bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
(096) #SexMed: The Sexual Medicine Tag Ontology Project
Authors: Patel N , Davenport A , Iglesia C , Kingsberg S
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Female sexual dysfunction includes many different conditions that involve desire, arousal, orgasm, and pain. More than 40% of American women report sexual problems and nearly 12% meet the criteria for a diagnosed sexual dysfunction. Given the sensitivity of the topic, many women turn to the Internet to find information. In specific, social media allows users to interact with others by creating, viewing and commenting on content. “Hashtags” are a type of metadata tag that are preceded by the symbol “#”. By adding this symbol, social media platforms are able to compile relevant information in a single place, streamlining pertinent information and allowing for users to find others with similar interests and create new communities based on a common interest.

Objective

The aim of this study is to develop a tag ontology and to identify the top social media influencers for female sexual medicine.

Methods

Symplur is a Twitter analytic tool that identifies tweets and hashtags related to a specific topic. This software was used to create a “tag ontology”, a standardized list of hashtags, using the search terms “sexual medicine”, “women’s sexual health” and “female sexual dysfunction” between November 1, 2020 and November 1, 2022. The hashtag ontology list created by Symplur was then reviewed by social media influencers for inclusivity and external validation. A proprietary Symplur algorithm was used to identify Top Influencers.

Results

We identified 3800 tweets during the study time period. In total, the ontology included 22 terms (Table 1). Medical and vernacular terms were included in the “tag ontology” so the list included terms accessible to both women and healthcare providers. Of the top 20 influencers, 10 were physicians, 7 were major medical societies, 2 were academic journals and 1 was industry related. A visual of the top 15 influencers appears in Figure 1.

Conclusions

Creation of a standardized hashtag ontology consolidates communication between healthcare providers and patients about specific health information. Our study has created a “tag ontology” for female sexual medicine that can be utilized to streamline pertinent information between providers and women.

Disclosure

No
Effects of the Noise Reduction and Communication Management Headset System SLOS on Noise and Stress of Medical Laboratory Workers
Authors: Lehrke Jan , Lauff Sören , Mücher Jan , Friedrich Martin G , Boos Margarete
Published: May 2023

Objective

To investigate the effects of the Silent Laboratory Optimization System (SLOS), a technical-noise reduction and communication-management system, on noise load and stress among medical-laboratory workers.

Methods

We conducted a quasiexperimental field study (20 days with SLOS as the experimental condition, and 20 days without SLOS as the control condition) in a within-subjects design. Survey data from 13 workers were collected before and after the shift. Also, a survey was conducted after the control and experimental conditions, respectively. Noise was measured in dBA and as a subjective assessment. Stress was operationalized via a stress composite score (STAI and Perkhofer Stress Scale), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), an exhaustion score (Leipziger StimmungsBogen in German [LSB]), and salivary cortisol values in µg/L.

Results

SLOS users perceived significantly less noise (V = 76.5; P =.003). Multilevel models revealed a stress reduction with the SLOS on the composite score, compared with a stress increase in the control condition (F[1, 506.99] = 6.00; P = .01). A lower PSS score (F[1,13] = 4.67; P = .05) and a lower exhaustion level (F[1, 508.72] = 9.057; P = .003) in the experimental condition were found, whereas no differences in cortisol (F[1,812.58.6] = 0.093; P = .76) were revealed.

Conclusion

The workers showed reduced noise perception and stress across all criteria except cortisol when using SLOS.
Influence of Gaunt factors on the calculation of the Stark broadening parameters for 56 spectral lines of V ii with high industrial and astrophysical interest
Authors: de Andrés-García I , Isidoro-García L , Fernández F , Porro J , Colón C
Published: May 2023

Recently, in 2020, Stark broadening parameters have been measured for spectral lines belonging to 75 vanadium ii (V ii) multiplets. For some of them, there are published calculations in the literature. However, these lines are not sufficient for the analysis of the lines present in the metal-poor star HD 8493. When new calculations by the Griem approximation are performed and compared with the experimental results, in some cases there is a difference of a factor of 7. It is clear that the problem lies, as already suggested some years ago in a theoretical paper by Douglas H. Sampson, in the poor approximation proposed by van Regemorter for the Gaunt factors used in the Griem approximation. In this work, we have performed broadening measurements of 3276.12 and 3715.46 Å V ii lines that confirmed the previous measurements of 2020. Subsequently, we performed a more accurate calculation using the procedure to calculate the Gaunt factors suggested by Sampson, obtaining results very close to the experimental values. These allowed us to assume that the calculations performed for 56 lines ranging between 3700 and 4600 Å (present in the photospheres of the Sun and the metal-poor star HD 8493), and without experimental information, are more accurate using the Gaunt factors proposed by Sampson.
A generalizable framework to comprehensively predict epigenome, chromatin organization, and transcriptome
Authors: Zhang Zhenhao , Feng Fan , Qiu Yiyang , Liu Jie
Published: May 2023

Many deep learning approaches have been proposed to predict epigenetic profiles, chromatin organization, and transcription activity. While these approaches achieve satisfactory performance in predicting one modality from another, the learned representations are not generalizable across predictive tasks or across cell types. In this paper, we propose a deep learning approach named EPCOT which employs a pre-training and fine-tuning framework, and is able to accurately and comprehensively predict multiple modalities including epigenome, chromatin organization, transcriptome, and enhancer activity for new cell types, by only requiring cell-type specific chromatin accessibility profiles. Many of these predicted modalities, such as Micro-C and ChIA-PET, are quite expensive to get in practice, and the in silico prediction from EPCOT should be quite helpful. Furthermore, this pre-training and fine-tuning framework allows EPCOT to identify generic representations generalizable across different predictive tasks. Interpreting EPCOT models also provides biological insights including mapping between different genomic modalities, identifying TF sequence binding patterns, and analyzing cell-type specific TF impacts on enhancer activity.
Sequential disruption of SPLASH-identified vRNA–vRNA interactions challenges their role in influenza A virus genome packaging
Authors: Jakob Celia , Lovate Gabriel L , Desirò Daniel , Gießler Lara , Smyth Redmond P , Marquet Roland , Lamkiewicz Kevin , Marz Manja , Schwemmle Martin , Bolte Hardin
Published: May 2023

A fundamental step in the influenza A virus (IAV) replication cycle is the coordinated packaging of eight distinct genomic RNA segments (i.e. vRNAs) into a viral particle. Although this process is thought to be controlled by specific vRNA–vRNA interactions between the genome segments, few functional interactions have been validated. Recently, a large number of potentially functional vRNA–vRNA interactions have been detected in purified virions using the RNA interactome capture method SPLASH. However, their functional significance in coordinated genome packaging remains largely unclear. Here, we show by systematic mutational analysis that mutant A/SC35M (H7N7) viruses lacking several prominent SPLASH-identified vRNA–vRNA interactions involving the HA segment package the eight genome segments as efficiently as the wild-type virus. We therefore propose that the vRNA–vRNA interactions identified by SPLASH in IAV particles are not necessarily critical for the genome packaging process, leaving the underlying molecular mechanism elusive.
GePI: large-scale text mining, customized retrieval and flexible filtering of gene/protein interactions
Authors: Faessler Erik , Hahn Udo , Schäuble Sascha
Published: May 2023

We present GePI, a novel Web server for large-scale text mining of molecular interactions from the scientific biomedical literature. GePI leverages natural language processing techniques to identify genes and related entities, interactions between those entities and biomolecular events involving them. GePI supports rapid retrieval of interactions based on powerful search options to contextualize queries targeting (lists of) genes of interest. Contextualization is enabled by full-text filters constraining the search for interactions to either sentences or paragraphs, with or without pre-defined gene lists. Our knowledge graph is updated several times a week ensuring the most recent information to be available at all times. The result page provides an overview of the outcome of a search, with accompanying interaction statistics and visualizations. A table (downloadable in Excel format) gives direct access to the retrieved interaction pairs, together with information about the molecular entities, the factual certainty of the interactions (as verbatim expressed by the authors), and a text snippet from the original document that verbalizes each interaction. In summary, our Web application offers free, easy-to-use, and up-to-date monitoring of gene and protein interaction information, in company with flexible query formulation and filtering options. GePI is available at https://gepi.coling.uni-jena.de/.
Can Banks Save Mountains?
Authors: Haushalter David , Henry Joseph J , Iliev Peter
Published: May 2023

We study bank policies to limit lending to companies engaged in mountaintop removal (MTR) coal mining, a form of coal extraction that has raised many environmental concerns. Using the staggered introduction of these policies, we document that these policies did not lead to meaningful changes in average bank lending or MTR mining. However, larger banks, banks that are under media pressure, and banks operating in the affected states are more likely to reduce MTR loans. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that banks announced these policies under pressure and to improve their green credentials. (JEL G21, G28, G32)

Authors have furnished an Internet Appendix, which is available on the Oxford University Press Web site next to the link to the final published paper online.
Taxation of the Hungarian asset management foundation, trust and hybrid trust
Authors: Menyhei Ákos
Published: May 2023

How should new legal forms—trusts, asset management foundations and hybrid trusts—be treated and their taxation implemented into an existing tax regime? Is tax exemption the best way forward or should the new legal forms be included in the tax regime that applies to taxable entities? Who should be taxed and when? The legal instrument itself, the trustee or the beneficiary? Should a look-through approach be applied to provide for tax-neutral treatment of the new vehicles? In this article, the author explains the key issues and significant benefits of the taxation of trusts, AMFs and hybrid trusts, providing answers to these questions.
Taming the Italian ‘Trojan horse’: the a non domino sales of cultural objects
Authors: Giardini Giuditta
Published: May 2023

For a long time, scholars have argued that Article 1153 of the Italian Civil Code, regulating the good faith purchase of goods, creates a ‘congenial place’ for buying stolen cultural objects. What is an Italian domestic concern becomes international in international cases where Italian law is found to be applicable. Consequently, both scholarship and case law have looked into the problem and questioned the applicability of the article to cultural objects. This Contribution explores the contours of the norm, explains how it risks playing the role of the ‘Trojan horse’, and then shows why it was essential for the Italian Supreme Court to intervene. In deciding on a case concerning the ownership rights of Peruvian and Chilean cultural property sold a non domino and located in Italy, the Italian Supreme Court upheld the ruling of the lower Court and applied the principles of international public order derived from cultural conventions. Where the application of Italian law, specifically of Article 1153 of the Italian Civil Code was necessary, the Supreme Court strengthened the article's constitutive element of good faith by making hermeneutical use of Article 4 of the 1995 Unidroit Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects. The resulting good faith requires a higher level of care on the art-buyer side, a standard that changes depending on the character of the party concerned. Ultimately the Contribution points to the importance of the choice that the Supreme Court made to identify a dynamic bonam fidem to cope with the problems posed by Article 1153 of the Italian Civil Code.
Improved Maximal Workload and Systolic Blood Pressure After Cardiac Rehabilitation Following Thoracic Aortic Repair
Authors: Koenders Niek , van Zetten Henrita , Smulders Michelle , Verra Martin L. , van Kimmenade Roland R. J. , van Brakel Thomas , Eijsvogels Thijs M. H. , Smith Tim
Published: May 2023

Purpose:

It is of clinical importance to gain more knowledge about the risks and benefits of exercise in patients recovering from thoracic aortic repair. Therefore, the aim of this review was to perform a meta-analysis on changes in cardiorespiratory fitness, blood pressure, and the incidence of adverse events during cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in patients recovering from thoracic aortic repair.

Review Methods:

We performed a systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of outcomes before versus after outpatient CR in patients recovering from thoracic aortic repair. The study protocol was registered (PROSPERO CRD42022301204) and published. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL were systematically searched for eligible studies. Overall certainty of evidence was scored with Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE).

We included five studies with data from in total 241 patients. Data from one study could not be used in our meta-analysis because they were provided in a different unit of measure. Four studies with data of 146 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The mean maximal workload increased with 28.7 W (95% CI: 21.8-35.6 W, n = 146, low certainty of evidence). The mean systolic blood pressure during exercise testing increased with 25.4 mm Hg (95% CI: 16.6-34.3, n = 133, low certainty of evidence). No exercise-induced adverse events were reported. These outcomes indicate that CR seems beneficial and safe to improve exercise tolerance in patients recovering from thoracic aortic repair, although outcomes were based on data from a small, heterogeneous group of patients.
ENLARGEMENT OF CHOROIDAL NEOVASCULARIZATION BEFORE RECURRENCE AFTER PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY FOR PACHYCHOROID NEOVASCULOPATHY
Authors: Hikichi Taiichi , Kubo Natsuki , Tabata Moe , Kurabe Haruka
Published: May 2023

Purpose:

To investigate predictors of recurrent exudation in choroidal neovascularization (CNV) of pachychoroid neovasculopathy after photodynamic therapy (PDT).

Methods:

Consecutive, treatment-naïve, symptomatic patients with pachychoroid neovasculopathy with subfoveal retinal fluid treated with PDT and followed for 18 months were studied retrospectively. Choroidal neovascularization areas were calculated from optical coherence tomography angiography images obtained at various time points after the initial PDT.

Results:

In 52 eyes, the subfoveal retinal fluid resolved completely three months after PDT; in 23 (44%) eyes, exudation recurred during the 18-month follow-up period. In 29 eyes with no recurrence, the mean baseline square root of the CNV area of 1.91 mm (95% CI, 0.27) decreased significantly (P = 0.006) to 1.47 mm (95% CI, 0.16) at three months after PDT and decreased further until 12 months after PDT (mean, 1.26 mm; 95% CI, P < 0.001) and was maintained thereafter. In 23 eyes with a recurrence, the square root of the CNV area enlarged significantly (P = 0.028) from 1.43 mm (95% CI, 0.21) at examination three months before the recurrence to 1.73 mm (95% CI, 0.18) at recurrence.

Conclusion:

Choroidal neovascularization enlargement during the follow-up period after PDT for pachychoroid neovasculopathy may predict recurrence.
Long-term outcomes of liver transplantation for alcohol-related liver disease
Authors: Lin Niang-Cheng , Liu Chinsu , Chen Cheng-Yen , Lei Hao-Jan , Tsou Yi-Fan , Kuo Fang-Cheng , Chou Shu-Cheng , Chung Meng-Hsuan , Hsia Cheng-Yuan , Loong Che-Chuan , Wang Shen-Chih , Lee Oscar K. , Tsai Hsin-Lin
Published: May 2023

Background:

Liver transplantation (LT) is being increasingly performed for alcohol-related liver disease (ALD). It is unclear whether the increasing frequency of LTs in ALD patients has a negative impact on deceased-donor (DDLT) allocation and whether the current policy of 6 months of abstinence before transplantation effectively prevents recidivism after transplantation or improves long-term outcomes.

Methods:

A total of 506 adult LT recipients, including 97 ALD patients, were enrolled. The outcomes of ALD patients were compared with those of non-ALD patients. The 97 ALD patients were further divided into group A (6-month abstinence) and group N (nonabstinence) based on the pretransplant alcohol withdrawal period. The incidence of relapsed drinking and the long-term outcomes were compared between the two groups.

Results:

The prevalence of LT for ALD significantly increased after 2016 (27.0% vs 14.0%; p < 0.01), but the frequency of DDLT for ALD remained unchanged (22.6% vs 34.1%, p = 0.210). After a median follow-up of 56.9 months, patient survival was comparable between the ALD and non-ALD patients (1, 3, and 5 years posttransplant: 87.6%, 84.3%, and 79.5% vs 82.8%, 76.6%, and 72.2%, respectively; p = 0.396). The results were consistent irrespective of the transplant type and disease severity. In ALD patients, 22 of the 70 (31.4%) patients reported relapsed drinking after transplantation, and the prevalence in group A had a higher tendency than that in group N (38.3% vs 17.4%, p = 0.077). Six months of abstinence or nonabstinence did not result in a survival difference, and de novo malignancies were the leading cause of late patient death in ALD patients.

Conclusion:

LT achieves favorable outcomes for ALD patients. Six months of abstinence pretransplant did not predict the risk of recidivism after transplantation. The high incidence of de novo malignancies in these patients warrants a more comprehensive physical evaluation and better lifestyle modifications to improve long-term outcomes.
The impact of cancer-related lower extremity lymphedema on patient quality of life: a qualitative meta-synthesis
Authors: Bowman Catharine , Baydoun Mohamad , Carlson Linda E.
Published: May 2023

Lower extremity lymphedema (LEL) is a common and potentially debilitating chronic condition associated with cancer treatment. Research has outlined the substantial psychosocial and quality-of-life (QOL) sequelae associated with lymphedema, primarily of the upper extremities and through the use of quantitative methods. The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize, synthesize, and appraise qualitative literature exploring the impact of LEL on patients' QOL and psychosocial well-being after cancer treatment. Nine databases were searched for qualitative research articles published before May 1, 2022. Six eligible articles were included. Four studies used individual semistructured interviews, one used open-ended survey questions, and one used structured interviews. There was a total of 248 participants (average age: 59.8 years) included in the reviewed articles, ranging from 13 to 178 participants. Most participants were women and had a history of gynecologic cancer. All studies described psychosocial challenges experienced by individuals with cancer-related LEL. Four key themes were identified: (1) physical burden and functional limitations, (2) psychologic and emotional impacts, (3) financial implications, and (4) relational and social sequelae. Despite available qualitative data suggesting that cancer-related LEL has negative consequences on patients' QOL, there is still a significant need for increased research to broaden our understanding of the cancer-related LEL experience to better inform policy and practical guideline development.
Failed Extubation in Neonates After Cardiac Surgery: A Single-Center, Retrospective Study
Authors: Wilson Hunter C. , Gunsaulus Megan E. , Owens Gabe E. , Goldstein Stephanie A. , Yu Sunkyung , Lowery Ray E. , Olive Mary K.
Published: May 2023

OBJECTIVES:

To describe factors associated with failed extubation (FE) in neonates following cardiovascular surgery, and the relationship with clinical outcomes.

DESIGN:

Retrospective cohort study.

SETTING:

Twenty-bed pediatric cardiac ICU (PCICU) in an academic tertiary care children’s hospital.

PATIENTS:

Neonates admitted to the PCICU following cardiac surgery between July 2015 and June 2018.

INTERVENTIONS:

None.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:

Patients who experienced FE were compared with patients who were successfully extubated. Variables associated with FE (p< 0.05) from univariate analysis were considered for inclusion in multivariable logistic regression. Univariate associations of FE with clinical outcomes were also examined. Of 240 patients, 40 (17%) experienced FE. Univariate analyses revealed associations of FE with upper airway (UA) abnormality (25% vs 8%,p= 0.003) and delayed sternal closure (50% vs 24%,p= 0.001). There were weaker associations of FE with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (25% vs 13%,p= 0.04), postoperative ventilation greater than 7 days (33% vs 15%,p= 0.01), Society of Thoracic Surgeons-European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (STAT) category 5 operations (38% vs 21%,p= 0.02), and respiratory rate during spontaneous breathing trial (median 42 vs 37 breaths/min,p= 0.01). In multivariable analysis, UA abnormalities (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3.5; 95% CI, 1.4–9.0), postoperative ventilation greater than 7 days (AOR 2.3; 95% CI, 1.0–5.2), and STAT category 5 operations (AOR 2.4; 95% CI, 1.1–5.2) were independently associated with FE. FE was also associated with unplanned reoperation/reintervention during hospital course (38% vs 22%,p= 0.04), longer hospitalization (median 29 vs 16.5 d,p< 0.0001), and in-hospital mortality (13% vs 3%,p= 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS:

FE in neonates occurs relatively commonly following cardiac surgery and is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Additional data are needed to further optimize periextubation decision-making in patients with multiple clinical factors associated with FE.
Introducing Saddle-Shaped Radix Graft, with a Second Look into the Classic
Authors: Wu Lehao , You Jianjun , Wang Huan , Tian Le , Fan Fei
Published: May 2023

Background:

An enduringly stable tip graft is the key to achieve successful rhinoplasty cases. However, the intrinsic nature of rib graft warping renders major unpredictability for the long-term outcome. The objective of this study was to detail and validate the use of a radix graft design that is characterized by the dual curved surfaces and beveled margin, which consequently renders a shape similar to a saddle.

Methods:

Twenty-three female patients, ranging in age from 22 to 31 years, completed the study. In all cases, the saddle-shaped radix graft was applied as the essential element for enhancing radix region profile. The complications that arose were collected retrospectively. Three-dimensional stereophotogrammetric evaluations of patients were performed. Anthropometric points were analyzed in a blinded fashion. Outcome variables were tip projection, nasal length, radix height, and the radius of curvature.

Results:

Postoperative analysis suggested significant improvement on the aesthetics of the radix region over time, evidenced by the significant increase of radix height (4.33 ± 1.21 mm versus 7.08 ± 1.00 mm), and the reduction of radius of curvature at nasofrontal break over the long term (22.63 ± 2.24 mm versus 13.94 ± 0.98 mm). Other postoperative evaluations, including radix height, tip projection, and nasal length, had significant improvement.

Conclusions:

The saddle-shaped radix graft effectively augments the radix area and creates an aesthetically pleasant nasofrontal break without causing the elevated radix deformity. It has the merits of anatomical compliance and flexibility when it comes to concomitantly improving the glabella-radix profile for those East Asians with extremely low radix.
Differential Fat Grafting to Address Facial Asymmetry in Face Lifting
Authors: Rohrich Rod J. , Lisiecki Jeffrey L. , Chiodo Michael V.
Published: May 2023

The modern face lift is a complex operation involving the repositioning of tissues and the refilling of volume atrophy. Preoperative analysis is key to the successful diagnosis of aging changes. Facial asymmetry is universal, and must be recognized and incorporated into surgical planning. In this article, the authors address the role of fat grafting to manage facial aging in the setting of facial asymmetry.
Rib Plaster: A Versatile, Moldable Derivative from Scraping the Periphery of the Rib
Authors: Robotti Enrico , Leone Francesco , Malfussi Victor , Cottone Giuseppe
Published: May 2023

A simple technique is described for obtaining rib plaster by scraping the whitish peripheral portion of residual segments of rib after the perichondrium is removed and appropriate multiple laminations are derived. This putty-like substance tends to conglomerate appropriately because of its high density and has unique properties. It is readily compacted into diced cartilage inserters, smoothly injected, and easy to mold. Rib plaster works well for camouflage of irregularities of the dorsum and tip as well as in mild augmentation. It adds no further cost, and is in adequate supply once a full-thickness rib segment has been harvested for secondary rhinoplasty.
A Murine Calvarial Defect Model for the Investigation of the Osteogenic Potential of Newborn Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Bone Regeneration
Authors: Stanton Eloise , Feng Jifan , Kondra Katelyn , Sanchez Janet , Jimenez Christian , Brown Katherine S. , Skiles Matthew L. , Urata Mark M. , Chai Yang , Hammoudeh Jeffrey A.
Published: May 2023

Background:

The standard graft material for alveolar cleft repair (ACR) is autogenous iliac crest. However, a promising alternative potential graft adjunct - newborn human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (h-UCMSC) - has yet to be explored in vivo. Their capacity for self-renewal, multipotent differentiation, and proliferation allows h-UCMSC to be harnessed for regenerative medicine. Our study seeks to evaluate the efficacy of using tissue-derived h-UCMSC and their osteogenic capabilities in a murine model to improve ACR.

Methods:

Foxn1 mice were separated into three groups with the following calvarial defects: (1) no-treatment (empty defect; n=6), (2) poly (D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) scaffold (n=6), and (3) h-UCMSC with PLGA (n=4). Bilateral 2-mm diameter parietal bone critical-sized defects were created using a dental drill. Micro-CT imaging occurred at 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks postoperatively. The mice were euthanized 4 weeks postoperatively for RNAscope analysis, immunohistochemistry, and histology.

Results:

No mice experienced complications during the follow-up period. Micro-CT and histology demonstrated that the no-treatment (1) and PLGA-only (2) defects remained patent without significant defect size differences across groups. In contrast, the h-UCMSC with PLGA group (3) had significantly greater bone fill on micro-CT and histology.

Conclusions:

We demonstrate a successful calvarial defect model for the investigation of h-UCMSC-mediated osteogenesis and bone repair. Furthermore, evidence reveals that PLGA alone has neither short-term effects on bone formation nor any unwanted side effects, making it an attractive scaffold. Further investigation using h-UCMSC with PLGA in larger animals is warranted to advance future translation to patients requiring ACR.

Clinical Relevance Statement:

Our results demonstrate a successful murine calvarial defect model for the investigation of h-UCMSC-mediated osteogenesis and bone repair and provide preliminary evidence for the safe and efficacious use of this graft adjunct in alveolar cleft repair.
Parental care results in a greater mutation load, for which it is also a phenotypic antidote
Authors: Pascoal Sonia , Shimadzu Hideyasu , Mashoodh Rahia , Kilner Rebecca M.
Published: May 2023

Benevolent social behaviours, such as parental care, are thought to enable mildly deleterious mutations to persist. We tested this prediction experimentally using the burying beetle
Nicrophorus vespilloides
, an insect with biparental care. For 20 generations, we allowed replicate experimental burying beetle populations to evolve either with post-hatching care (‘Full Care’ populations) or without it (‘No Care’ populations). We then established new lineages, seeded from these experimental populations, which we inbred to assess their mutation load. Outbred lineages served as controls. We also tested whether the deleterious effects of a greater mutation load could be concealed by parental care by allowing half the lineages to receive post-hatching care, while half did not. We found that inbred lineages from the Full Care populations went extinct more quickly than inbred lineages from the No Care populations—but only when offspring received no post-hatching care. We infer that Full Care lineages carried a greater mutation load, but that the associated deleterious effects on fitness could be overcome if larvae received parental care. We suggest that the increased mutation load caused by parental care increases a population's dependence upon care. This could explain why care is seldom lost once it has evolved.
Colonial coral resilience by decreasing size: reaction to increased detrital influx during onset of the late Palaeozoic Ice Age
Authors: Yao Le , Lin Wei , Aretz Markus , Bottjer David J. , Wang Xiangdong
Published: May 2023

Modern coral reefs and associated biodiversity are severely threatened by increasing terrestrial runoff. Similar scenarios could be suspected for geological times, but reef coral resilience is still an enigma. In late Visean-Serpukhovian (Mississippian foraminiferal zones/MFZ 14-16) times, a major glaciation phase of the late Palaeozoic Ice Age (LPIA) associated with enhanced terrestrial weathering and runoff coincides with a biodiversity crisis and coral reef decline. In this study, the impact of enhanced terrestrial runoff is tested on size variations of colonial corals
Aulina rotiformis
and
Lithostrotion decipiens
along a gradient of contemporaneous (Serpukhovian) open marine carbonate to near-shore siliciclastic facies in South China. Along this gradient, their sizes decrease from carbonate, through intermediate carbonate-siliciclastic, to siliciclastic facies. This is consistent with increasing abundance of terrestrial materials of high silicon, aluminium and phosphorus values. On a larger million-year-long interval (MFZ14-16) and for several palaeocontinents, size data of
Lithostrotion decipiens
and
Siphonodendron pauciradiale
show a distinct decline in late Visean, when enhanced terrestrial weathering occurred commonly with palaeosols developed during regression. This suggests that terrestrial sediment and nutrient input may have mainly controlled phenotypic plasticity in Mississippian reef corals, with a decrease in size as a component of resilience across the LPIA onset.
Imprinting in an interspecific brood parasitic bird
Authors: Crudele Ignacio , Reboreda Juan C. , Fiorini Vanina D.
Published: May 2023

Many animals learn to recognize conspecifics after an early experience with them through sexual imprinting. For brood parasitic birds, it is not possible to develop conspecific recognition using cues provided by their foster parents. One solution is that a unique species-specific signal triggers the learning of additional aspects of the conspecific's phenotype. It has been proposed that for brood parasitic cowbirds, this signal is an innate vocalization, the chatter. This vocalization might act in a cross-modal learning process through which juveniles that listen to the song learn to recognize the visual characteristics of the song's producer. We trained two groups of juvenile shiny cowbirds (
Molothrus bonariensis
). In one group, individuals listened to the chatter or a heterospecific call while they observed a stuffed model of the corresponding species. In the other group, individuals listened to the call of one species (cowbird or heterospecific) while they observed the stuffed model of the other species. In the preference test, juveniles chose the model associated with the chatter, regardless of whether the model was a cowbird or a heterospecific. These results show how the auditory system through a species-specific signal can lead to cross-modal learning of visual cues allowing conspecific recognition in brood parasitic cowbirds.
Liver transcriptomic and methylomic analyses identify transcriptional mitogen-activated protein kinase regulation in facultative hibernation of Syrian hamster
Authors: Coussement Louis , Oosterhof Marloes M. , Guryev Victor , Reitsema Vera A. , Bruintjes Jojanneke J. , Goris Maaike , Bouma Hjalmar R. , de Meyer Tim , Rots Marianne G. , Henning Robert H.
Published: May 2023

Hibernation consists of alternating torpor–arousal phases, during which animals cope with repetitive hypothermia and ischaemia-reperfusion. Due to limited transcriptomic and methylomic information for facultative hibernators, we here conducted RNA and whole-genome bisulfide sequencing in liver of hibernating Syrian hamster (
Mesocricetus auratus
). Gene ontology analysis was performed on 844 differentially expressed genes and confirmed the shift in metabolic fuel utilization, inhibition of RNA transcription and cell cycle regulation as found in seasonal hibernators. Additionally, we showed a so far unreported suppression of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and protein phosphatase 1 pathways during torpor. Notably, hibernating hamsters showed upregulation of MAPK inhibitors (dual-specificity phosphatases and sproutys) and reduced levels of MAPK-induced transcription factors (TFs). Promoter methylation was found to modulate the expression of genes targeted by these TFs. In conclusion, we document gene regulation between hibernation phases, which may aid the identification of pathways and targets to prevent organ damage in transplantation or ischaemia-reperfusion.
Evaluating the Relationship between Psychological Traits and Resilience to Musculoskeletal Injuries in Combat Control Graduates by Mendelian Randomization
Authors: Chapleau Richard R.
Published: May 2023

U.S. Air Force combat control (CCT) personnel are a group of highly trained personnel performing a wide range of aviation-related tasks in contested combat environments. Certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to conduct air traffic control operations, CCTs are required to maintain high levels of alertness and perform complex tasks in high stress, high threat environments. Those CCTs who complete training are in exceptional physical, psychological, and cognitive fitness, however nearly 70% of CCT candidates will develop some form of musculoskeletal injury (MSI) during training. Using only open-source summary statistics results of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on civilian populations, we report our findings from two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) estimates evaluating the causal relationships between personality and psychological strengths associated with success in the CCT training program and MSI. We used the TwoSampleMR R-package and GWAS statistics obtained from the IEU OpenGWAS project with instrumental variables extracted at GWAS-significant and suggestive thresholds (P< 5×10−8and 5×10−5, respectively). Back pain and dislocations were the most common outcomes caused by personality and psychological traits. Altogether more than 150 MSI outcomes were identified with causes related to psychological traits associated with successfully completing combat control training. The implications of our results suggest that the combat control training program, and by extension other special operations training programs, could encounter fewer injuries by encouraging utilization of embedded psychological assets.
Rural Residence, Motorcycle Access, and Contraception Use in South and Southeast Asia
Authors: Muir Jonathan A. , Sanders Scott R. , Hendricks Hannah , Cope Michael R.
Published: May 2023

Access to contraception is critical for limiting fertility. Yet, in South and Southeast Asia, access to these resources is often limited by spatial inequalities between rural and urban areas. Access to a motorcycle may empower women living in rural areas to attenuate these spatial inequalities, increase their educational attainment and participation in labor markets, and thereby facilitate a shift in fertility preferences. Concomitantly, motorcycle access may increase access to contraception for geographically isolated women who desire to limit fertility. We employ logistic regression models to examine associations with contraception use and unmet need for contraception for women living in rural vs. urban areas and for women with vs. without access to a motorcycle. Roughly 40 percent of women reported current use of contraception while another 21 percent indicated an unmet need for contraception. After adjusting for other variables, women with a motorcycle were more likely to report current contraception use (AOR = 1.55, 95% CI [1.50, 1.61]), modern contraception use (AOR = 1.60, 95% CI [1.54, 1.66]), and traditional contraception use (AOR = 1.49, 95% CI [1.41, 1.58]) compared to women who did not own a motorcycle. Women with a motorcycle were less likely to report an unmet need for contraception (AOR = 0.65, 95% CI [0.62, 0.68]) after adjusting for other variables. Our results are consistent with the premise that motorcycles facilitate contraception use among women living in resource-limited countries in South and Southeast Asia and thereby contribute to decreases in fertility. These relationships are contextualized by whether a woman lives in an urban or rural setting, and the number of children already present in their household; they are robust to controlling for household-level wealth and other factors that may mediate associations with contraception use.
The experiences and perceptions of working with Anaesthesia Associates: a survey of UK anaesthetists in training
Authors: Evans Ben , Turkoglu Leyla M , Brooks James , Subramaniam Jeevakan , Edwardson Stuart , McCrossan Roopa , Freeman Naomi , Wong Danny J. N.
Published: May 2023

The future and sustainability of the anaesthetic workforce is a growing concern with a projected shortfall of 11,000 anaesthetists by 2040. The supply of anaesthetists able to provide safe anaesthesia care does not meet the rising demand of surgical waiting lists. In recent years, changes to recruitment and curricula for anaesthetic specialty training have resulted in significant bottlenecks to training progression, further compounding the deficit in the numbers of fully trained anaesthetists. A rapid expansion the Anaesthesia Associate (AA) workforce has been proposed as one of the solutions to this worsening gap. However, no robust analysis of the impact of the expansion in AA numbers on anaesthetists in training has been conducted. There remain a number of concerns regarding access to training experience, scope of supervision, out of hours workload, equity of pay and cost of training, as well as the impact on future numbers of anaesthetists in training. In order to help shape the future integration of this workforce, we surveyed current anaesthetists in training, asking about their experiences of working with AAs, and their perceptions of the future expansion and regulation of these associate professionals. Through an online survey, we collected both quantitative and qualitative data to give a thorough representation of anaesthetists in training experience. Our results confirm that the impact of AAs on training remains a polarising topic. A third of anaesthetists in training with prior experience of working with AAs reported a negative impact on their training experience. Factors mentioned included lack of case numbers, lack of access to learning and performing regional anaesthesia, and lack of clarity in lines of supervision. Of those with no prior experience working with AAs, there was a strong negative perception towards expansion of the workforce. A small proportion described a positive experience, indicating that with clear role definition, careful implementation along with co-operation, a positive experience in all departments could be achievable. Our findings suggest a need for increased consultation and communication with stakeholders in the anaesthesia workforce, including anaesthetists in training, to ensure smooth and safe integration of the AA workforce.
Extended High-Frequency Audiometry using the Wireless Automated Hearing Test System Compared to Manual Audiometry in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Blankenship Chelsea M. , Hickson Lindsey M. , Quigley Tera , Larsen Erik , Lin Li , Hunter Lisa L.
Published: May 2023

Objectives

Reliable wireless automated audiometry that includes extended high frequencies (EHF) outside a sound booth would increase access to monitoring programs for individuals at risk for hearing loss, particularly those at risk for ototoxicity. The purpose of the study was to compare thresholds obtained with 1) standard manual audiometry to automated thresholds measured with the Wireless Automated Hearing Test System (WAHTS) inside a sound booth, and 2) automated audiometry in the sound booth to automated audiometry outside the sound booth in an office environment.

Design

Cross-sectional, repeated measures study. Twenty-eight typically developing children and adolescents (mean = 14.6 yrs; range = 10 to 18 yrs). Audiometric thresholds were measured from 0.25 to 16 kHz with manual audiometry in the sound booth, automated audiometry in the sound booth, and automated audiometry in a typical office environment in counterbalanced order. Ambient noise levels were measured inside the sound booth and the office environment were compared to thresholds at each test frequency.

Results

Automated thresholds were overall about 5 dB better compared to manual thresholds, with greater differences in the extended high frequency range (EHF;10-16 kHz). The majority of automated thresholds measured in a quiet office were within ± 10 dB of automated thresholds measured in a sound booth (84%), while only 56% of automated thresholds in the sound booth were within ± 10 dB of manual thresholds. No relationship was found between automated thresholds measured in the office environment and the average or maximum ambient noise level.

Conclusions

These results indicate that self-administered, automated audiometry results in slightly better thresholds overall than manually administered audiometry in children, consistent with previous studies in adults. Ambient noise levels in a typical office environment did not have an adverse effect on audiometric thresholds measured using noise attenuation headphones. Thresholds measured using an automated tablet with noise attenuating headphones could improve access to hearing assessment for children with a variety of risk factors. Additional studies of extended high frequency automated audiometry in a wider age range are needed to establish normative thresholds.
Microbial Remediation of Pesticide Accumulation and its Response of Bacterial Wilt in Brinjal
Authors: Ahmed Shenaz Sultana , Bora Popy
Published: May 2023

Growing brinjal (Solanum melongenaL.) in a soil polluted with organophosphorus pesticide (OP) residues coupled with an additional threat of wilt disease caused byRalstonia solanacearum(Rs), pose a formidable management challenge for residue free crop production. Our study aimed at identifying efficient OP-degrading bacteria (OPDB) and their compatibility with microbial bio-control agents (MBCA) for twin objective of microbial degradation of OP -residues and reduction in incidence of bacterial wilt of brinjal in OP-contaminated soil. As many, ten bacterial isolates showing OP-degrading potential were recovered through colony growth in mineral salt (MS) - medium treated with 25 ppm chlorpyriphos. Efficient isolates displaying growth up to 700ppm chlorpyriphos were further screened for OP-degradation, leading to identification of two most efficient OPDB,Acromobacter marplatensis[MW397524] (Am) andPseudomonas azotoformans[MW397525] (Pa). These two isolates havingin vitrocompatibility with each other, showed further compatibility with two most widely used MBCA, viz.,Pseudomonas flourescens[KT258013] (Pf) andTrichoderma harzianum[ON364138] (Th), facilitating the development of consortium having extended functional corridor. The response of combination of OPDB + MBCA(Am+Pa+Pf+Th) showed 80% lower percent wilt incidence (PWI), 2.8 times higher fruit yield of brinjal, and 15-25% lower OP-residues over un-inoculated control treatment. Our studies, hence, put forward a strong unified delivery mechanism of OPDB and MBCA as a part of green technology for chemical residue -free vegetable production in contaminated soils.

IMPORTANCE

Microbes isolated from crop rhizospheres are known to exhibit multiple functions (plant growth promotion, antagonism against soil borne pathogens e.g.,Rs,and acaricidal properties) depending upon type of stimuli by regulating the plant defense. Considering the limited past efforts on twin objective of cleaning up the pesticide residues accumulated in the soil (microbial removal of pesticide residues) and providing an additional safeguard against soil borne pathogen causing bacterial wilt in brinjal to collectively develop a microbial consortia mediated crop production system, devoid of any chemical residues. Such an effort adds strength to organic production system on pesticide contaminated soils. In the present study, we succeeded in identifying two most effective chloropyrifos residues degrading OPDB having compatibility two MBCA for developing consortia formulation, which aided in developing pesticide residue free soil, neutralising bacterial wilt pathogen (Rs), and creating a better nutrient supply for a well deserved production system. Such efforts would pave the way for developing more robust microbial formulations (with emphasis on entomopathogenic application) having dynamic microbial functions to replace any futuristic use of agrochemcials.