bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single and double vaccination against Lawsonia intracellularis in foals: Investigation of the humoral immune response following different vaccination protocols
Authors: Wadephul Rica , Dohrmann Jil , Straub Janine , Freise Fritjof , Pusterla Nicola , Venner Monica
Published: May 2023

Background

Equine proliferative enteropathy (EPE) is an enteric disease induced by the bacterium Lawsonia intracellularis that causes sporadically or endemically severe enteritis in foals.

Objectives

The current study aimed to describe the kinetic of serum antibodies against Lawsonia intracellularis by Immuno‐Peroxidase‐Monolayer‐Assay (IPMA) before and after single or double intra‐rectal vaccination of foals with the attenuated live vaccine Enterisol Ileitis® in comparison to non‐vaccinated control foals. Additionally, we evaluated whether seroconversion after vaccination might provide information about the protection against EPE.

Study design

Prospective cohort study.

Methods

Five consecutive serum samples were evaluated by IPMA from all 210 foals: group 1 (single vaccination) = 70; group 2 (two vaccinations) = 69; group 3 (control group) = 71. The study period stretched from 2 weeks before to 6 weeks after the first vaccination.

Results

The analysis showed 944 (89.9%) seronegative samples. 45 samples of group 1 (single vaccination), 56 samples of group 2 (two vaccinations) and five samples of the control group were seropositive during the study period. A total of 63/210 (30%) foals seroconverted during the study period. In foals vaccinated once (n = 70), 32 foals seroconverted, in group 2 (two vaccinations, n = 69) 28 foals seroconverted and in the control foals (n = 71), three foals seroconverted. The vaccinated foals showed significantly more often seroconversion than the control foals (p < 0.0001). After the end of the study period, a total of six foals (two vaccinated foals, and four non‐vaccinated foals) were diagnosed with EPE.

Main limitations

A longer study period might have added more information on the humoral response to vaccination.

Conclusions

Measurable Lawsonia intracellularis‐antibodies can be detected after intra‐rectal vaccination, but serological testing the time around the vaccination does not seem to be a reliable method to assess the efficacy of the vaccination.
Racing performance of juvenile Thoroughbreds with femoropatellar osteochondrosis at auction: A retrospective case‐control study
Authors: Sloan Pearce B. , White Brad , Santschi Elizabeth M.
Published: May 2023

Background

Osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) is common in the femoropatellar joint in Thoroughbred yearlings for sale at auction and there is no consensus on the effect on racing outcomes.

Objectives

Describe femoropatellar OCD in juvenile Thoroughbreds and compare the racing performance of affected Thoroughbred horses to siblings and unaffected horses from the same sale.

Study design

Retrospective case–control study of juvenile horses born 2010–2016.

Methods

Radiographic reports from 27 Thoroughbred auctions of weanling (5–11 months of age) and yearling (12–22 months of age) horses were reviewed to identify femoropatellar OCD. Age and sex of cases and controls were obtained from the sales catalogue. Racing performance was obtained from an online database. Correlation between lesion characteristics and racing performance were assessed using Pearson and Spearman correlations for continuous and ordinal/categorical variables respectively. Racing performance was compared between cases and sibling controls and age‐ and sex‐matched sale number controls from the same sale with Poisson distribution and log link. Significance level of alpha = 0.05 was used.

Results

Femoropatellar OCD was identified in 429 horses with North American race records. OCD was present on 519 lateral trochlear ridges and 54 medial trochlear ridges. There were more males in the case group (70%) than in the sibling control group (47%). Case racing performance was compared to 1042 sibling and 757 hip controls. There were significant but small decreases in racing metrics of cases and increases in males for years raced, total starts, starts for 2–5 years of age, total placings, and placings at 2–4 years of age. Analysis of specific lesion metrics revealed weak correlations for performance outcomes (positive and negative) resulting in an inability to draw firm conclusions.

Main limitations

Retrospective study where case management was unknown.

Conclusions

Femoropatellar OCD in juvenile Thoroughbreds for sale at auction decreases some racing outcomes.
Effect of artificial aging time on torsional fatigue life and cyclic behavior of AA6351 aluminum alloy and evaluation of estimation methods
Authors: Betemps Maurício Ireno , Haskel Tatiane , Barbieri Renato , Verran Guilherme Ourique
Published: May 2023

The effects of artificial‐aging time on monotonic properties and torsional fatigue of AA6351 aluminum alloy were studied in this paper. Fatigue tests were carried out by the strain‐controlled condition. Monotonic and cyclic torsional behavior, fatigue life, and estimation methods were verified. Results showed the distance between monotonic and cyclic curves progressively decreased as aging time increased from 1 to 2 and 6 h at 170°C. The yield strength values were subsequently 74.5, 110.7, and 142.5 MPa for monotonic torsion and 127, 145, and 160 MPa for cyclic torsion test (half‐life). Alloy in all aging times showed similar fatigue life in high cycle (N f > 105 cycles), and time 1 h, longer fatigue life in low cycle (Nf < 104 cycles). All specimens presented cyclic hardening at strain amplitudes ranges tested. The estimation methods showed good prediction for the fatigue parameters.
For corporate finance to truly advance we need more genuinely testable models
Authors: Spiegel Matthew
Published: May 2023

Corporate finance has turned into a field where researchers produce what seem like a constant flow of disconnected papers. Theories are never confirmed or refuted. At best, empirical papers confirm models without a realistic alternative to refute. The problem is that today's models are either static or have firms that never interact directly with other firms. Most industries are oligopolies. For firms in these industries the competition's actions in the product market are likely of paramount importance. If corporate finance is going to progress, we need papers with testable dynamic oligopoly models. Models where firms compete directly with each other.
Observational constraints reduce model spread but not uncertainty in global wetland methane emission estimates
Authors: Chang Kuang‐Yu , Riley William J. , Collier Nathan , McNicol Gavin , Fluet‐Chouinard Etienne , Knox Sara H. , Delwiche Kyle B. , Jackson Robert B. , Poulter Benjamin , Saunois Marielle , Chandra Naveen , Gedney Nicola , Ishizawa Misa , Ito Akihiko , Joos Fortunat , Kleinen Thomas , Maggi Federico , McNorton Joe , Melton Joe R. , Miller Paul , Niwa Yosuke , Pasut Chiara , Patra Prabir K. , Peng Changhui , Peng Sushi , Segers Arjo , Tian Hanqin , Tsuruta Aki , Yao Yuanzhi , Yin Yi , Zhang Wenxin , Zhang Zhen , Zhu Qing , Zhu Qiuan , Zhuang Qianlai
Published: May 2023

The recent rise in atmospheric methane (CH4) concentrations accelerates climate change and offsets mitigation efforts. Although wetlands are the largest natural CH4 source, estimates of global wetland CH4 emissions vary widely among approaches taken by bottom‐up (BU) process‐based biogeochemical models and top‐down (TD) atmospheric inversion methods. Here, we integrate in situ measurements, multi‐model ensembles, and a machine learning upscaling product into the International Land Model Benchmarking system to examine the relationship between wetland CH4 emission estimates and model performance. We find that using better‐performing models identified by observational constraints reduces the spread of wetland CH4 emission estimates by 62% and 39% for BU‐ and TD‐based approaches, respectively. However, global BU and TD CH4 emission estimate discrepancies increased by about 15% (from 31 to 36 TgCH4 year−1) when the top 20% models were used, although we consider this result moderately uncertain given the unevenly distributed global observations. Our analyses demonstrate that model performance ranking is subject to benchmark selection due to large inter‐site variability, highlighting the importance of expanding coverage of benchmark sites to diverse environmental conditions. We encourage future development of wetland CH4 models to move beyond static benchmarking and focus on evaluating site‐specific and ecosystem‐specific variabilities inferred from observations.
THE ANTHROPOCENE AND THE PLANET
Authors: Simon Zoltán Boldizsár
Published: May 2023

Dipesh Chakrabarty's The Climate of History in a Planetary Age is, in three respects, far more than a synthesis of over a decade of pioneering conceptual work aimed at making sense of the Anthropocene/planetary predicament and its implications for historical understanding. First, the book makes visible an intellectual trajectory in which Chakrabarty's conceptual struggles with the Anthropocene gradually move from the centrality of the notion of the Anthropocene toward the centrality of the notion of the planet. Second, it highlights the relational complexities with which one needs to grapple when trying to make sense of the current predicament. Third, and finally, the book showcases a series of often overlapping conceptual distinctions that Chakrabarty has developed while navigating these complexities. Through a discussion of the above key aspects, this review essay highlights the achievements of The Climate of History in a Planetary Age and critically engages with its central themes. In dialogue with the book, it pays special attention to exploring the respective benefits and drawbacks of the notions of the Anthropocene and the planet, and to the character and role of human agency in the Anthropocene/planetary predicament. Finally, the essay concludes with a few thoughts concerning the question of what kind of a reinvention of historical understanding might be triggered, respectively, by the notions of the Anthropocene and the planet.
Microbiota and pathogens in an invasive bee: Megachile sculpturalis from native and invaded regions
Authors: Tuerlings Tina , Hettiarachchi Amanda , Joossens Marie , Geslin Benoît , Vereecken Nicolas J. , Michez Denis , Smagghe Guy , Vandamme Peter
Published: May 2023

The present study aimed to characterise the bacterial, fungal and parasite gut community of the invasive bee Megachile sculpturalis sampled from native (Japan) and invaded (USA and France) regions via 16S rRNA and ITS2 amplicon sequencing and PCR detection of bee microparasites. The bacterial and fungal gut microbiota communities in bees from invaded regions were highly similar and differed strongly from those obtained in Japan. Core amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) within each population represented environmental micro‐organisms commonly present in bee‐associated niches that likely provide beneficial functions to their host. Although the overall bacterial and fungal communities of the invasive M. sculpturalis in France and the co‐foraging native bees Anthidium florentinum and Halictus scabiosae, were significantly different, five out of eight core ASVs were shared suggesting common environmental sources and potential transmission. None of the 46 M. sculpturalis bees analysed harboured known bee pathogens, while microparasite infections were common in A. florentinum, and rare in H. scabiosae. A common shift in the gut microbiota of M. sculpturalis in invaded regions as a response to changed environmental conditions, or a founder effect coupled to population re‐establishment in the invaded regions may explain the observed microbial community profiles and the absence of parasites. While the role of pathogen pressure in shaping biological invasions is still debated, the absence of natural enemies may contribute to the invasion success of M. sculpturalis.
MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION WITH EXTENSIVE INTRACORONARY THROMBUS INDUCED BY ANABOLIC STEROIDS
Authors: Fisher M , Appleby M , Rittoo D , Cotter L
Published: May 2023

SUMMARY Anabolic steroids have been associated with a variety of adverse reactions, including myocardial infarction. We report two cases of myocardial infarction in young men on anabolic steroids. In both men, extensive intracoronary thrombosis was demonstrated at coronary angiography; this failed to resolve despite anticoagulation.
LYMPHOCYTIC PLEURAL EXUDATE IN A PATIENT RECEIVING AMIODARONE
Authors: Carmichael LC , Newman JH
Published: May 2023

SUMMARY We present a patient who developed a unilateral, exudative pleural effusion without concomitant pulmonary parenchymal disease while being treated with amiodarone. Previous attempts to discontinue amiodarone therapy and substitute alternative antiarrhythmics resulted in recurrence of life‐threatening arrhythmias. We chose to continue amiodarone and observe the response to a brief course of oral corticosteroids. The pleural effusion resolved quickly and had not recurred after 36 months of observation.
ASSESSMENT OF THYROID NODULES BY TECHNETIUM‐99m‐TETROFOSMIN SCINTIGRAPHY
Authors: Akçay G , Uslu H , Varoglu E , Tekin SB , Gündogdu C
Published: May 2023

SUMMARY Thyroid nodularity is a common finding. The incidence of thyroid cancer in the general population is estimated at 0.1%. Thyroid nodules are evaluated by palpation, ultrasonography, radionuclide scintigraphy and fine‐needle aspiration cytology. Routine thyroid scintigraphy is made by using Tc‐99m‐pertechnetate or the I‐131 and I‐123 scintigraphic method. Tc‐99m‐tetrofosmin accumulates in the myocardium, skeletal muscle, liver, spleen, breast tissue, kidney and normal and pathological thyroid tissue. We investigated 36 patients (28 females and 8 males) with solitary and/or multiple thyroid nodules. All the patients were euthyroid, and their thyroid nodules were diagnosed by palpation and ultrasound examination. Thyroid scintigraphy was applied by Tc‐99m‐pertechnetate, then thyroid fine‐needle aspiration biopsy was performed. Finally, Tc‐99m‐tetrofosmin scintigraphy was carried out. Five patients (14.8%) had differential thyroid carcinoma, 23 (63.8%) had thyroid adenoma, 1 (0.02%) had Riedel's thyroiditis and 7 (19.4%) had follicular cyst. We detected 80% uptake in the early phase and 100% in the late phase by Tc‐99m‐tetrofosmin scintigraphy in the differentiated thyroid carcinoma group. In summary, we claim that Tc‐99m‐tetrofosmin may be an important scintigraphic method to identify thyroid malignancy from benign thyroid pathologies.
HICKMAN LINES INSERTED AND MANAGED BY A GENERAL SURGICAL TEAM: LONGEVITY AND COMPLICATIONS
Authors: Edwards DP , Brookstein R
Published: May 2023

SUMMARY Long‐term venous access lines are commonplace in the management of patients requiring continuous intravenous chemotherapy, intravenous nutrition or simply as a means of avoiding repeated peripheral access lines in patients with difficult venous access. The insertion and maintenance of these lines is not without major complication. Four years' experience with the Hickman catheter in a general surgical oncology setting are reviewed. Thirty‐seven lines were inserted in 37 patients with a mean longevity of 107 days (range 2‐322) and an overall complication rate of 1.25 per 1000 catheter days. Four catheters were removed prematurely due to late complications. These figures compare favourably with results for long‐term venous access from larger specialist units
CONTAMINATION OF THE SURGEON'S BARE AND GLOVED FINGERTIPS IN CARDIAC OPERATIONS
Authors: Goldsmith I , Lip GYH , Khan F , Hutton R , Patel RL
Published: May 2023

SUMMARY The surgeon's bare fingertips and the external surface of gloved fingertips were examined for contamination by bacteria during the course of 27 cardiac surgical operations. Following the surgical scrub, positive colony counts were obtained in 20 (74%) of bare fingertip impressions (median colony count 4 [inter‐quartile range, IQR, 0‐9)], while at the conclusion of surgery positive counts were obtained in 15 (55.6%) fingertip impressions (median count 1 [IQR 0‐6]; range 0‐247; paired Wilcoxon test p=NS). Furthermore, positive colony counts at the start of the operation were obtained in none of the gloved fingertip impressions and at conclusion of surgery in 17 (62.9%) of the gloved fingertip impressions (median count 2 [IQR 0‐6] p=0.0002). There was no significant relationship between the total colony count on gloved fingertip impressions and the length of surgery (Pearson's r=0.17, p=NS). Contrary to expectations there was no significant increase in the colony count on the bare fingertips at the conclusion of surgery. Although there was an increase in the bacterial count on the surgeon's. gloved fingertips, this increase did not correlate with the length of surgery.
THE ROLE OF CHLAMYDIA TRACHOMATIS IN PATIENTS WITH NON‐BACTERIAL PROSTATITIS
Authors: Mutlu N , Mutlu B , Çulha M , Hamsioglu Z , Demirtas M , Gökalp A
Published: May 2023

SUMMARY The numbers of patients with chronic prostatitis are increasing in all countries. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of chlamydia in patients with non‐bacterial prostatitis. Fifty‐five patients suffering with back pain, discomfort on voiding and ejaculation and perineal ache, and 35 normal patients, were examined between December 1995 and July 1997. Urine samples and prostatic secretions after prostate massage were collected from all patients. Chlamydia antigens were tested for with Chlamyphast. Chlamydia antigen was positive in 14 of the 55 (25.4%) patients with non‐bacterial prostatitis, but positive in only 2 (6%) patients in the control group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p=0.0268). After treatment with doxycycline 100 mg twice daily for 10 days, the clinic cure rate was 80%.
COMPARISON OF THERAPY WITH SIMVASTATIN 80 MG AND 120 MG IN PATIENTS WITH FAMILIAL HYPERCHOLESTEROLAEMIA
Authors: Wierzbicki AS , Lumb PJ , Chik G
Published: May 2023

High‐dose preparations of simvastatin and atorvastatin have recently become available to treat resistant hypercholesterolaemia aggressively, but few studies have compared these two agents. This study compared the efficacy of simvastatin 80 mg and 120 mg in 22 patients with severe familial hypercholesterolaemia over a three‐month period using an open label format. Simvastatin120 mg was reasonably well tolerated and delivered a further 8% reduction in LDL over 80 mg, giving a total reduction of 55 ± 13%, while further decreasing triglycerides (18%) and continuing to raise HDL (13%) further than the 80 mg dose. However, transient adverse changes were noted in both lipoprotein (a) and fibrinogen and 20% of patients were unable to tolerate the higher dose. One late case of rhabdomyolysis was observed, suggesting patients on the 120 mg dose require continued regular review.
THE POTENTIAL PLACE OF TENOFOVIR IN ANTIRETROVIRAL TREATMENT REGIMENS
Authors: Gazzard BG
Published: May 2023

Advice from the Food & Drug Administration and the European Medicines Commission indicates that tenofovir is likely to be licensed shortly for use in patients failing antiretroviral therapy as part of a regimen constructed by the clinician. Tenofovir is a nucleotide (NtRTI) that acts in a similar way to nucleoside analogues by inhibiting reverse transcriptase, producing similar HIV plasma viral load fall. In use up to 48 weeks it appears to be safe without evident toxicity. It has particular value because it has activity against many HIV viruses with mutations which render them insensitive to other nucleoside analogues. Its eventual optimal role in treatment, particularly whether it should be part of a first line regimen, awaits the outcome of further studies.
An overview of grey mullet (Mugilidae) global occurrence and species‐rich ecoregions, with indications of possible past dispersal routes within the family
Authors: Whitfield Alan K. , Durand Jean‐Dominique
Published: May 2023

This review examines the published literature on the distribution and species richness of the family Mugilidae around six continents as well as their phylogenetic relationships in a time‐calibrated tree. Three mugilid species‐rich regions were identified globally, namely the Coral Triangle, southern Asia and southern Africa, all of which have between 16 and 18 morphologically recognized species. Two of the species hotspots are tropical, and only southern Africa incorporates temperate waters. The centre of mugilid evolution and then global dispersion appears to be located in the tropical waters of the Indo‐Pacific. Speciation within the family was promoted mainly by plate tectonics, eustatic sea‐level changes, tropical climate and high habitat diversity within this region. The number of these tropical species that radiated out to the coastal waters of Africa and America was clearly less than the number that remained in the central Indo‐Pacific region. Nonetheless, access by tropical mugilid species was greater to Africa than the Americas because of the direct tropical and subtropical coastal connectivity to the former continent. This enabled more tropical mugilids to reach Africa than America, with the latter probably relying on Palaeocene “island hopping” or “rafting” to move eastwards across the Pacific Ocean. In addition, tropical mugilids were able to access warm western and central African coastal waters from the Pacific prior to the closure of the Tethys Sea gap in the eastern Mediterranean and prior to the development of the cool Benguela Current upwelling off the southwest African coast, and from America through at least two transatlantic rafting events.
Noninvasive risk assessment of hepatic decompensation in patients with hepatitis B virus‐related liver cirrhosis
Authors: Kim David Sooik , Kim Beom Kyung , Lee Jae Seung , Lee Hye Won , Park Jun Yong , Kim Do Young , Ahn Sang Hoon , Pyrsopoulos Nikolaos , Kim Seung Up
Published: May 2023

Background and Aim

Hepatic decompensation is a major complication of liver cirrhosis. We validated the predictive performance of the newly proposed CHESS‐ALARM model to predict hepatic decompensation in patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐related cirrhosis and compared it with other transient elastography (TE)‐based models such as liver stiffness‐spleen size‐to‐platelet (LSPS), portal hypertension (PH), varices risk scores, albumin‐bilirubin (ALBI), and albumin‐bilirubin‐fibrosis‐4 (ALBI‐FIB‐4).

Methods

Four hundred eighty‐two patients with HBV‐related liver cirrhosis between 2006 and 2014 were recruited. Liver cirrhosis was clinically or morphologically defined. The predictive performance of the models was assessed using a time‐dependent area under the curve (tAUC).

Results

During the study period, 48 patients (10.0%) developed hepatic decompensation (median 93 months). The 1‐year predictive performance of the LSPS model (tAUC = 0.8405) was higher than those of the PH model (tAUC = 0.8255), ALBI‐FIB‐4 (tAUC = 0.8168), ALBI (tAUC = 0.8153), CHESS‐ALARM (tAUC = 0.8090), and variceal risk score (tAUC = 0.7990). The 3‐year predictive performance of the LSPS model (tAUC = 0.8673) was higher than those of the PH risk score (tAUC = 0.8670), CHESS‐ALARM (tAUC = 0.8329), variceal risk score (tAUC = 0.8290), ALBI‐FIB‐4 (tAUC = 0.7730), and ALBI (tAUC = 0.7451). The 5‐year predictive performance of the PH risk score (tAUC = 0.8521) was higher than those of the LSPS (tAUC = 0.8465), varices risk score (tAUC = 0.8261), CHESS‐ALARM (tAUC = 0.7971), ALBI‐FIB‐4 (tAUC = 0.7743), and ALBI (tAUC = 0.7541). However, there was no significant difference in the predictive performance among all models at 1, 3, and 5 years (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

The CHESS‐ALARM score was able to reliably predict hepatic decompensation in patients with HBV‐related liver cirrhosis and showed similar performance to the LSPS, PH, varices risk scores, ALBI, and ALBI‐FIB‐4.
Introducing digital tools for sustainable food supply management: Tackling food loss and waste in industrial canteens
Authors: Principato Ludovica , Marchetti Stefano , Barbanera Marco , Ruini Luca , Capoccia Leonardo , Comis Camilla , Secondi Luca
Published: May 2023

Reducing food waste is essential if we want to create a more sustainable food system, which is why halving per capita food waste by 2030 has been included in the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The main aim of this paper is to demonstrate that by using digital tools to monitor food provisioning and management within canteens, it is possible to achieve a more sustainable food service management within industrial companies and to reduce the overall quantity and environmental impacts of food preparation and consumption thus achieving economic benefits. Longitudinal 2018 and 2019 data collected from the canteen of a major Italian food production company were analyzed. The results showed that the amount of food lost and wasted has decreased over time, reaping important environmental benefits and illustrating specific differences between the food lost in meal preparation and the food left on employees’ plates. It is therefore important to implement education initiatives and to use digital tools to share food‐related data collected within companies among both employees and kitchen and catering staff in order to raise awareness of their behavioral strengths and weaknesses. From this perspective, new interventions at both kitchen and customer/worker levels are introduced and discussed.
Garnet growth and mineral geochronology constrains the diachronous Neoproterozoic convergent evolution of the southern Dom Feliciano Belt, Uruguay
Authors: Percival Jack James , Konopásek Jiří , Oyhantçabal Pedro , Sláma Jiří , Anczkiewicz Robert
Published: May 2023

The Dom Feliciano Belt of southern Brazil and Uruguay represents part of a larger Neoproterozoic orogenic system formed during the amalgamation of Western Gondwana. The hinterland and foreland domains in parts of the belt preserve deformation structures and metamorphic assemblages that developed during early crustal thickening from c. 650 Ma. However, the metamorphic history of the southern foreland, in Uruguay, and its relationship with the hinterland, is not so well understood. We show that metamorphism in the southern hinterland is characterized by near‐isothermal decompression from ~10 kbar (~770°C) down to ~6 kbar, reflecting exhumation from depths of ~40 km during convergent thrusting and crustal thickening. This metamorphic event and associated magmatism is constrained by garnet Lu–Hf and zircon U–Pb dating to c. 655–640 Ma, supporting age and P–T constraints from previous studies. In contrast, prograde metamorphism in the foreland supracrustal rocks reached maximum lower‐amphibolite facies conditions (~6–7 kbar and ~550–570°C) and is constrained by garnet Lu–Hf dating to 582 ± 23 Ma. An exposed sheet of imbricated foreland basement rocks reached partial melting at upper‐amphibolite facies conditions, and metamorphism is similarly constrained to c. 585–570 Ma by monazite U–Pb dating. The data indicate that metamorphism in the foreland occurred during a sinistral transpressional event c. 55–85 Ma after the start of crustal thickening recorded in the hinterland, whereby strain partitioning during sinistral transpression led to imbrication in the foreland and oblique thrusting of the basement over more distal supracrustal rocks. This event is coeval with transpressional deformation in the Kaoko and Gariep belts, indicating a distinct two‐stage tectonic history driven by the three‐way convergence between the Congo, Kalahari, and South American cratons.
2‐Methoxyestradiol inhibits the proliferation level in keloid fibroblasts through p38 in the MAPK/Erk signaling pathway
Authors: Zhang Ming‐Zi , Liu Yi‐Fang , Ding Li , Li Zhi‐Jin , Li Yun‐Zhu , Si Lou‐Bin , Yu Nan‐Ze , Wang Xiao‐Jun , Long Xiao
Published: May 2023

Background

The MAPK/Erk signaling pathway is a classic pathway in cell proliferation. Our former study showed that keloid tissue revealed a higher proliferation level than physiological scars and normal skin. As a natural metabolite of estradiol, 2‐methoxyestradiol (2ME2) showed an inhibition proliferation effect on tumor cells.

Aim

In this study, the treatment effect of 2ME2 and its potential mechanisms are explored.

Methods

Six keloid patients and six non‐keloid patients were randomly selected from the Department of Plastic Surgery at our hospital during June 2021 to December 2021. Six groups were established: normal skin fibroblasts (N); keloid fibroblasts (K); keloid fibroblasts treated with 2ME2 (K + 2ME2); keloid fibroblasts treated with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (K + DMSO); keloid fibroblasts treated with doramapimod (K + IN); keloid fibroblasts treated with doramapimod (p38 inhibitor) and 2ME2 (K + IN+2ME2). The fibroblast activity and key factor expression of the MAPK/Erk signaling pathway were measured.

Results

In the results, 2ME2 significantly inhibited keloid fibroblast activity and key factor expression (except STAT1).

Conclusion

The proliferation levels were reduced by both the p38 inhibitor and 2ME2, indicating 2ME2 may achieve an antiproliferation effect by targeting p38 in keloid fibroblasts.
It's past your bedtime, but does it matter anymore? How longitudinal changes in bedtime rules relate to adolescents’ sleep
Authors: Bauducco S. V. , Gardner L. A. , Champion K. , Newton N. , Gradisar M.
Published: May 2023

This study investigated how changing or maintaining parent‐set bedtimes over time relates to adolescents’ sleep timing, latency, and duration. Adolescents (n = 2509; Mage = 12.6 [0.5] years; 47% m) self‐reported their sleep patterns, and whether they had parent‐set bedtimes on two separate occasions in 2019 (T1; 12.6 years) and 2020 (T2; 13.7 years). We identified four groups based on parent‐set bedtimes: (1) bedtime rules at both T1 and T2 (46%, n = 1155), (2) no bedtime rules at T1 nor T2 (26%, n = 656), (3) bedtime rules at T1 but not T2 (19%, n = 472), (4) no bedtime rules at T1 but a parent‐set bedtime at T2 (9%, n = 226). As expected, the entire sample showed that bedtimes generally became later and sleep duration shorter across adolescence, but the change differed among the groups. Adolescents whose parents introduced bedtime rules at T2 reported earlier bedtimes and longer sleep duration (~20 min) compared with adolescents with no bedtime rules at T2. Importantly, they no longer differed from adolescents who consistently had bedtimes across T1 and T2. There was no significant interaction for sleep latency, which declined at a similar rate for all groups. These results are the first to suggest that maintaining or re‐introducing a parent‐set bedtime may be possible and beneficial for adolescents’ sleep.
Embodied meaning‐making: using literacy‐as‐event to explore a young child's small world play
Authors: Hulston Samantha Jayne
Published: May 2023

This article uses the concept of literacy‐as‐event to explore the embodied meaning‐making of a young child during small world play. Recent developments in literacy research, influenced by relational thinking, have led to a reconsideration of how meaning‐making unfolds in home and school settings. The concept of literacy‐as‐event suggests that meaning‐making is unpredictable and dynamic, responding to novel socio‐material interactions between texts, people, objects and moments. This view suggests that there is a need to ensure children have opportunities to engage with embodied and material meaning‐making beyond shared reading events. In this article, small world play after a shared reading event is positioned as enabling socio‐material meaning‐making through embodied and material encounters with people and objects. A single episode of small world play is presented for analysis. A multimodal analytical approach is used, drawing attention to the embodied interactions between a child, her adult and objects. Analysis of the data shows that the young child's meaning‐making involved moments of physical and materialalmost‐hiatus, followed by erratic movements. These often unexpected fluctuations, between stillness and motion, created generative tensions between the child and her adult, enabling creativeswervesin engagement between narrative action, character traits and story themes.
Efficacy and safety of the Rezum system for the treatment of catheter‐dependent urinary retention: Three‐year real‐world outcomes in a multimorbid, multiethnic population
Authors: Babar Mustufa , Masoud Zaki , Labagnara Kevin , Loloi Justin , Sayed Rahman , Singh Sandeep , Tang Kevin , Syed Umar , Ciatto Michael
Published: May 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the long‐term real‐world efficacy and safety of Rezum for the treatment of catheter‐dependent urinary retention in a multimorbid, multiethnic population.

Methods

A single‐office, retrospective study was conducted on patients treated with Rezum between 2017 and 2019. Patients were included if they had catheter‐dependent urinary retention prior to treatment and at least one follow‐up within 36 months postoperatively. Patient demographics, procedural characteristics, adverse events (AEs), and outcome measures, including benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) medication usage and postvoid residual (PVR), were collected at 3, 6, 12, and/or 36 months postoperatively. Regret was assessed at 36 months using the 5‐item Decisional Regret Scale (DRS).

Results

A total of 27 patients met the inclusion criteria, with the majority being Asian (29.6%), followed by non‐Hispanic Black (26.0%) and Hispanic (22.2%). Most patients (77.8%) had at least one comorbidity. Trial of void (TOV) was attempted at a median of 8 days (7, 13). Fourteen patients (51.9%) failed their initial TOV. Median time until catheter independence was 13.5 days (8.5, 28.8). Common AEs included urinary retention (51.9%), urinary tract infections (UTIs) (25.9%), and dysuria (25.9%). All cases of UTIs (7/7) and most cases of dysuria (6/7) occurred in patients who failed their initial TOV. At 36 months, there was a significant median percentage change in PVR (−100.0% [−100.0, −36.7], p = .049), and 40.4% of patients discontinued their BPH medications (p = .001). Of the 11 patients who filled out the DRS, 10 (90.9%) agreed/strongly agreed that they made the right decision. By 36 months, 4 patients (14.8%) underwent reoperation and 24 (88.9%) remained catheter‐independent.

Conclusions

At long‐term follow‐up, Rezum effectively treated catheter‐dependent urinary retention with minimal decisional regret. In patients with urinary retention, urologists should consider delaying TOV until 2 weeks postoperatively to maximize the likelihood of a successful TOV and minimize the risk of AEs.
A shift of vector specificity acquired by a begomovirus through natural homologous recombination
Authors: Fan Yun‐Yun , Zhong Yu‐Wei , Pan Li‐Long , Wang Xiao‐Wei , Ding Ming , Liu Shu‐Sheng
Published: May 2023

Recombination is common in plant viruses such as geminiviruses, but the ecological and pathogenic consequences have been explored only in a few cases. Here, we found that a new begomovirus, tomato yellow leaf curl Shuangbai virus (TYLCSbV), probably originated from the recombination of Ageratum yellow vein China virus (AYVCNV) and tobacco curl shoot virus (TbCSV). Agrobacterium‐mediated inoculation showed that TYLCSbV and AYVCNV have similar levels of infectivity on tomato and tobacco plants. However, the two viruses exhibit contrasting specificities for vector transmission, that is, TYLCSbV was efficiently transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci Mediterranean (MED) rather than by the whitefly B. tabaci Middle East‐Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1), whereas AYVCNV was more efficiently transmitted by MEAM1. We also showed that the transmission efficiencies of TYLCSbV and AYVCNV are positively correlated with the accumulation of the viruses in whitefly whole bodies and organs/tissues. The key coat protein amino acids that determine their accumulation are between positions 147 and 256. Moreover, field surveys suggest that MED has displaced MEAM1 in some regions where TYLCSbV was collected. Viral competition assays indicated that TYLCSbV outcompeted AYVCNV when transmitted by MED, while the outcome was the opposite when transmitted by MEAM1. Our findings suggest that recombination has resulted in a shift of vector specificity that could provide TYLCSbV with a potential selective transmission advantage, and the population shift of whitefly cryptic species could have influenced virus evolution towards an extended trajectory of transmission.
Rootstock‐induced scion resistance against tobacco mosaic virus is associated with the induction of defence‐related transcripts and graft‐transmissible mRNAs
Authors: Kappagantu Madhu , Brandon Matthew , Tamukong Yvette B. , Culver James N.
Published: May 2023

Grafting is a common horticultural practice used to confer desirable traits between rootstock and scion, including disease resistance. To investigate graft‐conferred resistance against viral diseases a novel heterografting system was developed usingNicotiana benthamianascions grafted onto different tomato rootstocks.N. benthamianais normally highly susceptible to tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection. However, specific tomato rootstock varieties were found to confer a range of resistance levels toN. benthamianascions inoculated with TMV. Conferred resistance was associated with delays in virus accumulation and the reduction in virus spread. RNA sequencing analysis showed the enrichment of transcripts associated with disease resistance and plant stress inN. benthamianascions grafted onto resistance‐inducing tomato rootstocks. Genome sequencing of resistance‐ and nonresistance‐conferring rootstocks was used to identify mobile tomato transcripts withinN. benthamianascions. Within resistance‐inducedN. benthamianascions, enriched mobile tomato transcripts were predominantly associated with defence, stress, and abscisic acid signalling when compared to similar scions grafted onto nonresistance‐inducing rootstock. Combining these findings suggests that graft‐induced resistance is modulated by rootstock scion transcriptional responses and rootstock‐specific mobile transcripts.
General and comparative aspects of endometritis in domestic species: A review
Authors: Pascottini O. Bogado , Aurich C. , England G. , Grahofer A.
Published: May 2023

Endometritis is a leading cause of sub‐ and infertility in domestic animal species. The healthy uterus is colonized by commensal bacteria, viruses and yeast/fungi that represent the nonpathogenic microbiota. A shift in the number or type of organisms accompanied by immune dysfunction, however, may trigger uterine infection and inflammation. Metritis is associated with inflammation of all uterine layers (endometrium, myometrium and perimetrium), whereas endometritis is a more superficial inflammation involving solely the endometrium. Endometritis generally occurs at two time points in domestic animal species, postpartum and postmating. Postpartum endometritis may chronically persist, either as a low‐grade disease that often manifests as a vaginal discharge but not a systemic illness (in some species termed clinical endometritis) or sometimes subclinical where features are only detected by endometrial sampling. Contamination of the uterus at the time of mating occurs by direct deposition of semen (ejaculated or artificially inseminated) into the uterus. Improper drainage of the ejaculatory fluid or an inadequate immune response may result in persistent mating‐induced endometritis. Both postpartum and postmating endometritis interferes with fertility by creating a suboptimal environment for embryo development and placentation, and chronic endometritis may have an impact on sperm survival and fertilization ability. In the postpartum animal, there may also be changes in milk production and maternal behaviour, which can affect offspring health and survival. Preventive strategies for endometritis largely depend on monitoring their known risk factors, which are sometimes specific with regard to the species. Effective, nonantibiotic therapy for endometritis is not available to date. Overall, extensive research has been performed in cattle and horses to unravel key aspects of endometritis, but in sows and bitches, the available literature is scant. Thus, the need and opportunity to investigate the condition vary considerably among domestic species and necessitate their comparative assessment. This article reviews general and comparative aspects of the diagnosis and classification, pathogenesis, preventive strategies and therapeutics of endometritis in domestic species with a specific focus on cows, mares, sows and bitches.
Pregnancy monitoring in mares: Ultrasonographic and endocrine approaches
Authors: Renaudin Catherine D. , Conley Alan J.
Published: May 2023

Methods to diagnose and monitor equine pregnancy continue to advance with improved instrumentation enabling the development of novel, non‐invasive approaches to assess fetal well‐being and viability using ultrasound and endocrine testing. From early embryonic loss to placentitis, that is typically encountered later in gestation, fetal viability and development as well as placental function can be evaluated using two fundamentally different, structural and functional, approaches. Ultrasound provides structural information on embryonic and fetal growth using such parameters as combined thickness of the uterus and placenta (CTUP), visual assessment of fetal fluids, activity, heart rate and multiple biometrics involving the fetal head and eyes, limbs and joints among many others, depending on the stage of gestation. Endocrine profiles that include progesterone and 5α‐dihydroprogesterone, other metabolites, androgens and estrogens can be evaluated simultaneously using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) providing more functional information on fetal and placental competence and development. Endocrine information can be used in making clinical decisions including the need for progestin supplementation or when it can cease, and even estimating gestational stage in mares that cannot be easily palpated or scanned, as with mini‐breeds or rancorous animals most notably. When used together, monitoring gestation by ultrasound and hormonal analysis provides unusual insight into feto‐placental well‐being and the progress of pregnancy, helping to identify problems needing therapeutic intervention.
Association of muscular strength and targeted proteomics involved in brain health in children with overweight/obesity
Authors: Olvera‐Rojas Marcos , Plaza‐Florido Abel , Solis‐Urra Patricio , Rodriguez‐Ayllon María , Toval Angel , Esteban‐Cornejo Irene , Ortega Francisco B.
Published: May 2023

Muscular strength has been positively associated with better brain health indicators during childhood obesity. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the positive impact of muscular strength in brain health are poorly understood. We aimed to study the association of muscular strength with neurology‐related circulating proteins in plasma in children with overweight/obesity and to explore the role of cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) as a confounder. The participants were 86 Caucasian children (10.1 ± 1.1 years old; 41% girls) from the ActiveBrains project. Muscular strength was measured by field and laboratory tests. CRF was assessed with an incremental treadmill test. Olink's technology was used to quantify 92 neurology‐related proteins in plasma. Protein–protein interactions were computed using the STRING website. Muscular strength was positively associated with 12 proteins (BetaNGF, CDH6, CLEC10A, CLM1, FcRL2, HAGH, IL12, LAIR2, MSR1, SCARB2, SMOC2, and TNFRSF12A), and negatively associated with 12 proteins (CLEC1B, CTSC, CTSS, gal‐8, GCP5, NAAA, NrCAM, NTRK2, PLXNB3, RSPO1, sFRP3, and THY1). After adjustment for CRF, muscular strength was positively associated with eight proteins (BetaNGF, CDH6, CLEC10A, FcRL2, LAIR2, MSR1, SCARB2, and TNFRSF12A) and negatively associated with two proteins (gal‐8 and NrCAM). After applying FDR correction, only CLEC10A remained statistically significant. In conclusion, muscular strength was associated with blood circulating proteins involved in several biological processes, particularly anti‐inflammatory response, lipid metabolism, beta amyloid clearance, and neuronal action potential propagation. More powered studies are warranted in pediatric populations to contrast or confirm our findings.
Identification of four novel HLA‐DQ alleles, HLA‐DQA1*01:106, ‐DQA1*01:107, ‐DQA1*05:74 and ‐DQB1*05:01:48
Authors: Hu Qian , Christian Danielle , Yang Guang , Burns Caitlyn , Berka Noureddine
Published: May 2023

Characterization of new alleles, three HLA‐DQA1 and one HLA‐DQB1, bearing non‐synonymous and synonymous mutations, respectively.
Long‐term poor sleep quality is associated with adverse donor reactions in college students in Central China: A population‐based cross‐sectional study
Authors: Ke Songqing , Xu Pu , Xiong Jing , Xu Lijia , Ma Mengdi , Du Xiaoan , Yang Ru
Published: May 2023

Background and Objectives

Adverse donor reaction (ADR) could adversely impact the recruitment and retention of blood donors, but the evidence of effect of sleep quality on ADR is limited and controversial. The goal of this study was to explore the association between the sleep quality and ADR among college students in Wuhan.

Materials and Methods

The college student blood donors in Wuhan from March to May 2022 were recruited. Self‐compiled general information questionnaire and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) were investigated by convenience sampling. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the association.

Results

Among 1014 participants included in this study, 63 were in the ADR group and 951 were in the non‐ADR group. Compared with the non‐ADR group, the PSQI scores of ADR group were higher (3.44 ± 1.81 vs. 2.78 ± 1.82, p < 0.01). The results of multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting gender, body mass index, blood donation history and other potential confounding factors, higher PSQI scores were related to the occurrence of ADRs (odds ratio = 1.231, 95% confidence interval 1.075–1.405), that is, the worse the sleep quality, the more likely the ADRs will occur.

Conclusion

The long‐term poor sleep quality of college students is a risk factor for the occurrence of ADRs. It should be identified early before blood donation to reduce the incidence of ADRs and improve the safety and satisfaction of donors.
Bifurcations and Stability Analysis of Elastic Slender Structures Using Static Discrete Elastic Rods Method
Authors: Huang Weicheng , Zhang Yingchao , Yu Tian , Liu Mingchao
Published: May 2023

Discrete elastic rods (DER) method provides a computationally efficient means of simulating the nonlinear dynamics of one-dimensional slender structures. However, this dynamic-based framework can only provide first-order stable equilibrium configuration when combined with the dynamic relaxation method, while the unstable equilibria and potential critical points (i.e., bifurcation and fold point) cannot be obtained, which are important for understanding the bifurcation and stability landscape of slender bodies. Our approach modifies the existing DER technique from dynamic simulation to a static framework and computes eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the tangential stiffness matrix after each load incremental step for bifurcation and stability analysis. This treatment can capture both stable and unstable equilibrium modes, critical points, and trace solution curves. Three representative types of structures—beams, strips, and gridshells—are used as demonstrations to show the effectiveness of the modified numerical framework, which provides a robust tool for unveiling the bifurcation and multistable behaviors of slender structures.