bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Framework to Protect Animal Data in a World of Ecosurveillance
Authors: Lennox Robert J , Harcourt Robert , Bennett Joseph R , Davies Alasdair , Ford Adam T , Frey Remo M , Hayward Matt W , Hussey Nigel E , Iverson Sara J , Kays Roland , Kessel Steven T , Mcmahon Clive , Muelbert Monica , Murray Taryn S , Nguyen Vivian M , Pye Jonathan D , Roche Dominique G , Whoriskey Frederick G , Young Nathan , Cooke Steven J
Published: March 2020

Surveillance of animal movements using electronic tags (i.e., biotelemetry) has emerged as an essential tool for both basic and applied ecological research and monitoring. Advances in animal tracking are occurring simultaneously with changes to technology, in an evolving global scientific culture that increasingly promotes data sharing and transparency. However, there is a risk that misuse of biotelemetry data could increase the vulnerability of animals to human disturbance or exploitation. For the most part, telemetry data security is not a danger to animals or their ecosystems, but for some high-risk cases, as with species’ with high economic value or at-risk populations, available knowledge of their movements may promote active disturbance or worse, potential poaching. We suggest that when designing animal tracking studies it is incumbent on scientists to consider the vulnerability of their study animals to risks arising from the implementation of the proposed program, and to take preventative measures.
Sulcatol: Enantiospecific Attractant for Monarthrum mali (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), Leptostylus asperatus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) and Associated Predators
Authors: Miller D R , Crowe C M
Published: March 2020

In 2014–2019, we conducted six experiments in north-central Georgia in an attempt to verify the aggregation pheromone response of the ambrosia beetle Gnathotrichus materiarius (Fitch) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Scolytini: Corthylina) to sulcatol known to be produced by male G. materiarius; we failed to catch any G. materiarius. However, we did find that another corthyline ambrosia beetle species Monarthrum mali (Fitch) was attracted to (R)-(–)-sulcatol, whereas the longhorn beetle Leptostylus asperatus (Haldeman) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) was attracted to (S)-(+)-sulcatol. Attraction of both species was unaffected by the respective antipodes. Ethanol enhanced attraction of both species to traps baited with sulcatol. In at least one experiment, attraction to ethanol-baited traps was enhanced by sulcatol for Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky), Xyleborus spp., and Hypothenemus spp. but reduced for Cnestus mutilatus (Blandford) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae). Additionally, traps baited with ethanol and racemic sulcatol [50% (S)-(+): 50% (R)-(-)] caught the greatest numbers of four species of beetle predators: Coptodera aerata Dejean (Coleoptera: Carabidae), Colydium lineola Say (Coleoptera: Zopheridae), Madoniella dislocata (Say), and Pyticeroides laticornis (Say) (Coleoptera: Cleridae). Ethanol but not sulcatol attracted Temnoscheila virescens (F.) (Coleoptera: Trogossitidae). Information on interspecific relationships within forested communities may help us to better determine the roles of these species in maintaining stable and resilient forested ecosystems.
Montenegro makes important strides towards achievement of the SDGs
Authors:   Ministry of Health, Montenegro, Schmoll Oliver , Shinee Enkhtsetseg , Brajovic Mina , Menne Bettina , Zambon Francesco , Nemer Leda
Published: March 2020

In 2018, Montenegro took an important step towards ratification of the Protocol on Water and Health to the 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes. A multisectoral national consultation provided a forum where national stakeholders could assist in related decision-making. The Protocol is the first and only multilateral legal agreement linking sustainable water management and the prevention, control and reduction of water-related diseases in the pan-European region. It was adopted in 1999 at the Third Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health in London and entered into force in 2005 as legally binding for the ratifying countries. To date, 26 countries have ratified it, covering about 60% of the population of the pan-European region. Montenegro is on the way to becoming the next country to ratify it and has used it as an instrument to strengthen national action towards progressively reaching regional and global WASH-related commitments, specifically in relation to SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation) and the Ostrava Declaration on Environment and Health (2017).
Catfish egg lectin affects influx and efflux rates of sunitinib in human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells
Authors: Sugawara Shigeki , Takayanagi Madoka , Honda Shota , Tatsuta Takeo , Fujii Yuki , Ozeki Yasuhiro , Ito Jun , Sato Makoto , Hosono and Masahiro
Published: March 2020

New treatment protocols are aiming to reduce the dose of the multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib, as sunitinib elicits many adverse effects depending on its dosage. Silurus asotus egg lectin (SAL) has been reported to enhance the incorporation of propidium iodide as well as doxorubicin into Burkitt’s lymphoma Raji cells through binding to globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) on the cell surface. The objective of this study was to examine whether SAL enhances the cytotoxic effect of sunitinib in Gb3-expressing HeLa cells. Although the treatment with SAL delayed the cell growth and enhanced the propidium iodide uptake, cell death accompanied by membrane collapse was not observed. The viability of sunitinib-treated HeLa cells was significantly reduced when the treatment occurred in combination with SAL compared to their separate usage. Sunitinib uptake significantly increased for 30 min in SAL-treated cells, and this increment was almost completely abolished by the addition of L-rhamnose, a hapten sugar of SAL, but not by D-glucose. After removal of SU from the medium, the intracellular sunitinib level in SAL-treated cells was higher than in untreated cells for 24 h, which was not observed in Gb3-deficient HeLa cells. Furthermore, we observed that SAL promoted the formation of lysosome-like structures, which are LAMP1 positive but not acidic in HeLa cells, which can trap sunitinib. Interestingly, SAL-induced vacuolation in HeLa cells was not observed in another Gb3 positive Raji cells. Our findings suggest that SAL/Gb3 interaction promoted sunitinib uptake and suppressed sunitinib excretion and that sunitinib efficiently exerted cytotoxicity against HeLa cells.
Ocean warming combined with nutrient enrichment increases the risk of herbivory during cultivation of the marine macroalga Undaria Pinnatifida
Authors: Endo Hikaru , Sato Yoichi , Kaneko Kenji , Takahashi Daisuke , Nagasawa Kazue , Okumura Yutaka , Agatsuma Yukio
Published: March 2020

Recent declines of macroalgal forests due to climate change imply that the aquaculture production of macroalgae may also be negatively affected by ocean warming. It has previously been shown that nutrient enrichment can offset the negative impact of warming on the survival and growth of the cultivated macroalga Undaria pinnatifida, although it can also increase the risk of herbivory by unrecognized mesograzers. Observations of several hundreds or thousands of the isopod Cymodocea japonica around U. pinnatifida cultivation ropes in autumn, prompted the analysis of their size-frequency distribution, relationship between body size and consumption rate, and combined effects of elevated temperature and nutrient enrichment on the consumption rate of the algae by the isopod in the current study. Although the body size of the isopods collected in autumn was smaller than those collected in winter and spring, the consumption rate of 600 small isopods was similar to the rate of a large individual. Additionally, the consumption rate doubled in response to an increase in temperature from 15 to 18°C and nutrient enrichment, and tripled with their combination. These results suggest that ocean warming combined with nutrient enrichment increase the risk of herbivory during U. pinnatifida cultivation, especially during isopod outbreak periods.
In vitro activity of ceftazidime/avibactam and comparators against Gram-negative bacterial isolates collected from Latin American centres between 2015 and 2017
Authors: Stone Gregory G , Ponce-de-Leon Alfredo
Published: March 2020

Objectives

We report the in vitro activity of ceftazidime/avibactam and comparators against 7729 Enterobacterales isolates and 2053 Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates collected from six Latin American countries between 2015 and 2017.

Methods

A central reference laboratory performed antimicrobial susceptibility testing using broth microdilution panels according to CLSI guidelines. The presence of β-lactamases was confirmed using multiplex PCR assays.

Results

Susceptibility rates among Enterobacterales were highest for ceftazidime/avibactam (99.3%, MIC90 = 0.5 mg/L), meropenem (95.4%, MIC90 = 0.12 mg/L) and amikacin (93.5%, MIC90 = 8 mg/L). High susceptibility rates were observed for ceftazidime/avibactam in all six countries. The majority of carbapenemase-positive isolates among Enterobacterales (N = 366, 4.7%) were susceptible to ceftazidime/avibactam (86.9%), colistin (76.8%) and amikacin (60.9%); MBL-positive isolates (N = 49, 0.6%) were susceptible only to colistin (79.6%), with a minority susceptible to amikacin (49.0%), aztreonam and levofloxacin (both 30.6%). Highest rates of susceptibility among P. aeruginosa isolates were for colistin (99.2%) and ceftazidime/avibactam (86.6%), with rates of susceptibility to all other agents being <80.0%. MDR P. aeruginosa isolates (N = 712, 34.7%) had a high rate of susceptibility to colistin (98.9%); the rate of susceptibility to ceftazidime/avibactam was 61.4% and <50.0% to all other comparator agents. A total of 235 (11.4%) isolates of P. aeruginosa were carbapenemase positive and 148 (7.2%) were MBL positive; both subsets had high rates of susceptibility to colistin (98.3% and 100%, respectively).

Conclusions

Ceftazidime/avibactam susceptibility rates in Latin American countries are stable and high; ceftazidime/avibactam can be an appropriate treatment for patients with infections caused by Enterobacterales or P. aeruginosa and for whom treatment options may be limited.
Obesity is correlated with poor outcome after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with acute leukemia
Authors: Yu Jian , Lin Shangnao , Luo Yi , Shi Jimin , Tan Yamin , Lai Xiaoyu , Zhao Yanmin , Ye Yishan , Zhu Yuanyuan , Zheng Weiyan , Huang He
Published: March 2020

Objective

The relationship between body mass index and overall survival has been controversial in patients who suffered from hematological malignancies and underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Methods

We collected the data of 686 acute leukemia patients who received only one allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in our center from 2008 to 2017. Patients were divided into four groups (underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity) according to their body mass index pre-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Results

56.4% of patients had normal body mass indices, 17.3% were underweight, 20.4% were overweight and 5.8% were with obesity. Concerning long-term follow-up, the probability of overall survival was significantly lower in overweight (P = 0.010) and patients with obesity (P = 0.065) as compared with normal weight patients, and no statistically significant difference between underweight and normal weight individuals (P = 0.810). The results demonstrated that higher body mass index was associated with poorer overall survival (hazard ratio: 1.79; 95% confidence interval: 1.33–2.40, P < 0.001) and shorter leukemia-free survival (hazard ratio: 1.78; 95% confidence interval: 1.35–2.34, P < 0.001). Additionally, patients exhibiting a higher body mass index were more likely to face the problem of relapse (30.6 vs 20.9%, P < 0.001). Furthermore, non-relapse mortality of patients with obesity was statistically higher than normal weight patients (22.5 vs 9.6%, P = 0.027). Besides, individuals with a higher abdominal girth had shorter survival (hazard ratio: 1.73; 95% confidence interval: 1.29–2.31, P < 0.001) and higher relapse rate (hazard ratio: 1.78; 95% confidence interval: 1.29–2.45, P = 0.001) as compared with those with a lower abdominal girth.

Conclusion

Our results indicate that obesity at pre-hematopoietic stem cell transplantation stage, whether characterized by higher body mass index or abdominal girth, is correlated with poorer outcome.
Early Childhood Sleep Intervention in Urban Primary Care: Caregiver and Clinician Perspectives
Authors: Williamson Ariel A , Milaniak Izabela , Watson Bethany , Cicalese Olivia , Fiks Alexander G , Power Thomas J , Barg Frances K , Beidas Rinad S , Mindell Jodi A , Rendle Katharine A
Published: March 2020

Background

Despite significant income-related disparities in pediatric sleep, few early childhood sleep interventions have been tailored for or tested with families of lower socio-economic status (SES). This qualitative study assessed caregiver and clinician perspectives to inform adaptation and implementation of evidence-based behavioral sleep interventions in urban primary care with families who are predominantly of lower SES.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with (a) 23 caregivers (96% mothers; 83% Black; 65% ≤125% U.S. poverty level) of toddlers and preschoolers with insomnia or insufficient sleep and (b) 22 urban primary care clinicians (physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, and psychologists; 87% female; 73% White). Guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, the interview guide assessed multilevel factors across five domains related to intervention implementation. Qualitative data were analyzed using an integrated approach to identify thematic patterns across participants and domains.

Results

Patterns of convergence and divergence in stakeholder perspectives emerged across themes. Participants agreed upon the importance of child sleep and intervention barriers (family work schedules; household and neighborhood factors). Perspectives aligned on intervention (flexibility; collaborative and empowering care) and implementation (caregiver-to-caregiver support and use of technology) facilitators. Clinicians identified many family barriers to treatment engagement, but caregivers perceived few barriers. Clinicians also raised healthcare setting factors that could support (integrated care) or hinder (space and resources) implementation.

Conclusions

Findings point to adaptations to evidence-based early childhood sleep intervention that may be necessary for effective implementation in urban primary care. Such adaptations could potentially reduce significant pediatric sleep-related health disparities.
Vomiting-induced pneumomediastinum as a result of recurrent Boerhaave’s syndrome
Authors: Kyriakides Jonathon , Stackhouse Ashlyn
Published: March 2020

Vomiting-induced pneumomediastinum can be a result of barotrauma causing alveolar rupture or Boerhaave’s syndrome. Although a rare cause of secondary pneumomediastinum, Boerhaave’s syndrome allows extravasation of air and fluid due to oesophageal perforation. We report a case of a 20-year-old female who presented with prolonged vomiting during a panic attack. Extensive surgical emphysema and pneumomediastinum were visualised radiologically. A source of oesophageal rupture was not visualised on cross-sectional computed tomography imaging following contrast ingestion. A complication of mediastinitis provided the evidence that this was a case of Boerhaave’s syndrome whereby microscopic perforation of the oesophagus led to secondary pneumomediastinum, rather than vomiting-induced spontaneous pneumomediastinum caused by barotrauma. Recurrent Boerhaave’s syndrome in this case is owed to the patient having previously experienced identical symptoms which spontaneously resolved.
On the Run: Runaway Slaves and Their Social Networks in Eighteenth-Century Cochin
Authors: Geelen Alexander , van den Hout Bram , Tosun Merve , de Windt Mike , van Rossum Matthias
Published: March 2020

Despite growing attention to the history of slavery in the Indian Ocean and Indonesian Archipelago worlds, the debate on the nature or characteristics of slavery in these regions has been left largely unsettled. Whereas some scholars emphasize the existence of harsh forms of hereditary slavery similar to those found in the Americas, others argue that the nature of slavery in Asia was urban, status-based, and milder than in the Atlantic world. This article explores case studies of slaves escaping in and around the Dutch East India Company (VOC) city of Cochin. Studying court records that bring to light the strategies and social networks of enslaved runaways provides new insights into the characteristics of slavery and the conditions of slaves in and around VOC-Cochin. The findings indicate that the social and everyday conditions under which slaves lived were highly diverse and shaped by the direct relations between slave and master, influenced by elements of trust, skill, and control. Relations of slavery nevertheless remained engrained by the recurrence of physical punishments and verbal threats, despite sometimes relatively open situations. This reminds us that easy dichotomies of “benign,” “Asian,” “household,” or “urban” versus “European,” “Atlantic,” or “plantation” slavery obscure as much as they reveal.
COVID-19 pandemic: stop panic abandonment of household pets
Authors: Huang Qiao , Zhan Xiang , Zeng Xian-Tao
Published: March 2020

Panic abandonment of household pets during the COVID-19 pandemic is not justified.
Just the essentials: photoprotective energy dissipation pared-down
Authors: Johnson Matthew P
Published: March 2020

This article comments on:

Saccon F, Giovagnetti V, Shukla MK, Ruban AV. 2020. Rapid regulation of photosynthetic light harvesting in the absence of minor antenna and reaction centre complexes. Journal of Experimental Botany 71, 3626–3637.
A World Transgressed: Icon and Iconoclasm in Eugene Vodolazkin’s Laurus
Authors: Breedlove Thomas
Published: March 2020

The subject of this article is the iconic meeting of divine presence and divine absence. In the icon, divine presence is scandalous: the icon speaks of the impossibility of correspondence, the impossibility of making God present, and at the same time of the reality of divine presence. Nothing of or in the icon is commensurable to this divine presence; yet this poverty of the icon is its witness to the nature of a presence that transcends the paradox of compresence and exclusivity. This essay develops this account of divine presence in conversation with a reading of Eugene Vodolazkin’s novel Laurus and its depiction of holy foolery. Drawing parallels between divine presence in the icon and the scandalous and transgressive compresence of profane and sacred in the novel, the essay argues both for the iconic character of the novel and, consequently, for the novel’s illumination of the incarnational logic undergirding the icon itself.
Cosmic rays and magnetic fields in the core and halo of the starburst M82: implications for galactic wind physics
Authors: Buckman Benjamin J , Linden Tim , Thompson Todd A
Published: March 2020

Cosmic rays (CRs) and magnetic fields may be dynamically important in driving large-scale galactic outflows from rapidly star-forming galaxies. We construct two-dimensional axisymmetric models of the local starburst and superwind galaxy M82 using the CR propagation code galprop. Using prescribed gas density and magnetic field distributions, wind profiles, CR injection rates, and stellar radiation fields, we simultaneously fit both the integrated gamma-ray emission and the spatially resolved multifrequency radio emission extended along M82’s minor axis. We explore the resulting constraints on the gas density, magnetic field strength, CR energy density, and the assumed CR advection profile. In accord with earlier one-zone studies, we generically find low central CR pressures, strong secondary electron/positron production, and an important role for relativistic bremsstrahlung losses in shaping the synchrotron spectrum. We find that the relatively low central CR density produces CR pressure gradients that are weak compared to gravity, strongly limiting the role of CRs in driving M82’s fast and mass-loaded galactic outflow. Our models require strong magnetic fields and advection speeds of the order of ∼1000 km s−1 on kpc scales along the minor axis in order to reproduce the extended radio emission. Degeneracies between the controlling physical parameters of the model and caveats to these findings are discussed.
A universal formula for the relativistic correction to the mutual friction coupling time-scale in neutron stars
Authors: Gavassino L , Antonelli M , Pizzochero P M , Haskell B
Published: March 2020

Vortex-mediated mutual friction governs the coupling between the superfluid and normal components in neutron star interiors. By, for example, comparing precise timing observations of pulsar glitches with theoretical predictions it is possible to constrain the physics in the interior of the star, but to do so an accurate model of the mutual friction coupling in general relativity is needed. We derive such a model directly from Carter’s multifluid formalism, and study the vortex structure and coupling time-scale between the components in a relativistic star. We calculate how general relativity modifies the shape and the density of the quantized vortices and show that, in the quasi-Schwarzschild coordinates, they can be approximated as straight lines for realistic neutron star configurations. Finally, we present a simple universal formula (given as a function of the stellar compactness alone) for the relativistic correction to the glitch rise-time, which is valid under the assumption that the superfluid reservoir is in a thin shell in the crust or in the outer core. This universal relation can be easily employed to correct, a posteriori, any Newtonian estimate for the coupling time-scale, without any additional computational expense.
Observing the tail of reionization: neutral islands in the z = 5.5 Lyman-α forest
Authors: Nasir Fahad , D’Aloisio Anson
Published: March 2020

Previous studies have noted difficulties in modelling the highest opacities of the z > 5.5 Ly α forest, epitomized by the extreme Lyα trough observed towards quasar ULAS J0148 + 0600. One possibility is that the most opaque regions at these redshifts contain significant amounts of neutral hydrogen. This explanation, which abandons the common assumption that reionization ended before z = 6, also reconciles evidence from independent observations of a significantly neutral Universe at z = 7.5. Here, we explore a model in which the neutral fraction is still ${\approx }10{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ at z = 5.5. We confirm that this model can account for the observed scatter in Ly α forest opacities, as well as the observed Ly β transmission in the J0148 trough. We contrast the model with a competing ‘earlier’ reionization scenario characterized by a short mean free path and large fluctuations in the post-reionization ionizing background. We consider Ly α and Ly β effective optical depths, their correlations, trough size distributions, dark pixel fractions, the IGM thermal history, and spatial distributions of Lyman-α emitters around forest sightlines. We find that the models are broadly similar in almost all of these statistics, suggesting that it may be difficult to distinguish between them definitively. We argue that improved constraints on the mean free path and the thermal history at z > 5 could go a long way towards diagnosing the origin of the z > 5.5 opacity fluctuations.
Temperature controlled high-throughput magnetic tweezers show striking difference in activation energies of replicating viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerases
Authors: Seifert Mona , van Nies Pauline , Papini Flávia S , Arnold Jamie J , Poranen Minna M , Cameron Craig E , Depken Martin , Dulin David
Published: March 2020

RNA virus survival depends on efficient viral genome replication, which is performed by the viral RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). The recent development of high throughput magnetic tweezers has enabled the simultaneous observation of dozens of viral RdRp elongation traces on kilobases long templates, and this has shown that RdRp nucleotide addition kinetics is stochastically interrupted by rare pauses of 1–1000 s duration, of which the short-lived ones (1–10 s) are the temporal signature of a low fidelity catalytic pathway. We present a simple and precise temperature controlled system for magnetic tweezers to characterize the replication kinetics temperature dependence between 25°C and 45°C of RdRps from three RNA viruses, i.e. the double-stranded RNA bacteriophage Φ6, and the positive-sense single-stranded RNA poliovirus (PV) and human rhinovirus C (HRV-C). We found that Φ6 RdRp is largely temperature insensitive, while PV and HRV-C RdRps replication kinetics are activated by temperature. Furthermore, the activation energies we measured for PV RdRp catalytic state corroborate previous estimations from ensemble pre-steady state kinetic studies, further confirming the catalytic origin of the short pauses and their link to temperature independent RdRp fidelity. This work will enable future temperature controlled study of biomolecular complex at the single molecule level.
A novel mutation of the folliculin gene causing Birt–Hogg–Dubé syndrome as rare cause for secondary pneumothorax
Authors: Vogl Melanie , Scheed Axel , Seebacher Gernot , Stubenberger Elisabeth , Ghanim Bahil
Published: March 2020

The Birt–Hogg–Dubé syndrome is an orphan genetic disease characterized by the development of renal neoplasms, fibrofolliculomas, pulmonary cysts and spontaneous pneumothoraces. Here, we report on the case of a 21-year-old man presenting with a primary event of a persistent spontaneous pneumothorax. Computed tomography images and a positive family history for pneumothoraces led to the suspicion of Birt–Hogg–Dubé syndrome. Genetic testing then confirmed the suspected clinical diagnosis, however with a mutation that has not yet been reported.
In Plain Sight
Authors: Socarides Alexandra
Published: March 2020

In Plain Sight explores how the poetry of nineteenth-century American women that was once so visible within American culture could have, with the exception of that by Emily Dickinson, so thoroughly disappeared from literary history. By investigating erasure not merely as something that was done to these women but as the result of the conventions that once made the circulation of their poetry possible in the first place, this book offers the first book-length analysis of the conventions of nineteenth-century American women’s poetry. In doing so, In Plain Sight makes visible a whole field of poetry that has been long forgotten. In order to recover this field instead of its individual women poets, each of the chapters focuses on a specific convention and its participation in the construction of literary history. Taken together they tell the complicated story of nineteenth-century American women’s poetry, tracing the spaces within literary culture where it lived and thrived, the spaces from which its authors were always in the process of vanishing. By inhabiting those spaces, we can see both the conventions that were taken up with such gusto that they made the woman poet a familiar figure to nineteenth-century readers and the specter of obscurity and unreadability that are embedded within them. By reclaiming these conventions as a constitutive part of nineteenth-century American women’s poetry, this book asks readers to take seriously the work these women produced and the role their work might play in remapping American literary history.
Re-imagining the physicians’ role in the assessment of feeding challenges in children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Smile Sharon , Raffaele Christie , Perlin Rebecca
Published: March 2020

While feeding challenges in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are prevalent, they continue to pose a significant diagnostic challenge, leading to misdiagnosis and under diagnosis of factors, both contextual and inherent, that may lead to negative health outcomes. Early identification of feeding difficulties in ASD is necessary to minimize negative health outcomes and strained parent–child relationships. Family physicians and paediatricians are positioned to reduce the impact of such disordered feeding behaviours on the child, family, and health care system. Providing clinicians with a conceptual framework to systematically identify factors contributing to the ‘feeding challenge’ construct will ensure the appropriate intervention is provided. We present the MOBSE conceptual framework, a multidisciplinary lens for assessing feeding challenges in ASD. This will aid in the proper diagnosis of feeding challenges seen in ASD.
Infants affected by Rh sensitization: A 2-year Canadian National Surveillance Study
Authors: Baker Jillian M , Campbell Douglas M , Pavenski Katerina , Gnanalingam Aasha , Hollamby Kathleen , Jegathesan Thivia , Zipursky Alvin , Bhutani Vinod , Sgro Michael ,   NeoHBC, Allen Rachael , de Almeida M F , Antwi Jeffrey , Baker Jillian , Baleswaran Shangari , Barozzino Matthew , Barozzino Tony , Belncowe Hannah , Casalino Maria , Cheema Sohail , Chitayat David , Danayan Karoon , Debono Mary , Ebbesen Fin , Fahmy Nahed , Ghobrial Maria , Gnanalingam Aasha , Grenier Danielle , Guttman Bell J , Jhaveri Aaditeya , Khanna Rajesh , Kumar Praveen , Kandasamy Sharmilaa , Lawn Joey E , Librach Melissa , Mateo Patrocinio C , Mori Rintaro , Ogbonna Nkemakolam , Anne Okolo Angela , Olusanya Bolajoko , Paul Vinod K , Prajapati Dishaben , Rasiah Saisujani , Reynolds Cole , Selvakumaran Sureka , Sheth Heet , Sethi Tavpritesth , Slusher Tina M , Sritharan Ashvinie , Travis Geoffrey , Twiss Jennifer , Visvanathaiyer Gayathri , Zipursky Alvin
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Rh sensitization occurs when Rh(D)-negative women develop anti-Rh(D) antibodies following exposure through pregnancy or transfusion. Rh disease may cause jaundice, anemia, neurological impairment, and death. It is rare in countries where Rh Immune Globulin (RhIg) is used. Canadian Rh sensitization and disease rates are unknown.

Methods

This survey-based study was conducted using a Canadian Paediatric Surveillance Program questionnaire sent to Canadian paediatricians and paediatric subspecialists to solicit Rh disease cases from May 2016 to June 2018. Paediatricians reported Rh-positive infants ≤ 60 days of age, born to Rh-negative mothers with RhD sensitization.

Results

Sixty-two confirmed cases of infants affected by Rh(D) sensitization were reported across Canada. The median gestational age of neonates was term, age at presentation was 2 hours, and hemoglobin at presentation was 137.5 g/L (33 to 203 g/L). The median peak bilirubin and phototherapy duration were 280 µmol/L (92 to 771 µmol/L), and 124 hours, respectively. Thirty (48%) infants received Intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) (median two doses). Seventeen (27%) received one to three simple transfusions; 10 (16%) required exchange transfusions. Six (10%) infants presented with acute bilirubin encephalopathy, and less than five presented with seizures. Fourteen mothers with affected infants were born outside of Canada.

Discussion

Rh disease continues to exist in Canada. Additional efforts are needed to raise awareness of Rh disease, prevent disease, and minimize sequelae when it does occur. The ongoing global burden of Rh Disease, as well as the possibility of emerging Rh immunoglobulin refusal are among factors that could be taken into consideration in future prevention efforts.
Parent perceptions of routine growth monitoring: A scoping review
Authors: Mansoor Yasmeen , Hale Ilona
Published: March 2020

Background

Despite being a well-accepted part of paediatric care, little is known about the benefits or potential harms of routine growth monitoring (RGM) from a parent’s perspective.

Objective

To explore parental experiences with RGM.

Methods

Literature searches were performed on Google Scholar, psycINFO, CINAHL, and PubMed. Included studies were published after 2000 and described parental comprehension, preferences, attitudes toward, and/or behaviour change related to RGM.

Results

Of 24 reviewed studies, four themes were identified: reliance on growth monitoring, understanding, influence on feeding and behaviour, and response to obesity-related classification. RGM was familiar but not strongly preferred to identify a child’s weight status. Parental understanding of RGM was poor, particularly among parents with low socioeconomic status. A common belief was that heavier babies were healthier, while smaller babies should prompt concern. Parents may be anxious and change behaviour in response to RGM, such as by halting breastfeeding, supplementing, or restricting their child’s diet. Parents frequently discounted RGM information when their child was identified as overweight, and expressed concerns about self-esteem and eating disorders.

Conclusion

This scoping review identifies that although RGM is familiar and sometimes reassuring to parents, increased consideration should be given to potential harms from parental perspectives when conducting growth monitoring.
Legal Determinants of Health: Regulating Abortion Care
Authors: McGuinness Sheelagh , Montgomery Jonathan
Published: March 2020

In The legal determinants of health: Harnessing the power of law for global health and sustainable development, Gostin et al. provide a sustained account of how law can and should be used as an instrument of health promotion. We pick up on the themes of this report with a specific focus of the importance of abortion for women’s sexual and reproductive health and the impact that particular ways of framing abortion in law can have on the lives of women and girls. In this short comment, we wish to emphasize that abortion regulations need to move beyond frameworks based on narrow understandings of harm towards more progressive agendas that take into account the social determinants of health in order to reduce barriers to care. This contribution is particularly relevant to the Commission’s criticism that those ‘[l]aws that stigmatise or discriminate against marginalized populations are especially harmful and exacerbate health disparities’.
Effectiveness and Safety of Intrathecal Ziconotide: Final Results of the Patient Registry of Intrathecal Ziconotide Management (PRIZM)
Authors: McDowell Gladstone C , Saulino Michael F , Wallace Mark , Grigsby Eric J , Rauck Richard L , Kim Philip , Vanhove Geertrui F , Ryan Robert , Huang I-Zu , Deer Timothy
Published: March 2020

Background and Objectives

The Patient Registry of Intrathecal Ziconotide Management evaluated the long-term effectiveness and safety of intrathecal ziconotide.

Methods

The study was a prospective, multicenter observational study of intrathecal ziconotide in US clinical practice. Patients were adults with severe chronic pain that warranted intrathecal therapy. Ziconotide was initiated as the single agent in the pump; however, other intrathecal medications were permitted. The primary efficacy outcome was ≥30% reduction in numeric pain rating scale score from baseline at week 12. A secondary outcome was patient global impression of change. Adverse events were solicited at each visit.

Results

The registry enrolled 93 patients. Seventy-four and 28 patients completed 12 weeks and 18 months of treatment, respectively. In the overall patient population, 17.4% had ≥30% pain reduction from baseline at week 12, with a mean reduction in pain of 10.9%. At month 18, 38.5% of patients had ≥30% pain reduction from baseline, with a mean pain reduction of 24.7%. Patient-rated improvement was reported in 67% of patients at week 12 and 71% at month 18. Almost all patients experienced adverse events, the most common of which were nausea (25.8%), confusional state (22.6%), and dizziness (20.4%).

Conclusions

Final study analyses showed that intrathecal ziconotide provided clinically meaningful pain relief in 17.4% and 38.5% of patients at week 12 and month 18, respectively. At these same time points, patient-rated improvement was reported in at least two-thirds of patients. The safety profile was consistent with that listed in the ziconotide prescribing information.
Newspaper media representation of electronic cigarette use during pregnancy
Authors: Moyse Max , Hunter Abby
Published: March 2020

Background

Smoking during pregnancy is associated with many adverse foetal outcomes, and electronic cigarettes (EC) have the potential to aid women to quit smoking in pregnancy. The mass media influence how people feel about products and treatments, so it is important to establish how they portray EC use during pregnancy.

Methods

UK newspaper articles which mentioned EC use during pregnancy were identified using the database Lexis Library. Articles were assigned a category (positive, negative or neutral), and an inductive thematic analysis was conducted to identify themes within the articles.

Results

Of the 55 newspaper articles, 16 (29%) were positive, 32 (58%) were negative and 7 (13%) were neutral. Four overarching themes were found within the 55 articles: ‘advice’, ‘impact on health of the foetus’, ‘uncertainty’ and ‘awareness’. Large increases in the frequency of articles reporting on EC were noticed between November 2015 and March 2016 and between February and March 2018.

Conclusions

The UK mass media mainly portray EC use during pregnancy as negative, which could impact women’s decisions to use these devices in pregnancy. More research is needed to investigate the true effectiveness of EC to aid smoking cessation in pregnancy.
Identification, localization and differentiation of erosions and physiological bone channels by ultrasound in rheumatoid arthritis patients
Authors: Finzel Stephanie , Aegerter Philippe , Schett Georg , D’Agostino Maria-Antonietta
Published: March 2020

Objectives

Ultrasound (US) can detect cortical bone lesions in RA. However, not all cortical bone lesions are erosions. Herein, we aimed to define whether US can differentiate between physiological bone channels and pathological erosions in RA and to provide topographic description of their differential localization.

Methods

RA patients and healthy controls (HC) received US examination of the metacarpophalangeal (MCPJ) and proximal inter-phalangeal (PIPJ) joints adjudicating cortical bone lesions as physiological bone channels or pathological erosions. In a subset of RA patients and HC, high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) of the hand was performed to validate the classification of lesions.

Results

A total of 40 RA patients and 43 HC were enrolled and totally 771 MCPJ and 638 PIPJ were examined by US, and 94 and 51, respectively, by HR-pQCT. US-defined cortical bone lesions clustered in the lateral part of the MCP (50%) and the dorsal part of the PIPJ (66.7%) in RA. US-defined physiological bone channels clustered in the palmar parts of the MCPJ and PIPJ in both RA (78.8% and 100%, respectively) and HC (51.8% and 80%, respectively). HR-pQCT data confirmed US data with respect to adjudication of physiological bone channels and pathological erosions. Erosions were significantly (all P <0.000001) larger than physiological channels and preferentially localized at radial and ulnar sites, while physiological channels were clustered at palmar sites. Specificity of US was excellent for erosions in RA and for physiological bone channels in HC and RA.

Conclusion

US allows differentiation between physiological channels and bone erosions in RA.
Early interpersonal trauma reduces temporoparietal junction activity during spontaneous mentalising
Authors: Cracco Emiel , Hudson Anna R , Van Hamme Charlotte , Maeyens Lien , Brass Marcel , Mueller Sven C
Published: March 2020

Experience of interpersonal trauma and violence alters self-other distinction and mentalising abilities (also known as theory of mind, or ToM), yet little is known about their neural correlates. This fMRI study assessed temporoparietal junction (TPJ) activation, an area strongly implicated in interpersonal processing, during spontaneous mentalising in 35 adult women with histories of childhood physical, sexual, and/or emotional abuse (childhood abuse; CA) and 31 women without such experiences (unaffected comparisons; UC). Participants watched movies during which an agent formed true or false beliefs about the location of a ball, while participants always knew the true location of the ball. As hypothesised, right TPJ activation was greater for UCs compared to CAs for false vs true belief conditions. In addition, CAs showed increased functional connectivity relative to UCs between the rTPJ and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Finally, the agent’s belief about the presence of the ball influenced participants’ responses (ToM index), but without group differences. These findings highlight that experiencing early interpersonal trauma can alter brain areas involved in the neural processing of ToM and perspective-taking during adulthood.
How the Eurozone disempowers trade unions: the political economy of competitive internal devaluation
Authors: Rathgeb Philip , Tassinari Arianna
Published: March 2020

The marginalization of trade unions was a notable feature of the sovereign debt crisis in the Eurozone periphery. However, governments have recently imposed liberalizing reforms against union protests in the Eurozone core too. We argue that organized labour loses influence across the core-periphery divide because the ‘new economic governance’ puts national governments under enhanced pressure to compete against each other on wage and labour market flexibility—a process known as competitive internal devaluation. The article illustrates this argument through comparative quantitative indicators of liberalization and qualitative process-tracing in three core countries. Whereas Germany’s outstanding competitiveness position allowed its unions to extract significant concessions, their counterparts in France and Finland faced unprecedented defeats from governments aiming to restore economic growth by closing down the competitiveness gap to Germany. Our findings highlight the class power implications of the Eurozone’s reliance on the labour market as the main economic adjustment variable.
Narcolepsy type 1: what have we learned from immunology?
Authors: Kornum Birgitte R
Published: March 2020

Narcolepsy type 1 is hypothesized to be an autoimmune disease targeting the hypocretin/orexin neurons in the hypothalamus. Ample genetic and epidemiological evidence points in the direction of a pathogenesis involving the immune system, but this is not considered proof of autoimmunity. In fact, it remains a matter of debate how to prove that a given disease is indeed an autoimmune disease. In this review, a set of commonly used criteria for autoimmunity is described and applied to narcolepsy type 1. In favor of the autoimmune hypothesis are data showing that in narcolepsy type 1 a specific adaptive immune response is directed to hypocretin/orexin neurons. Autoreactive T cells and autoantibodies have been detected in blood samples from patients, but it remains to be seen if these T cells or antibodies are in fact present in the hypothalamus. It is also unclear if the autoreactive T cells and/or autoantibodies can transfer the disease to healthy individuals or animals or if immunization with the proposed autoantigens can induce the disease in animal models. Most importantly, it is still controversial whether suppression of the autoimmune response can prevent disease progression. In conclusion, narcolepsy type 1 does still not fully meet the criteria for being classified as a genuine autoimmune disease, but more and more results are pointing in that direction.
The effects of sleep deprivation and text messaging on pedestrian safety in university students
Authors: Fobian Aaron D , Rouse Jenni , Stager Lindsay M , Long Dustin , Schwebel David C , Avis Kristin T
Published: March 2020

Study Objectives

This study assesses the impact of sleep deprivation and text messaging on pedestrian injury risk.

Methods

A total of 36 university students engaged in a virtual reality pedestrian environment in two conditions: sleep deprived (no sleep previous night) and normal sleep (normal sleep routine). Sleep was assessed using actigraphy and pedestrian behavior via four outcomes: time to initiate crossing, time before contact with oncoming vehicle, hits/close calls, and looks left/right. During each condition, participants made half the crossings while text messaging. Participants also completed the Useful Field of View test, the Psychomotor Vigilance Test, and Conners’ Continuous Performance Test in both conditions.

Results

While sleep deprived, students crossed significantly closer to oncoming vehicles compared with after normal sleep. While text messaging, crossed closer to vehicles and took longer to initiate crossings. Safety risks were amplified through combined sleep deprivation plus text messaging, leading to more virtual hits and close calls and shorter time before vehicle contact while crossing. Sleep-deprived students demonstrated impairments in functioning on cognitive tests.

Conclusions

University students’ pedestrian behavior was generally riskier, and their cognitive functioning was impaired, when sleep deprived compared with after normal sleep. This effect was exacerbated when distracted by text messaging.
Survey Data Collection Methods and Discrepancy in the Sociological Study of Religious Congregations
Authors: Adler Gary J , Fulton Brad R , Hoegeman Catherine
Published: March 2020

Surveys of religious congregations are a mainstay of sociological research on organized religion in the United States. How accurate, reliable, and comparable are the data generated from the disparate methods used by researchers? We analyze four congregational surveys to show how two components of data collection—sampling design and survey response rate—may contribute to differences in population estimates between the surveys. Results show that in three populations of congregations (all religious traditions, Catholic parishes, and Hispanic Catholic parishes), estimates of key congregational measures, such as head clergy characteristics, congregational size, and Hispanic composition, are susceptible to differences in data collection methods. While differences in sampling design contribute to some of the variation in variable estimates, our unique analysis of survey metadata shows the importance of high response rates for producing accurate estimates for many variables. We conclude with suggestions for improving congregational data collection methods and efforts to compare survey estimates.
A feasibility study of a mobile app to treat insomnia
Authors: Aji Melissa , Glozier Nick , Bartlett Delwyn , Peters Dorian , Calvo Rafael A , Zheng Yizhong , Grunstein Ronald , Gordon Christopher
Published: March 2020

Insomnia is a major public health concern. Sleep restriction therapy (SRT) is an effective behavioral treatment but its delivery is impeded by a shortage of trained clinicians. We developed a mobile app delivering SRT to individuals with insomnia. This feasibility study employed a mixed-methods design to examine the engagement, acceptability, and potential efficacy of the mobile app. Fifteen participants diagnosed with insomnia disorder used the mobile app synchronized with a wearable device for 3 weeks. Those who persisted with the study (n = 12) found the mobile app to be highly acceptable and engaging, logging on average 19 nightly sleep diary entries across the 21 day period. Significant improvements were observed for sleep measures (insomnia severity and sleep efficiency) and daytime symptoms (fatigue and sleepiness). The results suggest that a mobile app delivering SRT to individuals with insomnia is engaging, acceptable, and potentially efficacious. Further, a full-scale effectiveness study is warranted.