bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Retrospective cohort study into the long term effects of parathyroidectomy on renal function.
Authors: Windle Rebecca , Balasubramanian Sabapathy
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Primary hyperparathyroidism is associated with decline in renal function due to the effects of hypercalciuria and nephrolithiasis. Renal impairment is a well-known indication for parathyroidectomy. However, some studies of short term outcomes suggest that renal function may even decline after parathyroidectomy. Long term data is sparse and this study looks at patients over an 8 year period with focus on how this may affect the consent process.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study of 422 patients who underwent parathyroidectomy for PHPT between January 2013 and December 2017. Twenty-one patients were excluded due to incomplete data records. Renal function was assessed using creatinine and eGFR for a period of up to 8 years following parathyroidectomy.

Results

Of 381 patients where postoperative biochemistry was available, 157 (46%) had a >10% decline in eGFR. While there was no overall difference between pre-operative and ‘post-12’ months eGFR in the cohort (p=0.11) where data was available; however, 32% of patients had a >10% decline in renal function. Of 98 patients who had follow up data over 5 years, 27% had a >10% decline, 57% showed no change and 11% showed > 10% improvement in eGFR.

Conclusions

Surgeons should be aware of the potential for decline in renal function and plan appropriate perioperative monitoring. The lack of improvement in renal function over the long term should be considered in the discussions about risks and benefits of surgery in patients with mild, asymptomatic disease.
Scoring system to quantify clinical resolution of Cushing syndrome after adrenal surgery
Authors: Pryer Olivia , Mihai Radu
Published: March 2022

Background

Adrenalectomy for Cushing syndrome is a rare operation. There is no disease-specific tool to quantify the severity of symptoms in such patients.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of consecutive unselected patients who underwent adrenal surgery for Cushing syndrome. A standard questionnaire was used to assess symptoms on a visual analogue scale (VAS, <10=very poor, >90=excellent) or as categorical categories for severity of symptoms.

Results

Between Jan2016-Aug2021, 21 patients (10M:11F, median age 56 years) underwent unilateral (n=18) or bilateral (n=3) adrenalectomy for Cushing syndrome caused by adrenal adenoma (n=15), adrenocortical cancer (n=3) or ectopic ACTH secretion (n=3). Patients had a median admission of 3 days (range 1–20 days). Most common perioperative complications were related to thrombotic events. Patients with ectopic-ACTH syndrome due to metastatic neuroendocrine tumours are alive at 11–66 months after their operation. Patients with adrenocortical cancer were not contacted.

Eighteen patients were contacted by post at median 37 months (range 3–66 months) postop. Assessment of general health on VAS improved from median 25 to 72.5 (out of 100), symptoms score decreased from 17.5 to 6 (p<0.05) through improvement in scores for muscle power and physical signs. Length of time need for recovery ranged from a minimum of 3–6 months (n=3) to over 1–2 years (n=4). Three patients had emergency admissions with Addisonian crisis.

Conclusion

These data will inform patients about the expected timeline for symptoms resolution after adrenalectomy for Cushing syndrome. A multicentre prospective cohort study should use this new score system to quantify severity of symptoms associated with hypercortisolism.
Co-existence in practice: a collaborative study of the effects of the Westermost Rough offshore wind development on the size distribution and catch rates of a commercially important lobster (Homarus gammarus) population
Authors: Roach Michael , Revill Andy , Johnson Magnus J
Published: March 2022

The global expansion of offshore windfarms (OWF), whilst seen as a tool to combat climate change, can often be of concern to fishing communities already challenged by spatial restrictions. Static gear fisheries, due to their strong fidelity to specific sites, can be particularly affected by spatial conflict with OWF. Here we investigate, using four sampling efforts over a six-year period, the effects of the development of the Westermost Rough OWF (UK) on a commercially important European Lobster (Homarus gammarus) population. A collaborative study was developed and conducted by the local fishery and the developer. A baseline potting survey was conducted ∼ every 4 days over the summer months of 2013 (pre-construction) and post-construction surveys were conducted in 2015, 2017, and 2019. Size, catch, and landings per unit of effort (CPUE & LPUE) of all lobsters were recorded and compared between sites and between years. Size structure and catch rates differed between years, however differences were not observed in comparisons of the windfarm and export cable to their associated control sites within each year, although there were compounding factors associated with the proximity of the control sites to the treatment sites. There was a short-term increase in size and catch rates of lobsters associated with the construction phase of the windfarm site, but this was not observed during the subsequent operational phase surveys. Although the impacts of windfarms on fisheries will vary on a case-by-case basis, this study has implications for the expansion of offshore wind developments on other static gear crustacean fisheries.
Mass-to-Charge Ratio Set Matching: A Novel and Efficient Compound Identification Method
Authors: Hu Yuting , Yu Jiancheng , Xie Chengyi , Tang Keqi , Wu Yong
Published: March 2022

Background

GC–MS is a powerful tool for component analysis of unknown compounds, especially in the fields of analytical chemistry and detection of biological samples. To effectively identify compounds in GC–MS, one of the most important ways is to use a matching algorithm to compare the similarity between the reference spectrum and the query spectrum.

Objective

To propose a novel way to improve compound identification accuracy.

Methods

This article proposes a method based on an m/z set match. First of all, select the maximum m/z and the m/z corresponding to the highest peak intensity in a pre-search. Next, employ the space vector model to carry on a refined search in the remaining spectra after the pre-search. Then, distinguish stereoisomers according to the order of the G value.

Results

Compared with the 10 peaks and the method based on an m/z number matching pre-search, the method based on m/z set matching showed higher accuracy and fewer remaining (missing) spectra. Furthermore, the refined search which is based on the m/z set matching method possesses shorter calculation time compared with no pre-search.

Conclusions

The method can reduce the remaining spectra and speed up the identification of compounds.

Highlights

The accuracy is higher, the number of remaining spectra is less, and the computational time is shorter.
Effects of maternal winter vs. year-round supplementation of protein and energy on postnatal growth, immune function, and carcass characteristics ofBos indicus-influenced beef offspring
Authors: Palmer Elizabeth A , Vedovatto Marcelo , Oliveira Rhaiza A , Ranches Juliana , Vendramini Joao M B , Poore Matthew H , Martins Thiago , Binelli Mario , Arthington John D , Moriel Philipe
Published: March 2022

This 2-yr study evaluated the effects of winter vs. year-round supplementation of Bos indicus-influenced beef cows on cow reproductive performance and impact on their offspring. On day 0 of each year (approximately day 122 ± 23 of gestation), 82 to 84 mature Brangus cows/yr were stratified by body weight (BW; 475 ± 67 kg) and body condition score (BCS; 4.85 ± 0.73) and randomly assigned to 1 of 6 bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) pastures (13 to 14 cows/pasture). Treatments were randomly assigned to pastures consisting of winter supplementation with molasses + urea (WMOL), or year-round supplementation with molasses + urea (YMOL) or wheat middling-based range cubes (YCUB). Total yearly supplement DM amount was 272 kg/cow and supplements were formulated to be isocaloric and isonitrogenous (75% TDN and 20% CP). On day 421 (weaning; approximately 260 ± 24 d of age), 33 to 35 steers/yr were vaccinated against parainfluenza-3 (PI3) and bovine viral diarrhea virus type 1 (BVDV-1) and transported 1,193 km to a feedlot. Steers were penned according to maternal pasture and managed similarly until slaughter. Data were analyzed using the MIXED and GLIMMIX procedures of SAS. On day 217 (start of breeding season), BCS was greater (P = 0.01) for YMOL than WMOL cows, whereas BCS of YCUB did not differ (P ≥ 0.11) to both WMOL and YMOL cows. The percentage of cows that calved, calving date, birth BW, and preweaning BW of the first offspring did not differ (P ≥ 0.22) among maternal treatments. Plasma cortisol concentrations were greater (P ≤ 0.001) for YCUB steers at feedlot arrival (day 422) than WMOL and YMOL steers. Moreover, YCUB steers had greater (P = 0.02) and tended (P = 0.08) to have greater plasma concentrations of haptoglobin compared to WMOL and YMOL steers, respectively. Antibody titers against PI3 and BVDV-1 viruses did not differ (P ≥ 0.25) among maternal treatments. Steer BW at feedlot exit was greater (P ≤ 0.05) for YMOL and WMOL than YCUB steers. However, feedlot DMI did not differ (P ≥ 0.37) by maternal treatment. Hot carcass weight, yield grade, LMA, and marbling did not differ (P ≥ 0.14) among maternal treatments. Percentage of steers that graded low choice was enhanced (P ≤ 0.05) for WMOL and YCUB than YMOL steers. Maternal year-round supplementation of range cubes or molasses + urea either did not impact or decrease growth, immune function, and carcass characteristics of the offspring when compared with maternal supplementation of molasses + urea during winter only.
Meta-analysis of the effects of chemical and microbial preservatives on hay spoilage during storage
Authors: Killerby Marjorie A , Reyes Diana C , White Robin , Romero Juan J
Published: March 2022

A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the effects of chemical (50 articles) and microbial (21 articles) additives on hay preservation during storage. Multilevel linear mixed-effects models were fit with response variables calculated as predicted differences (Δ) between treated and untreated samples. Chemical preservatives were classified into five groups such as propionic acid (PropA), buffered organic acids (BOA), other organic acids (OOA), urea, and anhydrous ammonia (AA). Moderators of the models included preservative class (PC), forage type (FT; grass, legumes, and mixed hay), moisture concentration (MC), and application rate (AR). Dry matter (DM) loss during storage was affected by PC × FT (P = 0.045), PC × AR (P < 0.001), and PC × MC (P = 0.009), relative to the overall effect of preservatives (−0.37%). DM loss in PropA-treated hay was numerically reduced to a greater extent in grasses (−16.2), followed by mixed hay (−1.76), but it increased (+2.2%) in legume hay. Increasing AR of PropA resulted in decrease in DM loss (slope = −1.34). Application of BOA, OOA, PropA, and AA decreased visual relative moldiness by −22.1, −29.4, −45.5, and −12.2 percentage points, respectively (PC; P < 0.001). Sugars were higher in treated grass hay (+1.9) and lower in treated legume hay (−0.8% of DM) relative to their untreated counterparts (P < 0.001). The application of all preservatives resulted in higher crude protein (CP) than untreated hay, particularly urea (+7.92) and AA (+5.66% of DM), but PropA, OOA, and BOA also increased CP by 2.37, 2.04, and 0.73 percentage points, respectively. Additionally, preservative application overall resulted in higher in vitro DM digestibility (+1.9% of DM) relative to the untreated hay (x¯=58.3%), which increased with higher AR (slope = 1.64) and decreased with higher MC (slope = −0.27). Microbial inoculants had small effects on hay spoilage because the overall DM loss effect size was −0.21%. Relative to untreated (x¯=4.63% DM), grass hay preserved more sugars (+1.47) than legumes (+0.33) when an inoculant was applied. In conclusion, organic acid-based preservatives prevent spoilage of hay during storage, but their effectiveness is affected by FT, MC, and AR. Microbial inoculants had minor effects on preservation that were impaired by increased MC. Moreover, legume hay was less responsive to the effects of preservatives than grass hay.
Slavery, lived realities, and the decolonisation of forced migration histories: An interview with Dr Portia Owusu
Authors: Carpi Estella , Owusu Portia
Published: March 2022

Academic institutions in the global North have historically claimed leadership in the production of high-quality scholarship. As such, it is their work that often informs pedagogical materials in secondary and tertiary education worldwide. This dominance has serious cultural impacts. At the very least, it positions Western academics as ‘custodians’ of knowledge with the ability to influence what is taught and how it is taught. Within this framework, learning is politicised, and the teaching of subjects such as history, becomes a space of contention. These issues touch on the aim of the Southern Responses to Displacement from Syria (SRD) project, financed by the European Research Council (grant agreement no. 715582) and led by Professor Elena Fiddian-Qasmiyeh in the Migration Research Unit at University College London. In particular, it aligns with the project’s goal to explore a multi-directional approach to knowledge production and to centralise the experience of displaced peoples and actors from the global South in scholarship. The Research Associate Dr Estella Carpi discussed slavery as an ignored form of forced migration with Dr Portia Owusu, Assistant Professor of English Literature at Texas A&M. The SRD team’s conversation with Dr Owusu, indeed, endeavours to rethink mainstream forced migration studies and rather engages with neglected—and, at times, silenced—epistemologies of forced migration.
Lucky imaging speckle statistics applied to halo suppression
Authors: Cagigal Manuel P , Valle Pedro J , Canales Vidal F , Cagigas Miguel A
Published: March 2022

In ground based astronomy, the Lucky Imaging (LI) technique consists of selecting the best quality pictures among those that have been taken with a short exposure time to freeze the atmosphere distortions. Although it has different advantages, the peak intensity of a star is always surrounded by speckled light which, once averaged, provides the halo. The halo can make it difficult to detect faint companions immersed in it. In this paper, we take advantage of the speckle statistics to remove the halo and so to make more effective current detection techniques. Theoretical predictions are confirmed using experimental LI data. Finally, a photometry algorithm is also proposed.
Constructing high-fidelity halo merger trees inabacussummit
Authors: Bose Sownak , Eisenstein Daniel J , Hadzhiyska Boryana , Garrison Lehman H , Yuan Sihan
Published: March 2022

Tracking the formation and evolution of dark matter haloes is a critical aspect of any analysis of cosmological N-body simulations. In particular, the mass assembly of a halo and its progenitors, encapsulated in the form of its merger tree, serves as a fundamental input for constructing semi-analytic models of galaxy formation and, more generally, for building mock catalogues that emulate galaxy surveys. We present an algorithm for constructing halo merger trees from abacussummit, the largest suite of cosmological N-body simulations performed to date consisting of nearly 60 trillion particles, and which has been designed to meet the Cosmological Simulation Requirements of the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) survey. Our method tracks the cores of haloes to determine associations between objects across multiple time slices, yielding lists of halo progenitors and descendants for the several tens of billions of haloes identified across the entire suite. We present an application of these merger trees as a means to enhance the fidelity of abacussummit halo catalogues by flagging and ‘merging’ haloes deemed to exhibit non-monotonic past merger histories. We show that this cleaning technique identifies portions of the halo population that have been deblended due to choices made by the halo finder, but which could have feasibly been part of larger aggregate systems. We demonstrate that by cleaning halo catalogues in this post-processing step, we remove potentially unphysical features in the default halo catalogues, leaving behind a more robust halo population that can be used to create highly accurate mock galaxy realizations from abacussummit.
Constraining Type Ia supernova explosions and early flux excesses with the Zwicky Transient Factory
Authors: Deckers M , Maguire K , Magee M R , Dimitriadis G , Smith M , Sainz de Murieta A , Miller A A , Goobar A , Nordin J , Rigault M , Bellm E C , Coughlin M , Laher R R , Shupe D L , Graham M , Kasliwal M , Walters R
Published: March 2022

In the new era of time-domain surveys, Type Ia supernovae are being caught sooner after explosion, which has exposed significant variation in their early light curves. Two driving factors for early-time evolution are the distribution of 56Ni in the ejecta and the presence of flux excesses of various causes. We perform an analysis of the largest young SN Ia sample to date. We compare 115 SN Ia light curves from the Zwicky Transient Facility to the turtls model grid containing light curves of Chandrasekhar mass explosions with a range of 56Ni masses, 56Ni distributions, and explosion energies. We find that the majority of our observed light curves are well reproduced by Chandrasekhar mass explosion models with a preference for highly extended 56Ni distributions. We identify six SNe Ia with an early-time flux excess in our gr-band data (four ‘blue’ and two ‘red’ flux excesses). We find an intrinsic rate of 18 ± 11 per cent of early flux excesses in SNe Ia at z < 0.07, based on three detected flux excesses out of 30 (10 per cent) observed SNe Ia with a simulated efficiency of 57 per cent. This is comparable to rates of flux excesses in the literature but also accounts for detection efficiencies. Two of these events are mostly consistent with circumstellar material interaction, while the other four have longer lifetimes in agreement with companion interaction and 56Ni-clump models. We find a higher frequency of flux excesses in 91T/99aa-like events (44 ± 13 per cent).
Rising of a magnetic null point in the wake of an erupting flux rope
Authors: Filippov Boris
Published: March 2022

Arcades of flare loops rise, slowing down in the wake of eruptive prominences. They lag significantly from the top of prominences and do not reach too great heights in the corona. It is widely accepted that their evolution is governed by the limited reconnection rate in the current sheet developed below the eruptive prominence. We suggest that the shape of eruptive prominences may be the determining factor in the ascension of the arcade. Arcade deceleration and their limited heights are analysed in the frame of a simple rectangular circuit model representing prominence eruption. A null point that appears below the rising electric current does not follow it to a great height but is detained by the influence of the field created by currents flowing along the vertical segments,‘legs’, of the rectangular contour. As a result, the flare loops are able to reach only limited heights even with fast reconnection in a small current sheet.
The Runaway Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 Leading to the Highly Evolved Delta Strain
Authors: Ruan Yongsen , Hou Mei , Tang Xiaolu , He Xionglei , Lu Xuemei , Lu Jian , Wu Chung-I , Wen Haijun
Published: March 2022

In new epidemics after the host shift, the pathogens may experience accelerated evolution driven by novel selective pressures. When the accelerated evolution enters a positive feedback loop with the expanding epidemics, the pathogen’s runaway evolution may be triggered. To test this possibility in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we analyze the extensive databases and identify five major waves of strains, one replacing the previous one in 2020–2021. The mutations differ entirely between waves and the number of mutations continues to increase, from 3-4 to 21-31. The latest wave in the fall of 2021 is the Delta strain which accrues 31 new mutations to become highly prevalent. Interestingly, these new mutations in Delta strain emerge in multiple stages with each stage driven by 6–12 coding mutations that form a fitness group. In short, the evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) from the oldest to the youngest wave, and from the earlier to the later stages of the Delta wave, is a process of acceleration with more and more mutations. The global increase in the viral population size (M(t), at time t) and the mutation accumulation (R(t)) may have indeed triggered the runaway evolution in late 2020, leading to the highly evolved Alpha and then Delta strain. To suppress the pandemic, it is crucial to break the positive feedback loop between M(t) and R(t), neither of which has yet to be effectively dampened by late 2021. New waves after Delta, hence, should not be surprising.
Predicting base editing outcomes using position-specific sequence determinants
Authors: Pallaseni Ananth , Peets Elin Madli , Koeppel Jonas , Weller Juliane , Vanderstichele Thomas , Ho Uyen Linh , Crepaldi Luca , van Leeuwen Jolanda , Allen Felicity , Parts Leopold
Published: March 2022

CRISPR/Cas base editors promise nucleotide-level control over DNA sequences, but the determinants of their activity remain incompletely understood. We measured base editing frequencies in two human cell lines for two cytosine and two adenine base editors at ∼14 000 target sequences and find that base editing activity is sequence-biased, with largest effects from nucleotides flanking the target base. Whether a base is edited depends strongly on the combination of its position in the target and the preceding base, acting to widen or narrow the effective editing window. The impact of features on editing rate depends on the position, with sequence bias efficacy mainly influencing bases away from the center of the window. We use these observations to train a machine learning model to predict editing activity per position, with accuracy ranging from 0.49 to 0.72 between editors, and with better generalization across datasets than existing tools. We demonstrate the usefulness of our model by predicting the efficacy of disease mutation correcting guides, and find that most of them suffer from more unwanted editing than pure outcomes. This work unravels the position-specificity of base editing biases and allows more efficient planning of editing campaigns in experimental and therapeutic contexts.
Empty digital wallets: new technologies and old inequalities in digital financial services among women
Authors: Caron Laura
Published: March 2022

Digital financial services (DFSs) may lower certain costs of accessing finance, but they bring new costs, including difficulties accessing mobile networks. Using the Demographic and Health Surveys and several geocoded databases in Nepal, the Philippines, Senegal and Tanzania, this paper studies the distribution of digital finance use among women and its enabling infrastructure, including mobile phone towers, compared to traditional finance. The potential of digital technologies to lessen inequalities depends on availability and access, particularly for women who may already face gaps in financial inclusion. Mobile phone towers are more unequally distributed than traditional banks, though mobile phone use is near universal. However, digital finance use is still low and almost as unequal as traditional finance, driven by the same inequalities. Wealth, education and location appear to be strongly associated with access to DFSs. The results suggest that old inequalities may constrain the promise of new digital technologies.
Memory in Written Record: Memorial Practices at Work in Middle English Copyings of Flyleaf, Marginal and Added Verse
Authors: Wilson Rowan
Published: March 2022

This article focuses on the memorial practices evidenced in Middle English copyings of flyleaf, marginal and added verse—‘flyleaf verses’. These texts, typically added by later readers or book-users, are often characterized as errant incursions into the book’s organization, ephemeral traces of aural memory, mere scribbles copied without care and preserved only by chance. However, closer study reveals a variety of memorial processes underlying flyleaf verse copying, ranging from the casual jottings from memory that dominate existing scholarly perspectives, to using book-space for the deliberate practice of memorization, to copying purposefully to collect and preserve verses. This article surveys 523 records from the Digital Index of Middle English Verse (DIMEV) that contain at least one witness of a text added in a flyleaf, margin, or other blank book-space, as well as several digitized and facsimile copies of the manuscripts in which they appear. These records complicate understandings of memory’s active use in flyleaf verse copying, offering us insights into the mental processes behind medieval readers’ engagement with the marginal spaces in their books.
Safety of the BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in patients with familial Mediterranean fever
Authors: Shechtman Liran , Lahad Karney , Livneh Avi , Grossman Chagai , Druyan Amit , Giat Eitan , Lidar Merav , Freund Sarit , Manor Uri , Pomerantz Alon , Veroslavski Daniel , Ben-Zvi Ilan
Published: March 2022

Objectives

Evidence suggests a possible association between the COVID-19 vaccine and autoimmune disease flares or new onset of various autoinflammatory manifestations, such as pericarditis and myocarditis. The objective of this study was to assess the safety of an mRNA-based BNT162b2 anti-COVID-19 vaccine in individuals with FMF, a prototypic autoinflammatory disease.

Methods

Patients participating in this study fulfilled the criteria for diagnosis of FMF, were older than 18 years and received at least one dose of the vaccine. Data on baseline characteristics, features of FMF, post-vaccination side effects, and disease flares were acquired using electronic medical files and telephone interviews.

Results

A total of 273 FMF patients were recruited for the study. >95% were vaccinated with two doses of the vaccine. The rates of local reactions following the first and second vaccine doses were 65.5% and 60%, respectively, and 26% and 50.4%, respectively, for systemic adverse events. These rates are lower than those reported for the general population from real-world and clinical trial settings. Postvaccination FMF activity remained stable in most patients. None of the patients reported an attack of pericarditis or myocarditis, considered the most serious vaccine-associated adverse events. Patients with a more active FMF disease and patients harboring the M694V mutation had a significantly higher rate of post-vaccination systemic side effects and attacks.

Conclusion

The BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine is safe in patients with FMF. Our results support the administration of this vaccine to FMF patients according to guidelines applicable to the general population.
Brain-Heart Link in Schizophrenia: Cognitive Inhibitory Control Deficit in Patients Is Specifically Related to Parasympathetic Dysregulation
Authors: Lazaridi Marina , Panagiotaropoulou Georgia , Covanis Panagiotis , Karantinos Thomas , Aggelopoulos Elias , Klein Christoph , Smyrnis Nikolaos
Published: March 2022

Background

This study examined the connection between two prominent deficits in schizophrenia: the deficit in parasympathetic regulation and the deficit in cognitive inhibitory control, within the framework of the Neurovisceral Integration Model (NIM).

Study Design

Thirty healthy controls and 30 patients with schizophrenia performed the internationally standardized antisaccade protocol while their electrocardiographic data were recorded. The interaction between the group, the cognitive inhibitory control as measured with error rate (ER) in the antisaccade task and parasympathetic activity as measured with the High Frequency power component of Heart Rate Variability (HF-HRV) was tested.

Study Results

Findings confirmed that decreased HF-HRV was specifically related to increased ER in patients with schizophrenia. In contrast, patient deficits in other oculomotor function measures such as reaction time and reaction time variability related to volitional movement control and cognitive stability respectively were not linked to the deficit in parasympathetic regulation.

Conclusions

Our study validates the theory behind NIM proposing that cognitive inhibition has common physiological substrate with parasympathetic regulation. Future research could test this brain-heart link in other mental disorders especially those with a prominent deficit in inhibitory cognitive function.
Mistake, misprediction, and risk-taking in tax-avoidance
Authors: Briggs Aidan , Liew Jian Jun (JJ)
Published: March 2022

Three recent decisions of the High Court concerning decisions with serious tax consequences have illuminated the continuing difficulty in identifying a principled distinction between mistakes as to present fact or law justifying rescission on the one hand, and mispredictions or ‘risk-taking’, which are afforded no remedy, on the other. This article examines the differing approaches to misprediction and risk-taking in relation to tax, and considers whether any reliable principles emerge for the benefit of those wishing to advise clients in the future.
The ameliorative impacts of wheat germ oil against ethanol-induced gastric ulcers: involvement of anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic, and antioxidant activities
Authors: El-shafey Rabab Shaban , Baloza Samar H , Mohammed Lina Abdelhady , Nasr Hend Elsayed , Soliman Mohamed Mohamed , Ghamry Heba I , Elgendy Salwa A
Published: March 2022

This study examined if wheat germ oil (WGO) has gastroprotective impacts against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Rats were assigned into control, WGO, ethanol, omeprazole + ethanol, and WGO + ethanol. WGO prevented gastric ulceration and damage induced by ethanol, the same effect induced by omeprazole, a widely known medication used for gastric ulcer treatment. WGO reduced gastric ulcer index, nitric oxide, and malondialdehyde levels in the stomach. WGO boosted the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), Bcl2, and the antioxidants. WGO showed inflammatory and anti-inflammatory impacts through the control of interleukin (IL)-1β, Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and IL-10 that were altered in ethanol-administered rats. Ethanol up-regulated caspase-3 and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) expression and showed histopathological changes such as necrosis and mucosal degeneration that were mitigated by pre-administration of WGO. Moreover, WGO decreased gastric immunoreactivity of NF-kB and increased transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1) that were associated with upregulation of Nrf2, heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), and antioxidant expression and production. In conclusion, WGO reduced ethanol-induced stomach toxicity by regulating genes involved in oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptotic/antiapoptotic pathways.
Reduced Sensitivity of Pseudoperonospora cubensis Clades 1 and 2 to Oxathiapiprolin in South Carolina
Authors: Keinath Anthony P.
Published: March 2022

Oxathiapiprolin has been the most effective fungicide active ingredient to manage cucurbit downy mildew, caused by Pseudoperonospora cubensis, since its introduction in 2015. However, oxathiapiprolin was not always the most effective treatment on cucumber in field plot experiments in 2020 and 2021. Potted cucumber, butternut squash, and watermelon treated with 0.13× or 0.25×, 0.5×, 1×, and 2× the maximum field rate of 17.5 g/ha of oxathiapiprolin were exposed to naturally occurring P. cubensis in the field in Charleston, South Carolina, in fall 2020, spring 2021, and fall 2021. On cucumber, mean severity was 18% at 0.25× in fall 2020 and 21% at 0.13× in fall 2021. On butternut squash, mean severity was 8.4% at 0.25× in fall 2020. The 1× field rate reduced severity compared to the nontreated control on all hosts. With cucumber and butternut squash, the slopes of the linear regression lines relating relative disease severity (disease severity on oxathiapiprolin-treated leaves divided by disease severity on water-treated control leaves) to log-10 concentration of oxathiapiprolin were greater than 0 (P ≤ 0.02). On watermelon, the slope was slightly greater than 0 (P = 0.085). Disease was more severe on cucumber infected with P. cubensis clade 2 than on squash infected with clade 1. EC50 values on cucumber were 4.5 and 13.9 ppm in spring and fall 2021, respectively. To slow development of resistance to oxathiapiprolin, cucurbit growers should increase the number of applications of other fungicides applied in rotation with oxathiapiprolin.
Self-reported Race/Ethnicity and Intraoperative Occult Hypoxemia: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Burnett Garrett W. , Stannard Blaine , Wax David B. , Lin Hung-Mo , Pyram-Vincent Chantal , DeMaria Samuel , Levin Matthew A.
Published: March 2022

Background

Pulse oximetry is ubiquitous in anesthesia and is generally a reliable noninvasive measure of arterial oxygen saturation. Concerns regarding the impact of skin pigmentation and race/ethnicity on the accuracy of pulse oximeter accuracy exist. The authors hypothesized a greater prevalence of occult hypoxemia (arterial oxygen saturation [Sao
2] less than 88% despite oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry [Spo2
] greater than 92%) in patients undergoing anesthesia who self-reported a race/ethnicity other than White.

Methods

Demographic and physiologic data, including self-reported race/ethnicity, were extracted from a departmental data warehouse for patients receiving an anesthetic that included at least one arterial blood gas between January 2008 and December 2019. Calculated Sao
2 values were paired with concurrent Spo2
values for each patient. Analysis to determine whether Black, Hispanic, Asian, or Other race/ethnicities were associated with occult hypoxemia relative to White race/ethnicity within the Spo2
range of 92 to 100% was completed.

Results

In total, 151,070 paired Sao
2–Spo2
readings (70,722 White; 16,011 Black; 21,223 Hispanic; 8,121 Asian; 34,993 Other) from 46,253 unique patients were analyzed. The prevalence of occult hypoxemia was significantly higher in Black (339 of 16,011 [2.1%]) and Hispanic (383 of 21,223 [1.8%]) versus White (791 of 70,722 [1.1%]) paired Sao
2–Spo2
readings (P < 0.001 for both). In the multivariable analysis, Black (odds ratio, 1.44 [95% CI, 1.11 to 1.87]; P = 0.006) and Hispanic (odds ratio, 1.31 [95% CI, 1.03 to 1.68]; P = 0.031) race/ethnicity were associated with occult hypoxemia. Asian and Other race/ethnicity were not associated with occult hypoxemia.

Conclusions

Self-reported Black and Hispanic race/ethnicity are associated with a greater prevalence of intraoperative occult hypoxemia in the Spo2
range of 92 to 100% when compared with self-reported White race/ethnicity.

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Psychological well-being of midlife women: a structural equation modeling approach
Authors: Lee Jiwon , Lee Jong-Eun
Published: March 2022

Objective:

Women experience menopause at approximately 50 to 52 years of age, when reproductive aging causes various somatic, psychological, and urogenital symptoms. Women’s changing lifestyles and increasing lifespan make it difficult to pinpoint the factors affecting their well-being during menopause, warranting continuous research in this field. Therefore, this study developed a structural equation model, based on the transactional model of stress and coping, to test the significance of positive and negative factors associated with psychological health during menopause.

Methods:

This study validated a structural equation model based on the empirical data collected using a crosssectional study. We analyzed 300 questionnaire responses completed between May 15 and July 10, 2020, by South Korean middle-aged women (aged 45-60 y) who agreed to participate. The study’s structural equation model used self-efficacy as an exogenous variable and perceived stress, menopausal management, self-compassion, menopausal symptoms, and psychological well-being as endogenous variables. Educational and economic levels were set as control variables.

Results:

We observed statistical support for 9 out of 10 hypotheses; the predictor variables had an explanatory power of 79.5% for psychological well-being. Self-efficacy was positively associated with the psychological wellbeing of middle-aged menopausal women and appeared to be mediated by perceived stress, menopausal management, menopausal symptoms, and self-compassion.

Conclusions:

To improve the psychological well-being of middle-aged women, it is important to increase their self-efficacy and minimize stress. Moreover, managing menopausal symptoms and increasing self-compassion through effective coping may maximize psychological well-being.

Video Summary:

http://links.lww.com/MENO/A933.
Prevalence, severity, and associated factors in women in East Asia with moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause
Authors: Yu Qi , Chae Hee-Dong , Hsiao Sheng-Mou , Xie Jipan , Blogg Martin , Sumarsono Budiwan , Kim Soyoung
Published: March 2022

Objective:

To understand prevalence, severity, impact, and treatment of vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause, using cross-sectional survey data.

Methods:

This online, two-part survey was conducted in East Asia among women 40-65 years recruited from established online panels (Edelman, Beijing; Hankook Research, Seoul; Rakuten Insight, Taipei) using stratified sampling. Part I collected demographics/disease characteristics, including menopausal status and vasomotor symptom severity. Women with moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms completed Part II, including clinical characteristics, health-related quality of life, and healthcare-seeking behavior. Primary endpoints included vasomotor symptom prevalence and severity and proportions of women eligible and willing to take hormone therapy. Results are presented for each of the three online panels separately and as a pooled total. All analyses are descriptive with no formal hypothesis testing across groups.

Results:

Numbers of peri- versus postmenopausal women completing Part I were Edelman, 1,588 (55.1% vs 44.9%); Hankook Research, 1,000 (43.6% vs 56.4%); Rakuten Insight, 773 (61.7% vs 38.3%). Vasomotor symptom prevalence was =80% in each region; overall moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptom prevalence was 55%; >50% of women were untreated. Most of those treated used non-prescription treatments. Menopausal hormone therapy use was reported by 11.6% of peri- and 7.2% of postmenopausal women. In peri- and postmenopausal women with moderate-to-severe vasomotor symptoms, 8.6% and 3.4%, respectively, were hormone therapy-willing, 19.3% and 16.8% hormone therapy-contraindicated, 25.4% and 23.0% hormone therapy-cautious, and 10.2% and 8.3% hormone therapy-averse. Women experienced significant burden on health-related quality of life and substantial impairment of work productivity and daily activities.

Conclusions:

Vasomotor symptoms associated with menopause affected =80% of women aged 40 to 65 years. A substantial proportion of women are unsuitable for, or choose not to take, menopausal hormone therapy, resulting in an unmet need for nonhormonal treatment options.
Relationships of Prescription Opioid Sales to Opiate Treatment Admissions and Overdose Deaths: A Reanalysis of Relationships -- United States 2010-2019
Authors: Aubry Larry , Carr B. Thomas
Published: March 2022

Background

In 2016, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued “CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain”. The guideline used data from 1999 to 2010 that related Opioid Sales to Opiate Treatment Admissions (a measure of drug addiction rates) Opioid Deaths. The CDC’s analysis indicated that opioid prescriptions are directly correlated1-8 with drug addiction and overdose mortality outcomes. As a result, prescription opioid sales have been curtailed, making it difficult for sufferers of severe chronic pain to access an effective treatment option. In this paper, the relationships between opioid sales, drug addiction, and opioid deaths are reexamined using data from 2010 to 2019.

Methods

Linear regression models were fit to each response separately. Opioid sales (measured as MME per capita) was the independent variable. Total overdose deaths (TOD), any opioid overdose deaths (AOD), prescription opioid overdose deaths (POD) and opiate treatment admissions (OTA) were the dependent, response variables. The models were assessed using three criteria: the statistical significance of the model (Overall P-Value), the quality of the fit (R2), and the sign of the slope coefficient.

Results

The analyses revealed that the direct correlations (significant, positive slopes) reported by the CDC based on data from 1999 to 2010 no longer exist based on data from 2010 to 2019. The relationships either have reversed (i.e., significant negative slopes) or are non-existent (no significant model).

Conclusions

The basis for the CDC guideline no longer holds. The guideline should be updated or annulled based on the current relationships that have existed for a decade. This is especially relevant for people suffering from severe, chronic pain, whose access to prescription opioids has been severely curtailed under the current guideline and to ensure that government resources are directed to an effective approach to reducing overdose deaths.
Clinical prediction of pathogenic variants in non-coding regions of the human genome
Authors: Petrazzini Ben O. , López-Bello Fernando , Naya Hugo , Spangenberg Lucia
Published: March 2022

Whole genome sequencing has become a wide-spread diagnostic tool for rare diseases patients. This broadens analyses to non-coding regions of the genome showing strong evidence of clinical significance for human Mendelian diseases. Notwithstanding its importance, current in-silico prediction tools are restricted to coding sequences which limits its applicability. Additionally, lack of power in discriminating variants of uncertain significance (VUS) limits its clinical utility. Here we present PANCO, a genome-wide pathogenicity prediction tool aiming at reclassification of VUS with a rigorous imputation workflow adapted for non-coding variants. PANCO integrates functional, evolutionary and population frequency information to capture emerging biological signals correctly reclassifying VUS. Importantly, PANCO shows remarkable power in an external validation set, on VUS (AUROC=0.99 and AUROC=0.89, respectively).
High cardiomyocyte diversity in human early prenatal heart development
Authors: Sylvén Christer , Wärdell Eva , Månsson-Broberg Agneta , Cingolani Eugenio , Ampatzis Konstantinos , Larsson Ludvig , Björklund Åsa , Giacomello Stefania
Published: March 2022

Cardiomyocytes play key roles during cardiogenesis, but have poorly understood features, especially in prenatal stages. Thus, we have characterized human prenatal cardiomyocytes, 6.5– 7 weeks post-conception, in detail by integrating single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and ligand–receptor interaction information. Using a computational workflow developed to dissect cell type heterogeneity, localize cell types, and explore their molecular interactions, we identified eight types of developing cardiomyocyte, more than double compared to the ones identified in the Human Developmental Cell Atlas. These have high variability in cell cycle activity, mitochondrial content, and connexin gene expression, and are differentially distributed in the ventricles, including outflow tract, and atria, including sinoatrial node. Moreover, cardiomyocyte ligand–receptor crosstalk is mainly with non-cardiomyocyte cell types, encompassing cardiogenesis-related pathways. Thus, early prenatal human cardiomyocytes are highly heterogeneous and develop unique location-dependent properties, with complex ligand–receptor crosstalk. Further elucidation of their developmental dynamics may give rise to new therapies.

Graphical abstract
OLFACTORY TRAINING EFFICIENCY IN POST-COVID-19 PERSISTENT OLFACTORY DISORDERS
Authors: Vandersteen Clair , Payne Magali , Dumas Louise-Émilie , Cancian Élisa , Plonka Alexandra , D’Andrea Grégoire , Chirio David , Demonchy Élisa , Risso Karine , Askenazy-Gittard Florence , Savoldelli Charles , Guevara Nicolas , Robert Philippe , Castillo Laurent , Manera Valeria , Gros Auriane
Published: March 2022

Background

Persistent post-viral olfactory disorders (PPVOD) are widely reported after a COVID-19 and estimate to 30% one year after infection. Parosmias are the main qualitative dysosmia associated with olfaction recovery. No treatment is, to date, significantly efficient on PPVOD except olfactory training (OT). The main objective of this work was to evaluate OT efficiency on post-COVID-19 PPVOD.

Methods

Consecutive patients consulting to the ENT department with post-COVID-19 PPVOD were included after mainly clinical examination, the complete Sniffin’ Stick Test (TDI), the short version of the Questionnaire of olfactory disorders and the SF-36. Patients were trained to practice a self-olfactory training (professional manufactured olfactory training kit) twice a day for 6 months before coming back and undergo the same complete evaluation.

Results

Forty-three patients were included and performed 3,5 months of OT in average. There was a significant improvement in the mean TDI score increasing from 24,7 (±8,9) before the OT to 30,9 (±9,8) (p<0,001). Parosmias increased significantly from 8 (18,6%) to 27 (62.8%) (p<0,001). Based on normative data divided by sex and age, a significant increase in the number of normosmic participants was only found for the Threshold values (p<0,001). Specific and general olfaction-related quality of life improved after the OT.

Conclusions

OT seems to be efficient in post-COVID-19 PPVOD, probably on the peripheral regenerative part of the olfactory recovery. Future therapeutic strategies may focus on the central aspects of the post-COVID-19 PPVOD.