bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrated PET and confocal imaging informs a functional timeline for the dynamic process of vascular reconnection during grafting
Authors: Frank Margaret H. , Komarov Sergey , Wang Qiang , Li Ke , Hecking Matthew , Fowler Halley , Ravenburg Claire , Widmier Audrey , Johnson Arielle , Thomas Hannah , Coneva Viktoriya , Chitwood Daniel H. , Tai Yuan-Chuan
Published: October 2022

Grafting is a widely used agricultural technique that involves the physical joining of separate plant parts so they form a unified vascular system, enabling beneficial traits from independent genotypes to be captured in a single plant. This simple, yet powerful tool has been used for thousands of years to improve abiotic and biotic stress tolerance, enhance yield, and alter plant architecture in diverse crop systems. Despite the global importance and ancient history of grafting, our understanding of the fundamental biological processes that make this technique successful remains limited, making it difficult to efficiently expand on new genotypic graft combinations. One of the key determinants of successful grafting is the formation of the graft junction, an anatomically unique region where xylem and phloem strands connect between newly joined plant parts to form a unified vascular system. Here, we use an integrated imaging approach to establish a spatiotemporal framework for graft junction formation in the model cropSolanum lycopersicum(tomato), a plant that is commonly grafted worldwide to boost yield and improve abiotic and biotic stress resistance. By combining Positron Emission Tomography (PET), a technique that enables the spatio-temporal tracking of radiolabeled molecules, with high-resolution laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), we are able to merge detailed, anatomical differentiation of the graft junction with a quantitative timeline for when xylem and phloem connections are functionally re-established. In this timeline, we identify a 72-hour window when anatomically connected xylem and phloem strands regain functional capacity, with phloem restoration typically preceding xylem restoration by about 24-hours. Furthermore, we identify heterogeneity in this developmental and physiological timeline that corresponds with microvariability in the physical contact between newly joined rootstock-scion tissues. Our integration of PET and confocal imaging technologies provides a spatio-temporal timeline that will enable future investigations into cellular and tissue patterning events that underlie successful versus failed vascular restoration across the graft junction.
A Timeline of Bacterial and Archaeal Diversification in the Ocean
Authors: Martinez-Gutierrez Carolina A. , Uyeda Josef C. , Aylward Frank O.
Published: October 2022

Microbial plankton play a central role in marine biogeochemical cycles, but the timing in which abundant lineages diversified into ocean environments remains unclear. Here, we reconstructed the timeline in which major clades of bacteria and archaea colonized the ocean using a high-resolution benchmarked phylogenetic tree that allows for simultaneous and direct comparison of the ages of multiple divergent lineages. Our findings show that the diversification of the most prevalent marine clades spans throughout a period of 2.2 Ga, with most clades colonizing the ocean during the last 800 million years. The oldest clades - SAR202, SAR324,Ca.Marinimicrobia, and Marine Group II - diversified around the time of the Great Oxidation Event (GOE), during which oxygen concentration increased but remained at microaerophilic levels throughout the Mid-Proterozoic, consistent with the prevalence of some clades within these groups in oxygen minimum zones today. We found the diversification of the prevalent heterotrophic marine clades SAR11, SAR116, SAR92, SAR86, and Roseobacter as well as the Marine Group I, to occur near to the Neoproterozoic Oxygenation Event (0.8-0.4 Ga). The diversification of these clades is concomitant with an overall increase of oxygen and nutrients in the ocean at this time, as well as the diversification of eukaryotic algae, consistent with the previous hypothesis that the diversification of heterotrophic bacteria is linked to the emergence of large eukaryotic phytoplankton. The youngest clades correspond to the widespread phototrophic cladesProchlorococcus, Synechococcus,andCrocosphaera, whose diversification happened after the Phanerozoic Oxidation Event (0.45-0.4 Ga), in which oxygen concentrations had already reached their modern levels in the atmosphere and the ocean. Our work clarifies the timing at which abundant lineages of bacteria and archaea colonized the ocean, thereby providing key insights into the evolutionary history of lineages that comprise the majority of prokaryotic biomass in the modern ocean.
Tracking the horizontal transfer of plasmids inShigella sonneiandShigella flexneriusing phylogenetics
Authors: Müller Nicola F. , Duchêne Sebastián , Williamson Deborah A. , Bedford Trevor , Howden Benjamin P. , Ingle Danielle J.
Published: October 2022

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) poses an ever-increasing challenge to the treatment of infections. AMR mechanisms are commonly associated with AMR genes that are carried on mobile elements, such as plasmids that can move between bacterial lineages. Here we introduce an approach that allows us to reconstruct how plasmids move between bacterial lineages. To do so, we model the co-evolution of chromosomal and plasmid DNA in a Bayesian phylogenetic network approach using a joint coalescent and plasmid transfer process. We apply this new approach to a five-year dataset ofShigellaisolates from Melbourne, Australia. Doing so, we reconstruct the gain and loss of small plasmids, and the recent dissemination of a multidrug-resistance plasmid betweenS. sonneiandS. flexnerilineages in multiple independent events and through steady growth in the prevalence since 2010. This approach has a strong potential to improve our understanding of where AMR-carrying plasmids are introduced and maintained.
FACTORs: a Novel R Package for Functional Data Reduction and Hypothesis Testing
Authors: Malamon John S. , Saben Jessica L. , Kaplan Bruce
Published: October 2022

To extract biological meaning from transcriptomics analysis, investigators almost exclusively rely on biological annotation databases and the subsequent associations made between gene products and ontology terms (i.e., gene ontology analysis). Although there is ease and utility to this approach, multiple hypothesis testing methods such as differential expression analysis are performed in the absence ofin silicovalidation, and downstream gene ontology analysis methods lack precision and propagate Type I error. Therefore, we present a novel R package, Functional Association Vectors (FACTORs), that begins to address some of the common pitfalls associated with functional association studies in transcriptomics research. FACTORs are vectorized containers for directly comparing and testing congruent functional association statistics at the molecular level. Our goal was to develop novel methodology an R software package to allow for the experimental validation of differentially expressed genes that are conserved across studies and to reduce Type I error in the down-stream functional analysis of these signals. FACTORs are generalizable and flexible, allowing for any association statistic such as log fold change (logFC), t-statistic, p-value, or other functional significance score. To demonstrate utility of FACTORs in the cross-study validation of global mRNA expression profiling, we used differential expression analysis summary statistics obtained from two studies with publicly available transcriptomic data. Through this demonstration we show FACTORs provide a more precise and generalizable functional hypothesis testing methodology and data reduction approach that directly tests functional association statistics at the molecular level, across experiments.

AUTHOR SUMMARY

We present a novel statistical methodology and software tool that can be used to validate transcriptomic data across studies. FACTORs is available as an R package and will aid in transcriptomic data reduction, identifying gene expression profiles that are conserved across studies, and improving the precision and generalizability of functional association studies. We propose FACTORs as a generalizable methodology for reducing Type I error and increasing the biological relevance of functional associations in transcriptomics studies.
Relatedness coefficients and their applications for triplets and quartets of genetic markers
Authors: Ritland Kermit
Published: October 2022

Relatedness coefficients which seek the identity-by-descent of genetic markers are described. The markers are in groups of two, three or four, and if four, can consist of two pairs. It is essential to use cumulants (not moments) for four-marker-gene probabilities, as the covariance of homozygosity, used in 4-marker applications, can only be described with cumulants. A covariance of homozygosity between pairs of markers arises when populations follow a mixture distribution. Also, the probability of four markers all identical-by-descent equals the normalized fourth cumulant. In this paper, a “genetic marker” generally represents either a gene locus or an allele at a locus.

Applications of three marker coefficients mainly involve conditional regression, and applications of four marker coefficients can involve identity disequilibrium. Estimation of relatedness using genetic marker data is discussed. However, three- and four-marker estimators suffer from statistical and numerical problems, including higher statistical variance, complexity of estimation formula, and singularity at some intermediate allele frequencies.
Three-dimensional imaging and single-cell transcriptomics of the human kidney implicate perturbation of lymphatics in alloimmunity
Authors: Jafree Daniyal J , Stewart Benjamin , Kolatsi-Joannou Maria , Davis Benjamin , Mitchell Hannah , Russell Lauren G , Marinas del Rey Lucía , Mason William J , Lee Byung Il , Heptinstall Lauren , Pomeranz Gideon , Moulding Dale , Wilson Laura , Wickenden Tahmina , Malik Saif , Holroyd Natalie , Walsh Claire , Chandler Jennifer C , Cao Kevin X , Winyard Paul JD , Price Karen L , Woolf Adrian S , Busche Marc Aurel , Walker-Samuel Simon , Scambler Peter J , Motallebzadeh Reza , Clatworthy Menna R , Long David A
Published: October 2022

Studies of the structural and molecular features of the lymphatic vasculature, which clears fluid, macromolecules and leukocytes from the tissue microenvironment, have largely relied on animal models, with limited information in human organs beyond traditional immunohistochemical assessment. Here, we use three-dimensional imaging and single-cell RNA-sequencing to study lymphatics in the human kidney. We found a hierarchical arrangement of lymphatic vessels within human kidneys, initiating along specialised nephron epithelium in the renal cortex and displaying a distinct, kidney-specific transcriptional profile. In chronic transplant rejection we found kidney allograft lymphatic expansion alongside a loss of structural hierarchy, with human leukocyte antigen-expressing lymphatic vessels infiltrating the medulla, presenting a putative target for alloreactive antibodies. This occurred concurrently with lymphatic vessels invading and interconnecting tertiary lymphoid structures at early stages of lymphocyte colonisation. Analysis of intercellular signalling revealed upregulation of co-inhibitory molecule-mediated CD4+T cell-lymphatic crosstalk in rejecting kidneys, potentially acting to limit local alloimmune responses. Overall, we delineate novel structural and molecular features of human kidney lymphatics and reveal perturbations to their phenotype and transcriptome in the context of alloimmunity.

Lymphatics regulate fluid balance and immune cell accumulation but are under-studied in human organs such as the kidney. Jafree and colleagues profiled human kidney lymphatics using three-dimensional imaging and single-cell RNA-sequencing, revealing structural and transcriptional perturbations in rejecting kidney transplants.
DMDantisense oligonucleotide mediated exon skipping efficiency is affected by flanking intron retention time and target position within the exon
Authors: Goossens Remko , Verwey Nisha , Ariyurek Yavuz , Schnell Fred , Aartsma-Rus Annemieke
Published: October 2022

Mutations in theDMDgene are causative for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Antisense oligonucleotide (AON) mediated exon skipping to restore disrupted dystrophin reading frame is a therapeutic approach that allows production of a shorter but functional protein. As DMD causing mutations can affect most of the 78 exons encoding dystrophin, a wide variety of AONs are needed to treat the patient population. Design of AONs is largely guided by trial-and-error, and it is yet unclear what defines the skippability of an exon.

Here, we use a library of phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMOs) AONs of similar physical properties to test the skippability of a large number ofDMDexons. TheDMDtranscript is non-sequentially spliced, meaning that certain introns are retained longer in the transcript than downstream introns. We tested whether the relative intron retention time has a significant effect on AON efficiency, and found that targeting an exon flanked at its 5’ by an intron that is retained in the transcript longer (‘slow’ intron) leads to overall higher exon skipping efficiency than when the 5’ intron is ‘fast’. Regardless of splicing speed of flanking introns, we find that positioning an AON closer to the 5’ of the target exon leads to higher exon skipping efficiency opposed to targeting an exons 3’-end.

The data enclosed herein can be of use to guide future target selection and preferential AON binding sites for both Duchenne and other disease amenable by exon skipping therapies.
GENLIB: new function to simulate haplotype transmission in large complex genealogies
Authors: Rakesh Mohan , Vézina Hélène , Laprise Catherine , Freeman Ellen E , Burkett Kelly M , Roy-Gagnon Marie-Hélène
Published: October 2022

Founder populations with deep genealogical data are well suited for investigating genetic variants contributing to diseases. Here, we present a new function added to the genealogical analysis R package GENLIB, which can simulate the transmission of haplotypes from founders to probands along very large and complex user-specified genealogies.

Availability and implementation

The new function is available in the latest version of the GENLIB package (v1.1.6), available on the CRAN repository and fromhttps://github.com/R-GENLIB/GENLIB. Stand-alone scripts for analyzing the output of the function can be accessed athttps://github.com/R-GENLIB/simuhaplo_scripts.
SEMPAI: a Self-Enhancing Multi-Photon Artificial Intelligence for prior-informed assessment of muscle function and pathology
Authors: Mühlberg Alexander , Ritter Paul , Langer Simon , Goossens Chloë , Nübler Stefanie , Schneidereit Dominik , Taubmann Oliver , Denzinger Felix , Nörenberg Dominik , Haug Michael , Goldmann Wolfgang H. , Maier Andreas K. , Friedrich Oliver , Kreiss Lucas
Published: October 2022

Deep learning (DL) shows notable success in biomedical studies. However, most DL algorithms work as a black box, exclude biomedical experts, and need extensive data. We introduce the Self-Enhancing Multi-Photon Artificial Intelligence (SEMPAI), that integrates hypothesis-driven priors in a data-driven DL approach for research on multiphoton microscopy (MPM) of muscle fibers. SEMPAI utilizes meta-learning to optimize prior integration, data representation, and neural network architecture simultaneously. This allows hypothesis testing and provides interpretable feedback about the origin of biological information in MPM images. SEMPAI performs joint learning of several tasks to enable prediction for small datasets.

The method is applied on an extensive multi-study dataset resulting in the largest joint analysis of pathologies and function for single muscle fibers. SEMPAI outperforms state-of-the-art biomarkers in six of seven predictive tasks, including those with scarce data. SEMPAI’s DL models with integrated priors are superior to those without priors and to prior-only machine learning approaches.
How am I doing financially compared to expectations? An experimental comparison of messaging strategies in investor newsletters
Authors: Pulk Kristjan , Uusberg Andero , Riitsalu Leonore
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This study aims to investigate which messaging strategies employed in personalised newsletters could be used for improving the propensity of individuals to save or invest and secure their financial well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a field experiment with 4,782 clients at an Estonian retail bank. For three months (after measuring baseline levels for a month), the participants received personalised monthly newsletters with either a praising or a scolding message based on comparing their recent investment decisions to their past decisions.

Findings

Their results suggest that newsletters could serve as an encouragement for those who already invest significant amounts each month and a reminder for those who have stopped regular investing for a month. The newsletters robustly increased investments in securities accounts for these groups.

Research limitations/implications

The authors contribute to the marketing literature by examining praise and scolding messaging strategies within the same channel and company, focussing on the individual's past behaviour. They raise several hypotheses to be tested in future randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

Practical implications

The authors’ results show the importance of investor behaviour analysis as the effectiveness of the newsletter intervention largely depended on the type of customer it was served to. This highlights the importance of personalisation.

Originality/value

The results show that a given message tends to influence only specific groups of investors. Identifying these groups is valuable information for messaging strategies.
A decade later: exploring managerial insights on millennials
Authors: Sessoms-Penny Sandra , Underwood Kimberly M. , Taylor Joy
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The purpose of this research was to explore managers' perceptions related to the emerging needs, roles, values, responsibilities and commitments of millennials in the multi-generational workplace, and to determine how managers may effectively recognize and use millennial contributions to enhance the organizational culture and infrastructure.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative, narrative inquiry study utilized semi-structured interviews to capture collective insights of managers who lead millennials within multi-generational teams. All researchers used an interview protocol with each participant to maintain integrity. Data analysis included the creation of a code manual which was developed utilizing the first five interviews. The code manual included definitions, descriptions and exemplar text and was then used to code all remaining interviews.

Findings

Data are presented through three key areas of exploration: The contributions of millennials in multi-generational workplaces, the evolution of managerial views of millennials and the tactics managers use for millennial management in multi-generational teams.

Originality/value

Scholarly literature has clearly presented perceived qualities millennials bring to the workplace, including poor communication, advanced technology skills, overconfidence, and a need for work–life balance. This study seeks to provide an understanding of the generation, through the lens of their managers.
Balance: Benefit or bromide?
Authors: Williams Emma
Published: October 2022

There seem to be obvious virtues to keeping a sense of balance. In this paper, I consider some examples from ordinary life and education where the pursuit of balance would appear to be a benefit. Yet I also draw upon lines of thinking from John Stuart Mill and Adam Phillips to examine whether the apparent good sense of balance can be disturbed. I show how Mill's and Phillips’ ideas extend into a consideration of the aesthetics of balance and the idea that there might be something deceptively alluring about balance. I seek to develop these lines of thinking in relation to a work of modernist literature that works to dissipate balance's beguiling allure.
Detection of hidden marks on Hwatu cards used in illegal gambling
Authors: Lee Joong , Kim Hongseok , Kang Tae‐Yi , Yook Simyub
Published: October 2022

Hwatu is a popular card game widely played in both Korea and Japan. This study examined hwatu cards used in the fraudulent gambling in Korea. Fraudsters used the hwatu cards, with hidden marks printed on the back using special ink to identify the cards so that they could deceive unknowing game players. These marks are invisible to the naked eye under normal conditions and are only visible when wearing special lenses. When suspicious hwatu cards are sent to the forensic laboratory, detection of the hidden mark conducted by the microscope, video spectral comparator (VSC), and radiography, which are laborious. In this study, we developed visualization of the hidden mark on the hwatu cards by utilizing a set of the algorisms including color splitting, histogram normalization, FFT denoising, These algorithms were applied to mobile applications affording convenience and accessibility to help prevent fraud or to help law enforcement conduct an immediate investigation. The proposed method was confirmed to be simple and effective in detecting hidden marks on hwatu cards without the need for costly equipment.
Vitamin D—A prominent immunomodulator to prevent COVID‐19 infection
Authors: Ashique Sumel , Gupta Kirti , Gupta Gaurav , Mishra Neeraj , Singh Sachin Kumar , Wadhwa Sheetu , Gulati Monica , Dureja Harish , Zacconi Flavia , Oliver Brian G. , Paudel Keshav Raj , Hansbro Philip M. , Chellappan Dinesh Kumar , Dua Kamal
Published: October 2022

COVID‐19 remains a life‐threatening infectious disease worldwide. Several bio‐active agents have been tested and evaluated in an effort to contain this disease. Unfortunately, none of the therapies have been successful, owing to their safety concerns and the presence of various adverse effects. Various countries have developed vaccines as a preventive measure; however, they have not been widely accepted as effective strategies. The virus has proven to be exceedingly contagious and lethal, so finding an effective treatment strategy has been a top priority in medical research. The significance of vitamin D in influencing many components of the innate and adaptive immune systems is examined in this study. This review aims to summarize the research on the use of vitamin D for COVID‐19 treatment and prevention. Vitamin D supplementation has now become an efficient option to boost the immune response for all ages in preventing the spread of infection. Vitamin D is an immunomodulator that treats infected lung tissue by improving innate and adaptive immune responses and downregulating the inflammatory cascades. The preventive action exerted by vitamin D supplementation (at a specific dose) has been accepted by several observational research investigations and clinical trials on the avoidance of viral and acute respiratory dysfunctions. To assess the existing consensus about vitamin D supplementation as a strategy to treat and prevent the development and progression of COVID‐19 disease, this review intends to synthesize the evidence around vitamin D in relation to COVID‐19 infection.
SIAH proteins regulate the degradation and intra‐mitochondrial aggregation of PINK1: Implications for mitochondrial pathology in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Abd Elghani Fatimah , Safory Hazem , Hamza Haya , Savyon Mor , Farhoud Malik , Toren‐Hershoviz Michal , Vitic Zagorka , Ebanks Kirsten , Shani Vered , Bisharat Sleman , Shaulov Lihi , Brodski Claude , Song Zhiyin , Bandopadhyay Rina , Engelender Simone
Published: October 2022

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by degeneration of neurons, particularly dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. PD brains show accumulation of α‐synuclein in Lewy bodies and accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondria. However, the mechanisms leading to mitochondrial pathology in sporadic PD are poorly understood. PINK1 is a key for mitophagy activation and recycling of unfit mitochondria. The activation of mitophagy depends on the accumulation of uncleaved PINK1 at the outer mitochondrial membrane and activation of a cascade of protein ubiquitination at the surface of the organelle. We have now found that SIAH3, a member of the SIAH proteins but lacking ubiquitin‐ligase activity, is increased in PD brains and cerebrospinal fluid and in neurons treated with α‐synuclein preformed fibrils (α‐SynPFF). We also observed that SIAH3 is aggregated together with PINK1 in the mitochondria of PD brains. SIAH3 directly interacts with PINK1, leading to their intra‐mitochondrial aggregation in cells and neurons and triggering a cascade of toxicity with PINK1 inactivation along with mitochondrial depolarization and neuronal death. We also found that SIAH1 interacts with PINK1 and promotes ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of PINK1. Similar to the dimerization of SIAH1/SIAH2, SIAH3 interacts with SIAH1, promoting its translocation to mitochondria and preventing its ubiquitin‐ligase activity toward PINK1. Our results support the notion that the increase in SIAH3 and intra‐mitochondrial aggregation of SIAH3‐PINK1 may mediate α‐synuclein pathology by promoting proteotoxicity and preventing the elimination of dysfunctional mitochondria. We consider it possible that PINK1 activity is decreased in sporadic PD, which impedes proper mitochondrial renewal in the disease.
Postoperative systemic inflammatory dysregulation and corticosteroids: a narrative review
Authors: Bain C. R. , Myles P. S. , Corcoran T. , Dieleman J. M.
Published: October 2022

In some patients, the inflammatory‐immune response to surgical injury progresses to a harmful, dysregulated state. We posit that postoperative systemic inflammatory dysregulation forms part of a pathophysiological response to surgical injury that places patients at increased risk of complications and subsequently prolongs hospital stay. In this narrative review, we have outlined the evolution, measurement and prediction of postoperative systemic inflammatory dysregulation, distinguishing it from a healthy and self‐limiting host response. We reviewed the actions of glucocorticoids and the potential for heterogeneous responses to peri‐operative corticosteroid supplementation. We have then appraised the evidence highlighting the safety of corticosteroid supplementation, and the potential benefits of high/repeated doses to reduce the risks of major complications and death. Finally, we addressed how clinical trials in the future should target patients at higher risk of peri‐operative inflammatory complications, whereby corticosteroid regimes should be tailored to modify not only the a priori risk, but also further adjusted in response to markers of an evolving pathophysiological response.
Targeting PYCR2 inhibits intraperitoneal metastatic tumors of mouse colorectal cancer in a proline‐independent approach
Authors: Zhang Qi , Luo Hai , Xun Jing , Ma Yuan , Yang Lei , Zhang Lanqiu , Wang Ximo , Yu Xiangyang , Wang Botao
Published: October 2022

Whether proline deficiency is a metabolic vulnerability in colorectal tumors is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of proline metabolism‐related genes and exogenous proline on the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). We aimed to further clarify the role of pyrroline‐5‐carboxylate reductase (PYCR) 2, a key enzyme of proline synthesis, in the regulation of colorectal intraperitoneal metastatic tumors. This study was carried out based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data, database analysis, single‐cell functional analysis, tissue microarray, cell experiments, and animal models. We found that, PYCR2 mRNA and protein levels were upregulated in CRC. The mRNA level of PYCR2 was closely related to the prognosis and tumor metastasis of CRC patients. The upregulated PYCR2 expression was at least partly due to low promoter methylation levels. The nomogram constructed based on PYCR2 expression and clinical characteristics of CRC showed good accuracy in predicting lymph node metastasis. Pycr2 knockdown inhibited epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) of mouse CRC cells. Proline supplementation did not rescue the inhibition of mouse CRC cell proliferation and migration by Pycr2 knockdown. Proline supplementation also did not rescue the suppression of subcutaneous tumors and intraperitoneal metastatic tumors in mice by Pycr2 knockdown. PYCR2 co‐expressed genes in TCGA‐CRC were enriched in epigenetic modification‐related biological processes and molecular functions. Four small molecules with the lowest binding energy to the PYCR2 protein were identified. Collectively, Pycr2 knockdown inhibited mouse CRC progression in a proline‐independent approach. PYCR2 may be a promising tumor metastasis predictor and therapeutic target in CRC.
Long‐term limitations and complications of trans‐scleral diode laser cycloablation for refractory glaucoma
Authors: Scott Tabitha M. , Ting Eugene R. , Vincent Stephen J. , Lee Graham A.
Published: October 2022

Background

Trans‐scleral diode laser cycloablation (cyclodiode) is effective in the short‐term management of refractory glaucoma where alternative treatments are not feasible. Long‐term outcomes of 5‐years or more are not well‐documented, particularly in relation to intraocular pressure (IOP) control, need for further procedures and complications such as hypotony and phthisis.

Methods

A review was undertaken of patient medical records with refractory glaucoma who underwent cyclodiode at City Eye Centre in Brisbane from 2012 to 2016. Data included sex, age, laterality, type of glaucoma, cyclodiode parameters, number of glaucoma medications, visual acuity and treatment with acetazolamide. Data were analysed using generalised linear modelling and Kaplan–Meier analysis.

Results

A total of 54 eyes in 54 patients (29 M:25F) with a mean age of 66 years (range 15–85 years) with a minimum of 5 years follow up were included. The mean number of burns was 23.3 (range 12–40) over 180–270 degrees, mean power per burn was 1967 mW (range 1500–2000 mW), with a mean duration of 1981 ms (1500–2000 ms). The mean pre‐treatment IOP was 31.5 mmHg (range 17–56 mmHg) and mean IOP 5 years post‐treatment was 16.1 mmHg (2–42 mmHg). The mean number of pre‐treatment medications was 3.6 (range 1–6) and 2.7 (range 0–5) 5 years post treatment, including 5 (8.3%) on oral acetazolamide. Complications of cyclodiode were seen in 6 (11.1%) patients, including 3 (5.0%) cases of hypotony, and 2 (3.3%) phthisis.

Conclusion

Cyclodiode is often utilised for end‐stage glaucoma when the IOP is uncontrolled on medical treatment and drainage surgery is not indicated, resulting in long‐term reduction of IOP and the number of medications, including acetazolamide. Hypotony and phthisis can be significant complications.
Establishment of neural stem cell culture from the central nervous system of the Iberian ribbed newt Pleurodeles waltl
Authors: Seki‐Omura Ryohei , Hayashi Shinichi , Oe Souichi , Koike Taro , Nakano Yousuke , Hirahara Yukie , Tanaka Susumu , Kitada Masaaki
Published: October 2022

Urodele amphibians have exceptional regeneration ability in various organs. Among these, the Iberian ribbed newt (Pleurodeles waltl) has emerged as a useful model organism for investigating the mechanisms underlying regeneration. Neural stem cells (NSCs) are an important source of regeneration in the central nervous system (CNS) and their culture method in vitro has been well established. NSCs form spherical cell aggregates called neurospheres and their formation has been demonstrated in various vertebrates, including some urodele species, but not in P. waltl. In this study, we reported neurosphere formation in brain‐ and spinal cord‐derived cells of post‐metamorphic P. waltl. These neurospheres showed proliferative activity and similar expression of marker proteins. However, the surface morphology was found to vary according to their origin, implying that the characteristics of the neurospheres generated from the brain and spinal cord could be similar but not identical. Subsequent in vitro differentiation analysis demonstrated that spinal cord‐derived neurospheres gave rise to neurons and glial cells. We also found that cells in neurospheres from P. waltl differentiated to oligodendrocytes, whereas those from axolotls were reported not to differentiate to this cell type under standard culture conditions. Based on our findings, implantation of genetically modified neurospheres together with associated technical advantages in P. waltl could reveal pivotal gene(s) and/or signaling pathway(s) essential for the complete spinal cord regeneration ability in the future.
Skin‐on‐a‐chip strategies for human hair follicle regeneration
Authors: Jeong Subin , Na Yoojin , Nam Hyeon‐Min , Sung Gun Yong
Published: October 2022

The number of hair loss patients increases every year, and hair loss treatment has several limitations, so research on hair is attracting attention recently. However, most current hair follicle research models are limited by their inability to replicate several key functions of the hair follicle microenvironment. To complement this, an in vitro culture system similar to the in vivo environment must be constructed. It is necessary to develop a hair‐on‐a‐chip that implements a fully functional hair follicle model by reproducing the main characteristics of hair follicle morphogenesis and cycle. In this review, we summarize the gradation of hair follicle morphogenesis and the roles and mechanisms of molecular signals involved in the hair follicle cycle. In addition, we discuss research results of various in vitro organoid products and organ‐on‐a‐chip–based hair follicle tissue chips for the treatment of alopecia and present future research and development directions.
RETRACTED: A predictive typological content retrieval method for real‐time applications using multilingual natural language processing
Authors: Baskar S. , Dhote Sunita , Dhote Tejas , Jayanandini Gopalan , Akila Duraisamy , Doss Srinath
Published: October 2022

Natural language processing (NLP) is widely used in multi‐media real‐time applications for understanding human interactions through computer aided‐analysis. NLP is common in auto‐filling, voice recognition, typo‐checking applications, and so forth. Multilingual NLP requires vast data processing and interaction recognition features for leveraging content retrieval precision. To strengthen this concept, a predictive typological content retrieval method is introduced in this article. The proposed method maximizes and relies on distributed transfer learning for training multilingual interactions with pitch and tone features. The phonetic pronunciation and the previous content‐based predictions are forwarded using knowledge transfer. This knowledge is modelled using the training data and precise contents identified in the previous processing instances. For this purpose, the auto‐fill and error correction data are augmented with the training and multilingual processing databases. Depending on the current prediction and previous content, the knowledge base is updated, and further training relies on this feature. Therefore, the proposed method accurately identifies the content across multilingual NLP models.
Gender and madness in nineteenth‐century Britain
Authors: Milne‐Smith Amy
Published: October 2022

For decades, the history of gender and madness was a story about women. Individuals deemed lunatics were universally treated as passive victims of medio‐legal forces beyond their control. New generations of scholars have looked beyond power binaries to interrogate the complex network of gender, class, family, and culture to place ‘the mad’ as historical actors in a complex and often contradictory story. This article reflects on some major themes in the British historiography of Victorian gender and madness since the mid‐20th century. It highlights how feminist and anti‐psychiatrist interdisciplinary works inspired new generations of historians to place gender at the forefront of studies of medical discourse about madness, lunatic asylums, and the experiences of those deemed insane. Recent literature on the history of gender and madness places itself as key to not only the history of medicine, but the history of Victorian Britain in general.
A retrospective analysis of the use of electronic consultation in general internal medicine
Authors: Lai Alison T. , Keely Erin , McCutcheon Tess , Liddy Clare , Afkham Amir , Frost David W.
Published: October 2022

Background

General internists in Canada are subspecialty providers in the inpatient and outpatient settings. Electronic consultations (eConsult) allow primary care providers (PCPs) to virtually consult specialists to address clinical questions. There is a paucity of literature examining the utility and benefits of eConsults by general internists.

Aims

To determine how an eConsult service is used to access general internists.

Methods

A retrospective cross‐sectional analysis of internal medicine cases was completed between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2019 via the ChamplainBASE eConsult service. Two authors derived and validated a general internal medicine (GIM)–specific taxonomy using the validated: (i) Taxonomy of Generic Clinical Questions; and (ii) Internal Classification for Primary Care. Two hundred seventy‐six cases were coded following taxonomy validation. ChamplainBASE utilisation summary and closeout survey data were also analysed.

Results

eConsults were responded to in a median of 3.1 days and took 15 min to complete. The eConsult's helpfulness and educational value were rated as 4 to 5/5 and often provided advice for a new or additional course of action. In‐person referral was avoided in 40% of cases. The majority of eConsults consisted of a single question (88%) related to diagnostic clarification. The median remuneration per eConsult was $50.

Conclusions

The majority of eConsults to general internists sought diagnostic clarification and confirmed the view of general internists as expert diagnosticians. eConsults cost less than an in‐person consultation and were viewed favourably by PCPs. Further research can consider the eConsult provider experience and whether eConsults should become a required part of GIM ambulatory practice.
A prospective study of relationship and sexual satisfaction during the first year of the COVID‐19 pandemic: The role of dispositional vulnerabilities and external stressors
Authors: Vigl Julia , Talamini Francesca , Strauss Hannah , Zentner Marcel
Published: October 2022

Objective

The COVID‐19 pandemic had a strong impact on many aspects of life, particularly social relationships. Although there is some evidence regarding short‐term effects of the pandemic on cohabitating couples or individuals, it is unclear to what extent these effects persist over time and whether they also apply to noncohabitating individuals. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in relationship and sexual satisfaction among both cohabitating and noncohabitating individuals during the first year of the pandemic and to examine the extent to which these changes could be accounted for by personal vulnerabilities, pandemic‐related stressors, and their interaction.

Method

We assessed relationship and sexual satisfaction longitudinally with a cross‐national sample (N = 2859) that included five prospective measurement time points and analyzed the data with multilevel models.

Results

We observed a decrease in relationship satisfaction over the course of the study, especially among noncohabitants. Sexual satisfaction, in turn, conformed to a quadratic trend among noncohabitants while changing only minimally in cohabitating individuals. Of the individual vulnerabilities examined, attachment avoidance was the greatest risk factor for both relationship and sexual satisfaction. Among pandemic‐related stressors, mobility restrictions had a negative impact into the relationship and sexual satisfaction of noncohabitating individuals.

Conclusions

Although the pandemic generally showed negative effects on close relationships, these effects varied depending on the type of couple (cohabitants or noncohabitants), the component of relationship satisfaction (relationship satisfaction or sexual satisfaction), the time interval (curfew period or not), and also individual dispositions (especially attachment avoidance).
Meet all changes with constancy: The dynamic adaptation process of county governments in China
Authors: Cai Changkun , Shen Qiyao , Tang Na
Published: October 2022

As their task environments become more unstable, public organizations must build their adaptive capacities. Treating the organization as a problem‐solving system, we constructed an institution‐process framework to analyze how China's local governments use processes and mechanisms to adapt to the task turbulence from higher‐up governments. Based on the experiences of three Chinese counties in dealing with the Targeted Poverty Alleviation task, we found that they built an institutionalized adaptation process that included attention allocation, decision‐making system construction, and boundary work in a turbulent task environment. These processes were embedded in specific institutional structures. We define this institutionalized adaptation process as dynamic conservatism. In this adaptation mode, China's local governments rarely observe and manage the environment; instead, they integrate their existing structural and stable elements to cope with the task turbulence generated by higher‐level governments.
How racialized policy contact shapes the social constructions of policy targets
Authors: Maltby Elizabeth , Kreitzer Rebecca J.
Published: October 2022

Policy feedback scholars argue the relationship between policy and politics is dynamic and reciprocal. For instance, policies “make citizens,” teaching the public who deserves positive government treatment and who does not. Furthermore, individual experiences with policy shape participation and beliefs about government, which shapes future policy. But few scholars have examined how experiences with a law shape attitudes toward those targeted by policy. We use a survey of 3000 respondents on MTurk (including an over‐sample of people of color) to show how direct and indirect experience with policy shapes social constructions of politically relevant groups. Specifically, we examine how direct (personal) and indirect (via someone they know well) experience with two policy areas (criminal justice and social welfare) shape perceptions of the targets of criminal justice and welfare policy. We find the effect of policy contact is racialized; policy contact has a greater effect on white respondents compared to Black respondents. But despite this contact, whites' attitudes about groups' deservingness remain lower than those of their Black counterparts.
Perceived risk, emotions, and stress in response to COVID‐19: The interplay of media use and partisanship
Authors: Zhou Yanmengqian , Myrick Jessica Gall , Farrell Erina L. , Cohen Olivia
Published: October 2022

Relationships between risk perceptions, emotions, and stress are well‐documented, as are interconnections between stress, emotion, and media use. During the early COVID‐19 pandemic, the public responded psychologically to the threat posed by the pandemic, and frequently utilized media for information and entertainment. However, we lack a comprehensive picture of how perceived risk, emotion, stress, and media affected each other longitudinally during this time. Further, although response to the pandemic was highly politicized, research has yet to address how partisan affiliation moderated relationships between risk, emotion, stress, and media use over time. This three‐wave (N = 1021) panel study assessed the interplay of risk, emotion, stress, and media use for Americans with different political affiliations between March and May of 2020. Findings indicate that perceived risk, emotion, and stress at Time 1 predicted media use at Time 2, with predictors varying by type of media. Use of entertainment media and social/mobile media predicted later stress (Time 3), but news consumption did not. Later risk perceptions (Time 3) were not influenced by media use at Time 2. The predictors and consequences of different types of media use were notably different for Republicans and Democrats. In particular, risk perceptions predicted greater news use among Democrats but greater entertainment media use among Republicans. Moreover, social/mobile media use resulted in perceiving the risks of COVID‐19 as less serious for Republicans while increasing stress over time for Democrats.
Quantitative evaluation of sensitive skin by ANTERA 3D® combined with GPSkin Barrier®
Authors: Anqi S , Xiukun S , Ai'e X
Published: October 2022

Background

At present, there are many different evaluation methods for sensitive skin, including subjective, semisubjective, and objective evaluation. Various objective tests focus on assessing changes in barrier functions. It is anticipated that the ANTERA 3D®, in combination with GPSkin Barrier®, will provide better evaluation of sensitive skin.

Methods

A total of 20 subjects with sensitive skin and 20 healthy participants were recruited. Sensitive skin subjects were treated with an anti‐sensitive moisturizing tolerance‐extreme cream which has anti‐inflammatory and moisturizing effects, twice daily on the whole face for 28 days. VISIA® Skin Detector was used to record clinical images and red area. GPSkin Barrier® was used to measure TEWL and SCH. Texture, hemoglobin, and influenced area (mm2) were recorded using ANTERA 3D®. Subjects underwent skin tests and recorded changes at D0 and D28. Data were only collected from healthy participants who did not receive treatment as controls.

Results

TEWL, texture, hemoglobin, and affected area in sensitive skin group were significantly higher than those in healthy group, while SCH was significantly lower than that in healthy group (p all<0.05). After anti‐inflammatory and moisturizing treatment, the texture, hemoglobin, and affected area of sensitive skin decreased, TEWL decreased while SCH increased (p all<0.05).

Conclusions

Based on the results, the combination of the ANTERA 3D® with GPSkin Barrier® could be used as a new kind of quantitative evaluation method for the detection and diagnosis of sensitive skin.
Cross‐country linkages between ASEAN and non‐ASEAN‐RCEP member states: A global VAR analysis
Authors: Raghavan Mala , Khan Faisal , Selvarajan Sonia Kumari , Devadason Evelyn S.
Published: October 2022

The complex global value chains underlying the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) raise an important question on the macroeconomic (output, inflation, exchange rate, and interest rate) exposure of ASEAN to output shocks in the non‐ASEAN‐RCEP members, within the context of expanded regional architecture. This paper uses quarterly data from 1995 to 2018 to estimate a global vector autoregressive (GVAR) model, specially constructed for the RCEP. The GVAR model disentangles the effects and spillovers from output shocks originating in the non‐ASEAN‐RCEP through various trade channels – direct and indirect, and total exports and foreign value‐added (FVA). The model also quantifies the impact of global (the price of oil and materials) shocks on ASEAN through trade linkages. The output shocks in the non‐ASEAN‐RCEP have persistent effects on output growth in ASEAN when transmitted through the intermediary FVA channel than the export channel. The FVA channel is also important for propagating global shocks in the form of oil and material prices. The findings confirm that output in ASEAN is also highly exposed to output shocks originating in the non‐ASEAN‐RCEP economies. The FVA trade channel is vital for explaining the spillovers from the regional output shocks and global price shocks.