bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Histologic characterization and risk factors for persistent albuminuria in adolescents in a region of highly prevalent end-stage renal failure of unknown origin
Authors: Macias Diaz Dulce M , Corrales Aguirre Myriam del Carmen , Reza Escalera Ana Lilian , Tiscareño Gutiérrez Maria Teresa , Ovalle Robles Itzel , Macías Guzmán Mariana Jocelyn , García Díaz Andrea L , Gutiérrez Peña Mauricio C , Alvarado-Nájera Andrea Natalia , González Domínguez Israel , Villavicencio-Bautista Juan Carlos , Herrera Rodríguez Angela Azucena , Marín-García Ricardo , Avelar González Francisco Javier , Wong Alfredo Chew , Galván Guerra Elba , Delgadillo Castañeda Rodolfo , Prado Aguilar Carlos Alberto , Zúñiga-Macías Leslie P , Arreola Guerra José Manuel
Published: January 2022

Background

End-stage renal failure of unknown origin (ESRD-UO) is a public health problem in Mexico and many regions of the world. The prevalence of ESRD-UO in Aguascalientes, Mexico, is one of the highest worldwide, particularly in adults between 20 and 40 years of age. Our aim was to screen adolescents for chronic kidney disease (CKD) to identify risk factors and histologically characterize adolescents with persistent albuminuria.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional, observational and comparative study of adolescents in whom serum creatinine and the albumin:creatinine ratio (ACR) were determined when screening for CKD. A clinical evaluation and risk factor survey were conducted. Patients with an abnormal ACR (≥30 mg/g) or a low glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (≤75 mL/min/1.73 m2) were re-evaluated and a renal ultrasound (US) was obtained. A kidney biopsy was performed in patients with persistent albuminuria.

Results

A total of 513 students were included; 19 had persistent albuminuria and 494 were controls. The prevalence of persistent albuminuria was 3.7% [95% confidence interval (CI) 2.1–5.3]. Only one patient had a decreased GFR. None of the patients with persistent albuminuria had anatomical abnormalities of the urinary tract by renal US. Patients with persistent albuminuria had a decreased total renal volume compared with the control group (150 versus 195 mL/m2; P < 0.01). Eighteen kidney biopsies were performed; 72% had glomerulomegaly and only one patient had mild fibrosis. Podocyte abnormalities were evident on electron microscopy, including partial fusion (100%), microvillous degeneration (80%) and increased organelles (60%). Risk factors for persistent albuminuria were: homestead proximity to maize crops, the use of pesticides at the father’s workplace, a family history of CKD and blood pressure abnormalities. The body mass index and breastfeeding were protective factors.

Conclusions

The prevalence of persistent albuminuria in adolescents in Aguascalientes is high and histologic compromise is characterized by podocyte injury in the absence of fibrosis. The renal volume of persistent albuminuria patients was decreased, suggesting oligonephronia. Exposure to environmental toxins such as pesticides, even prenatally, may be responsible for this pathological entity. Screening programs in adolescents by determining ACR are necessary in this setting.
Delayed juvenile behavioral development and prolonged dependence are adaptations to desert life in the grey falcon
Authors: Schoenjahn Jonny , Pavey Chris R , Walter Gimme H
Published: January 2022

Rapid learning in the young of most endothermic animals can be expected to be favored by natural selection because early independence reduces the period of vulnerability. Cases of comparatively slow juvenile development continue, therefore, to attract scientific attention. In most species of birds, including raptors, the young depend on their parents for some time after fledging for the provisioning of food and for protection while they learn to become nutritionally and otherwise independent. Among raptors, post-fledging dependence periods that exceed 6 months are exclusive to the largest species and these have reproductive cycles that exceed 12 months. By contrast, young of the medium-sized grey falcon Falco hypoleucos have been reported in close company with their parents up to 12 months after fledging, that is, at a time when the adults are expected to breed again. We investigated the occurrence and characteristics of prolonged adult–juvenile association relative to other falcons and similar-sized raptors. We found that the behavioral development of grey falcon young is extremely delayed, and that they even depend nutritionally on their parents for up to 12 months after fledging. We suggest that these 2 distinctive features are, ultimately, adaptations of the grey falcon to its extreme environment, Australia’s arid and semi-arid zone, one of the hottest environments in the world.
Imaging assessment of the right atrium: anatomy and function
Authors: Lang Roberto M , Cameli Matteo , Sade Leila E , Faletra Francesco F , Fortuni Federico , Rossi Alexia , Soulat-Dufour Laurie
Published: January 2022

The right atrium (RA) is the cardiac chamber that has been least well studied. Due to recent advances in interventional cardiology, the need for greater understanding of the RA anatomy and physiology has garnered significant attention. In this article, we review how a comprehensive assessment of RA dimensions and function using either echocardiography, cardiac computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging may be used as a first step towards a better understanding of RA pathophysiology. The recently published normative data on RA size and function will likely shed light on RA atrial remodelling in atrial fibrillation (AF), which is a complex phenomenon that occurs in both atria but has only been studied in depth in the left atrium. Changes in RA structure and function have prognostic implications in pulmonary hypertension (PH), where the increased right ventricular (RV) afterload first induces RV remodelling, predominantly characterized by hypertrophy. As PH progresses, RV dysfunction and dilatation may begin and eventually lead to RV failure. Thereafter, RV overload and increased RV stiffness may lead to a proportional increase in RA pressure. This manuscript provides an in-depth review of RA anatomy, function, and haemodynamics with particular emphasis on the changes in structure and function that occur in AF, tricuspid regurgitation, and PH.
Percutaneous thrombectomy and right ventricular mechanical circulatory support for pulmonary embolism in a coronavirus disease 2019 patient: case report, 1-year update, and echocardiographic findings
Authors: Cohen Gerald I , Schreiber Theodore , Singh Hemindermeet , Kaki Amir
Published: January 2022

Background

We previously described percutaneous thrombectomy and right ventricular (RV) mechanical support of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patient with a massive pulmonary embolism. Here, we present a detailed echocardiographic and clinical timeline with 1-year follow-up.

Case summary

A 57-year-old female with COVID-19 went into shock from a massive pulmonary embolism. After percutaneous removal of a large thrombus burden (AngioVac system; AngioDynamics Inc., Latham, NY, USA), she became severely hypotensive, requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and hemodynamic support with an Impella RP device (Abiomed, Danvers, MA, USA). A paediatric transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) probe monitored the procedure because an adult probe would not pass (S7-3t—Philips Medical Systems, Andover, MA, USA). Post-thrombectomy, surface imaging documented gradual resolution of RV dysfunction, tricuspid regurgitation, and elevated pulmonary artery pressure. Her course was complicated by renal failure requiring temporary dialysis. She was discharged home on apixaban. Hypercoagulability work-up was negative. Two months later, vocal cord surgery was performed for persistent stridor. Esophagoscopy at that time was prevented by osteophyte obstruction. At 10 months, she received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. At 1 year, the patient remains healthy on apixaban, and her echocardiogram is normal.

Discussion

This case illustrates the pivotal role of echocardiography in the diagnosis, percutaneous treatment, and near- and long-term follow-up and management of a patient with massive pulmonary embolism due to COVID-19 with documentation of complete recovery from severe RV dysfunction and haemodynamic collapse. A paediatric TOE probe was a crucial alternative to the adult probe because of possible osteophyte obstruction.
A Subsidy That is Inversely Related to the Product Price
Authors: Kiso Takahiko
Published: January 2022

This study considers a new subsidy design to support the purchase or production of target products. Under the proposed design, subsidy payments are inversely related to product prices. Compared to ‘flat’ subsidies, this design reduces producers’ market power and the subsidy benefits passed on to them, improving the cost-effectiveness of government spending (by up to 50% according to simulations based on an actual subsidy programme). Additionally, this subsidy’s cost-effectiveness and incidence can be adjusted flexibly by changing the policy parameters. Finally, the subsidy design can be modified to provide larger payments to higher-quality products, thereby offsetting disincentives for quality improvement.
Sex-related differences in treatment and outcome of chronic limb-threatening ischaemia: a real-world cohort
Authors: Makowski Lena , Köppe Jeanette , Engelbertz Christiane , Kühnemund Leonie , Fischer Alicia J , Lange Stefan A , Dröge Patrik , Ruhnke Thomas , Günster Christian , Malyar Nasser , Gerß Joachim , Freisinger Eva , Reinecke Holger , Feld Jannik
Published: January 2022

Aims

The prevalence of chronic limb-threatening ischaemia (CLTI) is increasing and available data often derive from cohorts with various selection criteria. In the present study, we included CLTI patients and studied sex-related differences in their risk profile, vascular procedures, and long-term outcome.

Methods and results

We analysed 199 953 unselected patients of the largest public health insurance in Germany (AOK: Local healthcare funds), hospitalized between 2010 and 2017 for a main diagnosis of CLTI. A baseline period of 2 years before index hospitalization to assess comorbidities and previous procedures, and a follow-up period until 2018 were included. Female CLTI patients were older (median 81.4 vs. 73.8 years in males; P < 0.001) and more often diagnosed with hypertension, atrial fibrillation, chronic heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. Male patients suffered more frequently from diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, smoking, cerebrovascular disease, and chronic coronary syndrome (all P < 0.001). Within hospitalized CLTI patients, females represent the minority (43% vs. 57%; P < 0.001) and during index hospitalization, women underwent less frequently diagnostic angiographies (67 vs. 70%) and revascularization procedures (61 vs. 65%; both P < 0.001). Moreover, women received less frequently guideline-recommended drugs like statins (35 vs. 43%) and antithrombotic therapy (48 vs. 53%; both P < 0.001) at baseline. Interestingly, after including age and comorbidities in a Cox regression analysis, female sex was associated with increased overall-survival (OS) [hazard ratio (HR) 0.95; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.94–0.96] and amputation-free survival (AFS) (HR 0.84; 95% CI 0.83–0.85; both P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Female patients with CLTI were older, underwent less often vascular procedures, and received less frequently guideline-recommended medication. Nevertheless, female sex was independently associated with better OS and AFS during follow-up.
Early and late-onset syncope: insight into mechanisms
Authors: Torabi Parisa , Rivasi Giulia , Hamrefors Viktor , Ungar Andrea , Sutton Richard , Brignole Michele , Fedorowski Artur
Published: January 2022

Aims

Unexplained syncope is an important clinical challenge. The influence of age at first syncope on the final syncope diagnosis is not well studied.

Methods and results

Consecutive head-up tilt patients (n = 1928) evaluated for unexplained syncope were stratified into age groups <30, 30–59, and ≥60 years based on age at first syncope. Clinical characteristics and final syncope diagnosis were analysed in relation to age at first syncope and age at investigation. The age at first syncope had a bimodal distribution with peaks at 15 and 70 years. Prodromes (64 vs. 26%, P < 0.001) and vasovagal syncope (VVS, 59 vs. 19%, P < 0.001) were more common in early-onset (<30 years) compared with late-onset (≥60 years) syncope. Orthostatic hypotension (OH, 3 vs. 23%, P < 0.001), carotid sinus syndrome (CSS, 0.6 vs. 9%, P < 0.001), and complex syncope (>1 concurrent diagnosis; 14 vs. 26%, P < 0.001) were more common in late-onset syncope. In patients aged ≥60 years, 12% had early-onset and 70% had late-onset syncope; older age at first syncope was associated with higher odds of OH (+31% per 10-year increase, P < 0.001) and CSS (+26%, P = 0.004). Younger age at first syncope was associated with the presence of prodromes (+23%, P < 0.001) and the diagnoses of VVS (+22%, P < 0.001) and complex syncope (+9%, P = 0.018).

Conclusion

In patients with unexplained syncope, first-ever syncope incidence has a bimodal lifetime pattern with peaks at 15 and 70 years. The majority of older patients present only recent syncope; OH and CSS are more common in this group. In patients with early-onset syncope, prodromes, VVS, and complex syncope are more common.
Myths of Multipolarity: The Sources of Brazil's Foreign Policy Overstretch
Authors: Schenoni Luis L , Ribeiro Pedro Feliú , Lopes Dawisson Belém , Casarões Guilherme
Published: January 2022

In this article, we provide a framework to analyze the foreign policy overstretch of middle powers, that is, their recent tendency to expand foreign policy goals and ambitions beyond their capabilities. We propose that overstretch results from the interaction of permissive international environments and the collusion of domestic actors to produce foreign policy myths. These myths, in turn, justify unsustainable swelling of foreign policy expenditures until they are shattered. After laying out our theory, we test it against the case of twenty-first-century Brazil. First, we document how interest groups logrolled to foster and capitalize on a “myth of multipolarity,” which, once entrenched in elite discourse and public opinion, resulted in a tangible overgrowth of foreign policy. Second, we show the extent of overstretch across four indicators—number of embassies, participation in peacekeeping operations, membership in international organizations, and aid projects overseas—using the synthetic control method to compare Brazil with a plausible counterfactual.
Melatonin maintains the storage quality of fresh-cut Chinese water chestnuts by regulating phenolic and reactive oxygen species metabolism
Authors: Xu Yuhan , Yu Jian , Chen Jinhui , Gong Jiabao , Peng Li , Yi Yang , Ai Youwei , Hou Wenfu , Wang Hongxun , Min Ting
Published: January 2022

Fresh-cut Chinese water chestnuts (CWCs) are prone to quality deterioration during storage, which does not meet consumer demand. In this study, the effect of exogenous melatonin (5 mmol·L−1) on the quality and potential mechanisms in fresh-cut CWC was investigated. The results showed that melatonin treatment alleviated the cut-surface discoloration of CWCs. Not only did this treatment significantly slow down the increase in browning degree and yellowness (b∗) as well as the decrease in lightness (L∗), but it also significantly delayed the loss of weight and total soluble solids. Further investigations indicated that melatonin-treated fresh-cut CWCs exhibited significantly lower total phenolics and soluble quinones and suppressed the activities of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase, polyphenol oxidase, and peroxidase. Meanwhile, when fresh-cut CWCs were treated with melatonin, the total flavonoid concentration was significantly decreased compared to the control. Additionally, melatonin significantly inhibited the accumulation of H2O2 and malondialdehyde as well as enhanced the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase by promoting the production of O2–•. In summary, melatonin treatment may delay the surface discoloration of fresh-cut CWCs by inhibiting phenolic compound metabolism and improving antioxidant capacity, thereby effectively maintaining the quality and prolonging the shelf life of fresh-cut CWCs.
Integrated transcriptome and proteome analysis reveals brassinosteroid-mediated regulation of cambium initiation and patterning in woody stem.
Authors: Wang Congpeng , Liu Naixu , Geng Zhao , Ji Meijing , Wang Shumin , Zhuang Yamei , Wang Dian , He Guo , Zhao Shutang , Zhou Gongke , Chai Guohua
Published: January 2022

Wood formation involves sequential developmental events requiring the coordination of multiple hormones. Brassinosteroids (BRs) play a key role in wood development, but little is known about the cellular and molecular processes that underlie wood formation in tree species. Here, we generated transgenic poplar lines with edited PdBRI1 genes, which are orthologs of Arabidopsis vascular-enriched BR receptors, and showed how inhibition of BR signaling influences wood development at the mRNA and/or proteome level. Six Populus PdBRI1 genes formed three gene pairs, each of which was highly expressed in basal stems. Simultaneous mutation of PdBRI1–1, −2, −3 and − 6, which are orthologs of the Arabidopsis vascular-enriched BR receptors BRI1, BRL1 and BRL3, resulted in severe growth defects. In particular, the stems of these mutant lines displayed a discontinuous cambial ring and patterning defects in derived secondary vascular tissues. Abnormal cambial formation within the cortical parenchyma was also observed in the stems of pdbri1–1;2;3;6. Transgenic poplar plants expressing edited versions of PdBRI1–1 or PdBRI1–1;2;6 exhibited phenotypic alterations in stem development at 4.5 months of growth, indicating that there is functional redundancy among these PdBRI1 genes. Integrated analysis of the transcriptome and proteome of pdbri1–1;2;3;6 stems revealed differential expression of a number of genes/proteins associated with wood development and hormones. Concordant (16%) and discordant (84%) regulation of mRNA and protein expression, including wood-associated mRNA/protein expression, was found in pdbri1–1;2;3;6 stems. This study found a dual role of BRs in procambial cell division and xylem differentiation and provides insights into the multiple layers of gene regulation that contribute to wood formation in Populus.
African experiences and alternativity in International Relations theorizing about security
Authors: Danso Kwaku , Aning Kwesi
Published: January 2022

Deconstructing International Relations (IR) episteme acknowledges its generation of power imbalances in security knowledge that relegate African experiences to the margins of global politics. Central to this process of relegation is a pervasive ‘methodological whiteness’, which, while eliding coloniality and racism, projects white experience as a universal perspective. Accompanying this Eurocentric bias has been the intrusive projection of the Weberian state as the most effective site for security governance and conflict prevention on a continent with states that are characterized by a hybridity of political orders, which deviate substantially from the ideal-type state that they seek to mimic. Not only has this resulted in disastrous policies in many parts of Africa, but critical questions arise as to the relevance of conventional IR and security studies as neutral sites for dispassionate knowledge production and policy-making on African security, thereby necessitating alternative perspectives. This article reflects on the ways in which IR and security studies have been responsible, in part, for the production of a racialized mode of security knowledge generation that obfuscates the security policies and experiences of people in African locales. It draws on insights from post-colonial discourses and the episteme of alternativity to explore how the study of events and processes in Africa in a theoretically conscious manner could advance IR scholarship as a whole. It contends that incorporating African experiences as they manifest through hybrid security orders can broaden the empirical base for IR theorizing about security since they offer another perspective outside the conventional western assumptions and experiences.
The coloniality of Holocaust memorialization in post-apartheid South Africa
Authors: Antweiler Katrin
Published: January 2022

This article investigates local endeavours for Holocaust memory in post-apartheid South Africa in their relation to global memory imperatives that are, among others, produced by supranational organizations such as UNESCO and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Drawing on a larger case-study on globalized memory, I analyse to what extent a generalized mnemonic framework is reflected in South Africa's 2007 curriculum reform, namely its inclusion of the Holocaust and subsequent memory politics. In order to illuminate the coloniality of memorialization, I trace the epistemic location of the narrative that suggests that Holocaust memory nourishes democratic values and human rights—maybe even more so than local memories of violence and oppression such as colonization and apartheid. In this regard, I found that while many activists for Holocaust memory continuously and sometimes uncritically advocate for its global implementation, a decolonial perspective enables us to understand the power dynamics constitutive of universal moral norms around Holocaust memory that tacitly transmit global demands to local contexts. I therefore suggest that, within the global colonial matrix of power, a universally advised practice of memorializing the Holocaust to specific ends can be regarded as a technique of governmentality, because it risks limiting utopian thought beyond the Euro-modern paradigm.
Obedient rebellion: conceiving the African nuclear weapon-free zone
Authors: Mpofu-Walsh Sizwe
Published: January 2022

Why do nuclear weapon-free zones (NWFZs)—areas which prohibit nuclear weapons—emerge in some contexts, and not others? Focusing on the African case, this article introduces the concept of ‘obedient rebellion’ to explain the African NWFZ's early conception. ‘Obedient rebellion’ is an attitude of ambivalence toward global nuclear order. To newly-decolonizing African states, the African NWFZ symbolized both postcolonial anti-nuclear solidarity and nuclear responsibility; it represented both ‘obedience’ to—and ‘rebellion’ against—global nuclear order. This ambivalence, between ‘obedience’ and ‘rebellion’, paradoxically accommodated multiple conflicting audiences simultaneously, thereby stabilising the zone. The African NWFZ's ambiguous meanings made it viable, even though those meanings conflicted. The zone's early conception offers insight into the complex, contending forces that continue to bind the world's NWFZs—and indeed nuclear order itself—to the present. NWFZs epitomize the tensions which stabilize nuclear order: between sovereign equality and nuclear inequality; between local solidarities and global loyalties; and between contestation and compromise. At first, these tensions seem to imperil NWFZs; in fact, these tensions stabilize NWFZs. The African zone also poses challenges to the African blind spot that continues to exist in International Relations theory.
From discourse to practice: Orientalism, western policy and the Arab uprisings
Authors: Gani Jasmine K
Published: January 2022

Ten years on since the Arab uprisings we are in a position to assess how the nexus between knowledge, discourse and practice had a bearing on the trajectory of the protests. They represented hope and change for millions of Arabs in the region, but to what extent was that the case for onlookers in Europe and the US, and did western discourse on events in the Middle East matter? While the toppling of longstanding dictators was met with jubilation by Arab populations, it conversely created anxiety and fear in many western governments. This was reflected in the shift from an initially celebratory discourse in western commentary to disappointment, pessimism and disavowal of the uprisings. Within a year, op-eds and academic articles were asking whether the ‘Arab Spring’ had turned into an ‘Islamist winter’, reverting to Orientalist narratives about the inevitability of conflict, bloodshed and sectarianism in the Middle East. I argue this discourse had implications for the outcome of the uprisings as ‘latent Orientalism’ translated into ‘manifest Orientalism’ and western states hesitated to support opposition groups they initially encouraged and emboldened. I begin the article with a study of western discourse in the first year of the uprisings, which I then situate within a long durée history of western policy and representation of the Middle East. In the final sections I consider the role of scholarship and think tanks as mediators of Orientalist discourse.
Vulnerability of marine resources affected by a small-scale tropical shrimp fishery in Northeast Brazil
Authors: Lira Alex Souza , Le Loc'h François , Andrade Humber Agrelli , Lucena-Frédou Flávia
Published: January 2022

Tropical fisheries tend to be multispecies and require management approaches adapted to high diversity but scarce and poorly informative data. Productivity and Susceptibility Analysis-PSA is particularly useful where catch or biological data are incomplete, aggregated across species or insufficient for quantitative stock assessment. We applied PSA to estimate vulnerability and potential risk to target and non-target species caught by the small-scale shrimp fishery in northeast Brazil, adapting the method to regional conditions and incorporating an assessment of uncertainties caused by its subjective choices. Our findings suggest that non-target species can be more vulnerable than target ones. Bagre marinus, Pseudobatos percellens, Micropogonias furnieri, Hypanus guttatus, Macrodon ancylodon, Polydactylus virginicus, Rhizoprionodon porosus, Cynoscion virescens, Larimus breviceps, and Menticirrhus americanus, were the top 10 species potentially at risk due to their low productivity (long lifespans, low spawning), high capture rates of juveniles and overlap of feeding and breeding grounds with fishing areas. Most species (76%) maintained the same risk category (low, moderate, or high) regardless of the score weighting or productivity and susceptibility attribute boundaries applied. Overall, the target species are not currently the main ones threatened, but bycatch such as elasmobranchs, catfishes and Scianidae should be prioritized for assessment and data collection.
Bullet embolism: a rare cause of acute ischaemia
Authors: AlAttab Nashwan , Wani Tariq , Alomar Khalid , Alfozan Abdullah
Published: January 2022

Embolization of a bullet or shrapnel from the heart (left ventricle) to the peripheral arterial circulation is practically unknown. We present a 38-year-old man with no comorbidities who was referred to our centre with a bullet injury to the left side of his chest. The patient complained of mild pain and numbness in his right lower limb. A trauma series was advised. A contrast angiogram of the peripheral lower limbs showed a bullet in the right popliteal artery with no flow in the tibial arteries. A bullet was removed from the distal popliteal artery at its bifurcation with a long thrombus proximal to it. Removal of the foreign body is the widely accepted management, especially when it leads to symptoms like ischaemia or signs of infection, as was the situation in our case.
Opinion Trends on Moral Issues in the United States and the United Kingdom Explained by the Applicability of Generally Accepted Arguments
Authors: Eriksson Kimmo , Vartanova Irina , Strimling Pontus
Published: January 2022

According to a recent theory, public opinion on moral issues will trend toward opinions that are justified by generally acceptable kinds of arguments. Both in the United States and the United Kingdom, generally acceptable kinds of arguments include concerns about harm, violence, fairness, and liberty. The theory therefore predicts that these countries will exhibit similar opinion trends on moral issues. We test this prediction using polling data on 98 issues in the United States and 108 issues in the United Kingdom, with an overlap of 27 issues on which opinions have been polled in both countries. We find that moral opinion trends are well predicted by the applicability of generally acceptable kinds of arguments and that there is a remarkable similarity between opinion trends in the two countries. These findings lend support to the theory that generally acceptable kinds of arguments play a key role in driving opinion dynamics.
A Zero Density Estimate for Dedekind Zeta Functions
Authors: Thorner Jesse , Zaman Asif
Published: January 2022

Given a nontrivial finite group $G$, we prove the first zero density estimate for families of Dedekind zeta functions associated to Galois extensions $K/{\mathbb {Q}}$ with $\textrm {Gal}(K/{\mathbb {Q}})\cong G$ that does not rely on unproven progress towards the strong form of Artin’s conjecture. We use this to remove the hypothesis of the strong Artin conjecture from the work of Pierce, Turnage-Butterbaugh, and Wood on the average error in the Chebotarev density theorem and $\ell $-torsion in ideal class groups.
Interpreting the lived experiences of home caregivers in the families of patients with COVID-19 in Iran: a phenomenological study
Authors: Akbarbegloo Masumeh , Sanaeefar Mahnaz
Published: January 2022

Background

Following the spread of COVID-19, many patients received home care services for recovery. The family is one of the informal caregivers who provide daily physical and psychological support to the patient, and they have the most contributions in the care of patients.

Objective

This study explains the experiences of home caregivers in the families of patients with COVID-19.

Methods

This is a qualitative study with a hermeneutic phenomenological approach. Purposeful sampling was applied, and semi-structured interviews in the Center of COVID-19 Control in Khoy, Iran, were used to collect the information. Twenty-three family caregivers, who had already provided care for patients with COVID-19 at home, participated in the study. The themes emerged from interviews. The interviews were recorded and transcripted and then analyzed using Dickelman’s interpretive phenomenological approach.

Results

Thirteen primary concepts, six sub-themes and three main themes were extracted from the data analysis, including ‘Irrational fear of disease’ with sub-themes: fear of getting infected and indulging in strength of immune system; ‘Increasing the burden of care in caregivers’ with sub-themes: lack of support and caregiver`s family challenges; and ‘Self-reinforcement’ with sub-themes: highlighting positive features and turning to spirituality.

Conclusion

Understanding the complexities, experiences and beliefs of family caregivers about living with a COVID-19 patient provides a comprehensive perception of the psychological and physical consequences of care. Executive decision-makers, health care personnel and mental health professionals can also take the necessary strategies to support and manage home caregivers and interdisciplinary cooperation.
The Buddha’s Busted Finger: Craft, Touch, and Cosmology in Theravada Buddhism
Authors: Irwin Anthony Lovenheim
Published: January 2022

This article is about the bodily connection between Theravada Buddhist craftspeople, monks, and laypeople to the objects they create and touch. Textual and contemporary accounts of Buddhist material production emphasize the importance of physical touch in the formal aspects, embodied efficacy, and social salience of Buddhist objects, including Buddha images, brick stupas, and shrines. Here, I explore how the hands of skilled and unskilled Buddhist craftspeople manipulate, form, and connect divine, material, and social expressions of Theravada Buddhism. The handiwork of Buddhists gestures towards the ethical possibilities and cosmological significance of religious crafting, installation, and construction. Drawing on a variety of Theravada Buddhist sources, this article introduces “religious building” as a usable analytic category that can reveal why religion itself is often organized around, and generated through, acts of material and spatial production.
Open Sounds, Hidden Spaces: Listening, Wandering, and Literalism in Sufi Iran
Authors: Golestaneh Seema
Published: January 2022

Literalism is often synonymous with the absence of critical thought, a black hole of interpretation where the word offers not inspiration but command. As one group of Iranian Nimatullahi Sufis demonstrated, however, this is not always the case. Based on ethnographic research, this article will demonstrate how these Iranian Sufis utilized literal interpretations of intentional listening (sama) and wandering (sargardan) to generate their own collective space, one marked by transience, materiality, and play. They did so by devising a unique method of convening their meetings. Rather than circulate an address, the mystics instructed the others to meet at an intersection and then broadcast music from an apartment to alert the members to the location. This in turn allowed them to locate the site by listening for and wandering to locate the sounds. The aesthetic experiences that accompanied the listening and wandering led to a listened-for Sufi soundscape in post-revolutionary Iran.
Respiratory support status from EHR data for adult population: classification, heuristics, and usage in predictive modeling
Authors: Yu Sean C , Hofford Mackenzie R , Lai Albert M , Kollef Marin H , Payne Philip R O , Michelson Andrew P
Published: January 2022

Objective

Respiratory support status is critical in understanding patient status, but electronic health record data are often scattered, incomplete, and contradictory. Further, there has been limited work on standardizing representations for respiratory support. The objective of this work was to (1) propose a practical terminology system for respiratory support methods; (2) develop (meta-)heuristics for constructing respiratory support episodes; and (3) evaluate the utility of respiratory support information for mortality prediction.

Materials and Methods

All analyses were performed using electronic health record data of COVID-19-tested, emergency department-admit, adult patients at a large, Midwestern healthcare system between March 1, 2020 and April 1, 2021. Logistic regression and XGBoost models were trained with and without respiratory support information, and performance metrics were compared. Importance of respiratory-support-based features was explored using absolute coefficient values for logistic regression and SHapley Additive exPlanations values for the XGBoost model.

Results

The proposed terminology system for respiratory support methods is as follows: Low-Flow Oxygen Therapy (LFOT), High-Flow Oxygen Therapy (HFOT), Non-Invasive Mechanical Ventilation (NIMV), Invasive Mechanical Ventilation (IMV), and ExtraCorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO). The addition of respiratory support information significantly improved mortality prediction (logistic regression area under receiver operating characteristic curve, median [IQR] from 0.855 [0.852—0.855] to 0.881 [0.876—0.884]; area under precision recall curve from 0.262 [0.245—0.268] to 0.319 [0.313—0.325], both P < 0.01). The proposed generalizable, interpretable, and episodic representation had commensurate performance compared to alternate representations despite loss of granularity. Respiratory support features were among the most important in both models.

Conclusion

Respiratory support information is critical in understanding patient status and can facilitate downstream analyses.
Effect of amino acid blend as alternative to antibiotics for growing pigs
Authors: Gomes Maykelly da S , Saraiva Alysson , Valente Júnior Dante T , de Oliveira Leandro L , Correia Amanda M , Serão Nicola V L , Rocha Gabriel C
Published: January 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of supplementing arginine (Arg) + glutamine (Gln) replacing antibiotics on performance, immune response, and antioxidant capacity of pigs in the growing phase. One hundred fifty 63-d-old pigs with initial body weight (BW) of 25.0 ± 1.46 kg were distributed in a randomized block design, with three treatments and ten replicates. The three diets were control; antibiotic, control + 100 mg/kg tiamulin and 506 mg/kg oxytetracycline; amino acid, control + 10 g/kg Arg and 2 g/kg Gln. Dietary treatments were fed from 63 to 77 d. Following the treatment period, all pigs were fed the control diet from 77 to 90 d. Data were analyzed using GLIMMIX and UNIVARIATE in SAS 9.4. From 63 to 70 d, pigs fed diets with antibiotics had improved (P < 0.05) average daily feed intake, average daily weight gain (ADG), gain to feed ratio (G:F), and 70-d BW compared to those fed control or amino acid diets. From 70 to 77 d, including antibiotics in the diet increased (P < 0.05) ADG and 77-d BW. From 77 to 90 d, pigs fed control or amino acid diets had greater (P < 0.05) ADG than those fed an antibiotic diet. From 63 to 90 d, although pig performance was not affected (P > 0.05), growth curve of pigs fed the antibiotic diets was different (P < 0.05) from those fed the control and amino acids diets. At 70 d, serum tumor necrosis factor-α and diamine oxidase (DAO) were lower (P < 0.05) in pigs fed the antibiotic diet than the control diet, and pigs fed the amino acid diet had intermediate results. Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) was lower (P < 0.05) in pigs fed the amino acid diet than the antibiotic diet, and pigs fed the control diet had intermediate results. Serum immunoglobulin A was lower (P < 0.05) in pigs fed the antibiotic diet. At 77 d, DAO and serum immunoglobulin G were lower (P < 0.05) in pigs fed the antibiotic diet. FRAP was lower (P < 0.05) in pigs fed the amino acid and control diets. Serum malondialdehyde was higher (P < 0.05) in pigs fed the amino acid diet than those fed the control diet, and pigs fed the antibiotic diet had intermediate results. At 90 d, antibiotics or amino acids did not affect (P > 0.05) serum parameters. Amino acid blend supplementation at the selected doses in this study did not positively affect growing pigs. Although from 63 to 77 d, antibiotics improved performance, when considering the overall study period, growing pigs did not benefit from a diet containing antibiotics.
Development of a cost analysis-based defect-prediction system with a type error-weighted deep neural network algorithm
Authors: Kim Jun , Lee Ju Yeon
Published: January 2022

With the growing interest in smart factories, defect-prediction algorithms using data analysis techniques are being developed and applied to solve problems caused by defects at manufacturing sites. Cost benefit is an important factor to consider, and can be obtained by applying such algorithms. Existing defect-prediction algorithms usually aim to reduce the error rate of the prediction model, rather than focusing on the cost benefit for the practical application of defect-prediction models. Therefore, this study develops a defect-prediction algorithm considering costs and systematization for field application. To this end, a type error-weighted deep neural network (TEW-DNN) is proposed that applies a loss function to set a different weight for each type error, and cost analysis is conducted to search the optimal type error weight. A cost analysis-based defect-prediction system is designed considering the TEW-DNN algorithm and a cyber-physical system environment. The efficacy of the designed system is demonstrated through a case study involving the application of the system in a die-casting factory in South Korea.
Managing Thousand Cankers Disease in High-value Plantings of Black Walnut (Fagales: Juglandaceae) in Washington State
Authors: Smallwood Christopher J , Ethington Matthew W , Ginzel Matthew D
Published: January 2022

The health and productivity of black walnut (Juglans nigra L.) is currently threatened by Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD), a pest complex comprised of an insect vector, the walnut twig beetle (WTB) (Pityophthorus juglandis Blackman) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), and associated pathogenic fungi (Geosmithia morbida Kolařík, Freeland, Utley, and Tisserat) (Hypocreales: Bionectriaceae). There is an urgent need for tools to manage TCD and avoid catastrophic losses in high-value plantations of black walnut. In this case study, we evaluated the efficacy of IPM strategies in three TCD-infested black walnut plantations in Walla Walla, WA. At the beginning of our study, average weekly captures of WTB per trap varied across sites; low (~32), moderate (~111), and high (>1,300). Each site received a separate management tactic: 1) girdled trap trees alone; 2) the insecticide emamectin benzoate alone or in combination with the fungicide propiconazole to protect healthy crop trees with superior form; and 3) the combination of girdled trap trees and chemically-protected crop trees. Walnut twig beetle populations remained at consistently low levels at both plantations after girdled trap trees were deployed. In plantations where crop trees were treated, the crown condition of those that received emamectin benzoate alone matched or exceeded that of trees treated with the combination of emamectin benzoate and propiconazole and the untreated control trees. Our findings suggest that using both trap trees and emamectin benzoate in an integrated approach has the most potential to reduce WTB populations and protect valuable crop trees in black walnut stands threatened by TCD.
Clinician-Reported Impact of Germline Multigene Panel Testing on Cancer Risk Management Recommendations
Authors: Horton Carolyn , Blanco Kirsten , Lo Min-Tzu , Speare Virginia , LaDuca Holly , Dolinsky Jill S , Kurian Allison W
Published: January 2022

Background

With increased adoption of multi-gene panel testing (MGPT) for hereditary cancer, management guidelines now include a wider range of predisposition genes. Yet little is known about whether MGPT results prompt changes to clinicians’ risk management recommendations and whether those recommendations adhere to guidelines.

Methods

We assessed cancer risk management recommendations made by clinicians ordering MGPT for hereditary cancer at a diagnostic laboratory using an internet-based survey. We received paired pre- and posttest responses for 2172 patients (response rate = 14.3%). Unpaired posttest responses were received in 168 additional patients with positive results. All tests were 2-sided.

Results

Clinicians reported a change in risk management recommendations for 76.6% of patients who tested positive for a pathogenic or likely pathogenic variant, with changes to surveillance being most common (71.1%), followed by surgical (33.6%), chemoprevention (15.1%), and clinical trial (9.4%) recommendations. Clinicians recommended risk-reducing interventions more often for patients with pathogenic variants in high-risk than moderate-risk genes (P < .001), whereas surveillance recommendations were similar for high-risk and moderate-risk genes. Guideline adherence was high for surveillance (86.3%) and surgical (79.6%) recommendations. Changes to risk management recommendations occurred in 8.8% and 7.6% of patients with uncertain and negative results, respectively.

Conclusions

Clinicians report frequent changes to cancer risk management recommendations based on positive results in both high-risk and moderate-risk genes. Reported introduction of interventions in patients with inconclusive and negative results is rare and adherence to practice guidelines is high in patients with positive results, suggesting a low probability of harm resulting from MGPT.
Fisher discriminant analysis method applied in drought detection: an instance in an alpine meadow ecosystem
Authors: Zhang Tao , Ji Ximeng , Tang Yuanyuan , Xu Mingjie , Zhang Yangjian , Zhao Guang , Chen Ning , Zhu Juntao , He Yongtao
Published: January 2022

Fisher discriminant analysis can comprehensively take multiple factors into consideration and effectively conduct separations between two classes. If it can be used to detect the occurrences of drought, drought can be detected more effectively and accurately. Based on 9-year carbon flux and corresponding meteorological data, soil water content (SWC) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) were selected as the discriminant factors. Drought occurrences were detected by applying the Fisher discriminant analysis method in an alpine ecosystem in Tibet. Fisher discriminant analysis was successfully applied to detect drought occurrence in an alpine meadow ecosystem. The soil water deficit and atmospheric water deficit were comprehensively taken into consideration. Consequently, this method could detect the onset and end date of droughts more accurately and reasonably. Based on the characteristics of drought and non-drought samples, the discriminant equation was constructed as y = 24.46SWC − 4.60VPD. When y > 1, the days were distributed above the critical line. In addition, when y was greater than one for more than 10 days, it was labeled as one drought event. If the interval between two drought processes was less than 2 days, it was considered one drought event. With increasing the study period and continued accumulation of observation data, the discriminant equation could be further optimized in the future, resulting in more accurate drought detection.
Antibiotic Prescribing in Children Hospitalized With COVID-19 and Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Spain: Prevalence, Trends, and Associated Factors
Authors: Aguilera-Alonso David , Epalza Cristina , Sanz-Santaeufemia Francisco José , Grasa Carlos , Villanueva-Medina Sara , Melendo Pérez Susana , Cervantes Hernández Eloísa , Urretavizcaya-Martínez María , Pino Rosa , Gómez Marisa Navarro , Orive Javier Pilar , González Zárate Ana , Vidal Lana Paula , González Montero Raúl , Ruiz González Sara , Calvo Cristina , Iglesias-Bouzas María Isabel , Caro-Teller José Manuel , Domínguez-Rodríguez Sara , Ballesteros Álvaro , Mesa Juan , Cobos-Carrascosa Elena , Tagarro Alfredo , Moraleda Cinta
Published: January 2022

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has caused an increase in antibiotic use in different settings. We describe the antibiotic prescribing prevalence, associated factors and trends, as well as concomitant bacterial infections in children hospitalized with COVID-19 or multisystemic inflammatory syndrome related to SARS-CoV-2 in Spain.
The rise of the partisan nurse and the challenge of moving beyond an impasse in the (re)organization of Dutch nursing work
Authors: Felder Martijn , Kuijper Syb , Lalleman Pieterbas , Bal Roland , Wallenburg Iris
Published: January 2022

In this article, we reconstruct a Dutch case in which policymakers, experts, and professional organizations proposed to amend a law so as to differentiate between different kinds of nurses and the work they do. In doing so, they specifically sought to support and reposition higher educated nurses. The amendment was met with fierce opposition from within the nursing community, however, and was eventually withdrawn. Drawing on interviews with key actors in the debate and an analysis of policy documents and social media platforms, we reconstruct what happened and how. Our reconstruction is informed by institutional theory, the sociology of professions, and a body of literature that examines populism in its increasingly diverse modes of existence. By combining these bodies of literature, we have sought to expand on an analytical repertoire aimed at capturing the dynamics between individual professionals and their institutional environments. Our approach specifically allowed us to foreground a populist action frame through which opposition was organized and to discuss the destructive and generative potential it has had for future aspirations in the professionalization and (re)organization of nursing work.