoma causing acute mesenteric ischaemia during remission
Authors: Balaravi Pillai Balakavitha , Othman Bushra , Ip Eugenia
Published: March 2023

Metastatic abdominal carcinomas have been reported in the literature to cause bowel ischaemia. However, these are often associated with diffuse disease or direct invasion of adjacent bowel secondary to high-grade malignancies. There are no reported cases of extensive small bowel wall nor arterial occlusion as a result of metastasis from treated early-stage urothelial carcinoma. We present an octogenarian male patient who was diagnosed with small bowel ischaemia secondary to extensive metastatic urothelial carcinomatous to the small bowel. Thorough consideration of the patient’s clinical presentation and high index of suspicion was required to differentiate this from other causes of ischaemic bowel. The pathophysiology of the disease differentiated the end treatment most suitable for the patient.
Candy cane syndrome presenting with refractory heartburn 15 years after Roux-en-Y bypass
Authors: Prakash Shahana , Saavedra Ramses , Lehmann Ryan , Mokadem Mohamad
Published: March 2023

Candy cane syndrome (CCS) is a rare complication of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), in which the afferent jejunal limb is excessively long. Common symptoms include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. A 57-year-old female with a history of RYGB 15 years prior to presentation reported 7 months of persistent heartburn refractory to proton pump inhibitors. Upper endoscopy revealed a 9 cm blind, afferent jejunal limb. After the blind limb was resected laparoscopically, her symptoms resolved. Fifteen years is the longest duration reported from time of RYGB to symptom onset of CCS. Furthermore, heartburn is less frequently seen as a presenting complaint of CCS. Clinicians should thus maintain a high index of suspicion for CCS in patients with refractory heartburn and a history of RYGB, regardless of how long ago the RYGB was performed.
Role of thiols and ascladiol production in patulin degradation by lactobacilli
Authors: Gaur Gautam , Gänzle Michael G
Published: March 2023

Patulin is a mycotoxin contaminant in various foods with apple products being its major dietary source. Yeast can reduce patulin levels during fermentation via biotransformation and thiol-adduct formation, with the ability of patulin to react with thiols being well known. Conversion of patulin to ascladiol by lactobacilli has been sparsely reported, while the contribution of thiols in reduction of patulin levels by lactobacilli remains undocumented. In this study, 11 strains of lactobacilli were screened for ascladiol formation in apple juice fermentation. Highest bioconversion was obtained for Lactiplantibacillus plantarum strains followed by Levilactobacillus brevis TMW1.465. Ascladiol production was also detected in several other lactobacilli species albeit in trace amounts. Reduction in patulin levels by Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis DMS 20451 and its glutathione reductase (ΔgshR) negative mutant was also assayed to determine the contribution of thiols. The hydrocinnamic acid reductase of Furfurilactobacillus milii did not contribute to reduction of patulin levels. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the potential of various lactobacilli in reduction of patulin levels via biotransformation of patulin to ascladiol, while also providing evidence for the role of thiol formation by lactobacilli and its presence in reducing patulin levels during fermentation.
Old Forgotten Flowers: George Macdonald as Mystic
Authors: Klotz Jerome
Published: March 2023

This article offers a reading of George MacDonald as a ‘mystic’. According to MacDonald himself, a ‘mystic’ is one who ‘sees one thing everywhere and all things the same’. I seek to show how MacDonald’s understanding of the mutual interplay of unity and difference not only establishes MacDonald’s mystical credentials, but provides weighty material for the creative development of metaphysical and theological concepts today.
To Hell and Back: The 1968 Asian Cup Finals as a Test Case for Iran–Israel Relations
Authors: Hareuveny Or , Blanga Yehuda U
Published: March 2023

In May 1968, Iran and Israel’s national football teams met in the final match of that year’s Asian Cup. While for the Israelis it was a confrontation in the sports arena, the Iranians saw the game differently: “The general public treats the event as a [national] confrontation, and in its mind are blended elements of a test of force between a Muslim country and Israel,” reported the Israeli delegation in Tehran to Jerusalem.1 The purpose of the present study is to examine how processes within the inner Iranian arena (the covert level—the competition on the pitch) were expressed in the final game of the Asian Cup (1968) between the teams of Iran and Israel, and how the confrontation on the turf (the overt level—the social arena) affected relations between the two countries and the local population’s attitude toward the Jewish minority in Iran.
Jewish Ethics of Shaming in the Age of Corona
Authors: Rashi Tsuriel
Published: March 2023

By early 2020, COVID-19 was spreading around the world. In many countries, efforts to stop the proliferation included quarantining sufferers and those around them, and in some cases even locking down entire civilian populations. A pandemic calls for personal responsibility with regard to obeying authorities’ instructions concerning social distancing, the wearing of masks, and self-isolation after exposure to a corona patient. The idea of shaming people who are violating the regulations is spreading, but there have been only a few attempts to find the proper balance between respecting human dignity and concern for public health. This article surveys the Jewish ethical principles that seek to balance concern for public health with the shame of the individual and suggests that sometimes there will be both ethical and religious justifications for shaming, at other times, it will be forbidden, and on occasion, it will be permissible within certain limits.
Chastening Germany: Graetz’s Lusty Jew And Asexual Jewess As Semitic Saviors
Authors: Zirkle Alexandra
Published: March 2023

Heinrich Graetz (1817–1891), the famous historian and biblical exegete, penned his commentary to the Song of Songs in 1871 to counter rising antisemitism fueled by racialized fantasies of Jewish gender and sexuality. Graetz contested antisemitic tropes of Jewish masculinity and femininity by reconfiguring the Song of Songs, this most blatantly erotic book of scripture, as a testament to and celebration of Jewish chastity. Against the lascivious femme fatal, Graetz introduced the tender Sulamit, whose paradigmatic chastity renders romantic ardor into asexual, sisterly affection. In contrast to the effeminate Jew, Graetz introduced the Friend, a brawny adventurer whose masculine attempt at chastity only reveals his sexual potency. Graetz leverages the co-constitutive relationships among gender, class, and race to bestow on these figures not only the bourgeois virtues connoted by their chastity, but also associations of whiteness and middle-class belonging. Graetz’s exegetical construction of new models of Jewish femininity and masculinity was no mere theoretical exercise, but a response to matters of life and death as the rise of sexually transmitted diseases coalesced into a public health crisis. With the specter of syphilis in the background, Graetz’s commentary to the Song of Songs proffered German Jews—and German Christians—a Semitic path to redemption from the immorality crippling fin-de-siècle Germany.
The relationship between the preference of mating type (MAT) and source in the opportunistic pathogen Talaromyces marneffei
Authors: Qu Qinglin , Lu Sha , Li Zi , Zhang Jing , Wang Xiaoyue , Zheng Heping , Ferrandon Dominique , Xi Liyan
Published: March 2023

Genome-wide comparisons have shown Talaromyces marneffei possessed a stable mating type locus in its meiosis genes. But the function of the mating type locus in T. marneffei is not clear. The potential sex recombination might lead to problems in clinical, such as the evolution of increased resistance to antifungal drugs and virulence. To determine the mating type in a sample of 107 T. marneffei isolates and to explore the possible relationship between fungus virulence and mating type or source. We used PCR analysis to determine the distribution of mating type genes and also analyzed the relationship between mating type and isolated sources (including HIV-positive patients, HIV-negative patients, bamboo rats, and the environment). Further, the Drosophila melanogaster model of infection was used to compare the differences of virulence in mating type and sources. Our results showed the entire sample population of T. marneffei with an overabundance of MAT1-2 alleles, but with a higher ratio of MAT1-1 in the isolates from HIV-negative patients. However, no significant differences in the survival of the D. melanogaster infected neither with MAT1-1 (6.5 days) nor MAT1-2 (4 days) isolates. Similar results were also observed in virulence analysis tested with different sources of isolates. So, we found that all isolates bore single mating type idiomorphs and unequal distribution. The distribution of the MAT genes seems related to different sources. And the virulence differences are independent of mating type genotype and source.
Whole-genome sequencing ofCandida haemuloniispecies complex from Brazil and the United States: Genetic diversity and antifungal susceptibility
Authors: de Barros Rodrigues Dality Keffelen , Lockhart Shawn R , Berkow Elizabeth L , Gade Lalitha , Bonfietti Lucas Xavier , Mazo Fávero Gimenes Viviane , Silva Ruiz Luciana , Bronze Macioni Milena , de Souza Carvalho Melhem Marcia
Published: March 2023

Candida haemulonii complex species can be multidrug-resistant and cause infections such as candidemia. This study determined the genetic relationship between isolates from Brazil and the United States through whole-genome sequencing and performed antifungal susceptibility testing to investigate drug resistance. Contrary to what is widely described, most isolates were susceptible to azoles. However, an atypical susceptibility profile was found in 50% of Candida pseudohaemulonii strains, including resistance to the three echinocandins. Isolates from both countries formed distinct clusters with wide genetic diversity. Isolates from three hospitals in Brazil were clonal and involved in candidemia cases, pointing to the importance of improving hospital infection control measures and molecular identification.