bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation of the professional identity questionnaire among medical students
Authors: Toben Daan , Mak-van der Vossen Marianne , Wouters Anouk , Kusurkar Rashmi A.
Published: June 2021

Background

Professionalism represents a cornerstone of the medical profession, prompting medical educators to actively develop instruments to measure professional identity formation among medical students. A quantitative approach to this problem has been lacking. Hence in this study, we investigate the validity and reliability of using Brown et al.’s [1986] Professional Identity Questionnaire (PIQ) to measure professional identity among medical students.

Methods

We used the American Psychological Association’s account of validity and reliability to examine the PIQ in terms of its internal structure, its relation to a validated motivation scale, its content, and its internal consistency. To this end, we performed two factor analyses, a Pearson’s correlation test, an expert evaluation and measured Cronbach’s alpha, respectively..

Results

Factor analysis revealed two latent factors underlying the items of the PIQ. We found a negative to positive spectrum of Pearson’s correlations corresponding to increasingly internal qualities of motivation. Experts unanimously rated four out of ten of the PIQ’s items as relevant, reliability analysis yielded a Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.82.

Conclusion

Despite poor ratings by experts in the field, these results illustrate the PIQ as a valid and reliable quantitative measure of medical students’ professional identity; its two factors reflecting the measure of attached and detached attitudes towards the medical profession. Educators may use the instrument as a tool for monitoring PIF among their students, as well as for designing and evaluating their medical curriculum. Future research might build on the current findings by investigating other dimensions of the PIQ’s validity, including response process validity, predictive validity and consequential validity.
‘Bare-bones’ to ‘silver linings’: lessons on integrating a palliative approach to care in long-term care in Western Canada
Authors: Cloutier Denise , Stajduhar Kelli I. , Roberts Della , Dujela Carren , Roland Kaitlyn
Published: June 2021

Background

‘Whole-person’ palliative approaches to care (PAC) are important for enhancing the quality of life of residents with life-limiting conditions in long-term care (LTC). This research is part of a larger, four province study, the ‘SALTY (Seniors Adding Life to Years)’ project to address quality of care in later life.

A Quality Improvement (QI) project to integrate a PAC (PAC-QI) in LTC was implemented in Western Canada in four diverse facilities that varied in terms of ownership, leadership models, bed size and geography. Two palliative ‘link nurses’ were hired for 1 day a week at each site over a two-year time frame to facilitate a PAC and support education and training.

This paper evaluates the challenges with embedding the PAC-QI into LTC, from the perspectives of the direct care, or front-line team members. Sixteen focus groups were undertaken with 80 front-line workers who were predominantly RNs/LPNs (n = 25), or Health Care Aides (HCAs; n = 32). A total of 23 other individuals from the ranks of dieticians, social workers, recreation and rehabilitation therapists and activity coordinators also participated. Each focus group was taped and transcribed and thematically analyzed by research team members to develop and consolidate the findings related to challenges with embedding the PAC.

Results

Thematic analyses revealed that front-line workers are deeply committed to providing high quality PAC, but face challenges related to longstanding conditions in LTC notably, staff shortages, and perceived lack of time for providing compassionate care. The environment is also characterized by diverse views on what a PAC is, and when it should be applied. Our research suggests that integrated, holistic and sustainable PAC depends upon access to adequate resources for education, training for front-line care workers, and supportive leadership.

Conclusions

The urgent need for integrated PAC models in LTC has been accentuated by the current COVID-19 pandemic. Consequently, it is more imperative than ever before to move forwards with such models in order to promote quality of care and quality of life for residents and families, and to support job satisfaction for essential care workers.
Do all mice smell the same? Chemosensory cues from inbred and wild mouse strains elicit stereotypic sensory representations in the accessory olfactory bulb
Authors: Bansal Rohini , Nagel Maximilian , Stopkova Romana , Sofer Yizhak , Kimchi Tali , Stopka Pavel , Spehr Marc , Ben-Shaul Yoram
Published: June 2021

Background

For many animals, chemosensory cues are vital for social and defensive interactions and are primarily detected and processed by the vomeronasal system (VNS). These cues are often inherently associated with ethological meaning, leading to stereotyped behaviors. Thus, one would expect consistent representation of these stimuli across different individuals. However, individuals may express different arrays of vomeronasal sensory receptors and may vary in the pattern of connections between those receptors and projection neurons in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). In the first part of this study, we address the ability of individuals to form consistent representations despite these potential sources of variability. The second part of our study is motivated by the fact that the majority of research on VNS physiology involves the use of stimuli derived from inbred animals. Yet, it is unclear whether neuronal representations of inbred-derived stimuli are similar to those of more ethologically relevant wild-derived stimuli.

Results

First, we compared sensory representations to inbred, wild-derived, and wild urine stimuli in the AOBs of males from two distinct inbred strains, using them as proxies for individuals. We found a remarkable similarity in stimulus representations across the two strains. Next, we compared AOB neuronal responses to inbred, wild-derived, and wild stimuli, again using male inbred mice as subjects. Employing various measures of neuronal activity, we show that wild-derived and wild stimuli elicit responses that are broadly similar to those from inbred stimuli: they are not considerably stronger or weaker, they show similar levels of sexual dimorphism, and when examining population-level activity, cluster with inbred mouse stimuli.

Conclusions

Despite strain-specific differences and apparently random connectivity, the AOB can maintain stereotypic sensory representations for broad stimulus categories, providing a substrate for common stereotypical behaviors. In addition, despite many generations of inbreeding, AOB representations capture the key ethological features (i.e., species and sex) of wild-derived and wild counterparts. Beyond these broad similarities, representations of stimuli from wild mice are nevertheless distinct from those elicited by inbred mouse stimuli, suggesting that laboratory inbreeding has indeed resulted in marked modifications of urinary secretions.
Prescribing sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors for type 2 diabetes in primary care: influence of renal function and heart failure diagnosis
Authors: Hinton William , Feher Michael D. , Munro Neil , Joy Mark , de Lusignan Simon
Published: June 2021

Background

Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT-2is) are licenced for initiation for glucose lowering in people with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73m2). However, recent trial data have shown that these medications have renal and cardio-protective effects, even for impaired kidney function. The extent to which trial evidence and updated guidelines have influenced real-world prescribing of SGLT-2is is not known, particularly with co-administration of diuretics.

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional analysis of people with T2DM registered with practices in the Oxford-Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Research and Surveillance Centre (RSC) database on the 31st July 2019. We calculated the percentage of people prescribed SGLT-2is according to eGFR categories (< 45, 45–59, and ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73m2), with a heart failure diagnosis and stratified by body mass index categories (underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese), and with concomitant prescription of a diuretic. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was performed to determine whether heart failure diagnosis and renal function were associated with SGLT-2i prescribing.

Results

From a population of 242,624 people with T2DM across 419 practices, 11.0% (n = 26,700) had been prescribed SGLT-2is. The majority of people initiated SGLT-2is had an eGFR ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73m2 (93.2%), and 4.3% had a heart failure diagnosis. 9,226 (3.8%) people were prescribed SGLT-2is as an add-on to their diuretic prescription. People in the highest eGFR category (≥ 60 mL/min/1.73m2) were more likely to be prescribed SGLT-2is than those in eGFR lower categories. Overweight (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.841–2.274) and obese people (OR 3.84, 95% CI 3.472–4.250) were also more likely to be prescribed these medications, whilst use of diuretics (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.682–0.804) and heart failure (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.653–0.998) were associated with lower odds of being prescribed SGLT-2is.

Conclusions

Prescribing patterns of SGLT-2is for glucose lowering in T2DM in primary care generally concur with licenced indications according to recommended renal thresholds. A small percentage of people with heart failure were prescribed SGLT-2is for T2DM. An updated analysis is merited should UK National Institute for Health Care and Excellence prescribing guidelines for T2DM be revised to incorporate new data on the benefits for those with reduced renal function or with heart failure.
Enterococcus faecium PNC01 isolated from the intestinal mucosa of chicken as an alternative for antibiotics to reduce feed conversion rate in broiler chickens
Authors: He Yang , Liu Xuan , Dong Yuanyang , Lei Jiaqi , Ito Koichi , Zhang Bingkun
Published: June 2021

Background

The development and utilization of probiotics had many environmental benefits for replacing antibiotics in animal production. Bacteria in the intestinal mucosa have better adhesion to the host intestinal epithelial cells compared to bacteria in the intestinal contents. In this study, lactic acid bacteria were isolated from the intestinal mucosa of broiler chickens and investigated as the substitution to antibiotic in broiler production.

Results

In addition to acid resistance, high temperature resistance, antimicrobial sensitivity tests, and intestinal epithelial cell adhesion, Enterococcus faecium PNC01 (E. faecium PNC01) was showed to be non-cytotoxic to epithelial cells. Draft genome sequence of E. faecium PNC01 predicted that it synthesized bacteriocin to perform probiotic functions and bacteriocin activity assay showed it inhibited Salmonella typhimurium from invading intestinal epithelial cells. Diet supplemented with E. faecium PNC01 increased the ileal villus height and crypt depth in broiler chickens, reduced the relative length of the cecum at day 21, and reduced the relative length of jejunum and ileum at day 42. Diet supplemented with E. faecium PNC01 increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Lactobacillus, decreased the relative abundance of Bacteroides in the cecal microbiota.

Conclusion

E. faecium PNC01 replaced antibiotics to reduce the feed conversion rate. Furthermore, E. faecium PNC01 improved intestinal morphology and altered the composition of microbiota in the cecum to reduce feed conversion rate. Thus, it can be used as an alternative for antibiotics in broiler production to avoid the adverse impact of antibiotics by altering the gut microbiota.

Graphic Abstract
Humoral and cellular immune response to Plasmodium vivax VIR recombinant and synthetic antigens in individuals naturally exposed to P. vivax in the Republic of Korea
Authors: Lee Sanghyun , Choi Young-Ki , Goo Youn-Kyoung
Published: June 2021

Background

Plasmodium vivax proteins with variant interspersed repeats (VIR) are the key proteins used by the parasite to escape from the host immune system through the creation of antigenic variations. However, few studies have been done to elucidate their role as targets of immunity. Thus, this study evaluated the naturally-acquired immune response against VIR proteins in vivax malaria-infected individuals in the Republic of Korea (ROK).

Methods

Seven recombinant VIR proteins and two synthetic peptides previously studied in other countries that elicited a robust immune response were used to investigate the antibody and cellular immune response in 681 P. vivax-infected people in ROK. The expression of IgM, IgG, and IgG subclasses against each VIR antigen or against PvMSP1-19 was analysed by ELISA. PvMSP1-19, known as a promising vaccine candidate of P. vivax, was used as the positive control for immune response assessment. Furthermore, the cellular immune response to VIR antigens was evaluated by in vitro proliferative assay, cellular activation assay, and cytokine detection in mononuclear cells of the P. vivax-infected population.

Results

IgM or IgG were detected in 52.4% of the population. Among all the VIR antigens, VIR25 elicited the highest humoral immune response in the whole population with IgG and IgM prevalence of 27.8% and 29.2%, respectively, while PvMSP1-19 elicited even higher prevalence (92%) of IgG in the population. As for the cellular immune response, VIR-C2, PvLP2, and PvMSP1-19 induced high cell activation and secretion of IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, and G-CSF in mononuclear cells from the P. vivax-infected population, comparable with results from PvMSP1-19. However, no significant proliferation response to these antigens was observed between the malaria-infected and healthy groups.

Conclusion

Moderate natural acquisition of antibody and cellular responses in P. vivax-infected Korean malaria patients presented here are similar to that in other countries. It is interesting that the immune response to VIR antigens is conserved among malaria parasites in different countries, considering that VIR genes are highly polymorphic. This thus warrants further studies to elucidate molecular mechanisms by which human elicit immune response to the malaria parasite VIR antigens.
A cost study for mobile phone health surveys using interactive voice response for assessing risk factors of noncommunicable diseases
Authors: Vecino-Ortiz Andres I. , Nagarajan Madhuram , Katumba Kenneth Roger , Akhter Shamima , Tweheyo Raymond , Gibson Dustin G. , Ali Joseph , Rutebemberwa Elizeus , Khan Iqbal Ansary , Labrique Alain , Pariyo George W.
Published: June 2021

Background

This is the first study to examine the costs of conducting a mobile phone survey (MPS) through interactive voice response (IVR) to collect information on risk factors for noncommunicable diseases (NCD) in three low- and middle-income countries (LMIC); Bangladesh, Colombia, and Uganda.

Methods

This is a micro-costing study conducted from the perspective of the payer/funder with a 1-year horizon. The study evaluates the fixed costs and variable costs of implementing one nationally representative MPS for NCD risk factors of the adult population. In this costing study, we estimated the sample size of calls required to achieve a population-representative survey and associated incentives. Cost inputs were obtained from direct economic costs incurred by a central study team, from country-specific collaborators, and from platform developers who participated in the deployment of these MPS during 2017. Costs were reported in US dollars (USD). A sensitivity analysis was conducted assessing different scenarios of pricing and incentive strategies. Also, costs were calculated for a survey deployed targeting only adults younger than 45 years.

Results

We estimated the fixed costs ranging between $47,000 USD and $74,000 USD. Variable costs were found to be between $32,000 USD and $129,000 USD per nationally representative survey. The main cost driver was the number of calls required to meet the sample size, and its variability largely depends on the extent of mobile phone coverage and access in the country. Therefore, a larger number of calls were estimated to survey specific harder-to-reach sub-populations.

Conclusion

Mobile phone surveys have the potential to be a relatively less expensive and timely method of collecting survey information than face-to-face surveys, allowing decision-makers to deploy survey-based monitoring or evaluation programs more frequently than it would be possible having only face-to-face contact. The main driver of variable costs is survey time, and most of the variability across countries is attributable to the sampling differences associated to reaching out to population subgroups with low mobile phone ownership or access.
Mental health solutions for domestic violence victims amid COVID-19: a review of the literature
Authors: Su Zhaohui , McDonnell Dean , Roth Stephanie , Li Quanlei , Šegalo Sabina , Shi Feng , Wagers Shelly
Published: June 2021

Background

Due to COVID-19, domestic violence victims face a range of mental health challenges, possibly resulting in substantial human and economic consequences. However, there is a lack of mental health interventions tailored to domestic violence victims and in the context of COVID-19. In this study, we aim to identify interventions that can improve domestic violence victims’ mental health amid the COVID-19 pandemic to address the research gap.

Main text

Drawing insights from established COVID-19 review frameworks and a comprehensive review of PubMed literature, we obtained information on interventions that can address domestic violence victims’ mental health challenges amid COVID-19. We identified practical and timely solutions that can be utilized to address mental health challenges domestic violence victims face amid COVID-19, mainly focusing on (1) decreasing victims’ exposure to the abuser and (2) increasing victims’ access to mental health services.

Conclusion

Domestic violence is a public health crisis that affects all demographics and could result in significant morbidity and mortality. In addition to emphasizing mental health challenges faced by domestic violence victims, multidisciplinary interventions are identified that could provide timely and practical solutions to domestic violence victims amid the pandemic, which range from tailored shelter home strategies, education programs, escape plans, laws and regulations, as well as more technology-based mental health solutions. There is a significant need for more multipronged and multidisciplinary strategies to address domestic violence amid and beyond the pandemic, particularly interventions that could capitalize on the ubiquity and cost-effectiveness of technology-based solutions.
Sleep-time physiological recovery is associated with eating habits in distressed working-age Finns with overweight: secondary analysis of a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Järvelä-Reijonen Elina , Järvinen Suvi , Karhunen Leila , Föhr Tiina , Myllymäki Tero , Sairanen Essi , Lindroos Sanni , Peuhkuri Katri , Hallikainen Maarit , Pihlajamäki Jussi , Puttonen Sampsa , Korpela Riitta , Ermes Miikka , Lappalainen Raimo , Kujala Urho M. , Kolehmainen Marjukka , Laitinen Jaana
Published: June 2021

Background

Association of physiological recovery with nutrition has scarcely been studied. We investigated whether physiological recovery during sleep relates to eating habits, i.e., eating behaviour and diet quality.

Methods

Cross-sectional baseline analysis of psychologically distressed adults with overweight (N = 252) participating in a lifestyle intervention study in three Finnish cities. Recovery measures were based on sleep-time heart rate variability (HRV) measured for 3 consecutive nights. Measures derived from HRV were 1) RMSSD (Root Mean Square of the Successive Differences) indicating the parasympathetic activation of the autonomic nervous system and 2) Stress Balance (SB) indicating the temporal ratio of recovery to stress. Eating behaviour was measured with questionnaires (Intuitive Eating Scale, Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire, Health and Taste Attitude Scales, ecSatter Inventory™). Diet quality was quantified using questionnaires (Index of Diet Quality, Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test Consumption) and 48-h dietary recall.

Results

Participants with best RMSSD reported less intuitive eating (p = 0.019) and less eating for physical rather than emotional reasons (p = 0.010) compared to those with poorest RMSSD; participants with good SB reported less unconditional permission to eat (p = 0.008), higher fibre intake (p = 0.028), higher diet quality (p = 0.001), and lower alcohol consumption (p < 0.001) compared to those with poor SB, although effect sizes were small. In subgroup analyses among participants who reported working regular daytime hours (n = 216), only the associations of SB with diet quality and alcohol consumption remained significant.

Conclusions

Better nocturnal recovery showed associations with better diet quality, lower alcohol consumption and possibly lower intuitive eating. In future lifestyle interventions and clinical practice, it is important to acknowledge sleep-time recovery as one possible factor linked with eating habits.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT01738256, Registered 17 August 2012.
Using Robinson-Foulds supertrees in divide-and-conquer phylogeny estimation
Authors: Yu Xilin , Le Thien , Christensen Sarah A. , Molloy Erin K. , Warnow Tandy
Published: June 2021

One of the Grand Challenges in Science is the construction of theTree of Life, an evolutionary tree containing several million species, spanning all life on earth. However, the construction of the Tree of Life is enormously computationally challenging, as all the current most accurate methods are either heuristics forNP-hard optimization problems or Bayesian MCMC methods that sample from tree space. One of the most promising approaches for improving scalability and accuracy for phylogeny estimation uses divide-and-conquer: a set of species is divided into overlapping subsets, trees are constructed on the subsets, and then merged together using a “supertree method”. Here, we present Exact-RFS-2, the first polynomial-time algorithm to find an optimal supertree of two trees, using the Robinson-Foulds Supertree (RFS) criterion (a major approach in supertree estimation that is related to maximum likelihood supertrees), and we prove that finding the RFS of three input trees isNP-hard. Exact-RFS-2 is available in open source form on Github athttps://github.com/yuxilin51/GreedyRFS.
Cerebralcare Granule® enhances memantine hydrochloride efficacy in APP/PS1 mice by ameliorating amyloid pathology and cognitive functions
Authors: Qiao Ou , Zhang Xinyu , Zhang Yi , Ji Haixia , Li Zhi , Han Xiaoying , Wang Wenzhe , Li Xia , Wang Juan , Liu Changxiao , Gao Wenyuan
Published: June 2021

Background

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by memory deficits and cognitive decline. Current drugs can only relieve symptoms, but cannot really cure AD. Cerebralcare Granule® (CG) is a Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) containing a variety of biologically active compounds. In our previous studies, CG has shown a beneficial effect against memory impairment in mice caused by d-galactose. However, whether CG can be used as a complementary medicine for the treatment of AD remains unexplored. Here, we use a combination of CG and memantine hydrochloride (Mm) to treat Alzheimer-like pathology and investigate the effects and mechanisms in vivo.

Methods

The histology of brain was examined with Hematoxylin–eosin (HE) staining, Golgi staining and Thioflavin S staining. ELISA was applied to assess the expression levels or activities of CAT, SOD, GSH-Px, MDA, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TBIL) in serum, as well as the levels of IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α in the mice brain. Western blotting was used to assess the expression of β-secretase (BACE1), amyloid precursor protein (APP), APPβ, APPα, synaptophysin (SYN), growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43), and postsynaptic density 95 (PSD95).

Results

In the present study, the combination group (CG + Mm) significantly attenuated Alzheimer-like behavior without adverse effects in APP/PS1 mice, indicating its high degree of safety and efficacy after long-term treatment. CG + Mm reduced AD pathological biomarker Aβ plaque accumulation by inhibiting BACE1 and APP expression (P < 0.05 or P < 0.001). Besides, the combination group markedly inhibited the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α in hippocampus (P < 0.001), as well as activities of SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px in serum (P < 0.001). By contrast, the combination group improved synaptic plasticity by enhancing SYN, PSD95, and GAP43 expression.

Conclusions

Taken together, these data supported the notion that CG combined with Mm might ameliorate the cognitive impairment through multiple pathways, suggesting that CG could play a role as complementary medicine to increase anti-AD effect of chemical drugs by reducing Aβ deposition, neuroinflammation, oxidative damage, and improving synaptic plasticity.
Tanshinone I exerts cardiovascular protective effects in vivo and in vitro through inhibiting necroptosis via Akt/Nrf2 signaling pathway
Authors: Zhuo Youqiong , Yuan Renyikun , Chen Xinxin , He Jia , Chen Yangling , Zhang Chenwei , Sun Kaili , Yang Shilin , Liu Zhenjie , Gao Hongwei
Published: June 2021

Background

Tanshinone I (TI) is a primary component of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen), which confers a favorable role in a variety of pharmacological activities including cardiovascular protection. However, the exact mechanism of the cardiovascular protection activity of TI remains to be illustrated. In this study, the cardiovascular protective effect and its mechanism of TI were investigated.

Methods

In this study, tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-stimulated H9c2 cells model was employed to investigate the protective effect in vitro. The cell viability was determined by 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) kit. The reactive-oxygen-species (ROS) level and mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) were investigated by the flow cytometry and JC-1 assay, respectively. While in vivo experiment, the cardiovascular protective effect of TI was determined by using myocardial ischemia–reperfusion (MI/R) model including hematoxylin–eosin (H&E) staining assay and determination of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) release were detected by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Receptor interacting protein kinase 1 (RIP1), receptor interacting protein kinase 3 (RIP3), receptor interacting protein kinase 3 (MLKL), protein kinase B (Akt), Nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2), Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO-1) were determined by western blotting.

Results

Our data demonstrated that TI pretreatment attenuated t-BHP and MI/R injury-induced necroptosis by inhibiting the expression of p-RIP1, p-RIP3, and p-MLKL. TI activated the Akt/Nrf2 pathway to promote the expression of antioxidant-related proteins such as phosphorylation of Akt, nuclear factor erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2), quinone oxidoreductase-1 (NQO-1) and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) expression in t-BHP-stimulated H9c2 cells. TI relieved oxidative stress by mitigating ROS generation and reversing MMP loss. In vivo experiment, TI made electrocardiograph (ECG) recovery better and lessened the degree of myocardial tissue damage. The counts of white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil (Neu), lymphocyte (Lym), and the release of TNF-α and IL-6 were reversed by TI treatment. SOD level was increased, while MDA level was decreased by TI treatment.

Conclusion

Collectively, our findings indicated that TI exerted cardiovascular protective activities in vitro and in vivo through suppressing RIP1/RIP3/MLKL and activating Akt/Nrf2 signaling pathways, which could be developed into a cardiovascular protective agent.
Autophagy activity contributes to the impairment of social recognition in Epac2−/− mice
Authors: Kwak Ji-Hye , Lee You-kyung , Jun Mi-Hee , Roh Mootaek , Seo Hyunhyo , Lee Juhyun , Lee Kyungmin , Lee Jin-A
Published: June 2021

Autophagy is a lysosomal degradation pathway that regulates cellular homeostasis. It is constitutively active in neurons and controls the essential steps of neuronal development, leading to its dysfunction in neurodevelopmental disorders. Although mTOR-associated impaired autophagy has previously been reported in neurodevelopmental disorders, there is lack of information about the dysregulation of mTOR-independent autophagy in neurodevelopmental disorders. In this study, we investigated whether the loss ofEpac2,involved in the mTOR-independent pathway, affects autophagy activity and whether the activity of autophagy is associated with social–behavioral phenotypes in mice withEpac2deficiencies.We observed an accumulation of autophagosomes and a significant increase in autophagic flux in Epac2-deficient neurons, which had no effect on mTOR activity. Next, we examined whether an increase in autophagic activity contributed to the social behavior exhibited inEpac2−/−mice. The social recognition deficit observed inEpac2−/−mice recovered in double transgenicEpac2−/−:Atg5+/−mice. Our study suggests that excessive autophagy due to Epac2 deficiencies may contribute to social recognition defects through an mTOR-independent pathway.
Microhabitat characteristics related to seasonal roost switching: implications from a threatened and introduced cockatoo species in an urban landscape
Authors: Wang Sifeng , Chu L. M.
Published: June 2021

Background

Communal roosting is a common avian social behaviour, which potentially provides foraging benefits, predation avoidance or thermoregulation in birds. To identify the crucial environmental factors associated with roost site selection, most studies have focused on the comparison of physical characteristics between roosts and non-roosts. However, the differences among roosts have usually been neglected and the causes of roost switching have seldom been investigated.

Methods

To explore the variations among roost sites and assess the most influential environmental factors related to seasonal roost switching, we conducted a 105-day observation on an introduced population of critically endangered Yellow-crested Cockatoo (Cacatua sulphurea) in an urban environment in Hong Kong from 2014 to 2016. We identified seven roost sites that were occupied in different seasons and then measured their microhabitat characteristics in terms of land use types, human disturbance and microclimate temperature. To quantify these differences, we used Pearson’s chi-squared test, partial least squares determinant analysis (PLS-DA) and one-way repeated measures ANOVA, respectively.

Results

Our results distinguished roost sites occupied in three seasons, i.e. spring, summer and winter roosts, using several microhabitat characteristics. The land use types were significantly associated with roosts, where spring roosts were usually located in tree-dominated areas, which are the major feeding grounds. The discriminant analysis on human disturbance variables indicated that summer roosts were positively associated with night illumination. The microhabitat temperatures of winter roosts were significantly higher than those of most other roosts on cold nights.

Conclusions

The results highlighted significant variations among roosts, and seasonal roost switching was likely driven by specific microhabitat characteristics of each roost site, such as microclimate. It also helps us understand the behavioural adaptation of birds to urban environments.
Bayesian analysis of time-varying interactions between stock returns and foreign equity flows
Authors: Baba Boubekeur , Sevil Güven
Published: June 2021

This study discusses the trading behavior of foreign investors with respect to economic uncertainty in the South Korean stock market from a time-varying perspective. We employ a news-based measure of economic uncertainty along with the model of time-varying parameter vector autoregression with stochastic volatility. The empirical analysis reveals several new findings about foreign investors’ trading behaviors. First, we find evidence that positive feedback trading often appears during periods of high economic uncertainty, whereas negative feedback trading is exclusively observable during periods of low economic uncertainty. Second, the foreign investors’ feedback trading appears mostly to be well-timed and often leads the time-varying economic uncertainty except in periods of global crises. Third, lagged negative (positive) response of net flows to economic uncertainty is found to be coupled with lagged positive (negative) feedback trading. Fourth, the study documents an asymmetric response of foreign investors with regard to negative and positive shocks of economic uncertainty. Specifically, we find that they instantly turn to positive feedback trading after a negative contemporaneous response of net flows to shocks of economic uncertainty. In contrast, they move slowly toward negative feedback trading after a positive response of net flows to uncertainty shocks.
Advances of SBAS authentication technologies
Authors: Chen Ying , Gao Weiguang , Chen Xiao , Liu Ting , Liu Cheng , Su Chengeng , Lu Jun , Wang Wei , Mu Shenglin
Published: June 2021

Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) provides the corrections and integrity information to users, but as its signal format is opened to the public and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) spoofing technology becomes more realistic, more feasible and cheaper. It's foreseeable that there will be risks of spoofing threats against SBAS in the future. SBAS signal authentication technology provides a system-level solution to spoofing threats by adding special markers to SBAS signals so that receivers can verify whether the SBAS signals are from the on-orbit Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) satellites or whether the signal information has been forged and tampered with. First, this article introduces the existing anti-spoofing methods that can be applied to SBAS, especially the Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA) and Timed Efficient Stream Loss-Tolerant Authentication (TESLA) protocols. Then it discusses four possible solutions in a combination with the existing SBAS Interface Control Document (ICD). Two main Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Time Between Authentication (TBA) and Authentication Latency (AL), obtained in the four main scenarios are compared. By analyzing the EGNOS Authentication Security Testbed (EAST) test simulation results of European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS) in Europe, the impact of SBAS after joining the authentication service is obtained.
Can initial chest CT scan predict status and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 infection? A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Abdollahi Iman , Nabahati Mehrdad , Javanian Mostafa , Shirafkan Hoda , Mehraeen Rahele
Published: June 2021

Background

We aimed to investigate the association of initial chest CT scan findings with status and adverse outcomes of COVID-19 (including ICU admission, mortality, and disease severity).

This retrospective cohort study was performed in three hospitals in Babol, northern Iran, between February and March 2020. Cases were confirmed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Clinical and paraclinical data of the patients were collected from their medical records. CT severity score (CSS) was calculated by a senior radiologist. Disease severity was determined based on the World Health Organization criteria.

Results

In total, 742 patients were included, of whom 451 (60.8%) were males and 291 (39.2%) were females. The mean age was 56.59 ± 14.88 years old. Also, 523 (70.5%) were RT-PCR-positive. Ground glass opacity was directly associated with RT-PCR positivity (odds ratio [OR] = 2.07). Also, RT-PCR-positive cases had significantly a higher CSS than RT-PCR-negative cases (p = 0.037). In patients confirmed with COVID-19, peribronchovascular distribution of lesions, number of zones involved, and CSS were associated with increased risk of ICU admission (OR = 2.93, OR = 2.10, and OR = 1.14, respectively), mortality (OR = 2.30, OR = 1.35, and OR=1.08, respectively), severe disease (OR = 2.06, OR = 1.68, and OR = 1.10, respectively), and critical disease (OR = 4.62, OR = 3.21, and OR = 1.23, respectively). Also, patients who had consolidation were at a higher risk of severe disease compared with those who did not (OR = 4.94).

Conclusion

Initial chest CT scan can predict COVID-19 positivity, ICU admission, mortality, and disease severity, specifically through CSS.
Danses Fantastiques
Authors: Bell Matthew
Published: June 2021

Much of Tchaikovsky's music for the ballets Sleeping Beauty and Nutcracker exhibits what Harald Krebs calls metrical dissonance: the juxtaposition or superimposition of noncoincident pulses and rhythmic patterns. This article shows how the dances of the composer's collaborators, Enrico Cecchetti, Antonietta Dell'Era, Lev Ivanov, and Marius Petipa, respond to and participate in these metrical dissonances. The first part of the article defines metrical dissonance, the processes that transform it, and the related but distinct phenomenon of metric type. The second part presents four choreomusical analyses that draw on archival dance notation and videos of present-day performances.
Capital Markets in China and Britain, 1770–1860: Evidence from Grain Prices
Authors: Keller Wolfgang , Shiue Carol H. , Wang Xin
Published: June 2021

Based on comprehensive grain price data, we employ a storage model to estimate consistent interest rates and compare capital market development between Britain and China. Interest rates for Britain were lower than China’s on average by about 3 percentage points from 1770 to 1860. For country pairs with bilateral distance less than 200 kilometers, the regional capital market integration in the Yangzi Delta in China comes close to the British average; but at larger distances, spatial interest rate correlations in Britain are twice those of the Delta and three or more times as high as elsewhere in China. Overall, our results suggest capital market development differences at an early date, so that capital market performance may be important for the Great Divergence that emerged between China and Western countries at this time. (JEL E43, E44, N23, N25, N53, N55, Q11)
Current management of adults receiving oral anti-cancer medications: A scoping review protocol
Authors: Richmond Janice P. , Kelly Mary Grace , Johnston Alison , Hynes Lisa , Murphy Patrick J. , Murphy Andrew W.
Published: June 2021

Oncology has been undergoing a profound transition in the last ten years with the increased usage in oral anti-cancer medication. Approximately 25% of all anti-cancer medication is now designed for oral use and this is likely to increase prospectively. These treatments are convenient for patients and are often preferred by them, yet there are similar safety and toxicity concerns as there are to intravenous treatment. Oral anti-cancer medications (OAMs) have the potential to alleviate capacity issues in cancer treating units as patients receive their treatment at home, however there remains a requirement for safe and efficient assessment and care. Consequently, the management of patients on OAMs is of paramount importance. The optimum setting, whether within primary or secondary care, in addition to the appropriate health care professional to carry out patient assessment and monitoring needs to be established.

This paper presents a protocol for a scoping review which aims to systematically and comprehensively map the literature on the current management of adults receiving OAMs. The review will follow the published guidance to direct the various steps involved. The protocol will be guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) framework to ensure methodological and reporting quality. Independent full text review will be performed by two reviewers and any disagreements resolved through discussion with a third reviewer. The process will be iterative in nature.

This scoping review will provide a narrative synthesis and map the literature on the management of individuals receiving OAMs. This work is an appropriate initial stage in presenting the literature to inform the subsequent steps in a multi-phased research study which aims to establish and analyse the safety and efficacy of an integrated care model for the management of patients receiving OAM in the community by an advanced practitioner.
‘Marston wrote his father-in-law’s preachings, and his father-in-law his comedies’: Of Obedience, or Ecclesiastical Unity and the Dating of The Malcontent
Authors: Dutton Richard
Published: June 2021

The point of Jonson’s joke, that ‘Marston wrote his father-in-law’s preachings, and his father-in-law his comedies’ has never been explained. The discovery that the father-in-law, William Wilkes, quotes directly from The Malcontent in his Of Obedience, or Ecclesiastical Unity reveals an important context of the play, the puritan push for church reform from the beginning of James’s reign, culminating in the 1604 Hampton Court conference and the subsequent removal of nonconformists from the clergy. Wilkes and Marston were at one in resisting puritan ‘innovation’. This reference dates the play within the first year of the reign, probably to early 1604.
The end of life: diagnosis or decision?
Authors: Finch John
Published: June 2021

There is probably no more difficult decision in a clinician's professional life than to declare a patient dead. Clinicians are trained to make diagnoses and to make decisions on the basis of those diagnoses. But is the declaration that a patient is dead a professional diagnosis? John Finch presents the view that deciding on death is just that: a decision.
Herniated discs: when is surgery necessary?
Authors: Yoon Wai Weng , Koch Jonathan
Published: June 2021

In all levels of disc herniations the absolute surgical indications include deteriorating neurological deficits with myelopathy or cauda equina syndrome. However, this review summarized the relative indications for surgery in each level. In cervical disc herniation (CDH), the indications for surgery consist of six months of persisting symptoms, not responding to conservative treatment. However, high-quality studies are lacking, and a randomized controlled trial is now underway to clarify the indications. In thoracic disc herniation (TDH), the indications for surgery comprise failure of conservative measures and/or worsening neurological symptoms. Moreover, giant calcified thoracic disc herniations or myelopathy signs on magnetic resonance imaging, even in the absence of neurological symptoms, may benefit from surgical treatment as a preventive measure. In lumbar disc herniation (LDH), the indications for surgery include imaging confirmation of LDH, consistent with clinical findings, and failure to improve after six weeks of conservative care.

Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2021;6:526-530. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.6.210020
Analysis of the Exeter V40 femoral stem prosthesis fracture
Authors: Thompson Joshua W. , Corbett James , Bye Daniel , Jones Adrian , Tissingh Elizabeth K. , Nolan John
Published: June 2021

Aims

The Exeter V40 cemented polished tapered stem system has demonstrated excellent long-term outcomes. This paper presents a systematic review of the existing literature and reports on a large case series comparing implant fractures between the Exeter V40 series; 125 mm and conventional length stem systems.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria. In parallel, we performed a retrospective single centre study of Exeter V40 femoral stem prosthetic fractures between April 2003 and June 2020.

Results

There are 25 reported cases of such prosthetic fractures confined to small case series and case reports within the literature. We report an additional 19 cases to the literature (mean age 66.3 years (SD 11.7); 12 (63%) females; BMI 32.9 kg/m2 (SD 5.9)). The mean time from index procedure to fracture was 7.8 years (SD 3.6; 2.5 to 16.3). Exeter V40 stem fracture incidence was 0.15% and 1.21% for primary and revision arthroplasty, respectively. Incidence was significantly higher in revision arthroplasty (p < 0.001) and 125 mm length stems compared to ≥ 150 mm length stems (1.25% vs 0.13%, respectively; p < 0.001). When comparing different stem length cohorts, 125 mm short-stems were associated with stem-body fractures (92% vs 29%; p = 0.0095), earlier time to fracture (6.2 years vs 11.0 years; p = 0.0018), younger patient age at time of fracture (62.7 years vs 72.6 years; p = 0.037), and female sex (75% vs 43%; p = 0.326).

Conclusion

This complication remains rare, although we report a significantly higher incidence at up to 17 years follow-up than in the literature. Short 125 mm length Exeter V40 stems undoubtedly have a role in restoring anatomy and biomechanics in smaller femoral geometries, although the surgeon has to appreciate the higher risk of stem fracture and the associated predisposing factors which may necessitate particular attention to surgical technique and planning. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2021;2(6):443–456.
Fast heuristic-based source mask optimization for EUV lithography using dual edge evolution and partial sampling
Authors: Zhang Zinan , Li Sikun , Wang Xiangzhao , Cheng Wei
Published: June 2021

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography is essential in the advanced technology nodes. Source mask optimization (SMO) for EUV lithography, especially the heuristic-based SMO, is one of the vital resolution enhancement techniques (RET). In this paper, a fast SMO method for EUV based on dual edge evolution and partial sampling strategies is proposed to improve the optimization efficiency and speed of the heuristic algorithm. In the source optimization (SO) stage, the position and intensity of the source points are optimized in turn. Using the sparsity of the optimized source, a partial sampling encoding method is applied to decrease the variables’ dimension in optimization. In the mask optimization (MO) stage, the main features (MF) and the sub-resolution assistant features (SRAF) are optimized in turn. A dual edge evolution strategy is used in the MF optimization and the partial sampling encoding method is used in SRAF optimization. Besides, the imaging qualities at different focal planes are improved by SRAF optimization. The optimization efficiency is greatly improved by the dimensionality reduction strategies. Simulations are carried out with various target patterns. Results show the superiority of the proposed method over the previous method, especially for large complex patterns.
Understanding bending-induced loss and bending-enhanced higher-order mode suppression in negative curvature fibers
Authors: Wang Yuxi , Chang Wonkeun
Published: June 2021

We present a numerical analysis on bending-induced loss and bending-enhanced higher-order mode suppression in negative curvature fibers. We provide underlying mechanisms on how geometrical parameters affect the bending properties. We find that fiber parameters influence the bending performance by altering the resonant coupling conditions, as well as light leakage through inter-tube gaps. We identify regions in the parameter space that exhibit excellent bending properties and offer general guidelines for designing negative curvature fibers that are less sensitive to bending. Moreover, we explore the possibility of enhancing higher-order core mode suppression through mechanical bending. We find that up to nine-fold increase in the higher-order mode extinction ratio can be achieved by bending the fiber.