bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intraindividual Reliability of Opportunistic Computed Tomography–Assessed Adiposity and Skeletal Muscle Among Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Aduse-Poku Livingstone , Gopireddy Dheeraj R , Hernandez Mauricio , Lall Chandana , Divaker Joel , Falzarano Sara M , Masood Shahla , Datta Susmita , Zhang Weizhou , Jo Ara , Bian Jiang , Cheng Ting-Yuan David
Published: October 2022

Background

Adiposity and skeletal muscle levels assessed on computed tomography (CT) scans are prognostic indicators for patients with breast cancer. However, the intraindividual reliability of temporal changes in body composition assessed on opportunistic CT scans is unclear.

Methods

This retrospective study included 50 patients newly diagnosed with breast cancer who had archived CT scans pre- and postsurgery for breast cancer. The third lumbar CT image was segmented for areas of 3 types of adipose tissues and 5 different densities of skeletal muscles. Mean and percent changes in areas pre- vs postsurgery were compared using Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) with 95% confidence intervals were assessed. A 2-sided P less than .05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Mean (SD) age at diagnosis was 58.3 (12.5) years, and the interval between CT scans was 590.6 (536.8) days. Areas for body composition components were unchanged except for intermuscular adipose tissue (mean change = 1.45 cm2, 6.74% increase, P = .008) and very high-density muscle (mean change = −0.37 cm2, 11.08% decrease, P = .01) during the interval. There was strong intraindividual reliability in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle areas on pre- vs postsurgery scans overall (ICC = 0.763-0.998) and for scans collected 3 or less years apart (ICC = 0.802-0.999; 42 patients).

Conclusions

Although some body composition components may change after breast cancer surgery, CT scan assessments of body composition were reliable for a 3-year interval including the surgery. These findings inform measurement characteristics of body composition on opportunistic CT scans of patients undergoing surgery for breast cancer.
Surveillance for Acute Respiratory Illnesses in Pediatric Chronic Care Facilities
Authors: Saiman Lisa , Prill Mila M , Wilmont Sibyl , Neu Natalie , Alba Luis , Hill-Ricciuti Alexandra , Larson Elaine , Whitaker Brett , Lu Xiaoyan , Garg Shikha , Gerber Susan I , Kim Lindsay
Published: October 2022

Overall, 119 (33%) of 364 pediatric chronic care facility residents experienced 182 acute respiratory illnesses (ARIs) that met the surveillance definition which led to 31 (17%) emergency room visits, 34 (19%) acute care hospitalizations, and/or 25 (14%) ICU admissions. Continued PCR-positivity was observed in 35% of ARIs during follow-up testing.
2021 Harrell-Bond Lecture, Refugee Studies Centre, Oxford: Empire’s Refugees
Authors: Achiume E Tendayi
Published: October 2022

International law offers us a story that naturalizes the selective evacuation of US, UK and other nationals from Afghanistan in 2021, and perhaps even renders benevolent their discretionary selection of Afghans who assisted with the occupation. In general, advocacy on behalf of refugees and migrants takes the form of expanding legal exceptions to the enforcement of borders, or pushing for the enforcement of existing exceptions found in international refugee law. In this lecture I propose greater attention to the operation of empire in relation to borders, and the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers in the case of Afghanistan and others like it. I argue that an empire-centric lens forces attention on structural, geopolitical domination and subordination typically obscured by individualized persecution-based determinations of asylum. It also positions refugees and migrants as political agents with powerful demands of sovereign accountability rather than as vulnerable, if sympathetic, claimants. I also posit that empire-centric accounts may have greater potential for mobilizing different politics within imperial nation-states, politics that would put pressure on these states either to curb imperial intervention and domination, or at the very least take greater responsibility for the worlds they destroy and create.
Postoperative submuscular emphysema due to air leakage from the residual screw holes after plate removal in a patient who had undergone surgical stabilization of flail chest
Authors: Seok Junepill
Published: October 2022

Many studies have reported indications and complications of surgical stabilization of rib fractures. However, data about the postoperative complications after the removal of the plates are still lacking. The author reports a rare complication after plate removal, postoperative submuscular emphysema, due to air leakage from the residual screw hole. A 68-year-old male with a flail chest was successfully treated by surgical rib fixation. A few months later, the patient wanted his implants removed due to chest irritation. The removal operation was completed, and postoperative courses were not unusual. However, a large amount of submuscular emphysema was found in the follow-up period. The patient was successfully managed by applying a submuscular thoracic drainage catheter. Although postoperative subcutaneous emphysema due to residual screw holes after plate removal is rare, we need to pay more attention when selecting the proper length of screws during surgical rib fixation.
Diffuse γ-ray emission around the massive star forming region of Carina Nebula Complex
Authors: Ge Ting-Ting , Sun Xiao-Na , Yang Rui-Zhi , Liang Yun-Feng , Liang En-Wei
Published: October 2022

We report the Fermi Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) detection of the γ-ray emission toward the massive star forming region of Carina Nebula Complex (CNC). Using the latest source catalogue and diffuse background models, we found that the GeV γ-ray emission in this region can be resolved into three different components. The GeV γ-ray emission from the central point source is considered to originate from the η Carina (η Car). We further found the diffuse GeV γ-ray emission around the CNC which can be modelled by two Gaussian discs with radii of 0.4○ (region A) and 0.75○ (region B), respectively. The GeV γ-ray emission from both the regions A and B have good spatial consistency with the derived molecular gas in projection on the sky. The GeV γ-ray emission of region A reveals a characteristic spectral shape of the pion-decay process, which indicates that the γ-rays are produced by the interactions of hadronic cosmic rays with ambient gas. The γ-rays spectrum of region B has a hard photon index of 2.12 ± 0.02, which is similar to other young massive star clusters. We argue that the diffuse GeV γ-ray emission in region A and region B likely originate from the interaction of accelerated protons in clusters with the ambient gas.
NuSTAR observation of X-ray pulsar 1E 1145.1−6141
Authors: Ghising Manoj , Tobrej Mohammed , Rai Binay , Tamang Ruchi , Paul Bikash Chandra
Published: October 2022

In this work, we report on hard X-ray observations of the X-ray pulsar 1E 1145.1−6141 performed with the Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array mission (NuSTAR). Coherent pulsation of the source with a period of $\sim \! 296.653\, \pm \, 0.021\, \mathrm{ s}$ is detected. The source may be in the equilibrium phase, according to the most recent measurements of its pulse period. The pulse profile reveals a mild energy dependence and generally hints at a pencil-beam pattern. The pulse profile has evolved with time. The pulse fraction is found to depend on energy, with a fall in value at $\sim \! 32\, \mathrm{ keV}$. The NuSTAR spectra can be approximated by a composite model with two continuum components, blackbody emission, a cut-off power law, and a discrete component in the form of a Gaussian to account for the emission line of iron. The estimated absorbed flux of the source is $\sim \! 6\times 10^{-10}\, \mathrm{ erg}\, \mathrm{ cm}^{-2}\, \mathrm{ s}^{-1}$, which corresponds to a luminosity of $\sim \! 5\times 10^{36}\, \mathrm{ erg}\, \mathrm{ s}^{-1}$. Pulse phase-resolved spectroscopy was performed to understand the evolution of the spectral parameters with pulse phase. The estimated blackbody radius is found to be consistent with the size of the theoretical prediction.
The impact of environment on the lives of disc galaxies as revealed by SDSS-IV MaNGA
Authors: Zhou Shuang , Merrifield Michael , Aragón-Salamanca Alfonso , Brownstein Joel R , Drory Niv , Yan Renbin , Lane Richard R
Published: October 2022

Environment has long been known to have significant impact on the evolution of galaxies, but here we seek to quantify the subtler differences that might be found in disc galaxies, depending on whether they are isolated, the most massive galaxy in a group (centrals), or a lesser member (satellites). The MaNGA survey allows us to define a large mass-matched sample of 574 galaxies with high-quality integrated spectra in each category. Initial examination of their spectral indices indicates significant differences, particularly in low-mass galaxies. Semi-analytic spectral fitting of a full chemical evolution model to these spectra confirms these differences, with low-mass satellites having a shorter period of star formation and chemical enrichment typical of a closed box, while central galaxies have more extended histories, with evidence of ongoing gas accretion over their lifetimes. The derived parameters for gas infall time-scale and wind strength suggest that low-mass satellite galaxies have their hot haloes of gas effectively removed, while central galaxies retain a larger fraction of gas than isolated galaxies due to the deeper group potential well in which they sit. S0 galaxies form a distinct subset within the sample, particularly at higher masses, but do not bias the inferred lower mass environmental impact significantly. The consistent picture that emerges underlines the wealth of archaeological information that can be extracted from high-quality spectral data using techniques like semi-analytic spectral fitting.
Data-driven enzyme engineering to identify function-enhancing enzymes
Authors: Jiang Yaoyukun , Ran Xinchun , Yang Zhongyue J
Published: October 2022

Identifying function-enhancing enzyme variants is a ‘holy grail’ challenge in protein science because it will allow researchers to expand the biocatalytic toolbox for late-stage functionalization of drug-like molecules, environmental degradation of plastics and other pollutants, and medical treatment of food allergies. Data-driven strategies, including statistical modeling, machine learning, and deep learning, have largely advanced the understanding of the sequence–structure–function relationships for enzymes. They have also enhanced the capability of predicting and designing new enzymes and enzyme variants for catalyzing the transformation of new-to-nature reactions. Here, we reviewed the recent progresses of data-driven models that were applied in identifying efficiency-enhancing mutants for catalytic reactions. We also discussed existing challenges and obstacles faced by the community. Although the review is by no means comprehensive, we hope that the discussion can inform the readers about the state-of-the-art in data-driven enzyme engineering, inspiring more joint experimental-computational efforts to develop and apply data-driven modeling to innovate biocatalysts for synthetic and pharmaceutical applications.
Regulatory Spillovers in Local Mortgage Markets
Authors: Lim Ivan , Nguyen Duc Duy , Nguyen Linh
Published: October 2022

We document novel evidence on the spillover effect of a corporate control regulation on local mortgage markets. We find that banks directly targeted by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) to rectify their internal control weaknesses reduce mortgage originations following the regulation’s enactment. This causes mortgage credit to be reallocated toward other banks in the same local markets: while competing public banks expand lending to safer borrowers, private banks increase lending toward risky applicants. Consequently, loans originated by private banks in spillover counties report higher default rates. (JEL E51, G21, G38)
The Demand for Money, Near-Money, and Treasury Bonds
Authors: Krishnamurthy Arvind , Li Wenhao
Published: October 2022

Bank-created money, shadow-bank money, and Treasury bonds all satisfy investors’ demand for liquidity. We measure the quantity of these forms of liquidity and their corresponding liquidity premium in a sample from 1934 to 2016, estimating the substitutability of these assets and the liquidity per unit delivered by each asset. Treasuries and bank transaction deposits are imperfect substitutes, in contrast to perfect substitutes found by Nagel (2016). Bank and nonbank non-transaction deposits are closer substitutes for Treasuries. Our empirical results inform theories of the monetary transmission mechanism running through shifts in asset supplies and models of the coexistence of the shadow banking and regulated banking system.

Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online.
Role of Omega-6 Fatty Acid Metabolism in Cardiac Surgery Postoperative Bleeding Risk
Authors: Velho Tiago R. , Ferreira Ricardo , Willmann Katharina , Pedroso Dora , Paixão Tiago , Pereira Rafael Maniés , Junqueira Nádia , Guerra Nuno Carvalho , Brito Dulce , Almeida Ana G. , Nobre Ângelo , Köcher Thomas , Pinto Fausto , Moita Luís Ferreira
Published: October 2022

OBJECTIVES:

Cardiac surgery is frequently associated with significant postoperative bleeding. Platelet-dysfunction is the main cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB)-induced hemostatic defect. Not only the number of platelets decreases, but also the remaining are functionally impaired. Although lipid metabolism is crucial for platelet function, little is known regarding platelet metabolic changes associated with CPB-dysfunction. Our aim is to explore possible contribution of metabolic perturbations for platelet dysfunction after cardiac surgery.

DESIGN:

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING:

Tertiary academic cardiothoracic-surgery ICU.

PATIENTS:

Thirty-three patients submitted to elective surgical aortic valve replacement.

INTERVENTIONS:

Samples from patients were collected at three time points (preoperative, 6- and 24-hr postoperative). Untargeted metabolic analysis using high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was performed to compare patients with significant postoperative bleeding with patients without hemorrhage. Principal component analyses, Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank tests, adjusted to FDR, and pairwise comparison were used to identify pathways of interest. Enrichment and pathway metabolomic complemented the analyses.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:

We identified a platelet-related signature based on an overrepresentation of changes in known fatty acid metabolism pathways involved in platelet function. We observed that arachidonic acid (AA) levels and other metabolites from the pathway were reduced at 6 and 24 hours, independently from antiagreggation therapy and platelet count. Concentrations of preoperative AA were inversely correlated with postoperative chest tube blood loss but were not correlated with platelet count in the preoperative, at 6 or at 24 hours. Patients with significant postoperative blood-loss had considerably lower values of AA and higher transfusion rates. Values of postoperative interleukin-6 were strongly correlated with AA variability.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE:

Our observations suggest that an inflammatory-related perturbation of AA metabolism is a signature of cardiac surgery with CPB and that preoperative levels of AA may be more relevant than platelet count to anticipate and prevent postoperative blood loss in patients submitted to cardiac surgery with CPB.
The Self-Sustainability of Federally Qualified Health Centers
Authors: Davlyatov Ganisher , Hiller Sidney , Cendoma Philip , Borkowski Nancy
Published: October 2022

States' decisions to expand Medicaid eligibility would make most low-income uninsured people eligible for Medicaid, while also increasing the financial viability of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) by reducing their grant to total revenue ratios. We extracted a national sample of 729 FQHCs for the period 2009 to 2018. The dependent variable was grant to revenue ratio and the independent variable was the states' Medicaid expansion status. FQHCs operating in Medicaid expansion states had lower grant ratios during the postexpansion period. As past decades' funding volatilities have shown, overreliance on one revenue source may increase financial risk. Medicaid expansion can support FQHCs by improving their long-term financial sustainability.
A Critical Appraisal of the Quality of Vertigo Practice Guidelines Using the AGREE II Tool: A EuroAIM Initiative
Authors: Doniselli Fabio Martino , Zanardo Moreno , Mazon Miguel , Cuccarini Valeria , Rovira Alex , Costa Antonella , Sconfienza Luca Maria , Arana Estanislao
Published: October 2022

Objectives

The aim of this review is to assess the methodological quality of guidelines for the management of vertigo and dizziness and to compare their recommendations, with specific focus on neuroimaging.

Databases Reviewed

MEDLINE, EMBASE, National Guideline Clearinghouse, and National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence database.

Methods

In March 2022, a systematic search was performed to find practice guidelines of management of vertigo and dizziness. The evaluation of guidelines quality was performed independently by four authors using the AGREE II tool. We excluded from the results those guidelines that were not primarily focused on vertigo and dizziness, such as national/international guidelines in which vertigo and dizziness were only briefly mentioned.

Results

Our strategy of literature search identified 161 studies, and 18 guidelines were selected for the appraisal. Only five guidelines reached the acceptance level in the overall result (at least 60%), with three of them reaching the highest scores (at least 80%). The highest scores were found in Domain 6 “Editorial Independence,” Domain 1 “Scope and purpose,” and Domain 4 “Clarity of presentation” (median value = 66%, 62%, and 61%, respectively). The remaining domains showed a low level of quality: Domain 2 “Stakeholder Involvement,” Domain 3 “Rigor of development,” and Domain 5 “Applicability” had median values of 27%, 27%, and 22%, respectively. The quality of these guidelines was very low, because of low involvement of multidisciplinary teams in writing guidelines recommendations.

Conclusion

Considering all guidelines, only three had a “high” overall score, whereas 13 of 18 (72%) of them were rated as of “low” quality. Future guidelines might take this into account to improve clinical applicability.
Atezolizumab plus bevacizumab treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma progressing after molecular targeted therapy: A multicenter prospective observational study
Authors: Sugimoto Rie , Satoh Takeaki , Ueda Akihiro , Senju Takeshi , Tanaka Yuki , Yamashita Shinsaku , Koyanagi Toshimasa , Kurashige Tomoyuki , Higuchi Nobito , Nakamura Tsukasa , Tanaka Masatake , Azuma Yuuki , Ohno Akari , Ooho Aritsune , Ooe Mari , Mutsuki Taiji , Uchimura Koutarou , Kuniyoshi Masami , Tada Seiya , Aratake Yoshifusa , Yoshimoto Tsuyoshi , Yamashita Naoki , Harada Shigeru , Nakamuta Makoto , Motomura Kenta , Kohjima Motoyuki ,   Liver disease Investigators’ Network of Kyushu University & Surrounding Hospitals (LINKS)
Published: October 2022

To evaluate the efficacy of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab treatment in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) previously treated with molecular targeted agents (MTAs).

Thirty-one patients treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab for unresectable HCC and previously treated with MTAs were enrolled in this study.

The treatment lines ranged from second to sixth lines. The treatment effect on HCC differed from that during first-line treatment. The treatment effect was determined using the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) and modified RECIST. The treatment response was different for each MTA immediately prior to atezolizumab + bevacizumab treatment. Tumors treated with lenvatinib followed by atezolizumab + bevacizumab showed rapid growth for a short period of time followed by shrinkage. However, patients who received ramucirumab, sorafenib, and regorafenib did not show such changes. This was likely because of differences in the mechanism of action of the MTA administered immediately beforehand. The side-effect profile differed from that observed in the IMbrave150 phase 3 study of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab, which showed more adverse events related to hepatic reserve.

Patients treated with the combination of atezolizumab and bevacizumab after lenvatinib therapy may experience rapid tumor growth and subsequent shrinkage.
Prognosis and tumor immune microenvironment of patients with gastric cancer by a novel senescence-related signature
Authors: Zhang Guanglin , Dong Kechen , Liu Jianping , Zhou Wei
Published: October 2022

Background:

Cellular senescence is a stable state of cell cycle arrest that plays a crucial role in the tumor microenvironment (TME) and cancer progression. Nevertheless, the accurate prognosis of gastric cancer (GC) is complicated to predict due to tumor heterogeneity. The work aimed to build a novel prognostic model in GC.

Methods:

LASSO and Cox regression analysis were constructed to develop a prognostic senescence-related signature. The Gene Expression Omnibus dataset was used for external validation of signature. Afterward, we performed correlation analysis for the risk score and the infiltrating abundance of immune cells, TME scores, drug response, tumor mutational burden (TMB), and immunotherapy efficacy.

Results:

Five senescence-related genes (AKR1B1, CTNNAL1, DUSP16, PLA2R1, and ZFP36) were screened to build a signature. The high-risk group had a shorter overall survival, cancer-specific survival, and progression-free survival when compared to the low-risk group. We further constructed a nomogram based on risk score and clinical traits, which can predict the prognosis of GC patients more accurately. Moreover, the risk score was evidently correlated with infiltration of immune cells, TME score, TMB, TIDE score, and chemotherapy sensitivity. Meanwhile, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway showed that the PI3K-Akt and Wnt signaling pathway were differentially enriched in the high-risk group.

Conclusions:

The senescence-related signature was an accurate tool to guide the prognosis and might promote the progress of personalized treatment.
The value of NSE to predict ICU mortality in patients with septic shock: A prospective observational study
Authors: Zhang Li-Tao , Xu Xin , Han Hu , Cao Shu-Min , Li Ling-Ling , Lv Jian , Zhang Li-Ru , Li Jian-Guo
Published: October 2022

To investigate the predictive value of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) on intensive care unit (ICU) mortality in patients with septic shock.

Seventy-five patients with septic shock hospitalized in the emergency intensive care unit (EICU) of Hebei General Hospital from March 2020 to September 2021 were included, and the patients’ baseline characteristics and laboratory findings were collected. NSE levels on the first and fourth days after admission were retrieved. NSE% [(NSEday1 – NSEday4)/NSEday1 × 100%] and δNSE (NSEday1 – NSEday4) were calculated. The outcome indicator was ICU mortality. The patients were divided into the survivors group (n = 57) and the nonsurvivors group (n = 18). Multivariate analysis was performed to assess the relationship between NSE and ICU mortality. The predictive value of NSE was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

There were no significant differences in age, gender, systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II score (APACHE II score), source of infection, and comorbidities between the 2 groups (all P > .05). Interleukin-6 (IL-6), NSE (day1), and NSE (day4) were significantly higher in patients in the nonsurvivors group (all P < .05), and there were no statistical differences in other laboratory tests between the 2 groups (all P > .05). APACHE II score, IL-6, lactate (Lac), total bilirubin (TBil), NSE (day1), and NSE (day4) showed a weak positive correlation with ICU mortality in patients with septic shock (all P < .05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that APACHE II score (odds ratio [OR] = 1.166, 95% confidence interval [95% confidence interval [CI]] 1.005–1.352, P = .042), IL-6 (OR = 1.001, 95% CI 1.000–1.001, P = .003) and NSE (day4) (OR = 1.099, 95% CI 1.027–1.176, P = .006) were independently associated with the ICU mortality of sepsis shock patients. The area under the curve (AUCs) of APACHE II score, IL-6, NSE (day1), and NSE (day4) for predicting prognosis were 0.650, 0.694, 0.758 and 0.770, respectively (all P < .05). NSE(day4) displayed good sensitivity and specificity (Sn = 61.11%, Sp = 91.23%) for predicting ICU mortality with a cutoff value of 25.94 ug/L.

High-level NSE (day4) is an independent predictor of ICU mortality in sepsis shock patients, which may become a good alternate option for evaluating sepsis severity. More extensive studies are needed in the future to demonstrate the prognosis value of NSE.
Public Health Readiness for Citizen Science: Health Department Experiences
Authors: Siddiqi Sameer M. , Uscher-Pines Lori , Leinhos Mary , Dekker Debra , Chari Ramya
Published: October 2022

Objective:

The aim of this study was to examine the experiences of US health departments with citizen science.

Design:

In 2019, we conducted a national survey of 272 local health department (LHD) representatives about knowledge and attitudes, readiness, experiences, and barriers related to citizen science (response rate = 45%).

Setting:

LHDs in the United States in 2019.

Participants:

LHD representatives.

Main Outcome Measures:

Knowledge and attitudes, readiness, experiences, and barriers related to citizen science.

Results:

Sixty-two percent of respondents reported LHD experience with citizen science in areas such as health promotion, emergency preparedness, and environmental health. LHDs in large jurisdictions (78%) were more likely to report staff familiarity with citizen science than small (51%) and medium (59%) jurisdictions (P = .01). Although 64% reported readiness for citizen science, only 32% reported readiness for community-led activities. We found that LHDs use citizen science more for community engagement activities, such as public education, than data collection activities. Respondents indicated that staff education and training in citizen science methods, funding, and partners with relevant expertise were priority needs.

Conclusion:

LHDs have leveraged citizen science for community engagement, but barriers to technical uses remain.
Metabolomic Profiling of Cardiac Fibrosis and Steatosis in Women With or at Risk for HIV
Authors: Shitole Sanyog G. , Naveed Mahim , Wang Zheng , Wang Tao , Kato Yoko , Ambale-Venkatesh Bharath , Kaplan Robert C. , Tien Phyllis C. , Anastos Kathryn , Lazar Jason M. , Lima João A. C. , Qi Qibin , Kizer Jorge R.
Published: October 2022

Background:

Heart failure is a prevalent disorder whose prognosis remains poor despite advances in treatment. Women with or at risk for HIV may be particularly susceptible, yet the metabolic pathways that promote myocardial disease and heart failure in this context remain incompletely characterized.

Methods:

To evaluate the metabolomic signatures of cardiac magnetic resonance measured phenotypes, we used available plasma metabolomic measures from participants in the Women's Interagency HIV Study who underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Our primary outcomes were myocardial extracellular volume fraction (MECV) and intramyocardial triglyceride content (IMTG). We applied partial least squares and identified the top 10 lipid and polar metabolites associated with MECV and IMTG. We used multivariable linear regression to evaluate these metabolites' individual associations with each phenotype.

Results:

The mean age of participants (n = 153) was 53 ± 7, 93% were Black or Hispanic, and 74% were HIV positive. Phenylacetylglutamine, a microbial metabolite, was positively associated with MECV after full adjustment and false discovery rate correction. Three phosphatidylcholine species, N-acetylaspartic acid, and a lysophosphatidylcholine species were inversely associated with IMTG, while prolylglycine, methionine sulfoxide, sphingosine, taurine, and phosphorylcholine were positively associated with this phenotype. We found no evidence of interaction by HIV for the observed associations, but there was effect modification by hepatitis C virus of taurine's and phosphorylcholine's associations with IMTG.

Conclusion:

Among women with or at risk for HIV, we related various lipid and polar metabolites to cardiac fibrosis or steatosis, of which phenylacetylglutamine, N-acetylaspartic acid, and prolylglycine are novel. These findings implicate plausible mechanisms that could be targetable for therapeutics.
An Overview of Solid Organ Transplantation in Patients With Sickle Cell Disease
Authors: Sharpe Claire C. , Suddle Abid , Stuart-Smith Sara
Published: October 2022

Sickle cell disease is a common genetic disorder affecting >300 000 people across the world. The vast majority of patients cared for in high-resource settings live well into adulthood, but many develop a high burden of disease complications. Good standard of care including disease-modifying agents and transfusion programs limits the number of patients who develop end-stage organ disease, but for those that do, the prognosis can be very poor. Solid organ transplantation is a well-established mode of treatment for patients with sickle cell disease and kidney or liver failure, but appropriate patient selection and perioperative management are important for achieving good outcomes. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and gene therapy may offer novel treatment options for adult patients with chronic organ damage in the future, but these are not yet widely available. For now, good, holistic care and early intervention of end-organ complications can minimize the number of patients requiring solid organ transplantation later in life.
An update to the database for Acinetobacter baumannii capsular polysaccharide locus typing extends the extensive and diverse repertoire of genes found at and outside the K locus
Authors: Cahill Sarah M. , Hall Ruth M. , Kenyon Johanna J.
Published: October 2022

Several novel non-antibiotic therapeutics for the critical priority bacterial pathogen,

Acinetobacter baumannii

, rely on specificity to the cell-surface capsular polysaccharide (CPS). Hence, prediction of CPS type deduced from genes in whole genome sequence data underpins the development and application of these therapies. In this study, we provide a comprehensive update to the

A. baumannii

K locus reference sequence database for CPS typing (available in Kaptive v. 2.0.1) to include 145 new KL, providing a total of 237 KL reference sequences. The database was also reconfigured for compatibility with the updated Kaptive v. 2.0.0 code that enables prediction of ‘K type’ from special logic parameters defined by detected combinations of KL and additional genes outside the K locus. Validation of the database against 8994 publicly available

A. baumannii

genome assemblies from NCBI databases identified the specific KL in 73.45 % of genomes with perfect, very high or high confidence. Poor sequence quality or the presence of insertion sequences were the main reasons for lower confidence levels. Overall, 17 KL were overrepresented in available genomes, with KL2 the most common followed by the related KL3 and KL22. Substantial variation in gene content of the central portion of the K locus, that usually includes genes specific to the CPS type, included 34 distinct groups of genes for synthesis of various complex sugars and >400 genes for forming linkages between sugars or adding non-sugar substituents. A repertoire of 681 gene types were found across the 237 KL, with 88.4 % found in <5 % of KL.
Chemosensory pathways of Halomonas titanicae KHS3 control chemotaxis behaviour and biofilm formation
Authors: Balmaceda Rocío S. , Ramos Ricciuti Fernando E. , Redersdorff Ingrid E. , Veinticcinque Luciana M. , Studdert Claudia A. , Herrera Seitz M. Karina
Published: October 2022

Halomonas titanicae

KHS3 is a marine bacterium whose genome codes for two different chemosensory pathways. Chemosensory gene cluster 1 is very similar to the canonical Che cluster from

Escherichia coli

. Chemosensory cluster 2 includes a gene coding for a diguanylate cyclase with receiver domains, suggesting that it belongs to the functional group that regulates alternative cellular functions other than chemotaxis. In this work we assess the functional roles of both chemosensory pathways through approaches that include the heterologous expression of

Halomonas

proteins in

E. coli

strains and phenotypic analyses of

Halomonas

mutants. Our results confirm that chemosensory cluster 1 is indeed involved in chemotaxis behaviour, and only proteins from this cluster complement

E. coli

defects. We present evidence suggesting that chemosensory cluster 2 resembles the Wsp pathway from

Pseudomonas

, since the corresponding methylesterase mutant shows an increased methylation level of the cognate receptor and develops a wrinkly colony morphology correlated with an increased ability to form biofilm. Consistently, mutational interruption of this gene cluster correlates with low levels of biofilm. Our results suggest that the proteins from each pathway assemble and function independently. However, the phenotypic characteristics of the mutants show functional connections between the pathways controlled by each chemosensory system.
Combined Developmental Toxicity Of Cyhalofop-butyl And Quizalofop-p-ethyl On The Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Embryos
Authors: Liu Li , Wang Dongmei , Li Ping , Zhao Huan
Published: October 2022

Aryloxyphenoxypropionate herbicides have the characteristics of high efficiency, low toxicity, and safety to subsequent crops, and occupy an important position in the world herbicide market. Cyhalofop-butyl and quizalofop-p-ethyl are two representative herbicides, which are widely used in weed control. However, there is limited information on their combined toxicity to aquatic organisms. In this study, the developmental toxicity of cyhalofop-butyl and quizalofop-p-ethyl exposure in combination on zebrafish embryos was valuated to better understand the interaction between the that. The 96 h-LC50(50% lethal concentration) of cyhalofop-butyl and quizalofop-p-ethyl on zebrafish embryos were 0.637 mg·L−1and 0.248 mg·L−1, respectively. The combined effect of cyhalofop-butyl and quizalofop-p-ethyl was an antagonistic effect, and the 96 h-LC50of zebrafish embryos was 1.043 mg·L−1. Morphologically distinct pericardial edema and yolk cysts were observed after combined exposure, with significant effects on body length and heart rate in zebrafish embryos. At the same time, the mRNA levels of gene related to apoptosis and cardiac development also changed significantly. Therefore, we speculate that changes in genes related to apoptosis and cardiac development should be responsible for the abnormal development during embryonic development following co-exposure of cyhalofop-butyl and quizalofop-p-ethyl.

Highlights

Combined exposure caused deformities in zebrafish.

Combined exposure caused apoptosis in zebrafish.

Combined exposure altered the expression of apoptosis and cardiac-related genes in zebrafish.
Regional versus Extended Lymph Node Dissection for Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: a randomized controlled trial protocol
Authors: Qi Li , Yangyang Feng , Yun Jin , Longfu Xi , Yuanquan Yu , Yinghao Guo , Xiaoxiao Zhang , Di Wu , Jiangtao Li
Published: October 2022

Introduction

The mainstay treatment for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is surgical resection, the impact of lymph node dissection and the scope of lymph node dissection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma surgery is controversial. However, research on the comparative of regional lymphadenectomy and extended lymphadenectomy is still limited. This study will explore the effect of regional lymphadenectomy and extended lymphadenectomy in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma surgery patients to provide reliable evidence for further standardize the scope of lymph node dissection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma surgery.

Methods and analysis

This is a prospective, multicentre, randomised controlled trial in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma surgery patients. A total of 174 patients will be enrolled at the first clinic visit in sites from China. Participants will be allocated randomly to the regional lymphadenectomy group and extended lymphadenectomy group (1:1 ratio). Patients in different groups undergo the corresponding surgery. Primary study outcome is disease-free survival (DFS). Secondary study outcomes include incidence of severe Clavien–Dindo complications (≥II), safety of operation, overall survival (OS), three-year survival rate, five-year survival rate and median mortality. Participants will be followed up at baseline, post-operation, every 3 months for the first 2 years and 6 months for the next 3 years to evaluate the impact of different surgery types. The analysis will be done according to protocol cohorts, adjusted by variables associated with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Ethics and dissemination

This study was approved by the ethical review committee of the second affiliated hospital Zhejiang University school of medicine (2019-261) and will provide reference for standardize the scope of lymph node dissection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma surgery.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov,NCT04078230. Registered on September 6, 2019. The study is expected to last for more than five years, and the first patient was enrolled on August 22, 2020, and a total of 17 patients have been enrolled so far.
Multiple paths to enhancing the resilience of project-based organizations from the perspective of CSR configuration: evidence from the Chinese construction industry
Authors: Ma Teng , Liu Ya
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) fulfillment is critical when building resilience of project-based organizations (PBOs). However, fulfilling CSR to build a highly resilient PBO remains a black box problem. This study explores the different CSR combinations that enhance PBO resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

This study defines CSR in terms of shareholder, employee, and social CSR, and analyzes corporate characteristics in terms of corporate scale and nature. Data are collected from Hexun.com and the China Stock Market and Accounting Research Database (CSMAR). The qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) method is used to analyze 48 listed construction and engineering companies from China to explore the CSR configurations for PBOs in enhancing organizational resilience.

Findings

A large firm size is a necessary condition for high organizational resilience. We find six paths to build high and non-high resilience in PBOs, and the driving mechanisms of high and non-high resilience exhibit an asymmetric relationship.

Research limitations/implications

This study cracks the black box of CSR fulfillment and PBO resilience. It reveals the CSR configurations that enhance or inhibit the resilience of PBOs. It also provides scientific basis for PBOs in their fulfillment of CSR in response to crises, and the enhancement of organizational resilience. Future research can be expanded to other industries, as the study sample is only limited to civil engineering construction companies. Since this study uses cross-sectional data, time series can be introduced in the future to further explore the relationship between CSR and organizational resilience.

Practical implications

This study provides targeted suggestions that can help decision-makers of construction companies to determine how they can fulfill CSR to enhance organizational resilience. At the same time, it can provide intellectual support for PBOs to cope with systemic crises and promote the fulfillment of CSR.

Originality/value

In terms of theoretical value, on the one hand, this study verifies the relationship between CSR fulfillment and PBO resilience, revealing its mechanism of action and multiple paths; on the other hand, it provides a new way of thinking for management research methods and enriches the theoretical study of organizational resilience.
The effects of authentic and hubristic pride on indulgence
Authors: Jiao Jinfeng (Jenny) , Cole Catherine , Gaeth Gary
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Pride is an emotional response to success or achievement with two facets, AP and HP. This study aims to address an unanswered question: how does each type of pride affect indulgence when consumers engage in relatively thoughtful processing (System II) versus when they engage in rapid and more superficial processing (System I).

Design/methodology/approach

Using four experiments, this research investigates the effects of pride and cognitive resources on indulgence. This study also tests the mediating roles of deservedness and self-esteem using an ANOVA, a bootstrap analysis and a binary logistic-regression analysis.

Findings

The results show that cognitive resources moderate the effects of AP and HP on indulgence. When consumers have ample cognitive resources, AP leads to more indulgence than HP. When consumers have restricted cognitive resources and engage a quick, affective-based processing system, HP leads to greater indulgence than AP.

Research limitations/implications

This research enhances understanding of the impact of two kinds of pride on indulgence and advances the authors’ understanding in the broader area linking emotion and consumer decision-making.

Practical implications

Marketers and public policymakers need to understand the differences between AP and HP because they have potentially different impacts on consumer behavior. Depending on whether companies are trying to motivate consumers to indulge or to restrain from indulging, companies can successfully incorporate AP or HP into their marketing communications.

Originality/value

The key contribution of this research is that the authors show that both AP and HP can lead to indulgence, depending on the amount of cognitive attention that is allocated to the decision and, therefore, which system consumers deploy.
The role of social capital in achieving preferred customer status with manufacturing and service suppliers
Authors: Jääskeläinen Aki , Lintukangas Katrina , Vos Frederik G.S.
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This study uses social capital theory to analyze how social capital and supplier development support achieving supplier satisfaction and preferred customer status. The resulting model is compared between manufacturing and service suppliers.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey receiving 482 supplier responses from manufacturing and service suppliers was utilized and analyzed using partial least squares (PLS) path modeling and multi-group comparison tests.

Findings

The paper adds new explanations for preferred customer status through empirical evidence of relationships between supplier development, social capital, supplier satisfaction, and preferred customer status. Cognitive and relational capital directly support achieving preferred customer status. The role of supplier satisfaction in achieving preferred customer status is lower for manufacturing suppliers.

Research limitations/implications

Both service and manufacturing suppliers could also be studied in their specific industry settings. A more in-depth investigation of other business relationship dynamics, such as power, is needed in a future study.

Practical implications

Service and manufacturing suppliers need different strategies to obtain the benefits from supplier development and social capital building. For service suppliers, more intangible factors are relevant in comparison to manufacturing suppliers.

Originality/value

This study advances the literature in two main ways. First, it elaborates the role of supplier development and social capital in the path toward supplier satisfaction and preferred customer status as perceived by suppliers. Second, this study answers the calls for a better understanding of the contextual characteristics underlying potential differences in how preferred customer status is formed.
Optimization of 1-µm gate length InGaAs-InAlAs pHEMT
Authors: Islam Naeemul , Yusof Nur Syahadah , Packeer Mohamed Mohamed Fauzi , M. Syamsul , Akbar Jalaludin Khan Muhammad Firdaus , Ghazali Nor Azlin , Hairi Mohd Hendra
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate a pseudomorphic High Electron Mobility Transistor (pHEMT) cutoff frequency (fT) and maximum oscillation frequency (fmax) are determined by the role of its gate length (Lg). Theoretically, to obtain an Lg of 1 µm, the gate’s resist opening must be 1 µm wide. However, after the coat-expose-develop (C-E-D) process, the Lg became 13% larger after metal evaporation. This enlargement is due to both resist thickness and its profile.

Design/methodology/approach

This research aims to optimize the 1-µm Lg InGaAs-InAlAs pHEMT C-E-D process, where the diluted AZ®nLOF™ 2070 resist with AZ® EBR solvent technique has been used to solve the Lg enlargement problem. The dilution theoretically allows the changing of a resist thickness to different film thickness using the same coating parameters. Here, for getting a new resist, which is simply called AZ 0.5 µm, the experiment’s important parameters such as the coater’s spin speed of 3,000 rpm and soft bake at 110°C for 5 min are executed.

Findings

The newly mixed AZ 0.5 µm resist has presented a high resolution and undercut profile rather than standard AZ 1 µm resist. Hence, the Lg metallization after using AZ 0.5 µm optimized process showed better results than AZ 1 µm which used the standard process.

Originality/value

The outcome of the optimization has reached that it is possible to get a nearly sub-µm range gate’s opening using a diluted resist, and at the same time retaining a high resolution and undercut profile.
The effect of caffeine consumption on attention performance in female students at the faculty of health sciences
Authors: Kenger Emre Batuhan , Ozlu Tugce , Agopyan Ani , Ergun Can , Uslu Aysenur , Dinsel Berfin , Disli Dilhan , Akdeniz Nezihe
Published: October 2022

Purpose

There are limited studies on the effects of coffee consumption, which has become part of popular culture and is highly common among young people, on the attention levels of female university students. This paper aims to examine the effects of caffeine consumption given at different doses (0, 100 and 200 mg) to female university students (n = 100) studying at the faculty of health sciences on attention performance with the Stroop Color and Word Test (SCWT).

Design/methodology/approach

Participants' test completion time, number of errors and corrections were tested. In addition, the frequencies of weekly coffee consumption were also recorded.

Findings

It was found that consumption of coffee containing 200 mg of caffeine reduced the time to complete the sections of the SCWT test (p < 0.05), as well as the total test completion time (55.81 ± 8.67 s) compared to no coffee consumption (58.25 ± 9.46 s) and coffee consumption with 100-mg caffeine (57.56 ± 8.87 s) (p < 0.05; effect size: 0.268). The effect of caffeine on attention level was induced by 200-mg caffeine consumption, but was unapparent at 100-mg dose. In addition, SCWT completion times were reduced in the student group with more weekly coffee consumption (=3 cups/week) at 200-mg caffeine dose.

Originality/value

In this context, caffeine dose is a factor that should be taken into account in determining the performance of individuals in the SCWT test. It is thought that coffee consumption can increase the concentration of students and have positive effects on academic achievement.