bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treating Mental Illness and Relational Concerns in Incarcerated Settings
Authors: Tadros Eman
Published: April 2021

Rates of incarceration in the United States have grown dramatically over the past 50 years. These high rates of incarceration call for mental health and relational therapy to incarcerated individuals and their families. In conducting a literature review on incarceration, several topics emerged: mental illness, racial and ethnic disparity, and recidivism. When studying incarceration, mental illness is a necessary topic of inclusion due to high prevalence of mentally ill incarcerated individuals. When exploring issues related to incarceration, it is important to discuss diverse disparities to be able to put the individuals into context of their social location as well as address how contextual factors impact incarceration. The purpose of this article is to highlight the systemic, relational issues within incarcerated settings and then to display how treating mental illness and relational concerns allows for a healthier integration back into the family system. Clinical implications and future directions are also provided.
Personality and Sexting: The Relationship Between Sexting Behaviors, Sexting Expectations, and the Big Five
Authors: Jeanfreau Michelle M. , Holden Chelsey , Wright Lindsay E. , Thompson Ryan
Published: April 2021

Sexting is a common practice in intimate relationships; however, little research has investigated the role that sexting plays in adult relationships. The authors surveyed 356 individuals about their sexting behaviors and expectations and personality factors. Results indicated extroversion and openness are associated with greater arousal expectations for sending sexts and lower negative expectations for receiving sexts. Agreeableness is associated with lower negative expectations for sending sexts. Neuroticism is associated with lower arousal expectations and greater negative expectations for sending sexts. Individuals who are cohabitating sext more frequently than individuals who are dating, single, or married.
TF-CBT Group Intervention for Children in High Conflict Custody Disputes
Authors: Anderson Kelli
Published: April 2021

This article proposes a conceptual group approach using trauma-based cognitive behavioral therapy for children involved in high conflict custody disputes. Traditionally, interventions for this population have focused on repairing the relationship between parent and child and less on addressing the traumatic symptoms with which the child is suffering. The proposed intervention focuses solely on the needs of the child and provides an outline for seven sessions during which the PRACTICE model of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy is used. Additionally, ethical implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Numerical investigation of the oil–air distribution inside ball bearings with under-race lubrication
Authors: Jiang Le , Lyu Yaguo , Gao Wenjun , Zhu Pengfei , Liu Zhenxia
Published: April 2021

Oil distribution inside the under-race lubricated bearing is crucial for lubrication and cooling of high-speed ball bearings. An under-race lubricated ball bearing is modeled to numerically investigate the effects of operating parameters and feed hole configuration on the distribution behavior of lubricant oil. The results of the numerical simulation indicate that the average oil volume fraction changes with a convex trend as the outer race rotating speed increases, while it changes monotonically with the inner race rotating speed, oil volume flow rate, and oil temperature. The extent of oil spreading on the outer race, cage, ball, and inner race decreases successively. Optimizing the feed hole configuration according to the average oil volume fraction is helpful to achieve precise lubrication of the under-race lubricated ball bearing.
Early treatment delays long-term disability accrual in RRMS: Results from the BMSD network
Authors: Iaffaldano Pietro , Lucisano Giuseppe , Butzkueven Helmut , Hillert Jan , Hyde Robert , Koch-Henriksen Nils , Magyari Melinda , Pellegrini Fabio , Spelman Tim , Sørensen Per Soelberg , Vukusic Sandra , Trojano Maria
Published: April 2021

Background:

The optimal timing of treatment starts for achieving the best control on the long-term disability accumulation in multiple sclerosis (MS) is still to be defined.

Objective:

The aim of this study was to estimate the optimal time to start disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) to prevent the long-term disability accumulation in MS, using a pooled dataset from the Big Multiple Sclerosis Data (BMSD) network.

Methods:

Multivariable Cox regression models adjusted for the time to first treatment start from disease onset (in quintiles) were used. To mitigate the impact of potential biases, a set of pairwise propensity score (PS)-matched analyses were performed. The first quintile, including patients treated within 1.2 years from onset, was used as reference.

Results:

A cohort of 11,871 patients (median follow-up after treatment start: 13.2 years) was analyzed. A 3- and 12-month confirmed disability worsening event and irreversible Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) 4.0 and 6.0 scores were reached by 7062 (59.5%), 4138 (34.9%), 3209 (31.1%), and 1909 (16.5%) patients, respectively. The risk of reaching all the disability outcomes was significantly lower ( p < 0.0004) for the first quintile patients’ group.

Conclusion:

Real-world data from the BMSD demonstrate that DMTs should be commenced within 1.2 years from the disease onset to reduce the risk of disability accumulation over the long term.
Does removing default retirement ages benefit individuals? A comparative empirical case study of the university sector
Authors: Blackham Alysia
Published: April 2021

In 2011, the UK government abolished the national default retirement age. While this could support extended working lives and promote individual choice, it could also be a neoliberal ‘ploy’ to individualise the risks of old age. The question, then, is what impact does the removal of mandatory retirement have in practice: does it help to promote individual choice and autonomy? Or does it lead to work intensification and the individualisation of the risks of demographic change? Or both, perhaps simultaneously? Drawing on original qualitative and quantitative empirical data from UK and USA universities, this article considers the impact of removing mandatory retirement ages on individual workers in higher education. It argues that legal reform may have prompted or encouraged work intensification in universities, including through an increased focus and use of performance management. Thus, in practice, the consequences of removing retirement ages for individuals are mixed.
The head and heart of news avoidance: How attitudes about the news media relate to levels of news consumption
Authors: Edgerly Stephanie
Published: April 2021

In today’s media environment, there are increased opportunities to consume news in various formats and styles. Why then, do some people say they consume little to no news? The focus of this study is to identify the factors related to extremely low levels of news consumption. Survey data from a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults is used to test different explanations for news avoidance. Results point to several factors that explain lower overall levels of news consumption. Extremely low news consumption is related to a disinterest in politics, perceptions of news lacking relevance, low news self-efficacy and a lack of knowledge about the news system. Perhaps surprisingly, the emotional toll of news (e.g. news fatigue, upset feelings) did not explain variation in overall levels of news consumption. Based on these findings, efforts to convert news avoiders into more regular consumers of news is discussed.
Effects of hydrogen as adjuvant treatment for unstable angina
Authors: Si Yanhong , Tian Hua , Dong Bingqing , Zhang Ying , Wen Yuanyuan , Jia Xiubin , Li Ying , Zhang Aihua , Qin Shucun
Published: April 2021

Oxidative stress and inflammation are closely related to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. It is established that hydrogen has significant protective effects on many diseases as a potential antioxidative and anti-inflammatory agent. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of hydrogen on unstable angina in vitro and in vivo. An atherosclerosis model in vitro was constructed by ox-LDL-induced injury of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and in vitro testing indicated hydrogen inhibited ox-LDL-induced oxidative stress and inflammatory response by down-regulating LOX-1/NF-kB signaling pathway. Subsequently, the attenuating effect of hydrogen-rich water intake on unstable angina was further confirmed in clinic. Forty hospitalized subjects with unstable angina were enrolled and consumed either 1000–1200 mL/d hydrogen-rich water or the same amount of placebo pure water in addition to conventional drugs for three months. Clinical analysis showed hydrogen-rich water intake relieved angina symptoms in unstable angina patients. Serum analysis showed that hydrogen-rich water addition resulted in more effective reductions of total-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B levels compared with conventional treatment. These results support that hydrogen as adjuvant treatment has a beneficial effect on unstable angina.
A Culturally Relevant Care Model to Reduce Health Disparities Among Medicaid Recipients
Authors: Johnson Andrew , Murcko Anita , Castro Thompson Anabell , Merica Chandra , Stephan Mark
Published: April 2021

Health disparities among Hispanics are associated with poorer health status across multiple health conditions, greater use of high-acuity services, and lower use of care continuity and preventive services. A new integrated delivery organization (IDO) designed around culturally responsive care aims to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes among the Hispanic community by deploying a multifeatured approach. The IDO combines the universal administration of a culturally sensitive health risk screening tool, the delivery of culturally appropriate medical, behavioral and spiritual health, and creative support of provider practices with training and informational resources, financial incentives, actionable data, technology, and cultural sensitivity training for providers and staff. The IDO further distinguishes its unique approach by partnering with a university informatics program to establish a local learning health care system destined to enrich the evidence base for culturally appropriate interventions that reduce health disparities. Longitudinal research is currently underway that focuses on the impact of culturally motivated interventions on resource utilization, retention, and quality.
Longitudinal Study of Dyadic Adjustment in a Sample of Spanish Fathers
Authors: Escribano Silvia , Oliver-Roig Antonio , Richart-Martínez Miguel
Published: April 2021

The objectives of this study were to examine the evolution of fathers’ long-term dyadic adjustment after the birth of a child and to analyze their evolution considering related factors. A total of 113 Spanish fathers with a mean age of 35.72 years ( SD = 3.84 years) participated. In general, there was a decline in the dyadic adjustment of the fathers until 6–12 months after childbirth, after which their level of adjustment remained stable until 13–24 months. We observed different patterns when analyzing the evolution by subgroups formed based on these different variables, previous experience of paternity, and anxiety. The intrinsic differences between fathers should also be considered because these differences can influence the way in which men face the parental process as well as the evolution of the quality of their relationship with their partner.
Porosity and dissipative effects in Peristalsis of hydro-magneto nanomaterial: Application of biomedical treatment
Authors: Sheriff Samreen , Mir Nazir Ahmad , Ahmad Shakeel , Rafiq Naila
Published: April 2021

The non-uniformity value which currently many applications of magneto-hydrodynamics are found in medicine where drug deliverance happens through peristaltic pumping phenomena, various magnetic drugs are released to target tumor diseases and to control the drug flow movement to the desired area. Owing to these facts, the aims of this article is to examine the simultaneous influence of magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD) and slip effect on unsteady peristaltic nanofluid flow in a non-uniform porous channel of finite length. The constituent governing equations for the model have been examined under the approximation of long wave length and small Reynolds value. Keeping kerosene oil and ethylene glycol as base fluids with polystyrene chosen as nanoparticle. The current analysis is carried out for the peristaltic flow transferal which carries innumerable industrialized employments. The incompressible, viscous, electrically conducting flow is studied in wave form. Here, exact method is employed to obtained closed form solutions. We have implemented computational software packages “Mathematica” as a main tool in order to obtain explicit expressions for axial velocity, temperature, stream function, pumping phenomenon and bolus formation. Obtained solutions are used for graphical analysis against different physical parameters. It is concluded that axial velocity increments for higher Hartmann number and slip parameter near the walls. The porosity effects increases the temperature whereas the temperature field shows increasing behavior for larger Brinkman number.
A qualitative exploration of stigma experience and inclusion among adults with mild to moderate intellectual disability in an Indonesian context
Authors: Handoyo Restu , Ali Afia , Scior Katrina , Hassiotis Angela
Published: April 2021

Background:

People with intellectual disability are among the most stigmatised groups in society. There is a paucity of studies reporting on how stigma is experienced in low- and middle-income countries. This study aims to explore the experience of stigma among adults with mild/moderate intellectual disability and the extent of their inclusion in Indonesian society.

Method:

Fifteen adults with mild/moderate intellectual disability were purposively recruited from three service providers and were interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. The data were analysed using thematic analysis.

Results:

The findings suggest that adults with intellectual disability experience stigma in multiple settings (family, school, community), have limited access to social activities, and internalised the experienced stigma.

Conclusion:

This study adds to the international understanding of stigma experienced by adults with mild/moderate intellectual disability in daily life and their inclusion in society in a middle-income country.
To Be Resourced or to Become a Resource: Understanding Novice University Teachers’ Resource-Mediated Identity Construction
Authors: Xu Hao
Published: April 2021

This article reports on a multiple-case study which aims to investigate how novice university teachers construct professional identities as they process and utilize resources to promote professional development. Data were collected from 35 novice university teachers in China through prolonged individual interviews as a major source of data, with journal entries and other written protocols as a supplement. Data analysis reveals three types of resource-mediated identities, that is, resource collectors, resource providers, and resource users. The difference between the three types of identities further shows that resource utilization can be most effectively optimized if teachers display a higher degree of autonomy deriving from their agency and proactively engage with resources to resolve specific problems in self-directed efforts. Suggestions with regard to promoting teachers’ problem awareness and improving organizational management are discussed.
Trends in Meniscal Allograft Transplant in the Republic of Korea, 2010-2018: An Analysis Based on the Korean National Health Insurance Claims Database
Authors: Park Jun-Gu , Bin Seong-Il , Kim Jong-Min , Lee Bum-Sik , Lee Sang-Min
Published: April 2021

Background:

Analyzing the current trends in meniscal allograft transplant (MAT) is important. However, no recent descriptive epidemiological study based on a national registry database has been reported.

Purpose:

To assess serial trends in the incidence of MAT in the Republic of Korea between 2010 and 2018, stratified by age and sex.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods:

The number of MAT procedures between 2010 and 2018 was assessed using the Korean National Health Insurance claims database. We used code N0825 for isolated MAT and code N0820 for MAT combined with other procedures, such as ligament reconstruction, realignment surgery, and cartilage procedures. The incidence of MAT was calculated using the general population data of the Republic of Korea, and Poisson log-linear regression analysis was used to assess statistical serial trends.

Results:

A total of 369 patients underwent MAT in 2010 and 774 in 2018, with an increase of 47.6%. The incidence of MAT per 100,000 person-years in the Republic of Korea increased significantly during the period studied, from 0.75 in 2010 to 1.50 in 2018 (annual relative risk = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.08-1.10; P < .001), whereas the rate of MAT combined with other procedures increased from 5.1% in 2014 to 16.0% in 2018. MAT was mostly performed in men in their early 20s. Most MAT procedures were performed in the summer and winter, with distinct seasonal variances.

Conclusion:

In the Republic of Korea, the incidence of MAT in 2018 was 1.50 per 100,000 person-years, with an average annual increase of 10% since 2010. MAT was mostly performed in men in their early 20s, and the rate of MAT combined with other procedures has increased since 2014.
The relationship between hippocampal-dependent task performance and hippocampal grey matter myelination and iron content
Authors: Clark Ian A. , Callaghan Martina F. , Weiskopf Nikolaus , Maguire Eleanor A.
Published: April 2021

Individual differences in scene imagination, autobiographical memory recall, future thinking and spatial navigation have long been linked with hippocampal structure in healthy people, although evidence for such relationships is, in fact, mixed. Extant studies have predominantly concentrated on hippocampal volume. However, it is now possible to use quantitative neuroimaging techniques to model different properties of tissue microstructure in vivo such as myelination and iron. Previous work has linked such measures with cognitive task performance, particularly in older adults. Here we investigated whether performance on scene imagination, autobiographical memory, future thinking and spatial navigation tasks was associated with hippocampal grey matter myelination or iron content in young, healthy adult participants. Magnetic resonance imaging data were collected using a multi-parameter mapping protocol (0.8 mm isotropic voxels) from a large sample of 217 people with widely-varying cognitive task scores. We found little evidence that hippocampal grey matter myelination or iron content were related to task performance. This was the case using different analysis methods (voxel-based quantification, partial correlations), when whole brain, hippocampal regions of interest, and posterior:anterior hippocampal ratios were examined, and across different participant sub-groups (divided by gender and task performance). Variations in hippocampal grey matter myelin and iron levels may not, therefore, help to explain individual differences in performance on hippocampal-dependent tasks, at least in young, healthy individuals.
O-GlcNAcylation protein disruption by Thiamet G promotes changes on the GBM U87-MG cells secretome molecular signature
Authors: Oliveira-Nunes Maria Cecilia , Julião Glaucia , Menezes Aline , Mariath Fernanda , Hanover John A. , Evaristo Joseph Albert Medeiros , Nogueira Fábio César Sousa , Dias Wagner Barbosa , de Abreu Pereira Denise , Carneiro Katia
Published: April 2021

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a grade IV glioma highly aggressive and refractory to the therapeutic approaches currently in use. O-GlcNAcylation plays a key role for tumor aggressiveness and progression in different types of cancer; however, experimental evidence of its involvement in GBM are still lacking. Here, we show that O-GlcNAcylation plays a critical role in maintaining the composition of the GBM secretome, whereas inhibition of OGA activity disrupts the intercellular signaling via microvesicles. Using a label-free quantitative proteomics methodology, we identified 51 proteins in the GBM secretome whose abundance was significantly altered by activity inhibition of O-GlcNAcase (iOGA). Among these proteins, we observed that proteins related to proteasome activity and to regulation of immune response in the tumor microenvironment were consistently downregulated in GBM cells upon iOGA. While the proteins IGFBP3, IL-6 and HSPA5 were downregulated in GBM iOGA cells, the protein SQSTM1/p62 was exclusively found in GBM cells under iOGA. These findings were in line with literature evidence on the role of p62/IL-6 signaling axis in suppressing tumor aggressiveness and our experimental evidence showing a decrease in radioresistance potential of these cells. Taken together, our findings provide evidence that OGA activity may regulate the p62 and IL-6 abundance in the GBM secretome. We propose that the assessment of tumor status from the main proteins present in its secretome may contribute to the advancement of diagnostic, prognostic and even therapeutic tools to approach this relevant malignancy.
Evaluation of open search methods based on theoretical mass spectra comparison
Authors: Lysiak Albane , Fertin Guillaume , Jean Géraldine , Tessier Dominique
Published: April 2021

Background

Mass spectrometry remains the privileged method to characterize proteins. Nevertheless, most of the spectra generated by an experiment remain unidentified after their analysis, mostly because of the modifications they carry. Open Modification Search (OMS) methods offer a promising answer to this problem. However, assessing the quality of OMS identifications remains a difficult task.

Methods

Aiming at better understanding the relationship between (1) similarity of pairs of spectra provided by OMS methods and (2) relevance of their corresponding peptide sequences, we used a dataset composed of theoretical spectra only, on which we applied two OMS strategies. We also introduced two appropriately defined measures for evaluating the above mentioned spectra/sequence relevance in this context: one is a color classification representing the level of difficulty to retrieve the proper sequence of the peptide that generated the identified spectrum ; the other, called LIPR, is the proportion of common masses, in a given Peptide Spectrum Match (PSM), that represent dissimilar sequences. These two measures were also considered in conjunction with the False Discovery Rate (FDR).

Results

According to our measures, the strategy that selects the best candidate by taking the mass difference between two spectra into account yields better quality results. Besides, although the FDR remains an interesting indicator in OMS methods (as shown by LIPR), it is questionable: indeed, our color classification shows that a non negligible proportion of relevant spectra/sequence interpretations corresponds to PSMs coming from the decoy database.

Conclusions

The three above mentioned measures allowed us to clearly determine which of the two studied OMS strategies outperformed the other, both in terms of number of identifications and of accuracy of these identifications. Even though quality evaluation of PSMs in OMS methods remains challenging, the study of theoretical spectra is a favorable framework for going further in this direction.
Euler diagrams drawn with ellipses area-proportionally (Edeap)
Authors: Wybrow Michael , Rodgers Peter , Dib Fadi K.
Published: April 2021

Background

Area-proportional Euler diagrams are frequently used to visualize data from Microarray experiments, but are also applied to a wide variety of other data from biosciences, social networks and other domains.

Results

This paper details Edeap, a new simple, scalable method for drawing area-proportional Euler diagrams with ellipses. We use a search-based technique optimizing a multi-criteria objective function that includes measures for both area accuracy and usability, and which can be extended to further user-defined criteria. The Edeap software is available for use on the web, and the code is open source. In addition to describing our system, we present the first extensive evaluation of software for producing area-proportional Euler diagrams, comparing Edeap to the current state-of-the-art; circle-based method, venneuler, and an alternative ellipse-based method, eulerr.

Conclusions

Our evaluation—using data from the Gene Ontology database via GoMiner, Twitter data from the SNAP database, and randomly generated data sets—shows an ordering for accuracy (from best to worst) of eulerr, followed by Edeap and then venneuler. In terms of runtime, the results are reversed with venneuler being the fastest, followed by Edeap and finally eulerr. Regarding scalability, eulerr cannot draw non-trivial diagrams beyond 11 sets, whereas no such limitation is present in Edeap or venneuler, both of which draw diagrams up to the tested limit of 20 sets.
Genome-wide identification of sucrose nonfermenting-1-related protein kinase (SnRK) genes in barley and RNA-seq analyses of their expression in response to abscisic acid treatment
Authors: Chen Zhiwei , Zhou Longhua , Jiang Panpan , Lu Ruiju , Halford Nigel G. , Liu Chenghong
Published: April 2021

Background

Sucrose nonfermenting-1 (SNF1)-related protein kinases (SnRKs) play important roles in regulating metabolism and stress responses in plants, providing a conduit for crosstalk between metabolic and stress signalling, in some cases involving the stress hormone, abscisic acid (ABA). The burgeoning and divergence of the plant gene family has led to the evolution of three subfamilies,SnRK1,SnRK2andSnRK3, of whichSnRK2andSnRK3are unique to plants. Therefore, the study of SnRKs in crops may lead to the development of strategies for breeding crop varieties that are more resilient under stress conditions. In the present study, we describe theSnRKgene family of barley (Hordeum vulgare), the widespread cultivation of which can be attributed to its good adaptation to different environments.

Results

The barleyHvSnRKgene family was elucidated in its entirety from publicly-available genome data and found to comprise 50 genes. Phylogenetic analyses assigned six of the genes to theHvSnRK1subfamily, 10 toHvSnRK2and 34 toHvSnRK3. The search was validated by applying it to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa) genome data, identifying 50SnRKgenes in rice (fourOsSnRK1, 11OsSnRK2and 35OsSnRK3) and 39 in Arabidopsis (threeAtSnRK1, 10AtSnRK2and 26AtSnRK3). Specific motifs were identified in the encoded barley proteins, and multiple putative regulatory elements were found in the gene promoters, with light-regulated elements (LRE), ABA response elements (ABRE) and methyl jasmonate response elements (MeJa) the most common. RNA-seq analysis showed that many of theHvSnRKgenes responded to ABA, some positively, some negatively and some with complex time-dependent responses.

Conclusions

The barleyHvSnRKgene family is large, comprising 50 members, subdivided intoHvSnRK1(6 members),HvSnRK2(10 members) andHvSnRK3(34 members), showing differential positive and negative responses to ABA.
A genome-wide scan of copy number variants in three Iranian indigenous river buffaloes
Authors: Strillacci Maria G. , Moradi-Shahrbabak Hossein , Davoudi Pourya , Ghoreishifar Seyed Mohammad , Mokhber Mahdi , Masroure Anoar Jamai , Bagnato Alessandro
Published: April 2021

Background

In Iran, river buffalo is of great importance. It plays an important role in the economy of the Country, because its adaptation to harsh climate conditions and long productive lifespan permitting its farming across the Country and to convert low-quality feed into valuable milk. The genetic variability in Iranian buffalo breeds have been recently studied using SNPs genotyping data, but a whole genome Copy Number Variants (CNVs) mapping was not available. The aim of this study was to perform a genome wide CNV scan in 361 buffaloes of the three Iranian river breeds (Azeri, Khuzestani and Mazandarani) through the analysis of data obtained using the Axiom® Buffalo Genotyping Array 90 K.

Results

CNVs detection resulted in a total of 9550 CNVs and 302 CNVRs identified in at least 5% of samples within breed, covering around 1.97% of the buffalo genome. and A total of 22 CNVRs were identified in all breeds and a different proportion of regions were in common among the three populations. Within the more represented CNVRs (n = 302) mapped a total of 409 buffalo genes, some of which resulted associated with morphological, healthy, milk, meat and reproductive traits, according to Animal Genome Cattle database.

Conclusions

This work provides a step forward in the interpretation of genomic variation within and among the buffalo populations, releasing a first map of CNVs and providing insights about their recent selection and adaptation to environment. The presence of the set of genes and QTL traits harbored in the CNVRs could be possibly linked with the buffalo’s natural adaptive history together to a recent selection for milk used as primary food source from this species.
Draft genome of a biparental beetle species, Lethrus apterus
Authors: Nagy Nikoletta A. , Rácz Rita , Rimington Oliver , Póliska Szilárd , Orozco-terWengel Pablo , Bruford Michael W. , Barta Zoltán
Published: April 2021

Background

The lack of an understanding about the genomic architecture underpinning parental behaviour in subsocial insects displaying simple parental behaviours prevents the development of a full understanding about the evolutionary origin of sociality.Lethrus apterusis one of the few insect species that has biparental care. Division of labour can be observed between parents during the reproductive period in order to provide food and protection for their offspring.

Results

Here, we report the draft genome ofL. apterus, the first genome in the family Geotrupidae. The final assembly consisted of 286.93 Mbp in 66,933 scaffolds. Completeness analysis found the assembly contained 93.5% of the Endopterygota core BUSCO gene set. Ab initio gene prediction resulted in 25,385 coding genes, whereas homology-based analyses predicted 22,551 protein coding genes. After merging, 20,734 were found during functional annotation. Compared to other publicly available beetle genomes, 23,528 genes among the predicted genes were assigned to orthogroups of which 1664 were in species-specific groups. Additionally, reproduction related genes were found among the predicted genes based on which a reduction in the number of odorant- and pheromone-binding proteins was detected.

Conclusions

These genes can be used in further comparative and functional genomic researches which can advance our understanding of the genetic basis and hence the evolution of parental behaviour.
May direct-to-consumer genetic testing have an impact on general practitioners’ daily practice? a cross-sectional study of patients’ intentions towards this approach
Authors: Cohidon Christine , Cardinaux Regula , Cornuz Jacques , Chenal Robin , Desvergne Béatrice , Guessous Idris , Cerqui Daniela , Widmer Daniel
Published: April 2021

Background

Direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTCGT) offers individuals access to information on their probable risks of suffering from a wide range of chronic diseases. General practitioners (GPs) will probably play a major role in supporting its use, but patients’ perception of DTCGT remain unclear. This study aimed to describe those attitudes and expectations and how they might affect GPs’ daily practices.

Methods

In 2018–2019, a study related to the use of DTCGT for preventive care in general medicine was conducted among patients in Switzerland’s French-speaking areas. Data were collected in the waiting room using a self-administrated questionnaire about patients’ interest in DTCGT and what their attitudes might be if testing revealed an elevated risk of diabetes, colorectal cancer, or Alzheimer’s disease.

Results

About 40% of the 929 participating (participation rate about 80%) patients had heard about DTCGT and, once the test had been explained, 43% reported that they would be interested in being tested. If that testing suggested an elevated risk of disease, the majority of patients reported that they would change their lifestyle (65%–81%, depending on the disease), request more examinations (63%–77%), and expect changes in their GP’s follow-up (48%–59%). Personal characteristics such as sex, age, urbanity, marital status, and perceived health were factors predictive of patients’ attitudes.

Conclusion

Findings indicated that the generalization of DTCGT might affect GPs’ daily practices in terms of workload and knowledge about this approach. However, this result must be qualified by the fact that it is based on hypothetical situations.
Establishing content validity for a composite activities-specific risk of falls scale:linkage between fear of falling and physical activity
Authors: Wang Jing X. , Chen Lin Y. , Jiang Yan N. , Ni Ling , Sheng Jie M. , Shen Xia
Published: April 2021

Background

Fear of falling (FoF) and physical activity (PA) are important psychological and behavioral factors associated with falls. No instrument quantifies the link between these two factors to evaluate the risk of falls. We aimed to design a scale linking FoF with PA (Composite Activities-specific Risk of Falls Scale, CARFS) for people with various disability levels.

Methods

First, we designed a questionnaire comprising 40 balance-related activities from the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) for a pilot survey. Second, participants were interviewed about their activities-specific FoF degree and PA frequency. The participants comprised 30 community-dwelling older adults, hospitalized patients with strokes, and those with spinal cord injuries, each with different disability levels. Third, the content validity of the items was evaluated twice by 12 experienced rehabilitation professionals: one based on experience and the other on the survey responses. Items with a higher than moderate relevance in both evaluations were included in the CARFS. The panel of professionals discussed and voted on the contribution of FoF and PA on the CARF score. Finally, the scale sensitivity in distinguishing disability levels was analyzed to evaluate the population suitability to the CARFS.

Results

The CARFS included 14 activities. A five-point Likert scale was used to quantify degree of FoF (A) and frequency of PA (B). The CARF score (C), which was determined using the eq. C = A+(4-B) + A × B/2, reflected sensitivity to disability levels in most items.

Conclusions

The CARFS has strong content validity for measuring risk of falls in relation to the FoF and PA of people with various disability levels. It has a potential to provide a guide for designing individualized exercise- and behavior-focused fall prevention programs and enable the precise trtrun 0acking of program effectiveness as a multidimensional outcome measure.
Retrospective study revealed that Zn relate to improvement of swallowing function in the older adults
Authors: Seki Yumika , Ishizawa Kota , Akaishi Tetsuya , Abe Michiaki , Okamoto Koji , Tanaka Junichi , Arita Ryutaro , Takayama Shin , Kikuchi Akiko , Miyazaki Mariko , Harigae Hideo , Sato Mayumi , Hoshi Masaya , Hatsugai Kazuaki , Ishii Tadashi
Published: April 2021

Background

Zinc is an essential micronutrient for maintaining biological activity. The level of zinc in the blood is known to decrease with age, especially in those over 75 years of age. In older adults patients with impaired functional status, aspiration pneumonia based on dysphagia often becomes problematic. However, the relationship between zinc deficiency and swallowing function has not been studied before.

Methods

A total of 52 older adults subjects (15 males and 37 females) living in a nursing home were enrolled for this study. At the time of enrollment, data of gender, age, body weight, serum zinc levels, serum albumin levels, and the time in a simple 2-step swallowing provocation test (S-SPT) were collected. In patients with serum zinc levels < 60 μg/dL, we initiated 2 months of oral zinc supplementation therapy with a 34 mg/day zinc load. Those who underwent zinc supplementation were re-evaluated after the treatment period and serum zinc levels and S-SPT time were measured.

Results

At the time of enrollment, serum zinc level was significantly correlated with serum albumin levels (Pearson’s R = 0.58, p < 0.0001) and time in the S-SPT (Spearman’s rho = − 0.32, p = 0.0219). Twenty-five of the 52 patients had zinc deficiency with a serum zinc level < 60 μg/dL. After 2 months of oral zinc supplementation, both serum zinc levels (p < 0.0001) and time in the S-SPT (p = 0.04) significantly improved. Meanwhile, serum albumin level (p = 0.48) or body weight (p = 0.07) did not significantly change following zinc supplementation. Zinc supplementation significantly improved swallowing function, especially in the older adults who had comorbid dysphagia and zinc deficiency.

Conclusions

Zinc deficiency is associated with compromised swallowing function in older adults patients with impaired general functions. Oral zinc supplementation can alleviate dysphagia in older adults patients with zinc deficiency even though this is a retrospective study. Further study will be needed to confirm this positive effect.
Diagnostic value of neutrophil CD64, procalcitonin, and interleukin-6 in sepsis: a meta-analysis
Authors: Cong Shan , Ma Tiangang , Di Xin , Tian Chang , Zhao Min , Wang Ke
Published: April 2021

Background

The aim of the study was to conduct a meta-analysis to evaluate the accuracy of neutrophil CD64, procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) as markers for the diagnosis of sepsis in adult patients.

Methods

Various databases were searched to collect published studies on the diagnosis of sepsis in adult patients using neutrophil CD64, PCT, and IL-6 levels. Utilizing the Stata SE 15.0 software, forest plots and the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curves were drawn. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and area under the curve (AUC) were calculated.

Results

Fifty-four articles were included in the study. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of neutrophil CD64 for the diagnosis of sepsis were 0.88 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.81–0.92), 0.88 (95% CI, 0.83–0.91), and 0.94 (95% CI, 0.91–0.96), respectively. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of PCT for the diagnosis of sepsis were 0.82 (95% CI, 0.78–0.85), 0.78 (95% CI, 0.74–0.82), and 0.87 (95% CI, 0.83–0.89), respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the AUC for PCT diagnosis of intensive care unit (ICU) sepsis was 0.86 (95% CI, 0.83–0.89) and the AUC for PCT diagnosis of non-ICU sepsis was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.78–0.85). The pooled sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of IL-6 for the diagnosis of sepsis were 0.72 (95% CI, 0.65–0.78), 0.70 (95% CI, 0.62–0.76), and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.73–0.80), respectively.

Conclusions

Of the three biomarkers studied, neutrophil CD64 showed the highest diagnostic value for sepsis, followed by PCT, and IL-6. On the other hand, PCT showed a better diagnostic potential for the diagnosis of sepsis in patients with severe conditions compared with that in patients with non-severe conditions.
The frequency of cytomegalovirus non-ELR UL146 genotypes in neonates with congenital CMV disease is comparable to strains in the background population
Authors: Berg Christian , Rosenkilde Mette M. , Benfield Thomas , Nielsen Lene , Sundelin Thomas , Lüttichau Hans R.
Published: April 2021

Background

Congenital cytomegalovirus disease (cCMV) is common and can be fatal or cause severe sequelae. Circulating strains of cytomegalovirus carry a high number of variable or disrupted genes. One of these is UL146, a highly diverse gene with 14 distinct genotypes encoding a CXC-chemokine involved in viral dissemination. UL146 genotypes 5 and 6 lack the conserved ELR motif, potentially affecting strain virulence. Here, we investigate whether UL146 genotypes 5 and 6 were associated with congenital CMV infection.

Methods

Viral DNA was extracted and UL146 sequenced from 116 neonatal dried blood spots (DBS) stored in the Danish National Biobank since 1982 and linked to registered cCMV cases through a personal identifier. These sequences were compared to UL146 control sequences obtained from CMV DNA extracted from 83 urine samples from children with suspected bacterial urinary tract infections.

Results

Three non-ELR UL146 genotypes (5 and 6) were observed among the cases (2.6%) and two were observed among the controls (2.4%; P > 0.99). Additionally, no significant association with cCMV was found for the other 12 genotypes in a post-hoc analysis, although genotype 8 showed a tendency to be more frequent among cases with 12 observations against three (P = 0.10). All fourteen genotypes were found to have little intra-genotype variation. Viral load, gender, and sample age were not found to be associated with any particular UL146 genotype.

Conclusions

No particular UL146 genotype was associated with cCMV in this nationwide retrospective case-control study. Associations between CMV disease and disrupted or polymorph CMV genes among immunosuppressed people living with HIV/AIDS and transplant recipients should be investigated in future studies.
Whole-tumour evaluation with MRI and radiomics features to predict the efficacy of S-1 for adjuvant chemotherapy in postoperative pancreatic cancer patients: a pilot study
Authors: Liang Liang , Ding Ying , Yu Yiyi , Liu Kai , Rao Shengxiang , Ge Yingqian , Zeng Mengsu
Published: April 2021

Background

Multiple guidelines for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) suggest that all stages of patients need to receive postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy. S-1 is a recently emerged oral antitumour agent recommended by the guidelines. However, which population would benefit from S-1 needs to be determined, and predictors of chemotherapy response are needed for personalized precision medicine. This pilot study aimed to initially identify whether whole-tumour evaluation with MRI and radiomics features could be used for predicting the efficacy of S-1 and to find potential predictors of the efficacy of S-1 as evidence to assist personalized precision treatment.

Methods

Forty-six patients with PDAC (31 in the primary cohort and 15 in the validation cohort) who underwent curative resection and subsequently adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1 were included. Pre-operative abdominal contrast-enhanced MRI was performed, and radiomics features of the whole PDAC were extracted from the primary cohort. After univariable analysis and radiomics features selection, a multivariable Cox regression model for survival analysis was subsequently used to select statistically significant factors associated with postoperative disease-free survival (DFS). Predictive capacities of the factors were tested on the validation cohort by using Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

Multivariable Cox regression analysis identified the probability of T1WI_NGTDM_Strength and tumour location as independent predictors of the efficacy of S-1 for adjuvant chemotherapy of PDAC (p = 0.005 and 0.013) in the primary cohort, with hazard ratios (HRs) of 0.289 and 0.293, respectively. Further survival analysis showed that patients in the low-T1WI_NGTDM_Strength group had shorter DFS (median = 5.1 m) than those in the high-T1WI_NGTDM_Strength group (median = 13.0 m) (p = 0.006), and patients with PDAC on the pancreatic head exhibited shorter DFS (median = 7.0 m) than patients with tumours in other locations (median = 20.0 m) (p = 0.016). In the validation cohort, the difference in DFS between patients with low-T1WI_NGTDM_Strength and high-T1WI_NGTDM_Strength and the difference between patients with PDAC on the pancreatic head and that in other locations were approved, with marginally significant (p = 0.073 and 0.050), respectively.

Conclusions

Whole-tumour radiomics feature of T1WI_NGTDM_Strength and tumour location were potential predictors of the efficacy of S-1 and for the precision selection of S-1 as adjuvant chemotherapy regimen for PDAC.
Value-based care in obstetrics: comparison between vaginal birth and caesarean section
Authors: Negrini Romulo , da Silva Ferreira Raquel Domingues , Guimarães Daniela Zaros
Published: April 2021

Background

Healthcare costs have substantially increased in recent years, threatening the population health. Obstetric care is a significant contributor to this scenario since it represents 20% of healthcare. The rate of cesarean sections (C-sections) has escalated worldwide. Evidence shows that cesarean delivery is not only more expensive, but it is also linked to poorer maternal and neonatal outcomes. This study assesses which type of delivery is associated with a higher healthcare value in low-risk pregnancies.

Results

A total of 9345 deliveries were analyzed. The C-section group had significantly worse rates of breastfeeding in the first hour after delivery (92.57% vs 88.43%, p < 0.001), a higher rate of intensive unit care (ICU) admission both for the mother and the newborn (0.8% vs 0.3%, p = 0.001; 6.7% vs 4.5%, p = 0.0078 respectively), and a higher average cost of hospitalization (BRL14,342.04 vs BRL12,230.03 considering mothers and babies).

Conclusion

Cesarean deliveries in low-risk pregnancies were associated with a lower value delivery because in addition to being more expensive, they had worse perinatal outcomes.