bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diet composition, adherence to calorie restriction, and cardiometabolic disease risk modification
Authors: Das Sai Krupa , Silver Rachel E. , Senior Alistair , Gilhooly Cheryl H. , Bhapkar Manjushri , Le Couteur David
Published: October 2023

Calorie restriction (CR) is a promising approach for attenuating the risk of age‐related disease. However, the role of diet composition on adherence to CR and the effects of CR on cardiometabolic markers of healthspan remains unknown. We used the Geometric Framework for Nutrition approach to examine the association between macronutrient composition and CR adherence during the 2‐year CALERIE trial. Adult participants without obesity were randomized to a 25% CR intervention or an ad libitum intake control. Correlations of cardiometabolic risk factors with macronutrient composition and standard dietary pattern indices [Alternate Mediterranean Diet Index (aMED), Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), and Healthy Eating Index (HEI)] were also evaluated by Spearman's correlation at each time point. The mean age was 38.1 ± 7.2 years at baseline and the mean BMI was 25.1 ± 1.7. The study population was 70% female. The CR group, but not the control, consumed a higher percentage reported energy intake from protein and carbohydrate and lower fat at 12 months compared to baseline; comparable results were observed at 24 months. Protein in the background of higher carbohydrate intake was associated with greater adherence at 24 months. There was no correlation between macronutrient composition and cardiometabolic risk factors in the CR group. However, statistically significant correlations were observed for the DII and HEI. These findings suggest that individual self‐selected macronutrients have an interactive but not independent role in CR adherence. Additional research is required to examine the impact of varying macronutrient compositions on adherence to CR and resultant modification to cardiometabolic risk factors.
The pregnant traveller: An overview of general travel advice
Authors: Fernando Melinda , L. Giles Michelle , Krishnaswamy Sushena , Cole Stephen
Published: October 2023

Travel during pregnancy is common, but is associated with a number of risks and potential problems. There are many pregnancy‐specific and destination‐specific issues to be considered along with issues related to method of transport. Travel experiences should be made as safe as possible through evidence‐based counselling via pregnancy healthcare providers prior to travel. This travelling in pregnancy article has been created to facilitate pregnancy healthcare providers in having these pre‐travel discussions to optimise maternal and fetal wellbeing.
Sensorineural hearing loss after cardiac surgery: a systematic review
Authors: Daniel Jonathan , Glynatsis John M. , Kovoor Joshua G. , Stretton Brandon , Bacchi Stephen , Ovenden Christopher D. , To Minh‐Son , Goh Rudy , Hewitt Joseph N. , Sahota Raguwinder S. , Chan Justin C.Y. , Ramponi Fabio , Krishnan Giri , Gupta Aashray K.
Published: October 2023

Background

Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) may occur following cardiac surgery. Although preventing post‐operative complications is vitally important in cardiac surgery, there are few guidelines regarding this issue. This review aimed to characterize SNHL after cardiac surgery.

Method

This systematic review was registered on PROSPERO and conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. A systematic search of the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library were conducted from inception. Eligibility determination, data extraction and methodological quality analysis were conducted in duplicate.

Results

There were 23 studies included in the review. In the adult population, there were six cohort studies, which included 36 cases of hearing loss in a total of 7135 patients (5.05 cases per 1000 operations). In seven cohort studies including paediatric patients, there were 88 cases of hearing loss in a total of 1342 operations. The majority of cases of hearing loss were mild in the adult population (56.6%). In the paediatric population 59.2% of hearing loss cases had moderate or worse hearing loss. The hearing loss most often affected the higher frequencies, over 6000 Hz. There have been studies indicating an association between hearing loss and extracorporeal circulation, but cases have also occurred without this intervention.

Conclusion

SNHL is a rare but potentially serious complication after cardiac surgery. This hearing loss affects both paediatric and adult populations and may have significant long‐term impacts. Further research is required, particularly with respect to the consideration of screening for SNHL in children after cardiac surgery.
The Vagrancy Concept, Border Control, and Legal Architectures of Human In/Security
Authors: Rusenko Rayna
Published: October 2023

I answer a call by Nicholas De Genova and Ananya Roy asking scholars to investigate the historical roots of practices of illegalisation (that is, the use of law to render people illegal) and how these practices serve to re/institute a relationality between race and poverty. Using the case of regulations surrounding vagrancy in imperial Japan's metropole and its colony of Taiwan, I call attention to how illegalisation has historically been entwined with the racialised concept of the vagrant, spread globally through European anti‐vagrancy laws. I argue that this vagrancy concept was inserted into emergent border control and welfare regulations at the turn of the 20th century as a mechanism for systematically excluding racialised persons from state protection. Also, I elucidate how im/migration and social assistance schemes were historically co‐produced as legal architectures designed to provide greater socio‐economic security and status to the so‐called imperial races.
Signs of perceptual disorder during movement were reliably assessed in children with cerebral palsy in Sweden
Authors: Lidbeck Cecilia , Bartonek Åsa , Ferrari Adriano , Alboresi Silvia , Örtqvist Maria
Published: October 2023

Aim

The aim of this Swedish study was to evaluate the assessment of clinical signs of perceptual disorder in children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Methods

Three experienced raters assessed 56 videos of 19 children from 1 to 18 years of age with bilateral spastic CP, which were recorded by colleagues at an Italian hospital. Six signs were evaluated for inter‐rater reliability and criterion validity. Clinical applicability was evaluated by assessing inter‐rater reliability between 47 Swedish clinicians, who examined 15 of the videos during face‐to‐face and online education seminars. There were 41 physiotherapists, two occupational therapists and four doctors, with 1–37 years of clinical experience and a median of 10 years.

Results

The experienced raters demonstrated moderate to almost perfect inter‐rater reliability (kappa 0.54–0.81) and criterion validity (0.54–0.87) for startle reaction, upper limbs in startle position, averted eye gaze and eye blinking. The clinicians recognised these signs with at least moderate reliability (0.56–0.88). Grimacing and posture freezing were less reliable (0.22–0.35) and valid (0.09–0.50).

Conclusion

Four of the six signs of perceptual disorder were reliably recognised by experienced raters and by clinicians after education seminars. Extended education and larger study samples are needed to recognise all the signs.
The impact of board gender composition on loan covenant violations
Authors: Alam Md Samsul , Atif Muhammad , Cumming Douglas , Islam Md Shahidul
Published: October 2023

Research Question/Issue

We examine the role of board gender diversity in attenuating loan covenant violations. We also investigate whether the relationship is influenced by female independent directors. Finally, we examine the channels of this relationship.

Research Findings/Insights

Drawing on gender socialization and diversity theories, our findings show that firms with gender‐diverse boards are less likely to violate loan covenants. We also find that boards with more female directors have a stronger impact on loan covenant violations than those with fewer female directors, consistent with critical mass theory. Our results also suggest that the negative relationship stems from female independent directors rather than from female executive directors. Our channel analyses indicate that the relationship is routed through covenant strictness, the financial performance of firms, and better corporate governance. Our further analysis demonstrates that the relationship is pronounced in female‐dominated industries and financially distressed firms, as well as in firms whose directors have greater experience. Our results are robust across a series of sensitivity and endogeneity tests.

Theoretical/Academic Implications

We contribute to an emerging strand of literature that examines the link between board gender diversity and loan covenants. We fill a gap in this stream of literature by providing the first empirical evidence that female directors in the boardroom reduce loan covenant violations through their greater integrative bargaining skills during loan deals, improving firm financial performance, and ensuring good corporate governance. Our study also contributes to the growing literature on the differential effects on corporate policies of female directors (independent and executive) and critical mass.

Practitioner/Policy Implications

This finding offers significant policy implications for managers, investors, and policymakers. Given the growing frequency of loan covenant violations, the presence of a gender‐diverse board should serve as a potent indicator to creditors who have a concern regarding loans. In addition, our study adds to the ongoing debate regarding the business case of board gender diversity.
Enpatoran in COVID‐19 pneumonia: Safety and efficacy results from a phase II randomized trial
Authors: McKinnon John E. , Santiaguel Joel , Murta de Oliveira Claudia , Yu Dongzi , Khursheed Mukhy , Moreau Flavie , Klopp‐Schulze Lena , Shaw Jamie , Roy Sanjeev , Kao Amy H. ,   the ANEMONE Study Team
Published: October 2023

Enpatoran is a selective inhibitor of toll‐like receptors 7 and 8 (TLR7/8) that potentially targets pro‐inflammatory pathways induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). A phase II study conducted in Brazil, the Philippines, and the USA during the early pandemic phase assessed the safety and efficacy of enpatoran in patients hospitalized with COVID‐19 pneumonia (NCT04448756). A total of 149 patients, who scored 4 on the World Health Organization's (WHO) 9‐point ordinal severity scale, were randomized 1:1:1 and received enpatoran 50 mg (n = 54) or 100 mg (n = 46), or placebo (n = 49) twice daily (b.i.d.) for 14 days plus standard of care. The primary objectives were safety and time to recovery (WHO 9‐point scale ≤3). Clinical deterioration (WHO 9‐point scale ≥ 5) was a key secondary objective. Treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were comparable across groups (56.5%–63.0%). Treatment‐related TEAEs were numerically higher with enpatoran 50 mg (14.8%) than 100 mg (10.9%) or placebo (8.2%). Serious TEAEs were numerically lower with enpatoran (50 mg 9.3%, 100 mg 2.2%) than placebo (18.4%). The primary efficacy objective was not met; median time to recovery was 3.4–3.9 days across groups, with placebo‐treated patients recovering on average faster than anticipated. Clinical deterioration event‐free rates up to Day 7 were 90.6%, 95.6%, and 81.6% with enpatoran 50 mg, 100 mg, and placebo, respectively. Enpatoran was well tolerated by patients acutely ill and hospitalized with COVID‐19 pneumonia. Positive signals in some secondary end points suggested potential beneficial effects, supporting further evaluation of enpatoran in patients with hyperinflammation due to infection or autoimmunity.
Role of DNA ploidy in diagnosis and prognosis of high‐grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Pogere Adriane , Costa Ane Francyne , Pasinato Ana Paula Beltrame Farina , Machado Marcos José , de Miranda Onofre Fabiana Botelho , Onofre Alexandre Sherlley Casimiro
Published: October 2023

Objective

To compare the sensitivity and specificity of DNA ploidy with cytology, human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and colposcopy in diagnosis of high‐grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and to assess the role of aneuploidy in cervical lesions with the worst prognosis. A prospective observational cohort study was conducted on 254 women with altered colpocytology.

Methods

Colposcopy, biopsy, DNA‐ICM and HPV examinations were applied to cervical cytological and histological samples. Participants were evaluated every 6 months and divided into two groups: ‘Harm’ and ‘No‐harm’. Logistic regression and multivariate COX model were used to identify independent risk factors for diagnosis and prognosis of high‐grade CIN, and ROC curve to assess the sensitivity and specificity of methods.

Results

Variables ‘age greater than or equal to 30 years’, ‘lesion size greater than 20%’, ‘aneuploidy’ and ‘HPV 16’ were associated with diagnosis of high‐grade CIN and ‘aneuploidy’ and ‘women living with HIV’, with a worse prognosis. Agreement for colposcopy was good, with a sensitivity of 79.3% and specificity of 94.4%; DNA‐ICM and cytology were moderate, with sensitivity of 74.6% and 72.3% and specificity of 85.3% and 76.1%, respectively. High‐risk HPV and HPV 16 tests were weak, with sensitivity of 75.0% and 43.75% and specificity of 50.0% and 88.64%, respectively.

Conclusions

In relation to high‐grade CIN diagnosis, DNA‐ICM presented similar sensitivity and specificity to cytology and high‐risk HPV test when associated with HPV 16. Regarding prognosis, this research certifies that aneuploidy is considered a predictor of more severe cervical injury.
Fifteen years of real‐world data on the use of vigabatrin in individuals with infantile epileptic spasms syndrome
Authors: Kuchenbuch Mathieu , Lo Barco Tommaso , Chemaly Nicole , Chiron Catherine , Nabbout Rima
Published: October 2023

Objective

This study was undertaken to evaluate our treatment algorithm for infantile epileptic spasms syndrome (IESS) used between 2000 and 2018. We initiated vigabatrin (VGB), and steroids were added if the electroclinical response (spasms and electroencephalogram [EEG]) to VGB was not obtained or incomplete.

Methods

Individuals with IESS treated with VGB were recruited from our hospital clinical data warehouse based on electronic health records (EHRs) generated since 2009 and containing relevant keywords. We confirmed the diagnosis of IESS. Clinical, EEG, imaging, and biological data were extracted from the EHRs. We analyzed factors associated with short‐term response, time to response, relapse, time to relapse of spasms, and the presence of spasms at last follow‐up.

Results

We collected data from 198 individuals (female: 46.5%, IESS onset: 6 [4.5–10.3] months, follow‐up: 4.6 [2.5–7.6] years, median [Q1–Q3]) including 129 (65.2%) with identifiable etiology. VGB was started 17 (5–57.5) days after IESS diagnosis. A total of 113 individuals were responders (57.1% of the cohort), 64 with VGB alone and 38 with VGB further combined with steroids (56.6% and 33.6% of responders, respectively). Among responders, 33 (29%) experienced relapses of spasms, mostly those with later onset of spasms (p = .002) and those who received VGB for <24 months after spasms cessation compared to a longer duration on VGB (45% vs. 12.8%, p = .003). At follow‐up, 92 individuals were seizure‐free (46.5% of the whole cohort), including 26 free of therapy (13.1%). One hundred twelve individuals (56.6%) were still receiving VGB, with a duration of 3.2 (1.75–5.7) years.

Significance

Our sequential protocol introducing VGB then adding steroids is an effective alternative to a combined VGB–steroids approach in IESS. It avoids steroid‐related adverse events, as well as those from VGB–steroid combination. According to our data, a period of 7 days seems sufficient to assess VGB response and enables the addition of steroids rapidly if needed. Continuing VGB for 2 years may balance the risk of relapse and treatment‐induced adverse events.
RETRACTED: Effects of laparoscopic splenectomy on surgical site wound infection in patients with spleen rupture: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Deng Yin , Zhang Xianhuan , Li Aiming , Zhao Ye , Ye Liya
Published: October 2023

A meta‐analysis was performed to compare the effects of laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) and open splenectomy (OS) for splenic rupture on postoperative surgical site wound infections and postoperative complications. A comprehensive computerised search was conducted for studies comparing LS with OS for the treatment of splenic rupture in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), VIP, and Wanfang databases, with the search including studies published in any language between the creation of the databases and August 2023. Two researchers independently screened the literature and extracted the data. Literature quality was assessed using the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale, and the included data were collated and analysed using Stata 17.0 software for meta‐analysis. Twenty‐two studies involving 1545 patients were included. LS was superior to OS in the following aspects: reduced risk of postoperative surgical site wound infection (OR = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.11–0.34, p = 0.000), shortened hospital stay (standardised mean difference = −1.73, 95% CI: −2.05 to −1.40, p = 0.000), and reduced postoperative complication rate (OR = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.16–0.31, p = 0.000). Compared with OS, LS has a lower rate of postoperative wound infection, shorter hospital stay, and reduced rate of postoperative complications. LS is safe and effective for the treatment of splenic rupture and can be promoted clinically.
Bioactivity of electric field‐pulsed human recombinant interleukin‐2 and its encapsulation into erythrocyte carriers
Authors: Mitchell DH , James GT , Kruse CA
Published: October 2023

The molecular integrity of human recombinant interleukin‐2 (rIL‐2), as measured by size exclusion chromatography, was not altered when exposed to high electrical field intensities. In addition, the biological activity was unaffected, as evidenced by the ability of the rIL‐2 to stimulate the proliferation (by cell growth assays and tritiated thymidine uptake) and differentiation (by cytotoxicity assay) of human lymphocytes into killer cells. Electroporation conditions chosen for the loading of rIL‐2, based upon those which provided for good recovery of carriers and minimal hemoglobin release, involved a lower field intensity (i.e., 6 kV/cm instead of 7 or 8 kV/cm) and multiple pulses (eight pulses, 5 microseconds) rather than a single pulse (40 microseconds). Human erythrocyte carriers consistently encapsulated 5–7.5% of the rIL‐2 by electroporation (6 kV/cm, eight pulses, 5 microseconds duration). A rIL‐2 concentration of 600,000 U/ml surrounding the erythrocytes during loading resulted in ca. 245,000 U/ml carriers, which represents a therapeutically significant quantity. Thus, rIL‐2 shows potential as an encapsulated agent for slow release in the erythrocyte carrier system.
Cloning and expression of the Erwinia herbicola tyrosine phenol‐lyase gene in Escherichia coli
Authors: Iwamori S. , Oikawa T. , Ishiwata K. , Makiguchi N.
Published: October 2023

The tyrosine phenol‐lyase (TPL) gene of Erwinia herbicola was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli, and the complete nucleotide sequence of the gene determined. The TPL gene comprises 1368 bp, encoding 456 amino acids which have 90% amino acid identity with TPL from Citrobacter freundii. After replacing the 5′‐flanking region of the TPL gene with the E. coli lac promoter, TPL protein could be hyperproduced constitutively in E. coli without induction by L‐tyrosine.
An in vitro amplification approach for the expression of recombinant proteins in mammalian cells
Authors: Monaco L. , Tagliabue R. , MR Soria , Uhlen M.
Published: October 2023

A method for the expression of recombinant DNA products in mammalian cells based on in vitro amplification of gene units is described. Gene cassettes containing either a selectable marker or the gene of interest are mixed at different molar ratios, and linear polymers are formed using forced head‐to‐tail ligation. After introduction of the polymers into mammalian cells, transformants with various amounts of the amplified gene unit are obtained. For a first characterization of the system, the gene coding for chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) has been used to produce polymers containing a single neomycin‐resistance gene ligated to different numbers of CAT gene units and used for transfection into HeLa cells. All isolated G418 (gentamycin)‐resistant cell transformants which received in vitro amplified DNA were found to express high levels of CAT activity in a stable manner. Southern‐blot analysis of individual clones revealed multiple copies of the gene integrated head‐to‐tail in the genome. This system allowed us to express the gene coding for human prepro‐endothelin‐1 in A617 human vascular‐smooth‐muscle cells. The recombinant protein was shown to be correctly processed and biologically active endothelin‐1.
Purification and characterization of an extracellular adenosine deaminase from Nocardioides sp. J‐326TK
Authors: HK Jun , TS Kim , Yeeh Y.
Published: October 2023

An extracellular adenosine deaminase was isolated from the culture supernatant of Nocardioides sp. J‐326TK and purified 193‐fold to homogeneity. It had a specific activity of 4677 units/mg at 37 degrees C, was a monomeric protein as judged by SDS/PAGE, and was characterized with respect to M(r) (80,000 and 72,000 by gel filtration on Sephadex G‐200 and SDS/PAGE respectively), pH optimum (6.0), temperature optimum (50 degrees C) and pI (7.6). The adsorption spectrum of the enzyme had a maximum at 280 nm and a minimum at 250 nm. The enzyme was stable at pH 6.5‐7.5 and at temperatures below 30 degrees C. Adenosine and 2'‐deoxyadenosine were deaminated and the respective Km values were 0.22 and 0.20 mM, but the enzyme was not active on adenine and 6‐(gamma gamma'‐dimethylallylamino)purine riboside. The enzyme reaction was promoted by Fe3+ and Sn2+, but potently inhibited by Hg2+, Ag2+, o‐phenanthroline and pentachlorophenol, and noticeably inhibited by 8‐bromoadenosine, theobromine and theophylline.
Outdoor chemostat culture of Phaeodactylum tricornutum UTEX 640 in a tubular photobioreactor for the production of eicosapentaenoic acid
Authors: Molina Grima E. , García Camacho F. , JA Sánchez Pérez , Urda Cardona J. , FG Acién Fernández , JM Fernández Sevilla
Published: October 2023

A tubular photobioreactor, based on an external loop airlift, has been used for outdoor continuous culture of the microalga Phaeodactylum tricornutum UTEX 640, rich in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). The effect of dilution rate on the biomass productivity and EPA production were examined. A maximum biomass productivity of 2.57 g⋅day−1⋅litre−1 was reached at an optimum cellular density of 7.12 g⋅litre−1. At around 2times1017 quanta⋅s−1⋅cm‐2 photosynthetic activity seemed to become light‐saturated. As the dilution rate increased, the fatty acid profile in biomass dry weight changed and EPA became the major fatty acid. We believe that this outdoor production of EPA from this species is the highest ever obtained (47.8 mg⋅day−1⋅litre‐1). On the basis of these data it would seem advisable to use tubular photobioreactor technology for the production of very valuable microalgal products
Adolescent Suicidal Risk: Psychological, Problem Solving, and Environmental Factors
Authors: Fremouw William , Callahan Ty , Kashden Jody
Published: October 2023

This study examined the life stress and problem‐solving interactional model of suicide proposed by Clum, Patsiokas, and Luscomb (1979). Thirty‐three hospitalized suicidal adolescents were compared with 21 adolescents hospitalized for other psychiatric problems and with 89 controls. The assessment battery was composed of psychological measures, problem‐solving measures, and environmental and family measures. The discriminant analyses revealed that the suicide group could be discriminated from the psychiatric control group but not from the high school control group. Unexpectedly, life stresses did not contribute to the identification of current suicide risk. The results suggest the importance of assessing suicide risk at the time of admission to minimize any subsequent changes in the risk group.
Physician‐Assisted Death: Progress or Peril?
Authors: Quill Timothy E.
Published: October 2023

Physician‐assisted death poses a unique challenge to those devoted to the understanding and prevention of suicide. Though suicide driven by desperation that could be relieved must be prevented whenever possible, our responsibilities to those who are seeking death as a last resort to escape intolerable, unrelievable suffering are less clear. We currently acknowledge that requests to stop life‐sustaining therapy can be rational, but we delegitimize the potential rationality of similar requests made by patients who have no such treatment to stop. Though modern palliative methods can ameliorate much of the suffering that accompanies dying, there are still some cases where disintegration and humiliation of the person occurs before death in spite of our best efforts. This manuscript explores a range of personal stories of unrelieved suffering experienced by incurably ill patients who have no escape other than death, and considers potential physician responses.
Manifest Predictors of Past Suicide Attempts in a Population of Icelandic Adolescents
Authors: Bjarnason Thoroddur , Thorlindsson Thorolfur
Published: October 2023

Past suicide attempts have been found to be a major risk factor for both repeated attempts and completed suicide. The utility of this is, however, limited by the fact that the majority of all suicide attempts never come to professional attention. This paper explores the possibility of using manifest indicators to predict which individuals in a population of adolescents have attempted suicide. Using logistic regression, manifest predictors in the categories of school, leisure, peer and parent relations, consumption, and contact with suicidal behavior could identify either a quarter of the population containing three quarters of all suicide attempters or 2% of the population where two thirds of those predicted actually had attempted suicide. It is thus concluded that manifest predictors can complement psychiatric screening methods by efficiently reducing the number to be screened.
Mortality and Causes of Death in a 10‐Year Follow‐Up of Patients Treated for Self‐Poisonings in Oslo
Authors: Ekeberg Øivind , Ellingsen Øyvind , Jacobsen Dag
Published: October 2023

The present 10‐year follow‐up study includes all patients (N = 926; 50% females) treated in the medical departments in Oslo for self‐poisonings during one year (1980). Seventeen percent were considered suicidal attempts upon admission, 25% among the non‐substance abusers and 8% among the abusers. At follow‐up, 207 patients (22%) were dead (62% males). The mortality rate was highest among the abusers. The most common causes of death were suicide (21%), heart disease (17%), opiate abuse (15%), and accidents/wounds (13%). Forty‐one percent of the suicides occurred during the first two years of the follow‐up period. The suicides were by poisoning (57%), hanging (20%), and other methods (23%). The female mortality rate decreased in the second half of the follow‐up period whereas the male rate did not change. The risk of death within 10 years after discharge increased with age and was higher in men and in abusers, whereas social group and motive for suicide were not predictive factors. The females had an excess suicide rate of 182 (36–327, 95% CI) in the first year after the self‐poisoning and 61 (36–87, 95% CI) in the total period. The corresponding figures for males were 70 (19–122) and 21 (12–30). The only factor associated with an increased suicide rate was a suicidal motive upon the admission for self‐poisoning with a 3.1 (1.7–5.8, 95% CI) times increased risk of suicide in the 10‐year follow‐up period.
The association between metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance with risk of cardiovascular events in different states of cardiovascular health status
Authors: Hosseinpour‐Niazi Somayeh , Afaghi Siamak , Hadaegh Parto , Mahdavi Maryam , Farhadnejad Hossein , Tohidi Maryam , Mirmiran Parvin , Azizi Fereidoun , Hadaegh Farzad
Published: October 2023

Aims/Introduction

The aim was to examine the joint effect of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and insulin resistance (IR) with ideal cardiovascular health (iCVH) status on incident cardiovascular diseases (CVDs).

Materials and Methods

The study included 6,240 Iranian adults ≥30 years, free of prior cardiovascular disease. Ideal cardiovascular health was determined based on American Heart Association's Life Simple 7. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the Joint Interim Statement Criteria, and insulin resistance was defined as HOMA‐IR ≥1.85 in women and ≥2.17 in men. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard ratios (HRs) were applied to examine the impact of metabolic syndrome, and insulin resistance at various levels of iCVH status.

Results

During the median follow‐up of 14.0 years, 909 cases of cardiovascular disease occurred. Metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance were significantly associated with incident cardiovascular disease events. In the poor and intermediate status, metabolic syndrome increased cardiovascular disease events with HRs of 1.83 and 1.57, respectively; the corresponding values for insulin resistance in the mentioned categories were 1.91 and 1.25, respectively (P values < 0.05). In the intermediate and poor iCVH status, hypertriglyceridemia was linked to a 40% and 35% higher risk of cardiovascular disease, the corresponding values for low HDL‐C was 20% and 60%, respectively (P values < 0.05). Although adding metabolic syndrome, its dyslipidemia and insulin resistance to iCVH status in both poor and intermediate status significantly improve the prediction of cardiovascular disease using net reclassification improvement (P values < 0.05), the value of C‐index did not change.

Conclusions

Metabolic syndrome and the dyslipidemia component had a negligible but significant improvement in the prediction of cardiovascular disease among individuals with non‐optimal iCVH status.
Myelination‐ and migration‐associated genes are downregulated after phagocytosis in cultured oligodendrocyte precursor cells
Authors: Hamanaka Gen , Hernández Iván Coto , Takase Hajime , Ishikawa Hidehiro , Benboujja Fouzi , Kimura Shintaro , Fukuda Norito , Guo Shuzhen , Lok Josephine , Lo Eng H. , Arai Ken
Published: October 2023

In the central nervous system, microglia are responsible for removing infectious agents, damaged/dead cells, and amyloid plaques by phagocytosis. Other cell types, such as astrocytes, are also recently recognized to show phagocytotic activity under some conditions. Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs), which belong to the same glial cell family as microglia and astrocytes, may have similar functions. However, it remains largely unknown whether OPCs exhibit phagocytic activity against foreign materials like microglia. To answer this question, we examined the phagocytosis activity of OPCs using primary rat OPC cultures. Since innate phagocytosis activity could trigger cell death pathways, we also investigated whether participating in phagocytosis activity may lead to OPC cell death. Our data shows that cultured OPCs phagocytosed myelin‐debris‐rich lysates prepared from rat corpus callosum, without progressing to cell death. In contrast to OPCs, mature oligodendrocytes did not show phagocytotic activity against the bait. OPCs also exhibited phagocytosis towards lysates of rat brain cortex and cell membrane debris from cultured astrocytes, but the percentage of OPCs that phagocytosed beta‐amyloid was much lower than the myelin debris. We then conducted RNA‐seq experiments to examine the transcriptome profile of OPC cultures and found that myelination‐ and migration‐associated genes were downregulated 24 h after phagocytosis. On the other hand, there were a few upregulated genes in OPCs 24 h after phagocytosis. These data confirm that OPCs play a role in debris removal and suggest that OPCs may remain in a quiescent state after phagocytosis.

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A systematic review and thematic synthesis of inpatient nursing staff experiences of working with high‐risk patient behaviours
Authors: Richardson Velmans Samuel , Joseph Christiana , Wood Lisa , Billings Jo
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Nursing staff are frequently exposed to high‐risk patient behaviours within inpatient health services, yet staff commonly report a lack of training and support in managing these behaviours.

Aim

The aim of the study was to examine nursing staff experiences of high‐risk behaviours in inpatient mental health settings.

Methods

Four electronic databases (CINAHL, Medline, PsycINFO, EMBASE) were searched. The protocol for this review was prospectively registered in PROSPERO (Ref: CRD42022334739). A meta‐synthesis of nursing staff's experiences of high‐risk behaviours in inpatient mental health settings was conducted.

Results

We identified 30 eligible studies. Six themes were constructed from the meta‐synthesis: the social contract of care; the function of risk behaviours; the expectation of risk; risk as a relational concept; navigating contradictions in care; the aftermath.

Discussion

Nursing staff conceptualize risk as a meaningful behaviour shaped by patient, staff and environmental factors. Managing risk is an ethical dilemma for nursing staff and they require more training and support in ethical risk decision‐making.

Implications for Practice

Inpatient mental healthcare services should formulate and manage risk as a relational concept comprising staff, patient and environmental factors. Future research and clinical practice should place further consideration on the varied experiences of different types of risk behaviours.

Relevance Statement

Nursing staff are frequently exposed to high‐risk patient behaviours within inpatient health services, yet staff commonly report a lack of training and support in managing these behaviours. This systematic review offers insights into how high‐risk behaviours are experienced by nursing staff and makes recommendations about how to improve the understanding and management of them. Inpatient mental healthcare services should formulate and manage risk as a relational concept comprising staff, patient and environmental factors. Future research and clinical practice should place further consideration on the varied experiences of different types of risk behaviours.
Granzyme B promotes matrix metalloproteinase‐1 (MMP‐1) release from gingival fibroblasts in a PAR1‐ and Erk1/2‐dependent manner: A novel role in periodontal inflammation
Authors: Ben‐Eltriki Mohamed , Ahmadi Amir Reza , Nakao Yuya , Golla Kalyan , Lakschevitz Flavia , Häkkinen Lari , Granville David J. , Kim Hugh
Published: October 2023

Objective

To gain insights into how proteases signal to connective tissues cells in the periodontium.

Background

The connective tissue degradation observed in periodontitis is largely due to matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) release by gingival fibroblasts. Granzyme B (GzmB) is a serine protease whose role in periodontitis is undefined.

Methods

Human gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples were obtained from sites with periodontal disease and healthy control sites. GzmB was quantified in the GCF ([GzmB]GCF) by ELISA. Gingival fibroblasts (GF) were cultured in the presence or absence of recombinant GzmB. Culture supernatants were analyzed by ELISA to quantify GzmB‐induced release of interstitial collagenase (MMP‐1). In some experiments, cells were pre‐treated with the inhibitor PD98059 to block MEK/ERK signaling. The protease‐activated receptor‐1 (PAR‐1) was blocked with ATAP‐2 neutralizing antibody prior to GzmB stimulation. Systemic MMP‐1 levels were measured in plasma from wild‐type (WT) and granzyme‐B‐knockout (GzmB−/−) mice.

Results

The [GzmB]GCF in human samples was ~4–5 fold higher at sites of periodontal disease (gingivitis/periodontitis) compared to healthy control sites, suggesting an association between GzmB and localized matrix degradation. GzmB induced a ~4–5‐fold increase in MMP‐1 secretion by cultured fibroblasts. GzmB induced phosphorylation of Erk1/2, which was abrogated by PD98059. GzmB‐induced upregulation of MMP‐1 secretion was also reduced by PD98059. Blockade of PAR‐1 function by ATAP‐2 abrogated the increase in MMP‐1 secretion by GF. Circulating MMP‐1 was similar in WT and GzmB−/− mice, suggesting that GzmB's effects on MMP‐1 release are not reflected systemically.

Conclusion

These data point to a novel GzmB‐driven signaling pathway in fibroblasts in which MMP‐1 secretion is upregulated in a PAR1‐ and Erk1/2‐dependent manner.
Quantifying the roles of algal photosynthetic electron pathways: a milestone towards photosynthetic robustness
Authors: Burlacot Adrien
Published: October 2023

During photosynthesis, electron transport reactions generate and shuttle reductant to allow CO2 reduction by the Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle and the formation of biomass building block in the so‐called linear electron flow (LEF). However, in nature, environmental parameters like light intensity or CO2 availability can vary and quickly change photosynthesis rates, creating an imbalance between photosynthetic energy production and metabolic needs. In addition to LEF, alternative photosynthetic electron flows are central to allow photosynthetic energy to match metabolic demand in response to environmental variations. Microalgae arguably harbour one of the most diverse set of alternative electron flows (AEFs), including cyclic (CEF), pseudocyclic (PCEF) and chloroplast‐to‐mitochondria (CMEF) electron flow. While CEF, PCEF and CMEF have large functional overlaps, they differ in the conditions they are active and in their role for photosynthetic energy balance. Here, I review the molecular mechanisms of CEF, PCEF and CMEF in microalgae. I further propose a quantitative framework to compare their key physiological roles and quantify how the photosynthetic energy is partitioned to maintain a balanced energetic status of the cell. Key differences in AEF within the green lineage and the potential of rewiring photosynthetic electrons to enhance plant robustness will be discussed.
Reverse Lumbar Pedicle Screw in Oblique Lateral Interbody Fusion: A Novel Concept to Restrict Cage Subsidence
Authors: He Jinyue , Luo Fei , Fang Qing , Xu Jianzhong , Zhang Zehua
Published: October 2023

Objective

Cage subsidence is a common morbidity after oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF), with risk of compromising clinical and radiographic outcomes. The study aims to describe an innovative reverse lumbar pedicle screw (RLPS) technique in OLIF and compare its effect on restricting cage subsidence with classical lateral fixation (LF) in radiological and clinical evaluation.

Method

Consecutive patients having undergone single‐level OLIF‐LF/RLPS from 2018 to 2020 were retrospectively reviewed. In OLIF‐RLPS, the upper entry point was determined at the intersection between one horizontal line (1 cm above inferior endplate) and one vertical line (dissecting anterior and middle thirds of the vertebra) while the inferior entry point between one horizontal line (5 mm below superior endplate) and the same vertical line. Trajectories were from vertebrae reverse into contralateral pedicle. Radiological evaluation included disc height (DH) and segmental lordosis (SL); cage subsidence was evaluated by DH loss. Clinical assessment included visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI). Student t or Mann–Whitney U test was used for continuous variation according to normality analysis while Chi‐square test for category variation.

Results

A total of 29 patients had been enrolled in the study including 14 cases in the RLPS group and 15 cases in the LF group. The DH in the OLIF‐RLPS group had increased from the preoperative 9.07 ± 1.73 mm to 13.73 ± 1.83 mm postoperatively, without significant difference compared with the OLIF‐LF group during the perioperative, but decreased to 12.53 ± 1.74 mm in 3 months and maintained at 12.00 ± 1.45 mm in 12 months, significantly higher than the OLIF‐LF group (p < 0.05). At the last follow‐up, 7.1% (1/14) cases in the OLIF‐RLPS group had shown subsidence of grade I, significantly less than 46.7% (7/15) cases in the OLIF‐LF group. Pain and disability had improved similarly in two groups, without significant difference detected between two groups at the last follow‐up.

Conclusion

RLPS technique with modified entry points and prolonged trajectory could effectively restrict cage subsidence in OLIF postoperatively compared with traditional lateral fixation.
Genetic and dermoscopic findings in a case series of children with oculocutaneous albinism
Authors: Liñán‐Barroso Juan Manuel , Mantrana‐Bermejo María Eugenia , Durán‐Romero Antonio José , Ortiz‐Álvarez Juan , Monserrat‐García María Teresa , Jiménez‐Thomas Guillermo José , Conejo‐Mir Sánchez Julián , Bernabéu‐Wittel José
Published: October 2023

Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) is a genetic disease caused by disorders in melanin synthesis or distribution. In this descriptive study conducted in a tertiary care pediatric hospital, patients with a clinical diagnosis of OCA and genetic study were retrospectively recruited and underwent dermatological and ophthalmological exam, including optical coherence tomography (OCT) and digital dermoscopy. Our findings revealed milder OCA phenotypic expression in individuals harboring single pathogenic mutations in conjunction with polymorphisms, as well as in those with mutations of uncertain significance. Regardless OCA subgroup, severe phenotypes of OCA were associated with a higher number of mutations/polymorphisms in melanin biosynthesis genes and paler dermoscopic patterns, such as vascular pattern, which was the most common pattern in our series.
Oocyte recovery after overnight ovary transport provides an alternative source of cumulus oocyte complexes that are competent to produce live piglets
Authors: Spate Lee D. , Yin Jie , Sammel Lauren , Prather Randall S. , Redel Bethany K.
Published: October 2023

COVID‐19 impacted abattoirs worldwide. The processing lines became a hotspot for the spread of COVID‐19 resulting in plant restructuring and ultimately a critical loss of pig material for research. Commercial sources of pig oocytes are available but are costly and companies were already operating at a maximum capacity for supplying the oocyte needs around the United States. Here, we provide an alternative source of oocytes that are competent to produce live, healthy piglets.
The Narrative Construction of State (il)Legitimacy in Colombia's Peace Laboratory1,2
Authors: Diamond Alex
Published: October 2023

How is state legitimacy established in areas where it has long been lacking? While scholars have generally explained the construction of legitimacy as a consequence of state actions and used survey research or experiments to describe local evaluations of the state, in this article I describe the microprocesses that link the two: how communities experience the state, collectively make sense of it, and behave in ways that consent to or challenge state power. Based on 3 years of ethnographic fieldwork in a rural Colombian village experiencing growing state presence after decades of armed group control, I theorize the emergence of state legitimacy or illegitimacy as a process of narrative construction. Locals facing a landmark peace process and a coca substitution program that has destroyed the local economy make sense of the state by constructing narratives about it that spread throughout the community. These narratives combine with material need to influence forms of social action that demonstrate assent to or defiance of state power—behavior that communities also understand through public narratives. Fine‐grained ethnographic description of the narrative construction of legitimacy demonstrates the importance of collective meaning‐making processes to political beliefs and behavior.
Functions tiling simultaneously with two arithmetic progressions
Authors: Etkind Mark Mordechai , Lev Nir
Published: October 2023

We consider measurable functions on that tile simultaneously by two arithmetic progressions and at respective tiling levels and . We are interested in two main questions: what are the possible values of the tiling levels , and what is the least possible measure of the support of ? We obtain sharp results which show that the answers depend on arithmetic properties of and , and in particular, on whether the numbers are rationally independent or not.
Prolonged GABAA‐mediated inhibition following single hair afferent input to single spinal dorsal horn neurones in cats.
Authors: De Koninck Y , Henry J L
Published: October 2023

To study the central processing mechanisms of sensory input from low threshold afferents to the spinal cord, we examined the excitatory response of single lumbar dorsal horn neurones to stimulation of hairs in the receptive field using a mechanically driven probe, and to activation of single hair follicle afferents using an intracellular current pulse to the cell bodies in the dorsal root ganglion. Experiments were done on anaesthetized, paralysed cats, spinalized at the L1 lumbar level. Responses of spinal neurones to two types of hair afferent input were characteristically different. The excitatory response to input from a single group II hair afferent (A beta; innervating guard hair follicle receptors) was multimodal, characterized by a small early depolarization followed by a sharp, large component with a slow, prolonged decay phase, whereas the response to input from a single group III hair afferent (A delta; innervating down hair follicle receptors) was unimodal. The unitary EPSPs in response to activation of group III hair afferents had a slower rise time and longer decay time constant than those in response to activation of group II hair afferents. When the receptive field of the afferent was located in the centre of the receptive field of the dorsal horn neurone, the gain of the central response was greater for the input from a single group II afferent (> 1) than that for the input from a single group III afferent (< 1). In the case of single group II hair afferents, when pairs of single action potentials or pairs of trains of action potentials were generated at intervals of 20 ms to 3 s, the response in the dorsal horn neurone to the second volley was markedly depressed at intervals of less than 2 s, without any apparent inhibition of the on‐going rate of firing. The response to the second volley in single group III afferents was less depressed. This inhibition of the response to the second of a paired volley in single group II hair afferents was attenuated by administration of bicuculline, but not strychnine or naloxone. This indicates that the inhibition involves a GABAA‐receptor‐mediated mechanism. Bicuculline did not affect the late component of the response to single group II hair afferent input, but unmasked a late component of the response to mechanical stimulation of hairs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)