bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Color-Contrast Technique Using Fluorescein and Blue Marker to Maximize Visualization during Lymphaticovenous Anastomosis
Authors: Alshomer Feras , Cho Jeongmok , Pak Changsik John , Suh Hyunsuk Peter , Hong Joon Pio
Published: September 2023

Lymphatic vessel wall and lumen visualization during anastomosis is challenging. Different techniques with variable efficacy have been described. Double-opposing color contrast is created using 10% fluorescein sodium, which stains lymphatic fluid yellow, causing a clear contrast to the blue marker–painted lymphatic wall, improving intralumen visualization during the anastomosis process. In this retrospective study, the authors evaluated the success rate of performing anastomosis between the side of the lymphatic vessel and the end of the vein (S-to-E LVA) in 281 patients. The LVA assessment showed mean lymphatic diameter of 0.44 ± 0.09 mm and mean vein diameter of 0.57 ± 0.14 mm with S-to-E success rate of 100% confirmed by postanastomosis indocyanine green lymphography. No adverse events were encountered. Fluorescein sodium was not used in 2 patients because of positive skin allergy test results. This method has the advantages of not needing an additional device, allowing clear visualization, and not staining the surrounding structures. This approach using opposing color contrast between fluorescent yellow and blue marker improved vessel edge identification, which translated into higher visualization and patency with 100% success rate in S-to-E LVA performance.
Rigid versus Nonrigid Fixation for Bilateral Mandibular Angle Fractures: A Retrospective Multicenter Review
Authors: Young Thomas K. , Tuckett Joel , Johnson Nigel R. , Breik Omar
Published: September 2023

Background:

Fractures involving the bilateral mandibular angle are an uncommon occurrence with limited evidence to inform the ideal fixation requirements for adequate treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of managing bilateral mandibular angle fractures and determine whether rigid fixation on 1 side improves outcomes compared with bilateral nonrigid fixation.

Methods:

Patients with isolated bilateral mandibular angle fractures treated surgically at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Gold Coast University Hospital, and Townsville University Hospital between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2022, were identified retrospectively. Data collected included patient demographics, mechanism of injury, fixation scheme, postoperative occlusion, and the occurrence of postoperative complications and subsequent management.

Results:

Eighty-four patients met the inclusion criteria. Fifty-two patients had nonrigid fixation applied to both fractures, and 32 had rigid fixation placed on at least 1 side. All cases proceeded to union. There was no statistically significant difference between the groups for occlusal outcomes, wound dehiscence, infection, or plate or screw loosening.

Conclusion:

The authors’ results suggest that bilateral nonrigid fixation can be used to treat bilateral mandibular angle fractures in the appropriate clinical context.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, III.
All Stressors Are Not Equal: The Salience of Racial Discrimination and Appraisal for Blood Pressure in African American Women
Authors: Reeves Alexis , Michaels Eli K. , Thomas Marilyn D. , Okoye Uche , Price Melisa M. , Hasson Rebecca E. , Chae David H. , Allen Amani M.
Published: September 2023

Objective

Psychosocial stress is a major predictor of chronic disease among African American (AA) women. Stress is a process involving exposure, appraisal of threat, coping, and psychobiologic adaptation. However, many studies focus on the frequency of stress events and/or coping; few explicitly study stress events and their appraisals; and AA women experience high levels of racial discrimination, a well-known form of social identity threat (i.e., negative experiences due to judgment based on identity). Stressors related to social identity threat may be differentially appraised and associated with divergent physiologic outcomes. This study examined the differences in the frequency and stressfulness associated with general stressors and racial discrimination in relation to blood pressure (BP) among AA women.

Methods

Multivariable regression was used on cross-sectional data from 208 middle-aged AA women residing in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Results

AA women reported less frequency of racial discrimination compared with general stressors, but were more likely to appraise racial discrimination events as stressful. Racial discrimination stressfulness was more strongly associated with systolic BP (SBP) than the number of racial discrimination events. There was a U-shaped association between racial discrimination stress and SBP, with those reporting “none” and “high/very high” distress having the highest SBP (b = 12.2 [2.7 to 21.8] and b = 15.7 [1.5–29.8], respectively, versus moderate stress). Conversely, those reporting “very low” general stressfulness had the lowest SBP (b = −7.9 [−15.8 to −0.1], versus moderate stress). Diastolic BP followed a similar pattern, although results were nonsignificant.

Conclusions

This study highlights the importance of stress appraisal measures and adds to the body of evidence documenting racial discrimination as a salient psychosocial stressor for AA women.
A new direction for cytomegalovirus prophylaxis among transplant recipients: Benefits and nonviral outcomes of letermovir use as primary CMV prophylaxis
Authors: Moore W. Justin , Boutin Catherine-Audrey , Tanna Sajal
Published: September 2023

Purpose of review

Letermovir has changed the game of primary prophylaxis against cytomegalovirus (CMV) for hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and more recently, solid organ transplant recipients. This is largely due to letermovir's similar efficacy in protecting against CMV reactivation and disease, along with its superior safety profile, notably reduced myelotoxicity, and lack of renal dose adjustment compared to standard agents like valganciclovir. This review will describe the potential benefits and clinical considerations of letermovir as prophylaxis among transplant recipients, with a focus on recent evidence describing nonviral outcomes of CMV.

Recent findings

Recent evidence has demonstrated improved safety (e.g., less myelosuppression) and tolerability with no difference in rates of CMV infection or disease in kidney transplant recipients given letermovir compared to valganciclovir. Real-world studies and meta-analyses in HSCT populations have explored various nonviral outcomes with letermovir use. Letermovir prophylaxis was associated with reduced mortality, lower rates of graft versus host disease, delayed CMV immune reconstitution, improved tolerability with extended durations, and decreased healthcare utilization.

Letermovir is an effective antiviral agent for CMV prevention and has demonstrated enhanced safety, which may allow for extended durations of primary prophylaxis among transplant recipients along with other improved clinical outcomes by mitigating the indirect effects of CMV.
Integrative analysis of multi-omics and machine learning highlighted an m6A-related mRNA signature as a robust AAA progression predictor
Authors: He Yuchen , Xing Jia , Wang Shiyue , Jiang Han , Lun Yu , Han Yanshuo , Erhart Philipp , Böckler Dittmar , Xin Shijie , Zhang Jian
Published: September 2023

Objective

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a life-threatening disease in vascular surgery with significant morbidity and mortality rates upon rupture. Despite surgical interventions, effective targeted drugs for non-surgical candidates are lacking. M6A methylation, a dynamic RNA modification, has been implicated in various diseases, but its role in AAA remains poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to explore the participation of M6A in the progression of AAA progression through multi-omics and machine learning.

Approach and Results

we conducted methylated RNA immunoprecipitation with next-generation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) to profile the m6A methylome in AAA tissues, identifying differentially methylated genes (DMGs). Integrating multi-omics data from RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) in GEO databases, we developed a machine learning-based AAA m6A-related mRNA signature (AMRMS) to predict AAA dilation risk. The AMRMS demonstrated robust predictive performance in distinguishing AAA patients with large AAA and small AAA. Notably, the AMRMS highlighted FKBP11 as a key gene with a significant impact on the predicted model. Subsequent single-cell RNA sequencing (ScRNA-seq) revealed the pivotal role of FKBP11-positive plasma cells in AAA progression.

Conclusions

Our study provides novel insights into the regulatory role of m6A modification in AAA pathogenesis, and further develop a promising AMRMS for risk evaluation in AAA patients. Furthermore, the identification of FKBP11 positive plasma cells as significant contributors to AAA progression opens new avenues for targeted therapeutic interventions.
Expression of the CIC-DUX4 fusion oncoprotein mimics human CIC-rearranged sarcoma in genetically engineered mouse models
Authors: Hendrickson Peter G. , Oristian Kristianne M. , Browne MaKenna R. , Lou Lixia , Ma Yan , Cardona Dianna M. , Linardic Corinne M. , Kirsch David G.
Published: September 2023

CIC-DUX4 sarcoma (CDS) is a rare but highly aggressive undifferentiated small round cell sarcoma driven by a fusion between the tumor suppressor Capicua (CIC) and DUX4. Currently, there are no effective treatments and efforts to identify and translate better therapies are limited by the scarcity of tissues and patients. To address this limitation, we generated three genetically engineered mouse models of CDS (Ch7CDS, Ai9CDS, and TOPCDS). Remarkably, chimeric mice from all three conditional models developed spontaneous tumors and widespread metastasis in the absence of Cre-recombinase. The penetrance of spontaneous (Cre-independent) tumor formation was complete irrespective of bi-allelic CIC function and loxP site proximity. Characterization of primary and metastatic mouse tumors showed that they consistently expressed the CIC-DUX4 fusion protein as well as other downstream markers of the disease credentialing these models as CDS. In addition, tumor-derived cell lines were generated and ChIP-seq was preformed to map fusion-gene specific binding using an N-terminal HA epitope tag. These datasets, along with paired H3K27ac ChIP-seq maps, validate CIC-DUX4 as a neomorphic transcriptional activator. Moreover, they are consistent with a model where ETS family transcription factors are cooperative and redundant drivers of the core regulatory circuitry in CDS.
Physiologic Doses of TGF-β Improve the Composition of Engineered Articular Cartilage
Authors: Wang Tianbai , Dogru Sedat , Dai Zhonghao , Kim Sung Yeon , Vickers Nicholas A. , Albro Michael B.
Published: September 2023

For cartilage regeneration applications, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) is conventionally administered at highly supraphysiologic doses (10-10,000 ng/mL) in an attempt to cue cells to fabricate neocartilage that matches the composition, structure, and functional properties of native hyaline cartilage. While supraphysiologic doses enhance ECM biosynthesis, they are also associated with inducing detrimental tissue features, such as fibrocartilage matrix deposition, pathologic-like chondrocyte clustering, and tissue swelling. Here we investigate the hypothesis that moderated TGF-β doses (0.1-1 ng/mL), akin to those present during physiological cartilage development, can improve neocartilage composition. Variable doses of media-supplemented TGF-β were administered to a model system of reduced-size cylindrical constructs (Ø2-Ø3 mm), which mitigate the TGF-β spatial gradients observed in conventional-size constructs (Ø4-Ø6 mm), allowing for a novel assessment of the intrinsic effect of TGF-β doses on macroscale neocartilage properties and composition. The administration of physiologic TGF-β to reduced-size constructs yields neocartilage with native-matched sGAG content and mechanical properties while providing a more hyaline cartilage-like composition, marked by: 1) reduced fibrocartilage-associated type I collagen, 2) 77% reduction in the fraction of cells present in a clustered morphology, and 3) 45% reduction in the degree of tissue swelling. Physiologic TGF-β appears to achieve an important balance of promoting requisite ECM biosynthesis, while mitigating hyaline cartilage compositional deficits. These results can guide the development of novel physiologic TGF-β-delivering scaffolds to improve the regeneration clinical-sized neocartilage tissues.
The values of ecosystem services inside and outside of protected areas in Eastern and Southern Africa
Authors: Buschke Falko T. , Capitani Claudia
Published: September 2023

Conservation policies often take for granted the importance of protected areas for supplying ecosystem services. The 1stedition of theState of Protected and Conserved Areas in Eastern and Southern Africareport contained limited information on ecosystem services, so for the 2ndedition we compared statistically 561 standardised economic values of various types of ecosystem services inside and outside of protected areas. We found that data from local and sub-national case-studies in the Ecosystem Service Valuation Database were biased geographically, highlighting major evidence gaps for most of the region. For well-studied countries (Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda), the value of ecosystem services varied considerably across different types of services but were – on average – three to six times higher outside protected areas. This trend was not universal, however, given that opportunities for recreation and tourism tended to be higher within protected areas. Combined, these findings suggest that conservation authorities across Eastern and Southern Africa (1) prioritise ecosystem service valuation studies; (2) expand the focus of ecosystem service policies to include wider landscapes beyond protected area boundaries; and (3) avoid making generic assumptions about ecosystem services by identifying which types of services are most compatible with the broader goals of protection.
Evidence of antigenic drift in the fusion machinery core of SARS-CoV-2 spike
Authors: Tan Timothy J.C. , Odle Abby , Lei Ruipeng , Matreyek Kenneth A. , Perlman Stanley , Wong Lok-Yin Roy , Wu Nicholas C.
Published: September 2023

Antigenic drift of SARS-CoV-2 is typically defined by mutations in the N-terminal domain and receptor binding domain of spike protein. In contrast, whether antigenic drift occurs in the S2 domain remains largely elusive. Here, we perform a deep mutational scanning experiment to identify S2 mutations that affect binding of SARS-CoV-2 spike to three S2 apex public antibodies. Our results indicate that spatially diverse mutations, including D950N and Q954H, which are observed in Delta and Omicron variants, respectively, weaken the binding of spike to these antibodies. Although S2 apex antibodies are known to be non-neutralizing, we show that they confer partial protectionin vivo. We further demonstrate that suchin vivoprotection activity is diminished by the natural mutation D950N. Overall, this study indicates that the S2 domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike can undergo antigenic drift, which represents a potential challenge for the development of more universal coronavirus vaccines.
Best practices for perturbation MPRA—a computational evaluation framework of sequence design strategies
Authors: Liu Jiayi , Ashuach Tal , Inoue Fumitaka , Ahituv Nadav , Yosef Nir , Kreimer Anat
Published: September 2023

The advent of the perturbation-based massively parallel reporter assays (MPRAs) technique has enabled delineating of the roles of non-coding regulatory elements in orchestrating gene expression. However, computational efforts remain scant to evaluate and establish guidelines for sequence design strategies for perturbation MPRAs. Here, we propose a framework for evaluating and comparing various perturbation strategies for MPRA experiments. Under this framework, we benchmark three different perturbation approaches from the perspectives of alteration in motif-based profiles, consistency of MPRA outputs, and robustness of models that predict the activities of putative regulatory motifs. Although our analyses show similar while significant results in multiple metrics, the method of randomly shuffling nucleotides outperform the other two methods. Thus, we still recommend designing sequences by randomly shuffling the nucleotides of the perturbed site in perturbation-MPRA. The evaluation framework, together with the benchmarking findings in our work, creates a resource of computational pipelines and illustrates the promise of perturbation-MPRA for predicting non-coding regulatory activities.
Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Human Airway Epithelium with a Xeno-Nucleic Acid Aptamer
Authors: Razi Niayesh , Li Weizhong , Ignacio Maxinne A. , Loube Jeffrey M. , Agostino Eva L. , Zhu Xiaoping , Scull Margaret A. , DeStefano Jeffrey J.
Published: September 2023

Background

SARS-CoV-2, the agent responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, enters cells through viral spike glycoprotein binding to the cellular receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Given the lack of effective antivirals targeting SARS-CoV-2, we previously utilized systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) and selected fluoro-arabino nucleic acid (FANA) aptamer R8-9 that was able to block the interaction between the viral receptor-binding domain and ACE2.

Methods

Here, we further assessed FANA-R8-9 as an entry inhibitor in contexts that recapitulate infectionin vivo.

Results

We demonstrate that FANA-R8-9 inhibits spike-bearing pseudovirus particle uptake in cell lines. Then, using anin-vitromodel of human airway epithelium (HAE) and SARS-CoV-2 virus, we show that FANA-R8-9 significantly reduces viral infection when added either at the time of inoculation, or several hours later. These results were specific to the R8-9 sequence, not the xeno-nucleic acid utilized to make the aptamer. Importantly, we also show that FANA-R8-9 is stable in HAE culture secretions and has no overt cytotoxic effects.

Conclusions

Together, these results suggest that FANA-R8-9 effectively prevents infection by specific SARS-CoV-2 variants and indicate that aptamer technology could be utilized to target other clinically-relevant viruses in the respiratory mucosa.
Myocardin-related transcription factors regulate morphogenetic events in vertebrate embryos by controlling F-actin organization and apical constriction
Authors: Itoh Keiji , Ossipova Olga , Matsuda Miho , Sokol Sergei Y.
Published: September 2023

Myocardin-related transcription factors (Mrtfa and Mrtfb), also known as megakaryoblastic leukemia proteins (Mkl1/MAL and Mkl2), associate with serum response factor (Srf) to regulate transcription in response to actin dynamics, however, the functions of Mrtfs in early vertebrate embryos remain largely unknown. Here we document the requirement of Mrtfs for blastopore closure at gastrulation and neural plate folding in Xenopus early embryos. Both stimulation and inhibition of Mrtf activity caused similar gross morphological phenotypes, yet the effects on F-actin distribution and cell behavior were different. Suppressing Mrtf-dependent transcription reduced overall F-actin levels and inhibited apical constriction during gastrulation and neurulation. By contrast, constitutively active Mrtf caused tricellular junction remodeling and induced apical constriction in superficial ectoderm. The underlying mechanism appeared distinct from the one utilized by known apical constriction inducers. We propose that the regulation of apical constriction is among the primary cellular responses to Mrtf. Our findings highlight a dedicated role of specific transcription factors, Mrtfs, in early morphogenetic processes.
Neuroprotective Mechanism of Ribisin A on H2O2-induced PC12 cell injury model
Authors: Zhang Xin , Bao Mengyu , Zhang Jingyi , Zhu Lihao , Wang Di , Liu Xin , Xu Lingchuan , Luan Lijuan , Liu Yuguo , Liu Yuhong
Published: September 2023

Ribisin A has been shown to have neurotrophic activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of Ribisin A on injured PC12 cells and elucidate its mechanism. In this project, PC12 cells were induced by H2O2to establish an injury model. After treatment with Ribisin A, the neuroprotective mechanism of Ribisin A was investigated by methyl tetrazolium (MTT) assay, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), flow cytometric analysis, fluorescent probe analysis, and western blot. We found that Ribisin A decreased the rate of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, increased cellular superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, decreased the levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), Ca2+expression and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, Ribisin A significantly increased mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and inhibited apoptosis of PC12 cells. Meanwhile, Ribisin A activated the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and its downstream molecule CREB by upregulating the expression of Trk A and Trk B, the upstream molecules of the ERK signaling pathway.

Graphical Abstract
Altered motility in response to iron-limitation is regulated bylpdAin uropathogenicE. coliCFT073
Authors: Frick-Cheng A.E. , Shea A.E. , Roberts J.R. , Smith S.N. , Ohi M.D. , Mobley H.L.T.
Published: September 2023

More than half of all women will experience a urinary tract infection (UTI) in their lifetime with most cases caused by uropathogenicEscherichia coli(UPEC). Bacterial motility enhances UPEC pathogenicity, resulting in more severe disease outcomes including kidney infection. Surprisingly, the connection between motility and iron limitation is mostly unexplored, despite the lack of free iron available in the host. Therefore, we sought to explore the potential connection between iron restriction and regulation of motility in UPEC. We culturedE. coliCFT073, a prototypical UPEC strain, in media containing an iron chelator. Under iron limitation, CFT073 had elevatedfliC(flagella) promoter activity, driving motility on the leading edge of the colony. Furthermore, this iron-specific response was repressed by the addition of exogenous iron. We confirmed increased flagella expression in CFT073 by measuringfliCtranscript, FliC protein, and surface-expressed flagella under iron-limited conditions. To define the regulatory mechanism, we constructed single knockouts of eight master regulators. The iron-regulated response was lost incrp, arcA,andfismutants. Thus, we focused on the five genes regulated by all three transcription factors. Of the five genes knocked out, the iron-regulated motility response was most strongly dysregulated in anlpdAmutant, which also resulted in significantly lowered fitness in the murine model of ascending UTI. Collectively, we demonstrated that iron-mediated motility in CFT073 is regulated bylpdA, which contributes to the understanding of how uropathogens differentially regulate motility mechanisms in the iron-restricted host.

Importance

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are ubiquitous and responsible for over five billion dollars in associated health care costs annually. Both iron acquisition and motility are highly studied virulence factors associated with uropathogenicE. coli(UPEC), the main causative agent of uncomplicated UTI. This work is innovative by providing mechanistic insight into the synergistic relationship between these two critical virulence properties. Here, we demonstrate that iron limitation has pleiotropic effects with consequences that extend beyond metabolism, and impact other virulence mechanisms. Indeed, targeting iron acquisition as a therapy may lead to an undesirable enhancement of UPEC pathogenesis through increased motility. It is vital to understand the full breadth of UPEC pathogenesis to adequately respond to this common infection, especially with the increase of antibiotic resistant pathogens.
Rare variant association analysis in 51,256 type 2 diabetes cases and 370,487 controls informs the spectrum of pathogenicity of monogenic diabetes genes
Authors: Schroeder Philip , Mandla Ravi , Huerta-Chagoya Alicia , Alkanak Ahmed , Nagy Dorka , Szczerbinski Lukasz , Madsen Jesper G.S. , Cole Joanne B. , Porneala Bianca , Westerman Kenneth , Li Josephine H. , Pollin Toni I. , Florez Jose C. , Gloyn Anna L. , Cebola Inês , Manning Alisa , Leong Aaron , Udler Miriam , Mercader Josep M.
Published: September 2023

We meta-analyzed array data imputed with the TOPMed reference panel and whole-genome sequence (WGS) datasets and performed the largest, rare variant (minor allele frequency as low as 5×10−5) GWAS meta-analysis of type 2 diabetes (T2D) comprising 51,256 cases and 370,487 controls.

We identified 52 novel variants at genome-wide significance (p<5 × 10−8), including 8 novel variants that were either rare or ancestry-specific. Among them, we identified a rare missense variant inHNF4Ap.Arg114Trp (OR=8.2, 95% confidence interval [CI]=4.6-14.0,p= 1.08×10−13), previously reported as a variant implicated in Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young (MODY) with incomplete penetrance. We demonstrated that the diabetes risk in carriers of this variant was modulated by a T2D common variant polygenic risk score (cvPRS) (carriers in the top PRS tertile [OR=18.3, 95%CI=7.2-46.9,p=1.2×10−9] vs carriers in the bottom PRS tertile [OR=2.6, 95% CI=0.97-7.09,p= 0.06]. Association results identified eight variants of intermediate penetrance (OR>5) in monogenic diabetes (MD), which in aggregate as a rare variant PRS were associated with T2D in an independent WGS dataset (OR=4.7, 95% CI=1.86-11.77],p= 0.001). Our data also provided support evidence for 21% of the variants reported in ClinVar in these MD genes as benign based on lack of association with T2D.

Our work provides a framework for using rare variant imputation and WGS analyses in large-scale population-based association studies to identify large-effect rare variants and provide evidence for informing variant pathogenicity.
Suicide prediction with natural language processing of electronic health records
Authors: Korda Alexandra , Heide Marco , Nag Alena , Trulley Valerie-Noelle , Rogg Helena- Victoria , Avram Mihai , Eickhoff Sofia , Jauch-Chara Kamila , Wehkamp Kai , Song Xingyi , Martinetz Thomas , Conell Jörn , Roberts Angus , Stewart Robert , Andreou Christina , Borgwardt Stefan
Published: September 2023

Suicide attempts are one of the most challenging psychiatric outcomes and have great importance in clinical practice. However, they remain difficult to detect in a standardised way to assist prevention because assessment is mostly qualitative and often subjective. As digital documentation is increasingly used in the medical field, Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have become a source of information that can be used for prevention purposes, containing codified data, structured data, and unstructured free text. This study aims to provide a quantitative approach to suicidality detection using EHRs, employing natural language processing techniques in combination with deep learning artificial intelligence methods to create an algorithm intended for use with medical documentation in German. Using psychiatric medical files from in-patient psychiatric hospitalisations between 2013 and 2021, free text reports will be transformed into structured embeddings using a German trained adaptation of Word2Vec, followed by a Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) – Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) approach on sentences of interest. Text outside the sentences of interest will be analysed as context using a fixed size ordinally-forgetting encoding (FOFE) before combining these findings with the LSTM-CNN results in order to label suicide related content. This study will offer promising ways for automated early detection of suicide attempts and therefore holds opportunities for mental health care.
Effect of a gender-synchronized family planning intervention on inequitable gender norms in a cluster randomized control trial among husbands of married adolescent girls in Dosso, Niger
Authors: Boyce Sabrina C. , Minnis Alexandra M. , Deardorff Julianna , McCoy Sandra I. , Challa Sneha , Johns Nicole E. , Aliou Sani , Brooks Mohamad I. , Nouhou Abdoul-Moumouni , Baker Holly , Silverman Jay G.
Published: September 2023

Gender inequity is pervasive globally and has severe consequences for health and well-being, particularly for women and girls in Niger. The Reaching Married Adolescents in Niger (RMA) intervention aimed to promote equitable gender norms in order to increase modern contraceptive use and reduce intimate partner violence among married adolescent girls and their husbands in Niger. Using data from a 4-arm factorial cluster randomized control trial of the RMA intervention (2016-2019), the current study assesses effects of the RMA intervention on gender norms among husbands. We used an adjusted hierarchical difference-in-differences linear regression model to assess these effects. The mean score for perceived gender inequitable norms at baseline was 4.1 (n=1,055; range: 0-5). Assignment to the RMA small groups intervention was associated with a 0.62 lower score (95% CI: −1.05, −0.18) relative to controls at follow-up, after adjusting for baseline differences. No significant effects were detected for other intervention arms. As a low-cost, simple, scalable, and transferrable intervention with rigorous evidence of being able to change such gender norms, this community health worker-based small group intervention could be valuable to the field of public health for reducing the negative impact of inequitable gender norms on health and wellbeing in similar settings.
Prevalence, clinical correlates and outcomes of cardiorenal anemia syndrome among patients with heart failure attending tertiary referral hospital in Dodoma, Tanzania: A protocol of a prospective observational study
Authors: Edwin Gidion , Alphonce Baraka , Meremo Alfred , Meda John
Published: September 2023

Background

Cardiorenal anemia syndrome (CRAS) is a common complication among patients with heart failure and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. However, there is a paucity of published data concerning CRAS, despite of significant increase in heart failure patients attending medical services in developing countries. This study aims to assess the prevalence, clinical correlates, and outcomes of CRAS among patients with heart failure attending the Benjamin Mkapa Hospital in Dodoma, Tanzania.

Methodology

A prospective observational study is ongoing at the Benjamin Mkapa Hospital in Dodoma, Tanzania. Currently, the study has enrolled 68 patients. The socio-demographic data, clinical correlates, and prevalence of CRAS will be determined at baseline meanwhile, the outcomes of CRAS will be determined during a follow-up period of six months from the date of enrollment. CRAS is the primary outcome of the study. Data will be categorized into CRAS and non-CRAS during analysis. Mean and standard deviation will be used for normally distributed continuous variables while median and interquartile range will be used for skewed data. Frequencies and percentages will summarize categorical variables. Clinical correlates and outcomes of CRAS will be analyzed and compared by using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. A two-tailed p-value of less than 0.05 will indicate statistical significance.
Frass fertilizers from mass-reared insects: species variation, heat treatment effects, and implications for soil application
Authors: Praeg Nadine , Klammsteiner Thomas
Published: September 2023

Insect farming has gained popularity as a resource-efficient and eco-friendly method of managing organic wastes by converting them into high-quality protein, fat, and frass. Insect frass is a powerful organic fertilizer, enriching the soil with essential plant nutrients and enhancing plant defense mechanisms through chitin stimulation. Given the importance of frass commercialization for many insect farmers and the use of increasingly diverse organic wastes as insect feedstock, the need for legal guidelines to enable clean production practices has emerged. The recent introduction of a legal definition for frass and heat treatment requirements by the EU commission marks a significant step towards standardizing its quality. However, frass composition is influenced by numerous factors, and little is known about the processes shaping its nutritional profiles and contributing to its maturation. Here, we analyzed the physicochemical, plant-nutritional, and microbiological properties of black soldier fly, yellow mealworm, and Jamaican field cricket frass from mass-rearing operations and assessed the impact of hygienizing heat treatment. Frass properties varied significantly across insect species, revealing concentrations of plant available nutrients reaching as high as 7000 μg NH4+, 150 μg NO2-NO3--N, and 20 mg P per g of total solids. Heat treatment affected microbial activity by reducing basal respiration and microbial biomass carbon, but also reducing viable counts of pathogenicE. coliandSalmonella sp.In terms of microbiome composition, alpha diversity showed no significant differences between fresh and heat-treated frass samples within each insect species, but significant distinctions were observed across the three insect species. The soil application of frass reactivated and boosted soil microbial activity, suggesting no long-term detrimental effects on microorganisms. These results further highlight the potential of insect frass as nutrient rich organic fertilizer, with promising benefits for soil health and nutrient cycling.
NEW INSIGHTS INTO THE HEPATIC IRON PHENOTYPE OF BMP6 KNOCKOUT MICE
Authors: Besson Céline , Willemetz Alexandra , Latour Chloé , Robert Lorenne , Coppin Helene , Roth Marie-Paule , Canonne-Hergaux François
Published: September 2023

Objective

Bmp6knockout (KO) mice progressively accumulate a significant amount of iron in their liver as they age due to a defect in hepcidin (Hamp) expression and an upregulation of the iron exporter ferroportin (Fpn). In this study, we conducted a comprehensive investigation of the hepatic iron overload phenotype, with specific emphasis on the cellular and subcellular localization of Fpn inBmp6KO mice.

Materials and Methods

Livers obtained fromBmp6knockout (KO) mice at different developmental stages were utilized for the quantification of iron content, investigation of iron distribution, histological analysis, histoimmunofluorescence assays performed on paraffin-embedded sections, confocal microscopy examinations, subcellular membrane fractionation, and western blot analysis.

Results

InBmp6KO livers, iron overload increased with age and was not homogeneous, with certain hepatic lobes and specific areas in liver sections showing more pronounced iron accumulation. In young mice, iron accumulated mostly in the centrilobular zone where low Fpn expression was observed. Fpn was strongly detected in periportal Kupffer cells and at the apical membrane of periportal hepatocytes lining the sinusoidal capillaries. The zonal distribution of iron tended to disappear with age in strongly iron-overloaded areas, with the appearance of large cellular aggregates strongly positive for Fpn, iron, and ceroid/lipofuscin. At the subcellular level, hepatic Fpn seemed to concentrate in specific cell surface compartments and was enriched in a lipid raft fraction.

Conclusions

Unregulated expression of Fpn on the cell surface of periportal macrophages and hepatocytes results in centrilobular iron overload within hepatocytes. In areas of pronounced iron overload, Fpn expression is present in lipogranulomas, identified as aggregations of macrophages accumulating hemosiderin and ceroid/lipofuscin pigments. These lesions likely form due to the phagocytosis of sideronecrotic/ferroptotic hepatocytes by macrophages. In contrast to the duodenal form of Fpn, both splenic and hepatic Fpn demonstrated robust enrichment within lipid rafts. The observed variations in the subcellular localization of Fpn could play a significant role in influencing the transporter’s iron transport activity and/or its regulation by hepcidin.
Facilitation of sensorimotor temporal recalibration mechanisms by cerebellar tDCS in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder and healthy subjects
Authors: Schmitter Christina V. , Straube Benjamin
Published: September 2023

Core symptoms in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorder (SSD), such as hallucinations or ego-disturbances, have been associated with a failure of the forward model to adequately predict the sensory outcomes of self-generated actions. Importantly, depending on the requirements of the environment, forward model predictions must also be able to recalibrate flexibly, for example to account for additional delays between action and outcome. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether non-invasive brain stimulation via transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) can be used to improve these sensorimotor temporal recalibration mechanisms in patients and in healthy subjects.

While receiving tDCS on the cerebellum, temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), supplementary motor area (SMA), or sham stimulation, patients with SSD and healthy control subjects were repeatedly exposed to delays between actively elicited or passively performed button press movements and auditory sensory outcomes. Effects of this procedure on temporal perception were assessed with a delay detection task.

We found similar sensorimotor temporal recalibration effects in both SSD and healthy subjects. Furthermore, cerebellar tDCS facilitated recalibration effects in both groups.

Our findings indicate that sensorimotor recalibration mechanisms may be preserved in SSD and highlight the importance of the cerebellum in both patients and healthy subjects for this process. Our results suggest that cerebellar tDCS could be a promising tool for addressing deficits in action-outcome monitoring and related adaptive sensorimotor processes in SSD, and potentially alleviating associated symptoms.
Measuring and increasing rates of self-isolation in the context of infectious diseases: A systematic review with narrative synthesis
Authors: Smith Louise E , Martin Alex F , Brooks Samantha K , Davies Rachel , Stein Madeline V , Amlôt Richard , Marteau Theresa M , Rubin G James
Published: September 2023

Background

Self-isolation was used to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and will likely be used in future infectious disease outbreaks.

Method

We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA and SWiM guidelines. MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, Web of Science, PsyArXiv, medRxiv, and grey literature sources were searched (1 January 2020 to 13 December 2022) using terms related to COVID-19, isolation, and adherence. Studies were included if they contained original, quantitative data of self-isolation adherence during the COVID-19 pandemic. We extracted definitions of self-isolation, measures used to quantify adherence, adherence rates, and factors associated with adherence. The review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42022377820).

Findings

We included 45 studies. Self-isolation was inconsistently defined. Only four studies did not use self-report to measure adherence. Of 41 studies using self-report measures, only one reported reliability; another gave indirect evidence for a lack of validity of the measure. Rates of adherence to self-isolation ranged from 0% to 100%. There was little evidence that self-isolation adherence was associated with socio-demographic or psychological factors.

Interpretation

There was no consensus in defining, operationalising, or measuring self-isolation. Only one study presented evidence of the psychometric properties of the measure highlighting the significant risk of bias in included studies. This, and the dearth of scientifically rigorous studies evaluating the effectiveness of interventions to increase self-isolation adherence, is a fundamental gap in the literature.

Funding

This study was funded by Research England Policy Support Fund 2022-23; authors were supported by the NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emergency Preparedness and Response.
Environmentally sustainable food: an analysis of consumer practices and their diffusion in France
Authors: Innocent Morgane , Francois Lecompte Agnes , Guillemot Samuel , Divard Ronan
Published: September 2023

Purpose

This aim of this study is to identify the ways of helping public authorities bring about change to environmentally sustainable household food practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors identified the practices involved in this concept from the consumer perspective and measured their diffusion among French households. The analyses were conducted following two successive data collection campaigns comprising 571 and 501 respondents in France. The methodology involved two complementary scaling techniques: factor analysis and item response theory.

Findings

The results show that consumers understand sustainable food through five food practices: buying and cooking products with sustainable attributes, anti-waste storage, self-production, plant protein consumption and anti-waste cooking.

Originality/value

The findings suggest that while at the individual level people appear to have incorporated anti-waste practices into their daily lives, at the household level, there is still work to be done for improving diets and stimulating the production of home-grown food. It is also worth noting that the emerging vision typically involves sustainable foods that are organic, locally grown, seasonal, based on fair trade and packaging-free.
Comparative tribological performance of a-C:H, ta-C and AlCrSiN coatings on 20CrMnTi gear steel under dry sliding condition
Authors: Lei Zonglin , Li Zunge , Xiao Yangyi
Published: September 2023

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the surface modification on 20CrMnTi gear steel individually treated by diamond-like carbon films and nitride coatings.

Design/methodology/approach

For this purpose, the mechanical properties of a-C:H, ta-C and AlCrSiN coatings are characterized by nano-indentation and scratch tests. The friction and wear behaviors of these three coatings are evaluated by ball-on-disc tribological experiments under dry contact conditions.

Findings

The results show that the a-C:H coating has the highest coating-substrate adhesion strength (495 mN) and the smoothest surface (Ra is about 0.045 µm) compared with the other two coatings. The AlCrSiN coating shows the highest mean coefficient of friction (COF), whereas the ta-C coating exhibits the lowest one (steady at about 0.16). The carbon-based coatings possess excellent self-lubricating properties compared with nitride ceramic ones, which effectively reduce the COF by about 64%. The major failure mode of carbon-based coatings in dry contact is slight abrasive wear. The damage of AlCrSiN coating is mainly adhesive wear and abrasive wear.

Originality/value

It is suggested that the carbon-based film can effectively improve the friction-reducing and wear resistance performance of the gear steel surface, which has a promising application prospect in the mechanical transmission field.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-05-2023-0129/
Business process model for “crowdfunding cash waqf model”
Authors: Al-Daihani Meshari , Dirie Khadar Ahmed , Alam Md. Mahmudul , Abdullah Ahmad Sufian
Published: September 2023

Purpose

Cash waqf is a powerful financial instrument that deals with the issue of liquidity constraints in waqf institutions. While there are several models of cash waqf operating in different countries, there is increasing demand for innovative cash waqf models, especially within the financial technology context. This paper aims to propose a practical alternative model of funding for waqf institutions using the concepts of crowdfunding and cash waqf.

Design/methodology/approach

This study evaluated the literature relevant to cash waqf models that have been implemented in different countries and proposed a new viable alternative model.

Findings

Results offer an alternative financing model, named crowdfunding cash waqf model, for waqf institutions to overcome monetary constraints and enable development projects to be completed.

Practical implications

The current study has important implications for both officials and relevant stakeholders. It is sought to bring better consistency between cash waqf donors, solving the liquidity problem faced by waqf institutions, enhancing the transparency of waqf institutions and their use of waqf funds, wealth circulation and financing businesses without interest-based loans (riba). By incorporating a crowdfunding and investment mechanism in the model, this method of collecting funds will assist governments in reducing their expenditure on waqf institutions and other social development programmes.

Originality/value

The proposed model differs from current methods of generating cash waqf, including those are also internet-based. The proposed model is devised to help waqf institutions achieve financial sustainability by including an investment mechanism in the model to sustain the development of waqf projects.
Transformation leadership's emotional labor and follower's psychological capital: mediating effect of emotional contagion
Authors: Kashive Neerja , Raina Bhavna
Published: September 2023

Purpose

The study aims to closely look at the phenomenon of transformational leadership and the psychological capital of followers by using affective process theory (APT). It has empirically tested the mediation of the perceived emotional labor (EL) of a leader and susceptible emotional contagion (EC) of followers when studying the effect of transformational leadership on the psychological capital (PsyCap) of followers.

Design/methodology/approach

The method adopted was mixed methodology. The data were collected from the 120 respondents and their perception regarding the construct as identified by previous literature was captured through a structured questionnaire. The relationships and hypotheses were tested by the structural equation modeling (SEM) model using SMART PLS. Further 20 semi-structured interviews were conducted using a qualitative approach.

Findings

The current research has empirically shown how specific aspects of transformational leadership, i.e. individual consideration perceived by followers also show high use of perceived deep acting strategy. Deep acting EL strategy is impacting positive EC and positive EC is leading to higher PsyCap of followers generating more work efficacy, hope, optimism and resilience. Mediation of positive EC between Deep acting EL and PsyCap was also observed. In qualitative studies done with the participants, major themes that emerged were transformational leadership, EL strategies, EC and PsyCap.

Practical implications

In times of uncertainty and stress after the post-COVID scenario, employees are facing emotional burnout due to increased work pressure and workload. Transformational leadership has become very critical to manage the PsyCap of followers by using correct EL strategies. Leaders can focus on the optimism and resilience aspect of PsyCap.

Originality/value

The current research has taken affective process theory (APT) as a foundation to understand the connection between transformational leadership and the PsyCap of followers. The study has specifically picked up the fourth mechanism of affective linkage as suggested by Elfenbein (2014) called emotional recognition and seen how emotions are transferred from source (leaders) to recipient (followers). The research has contributed by empirically testing the mediation of the perceived EL of leaders and the susceptible EC of followers and how they affect the PsyCap of followers.