bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors associated with frailty in geriatric patients with and without sarcopenia in Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Tam Ngoc , Nguyen Tu Ngoc , Thillainadesan Janani , Nguyen Anh Trung , Nguyen Huong Thi Thu , Nguyen Thu Thi Hoai , Nguyen Huong Thi Thanh , Nguyen Thanh Xuan , Naganathan Vasi , Vu Huyen Thi Thanh
Published: October 2023

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between sarcopenia and frailty and examine factors associated with frailty among older patients with and without sarcopenia.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study was conducted on older inpatients and outpatients in Vietnam. Participants aged 60 years or older were consecutively enrolled in the study. Sarcopenia was defined using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) 2019 criteria. Fried's frailty phenotype was applied to define frailty. Logistic regression models with frailty as the dependent variable were applied.

Results

A total of 835 patients (mean age: 71.3 years, SD 8.4) were recruited. The overall prevalence of frailty was 17%. Among participants with and without frailty, 92% and 47% had sarcopenia, respectively. In unadjusted analysis, sarcopenia was significantly associated with increased frailty (OR 12.3, 95% CI 6.7–22.6) and remained significant after adjustment for sociodemographic factors (OR 6.3, 95% CI: 3.0–12.6) and for both sociodemographic and clinical factors (OR 5.4, 95% CI: 2.4–12.2). Among participants with sarcopenia, older age, inpatient status, having a high risk for falls, malnutrition and a history of hospitalisation in the last year were significantly associated with frailty. Among participants without sarcopenia, the factors associated with frailty were older age, inpatient status, low educational level, high risk of falls and malnutrition.

Conclusions

Our study results highlighted that sarcopenia and frailty are two related but distinct geriatric syndromes.
Cascade of atopic dermatitis comorbidities in children after birth for 15 years
Authors: Kim Ju Hee , Lee Eun , Ha Eun Kyo , Shin Jeewon , Lee Gi Chun , Rha Yeong Ho , Han Man Yong
Published: October 2023

Background

Individuals with atopic dermatitis often develop other conditions.

Objective

This study aimed to determine how atopic dermatitis comorbidities develop in children over time.

Methods

This population‐based administrative cohort study used national health insurance data. We traced individuals born in Korea between 2002 and 2003 to 2018. The date of initial atopic dermatitis diagnosis was set as the index date. Fifty‐three childhood comorbidities of atopic dermatitis were identified as outcomes of interest by performing a comprehensive literature search and comparing the prevalence of diagnostic codes in children with and without atopic dermatitis. Four control children per individual in the atopic dermatitis group were randomly matched based on sex and index date. The association between atopic dermatitis and the development of each specified disease was assessed using proportional hazard assumption, followed by mapping of the temporal sequences of interconnected comorbidities.

Results

The atopic dermatitis and control groups contained 67,632 and 270,528 individuals, respectively. The median age at the index date was 10 months, whereas the median follow‐up period was 15 years. Twenty diseases that were associated with a higher risk of atopic dermatitis were identified and a chain of interconnected conditions created. The progression began in childhood with febrile seizures, constipation, and asthma, and was later associated with the emergence of food allergy, allergic rhinitis, psychiatric disorders, and autoimmune diseases.

Conclusion

Our study highlights the temporal nature of atopic dermatitis comorbidities in children, and indicates that an understanding of the comorbidities may inform its clinical management and treatment.
Microbiome reveals inflammatory‐related bacteria and putative functional pathways involved in human papillomavirus‐associated penile squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: de Deus Amanda , Gonçalves Gabriele , da Silva Jenilson , de Jesus Luís Cláudio , Azevedo‐Santos Ana Paula S. , Dall Agnol Hivana , Pereira Silma Regina
Published: October 2023

Background

Penile squamous cell carcinoma (PSCC) is a rare disease that is more prevalent in developing countries, such as Brazil, and is linked to poor genital hygiene, which promotes the proliferation of microorganisms. Dysbiosis has an effect on the local immune response, increases the risk of viral infection, and can generate inflammatory processes. Current knowledge of the microbiota found in penile tissues is limited, and the bacterial diversity of the PSCC remains unknown. In this investigation, the microbiota associated with penile cancer and its potential role in tumor development and progression were identified.

Methods

The 16S rRNA gene was analyzed by next‐generation sequencing in 19 tumors and their respective non‐tumor adjacent tissues to perform taxonomic classification, analysis of core microbiome, abundance, and diversity of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) (QIIME2 v.2020.2), and in silico functional prediction (PICRUST2, p < 0.05).

Results

In both tissues, the phyla Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, and genera Alcaligenes and Fusobaterium, were the most prevalent. Tumors presented a greater relative abundance of Fusobacteriota, Campilobacteria, and Fusobacterium (p = 0.04, p = 0.04, and p = 0.039, respectively). In addition, the beta diversity analysis revealed a tendency for the formation of two distinct groups when only advanced tumors (pT2 and pT3) were considered. Further, the functional analysis identified the top 35 pathways, and 79.5% of PSCC samples contained pro‐inflammatory microorganisms.

Conclusion

We describe the first microbiome of penile carcinoma, which revealed an abundant and diverse microbiota as well as inflammatory‐related taxa (the phyla Proteobacteria and Firmicutes, the genera Fusobacterium and Prevotella, and the species Finegoldia magma and Pseudomonas geniculata) and molecular pathways (chitin derivates degradation, the protocatechuic acid pathway, inositol metabolism, and the sucrose pathway), which have also been linked to inflammation and carcinogenesis. Moreover, we found specific and abundant ASVs in both tumor and non‐tumor tissues. Our data encourage further study to better understand the role of these microorganisms in penile carcinogenesis, offering an opportunity for advances in diagnosis, prognosis, and early therapy.
The importance of laparoscopic surgery for young urologists remains unwavering even in the era of robot‐assisted surgery
Authors: Sasaki Yutaro , Takahashi Masayuki , Shiozaki Keito , Hori Katsuhito , Kadoriku Fumiya , Daizumoto Kei , Tomida Ryotaro , Ueno Yoshiteru , Kusuhara Yoshito , Fukawa Tomoya , Yamaguchi Kunihisa , Yamamoto Yasuyo , Tomita Koichi , Sairyo Koichi , Kanayama Hiroomi
Published: October 2023

Robot‐assisted surgery (RAS) cannot be achieved without the performance of laparoscopic surgical techniques by a patient‐side surgeon (PSS). In many medical institutions in Japan, young urologists often take on the role of a PSS. Participating in RAS as a PSS provides a good opportunity to acquire not only the knowledge necessary for surgery, but also skills in laparoscopic surgical techniques. Learning laparoscopic surgery as a PSS may contribute to improving the quality of RAS. Furthermore, it will lead to skill improvement as an operator in laparoscopic surgery. However, notably, opportunities for young urologists to perform laparoscopic surgery are decreasing in the current era of RAS. Under these circumstances, we believe that cadaver surgical training will become increasingly important in the future. We believe that performance of cadaver surgical training will contribute to increased motivation, enhance the understanding of surgical procedures, and facilitate the acquisition of surgical techniques.
Economic inequality and deepening ideological polarization in South Korea after 2010
Authors: Heo Inhye
Published: October 2023

In South Korea, conservatism and progressivism were formed under major political and socioeconomic challenges since the establishment of the country in 1948. Moreover, the intensifying ideological polarization between conservatives and progressives since 2010 is discussed. Considering that these ideological terms were developed while overcoming national challenges, it is highly likely that deepening ideological polarization is related to the new challenge of economic inequality, which became rampant at the time. This article argues that the Korean government's measures to address inequality have affected ideological polarization. Specifically, the development of conservatism and progressivism in the Korean context are discussed and conservative governments' market‐oriented policies and progressive governments' policies to address inequality are examined. Conservatism expanded during this process while progressivism strengthened, which was critical to the deepening of ideological polarization. Finally, the implications of this study are discussed.
Early origins of health and disease risk: The case for investigating adverse exposures and biological aging in utero, across childhood, and into adolescence
Authors: Etzel Laura , Garrett‐Petters Patricia , Shalev Idan
Published: October 2023

In this article, we suggest that aging and development are two sides of the same coin, and that developing a comprehensive understanding of health and disease risk requires examining age‐related processes occurring throughout the earliest years of life. Compared to other periods in life, it is during this early period of acute vulnerability, when children's biological and regulatory systems are developing, that biological aging occurs most rapidly. We review theory and empirical research suggesting that processes of development and aging are intricately linked, and that early adversity may program biological parameters for accelerated aging and disease risk early in life, even though clinical signs of age‐related disease onset may not be evident until many years later. Following from this, we make the case for widespread incorporation of biological aging constructs into child development research.
Dollar Liquidity, Financial Vulnerability and Monetary Sovereignty
Authors: Jump Rob Calvert , Michell Jo
Published: October 2023

Periods of dollar‐led global monetary tightening generate negative effects in many lower‐ and middle‐income countries. The tightening cycle which commenced in early 2022 has exacerbated the financial dislocation experienced by countries including Zambia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. How can policy makers protect their economies from such external shocks and foster a stable developmental environment? Some recent contributions argue that the capacity of countries to insulate domestic policy from global financial conditions depends upon ‘monetary sovereignty’. This contribution argues that this misrepresents the constraints to macroeconomic policy and development strategy. Monetary sovereignty, if narrowly defined, is necessary but not sufficient for domestic policy autonomy. Stronger definitions impose unrealistic requirements on debt denomination and exchange rate regimes. The authors argue that, outside of currency unions, the main policy constraints for developing countries are limited domestic productive capacity and integration into global trade and financial networks rather than monetary arrangements. The discussion is illustrated with an empirical examination of three recent episodes of global illiquidity and/or policy tightening: the 2013 taper tantrum, the March 2020 liquidity shock and the 2022 dollar tightening cycle. The authors find evidence that monetary sovereignty does not insulate a country from episodes of dollar illiquidity. While ‘fundamentals’ such as current account deficits and foreign exchange reserves provide limited power in identifying vulnerability, measures of financial depth and activity do appear related to vulnerability.
Application of CRISPR‐Cas9 technology in diabetes research
Authors: Lotfi Malihe , Butler Alexandra E. , Sukhorukov Vasily N. , Sahebkar Amirhossein
Published: October 2023

Diabetes is a chronic disorder with rapidly increasing prevalence that is a major global issue of our current era. There are two major types of diabetes. Polygenic forms of diabetes include type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its monogenic forms are maturity‐onset diabetes of the young (MODY) and neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM). There are no permanent therapeutic approaches for diabetes and current therapies rely on regular administration of various drugs or insulin injection. Recently, gene editing strategies have offered new promise for treating genetic disorders. Targeted genome editing is a fast‐growing technology, recruiting programmable nucleases to specifically modify target genomic sequences. These targeted nucleases generate double‐strand breaks at target regions in the genome, which induce cellular repair pathways including non‐homologous end joining (NHEJ) and homology‐directed repair (HDR). Clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR‐associated protein 9 (Cas9) is a novel gene‐editing system, permitting precise genome modification. CRISPR/Cas9 has great potential for various applications in diabetic research such as gene screening, generation of diabetic animal models and treatment. In this article, gene‐editing strategies are summarized with a focus on the CRISPR/Cas9 approach in diabetes research.
Societal health and economic burden of cardiovascular diseases in the population with type 2 diabetes in Qatar. A 10‐year forecasting model
Authors: Abushanab Dina , Al‐Badriyeh Daoud , Marquina Clara , Liew Danny , Al‐Zaidan Manal , Ghaith Al‐Kuwari Mohammed , Abdulmajeed Jazeel , Ademi Zanfina
Published: October 2023

Aims

To predict the future health and economic burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Qatar.

Materials and Methods

A dynamic multistate model was designed to simulate the progression of fatal and non‐fatal CVD events among people with T2D in Qatar aged 40‐79 years. First CVD events [i.e. myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke] were calculated via the 2013 Pooled Cohort Equation, while recurrent CVD events were sourced from the REACH registry. Key model outcomes were fatal and non‐fatal MI and stroke, years of life lived, quality‐adjusted life years, total direct medical costs and total productivity loss costs. Utility and cost model inputs were drawn from published sources. The model adopted a Qatari societal perspective. Sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of estimates.

Results

Over 10 years among people with T2D, model estimates 108 195 [95% uncertainty interval (UI) 104 249‐112 172] non‐fatal MIs, 62 366 (95% UI 60 283‐65 520) non‐fatal strokes and 14 612 (95% UI 14 472‐14 744) CVD deaths. The T2D population accrued 4 786 605 (95% UI 4 743 454, 4 858 705) total years of life lived and 3 781 833 (95% UI 3 724 718‐3 830 669) total quality‐adjusted life years. Direct costs accounted for 57.85% of the total costs, with a projection of QAR41.60 billion (US$11.40 billion) [95% UI 7.53‐147.40 billion (US$2.06‐40.38 billion)], while the total indirect costs were expected to exceed QAR30.31 billion (US$8.30 billion) [95% UI 1.07‐162.60 billion (US$292.05 million‐44.55 billion)].

Conclusions

The findings suggest a significant economic and health burden of CVD among people with T2D in Qatar and highlight the need for more enhanced preventive strategies targeting this population group.
Wicked Insights into Design Learning
Authors: Wells‐Papanek Doris
Published: October 2023

It started with a group of about 50 highly motivated K‐12 teachers, college educators, practitioners, administrators, business leaders, and forward‐thinking college students. They called themselves the Design Learning Network, and their aim was to figure out what students need to know in order to survive and thrive in the twenty‐first century.

What will our students need to know in order to prepare for careers that may not even exist yet? The Design Learning Network is looking for suggestions.
Pathogenic pathways and therapeutic targets of inflammation in heart diseases: A focus on Interleukin‐1
Authors: Del Buono Marco Giuseppe , Bonaventura Aldo , Vecchié Alessandra , Moroni Francesco , Golino Michele , Bressi Edoardo , De Ponti Roberto , Dentali Francesco , Montone Rocco Antonio , Kron Jordana , Lazzerini Pietro Enea , Crea Filippo , Abbate Antonio
Published: October 2023

Background

An exuberant and dysregulated inflammatory response contributes to the development and progression of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

Methods

This narrative review includes original articles and reviews published over the past 20 years and found through PubMed. The following search terms (or combination of terms) were considered: “acute pericarditis,” “recurrent pericarditis,” “myocarditis,” “cardiac sarcoidosis,” “atherosclerosis,” “acute myocardial infarction,” “inflammation,” “NLRP3 inflammasome,” “Interleukin‐1” and “treatment.”

Results

Recent evidence supports the role of inflammation across a wide spectrum of CVDs including myocarditis, pericarditis, inflammatory cardiomyopathies (i.e. cardiac sarcoidosis) as well as atherosclerotic CVD and heart failure. Interleukins (ILs) are the signalling mediators of the inflammatory response. The NACHT, leucine‐rich repeat and pyrin‐domain containing protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome play a key role in producing IL‐1β, the prototypical pro‐inflammatory cytokine involved in CVDs. Other pro‐inflammatory cytokines (e.g. tumour necrosis factor) have been implicated in cardiac sarcoidosis. As a proof of this, IL‐1 blockade has been proven efficacious in pericarditis and chronic coronary syndrome.

Conclusion

Tailored strategies aiming at quenching the inflammatory response have emerged as promising to treat CVDs. In this review article, we summarize recent evidence regarding the role of inflammation across a broad spectrum of CVDs. We also review novel evidence regarding targeted therapeutic strategies.
Effects of jaw clenching and mental stress on persistent inward currents estimated by two different methods
Authors: Mesquita Ricardo N. O. , Taylor Janet L. , Trajano Gabriel S. , Holobar Aleš , Gonçalves Basílio A. M. , Blazevich Anthony J.
Published: October 2023

Spinal motoneuron firing depends greatly on persistent inward currents (PICs), which in turn are facilitated by the neuromodulators serotonin and noradrenaline. The aim of this study was to determine whether jaw clenching (JC) and mental stress (MS), which may increase neuromodulator release, facilitate PICs in human motoneurons. The paired motor unit (MU) technique was used to estimate PIC contribution to motoneuron firing. Surface electromyograms were collected using a 32‐channel matrix on gastrocnemius medialis (GM) during voluntary, ramp, plantar flexor contractions. MU discharges were identified, and delta frequency (ΔF), a measure of recruitment–derecruitment hysteresis, was calculated. Additionally, another technique was used (VibStim) that evokes involuntary contractions that persist after cessation of combined Achilles tendon vibration and triceps surae neuromuscular electrical stimulation. VibStim measures of plantar flexor torque and soleus activity may reflect PIC activation. ΔF was not significantly altered by JC (p = .679, n = 18, 9 females) or MS (p = .147, n = 14, 5 females). However, all VibStim variables quantifying involuntary torque and muscle activity during and after vibration cessation were significantly increased in JC (p < .011, n = 20, 10 females) and some, but not all, increased in MS (p = .017–.05, n = 19, 10 females). JC and MS significantly increased the magnitude of involuntary contractions (VibStim) but had no effect on GM ΔF during voluntary contractions. Effects of increased neuromodulator release on PIC contribution to motoneuron firing might differ between synergists or be context dependent. Based on these data, the background level of voluntary contraction and, hence, both neuromodulation and ionotropic inputs could influence neuromodulatory PIC enhancement.
Eco‐evolution from deep time to contemporary dynamics: The role of timescales and rate modulators
Authors: Fronhofer Emanuel A. , Corenblit Dov , Deshpande Jhelam N. , Govaert Lynn , Huneman Philippe , Viard Frédérique , Jarne Philippe , Puijalon Sara
Published: October 2023

Eco‐evolutionary dynamics, or eco‐evolution for short, are often thought to involve rapid demography (ecology) and equally rapid heritable phenotypic changes (evolution) leading to novel, emergent system behaviours. We argue that this focus on contemporary dynamics is too narrow: Eco‐evolution should be extended, first, beyond pure demography to include all environmental dimensions and, second, to include slow eco‐evolution which unfolds over thousands or millions of years. This extension allows us to conceptualise biological systems as occupying a two‐dimensional time space along axes that capture the speed of ecology and evolution. Using Hutchinson's analogy: Time is the ‘theatre’ in which ecology and evolution are two interacting ‘players’. Eco‐evolutionary systems are therefore dynamic: We identify modulators of ecological and evolutionary rates, like temperature or sensitivity to mutation, which can change the speed of ecology and evolution, and hence impact eco‐evolution. Environmental change may synchronise the speed of ecology and evolution via these rate modulators, increasing the occurrence of eco‐evolution and emergent system behaviours. This represents substantial challenges for prediction, especially in the context of global change. Our perspective attempts to integrate ecology and evolution across disciplines, from gene‐regulatory networks to geomorphology and across timescales, from today to deep time.
SEED: A framework for integrating ecological stoichiometry and eco‐evolutionary dynamics
Authors: El‐Sabaawi Rana W. , Lemmen Kimberley D. , Jeyasingh Punidan D. , Declerck Steven A. J.
Published: October 2023

Characterising the extent and sources of intraspecific variation and their ecological consequences is a central challenge in the study of eco‐evolutionary dynamics. Ecological stoichiometry, which uses elemental variation of organisms and their environment to understand ecosystem patterns and processes, can be a powerful framework for characterising eco‐evolutionary dynamics. However, the current emphasis on the relative content of elements in the body (i.e. organismal stoichiometry) has constrained its application. Intraspecific variation in the rates at which elements are acquired, assimilated, allocated or lost is often greater than the variation in organismal stoichiometry. There is much to gain from studying these traits together as components of an ‘elemental phenotype’. Furthermore, each of these traits can have distinct ecological effects that are underappreciated in the current literature. We propose a conceptual framework that explores how microevolutionary change in the elemental phenotype occurs, how its components interact with each other and with other traits, and how its changes can affect a wide range of ecological processes. We demonstrate how the framework can be used to generate novel hypotheses and outline pathways for future research that enhance our ability to explain, analyse and predict eco‐evolutionary dynamics.
Effect of efgartigimod on muscle group subdomains in participants with generalized myasthenia gravis: post hoc analyses of the phase 3 pivotal ADAPT study
Authors: Bril Vera , Howard James F. , Karam Chafic , De Bleecker Jan L. , Murai Hiroyuki , Utsugisawa Kimiaki , Ulrichts Peter , Brauer Edward , Zhao Sihui , Mantegazza Renato , Vu Tuan ,   the ADAPT Study Group
Published: October 2023

Background and purpose

Generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) is a rare, chronic, neuromuscular autoimmune disease mediated by pathogenic immunoglobulin G (IgG) autoantibodies. Patients with gMG experience debilitating muscle weakness, resulting in impaired mobility, speech, swallowing, vision and respiratory function. Efgartigimod is a human IgG1 antibody Fc fragment engineered for increased binding affinity to neonatal Fc receptor. The neonatal Fc receptor blockade by efgartigimod competitively inhibits endogenous IgG binding, leading to decreased IgG recycling and increased degradation resulting in lower IgG concentration.

Methods

The safety and efficacy of efgartigimod were evaluated in the ADAPT study. Key efficacy outcome measures included Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living (MG‐ADL) and Quantitative Myasthenia Gravis (QMG) scores. Efgartigimod demonstrated significant improvement in both the MG‐ADL and QMG scores. This post hoc analysis aimed to determine whether all subdomains of MG‐ADL and QMG improved with efgartigimod treatment. Individual items of MG‐ADL and QMG were grouped into four subdomains: bulbar, ocular, limb/gross motor and respiratory. Change from baseline over 10 weeks in each subdomain was calculated for each group.

Results

Greater improvements from baseline were seen across MG‐ADL subdomains in participants treated with efgartigimod compared with placebo. These improvements were typically observed 1 to 2 weeks after the first infusion and correlated with reductions in IgG. Similar results were observed across most QMG subdomains.

Conclusions

These post hoc analyses of MG‐ADL and QMG subdomain data from ADAPT suggest that efgartigimod is beneficial in improving muscle function and strength across all muscle groups, leading to the observed efficacy in participants with gMG.
Precision‐milled simulated curved root canals in bovine dentine for the assessment of chemo‐mechanical root canal preparation
Authors: Hofpeter Kevin , Zehnder Matthias , Hülsmann Michael , Al‐Jadaa Anas , Deari Shengjile
Published: October 2023

Aim

The aim was to develop a standardized curved root canal model in bovine dentine and to assess whether that natural substrate would behave differently from the resin in standard plastic training blocks when prepared chemo‐mechanically. The impact of substrate microhardness on simulated canal transportation was considered.

Methodology

High‐precision computer numerical control (CNC) milling was used to recreate a simulated root canal from a resin training block (Endo Training Bloc J‐Shape, size 15) in longitudinally sectioned, dis‐ and re‐assembled bovine incisor roots. Optical overlays obtained from 10 resin blocks were used to identify an average canal and program the CNC milling apparatus accordingly. Resin and dentine microhardness were measured. Simulated root canals in resin training blocks and their bovine counterparts were then instrumented at 37°C using Reciproc R25 instruments (VDW) with water or 17% EDTA (n = 10). Open‐access image processing software was used to superimpose and analyse pre‐ and postoperative images obtained with a digital microscope. Centering ratios were averaged to indicate canal transportation. The effects of substrate and irrigant on canal transportation were assessed by two‐way anova.

Results

Superimposed images showed that resin blocks under investigation varied considerably in terms of simulated canal length and curvature, whilst the milled canals were highly similar. The microhardness of dentine was more than three times higher than that of the resin. Conversely, canal transportation was considerably greater in dentine compared to resin, and in dentine had a tendency to be increased by EDTA. There was a strong effect of substrate on canal transportation (p < .001), no overall effect of irrigant, and a marginally significant interaction between irrigant and substrate (p = .077).

Conclusions

CNC milling allows to create standardized simulated curved root canals in bovine dentine. These models may be useful to test and compare materials and concepts of chemo‐mechanical root canal instrumentation. Microhardness is a bulk feature that does not predict the response to chemo‐mechanical instrumentation of a composite material such as dentine.
A retrospective study of pediatric renal trauma: A single‐center experience in Japan
Authors: Kanjanatarayon Sarayut , Ishikawa Mimu , Tomomasa Naoya , Yamamoto Shutaro , Kimura Takahiro , Hasegawa Yuichi
Published: October 2023

Objectives

To report pediatric renal trauma experiences at the National Center for Child Health and Development in Japan according to the Japanese Association for the Surgery of Trauma (JAST) classification 2008.

Methods

Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for 45 children younger than 18 years old diagnosed with renal trauma from February 2004 to December 2021, regarding details of external causes, treatments, complications, and injury scales according to the JAST classification 2008. The cases who cannot be classified into the JAST classification 2008 will be categorized into our original type 0.

Results

There were 24 males and 21 females with a mean age of 8.5 years. Left kidneys were the predominantly affected side. Blunt injury was involved in every case (mainly falls and traffic accidents). Concomitant organ injuries were found in 13 cases. The injury scales were type Ia (13.3%), II (11.1%), IIIa (13.3%), IIIb (24.4%). Type 0 accounted for 37.8%, which were type 0c (congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract without hematoma and/or laceration of kidney parenchyma) at 11.1% and type 0h (only hematuria and normal radiologic finding) at 26.7%. Treatments were blood transfusion, ureteral stenting, nephrostomy, and no nephrectomy. Complications were pseudoaneurysm, hypertension, and infection.

Conclusions

Nearly 38% of cases cannot be classified into the JAST classification 2008, comprising at least two irrelevant types (type 0c and type 0h). Accordingly, a pediatric renal injury scale should be established to achieve the precise diagnosis and treatments. However, further studies are still needed.
Characterization of high pathogenicity avian influenza H5Nx viruses from a wild harbor seal and red foxes in Denmark, 2021 and 2022
Authors: Liang Yuan , Hjulsager Charlotte K. , Jensen Tim K. , Hammer Anne Sofie V. , Ovesen Maibritt T. , Larsen Lars E.
Published: October 2023

In 2021 and 2022, clade 2.3.4.4b H5Nx high pathogenicity avian influenza viruses were detected in one harbor seal and in one adult and three fox cubs in Denmark. The viruses were closely related to contemporary viruses found in Europe, and some had obtained amino acid substitutions related to mammalian adaptation. Notably, the virus distribution appeared to have been different in the infected fox cubs, as one exclusively tested positive for the presence of HPAIV in the brain and the other two only in the lung. Collectively, these findings stress the need for increased disease surveillance of wild and farmed mammals.
Tradition, Territory, and Terroir in French Viniculture: Cassis, France, and Appellation Contrôlée
Authors: Gade Daniel W.
Published: October 2023

Many French wines, and now other kinds of agricultural products, manifest the process of “patrimonialization” as a counterforce to the homogenizing trends in the globalization of world food systems. The appellation contrôlée (AOC) concept, which dates from 1935, is the oldest expression of that patrimonial process. In it, the characteristics of a place—the terroir—are used to gloss its legally protected, territorial definition on which hinge claims to a place‐based product authenticity and, by extension, quality. AOC implementation, now with almost seven decades of experience in France, serves as the model to understand how the application of terroir to place has focused on land‐use practice, wine definition, vinicultural tradition, and landscape preservation. A complementary process at work is product salience that establishes its individuality in an interactive expectation between producer and consumer. Fieldwork in the commune of Cassis (Department of Bouches‐du‐Rhône) in the South of France sorted the set of historical, environmental, and economic conditions to reveal the actual functioning of these two processes at a local level. Appellation Cassis contrôlée, the third oldest and one of the smallest AOC in French viniculture, comprises 180 ha of vineyards and fourteen wine growers. In this case, establishment of product authenticity has been a continuous process. Wine types have evolved in spite of the absence of real innovation; political territory has been used to define terroir; the discourse of quality depends heavily on the historic past; vineyards have acquired a community value beyond any productivity; and producers have defined and defended their territory to boost its prestige to themselves and their consumers. The key entity in the appellation is the lower winegrowers syndicate. Presumptive statements, promotional rhetoric, consumer desire, and the politics of local decision making have shaped this wine region far beyond its environmental associations.
Suicide and Blacks: A Conceptual Framework
Authors: Bush James A.
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACT: Suicide among black Americans has risen sharply in this decade. The suicide pattern differs from that of white Americans in that black suicide is mainly a youth phenomenon and the rates between black females and black males are relatively equal. The lack of research into these phenomena is highlighted along with an exploration of current explanations. A specific conceptual framework is proposed that includes extragroup pressure, intragroup pressure, and value orientation. The framework is extended into the area of mental health planning, as well as behavioral science practice.
The Role of Death Romanticization in the Dynamics of Suicide
Authors: Van Del Richard A.
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACT: Suicide is an emotional, complex event, the causes of which are not well understood. Hence, the subject of suicide cannot be adequately treated in an objective, simplified, scientific discussion without ignoring its essentially personal nature. In an attempt to add some insights into the personal dimension of suicide to analytical theory considered in the following pages, subjective, spontaneous thoughts, both philosophical and indulgingly emotional, have been included. The subjective thoughts have been separated from the theoretical discussions and will be found in the sections labeled with a letter a (e.g., iii a and v a) following the theory sections to which they most closely relate. A reading of these extra sections is extraneous to the understanding of the suicidal theory presented here, and they have been included only for the reader's interest.
How Psychiatrists Weigh Risk Factors When Assessing Suicide Risk
Authors: Truant G. S. , O'Reilly R. , Donaldson L.
Published: October 2023

ABSTRACT: The clinical assessment of suicide risk is a difficult task that the traditional literature contributes to in a limited way. This study aims to complement the traditional literature by determining the ranking of suicide risk factors by a group of 81 psychiatrists. Hopelessness was ranked the most important risk factor, followed by Suicidal Ideation, Previous Attempts, the Level of Mood and Affect, Quality of Relationships, Signs and Symptoms of Depression, and Social Integration. Less highly ranked risk factors are also noted. The significance of these findings is discussed with respect to the literature and commonly used textbooks of psychiatry.
Potential for Suicide and Aggression in Delinquents at Juvenile Court in a Southern City
Authors: Battle Allen O. , Battle Mary V. , Tolley Elizabeth A.
Published: October 2023

Because juvenile delinquents rarely communicate their wishes for suicide or homicide appropriately to busy caretakers, some means to identify those juveniles at greatest risk of acting out was sought. Psychological examiners in a Southern city individually questioned 263 Juvenile Court offenders about whether they wished to be dead, to kill themselves, or to kill others; and also about their existential experiences, thoughts and feelings. Taking the data associated with each wish, we used stepwise multiple logistic regression to pinpoint experiences, such as substance abuse, that were associated with a high likelihood of verbalizing a wish for destructive behavior. These results included sexual abuse as a risk factor and the presence of a mother or grandmother as a protective factor, and led to recommending education of caretakers and forming a screening test.
The Effectiveness of Suicide Prevention Centers
Authors: Lester David
Published: October 2023

The presence of suicide prevention centers in a state in 1970 was negatively associated with changes in the suicide rate from 1970 to 1980 in the USA, indicating a preventive effect from suicide prevention centers. This effect, though weak, was consistently found for most demographic subgroups of the population and when a strong social correlate of suicide rates (divorce rates) was taken into account by means of multiple regression analysis.
The Role of Shame in Suicide
Authors: Lester David
Published: October 2023

The differences between shame and guilt are explored, with a focus on experiential and developmental factors and on behavioral reactions to these emotions. The role of shame as a motive for suicidal behavior is illustrated with examples of suicidal behavior in Greek tragedy, Asian cultures, and jails, and among contemporary suicides, such as that in 1996 by Admiral Mike Boorda, Chief of U.S. Naval Operations.
Two‐step reactive flash sintering of high entropy pyrochlore: Densification, grain growth, and microstructural homogeneity
Authors: Xu Chen , He Jinmao , Chen Zixu , Zhao Guoliang , Cai Shikui , Ni Na , Liu Tianwei
Published: October 2023

Two‐step reactive flash sintering (TSRFS) was employed to achieve fast densification of high entropy pyrochlore (La0.2Nd0.2Sm0.2Eu0.2Gd0.2)2Zr2O7 with suppressed grain growth and improved microstructural homogeneity. Theoretical density of ∼98.15% with a grain size of ∼684 nm was achieved by TSRFS, representing only half the grain size compared with conventional one‐step reactive flash sintering (RFS), while the total holding time of TSRFS was only 1.5 times that of RFS. Although longer duration in step 1 benefited faster densification, it was demonstrated that the shorter time in step 1 not only resulted in smaller grain size in TSRFS samples with identical densities but also helps mitigate the grain size heterogeneity between sample cores and surfaces. Therefore, the art of efficiently using TSRFS lies in the reasonable manipulation of the time and power in step 1 and 2, achieving a balance between densification, grain growth, and microstructural homogeneity.
Tree functional traits across Caribbean island dry forests are remarkably similar
Authors: Lopez‐Bustamante Pablo , Rosa‐Santiago Alanis , Hulshof Catherine M. , Franklin Janet
Published: October 2023

Aim

To examine the climatic and biogeographic drivers of plant trait variation across Caribbean tropical dry forests, a system characterised by high rates of plant endemism despite low moisture availability, high rainfall variability and persistent exposure to hurricanes.

Location

Caribbean tropical dry forests.

Taxon

Woody plants.

Methods

We used a database of 572 woody vegetation plots spanning across the Caribbean, including Florida. We then extracted seed mass, specific leaf area and wood density from global trait databases. We supplemented additional trait data from herbaria collections and calculated phylogenetic imputation of traits. Furthermore, we calculated presence–absence community means and functional diversity and correlated these metrics with bioclimatic variables in addition to island and dry forest area using generalised additive models.

Results

Despite occurring in climatically distinct regions, Caribbean tropical dry forests are functionally similar, and the trait space of many dry forests are nested within the functional space of others. In line with island biogeographic theory, island area, dry forest area and island isolation were correlated with functional diversity. Although temperature and precipitation were important determinants of trait variation and functional diversity, environmental variables differently impacted trait variation and the variance explained was generally low.

Main Conclusions

The high functional overlap among Caribbean dry forests is remarkable given the broad climatic gradient across these islands. High functional overlap suggests that environmental and biogeographic filters constrain plant form and function in these intrinsically fascinating systems. The trait space of these insular dry forest systems points to dispersal‐limitation, in addition to high temperature and water limitations, and favouring persistence strategies to withstand high frequency hurricane disturbance.
Volumetric gray matter findings in autonomic network regions of people with focal epilepsy
Authors: Neuhaus Elisabeth , Bitzer Felix , Held Nina R. , Bauer Tobias , Gaubatz Jennifer , von Wrede Randi , Baumgartner Tobias , Rácz Atilla , Becker Vitali , Surges Rainer , Rüber Theodor
Published: October 2023

Background and Purpose

Voxel‐based morphometry (VBM) studies of people with focal epilepsies revealed gray matter (GM) alterations in brain regions involved in cardiorespiratory regulation, which have been linked to the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). It remains unclear whether the type and localization of epileptogenic lesions influence the occurrence of such alterations.

Methods

To test the hypothesis that VBM alterations of autonomic network regions are independent of epileptogenic lesions and that they reveal structural underpinnings of SUDEP risk, VBM was performed in 100 people with focal epilepsies without an epileptogenic lesion identifiable on MRI (mean age ± standard deviation = 35 ± 11 years, 56 female). The group was further stratified in high (sample size n = 29) and low risk of SUDEP (n = 71). GM volumes were compared between these two subgroups and to 100 matched controls.

Results

People with epilepsy displayed higher GM volume in both amygdalae and parahippocampal gyri and lower GM volume in the cerebellum and occipital (p<.05, familywise error corrected). There were no significant volumetric differences between high and low SUDEP risk subgroups.

Conclusion

Our findings confirm that autonomic networks are structurally altered in people with focal epilepsy and they question VBM as a suitable method to show structural correlates of the SUDEP risk score.
Finding nemo: Digital art, tokenised assets, virtual property and the right of communication in copyright law
Authors: Lim Eugene C.
Published: October 2023

The increasing prevalence of immersive technologies and blockchain platforms in modern commerce has ignited animated debates among intellectual property law scholars on the use of nonfungible tokens (NFTs) in the sale of crypto‐assets or virtual property. Despite the rapidly growing interest in the implications of NFTs for copyright law, particularly in the realm of digital art, relatively little attention has been given to the question of whether the rights of copyright stakeholders (as opposed to the works in which such rights subsist) are capable of tokenisation as NFTs or of being transferred via NFT‐tethered transactions in blockchain environments. This article highlights the dangers of treating copyright as capable of being tokenised or transferred as NFTs on blockchain platforms, and argues that such an approach poses fundamental risks to the ‘nemo dat’ principle in property law. The article further proposes that the right of communication in copyright law should be extended to include the minting of NFTs in relation to digital files containing creative expression, to protect the interests of digital artists from the exploits of rogue crypto‐traders on blockchain platforms.
Symbolic belief in social cognition
Authors: Westra Evan
Published: October 2023

Keeping track of what others believe is a central part of human social cognition. However, the social relevance of those beliefs can vary a great deal. Some belief attributions mostly tell us about what a person is likely to do next. Other belief attributions tell us more about a person's social identity. In this paper, I argue that we cope with this challenge by employing two distinct concepts of belief in our everyday social interactions. The epistemic concept of belief is primarily used to keep track of what other people take to be true, and this informs how we predict and interpret their behaviors. The symbolic concept of belief, in contrast, is primarily used as a means of signaling one's social identity to other members of one's community. In turn, community members closely monitor each other's symbolic beliefs as a means of enforcing social norms.
Native and non‐native mulch resulted in increased soil moisture and reduced plant recruitment in container plant restoration of coastal sage scrub
Authors: Le Dieu‐Thanh , Ta Priscilla , Schmidt Katharina T. , Ludovise Sara , Magliano Kaitlin , Valdez Erick , Pratt Riley , Nguyen Lana , Long Jennifer , Kimball Sarah
Published: October 2023

One challenge of habitat restoration is establishing healthy native plants that survive, grow, and reproduce. The addition of mulch after initial planting is thought to enhance native plant establishment. In our efforts to restore degraded sites at Crystal Cove State Park in Southern California, we compared two experimental mulch treatments made from native and non‐native plant material to unmulched plots. We planted four different native shrub species: Eriogonum fasciculatum, Malosma laurina, Isocoma menziesii, and Diplacus aurantiacus, and measured plant size, soil moisture, and plant density in the first year. In the second year, the same measurements were taken for I. menziesii and D. aurantiacus, which had greater survivorship in the first year. Our results showed significant differences in plant height, length, and width among the species but not between mulch treatments. However, soil moisture significantly varied between treatments, with native mulch plots having the greatest volumetric water content. In addition, mulch treatments had a significant effect on naturally recruiting plant density, with both mulch treatments having fewer native and non‐native seedling densities compared to control plots. Regarding survivorship, significant differences between species and treatment were observed only in the first year. Our results confirmed that mulch effectively helped retain higher soil moisture. Both locally sourced native and non‐native mulch had this benefit, although native mulch resulted in greater increases in soil moisture. While mulch reduced non‐native plant establishment, it also limited native recruitment, leading us to recommend that mulch be used only during the initial establishment of container plants.
Asymptotic comparison of negative multinomial and multivariate normal experiments
Authors: Genest Christian , Ouimet Frédéric
Published: October 2023

This note presents a refined local approximation for the logarithm of the ratio between the negative multinomial probability mass function and a multivariate normal density, both having the same mean–covariance structure. This approximation, which is derived using Stirling's formula and a meticulous treatment of Taylor expansions, yields an upper bound on the Hellinger distance between the jittered negative multinomial distribution and the corresponding multivariate normal distribution. Upper bounds on the Le Cam distance between negative multinomial and multivariate normal experiments ensue.
Identification of the novel HLA‐DRB1 allele, DRB1*13:342 by next‐generation sequencing
Authors: Ananeva Anastasiia , Ziyatdinova Elvira , Andryushkina Anna V. , Shagimardanova Elena I.
Published: October 2023

The novel HLA‐DRB1*13:342 allele was characterized using next generation sequencing technology.