bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Covid-19 lockdowns on social distancing in Turkey
Authors: Bilgel Fırat
Published: May 2022

This paper elucidates the causal effect of lockdowns on social distancing behaviour in Turkey by adopting an augmented synthetic control and a factor-augmented model approach for imputing counterfactuals. By constructing a synthetic control group that reproduces pre-lockdown trajectory of mobility of the treated provinces and that accommodates staggered adoption, the difference between the counterfactual and actual mobility of treated provinces is assessed in the post-lockdown period. The analysis shows that in the short run following the onset of lockdowns, outdoor mobility would have been about 17–53 percentage points higher on average in the absence of lockdowns, depending on social distancing measure. However, residential mobility would have been about 12 percentage points lower in the absence of lockdowns. The findings are corroborated using interactive fixed effects and matrix completion counterfactuals that accommodate staggered adoption and treatment reversals.
Acute coronary syndrome due to plaque erosion likely triggered by insect bites: a case series of Kounis syndrome
Authors: Katayama Yosuke , Taniguchi Motoki , Ota Shingo , Satogami Keisuke , Ozaki Yuichi , Ino Yasushi , Tanaka Atsushi
Published: May 2022

Background

Kounis syndrome is the concurrence of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), including coronary spasm, acute myocardial infarction, and stent thrombosis due to an allergic and/or anaphylactoid insult.

Case summary

We present two cases of Kounis syndrome likely triggered by insect bites, with plaque erosion demonstrated using optical coherence tomography (OCT). Three common findings were derived from this case series. First, the patients developed a rash after an insect bite followed by ACS. Second, immunoglobulin E levels were increased. Finally, OCT identified the aetiology of ACS in this case series as erosion of the culprit lesions.

Discussion

Kounis syndrome, which is ACS following allergic reactions due to insect bites, is a rare complication. Kounis syndrome is probably not uncommon, but underdiagnosed. It is important for physicians to consider the treatment of Kounis syndrome in the complex course of ACS associated with allergic reactions. Furthermore, patients with a history of Kounis syndrome should avoid antigen exposure during secondary prophylaxis. In some cases, it may take several days from antigen exposure to the onset of ACS. Considering Kounis syndrome is beneficial for early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Muscle-Specific Cellular and Molecular Adaptations to Late-Life Voluntary Concurrent Exercise
Authors: Dungan Cory M , Brightwell Camille R , Wen Yuan , Zdunek Christopher J , Latham Christine M , Thomas Nicholas T , Zagzoog Alyaa M , Brightwell Benjamin D , Nolt Georgia L , Keeble Alexander R , Watowich Stanley J , Murach Kevin A , Fry Christopher S
Published: May 2022

Murine exercise models can provide information on factors that influence muscle adaptability with aging, but few translatable solutions exist. Progressive weighted wheel running (PoWeR) is a simple, voluntary, low-cost, high-volume endurance/resistance exercise approach for training young mice. In the current investigation, aged mice (22-mo-old) underwent a modified version of PoWeR for 8 wk. Muscle functional, cellular, biochemical, transcriptional, and myonuclear DNA methylation analyses provide an encompassing picture of how muscle from aged mice responds to high-volume combined training. Mice run 6–8 km/d, and relative to sedentary mice, PoWeR increases plantarflexor muscle strength. The oxidative soleus of aged mice responds to PoWeR similarly to young mice in every parameter measured in previous work; this includes muscle mass, glycolytic-to-oxidative fiber type transitioning, fiber size, satellite cell frequency, and myonuclear number. The oxidative/glycolytic plantaris adapts according to fiber type, but with modest overall changes in muscle mass. Capillarity increases markedly with PoWeR in both muscles, which may be permissive for adaptability in advanced age. Comparison to published PoWeR RNA-sequencing data in young mice identified conserved regulators of adaptability across age and muscles; this includes Aldh1l1 which associates with muscle vasculature. Agrn and Samd1 gene expression is upregulated after PoWeR simultaneous with a hypomethylated promoter CpG in myonuclear DNA, which could have implications for innervation and capillarization. A promoter CpG in Rbm10 is hypomethylated by late-life exercise in myonuclei, consistent with findings in muscle tissue. PoWeR and the data herein are a resource for uncovering cellular and molecular regulators of muscle adaptation with aging.
Generation of a mouse model of the neurodevelopmental disorder with dysmorphic facies and distal limb anomalies syndrome
Authors: Zapata Gerardo , Yan Keqin , Picketts David J
Published: May 2022

Heterozygous variants in bromodomain and plant homeodomain containing transcription factor (BPTF) cause the neurodevelopmental disorder with dysmorphic facies and distal limb anomalies (NEDDFL) syndrome (MIM#617755) characterized by intellectual disability, speech delay and postnatal microcephaly. BPTF functions within nucleosome and remodeling factor (NURF), a complex comprising sucrose non-fermenting like (SNF2L), an Imitation SWItching (ISWI) chromatin remodeling protein encoded by the SWI/SNF related, matrix associated, actin dependent regulator of chromatin, subfamily a, member 1 (SMARCA1) gene. Surprisingly, ablation of Smarca1 resulted in mice with enlarged brains, a direct contrast to the phenotype of NEDDFL patients. To model the NEDDFL syndrome, we generated forebrain-specific Bptf knockout (Bptf conditional Knockout (cKO)) mice. The Bptf cKO mice were born in normal Mendelian ratios, survived to adulthood but were smaller in size with severe cortical hypoplasia. Prolonged progenitor cell cycle length and a high incidence of cell death reduced the neuronal output. Cortical lamination was also disrupted with reduced proportions of deep layer neurons, and neuronal maturation defects that impaired the acquisition of distinct cell fates (e.g. COUP-TF-interacting protein 2 (Ctip2)+ neurons). RNAseq and pathway analysis identified altered expression of fate-determining transcription factors and the biological pathways involved in neural development, apoptotic signaling and amino acid biosynthesis. Dysregulated genes were enriched for MYC Proto-Oncogene, BHLH Transcription Factor (Myc)-binding sites, a known BPTF transcriptional cofactor. We propose the Bptf cKO mouse as a valuable model for further study of the NEDDFL syndrome.
Molecular Network Analyses Implicate Death-Associated Protein Kinase 3 (DAPK3) as a Key Factor in Colitis-Associated Dysplasia Progression
Authors: Chen Huey-Miin , MacDonald Justin A
Published: May 2022

Background

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a progressive disorder that elevates the risk of colon cancer development through a colitis-dysplasia-carcinoma sequence. Gene expression profiling of colitis-associated lesions obtained from patients with varied extents of UC can be mined to define molecular panels associated with colon cancer development.

Methods

Differential gene expression profiles of 3 UC clinical subtypes and healthy controls were developed for the GSE47908 microarray data set of healthy controls, left-sided colitis, pancolitis, and colitis-associated dysplasia (CAD) using limma R.

Results

A gene ontology enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed a shift in the transcriptome landscape as UC progressed from left-sided colitis to pancolitis to CAD, from being immune-centric to being cytoskeleton-dependent. Hippo signaling (via Yes-associated protein [YAP]) and Ephrin receptor signaling were the top canonical pathways progressively altered in concert with the pathogenic progression of UC. A molecular interaction network analysis of DEGs in left-sided colitis, pancolitis, and CAD revealed 1 pairwise line, or edge, that was topologically important to the network structure. This edge was found to be highly enriched in actin-based processes, and death-associated protein kinase 3 (DAPK3) was a critical member and sole protein kinase member of this network. Death-associated protein kinase 3 is a regulator of actin-cytoskeleton reorganization that controls proliferation and apoptosis. Differential correlation analyses revealed a negative correlation for DAPK3-YAP in healthy controls that flipped to positive in left-sided colitis. With UC progression to CAD, the DAPK3-YAP correlation grew progressively more positive.

Conclusion

In summary, DAPK3 was identified as a candidate gene involved in UC progression to dysplasia.
Comparative Efficacy of Biologic Therapies for Inducing Response and Remission in Fistulizing Crohn’s Disease: Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Shehab Mohammad , Alrashed Fatema , Heron Valérie , Restellini Sophie , Bessissow Talat
Published: May 2022

Background

The medical treatment of fistulizing Crohn’s disease (CD) remains a challenge to clinicians. Over the last 20 years, biologic therapies have been the mainstay of medical treatment of fistulizing CD. The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy of biologic therapies in inducing response and remission in fistulizing CD.

Methods

We performed a systematic review of the EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Central databases from inception to December 2021. Inclusion criteria were any randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the efficacy of biologic therapies against an active comparator or placebo for induction of response or remission in adults with fistulizing CD. The proportion of patients with fistula response or remission, as defined by each clinical trial, was our primary study outcome. A Bayesian random-effects network meta-analysis was used to measure treatment effects and results were reported as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

In our analysis, 10 studies were included, and all were RCTs. Infliximab was superior to adalimumab in inducing response (OR, 0.24; 95% CI, 0.06-0.99) but not in inducing remission (OR, 0.31; 95% CI, 0.04-2.27). Tumor necrosis factor antagonists were superior to placebo in the induction of response (OR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.35-0.750) and remission (OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.22-0.58). Infliximab was superior to placebo in inducing response (OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.17-0.75) and remission (OR, 0.17; 95% CI, 0.03-0.87). Ustekinumab was superior to placebo in inducing response (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.26-0.860) but not in inducing remission (OR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.13-1.93). When comparing biologic therapies against each other, there was no statistical difference in inducing remission. Vedolizumab was not superior to placebo in inducing remission (OR, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.04-2.29). Certolizumab was not superior to placebo in inducing response (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.40-1.55) or remission (OR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.40-1.55).

Conclusions

Tumor necrosis factor antagonists are effective in inducing response and remission in fistulizing CD. Infliximab was superior to adalimumab for inducing response but not for inducing remission. Ustekinumab is effective in the induction of response but not in the induction of remission. When compared against each other, biologic therapies showed no significant difference in the induction of remission. Based on the available data, infliximab is the preferred first-line treatment. As for other biologics, the limited published data do not allow us to make firm recommendations. This study supports current practice and emphasizes the need for dedicated RCTs to evaluate the efficacy of biologic therapies in fistulizing CD.
Assessment of Regulatory Compliance Testing for Vitamin D in Infant Formula—Impact of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/828
Authors: Gilliland Donald L , Gill Brendon D , Kissling Roger C , Starkey Dustin E , Indyk Harvey E , McMahon Adrienne , Broek Arnold P , van Gool Martine P , Cruijsen Hans M M , Konings Erik J M , Campos-Gimenez Esther
Published: May 2022

Background

Since the publication of Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPR®) for vitamin D in infant formula (SMPR 2011.004) by AOAC INTERNATIONAL, revised vitamin D limits have been recommended by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for infant formula and adopted in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/828. The vitamin D range introduced, 2–2.5 μg/100 kcal, is significantly narrower than previous limits specified by Codex Standard 72–1981 and requires lower method reproducibility metrics to adequately assess regulatory compliance. The narrower limits for vitamin D present a significant challenge for current-generation reference analytical methods that comply with SMPR 2011.004.

Objective

We evaluate the impact of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/828 on the demonstrated performance of AOAC Method 2016.05/ISO 20636:2018 to assess the likelihood that vitamin D results produced by the method would be found outside the EU limits when testing infant formula that is compliant as manufactured.

Methods

AOAC Method 2016.05/ISO 20636:2018, specifically data generated during multi-laboratory study, was used as a basis for statistical evaluation of the impact of the narrower EU vitamin D limits.

Results

The review of AOAC Method 2016.05/ISO 20636:2018 method performance against the vitamin D regulatory range introduced in (EU) 2019/828 indicates methods capable of performing in alignment with SMPR 2011.004 are likely to produce results that fail to meet EU requirements.

Conclusions

Our assessment illustrates the high probability that a well-manufactured product with vitamin D levels within the EU regulatory range would fail to meet the regulatory requirements due to analytical method variability when tested using fit-for-purpose methods. Further, required method performance cannot be expected with the future development of new methods. To avoid this, consideration should be given to aligning proposed regulatory limits with method performance metrics of current-generation compendial methods.

Highlights

Current, state-of-the-art methods cannot consistently verify infant formula product compliance for vitamin D in accordance with (EU) 2019/828.
Sensory attributes, dog preference ranking, and oxidation rate evaluation of sorghum-based baked treats supplemented with soluble animal proteins
Authors: Lema Almeida Krystina A , Koppel Kadri , Aldrich Charles G
Published: May 2022

Treats are offered to dogs to reinforce the animal–owner bond and as rewards. Wheat, which contains gluten (gliadin and glutenin proteins), is often used in treats. The United States is a leading producer of sorghum which might be an alternative; however, it does not have functional properties to form viscoelastic doughs, because it is mainly composed of kafirin protein. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to determine the effects of supplementing soluble animal proteins in whole sorghum rotary-molded baked dog treats on dog preference, sensory attributes, and oxidation rate. The treats were produced in triplicate in a 2 x 4 + 1 augmented factorial arrangement of treatments. Two whole sorghum flours (WWS and WRS), four protein sources [none (NC), spray-dried plasma (SDP), egg protein (EP), and gelatin (GL)], and a positive control with wheat (WWF-GTN) were evaluated. A preference ranking test with twelve dogs was performed. Additionally, five trained panelists scored the intensity of appearance, aroma, flavor, texture/mouthfeel, and aftertaste attributes. Finally, the treats were stored at 30 °C and 60% RH, and hexanal concentrations were measured on days 0, 28, 56, and 112. The data was analyzed using the statistical software SAS for the animal and oxidation rate evaluations with significance considered at P<0.05. The descriptive sensory evaluation data was analyzed using multivariate analysis (XLSTAT). The dogs did not detect differences among WWF-GTN, WWS, or WRS treats when evaluated together. However, the WWF-GTN, WWS-SDP, and WWS-EP treatments were preferred among the white sorghum treatments. The EP treatments led to some consumption difficulties by dogs because of their hard texture. The panelists reported a high degree of variation in the appearance and texture across treatments. The WRS and WWS treats with SDP or EP were darker, while NC treats had more surface cracks. Initial crispness, hardness, and fracturability were higher in EP treatments compared to all other sorghum treatments. The predominant flavor and aftertaste identified were “grainy.” The hexanal values for all treats were <1.0 mg/kg except for the EP treatments that had higher values (2.0–19.3 mg/kg) across the shelf-life test. This work indicated that the replacement of WWF-GTN by WWS and WRS, along with soluble animal proteins like SDP or GL would produce comparable preference by dogs, oxidation rates, product aromatics, flavor, aftertaste attributes, and, at a lower degree, product texture.
Non-resonant relaxation of anisotropic globular clusters
Authors: Tep Kerwann , Fouvry Jean-Baptiste , Pichon Christophe
Published: May 2022

Globular clusters are dense stellar systems whose core slowly contracts under the effect of self-gravity. The rate of this process was recently found to be directly linked to the initial amount of velocity anisotropy: tangentially anisotropic clusters contract faster than radially anisotropic ones. Furthermore, initially anisotropic clusters are found to generically tend towards more isotropic distributions during the onset of contraction. Chandrasekhar’s ‘non-resonant’ (NR) theory of diffusion describes this relaxation as being driven by a sequence of local two-body deflections along each star’s orbit. We explicitly tailor this NR prediction to anisotropic clusters, and compare it with N-body realizations of Plummer spheres with varying degrees of anisotropy. The NR theory is shown to recover remarkably well the detailed shape of the orbital diffusion and the associated initial isotropization, up to a global multiplicative prefactor which increases with anisotropy. Strikingly, a simple effective isotropic prescription provides almost as good a fit, as long as the cluster’s anisotropy is not too strong. For these more extreme clusters, accounting for long-range resonant relaxation may be necessary to capture these clusters’ long-term evolution.
HD 28109 hosts a trio of transiting Neptunian planets including a near-resonant pair, confirmed by ASTEP from Antarctica
Authors: Dransfield Georgina , Triaud Amaury H M J , Guillot Tristan , Mekarnia Djamel , Nesvorný David , Crouzet Nicolas , Abe Lyu , Agabi Karim , Buttu Marco , Cabrera Juan , Gandolfi Davide , Günther Maximilian N , Rodler Florian , Schmider François-Xavier , Stee Philippe , Suarez Olga , Collins Karen A , Dévora-Pajares Martín , Howell Steve B , Matthews Elisabeth C , Standing Matthew R , Stassun Keivan G , Stockdale Chris , Quinn Samuel N , Ziegler Carl , Crossfield Ian J M , Lissauer Jack J , Mann Andrew W , Matson Rachel , Schlieder Joshua , Zhou George
Published: May 2022

We report on the discovery and characterization of three planets orbiting the F8 star HD 28109, which sits comfortably in ${TESS}$’s continuous viewing zone. The two outer planets have periods of $\rm 56.0067 \pm 0.0003~d$ and $\rm 84.2597_{-0.0008}^{+0.0010}~d$, which implies a period ratio very close to that of the first-order 3:2 mean motion resonance, exciting transit timing variations (TTVs) of up to $\rm 60\, min$. These two planets were first identified by ${TESS}$, and we identified a third planet in the ${TESS}$photometry with a period of $\rm 22.8911 \pm 0.0004~d$. We confirm the planetary nature of all three planetary candidates using ground-based photometry from Hazelwood, ${ASTEP}$, and LCO, including a full detection of the $\rm \sim 9\, h$ transit of HD 28109 c from Antarctica. The radii of the three planets are ${\it R}_b=2.199_{-0.10}^{+0.098} ~{\rm R}_{\oplus }$, ${\it R}_c=4.23\pm 0.11~ {\rm R}_{\oplus }$, and ${\it R}_d=3.25\pm 0.11 ~{\rm R}_{\oplus }$; we characterize their masses using TTVs and precise radial velocities from ESPRESSO and HARPS, and find them to be ${\it M}_b=18.5_{-7.6}^{+9.1}~M_{\oplus }$, ${\it M}_c=7.9_{-3.0}^{+4.2}~{\rm M}_{\oplus }$, and ${\it M}_d=5.7_{-2.1}^{+2.7}~{\rm M}_{\oplus }$, making planet b a dense, massive planet while c and d are both underdense. We also demonstrate that the two outer planets are ripe for atmospheric characterization using transmission spectroscopy, especially given their position in the CVZ of James Webb Space Telescope. The data obtained to date are consistent with resonant (librating) and non-resonant (circulating) solutions; additional observations will show whether the pair is actually locked in resonance or just near-resonant.
Using machine learning to identify extragalactic globular cluster candidates from ground-based photometric surveys of M87
Authors: Barbisan Emilia , Huang Jeff , Dage Kristen C , Haggard Daryl , Arnason Robin , Bahramian Arash , Clarkson William I , Kundu Arunav , Zepf Stephen E
Published: May 2022

Globular clusters (GCs) have been at the heart of many longstanding questions in many sub-fields of astronomy and, as such, systematic identification of GCs in external galaxies has immense impacts. In this study, we take advantage of M87’s well-studied GC system to implement supervised machine learning (ML) classification algorithms – specifically random forest and neural networks – to identify GCs from foreground stars and background galaxies, using ground-based photometry from the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope (CFHT). We compare these two ML classification methods to studies of ‘human-selected’ GCs and find that the best-performing random forest model can reselect 61.2 per cent ± 8.0 per cent of GCs selected from HST data (ACSVCS) and the best-performing neural network model reselects 95.0 per cent ± 3.4 per cent. When compared to human-classified GCs and contaminants selected from CFHT data – independent of our training data – the best-performing random forest model can correctly classify 91.0 per cent ± 1.2 per cent and the best-performing neural network model can correctly classify 57.3 per cent ± 1.1 per cent. ML methods in astronomy have been receiving much interest as Vera C. Rubin Observatory prepares for first light. The observables in this study are selected to be directly comparable to early Rubin Observatory data and the prospects for running ML algorithms on the upcoming data set yields promising results.
On the numerical integration of an explicit solution of the homologous collapse’s radial evolution in time
Authors: Calvo Manuel , Elipe Antonio , Rández Luis
Published: May 2022

In a recent paper, Slepian and Philcox derive an explicit solution of the homologous collapse from rest of a uniform density sphere under its self-gravity as a function of time. Their solution is given in terms of two curvilinear integrals along a suitable Jordan contour; in practice, it must be approximated by a quadrature rule. The aim of this paper is to examine how the choice of the contour and the quadrature rule affects the accuracy and the efficiency of this integral solution approximation. More precisely, after a study of the complex roots of a transcendental equation that relates time with the variable, some alternative Jordan contours that turn out to be more convenient are proposed. Then, by using as quadrature rule the composite trapezoidal rule because of its reliability and spectral convergence accuracy, some numerical experiments are presented to show that the combination of contours and quadrature rule allows us to obtain numerical results with high accuracy and low computational cost.
Multi-institutional study of the frequency, genomic landscape, and outcome of IDH-mutant glioma in pediatrics
Authors: Yeo Kee Kiat , Alexandrescu Sanda , Cotter Jennifer A , Vogelzang Jayne , Bhave Varun , Li Marilyn M , Ji Jianling , Benhamida Jamal K , Rosenblum Marc K , Bale Tejus A , Bouvier Nancy , Kaneva Kristiyana , Rosenberg Tom , Lim-Fat Mary Jane , Ghosh Hia , Martinez Migdalia , Aguilera Dolly , Smith Amy , Goldman Stewart , Diamond Eli L , Gavrilovic Igor , MacDonald Tobey J , Wood Matthew D , Nazemi Kellie J , Truong AiLien , Cluster Andrew , Ligon Keith L , Cole Kristina , Bi Wenya Linda , Margol Ashley S , Karajannis Matthias A , Wright Karen D
Published: May 2022

Background

The incidence and biology of IDH1/2 mutations in pediatric gliomas are unclear. Notably, current treatment approaches by pediatric and adult providers vary significantly. We describe the frequency and clinical outcomes of IDH1/2-mutant gliomas in pediatrics.

Methods

We performed a multi-institutional analysis of the frequency of pediatric IDH1/2-mutant gliomas, identified by next-generation sequencing (NGS). In parallel, we retrospectively reviewed pediatric IDH1/2-mutant gliomas, analyzing clinico-genomic features, treatment approaches, and outcomes.

Results

Incidence: Among 851 patients with pediatric glioma who underwent NGS, we identified 78 with IDH1/2 mutations. Among patients 0–9 and 10–21 years old, 2/378 (0.5%) and 76/473 (16.1%) had IDH1/2-mutant tumors, respectively. Frequency of IDH mutations was similar between low-grade glioma (52/570, 9.1%) and high-grade glioma (25/277, 9.0%). Four tumors were graded as intermediate histologically, with one IDH1 mutation. Outcome: Seventy-six patients with IDH1/2-mutant glioma had outcome data available. Eighty-four percent of patients with low-grade glioma (LGG) were managed observantly without additional therapy. For low-grade astrocytoma, 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) was 42.9% (95%CI:20.3–63.8) and, despite excellent short-term overall survival (OS), numerous disease-related deaths after year 10 were reported. Patients with high-grade astrocytoma had a 5-year PFS/OS of 36.8% (95%CI:8.8–66.4) and 84% (95%CI:50.1–95.6), respectively. Patients with oligodendroglioma had excellent OS.

Conclusions

A subset of pediatric gliomas is driven by IDH1/2 mutations, with a higher rate among adolescents. The majority of patients underwent upfront observant management without adjuvant therapy. Findings suggest that the natural history of pediatric IDH1/2-mutant glioma may be similar to that of adults, though additional studies are needed.
Aggregate Confusion: The Divergence of ESG Ratings
Authors: Berg Florian , Kölbel Julian F , Rigobon Roberto
Published: May 2022

This paper investigates the divergence of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) ratings based on data from six prominent ESG rating agencies: Kinder, Lydenberg, and Domini (KLD), Sustainalytics, Moody’s ESG (Vigeo-Eiris), S&P Global (RobecoSAM), Refinitiv (Asset4), and MSCI. We document the rating divergence and map the different methodologies onto a common taxonomy of categories. Using this taxonomy, we decompose the divergence into contributions of scope, measurement, and weight. Measurement contributes 56% of the divergence, scope 38%, and weight 6%. Further analyzing the reasons for measurement divergence, we detect a rater effect where a rater’s overall view of a firm influences the measurement of specific categories. The results call for greater attention to how the data underlying ESG ratings are generated.
A Cutaneous Transposition Inversion Flap to Treat Symptomatic Subcutaneous Trochanteric or Soft Tissue Defects After Hip Arthroplasty: A Technical Note
Authors: Liebe Jonas , Lehnen Aude , Jandali Abdul R. , Meier Christoph , Wahl Peter
Published: May 2022

Introduction:

Up to 17% of patients with total hip arthroplasty (THA) suffer from greater trochanteric or lateral trochanteric pain. Subcutaneous soft tissue or trochanteric bone substance defects with protrusion of the underlying stem may be challenging causes.

Surgical Technique:

We present the surgical technique of a de-epithelialized cutaneous transposition inversion flap to cover subcutaneous implant protrusion, performed successfully in a patient with posttraumatic trochanteric defect following THA after failed internal fixation for a trochanteric fracture.

Results and Conclusion:

The patient had no more trochanteric pain, allowing her to walk, sit, and sleep without pain. The THA protrusion was no longer palpable under the uneventfully healed skin. The technique described is relatively simple and may help improve therapy in patients with symptomatic trochanteric bone or soft tissue defects.

Level of Evidence:

Level IV, Special technical article.
Clinician Perception of Risk As a Barrier to Implementation of a High-sensitivity Troponin Accelerated Diagnostic Protocol
Authors: Matuskowitz Andrew J. , Hall John P. , Gregoski Mathew J. , Saef Steven H.
Published: May 2022

Background:

To assess emergency department (ED) clinician perception of patient risk, we measured willingness to discharge patients categorized as increased risk by traditional risk stratification modalities for acute coronary syndrome but low risk by a validated high-sensitivity troponin accelerated diagnostic protocol (HST-ADP).

Methods:

This was a cross-sectional descriptive survey study distributed to ED clinicians at an urban academic medical center. Four clinical vignettes classified hypothetical patients as low risk for 30-day acute coronary syndrome according to the 0-/1-hour HST-ADP. Vignettes additionally identified patients with History, Electrocardiogram, Age, Risk factors, and initial Troponin (HEART) scores of 4 or 6 (2 cases each). One patient in each subset had preexisting coronary artery disease (CAD). ED clinicians self-reported willingness to discharge patients from the ED on a 10-point Likert scale.

Results:

Among 66 eligible participants, 36 (55%) participated in the survey. ED clinicians reported a mean willingness to discharge patients of 6.07 (95% confidence interval, 5.34–6.80). They reported higher mean willingness to discharge patients with HEART scores of 4 compared with those with HEART scores of 6 (mean difference, 3.61; 95% confidence interval, 2.19–5.03). There were no differences in willingness to discharge regarding presence or absence of CAD or between clinician types (attending, resident, advanced practice provider).

Conclusions:

ED clinicians accustomed to the HEART Pathway demonstrated limited willingness to discharge patients from the ED categorized as moderate risk by the HEART score despite simultaneous classification as low risk by the 0-/1-hour HST-ADP. Willingness to discharge was higher with lower HEART scores but not affected by the presence of CAD and did not vary between clinician types.
Biopsychosocial influence on shoulder pain: results from a randomized preclinical trial of exercise-induced muscle injury
Authors: George Steven Z. , Bishop Mark D. , Wu Samuel S. , Staud Roland , Borsa Paul A. , Wallace Margaret R. , Greenfield Warren. H. , Dai Yunfeng , Fillingim Roger B.
Published: May 2022

Prior cohort studies validated that a subgroup defined by a specific COMT genotype and pain catastrophizing is at increased risk for heightened responses to exercise-induced or surgically induced shoulder pain. In this clinical trial, we used our preclinical model of exercise-induced muscle injury and pain to test the efficacy of interventions matched to characteristics of this high-risk subgroup (ie, personalized medicine approach). Potential participants provided informed consent to be screened for eligibility based on subgroup membership and then, as appropriate, were enrolled into the trial. Participants (n = 261) were randomized to 1 of 4 intervention groups comprised of pharmaceutical (propranolol or placebo) and informational (general education or psychologic intervention) combinations. After muscle injury was induced, participants received randomly assigned treatment and were followed for the primary outcome of shoulder pain intensity recovery over 4 consecutive days. Recovery rates were 56.4% (placebo and psychologic intervention), 55.4% (placebo and general education), 62.9% (propranolol and psychologic intervention), and 56.1% (propranolol and general education). No statistical differences were found between intervention groups in the primary analyses. Additional analyses found no differences between these intervention groups when shoulder pain duration was an outcome, and no differential treatment responses were detected based on sex, race, or level of pain catastrophizing. This trial indicates that these treatments were not efficacious for this high-risk subgroup when shoulder pain was induced by exercise-induced muscle injury. Accordingly, this phenotype should only be used for prognostic purposes until additional trials are completed in clinical populations.
Can early phase cardiac [123I]mIBG images be used to diagnose Lewy body disease?
Authors: Roberts Gemma , Kane Joseph P.M. , Lloyd Jim , Firbank Michael , Donaghy Paul Christopher , Petrides George S. , Taylor John-Paul , O’Brien John , Thomas Alan J.
Published: May 2022

Purpose

Some studies have suggested that cardiac [123I]metaiodobenzylguanidine images obtained 15–20 min after tracer administration are as accurate for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) diagnosis as standard images acquired after a delay of 3–4 h; some suggest delayed imaging is preferable. We compare early and delayed heart-to-mediastinum ratios (HMR) in a well-characterised research dataset and make recommendations for clinical practice.

Methods

Images were acquired using a Siemens gamma camera with medium energy collimators. Early images were obtained at 20 min and delayed at 4 h (± 30) min. In total 167 pairs of images were reviewed: 30 controls, 39 people with dementia and 98 with mild cognitive impairment. HMR normal cutoff values derived from control data were ≥2.10 for early imaging and ≥1.85 for delayed.

Results

HMR tended to drop between early and delayed for abnormal images, but increase for normal images. Histograms of early and delayed HMR showed a slightly better separation of results into two groups for delayed imaging. Accuracy results were slightly higher for delayed imaging than early imaging (73 vs. 77%), sensitivity 63 vs. 65% and specificity 82 vs. 88%. However, this was not statistically significant – in total only 8/167 (5%) of scans changed designation between early and delayed imaging.

Conclusion

We suggest that a delayed image could be acquired only if the early result is borderline. This removes the need for delayed imaging in about 70% of patients. Adopting this protocol in clinical practice would reduce the time most patients have to wait and could free up scanner time.
The Relationship Among Anxiety Sensitivity, Psychache, and Suicidality in Patients With Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Authors: Demirkol Mehmet Emin , Tamam Lut , Namli Zeynep , Karaytuğ Mahmut Onur , Yeşiloğlu Caner
Published: May 2022

Although generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is associated with suicide, not all dimensions of this relationship have been addressed. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between psychache and anxiety sensitivity with suicidality in patients with GAD. We included 80 patients with GAD (17 of whom had previous suicide attempts). The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D), Beck Scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSIS), Psychache Scale (PS), and Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI) were applied to the participants. The patients with previous suicide attempts had significantly higher scores on ASI total, ASI-physical and cognitive subdimensions, HAM-A total and psychic subscale, PS, and BSIS than those without (p < 0.05 for each). Mediation analyses revealed that psychache was a full mediator in the relationship between ASI-cognitive subdimension and suicidal ideation. Therapeutic interventions for anxiety sensitivity and psychache in patients with GAD will help reduce the risk of suicide.
Functional Alterations Due to COVID-19 Lung Lesions—Lessons From a Multicenter V/Q Scan-Based Registry
Authors: Bonnefoy Pierre-Benoît , Bahloul Achraf , Denizot Benoit , Barres Bertrand , Moreau-Triby Caroline , Girma Astrid , Pallardy Amandine , Ceyra Quentin , Sarda-Mantel Laure , Razzouk-Cadet Micheline , Zsigmond Reka , Cachin Florent , Karcher Gilles , Salaun Pierre-Yves , Le Roux Pierre-Yves
Published: May 2022

Purpose

In coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, clinical manifestations as well as chest CT lesions are variable. Lung scintigraphy allows to assess and compare the regional distribution of ventilation and perfusion throughout the lungs. Our main objective was to describe ventilation and perfusion injury by type of chest CT lesions of COVID-19 infection using V/Q SPECT/CT imaging.

Patients and Methods

We explored a national registry including V/Q SPECT/CT performed during a proven acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Chest CT findings of COVID-19 disease were classified in 3 elementary lesions: ground-glass opacities, crazy-paving (CP), and consolidation. For each type of chest CT lesions, a semiquantitative evaluation of ventilation and perfusion was visually performed using a 5-point scale score (0 = normal to 4 = absent function).

Results

V/Q SPECT/CT was performed in 145 patients recruited in 9 nuclear medicine departments. Parenchymal lesions were visible in 126 patients (86.9%). Ground-glass opacities were visible in 33 patients (22.8%) and were responsible for minimal perfusion impairment (perfusion score [mean ± SD], 0.9 ± 0.6) and moderate ventilation impairment (ventilation score, 1.7 ± 1); CP was visible in 43 patients (29.7%) and caused moderate perfusion impairment (2.1 ± 1.1) and moderate-to-severe ventilation impairment (2.5 ± 1.1); consolidation was visible in 89 patients (61.4%) and was associated with moderate perfusion impairment (2.1 ± 1) and severe ventilation impairment (3.0 ± 0.9).

Conclusions

In COVID-19 patients assessed with V/Q SPECT/CT, a large proportion demonstrated parenchymal lung lesions on CT, responsible for ventilation and perfusion injury. COVID-19–related pulmonary lesions were, in order of frequency and functional impairment, consolidations, CP, and ground-glass opacity, with typically a reverse mismatched or matched pattern.
68Ga-FAPI Versus 18F-FDG PET/CT in Recurrent Undifferentiated Pleomorphic Sarcoma of Colon Mesentery
Authors: Zhang Linqi , Liu Zhidong , Jiang Shuqin , He Qiao , Zhang Rusen
Published: May 2022

A 56-year-old woman presented with primary undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma of colon mesentery underwent complete surgical resection approximately 7 months ago. Abdominal contrast-enhanced CT showed a new mass in the descending colon, suggesting a high probability of tumor recurrence. Under a clinical trial, the patient underwent 68Ga-FAPI and 18F-FDG PET/CT to detect whether there are additional recurrent lesions. Compared with 18F-FDG PET/CT, the recurrent undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma of colon mesentery, peritoneum, pelvic lymph node, and lung metastases showed higher uptake in 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT. This case showed that 68Ga-FAPI might be a promising radiopharmaceutical in the evaluation of undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma.
Advanced Achalasia Mimicking Delayed Gastric Emptying During Standard Gastric Emptying Scintigraphy
Authors: Wu Chenxi , Hall Lance T. , Brandon David C.
Published: May 2022

An 82-year-old man underwent outpatient nuclear medicine gastric-emptying scintigraphy (GES) for dysphagia and regurgitation. Standard solid-meal GES showed significant elongated tracer retention with calculated 96% retention rate at 3 hours, with a presumed diagnosis of delayed gastric emptying. Subsequent CT of the chest and abdomen and upper gastrointestinal fluoroscopy instead showed normal size and function of the stomach but an enormously dilated esophagus with food debris, compatible with achalasia. Attention should be made on the location and shape of the visualized “stomach” and recognize that significantly dilated esophagus can mimic an elongated stomach during GES.
A research agenda for the study of social norm change
Authors: Andrighetto Giulia , Vriens Eva
Published: May 2022

Social norms have been investigated across many disciplines for many years, but until recently, studies mainly provided indirect, implicit and correlational support for the role of social norms in driving behaviour. To understand how social norms, and in particular social norm change, can generate a large-scale behavioural change to deal with some of the most pressing challenges of our current societies, such as climate change and vaccine hesitancy, we discuss and review several recent advances in social norm research that enable a more precise underpinning of the role of social norms: how to identify their existence, how to establish their causal effect on behaviour and when norm change may pass tipping points. We advocate future research on social norms to study norm change through a mechanism-based approach that integrates experimental and computational methods in theory-driven, empirically calibrated agent-based models. As such, social norm research may move beyond unequivocal praising of social norms as the missing link between self-interested behaviour and observed cooperation or as the explanation for (the lack of) social tipping. It provides the toolkit to understand explicitly where, when and how social norms can be a solution to solve large-scale problems, but also to recognize their limits.

This article is part of the theme issue 'Emergent phenomena in complex physical and socio-technical systems: from cells to societies'.
Small-molecule autocatalytic networks are universal metabolic fossils
Authors: Xavier Joana C. , Kauffman Stuart
Published: May 2022

Life and the genetic code are self-referential and so are autocatalytic networks made of simpler, small molecules. Several origins of life theories postulate autocatalytic chemical networks preceding the primordial genetic code, yet demonstration with biochemical systems is lacking. Here, small-molecule reflexively autocatalytic food-generated networks (RAFs) ranging in size from 3 to 619 reactions were found in all of 6683 prokaryotic metabolic networks searched. The average maximum RAF size is 275 reactions for a rich organic medium and 93 for a medium with a single organic cofactor, NAD. In the rich medium, all universally essential metabolites are produced with the exception of glycerol-1-p (archaeal lipid precursor), phenylalanine, histidine and arginine. The 300 most common reactions, present in at least 2732 RAFs, are mostly involved in amino acid biosynthesis and the metabolism of carbon, 2-oxocarboxylic acid and purines. ATP and NAD are central in generating network complexity, and because ATP is also one of the monomers of RNA, autocatalytic networks producing redox and energy currencies are a strong candidate niche of the origin of a primordial information-processing system. The wide distribution of small-molecule autocatalytic networks indicates that molecular reproduction may be much more prevalent in the Universe than hitherto predicted.

This article is part of the theme issue 'Emergent phenomena in complex physical and socio-technical systems: from cells to societies'.
Comparative evaluation of chlorous acid and sodium hypochlorite activity against SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Hatanaka Noritoshi , Awasthi Sharda Prasad , Xu Bingting , Goda Hisataka , Kawata Hiroyuki , Horiuchi Isanori , Yasugi Mayo , Yamasaki Shinji
Published: May 2022

A novel coronavirus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), suddenly emerged in China in 2019, spread globally and caused the present COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, to mitigate SARS-CoV-2 infection effective measures are essential. Chlorous acid (HClO2) has been shown to be an effective antimicrobial agent. However, at present there is no experimental evidence showing that HClO2 can inactivate SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, in this study, we examined the potential of HClO2 to inactivate SARS-CoV-2 in presence or absence of organic matter and the results were compared with that of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), another potent antimicrobial agent. When concentrated SARS-CoV-2 was incubated with 10 ppm HClO2 for 10 s, viral titre was decreased by 5 log of 50% tissue culture infective dose per mL (TCID50 ml−1). However, the same concentration of NaClO could not inactivate SARS-CoV-2 as effectively as HClO2 did even after incubation for 3 min. Furthermore, 10 ppm HClO2 also inactivated more than 4.0 log of TCID50 within 10 s in the presence of 5 % fetal bovine serum used as mixed organic matters. Our results obtained with HClO2 are more effective against SARS-CoV-2 as compared to NaClO that can be used for disinfectant against SARS-CoV-2 .
Human Bocavirus infection among children with respiratory tract infection in Ibadan, Nigeria
Authors: Joseph Olajumoke Olufunmilayo , Adeniji Johnson Adekunle , Faneye Adedayo Omotayo
Published: May 2022

Background. Human Bocavirus (HBoV), which is an ssDNA virus of the family Parvoviridae, is responsible for 21.5 % of childhood respiratory tract infections (RTIs) annually. Among the four genotypes currently known, HBoV-1 has been associated with acute RTI. Although there have been studies on HBoV in some countries, there is limited information on this virus in sub-Saharan Africa where there is the highest burden of RTI. This study aimed to characterize the circulating strains of HBoV in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Methods. Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab samples were collected from 333 children ≤5 years old presenting with RTI attending hospitals in Ibadan, whose parents assented, from 2014 to 2015. Twenty-three HBoV isolates were sequenced after a nested PCR and phylogenetic analysis was carried out using mega 6 software.

Results. A total of 27 children tested positive for the HBoV-1 genotype by PCR and 23 of the 27 isolates were successfully sequenced. The 23 HBoV-1 isolates from this study have been assigned GenBank accession numbers KY701984–KY702006. Phylogram analysis indicated that the isolates belong to the same clades. Six isolates aligned closely to the reference strains ST1 and ST2, while 17 isolates showed a high level of divergence to the reference isolates.

Conclusion. This study highlights the contribution of HBoV to RTIs in Nigeria and that HBoV-1 strains are associated with the infection.
JMM Profile: Tick-borne encephalitis virus
Authors: Phipps L. Paul , Johnson Nicholas
Published: May 2022

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is caused by a neurotropic flavivirus, transmitted by the bite of Ixodes species tick vectors, and is increasing in incidence and expanding its geographical range throughout Eurasia and the Far East. Most infections are asymptomatic. However, between 2 and 30 % of cases may develop into severe neurological disease, long-term neurological sequelae or death. Diagnosis is based upon clinical signs of neurological disease and demonstration of virus-specific IgM and IgG antibodies. There is no specific antiviral treatment and supportive care is required for the various manifestations of disease. Vaccination is an effective way of preventing disease.
JMM Profile: Louping ill virus
Authors: Folly Arran J. , McElhinney Lorraine M. , Johnson Nicholas
Published: May 2022

Louping ill virus (LIV) is a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus within the genus Flavivirus that is transmitted to vertebrate hosts by bites from infected ticks, the arthropod vector. The virus affects livestock in upland areas of Great Britain and Ireland, resulting in a febrile illness that can progress to fatal encephalitis. Prevention of the disease is facilitated by combining acaricide treatment, land management and vaccination strategies. However, vaccines have been discontinued in recent years. Although rare, LIV can be transmitted to and cause disease in humans. Consequently, LIV infection is a threat to human and veterinary health and can impact on the rural economy.