bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance Among US Parents: A Nationally Representative Survey
Authors: Hammershaimb E Adrianne , Cole Lyndsey D , Liang Yuanyuan , Hendrich Megan A , Das Dhiman , Petrin Robert , Cataldi Jessica R , O’Leary Sean T , Campbell James D
Published: June 2022

Background

Little was known about US parental attitudes, beliefs, and intentions surrounding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines for children before their introduction.

Methods

An online cross-sectional nationally representative survey of US parents/guardians of children < 18 years old via Ipsos KnowledgePanel, fielded from October 26, 2021 to November 30, 2021.

Results

Response rate was 64.2% (3230/5034). For children ages 0–4 years, 51.5% of parents were likely to have their children vaccinated, and for ages 5–11 and 12–17, 54.0% and 69.7% of parents, respectively, reported they were likely to vaccinate or had already vaccinated their children. Among respondents with unvaccinated children, 25.2% (ages 0–4) and 22.0% (ages 5–11) reported they would seek COVID-19 vaccination for their children as soon as authorization occurred. Factors associated with willingness to have children receive a COVID-19 vaccine were: belief in benefits of COVID-19 vaccination (odds ratio [OR] = 6.44, 5.68, 4.57 in ages 0–4, 5–11, and 12–17 respectively), acceptance of routine childhood vaccines (OR = 6.42, 5.48, 1.76), parental COVID-19 vaccination (OR = 1.85, 3.70, 6.16), perceptions that pediatric COVID-19 is severe (OR = 1.89, 1.72, 1.35), Hispanic ethnicity (OR = 2.07, 2.29, 2.60), influenza vaccine acceptance (OR = 1.07, 0.88, 1.62), presence of children of another age group in the household (OR = 0.71, 0.71, 0.65), and attitudinal barriers to COVID-19 vaccination (OR = 0.30, 0.26, 0.49).

Conclusions

Belief in the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination and acceptance of routine childhood vaccines are the strongest predictors of intention to vaccinate children. Further research is needed to track how parental attitudes change as more data about pediatric COVID-19 vaccines become available and how intentions translate into pediatric vaccine uptake.
A late-diagnosed dermoid cyst complicated with a fistula in the left scapular region: a case report
Authors: Alafandi Bana Zuhair , Marstawi Hiba , Saleh Hiba Haj , Chakhide Maria , Mohamad Aya Haji , Alayyoubi Aya , Raslan Hasan , Danial Aghyad Kudra , Al-Haj Ahmad
Published: June 2022

Dermoid cysts are a rare case of developmental abnormality that results in benign tumors, which are classified into three categories based on their cause and appearance. Dermoid cysts tend to present within the first year after birth and are most commonly diagnosed by the age of 5. A 15-year-old girl presented with a complaint of localized, paroxysmal pain and malodorous fluid oozing from the left shoulder for the last 2 weeks. A fistulogram showed an extension of the fistula behind the clavicle and above the scapula with a cystic formation measuring ~2 cm on the upper part of the fistula tract, which called for appropriate surgical intervention. Our case is the first reported dermoid cyst in the left shoulder area associated with a fistula at birth, which is a rare complication since the complications of dermoid cysts differ depending on their location and size.
Prohibitin 3 gives birth to a new lateral root primordium
Authors: Luo Le , Xie Yuanming , Xuan Wei
Published: June 2022

This article comments on:

Li S, Li Q, Tian X, Mu L, Ji M, Wang X, Li N, Liu F, Shu J, Crawford NM, Wang Y. 2022. PHB3 regulates lateral root primordia formation via NO-mediated degradation of AUXIN/INDOLE-3-ACETIC ACID proteins. Journal of Experimental Botany 73,4034–4045.
Growing at the right time: interconnecting the TOR pathway with photoperiod and circadian regulation
Authors: Urrea-Castellanos Reynel , Caldana Camila , Henriques Rossana
Published: June 2022

Plants can adjust their growth to specific times of the day and season. Different photoperiods result in distinct growth patterns, which correlate with specific carbon-partitioning strategies in source (leaves) and sink (roots) organs. Therefore, external cues such as light, day length, and temperature need to be integrated with intracellular processes controlling overall carbon availability and anabolism. The target of rapamycin (TOR) pathway is a signalling hub where environmental signals, circadian information, and metabolic processes converge to regulate plant growth. TOR complex mutants display altered patterns of root growth and starch levels. Moreover, depletion of TOR or reduction in cellular energy levels affect the pace of the clock by extending the period length, suggesting that this pathway could participate in circadian metabolic entrainment. However, this seems to be a mutual interaction, since the TOR pathway components are also under circadian regulation. These results strengthen the role of this signalling pathway as a master sensor of metabolic status, integrating day length and circadian cues to control anabolic processes in the cell, thus promoting plant growth and development. Expanding this knowledge from Arabidopsis thaliana to crops will improve our understanding of the molecular links connecting environmental perception and growth regulation under field conditions.
Actin isovariant ACT7 controls root meristem development in Arabidopsis through modulating auxin and ethylene responses
Authors: Numata Takahiro , Sugita Kenji , Ahamed Rahman Arifa , Rahman Abidur
Published: June 2022

The meristem is the most functionally dynamic part in a plant. The shaping of the meristem requires constant cell division and elongation, which are influenced by hormones and the cytoskeletal component, actin. Although the roles of hormones in modulating meristem development have been extensively studied, the role of actin in this process is still elusive. Using the single and double mutants of the vegetative class actin, we demonstrate that actin isovariant ACT7 plays an important role in root meristem development. In the absence of ACT7, but not ACT8 and ACT2, depolymerization of actin was observed. Consistently, the act7 mutant showed reduced cell division, cell elongation, and meristem length. Intracellular distribution and trafficking of auxin transport proteins in the actin mutants revealed that ACT7 specifically functions in the root meristem to facilitate the trafficking of auxin efflux carriers PIN1 and PIN2, and consequently the transport of auxin. Compared with act7, the act7act8 double mutant exhibited slightly enhanced phenotypic response and altered intracellular trafficking. The altered distribution of auxin in act7 and act7act8 affects the response of the roots to ethylene, but not to cytokinin. Collectively, our results suggest that ACT7-dependent auxin-ethylene response plays a key role in controlling Arabidopsis root meristem development.
Splicing factor PRP-19 regulates mitochondrial stress response
Authors: Xia Peixue , Zhou Liankui , Guan Jialiang , Ding Wanqiu , Liu Ying
Published: June 2022

Animals respond to mitochondrial perturbation by activating the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt) to induce the transcription of mitochondrial stress response genes. In Caenorhabditis elegans, activation of UPRmt allows the animals to maintain organismal homeostasis, activate the innate immune response, and promote lifespan extension. Here, we show that splicing factors such as Precursor RNA processing 19 (PRP-19) are required for the induction of UPRmt in C. elegans. PRP-19 also modulates mitochondrial perturbation-induced innate immune response and lifespan extension. Knockdown of PRP-19 in mammalian cells suppresses UPRmt activation and disrupts the mitochondrial network. These findings reveal an evolutionarily conserved mechanism that maintains mitochondrial homeostasis and controls innate immunity and lifespan through splicing factors.
SBAs for the Oral and Maxilliofacial Surgery FRCS
Authors: Breeze John , Elledge Ross
Published: June 2022

Training in oral and maxillofacial surgery is lengthy and demanding, requiring dual qualification in dentistry and medicine, followed by completion of a higher surgical training program. The ‘exit’ examination leading to the awarding of the specialty Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons in Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, the FRCS (OMFS), represents the final academic step of training. For Section 1 of the examination, one day is dedicated to an examination of single best answers (SBAs). These are undertaken as two tests, each 2 hours 15 minutes in length. The questions encompass the entire daunting syllabus of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, including orthognathic surgery, craniomaxillofacial trauma, surgical oncology and dermatology, oral medicine, craniofacial surgery, dentoalveolar surgery, temporomandibular disorders, salivary gland disease, local flap and free tissue transfer, oral implantology, and cleft surgery. The aim of this book is to give candidates an understanding of the range of clinical subjects that would be encountered in an assessment appropriately blueprinted against the full breadth of the syllabus. This includes pertinent subjects that are generally not covered in other FRCS revision books such as ethics, consent, and negligence. As such it will be of interest to clinicians in related specialties, including dermatology, oral surgery, ENT, and plastic surgery.
The Neurologic Examination
Authors: Shibasaki Hiroshi , Hallett Mark
Published: June 2022

This book aims to provide a bridge from basic neuroscience such as anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and molecular biology to clinical symptomatology. In contrast with most of the previously published books on clinical neurology, which are disease- or anatomy-oriented, this book is organized in terms of the functional anatomy of the nervous system. Despite recent advances in laboratory testing, including electrophysiology and neuroimaging, the correct interpretation of symptoms and signs based on modern scientific knowledge is of utmost importance in the diagnosis of neurological diseases. For this purpose, the importance of careful history taking and physical examination is emphasized, and chapters are arranged in order of the actual steps of the neurologic examination. More than 100 boxes are included to discuss some specific topics of current interest and clinical issues that the authors have been particularly interested in. The relevant literature for each chapter has been updated. For historical case reports of diseases that are often called by the name of their authors, the original publication was reviewed and cited. Use of medical terminology was carefully evaluated and explained as necessary. The primary audience for this book is neurology residents and registrars, but it is hoped that it will also be useful for neurologists in general practice, pediatric neurologists, neurosurgeons, psychiatrists, physical therapists, technicians of clinical neurophysiology and neuroimaging, and medical students.
Somatosensory function
Authors: Shibasaki Hiroshi , Hallett Mark
Published: June 2022

This chapter discusses anatomical basis for somatosensory functions, and symptoms and syndromes caused by its impairment. Somatic sensation is divided into general somatic sensation, which receives sensory input from the skin, skeletal muscles, and joints, and special somatic sensations such as visual, auditory, and equilibrium. Among these sensations, general somatic sensation is described in this chapter as the somatosensory system. There are three kinds of sensation in the somatosensory system to be examined: superficial, deep/proprioceptive, and cortical.
How to plan laboratory tests
Authors: Shibasaki Hiroshi , Hallett Mark
Published: June 2022

It is reasonable and important to plan the necessary laboratory tests after carefully considering the site of the lesion, its etiology, and the most likely diagnosis and differential diagnoses based on the history taking and physical examination. For example, when faced with a patient complaining of symptoms suggestive of a cerebral lesion, it is a poor practice to immediately obtain cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). It is necessary to consider the expected site of lesion and pathogenesis before ordering the MRI in order to reasonably correlate the clinical picture and the neuroimaging data. The quality and size of MRI abnormality may not necessarily correlate with the severity of neurological impairment. Moreover, from a viewpoint of limiting medical expenses and the limited size of hospital staff, the number of laboratory tests should be minimized.
Predictors of Crosscutting Patterns of Psychological Health and Family Maltreatment
Authors: Nichols Sara R , Rhoades Kimberly A , Lorber Michael F , Xu Shu , Heyman Richard E , Slep Amy M
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Psychological problems and family maltreatment are significant public health problems. Although research focuses almost exclusively on either individual psychological problems or family maltreatment, there is substantial co-occurrence of these problems. Similarly, intervention services are often “siloed”: individuals with mental health needs are referred for mental health services, individuals with family conflict are referred for family-based treatment, etc. These treatment “silos” may miss the larger picture of the co-occurrence of risk, promotion, and the problems themselves. In a previous paper, we used latent class analysis to identify subgroups of individuals with crosscutting patterns (i.e., classes) of psychological and family maltreatment problems. In this study, we explored the predictors of these latent classes.

Materials and Methods

Participants consisted of two large population samples of U.S. Air Force active duty members (ns = 27,895 and 30,841) who were married or cohabiting and had one or more children living in their household. Participants completed an anonymous community assessment survey, which included questionnaire items tapping personal, family, and community problems and well-being. Assessments were conducted in 2008 and 2011. All study procedures were approved by the authors’ Institutional Review Board. We used exploratory factor analysis and latent class analysis to (1) identify higher-order factors of risk and promotive variables and (2) examine them as predictors of our previously identified latent classes.

Results

Findings indicated that individuals who reported better physical well-being as well as personal and family coping, relationship satisfaction, and support were more likely to be in the lowest-risk subgroup. Notably, individuals in the subgroup most at risk for serious violence and suicide, evidencing disinhibitory psychopathology, endorsed lower risk and higher promotive factors than those individuals in other high-risk subgroups who fell along the internalizing/externalizing continuum.

Conclusions

These findings reinforce the need for integrated prevention and treatment of psychological and family maltreatment problems. Not only do these problems often co-occur, but their risk and promotive factors also tend to be intertwined. The unique (i.e., not on the continuum of the other five classes) problem profile of participants evidencing disinhibitory psychopathology is matched by a unique risk/promotive factor profile, and they will thus likely require a unique intervention approach.
Detached eclipsing binaries from the Kepler field: radii and photometric masses of components in short-period systems
Authors: Cruz Patricia , Aguilar John F , Garrido Hernán E , Diaz Marcos P , Solano Enrique
Published: June 2022

The characterization of detached eclipsing binaries with low-mass components has become important when verifying the role of convection in stellar evolutionary models, which requires model-independent measurements of stellar parameters with great precision. However, spectroscopic characterization depends on single-target radial velocity observations and only a few tens of well-studied low-mass systems have been diagnosed in this way. We characterize eclipsing detached systems from the Kepler field with low-mass components by adopting a purely photometric method. Based on an extensive multicolour data set, we derive effective temperatures and photometric masses of individual components using clustering techniques. We also estimate the stellar radii from additional modelling of the available Kepler light curves. Our measurements confirm the presence of an inflation trend in the mass–radius diagram against theoretical stellar models in the low-mass regime.
The ultranarrow FRB20191107B, and the origins of FRB scattering
Authors: Gupta V , Flynn C , Farah W , Bailes M , Deller A T , Day C K , Lower M E
Published: June 2022

We report the detection of FRB20191107B with UTMOST radio telescope at a dispersion measure (DM) of 714.9 pc cm−3. The burst consists of three components, the brightest of which has an intrinsic width of only 11.3 μs and a scattering tail with an exponentially decaying time-scale of 21.4 μs measured at 835 MHz. We model the sensitivity of UTMOST and other major fast radio burst (FRB) surveys to such narrow events. We find that $\gt 60{{\ \rm per\, cent}}$ of FRBs like FRB20191107B are being missed, and that a significant population of very narrow FRBs probably exists and remains underrepresented in these surveys. The high DM and small scattering time-scale of FRB20191107B allows us to place an upper limit on the strength of turbulence in the intergalactic medium, quantified as scattering measure (SM), of SMIGM < 8.4 × 10−7 kpc m−20/3. Almost all UTMOST FRBs have full phase information due to real-time voltage capture, which provides us with the largest sample of coherently dedispersed single burst FRBs. Our 10.24 μs time resolution data yields accurately measured FRB scattering time-scales. We combine the UTMOST FRBs with 10 FRBs from the literature and find no obvious evidence for a DM-scattering relation, suggesting that IGM is not the dominant source of scattering in FRBs. We support the results of previous studies and identify the local environment of the source in the host galaxy as the most likely region that dominates the observed scattering of our FRBs.
The PAU survey: measurements of the 4000 Å spectral break with narrow-band photometry
Authors: Renard Pablo , Siudek Malgorzata , Eriksen Martin B , Cabayol Laura , Cai Zheng , Carretero Jorge , Casas Ricard , Castander Francisco J , Fernandez Enrique , García-Bellido Juan , Gaztanaga Enrique , Hoekstra Henk , Joachimi Benjamin , Miquel Ramon , Navarro-Girones David , Padilla Cristóbal , Sanchez Eusebio , Serrano Santiago , Tallada-Crespí Pau , De Vicente Juan , Wittje Anna , Wright Angus H
Published: June 2022

The D4000 spectral break index is one of the most important features in the visible spectrum, as it is a proxy for stellar ages and is also used in galaxy classification. However, its direct measurement has always been reserved to spectroscopy. Here, we present a general method to directly measure the D4000 with narrow-band (NB) photometry; it has been validated using realistic simulations, and then evaluated with PAUS NBs, cross-matched with VIPERS spectra (iAB < 22.5, 0.562 < z < 0.967). We also reconstruct the D4000 with the SED-fitting code cigale; the use of PAUS NBs instead of broad-bands significantly improves the SED fitting results. For D4000n, the direct measurement has $\rm \langle SNR \rangle \sim 4$, but we find that for iAB < 21 all direct D4000 measurements have $\rm SNR\gt 3$. The cigale D4000n has $\rm \langle SNR \rangle \sim 20$, but underestimates the error by >50 per cent. Furthermore, the direct method recreates well the D4000–SFR relation, as well as the D4000–mass relation for blue galaxies (for red galaxies, selection effects impact the results). On the other hand, cigale accurately classifies galaxies into red and blue populations. We conclude that the direct measurement of D4000 with narrow-band photometry is a promising tool to determine average properties of galaxy samples, with results compatible with spectroscopy.
The importance of silicate vapour in determining the structure, radii, and envelope mass fractions of sub-Neptunes
Authors: Misener William , Schlichting Hilke E
Published: June 2022

Substantial silicate vapour is expected to be in chemical equilibrium at temperature conditions typical of the silicate–atmosphere interface of sub-Neptune planets, which can exceed 5000 K. Previous models of the atmospheric structure and evolution of these exoplanets, which have been used to constrain their atmospheric mass fractions, have neglected this compositional coupling. In this work, we show that silicate vapour in a hydrogen-dominated atmosphere acts as a condensable species, decreasing in abundance with altitude. The resultant mean molecular weight gradient inhibits convection at temperatures above ∼4000 K, inducing a near-surface radiative layer. This radiative layer decreases the planet’s total radius compared to a planet with the same base temperature and a convective, pure H/He atmosphere. Therefore, we expect silicate vapour to have major effects on the inferred envelope mass fraction and thermal evolution of sub-Neptune planets. We demonstrate that differences in radii, and hence in inferred atmospheric masses, are largest for planets which have larger masses, equilibrium temperatures, and atmospheric mass fractions. The effects are largest for younger planets but differences can persist on gigayear time-scales for some sub-Neptunes. For a 10 M⊕ planet with Teq = 1000 K and an age of ∼300 Myr, an observed radius consistent with an atmospheric mass fraction of 10 per cent when accounting for silicate vapour would be misinterpreted as indicating an atmospheric mass fraction of 2 per cent if an H/He-only atmosphere were assumed. The presence of silicate vapour in the atmosphere is also expected to have important implications for the accretion and loss of primordial hydrogen atmospheres.
Dissipation of hydromagnetic waves in the viscous polytropic zone of the solar wind including FLR corrections, ohmic diffusion, and the Hall effect
Authors: Prajapati Ram Prasad , Desta Ephrem Tesfaye , Fok Mei-Ching , Eritro Tigistu Haile
Published: June 2022

In the polytropic zone of the solar wind, we have used the generalized polytrope pressure laws to investigate the dissipation of hydromagnetic waves and pressure-anisotropy-driven fluid instabilities in magnetized viscous plasmas, including finite Larmor radius (FLR) corrections and non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects. The modified dispersion properties have been analysed in the MHD and Chew–Goldberger–Low (CGL) limits for typical conditions of the solar wind and corona. The theoretical results are found to be in good agreement with the observational data, which shows that the MHD and CGL waves are dissipated due to viscous and ohmic diffusion. The FLR and Hall parameters show destabilizing and stabilizing influences, respectively, for the strong magnetic fields in the solar corona, and reversed effects in the case of weak magnetic fields in the solar wind. In the solar corona, the CGL wave dissipation achieves the required damping rate in the minimum time than the dissipation of the MHD waves. The damping time is mainly associated with the considered parameters and was found to be larger for the MHD wave dissipation than the CGL wave dissipation. The theoretical results successfully demonstrate the role of the considered parameters on the reverse and forward shock waves and instabilities as observed in the solar wind parameters versus heliolatitude graph using Ulysses observations for r = 5.41 au. The results are helpful to explore the possibilities of MHD waves and pressure-anisotropy-driven fluid instabilities in the polytropic zone of the solar wind that will probably be observed by the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) mission.
Evolution of Hen 3-1357, the Stingray Nebula
Authors: Peña Miriam , Parthasarathy Mudumba , Ruiz-Escobedo Francisco , Manick Rajeev
Published: June 2022

The spectroscopic evolution of Hen 3-1357, the Stingray Nebula, is presented by analysing data from 1990 to 2021. High-resolution data obtained in 2021 with South African Large Telescope High Resolution Spectrograph and in 2009 with European Southern Observatory-Very Large Telescope UVES spectrograph are used to determine physical conditions and chemical abundances in the nebula. From comparison of these data with data from different epochs it is found that the intensity of highly ionized emission lines has been decreasing with time, while the emission of low-ionization lines has been increasing, confirming that the nebula is recombining, lowering its excitation class, as a consequence of the changes in the central star which in 2002 had an effective temperature of 60 000 K and from then it has been getting colder. The present effective temperature of the central star is about 40 000 K. It has been suggested that the central star has suffered a late thermal pulse and it is returning to the AGB phase. The nebular chemistry of Hen 3-1357 indicates that all the elements, except He and Ne, present subsolar abundances. The comparison of the nebular abundances with the values predicted by stellar nucleosynthesis models at the end of the AGB phase shows that the central star had an initial mass lower than 1.5 M⊙. We estimated the ADF(O+2) to be between 2.6 and 3.5.
The transcription factor network ofE. colisteers global responses to shifts in RNAP concentration
Authors: L.B. Almeida Bilena , M. Bahrudeen Mohamed N , Chauhan Vatsala , Dash Suchintak , Kandavalli Vinodh , Häkkinen Antti , Lloyd-Price Jason , S.D. Cristina Palma , Baptista Ines S C , Gupta Abhishekh , Kesseli Juha , Dufour Eric , Smolander Olli-Pekka , Nykter Matti , Auvinen Petri , Jacobs Howard T , M.D. Oliveira Samuel , S. Ribeiro Andre
Published: June 2022

The robustness and sensitivity of gene networks to environmental changes is critical for cell survival. How gene networks produce specific, chronologically ordered responses to genome-wide perturbations, while robustly maintaining homeostasis, remains an open question. We analysed if short- and mid-term genome-wide responses to shifts in RNA polymerase (RNAP) concentration are influenced by the known topology and logic of the transcription factor network (TFN) of Escherichia coli. We found that, at the gene cohort level, the magnitude of the single-gene, mid-term transcriptional responses to changes in RNAP concentration can be explained by the absolute difference between the gene's numbers of activating and repressing input transcription factors (TFs). Interestingly, this difference is strongly positively correlated with the number of input TFs of the gene. Meanwhile, short-term responses showed only weak influence from the TFN. Our results suggest that the global topological traits of the TFN of E. coli shape which gene cohorts respond to genome-wide stresses.
Issues regarding COVID-19 in kidney transplantation in the ERA of the Omicron variant: a commentary by the ERA Descartes Working Group
Authors: Gandolfini Ilaria , Crespo Marta , Hellemans Rachel , Maggiore Umberto , Mariat Christophe , Mjoen Geir , Oniscu Gabriel C , Peruzzi Licia , Sever Mehmet Sükrü , Watschinger Bruno , Hilbrands Luuk
Published: June 2022

The Omicron variant, which has become the dominant strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) worldwide, brings new challenges to preventing and controlling the infection. Moreover, the widespread implementation of vaccination policies before and after transplantation, and the development of new prophylactic and treatment strategies for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) over the past 12–18 months, has raised several new issues concerning kidney transplant recipients. In this special report, the ERA DESCARTES (Developing Education Science and Care for Renal Transplantation in European States) Working Group addresses several questions related to everyday clinical practice concerning kidney transplant recipients and to the assessment of deceased and live kidney donors: what is the current risk of severe disease and of breakthrough infection, the optimal management of immunosuppression in kidney transplant recipients with COVID-19, the role of passive immunization and the efficacy of antiviral drugs in ambulatory patients, the management of drug-to-drug interactions, safety criteria for the use of SARS-CoV-2-positive donors, issues related to the use of T cell depleting agents as induction treatment, and current recommendations for shielding practices.
Gapless vortex bound states in superconducting topological semimetals
Authors: Zhang Yi , Qin Shengshan , Jiang Kun , Hu Jiangping
Published: June 2022

We find that the vortex bound states in superconducting topological semimetals are gapless owing to topological massless excitations in their normal states. We demonstrate this universal result in a variety of semimetals, including Dirac and Weyl semimetals, three-fold degenerate spin-1 fermions, spin-3/2 Rarita-Schwinger-Weyl fermion semimetals and other exotic fermion semimetals. The formation of these gapless bound states is closely related to their Andreev specular reflection and propagating Andreev modes in π-phase superconductor-normal metal-superconductor junctions. We further demonstrate that these gapless states are topologically protected and can be derived from a topological pumping process.
E-cigarettes to Augment Stop Smoking In-person Support and Treatment With Varenicline (E-ASSIST): A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Tattan-Birch Harry , Kock Loren , Brown Jamie , Beard Emma , Bauld Linda , West Robert , Shahab Lion
Published: June 2022

Aim

To examine whether, in adults receiving behavioral support, offering e-cigarettes together with varenicline helps more people stop smoking cigarettes than varenicline alone.

Methods

A two-group, parallel arm, pragmatic randomized controlled trial was conducted in six English stop smoking services from 2019–2020. Adults enrolled onto a 12-week programme of in-person one-to-one behavioral smoking cessation support (N  =  92) were randomized to receive either (1) a nicotine e-cigarette starter kit alongside varenicline or (2) varenicline alone. The primary outcome was biochemically verified abstinence from cigarette smoking between weeks 9-to-12 post quit date, with those lost to follow-up considered not abstinent. The trial was stopped early due to COVID-19 restrictions and a varenicline recall (92/1266 participants used).

Results

Nine-to-12-week smoking abstinence rates were 47.9% (23/48) in the e-cigarette-varenicline group compared with 31.8% (14/44) in the varenicline-only group, a 51% increase in abstinence among those offered e-cigarettes; however, the confidence interval (CI) was wide, including the possibility of no difference (risk ratio [RR] = 1.51, 95% CI = 0.91–2.64). The e-cigarette-varenicline group had 43% lower hazards of relapse from continuous abstinence than the varenicline-only group (hazards ratio [HR] = 0.57, 95% CI =  0.34–0.96). Attendance for 12 weeks was higher in the e-cigarette-varenicline than varenicline-only group (54.2% vs. 36.4%; RR = 1.49, 95% CI = 0.95–2.47), but similar proportions of participants in both groups used varenicline daily for ≥8 weeks after quitting (22.9% versus 22.7%; RR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.47–2.20). Estimates were too imprecise to determine how adverse events differed by group.

Conclusion

Tentative evidence suggests that offering e-cigarettes alongside varenicline to people receiving behavioral support may be more effective for smoking cessation than varenicline alone.

Implications

Offering e-cigarettes to people quitting smoking with varenicline may help them remain abstinent from cigarettes, but the evidence is tentative because our sample size was smaller than planned—caused by Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) restrictions and a manufacturing recall. This meant our effect estimates were imprecise, and additional evidence is needed to confirm that providing e-cigarettes and varenicline together helps more people remain abstinent than varenicline alone.
Comparative COVID-19 Vaccine Effectiveness Over Time in Veterans
Authors: Mayr Florian B , Talisa Victor B , Shaikh Obaid S , Omer Saad B , Butt Adeel A , Yende Sachin
Published: June 2022

Background

Comparative effectiveness of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines across patient subgroups is poorly understood and essential to precisely targeting vaccination strategies.

Methods

We used the US Department of Veterans Affairs COVID-19 Shared Data Resource to identify veterans who utilize VA health care and had no documented severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection before December 11, 2020. Using a test-negative case–control design (TND), we used conditional logistic regression with adjustment for covariates to estimate vaccine effectiveness (VE) over time for veterans who received 2 doses of mRNA vaccines or 1 dose of Ad26.Cov2.S.

Results

We identified 4.8 million veterans with a mean age of 64 years, of whom 58% had ≥1 chronic disease. Vaccine effectiveness for symptomatic infections, hospitalizations, and ICU admission or death declined over time and varied by the type of vaccine (P < 0.01). VE estimates against symptomatic infection during months 1 and 7 for mRNA-1273 compared with BNT162b2 were 89.7% (95% CI, 84.4%–93.0%) and 57.3% (95% CI, 48.4%–64.7%) vs 81.6% (95% CI, 75.9%–85.9%) and 22.5% (95% CI, 7.2%–35.2%) for individuals age <65 years and 78.4% (95% CI, 71.1%–83.9%) and 36.2% (95% CI, 27.7%–43.6%) vs 66.3% (95% CI, 55.7%–74.4%) and −23.3% (95% CI, −40.5% to −8.2%) in subjects age ≥65 years; against hospitalization 92.0% (95% CI, 76.1%–97.3%) and 83.1% (95% CI, 66.8%–91.4%) vs 85.6% (95% CI, 72.6%–92.4%) and 57.0% (95% CI, 31.2%–73.2%) in subjects age <65 years and 66.1% (95% CI, 45.3%–79.0%) and 64.7% (95% CI, 55.2%–72.3%) vs 61.0% (95% CI, 41.3%–74.2%) and 1.7% (95% CI, −22.0% to 20.8%) in those age ≥65 years; against ICU admission or death 89.2% (95% CI, 49.5%–97.7%) and 84.4% (95% CI, 59.0%–94.1%) vs 87.6% (95% CI, 61.0%–96.1%) and 66.4% (95% CI, 7.7%–87.8%) in subjects age <65 years and 75.4% (95% CI, 51.7%–87.5%) and 73.8 (95% CI, 62.9%–81.5%) vs 67.4% (95% CI, 32.6%–84.3%) and 29.3% (95% CI, 2.3%–48.9%) in subjects age ≥65 years, respectively (Pinteraction < .01 for all comparisons). Similarly, mRNA-1273 was more effective than BNT162b2 in veterans with >1 chronic disease.

Conclusions

mRNA-1273 was more effective than BNT162b2 in older veterans and those with chronic diseases.
IgM Positivity for Both EBV and CMV: A Clinical Conundrum
Authors: Jhaveri Tulip A , Harris Courtney , Sax Paul E
Published: June 2022

A review of 28 patients who tested positive for both Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus immunoglobulin M at an academic medical center revealed that dual positivity is more common than previously reported. These cases require careful review of the history and sometimes supplemental testing. This report highlights features of patients with dual positivity and provides recommendations on interpretation of the results.
Dolomitic Marble in a Context of UHT Metamorphism: Possible Signs of Melting, Lenadora Quarry, Sri Lanka
Authors: Martin Robert F , Schumann Dirk , Dharmapriya Prasanna L
Published: June 2022

The Lenadora quarry, located 25 km north of Matale, in central Sri Lanka, exploits dolomitic marble on an artisanal scale. It is located in the Highland Complex but very close to its thrust contact with the Wanni Complex. The rocks have undergone metamorphism to the granulite facies; by analogy with metasedimentary rocks in a similar position south of Kandy, conditions of metamorphism may even have surpassed 900°C and 0.9 GPa. How did dolomitic marble fare in such an ultrahigh-temperature environment? High-resolution large-area image mosaics of imaged polished thin sections were acquired by using both light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. We focus on fifty areas of interest. As expected, diopside and forsterite porphyroblasts appeared during prograde metamorphism. However, we did not anticipate to see subhedral porphyroblasts of forsterite mimetically replaced by diopside + dolomite. The conversion could have involved a fluid phase or a carbonate melt that had become locally enriched in silica. The presence of a melt accounts for composite calcite + dolomite globules trapped in forsterite. There is no evidence of breakdown products of dolomite, like periclase or brucite. The evidence that a carbonate melt was present is circumstantial; carbonate systems are notorious for erasing telltale evidence of melting. Other minerals encountered in the dolomitic matrix are phlogopite, pargasite, rutile, hydroxylapatite, zirconolite, lakargiite, a magnesiobeltrandoite-like phase, pyrrhotite, and calcite as a minor phase, some of which is of a second generation. Unreplaced relics of forsterite were partially serpentinized at a retrograde stage.
Tracking group identity through natural language within groups
Authors: Ashokkumar Ashwini , Pennebaker James W
Published: June 2022

To what degree can we determine people's connections with groups through the language they use? In recent years, large archives of behavioral data from social media communities have become available to social scientists, opening the possibility of tracking naturally occurring group identity processes. A feature of most digital groups is that they rely exclusively on the written word. Across 3 studies, we developed and validated a language-based metric of group identity strength and demonstrated its potential in tracking identity processes in online communities. In Studies 1a–1c, 873 people wrote about their connections to various groups (country, college, or religion). A total of 2 language markers of group identity strength were found: high affiliation (more words like we, togetherness) and low cognitive processing or questioning (fewer words like think, unsure). Using these markers, a language-based unquestioning affiliation index was developed and applied to in-class stream-of-consciousness essays of 2,161 college students (Study 2). Greater levels of unquestioning affiliation expressed in language predicted not only self-reported university identity but also students’ likelihood of remaining enrolled in college a year later. In Study 3, the index was applied to naturalistic Reddit conversations of 270,784 people in 2 online communities of supporters of the 2016 presidential candidates—Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. The index predicted how long people would remain in the group (3a) and revealed temporal shifts mirroring members’ joining and leaving of groups (3b). Together, the studies highlight the promise of a language-based approach for tracking and studying group identity processes in online groups.
Adherence to a healthy sleep pattern and incidence of cardiometabolic multimorbidity among hypertensive patients: a prospective study of UK Biobank
Authors: He Lingfang , Ma Tianqi , Li Jinchen , Luo Yi , Zhang Guogang , Cheng Xunjie , Bai Yongping
Published: June 2022

Study Objectives

To investigate whether a healthy sleep pattern would reduce the risk of cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CMM) among hypertensives.

Methods

This is a prospective cohort analysis from the UK Biobank. A total of 69 524 hypertensives without a history of diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, or stroke at baseline were enrolled. Five dimensions of healthy sleep at baseline including early chronotype, sleep 7–8 h/d, free of insomnia, no snoring, and no frequent excessive daytime sleepiness were used to generate a healthy sleep score ranging from 0 to 5 (one point was given for each dimension of healthy sleep). A higher score indicated a healthier sleep pattern. We set five groups corresponding to the healthy sleep score of 5, 4, 3, 2, and 0–1, respectively. The primary outcome was the incidence of overall CMM among enrolled hypertensives. We assessed the adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard models.

Results

We found the full-adjusted HR (95% CI) for overall CMM was 0.93 (0.91–0.95) for a 1-point increase in the healthy sleep score. Compared to hypertensives with a healthy sleep score of 0–1, those with a score of 5 had a 27% lower risk of overall CMM, and 37%, 23%, and 20% lower risks of diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, and stroke, respectively, after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristic, lifestyle, and clinical factors.

Conclusions

Our results indicated that a healthy sleep pattern was associated with lower risks of CMM outcomes among hypertensives.
Development and Evaluation of a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Method for Detection of the Potato Powdery Scab Pathogen Spongospora subterranea
Authors: Jiang Junye , Feindel Will , Harding Michael , Feindel David , Bajema Stacey , Feng Jie
Published: June 2022

Spongospora subterranea is the causal agent of powdery scab of potato (Solanum tuberosum), which can significantly reduce potato quality. In this study, we developed and evaluated a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method for the detection of S. subterranea. A set of LAMP primers named PS-LAMP was designed and tested for specificity and sensitivity. In the specificity test, in silico analysis using the NCBI Primer-BLAST tool indicated that PS-LAMP was specific to S. subterranea. The in vitro tests confirmed specificity, showing that PS-LAMP could produce positive signals from DNA isolated from each of three potato tubers with powdery scab symptoms but did not produce positive signals from DNA isolated from 38 nontarget plant pathogens. The sensitivity of PS-LAMP was tested on both gBlocks and DNA isolated from potato samples with powdery scab symptoms. On gBlocks, the lowest number of copies for a positive LAMP reaction was six, which was similar to results obtained via qPCR, but it was 10 times more sensitive than conventional PCR. On a DNA sample from S. subterranea-infected potato, the lowest amount of template DNA for a positive LAMP reaction was 2 pg, which was incomparable with the sensitivity of qPCR. Considering the convenience of the LAMP technique, as well as the high specificity and sensitivity, this assay can be very useful for plant pathology practitioners and diagnostic labs interested in rapid, accurate, and routine detection of S. subterranea and confirmation of powdery scab disease.
Astigmatism analysis and reporting of surgically induced astigmatism and prediction error
Authors: Holladay Jack T. , Wilcox Rand R. , Koch Douglas D. , Wang Li
Published: June 2022

Purpose:

To provide a method for determining the vector that, when added to the preoperative astigmatism, results in no prediction error (PE) and to specify statistical methods for evaluating astigmatism and determining the 95% confidence convex polygon.

Setting:

Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, and University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.

Design:

Retrospective consecutive case series.

Methods:

An analysis of 3 clinical trials involving toric intraocular lenses was performed. 3 formulas were evaluated (generic vergence formula with zero surgically induced astigmatism, the Barrett toric formula, and the Holladay toric formula). Scalar and vector analyses were performed on each dataset with each formula and the results compared. Since the PE was not a Gaussian distribution, a 95% convex polygon was used to determine the spread of the data.

Results:

The mean values for the vector absolute astigmatism PEs were not different for the 3 formulas and 3 datasets. The Barrett and Holladay toric calculators were statistically superior to the zero formula for 3 intervals (0.75, 1.0, and 1.25) in the high astigmatism dataset.

Conclusions:

Residual astigmatism and vector absolute astigmatism PE mean values and SDs are useful but require extremely large datasets to demonstrate a statistical difference, whereas examining percentages in 0.25 diopters (D) steps from 0.25 to 2.0 D reveals differences with far fewer cases using the McNemar test for a P value. Double-angle plots are especially useful to visualize astigmatic vector PEs, and a 95% confidence convex polygon should be used when distributions are not Gaussian.
The Relationship Between Perceived Quality of Care and the Patient Safety Culture of Turkish Nurses
Authors: KARACA Anita , AKIN Semiha , HARMANCI SEREN Arzu Kader
Published: June 2022

Background

Evaluating nurses' perceived quality of care and safety culture is an essential part of the nursing practice and critical to improving the quality of nursing care.

Purpose

This study aimed to examine the relationship between perceived quality of care and Turkish nurses' patient safety culture.

Methods

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The data were collected from a foundation university hospital in Istanbul. The sample consisted of 116 nurses, and data were collected using the Caring Behaviors Inventory-24 and Patient Safety Culture Scale. The nurses were asked to complete the questionnaires.

Results

The mean age of participating nurses was 25.95 (SD = 6.72) years. The mean duration of professional experience of the participants was 6.37 (SD = 6.05) years. Most (72.4%) of the participants were women who had graduated from vocational high schools (52.6%) and were working in the neonatal intensive care unit (37.9%). The highest mean subdimension score on the Caring Behaviors Inventory-24 was 5.78 (SD = 0.43) for the knowledge and skills subdimension. The highest mean subdimension score on the Patient Safety Culture Scale was 3.55 (SD = 0.48) for the unexpected event and error reporting subdimension. Statistically significant correlations were found between Caring Behaviors Inventory-24 and Patient Safety Culture Scale scores (r = .553, p < .01), with the lowest correlation found between the employee behavior and knowledge and skills dimensions (r = .305, p = .001). The highest statistically significant correlation coefficients that were found were between the Patient Safety Culture Scale total scores and the connectedness dimension of the Caring Behaviors Inventory-24 (r = .58, p < .001).

Conclusions/Implications for Practice

Nurses perceive patient care positively and have a positive perception of safety culture. Evaluating the perceived quality of care and patient safety culture perceptions will help prevent adverse events related to patient care and improve the quality of care.
Senescence in pulmonary arterial hypertension: is there a link?
Authors: Semen Khrystyna O. , Bast Aalt
Published: June 2022

Purpose of review

Cellular senescence has been recognized as a promising target in the treatment of many cardiovascular diseases. The pathways involved in the development of senescence share many similarities with pathobiological mechanisms of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). But the potential of senolytics to improve pulmonary hemodynamics and to reduce vascular remodelling in PAH has thus far not been investigated in depth.

Recent findings

PAH does not seem to be a disease of only young people since the mean age of PAH patients is constantly increasing. Changes in expression of senescence biomarkers related to cell cycle arrest, namely upregulation of the tumour suppressor protein p53 and the cell cycle inhibitors p16ink4A an p21cip1 as well as an increase in apoptosis resistance biomarker Bcl2 (B-cell lymphoma 2) and development of senescence-associated phenotype characterized by excessive production of matrix metalloproteinase 2 and interleukin 6 were demonstrated in PAH patients. Initiatives to link the senescence-modulating effect of certain compounds to clinically relevant outcomes in PAH are still limited.

Further exploration of the role of senescence in the pathobiology of PAH may point to new relevant treatment strategies. Identification of the cell-specific senescence biomarkers which can be used in vivo, could further promote identification of clinically relevant pathways and design of clinical studies which will help to establish effective therapeutic use of senolytic compounds.