bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Black Caribs / Garifuna: Maroon Geographies of Indigenous Blackness
Authors: López Oro Paul Joseph
Published: April 2022

This essay uses Kamau Brathwaite’s conceptualizations of the “inner plantation” and “neglected Maroons” in his field-making 1975 essay “Caribbean Man in Space and Time” to meditate on the multiple meanings of home within Garifuna political subjectivity. St. Vincent holds epistemological status as the Garifuna homeland associated with ancestral marronage. The author looks at how public performances of Garifuna Settlement Day in Central America and the United States (New York City is home to the largest Garifuna communities outside Central America’s Caribbean coasts) open an alternative—ancestral—terrain within the interior geographies of Indigenous Blackness. By framing ethnographic vignettes of Garifuna ancestral memory throughout the diaspora as an embodied archive of knowledge production, this essay demonstrates how Brathwaite’s mapping of an intellectual genealogy creates space for reimagining the geographies of marronage, resistance, and survival within the interior landscapes of Caribbean expressive culture and life.
Where and When Is Crisis?
Authors: Jaffe Rivke
Published: April 2022

This review essay enters into conversation with Greg Beckett’s 2019 There Is No More Haiti: Between Life and Death in Port-au-Prince to think through the geographies and temporalities of how crisis is known. Focusing on the urban Caribbean, it interrogates broadly circulating understandings of the city-as-crisis, asking how the “where” of crisis connects to a geographical imagination that sites Caribbean cultural authenticity in the countryside. Next, it reflects on the temporalities of crisis, in relation to Beckett’s conceptualization of crisis as a chronic condition, as the routinized anticipation of rupture. Despite a rich tradition of Caribbean scholarship on temporalities, there has been limited engagement with the region’s urban time-spaces. The author suggests that a more thorough consideration of Caribbean urban futures in particular might allow us to read an anticipatory attunement to insecurity and instability as an urban mode of temporal experience, in which future making in and through uncertainty can be not a source of despair but of hope.
Représentations de l’Afrique dans l’imaginaire haïtien au vingtième siècle
Authors: Byron Jhon Picard
Published: April 2022

La nation est au coeur des débats de l’école haïtienne d’anthropologie/ethnologie. Malgré les désaccords autour de la question nationale animant les tenants de cette école, une certaine historiographie, inspirée par les lectures des postcolonial studies et des Africana studies, reprenant à leur compte le corpus de la négritude, met en avant, en son sein, une communauté de vue sur l’Afrique. Partant de ce constat et pour illustrer les changements intervenus, en Haïti, dans les représentations de l’Afrique, cet cet essai critique de There Is No More Haiti: Between Life and Death in Port-au-Prince (2019) par Greg Beckett revient sur le hiatus entre les pensées de Joseph Anténor Firmin et de Jean Price-Mars, deux grandes figures de l’école haïtienne d’anthropologie/ethnologie. Se dévoilent ainsi l’évolution lente puis la brusque mutation qui, des années 1910 aux années 1950, accompagnent l’image d’une « Afrique » articulée à différents paradigmes.
Rapid assessment of the temporal function and phenotypic reversibility of neurodevelopmental disorder risk genes in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Kepler Lexis D. , McDiarmid Troy A. , Rankin Catharine H.
Published: April 2022

Recent studies have indicated that some phenotypes caused by decreased function of select neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) risk genes can be reversed by restoring gene function in adulthood. However, few of the hundreds of risk genes have been assessed for adult phenotypic reversibility. We developed a strategy to rapidly assess the temporal requirements and phenotypic reversibility of NDD risk gene orthologs using a conditional protein degradation system and machine-vision phenotypic profiling in Caenorhabditis elegans. We measured how degrading and re-expressing orthologs of EBF3, BRN3A and DYNC1H1 at multiple periods throughout development affect 30 morphological, locomotor, sensory and learning phenotypes. We found that phenotypic reversibility was possible for each gene studied. However, the temporal requirements of gene function and degree of rescue varied by gene and phenotype. This work highlights the critical need to assess multiple windows of degradation and re-expression and a large number of phenotypes to understand the many roles a gene can have across the lifespan. This work also demonstrates the benefits of using a high-throughput model system to prioritize NDD risk genes for re-expression studies in other organisms.
Credit Spreads, Financial Crises, and Macroprudential Policy
Authors: Akinci Ozge , Queralto Albert
Published: April 2022

Credit spreads display occasional spikes and are more strongly countercyclical in times of elevated financial stress. Financial crises are extreme cases of this nonlinear behavior, featuring skyrocketing credit spreads, sharp losses in bank equity, and deep recessions. We develop and estimate a macroeconomic model with a banking sector in which banks’ leverage constraints are occasionally binding and equity issuance is endogenous. The model captures the nonlinearities in the data and produces quantitatively realistic crises. Banks’ precautionary equity issuance makes crises infrequent but does not prevent them altogether. A macroprudential policy inducing banks to issue more equity has considerable welfare benefits. (JEL E13, E32, E44, G01, G21, G28)
Optimal Currency Areas with Labor Market Frictions
Authors: Kekre Rohan
Published: April 2022

I study efficiency and optimal monetary policy in a two-country monetary union with frictional labor markets. With heterogeneity in labor market frictions, the constrained efficient allocation generically cannot be achieved even if productivity shocks affecting each country are the same. The second-best optimal policy targets smaller inflation and output gaps in the more sclerotic labor market. A quantitative calibration to the eurozone implies welfare gains from redefining the union’s inflation target to put more weight on its sclerotic members. (JEL E23, E24, E31, E52, F33, F45)
Asset Price Booms and Macroeconomic Policy: A Risk-Shifting Approach
Authors: Allen Franklin , Barlevy Gadi , Gale Douglas
Published: April 2022

This paper uses a risk-shifting model to analyze policy responses to asset price booms. We show risk shifting leads to inefficient asset and credit booms in which asset prices can exceed fundamentals. However, the inefficiencies associated with risk shifting arise independently of whether the asset is a bubble. Given evidence of risk shifting, policymakers may not need to determine if assets are bubbles to justify intervention. We then show that some of the main candidate interventions against asset booms have ambiguous welfare implications: tighter monetary policy can mitigate some inefficiencies but at a cost, while leverage restrictions may raise asset prices and lead to more leveraged speculation rather than less. Policy responses are more effective when they disproportionately discourage riskier investments. (JEL D82, E23, E32, E44, E52, G01, G12)
Εκπαιδευτικό Ντοκιμαντέρ "Achaia Clauss, το Οινόκαστρο της Μαυροδάφνης"
Authors: Γαλανοπούλου Φωτεινή , Κόττα Ελένη , Σοφός Αλιβίζος
Published: April 2022

Σκοπός του συγκεκριμένου άρθρου είναι η διερεύνηση της εκπαιδευτικής ταινίας με τίτλο: «Achaia Clauss, το Οινόκαστρο της Μαυροδάφνης», η οποία υλοποιήθηκε στο πλαίσιο του ΠΜΣ «Εκπαίδευση με τη χρήση Νέων Τεχνολογιών». Κύριος στόχος της εκπαιδευτικής ταινίας είναι να εμβαθύνουμε στα ιστορικά σημεία και γεγονότα του Οινοκάστρου της Achaia Clauss, αφήνοντας πίσω τα πολυσυζητημένα θέματα για το κομμάτι της οινοποίησης, της εμφιάλωσης και της γενικότερης παραγωγής του κρασιού. Η ταινία συνοδεύεται από εκπαιδευτικές δραστηριότητες που την πλαισιώνουν και θέτουν το παιδαγωγικό πλαίσιο στο οποίο μπορεί αυτή να αξιοποιηθεί. Στη συνέχεια, ακολουθεί ο εκπαιδευτικός σχεδιασμός, καθώς και η διαδικασία παραγωγής και επεξεργασίας του ιστορικού ντοκιμαντέρ. Για τη συγκεκριμένη ταινία θα αναφερθεί ο κατάλληλος εξοπλισμός που χρησιμοποιήθηκε, το αντίστοιχο λογισμικό επεξεργασίας βίντεο, οι ειδικές μαρτυρίες των συμμετεχόντων, ο χρόνος και οι δυσκολίες κατά την παραγωγή της ταινίας. Συμπερασματικά, οι θεατές μέσα από την προβολή της ταινίας και την υλοποίηση των εκπαιδευτικών δραστηριοτήτων θα μάθουν την ιστορία της πρώτης ελληνικής οινοποιίας, θα γνωρίσουν σχετικά παλαιά επαγγέλματα (π.χ. του βαρελοποιού), θα εμβαθύνουν σε σημαντικά γεγονότα γύρω από τη μαυροδάφνη και θα  συνδέσουν το κρασί με την αρχαία ελληνική μυθολογία.
Η Παιδαγωγική αξιοποίηση του ντοκιμαντέρ « Ζωή χωρίς εξάρτηση» Και η δημιουργία εκπαιδευτικών δραστηριοτήτων
Authors: Μπακαλού Χριστίνα , Χατζοπούλου Θεοφάνη , Σοφός Αλιβίζος (Λοΐζος)
Published: April 2022

Το παρόν άρθρο έχει ως γενικό στόχο τη διερεύνηση της εκπαιδευτικής ταινίας με τίτλο «Ζωή χωρίς εξάρτηση» που δημιουργήθηκε στο πλαίσιο του μεταπτυχιακού «ΠΜΣ Επιστήμες της Αγωγής Εκπαίδευση με Χρήση Νέων Τεχνολογιών». Η ταινία έγκειται στο είδος του ντοκιμαντέρ και πραγματεύεται την εξάρτηση στα ναρκωτικά και τη πρόληψη. Σε δεύτερο χρόνο, ορίζουμε ως επιμέρους στόχο της ταινίας τη δημιουργία εκπαιδευτικών δραστηριοτήτων. Οι εκπαιδευτικές δραστηριότητες είναι σχεδιασμένες έτσι ώστε να κεντρίσουν το ενδιαφέρον του μαθητή και να κατανοήσει ουσιαστικά τη θεματολογία του ντοκιμαντέρ καθώς και να εξελίξει την κριτική του σκέψη. Στο άρθρο θα παρουσιάσουμε τον εκπαιδευτικό σχεδιασμό της ταινίας, τη διαδικασία παραγωγής της, τους συμμετέχοντες , τα μέσα παραγωγής και επεξεργασίας, τα όποια προβλήματα προέκυψαν και αντιμετωπίστηκαν στην παραγωγή. Σε συνθήκες πρωτόγνωρες και αντίξοες, με βασικό εργαλείο μας τον υπολογιστή, καταφέραμε να δημιουργήσουμε μια εκπαιδευτική ταινία με θέμα τις εξαρτήσεις, η οποία ενεργοποιεί το θεατή στο πρώτο μέρος της μέσω της αφήγησης για το οδοιπορικό των ναρκωτικών στην Ελλάδα και στο δεύτερο μέσω των συνεντεύξεων σε μορφή ερωταπαντήσεων. Η ουσία του ντοκιμαντέρ είναι να προβληματίσει , να διεγείρει την περιέργεια, να προκαλέσει συζήτηση και είναι στην ευχέρεια του εκπαιδευτικού πως θα την χρησιμοποιήσει ώστε να προκύψουν μεγαλύτεροι προβληματισμοί και βαθύτερη επικοινωνία με το μαθητή αφού η ταινία στην πορεία ανέδειξε πολλά περισσότερα ζητήματα όπως αυτό της εμπλοκής της οικογένειας.
Η ρύθμιση των στρατιωτικών ζητημάτων υπό το πρίσμα του συγκριτικού δικαίου και της ιστορίας του δικαίου
Authors: Κυριακάκης Μιχαήλ
Published: April 2022

Αποκωδικοποιώντας τον τίτλο χρειάζεται να γίνει εστίαση σε τρία βασικά σημεία: Πρώτο σημείο είναι ότι από τα στρατιωτικά ζητήματα ερευνώνται, εν προκειμένω, εκείνα, που αφορούν στο δίκαιο του πολέμου. Οι κανόνες του πολέμου είναι τόσο παλαιοί όσο ο ίδιος ο πόλεμος και ο πόλεμος είναι τόσο παλαιός όσο η ζωή πάνω στη γη. Επόμενο σημείο αποτελεί η πρώτη οπτική γωνία θέασης των ζητημάτων αυτών, που είναι το συγκριτικό δίκαιο. Επιχειρείται δηλαδή μία παράλληλη θεώρηση των κανόνων δικαίου διαφορετικών εννόμων τάξεων, που αφορούν στον πόλεμο. Μεγάλη βαρύτητα δίνεται στους παράγοντες, που οδήγησαν στη διαμόρφωση του σύγχρονου διεθνούς ανθρωπιστικού δικαίου. Το τρίτο σημείο είναι η δεύτερη οπτική γωνία θέασης των στρατιωτικών θεμάτων και αυτό είναι η ιστορία του δικαίου. Κάθε ανθρώπινη κοινότητα είχε «κανόνες», ακόμα και αν δεν τους αποκαλούσε έτσι (κανόνες), που εφάρμοζε σε περίπτωση που δεχόταν εχθρική απειλή. Η διατριβή είναι δομημένη σε δύο μέρη, ενώ στην εισαγωγή προηγείται μία ευσύνοπτη αναφορά στη μεθοδολογία του συγκριτικού δικαίου. Το πρώτο μέρος πραγματεύεται την ιστορική και συγκριτική εξέλιξη του δικαίου του πολέμου από την αρχαιότητα έως τον Α’ Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο. Η μελέτη κινείται πάνω σε δύο άξονες: ο πρώτος εκ των οποίων είναι ιστορικός – χρονικός και ο δεύτερος είναι γεωγραφικός. Στο δεύτερο μέρος περιγράφεται η θεωρητική θεμελίωση του δικαίου του πολέμου. Επισημαίνονται οι φιλοσοφικές και κοινωνιολογικές θεωρίες, που συνέβαλαν στη διαμόρφωσή του. Καταγράφεται ο ρόλος των ηθικών αξιών και των διαφόρων θρησκειών στη θέσπιση νομικών κανόνων του πολέμου. Επίσης, γίνεται μία πολιτικοϊδεολογική και κριτική προσέγγιση αυτού του κλάδου του δικαίου. Τέλος, εξάγονται συμπεράσματα σχετικά με την πρόκριση της κωδικοποίησης του δικαίου του πολέμου σε διεθνές επίπεδο και τη δευτερεύουσα επίκληση του εθιμικού δικαίου.
A concept analysis of ‘trial recruitment’ using the hybrid model
Authors: Delaney Hannah , Devane Declan , Hunter Andrew , Treweek Shaun , Mills Nicola , Gamble Carrol , Smith Valerie
Published: April 2022

Background: The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) requires trials submitted for publication to be registered before recruitment of the first participant; however, there is ambiguity around the definition of recruitment and in anchoring the trial start date, end date, and recruitment, or as often interchangeably referred to, enrolment, temporally to trial processes. There is potential for variation in how recruitment is reported and understood in trial protocols and trial reports. We report on a concept analysis of ‘trial recruitment’ and develop an operational definition of ‘trial recruitment’.

Methods: A concept analysis using the hybrid model. In Phase 1 we examined  randomised and non-randomised trial reports (n=150) published between January 2018 and June 2019 to conceptually explore how recruitment was temporally aligned to the four time-points of screening/eligibility, consent, randomisation and allocation. A preliminary operational definition of ‘trial recruitment’ was determined. This definition was further explored, refined and finalised in Phase 2 (field work), through an interactive, discussion-focused workshop with trial recruiters and trial participants.

Results: Of the 150 trial reports analysed, over half did not identify a clear time point of when recruitment took place and varying terminology is used when reporting on trial recruitment. In Phase 2, the workshop attendees agreed that the proposed definition of ‘trial recruitment’ offers an acceptable definition that provides a standardised approach of how trial recruitment may be temporally understood as part of overall trial processes.

Conclusion: There is ambiguity around temporal descriptions of ‘trial recruitment’ in health care journals. Informed by the findings of this concept analysis we propose a temporal operational definition of trial recruitment based on i) trial recruitment of an individual or cluster and ii) the trial recruitment period.
Differences in total and regional body fat and their association with BMI in UK-born White and South Asian children: findings from the Born in Bradford birth cohort
Authors: Santorelli Gillian , West Jane , Yang Tiffany , Wright John , Bryant Maria , Lawlor D.A.
Published: April 2022

Background: Body mass index (BMI) is commonly used as a proxy to determine excess adiposity, though this may underestimate fat mass (FM) in individuals of South Asian (SA) heritage. SA tend to have greater central adiposity than white people, which is associated with a higher risk of cardiometabolic disease. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to determine the differences in total and regional FM using Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and to see if any differences in FM varied by BMI category in UK-born white and SA children aged ~9 years.

Methods: Anthropometric measurements and DXA scans were undertaken from 225 white and 269 SA children from the Born in Bradford cohort study. Linear regression was used to assess ethnic differences in total body fat percent and total and regional FM.

Results: Although mean BMI was similar, compared to white children, the proportion of SA children who were overweight or obese was ~10% higher, and the proportion with > 35% total body fat (TBF) was 22% and 16% higher in boys and girls respectively. Mean TBF% was greater in SA children compared to white children in the same BMI category. Fat mass index (FMI) was higher in all body regions in SA children in all BMI categories; as was total and truncal FMI in healthy and overweight, but not obese, SA children..

Conclusions: Greater TBF% and total and regional FM in SA children suggests they may be at greater risk of future cardiometabolic disease at a BMI level below the obesity threshold. However, our sample size was small, and results may be influenced by selection bias and confounding; our findings need to be replicated in a larger study.
Technical Note—Dual Approach for Two-Stage Robust Nonlinear Optimization
Authors: de Ruiter Frans J. C. T. , Zhen Jianzhe , den Hertog Dick
Published: April 2022

In “Dual Approach for Two-Stage Robust Nonlinear Optimization,” de Ruiter, Zhen, and den Hertog study adjustable robust minimization problems where the objective or constraints depend in a convex way on the adjustable variables. They reformulate the original adjustable robust nonlinear problem with a polyhedral uncertainty set into an equivalent adjustable robust linear problem, for which all existing approaches for adjustable robust linear problems can be used. The reformulation is obtained by first dualizing over the adjustable variables and then over the uncertain parameters. The polyhedral structure of the uncertainty set then appears in the linear constraints of the dualized problem, and the nonlinear functions of the adjustable variables in the original problem appear in the uncertainty set of the dualized problem. The authors show how to recover linear decision rules to the original primal problem and how to generate bounds on its optimal objective value.
Practice nurse workforce numbers: are we heading towards a problem?
Authors: Butler Sarah
Published: April 2022

Practice nurse numbers are a concern. Sarah Butler looks at the barriers to getting more nurses into general practice

The number of practice nurses in the UK is significantly lower than those working as nurses on a ward. Despite many experienced nurses opting to work a practice nurses, the number of newly qualified nurses choosing practice nursing as their first post is low. Newly qualified nurses, instead, prefer to gain experience in secondary care first, with many not realising practice nurses do not need to have worked in secondary care. Pressures such as increasing workload and an ageing workforce will only deplete the number of practice nurses in post already, therefore increasing practice nurse numbers is essential.
PROMIS Depression and Anxiety in shoulder surgery patients
Authors: Baker Mitchell , Albelo Fernando , Zhang Tina , Schneider Matheus Boettcher , Foster Michael J. , Aneizi Ali , Hasan S. Ashfaq , Gilotra Mohit N. , Henn R. Frank
Published: April 2022

Aims

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms in patients undergoing shoulder surgery using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Depression and Anxiety computer adaptive tests, and to determine the factors associated with more severe symptoms. Additionally, we sought to determine whether PROMIS Depression and Anxiety were associated with functional outcomes after shoulder surgery.

Methods

This was a retrospective analysis of 293 patients from an urban population who underwent elective shoulder surgery from 2015 to 2018. Survey questionnaires included preoperative and two-year postoperative data. Bivariate analysis was used to identify associations and multivariable analysis was used to control for confounding variables.

Results

Mean two-year PROMIS Depression and Anxiety scores significantly improved from preoperative scores, with a greater improvement observed in PROMIS Anxiety. Worse PROMIS Depression and Anxiety scores were also significantly correlated with worse PROMIS Physical Function (PF) and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores (ASES). After controlling for confounding variables, worse PROMIS Depression was an independent predictor of worse PROMIS PF, while worse PROMIS Anxiety was an independent predictor of worse PROMIS PF and ASES scores.

Conclusion

Mean two-year PROMIS Depression and Anxiety scores improved after elective shoulder surgery and several patient characteristics were associated with these scores. Worse functional outcomes were associated with worse PROMIS Depression and Anxiety; however, more severe two-year PROMIS Anxiety was the strongest predictor of worse functional outcomes. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(4):479–485.
Survival of the GAP II cage in the management of metastatic disease of the acetabulum
Authors: Kennedy Ian W. , Farhan-Alanie Omer M. , Young David , Kelly Michael P. , Young Peter S.
Published: April 2022

Aims

The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and radiological outcomes of an antiprotrusio acetabular cage (APC) when used in the surgical treatment of periacetabular bone metastases.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study using a prospectively collected database involved 56 patients who underwent acetabular reconstruction for periacetabular bone metastases or haematological malignancy using a single APC between January 2009 and 2020. The mean follow-up was 20 months (1 to 143). The primary outcome measure was implant survival. Postoperative radiographs were analyzed for loosening and failure. Patient and implant survival were assessed using a competing risk analysis. Secondary parameters included primary malignancy, oncological treatment, surgical factors, length of stay in hospital, and postoperative complications.

Results

A total of 33 patients (59%) died during the study period at a mean of 15 months postoperatively (1 to 63). No patient had radiological evidence of loosening or failure. Acetabular component survival was 100%. Three patients (5.4%) had further surgery; one (1.8%) underwent revision of the femoral component for dislocation, one required debridement with implant retention for periprosthetic joint infection, and one required closed reduction for dislocation. Using death as a competing risk, at 100 months, the probability of revision was 0.036 and the risk of death was 0.84.

Conclusion

With appropriate patient selection, the antiprotrusio cage offers good implant survival, with a reasonable perioperative complication rate in this high-risk group of patients when managing metastatic disease or haematological malignancy around the acetabulum.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(4):504–509.
From Lab to Clinic
Authors: Kwon Karen
Published: April 2022

OPN highlights three biophotonics companies that are bringing
lab-developed technology to the medical suite—and beyond.
Extended Kalman filter and extended sliding innovation filter in terahertz spectral acquisition
Authors: Spotts Isaac , Brodie C. Harrison , Leclerc Camille A. , Gadsden S. Andrew , Al-Shabi Mohammad , Collier Christopher M.
Published: April 2022

Terahertz spectral acquisition has a fundamental limitation in implementation due to long experimental acquisition time. The long experimental acquisition time in terahertz spectral acquisition is a result of the required high integration time associated with usable dynamic range signals acquired through delay stage interferometry. This work evaluates the effectiveness of a non-linear version of the Kalman Filter, known as the extended Kalman filter (EKF), and the recently developed extended sliding innovation filter (ESIF), for increasing dynamic range in terahertz spectral acquisition. The comparison establishes that the EKF and ESIF can reduce integration time (time constant) of terahertz spectral acquisition, with EKF reducing the integration time by a factor of 23.7 for high noise signals and 1.66 for low noise signals to achieve similar dynamic ranges. The EKF developed in this work is comparable to a nominal application of wavelet denoising, conventionally used in terahertz spectral acquisitions. The implementation of this filter addresses a fundamental limitation of terahertz spectral acquisition by reducing acquisition time for usable dynamic range spectra. Incorporating this real-time post-processing technique in existing terahertz implementations to improve dynamic range will permit the application of terahertz spectral acquisition on a wide array of time sensitive systems, such as terahertz reflection imaging, and terahertz microfluidics. This is the first implementation, to our knowledge, of Kalman filtering methods on terahertz spectral acquisition.
Improving RT-LAMP detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA through primer set selection and combination
Authors: Zhang Yinhua , Tanner Nathan A.
Published: April 2022

Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) has emerged as a viable molecular diagnostic method to expand the breadth and reach of nucleic acid testing, particularly for SARS-CoV-2 detection and surveillance. While rapidly growing in prominence, RT-LAMP remains a relatively new method compared to the standard RT-qPCR, and contribution to our body of knowledge on designing LAMP primer sets and assays can have significant impact on its utility and adoption. Here we select and evaluate 18 LAMP primer sets for SARS-CoV-2 previously identified as sensitive ones under various conditions, comparing their speed and sensitivity with two LAMP formulations each with 2 reaction temperatures. We find that both LAMP formulations have some effects on the speed and detection sensitivity and identify several primer sets with similar high sensitivity for different SARS-CoV-2 gene targets. Significantly we observe a consistent sensitivity enhancement by combining primer sets for different targets, confirming and building on earlier work to create a simple, general approach to building better and more sensitive RT-LAMP assays.
Time-course transcriptome and WGCNA analysis revealed the drought response mechanism of two sunflower inbred lines
Authors: Wu Yang , Wang Yaru , Shi Huimin , Hu Haibo , Yi Liuxi , Hou Jianhua
Published: April 2022

Drought is one of the most serious abiotic stress factors limiting crop yields. Although sunflower is considered a moderate drought-tolerant plant, drought stress still has a negative impact on sunflower yield as cultivation expands into arid regions. The extent of drought stress is varieties and time-dependent, however, the molecular response mechanisms of drought tolerance in sunflower with different varieties are still unclear. Here, we performed comparative physiological and transcriptome analyses on two sunflower inbred lines with different drought tolerance at the seedling stage. The analysis of nine physiological and biochemical indicators showed that the leaf surface area, leaf relative water content, and cell membrane integrity of drought tolerance inbred line were higher than those of drought-sensitive inbred line under drought stress, indicating that DT had stronger drought resistance. Transcriptome analyses identified 24,234 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Gene ontology (GO) analysis showed the up-regulated genes were mainly enriched in gibberellin metabolism and rRNA processing, while the down-regulated genes were mainly enriched in cell-wall, photosynthesis, and terpene metabolism. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG) pathway analysis showed genes related to GABAergic synapse, ribosome biogenesis were up-regulated, while genes related with amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, starch and sucrose metabolism, photosynthesis were down-regulated. Mapman analysis revealed differences in plant hormone-signaling genes over time and between samples. A total of 1,311 unique putative transcription factors (TFs) were identified from all DEGs by iTAK, among which the high abundance of transcription factor families include bHLH, AP2/ERF, MYB, C2H2, etc. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed a total of 2,251 genes belonging to two modules(blue 4, lightslateblue), respectively, which were significantly associated with six traits. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis of these genes was performed, followed by visualization with Cytoscape software, and the top 20 Hub genes were screened using the CytoHubba plugin.
Changes in spatiotemporal parameters, joint and CoM kinematics and leg stiffness in novice runners during a high-intensity fatigue protocol
Authors: Möhler Felix , Fadillioglu Cagla , Stein Thorsten
Published: April 2022

Even though running enjoys growing popularity, the effects of fatigue on the running kinematics of novices have rarely been studied. This is surprising, given the risk of running-related injuries when detrimental movement patterns are adopted. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to characterize the effects of fatigue induced by a high-intensity running protocol on spatiotemporal and stiffness parameters as well as on joint kinematics and center of mass (CoM) motion in novice runners. 14 participants performed a standardized treadmill familiarization and ran at 13 km/h until voluntary exhaustion. Kinematics were captured using a 3D motion capture system. Spatiotemporal and stiffness parameters as well as the range of motion (RoM) of the joints and CoM were compared by use of paired t-tests. Time series of the joint angles and CoM motion were analyzed by the statistical parametric mapping method. The results revealed that novice runners did not change spatiotemporal or stiffness parameters, but showed adaptations in joint kinematics, e.g. decreased dorsiflexion and increased pronation in the ankle joint during the swing phase. The findings of this study underline the importance of strengthening the ankle joint to prevent excessive pronation and increase its stability in novice runners.
The effect of decellularisation on the real time mechanical fatigue of porcine aortic heart valve roots
Authors: Desai Amisha , Ingham Eileen , Berry Helen E. , Fisher John , Jennings Louise M.
Published: April 2022

Decellularised heart valve roots offer a promising option for heart valve replacement in young patients, having the potential to remodel and repair. Replacement heart valves have to undergo billions of opening and closing cycles throughout the patient’s lifetime. Therefore, understanding the effect of cyclic loading on decellularised heart valve roots is important prior to human implantation. The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate the influence of low concentration sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) decellularisation treatment on the in vitro real time mechanical fatigue of porcine aortic heart valve roots under physiological real time cyclic loading conditions. This required a specific real time in vitro method to be developed, since previous methods relied on accelerated testing, which is non-physiological, and not appropriate for valve replacement materials that exhibit time dependent characteristics. The effects of the real time fatigue on hydrodynamic function and mechanical properties of the heart valve roots were assessed. The mechanical fatigue of decellularised porcine aortic heart valve roots (n = 6) was assessed and compared to cellular porcine aortic heart valve roots (n = 6) in a modified Real time Wear Tester (RWT) at a physiological frequency and under cyclic pressure conditions for a maximum of 1.2 million cycles. Periodically, the heart valve roots were removed from the RWT to assess the influence of cyclic loading on valve competency (static leaflet closure). At the end of testing further hydrodynamic performance parameters were ascertained, along with determination of leaflet material properties. A real time mechanical fatigue assessment method was developed and applied; with two cellular and two decellularised porcine aortic leaflets in different heart valve roots showing tears in the belly region. The decellularised aortic heart valve roots exhibited comparative functionality to the cellular heart valve roots under in vitro static and pulsatile hydrodynamic conditions. However, the material properties of the decellularised aortic leaflets were significantly altered following cyclic fatigue assessment and showed increases in elastin and collagen phase slopes and ultimate tensile strength compared to the cellular porcine aortic leaflets in the circumferential direction. This preliminary study demonstrated that low concentration SDS decellularised porcine aortic heart valve roots can withstand physiological cyclic deformations up to 1.2 million cycles in a RWT whilst maintaining their overall hydrodynamic function and leaflet mechanical properties. This is the first full report of preclinical mechanical fatigue assessment of decellularised porcine aortic heart valve roots under physiological real time conditions.
Multiple correspondence analysis as a tool for examining Nobel Prize data from 1901 to 2018
Authors: Alhuzali T. , Beh E. J. , Stojanovski E.
Published: April 2022

The main goal of this paper is to examine Nobel Prize data by studying the association among the laureate’s country of birth or residence, discipline, time period in which the Nobel Prize was awarded, and gender of the recipient. Multiple correspondence analysis is used as a tool to examine the association between these four categorical variables by cross classifying them in the form of a four-way contingency table. The data that we examine comprise Nobel Prize recipients from 1901 to 2018 (inclusive) from eight-developed countries, with a total sample of 785 Nobel Prize recipients. The countries include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the British Isles, and the USA and the disciplines in which the individuals were awarded the prizes include chemistry, physics, physiology or medicine, literature, economics, and peace.
Unexpected malignancy at the time of hysterectomy performed for a benign indication: A retrospective review
Authors: Elliott Cara G. , Murji Ally , Matelski John , Adekola Adebanke Bianca , Chrzanowski Jessica , Shirreff Lindsay
Published: April 2022

Objective

To determine the proportion of patients undergoing hysterectomy for a benign indication who have unexpected malignancy (UM) on postoperative pathology and characterize the nature of UMs.

Methods

This was a multi-center, retrospective study of patients undergoing hysterectomy for a benign indication from July 2016 to December 2019 at 7 Ontario, Canada hospitals (4 academic, 3 community). Hysterectomies for invasive placentation, malignant, and premalignant indications were excluded. Primary outcome was rate of unexpected malignancy as defined by the number of patients with malignancy on final pathology divided by the total number of hysterectomy cases. Data was extracted from health records and electronic charts. Patient, surgical, and surgeon characteristics were compared between benign and UM groups using bivariate methods. Associations between UM status and perioperative variables were assessed using bivariate logistic regression.

Results

In the study period, 2779 hysterectomies were performed. UM incidence was 1.8% (51 malignancies/2779 cases), with one patient having two malignancies (total UMs = 52). The most common UM types were endometrial (27/52, 51.9%) and sarcoma (13/52, 25%). Patients with UM were older (57.2 ± 11.4 years vs. 52.8 ± 12.5 years, p = .015), had more previous laparotomies (2 (1.25, 2.0) vs. 1 (1.0, 1.0), p < .001), and higher BMI (29.7 ± 7.2 kg/m2 vs. 28.0 ± 5.9 kg/m2, p = .049) and ASA class (p < .028). Regarding surgical factors, patients with UM had more adhesions (p = .001), transfusions (p = .020), and blood loss (p = .006) compared to those with benign pathology. Patient characteristics most strongly associated with UM were age (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.78–3.72, p < .001) and preoperative diagnosis of pelvic mass (OR 2.76, 95% CI 1.11–6.20, p = .019).

Conclusion

Incidence of UM at hysterectomy for benign indication was 1.8%. Several perioperative variables are associated with an increased chance of UM.
Impact of fatigue at the shoulder on the contralateral upper limb kinematics and performance
Authors: Dupuis Frédérique , Sole Gisela , Mercier Catherine , Roy Jean-Sébastien
Published: April 2022

Background

Altered movement patterns have been proposed as an etiological factor for the development of musculoskeletal pain. Fatigue influences upper limb kinematics and movement performance which could extend to the contralateral limb and potentially increasing risk of injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of fatigue at the dominant arm on the contralateral upper limb movement.

Methods

Forty participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: Control or Fatigue Group. All participants completed a reaching task at the baseline and post-experimental phase, during which they reached four targets with their non-dominant arm in a virtual reality environment. Following the baseline phase, the Fatigue Group completed a shoulder fatigue protocol with their dominant arm only, while the Control Group took a 10-minute break. Thereafter, the reaching task was repeated. Upper limb and trunk kinematics (joint angles and excursions), spatiotemporal (speed and accuracy) and surface electromyographic (sEMG) activity (sEMG signal mean epoch amplitude and median frequency of the EMG power spectrum) were collected. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA were performed to determine the effects of Time, Group and of the interaction between these factors.

Results

There was a significant Time x Group interaction for sternoclavicular elevation range of motion (p = 0.040), movement speed (p = 0.043) and accuracy (p = 0.033). The Fatigue group showed higher contralateral sternoclavicular elevation and increased movement error while experiencing fatigue in the dominant arm. Moreover, the Control group increased their speed during the Post-experimental phase compared to baseline (p = 0.043), while the Fatigue group did not show any speed improvement. There was no EMG sign of fatigue in any of the muscles evaluated.

Conclusion

This study showed that fatigue at the dominant shoulder impacts movement at the contralateral upper limb. Such changes may be a risk factor for the development of shoulder pain in both the fatigued and non-fatigued limbs.
Long-read sequencing reveals complex patterns of wraparound transcription in polyomaviruses
Authors: Nomburg Jason , Zou Wei , Frost Thomas C. , Datta Chandreyee , Vasudevan Shobha , Starrett Gabriel J. , Imperiale Michael J. , Meyerson Matthew , DeCaprio James A.
Published: April 2022

Polyomaviruses (PyV) are ubiquitous pathogens that can cause devastating human diseases. Due to the small size of their genomes, PyV utilize complex patterns of RNA splicing to maximize their coding capacity. Despite the importance of PyV to human disease, their transcriptome architecture is poorly characterized. Here, we compare short- and long-read RNA sequencing data from eight human and non-human PyV. We provide a detailed transcriptome atlas for BK polyomavirus (BKPyV), an important human pathogen, and the prototype PyV, simian virus 40 (SV40). We identify pervasive wraparound transcription in PyV, wherein transcription runs through the polyA site and circles the genome multiple times. Comparative analyses identify novel, conserved transcripts that increase PyV coding capacity. One of these conserved transcripts encodes superT, a T antigen containing two RB-binding LxCxE motifs. We find that superT-encoding transcripts are abundant in PyV-associated human cancers. Together, we show that comparative transcriptomic approaches can greatly expand known transcript and coding capacity in one of the simplest and most well-studied viral families.
Looking at men: 1980s middlebrow TV and visual culture
Authors: Jenner Mareike
Published: April 2022

This article explores middlebrow culture on early 1980s television and the narrative structures and visual politics employed. The focus lies on Remington Steele (1983–87) and Magnum, P.I. (1980–88) as two middlebrow TV series that emphasize the male lead and link in with shifts in the visual culture of the era. Both series function within frameworks of middlebrow TV and visually focus on their male heroes’ bodies. The article analyses the term middlebrow in 1980s television and develops this concept more by exploring narrative structure and what Horace Newcomb has termed the ‘cumulative narrative’. The article then moves on to discuss the visual framing of the male lead as directed by an assumed heterosexual female gaze. In the course of this, it examines the parameters of the televisual image and the conditions that frame objectification on television. Due to the focus on a heterosexual female gaze, middlebrow television becomes strongly linked with women’s culture. This allows for conclusions surrounding the construction of the middlebrow, masculinity and early 1980s television culture. Exploring this cultural politics, and thus revealing a cultural hierarchy, is deemed important here, as it allows for an analysis of the role of nostalgia, both in 1980s and more contemporary television cultures going forward.
AGPAT1 as a Novel Colonic Biomarker for Discriminating Between Ulcerative Colitis With and Without Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
Authors: Vessby Johan , Wisniewski Jacek R. , Lindskog Cecilia , Eriksson Niclas , Gabrysch Katja , Zettl Katharina , Wanders Alkwin , Carlson Marie , Rorsman Fredrik , Åberg Mikael
Published: April 2022

INTRODUCTION:

Ulcerative colitis (UC) associated with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC-UC) is considered a unique inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) entity. PSC diagnosis in an IBD individual entails a significantly higher risk of gastrointestinal cancer; however, biomarkers for identifying patients with UC at risk for PSC are lacking. We, therefore, performed a thorough PSC-UC biomarker study, starting from archived colonic tissue.

METHODS:

Proteins were extracted out of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded proximal colon samples from PSC-UC (n = 9), UC (n = 7), and healthy controls (n = 7). Patients with IBD were in clinical and histological remission, and all patients with UC had a history of pancolitis. Samples were processed by the multienzyme digestion FASP and subsequently analyzed by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Candidate proteins were replicated in an independent cohort (n: PSC-UC = 16 and UC = 21) and further validated by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS:

In the discovery step, 7,279 unique proteins were detected. The top 5 most differentiating proteins (PSC-UC vs UC) based on linear regression analysis were selected for replication. Of these, 1-acetylglycerol-3-phosphate O-acyltransferase 1 (AGPAT1) was verified as higher in PSC-UC than UC (P = 0.009) in the replication cohort. A difference on the group level was also confirmed by immunohistochemistry, showing more intense AGPAT1 staining in patients with PSC-UC compared with UC.

DISCUSSION:

We present AGPAT1 as a potential colonic biomarker for differentiating PSC-UC from UC. Our findings have possible implication for future PSC-IBD diagnostics and surveillance.
Assessment of heavy metal contaminations in water and sediment of River Godavari, India
Authors: Samanta S. , Kumar V. , Nag S. K. , Saha K. , A.M. Sajina , Bhowmick S. , Paul S.K. , Das B.K.
Published: April 2022

The Godavari is the largest river of peninsular India and receives a significant quantity of pollutants from diverse sources, including many industries, urban developments and agricultural fields. Such pollution is more prominent in the upper stretch of the river. This work aimed to assess the water and sediment contaminations of River Godavari for the presence of trace metals Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn. Samples were collected from 10 sampling stations covering the entire stretch of the river. Sediment pollution characteristics and potential ecological risks were evaluated by calculating contamination factor, degree of contamination, pollution load index, geo-accumulation, and the potential ecological risk index. Pearson's correlation analysis and principal component analysis were used to predict the probable sources of heavy metals.

The concentrations of studied heavy metals in water were mostly observed below the detection limit using the flame mode of an Atomic Absorption Spectroscope and recorded safe for the biotic community. The mean concentrations of metals in the sediments were calculated and also recorded to be safe with respect to the guideline values of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA, 1999). However, the sampling site-specific calculated contamination factors indicated moderate contamination of some of the stretches as: S1 for the presence of Cu, Mn, Zn; S2 for Cu, Zn; S3 and S4 for Cu; S5 for the dominance of Mn. The rest of the sites were free from sediment metal contaminations. The degree of contamination values specified S2 as moderately contaminated. Pollution load index indicated sites S1 and S2 as contaminated. Both geo-accumulation and potential ecological risk index designated lower levels of pollution in the river owing to sediment metal contaminations. Furthermore, a comparison of the heavy metal concentrations with sediment quality guidelines signified that the heavy metal pollutions (Cu, Cr, Mn and Zn) tend to pose occasional harmful effects on the ecosystem. From Pearson's correlation analysis and principal component analysis, two main sources of metal pollution were predicted. The Cu, Cr and Zn contaminants were mainly derived from human activities and Mn from natural sources as well as human activities.
Assessing the influence of environmental factors on fish assemblage and spatial diversity in an unexplored subtropical Jargo reservoir of the Ganga River basin
Authors: Alam Absar , Kumar Jeetendra , Sarkar Uttam Kumar , Jha Dharm Nath , Das Shyamal Chandra Sukla , Srivastava Saket Kumar , Kumar Vijay , Das Basanta Kumar
Published: April 2022

The understanding of patterns in fish assemblages is imperative for management and conservation plans. There is a dearth of information on the environmental factors affecting the fish community structure in the reservoirs built on the intermittent rivers of India. We hypothesized that the environmental factors most likely influenced the patterns in the structure of fish diversity at temporal and spatial scales in a sub-tropical reservoir of the Ganga River basin. The data was gathered seasonally from April 2017 to March 2018 from three sites each in the riverine, transitional, and lacustrine zones of the reservoir. About 16,220 fish specimens were captured that belonged to 7 orders, 14 families, 31 genera, and 40 species. The diversity indices showed the highest diversity in the riverine and the lowest in the lacustrine zones of the reservoir. At a temporal scale, the highest diversity was observed in the monsoon season and lowest during the summer season. The cluster analysis spatially separated the fish fauna into three groups, each group formed by sampling sites in the riverine, transitional and lacustrine regions of the reservoir and may have resulted from physico-chemical and anthropogenic influences. Our study suggests the need to consider the possible influence of altered environmental conditions on fish assemblage, and some recommendations were suggested for the improvement of the fisheries impacted by the construction of dams.