bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Efficacy of a Pyrethroid-impregnated Mattress Liner on Multiple International Strains ofCimex lectularius(Hemiptera: Cimicidae) andCimex hemipterus(Hemiptera: Cimicidae)
Authors: Leong Xin-Yeng , Lee Chow-Yang , Veera Singham G , Chong Shu-Chien Alexander , Naylor Richard , Naylor Alexia , Miller Dini M , Wilson Morgan M , Lilly David G , Doggett Stephen L
Published: April 2022

Modern bed bugs are resistant to multiple insecticide classes, particularly the pyrethroids. The efficacy of pyrethroid-impregnated mattress liners marketed for bed bug management has been variable. This study evaluated the efficacy of a permethrin-impregnated mattress liner, ActiveGuard, against 24 bed bug strains, consisting of both Cimex hemipterus (F.) and Cimex lectularius L. A ‘mat assay’, employing an allethrin-impregnated mat, was used to establish the pyrethroid resistance profile of all strains. Three experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of ActiveGuard exposure on bed bug knockdown: 1) exposing the bed bugs continuously on the liner for up to 24 d, 2) holding the bed bugs on the liner for either 4 or 6 h, and 3) placing a noninsecticide treated fabric above the liner with the bed bugs held continuously on top. Our results indicated that all modern strains (collected within the last 15 years during the current resurgence) were pyrethroid-resistant, although the magnitude of resistance was highly variable between strains. In the continuous exposure study, an incomplete knockdown was recorded for most modern bed bug strains, with some having no knockdown even up to 7 d of constant exposure. In the 4 or 6 h exposure study, the level of knockdown was reduced even further, and very few bed bugs were knocked down in the double fabric study. The results of this study indicate that pyrethroid-impregnated mattress liners are not likely to be effective in the management of most modern bed bug infestations involving either C. hemipterus or C. lectularius.
Reference Genome of the Northwestern Pond Turtle,Actinemys marmorata
Authors: Todd Brian D , Jenkinson Thomas S , Escalona Merly , Beraut Eric , Nguyen Oanh , Sahasrabudhe Ruta , Scott Peter A , Toffelmier Erin , Wang Ian J , Shaffer H Bradley
Published: April 2022

The northwestern pond turtle, Actinemys marmorata, and its recently recognized sister species, the southwestern pond turtle, A. pallida, are the sole aquatic testudines occurring over most of western North America and the only living representatives of the genus Actinemys. Although it historically ranged from Washington state through central California, USA, populations of the northwestern pond turtle have been in decline for decades and the species is afforded state-level protection across its range; it is currently being considered for protection under the US Endangered Species Act. Here, we report a new, chromosome-level assembly of A. marmorata as part of the California Conservation Genomics Project (CCGP). Consistent with the reference genome strategy of the CCGP, we used Pacific Biosciences HiFi long reads and Hi-C chromatin-proximity sequencing technology to produce a de novo assembled genome. The assembly comprises 198 scaffolds spanning 2,319,339,408 base pairs, has a contig N50 of 75 Mb, a scaffold N50 of 146Mb, and BUSCO complete score of 96.7%, making it the most complete testudine assembly of the 24 species from 13 families that are currently available. In combination with the A. pallida reference genome that is currently under construction through the CCGP, the A. marmorata genome will be a powerful tool for documenting landscape genomic diversity, the basis of adaptations to salt tolerance and thermal capacity, and hybridization dynamics between these recently diverged species.
The European Court of Human Rights—Can there be too much Success? A Comment
Authors: Schmahl Stefanie
Published: April 2022

Like almost no other international human rights protection system, the system of the European Convention on Human Rights is institutionally consolidated. The present contribution briefly traces the genesis and development of the European Court of Human Rights and then turns to the examination of three challenges the Court is currently faced with. In the section on the lack of implementation of judgments, the approach of the German Federal Constitutional Court to the Strasbourg case law, which contrasts principled openness towards European human rights law with emphasizing constitutional identity, is analysed. Moreover, the contribution examines how this approach has been taken up by actors in the United Kingdom and Russia. The problem of the insufficient qualification of some candidates proposed by States is addressed in the section on the election of judges. A solution might be to formally integrate the members of the Advisory Panel into the official hearing of the candidates. The section on dynamic interpretation looks at the nexus between the Court’s interpretation of the Convention and the States’ acceptance of its jurisprudence. By transferring the interpretation of the Convention to an independent international authority, States relinquish part of their power. They will only accept this transfer of power permanently if the judicial interpretation by the Strasbourg Court remains consistent, comprehensible and plausible. The Court should therefore not act as a human rights’ ‘trendsetter’ or a ‘judicial activist’. Overall, three principles are decisive for an effective international human rights protection that meets with both the general and long-term acceptance on the part of the Contracting States and the undeniable needs of individuals to have their human rights and fundamental freedoms protected against unlawful State interference. These principles are the judicial self-restraint of the Court, the subsidiarity principle and a margin of appreciation left to the Contracting States.
Management of elderly patients with malignant lymphoma
Authors: Miyazaki Kana
Published: April 2022

More than half of patients with malignant lymphoma are 65 years old or older. The outcome for older patients is poorer than that for younger patients. A poor prognosis is associated with heterogeneity and consists of physical function, performance status, poor nutritional status and various comorbidities. Therefore, attention should be given to serious treatment-related toxicities. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most frequently diagnosed type of malignant lymphoma. Most patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma can be potentially cured with the current standard chemotherapeutic regimen of rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone. However, a reduced-dose regimen of rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone or alternative treatment options might be suitable for older patients who are frail or unfit and have cardiac comorbidities. A comprehensive geriatric assessment is a potential tool for determining an appropriate therapeutic approach for each older patient. Follicular lymphoma is the second most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and the disease course is usually characterized by an indolent clinical course. Advanced follicular lymphoma with a high tumor burden has historically been treated with chemoimmunotherapy, but the treatment goal for older patients is relief of symptoms. Incorporating novel targeted agents such as brentuximab vedotin into therapies for older Hodgkin lymphoma patients might be a promising alternative to the anthracycline-containing regimen.
Interim results from a postmarketing surveillance study of patients with FLT3-mutated relapsed/refractory AML treated with the FLT3 inhibitor gilteritinib in Japan
Authors: Sugamori Haruko , Lee Takumi , Mitomi Takeshi , Yamagishi Chika
Published: April 2022

Objective

Gilteritinib received approval for the treatment of FLT3-mutated relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia in Japan in 2018. In accordance with regulatory requirements, we conducted a multicenter, observational surveillance of gilteritinib use in Japan.

Methods

Patients were followed for 6 months from gilteritinib treatment initiation. The primary endpoint of the surveillance was incidence of adverse drug reactions related to each element of the safety specification defined in the Japanese Risk Management Plan. This interim analysis presents data collected from 3 December 2018 to 20 September 2020.

Results

Among 204 patients with case report forms, 107 consented to data publication. Of these 107 patients, 59.8% (n = 64) were male and 58.9% (n = 63) were aged ≥65 years; most received a 120-mg/day initial (80.4%; 86/107) and maximum (74.8%; 80/107) daily dose. The discontinuation rate was 61.7% (66/107); the most common reasons for discontinuation were disease progression (18.7%), transplantation (16.8%) and adverse events (15.0%). The adverse drug reaction rate was 77.6%. The incidences of adverse drug reactions (grade ≥ 3) related to each element of the safety specification were myelosuppression, 44.9% (38.3%); liver function disorder, 24.3% (6.5%); infections, 24.3% (21.5%); prolonged QT interval, 10.3% (2.8%); hemorrhage, 9.3% (6.5%); renal dysfunction, 6.5% (0); hypersensitivity, 5.6% (1.9%); interstitial lung disease, 4.7% (3.7%); cardiac failure/pericarditis/pericardial effusion, 1.9% (0.9%); pancreatitis, 0.9% (0); posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, 0.9% (0.9%). The composite complete remission rate was 62.7%; the 6-month overall survival rate was 77.7%.

Conclusion

Gilteritinib treatment for 6 months in Japan was associated with acceptable efficacy and no new safety concerns were observed.
Impact of chronological age on efficacy and safety of fluoropyrimidine plus bevacizumab in older non-frail patients with metastatic colorectal cancer: a combined analysis of individual data from two phase II studies of patients aged >75 years
Authors: Moriwaki Toshikazu , Nishina Tomohiro , Sakai Yoshinori , Yamamoto Yoshiyuki , Shimada Mitsuo , Ishida Hiroyasu , Amagai Kenji , Sato Mikio , Endo Shinji , Negoro Yuji , Kuramochi Hidekazu , Denda Tadamichi , Hatachi Yukimasa , Ikezawa Kazuto , Nakajima Go , Bando Yoshiaki , Tsuji Akihito , Yamamoto Yuji , Morimoto Masamitsu , Kobayashi Kazuma , Hyodo Ichinosuke
Published: April 2022

Objective

Many clinical trials for older patients with metastatic colorectal cancer have been conducted, and fluoropyrimidine and bevacizumab are standard treatments. However, the relationship between age and the efficacy and safety of this treatment is unclear in older metastatic colorectal cancer patients.

Methods

Individual data from two phase II studies on older (≥75 years), non-frail patients with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with uracil-tegafur/leucovorin or S-1 combined with bevacizumab were collected. Patient characteristics were evaluated with multiple regression analyses for survival outcomes, using the Cox proportional hazard model and linear regression analyses for the worst grade of adverse events.

Results

We enrolled 102 patients with a median age of 80 years (range, 75–88 years). Of the 70 patients who died, seven (10%) died of causes unrelated to disease or treatment. The study treatment was discontinued due to adverse events in 19 patients (18.6%), with 63% aged ≥85 years. The adverse event that most commonly resulted in treatment discontinuation was grade 2 fatigue (21%). Chronological age was not associated with progression-free survival (Hazard ratio, 1.03; P = 0.40) or overall survival (Hazard ratio, 1.02; P = 0.65). Age was weakly associated with non-hematologic adverse events (regression coefficient [R], 0.27; P = 0.007), especially fatigue (R, 0.23; P = 0.02) and nausea (R, 0.19; P = 0.06), but not with hematologic (R, 0.05; P = 0.43) or bevacizumab-related (R, −0.06; P = 0.56) adverse events.

Conclusions

The efficacy of fluoropyrimidine plus bevacizumab was age-independent in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer aged ≥75 years, and attention should be paid to non-hematologic adverse events as age increases.
Tumor metabolic alterations after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy predict postoperative recurrence in patients with pancreatic cancer
Authors: Wada Yukiko , Okano Keiichi , Sato Kiyotoshi , Sugimoto Masahiro , Shimomura Ayaka , Nagao Mina , Matsukawa Hiroyuki , Ando Yasuhisa , Suto Hironobu , Oshima Minoru , Kondo Akihiro , Asano Eisuke , Kishino Takayoshi , Kumamoto Kensuke , Kobara Hideki , Kamada Hideki , Masaki Tsutomu , Soga Tomoyoshi , Suzuki Yasuyuki
Published: April 2022

Objective

We investigated the metabolic changes in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma to identify the mechanisms of treatment response of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy.

Methods

Frozen tumor and non-neoplastic pancreas tissues were prospectively obtained from 88 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who underwent curative-intent surgery. Sixty-two patients received neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy and 26 patients did not receive neoadjuvant therapy (control group). Comprehensive analysis of metabolites in tumor and non-neoplastic pancreatic tissue was performed by capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry.

Results

Capillary electrophoresis-mass spectrometry detected 90 metabolites for analysis among more than 500 ionic metabolites quantified. There were significant differences in 27 tumor metabolites between the neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy and control groups. There were significant differences in eight metabolites [1-MethylnNicotinamide, Carnitine, Glucose, Glutathione (red), N-acetylglucosamine 6-phosphate, N-acetylglucosamine 1-phosphate, UMP, Phosphocholine] between good responder and poor responder for neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy. Among these metabolites, phosphocholine, Carnitine and Glutathione were associated with recurrence-free survival only in the neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy group. Microarray confirmed marked gene suppression of choline transporters [CTL1-4 (SLC44A1-44A4)] in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tissue of neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy group.

Conclusion

The present study identifies several important metabolic consequences and potential neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy targets in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Choline metabolism is one of the key pathways involved in recurrence of the patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who received neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy.
Association Between Medicaid Expansion Under the Affordable Care Act and Survival Among Newly Diagnosed Cancer Patients
Authors: Han Xuesong , Zhao Jingxuan , Yabroff K Robin , Johnson Christopher J , Jemal Ahmedin
Published: April 2022

Background

Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is associated with increased insurance coverage among patients with cancer. Whether these gains translate to improved survival is largely unknown. This study examines changes in 2-year survival among patients newly diagnosed with cancer following the ACA Medicaid expansion.

Methods

Patients aged 18-62 years from 42 states’ population-based cancer registries diagnosed pre (2010-2012) and post (2014-2016) ACA Medicaid expansion were followed through September 30, 2013, and December 31, 2017, respectively. Difference-in-differences (DD) analysis of 2-year overall survival was stratified by sex, race and ethnicity, census tract–level poverty, and rurality.

Results

A total of 2 555 302 patients diagnosed with cancer were included from Medicaid expansion (n = 1 523 585) and nonexpansion (n = 1 031 717) states. The 2-year overall survival increased from 80.58% pre-ACA to 82.23% post-ACA in expansion states and from 78.71% to 80.04% in nonexpansion states, resulting in a net increase of 0.44 percentage points (ppt) (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.24ppt to 0.64ppt) in expansion states after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. By cancer site, the net increase was greater for colorectal cancer (DD = 0.90ppt, 95% CI = 0.19ppt to 1.60ppt), lung cancer (DD = 1.29ppt, 95% CI = 0.50ppt to 2.08ppt), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (DD = 1.07ppt, 95% CI = 0.14ppt to 1.99ppt), pancreatic cancer (DD = 1.80ppt, 95% CI = 0.40ppt to 3.21ppt), and liver cancer (DD = 2.57ppt, 95% CI = 1.00ppt to 4.15ppt). The improvement in 2-year overall survival was larger among non-Hispanic Black patients (DD = 0.72ppt, 95% CI = 0.12ppt to 1.31ppt) and patients residing in rural areas (DD = 1.48ppt, 95% CI= -0.26ppt to 3.23ppt), leading to narrowing survival disparities by race and rurality.

Conclusions

Medicaid expansion was associated with greater increase in 2-year overall survival, and the increase was prominent among non-Hispanic Blacks and in rural areas, highlighting the role of Medicaid expansion in reducing health disparities. Future studies should monitor changes in longer-term health outcomes following the ACA.
Helicobacter pylori Modulated Host Immunity in Gastric Cancer Patients With S-1 Adjuvant Chemotherapy
Authors: Koizumi Yuka , Ahmad Sheny , Ikeda Miyuki , Yashima-Abo Akiko , Espina Ginny , Sugimoto Ryo , Sugai Tamotsu , Iwaya Takeshi , Tamura Gen , Koeda Keisuke , Liotta Lance A , Takahashi Fumiaki , Nishizuka Satoshi S ,   the Northern Japan Gastric Cancer Study Consortium
Published: April 2022

Background

Paradoxically, Helicobacter pylori–positive (HP+) advanced gastric cancer patients have a better prognosis than those who are HP–negative (HP-). Immunologic and statistical analyses can be used to verify whether systemic mechanisms modulated by HP are involved in this more favorable outcome.

Methods

A total of 658 advanced gastric cancer patients who underwent gastrectomy were enrolled. HP infection, mismatch repair, programmed death–ligand 1 (PD-L1) and CD4/CD8 proteins, and microsatellite instability were analyzed. Overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) rates were analyzed after stratifying clinicopathological factors. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to identify independent prognostic factors.

Results

Among 491 patients that were analyzed, 175 (36%) and 316 (64%) patients were HP+ and HP−, respectively. Analysis of RFS indicated an interaction of HP status among the subgroups for S-1 dose (Pinteraction = .049) and PD-L1 (P = .02). HP+ patients in the PD-L1- group had statistically higher 5-year OS and RFS than HP- patients (81% vs 68%; P = .0011; hazard ratio [HR] = 0.48, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.303 to 0.751, and 76% vs 63%; P = .001; HR = 0.508, 95% CI = 0.335 to 0.771, respectively). The 5-year OS and RFS was also statistically higher for HP+ compared with HP- patients in the "PD-L1- and S-1–r educed" group (86% vs 46%; P = .001; HR = 0.205, 95% CI = 0.07 to 0.602, and 83% vs 34%; P = .001; HR = 0.190, 95% CI = 0.072 to 0.498, respectively). Thus, HP status was identified as one of the most potentially important independent factors to predict prolonged survival.

Conclusion

This retrospective study suggests that an HP-modulated host immune system may contribute to prolonged survival in the absence of immune escape mechanisms of gastric cancer.
Rhizosphere and root fungal community of the invasive plant Galinsoga quadriradiata changes along its elevational expansion route
Authors: Liu Rui-Ling , Zhang Wen-Gang , Lee Benjamin R , Liu Gang , Song Xing-Jiang , Chen Xiao-Yan , Zou Jia-Bin , Huang Fang-Fang , Zhu Zhi-Hong
Published: April 2022

Fungal communities related to invasive plants may change with an elevational gradient, which may affect the performance and invasiveness of invasive plants. Our recent study revealed that root arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonization rate of invasive plant Galinsoga quadriradiata decreased with elevation. However, it is unclear whether it is caused by the changes in the fungal community along elevation. To address this issue, we used high-throughput sequencing techniques, functional groupings and linear statistics to examine how fungal communities in the rhizosphere and roots of G. quadriradiata are changed across the elevation in Qinling and Bashan Mountains, China. Our results revealed that species diversity and composition of the rhizosphere and root fungal communities changed along the elevation. The Shannon–Wiener diversity index in the rhizosphere and roots increased and decreased with elevation, respectively. In contrast, the relative abundance of pathotroph in the rhizosphere decreased while it increased in the roots with elevation. These suggest that, when the invasive plant colonizes into high altitudes, it may not suffer from limited rhizosphere fungal symbionts, but rather the ability of the plant to create and maintain these associations decreases. The invader tends to accumulate more pathogenic fungi in the roots, while the dependence on symbiotic fungi is reduced during expansion into higher elevations. These results highlight that the interactions between invasive plants and fungal community substantially change along elevation, and that belowground interactions may be key in our understanding of how invasive plants derive success in stressful, high-elevation environments.
Assessing Aspects of Social Relationships in Youth Across Middle Childhood and Adolescence: The NIH Toolbox Pediatric Social Relationship Scales
Authors: Dietz Laura J , Cyranowski Jill M , Fladeboe Kaitlyn M , Kelly Morgen A R , Pilkonis Paul A , Butt Zeeshan , Salsman John M , Cella David
Published: April 2022

Objective

Social relationships are a critical context for children’s socioemotional development and their quality is closely linked with concurrent and future physical and emotional wellbeing. However, brief self-report measures of social relationship quality that translate across middle childhood, adolescence, and adulthood are lacking, limiting the ability to assess the impact of social relationships on health outcomes over time. To address this gap, this article describes the development and testing of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox Pediatric Social Relationship Scales, which were developed in parallel with the previously-reported Adult Social Relationship Scales.

Methods

Item sets were selected from the NIH Toolbox adult self-report item banks in the domains of social support, companionship, and social distress, and adapted for use in preadolescent (ages 8–11 years) and adolescent (ages 12–18 years) cohorts. Items were tested across a U.S. community sample of 1,038 youth ages 8–18 years. Classical test and item response theory approaches were used to identify items for inclusion in brief unidimensional scales. Concurrent validity was assessed by comparing resultant scales to established pediatric social relationship instruments.

Results

Internal reliability and concurrent validity were established for five unique scales, with 5–7 items each: Emotional Support, Friendship, Loneliness, Perceived Rejection, and Perceived Hostility.

Conclusions

These brief scales represent developmentally appropriate and valid instruments for assessing the quality of youth social relationships across childhood and adolescence. In conjunction with previously published adult scales, they provide an opportunity for prospective assessment of social relationships across the developmental spectrum.
Berberine suppresses the migration and invasion of colon cancer cells by inhibition of lipogenesis through modulation of promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger-mediated sterol-regulatory element binding proteins cleavage-activating protein ubiquitination
Authors: Liu Yunxin , Fang Xianjun , Li Yao , Bing Liu , Li Yang , Fang Jing , Xian Xirui , Zhang Wen , Li Jun , Zhao Zheng , Zhu Yubing
Published: April 2022

Objectives

This study was aimed to explore whether and how berberine suppresses colon cancer cell metastasis via lipid modulation.

Methods

Lipid accumulation was measured by an oil red O staining kit. The expression of proteins and message RNA was detected by Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR. The interaction of sterol-regulatory element-binding proteins cleavage-activating protein (SCAP) with promyelocytic leukaemia zinc finger (PLZF) was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation assay. Expressions of fatty acid synthase (FASN) and PLZF were knocked down by specific small interfering RNA.

Key findings

Berberine inhibited the migration and invasion of HCT-8, HCT-116 and HT-29 cells. Moreover, it was observed that berberine decreased lipid droplet accumulation. FASN knockdown abolished the inhibitory effects of berberine on cell migration and invasion. Further investigation revealed that berberine induced the ubiquitination degradation of SCAP. And PLZF interacted with SCAP and promoted its ubiquitination, which was inhibited by berberine treatment. Silence of PLZF impaired the effects of berberine on SCAP ubiquitination and lipogenesis.

Conclusions

Berberine suppressed lipogenesis via promotion of PLZF-mediated SCAP ubiquitination, thereby inhibiting colon cancer cell metastasis.
Protective effects of Radix Isatidis polysaccharide ameliorates obesity via promotion AMPK pathway in high-fat-diet-induced obese rats and 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells
Authors: Yuan Ye , Wang Dong-Ni , Zhang Wen-You , Sun Ting-Ting , Feng Yi-Ting , Liu Mo-Xiang , Li Ji-Ping
Published: April 2022

Objectives

The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the effect and mechanism of Radix Isatidis polysaccharide (RIP) on obesity.

Methods

High fat diet (HFD)-induced obese rats and the MDI-induced 3T3-L1 adipocyte cells were established to evaluate the ameliorated obesity effect and mechanism from RIP.

Key findings

Experiments in vivo show that oral administration of RIP has significant preventive effects on HFD-induced obesity and metabolic disorders in rats. With treatment of RIP (20, 40 and 80 mg/kg BW), the body weight, fat accumulation, adipocyte cell size, serum lipid levels and antioxidant enzyme activity were progressively improved. On the other hand, the treatment of 3T3-L1 cells with RIP (25, 50 and 100 mg/L) led to a decrease in lipid accumulation and glucose consumption. In addition, during adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 cells, RIP remarkably down-regulated mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ), CCAAT/enhancer binding protein-α (C/EBPα), sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c (SREBP-1c), fatty acid synthase (FAS), acetyl-CoA carboxylase and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Furthermore, after RIP treatment, the protein expression of PPARγ, C/EBPα, FAS, HMG-CoA reductase and acetyl-CoA synthetase-1 (AceCS1) were significantly decreased and the expression of p-AMPK was increased.

Conclusion

These results highlight the potential of RIP for obesity interventions and suggest that RIP inhibited adipocyte differentiation and lipid synthesis by activating adenosine 5ʹ-monophosphate (AMP)-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signalling pathway and down-regulating the expression of major adipogenic transcription factors, PPARγ, C/EBPα, etc.
Polysaccharides of Grifola frondosa ameliorate oxidative stress and hypercholesterolaemia in hamsters fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet
Authors: Wu Wen-Tzu , Hsu Tai-Hao , Chen Woan-Ling , Yang Chueh-Ko , Lo Hui-Chen
Published: April 2022

Objectives

This study was to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-hypercholesterolaemia activities of Grifola frondosa in hamsters fed a high-fat, high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet.

Methods

G. frondosa, including fruiting bodies (FGF), fermented mycelia (MGF) and polysaccharides extracted from fruiting bodies (FPS), fermented mycelia (MIP) and fermented broth (BEP) were received intragastrically. Lipid profile and antioxidant status in the blood and liver of hamsters were assessed.

Key findings

FGF decreased weight gain, serum triglycerides and cholesterol and increased hepatic mRNA expression of cholesterol-7α-hydroxylase expression. FGF, MGF, FPS and MIP decreased the HFHC diet-increased area under the curve (AUC) of serum cholesterol. FGF and FPS further decreased AUC of serum triglycerides. When evaluating the redox status of erythrocytes, FPS and MIP increased non-protein sulfhydryl (NP-SH) groups, reduced glutathione (GSH) and catalase activity and FPS further increased GSH peroxidase activity. In the liver, MGF increased NP-SH groups and GSH and decreased triglycerides content. FPS, MIP and BEP decreased oxidized GSH and triglycerides content. Moreover, all treatments alleviated HFHC diet-increased LDL oxidation.

Conclusions

Fruiting bodies of G. frondosa may improve hypercholesterolaemia via increased bile acid synthesis. Additionally, fermented biomass and polysaccharides of G. frondosa may have the potential to prevent hepatic lipid accumulation.
Evaluation of the detection accuracy of set-up for various treatment sites using surface-guided radiotherapy system, VOXELAN: a phantom study
Authors: Saito Masahide , Ueda Koji , Suzuki Hidekazu , Komiyama Takafumi , Marino Kan , Aoki Shinichi , Sano Naoki , Onishi Hiroshi
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the detection accuracy of a 3-dimensional (3D) body scanner, VOXELAN, in surface-guided radiotherapy (SGRT) of each part of the human body using a whole-body human phantom. We used A Resusci Anne was used as the whole-body phantom. The detection accuracy of VOXELAN in a radiotherapy treatment room with a linear accelerator (LINAC) was evaluated for two reference images: reconstruction of the planning computed tomography (CT) image (CT reference) and scanning by VOXELAN before the treatment (scan reference). The accuracy of the translational and rotational directions was verified for four treatment sites (open face shell, breast, abdomen, and arm), using the magnitude of the 6D robotic couch movement as the true value. Our results showed that the detection accuracy improved as the displacement from the reference position decreased for all the sites. Using the scan reference, the average accuracy of the translational and rotational axes was within 1.44 mm and 0.41°, respectively, for all sites except the arms. Similarly, using the CT reference, the average accuracy was within 2.45 mm and 1.35°, respectively. Additionally, it was difficult for both reference images to recognize misalignment of the arms. In conclusion we discovered that VOXELAN achieved a high detection accuracy for the head with an open face shell, chest, and abdomen, indicating that the system is useful in a clinical setting. However, it is necessary to pay attention to location matching for areas with few features, such as surface irregularities and potential errors, when the reference image is created from CT.
Interaction of curcumin with glioblastoma cells via high and low linear energy transfer radiation therapy inducing radiosensitization effects
Authors: Kim Jeong-Yub , Jung Chan-Woong , Lee Won Seok , Kim Hee-Jin , Jeong Hyeon-Jeong , Park Myung-Jin , Jang Won Il , Kim Eun Ho
Published: April 2022

Glioblastoma is a deadly cancer tumor in the brain and has a survival rate of about 15 months. Despite the high mortality rate, temozolomide has proven to increase the survival rate of patients when combined with radiotherapy. However, its effects may be limited because some patients develop therapeutic resistance. Curcumin has proven to be a cancer treatment due to its broad anticancer spectrum, high efficiency and low toxic level. Additionally, curcumin significantly enhanced radiation efficacy under high and low Linear Energy Transfer (LET) radiation conditions in vitro. In combination with radiation, curcumin increased the cell population in the sub-G1 phase and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, ultimately increasing GBM cellular apoptosis. The radiosensitizing effects of curcumin are much higher in neutron (high LET)-irradiated cell lines than in γ (low LET)-irradiated cell lines. Curcumin plus neutron combination significantly inhibited cell invasion compared with that of single treatment or curcumin combined γ-ray treatment. Curcumin enhances the radiosensitivity of Glioblastoma (GBM), suggesting it may have clinical utility in combination cancer treatment with neutron high-LET radiation.
Combining radiation with PI3K isoform-selective inhibitor administration increases radiosensitivity and suppresses tumor growth in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Seol Mi Youn , Choi Seo Hee , Yoon Hong In
Published: April 2022

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a malignant lung tumor with a dismal prognosis. The activation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling pathway is common in many tumor types including NSCLC, which results in radioresistance and changes in the tumor microenvironment. Although pan-PI3K inhibitors have been tested in clinical trials to overcome radioresistance, concerns regarding their excessive side effects led to the consideration of selective inhibition of PI3K isoforms. In this study, we assessed whether combining radiation with the administration of the PI3K isoform-selective inhibitors reduces radioresistance and tumor growth in NSCLC. Inhibition of the PI3K/AKT pathway enhanced radiosensitivity substantially, and PI3K-α inhibitor showed superior radiosensitizing effect similar to PI3K pan-inhibitor, both in vitro and in vivo. Additionally, a significant increase in DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) and a decrease in migration ability were observed. Our study revealed that combining radiation and the PI3K-α isoform improved radiosensitivity that resulted in a significant delay in tumor growth and improved survival rate.
The Limits of Primordial Affinity to Ethnic Trust: The Social Origins of Ethnic Trust among North Korean Refugees in London
Authors: Shin Hwajin , Yoon In-Jin
Published: April 2022

The creation of trusting relationships with coethnics is identified as a step towards refugee integration. However, coethnic trust has been considered primordial, and empirical explorations on restoring refugees’ capacities to trust their coethnics have remained limited. This study addresses the gap by considering in-group trust decisions as a situational product shaped by contextual conditions using social network data on North Korean refugees settled in London. The network analyses test the effects of contextual arrangements, while accounting for network-level covariates affecting trust decisions. Findings demonstrate that social conditions within the host country support the emergence of trust ties despite the unfavourable pre-migration experiences of refugees. More specifically, a sense of belonging in the host society and placing trust in host government are associated with trusting impulse towards coethnics. The implications from the findings suggest that features of the post-migration environment signal trustworthiness of interactional partners, including coethnics.
Rapidly developed heterotopic ossification: a rare complication after trauma
Authors: Lee Jae H T , Balasooriya Janaka , Ncube Thembekile
Published: April 2022

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a condition where aberrant bone grows in tissues. This case study presents a rare complication of trauma and laparotomies, where the rapid and extensive occurrence of HO has delayed abdominal incision closure resulting in multiple surgeries and prolonged recovery. A 44-year-old man was retrieved after a truck accident resulting in multi-organ injuries. He required damage control trauma laparotomy followed by several relooks and multiple orthopaedic procedures. Despite several attempts, approximation of the laparostomy wound was not possible due to abdominal rigidity. Computed tomography scans done 20 days after injury demonstrated advanced HO over the wound edge. Early development of HO may explain why the abdominal incision was difficult to close and highlights the importance of being aware of HO as an early complication after trauma and midline laparotomy.
Colocolonic intussusception of a colostomy after colonoscopy
Authors: Luciano Emmanuel , Marar Omar , Cocco Maxwell
Published: April 2022

The incidence of complications after colonoscopy is low and has been reported to range of 0.01–0.9%. Of these complications, colocolonic intussusception after colonoscopy is exceedingly rare, with around 12 known cases described in the literature. This case report details the presentation and operative management of a patient who developed an ischemic stoma due to a colocolonic intussusception of an end colostomy after a colonoscopy. Intraoperative surgical exploration revealed a colocolonic intussusception involving the end colostomy. This is the first known documented occurrence of this phenomenon.
A rare presentation of delayed traumatic lumbar hernia after motor vehicle collision
Authors: Nguyen Richard B , Trivedi Aakash A , Yang James Y , Anand Aakash A , Zuberi Jamshed , Rebein Benjamin
Published: April 2022

Traumatic abdominal wall hernia is defined as protrusion of bowel or an abdominal organ through a disruption of musculature and fascia following a severe blunt trauma. We report a case of a patient who had a delayed presentation of a traumatic, superiorly located paralumbar hernia months after the initial admission.
An Overlooked Definition of the Ethpeel of the Verb in Syriac
Authors: Lund Jerome A
Published: April 2022

The Ethpeel of the verb normally functions as the passive of the Aphel in the language of the Peshitta Old Testament and means ‘be delivered up, handed over to’ and the like. It is therefore not strange that translators of Isaiah and Psalms in the Antioch Bible have rendered it accordingly, even within contexts where it would be awkward to do so. This article will argue that the Ethpeel of has another meaning, overlooked by the lexicographers of Syriac, one that is related to the Peal. In some contexts, it will be argued, the Ethpeel of means ‘be like, similar to’.
Energy justice in Japan’s energy transition: pillars of just 2050 carbon neutrality
Authors: Sokołowski Maciej M , Kurokawa Satoshi
Published: April 2022

Energy justice is a topic that is currently being explored by energy law experts around the world and used across several academic fields in energy research. However, we note that this concept is quite novel in Japan (there have been no substantial publications published in either English or Japanese) and could be expanded. This is especially important in light of Japan’s aspirations to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and implement a just energy transition. In this context, the article’s goal is to present the energy justice theory in a legal (energy law) and policy (climate-energy policy) framework in Japan. The article discusses the five basic types of justice, referring to Japanese energy legislation and climate-energy policy as examples. The analysis includes an assessment of the carbon neutrality pillars (seen through the prism of energy justice theory), aimed at supporting Japan in meeting its climate targets, and directions related to the use of renewable, conventional and nuclear energy sources requiring examination in terms of energy justice (due to failures of energy policy, such as lack of stakeholder recognition, local conflicts, NIMBY, etc.). Furthermore, the article demonstrates the improvements required in the legal and policy frameworks in Japan to make the application of human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals across the energy life-cycle effective. This will also include an examination of potential legal and organisational changes, and new structures and appointments in the Japanese administration.
Physiological and genetic control of transpiration efficiency in African rice, Oryza glaberrima Steud
Authors: Affortit Pablo , Effa-Effa Branly , Ndoye Mame Sokhatil , Moukouanga Daniel , Luchaire Nathalie , Cabrera-Bosquet Llorenç , Perálvarez Maricarmen , Pilloni Raphaël , Welcker Claude , Champion Antony , Gantet Pascal , Diedhiou Abdala Gamby , Manneh Baboucarr , Aroca Ricardo , Vadez Vincent , Laplaze Laurent , Cubry Philippe , Grondin Alexandre
Published: April 2022

Improving crop water use efficiency, the amount of carbon assimilated as biomass per unit of water used by a plant, is of major importance as water for agriculture becomes scarcer. In rice, the genetic bases of transpiration efficiency, the derivation of water use efficiency at the whole-plant scale, and its putative component trait transpiration restriction under high evaporative demand remain unknown. These traits were measured in 2019 in a panel of 147 African rice (Oryza glaberrima) genotypes known to be potential sources of tolerance genes to biotic and abiotic stresses. Our results reveal that higher transpiration efficiency is associated with transpiration restriction in African rice. Detailed measurements in a subset of highly contrasted genotypes in terms of biomass accumulation and transpiration confirmed these associations and suggested that root to shoot ratio played an important role in transpiration restriction. Genome wide association studies identified marker-trait associations for transpiration response to evaporative demand, transpiration efficiency, and its residuals, with links to genes involved in water transport and cell wall patterning. Our data suggest that root–shoot partitioning is an important component of transpiration restriction that has a positive effect on transpiration efficiency in African rice. Both traits are heritable and define targets for breeding rice with improved water use strategies.
Observant Feminism Across Borders: The Transnational Origins of Partnership Minyanim
Authors: Ash Ellie
Published: April 2022

This article provides a comprehensive account of the emergence of partnership minyanim at the beginning of the twenty-first century as a new social and liturgical phenomenon in contemporary Judaism. Partnership minyanim are lay-led congregations that came out of Orthodox networks; they separate the sexes similarly to an Orthodox congregation, but also adopt feminist practices that challenge Orthodox norms. In this article I explain how a milieu of observant, mostly Orthodox Jews, influenced by Jewish feminist developments, provided fertile ground for liturgical innovations. This milieu occurred in both Jerusalem and New York, and transnational communication and migration between the two national contexts was crucial to the invention of the new model. Specifically, Jewish feminism that came from the United States shaped the desire to include women in synagogue activity and prompted halachic conversations that taught founders what kinds of participation were acceptable, while the religious ecology of Israel provided the right kind of pressure for developing a new combination of ritual gender roles. The dense interaction between the two national contexts was necessary for the emergence of partnership minyanim, showing that transnational networks result in religious creativity that is more than the sum of their parts.
Modernization and Identity Among Iraqi Jews from the Mid-Nineteenth Century to the Mid-Twentieth Century
Authors: Gat Moshe
Published: April 2022

The life of the Jewish community in Iraq may be divided into three periods serving as a framework for its identity and the modernization processes it has undergone: The precolonial period, during which Jews lived under the Ottoman Empire's Muslim rule; the colonial period, or Mandatory Iraq under British rule, which lasted a mere ten years between 1922 and 1932; and the period during which Iraq became an independent state from 1932 onwards—a period which led to the liquidation of the Jewish community, most members of which had immigrated to Israel between 1951 and 1952. The present article aims to examine the issues of the community’s national religious identity considering the modernization processes. Was this distinctiveness put to the test over the various periods of time? Did Jews consider divorcing from their religious heritage or identity? Did they experience “slavery within liberty,” to use the phrase coined by Ahad Ha’am? A further question is that of their identity upon immigrating to Israel in the early 1950s.
Elucidating the clinical, microbiological and molecular diagnostic aspects of Macrophomina phaseolina keratitis
Authors: Ahirwar Lalit Kishore , Sheba Esther , Jakati Saumya , Jayasudha Rajagopalaboopathi , Padakandla Shalem Raj , Bagga Bhupesh , Sharma Savitri
Published: April 2022

This study reports the clinico-microbiological features of Macrophomina phaseolina keratitis. Clinically diagnosed as microbial keratitis, six patients underwent microbiological evaluation. Fungal culture isolates from cornea were subjected to DNA sequencing of the ITS region, phylogenetic analysis and reconfirmation by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of six antifungal drugs were determined by microbroth dilution method against the six isolates. All patients were treated with antifungals. Failed medical therapy necessitated therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty (TPK). Corneal buttons were processed for histopathology. In all patients, the corneal scraping showed septate hyaline fungal filaments. The BLAST analysis for ITS sequences of all six fungal isolates suggested M. phaseolina, however, when limited to sequences from type material, they matched M. pseudophaseolina. Phylogenetic analysis could not differentiate between these two species and clustered in a single clade. PCR assay of specific gene sequence [MpCal (calmodulin)] reconfirmed all isolates as M. phaseolina. The MICs of voriconazole and posaconazole were lowest (0.03 to 2 and 0.1 to 2 µg/ml respectively) and all isolates were susceptible to natamycin. Except for case 1, which healed with a scar on treatment, all other cases worsened, despite medical treatment, necessitating TPK. Histopathology of three out of four buttons showed the presence of fungal filaments. While direct microscopic examination of corneal scrapings is helpful in diagnosis, identification of M. phaseolina in culture is challenging. Although MICs of commonly used antifungals are low, response to medical therapy is not encouraging; patients may require TPK for resolution of infection in M. phaseolina keratitis.

Lay Summary

DNA sequencing, phylogenetic analysis and specific PCR confirmed Macrophomina phaseolina keratitis in six patients. Although antifungal susceptibility showed the organisms to be susceptible to natamycin five patients did not respond to treatment and needed keratoplasty.
Improved treatments of the ionizing photon mean free path in seminumerical simulations of reionization
Authors: Davies Frederick B , Furlanetto Steven R
Published: April 2022

Efficient and accurate simulations of the reionization epoch are crucial to exploring the vast uncharted parameter space that will soon be constrained by measurements of the 21-cm power spectrum. One of these parameters, Rmax, is meant to characterize the absorption of photons by residual neutral gas inside of ionized regions, but has historically been implemented in a very simplistic fashion acting only as a maximum distance that ionizing photons can travel. We leverage the correspondence between excursion set methods and the integrated flux from ionizing sources to define two physically motivated prescriptions of the mean free path (MFP) of ionizing photons that smoothly attenuate the contribution from distant sources. Implementation of these methods in seminumerical reionization codes requires only modest additional computational effort due to the fact that spatial filtering is still performed on scales larger than the characteristic absorption distance. We find that our smoothly defined MFP prescriptions more effectively suppress large-scale structures in the ionization field in seminumerical reionization simulations compared to the standard Rmax approach, and the magnitude of the MFP modulates the power spectrum in a much smoother manner. We show that this suppression of large-scale power is significant enough to be relevant for upcoming 21-cm power spectrum observations. Finally, we show that in our model, the MFP plays a larger role in regulating the reionization history than in models using Rmax.