bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neuroscience-Based Mindfulness Social Work Practice in Schools
Authors: Blundo Robert , Savage Tamara Estes
Published: August 2020

Chronic poverty and stressful life circumstances result in poor school performance and behaviors. Research demonstrates that these behaviors are not the result of student inadequacies and lack of proper discipline, but are rather of neurological adaptations to chronic poverty and toxic stress. These outcomes are driven by the body’s attempt to protect itself even as the behaviors appear to be choices the student is making in a rational world. Neurobiologically, students adapt to these challenges by becoming both hypersensitive and self-protective. As a result, students are mistrustful and on alert beyond what is usual as a way of protecting themselves, consciously or unconsciously. Mindfulness programs provide important tools for shifting these challenges in the classroom by supporting feelings of safety and opportunities for growth and change in student learning and behaviors. Demonstrating the actual practice of mindfulness is not our intent given that there are many ways of using and learning mindfulness in the classroom. Rather, the focus is on the neurological outcomes of stressful lives, the neurological impact of mindfulness training, and providing resources for addressing student negative experiences and behaviors in schools.
Preclinical evidence for the therapeutic value of TBX5 normalization in arrhythmia control
Authors: Rathjens Franziska S , Blenkle Alica , Iyer Lavanya M , Renger Anke , Syeda Fahima , Noack Claudia , Jungmann Andreas , Dewenter Matthias , Toischer Karl , El-Armouche Ali , Müller Oliver J , Fabritz Larissa , Zimmermann Wolfram-Hubertus , Zelarayan Laura C , Zafeiriou Maria-Patapia
Published: August 2020

Aims 

Arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death (SCD) occur commonly in patients with heart failure. We found T-box 5 (TBX5) dysregulated in ventricular myocardium from heart failure patients and thus we hypothesized that TBX5 reduction contributes to arrhythmia development in these patients. To understand the underlying mechanisms, we aimed to reveal the ventricular TBX5-dependent transcriptional network and further test the therapeutic potential of TBX5 level normalization in mice with documented arrhythmias.

Methods and results 

We used a mouse model of TBX5 conditional deletion in ventricular cardiomyocytes. Ventricular (v) TBX5 loss in mice resulted in mild cardiac dysfunction and arrhythmias and was associated with a high mortality rate (60%) due to SCD. Upon angiotensin stimulation, vTbx5KO mice showed exacerbated cardiac remodelling and dysfunction suggesting a cardioprotective role of TBX5. RNA-sequencing of a ventricular-specific TBX5KO mouse and TBX5 chromatin immunoprecipitation was used to dissect TBX5 transcriptional network in cardiac ventricular tissue. Overall, we identified 47 transcripts expressed under the control of TBX5, which may have contributed to the fatal arrhythmias in vTbx5KO mice. These included transcripts encoding for proteins implicated in cardiac conduction and contraction (Gja1, Kcnj5, Kcng2, Cacna1g, Chrm2), in cytoskeleton organization (Fstl4, Pdlim4, Emilin2, Cmya5), and cardiac protection upon stress (Fhl2, Gpr22, Fgf16). Interestingly, after TBX5 loss and arrhythmia development in vTbx5KO mice, TBX5 protein-level normalization by systemic adeno-associated-virus (AAV) 9 application, re-established TBX5-dependent transcriptome. Consequently, cardiac dysfunction was ameliorated and the propensity of arrhythmia occurrence was reduced.

Conclusions 

This study uncovers a novel cardioprotective role of TBX5 in the adult heart and provides preclinical evidence for the therapeutic value of TBX5 protein normalization in the control of arrhythmia.
Differences in Gut Bacterial Communities of Ips typographus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) Induced by Enantiomer-Specific α-Pinene
Authors: Fang Jia-Xing , Zhang Su-Fang , Liu Fu , Zhang Xun , Zhang Feng-Bin , Guo Xiao-Bin , Zhang Zhen , Zhang Qing-He , Kong Xiang-Bo
Published: August 2020

The spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus L.) is a destructive pest of Eurasian spruce forests. Although the gut bacteria of this insect are considered to play important roles in its lifecycle, the relationship between I. typographus and its gut bacterial community is poorly characterized. In this study, 16S rRNA gene sequencing was used to determine gut bacterial community composition across successive I. typographus life stages. Responses of the gut bacteria to α-pinene enantiomers were also explored. Ips typographus gut bacterial populations were dominated by the phyla Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria, and the relative abundance of these phyla varied across different developmental stages of the beetle. Bacterial species diversity and richness indices increased with developmental stage progression. Relative abundances of the dominant genera, Erwinia (Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae), Pseudoxanthomonas (Xanthomonadales: Xanthomonadaceae), Serratia (Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae), and Romboutsia (Clostridiales: Peptostreptococcaceae), also varied across successive I. typographus life stages. Large disparities in the gut bacterial community of male adults were observed when the beetles were treated with S-(–)-α-pinene and R-(+)-α-pinene. The relative abundances of Lactococcus (Lactobacillales: Streptococcaceae) and Lelliottia (Enterobacteriales: Enterobacteriaceae) increased drastically with R-(+)-α-pinene and S-(–)-α-pinene treatment, respectively. This indicated a distinct enantiomer-specific effect of α-pinene on the I. typographus gut bacteria. This study demonstrated the plasticity of gut bacteria during I. typographus development, when α-pinene host monoterpenes are encountered. This study provides new insights into the relationship between ‘I. typographus–gut bacteria’ symbionts and host trees.
Reversible exercise-induced left ventricular dysfunction in symptomatic patients with previous Takotsubo syndrome: insights from stress echocardiography
Authors: Yakupoglu H Yakup , Saeed Sahrai , Senior Roxy , Baksi A John , Lyon Alexander R , Khattar Rajdeep S
Published: August 2020

Aims 

Takotsubo syndrome (TTS) is usually associated with rapid and spontaneous recovery of left ventricular (LV) function. However, a proportion of patients may have persistent symptoms. This study aimed to determine the haemodynamic and LV contractile responses to exercise in these patients.

Methods and results

Thirty symptomatic TTS patients referred for exercise echocardiography, a median of 15 months following the index TTS episode, were matched with 30 controls with normal exercise echocardiography. Beta-blockers were withheld prior to the test. LV volumes, ejection fraction (EF) and wall motion score index (WMSI), were measured at rest and stress. The TTS cohort were Caucasian women with mean age of 64.6 ± 7.4 years and similar coronary risk factor profile and EF to controls. Resting systolic blood pressure (SBP), LV end-diastolic volume, wall stress, and right ventricular fractional area change were higher in TTS patients compared with controls. Stress echo data showed similar exercise time, peak heart rate, and peak SBP in TTS patients vs. controls, but TTS patients had higher LV volumes, lower exercise LVEF (70 ± 10% vs. 78 ± 7%; P = 0.001), ΔLVEF (4 ± 8% vs. 12 ± 5%; P < 0.001), and WMSI (1.4 ± 0.4 vs. 1 ± 0; P < 0.001) compared with controls. Twenty TTS patients had clear exercise-induced wall motion abnormalities, mainly involving the apex or more globally, with a mean ΔLVEF of 1% compared with 12% in controls. Among the other 10 TTS patients, the ΔLVEF was 10%.

Conclusion

Symptomatic patients with previous TTS have a blunted contractile response to exercise. The therapeutic and prognostic implications of these findings need further investigation.
Time-to-treatment initiation of colchicine and cardiovascular outcomes after myocardial infarction in the Colchicine Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial (COLCOT)
Authors: Bouabdallaoui Nadia , Tardif Jean-Claude , Waters David D , Pinto Fausto J , Maggioni Aldo P , Diaz Rafael , Berry Colin , Koenig Wolfgang , Lopez-Sendon Jose , Gamra Habib , Kiwan Ghassan S , Blondeau Lucie , Orfanos Andreas , Ibrahim Reda , Grégoire Jean C , Dubé Marie-Pierre , Samuel Michelle , Morel Olivier , Lim Pascal , Bertrand Olivier F , Kouz Simon , Guertin Marie-Claude , L’Allier Philippe L , Roubille Francois
Published: August 2020

Aims

The COLchicine Cardiovascular Outcomes Trial (COLCOT) demonstrated the benefits of targeting inflammation after myocardial infarction (MI). We aimed to determine whether time-to-treatment initiation (TTI) influences the beneficial impact of colchicine.

Methods and results

In COLCOT, patients were randomly assigned to receive colchicine or placebo within 30 days post-MI. Time-to-treatment initiation was defined as the length of time between the index MI and the initiation of study medication. The primary efficacy endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular death, resuscitated cardiac arrest, MI, stroke, or urgent hospitalization for angina requiring coronary revascularization. The relationship between endpoints and various TTI (<3, 4–7 and >8 days) was examined using multivariable Cox regression models. Amongst the 4661 patients included in this analysis, there were 1193, 720, and 2748 patients, respectively, in the three TTI strata. After a median follow-up of 22.7 months, there was a significant reduction in the incidence of the primary endpoint for patients in whom colchicine was initiated < Day 3 compared with placebo [hazard ratios (HR) = 0.52, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.32–0.84], in contrast to patients in whom colchicine was initiated between Days 4 and 7 (HR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.53–1.75) or > Day 8 (HR = 0.82, 95% CI 0.61–1.11). The beneficial effects of early initiation of colchicine were also demonstrated for urgent hospitalization for angina requiring revascularization (HR = 0.35), all coronary revascularization (HR = 0.63), and the composite of cardiovascular death, resuscitated cardiac arrest, MI, or stroke (HR = 0.55, all P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Patients benefit from early, in-hospital initiation of colchicine after MI.

Trial Registration

COLCOT ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02551094.
Women who experience a myocardial infarction at a young age have worse outcomes compared with men: the Mass General Brigham YOUNG-MI registry
Authors: DeFilippis Ersilia M , Collins Bradley L , Singh Avinainder , Biery David W , Fatima Amber , Qamar Arman , Berman Adam N , Gupta Ankur , Cawley Mary , Wood Malissa J , Klein Josh , Hainer Jon , Gulati Martha , Taqueti Viviany R , Di Carli Marcelo F , Nasir Khurram , Bhatt Deepak L , Blankstein Ron
Published: August 2020

Aims

There are sex differences in presentation, treatment, and outcomes of myocardial infarction (MI) but less is known about these differences in a younger patient population. The objective of this study was to investigate sex differences among individuals who experience their first MI at a young age.

Methods and results

Consecutive patients presenting to two large academic medical centres with a Type 1 MI at ≤50 years of age between 2000 and 2016 were included. Cause of death was adjudicated using electronic health records and death certificates. In total, 2097 individuals (404 female, 19%) had an MI (mean age 44 ± 5.1 years, 73% white). Risk factor profiles were similar between men and women, although women were more likely to have diabetes (23.7% vs. 18.9%, P = 0.028). Women were less likely to undergo invasive coronary angiography (93.5% vs. 96.7%, P = 0.003) and coronary revascularization (82.1% vs. 92.6%, P < 0.001). Women were significantly more likely to have MI with non-obstructive coronary disease on angiography (10.2% vs. 4.2%, P < 0.001). They were less likely to be discharged with aspirin (92.2% vs. 95.0%, P = 0.027), beta-blockers (86.6% vs. 90.3%, P = 0.033), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin-receptor blockers (53.4% vs. 63.7%, P < 0.001), and statins (82.4% vs. 88.4%, P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in in-hospital mortality; however, women who survived to hospital discharge experienced a higher all-cause mortality rate (adjusted HR = 1.63, P = 0.01; median follow-up 11.2 years) with no significant difference in cardiovascular mortality (adjusted HR = 1.14, P = 0.61).

Conclusions

Women who experienced their first MI under the age of 50 were less likely to undergo coronary revascularization or be treated with guideline-directed medical therapies. Women who survived hospitalization experienced similar cardiovascular mortality with significantly higher all-cause mortality than men. A better understanding of the mechanisms underlying these differences is warranted.
Pathological features of COVID-19-associated myocardial injury: a multicentre cardiovascular pathology study
Authors: Basso Cristina , Leone Ornella , Rizzo Stefania , De Gaspari Monica , van der Wal Allard C , Aubry Marie-Christine , Bois Melanie C , Lin Peter T , Maleszewski Joseph J , Stone James R
Published: August 2020

Aims

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been associated with cardiovascular features of myocardial involvement including elevated serum troponin levels and acute heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. The cardiac pathological changes in these patients with COVID-19 have yet to be well described.

Methods and results

In an international multicentre study, cardiac tissue from the autopsies of 21 consecutive COVID-19 patients was assessed by cardiovascular pathologists. The presence of myocarditis, as defined by the presence of multiple foci of inflammation with associated myocyte injury, was determined, and the inflammatory cell composition analysed by immunohistochemistry. Other forms of acute myocyte injury and inflammation were also described, as well as coronary artery, endocardium, and pericardium involvement. Lymphocytic myocarditis was present in 3 (14%) of the cases. In two of these cases, the T lymphocytes were CD4 predominant and in one case the T lymphocytes were CD8 predominant. Increased interstitial macrophage infiltration was present in 18 (86%) of the cases. A mild pericarditis was present in four cases. Acute myocyte injury in the right ventricle, most probably due to strain/overload, was present in four cases. There was a non-significant trend toward higher serum troponin levels in the patients with myocarditis compared with those without myocarditis. Disrupted coronary artery plaques, coronary artery aneurysms, and large pulmonary emboli were not identified.

Conclusions

In SARS-CoV-2 there are increased interstitial macrophages in a majority of the cases and multifocal lymphocytic myocarditis in a small fraction of the cases. Other forms of myocardial injury are also present in these patients. The macrophage infiltration may reflect underlying diseases rather than COVID-19.
Validation of high bleeding risk criteria and definition as proposed by the academic research consortium for high bleeding risk
Authors: Corpataux Noé , Spirito Alessandro , Gragnano Felice , Vaisnora Lukas , Galea Roberto , Svab Stefano , Gargiulo Giuseppe , Zanchin Thomas , Zanchin Christian , Siontis George C M , Praz Fabien , Lanz Jonas , Hunziker Lukas , Stortecky Stefan , Pilgrim Thomas , Räber Lorenz , Capodanno Davide , Urban Philip , Pocock Stuart , Heg Dik , Windecker Stephan , Valgimigli Marco
Published: August 2020

Aims

To validate the set of clinical and biochemical criteria proposed by consensus by the Academic Research Consortium (ARC) for High Bleeding Risk (HBR) for the identification of HBR patients. These criteria were categorized into major and minor, if expected to carry in isolation, respectively, ≥4% and <4% Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) 3 or 5 bleeding risk within 1-year after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). High bleeding risk patients are those meeting at least 1 major or 2 minor criteria.

Methods and results

All patients undergoing PCI at Bern University Hospital, between February 2009 and September 2018 were prospectively entered into the Bern PCI Registry (NCT02241291). Age, haemoglobin, platelet count, creatinine, and use of oral anticoagulation were prospectively collected, while the remaining HBR criteria except for planned surgery were retrospectively adjudicated. A total of 16 580 participants with complete ARC-HBR criteria were included. After assigning 1 point to each major and 0.5 point to each minor criterion, we observed for every 0.5 score increase a step-wise augmentation of BARC 3 or 5 bleeding rates at 1 year ranging from 1.90% among patients fulfilling no criterion, through 4.01%, 5.98%, 7.42%, 8.60%, 12.21%, 12.29%, and 17.64%. All major and five out of six minor criteria, conferred in isolation a risk for BARC 3 or 5 bleeding at 1 year exceeding 4% at the upper limit of the 95% confidence intervals.

Conclusion

All major and the majority of minor ARC-HBR criteria identify in isolation patients at HBR.
Electrocardiographic features of 431 consecutive, critically ill COVID-19 patients: an insight into the mechanisms of cardiac involvement
Authors: Bertini Matteo , Ferrari Roberto , Guardigli Gabriele , Malagù Michele , Vitali Francesco , Zucchetti Ottavio , D’Aniello Emanuele , Volta Carlo Alberto , Cimaglia Paolo , Piovaccari Giancarlo , Corzani Alessandro , Galvani Marcello , Ortolani Paolo , Rubboli Andrea , Tortorici Gianfranco , Casella Gianni , Sassone Biagio , Navazio Alessandro , Rossi Luca , Aschieri Daniela , Rapezzi Claudio
Published: August 2020

Aims

Our aim was to describe the electrocardiographic features of critical COVID-19 patients.

Methods and results

We carried out a multicentric, cross-sectional, retrospective analysis of 431 consecutive COVID-19 patients hospitalized between 10 March and 14 April 2020 who died or were treated with invasive mechanical ventilation. This project is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT04367129). Standard ECG was recorded at hospital admission. ECG was abnormal in 93% of the patients. Atrial fibrillation/flutter was detected in 22% of the patients. ECG signs suggesting acute right ventricular pressure overload (RVPO) were detected in 30% of the patients. In particular, 43 (10%) patients had the S1Q3T3 pattern, 38 (9%) had incomplete right bundle branch block (RBBB), and 49 (11%) had complete RBBB. ECG signs of acute RVPO were not statistically different between patients with (n = 104) or without (n=327) invasive mechanical ventilation during ECG recording (36% vs. 28%, P = 0.10). Non-specific repolarization abnormalities and low QRS voltage in peripheral leads were present in 176 (41%) and 23 (5%), respectively. In four patients showing ST-segment elevation, acute myocardial infarction was confirmed with coronary angiography. No ST-T abnormalities suggestive of acute myocarditis were detected. In the subgroup of 110 patients where high-sensitivity troponin I was available, ECG features were not statistically different when stratified for above or below the 5 times upper reference limit value.

Conclusions

The ECG is abnormal in almost all critically ill COVID-19 patients and shows a large spectrum of abnormalities, with signs of acute RVPO in 30% of the patients. Rapid and simple identification of these cases with ECG at hospital admission can facilitate classification of the patients and provide pathophysiological insights.
Creating healthy and active life for the elderly in programmes conducted by rural and urban-rural communes in Poland
Authors: Augustynowicz Anna , Waszkiewicz Michał , Szopa Sławomir , Borowska Mariola , Czerw Aleksandra
Published: August 2020

Background

In Poland, between 1989 and 2018 the number of the elderly increased by over 3.9 million. Demographic changes justify a senior policy focussed on the longest possible social, professional and family activity of the elderly. Directions of undertaken actions should include health policy programmes aimed at creating conditions healthy and active life of the elderly. The programmes should be particularly important in rural areas as the health of rural and urban residents differs. The study presents programmes for creating conditions for a healthy and active life of the elderly run by rural and urban-rural communes in 2012–17.

Methods

The study was conducted on the basis of existing data analysis. Data from the summary information prepared by voivodes and provided to the Minister of Health about implemented health policy programmes were used. Data on programmes concerning a healthy and active life for the elderly conducted by rural and urban-rural communes between 2012 and 2017 were extracted from the aggregate information.

Results

Between 2012 and 2017, 354 programmes were implemented, the most in 2016, and the least in 2015. There were 171 000 people participating in the programmes. The total cost was USD 2 491 664.

Conclusion

It can be presumed that in 2016 communes implemented more diagnostic and therapeutic programmes than in 2017. A small number of programmes and a small involvement of financial resources in communes with the largest number of the elderly may indicate marginalization of the importance of an active and healthy life for the elderly.
PbS biomineralization using cysteine: Bacillus cereus and the sulfur rush
Authors: Staicu Lucian C , Wojtowicz Paulina J , Pósfai Mihály , Pekker Péter , Gorecki Adrian , Jordan Fiona L , Barton Larry L
Published: August 2020

Bacillus sp. Abq, belonging to Bacillus cereus sensu lato, was isolated from an aquifer in New Mexico, USA and phylogenetically classified. The isolate possesses the unusual property of precipitating Pb(II) by using cysteine, which is degraded intracellularly to hydrogen sulfide (H2S). H2S is then exported to the extracellular environment to react with Pb(II), yielding PbS (galena). Biochemical and growth tests showed that other sulfur sources tested (sulfate, thiosulfate, and methionine) were not reduced to hydrogen sulfide. Using equimolar concentration of cysteine, 1 mM of soluble Pb(II) was removed from Lysogeny Broth (LB) medium within 120 h of aerobic incubation forming black, solid PbS, with a removal rate of 2.03 µg L−1 h−1 (∼8.7 µM L−1 h−1). The mineralogy of biogenic PbS was characterized and confirmed by XRD, HRTEM, and EDX. Electron microscopy and electron diffraction identified crystalline PbS nanoparticles with a diameter <10 nm,  localized in the extracellular matrix and on the surface of the cells. This is the first study demonstrating the use of cysteine in Pb(II) precipitation as insoluble PbS and it may pave the way to PbS recovery from secondary resources, such as Pb-laden industrial effluents.
Shotgun metagenomics of indigenous bacteria collected from the banks of the San Jacinto River for biodegradation of aromatic waste
Authors: Iyer Rupa , Damania Ashish
Published: August 2020

Several Eastern Harris County communities lie near the now enclosed San Jacinto River (SJR) Waste Pit Superfund, a dumping ground for chlorinated dioxins and other paper mill waste products. Currently, no active monitoring of the SJR is conducted for these toxins with the exact concentration and health impact to the area unknown. As such, remediation and monitoring efforts outside of the Superfund itself could be necessary. To better understand the possible environmental fate of these aromatics, here we provide a shotgun metagenomic analysis of the structural and putative functional diversity of the SJR microbiome from two impacted Channelview, Texas communities bordering the Superfund. Results show that the underlying SJR microbiome possesses a core of metabolic enzymes related to the β-ketoadipate and benzoate degradation pathways. This suggests possible endpoints for many aromatics found deposited in the SJR including dioxin-like compounds. However, degradation biomarkers related to the priming and initial cleavage of chlorinated dioxin-like aromatics while present, are poorly concentrated across sampled sites. This may be due in part to decreased coverage of low abundance bacterial species, but also be a contributing factor leading to increased recalcitrance of these compounds in this environment compared to other aromatics.
A detailed lipidomic study of human pathogenic fungi Candida auris
Authors: Shahi Garima , Kumar Mohit , Kumari Sonam , Rudramurthy Shivaprakash M , Chakrabarti Arunaloke , Gaur Naseem A , Singh Ashutosh , Prasad Rajendra
Published: August 2020

The present study is an attempt to determine the lipid composition of Candida auris and to highlight if the changes in lipids can be correlated to high drug resistance encountered in C. auris. For this, the comparative lipidomics landscape between drug-susceptible (CBS10913T) and a resistant hospital isolate (NCCPF_470033) of C. auris was determined by employing high throughput mass spectrometry. All major groups of phosphoglycerides (PGL), sphingolipids, sterols, diacylglycerols (DAG) and triacylglycerols (TAG), were quantitated along with their molecular lipid species. Our analyses highlighted several key changes where the NCCPF_470033 showed an increase in PGL content, specifically phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylethanolamine; odd chain containing lipids and accumulation of 16:1-DAG and 16:0-DAG; depletion of 18:1-TAG and 18:0-TAG. The landscape of molecular species displayed a distinct imprint between isolates. For example, the levels of unsaturated PGLs, contributed by both odd and even-chain fatty acyls were higher in resistant NCCPF_470033 isolate, resulting in a higher unsaturation index. Notwithstanding, several commonalities of lipid compositional changes between resistant C. auris and other Candida spp., the study could also identify distinguishable changes in specific lipid species in C. auris. Together, the data highlights the modulation of membrane lipid homeostasis associated with drug-resistant phenotype of C. auris.
Comparative Proteomics of Octocoral and Scleractinian Skeletomes and the Evolution of Coral Calcification
Authors: Conci Nicola , Lehmann Martin , Vargas Sergio , Wörheide Gert
Published: August 2020

Corals are the ecosystem engineers of coral reefs, one of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems. The ability of corals to form reefs depends on the precipitation of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) under biological control. However, several mechanisms underlying coral biomineralization remain elusive, for example, whether corals employ different molecular machineries to deposit different CaCO3 polymorphs (i.e., aragonite or calcite). Here, we used tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) to compare the proteins occluded in the skeleton of three octocoral and one scleractinian species: Tubipora musica and Sinularia cf. cruciata (calcite sclerites), the blue coral Heliopora coerulea (aragonitic skeleton), and the scleractinian aragonitic Montipora digitata. Reciprocal Blast analysis revealed extremely low overlap between aragonitic and calcitic species, while a core set of proteins is shared between octocorals producing calcite sclerites. However, the carbonic anhydrase CruCA4 is present in the skeletons of both polymorphs. Phylogenetic analysis highlighted several possible instances of protein co-option in octocorals. These include acidic proteins and scleritin, which appear to have been secondarily recruited for calcification and likely derive from proteins playing different functions. Similarities between octocorals and scleractinians included presence of a galaxin-related protein, carbonic anhydrases, and one hephaestin-like protein. Although the first two appear to have been independently recruited, the third appear to share a common origin. This work represents the first attempt to identify and compare proteins associated with coral skeleton polymorph diversity, providing several new research targets and enabling both future functional and evolutionary studies aimed at elucidating the origin and evolution of coral biomineralization.
Opinion Research and the West German Public in the Postwar Decades*
Authors: Perry Joe
Published: August 2020

This article investigates the history of opinion research in West Germany in the decades following the Second World War, which witnessed the emergence of a dense network of research institutes, including the Institut für Demoskopie-Allensbach (IfD), Emnid and Infratest. It argues that ‘opinion research’—a term used to encompass political polling as well as market research—helped consolidate an emerging West German consumer society based on liberal, free-market capitalism and offered West Germans new ways of imagining this new national collective. The opinion surveys and the subjectivities they measured were mutually constitutive of this reconfigured ‘public’, as exposure to survey results in countless media reports both reflected and shaped popular understandings of self and society. To make this argument, the article explores the US influence on German opinion research from the 1920s to the 1960s and the ‘modern’ language and techniques of survey research in the FRG. It offers an account of sex research as a case study of the same and concludes with a brief discussion of opinion research and its role in shaping contemporary understandings of the public sphere.
The Mental and Physical Health Profiles of Older Adults Who Endorse Elevated Autistic Traits
Authors: Stewart Gavin R , Corbett Anne , Ballard Clive , Creese Byron , Aarsland Dag , Hampshire Adam , Charlton Rebecca A , Happé Francesca
Published: August 2020

Objectives

The mental and physical health profile of autistic people has been studied in adolescence and adulthood, with elevated rates of most conditions being reported. However, this has been little studied taking a dimensional approach to autistic traits and in older age.

Methods

A total of 20,220 adults aged 50–81 years from the PROTECT study reported whether they experienced persistent sociocommunicative traits characteristic of autism. Approximately 1%, 276 individuals, were identified as endorsing elevated autistic traits in childhood and currently, henceforth the “Autism Spectrum Trait” (AST) group. An age- and gender-matched comparison group was formed of 10,495 individuals who did not endorse any autistic behavioral traits, henceforth the “Control Older Adults” (COA) group. Differences between AST and COA groups were explored in self-reported psychiatric diagnoses, self-reported symptoms of current depression and anxiety, and self-reported physical health diagnoses. Associations were also examined between autistic traits and health across the whole sample.

Results

The AST group reported significantly elevated rates of psychiatric diagnoses compared to the COA group. Additionally, the AST group showed significantly higher self-reported symptoms of current depression and anxiety than the COA group. However, few differences were observed in individual physical health conditions, and no differences in total co-occurring physical diagnoses between groups. Similar associations between autistic traits and health were also found taking a dimensional approach across the whole sample.

Discussion

These findings suggest that older adults with elevated autistic traits may be at greater risk of poorer mental, but not physical, health in later life. Future studies should incorporate polygenic scores to elucidate the possible genetic links between the propensity to autism/high autistic traits and to psychiatric conditions, and to explore whether those with elevated autistic traits experience particular barriers to mental health care.
The Color of COVID-19: Structural Racism and the Disproportionate Impact of the Pandemic on Older Black and Latinx Adults
Authors: Garcia Marc A , Homan Patricia A , García Catherine , Brown Tyson H
Published: August 2020

Objectives

The aim of this evidence-based theoretically informed article was to provide an overview of how and why the COVID-19 outbreak is particularly detrimental for the health of older Black and Latinx adults.

Methods

We draw upon current events, academic literature, and numerous data sources to illustrate how biopsychosocial factors place older adults at higher risk for COVID-19 relative to younger adults, and how structural racism magnifies these risks for black and Latinx adults across the life course.

Results

We identify 3 proximate mechanisms through which structural racism operates as a fundamental cause of racial/ethnic inequalities in COVID-19 burden among older adults: (a) risk of exposure, (b) weathering processes, and (c) health care access and quality.

Discussion

While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented crisis, the racial/ethnic health inequalities among older adults it has exposed are longstanding and deeply rooted in structural racism within American society. This knowledge presents both challenges and opportunities for researchers and policymakers as they seek to address the needs of older adults. It is imperative that federal, state, and local governments collect and release comprehensive data on the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by race/ethnicity and age to better gauge the impact of the outbreak across minority communities. We conclude with a discussion of incremental steps to be taken to lessen the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 among older Black and Latinx adults, as well as the need for transformative actions that address structural racism in order to achieve population health equity.
A new acoustic assumption for orthorhombic media
Authors: Abedi Mohammad Mahdi , Stovas Alexey
Published: August 2020

In exploration seismology, the acquisition, processing and inversion of P-wave data is a routine. However, in orthorhombic anisotropic media, the governing equations that describe the P-wave propagation are coupled with two S waves that are considered as redundant noise. The main approach to free the P-wave signal from the S-wave noise is the acoustic assumption on the wave propagation. The conventional acoustic assumption for orthorhombic media zeros out the S-wave velocities along three orthogonal axes, but leaves significant S-wave artefacts in all other directions. The new acoustic assumption that we propose mitigates the S-wave artefacts by zeroing out their velocities along the three orthogonal symmetry planes of orthorhombic media. Similar to the conventional approach, our method reduces the number of required model parameters from nine to six. As numerical experiments on multiple orthorhombic models show, the accuracy of the new acoustic assumption also compares well to the conventional approach. On the other hand, while the conventional acoustic assumption simplifies the governing equations, the new acoustic assumption further complicates them—an issue that emphasizes the necessity of simple approximate equations. Accordingly, we also propose simpler rational approximate phase-velocity and eikonal equations for the new acoustic orthorhombic media. We show a simple ray tracing example and find out that the proposed approximate equations are still highly accurate.
The signal of outermost-core stratification in body-wave and normal-mode data
Authors: van Tent Rûna , Deuss Arwen , Kaneshima Satoshi , Thomas Christine
Published: August 2020

Seismological models of the outer core’s radial velocity structure show that the outermost core is slower than PREM. For models derived from body-wave data these low velocities are confined to the top of the outer core, while normal-mode data prefer a velocity gradient that deviates from PREM throughout the entire outer core. These different models have led to conflicting interpretations regarding the presence of stratification at the top of the outer core. While body-wave based models have been shown to require a compositionally stratified outermost core, the velocity and density profiles obtained from normal-mode data correspond to a homogeneous outer core. In addition, the observed low velocities in the outermost core are difficult to reconcile with compositional models of stratification, as the required enrichment in light elements would generally increase seismic velocities. Here, we investigate how well-suited both seismic body-wave and normal-mode data are to constrain the velocity and density structure of the outer core. To this end, we model and compare the effects of outer-core structure and D″ structure on the differential traveltimes of body-wave phases SmKS and on the centre frequencies of normal modes. We find that a trade-off between outer-core structure and D″ structure exists for both data types, but neither data can be readily explained by reasonable D″ velocities and densities. Low outermost-core velocities are therefore still required by seismological data. Using additional information from the centre frequencies of Stoneley modes—normal modes that are particularly sensitive to variations in velocity and density at the top of the outer core—we confirm that normal-mode data indeed require low velocities with respect to PREM in the outermost core, similar to a recent normal-mode model, and an overall higher outer-core density. The presence of buoyant stratification in the outermost core is therefore not immediately supported by the centre frequencies of Stoneley modes. Stratification with high seismic velocity, as one would expect from most straightforward stratification-forming processes, is directly contradicted by our results.
Bypassing high-quality maternity facilities: evidence from pregnant women in peri-urban Nairobi
Authors: Stein Dorit T , Golub Ginger , Rothschild Claire W , Nyakora George , Cohen Jessica , McConnell Margaret
Published: August 2020

Utilization of high-quality maternal care is an important link along the pathway from increased facility-based delivery to improved maternal health outcomes, however women in Nairobi do not all deliver in the highest quality facilities available to them. We explored whether women living in peri-urban Nairobi who live nearby to high-quality facilities bypassed, or travelled farther than, their nearest high technical quality facility using survey data collected before and after delivery from women (n = 358) and from facility assessments (n = 59). We defined the nearest high technical quality facility as the nearest Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) capable facility to each woman’s neighbourhood. We compared women who delivered in their nearest CEmONC (n = 44) to women who bypassed their nearest CEmONC to deliver in a facility that was farther away (n = 200). Among bypassers, 131 (65.5%) women delivered in farther non-CEmONC facilities with lower technical quality and 69 (34.5%) delivered in farther CEmONCs with higher technical quality capacity compared to their nearby CEmONCs. Bypassers rated their delivery experience higher than non-bypassers. Women who bypassed to deliver in non-CEmONCs were less likely to have completed four antenatal care visits and to consider delivering in any CEmONC prior to delivery while women who bypassed to deliver in farther CEmONCs paid more for delivery and were more likely to report being able to access emergency funds compared to non-bypassers. Our findings suggest that women in peri-urban Nairobi bypassed their nearest CEmONC facilities in favour of delivering in facilities that provided better non-technical quality care. Bypassers with access to financial resources were also able to deliver in facilities with higher technical quality care. Policies that improve women’s delivery experience and ensure that information about facility technical quality is widely distributed may be critical to increase the utilization of high-quality maternity facilities.
Power, control, communities and health inequalities III: participatory spaces—an English case
Authors: Powell Katie , Barnes Amy , Anderson de Cuevas Rachel , Bambra Clare , Halliday Emma , Lewis Sue , McGill Rory , Orton Lois , Ponsford Ruth , Salway Sarah , Townsend Anne , Whitehead Margaret , Popay Jennie
Published: August 2020

This article—third in a series of three—uses theoretical frameworks described in Part 1, and empirical markers reported in Part 2, to present evidence on how power dynamics shifted during the early years of a major English community empowerment initiative. We demonstrate how the capabilities disadvantaged communities require to exercise collective control over decisions/actions impacting on their lives and health (conceptualized as emancipatory power) and the exercise of power over these communities (conceptualized as limiting power) were shaped by the characteristics of participatory spaces created by and/or associated with this initiative. Two main types of participatory spaces were identified: governance and sense-making. Though all forms of emancipatory power emerged in all spaces, some were more evident in particular spaces. In governance spaces, the development and enactment of ‘power to’ emerged as residents made formal decisions on action, allocated resources and managed accountability. Capabilities for alliance building—power with—were more likely to emerge in these spaces, as was residents’ resistance to the exercise of institutional power over them. In contrast, in sense-making spaces residents met informally and ‘made sense’ of local issues and their ability to influence these. These processes led to the development of power within capabilities and power to resist stigmatizing forms of productive power. The findings highlight the importance of designing community initiatives that: nurture diverse participatory spaces; attend to connectivity between spaces; and identify and act on existing power dynamics undermining capabilities for collective control in disadvantaged communities.
Exploring health literacy and its associated factors among Palestinian university students: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Sarhan Mohammed B A , Fujii Yu , Kiriya Junko , Fujiya Rika , Giacaman Rita , Kitamura Akiko , Jimba Masamine
Published: August 2020

Health literacy plays an important role in personal and community health. Since university is a turning point when young adults begin to take responsibility for their own health, understanding university students’ health literacy levels is crucial. To this end, we aimed to explore health literacy and its associated factors among Palestinian university students. We conducted a cross-sectional study at Birzeit University in the Ramallah district. We recruited 472 students using convenience sampling at six on-campus cafeterias. The 44-item Arabic version of the Health Literacy Questionnaire was used to measure students’ health literacy levels, while a locally developed distress scale was used to measure students’ distress levels. We stratified the multiple regression model for the health literacy score by gender. Students’ average total health literacy score was 135.3 (SD 20.9), with male students scoring significantly higher than female students. A higher health literacy score was significantly associated with having a father with a higher level of education, a higher frequency of medical checkups, higher self-reported health status, and consulting a higher number of sources for health-related information. High distress levels were associated with lower levels of health literacy, especially among female students. This study provides the first evidence on Palestinian university students’ health literacy levels. Tailored health education and promotion are required for students with low parental education and moderate to high distress. Future research is required to explain the gender differences in health literacy and distress among university students.
Lived experiences of women suffering from breast cancer in Kashmir: a phenomenological study
Authors: Hamid Wasia , Jahangir Mohmad Saleem , Khan Tanveer Ahmad
Published: August 2020

Using a phenomenological approach, this study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of Kashmiri women suffering from breast cancer within the context of their day-to-day lives. Snowball sampling and theoretical sampling techniques were employed for recruiting participants. Data collection was primarily based on the principles of data saturation. Data saturation occurred after 12 women with breast cancer were interviewed. Data was collected using face-to-face in-depth individual interviews. The interview guide consisted of open-ended questions. To attain the utmost variation, sumptuousness and profundity of responses, interviewer asked probing, specific, and interpreting questions during interviews. Data analysis of the transcripts was based on Graneheim and Lundman’s (Qualitative content analysis in nursing research: concepts, procedures and measures to achieve trustworthiness. Nurse Education Today 2004;24:105–12) procedures for taking out themes in qualitative data. Two main themes emerged that explained the lived experiences of women with breast cancer: (i) challenges encountered (altered body image, embarrassment, perceived worries, financial constraints, dealing with negative attitudes and stigma) and (ii) coping strategies (reliance on religion and spirituality, social support, living as usual, optimistic attitude and will to recover, and venting out). The findings revealed that breast cancer diagnosis influences women significantly as they acknowledged that it wasthe most traumatic experience of their life; however, with time, they started to accept the reality and made use of various methods to cope with their illness.