bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temporal trends and educational inequalities in obesity, overweight and underweight in pre-pregnant women and their male partners: a decade (2010–2019) with no progress in Sweden
Authors: Vogt Thomas , Lindkvist Marie , Ivarsson Anneli , Silfverdal Sven-Arne , Vaezghasemi Masoud
Published: March 2024

Background

Trends in overweight and obesity among expectant parents can provide useful information about the family environment in which children will grow up and about possible social inequalities that may be passed on to them. Therefore, we aimed to assess whether the prevalence of underweight, overweight and obesity changed over time in pre-pregnant women and their male partners in northern Sweden, and if there were any educational inequalities.

Methods

This study is based on cross-sectional data from a repeated survey of the population in Västerbotten, Sweden. The study population included 18,568 pregnant women and 18,110 male partners during the period 2010–2019. Multinomial logistic regression models were fitted separately for pregnant women and male partners to assess whether the prevalence of age-adjusted underweight, normal weight, overweight and obesity had evolved between 2010 and 2019, and whether trends differed by educational level.

Results

Among women, obesity prevalence increased from 9.4% in 2010 to 11.7% in 2019. Among men, it went from 8.9 to 12.8%. Educational inequalities were sustained across the study period. In 2019, the prevalence of obesity was 7.8 percentage points (pp) (CI = 4.4–11.3) higher among women with low compared to high education. The corresponding figure for men was 6.4 pp (CI = 3.3–9.6).

Conclusions

It is not obvious that the prevalence of obesity among parents-to-be will decrease under current dispositions. Public health policies and practice should therefore be strengthened.
Tongues of Trauma: Narrating through Code-Switching Typhoon Haiyan in Daryll Delgado’s Remains
Authors: Claros Ian Harvey A
Published: March 2024

This article explores the deliberate use of code-switching in Daryll Delgado’s novel Remains (2019), which narrates the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines. Through this reading, I argue that the alternation of various languages such as Filipino, Waray and English in the novel enhances the development of its characters, setting and narrative structure to access a kind of trauma that resists being signified by one language. I posit that the code-switching within the novel goes beyond the literary genre’s propensity for heteroglossia and instead situates trauma as a moment of convergence and interruption. Moreover, such linguistic motion between languages supplements the gaps of the unspeakable trauma of survivors and witnesses. As an ethic, code-switching’s deployment carefully accesses trauma from the material and intangible debris of the catastrophe. Remains complicates trauma within the work of languages traversing the local and global, and the real and the imagined, in order to disclose wounds exacerbated by both imperial and environmental violence.
What is a Patriot? A Cross-National Study in China and the United States
Authors: Yeung Eddy S F , Wang Mengqiao , Quek Kai
Published: March 2024

Patriotism is a pervasive political force. However, not much is known about how people understand what it means to be “patriotic” in the first place. We conduct a cross-country study of mass understandings of patriotism. Through parallel national surveys in two global superpowers—China and the United States—we uncover the substantively different understandings of what it means to be “patriotic” between and within countries, and how the different understandings may map onto different policy preferences. In particular, while the literature draws a distinction between (benign) patriotism and (malign) nationalism, we find that most Chinese respondents—and about a third of American respondents—understand patriotism as nationalism. The nationalistic understanding of patriotism, in turn, corresponds to more hawkish foreign policy preferences. By unpacking folk intuitions about patriotism and mapping them onto existing scholarly debates, we bridge the distance between the academic literature and the mass political behavior it seeks to explain.
Estimating between-country migration in pneumococcal populations
Authors: Belman Sophie , Pesonen Henri , Croucher Nicholas J , Bentley Stephen D , Corander Jukka
Published: March 2024

Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) is a globally distributed, human obligate opportunistic bacterial pathogen which, although often carried commensally, is also a significant cause of invasive disease. Apart from multi-drug resistant and virulent clones, the rate and direction of pneumococcal dissemination between different countries remains largely unknown. The ability for the pneumococcus to take a foothold in a country depends on existing population configuration, the extent of vaccine implementation, as well as human mobility since it is a human obligate bacterium. To shed light on its international movement, we used extensive genome data from the Global Pneumococcal Sequencing project and estimated migration parameters between multiple countries in Africa. Data on allele frequencies of polymorphisms at housekeeping-like loci for multiple different lineages circulating in the populations of South Africa, Malawi, Kenya, and The Gambia were used to calculate the fixation index (Fst) between countries. We then further used these summaries to fit migration coalescent models with the likelihood-free inference algorithms available in the ELFI software package. Synthetic datawere additionally used to validate the inference approach. Our results demonstrate country-pair specific migration patterns and heterogeneity in the extent of migration between different lineages. Our approach demonstrates that coalescent models can be effectively used for inferring migration rates for bacterial species and lineages provided sufficiently granular population genomics surveillance data. Further, it can demonstrate the connectivity of respiratory disease agents between countries to inform intervention policy in the longer term.
The Marmara Sea basin as a regional depression constrained from ambient noise correlation tomography
Authors: Karabulut Hayrullah
Published: March 2024

We computed a 3-D shear wave velocity model of the Marmara Sea region from ambient noise tomography. The correlations of up to 8 yr of vertical-component seismic recordings from 80 broad-band stations provided Rayleigh wave group velocity measurements in the period band 6–21 s at more than 1400 selected virtual source–receiver pairs. Rayleigh wave group velocity maps were used to derive a shear wave velocity model through simulated annealing inversion. The resulting crustal model provides coverage of the Marmara Sea along with its surrounding regional tectonic features. This allows for an investigation of the spatial extents of the Marmara Sea on a scale larger than that of basins.

The low-velocity structures of the Marmara Sea and the Thrace Basins are coeval to a depth of approximately 9 km. The crustal velocities beneath the Marmara Sea basins exhibit a low vertical gradient and smooth horizontal variations. The regional tectonic structures, such as Istranca Massif, Istanbul and Sakarya Zones, display sharp velocity contrasts with the lower velocity crust beneath the Marmara Sea.

The observed low crustal velocities, along with depth variations of the velocity isosurfaces (i.e. 3.4 km s−1) indicate that the Marmara region is a structural depression much deeper and larger than the three basins of the North Marmara Trough. The North Anatolian Fault Zone is unlikely to be the primary factor contributing to the origin of this significant depression, as the basin's development appears to have occurred before the fault propagated into the region.
The ‘consequence of an advertisement’: intermediation in the eighteenth-century credit market
Authors: Clements Diane
Published: March 2024

This article examines the changing nature of intermediation in the market for private credit. Intermediaries used the impersonal medium of newspaper advertisements to demonstrate the value of their role and their abilities in a credit market apparently still reliant on personal reputation and standing. They then sought to turn these initial, impersonal, transactional contacts into more personal, profitable relationships. While this use of advertisements suggests a move towards a market in which credit transactions were less personal, the realities of contact in the increasingly fragmented provision of private finance were more complex and social relationships remained important in intermediation.
Lack of ATP2B1 in CD4+ T Cells Causes Colitis
Authors: Javkhlant Amarsanaa , Toyama Kensuke , Abe Yasunori , Spin Joshua M , Mogi Masaki
Published: March 2024

Background

The ATP2B1 gene encodes for a calcium pump, which plays a role in removing Ca2+ from cells and maintaining intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis. Reduction of the intracellular Ca2+ concentration in CD4+ T cells is thought to reduce the severity of colitis, while elevation of Ca2+ in CD4+ T cells induces T cell hyperactivity. Our aim was to clarify the role of ATP2B1 in CD4+ T cells and in inflammatory bowel disease development.

Methods

A murine CD4+ T cell–specific knockout (KO) of ATP2B1 was created using a Cre-loxP system. CD4+ T cells were isolated from thymus, spleen, and blood using fluorescence-activated cell sorting. To quantify messenger RNA levels, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed.

Results

Although the percentages of CD4+ T cells in both KO mouse spleen and blood decreased compared with those of the control samples, both T-bet (a T helper 1 [Th1] activity marker) and GATA3 (a Th2 activity marker) expression levels were further increased in KO mouse blood CD4+ T cells (vs control blood). Diarrhea and colonic wall thickening (with mucosal changes, including crypt distortion) were seen in KO mice but not in control mice. Prior to diarrhea onset, the KO mouse colon length was already noted to be shorter, and the KO mouse stool water and lipid content were higher than that of the control mice. Tumor necrosis factor α and gp91 expressions were increased in KO mouse colon.

Conclusions

Lack of ATP2B1 in CD4+ T cells leads to Th1 and Th2 activation, which contributes to colitis via elevation of tumor necrosis factor α and oxidative stress.
Social reproduction against administrative bordering: Struggles to reproduce legal legibility among temporary student-migrants in Finland
Authors: Maury Olivia
Published: March 2024

Migrants in a temporary legal status are subject to heterogeneous techniques of bordering accompanied by assumptions of migratory intention and behaviour. This article analyses migrants’ struggles around administrative bordering among non-EU/EEA migrants who hold one-year student residence permits in Finland. I focus on the ongoing labour of reproducing a ‘legally legible self’ as a perspective for approaching the subjective encounters with the border regime. Rather than merely analysing the impacts of the residence permit on social life, the article centres on the efforts of student permit holders to maintain the right to a continued legally regularized stay in Finland, addressed through a social reproduction lens. The argument is that viewing migrants’ efforts of reproducing a legally legible self through the perspective of social reproduction, and thus analysing the labour of attention and care that goes into reproducing one’s legal status, we can acquire a more nuanced understanding of the everyday struggles around administrative bordering. The article contributes first to the theorization of social reproduction beyond the walls of the home, by demonstrating how bordering processes intimately shape migrants’ opportunities for reproducing their lives, and secondly, by emphasizing life-making as a battlefield, the article adds to the research on administrative border struggles.
Beware the recent past: a bias in spectral energy distribution modelling due to bursty star formation
Authors: Haskell P , Das S , Smith D J B , Cochrane R K , Hayward C C , Anglés-Alcázar D
Published: March 2024

We investigate how the recovery of galaxy star formation rates (SFRs) using energy-balance spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting codes depends on their recent star formation histories (SFHs). We use the magphys and prospector codes to fit 6706 synthetic SEDs of simulated massive galaxies at 1 < z < 8 from the Feedback in Realistic Environments project. We identify a previously unknown systematic error in the magphys results due to bursty star formation: the derived SFRs can differ from the truth by as much as 1 dex, at large statistical significance (>5σ), depending on the details of their recent SFH. SFRs inferred using prospector with non-parametric SFHs do not exhibit this trend. We show that using parametric SFHs (pSFHs) causes SFR uncertainties to be underestimated by a factor of up to 5×. Although this undoubtedly contributes to the significance of the systematic, it cannot explain the largest biases in the SFRs of the starbursting galaxies, which could be caused by details of the stochastic prior sampling or the burst implementation in the magphys libraries. We advise against using pSFHs and urge careful consideration of starbursts when SED modelling galaxies where the SFR may have changed significantly over the last ∼100 Myr, such as recently quenched galaxies, or those experiencing a burst. This concern is especially relevant, e.g. when fitting JWST observations of very high redshift galaxies.
Family Mediators and Family Mediation: When Norms Collide
Authors: Bano Samia , Webley Lisa
Published: March 2024

We consider the nature of family mediation and the role of the family mediator in England and Wales in situations in which the cultural and/or religious tradition(s) of those involved may collide, for example when understandings of the law of England and Wales and of Muslim law may appear to some to point in different directions. We examine issues such as the family mediator’s approach to negotiation facilitation, the role of the law and other norms including cultural and religious norms that are strongly held by one or more of those involved in the negotiation and the presence or absence of the voices of other members of the family within the mediation setting. We consider the ethical dilemmas the family mediator may face in a situation where there is an apparent power or knowledge imbalance and/or where the family mediator may be bound by competing expectations about their role including professional body obligations. Throughout we examine how the ethos of mediation, including its underpinning value of mutualism, and the challenges this can lead to where there is normative disagreement between the parties or substantial power imbalances, are evidenced within Sharia councils’ family mediation practices.
Progress in the relationship between mechanical ventilation parameters and ventilator-related complications during perioperative anesthesia
Authors: Yue Hu , Yong Tao
Published: March 2024

Background

Mechanical ventilation, as an important respiratory support, plays an important role in general anesthesia and it is the cornerstone of intraoperative management of surgical patients. Different from spontaneous respiration, intraoperative mechanical ventilation can lead to postoperative lung injury, and its impact on surgical mortality cannot be ignored. Postoperative lung injury increases hospital stay and is related to preoperative conditions, anesthesia time, and intraoperative ventilation settings.

Method

Through reading literature and research reports, the relationship between perioperative input parameters and output parameters related to mechanical ventilation and ventilator-related complications was reviewed, providing reference for the subsequent setting of input parameters of mechanical ventilation and new ventilation strategies.

Results

The parameters of inspiratory pressure rise time and inspiratory time can change the gas distribution, gas flow rate and airway pressure into the lungs, but there are few clinical studies on them. It can be used as a prospective intervention to study the effect of specific protective ventilation strategies on pulmonary complications after perioperative anesthesia.

Conclusion

There are many factors affecting lung function after perioperative mechanical ventilation. Due to the difference of human body, the ventilation parameters suitable for each patient are different, and the deviation of each ventilation parameter can lead to postoperative pulmonary complications. Inspiratory pressure rise time and inspiratory time will be used as the new ventilation strategy.
Suppression of White Rot of Welsh Onion by a Preplant Transplant Drench Using Pyraziflumid
Authors: Ikeda Kentaro , Arai Miyu , Hoshino Keisuke
Published: March 2024

White rot, caused by Sclerotium cepivorum, poses a significant threat to the production of Welsh onions. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the effectiveness and persistence of pyraziflumid when applied via a preplant transplant drench. Six trials were conducted across five fields from 2020 to 2021. A day before planting, each paper pot tray was drenched with 500 ml of 2.2 g/liter of pyraziflumid. In the untreated Welsh onions, the disease was first observed in November in all trials. Subsequently, the disease incidence increased rapidly, and by January, nearly all plants were affected. Conversely, in the pyraziflumid-drenched trials, the disease was barely observed until January. The generalized linear mixed model analysis revealed that the estimated coefficient for the pyraziflumid drench was −5.37 compared with no drench, significantly reducing disease incidence. The odds ratio was 0.005, indicating that the pyraziflumid drench significantly reduced the disease incidence compared with no treatment. The linear mixed model analysis showed that the pyraziflumid drench significantly increased the yield of Welsh onion by 3.6 kg/10 A in plots infested with the disease. This, despite requiring only one drench before planting, demonstrated excellent disease-suppressive effects and proved to be extremely labor-saving and economical.
Resilience Improves Patient Reported Outcomes After Orthopaedic Trauma
Authors: Tran Sterling , Yeager Matthew T. , Rutz Robert W. , Mohammed Zuhair , Johnson Joseph P. , Spitler Clay A.
Published: March 2024

OBJECTIVES:

To analyze the relationship between patient resilience and patient reported outcomes after orthopaedic trauma.

METHODS:

Design:

Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data

Setting:

Single Level 1 Trauma Center

Patient Selection Criteria:

Patients were selected based on completion of the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) surveys 6-months after undergoing operative fracture fixation following orthopaedic trauma. Patients were excluded if they did not complete all PROMIS and BRS surveys.

Outcome Measures and Comparisons:

Resilience, measured by the BRS, was analyzed for its effect on patient reported outcomes, measured by PROMIS Global Physical Health, Physical Function, Pain Interference, Global Mental Health, Depression, and Anxiety. Variables collected were demographics (age, gender, race, body mass index [BMI]), injury severity score (ISS), and postoperative complications (nonunion, infection). All variables were analyzed with univariate for effect on all PROMIS scores. Variables with significance were included in multivariate analysis. Patients were then separated into high resilience (BRS>4.3) and low resilience (BRS<3.0) groups for additional analysis.

RESULTS:

A total of 99 patients were included in the analysis. Most patients were male (53%) with an average age of 47 years. Postoperative BRS scores significantly correlated with PROMIS Global Physical Health, Pain Interference, Physical Function, Global Mental Health, Depression, and Anxiety (p≤0.001 for all scores) at 6 months after injury on both univariate and multivariate analysis. The high resilience group had significantly higher PROMIS Global Physical Health, Physical Function, and Global Mental Health scores and significantly lower PROMIS Pain Interference, Depression, and Anxiety scores (p≤0.001 for all scores).

CONCLUSION:

Resilience in orthopaedic trauma has a positive association with patient outcomes at six months postoperatively. Patients with higher resilience report higher scores in all PROMIS categories regardless of injury severity. Future studies directed at increasing resilience may improve outcomes in orthopaedic trauma patients.

Level of Evidence:

III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
The Mid-term Outcome of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration After Direct Vertebral Rotation in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
Authors: Kim Hong Jin , Chang Dong-Gune , Lenke Lawrence G. , Pizones Javier , Castelein René , Trobisch Per D. , Cheung Jason P. Y. , Suk Se-Il
Published: March 2024

Study Design:

A retrospective cohort study.

Objective:

To evaluate the mid-term effect of intervertebral disc degeneration (DD) in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) who underwent pedicle screw instrumentation (PSI) and rod derotation (RD) with direct vertebral rotation (DVR).

Summary of Background Data:

Posterior spinal fusion is a mainstay of surgical treatment in AIS, and DVR is considered a main corrective maneuver for vertebral rotation. However, the mid-term effect of intervertebral DD after DVR is still unknown in AIS.

Methods:

A total of 336 vertebrae for 48 patients with AIS who underwent PSI and RD with DVR were retrospectively assessed for intervertebral DD. They were divided into two groups based upon intervertebral DD, defined as Pfirmann grade more than IV. The Pfirrmann grade and modic change were evaluated at the disc above the uppermost instrumented vertebra (UIV), the disc below the lowest instrumented vertebra (LIV), and the lumbar disc levels.

Results:

With the 11.6 years of mean follow-up, 41.7% (20/48) of patients exhibited DD, while modic changes were observed in 4.2% (2/48) of the included patients. The discs below the LIV, L4-5, and L5-S1 were significantly shown to have an increasing trend of Pfirmann grade. The preoperative thoracic kyphosis was significantly lower in the DD group (22.0°) than in the non-DD group (31.4°) (P = 0.025) and negatively correlated with DD (r = −0.482, P = 0.018). The Pfirrmann grade of L5-S1 showed a high level of correlation with DD (r = 0.604, P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

The degenerative change at the disc below the LIV, L4-5, and L5-S1 levels was observed following PSI and RD with DVR. Thoracic hypokyphosis may negatively influence intervertebral discs in patients with AIS required for deformity correction. Therefore, the restoration of thoracic kyphosis is important to prevent long-term DD in AIS.
Ligament Sparing Elbow Hemiarthroplasty: A Novel Technique for the Management of Distal Humeral Fractures
Authors: Saleh Joseph , Patterson Ethan D. , Aillerie Corinne , Tohmé Patrick , White Neil J.
Published: March 2024

Intra-articular distal humerus fractures present various challenges with a wide array of treatment options. Open reduction internal fixation remains the treatment of choice. In older patient populations with poor bone quality and short-end segment fractures with articular comminution, open reduction internal fixation, however, may bring on unsurmountable technical challenges. Total elbow arthroplasty and elbow hemiarthroplasty (EHA) may offer superior functional outcomes in these cases. During EHA for fractures, the medial and lateral columns are reconstructed with the collateral ligaments to restore elbow stability. We hypothesize that in coronal sheer fracture patterns where the columns are intact, maintaining the native collateral ligaments and columns will provide both an anatomic and stable elbow joint. We introduce the ligament sparing EHA technique for unreconstructible coronal shear fractures. We describe this novel technique and compare our postoperative outcomes in 2 patients who underwent this surgery to those described in the literature. The postoperative Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand scores for the 2 patients were 13.8 and 10.3, respectively. The Mayo Elbow Performance Score for the 2 patients were 80 and 85, respectively. The operative arm presented a grip strength of 82% and 89% when compared with the contralateral arm, for the patients respectively. The range of motion varied between 78% and 100% of the contralateral arm for both patients. Although our results are promising and the ligament sparing EHA technique may be a more anatomic option in certain fracture patterns, further research with larger cohorts and multiple surgeons is needed to reinforce our results.
Relationship Between Oral Health and Glaucoma Traits in the United Kingdom
Authors: Lee Rachel H. , Kang Jae H. , Wiggs Janey L. , Wagner Siegfried K. , Khawaja Anthony P. , Pasquale Louis R. ,   for the Modifiable Risk Factors for Glaucoma Collaboration, the UK Biobank Eye and Vision Consortium, and the International Glaucoma Genetics Consortium
Published: March 2024

Précis:

In this cross-sectional analysis of UK Biobank participants, we find no adverse association between self-reported oral health conditions and either glaucoma or elevated intraocular pressures.

Purpose:

Poor oral health may cause inflammation, which accelerates the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. We investigated the relationship between oral health and glaucoma.

Patients:

United Kingdom Biobank participants.

Methods:

This is a cross-sectional analysis of participants categorized by self-reported oral health status. Multivariable linear and logistic regression models were used. Primary analysis examined the association with glaucoma prevalence. Secondary analyses examined associations with IOP, macular retinal nerve fiber layer (mRNFL), and ganglion cell inner plexiform layer (mGCIPL) thicknesses, and interaction terms with multitrait glaucoma polygenic risk scores (MTAG PRS) or intraocular pressure (IOP) PRS.

Results:

A total of 170,815 participants (34.3%) reported current oral health problems, including painful or bleeding gums, toothache, loose teeth, and/or denture wear. A In all, 33,059, 33,004, 14,652, and 14,613 participants were available for analysis of glaucoma, IOP, mRNFL, and mGCIPL, respectively. No association between oral health and glaucoma was identified [odds ratio (OR): 1.04, 95% CI: 0.95–1.14]. IOPs were slightly lower among those with oral disease (−0.08 mm Hg, 95% CI: −0.15, −0.009); specifically, among those with loose teeth (P=0.03) and denture-wearers (P<0.0001). mRNFL measurements were lower among those with oral health conditions (−0.14 μm, 95% CI: −0.27, −0.0009), but mGCIPL measurements (P=0.96) were not significantly different. A PRS for IOP or glaucoma did not modify relations between oral health and IOP or glaucoma (P for interactions ≥​​​​0.17).

Conclusions:

Self-reported oral health was not associated with elevated IOP or an increased risk of glaucoma. Future studies should confirm the null association between clinically diagnosed oral health conditions and glaucoma.
Outcomes of Trabeculectomy and Ahmed Glaucoma Valve Implantation in Patients With Iridocorneal Endothelial Syndrome
Authors: Nilforushan Naveed , Abolfathzadeh Navid , Miraftabi Arezoo , Banifatemi Mohammad
Published: March 2024

Précis:

Our study highlights the long-term success of trabeculectomy or Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) surgery in patients with glaucoma secondary to iridocorneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome. However, many ICE syndrome cases may need multiple glaucoma surgeries to achieve controlled intraocular pressure (IOP), with/without concomitant corneal graft surgery.

Objective:

To evaluate the long-term outcome of trabeculectomy and AGV implantation in ICE syndrome.

Methods:

Patients with glaucoma secondary to ICE syndrome who underwent either trabeculectomy or AGV surgery with intraoperative adjunctive mitomycin-C from 2009 to 2020 were included in this study. All patients were followed for at least 6 months after initial surgery. The main outcome measures were IOP, number of IOP-lowering medications, and surgical success. Surgical success was defined as complete according to the levels of IOP (<18) and at least 20% reduction from preoperative IOP without medications and qualified as a complete success but with medications, where the number of medications was less than preoperative numbers. Cumulative success was the sum of the qualified and complete success.

Results:

Twenty-nine eyes of 29 patients were included. Trabeculectomy was done in 13 patients (group A, 44.8%) and 16 patients underwent AGV surgery (group B, 55.2%). The median age was 50 (42–56.50) and 47 (36.75–52.75) years in groups A and B, respectively (P = 0.10). All patients completed at least 2 years of follow-up. Mean IOP was not significantly different between groups preoperatively (P = 0.70) and the effect of the type of surgery on IOP was not statistically significant at multiple follow-up time points (repeated measures analysis of variance, P = 0.44). The mean IOP decreased from 35.76 ± 6.36 mm Hg preoperatively to 16.00 ± 3.10 in group A and from 36.12 ± 8.11 mm Hg to 17.00 ± 3.75 in group B (P = 0.449) at year 2 of follow-up. The effect of the type of surgery was not significant on the total number of IOP-lowering medications used throughout the study (repeated measures analysis of variance, P = 0.81). Kaplan-Meier analysis shows complete success in 14 patients (48.3%), 11 patients (37.9%), and 7 patients (24.1%) at 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year follow-up, respectively. The cumulative success rate was 95% at 2 years follow-up for all patients.

Conclusions:

In 2-year follow-up, trabeculectomy or AGV significantly reduced the IOP in glaucoma patients secondary to ICE syndrome.
Incidence of non-AIDS defining comorbidities among young adults with perinatally acquired HIV in North America
Authors: Haw Nel Jason L. , Lesko Catherine R. , Ng Derek K. , Lam Jennifer , Lang Raynell , Kitahata Mari M. , Crane Heidi , Eron Joseph , Gill M. John , Horberg Michael A. , Karris Maile , Loutfy Mona , McGinnis Kathleen A. , Moore Richard D. , Althoff Keri , Agwu Allison
Published: March 2024

Objective:

The aim of this study is to describe the incidence of diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM), hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease (CKD) from 2000 to 2019 among North American adults with perinatally acquired HIV (PHIV) aged 18–30 years.

Design:

Description of outcomes based on electronic health records for a cohort of 375 young adults with PHIV enrolled in routine HIV care at clinics contributing data to the North American AIDS Cohort Collaboration on Research and Design (NA-ACCORD).

Methods:

We estimated overall, sex, and race-stratified cumulative incidences using Turnbull estimation, and incidence rates using quasi-Poisson regression. T2DM was defined as glycosylated hemoglobin more than 6.5% or based on clinical diagnosis and medication use. Hypercholesterolemia was based on medication use or total cholesterol at least 200 mg/dl. Hypertriglyceridemia was based on medication use or fasting triglyceride at least 150 mg/dl or nonfasting at least 200 mg/dl. Hypertension was based on clinical diagnosis. CKD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rates less than 90 ml/mi|1.73 m2 for at least 3 months.

Results:

Cumulative incidence by age 30 and incidence rates from age 18 to 30 (per 100 person-years) were T2DM: 19%, 2.9; hypercholesterolemia: 40%, 4.6; hypertriglyceridemia: 50%, 5.6; hypertension: 22%, 2.0; and CKD: 25%, 3.3. Non-Black women had the highest incidence of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia, Black adults had the highest hypertension incidence, and Black men had the highest CKD incidence.

Conclusion:

There was a high incidence of five chronic comorbidities among people with PHIV. Earlier screening at younger ages might be considered for this unique population to strengthen prevention strategies and initiate treatment in a timely way.
The fallacy of global comparisons based onper capitameasures
Authors: Kratochvíl Lukáš , Havlíček Jan
Published: March 2024

Media, social scientists and public health researchers often present comparisons across countries, and policy makers use such comparisons to take evidence-based action. For a meaningful comparison among countries, one often needs to normalize the measure for differences in population size. To address this issue, the first choice is usually to calculateper capitaratios. Such ratios, however, normalize the measure for differences in population size directly only under the highly restrictive assumption of a proportional increase of the measure with population size. Violation of this assumption frequently leads to misleading conclusions. We compareper capitaratios with an approach based on regression, a widely used statistical procedure that eliminates many of the problems with ratios and allows for straightforward data interpretation. It turns out that theper capitameasures in three global datasets (gross domestic product, COVID-19-related mortality and CO2production) systematically overestimate values in countries with small populations, while countries with large populations tend to have misleadingly lowper capitaratios owing to the large denominators. Unfortunately, despite their biases, comparisons based onper capitaratios are still ubiquitous, and they are used for influential recommendations by various global institutions. Their continued use can cause significant damage when employed as evidence for policy actions and should therefore be replaced by a more scientifically substantiated and informative method, such as a regression-based approach.
Individualistic attitudes in Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma undermine evolutionary fitness and may drive cooperative human players to extinction
Authors: Pulcu Erdem
Published: March 2024

Inarguably, humans perform the richest plethora of prosocial behaviours in the animal kingdom, and these are important for understanding how humans navigate their social environment. The success and failure of strategies human players devise also have implications for determining long-term socio-economic/evolutionary fitness. Following the footsteps of Press and Dyson (2012), I implemented their evolutionary game-theoretic modelling from Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma (a behavioural economic probe of interpersonal cooperation) and re-analysed already published data on human proposer behaviour in the Ultimatum Game (a behavioural economic probe of altruistic punishment) involving 50 human participants versus stochastic computerized opponents with prosocial and individualistic social value orientations. Although the results indicate that it is more likely to break cycles of mutual defection in ecosystems in which humans interact with individualistic opponents, analysis of social-economic fitness at the Markov stationary states suggested that this comes at an evolutionary cost. Overall, human players acted in a significantly more cooperative manner than their opponents, but they failed to overcome extortion from individualistic agents, risking ‘extinction’ in 70% of the cases. These findings demonstrate human players might be short-sighted, and social interactive decision strategies they devise while adjusting to different types of opponents may not be optimal in the long run.
The spring stiffness profile within a passive, full-leg exoskeleton affects lower-limb joint mechanics while hopping
Authors: Allen Stephen P. , Grabowski Alena M.
Published: March 2024

Passive, full-leg exoskeletons that act in parallel with the legs can reduce the metabolic power of bouncing gaits like hopping. However, the magnitude of metabolic power reduction depends on the spring stiffness profile of the exoskeleton and is presumably affected by how users adapt their lower-limb joint mechanics. We determined the effects of using a passive, full-leg exoskeleton with degressive (DG), linear (LN) and progressive (PG) stiffness springs on lower-limb joint kinematics and kinetics during stationary, bilateral hopping at 2.4 Hz. We found that the use of a passive, full-leg exoskeleton primarily reduced the muscle-tendon units (MTUs) contribution to overall joint moment and power at the ankle, followed by the knee, due to the average exoskeleton moment arm around each joint. The greatest reductions occurred with DG springs, followed by LN and PG stiffness springs, probably due to differences in elastic energy return. Moreover, the relative distribution of positive joint power remained unchanged when using a passive, full-leg exoskeleton compared with unassisted hopping. Passive, full-leg exoskeletons simultaneously assist multiple lower-limb joints and future assistive devices should consider the effects of spring stiffness profile in their design.
Listeria monocytogenes: the silent assassin
Authors: Fotopoulou Emily T. , Jenkins Claire , Painset Anaïs , Amar Corinne
Published: March 2024

Graphical abstract

Listeria monocytogenes is ubiquitous in both plant and animal reservoirs. It can persist in food production environments due to its capacity to grow at refrigerated temperatures and its resistance to biocides. The source of most human infections is contaminated food. Healthy individuals present with mild gastrointestinal symptoms. However, in immunocompromised individuals the infection is more severe, causing bacteraemia, meningitis and, in pregnancy-associated listeriosis, miscarriage and stillbirth. In vulnerable groups, including the elderly, pregnant women and their infants, listeriosis has a 20–30% mortality rate.
Distribution, ecology, and natural history of the recently rediscovered and critically endangered Santa Marta Sabrewing
Authors: Botero-Delgadillo Esteban , Lara Carlos Esteban , Vega Yurgen , Santos María Paula , Zárrate Diego , Cuervo Andrés M. , Mittermeier John C.
Published: March 2024

The Santa Marta Sabrewing is a critically endangered (CR) hummingbird endemic to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia. Prior to 2022, there were only three documented sightings of the sabrewing since it was described in 1879, including only one record between 1946 and 2022. As a result, this “lost” species has long been one of the most poorly-known birds in Colombia. We located a resident population of Santa Marta Sabrewing along the Guatapurí River near the Chemesquemena and Guatapurí villages in July 2022, and at its type locality, San José, in January 2023. Based on historical data and newly-collected field observations, we assess the species’ status and describe aspects of its natural history and ecology. Our review indicates the species has been frequently misidentified in the past, and that to date, documented evidence of its presence is limited to five localities, almost all of them restricted to the south-eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, along the mid Guatapurí river basin. Consequently, this bird appears to represent a case of microendemism. Following IUCN criteria, our data suggest that Santa Marta Sabrewing should remain listed as CR. Field observations indicate that the species is highly associated with watercourses, where males hold year-round territories and form leks. We obtained records of males in mid-elevation habitats (1,150–1,850 m) for 16 consecutive months between July 2022 and October 2023, suggesting that the species might not be an elevational migrant, as previously speculated. More information is needed to understand the species’ ecology so that effective conservation actions can be designed in collaboration with the indigenous communities with which the species coexists.
Rapamycin Treatment Reduces Brain Pericyte Constriction in Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Beard Daniel J , Brown Lachlan S , Morris Gary P , Couch Yvonne , Adriaanse Bryan A , Karali Christina Simoglou , Schneider Anna M , Howells David W , Redzic Zoran B , Sutherland Brad A , Buchan Alastair M
Published: March 2024

The contraction and subsequent death of brain pericytes may play a role in microvascular no-reflow following the re-opening of an occluded artery during ischemic stroke. Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibition has been shown to reduce motility/contractility of various cancer cell lines and reduce neuronal cell death in stroke. However, the effects of mTOR inhibition on brain pericyte contraction and death during ischemia have not yet been investigated. Cultured pericytes exposed to simulated ischemia for 12 hoursin vitrocontracted after less than 1 h, which was about 7h prior to cell death. Rapamycin significantly reduced the rate of pericyte contraction during ischemia, however, it did not have a significant effect on pericyte viability at any time point. Rapamycin appeared to reduce pericyte contraction through a RhoA-dependent pathway, independent of changes in intracellular calcium. Using a mouse model of middle cerebral artery occlusion, rapamycin significantly increased the diameter of capillaries underneath pericytes and increased the number of open capillaries 30 minutes following recanalization. Our findings suggest rapamycin may be a useful adjuvant therapeutic to reduce pericyte contraction and improve cerebral reperfusion post-stroke.
Presence ofTriatoma breyeri(Reduviidae, Triatominae) in Bolivia
Authors: Lardeux Frédéric , Llanos Alberto , Rodriguez Roberto , Abate Luc , Boussès Philippe , Tejerina-Lardeux Rosenka , Barnabé Christian , Garcia Lineth
Published: March 2024

The study focuses on identifying and understanding the ecological dynamics ofTriatoma breyeriin Bolivia. Morphological identification and molecular analysis using gene fragments (COI, CytB and 16S) confirmsT. breyeri's presence and its relation to other species. The species has been consistently found in the Estancia-Mataral – La Palma region since 2010 but has not spread to other regions in Bolivia. The region of occurrence is a small characteristic dry inter-Andean valley. A MaxEnt model suggests part of the Bolivian Montane Dry Forest ecoregion serves as a unique habitat within its range. The infrequent presence in Bolivia and the distance from its main range in Argentina suggest recent accidental introduction, possibly through human transport. Further research is needed to comprehend its persistence in this small area of Bolivia.
collectNET: a web server for integrated inference of cell-cell communication network
Authors: Pan Yan , Gao Zijing , Cui Xuejian , Li Zhen , Jiang Rui
Published: March 2024

Cell-cell communication through ligand-receptor pairs forms the cornerstone for complex functionalities in multicellular organisms. Deciphering such intercellular signaling can contribute to un-raveling disease mechanisms and enables targeted therapy. Nonetheless, notable biases and inconsistencies are evident among the inferential outcomes generated by current methods for inferring cell-cell communication network. To fill this gap, we developed collectNET (http://health.tsing-hua.edu.cn/collectnet) as the first web server for efficiently inferring the cell-cell communication network, with efficient calculation, hierarchical browsing, comprehensive statistics, advanced searching, and intuitive visualization. collectNET provides a reliable online inference service with prior knowledge of three public ligand-receptor databases and systematic integration of three mainstream inference methods. Additionally, collectNET has assembled a human cell-cell communication atlas, including 126,785 significant communication pairs based on 343,023 single cells. We anticipate that collectNET will benefit researchers in gaining a more holistic understanding of cell development and differentiation mechanisms.

Availability and Implementation

collectNET is freely available athttp://health.tsinghua.edu.cn/collectnet.

Contact

ruijiang@tsinghua.edu.cn

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available atBioinformaticsonline.
14-3-3ζ regulates adipogenesis by modulating chromatin accessibility during the early stages of adipocyte differentiation
Authors: Rial SA , You Z , Vivoli A , Sean D , Al-Khoury Amal , Lavoie G , Civelek M , Martinez-Sanchez A , Roux PP , Durcan TM , Lim GE
Published: March 2024

We previously established the scaffold protein 14-3-3ζ as a critical regulator of adipogenesis and adiposity, but the temporal specificity of its action during adipocyte differentiation remains unclear. To decipher if 14-3-3ζ exerts its regulatory functions on mature adipocytes or on adipose precursor cells (APCs), we generatedAdipoq14-3-3ζKO andPdgfra14-3-3ζKO mouse models. Our findings revealed a pivotal role for 14-3-3ζ in APC differentiation in a sex-dependent manner, whereby male and femalePdgfra14-3-3ζKO mice display impaired or potentiated weight gain, respectively, as well as fat mass. To better understand how 14-3-3ζ regulates the adipogenic transcriptional program in APCs, CRISPR-Cas9 was used to generate TAP-tagged 14-3-3ζ-expressing 3T3-L1 preadipocytes. Using these cells, we examined if the 14-3-3ζ nuclear interactome is enriched with adipogenic regulators during differentiation. Regulators of chromatin remodeling, such as DNMT1 and HDAC1, were enriched in the nuclear interactome of 14-3-3ζ, and their activities were impacted upon 14-3-3ζ depletion. The interactions between 14-3-3ζ and chromatin-modifying enzymes suggested that 14-3-3ζ may control chromatin remodeling during adipogenesis, and this was confirmed by ATAC-seq, which revealed that 14-3-3ζ depletion impacted the accessibility of up to 1,244 chromatin regions corresponding in part to adipogenic genes, promoters, and enhancers during the initial stages of adipogenesis. Moreover, 14-3-3ζ-dependent chromatin accessibility was found to directly correlate with the expression of key adipogenic genes. Altogether, our study establishes 14-3-3ζ as a crucial epigenetic regulator of adipogenesis and highlights the usefulness of deciphering the nuclear 14-3-3ζ interactome to identify novel pro-adipogenic factors and pathways.
Comparative transcriptome of normal and cancer-associated fibroblasts
Authors: Abikar Apoorva , Mustafa Mohammad Mehaboob Subhani , Athalye Radhika Rajiv , Nadig Namratha , Tamboli Ninad , Babu Vinod , Keshavamurthy Ramaiah , Ranganathan Prathibha
Published: March 2024

The characteristics of a tumor are largely determined by its interaction with the surrounding micro-environment (TME). TME consists of both cellular and non-cellular components. Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a major component of the TME. They are a source of many secreted factors that influence the survival and progression of tumors as well as their response to drugs. Identification of markers either overexpressed in CAFs or unique to CAFs would pave the way for novel therapeutic strategies that would combine conventional chemotherapy and TME-targeted therapy for a better outcome. We have used fibroblast derived from Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer to perform a transcriptome analysis in order to get a comparative profile of normal and cancer-associated fibroblasts. This has identified 818 differentially expressed mRNAs and 17 lincRNAs between normal and cancer-associated fibroblasts.