bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender Differences in Job Search and the Earnings Gap: Evidence from the Field and Lab
Authors: Cortés Patricia , Pan Jessica , Pilossoph Laura , Reuben Ernesto , Zafar Basit
Published: May 2023

This article investigates gender differences in the job search process in the field and lab. Our analysis is based on rich information on initial job offers and acceptances from undergraduates of Boston University’s Questrom School of Business. We find (i) a clear gender difference in the timing of job offer acceptance, with women accepting jobs substantially earlier than men, and (ii) a sizable gender earnings gap in accepted offers, which narrows in favor of women over the course of the job search period. To understand these patterns, we develop a job search model that incorporates gender differences in risk aversion and overoptimism about prospective offers. We validate the model’s assumptions and predictions using the survey data and present empirical evidence that the job search patterns in the field can be partly explained by the greater risk aversion displayed by women and the higher levels of overoptimism displayed by men. We replicate these findings in a laboratory experiment that features sequential job search and provide direct evidence on the purported mechanisms. Our findings highlight the importance of risk preferences and beliefs for gender differences in job-finding behavior and, consequently, early-career wage gaps among the highly educated.
Ultraprocessed food consumption, genetic predisposition, and the risk of gout: the UK Biobank study
Authors: Zhang Tingjing , Xu Xin , Chang Qing , Lv Yanling , Zhao Yuhong , Niu Kaijun , Chen Liangkai , Xia Yang
Published: May 2023

Objective

This study aimed to examine the interactions between ultraprocessed food (UPF) consumption and genetic predisposition with the risk of gout.

Methods

This prospective cohort study analysed 181 559 individuals from the UK Biobank study who were free of gout at baseline. UPF was defined according to the NOVA classification. Assessment of genetic predisposition for gout was developed from a genetic risk score of 33 single nucleotide polymorphisms. Cox proportional hazards were used to estimate the associations between UPF consumption, genetic predisposition and the risk of gout.

Results

Among the 181 559 individuals in the study, 1558 patients developed gout over 1 648 167 person-years of follow-up. In the multivariable adjustment model, compared with the lowest quartile of UPF consumption, the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CI of the highest UPF consumption was 1.16 (1.01, 1.33) for gout risk, and there was a non-linear correlation between UPF consumption and the development of gout. In substitution analyses, replacing 20% of the weight of UPF in the daily intake with an equal amount of unprocessed or minimally processed food resulted in a 13% lower risk of gout (HR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.79, 0.95). In the joint-effect analysis, the HR (95% CI) for gout was 1.90 (1.39, 2.60) in participants with high genetic predisposition and high UPF consumption, compared with those with low genetic predisposition and low UPF consumption.

Conclusion

In summary, UPF consumption was found to be associated with a higher risk of gout, particularly in those participants with genetic predisposition to gout. Our study indicated that reducing UPF consumption is crucial for gout prevention.
Mentalizing in an economic games context is associated with enhanced activation and connectivity in the left temporoparietal junction
Authors: Chang Li-Ang , Armaos Konstantinos , Warns Lotte , Ma de Sousa Ava Q , Paauwe Femke , Scholz Christin , Engelmann Jan B
Published: May 2023

Prior studies in Social Neuroeconomics have consistently reported activation in social cognition regions during interactive economic games, suggesting mentalizing during economic choice. Such mentalizing occurs during active participation in the game, as well as during passive observation of others’ interactions. We designed a novel version of the classic false-belief task (FBT) in which participants read vignettes about interactions between agents in the ultimatum and trust games and were subsequently asked to infer the agents’ beliefs. We compared activation patterns during the economic games FBT to those during the classic FBT using conjunction analyses. We find significant overlap in the left temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex, as well as the temporal pole (TP) during two task phases: belief formation and belief inference. Moreover, generalized Psychophysiological Interaction (gPPI) analyses show that during belief formation, the right TPJ is a target of both the left TPJ and the right TP seed regions, whereas during belief inferences all seed regions show interconnectivity with each other. These results indicate that across different task types and phases, mentalizing is associated with activation and connectivity across central nodes of the social cognition network. Importantly, this is the case for both the novel economic games and the classic FBTs.
CfCpmd1 Regulates Pathogenicity and Sexual Development of Plus and Minus Strains in Colletotrichum fructicola Causing Glomerella Leaf Spot on Apple in China
Authors: Kong Yuanyuan , Yuan Yilong , Menghan Yang , Yiming Lu , Liang Xiaofei , Gleason Mark L. , Rong Zhang , Sun Guangyu
Published: May 2023

Colletotrichum fructicola is a devastating fungal pathogen of diverse plants. Sexually compatible plus and minus strains occur in the same ascus. However, the differentiation mechanism of plus and minus strains remains poorly understood. Here, we characterized a novel Cys2-His2-containing transcription factor CfCpmd1. The plus CfCpmd1 deletion mutant (Δ+ CfCpmd1) resulted in slow hyphal growth and a fluffy cotton-like colony, and the minus deletion mutant (Δ– CfCpmd1) exhibited characters similar to the wild type (WT). Δ+ CfCpmd1 led to defective perithecial formation, whereas Δ– CfCpmd1 produced more and smaller perithecia. The normal mating line was developed by pairing cultures of Δ– CfCpmd1 and plus WT, whereas a weak line was observed between Δ+ CfCpmd1 and minus WT. Conidial production was completely abolished in both plus and minus mutants. When inoculated on non-wounded apple leaves with mycelial plugs, Δ– CfCpmd1 was nonpathogenic because of failure to develop conidia and appressoria, while Δ+ CfCpmd1 could infect apple leaves by appressoria differentiated directly from hyphal tips, even though no conidia formed. Collectively, our results demonstrate that CfCpmd1 of C. fructicola is an important gene related to plus and minus strain differentiation, which also affects hyphal growth, sporulation, appressorium formation, and pathogenicity.
Evaluation of Metabarcoding Methods for Plant Disease Surveillance
Authors: Newberry Eric A. , Srivastava Subodh , Nunziata Schyler O. , Mathew Reny , Mark Nakhla , Rívera Yazmín
Published: May 2023

Metabarcoding holds great potential for general plant pathogen surveillance by providing an untargeted profile of the host microbiome. However, the standard marker utilized for microbiome analysis of prokaryotes, the 16 rRNA gene, offers limited diagnostic utility as it provides phylogenetic resolution primarily at the genus level, and universal primers often co-amplify plant DNA. Here, we evaluated two recently published universal primer sets targeting the DNA gyrase and RNA polymerase ß subunit genes ( gyrB and rpoB, respectively), relative to a plant discriminating 16S primer set (799F/1115R), as disease surveillance tools. Comparative analysis of a mock bacterial community, as well as naturally infected citrus variegated chlorosis samples, indicated that the gyrB method displayed optimal performance in the amplification of DNA across a broad taxonomic spectrum of plant-pathogenic bacteria, providing resolution at the species and, in some cases, subspecies levels. It also generated high-quality datasets with minimal to no co-amplification of plant DNA, outperforming the rpoB and 16S assays in these regards. Further evaluation revealed that the gyrB method displayed an overall linear trend in the detection of several diverse bacterial pathogens; however, it was at least an order of magnitude less sensitive than a standard real-time PCR assay. Finally, we demonstrate the potential of this method to disentangle a mixed population of Pantoea spp. associated with a rice-bacterial blight outbreak and identify putative novel pathogens that would otherwise be overlooked with conventional PCR-based tests. This work represents steps toward establishing a robust, untargeted metabarcoding method for general plant disease surveillance.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Bryostatin‐1 attenuates intestinal ischemia/reperfusion‐induced intestinal barrier dysfunction, inflammation, and oxidative stress via activation of Nrf2/HO‐1 signaling
Authors: Liu Mulin , Wen Hexin , Zuo Lugen , Song Xue , Geng Zhijun , Ge Sitang , Ge Yuanyuan , Wu Rong , Chen Shiyuan , Yu Chaowen , Gao Yong
Published: May 2023

Bryostatin‐1 (Bryo‐1) exerts antioxidative stress effects in multiple diseases, and we confirmed that it improves intestinal barrier dysfunction in experimental colitis. Nevertheless, there are few reports on its action on intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). In this study, we mainly explored the effect of Bryo‐1 on intestinal I/R injury and determined the mechanism. C57BL/6J mice underwent temporary superior mesenteric artery (SMA) obturation to induce I/R, on the contrary, Caco‐2 cells suffered to oxygen and glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) to establish the in vitro model. RAW264.7 cells were stimulated with LPS to induce macrophage inflammation. The drug gradient experiment was used to demonstrate in vivo and in vitro models. Bryo‐1 ameliorated the intestinal I/R‐induced injury of multiple organs and epithelial cells. It also alleviated intestinal I/R‐induced barrier disruption of intestines according to the histology, intestinal permeability, intestinal bacterial translocation rates, and tight junction protein expression results. Bryo‐1 significantly inhibited oxidative stress damages and inflammation, which may contribute to the restoration of intestinal barrier function. Further, Bryo‐1 significantly activated Nrf2/HO‐1 signaling in vivo. However, the deletion of Nrf2 in Caco‐2 and RAW264.7 cells attenuated the protective functions of Bryo‐1 and significantly abolished the anti‐inflammatory effect of Bryo‐1 on LPS‐induced macrophage inflammation. Bryo‐1 protects intestines against I/R‐induced injury. It is associated with intestinal barrier protection, as well as inhibition of inflammation and oxidative stress partly through Nrf2/HO‐1 signaling.
Prophylactic Lymphovenous Bypass at the Time of Axillary Lymph Node Dissection Decreases Rates of Lymphedema
Authors: Deldar Romina , Spoer Daisy , Gupta Nisha , Towfighi Parhom , Boisvert Marc , Wehner Patricia , Greenwalt Ian T. , Wisotzky Eric M. , Power Katherine , Fan Kenneth L. , Tom Laura K.
Published: May 2023

Background:

Breast cancer-related lymphedema impacts 30% to 47% of women who undergo axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Studies evaluating the effectiveness of prophylactic lymphovenous bypass (LVB) at the time of ALND have had small patient populations and/or short follow-up. The aim of this study is to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate prophylactic LVB in patients with breast cancer.

Methods:

A retrospective review of patients who underwent ALND from 2018 to 2022 was performed. Patients were divided into cohorts based on whether they underwent prophylactic LVB at the time of ALND. Primary outcomes included 30-day complications and lymphedema. Lymphedema was quantitatively evaluated by bioimpedance analysis, with L-dex scores >7.1 indicating lymphedema.

Results:

One-hundred five patients were identified. Sixty-four patients (61.0%) underwent ALND and 41 patients (39.0%) underwent ALND+LVB. Postoperative complications were similar between the cohorts. At a median follow-up of 13.3 months, lymphedema occurred significantly higher in the ALND only group compared with ALND+LVB group (50.0% vs 12.2%; P < 0.001). ALND without LVB was an independent risk factor for lymphedema development (odds ratio, 4.82; P = 0.003).

Conclusions:

Prophylactic LVB decreases lymphedema and is not associated with increased postoperative complications. A multidisciplinary team approach is imperative to decrease lymphedema development in this patient population.
A Cross-sectional Study of Perceived Stress and Racial Discrimination Among a National Sample of Young Men Who Have Sex With Men
Authors: Cordoba Evette , Garofalo Robert , Kuhns Lisa M. , Pearson Cynthia R. , Batey D. Scott , Bruce Josh , Radix Asa , Belkind Uri , Hidalgo Marco A. , Hirshfield Sabina , Schnall Rebecca
Published: May 2023

Research regarding the impact of racism on stress among young men who have sex with men (YMSM) is sparse. Secondary data were assessed from a 2018–2020 national mHealth prevention trial for YMSM aged 13–18 years (N= 542). Linear regression models examined associations between perceived stress and interpersonal and vicarious racism, adjusting for covariates. Stratified models by race/ethnicity were included. A subanalysis (n= 288) examined associations between nine interpersonal racial discriminatory events and perceived stress. Over 50% of participants experienced racial discrimination. In the multivariable models, exposure to interpersonal (β = 1.43,p-value: .038) and vicarious (β = 1.77,p-value: .008) racism was associated with perceived stress because there were four interpersonal racial discriminatory events. Stratified analysis by race/ethnicity found significant associations between interpersonal and vicarious racism and perceived stress among some racial/ethnic groups. Racial discrimination was common among YMSM, making them susceptible to the possible effects of vicarious and interpersonal racism on stress.
Psychological Capital Among Nursing Faculty
Authors: Singh Ashley
Published: May 2023

Background:

Psychological Capital (PsyCap) consists of a set of internal resources an individual can access to navigate challenges and enhance job performance, satisfaction, and overall success. External factors within the academic environment may influence PsyCap.

Purpose:

The purpose was to explore PsyCap among nursing faculty and the impact of external factors on PsyCap and intent to seek leadership development.

Methods:

An exploratory descriptive study was conducted to examine nursing faculty's perceptions of their level of PsyCap through the Psychological Capital Questionnaire.

Results:

Seventy nursing faculty participated. Faculty yield higher levels of PsyCap (M = 4.5). The level of PsyCap did not correlate with intent to seek leadership development. Results also suggested that organizational support was a positive predictor of PsyCap (β= .26, t = 2.4, P = .021), and incentives for development were close to significant (P = .058)

Conclusions:

External factors can hinder, promote, and predict PsyCap, yielding both personal and professional implications; however, further exploration is warranted.
Comprehensive Training of Community Diagnosis and the Community-Oriented Primary Health Care Model in Nursing Education
Authors: Savitsky Bella , Shulman Ira , Kagan Ilya
Published: May 2023

Background:

Community-oriented primary health care is a health promotion model that includes community diagnosis of a targeted community.

Purpose:

This educational project aimed to develop and implement an innovative approach of applying the principles of evidence-based practice in the teaching of community diagnosis, where the class of nursing students serves as an example of community.

Methods:

The method consisted of a lecture and an evidence-based simulation of community diagnosis based on data collection regarding the lifestyle and health behaviors of third-year nursing students from a 4-year academic nursing program (200 students; 90% response rate).

Results:

The data analysis revealed insufficient consumption of fruits, vegetables, and unsweetened fluids; excessive consumption of red and processed meat; insufficient engagement in physical activity; high anxiety level; and sleep deprivation.

Conclusions:

This educational approach allowed an interactive presentation of community health diagnostic methodology as well as community health problem prioritization applying the principles of an evidence-based approach. The method also improves students' awareness of their health and makes them better ambassadors of promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Comparing Static Perimetry Protocols of Central Field Testing among Glaucoma Patients
Authors: Behera Geeta , Nath Ayush , Ramasamy Amala , Kaliaperumal Subashini
Published: May 2023

Significance

On comparing the Humphrey Field Analyzer (HFA) HFA 24-2C Faster, which tests ten additional points in the central field with the 24-2 Swedish Interactive Thresholding Algorithm (SITA) Standard for detecting central field defects, we found that the HFA 24-2C Faster may be used for the initial field evaluation in glaucoma with the advantage of a shorter testing time.

Purpose

To compare the HFA 24-2C Faster with 24-2 SITA Standard and 10-2 among glaucoma patients for the number of defective central points, global indices, and testing time.

Methods

Sixty eyes of 60 patients with glaucoma and glaucomatous visual field defects on the 24-2 SITA Standard algorithm underwent the 24-2C Faster and 10-2 field tests. The number of central points detected, global indices, and reliability indices were compared for 24-2C Faster with 24-2 SITA Standard and 10-2 field tests.

Results

The 24-2C Faster, on average, detected 5.5 defective points more on the total deviation plot and 2 defective points more on the pattern deviation plot than the 24-2 SITA Standard in central 10 degrees. The 10-2 algorithm detected 2.5 times more points on the total deviation plot than the 24-2C Faster. There was excellent consistency by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.95 for the mean deviation (MD) and 0.93 for the pattern standard deviation (PSD) between 24-2C Faster with the 24-2 SITA Standard. There was good consistency by ICC for MD and PSD being 0.80 for both between 24-2C Faster with the 10-2. The testing time was significantly lower with the 24-2C Faster compared to the 24-2 SITA Standard and 10-2 test.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates that the HFA 24-2C Faster may be used for the initial evaluation of the visual field in glaucoma with the added advantage of a shorter testing time compared with the 24-2 SITA Standard program.
Application of Rasch Analysis to Timed Instrumental Activities of Daily Living in Low Vision: A Validation Study
Authors: Gobeille Micaela R. , Fujiwara Kyoko , Massof Robert W.
Published: May 2023

Significance

This work validates Rasch analysis of a performance-based low vision outcome measure evaluated in patients’ own homes to ensure real world relevance. Inclusion of sources of variance from the patient’s home environment in functional outcome measures introduced non-uniform variance in measurements, but did not preclude estimation of valid measures.

Purpose

Validate Rasch analysis of a performance-based outcome measure with real-world relevance.

Methods

Low vision patients (N = 161) receiving services from an occupational therapist (OT) performed Timed Instrumental Activity of Daily Living (TIADL) tasks in their homes. Rasch analysis was applied to error count and performance time data. Internal validity was assessed with evaluations of accuracy and precision of estimated measures. External validity was assessed by comparing TIADL measures to measures estimated from the Activity Inventory (AI, i.e., from self-reported difficulty ratings).

Results

Task measures were well targeted to person measures estimated from task performance time, but were poorly targeted for measures estimated from task performance errors, for which most task trials (72%) were performed without error at baseline. Error-based person measures had larger standard errors with a smaller pseudo-R2 than time-based person or task measures and error-based task measures. Person measure infits for time- and error-based estimates conformed with expected values. The linear regressions between time-based person and task measures and corresponding error-based estimates had slopes of approximately 0.5, an observation consistent with larger estimation error variance for error-based measures than for time-based measures. Time-based TIADL person measures (x) and AI person measures (estimated from all items, y) were colinear, but weakly correlated (R = 0.19).

Conclusions

Functional ability measures estimated from performance times of instrumental activity of daily living tasks in patients’ homes demonstrate good internal and external validity. The ceiling effect from the infrequency of task performance errors in our dataset limits use of TIADL error data to measure rehabilitation outcomes.
Characteristics and Outcomes of Medicare Patients Treated in Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities: 2013–2018
Authors: Deutsch Anne , Palmer Lauren , Neumann Holly , Potelle John , Ignaczak Magdalena , McMullen Tara , Ingber Melvin J.
Published: May 2023

Purpose

The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics and outcomes of Medicare patients treated in inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) in 2013 through 2018.

Design

A descriptive study was conducted.

Methods

A total of 2,907,046 IRF Medicare fee-for-service and Medicare Advantage patient stays that ended in 2013 through 2018 were analyzed.

Results

The number of Medicare patients treated in IRFs increased by about 9%, from 466,092 in 2013 to 509,475 in 2018. Although IRF patients’ age and racial/ethnic composition remained similar across the years, there was a shift in patients’ primary rehabilitation diagnosis, with more patients with stroke, neurological conditions, traumatic and nontraumatic brain injury, fewer patients with orthopedic conditions, and fewer coded as having medically complex conditions. Across the years, the percentage of patients discharged to the community was between 73.0% and 74.4%.

Clinical Relevance to the Practice of Rehabilitation Nursing

Rehabilitation nurses should have training and expertise in the management of patients with stroke and neurological conditions to provide high-quality IRF care.

Conclusions

Between 2013 and 2018, the number of Medicare patients treated in IRFs increased overall. There were more patients with stroke and neurological conditions and fewer patients with orthopedic conditions. Changes to IRF and other post-acute care policies, Medicaid expansion, and alternative payment programs may partially be driving these changes.
Premature aging in children and adults with a Fontan circulation
Authors: Drury Nigel E , Stickley John , Gaffey Thomas P , Guo Wei , Yang Xiaojing , Chew Yap Ching , Dhillon Rami , Clift Paul F
Published: May 2023

The Fontan circulation predisposes to multiple morbidities typically associated with older age but occurring in their third and fourth decades, consistent with premature aging. In this pilot study, we evaluated whether the Fontan circulation is associated with premature epigenetic aging. We found that in whole blood, Δage, the difference between chronological age and estimated epigenetic DNAge™, was significantly higher in those living with a Fontan circulation than in a reference cohort (z=5.59, p<0.0001), with a mean Δage in adults post-Fontan of +4.9 years (95% CI 3.3-6.5, p<0.0001). Our results suggest that the Fontan circulation is associated with accelerated epigenetic aging, mirroring the premature aging clinical phenotype. In a life-limiting condition with few treatment options, targeting epigenetic aging may represent a novel opportunity for intervention.
Inequalities in Healthcare Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Frey Arun , Tilstra Andrea M. , Verhagen Mark D.
Published: May 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to severe reductions in non-COVID related healthcare use, but little is known whether this burden is shared equally across the population. This study investigates whether the reduction in administered care disproportionately affected certain sociodemographic strata, in particular marginalised groups. Using detailed medical claims data from the Dutch universal health care system and rich registry data that cover all residents in The Netherlands, we predict expected healthcare use based on pre-pandemic trends (2017– Feb 2020) and compare these expectations with observed healthcare use in 2020. Our findings reveal a substantial 10% decline in the number of weekly treated patients in 2020 relative to prior years. Furthermore, declines in healthcare use are unequally distributed and are more pronounced for individuals below the poverty line, females, the elderly, and foreign-born individuals, with cumulative relative risk ratios ranging from 1.09 to 1.22 higher than individuals above the poverty line, males, young, and native-born. These inequalities stem predominantly from declines in middle and low urgency procedures, and indicate that the pandemic has not only had an unequal toll in terms of the direct health burden of the pandemic, but has also had a differential impact on the use of non-COVID healthcare.
T cell differentiation drives the negative selection of pathogenic mtDNA variants
Authors: Franklin Imogen G. , Milne Paul , Childs Jordan , Boggan Róisín M. , Barrow Isabel , Lawless Conor , Gorman Gráinne S , Ng Yi Shiau , Collin Matthew , Russell Oliver M. , Pickett Sarah J.
Published: May 2023

Pathogenic mitochondrial (mt)DNA single nucleotide variants are the most common cause of adult mitochondrial disease. Whilst levels of the most common heteroplasmic variant (m.3243A>G) remain stable in post-mitotic tissues, levels in mitotic tissues, such as blood, decrease with age. Given differing division rates, longevity and energetic requirements within haematopoietic lineages, we hypothesised that variant level decline is driven by cell-type specific mitochondrial metabolic requirements. To address this, we coupled cell sorting with mtDNA sequencing to investigate mtDNA variant levels within progenitor, myeloid and lymphoid lineages from 26 individuals harbouring pathogenic mtDNA variants. We report that whilst the level of m.3243A>G declines with age in all analysed cell types, the T-cell lineage shows a significantly greater decline. This was confirmed for a second pathogenic tRNA variant; m.8344A>G, indicating that this phenomenon is not limited to m.3243A>G. High-throughput single cell analysis revealed that decline is driven by increasing proportions of cells that have cleared the variant genome, following a hierarchy that follows the current orthodoxy of T-cell differentiation and maturation. This work identifies the unique ability of T-cell subtypes to selectively purify their mitochondrial genomes, and identifies pathogenic mtDNA variants as a new means to track blood cell differentiation status.
Ankle proprioception in children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Boyer Elizabeth , Huang Qiyin , Ngwesse Stacy , Nelson Jennifer , Oh Jinseok , Konczak Jürgen
Published: May 2023

1.

Purpose

There is no established clinical standard to evaluate ankle proprioception in children with cerebral palsy (CP). This study compared ankle position sense of children with CP to age-matched children typically developing (TD).

Methods

Children aged 6-17 years participated (15 CP, 58 TD). Using a custom-built device, the ankle was passively rotated to 2 positions for 25 trials. Using a psychophysical forced-choice paradigm, participants indicated which position was more plantarflexed. A psychometric function was fitted to the response data to determine the just noticeable difference (JND) threshold and the associated uncertainty (random error) for ankle position sense.

Results

Median JND thresholds for the CP group were elevated (CP: 4.3°, TD: 3.0°). Three children with CP exceeded the 95thpercentile of TD. No differences in random error were found.

Conclusion

This method assessed ankle proprioception relative to norm data and identified position sense impairments in children with CP. Using this method can provide data on proprioceptive status in CP, augmenting the assessment of motor impairment.
Temporal Trend in Mortality from COVID-19 Associated with Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Sarau Alexandra , Luo Shengyuan , Chen Elaine Yi-Shuan , Gawel Susan , Desai Pankaja , Tippireddy Nagarjuna , Saldanha Anil J. , Suboc Tisha , Cloherty Gavin , Landay Alan , Volgman Annabelle Santos
Published: May 2023

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has endured for over three years with over twelve variants afflicting humans worldwide. The impact and longevity of the pandemic has driven the medical community and researchers to identify high-risk populations, yet few studies have explored temporal trends during the pandemic. The objective of this study is to investigate trends in all-cause mortality associated with co-morbid cardiovascular disease (CVD) throughout the consecutive waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted on patients with COVID-19 infection who received care at a tertiary care center in Chicago between March 2020 and September 2022.

Multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate associations between co-existing CVD (defined as congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease) and mortality, adjusting for age, sex, race, and comorbidities defined in the Charlson comorbidity index.

Results

The study included 38651 participants (mean age 45 years, 57.6% female, 11.4% with co-existing CVD). All-cause mortality in COVID-19 patients was highest during the Delta wave and remained elevated until the late Omicron wave. Mortality associated with co-existing CVD increased during the early pandemic waves, decreased in the later waves, but remained elevated relative to the overall population. When adjusted for age, sex, and race, all-cause mortality was 2.3-fold higher in patients with co-existing CVD compared to those with non-CVD comorbidities (OR = 2.30, 95% CI 1.95 – 2.62; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

While overall mortality rates declined toward the later waves of the pandemic, all-cause mortality associated with CVD remained elevated compared to individuals without CVD.

Clinical Perspective

What is new?

-

This study found that individuals with co-existing CVD have 2.3-fold higher risk of all-cause mortality compared to those with non-CVD comorbidities.

-

Mortality associated with co-existing CVD was highest during the early waves of the pandemic and declined during the later waves, yet remained elevated relative to the overall population.

What are the clinical implications?

-

Increased all-cause mortality in COVID-19 patients with co-morbid CVD may be multifactorial from socioeconomic, psychosocial, behavioral, and biological variables.

-

Individuals with co-existing CVD who become infected with COVID-19 should be considered an at-risk population for increased mortality.
Early metabolic disruption and predictive biomarkers of delayed-cerebral ischemia in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage
Authors: Chikh Karim , Tonon David , Triglia Thibaut , Lagier David , Buisson Anouk , Alessi Marie-Christine , Defoort Catherine , Benatia Sherazade , Velly Lionel J , Bruder Nicolas , Martin Jean-Charles
Published: May 2023

BACKGROUND

Delayed cerebral ischaemia (DCI) following aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (aSAH) is a major cause of complications and death. Here we set out to identify high-performance predictive biomarkers of DCI and its underlying metabolic disruptions using metabolomics and lipidomics approaches.

METHODS

This single-centre retrospective observational study enrolled 61 consecutive patients with severe aSAH requiring external ventricular drainage between 2013 and 2016. Of these 61 patients, 22 experienced a DCI and were classified as DCI+ and the other 39 patients were classified as DCI-. A further 9 patients with other neurological features were included as non aSAH controls. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were sampled within the first 24 h after admission. We carried out LC-MS/MS-based plasma and CSF metabolomic profiling together with total lipid fatty acids analysis.

RESULTS

We identified a panel of 20 metabolites that together showed high predictive performance for DCI (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.968, specificity: 0.88, sensitivity: 0.94). This panel of metabolites included lactate, cotinine, salicylate, 6 phosphatidylcholines, and 4 sphingomyelins. Analysis of the whole set of metabolites to highlight early biological disruptions that might explain the subsequent DCI found peripheral hypoxia driven mainly by higher blood lactate, arginine and proline metabolism likely associated to vascular NO, dysregulation of the citric acid cycle in the brain, defective peripheral energy metabolism and disrupted ceramide/sphingolipid metabolism. We also unexpectedly found a potential influence of gut microbiota on the onset of DCI.

CONCLUSION

We identified a high-performance predictive metabolomic/lipidomic signature of further DCI in aSAH patients at admission to a NeuroCritical Care Unit. This signature is associated with significant peripheral and cerebral biological dysregulations. We also found evidence, for the first time, pointing to a possible gut microbiota/brain DCI axis, and proposed the putative microorganisms involved.

Clinical trial registration

Clinicaltrials.govidentifier:NCT02397759
Needlestick Injuries in Healthcare, Research and Veterinary Environments in a Sample Population in British Columbia and their Economic, Psychological and Workplace Impacts
Authors: Magrill Jamie , Low Sharon Yuen Sa , Na Ina
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Needle-stick injuries (NSIs) are defined as the sharp point of a needle puncturing human skin. This article examines the risk and illustrates the burden of NSIs for workers in the healthcare, veterinary and research industries, and includes a sample survey population of workers in workplaces using needles.

Methods

For the review component of this article, PubMed and Google Scholar were queried within the date range of 1998-2022, retrieving 1,437 results. A publicly available sample population dataset was and analyzed from British Columbia (n=30) on workplace needlestick injuries. The OSHA, WHO, and NIEHS guidelines were reviewed, and the WorkSafe BC injury database was searched using FIPPA requests.

Discussion

Recapping remains a common practice despite decades of guidelines recommending against recapping. NSI research is underpowered and underrepresented in non-healthcare settings. NSIs lead to heightened anxiety, depression, and PTSD in workers and exposure to pathogens, toxic chemicals and permanent tissue damage. NSI annual reporting is likely an underestimate due to chronic underreporting, and the financial impact including work-loss and healthcare costs continues to rise. Current NSI prevention devices have limited uptake and thus, more affordable, versatile and efficient NSI-prevention devices are needed.

Relevance

Due to COVID-19, healthcare workers are at a higher risk of receiving NSIs. Emphasis on safe needle handling practices is necessary to maintain workers physical and psychological safety, to protect workers using COVID-19 PPE on long shifts, and to deliver the high volume of vaccinations required to inoculate the global population.

Conclusion

NSIs are detrimental to healthcare workers wellbeing, chronically underreported, and poorly surveyed. Areas of future research include determining more effective solutions to reduce NSIs, assessing the validity of NSI reporting systems, and integrating solutions with COVID-19 prevention and vaccination protocols.
Characterising subgroups of people with severe COVID anxiety by latent profile analysis
Authors: King Jacob D , McQuaid Aisling , Leeson Verity C , Tella Oluwaseun , Crawford Mike J
Published: May 2023

Background

Severe COVID anxiety describes people whose experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic are overwhelming, and have lead to patterns of behaviours that add little protective benefit but are at the expense of other priorities in life. It appears to be a complex social and psychological phenomenon, influenced by demographic and social factors. Identifying subgroups of people with severe COVID anxiety would better place clinicians to assess and support this distress where indicated.

Methods

Measurement tools assessing depression, generalised and health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, personality difficulty and alcohol use from 284 people living in United Kingdom with severe COVID anxiety were explored with latent profile analysis. Further analyses examined the associations of identified clusters with demographic and social factors and daily functioning, quality of life and protective behaviours.

Results

A model with 4 classes provided the best fit. Distinct patterns of psychopathology emerged which were variably associated with demographic factors and COVID behaviours.

Limitations

Given the complex aetiology of COVID anxiety a number of factors which might better cluster subgroups are likely to have gone uncollected. Moreover, using data collected at a single time-point limits these results’ ability to conclude whether observed relationships were the product of the pandemic or longstanding.

Conclusions

People living with severe COVID anxiety are a heterogenous group. This analysis adds to evidence that certain health behaviours and demographic factors are inextricably linked to poor mental health in people with COVID anxiety, and that targeting health behaviours with specific intervention might be beneficial.
Lack of detection of SARS-CoV-2 in British wildlife 2020-21 and first description of a stoat (Mustela erminea) Minacovirus
Authors: Apaa Ternenge , Withers Amy J. , MacKenzie Laura , Staley Ceri , Dessi Nicola , Blanchard Adam , Bennett Malcolm , Bremner-Harrison Samantha , Chadwick Elizabeth A. , Hailer Frank , Harrison Stephen W.R. , Lambin Xavier , Loose Matthew , Mathews Fiona , Tarlinton Rachael
Published: May 2023

2.

Repeat spillover of SARS-CoV-2 into new hosts has highlighted the critical role of cross species transmission of coronaviruses and establishment of new reservoirs of virus in pandemic and epizootic spread of coronaviruses. Species particularly susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 spill-over include Mustelidae (mink, ferrets and related animals), cricetid rodents (hamsters and related animals), felids domestic cats and related animals) and white tailed deer. These predispositions led us to screen British wildlife with sarbecovirus specific qPCR and pan coronavirus PCR assays for SARS-CoV-2 using samples collected during the human pandemic to establish if widespread spill-over was occurring. Fourteen wildlife species (n=402) were tested, including : 2 Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 101 Badgers (Meles meles), 2 wild American Mink (Neogale vison), 41 Pine Marten (Martes martes), 2 Weasels (Mustela nivalis), 7 Stoats (Mustela erminea), 108 Water Voles (Arvicola amphibius), 39 Bank voles (Myodes glareolous), 10 Field Voles (Microtus agrestis), 15 Wood Mice (Apodemus sylvaticus), 1 Common Shrew (Sorex aranaeus), 2 Pygmy Shrews (Sorex minutus), 2 Hedgehogs(Erinaceus europaeus) and 75 Eurasian Otters (Lutra lutra). No cases of SARS-CoV-2 were detected in any animals, however a novel minacovirus related to mink and ferret alphacoronaviruses was detected in stoats recently introduced to the Orkney Islands. This group of viruses is of interest due to pathogenicity in ferrets. The impact of this virus on the health of stoat populations remains to be established.
Rapid Peripheral Disintegration of Planaria in the Presence of Barium
Authors: Molano Alberto
Published: May 2023

Bioelectric signalling has been implicated in planaria regeneration and anatomical homeostasis. Previous reports demonstrated that barium chloride (1 mM), a potassium channel blocker, produced slow disintegration of the head (in 72 hours) in a clonal strain ofDugesia japonica. To investigate whether the effects of barium were similar in all planaria species, I tested its effects in wildGirardia sp. collected from a stream. The results were significantly different from those seen inDugesia japonica: At 1 mM, these worms underwent complete peripheral disintegration within thirty minutes.
Lunulite bryozoan biogeography – a convergent global success with a distinct Western Australian twist
Authors: Håkansson Eckart , O’Dea Aaron , Rosso Antonietta
Published: May 2023

Lunulites are a polyphyletic group of marine bryozoans that have been a conspicuous element of marine shelf faunas since the Late Cretaceous into the present day. They are easily recognizable by their domed colony form and free-living mode of life on sea floor sediments. Here we explore the waxing and waning of the major lunulitiform groups and their unique morphology and mode of life from the Cretaceous to the present day. Because relatively few and simple modifications are needed to transition from an encrusting form into this highly specialized lifestyle, shared colonial features are rampant and we find examples of both convergent and iterative evolution across several unrelated clades, although detailed phylogenetic relationship remain largely unresolved. The early chapter of the ‘lunulite story’ is focused on the Late Cretaceous European Chalk Sea, which appears to have been a crucible for the evolution of ‘lunulites’. At least six, and likely more, cheilostome groups independently evolved the free-living mode of life in this tropical shelf area. To what extent any of these free-living clades gave rise to post-Cretaceous groups remains unclear. The Cenozoic chapter is more complex, comprising at least three independently evolved major clades, two of which are extant; (1) the Lunulitidae s. str., a North American/European cluster, comprising the classicLunulites, which became extinct in the late Neogene, (2) the Cupuladriidae, which reached circum-global tropical and sub-tropical distribution in the Miocene, and (3) the ‘Austral lunulite’ cluster, which is almost certainly polyphyletic and through most of its history confined to Australia and New Zealand, bar a comparatively brief colonization of the southern part of South America, with the earliest representatives from NW Western Australia.
Multiplexed effector screening for recognition by endogenous resistance genes using positive defense reporters in wheat protoplasts
Authors: Wilson Salome , Dagvadorj Bayantes , Tam Rita , Murphy Lydia , Schulz-Kroenert Sven , Heng Nigel , Crean Emma , Greenwood Julian , Rathjen John P. , Schwessinger Benjamin
Published: May 2023

Plant resistance (R) and pathogen avirulence (Avr) gene interactions play a vital role in pathogen resistance. Efficient molecular screening tools for crops lack far behind their model organism counterparts, yet they are essential to rapidly identify agriculturally important molecular interactions that trigger host resistance.

Here, we have developed a novel wheat protoplast assay that enables efficient screening of Avr/R interactions at scale. Our assay allows access to the extensive gene pool of phenotypically describedRgenes because it does not require the overexpression of clonedRgenes. It is suitable for multiplexedAvrscreening, with interactions tested in pools of up to fiftyAvrcandidates.

We identified Avr/R-induced defense genes to create promoter-luciferase reporter. Then, we combined this with a dual-color ratiometric reporter system that normalizes read-outs accounting for experimental variability and Avr/R-induced cell-death. Moreover, we introduced a self-replicative plasmid reducing the amount of plasmid used in the assay.

Our assay increases the throughput ofAvrcandidate screening, accelerating the study of cellular defense signaling and resistance gene identification in wheat. We anticipate that our assay will significantly accelerateAvridentification for many wheat pathogens, leading to improved genome-guided pathogen surveillance and breeding of disease-resistant crops.
Seroprevalence and risk factors associated with brucellosis in goats in Nyagatare district, Rwanda
Authors: Habimana Jean Paul , Ntivuguruzwa Jean Bosco , Uwimana Aime lambert , Ugirabe Aurore , Gasana Eric , van Heerden Henriette
Published: May 2023

Caprine brucellosis, normally caused byBrucella melitensisin goats, is endemic in Rwanda. However, reliable data on caprine brucellosis in Rwanda is insufficient and data on the prevalence and risk factors linked with goats’ brucellosis in the district of Nyagatare is unknown. A cross-sectional study was conducted among herds of goats in six sectors of Nyagatare district (n=102), to characterise factors at herd level associated with brucellosis seroprevalence in goats. Serum from goats was screened using both the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (iELISA) and the Rose Bengal test (RBT). A tested systematic questionnaire was used to obtain data about major risk factors for brucellosis. Brucellosis seroprevalence was 6.8% and 10.7% on RBT and iELISA respectively. The overall seroprevalence was 6.8% on animal level and 16.6% on the herd level in series with RBT and iELISA. Mixing a herd of cattle and goats and history of abortions were the risk factors identified to be considerably linked withBrucellaseropositive herd (p< 0.05). This study confirmed that brucellosis is endemic in the area, and a one-health strategy for controlling and preventing brucellosis in the Nyagatare district is strongly recommended. The study recommends an awareness campaign to educate all livestock farmers on brucellosis, further studies are recommended to characterize theBrucellaspp. in small ruminants in Rwanda and recommend appropriate control measures.
Statistical power and false positive rates for interdependent outcomes are strongly influenced by test type: Implications for behavioral neuroscience
Authors: Frankot Michelle , Mueller Peyton M. , Young Michael E. , Haar Cole Vonder
Published: May 2023

Statistical errors in preclinical science are a barrier to reproducibility and translation. For instance, linear models (e.g., ANOVA, linear regression) may be misapplied to data that violate assumptions. In behavioral neuroscience and psychopharmacology, linear models are frequently applied to interdependent or compositional data, which includes behavioral assessments where animals concurrently choose between chambers, objects, outcomes, or types of behavior (e.g., forced swim, novel object, place/social preference). The current study simulated behavioral data for a task with four interdependent choices (i.e., increased choice of a given outcome decreases others) using Monte Carlo methods. 16,000 datasets were simulated (1,000 each of 4 effect sizes by 4 sample sizes) and statistical approaches evaluated for accuracy. Linear regression and linear mixed effects regression (LMER) with a single random intercept resulted in high false positives (>60%). Elevated false positives were attenuated in an LMER with random effects for all choice-levels and a binomial logistic mixed effects regression. However, these models were underpowered to reliably detect effects at common preclinical sample sizes. A Bayesian method using prior knowledge for control subjects increased power by up to 30%. These results were confirmed in a second simulation (8,000 datasets). These data suggest that statistical analyses may often be misapplied in preclinical paradigms, with common linear methods increasing false positives, but potential alternatives lacking power. Ultimately, using informed priors may balance statistical requirements with ethical imperatives to minimize the number of animals used. These findings highlight the importance of considering statistical assumptions and limitations when designing research studies.