bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparing Relative Rates of Pollen and Seed Gene Flow in the Island Model Using Nuclear and Organelle Measures of Population Structure
Authors: Hamilton Matthew B , Miller Judith R
Published: April 2021

We describe a method for comparing nuclear and organelle population differentiation (FST) in seed plants to test the hypothesis that pollen and seed gene flow rates are equal. Wright’s infinite island model is used, with arbitrary levels of self-fertilization and biparental organelle inheritance. The comparison can also be applied to gene flow in animals. Since effective population sizes are smaller for organelle genomes than for nuclear genomes and organelles are often uniparentally inherited, organelle FST is expected to be higher at equilibrium than nuclear FST even if pollen and seed gene flow rates are equal. To reject the null hypothesis of equal seed and pollen gene flow rates, nuclear and organelle FST’s must differ significantly from their expected values under this hypothesis. Finite island model simulations indicate that infinite island model expectations are not greatly biased by finite numbers of populations (≥100 subpopulations). The power to distinguish dissimilar rates of pollen and seed gene flow depends on confidence intervals for fixation index estimates, which shrink as more subpopulations and loci are sampled. Using data from the tropical tree Corythophora alta, we rejected the null hypothesis that seed and pollen gene flow rates are equal but cannot reject the alternative hypothesis that pollen gene flow is 200 times greater than seed gene flow.
Marker-Assisted Introgression of Favorable Alleles at Quantitative Trait Loci Between Maize Elite Lines
Authors: Bouchez Agnès , Hospital Frédéric , Causse Mathilde , Gallais André , Charcosset Alain
Published: April 2021

This article reports the marker-assisted introgression of favorable alleles at three quantitative trait loci (QTL) for earliness and grain yield among maize elite lines. The QTL were originally detected in 1992 by means of ANOVA in a population of 96 recombinant inbred lines (RILs). Introgression started from a selected RIL, which was crossed three times to one of the original parents and then self-fertilized, leading to BC3S1 progenies. Markers were used to assist both foreground and background selection at each generation. At the end of the program, the effect of introgression was assessed phenotypically in agronomic trials, and QTL detection was performed by composite interval mapping among BC3S1 progenies. The marker-assisted introgression proved successful at the genotypic level, as analyzed by precision graphical genotypes, although no emphasis was put on the reduction of linkage drag around QTL. Also, QTL positions were generally sustained in the introgression background. For earliness, the magnitude and sign of the QTL effects were in good agreement with those expected from initial RIL analyses. Conversely, for yield, important discrepancies were observed in the magnitude and sign of the QTL effects observed after introgression, when compared to those expected from initial RIL analyses. These discrepancies are probably due to important genotype-by-environment interactions.
Quantitative Trait Loci for Susceptibility to Tapeworm Infection in the Red Flour Beetle
Authors: Zhong Daibin , Pai Aditi , Yan Guiyun
Published: April 2021

Parasites have profound effects on host ecology and evolution, and the effects of parasites on host ecology are often influenced by the magnitude of host susceptibility to parasites. Many parasites have complex life cycles that require intermediate hosts for their transmission, but little is known about the genetic basis of the intermediate host's susceptibility to these parasites. This study examined the genetic basis of susceptibility to a tapeworm (Hymenolepis diminuta) in the red flour beetle (Tribolium castaneum) that serves as an intermediate host in its transmission. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping experiments were conducted with two independent segregating populations using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers and randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. A total of five QTL that significantly affected beetle susceptibility were identified in the two reciprocal crosses. Two common QTL on linkage groups 3 and 6 were identified in both crosses with similar effects on the phenotype, and three QTL were unique to each cross. In one cross, the three main QTL accounted for 29% of the total phenotypic variance and digenic epistasis explained 39% of the variance. In the second cross, the four main QTL explained 62% of the variance and digenic epistasis accounted for only 5% of the variance. The actions of these QTL were either overdominance or underdominance. Our results suggest that the polygenic nature of beetle susceptibility to the parasites and epistasis are important genetic mechanisms for the maintenance of variation within or among beetle strains in susceptibility to tapeworm infection.
Targeted Gene Expression Using the GAL4/UAS System in the Silkworm Bombyx mori
Authors: Imamura Morikazu , Nakai Junichi , Inoue Satoshi , Quan Guo Xing , Kanda Toshio , Tamura Toshiki
Published: April 2021

The silkworm Bombyx mori is one of the most well-studied insects in terms of both genetics and physiology and is recognized as the model lepidopteran insect. To develop an efficient system for analyzing gene function in the silkworm, we investigated the feasibility of using the GAL4/UAS system in conjunction with piggyBac vector-mediated germ-line transformation for targeted gene expression. To drive the GAL4 gene, we used two endogenous promoters that originated from the B. mori actin A3 (BmA3) and fibroin light-chain (FiL) genes and the artificial promoter 3xP3. GFP was used as the reporter. In initial tests of the function of the GAL4/UAS system, we generated transgenic animals that carried the UAS-GFP construct plus either BmA3-GAL4 or 3xP3-GAL4. GFP fluorescence was observed in the tissues of GFP-positive animals, in which both promoters drove GAL4 gene expression. Animals that possessed only the GAL4 gene or UAS-GFP construct did not show GFP fluorescence. In addition, as a further test of the ability of the GAL4/UAS system to drive tissue-specific expression we constructed FiL-GAL4 lines with 3xP3-CFP as the transformation marker. FiL-GAL4 × UAS-GFP crosses showed GFP expression in the posterior silk gland, in which the endogenous FiL gene is normally expressed. These results show that the GAL4/UAS system is applicable to B. mori and emphasize the potential of this system for controlled analyses of B. mori gene function.
Abundant mtDNA Diversity and Ancestral Admixture in Colombian criollo Cattle (Bos taurus)
Authors: Carvajal-Carmona Luis G , Bermudez Nelson , Olivera-Angel Martha , Estrada Luzardo , Ossa Jorge , Bedoya Gabriel , Ruiz-Linares Andrés
Published: April 2021

Various cattle populations in the Americas (known as criollo breeds) have an origin in some of the first livestock introduced to the continent early in the colonial period (16th and 17th centuries). These cattle constitute a potentially important genetic reserve as they are well adapted to local environments and show considerable variation in phenotype. To examine the genetic ancestry and diversity of Colombian criollo we obtained mitochondrial DNA control region sequence information for 110 individuals from seven breeds. Old World haplogroup T3 is the most commonly observed CR lineage in criollo (0.65), in agreement with a mostly European ancestry for these cattle. However, criollo also shows considerable frequencies of haplogroups T2 (0.9) and T1 (0.26), with T1 lineages in criollo being more diverse than those reported for West Africa. The distribution and diversity of Old World lineages suggest some North African ancestry for criollo, probably as a result of the Arab occupation of Iberia prior to the European migration to the New World. The mtDNA diversity of criollo is higher than that reported for European and African cattle and is consistent with a differentiated ancestry for some criollo breeds.
An Analysis of Microsatellite Loci inArabidopsis thaliana: Mutational Dynamics and Application
Authors: Symonds V Vaughan , Lloyd Alan M
Published: April 2021

Microsatellite loci are among the most commonly used molecular markers. These loci typically exhibit variation for allele frequency distribution within a species. However, the factors contributing to this variation are not well understood. To expand on the current knowledge of microsatellite evolution, 20 microsatellite loci were examined for 126 accessions of the flowering plant, Arabidopsis thaliana. Substantial variability in mutation pattern among loci was found, most of which cannot be explained by the assumptions of the traditional stepwise mutation model or infinite alleles model. Here it is shown that the degree of locus diversity is strongly correlated with the number of contiguous repeats, more so than with the total number of repeats. These findings support a strong role for repeat disruptions in stabilizing microsatellite loci by reducing the substrate for polymerase slippage and recombination. Results of cluster analyses are also presented, demonstrating the potential of microsatellite loci for resolving relationships among accessions of A. thaliana.
The Problem of Counting Sites in the Estimation of the Synonymous and Nonsynonymous Substitution Rates: Implications for the Correlation Between the Synonymous Substitution Rate and Codon Usage Bias
Authors: Bierne Nicolas , Eyre-Walker Adam
Published: April 2021

Most methods for estimating the rate of synonymous and nonsynonymous substitution per site define a site as a mutational opportunity: the proportion of sites that are synonymous is equal to the proportion of mutations that would be synonymous under the model of evolution being considered. Here we demonstrate that this definition of a site can give misleading results and that a physical definition of site should be used in some circumstances. We illustrate our point by reexamining the relationship between codon usage bias and the synonymous substitution rate. It has recently been shown that the rate of synonymous substitution, calculated using the Goldman-Yang method, which encapsulates the mutational-opportunity definition of a site at a high level of sophistication, is either positively correlated or uncorrelated to synonymous codon bias in Drosophila. Using other methods, which account for synonymous codon bias but define a site physically, we show that there is a negative correlation between the synonymous substitution rate and codon bias and that the lack of a negative correlation using the Goldman-Yang method is due to the way in which the number of synonymous sites is counted. We also show that there is a positive correlation between the synonymous substitution rate and third position GC content in mammals, but that the relationship is considerably weaker than that obtained using the Goldman-Yang method. We argue that the Goldman-Yang method is misleading in this context and conclude that methods that rely on a mutational-opportunity definition of a site should be used with caution.
Pediatric Burns With Cyanoacrylate Glue: An Inconspicuous Danger
Authors: Carvalho Catarina , Marinho Ana Sofia , Barbosa-Sequeira Joana , Correia Mário Rui , Carvalho Fátima , Banquart-Leitão José , Morgado Hélder
Published: April 2021

Burns are a common cause of pediatric injury and represent significant morbidity and mortality in this age group. In children, most burns are thermal, resulting from exposure to a hot surface, liquid, or fire. Cyanoacrylate is a liquid compound commonly found in households, mainly in “superglue” and nail glue. This compound solidifies through an exothermic reaction that is magnified when in contact with certain fibers that act as catalysts, such as cotton. In these circumstances, intense heat is produced in the contact area, potentially causing severe thermal burns. Despite its widespread availability, there is a paucity of safety information about cyanoacrylate and its role as a cause for burns. In the literature, only 18 cases of cyanoacrylate burns are reported in children. We present two cases of pediatric burns with cyanoacrylate and a review of the literature.
Becoming Through Contiguity and Lines of Flight: The Four Faces of Celebrity-Proximate Assemblages
Authors: Carrington Michal J , Ozanne Julie L
Published: April 2021

Prior consumer studies examined consumers in extraordinary contexts role playing and transforming using magical thinking. This study investigates consumers becoming in everyday life using celebrities and explores the dynamic relations between consumers and social media. Individual and group interviews and mobile digital data were collected. Drawing on Deleuze and Guattari’s (1987) theory of becoming, four faces of celebrity-proximate assemblages were inductively derived to explore the range of dynamic states that can emerge at any moment. The celebrity-proximate assemblage includes the body without organization that is virtual and contiguous with diverting assemblages and forms fluid lines of flight with the possibility of disruption. The developing body is both virtual and actual and is contiguous with overlapping assemblages and actualizes tentative lines of flight for capacities to experiment in the real world. The enhanced and regimented body are also both virtual and actual. The enhanced body comingles with other assemblages and actualizes fewer expansive lines that map new capacities. The regimented body, however, is captivated by other assemblages and actualizes the fewest and most restrictive lines, which are often life diminishing. Implications for consumer research are explored for this model of becoming and the use of mobile digital data collection methods.
The Ancient Dance-Forms
Authors: Pulver Jeffrey
Published: April 2021

Being thoroughly cognizant that the title of this paper suggests a bulky volume rather than a slight historical sketch of the forms that constitute the foundation of music's shapeliness, the difficulty that immediately presents itself is to decide which sections of this important and fascinating subject ask for treatment first, and which of them could, without detracting from the completeness and coherency of the rest, be left for another occasion. My choice is the one that nine out of every ten musical historians would have made: it falls upon the forms of the earliest Suite or Partita, with a few words on their probable sources.
Transgastric repair of transfixing gastroesophageal junction gunshot wound: video case report
Authors: Vela Javier , Contreras Caterina , Varas Julián , Ottolino Pablo , Ramos Juan Pablo , Escalona Gabriel , Diaz Alfonso , Achurra Pablo , Ceroni Marco
Published: April 2021

Managing traumatic injuries of the gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) is infrequent due to associated lesions of adjacent highly vascularized organs. Its anatomical localization in the upper abdomen makes the repair challenging to perform. A stable 23-year-old male was presented at the emergency department with two thorax gunshot wounds. Computed tomography revealed air in the periesophageal space and right hemopneumothorax with no injury of the major vessels. A chest tube was placed and the patient was transferred hemodynamically stable to the operating. Abdominal exploration identified injuries to the left diaphragm; liver lateral segment; 1-cm transfixing perforation of the GEJ and right diaphragmatic pillar. Primary repair of the GEJ was performed and patched with a partial fundoplication. The diaphragm was repaired and the liver bleeding controlled. Finally, drains and a feeding jejunostomy were placed. The patient had an uneventful early postoperative course and was discharged home on the 12th postoperative day.
Diverse Molecular Mechanisms Contribute to Differential Expression of Human Duplicated Genes
Authors: Shew Colin J , Carmona-Mora Paulina , Soto Daniela C , Mastoras Mira , Roberts Elizabeth , Rosas Joseph , Jagannathan Dhriti , Kaya Gulhan , O’Geen Henriette , Dennis Megan Y
Published: April 2021

Emerging evidence links genes within human-specific segmental duplications (HSDs) to traits and diseases unique to our species. Strikingly, despite being nearly identical by sequence (>98.5%), paralogous HSD genes are differentially expressed across human cell and tissue types, though the underlying mechanisms have not been examined. We compared cross-tissue mRNA levels of 75 HSD genes from 30 families between humans and chimpanzees and found expression patterns consistent with relaxed selection on or neofunctionalization of derived paralogs. In general, ancestral paralogs exhibited greatest expression conservation with chimpanzee orthologs, though exceptions suggest certain derived paralogs may retain or supplant ancestral functions. Concordantly, analysis of long-read isoform sequencing data sets from diverse human tissues and cell lines found that about half of derived paralogs exhibited globally lower expression. To understand mechanisms underlying these differences, we leveraged data from human lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) and found no relationship between paralogous expression divergence and post-transcriptional regulation, sequence divergence, or copy-number variation. Considering cis-regulation, we reanalyzed ENCODE data and recovered hundreds of previously unidentified candidate CREs in HSDs. We also generated large-insert ChIP-sequencing data for active chromatin features in an LCL to better distinguish paralogous regions. Some duplicated CREs were sufficient to drive differential reporter activity, suggesting they may contribute to divergent cis-regulation of paralogous genes. This work provides evidence that cis-regulatory divergence contributes to novel expression patterns of recent gene duplicates in humans.
Electoral Revolutions: Towards a General Theory of Rapid Changes in Voter Turnout
Authors: Lioy Alberto
Published: April 2021

This article offers a novel theorisation of voter turnout by looking at electoral revolutions, i.e. large rapid changes in electoral participation. Since voting is conceptualised as a habit, turnout is generally seen as static, with its small and large variations dismissed as context-dependent. Instead, this work’s main hypothesis is that dramatic voter turnout variations follow rapid transformations in the credibility and competition of national politics. These transformations are reconstructed by following the national political process in the years preceding the electoral revolutions that took place in France (1967), Britain (2001), Honduras (2013) and Costa Rica (1998). Moving from a capacious framework, this article’s parsimonious theory shows how electoral revolutions follow the strengthening/weakening of oppositions, increasing/decreasing institutional credibility and growing/waning party system differentiation.
Exploring the Substantive Representation of Non-Humans in UK Parliamentary Business: A Legislative Functions Perspective of Animal Welfare Petitions, 2010–2019
Authors: Chaney Paul , Rees Jones Ian , Fevre Ralph
Published: April 2021

This study is concerned with the substantive representation of non-human species in parliamentary business. It applies Leston-Bandeira’s legislative functions perspective (LFP) to a data set of 2500 public petitions on animal welfare, submitted over three terms of the UK parliament. The wider significance of this work lies in: (i) underlining the utility of the LFP to petitions analysis; (ii) showing that, while few directly secure policy change, e-petitions perform valuable legislative functions including campaigning, scrutiny and policy-influencing roles, foremost of which is linkage and fostering citizen engagement in parliamentary business. And (iii) Showing how, over the past decade, public petitions have significantly contributed to the increasing salience of animal welfare in UK politics.
EyeHealer: A large-scale anterior eye segment dataset with eye structure and lesion annotations
Authors: Cai Wenjia , Xu Jie , Wang Ke , Liu Xiaohong , Xu Wenqin , Cai Huimin , Gao Yuanxu , Su Yuandong , Zhang Meixia , Zhu Jie , Zhang Charlotte L , Zhang Edward E , Wang Fangfei , Yin Yun , Lai Iat Fan , Wang Guangyu , Zhang Kang , Zheng Yingfeng
Published: April 2021

Anterior segment eye diseases account for a significant proportion of presentations to eye clinics worldwide, including diseases associated with corneal pathologies, anterior chamber abnormalities (e.g. blood or inflammation), and lens diseases. The construction of an automatic tool for segmentation of anterior segment eye lesions would greatly improve the efficiency of clinical care. With research on artificial intelligence progressing in recent years, deep learning models have shown their superiority in image classification and segmentation. The training and evaluation of deep learning models should be based on a large amount of data annotated with expertise; however, such data are relatively scarce in the domain of medicine. Herein, the authors developed a new medical image annotation system, called EyeHealer. It is a large-scale anterior eye segment dataset with both eye structures and lesions annotated at the pixel level. Comprehensive experiments were conducted to verify its performance in disease classification and eye lesion segmentation. The results showed that semantic segmentation models outperformed medical segmentation models. This paper describes the establishment of the system for automated classification and segmentation tasks. The dataset will be made publicly available to encourage future research in this area.
Effects of Sling Exercise for Neck Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lin Kuan-Yin , Tsai Yi-Ju , Hsu Po-Yao , Tsai Cheng-Shin , Kuo Yi-Liang
Published: April 2021

Objective

The purpose of this review was to evaluate the effects of sling exercise on pain intensity, disability, and health-related quality of life in adults with neck pain.

Methods

The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), and 6 other databases were searched from inception to July 2020. The reference lists of relevant articles to identify additional trials were also screened. Randomized controlled trials were included if they investigated the effects of sling suspension therapy in patients with neck pain, including mechanical neck disorders, cervicogenic headache, and neck disorders with radicular findings. Studies were required to be published in English or Chinese. The methodological quality and levels of evidence of studies were assessed using the PEDro scale and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach, respectively. The random-effects model was used to perform meta-analyses.

Results

Eleven randomized controlled trials were included (n = 595). The mean total PEDro score was 4.64 (SD = 1.21) of 10, which indicated a fair methodological quality. The intervention groups showed significant improvements in pain intensity (SMD = −1.23; 95% CI = −1.88 to −0.58) immediately postintervention compared with the control groups. No significant effects were found for disability, cervical range of motion, and health-related quality of life. However, sensitivity analyses revealed significant short-term improvements in pain intensity, disability, and cervical range of motion and sustained effects on disability at intermediate-term follow-up.

Conclusion

Sling exercise appears to be beneficial for improvements in pain intensity (moderate- to low-level evidence) among patients with neck pain. However, no definitive conclusion could be made regarding the effect of sling exercise for neck pain due to methodological limitations and high heterogeneity in the included studies.

Impact

This review provides overall moderate- to very low-level evidence for health care professionals who may consider including sling exercise in the intervention program for patients with neck pain.
Redrawing the Map of Global Capital Flows: The Role of Cross-Border Financing and Tax Havens
Authors: Coppola Antonio , Maggiori Matteo , Neiman Brent , Schreger Jesse
Published: April 2021

Global firms finance themselves through foreign subsidiaries, often shell companies in tax havens, which obscures their true economic location in official statistics. We associate the universe of traded securities issued by firms in tax havens with their issuer's ultimate parent and restate bilateral investment positions to better reflect the financial linkages connecting countries around the world. Bilateral portfolio investment from developed countries to firms in large emerging markets is dramatically larger than previously thought. The national accounts of the United States, for example, understate the U.S. position in Chinese firms by nearly $600 billion. Further, we demonstrate how offshore issuance in tax havens affects our understanding of the currency composition of external portfolio liabilities and the nature of foreign direct investment. Finally, we provide additional restatements of bilateral investment positions, including one based on the geographic distribution of sales.
Effects of Brexpiprazole Across Symptom Domains in Patients With Schizophrenia: Post Hoc Analysis of Short- and Long-Term Studies
Authors: Marder Stephen R , Meehan Stine R , Weiss Catherine , Chen Dalei , Hobart Mary , Hefting Nanco
Published: April 2021

The successful treatment of schizophrenia entails improvement across a spectrum of symptoms. The aim of this post hoc analysis was to characterize the short- and long-term effects of brexpiprazole on Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) ‘Marder factors.’ Data were included from three 6-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies; a 52-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled maintenance treatment study; and two 52-week open-label extension (OLEx) studies—all in schizophrenia (DSM-IV-TR criteria). Patients receiving oral brexpiprazole were dosed at 2–4 mg/day (short-term studies) or 1–4 mg/day (long-term studies). At Week 6, least squares mean differences (LSMDs, with 95% confidence limits [CLs]) for brexpiprazole (n = 868) vs placebo (n = 517) were: Positive symptoms: −1.55 (−2.30, −0.80), P < .0001, Cohen’s d effect size (ES) = 0.27; Negative symptoms: −1.12 (−1.63, −0.61), P < .0001, ES = 0.29; Disorganized thought: −1.26 (−1.78, −0.74), P < .0001, ES = 0.32; Uncontrolled hostility/excitement: −0.76 (−1.15, −0.37), P = .0002, ES = 0.26; Anxiety/ depression: −0.56 (−0.91, −0.22), P = .0014, ES = 0.22. At last visit of the maintenance study, LSMDs (95% CLs) for brexpiprazole (n = 96) vs placebo (n = 104) were: Positive symptoms: −3.44 (−4.99, −1.89), P < .0001, ES = 0.62; Negative symptoms: −1.23 (−2.52, 0.07), P = .063, ES = 0.27; Disorganized thought: −1.69 (−2.81, −0.56), P = .0035, ES = 0.42; Uncontrolled hostility/excitement: −1.26 (−2.12, −0.39), P = .0046, ES = 0.41; Anxiety/depression: −0.72 (−1.47, 0.03), P = .061, ES = 0.27. In the OLEx studies, improvements were maintained over 58 (6 + 52) weeks of brexpiprazole treatment. In conclusion, these data suggest that brexpiprazole treats the continuum of schizophrenia symptoms, in the short- and long-term. Trial Registration: Data used in this post hoc analysis came from ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT01396421, NCT01393613, NCT01810380, NCT01668797, NCT01397786, NCT01810783.
Differential disease severity and whole-genome sequence analysis for human influenza A/H1N1pdm virus in 2015–2016 influenza season
Authors: Liu Hsuan , Gong Yu-Nong , Shaw-Saliba Kathryn , Mehoke Thomas , Evans Jared , Liu Zhen-Ying , Lewis Mitra , Sauer Lauren , Thielen Peter , Rothman Richard , Chen Kuan-Fu , Pekosz Andrew
Published: April 2021

During the 2015–16 winter, the US experienced a relatively mild influenza season compared to Taiwan, which had a higher number of total and severe cases. While H1N1pdm viruses dominated global surveillance efforts that season, the global distribution of genetic variants and their contributions to disease severity have not been investigated. Samples collected from influenza A-positive patients by the Johns Hopkins Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance active surveillance in the emergency rooms in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, and northern Taiwan between November 2015 and April 2016, were processed for influenza A virus whole-genome sequencing. In Baltimore, the majority of the viruses were the H1N1pdm clade 6B.1 and no H1N1pdm clade 6B.2 viruses were detected. In northern Taiwan, more than half of the H1N1pdm viruses were clade 6B.1 and 38% were clade 6B.2, consistent with the global observation that most 6B.2 viruses circulated in Asia and not North America. Whole virus genome sequence analysis identified two genetic subgroups present in each of the 6B.1 and 6B.2 clades and one 6B.1 interclade reassortant virus. Clinical data showed 6B.2 patients had more disease symptoms including higher crude and inverse probability weighted odds of pneumonia than 6B.1 patients, suggesting 6B.2 circulation may be one of the reasons for the severe flu season in Taiwan. Local surveillance efforts linking H1N1pdm virus sequences to patient clinical and demographic data improve our understanding of influenza circulation and disease potential.
Exploring residents' perceptions of PA and NP roles and barriers to collaboration
Authors: Polansky Maura N. , Herrmann Debra , Dolmans D.H.J.M. , Govaerts Marjan , Koch Ulrich , Berger Jeffrey , Stalmeijer R.E.
Published: April 2021

Objective:

Developing competencies for interprofessional collaboration, including understanding other professionals' roles on interprofessional teams, is an essential component of medical education. This study explored resident physicians' perceptions of the clinical roles and responsibilities of physician assistants (PAs) and NPs in the clinical learning environment.

Methods:

Using a constructivist grounded theory approach, semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 residents in one academic setting. Transcripts were analyzed using an iterative approach to inductive coding.

Results:

Participants typically perceived PAs' and NPs' roles as being “like a resident,” less commonly as independent clinicians, and rarely as collaborators. Barriers to understanding PA and NP roles and perceiving them as collaborators included the lack of preparatory instruction about PAs and NPs, the hierarchical structure of medical education, and inadequate role modeling of interprofessional collaboration.

Conclusions:

This study suggests that barriers in the clinical learning environment and the structure of medical education itself may impede residents' learning about PAs and NPs and how to collaborate with them.
The Significance of Audiometric Notching in Individuals With a History of Noise Exposure: A Systematic Review
Authors: Meghji Sheneen , Phillips John
Published: April 2021

Objectives:

The diagnosis of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is reliant on the appraisal of audiometric data. A notch, dip or bulge, centered at the 4-kHz frequency is considered to be pathognomonic. However, guidelines applied to assist the diagnosis of NIHL often allow for a notch centered between the 3- and 6-kHz frequencies. The primary outcome of this review is to document the relationship between audiometric notching at particular frequencies and the populations in which they have been identified.

Design:

We included all population-based studies, cohort, cross-sectional, case-control, case-series, and case reports of adults and children, with exposure to noise and with a notch, dip or bulge. The review has been registered with Prospero (Registration: CRD42017079901) and prepared in line with the PRISMA guidelines.

Results:

We included 84 articles in the final systematic review. There were a total of 1,438,987 individuals, aged 7 to 80 years old. The studies were conducted in 26 different countries. Fourteen studies identified notching at 3 kHz, 63 studies identified notching at 4 kHz, and 47 studies identified notching at 6 kHz. The Newcastle-Ottawa risk assessment tool was performed on 82 of the studies emphasizing the high risk of bias in observational studies.

Conclusions:

The overwhelming outcome of this systematic review demonstrates that the relationship between noise exposure and a 3- to 6-kHz audiometric notch is not straight-forward. A handful of articles have displayed a clear association between an individual’s noise exposure and an audiometric notch. Unilateral notches, notches observed at 3 kHz and notches in the absence of continued high-intensity noise exposure must be scrutinized thoroughly. The ambiguous nature of NIHL directs its continued interest.
Interactive Effects of Neighborhood Safety and Screen Time on Adolescent Internalizing Symptoms
Authors: Gresham Bria , McManus Benjamin , Stavrinos Despina
Published: April 2021

Objective:

Perceptions of less neighborhood safety and higher levels of screen time are independently linked to adolescent anxiety and depression. Furthermore, residing in a neighborhood perceived as less safe is associated with engaging in higher levels of screen time. Screen time may act as a potential mechanism by which the effects of neighborhood safety on internalizing symptoms differ. Yet, research has not investigated whether the relationship between neighborhood safety and psychosocial adjustment varies at high and low levels of screen time. Therefore, this study examined the interaction between perceived neighborhood safety and screen time on adolescent internalizing symptoms (i.e., anxiety and depressive symptoms).

Method:

A total of 184 adolescents (53% female; mean age = 17.09, SD = 1.07) were recruited from an ongoing longitudinal study of adolescent drivers. Participants reported their perceptions of neighborhood safety, screen use, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and demographic characteristics. The independent and interactive contributions of neighborhood safety and screen time predicting anxiety and depressive symptoms in adolescents were tested with hierarchical linear regressions.

Results:

Perceptions of less neighborhood safety and higher levels of screen time each uniquely predicted adolescent anxiety and depressive symptoms. The relationship between living in a neighborhood perceived as less safe and anxiety symptoms was stronger for youth with high levels of screen time.

Conclusion:

The findings suggest that youth residing in less safe neighborhoods may have higher levels of anxiety symptoms, and this anxiety symptomology is higher at high levels of screen time.
Early Parenting Stress Links Obstetric Complications and Child Psychopathology in Middle Childhood in an At-Risk Sample
Authors: Fuchs Anna , Resch Franz , Kaess Michael , Moehler Eva
Published: April 2021

Objective:

Obstetric complications (OCs) are adverse events during pregnancy, birth, or immediately after birth. Evidence on cumulative OC and longitudinal associations with child psychopathology is sparse. Prospective studies testing mediating pathways such as parenting stress are needed. This study aimed to investigate the impact of OC on child psychopathology in middle childhood and to highlight whether and which type of parenting stress specifically mediates this association.

Methods:

We investigated n = 54 mother-child dyads from 5 months to 8 years of age. Child psychopathology at 8 years and parenting stress at 12 months were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Parenting Stress Index. OCs were evaluated by the Steinhausen Questionnaire and through access to official pregnancy records at the 5-month visit. Half of the mothers had experienced early-life maltreatment (ELM), assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire.

Results:

There was a significant indirect effect of maternal parenting stress at 12 months mediating the association between OC and child psychopathology at 8 years (β = 0.26; p < 0.01; 95% [0.35–1.83]). A significant proportion of 35% of CBCL-variance was explained. The significant effect remained even when maternal ELM and maternal psychological distress were controlled for. On the subscale level, only the “Difficult Child” subscale was a significant mediator.

Conclusion:

Our findings suggest that parenting stress should be targeted to prevent adverse effects of OC on child psychopathology. More research focusing on families subjected to OC is needed to highlight how maternal parenting stress and child regulatory functioning interact to affect child development longitudinally.
Case Report: Stage VI Morel-Lavallée Lesion with a Large Challenging Defect
Authors: Nicolas Gregory , Abbas Laielly , Prado Ariadne , Takemura Rafael Eiki , Wada Alexandre , Souza Gomez David , Gemperli Rolf
Published: April 2021

Morel-Lavallée lesion (MLL) is a closed degloving soft-tissue injury that results in the accumulation of a hemolymphatic fluid between the skin/superficial fascia and the deep fascia. This is a rare injury that may be challenging to diagnose, and necessitates early identification and treatment to achieve the best outcomes. We report the case of a 45-year-old male patient who was referred to our institution for large wound closure after undergoing debridement of a misdiagnosed MLL that became complicated by infection and sepsis. The patient was retrospectively diagnosed with a Stage VI MLL and had to undergo 4 operations with skin grafting and vacuum-assisted closure therapy playing an essential role in achieving tissue closure. This case was presented as a reminder of this rare diagnosis, and the importance of considering it when faced with a patient presenting with a relevant clinical picture post trauma. An early diagnosis is important because early intervention can prevent complications and lead to better outcomes. The misdiagnosis in the case of our patient and delayed treatment led to an aggressive debridement with a large wound that was challenging to close.
Macrophages in Transplantation: A Matter of Plasticity, Polarization, and Diversity
Authors: Panzer Sarah E.
Published: April 2021

Macrophages have emerged at the forefront of research in immunology and transplantation because of recent advances in basic science. New findings have illuminated macrophage populations not identified previously, expanded upon traditional macrophage phenotypes, and overhauled macrophage ontogeny. These advances have major implications for the field of transplant immunology. Macrophages are known to prime adaptive immune responses, perpetuate T-cell–mediated rejection and antibody-mediated rejection, and promote allograft fibrosis. In this review, macrophage phenotypes and their role in allograft injury of solid organ transplants will be discussed with an emphasis on kidney transplantation. Additionally, consideration will be given to the prospect of manipulating macrophage phenotypes as cell-based therapy. Innate immunity and macrophages represent important players in allograft injury and a promising target to improve transplant outcomes.
Electrocorticography Analysis in Patients With Dual Neurostimulators Supports Desynchronization as a Mechanism of Action for Acute Vagal Nerve Stimulator Stimulation
Authors: Ernst Lia D. , Steffan Paul J. , Srikanth Priya , Wiedrick Jack , Spencer David C. , Datta Proleta , Joseph Navya M. , Wernovsky Magda , Becker Danielle A.
Published: April 2021

Purpose:

Both vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) and responsive neurostimulation (RNS System) are treatment options for medically refractory focal epilepsy. The mechanism of action of both devices remains poorly understood. Limited prior evidence suggests that acute VNS stimulation may reduce epileptiform activity and cause EEG desynchronization on electrocorticography (ECoG). Our study aims to isolate effects of VNS on ECoG as recorded by RNS System in patients who have both devices, by comparing ECoG samples with and without acute VNS stimulation.

Methods:

Ten 60-second ECoGs each from 22 individuals at 3 epilepsy centers were obtained—5 ECoGs with VNS “off” and 5 ECoGs with VNS “on.” Electrocorticograps containing seizures or loss of telemetry connection artifact were excluded from analysis (total of 169 ECoGs were included). Electrocorticographs were analyzed for differences in spectral content by generating average spectrograms for “on” and “off” states and using a linear mixed-effects model to isolate effects of VNS stimulation.

Results:

Acute VNS stimulation reduced average power in the theta band by 4.9%, beta band by 3.8%, and alpha band by 2.5%. The reduction in theta power reached statistical significance with a P value of <0.05.

Conclusions:

Our results provide evidence that acute VNS stimulation results in desynchronization of specific frequency bands (salient decrease in theta and beta bands, smaller decrease in alpha band) in ECoGs recorded by the RNS device in patients with dual (VNS and RNS) neurostimulators. This finding offers support for desynchronization as a theorized mechanism of action of VNS. Further research may lead to future improved neurostimulator efficacy by informing optimal stimulation programming parameters.
Getting science priorities straight: how to increase the reliability of specimen identification?
Authors: Bianchi Filipe Michels , Gonçalves Leonardo Tresoldi
Published: April 2021

‘We advise the authors to find a native English speaker to proofread the manuscript’. This is a standard feedback journals give to non-native English speakers. Journals are justifiably concerned with grammar but do not show the same rigour about another step crucial to biological research: specimen identification. Surveying the author guidelines of 100 journals, we found that only 6% of them request explicitly citation of the literature used in specimen identification. Authors hamper readers from contesting specimen identification whenever vouchers, identification methods, and taxon concepts are not provided. However, unclear taxonomic procedures violate the basic scientific principle of reproducibility. The scientific community must continuously look for practical alternatives to improve taxonomic identification and taxonomic verification. We argue that voucher pictures are an accessible, cheap and time-effective alternative to mitigate (not abolish) bad taxonomy by exposing preventable misidentifications. Voucher pictures allow scientists to judge specimen identification actively, based on available data. The popularization of high-quality image devices, photo-identification technologies and computer vision algorithms yield accurate scientific photo-documentation, improving taxonomic procedures. Taxonomy is timeless, transversal and essential to most scientific disciplines in biological sciences. It is time to demand rigour in taxonomic identifications.
MRI-based quantification of ophthalmic changes in healthy volunteers during acute 15° head-down tilt as an analogue to microgravity
Authors: Sater Stuart H. , Sass Austin M. , Seiner Akari , Natividad Gabryel Conley , Shrestha Dev , Fu Audrey Q. , Oshinski John N. , Ethier C. Ross , Martin Bryn A.
Published: April 2021

Spaceflight is known to cause ophthalmic changes in a condition known as spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS). It is hypothesized that SANS is caused by cephalad fluid shifts and potentially mild elevation of intracranial pressure (ICP) in microgravity. Head-down tilt (HDT) studies are a ground-based spaceflight analogue to create cephalad fluid shifts. Here, we developed non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based techniques to quantify ophthalmic structural changes under acute 15° HDT. We specifically quantified: (i) change in optic nerve sheath (ONS) and optic nerve (ON) cross-sectional area, (ii) change in ON deviation, an indicator of ON tortuosity, (iii) change in vitreous chamber depth, and (iv) an estimated ONS Young's modulus. Under acute HDT, ONS cross-sectional area increased by 4.04 mm
2
(95% CI 2.88–5.21 mm
2
,
p
< 0. 000), while ON cross-sectional area remained nearly unchanged (95% CI −0.12 to 0.43 mm
2
,
p
= 0.271). ON deviation increased under HDT by 0.20 mm (95% CI 0.08–0.33 mm,
p
= 0.002). Vitreous chamber depth decreased under HDT by −0.11 mm (95% CI −0.21 to −0.03 mm,
p
= 0.009). ONS Young's modulus was estimated to be 85.0 kPa. We observed a significant effect of sex and BMI on ONS parameters, of interest since they are known risk factors for idiopathic intracranial hypertension. The tools developed herein will be useful for future analyses of ON changes in various conditions.
A novel capsule-based smell test fabricated via coaxial dripping
Authors: Ismail A. Said , Goodwin Gregory R. , Castrejon-Pita J. Rafael , Noyce Alastair J. , Azevedo Helena S.
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we demonstrate that aromatic oil capsules, produced by dripping droplets, can offer a simple, yet effective, testing tool to aid in the diagnosis of various diseases, in which the loss of smell is a key symptom. These include chronic neurological conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and acute respiratory infections such as that caused by COVID-19. The capsules were fabricated by concentrically dripping oil/alginate droplets, from a coaxial nozzle, into an oppositely charged ionic liquid. This fabrication technique enables full control over the capsule size, the shell thickness and the volume of the encapsulated oil. After formation, liquid capsules were left to dry and form a solid crust surrounding the oil. The prototype test consists of placing a standardized number of capsules between adhesive strips that users crush and pull apart to release the smell. In addition to the fabrication method, a simple mathematical model was developed to predict the volume of encapsulated oil within the capsule in terms of the flow rate ratio and the nozzle size. Tensile tests show that capsule strength is inversely proportional to its size owing to an increase in the shell thickness. By increasing the alginate concentration, the load required to rupture the capsule increases, to the point where capsules are too stiff to be broken by a fingertip grip. Results from a preliminary screening test, within a group of patients with Parkinson's disease, found that smells were detectable using a ‘forced choice’ paradigm.
Quantifying community resilience based on fluctuations in visits to points-of-interest derived from digital trace data
Authors: Podesta Cristian , Coleman Natalie , Esmalian Amir , Yuan Faxi , Mostafavi Ali
Published: April 2021

This research establishes a methodological framework for quantifying community resilience based on fluctuations in a population's activity during a natural disaster. Visits to points-of-interests (POIs) over time serve as a proxy for activities to capture the combined effects of perturbations in lifestyles, the built environment and the status of business. This study used digital trace data related to unique visits to POIs in the Houston metropolitan area during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Resilience metrics in the form of systemic impact, duration of impact, and general resilience (GR) values were examined for the region along with their spatial distributions. The results show that certain categories, such as religious organizations and building material and supplies dealers had better resilience metrics—low systemic impact, short duration of impact, and high GR. Other categories such as medical facilities and entertainment had worse resilience metrics—high systemic impact, long duration of impact and low GR. Spatial analyses revealed that areas in the community with lower levels of resilience metrics also experienced extensive flooding. This insight demonstrates the validity of the approach proposed in this study for quantifying and analysing data for community resilience patterns using digital trace/location-intelligence data related to population activities. While this study focused on the Houston metropolitan area and only analysed one natural hazard, the same approach could be applied to other communities and disaster contexts. Such resilience metrics bring valuable insight into prioritizing resource allocation in the recovery process.