bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia in SIVsmm9‐infected Macaca mulatta
Authors: Hillyer Christopher D. , Brodie Anne R. , Ansari Aftab A. , Anderson Daniel C. , McClure Harold M.
Published: August 2020

One of 15 rhesus macaques infected with SIVsmm9 developed profound hemolysis with spherocytosis, reticulocytosis, and IgG and complement at the red blood cell surface. A female offspring born to this animal developed similar findings. Furthermore, cold agglutinins were noted in samples from both animals. Four of the 13 animals remaining in the cohort had weakly positive antiglobulin tests but were not anemic. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia may be an underrecognized cause of anemia in SIV infection.
Neutralization epitope in the envelope glycoprotein of simian retrovirus‐1 (SRV‐1) and identification of the virus receptor
Authors: Torres José V. , Werner Linda L. , Malley Arthur , Benjamini Eli
Published: August 2020

We previously demonstrated that the area encompassing residues 147–162 of the envelope protein of simian retrovirus serotype‐1 (SRV‐1) is the target for rhesus anti‐SRV‐1 neutralizing antibodies. A peptide representing amino acids 142–167 of envelope protein (gp70) is capable of inducing virus‐neutralizing antibodies in mice. The virus receptor was immunoprecipitated from Raji cells using gp70 as the ligand. Antibodies to peptide 142–167 inhibit the immunoprecipitation, indicating that the receptor recognizes residues 142–167 of the viral envelope protein.
Isolation of functional polymorphonuclear leukocytes from rhesus monkeys using discontinuous Ficoll‐Hypaque density gradients
Authors: Taniuchi Shoichiro
Published: August 2020

A simple, rapid method for separating polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) from adult rhesus monkey blood, based on the use of a discontinuous gradient of Ficoll‐Hypaque (densities, 1.100, 1.077) has been developed. Using this method, 71.1% of the PMNs were recovered in a layer with a purity of 91% PMNs with very few contaminating erythrocytes. The added advantage of the method described here is that a higher chemotactic activity was retained.
Total serum creatine kinase and isozyme concentrations in the owl monkey
Authors: Weller R.E. , Buschbom R.L. , Martell S.L. , Baer J.F. , Málaga C.A. , Ragan H.A.
Published: August 2020

Serum samples from 62 owl monkeys were analyzed to determine concentrations of creatine kinase activity and isozymes. Fifty monkeys were determined to be clinically normal, while twelve had cardiac disease. Findings showed that the data had a non‐normal distribution. Based on nonparametric tests, significant differences were not observed between sexes or animals with and without cardiac disease, indicating that CK activity and isozymes are not reliable indicators of myocardial disease in the owl monkey. Reference values presented are only intended as a guide. Each laboratory should determine its own reference values.
Application of an enzyme immunoassay for detecting antibodies in sera of Macaca fascicularis naturally exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Corcoran Kevin D. , Thoen Charles O.
Published: August 2020

An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was developed for detecting mycobacterial antibodies in the sera of 22 Macaca fascicularis following a natural outbreak of tuberculosis. EIAs were conducted using four antigens (lysozyme, triton, or deoxycholate extracts of Mycobacterium tuberculosis or a purified protein derivative) and two conjugates (protein A or antihuman). Mycobacterial antibodies were detected in two of two culture‐positive monkeys, in nine of ten tuberculin test‐suspect monkeys (culture‐negative), and in five of ten tuberculin test–negative monkeys (culture‐negative). Results indicate EIA may be of practical value in detecting monkeys exposed to M. tuberculosis.
Quantification and excretion profiles of pteridines in primate urine
Authors: Fuchs Eberhard , Goldberg Michel
Published: August 2020

Biopterin, 6‐hydroxymethyl‐pterin, isoxanthopterin, neopterin and, pterin were quantified in stress‐free collected spontaneous morning urine samples from Callithrix jacchus, Saguinus fuscicollis, Saguinus labiatus, Saimiri sciureus, Presbytis entellus, Cercopithecus albogularis, Cercocebus torquatus, Macaca fascicularis, Hylobates concolor, Pongo pygmaeus, and Gorilla gorilla. In most species, biopterin was the most frequent urinary pteridine followed by neopterin. Sex differences in biopterin and neopterin excretion were observed in Gorilla gorilla and Pongo pygmaeus. Pterin and isoxanthopterin were only present in minor concentrations. 6‐hydroxymethyl‐pterin was barely detectable and not present in the urine of Saguinus labiatus, Saimiri sciureus, and both male Gorilla gorilla and Pongo pygmaeus.
The baboon model under anesthesia for in vivo cerebral blood flow studies using single photon emission computed tomographic (SPECT) techniques
Authors: Dormehl Irene , Redelinghuys Friedrich , Hugo Niek , Oliver Douglas , Pilloy Wilfred
Published: August 2020

Single photon emission computed tomography of the brain can be useful in animal experimentation directed toward cerebral conditions. A well established and understood baboon model, necessarily under anesthesia, could be especially valuable in such investigations. Six normal baboons were studied under various anesthetic agents and their combinations: ketamine, thiopentone, pentobarbitone, and halothane. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) studies were performed with 99mTc‐HMPAO. CBF effects from various anesthesia were detected, requiring careful choice of the anesthesia for cerebral investigations.
Identification of two subclasses of IgA in the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes)
Authors: Cole Michael F. , Hale Cynthia A. , Sturzenegger Susi
Published: August 2020

Chimpanzee secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) was separated into two fractions by chromatography using the terminal galactose‐binding lectin Jacalin. The SIgA fraction bound by Jacalin was cleaved by Haemophilus influenzae IgA1 protease, whereas the SIgA nonbinding fraction was not cleaved. It is proposed that these fractions represent IgA1 and IgA2 subclasses because the presence or absence of galactose‐terminal oligosaccharides (Jacalin binding) and susceptibility or resistance to IgA1 protease are properties that define human IgA1 and IgA2 subclasses.
Transmission of SIVMne from female to male Macaca nemestrina
Authors: Kuller LaRene , Benveniste Raoul E. , Watanabe Robin , Tsai Che‐Chung , Morton William R.
Published: August 2020

Three SIVMne‐infected female pigtailed macaques (Macaca nemestrina) were mated with two SIV‐negative males. The females exhibited signs of SAIDS and SIVMne was readily isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). Both males became infected with SIVMne, developed SAIDS, and died. This is the first documented case of the transmission of SIVMne between adult macaques housed together. Although transmission through scratching or biting cannot be ruled out, heterosexual transmission appears the most likely mode of SIVMne transmission in this study.
Cyclic changes in the charge profile of LH in anterior pituitary glands of adult female Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata)
Authors: Hamada K. , Matsuura S.
Published: August 2020

Thirteen adult female Japanese monkeys (Macaca fuscata) were sacrificed in the early and the late follicular phase, and in the mid‐luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, and also after castration. Pituitary LH content correlated significantly with plasma estradiol levels but not progesterone levels in the cycling monkeys. Pituitary LH species were fractionated by isoelectrofocusing (1EF). Pituitary LH species were separated into six fractions by IEF. High alkaline LH and alkaline LH were the most abundant species in the late follicular phase and the mid‐luteal phase, respectively. Neutral LH and acidic LH were the most abundant in the early follicular phase and in the castrates. Pituitary LH thus changed qualitatively and quantitatively during the menstrual cycle and after castration.
Type D SRV‐2 virus‐specific CD8+ and CD4‐ CD8‐ T cells that regulate virus‐induced T cell proliferation in Celebes macaques
Authors: Malley A. , Pangares N. , Mayo S.K. , Zeleny‐Pooley M. , Torres J.V. , Benjamin E. , Axthelm M.K.
Published: August 2020

These studies defined SRV‐2 envelope peptides 96‐102, 127‐152, and 233‐249 as T cell epitopes that induce significant T cell proliferation. Peripheral blood lymphocytes of Celebes macaques (Macaca nigra) exposed to SRV‐2 and currently virus‐ antibody+, cultured with SRV‐2 virus show strongly suppressed T cell responses and have two immunoregulatory T cell populations.
Protection of vaccinia‐primed macaques against SIVmne infection by combination immunization with recombinant vaccinia virus and SIVmne gp160
Authors: Hu Shiu‐Lok , Stallard Virginia , Abrams Kraig , Barber Glen N. , Kuller LaRene , Langlois Alphonse J. , Morton William R. , Benveniste Raoul E.
Published: August 2020

Two Macaca fascicularis with preexisting immunity to vaccinia virus were immunized twice with recombinant vaccinia virus expressing SIVmne gp160. Their SIV‐specific antibody responses were lower than that of vaccinia‐naive animals immunized similarly. Upon repeated boosting with gp160, the SIV‐specific antibody titers in vaccinia‐primed animals reached similar levels as vaccinia‐naive animals and with comparable neutralizing titers. Both animals were protected against repeated intravenous challenge with low‐dose SIVmne E11S. These results are significant because SIVmne E11S infection in M. fascicularis is pathogenic and leads to AIDS‐like diseases.
Cytotoxic T lymphocyte epitopes shared between HIV‐1, HIV‐2, and SIV
Authors: Gotch Frances , Nixon Douglas , Gallimore Awen , McAdam Stephen , McMichael Andrew
Published: August 2020

A peptide epitope from the gag protein of SIV and from HIV‐1 is described which is presented by a cynomolgus macaque MHC molecule and with HLA B14. Comparisons were drawn between recognition of this peptide and that of a second peptide defined in SIV and HIV‐2 which has been reported to be presented by the rhesus macaque molecule MaMuA01 and HLA B53 respectively.
Detection of serum antibodies in Ethiopian baboons that cross‐react with SIV, HTLV‐I, and type D retroviral antigens
Authors: Benveniste R.E. , Hill R.W. , Knott W.B. , Tsai C‐C. , Kuller L. , Morton W.R.
Published: August 2020

Baboons (Papio cynocephalus) imported from Ethiopia were screened for antibodies to various primate retroviruses by immunoblotting. Antibodies that cross‐reacted with SIV/Mne or with type D viral antigens were detected in approximately one‐third of these animals. In addition, 20% of these baboons had antibodies that cross‐reacted with HTLV‐I viral antigens. These data suggest that wild‐caught baboons are infected with retroviruses only partially related to known primate viral isolates.
Enzyme immunoassays for ovarian steroid metabolites in the urine of Macaca fascicularis
Authors: Shideler S.E. , Shackieton C.H.L. , Moràn F.M. , Stauffer P. , Lohstroh P.N. , Lasley B.L.
Published: August 2020

In vivo studies using carbon 14 labeled estradiol (E2) and progesterone (Po) were performed to characterize the time course and metabolic fate of circulating E2 and Po. Co‐chromatography of human, orangutan, and macaque luteal phase urine samples demonstrated the presence of a steroid conjugate peak in all three species that was identified as being androsterone and etiocholanolone glucuronides. An enzyme immunoassay for urinary metabolites of Po was developed subsequently for Macaca spp. using a monoclonal antibody that cross‐reacted with both C‐19 and C‐21 metabolites.
Urinary enzyme concentrations in the owl monkey (Aotus nancymae)
Authors: Weller R.E. , Málaga C.A. , Buschbom R.L. , Ragan H.A.
Published: August 2020

The activity of three urinary enzymes, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and N‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucosaminidase (NAG), was evaluated in 71 adult owl monkeys. Fifty‐six animals had normal renal function, while 15 had evidence of renal dysfunction.

Urinary enzyme: urinary creatinine ratios (UE:UCr) were also determined. The activity for NAG was similar to that of other species, while ALP and AST were higher. Regression analyses revealed that urinary enzymes and UE:UCr were significantly correlated (P ≤ 0.0001) with indices of renal damage and could identify active renal disease.
A comparison of morphometry from captive and free‐ranging Macaca mulatta
Authors: Gore Mauvis A.
Published: August 2020

The paper addresses the effect of captivity on body size in Macaca mulatta, comparing a captive with the free‐ranging population from which it was derived. The captive population, which was housed socially, was smaller in most linear measures and in body mass, particularly in young up to 13 month old animals. Nutritional differences in the diet may be at least partially responsible; the captive population was fed a lower level of total protein. Measurements for captive individuals < 24 hours to 36 months old are discussed in detail.
Primary renal hemangiosarcoma in a moustached tamarin
Authors: Gozalo Alfonso , Chavera Alfonso , Dagle Gerald E. , Montoya Enrique , Weller Richard E.
Published: August 2020

A wild‐caught adult female Saguinus mystax died after 54 months in captivity. At necropsy, a small reddish zone in the renal cortex of one kidney was shown histologically to be a hemangiosarcoma.
Frequency & factors associated with apparent resistant hypertension among Ghanaians in a multicenter study
Authors: Ayisi‐Boateng Nana Kwame , Mohammed Aliyu , Opoku Douglas Aninng , Sarfo Fred Stephen
Published: August 2020

Apparent resistant hypertension (ARH) is rife among people living with hypertension and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. There is however paucity of data from sub‐Saharan Africa on the burden of ARH. We sought to report on the frequency and factors associated with ARH among a cohort of Ghanaians with hypertension. A cross‐sectional study involving 2912 participants with hypertension enrolled at five health facilities in Ghana. ARH was defined as either office BP ≥ 140/90 mm Hg on 3 or more antihypertensive medications or on 4 or more antihypertensive medications regardless of BP. Factors associated with ARH were evaluated in a multivariate logistic regression model. We found 550 out of 2,912 (18.9%) of study participants had ARH. Out of these 550 subjects, 511 (92.9%) were on 3 or more antihypertensive medications with BP ≥ 140/90 mm Hg and 39 (7.1%) were on 4 or more antihypertensive medications with BP ≥ 140/90 mm Hg. The prevalence of ARH was 15.5% among elderly aged 75 + years (n = 341), 20.7% among 65‐74 years (n = 588), and 18.9% among those ≤ 64 years (n = 1983). The adjusted odds ratio (95% CI) of factors independently associated with ARH was duration of hypertension, 1.05 (1.03‐1.06) for each year rise; eGFR < 60 mL/min, 1.73 (1.33‐2.25); and diabetes mellitus, 0.59 (0.46‐0.76). Attaining secondary level education and residence in a peri‐urban setting were significantly associated with ARH though not in a dose‐dependent manner. ARH is rife among Ghanaians and may negatively impact on cardiovascular outcomes in the long term.
Muscle mass is the main somatic growth indicator associated with increasing blood pressure with age in children and adolescents
Authors: Zaniqueli Divanei , Alvim Rafael de O. , Baldo Marcelo P. , Morra Elis A. , Mill José Geraldo
Published: August 2020

Studies have shown that lean mass must be an important determinant of blood pressure value in children and adolescents. The absence of adjustment for the collinearity between lean and fat mass (FM), restricted age span, and lack of separate analysis by sex leave a gap in the literature. This study determined direct and indirect effects of the somatic growth indicators linked to the association between age and systolic blood pressure (SBP) in boys and girls. This is a cross‐sectional study comprising 1,510 participants (6‐18 years). Path analysis was used to test a model in which the association between age and SBP would have a direct and independent component, but also indirect mediating paths through muscle mass (MM), FM, and height. There was no significant association between age and SBP (unstandardized β ± SE) for both girls (0.072 ± 0.236, P = .761) and boys (0.238 ± 0.264, P = .368). Height was not a mediator for the association between age and SBP in both girls (−0.291 ± 0.156, P = .062) and boys (−0.015 ± 0.187, P = .935). Mediating effect of MM was significant for both girls (0.909 ± 0.137, P < .001) and boys (1.341 ± 0.161, P < .001), whereas mediating path through FM was significant only for boys (0.069 ± 0.023, P = .003). In conclusion, muscle mass was the strongest somatic growth indicator associated with the blood pressure value in children and adolescents. Further increase in body fat mass may affect systolic blood pressure more in boys than in girls.
The cyclic adenosine monophosphate elevating medicine, forskolin, reduces neointimal formation and atherogenesis in mice
Authors: Hao Huifeng , Ma Xiaoyan , Chen Hong , Zhu Liyuan , Xu Zhenyu , Li Qiaoling , Xu Chuansheng , Zhang Yuze , Peng Zekun , Wang Miao
Published: August 2020

Neointimal formation and atherogenesis are major vascular complications following percutaneous coronary intervention, and there is lack of pharmacological therapy. This study was aimed to examine the effect of forskolin (FSK), a cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)‐elevating agent, on vascular response to angioplasty wire injury and on atherogenesis in mice. Forskolin treatment reduced neointima formation at 7 and 28 days after wire injury. Early morphometrics of the injured vessels revealed that FSK treatment enhanced endothelial repair and reduced inflammatory cell infiltration. In vitro treatment of primary aortic cells with FSK, at 3‐100 μmol/L, increased endothelial cell proliferation, whereas FSK, at 30‐100 μmol/L, inhibited smooth muscle cell proliferation. FSK inhibited lipopolysaccharide‐induced leucocyte‐endothelial interaction in vitro and in vivo. In a mouse model of atherosclerosis driven by dyslipidaemia and hypertension, FSK administration increased endothelial repair and reduced atherosclerotic plaque formation, without affecting blood pressure, plasma lipids or aortic aneurysms formation. In summary, FSK, at doses relevant to human therapeutic use, protects against neointimal hyperplasia and atherogenesis, and this is attributable to its activities on pro‐endothelial repair and anti‐inflammation. This study raises a potential of clinical use of FSK as an adjunct therapy to prevent restenosis and atherosclerosis after percutaneous coronary intervention.
Politics of Immobility: Global Knowledge Production and the Study of Europe in Asia
Authors: Weber Ralph , Tarlea Silvana
Published: August 2020

Europe and Asia find themselves increasingly connected. Why then do we find limited knowledge mobility in the study of Europe throughout Asia? What factors drive this immobility? This article takes account of the existing literature and complements it by offering a more global picture of European Studies in Asia. Throughout, we assume a decidedly political perspective. The study of Europe, we claim, is not only an academic affair, but subject to a politics of (im‐)mobility driven by state and non‐state funders and influenced by local as well as domestic diplomatic, trade‐related, and strategic factors. The article aims at contributing to our understanding of how Europe is studied in Asia and highlights the importance of non‐educational factors for future debates about knowledge mobility and the possibility of a global science.
Effect of tomato fruit cultivar and ripening stage on Bactrocera tryoni (Froggatt) egg and larval survival
Authors: Roohigohar Shirin , Prentis Peter J. , Clarke Anthony R.
Published: August 2020

In studies of frugivorous tephritids, determining when offspring (i.e. egg and three larval instars) mortality occurs within the fruit can greatly improve the mechanistic understanding of the fly/host interaction. Previous research has demonstrated that the Queensland fruit fly, Bactrocera tryoni, has differential offspring performance in two tomato cultivars Cherry and Roma, but when juvenile mortality was occurring was not determined. We examined B. tryoni egg and larval survival in three different ripening stages (immature‐green (IG), colour‐break (CB) and fully‐ripe (FR)) of Cherry and Roma tomato cultivars through destructive fruit sampling at 72 and 120 hr for eggs, and 48 (1st instar), 96 (2nd instar) and 120 hr (3rd instar) after fruit inoculation with neonates for larvae. Cultivar and ripening stage had no significant effect on egg survival, nor larval survival at 48 hr: the overall percentage of egg survival was at least 80% across all treatments, while 1st‐instar larval was less than 52% across all treatments. In immature‐green tomatoes of both varieties, nearly all mortality occurred during the first and second instars, but at 96 and 120 hr, there were significant interaction effects between cultivar and ripening stage on larval survival. In both colour‐break Cherry and Roma tomatoes, there was significant larval mortality between 96 and 120 hr. However, in fully‐ripe Cherry, no further significant larval mortality happened after 48 hr, while in fully‐ripe Roma significant larval mortality occurred between the first and second larval instars but not thereafter. The difference in timing of larval mortality with ripening stage provides indirect evidence of active fruit defence which is strongest in immature‐green fruit, less in colour‐break fruit and absent in fully‐ripe fruit.
Shear bond strength of glass ionomer and resin‐based cements to different types of zirconia
Authors: De Angelis Francesco , D'Arcangelo Camillo , Buonvivere Matteo , Rondoni Giuseppe Daniele , Vadini Mirco
Published: August 2020

Objective

To investigate the shear bond strength (SBS) of a glass ionomer (GI) cement, an 10‐methacryloyloxy‐decyl dihydrogen phosphate (MDP)‐based adhesive resin cement (MDP‐based AC), an MDP‐based self‐adhesive resin cement (MDP‐based SAC), an MDP‐free self‐adhesive resin cement (MDP‐free SAC), and a resin‐modified GI (RMGI) cement to a 3 mol% yttria‐stabilized (3Y‐TZP) and a 5 mol% yttria partially stabilized zirconia (5Y‐PSZ).

Materials and methods

Fifty blocks were produced using 3Y‐TZP and 5Y‐PSZ, assigned to subgroups based on the five cements investigated (n = 10) and luted to cylindrical specimens of the same substrate. Each specimen was loaded in a SBS apparatus to failure. Mean SBS (MPa) values and standard deviations were calculated. Data were analyzed using a two‐way analysis of variance and Tukey tests (α = .05). Failed specimens were subjected to fractographic analysis.

Results

MDP‐based AC and MDP‐based SAC cements displayed the highest SBS values with both the substrates; GI cement showed the lowest. RMGI and MDP‐free SAC cements performed better with 3Y‐TZP than with 5Y‐PSZ. Fractographic analysis revealed only adhesive and mixed failures.

Conclusions

MDP‐based AC and MDP‐based SAC cements are suitable for both 3Y‐TZP and 5Y‐PSZ. MDP‐free SAC and RMGI cements are adequate choices for 3Y‐TZP, but seem less effective with 5Y‐PSZ.

Clinical significance

MDP‐based SACs appear to be as reliable as MDP‐based ACs for both 3Y‐TZP and 5Y‐PSZ cementation. Specifically, for 5Y‐PSZ cementation, resin‐based MDP‐free SACs do not seem to guarantee predictable results in terms of SBS.
Predicting the factors influencing the inter‐ and intraspecific survival rates of riverine fishes implanted with acoustic transmitters
Authors: Winter Emily R. , Hindes Andrew M. , Lane Steve , Britton J. Robert
Published: August 2020

Biotelemetry is a central tool for fisheries management, with the implantation of transmitters into animals requiring refined surgical techniques that maximize retention rates and fish welfare. Even following successful surgery, long‐term post‐release survival rates can vary considerably, although knowledge is limited for many species. The aim here was to investigate the post‐tagging survival rates in the wild of two lowland river fish species, common bream Abramis brama and northern pike Esox lucius, following their intra‐peritoneal double‐tagging with acoustic transmitters and passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags. Survival over a 2‐year period was assessed using acoustic transmitter data in Cox proportional hazards models. Post‐tagging survival rates were lowest in the reproductive periods of both species, but in bream, fish tagged just prior to spawning actually had the highest subsequent survival rates. Pike survival was influenced by sex, with males generally surviving longer than females. PIT tag detections at fixed stations identified bream that remained active, despite loss of an acoustic transmitter signal. In these instances, loss of the acoustic signal occurred up to 215 days post‐tagging and only during late spring or summer, indicating a role of elevated temperature, while PIT detections occurred between 18 and 359 days after the final acoustic detections. Biotelemetry studies must thus always consider the date of tagging as a fundamental component of study designs to avoid tagged fish having premature end points within telemetry studies.
Regional Variation in Billed Advance Care Planning Visits
Authors: Skolarus Lesli E. , Lin Chun Chieh , Kerber Kevin A. , Burke James F.
Published: August 2020

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE

Advance care planning (ACP) is associated with improved patient and caregiver outcomes, but is underutilized. To encourage ACP, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services implemented specific ACP visit reimbursement codes in 2016. To better understand the utilization of these ACP reimbursement codes, we explored regional variation in billed ACP visits.

DESIGN

We performed a retrospective cross‐sectional analysis using a randomly sampled 5% cohort of Medicare fee‐for‐service (FFS) beneficiaries' claims files from 2017. Region was defined by hospital referral region.

SETTING

National Medicare FFS.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 1.3 million Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years and older.

MEASUREMENT

Receipt of billed ACP service, identified through Current Procedural Terminology code 99497 or 99498. Proportion of beneficiaries who received billed ACP service(s) by region was calculated. We fit a multilevel logistic regression model with a random regional intercept to determine the variation in billed ACP visits attributable to the region after accounting for patient (demographics, comorbidities, and medical care utilization) and regional factors (hospital size, emergency department visits, hospice utilization, and costs).

RESULTS

The study population included about 1.3 million beneficiaries, of which 32,137 (2.4%) had at least one billed ACP visit in 2017. There was substantial regional variation in the percentage of beneficiaries with billed ACP visits: lowest quintile region, less than 0.83%; subsequent regions, less than 1.6%, less than 2.4%, less than 3.3% to less than 8.4% in the highest quintile regions. A total of 15.4% of the variance in whether an older adult had a billed ACP visit was explained by the region. Although numerous regional factors were associated with billed ACP visits, none were strong predictors.

CONCLUSION

In 2017, we found wide regional variation in the use of billed ACP visits, although use overall was low in all regions. Increasing the understanding of the drivers and the effects of billed ACP visits could inform strategies for increasing ACP.
Sex Differences in Cognitive Health Among Older Adults in India
Authors: Angrisani Marco , Jain Urvashi , Lee Jinkook
Published: August 2020

OBJECTIVES

To document sex differences in late‐life cognitive function and identify their early‐life determinants among older Indian adults.

DESIGN

Harmonized Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia for Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI‐DAD).

SETTING

Individual cognitive testing in hospital or household setting across 14 states of India.

PARTICIPANTS

Individuals aged 60 years and older from LASI‐DAD (2017–2019) (N = 2,704; 53.5% female).

MEASUREMENTS

Given the low levels of literacy and numeracy among older Indian adults, we consider two composite cognitive scores as outcome variables. Score I is based on tests that do not require literacy or numeracy, whereas score II is based on tests that require such skills. Ordinary least squares is used to estimate models featuring a progressively increasing number of covariates. We add to the baseline specification, including a sex dummy, age, and state indicators, measures of early‐life socioeconomic status (SES), early‐life nutrition, as proxied by knee height, and education.

RESULTS

Across most cognitive domains, women perform significantly worse than for men: −0.4 standard deviations (SD) for score I and −0.8 SD for score II. Early‐life SES, health, and education explain 90% of the gap for score I and 55% for score II. Results are similar across hospital‐based and home testing.

CONCLUSION

In India, lower levels of early‐life human capital investments in nutrition and education among women compared with men are associated with a female disadvantage in late‐life cognitive health. This has important implications for public health policy, aiming at reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia—a nascent concern in India. J Am Geriatr Soc 68:S20‐S28, 2020.
Nestedness of eco‐industrial networks: Exploring linkage distribution to promote sustainable industrial growth
Authors: Brehm Colton , Layton Astrid
Published: August 2020

Eco‐industrial networks (EINs, of which eco‐industrial parks are a subset) have gained support as a solution that simultaneously reduces environmental burdens and promotes economic interests. EINs operate under a mutualistic framework, where waste materials and energy are exchanged between industries to their mutual benefit, creating a diverse web of flows. Recent studies have focused on analogies between food webs (FWs) and EINs, measuring a network's success at ecological imitation as representative of its sustainability. Studies have focused heavily on the number of links and nodes in a network, but have neglected the economic reality that each investment comes at the opportunity cost of all alternatives. This analysis focuses on the nestedness metric as used by ecologists to address this pivotal facet to the FW‐EIN analogy. Nestedness describes an ecological strategy for the position of links between nodes in a network in a way that maximizes network cycling for a given number of connections. This metric presents many advantages for EIN design and analysis, including maturity independence, size normalization, and a strong statistical record in highly mutualistic ecological systems. Application of nestedness to EINs indicates a lower presence of nested structures and more randomness than what is typically seen in FWs. The industrial networks also display a correlation between high nestedness and internal cycles, suggesting that the reuse of materials and energy in EINs can be improved upon by increasing the nestedness of structures.
An international multicenter efficacy and safety study of IqYmune in initial and maintenance treatment of patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy: PRISM study
Authors: Nobile‐Orazio Eduardo , Pujol Sonia , Kasiborski Fabrice , Ouaja Rabye , Corte Gilles Della , Bonek Robert , Cocito Dario , Schenone Angelo
Published: August 2020

This prospective, multicenter, single‐arm, open‐label phase 3 study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of IqYmune in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP). Patients received one induction dose of 2 g/kg and then seven maintenance doses of 1 g/kg at 3‐week intervals. The primary endpoint was the responder rate at the end of study (EOS), defined as an improvement of ≥1 point on the adjusted inflammatory neuropathy cause and treatment (INCAT) disability scale. The responder rate was compared with the responder rate of a historical placebo group (33.3%). Secondary endpoints included changes from baseline to EOS of adjusted INCAT disability score, grip strength, Medical Research Council (MRC) sum score, Rasch‐modified MRC sum score, Rasch‐built overall disability scale score and the clinical global impression. Forty‐two patients, including 23 Ig‐naïve and 19 Ig‐pre‐treated, were included in the efficacy set. The overall response rate at EOS was 76.2% (95% confidence interval [60.5%‐87.9%]). The superiority of IqYmune compared to the historical placebo control was demonstrated (P < .0001). The responder rate was numerically higher in Ig‐pre‐treated than in Ig‐naïve patients but confidence intervals were overlapping (84.2% [60.4%‐96.6%] vs 69.6% [47.1%‐86.8%]). All secondary endpoints confirmed this conclusion. The median time to response was 15 weeks [8.9‐19.1 weeks]. A total of 156 adverse events including five serious were considered related to IqYmune, 87.2% were mild. Neither hemolysis nor signs of renal or hepatic impairment were observed. These results demonstrate that IqYmune is an effective and well‐tolerated treatment in patients with CIDP.
Expanding the phenotypic spectrum of TRIM2‐associated Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease
Authors: Magri Stefania , Danti Federica Rachele , Balistreri Francesca , Baratta Silvia , Ciano Claudia , Pagliano Emanuela , Taroni Franco , Moroni Isabella
Published: August 2020

Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease (CMT) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of distal symmetric polyneuropathies due to progressive and length‐dependent degeneration of peripheral nerves. Cranial nerve involvement has been described in association with various CMT‐genes mutations, such as GDAP1, TRPV4, MFN2, MTMR2 and EGR2. Compound heterozygous mutations in the TRIM2 gene, encoding an E3 ubiquitin ligase, were previously identified in two patients with early‐onset axonal CMT (CMT2). One of them also had bilateral vocal cord paralysis. The aim of this study is to further delineate the phenotypic and molecular genetic features of TRIM2‐related CMT. We studied clinical, genetic and neurophysiological aspects of two unrelated CMT2 patients. Genetic analysis was performed by next generation sequencing of a multigene CMT panel. Patients presented with congenital hypotonia and bilateral clubfoot, delayed motor milestones, and severely progressive axonal neuropathy. Interestingly, along with vocal cord paralysis, they exhibited clinical features secondary to the involvement of several other cranial nerves, such as facial weakness, dysphagia, dyspnoea and acoustic impairment. Genetic analysis revealed two novel TRIM2 mutations in each patient. Our results expand the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of TRIM2 deficiency showing that cranial nerves involvement is a core feature in this CMT2‐subtype. Its finding should prompt physicians to suspect TRIM2 neuropathy. Conversely, patients carrying TRIM2 variants should be carefully evaluated for the presence of cranial nerve dysfunction in order to prevent and manage its impact on auditory and respiratory function and nutrition.
Infertility treatment hinders the careers of working women in Japan
Authors: Ichikawa Tomoko , Ota Ikuko , Kuwabara Yoshimitsu , Tsushima Ruriko , Hamatani Toshio , Hiraike Osamu , Takeshita Toshiyuki , Osuga Yutaka , Akira Shigeo
Published: August 2020

Aim

Women undergoing infertility treatment often need to balance work and fertility treatment. Therefore, we evaluated the quality of life (QOL) and impact of infertility treatment on Japanese working women and their careers.

Methods

We conducted an online questionnaire at 18 clinics in Japan. Responses were collected from 835 women, 713 of whom were working. The participants were divided into three groups based on treatment stage. Data were collected using the FertiQoL and an original questionnaire created by the authors. The Mann–Whitney U test and a multinomial logistic analysis were used.

Results

Approximately 90% of the participants felt that treatment could hinder their work and 8% had quit their jobs. Low QOL was associated with sadness and despair due to infertility and mood disorders, disruptions to life and work, and the complicated medications and procedures involved in treatment. Social isolation and the effect of fertility treatment on daily life and work strongly hindered the careers of working women in the third stage of treatment (in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection). Approximately 70% of the participants required support to subsidize treatment costs and sought shorter working hours and flextime systems. Only 55% informed their workplaces about the fertility treatment, but about 70% easily gained understanding by informing them.

Conclusions

For many working women, infertility treatment posed barriers to their careers, which could explain the low QOL. Urgent introduction of a support system is necessary in Japan, and understanding and social acceptance of infertility appears to be important.
Kinship Practices Among Alternative Family Forms in Western Industrialized Societies
Authors: Furstenberg Frank F. , Harris Lauren E. , Pesando Luca Maria , Reed Megan N.
Published: August 2020

Objective

This article discusses how kinship is construed and enacted in diverse forms of the family that are now part of the culturally pluralistic family system of Western societies.

Background

This study is the second in a pair documenting changes over the past century in the meaning and practice of kinship in the family system of Western societies with industrialized economies. While the first paper reviewed the history of kinship studies, this companion piece shifts the focus to research explorations of kinship in alternative family forms, those that depart from the standard nuclear family structure.

Method

The review was conducted running multiple searches on Google Scholar and Web of Science directly targeting nonstandard family forms, using search terms such as “cohabitation and kinship,” “same‐sex family and kinship,” and “Artificial Reproductive Technology and kinship,” among others. About 70% of studies focused on the United States, while the remaining 30% focused on other industrialized Western societies.

Results

We identified three general processes by which alternative family forms are created and discussed how kinship practices work in each of them. The first cluster of alternative family forms comes about through variations of formal marriage or its absence, including sequential marriages, plural marriages, consensual unions, single parenthood, and same‐sex marriages and partnerships. The second cluster is formed as a result of alterations in the reproduction process, when a child is not the product of sexual intercourse between two people. The third cluster results from the formation of voluntary bonds that are deemed to be kinship‐like, in which affiliation rests on neither biological nor legal bases.

Conclusion

Findings from this study point to a broad cultural acceptance of an inclusive approach to incorporating potential kin in “family relationships.” It is largely left to individuals to decide whether they recognize or experience the diffuse sense of emotional connectedness and perceived obligation that characterize the bond of kinship. Also, family scripts and kinship terms often borrow from the vocabulary and parenting practices observed in the standard family form in the West. Concurrently, the cultural importance of biology remains strong.

Implications

This study concludes by identifying important gaps in the kinship literature and laying out a research agenda for the future, including building a demography of kinship.
Prestigious language, pigeonholed speakers: Stances towards the ‘native English speaker’ in a multilingual European institution
Authors: Lovrits Veronika , de Bres Julia
Published: August 2020

Critical sociolinguistics has demonstrated that the social construct of the ‘native speaker’ has a strong impact on people's lives, but research on ‘native speaker effects’ in the workplace remains rare. This article examines such effects from the perspective of four ‘native English speaker’ trainees on temporary contracts in a multilingual European Union institution in Luxembourg. Applying the framework of sociolinguistic stance to interview data and drawings, we examine how the participants position themselves towards the ‘native English speaker’ construct at work, and how they think others position them. According to our participants, ‘native English speaker’ positioning confers privilege but restricts opportunities, demonstrating that the interest of a multilingual organisation in using the ‘native English speaker’ as a resource does not automatically provide a powerful position to ‘native English speaking’ workers. Our results featuring trainees in precarious labour conditions raise broader issues regarding the precaritisation of language work in the EU.
Telemedicine HCV treatment in department of corrections results in high SVR in era of direct‐acting antivirals
Authors: Syed Taseen A. , Cherian Reena , Lewis Shawn , Sterling Richard K.
Published: August 2020

Chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) is common in the Department of Corrections (DOC). Telemedicine is an effective way to treat HCV. The goal of this report was to demonstrate high SVR rate in DOC patients using telemedicine irrespective of the HCV genotype (GT) and DAAs used. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were prospectively collected. A total of 870 DOC patients were evaluated and completed HCV therapy June 2015‐December 2019 with SVR data were included. The mean age was 50 years, 90% were male, 63% were Caucasian, the majority (79%) had GT 1, 92% were treatment naive, and 80% had advanced fibrosis (FIB‐4 ≥ 3.25 and/or transient elastography ≥ 9.5 kPa). The overall SVR was 97% and was similar among all DAAs irrespective of age, sex, race, HIV status, fibrosis level, GT, ribavirin use, prior treatment experience or DAA duration. We conclude that HCV treatment in the DOC through telemedicine is achievable and highly effective with overall SVR 97%, irrespective of the underlying GT or DAA regimen used and can eliminate HCV in this microenvironment and reduce the overall burden of HCV.
Long‐term changes in Italian mountain forests detected by resurvey of historical vegetation data
Authors: Lelli Chiara , Nascimbene Juri , Alberti Davide , Agostini Nevio , Zoccola Antonio , Piovesan Gianluca , Chiarucci Alessandro
Published: August 2020

Aim

In the last decades most European mountain forests have been abandoned after centuries of human management, paving the way for a landscape planning oriented to the conservation and rewilding of forest ecosystems. By resurveying historical vegetation plots in a mountain area of the Italian Apennines (southern Europe), we focused on yet overlooked processes in this area, to allow for a more comprehensive picture of the ongoing dynamics at a broad forest landscape scale.

Location

Mountain forests in the northern Apennines, Italy.

Methods

We resampled 22 historical forest vegetation plots recorded between 1934 and 1961. In each original quasi‐permanent plot, three plots were sampled to improve the reliability of the comparison. We analyzed changes in forest cover, structure, alpha, beta, and gamma diversity, and ecological groups focusing on the understorey species community.

Results

Forests are getting poorer in species in the understorey, with a higher tree layer and denser canopy cover. Alpha and gamma diversity significantly decreased from the original to the resurveyed plots. Several species of open habitats were associated with the original plots, while in the resurveyed plots several shade‐adapted species were detected. Forest cover in the surroundings of the sites remained stable for the higher sites along the Apennines mountain ridge, while major changes in the surroundings and in species composition were detected for the plots located at lower elevations and marginal sites.

Conclusions

Our main findings are in line with the majority of resurvey studies performed in European forests, with a general mesification of local communities after management cessation. Despite the limited number of available historical plots, their location along a wide gradient of elevation and naturalness allowed considering also the importance of site location, forest continuity and marginality as drivers of changes that need to be taken into account when planning conservation actions for restoration of mature forests.
Large‐scale prion protein genotyping in Canadian caribou populations and potential impact on chronic wasting disease susceptibility
Authors: Arifin Maria Immaculata , Staskevicius Antanas , Shim Su Yeon , Huang Yuan‐Hung , Fenton Heather , McLoughlin Philip D. , Mitchell Gordon , Cullingham Catherine I , Gilch Sabine
Published: August 2020

Polymorphisms within the prion protein gene (Prnp) are an intrinsic factor that can modulate chronic wasting disease (CWD) pathogenesis in cervids. Although wild European reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) were infected with CWD, as yet there have been no reports of the disease in North American caribou (R. tarandus spp.). Previous Prnp genotyping studies on approximately 200 caribou revealed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at codons 2 (V/M), 129 (G/S), 138 (S/N), 146 (N/n) and 169 (V/M). The impact of these polymorphisms on CWD transmission is mostly unknown, except for codon 138. Reindeer carrying at least one allele encoding for asparagine (138NN or 138SN) are less susceptible to clinical CWD upon infection by natural routes, with the majority of prions limited to extraneural tissues. We sequenced the Prnp coding region of two caribou subspecies (n = 986) from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, to identify SNPs and their frequencies. Genotype frequencies at codon 138 differed significantly between barren‐ground (R. t. groenlandicus) and woodland (R. t. caribou) caribou when we excluded the Chinchaga herd (p < .05). We also found new variants at codons 153 (Y/F) and 242 (P/L). Our findings show that the 138N allele is rare among caribou in areas with higher risk of contact with CWD‐infected species. As both subspecies are classified as Threatened and play significant roles in North American Indigenous culture, history, food security and the economy, determining frequencies of Prnp genotypes associated with susceptibility to CWD is important for future wildlife management measures.
Gene flow creates a mirage of cryptic species in a Southeast Asian spotted stream frog complex
Authors: Chan Kin O. , Hutter Carl R. , Wood Perry L. , Grismer L. L. , Das Indraneil , Brown Rafe M.
Published: August 2020

Most new cryptic species are described using conventional tree‐ and distance‐based species delimitation methods (SDMs), which rely on phylogenetic arrangements and measures of genetic divergence. However, although numerous factors such as population structure and gene flow are known to confound phylogenetic inference and species delimitation, the influence of these processes is not frequently evaluated. Using large numbers of exons, introns, and ultraconserved elements obtained using the FrogCap sequence‐capture protocol, we compared conventional SDMs with more robust genomic analyses that assess population structure and gene flow to characterize species boundaries in a Southeast Asian frog complex (Pulchrana picturata). Our results showed that gene flow and introgression can produce phylogenetic patterns and levels of divergence that resemble distinct species (up to 10% divergence in mitochondrial DNA). Hybrid populations were inferred as independent (singleton) clades that were highly divergent from adjacent populations (7%–10%) and unusually similar (<3%) to allopatric populations. Such anomalous patterns are not uncommon in Southeast Asian amphibians, which brings into question whether the high levels of cryptic diversity observed in other amphibian groups reflect distinct cryptic species—or, instead, highly admixed and structured metapopulation lineages. Our results also provide an alternative explanation to the conundrum of divergent (sometimes nonsister) sympatric lineages—a pattern that has been celebrated as indicative of true cryptic speciation. Based on these findings, we recommend that species delimitation of continuously distributed “cryptic” groups should not rely solely on conventional SDMs, but should necessarily examine population structure and gene flow to avoid taxonomic inflation.