bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mesh modeling of system geometry and anatomy phantoms for realistic GATE simulations and their inclusion in SPECT reconstruction
Authors: Auer Benjamin , Könik Arda , Fromme Timothy J , De Beenhouwer Jan , Kalluri Kesava S , Lindsay Clifford , Furenlid Lars R , Kuo Philip H , King Michael A
Published: February 2023

Objective. Monte-Carlo simulation studies have been essential for advancing various developments in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging, such as system design and accurate image reconstruction. Among the simulation software available, Geant4 application for tomographic emission (GATE) is one of the most used simulation toolkits in nuclear medicine, which allows building systems and attenuation phantom geometries based on the combination of idealized volumes. However, these idealized volumes are inadequate for modeling free-form shape components of such geometries. Recent GATE versions alleviate these major limitations by allowing users to import triangulated surface meshes. Approach. In this study, we describe our mesh-based simulations of a next-generation multi-pinhole SPECT system dedicated to clinical brain imaging, called AdaptiSPECT-C. To simulate realistic imaging data, we incorporated in our simulation the XCAT phantom, which provides an advanced anatomical description of the human body. An additional challenge with the AdaptiSPECT-C geometry is that the default voxelized XCAT attenuation phantom was not usable in our simulation due to intersection of objects of dissimilar materials caused by overlap of the air containing regions of the XCAT beyond the surface of the phantom and the components of the imaging system. Main results. We validated our mesh-based modeling against the one constructed by idealized volumes for a simplified single vertex configuration of AdaptiSPECT-C through simulated projection data of 123I-activity distributions. We resolved the overlap conflict by creating and incorporating a mesh-based attenuation phantom following a volume hierarchy. We then evaluated our reconstructions with attenuation and scatter correction for projections obtained from simulation consisting of mesh-based modeling of the system and the attenuation phantom for brain imaging. Our approach demonstrated similar performance as the reference scheme simulated in air for uniform and clinical-like 123I-IMP brain perfusion source distributions. Significance. This work enables the simulation of complex SPECT acquisitions and reconstructions for emulating realistic imaging data close to those of actual patients.
Early Psychosocial Interventions for Individuals and Groups Affected by Disasters
Authors: Tehrani Noreen
Published: February 2023

Throughout the world, individuals, groups, and communities are faced with major incidents, crises, and disasters. The impact of disasters can be wide-ranging, involving death, severe injury, the loss of home, shelter, liberty, security, and food, in addition to social dislocation and destroyed infrastructure and networks. Victims can experience distress, anger, grief, and fear together with symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. First responders and those delivering longer-term social and psychological support can be adversely affected by direct exposure to the disaster, by learning about the details of the disaster from the testimony of victims, or by viewing distressing images or artifacts connected to the disaster.

To reduce the impact of disasters, communities and emergency services need to prepare plans to meet the physical, social, and psychological needs of those involved and undertake thorough testing of these plans to ensure they are fit for purpose. This planning needs to consider natural hazards such as forest fires, floods, drought, and biological hazards, including Covid-19, influenza, foot and mouth disease, and severe acute respiratory syndrome. Human and technological failings can also create hazards seen in transport crashes, the release of toxic substances, and armed conflict.

Contingency planning is used to reduce exposure to a hazard by identifying and protecting those at most risk of harm. However, it is impossible to prevent crises and disasters from happening, making it essential to provide appropriate and timely support. Initial support ensures that disaster survivors are taken to a safe place where their immediate needs for food, drinks, and shelter are met.

The aim of early psychosocial responses to disasters are fourfold: (a) to increase disaster preparedness to reduce the impact of hazards and vulnerabilities, (b) to respond to the immediate human needs for safety and survival, (c) to communicate care and provide psychological support, and (d) to provide an opportunity for survivors to process and create meaning from experiences.

Ideally, all early psychosocial interventions would be evidence-based and delivered by trained and monitored practitioners; however, often, this is not the case. Despite the development of an abundance of disaster-related models, few have been evaluated; this failure is due to a lack of agreement on the aims, scope, measures, and training required to deliver evidence-based interventions. Humanitarian and emergency response organizations look toward psychologists to provide them with the evidence-based interventions, evaluation tools, and guidance they need for dealing with disasters.
The Sensory World of the Naked Mole-Rat
Authors: Park Thomas J.
Published: February 2023

Naked mole-rats are subterranean mammals that are native to equatorial east Africa including Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya. They are unusual among subterranean mammals in that they live in very large colonies where many respiring animals deplete oxygen and overproduce carbon dioxide. Some of their sensory traits, such as poor vision and hearing, are considered typical of subterranean mammals. However, naked mole-rats display three sensory traits that are unusual even among subterranean mammals. First, they possess a sensitive sensory array of body vibrissae on their otherwise furless bodies. Second, they have a greatly reduced sense of inflammatory and chemical pain, but express acute mechanical and thermal pain. Third, naked mole-rats, and likely other African mole-rat species, are the only rodents known that show no postbirth growth of the vomeronasal organ, an organ associated with sensing pheromones. These sensory traits, along with extreme tolerance to hypoxia and resistance to cancer, make the naked mole-rat an important animal model for studying sensory systems as well as in multiple other scientific fields.
Mestiza Methodology as a Hybrid Research Design
Authors: Cordova Amanda Jo
Published: February 2023

Chicana feminists such as Maylei Blackwell, Cherrie Moraga, and Anna Nieto-Gómez of the 1960s Chicano Movement called for a gendered critique of racial activism mired in the stultification of Chicana leadership, ultimately galvanizing epistemology and theory grounded in a Chicana way of knowing. In particular, the introduction of a Chicana Feminist Epistemology in the 1990s to the field of education centered the reconciliation and healing of education, knowledge, and knowledge holders dehumanized by the exclusionary logics of colonialism pervasive in educational spaces. Consequently, crafting research methodologies of a Chicana hybrid nature, both locating and healing the fractured embodiment of knowledge educational actors draw upon, is critical to the groundwork of a more socially just educational system. Focused on the hybridity or the duality of knowing and the damage created by the colonial separation of such knowledge from knowledge holders, methodologies must be curated to locate and fuse back together what was torn apart. Mestiza Methodology was developed to locate the liminal space in which Chicanas collectively recount experiences leading to the separation of who they are and what they know in the academic arena as a means to recover, reclaim, and reconcile oneself to the pursuit of an education decolonized.
Mechanobiology
Authors: Yeomans Julia M.
Published: February 2023

Growth, motion, morphogenesis, and self-organization are features common to all biological systems. Harnessing chemical energy allows biological cells to function out of thermodynamic equilibrium and to alter their number, size, shape, and location. For example, the zygote that results when a mammalian egg and sperm cell fuse divides to form a ball of cells, the blastocyst. Collective cell migrations and remodeling then drive the tissue folding that determines how cells are positioned before they differentiate to grow into the stunning diversity of different living creatures. The development of organoids and tumors is controlled by the confining properties of the viscous, extracellular matrix that surrounds tissues; wounds heal through the collective motion of cell layers and escape from a surface layer into the third dimension, which determines the growth of biofilms.

The relevance of stresses, forces, and flows in these processes is clear and forms the basis of the interdisciplinary science of mechanobiology, which draws on knowledge from physics, engineering, and biochemistry to ask how cells organize their internal components, how they move, grow and divide, and how they interact mechanically with each other and with their surroundings. This approach to biological processes is particularly timely, both because of experimental advances exploiting soft lithography and enhanced imaging techniques, and because of progress in the theories of active matter, which is leading to new ways to describe the collective dynamical behavior of systems out of thermodynamic equilibrium. Identifying stresses, forces, and flows, and describing how they act, may be key to unifying research on the underlying molecular mechanisms and to interpreting a wealth of disparate data to understand biological self-organization from molecular to tissue scales.
Indigenous Religions in West Africa
Authors: Wilkens Katharina , Goshadze Mariam
Published: February 2023

Reaching from the Sahara Desert and the savanna in the north to the densely wooded areas of the Atlantic coast, West Africa is a region marked by a history of long-distance trade, large empires, European colonialism, and postcolonial nationalism. Indigenous religions here consist of a number of functionally differentiated institutions, societies, and ritual performances that vary considerably across the region. These may include lineage rituals of ancestor veneration, professional praise singers and narrators, mask societies, burial rituals, healing, puberty rites and marriage, societies dedicated to various divinities, witchcraft, annual festivals, and divination. With concepts like “fetishism” and “animism,” Western scholarship on African religions has left a deep epistemological imprint on how it has been understood. The current usage of both terms “indigenous” and “traditional” in reference to African religions reflects the variety of approaches toward decolonizing Western theories of religion and culture that emphasize different aspects of empirical research, discursive identity, and the relationship to Christianity (and to a lesser extent to Islam). Precolonial sources on the subject are rare, but some do exist, including Islamic textual sources, oral (mostly epic) literature, and archaeological data. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the changing perceptions of Indigenous religions in the face of Christian missionization and European colonialism are marked by a shift from the importance of ancestral rituals in public offices to nationalistic idealization of traditions as a means of ethnic integration. During the course of the 20th century, the neglect of, or even antagonism toward Indigenous religious expressions has led to a culturalization of ritual performances and narratives, on the one hand, and to the reactive formation of neotraditional religious groups, on the other hand. Confronted with attacks launched by Pentecostalism and Salafism, traditional religions remain relevant as actors, and observers point out their contribution to modern, decolonial societies entangled in diasporic and world history.
Outcomes of emergency surgical interventions in right-sided colonic cancer: nationwide population-based study based on Danish Colorectal Cancer Group register
Authors: El-Hussuna Alaa , Knudsen Maria , Frasson Matteo , Poulsen Laurids Østergaard
Published: February 2023

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate the trends in morbidity and mortality of patients with right-sided colonic cancer who had an emergency surgical procedure in Denmark after the introduction of quality index parameters.

Methods

This was a retrospective nationwide study based on a prospectively maintained Danish Colorectal Cancer Group database focused on right-sided colonic cancer in the interval from 1 May 2001 to 30 April 2018, who underwent emergency surgical intervention (within 48 h of hospital admission). The primary objective was to investigate the trends in morbidity and mortality throughout the study years. Multivariable estimates were adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, alcohol consumption, ASA score classification, tumour localization, type of access to abdominal cavity, surgeon’s grade of specialization, and metastatic disease.

Results

Out of 2839 patients, a total of 2740 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria, of whom 2464 underwent right or transverse colon resection (89.9 per cent). The 30-day and 90-day postoperative mortality rates were significantly reduced over the time of the study (OR 0.943, 95 per cent c.i. 0.922 to 0.965, P < 0.001 and OR 0.953, 95 per cent c.i. 0.934 to 0.972, P < 0.001 respectively); however, the complication rates did not follow this trend. Older patients (OR 1.032, 95 per cent c.i. 1.009 to 1.055, P = 0.005) and patients with high ASA scores (OR 1.61, 95 per cent c.i. 1.422 to 1.830, P < 0.001) had higher rates of severe grade 3b postoperative complications. A stoma was constructed in 276 patients (10 per cent), whereas a stent was used in only eight patients. Defunctioning procedures, including stoma construction or colonic stenting (without oncological resection), did not reduce the risk of complications compared with that of definitive surgery.

Conclusion

The 30-day and 90-day postoperative mortality rates were significantly reduced over the time of the study. Age and ASA score were risk factors for severe postoperative complications.
Verbal fluency tests assess global cognitive status but have limited diagnostic differentiation: evidence from a large-scale examination of six neurodegenerative diseases
Authors: Henderson Shalom K , Peterson Katie A , Patterson Karalyn , Lambon Ralph Matthew A , Rowe James B
Published: February 2023

Verbal fluency is widely used as a clinical test, but its utility in differentiating between neurodegenerative dementias and progressive aphasias, and from healthy controls, remains unclear. We assessed whether various measures of fluency performance could differentiate between Alzheimer’s disease, behavioural variant of frontotemporal dementia, non-fluent and semantic variants of primary progressive aphasia, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal syndrome and healthy controls. Category and letter fluency tasks were administered to 33 controls and 139 patients at their baseline clinical visit. We assessed group differences for total number of words produced, psycholinguistic word properties and associations between production order and exemplar psycholinguistic properties. Receiver operating characteristic curves determined which measure could best discriminate patient groups and controls. The total word count distinguished controls from all patient groups, but neither this measure nor the word properties differentiated the patient groups. Receiver operating characteristic curves revealed that, when comparing controls to patients, the strongest discriminators were total word count followed by word frequency. Word frequency was the strongest discriminator for semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia versus other groups. Fluency word counts were associated with global severity as measured by Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination Revised. Verbal fluency is an efficient test for assessing global brain–cognitive health but has limited utility in differentiating between cognitively and anatomically disparate patient groups. This outcome is consistent with the fact that verbal fluency requires many different aspects of higher cognition and language.
Biopsy type does not affect the number of stages during Mohs micrographic surgery: a retrospective study
Authors: Araneda Paulina , Donoso Francisca , Castro Juan C , Uribe Pablo , Rossi Anthony M , Hibler Brian P , Droppelmann Katherine , Cardenas Consuelo , Navarrete-Dechent Cristian
Published: February 2023

Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is the treatment of choice for high-risk basal cell carcinoma (BCC). However, there are no evidence-based recommendations regarding which biopsy type is more appropriate to obtain tumour samples prior to MMS. Shave or punch biopsies are performed depending on the clinical characteristics of the tumour, surgeon experience and local protocols. However, biopsy type might result in difficult histopathological interpretation and influence the practical implementation of MMS. We performed a retrospective study on 208 consecutive BCCs treated with MMS. Of the 208 BCC biopsies, 42 (20.2%) were obtained by the shave method and 166 (79.8%) via punch. Those obtained with the shave technique had a mean of 1.64 stages vs. 1.69 stages with the punch technique (P = 0.130). These findings suggest biopsy type does not affect Mohs surgery performance. The biopsy type of choice is the one deemed adequate for each specific case to obtain a diagnosis and tumour subtyping.
Evaluation of QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 interferon-γ release assay following SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination
Authors: Johnson Síle A , Phillips Eloise , Adele Sandra , Longet Stephanie , Malone Tom , Mason Chris , Stafford Lizzie , Jamsen Anni , Gardiner Siobhan , Deeks Alexandra , Neo Janice , Blurton Emily J , White Jemima , Ali Muhammed , Kronsteiner Barbara , Wilson Joseph D , Skelly Dónal T , Jeffery Katie , Conlon Christopher P , Goulder Philip , Consortium PITCH , Carroll Miles , Barnes Eleanor , Klenerman Paul , Dunachie Susanna J
Published: February 2023

T cells are important in preventing severe disease from SARS-CoV-2, but scalable and field-adaptable alternatives to expert T-cell assays are needed. The interferon-gamma release assay QuantiFERON platform was developed to detect T-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 from whole blood with relatively basic equipment and flexibility of processing timelines. Forty-eight participants with different infection and vaccination backgrounds were recruited. Whole blood samples were analysed using the QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 assay in parallel with the well-established ‘Protective Immunity from T Cells in Healthcare workers’ (PITCH) ELISpot, which can evaluate spike-specific T-cell responses. The primary aims of this cross-sectional observational cohort study were to establish if the QuantiFERON SARS-Co-V-2 assay could discern differences between specified groups and to assess the sensitivity of the assay compared with the PITCH ELISpot. The QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 distinguished acutely infected individuals (12–21 days post positive PCR) from naïve individuals (P < 0.0001) with 100% sensitivity and specificity for SARS-CoV-2 T cells, whilst the PITCH ELISpot had reduced sensitivity (62.5%) for the acute infection group. Sensitivity with QuantiFERON for previous infection was 12.5% (172–444 days post positive test) and was inferior to the PITCH ELISpot (75%). Although the QuantiFERON assay could discern differences between unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals (55–166 days since second vaccination), the latter also had reduced sensitivity (44.4%) compared to the PITCH ELISpot (66.6%). The QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 assay showed potential as a T- cell evaluation tool soon after SARS-CoV-2 infection but has lower sensitivity for use in reliable evaluation of vaccination or more distant infection.
Micromechanical controls on the brittle-plastic transition in rocks
Authors: Liu Dong , Brantut Nicolas
Published: February 2023

The rheology of rocks transitions from a cataclastic brittle behaviour to plastic flow with increasing pressure and temperature. This brittle-plastic transition is empirically observed to occur when the material strength becomes lower than the confining stress, which is termed Goetze’s criterion. Such a criterion works well for most silicates but is not universal for all materials. We aim to determine the microphysical controls and stress–strain behaviour of rocks in the brittle-plastic transition. We use a micromechanical approach due to Horii and Nemat-Nasser, and consider representative volume elements containing sliding wing-cracks and plastic zones. We find solutions for frictional slip, plastic deformation and crack opening at constant confining pressure, and obtain stress–strain evolution. We show that the brittle-plastic transition depends on the confining stress, fracture toughness and plastic yield stress but also critically on the friction coefficient on pre-existing defects. Materials with low friction are expected to be more brittle, and experience transition to fully plastic flow at higher pressure than anticipated from Goetze’s criterion. The overall success of Goetze’s criterion for the brittle-plastic transition in rocks is likely arising from the low toughness, high strength and medium friction coefficient character of most rock forming minerals.
Enhancing health-promoting isothiocyanates in Chinese kale sprouts via manipulating BoESP
Authors: Miao Huiying , Xia Chuchu , Yu Shunhao , Wang Jiansheng , Zhao Yanting , Wang Qiaomei
Published: February 2023

Glucosinolates (GSLs) are a group of sulfur-containing secondary metabolites, which are abundant in Brassica vegetables. GSL breakdown products (GBPs), especially isothiocyanates (ITCs) benefit human health. Chinese kale is a native Brassica vegetable in China, and its sprouts are rich in GSLs and nutritional substances. ITCs are the predominant GBPs while alternative products are formed in the presence of specifier proteins. However, fewer ITCs are formed in the sprouts. Epithiospecifier (ESP) promotes the formation of epithionitriles at the expense of ITCs in Arabidopsis, but a systematic study of different isoforms of ESPs in most vegetables is still missing. In this study, changes in the content of GBPs and the precursor GSLs, as well as thiols per plant were monitored during sprout development. The proportions of epithionitriles and ITCs in total GBPs were found to be increased and decreased, respectively. RNA-seq showed enhanced expression of numerous genes involved in GSLs biosynthesis and degradation, as well as sulfur assimilation in sprouts compared to seeds. Four copies of BoESPs were isolated and BoESP2 was the most abundant isoform. Generally, transcription of BoESPs showed a strong response to abscisic acid and gibberellin, and consequently epithionitriles increased under these treatments. Knockdown of BoESP2 expression through virus-induced gene silencing system could effectively increase total ITCs and decrease total epithionitriles. Overall, dynamic GSL metabolic flux exists in the sprouting period, and the expression of BoESPs determines the pattern of GBPs, suggesting that improving the health-promoting ITCs in Chinese kale sprouts through manipulating BoESPs by metabolic engineering is feasible.
Racial Disparities in Breast Imaging Wait Times Before and After the Implementation of a Same-Day Biopsy Program
Authors: Yoon Sora C , Taylor-Cho Michael W , Charles Matthew G , Grimm Lars
Published: February 2023

Objective

To examine time from screening to diagnostic workup, biopsy, and surgery for non-Hispanic White (NHW) and Black women following implementation of a same-day biopsy program.

Methods

All NHW and Black women with BI-RADS category 0 screening mammogram at Duke University Hospital were identified between August 1, 2020, and August 1, 2021. Patient characteristics were recorded. Time between screening mammogram, diagnostic workup, breast biopsy, surgical consultation, and surgery were recorded. Comparisons were made between NHW and Black women using a multivariable regression model. Diagnostic imaging to biopsy time interval was compared to historical averages before same-day biopsy implementation.

Results

There were 2156 women: 69.9% NHW (1508/2156) and 30.1% Black (648/2156). Mean ± standard deviation time from screening to diagnostic imaging overall was 13.5 ± 32.5 days but longer for Black (18.0 ± 48.3 days) than for NHW women (11.5 ± 22.2 days) (P < 0.001). The mean time from diagnostic mammogram to biopsy was 5.9 ± 18.9 days, longer for Black (9.0 ± 27.9 days) than for NHW women (4.4 ± 11.8 days) (P = 0.017). The same-day biopsy program shortened the time from diagnostic imaging to biopsy overall (12.5 ± 12.4 days vs 5.9 ± 18.9 days; P < 0.001), with a significant reduction for NHW women (12.4 ± 11.7 days vs 4.4 ± 11.8 days) (P < 0.001) but not Black women (11.5 ± 9.9 days vs 9.0 ± 27.9 days) (P = 0.527).

Conclusion

Disparities exist along the breast imaging pathway. A same-day biopsy program benefited NHW women more than Black women.
Tuberculosis Diagnosis and Preventive Monotherapy Among Children and Adolescents Exposed to Rifampicin-Resistant Tuberculosis in the Household
Authors: Apolisi Ivy , Cox Helen , Tyeku Nolitha , Daniels Johnny , Mathee Shaheed , Cariem Rabia , Douglas-Jones Bianca , Ngambu Noluvo , Mudaly Vanessa , Mohr-Holland Erika , Isaakidis Petros , Pfaff Colin , Furin Jennifer , Reuter Anja
Published: February 2023

Background

Children and adolescents with household exposure to multidrug- or rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) are at high risk of developing TB disease. Tuberculosis preventive therapy (TPT) is recommended, but programmatic experience is limited, particularly for adolescents.

Methods

We conducted a prospective cohort study to describe MDR/RR-TB diagnosis and TPT provision for individuals aged <18 years with MDR/RR-TB exposure. Participants were assessed for TB either in homes or health facilities, with referral for chest x-ray or specimen collection at clinician discretion. The TPT regimens included levofloxacin, isoniazid, or delamanid monotherapy for 6 months, based on source patient drug-resistance profile.

Results

Between March 1, 2020 and July 31, 2021, 112 participants were enrolled; median age was 8.5 years, 57 (51%) were female, and 6 (5%) had human immunodeficiency virus. On screening, 11 (10%) were diagnosed with TB: 10 presumptive MDR/RR-TB and 1 drug-susceptible TB. Overall, 95 (94% of 101) participants started TPT: 79 with levofloxacin, 9 with isoniazid, and 7 with delamanid. Seventy-six (80%) completed TPT, 12 (13%) were lost to follow up, and 7 (7%) stopped TPT early due to adverse events. Potential adverse events were reported for 12 (13%) participants; none were serious. There were no further TB diagnoses (200 days median follow up).

Conclusions

Post-MDR/RR-TB exposure management for children and adolescents resulted in significant MDR/RR-TB detection and both high TPT initiation and completion. Tuberculosis preventive monotherapy was well tolerated and there were no further TB diagnoses after initial assessment. Key factors supporting these outcomes included use of pediatric formulations for young children, monotherapy, and community-based options for assessment and follow up.
Invasive Mold Infections Following Hurricane Harvey—Houston, Texas
Authors: Toda Mitsuru , Williams Samantha , Jackson Brendan R , Wurster Sebastian , Serpa Jose A , Nigo Masayuki , Grimes Carolyn Z , Atmar Robert L , Chiller Tom M , Ostrosky-Zeichner Luis , Kontoyiannis Dimitrios P
Published: February 2023

Background

Characterizing invasive mold infection (IMI) epidemiology in the context of large flooding events is important for public health planning and clinical decision making.

Methods

We assessed IMI incidence (per 10 000 healthcare encounters) 1 year before and after Hurricane Harvey at 4 hospitals in Houston, Texas. Potential IMI cases were assigned as proven or probable cases using established definitions, and surveillance cases using a novel definition. We used rate ratios to describe IMI incidence and multivariable logistic regression to examine patient characteristics associated with IMI case status.

Results

IMI incidence was significantly higher posthurricane (3.69 cases) than prehurricane (2.50 cases) (rate ratio, 1.48 [95% confidence interval, 1.10–2.00]), largely driven by surveillance IMI cases. Aspergillus was the most common species cultured (33.5% prehurricane and 39.9% posthurricane). About one-quarter (25.8%) of IMI patients lacked classical IMI risk factors such as hematologic malignancy and transplantations. Overall, 45.1% of IMI patients received intensive care, and in-hospital all-cause mortality was 24.2%.

Conclusions

IMI incidence likely increased following Hurricane Harvey and outcomes for IMI patients were severe. Patient and clinician education on IMI prevention and identification is warranted, particularly as the frequency of extreme weather events increases due to climate change.
Blood Inflammatory Biomarkers Differentiate Inpatient and Outpatient Coronavirus Disease 2019 From Influenza
Authors: Luciani Lauren L , Miller Leigh M , Zhai Bo , Clarke Karen , Hughes Kramer Kailey , Schratz Lucas J , Balasubramani G K , Dauer Klancie , Nowalk M Patricia , Zimmerman Richard K , Shoemaker Jason E , Alcorn John F
Published: February 2023

Background

The ongoing circulation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) poses a diagnostic challenge because symptoms of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are difficult to distinguish from other respiratory diseases. Our goal was to use statistical analyses and machine learning to identify biomarkers that distinguish patients with COVID-19 from patients with influenza.

Methods

Cytokine levels were analyzed in plasma and serum samples from patients with influenza and COVID-19, which were collected as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Hospitalized Adult Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness Network (inpatient network) and the US Flu Vaccine Effectiveness (outpatient network).

Results

We determined that interleukin (IL)-10 family cytokines are significantly different between COVID-19 and influenza patients. The results suggest that the IL-10 family cytokines are a potential diagnostic biomarker to distinguish COVID-19 and influenza infection, especially for inpatients. We also demonstrate that cytokine combinations, consisting of up to 3 cytokines, can distinguish SARS-CoV-2 and influenza infection with high accuracy in both inpatient (area under the receiver operating characteristics curve [AUC] = 0.84) and outpatient (AUC = 0.81) groups, revealing another potential screening tool for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Conclusions

This study not only reveals prospective screening tools for COVID-19 infections that are independent of polymerase chain reaction testing or clinical condition, but it also emphasizes potential pathways involved in disease pathogenesis that act as potential targets for future mechanistic studies.
Beyond Rainbow Flags and Resilience
Authors: Scrine Elly
Published: February 2023

There is palpable academic and sociocultural attention currently being directed towards the notion of diversity and inclusion. Contextualized by neoliberalism and other forces, these practices can operate as a thin façade, offering a promise of equality while offloading responsibility for change onto individuals to adapt, self-regulate, and develop resilience. Across a range of contexts with ‘vulnerable’ young people, music is identified as a potential site for building resilience. In music therapy, literature concerned with LGBTQIA+ practice has typically focused on constructing safe spaces for queer and gender-diverse clients rather than addressing larger systemic issues that necessitate the need for such refuge. This chapter examines the role of neoliberalism in placing responsibility on individuals to overcome adversity and where therapeutic intervention is posed as a solution to issues of social inequity. I write with an intention to journey beyond categorizing LGBTQIA+ people as a cohesive and distinct subject group, focusing instead on the gender binary and heteronormativity as ideologies under which we all exist, and their intersection with other systems of oppression. The latter part of the chapter elucidates some of these notions through a case study, drawn from my research with young people exploring gender in high school. I bring into focus the sociopolitical context of a school that used superficial notions of diversity to claim itself as progressive, highlighting the role of music in responding to these dynamics and building young people’s political agency.
Bone mineral density in patients diagnosed with giant cell arteritis taking glucocorticoids: a case–control study
Authors: Geressu Adam , Sultan Zain , Bukhari Marwan
Published: February 2023

Objective

The standard treatment for GCA is high-dose glucocorticoids (GCs). It is unknown whether GCs are more detrimental to BMD at the spine or the hip. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of GCs on BMD at the lumbar spine and hip in patients with GCA being treated with GCs.

Methods

Patients who were referred for DXA at a hospital in the north-west of England between 2010 and 2019 were included. Two patient groups were identified: patients with GCA on current GC (cases) were matched 1:4 based on age and biological sex to those referred to the scanner with no indication for scanning (controls). Logistic models were fitted looking at the spine and hip BMD, unadjusted and adjusted for height and weight.

Results

As would be expected, this gave an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 0.280 (95% CI 0.071, 1.110) at the lumbar spine, OR of 0.238 (95% CI 0.033, 1.719) at the left femoral neck, OR of 0.187 (95% CI 0.037, 0.948) at the right femoral neck, OR of 0.005 (95% CI 0.001, 0.021) at the left total hip and OR of 0.003 (95% CI 0.001, 0.015) at the right total hip.

Conclusion

The study has shown that patients diagnosed with GCA receiving GC treatment have a lower BMD at the right femoral neck, left total hip and right total hip compared with controls in patients of the same age and biological sex after adjusting for height and weight.
How does trip frequency distort time value to impact congestion charging schemes?
Authors: Li Maosheng , Li Hangcong
Published: February 2023

A notable feature of a city or region with close economic and social connections with its neighbours is its highly mixed local and external traffic, and in some cases the external traffic volume is almost as high as that of local traffic. Whilst local traffic volume may be largely made up of the same regular local commuters making frequent trips, external traffic from outside of the city (region) may not be the same people making regular trips to/from the city. However, from a large pool of people making infrequent trips to/from the city, the existence of external traffic is proven by data from the licence plate recognition system of road vehicles in Changde, China. The function of value of time correlated with the income/wage rate and trip frequency is exploited and verified statistically. The time value distorted by trip frequency is defined as perceived time value (PTV), which also influences the way travellers perceive any travel impedance such as congestion delay and toll charges. This paper analyses the price of anarchy (POA) when explicitly considering the travel frequency of the trip-makers and their PTV, and compares with previous analysis without considering travel frequency. We show that when travel frequency is considered, the optimal toll of congested road pricing schemes which converts road traffic flow from user equilibrium into system optimization is much lower than that without considering travel frequency. The cost of licence plate auction cannot be treated as a congestion toll, which is only a threshold of vehicle ownership. That travellers choose routes by PTV rather than TV (time value) is proven by an example of Heishipu Bridge in Changsha, Hunan Province, China.
Research and development of prevention and control measures on the transmission of pathogens in compartments of passenger transport
Authors: Tian Hongqi , Wang Tiantian , Xu Lei , Sha Miao , Chen Shujun , Yang Zeyun , Zhu Yan , Chen Dawei , Li Hengkui , Zhang Lei , Qian Bosen , Tian Xudong
Published: February 2023

Contagious pathogens like COVID-19 transmitted via respiratory droplets spread effortlessly in the passenger compartments of transport, significantly jeopardizing passengers’ safety when taking public transportation. To date, studies on the fundamental theories of airborne droplet transmission and the engineering application of decontamination techniques are insufficient for the prevention and control of pathogens transmitting in the compartments of passenger transport. It is essential to systematically investigate the control approaches to restrain pathogens from transmitting in passenger compartments. Herein, a theoretical framework for calculating the transmission of pathogens in a complex compartment environment was proposed, and experimental platforms that satisfy the Biosafety Level-2 Laboratory safety level for compartment environment simulations were built based on a set of real train cabins. On these bases, numerical investigations on the motion of pathogen-laden droplets were conducted, and decontamination techniques were examined experimentally. Thereby, control measures on the pathogen transmission and pathogen decontamination schemes were proposed. Moreover, highly efficient decontamination devices were developed, and coping strategies for epidemic emergencies were devised. The outcomes provide theoretical and technical support for developing the next generation of transportation and the prevention and control measures cooperatively considering regular and pandemic times.
Diversity of Fungal Endophytes in American Ginseng Seeds
Authors: Zhang Jiguang , Hu Hongyan , Li Shuaihui , Shang Wenjing , Jiang Jinlong , Xu Xiangming , Liu Deming , Hu Xiaoping
Published: February 2023

Seeds play a critical role in the production of American ginseng. Seeds are also one of the most important media for the long-distant dissemination and the crucial way for pathogen survival. Figuring out the pathogens carried by seeds is the basis for effective management of seedborne diseases. In this paper, we tested the fungi carried by the seeds of American ginseng from the main production areas of China using incubation and highly throughput sequencing methods. The seed-carried rates of fungi in Liuba, Fusong, Rongcheng, and Wendeng were 100, 93.8, 75.2, and 45.7%, respectively. Sixty-seven fungal species, which belonged to 28 genera, were isolated from the seeds. Eleven pathogens were identified from the seed samples. Among the pathogens, Fusarium spp. were found in all of the seed samples. The relative abundance of Fusarium spp. in the kernel was higher than that in the shell. Alpha index showed that the fungal diversity between seed shell and kernel differed significantly. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling analysis revealed that the samples from different provinces and between seed shell and kernel were distinctly separated. The inhibition rates of four fungicides to seed-carried fungi of American ginseng were 71.83% for Tebuconazole SC, 46.67% for Azoxystrobin SC, 46.08% for Fludioxonil WP, and 11.11% for Phenamacril SC. Fludioxonil, a conventional seed treatment agent, showed a low inhibitory effect on seed-carried fungi of American ginseng.
Long‐term exercise preserves pancreatic islet structure and β‐cell mass through attenuation of islet inflammation and fibrosis
Authors: Carvalho Vladmir H. C. , Wang Qianqian , Xu Xiaohan , Liu Lijie , Jiang Weixin , Wang Xiaohang , Wang Jinbang , Li Wei , Chen Juan , Li Tingting , Chen Yang , Zhu Wenwen , Sun Zilin , Qiu Shanhu
Published: February 2023

Islet fibrosis is associated with the disruption of islet structure and contributes to β‐cell dysfunction, playing an essential role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Physical exercise has been shown to attenuate fibrosis in various organs; however, the effect of exercise on islet fibrosis has not been defined. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into four groups: normal diet sedentary [N‐Sed], normal diet + exercise [N‐Ex], high‐fat diet sedentary [H‐Sed], and high‐fat diet + exercise [H‐Ex]. After 60 weeks of exercise, 4452 islets from Masson‐stained slides were analyzed. Exercise led to a 68% and 45% reduction in islet fibrosis in the normal and high‐fat diet groups and was correlated with a lower serum blood glucose. Fibrotic islets were characterized by irregular shapes and substantial loss of β‐cell mass, which were significantly reduced in the exercise groups. Remarkably, the islets from exercised rats at week 60 were morphologically comparable to those of sedentary rats at 26 weeks. In addition, the protein and RNA levels of collagen and fibronectin, and the protein levels of hydroxyproline in the islets were also attenuated by exercise. This was accompanied by a significant reduction in inflammatory markers in the circulation Interleukin‐1 beta (IL‐1β)] and pancreas [IL‐1β, Tumor Necrosis Factor‐alpha, Transforming Growth Factor‐β, and Phosphorylated Nuclear Factor Kappa‐B p65 subunit], lower macrophage infiltration, and stellate cell activation in the islets of exercised rats. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that long‐term exercise preserves pancreatic islet structure and β‐cell mass through anti‐inflammatory and anti‐fibrotic actions, suggesting additional rationales for the success of exercise training in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes that should be further explored.
CircHOMER1 inhibits porcine adipogenesis via the miR‐23b/SIRT1 axis
Authors: Li Meng , Li Jiao , Ji Mengting , An Jiaqi , Zhao Tianzhi , Yang Yang , Cai Chunbo , Gao Pengfei , Cao Guoqing , Guo Xiaohong , Li Bugao
Published: February 2023

Fat deposition is critical to pork quality. However, the mechanism of fat deposition remains to be elucidated. Circular RNAs (circRNAs) are ideal biomarkers and are involved in adipogenesis. Here, we investigated the effect and mechanism of circHOMER1 on porcine adipogenesis in vitro and in vivo. Western blotting, Oil red O staining, and HE staining were used to assess the function of circHOMER1 in adipogenesis. The results showed that circHOMER1 inhibited adipogenic differentiation of porcine preadipocytes and suppressed adipogenesis in mice. Dual‐luciferase reporter gene, RIP, and pull‐down assays demonstrated that miR‐23b directly bound to circHOMER1 and the 3′‐UTR of SIRT1. Rescue experiments further illustrated the regulatory relationship among circHOMER1, miR‐23b, and SIRT1. Conclusively, we demonstrate that circHOMER1 plays an inhibitory role in porcine adipogenesis through miR‐23b and SIRT1. The present study revealed the mechanism of porcine adipogenesis, which may be helpful to improve pork quality.
Antithrombotic therapy and bleeding risk in the era of aggressive lipid-lowering: current evidence, clinical implications, and future perspectives
Authors: Zhou Xin , Li Ziping , Liu Hangkuan , Li Yongle , Zhao Dong , Yang Qing
Published: February 2023

The clinical efficacy of proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i) in reducing major cardiovascular adverse events related to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) has been well established in recent large randomized outcome trials. Although the cardiovascular and all-cause mortality benefit of PCSK9i remains inconclusive, current cholesterol management guidelines have been modified toward more aggressive goals for lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Consequently, the emerging concept of “the lower the better” has become the paradigm of ASCVD prevention. However, there is evidence from observational studies of a U-shaped association between baseline LDL-C levels and all-cause mortality in population-based cohorts. Among East Asian populations, low LDL-C was associated with an increased risk for hemorrhagic stroke in patients not on antithrombotic therapy. Accumulating evidence showed that low LDL-C was associated with an enhanced bleeding risk in patients on dual antiplatelet therapy following percutaneous coronary intervention. Additionally, low LDL-C was associated with a higher risk for incident atrial fibrillation and thereby, a possible increase in the risk for intracranial hemorrhage after initiation of anticoagulation therapy. The mechanism of low-LDL-C-related bleeding risk has not been fully elucidated. This review summarizes recent evidence of low-LDL-C-related bleeding risk in patients on antithrombotic therapy and discusses potential measures for reducing this risk, underscoring the importance of carefully weighing the pros and cons of aggressive LDL-C lowering in patients on antithrombotic therapy.
Clinical feature difference between juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with SPTLC1 and FUS mutations
Authors: Wang Peishan , Wei Qiao , Li Hongfu , Wu Zhi-Ying
Published: February 2023

Background:

Juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (JALS) is an uncommon form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis whose age at onset (AAO) is defined as prior to 25 years. FUS mutations are the most common cause of JALS. SPTLC1 was recently identified as a disease-causative gene for JALS, which has rarely been reported in Asian populations. Little is known regarding the difference in clinical features between JALS patients carrying FUS and SPTLC1 mutations. This study aimed to screen mutations in JALS patients and to compare the clinical features between JALS patients with FUS and SPTLC1 mutations.

Methods:

Sixteen JALS patients were enrolled, including three newly recruited patients between July 2015 and August 2018 from the Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Mutations were screened by whole-exome sequencing. In addition, clinical features such as AAO, onset site and disease duration were extracted and compared between JALS patients carrying FUS and SPTLC1 mutations through a literature review.

Results:

A novel and de novo SPTLC1 mutation (c.58G>A, p.A20T) was identified in a sporadic patient. Among 16 JALS patients, 7/16 carried FUS mutations and 5/16 carried respective SPTLC1, SETX, NEFH, DCTN1, and TARDBP mutations. Compared with FUS mutation patients, those with SPTLC1 mutations had an earlier AAO (7.9 ± 4.6 years vs. 18.1 ± 3.9 years, P < 0.01), much longer disease duration (512.0 [416.7–607.3] months vs. 33.4 [21.6–45.1] months, P < 0.01), and no onset of bulbar.

Conclusion:

Our findings expand the genetic and phenotypic spectrum of JALS and help to better understand the genotype–phenotype correlation of JALS.
Characteristics of Peripheral Neuropathy in Patients With Livedoid Vasculopathy
Authors: Eswaran Harish , Traub Rebecca , Googe Paul , Moll Stephan
Published: February 2023

Livedoid vasculopathy (LV) is an ulcerative disorder of the lower extremities characterized by dermal vessel thrombosis with unclear cause. Recent reports of LV-associated upper extremity peripheral neuropathy and epineurial thrombosis suggest a systemic etiology for the condition. We sought to outline the characteristics of peripheral neuropathy in patients with LV. Cases of LV with concurrent peripheral neuropathy and reviewable electrodiagnostic testing reports were identified by electronic medical record database query and examined in detail. Of 53 patients with LV, 33 (62%) had peripheral neuropathy, 11 had reviewable electrodiagnostic reports, and 6 had no clear alternative explanation for neuropathy. Distal symmetric polyneuropathy was the most commonly observed pattern of neuropathy (n = 3) followed by mononeuropathy multiplex (n = 2). Most patients experienced symptoms in both upper and lower extremities (n = 4). Peripheral neuropathy is common in patients with LV. Whether this association is reflective of a systemic, prothrombotic etiology remains to be determined.