bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Changing Nature and Patterns of Traditional Marriage Practices among the Owerre‐Igbo, a Subgroup of the Igbo of Southeast Nigeria
Authors: Nwoko Kenneth Chukwuemeka
Published: November 2020

This research investigates the changing nature and patterns as well as the social construct of traditional marriage and practices among the Owerre‐Igbo of Southeast Nigeria. In particular, it investigates the practice of heterosexual marriage, woman‐to‐woman marriage, child marriage, and the dynamics of bride price. It also analyses the eclectics that has come to characterise Igbo traditional marriages especially the plethora of cultural borrowings that have become features of Igbo traditional marriage practices in recent times. The research investigates how this acculturation has shaped the contemporary social construct of marriage as well as how it articulates with continuities and changes in Owerre‐Igbo social organization. The research found out that these changes were brought about by three major factors; (1) the extensive contacts which the Owerre‐Igbo have had with other ethnic groups, (2) the influence of Christianity and Western education, and (3) occupational influence.
Oral health‐related quality of life in patients with disc displacement with reduction after counselling treatment versus counselling associated with jaw exercises
Authors: Magesty Rafael Alvim , da Silva Mayara Aparecida Moreira , Simões Carolina Antunes Santa Cecília , Falci Saulo Gabriel Moreira , Douglas‐de‐Oliveira Dhelfeson Willya , Gonçalves Patrícia Furtado , Flecha Olga Dumont
Published: November 2020

Objective

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two types of treatment (counselling programme versus counselling programme plus jaw exercises) to improve the quality of life of patients with disc displacement with reduction (DDWR).

Materials and Methods

Patients were divided into two groups. The test group received guidelines for temporomandibular disorders (TMD) plus jaw exercises for DDWR, and the control group received only guidelines for TMD. The total number of investigated patients was 70, thus 35 per group. The oral health‐related quality of life was assessed by the OHIP‐14 questionnaire. Both groups were evaluated at the baseline and 30 days post‐treatment.

Results

In the counselling group, there was statistically significant decrease in pain (P = .015) and social disability (P = .046) subscales. In the counselling plus jaw exercise group, there was statistically significant decrease in all subscales (P < .05). At 30 days follow‐up, there was a statically significant difference between the two groups in pain (P = .004), psychological discomfort (P < .001), psychological disability (P < .001) and social disability (P = .029) subscales.

Conclusion

The counselling programme plus jaw exercise protocol showed greater improvement in oral health‐related quality of life than the group performing only the counselling programme in patients with DDWR.
Deletion of ferritin H in neurons counteracts the protective effect of melatonin against traumatic brain injury‐induced ferroptosis
Authors: Rui Tongyu , Wang Haochen , Li Qianqian , Cheng Ying , Gao Yuan , Fang Xuexian , Ma Xuying , Chen Guang , Gao Cheng , Gu Zhiya , Song Shunchen , Zhang Jian , Wang Chunling , Wang Zufeng , Wang Tao , Zhang Mingyang , Min Junxia , Chen Xiping , Tao Luyang , Wang Fudi , Luo Chengliang
Published: November 2020

Accumulating evidence demonstrates that ferroptosis may be important in the pathophysiological process of traumatic brain injury (TBI). As a major hormone of the pineal gland, melatonin exerts many beneficial effects on TBI, but there is no information regarding the effects of melatonin on ferroptosis after TBI. As expected, TBI resulted in the time‐course changes of ferroptosis‐related molecules expression and iron accumulation in the ipsilateral cortex. Importantly, we found that treating with melatonin potently rescued TBI induced the changes mentioned above and improved functional deficits versus vehicle. Similar results were obtained with a ferroptosis inhibitor, liproxstatin‐1. Moreover, the protective effect of melatonin is likely dependent on melatonin receptor 1B (MT2). Although ferritin plays a vital role in iron metabolism by storing excess cellular iron, its precise function in the brain, and whether it involves melatonin's neuroprotection remain unexplored. Considering ferritin H (Fth) is expressed predominantly in the neurons and global loss of Fth in mice induces early embryonic lethality, we then generated neuron‐specific Fth conditional knockout (Fth‐KO) mice, which are viable and fertile but have altered iron metabolism. In addition, Fth‐KO mice were more susceptible to ferroptosis after TBI, and the neuroprotection by melatonin was largely abolished in Fth‐KO mice. In vitro siFth experiments further confirmed the results mentioned above. Taken together, these data indicate that melatonin produces cerebroprotection, at least partly by inhibiting neuronal Fth‐mediated ferroptosis following TBI, supporting the notion that melatonin is an excellent ferroptosis inhibitor and its anti‐ferroptosis provides a potential therapeutic target for treating TBI.
Effects of natural and anthropogenic features on functional connectivity of anurans: a review of landscape genetics studies in temperate, subtropical and tropical species
Authors: Covarrubias S. , González C. , Gutiérrez‐Rodríguez C.
Published: November 2020

Habitat loss, overexploitation, the presence of invasive species, climate change and the proliferation of diseases continue to put at risk anuran species that represent 90% of all amphibians. Biphasic life cycle, habitat specialization to oviposit and forage, low dispersal abilities, and permeable skin make anurans particularly susceptible to the effect of landscape composition and configuration on their capacity to move through the landscape (connectivity). Limited connectivity can result in reduced gene flow, low genetic variation and high genetic structuring. Therefore, identifying landscape elements that promote or limit the dispersal of anurans is fundamental to propose conservation plans that allow maintaining areas that enhance connectivity to assure the evolutionary potential of the species by preserving genetic diversity. Here, we reviewed studies evaluating the effect of natural and anthropogenic elements of the landscape on gene flow across temperate, tropical and subtropical landscapes. Our results suggest that roads have the strongest negative effect on connectivity resistance in anurans from temperate regions. Urbanization, fragmentation, and land cover change into agriculture and grasslands are other anthropogenic landscape elements that provide resistance to connectivity in anurans worldwide. In temperate and tropical regions, rivers are the most important natural element negatively affecting connectivity, having a stronger effect in the tropics. Contrary, streams and forests cover promote connectivity in all regions. We provide a review of the growing progress of landscape genetics in this group of vulnerable organisms and highlight the importance of considering this research field for the conservation of the threatened ecosystems that anurans inhabit.
Geometric morphometrics to distinguish the cryptic species Anopheles minimus and An. harrisoni in malaria hot spot villages, western Thailand
Authors: Chatpiyaphat K. , Sumruayphol S. , Dujardin J.‐P. , Samung Y. , Phayakkaphon A. , Cui L. , Ruangsittichai J. , Sungvornyothin S. , Sattabongkot J. , Sriwichai P.
Published: November 2020

Anopheles minimus Theobald 1901 and An. harrisoni Harbach & Manguin 2007 belong to the same species complex. They are morphologically similar and can exist in sympatry but have blood host preferences. The most accurate method for their identification is based on molecular techniques. Here, we measure the level of interspecific discrimination by geometric morphometry. Sixty‐seven An. minimus and 22 An. harrisoni specimens were selected based on their morphological integrity and confirmed by identification polymerase chain reaction of internal transcribed spacer 2. These samples were used as reference data allowing for a morphometric identification based on geometric shape. Despite size overlap between the two species, there was a significant shape divergence allowing for differentiation of An. minimus and An. harrisoni with 90% accuracy. An intraspecific study of An. minimus showed a summer period associated to the reducing of wing size, which did not influence the shape‐based differentiation of An. harrisoni. Wing venation geometry can be used to distinguish between these cryptic species mainly based on shaped divergence. This study suggests that geometric morphometrics represent a convenient low‐cost method to complement morphological identification, especially concerning damaged specimens, i.e., insects having accidentally lost the anatomical features allowing a reliable morphological identification.
Effects of transient acute kidney injury, persistent acute kidney injury and acute kidney disease on the long‐term renal prognosis after an initial acute kidney injury event
Authors: Nagata Keitaro , Horino Taro , Hatakeyama Yutaka , Matsumoto Tatsuki , Terada Yoshio , Okuhara Yoshiyasu
Published: November 2020

Aim

To clarify the effects of the duration of acute damage and/or loss of renal function following an acute kidney injury event on the renal prognosis after recovery.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed data collected between 1995 and 2016 from the Kochi Medical School Hospital. Patients were stratified according to the time required for recovery with fluid therapy (expected to reflect the presence of renal dysfunction): ≤2 days after onset, transient injury group (n = 491); 3 to 7 days after onset, persistent injury group (n = 1076); and ≥ 8 days after onset, acute kidney disease group (n = 1046). The healthy group comprised 1000 randomly selected adult patients without acute kidney injury with at least two creatinine measurement results during the study. Survival time was defined as the time from recovery to a 30% decrease in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (primary endpoint). Kaplan‐Meier and Cox proportional hazards analyses were conducted.

Results

Event incidence rates were higher for the transient injury, persistent injury and acute kidney disease groups than for the healthy group. Persistent injury and acute kidney disease presented a higher risk of renal function decline than transient injury following recovery.

Conclusion

Transient acute kidney injury, persistent acute kidney injury and acute kidney disease resulted in functional decline and rapid chronic kidney disease progression risks despite recovery. Transient acute kidney injury recovery within 2 days could be associated with better long‐term prognoses than persistent acute kidney injury and acute kidney disease persisting beyond 2 days.
Effect of short‐term low molecular weight heparin on patency following successful salvage of arteriovenous access with recurrent thrombosis
Authors: Tan Ru Yu , Pang Suh Chien , Tng Alvin Ren Kwang , Ng Heng Joo , Teh Swee Ping , Tan Seck Guan , Tang Tjun Yip , Foo Marjorie Wai Yin , Gogna Apoorva , Chong Tze Tec , Tan Chieh Suai
Published: November 2020

Aim

This study aims to investigate the effect of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) in maintaining the patency of arteriovenous (AV) access with recurrent thrombosis.

Methods

Following successful thrombectomy, 66 patients with recurrent thrombosis were included in the study. The primary, assisted primary and secondary patency rates of patients who received LMWH (n = 24) were compared with those who did not receive anticoagulant (n = 42) using Kaplan‐Meier analysis. Cox‐regression analysis was performed to investigate potential predictors of patency rates.

Results

The mean dose of enoxaparin used was 40 ± 13.1 mg or 0.74 ± 0.2 mg/kg daily for a median duration of 14 (IQR 7,28) days. The mean trough anti‐Xa concentrations measured after two doses of LMWH was 0.17 ± 0.13 IU/mL. Kaplan‐Meier analyses for mean primary, assisted primary and secondary patency rates of LMWH vs no anticoagulation groups were 149 (95% CI: 91 ‐ 207) vs 87 (95% CI: 42‐132) days (P < .006), 230 (95% CI: 142‐320) vs 107 (95% CI: 62‐150) days (P = .01) and 438 (299‐579) vs 294 (95% CI: 197‐392) days (P = .08) respectively. LMWH remained a significant protective predictor of primary (HR: 0.49; 95% CI: 0.25‐0.86; P = .02) and assisted primary patency rates (HR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.27‐0.98; P = .04) after adjusting for patient age, access age, type of AV access, presence of peripheral vascular disease and haemoglobin levels.

Conclusion

LMWH may improve short and mid‐term patency rates for AV accesses with recurrent thrombosis.
Malignant transformation of oral submucous fibrosis: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Kujan Omar , Mello Fernanda Weber , Warnakulasuriya Saman
Published: November 2020

Objectives

This systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to determine the proportion of patients who develop oral carcinomas following a diagnosis of oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) in reported longitudinal studies. We also aimed to evaluate the demographic and clinicopathological factors contributing to the progression of OSF to cancer.

Methods

Individual search strategies were applied for the following bibliographic databases: MEDLINE by PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and Grey literature databases until August 30, 2020. Methodological assessment of the risk of bias of the included studies was undertaken using the modified Newcastle‐Ottawa scale. Meta‐analyses were conducted using a random‐effects (DerSimonian and Liard) method to calculate the pooled proportion of the malignant transformation (MT) in OSF patients.

Results

Out of 585 records screened, a total of 9 observational studies were included with a total number of 6,337 patients; of these, 292 OSF cases developed carcinomas. The pooled proportion of the MT was 4.2% (95% CI: 2.7%–5.6%) with an annual transformation rate of 0.73%. Subgroup analysis revealed that the pooled MT proportion was significantly higher among population‐based studies in comparison with hospital‐based ones (p < .005). Most of the studies showed a high risk of bias. In several studies, there was a lack of information about the demographic and clinicopathological characteristics of OSF patients and associated risk indicators; this insufficiency in details hindered the ability to conduct further subgroup analyses.

Conclusions

Despite the poorly reported and the limited number of studies, our analysis confirms that close to 4% of patients diagnosed with OSF may develop oral cancer. Cases with oral epithelial dysplasia had a higher potential for malignant transformation.
Stochastic predation exposes prey to predator pits and local extinction
Authors: Clark T. J. , Horne Jon S. , Hebblewhite Mark , Luis Angela D.
Published: November 2020

Understanding how predators affect prey populations is a fundamental goal for ecologists and wildlife managers. A well‐known example of regulation by predators is the predator pit, where two alternative stable states exist and prey can be held at a low density equilibrium by predation if they are unable to pass the threshold needed to attain a high density equilibrium. While empirical evidence for predator pits exists, deterministic models of predator–prey dynamics with realistic parameters suggest they should not occur in these systems. Because stochasticity can fundamentally change the dynamics of deterministic models, we investigated if incorporating stochasticity in predation rates would change the dynamics of deterministic models and allow predator pits to emerge. Based on realistic parameters from an elk–wolf system, we found predator pits were predicted only when stochasticity was included in the model. Predator pits emerged in systems with highly stochastic predation and high carrying capacities, but as carrying capacity decreased, low density equilibria with a high likelihood of extinction became more prevalent. We found that incorporating stochasticity is essential to fully understand alternative stable states in ecological systems, and due to the interaction between top–down and bottom–up effects on prey populations, habitat management and predator control could help prey to be resilient to predation stochasticity.
Towards online UAS‐based photogrammetric measurements for 3D metrology inspection
Authors: Menna Fabio , Nocerino Erica , Remondino Fabio , Saladino Luca , Berri Luigi
Published: November 2020

This paper presents the development of a vision metrology system for high‐accuracy three‐dimensional measurements of large structures requiring dimensional tolerancing. The proposed system integrates a V‐STARS N platinum photogrammetric system from Geodetic Systems, a DJI M600 Pro UAS with Ronin‐MX gimbal and a dual antenna for real‐time kinematic positioning. The paper presents the system architecture and the developed software for camera network simulation and image acquisition. As an acquisition scenario, a large dish parabolic antenna is simulated. The benefits of the developed procedure include the ability to handle obstacle avoidance and self‐occlusions and, employing a rigorous camera network simulation approach, to overcome the limitations of currently available flight planning commercial tools that are mainly conceived for mapping applications. Future work will consider extensive testing of the platform in real‐case scenarios.
Soluble programmed death‐1 (sPD‐1) as predictor of early surgical outcomes of paediatric cystic echinococcosis
Authors: Ben Salah Eya , Sakly Wahiba , Barrera Coralie , Mosbahi Sana , Bellanger Anne‐Pauline , Farhani Rabeb , Ksia Amine , Gottstein Bruno , Nouri Abdellatif , Babba Hamouda , Millon Laurence
Published: November 2020

Aims

Following treatment, cystic echinococcosis (CE) exhibits a relatively high relapse rate. Here, we evaluated the value of soluble programmed death‐1 (sPD‐1), sPD‐1 ligand (sPD‐L1) and anti‐recP29 antibody concentrations, as predictors of early surgical treatment outcomes in young CE‐affected patients.

Methods and results

This prospective study included 59 Tunisian children (177 plasmas), where CE was surgically treated and monitored for 3 post‐operative years. Based on CE post‐surgical development, patients were clustered into a ‘No relapsed’ CE (NRCE; n = 39) and a ‘Relapsed’ CE (RCE; n = 20) group. Plasma levels of sPD‐1, sPD‐L1 and anti‐recP29 IgG were measured using ELISA. In the NRCE group, sPD‐1, sPD‐L1 and anti‐recP29 IgG concentrations were significantly lower at D365 than at D30. By contrast, in the RCE group, no significant difference was observed between D0, D30 and D365. When considering individual variations, the probability to be ‘relapse‐free’ was 67% and 73% when anti‐recP29 IgG and sPD‐L1 level, respectively, decreased between D30 and D365. The probability to be ‘relapse‐free’ was 86% when the sPD‐1 level decreased between D30 and D365 (P = .003; chi‐square test).

Conclusion

sPD‐1 may be a useful biomaker for the early evaluation of surgical procedure efficacy in paediatric CE cases.
Introgression of a novel cold and drought regulatory‐protein encoding CORA‐like gene, SbCDR, induced osmotic tolerance in transgenic tobacco
Authors: Jha Rajesh Kumar , Patel Jaykumar , Patel Manish Kumar , Mishra Avinash , Jha Bhavanath
Published: November 2020

A potent cold and drought regulatory‐protein encoding gene, SbCDR was cloned from an extreme halophyte Salicornia brachiata. In vitro localisation study, performed with SbCDR::RFP gene‐construct revealed that SbCDR is a membrane protein. Overexpression of the SbCDR gene in tobacco plants confirmed tolerance against major environmental constraints such as salinity, drought and cold, as evidenced by improved chlorophyll contents, plant morphology, plant biomass, root length, shoot length and seed germination efficiency. Transgenic lines also exhibited high accumulation of proline, total sugar, reducing sugar, free amino acid and polyphenol, besides the low level of malondialdehyde (MDA) contents. SbCDR transgenic lines showed better relative water contents, membrane stability index and osmotic water potential. Furthermore, higher expression of ROS scavenging genes was observed in transgenic lines under stress. Moreover, microarray analysis revealed that several host genes were upregulated and downregulated under drought and salt stress conditions in SbCDR transgenic line compared with control (WT) plants. The results demonstrated that the overexpression of the halophytic SbCDR gene has intense effects on the abiotic stress tolerance of transgenic tobacco plants. However, the exact mode of action of SbCDR in multiple abiotic stress tolerance of plants is yet to be unveiled. It is believed that the precise role of SbCDR gene will provide additional information to comprehend the abiotic stress tolerance mechanism. Furthermore, it will appear as a promising candidate gene for improving stress tolerance in different crop plants for sustainable agriculture and crop productivity.
Microsphere stem blockage as a screen for nitrogen‐fixation drought tolerance in soybean
Authors: Pradhan Deepti , Bertin Diana , Sinclair Thomas R. , Nogueira Marco A. , Livingston David , Carter Thomas
Published: November 2020

Symbiotic nitrogen‐fixation of soybean (Glycine max [Merr.] L) commonly decreases in response to soil drying in advance of other plant processes. While a few soybean lines express nitrogen‐fixation drought tolerance, breeding for genetic variation is hampered by laborious phenotyping procedures. The objective of this research was to explore the potential of an initial screen for nitrogen‐fixation drought‐tolerant genotypes based on a possible relationship with xylem‐vessel diameter. The hypothesis was that nitrogen‐fixation drought tolerance might result from fewer, large‐diameter xylem vessels in the stem that are vulnerable to disrupted flow as water deficit develops. The disrupted flow could cause nitrogen products to accumulate in nodules resulting in negative feedback on nitrogen‐fixation rate. The proposed screen involved exposing de‐rooted shoots to a suspension containing microspheres (45–53 μm diameter) and recording the decrease in transpiration rate as a result of microsphere xylem‐blockage. Two soybean populations were tested. One population was progeny derived from mating of two parents with high and low nitrogen‐fixation drought sensitivity. A high correlation (R2 = 0.68; P < 0.001) was found in this population between decreasing transpiration rate resulting from the microsphere treatment and increasing sensitivity of nitrogen‐fixation to soil drying. The second tested population consisted of 16 genotypes, most of which had been previously identified in germplasm screens as expressing nitrogen‐fixation drought tolerance. Nearly half of the lines in this second population were identified in the screen as showing minimum blockage of transpiration when exposed to the microspheres. Overall, these results showed the potential of using the microsphere screen to identify candidate genotypes expressing nitrogen‐fixation drought tolerance.
Lactation‐related mammary gland pathologies—A neglected emergency in the bitch
Authors: Vasiu Iosif , Dąbrowski Roman , Tvarijonaviciute Asta
Published: November 2020

Mastitis is a common reproductive disorder in bitches, reaching a prevalence of 0.71%. Mastitis has a wide range of forms, from asymptomatic to severe gangrenous mastitis that can lead to septic shock and death of the bitch and nurslings. However, most of the time it is overlooked, undiagnosed or mistreated. The present systematic review was performed to revise and summarize the existing knowledge related to this disorder, including diagnosis, treatment and prevention.
More power, more control: The legitimizing role of expertise in Frontex after the refugee crisis
Authors: Fjørtoft Trym N.
Published: November 2020

This article explores how the appeal to depoliticized expertise worked to legitimize increased supervisory and executive power to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, after the 2015 refugee crisis. Frontex is an EU agency operating in a highly salient field, removed from hard‐science “gold standards” of evidence, where member states have been reluctant to delegate power and sovereignty. Through a process‐tracing case study, this article finds that appeals to technical neutrality, quantification, and objective indicators nevertheless were central when a new mandate for the agency was negotiated, giving Frontex unprecedented supervisory and executive power. They were also important resources for member states concerned about Frontex's increased powers. By focusing on an agency at a remove from the natural‐science archetype, this article contributes to the literature on knowledge use in independent agencies. It suggests that technical expertise can be a powerful source of legitimacy even in a field removed from “hard” science.
Construction of Blocked Factorial Designs to Estimate Main Effects and Selected Two-Factor Interactions
Authors: Godolphin J. D.
Published: November 2020

Two-level factorial designs are widely used in industry. For experiments involving n factors, the construction of designs comprising 2n and 2n-p factorials, arranged in blocks of size 2q is investigated. The aim is to estimate all main effects and a selected subset of two-factor interactions. Designs constructed according to minimum aberration criteria are shown to not necessarily be the most appropriate designs in this situation. A design construction approach is proposed which exploits known results on proper vertex colourings in graph theory. Examples are provided to illustrate the results and construction strategies. Particular consideration is given to the special case of designs with blocks of size four and tables of designs are given for this block size.
Touching sacred texts, touching history: Using manuscripts to teach scribal practices and material scripture in the biblical studies survey course
Authors: Homrighausen Jonathan
Published: November 2020

Although recent scholarship on the biblical studies survey course has sought to bring in a wide array of new methods and ways to incorporate the Bible into the broader liberal arts curriculum, a dearth of tactics for employing biblical manuscripts in the classroom remains. This article details one experience crafting two class sessions for an introductory Hebrew Bible course, employing manuscripts and rare books to spark students' insights into the questions of textual transmission, scribal practices, the materiality of sacred texts, and the significance of manuscripts as windows into the people and cultures which create, use, and own them. This lesson plan successfully facilitated firsthand learning about the importance of embodied texts as witnesses to the complex, messy transmission of the Hebrew Bible and its role in diverse cultures and times.
Macrophage depletion of CMV latently infected donor hearts ameliorates recipient accelerated chronic rejection
Authors: Haese Nicole N. , Burg Jennifer M. , Andoh Takeshi F. , Jones Iris K. A. , Kreklywich Craig N. , Smith Patricia P. , Orloff Susan L. , Streblow Daniel N.
Published: November 2020

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is linked to acceleration of solid organ transplant vascular sclerosis (TVS) and chronic rejection (CR). Donor latent CMV infection increases cardiac‐resident macrophages and T cells leading to increased inflammation, promoting allograft rejection. To investigate the role of cardiac‐resident passenger macrophages in CMV‐mediated TVS/CR, macrophages were depleted from latently ratCMV (RCMV)‐infected donor allografts prior to transplantation. Latently RCMV‐infected donor F344 rats were treated with clodronate, PBS, or control liposomes 3 days prior to cardiac transplant into RCMV‐naïve Lewis recipients. Clodronate treatment significantly increased graft survival from post‐operative day (POD)61 to POD84 and decreased TVS at rejection. To determine the kinetics of the effect of clodronate treatment's effect, a time study revealed that clodronate treatment significantly decreased macrophage infiltration into allograft tissues as early as POD14; altered allograft cytokine/chemokine protein levels, fibrosis development, and inflammatory gene expression profiles. These findings support our hypothesis that increased graft survival as a result of allograft passenger macrophage depletion was in part a result of altered immune response kinetics. Depletion of donor macrophages prior to transplant is a strategy to modulate allograft rejection and reduce TVS in the setting of CMV + donors transplanted into CMV naïve recipients.
Synergic control of a single muscle: The example of flexor digitorum superficialis
Authors: Madarshahian Shirin , Letizi John , Latash Mark L.
Published: November 2020

Key points

We used the idea of synergic control and the framework of the uncontrolled manifold hypothesis to explore the synergic control of a single muscle.

Individual motor units in flexor digitorum superficialis formed two‐three groups (MU‐modes) with parallel changes in firing frequency, robust over force‐up and force‐down segments.

There were strong force‐stabilizing synergies in the MU‐mode space during accurate cyclical force production.

The results show, for the first time, that the idea of synergic control is applicable to individual muscles.

The results suggest that segmental spinal mechanisms, such as recurrent inhibition and stretch reflex, probably play a major role in the synergic control of action.

In the present study, for the first time, we have used the idea of synergic control and the framework of the uncontrolled manifold (UCM) hypothesis to test two hypotheses: (i) individual motor units are organized into stable groups (MU‐modes) with parallel scaling of firing rates with changes in the muscle force, and (ii) the gains of MU‐mode involvement co‐vary to stabilize the desired force magnitude. Young healthy subjects performed accurate cyclical force tracing tasks at 1 Hz by pressing with intermediate phalanges; only one finger was instructed to produce force at a time. Surface electromyographic signal from flexor digitorum superficialis was recorded and used to identify individual motor units and their firing frequencies. Principal component analysis with rotation and factor extraction was used to identify MU‐modes, which showed similar compositions over the force‐up and force‐down task segments. Inter‐cycle variance analysis in the MU‐mode space confirmed the existence of strong synergies stabilizing finger force. There were no synergies stabilizing MU‐mode magnitude in the space of individual motor units. This is the first application of the UCM framework to the neural control of a single muscle. It extends the applicability of this approach to analysis of individual muscles. We discuss the importance of the findings for the idea of hierarchical control and the notion of muscle compartments. The results suggest that segmental spinal mechanisms, such as recurrent inhibition and stretch reflex, probably play a major role in the synergic control of action.
Generalized Finger Motion Classification Model Based on Motor Unit Voting
Authors: Liu Xiangyu , Zhou Meiyu , Dai Chenyun , Chen Wei , Ye Xinming
Published: November 2020

Surface electromyogram-based finger motion classification has shown its potential for prosthetic control. However, most current finger motion classification models are subject-specific, requiring calibration when applied to new subjects. Generalized subject-nonspecific models are essential for real-world applications. In this study, the authors developed a subject-nonspecific model based on motor unit (MU) voting. A high-density surface electromyogram was first decomposed into individual MUs. The features extracted from each MU were then fed into a random forest classifier to obtain the finger label (primary prediction). The final prediction was selected by voting for all primary predictions provided by the decomposed MUs. Experiments conducted on 14 subjects demonstrated that our method significantly outperformed traditional methods in the context of subject-nonspecific finger motion classification models.
Comparison of an Inertial Measurement Unit System and Baropodometric Platform for Measuring Spatiotemporal Parameters and Walking Speed in Healthy Adults
Authors: Correale Luca , Carnevale Pellino Vittoria , Marin Luca , Febbi Massimiliano , Vandoni Matteo
Published: November 2020

Spatiotemporal parameters of walking are used to identify gait impairments and provide a tailored therapy program. Baropodometric platforms are not often used for measuring spatiotemporal parameters and walking speed and it is required to determine accuracy. The aim of this study was to compare FreeMed® Platform gait outcomes with a validated inertial measurement unit. There were 40 healthy adults without walking impairments enrolled. Each subject walked along a 15-m walkway at self and slow self-selected speed wearing an inertial measurement unit on the FreeMed® Platform. Stride length and time, right and left stance, swing time, and walking speed were recorded. Walking speed, stride length, and step time showed a very high level of agreement at slow walking speed and a high and moderate level of agreement at normal walking speed. FreeMed® Platform is useful to assess gait outcomes and could improve the exercise prescription.
Ensuring vaccine safety
Authors: Knipe David M. , Levy Ofer , Fitzgerald Katherine A. , Mühlberger Elke
Published: November 2020

Comprehensive safety testing is based on experience with prior vaccines
Impact of a Demyelination-Inducing Central Nervous System Virus on Expression of Demyelination Genes in Type 2 Lymphoid Cells
Authors: Hirose Satoshi , Kato Mihoko , Tormanen Kati , Shafiei Jahani Pedram , Akbari Omid , Ghiasi Homayon
Published: November 2020

Innate lymphocytes have plasticity and can change functionality; type 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) can convert to ILC1 or ILC3 cells or change their activation state to produce IL-17 or IL-10 depending on environmental cues. In this study, we investigated the gene and cytokine profiles of ILC2s, which play a major role in HSV-IL-2-induced CNS demyelination.
Draft Genome Sequence of Spiroplasma platyhelix ATCC 51748, Isolated from a Dragonfly
Authors: Green Emily A. , Klassen Jonathan L.
Published: November 2020

Spiroplasma platyhelix
is a helical bacterium belonging to the class
Mollicutes
. First isolated from a
Pachydiplax longipennis
dragonfly, it has the smallest reported
Spiroplasma
genome size of 740 kbp. Here, we report the genome sequence of
S. platyhelix
ATCC 51748.
Complete Genome Sequences of Six Lactobacilli Isolated from American Quarter Horses
Authors: Meinders Rachael I. , Mendoza Mary , Dickey Allison N. , Scholl Elizabeth H. , Hassan Hosni M.
Published: November 2020

We report the complete circular genome sequences of six
Lactobacillus
strains and their plasmids, if any, from the fecal material of quarter horses at different ages.
Complete Genome Sequence of Multidrug-Resistant Strain Nocardia wallacei FMUON74, Isolated from a Sputum Culture
Authors: Toyokawa Masahiro , Taniguchi Makoto , Uesaka Kazuma , Nishimura Keiko
Published: November 2020

Nocardia wallacei
is one of the members of the
N. transvalensis
complex which possess a highly unique susceptibility pattern. Here, we describe the closed complete genome sequence of the multidrug-resistant strain
N. wallacei
FMUON74, which was obtained using a hybrid approach combining Nanopore long-read sequencing and Illumina and DNBseq short-read sequencing.
Draft Genome Sequences of Five Diverse
Klebsiella
Species Isolates from Intensive Care Unit Patients
Authors: Hazen Tracy H. , Hitchcock Stephanie , O’Hara Lyndsay M. , Michalski Jane M. , Johnson J. Kristie , Calfee David P. , Miller Loren G. , Harris Anthony D. , Rasko David A.
Published: November 2020

We have examined the draft genomes of five isolates from two different
Klebsiella
species obtained from intensive care unit patients at two geographically distributed hospitals to examine the genomic diversity of hospital acquired organisms in this understudied population.
Complete Genome Sequences of Two Streptococcus suis Strains Isolated from Asymptomatic Pigs
Authors: Minowa-Nozawa Atsuko , Nozawa Takashi , Takamatsu Daisuke , Yoshida Akemi , Murase Kazunori , Kikuchi Taisei , Ishida-Kuroki Kasumi , Nitta Yoshihiro , Sekizaki Tsutomu , Nakagawa Ichiro
Published: November 2020

Streptococcus suis
is an important zoonotic pathogen that causes major economic problems in the pig industry worldwide and serious infections in humans, including meningitis and septicemia. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of two strains isolated from asymptomatic pigs.
Complete Genome Sequence of a Novel Genotype of
Pepper Mild Mottle Virus
Infecting Pepper in Chile
Authors: Berendsen Sven M. H. , Schravesande Willem E. W.
Published: November 2020

The complete genome sequence of a
Pepper mild mottle virus
(PMMoV) found on pepper seeds produced in Chile 2019 was determined using Oxford Nanopore Technology and Sanger sequencing. The low nucleotide sequence identities (between 89% and 91%) to known PMMoV isolates suggested that this isolate belongs to a novel genotype.
Assessment of
In Vitro
and
In Silico
Protocols for Sequence-Based Characterization of the Human Vaginal Microbiome
Authors: Hugerth Luisa W. , Pereira Marcela , Zha Yinghua , Seifert Maike , Kaldhusdal Vilde , Boulund Fredrik , Krog Maria C. , Bashir Zahra , Hamsten Marica , Fransson Emma , Nielsen Henriette Svarre , Schuppe-Koistinen Ina , Engstrand Lars
Published: November 2020

The vaginal microbiome has been connected to various aspects of host health, including susceptibility to sexually transmitted infections as well as gynecological cancers and pregnancy outcomes. This has led to a thriving research environment but also to conflicting available methodologies, including many studies that do not report their molecular biological and bioinformatic methods in sufficient detail to be considered reproducible. This can lead to conflicting messages and delay progress from descriptive to intervention studies. By systematically assessing best practices for the characterization of the human vaginal microbiome, this study will enable past studies to be assessed more critically and assist future studies in the selection of appropriate methods for their specific research questions.
Intimate partner violence among women with and without disabilities: a pooled analysis of baseline data from seven violence-prevention programmes
Authors: Chirwa Esnat , Jewkes Rachel , Van Der Heijden Ingrid , Dunkle Kristin
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health and human rights violation which impacts approximately one in three women worldwide. Some existing evidence suggests that women with disabilities are at higher risk of IPV, but is largely limited in geographical scope to the Global North, and comparison across settings has been hampered by inconsistent measurement of both IPV and disability.

Methods

Pooled analysis of baseline data from 8549 adult women participating in seven IPV prevention studies in five countries across Africa and Asia that used collaborative, comparative measurement strategies to assess both disability and IPV.

Results

After adjusting for age, women with disabilities were more likely to experience past 12-month physical IPV (adjusted OR (aOR)=1.79; 95% CI 1.49 to 2.17), sexual IPV (aOR=1.98; 95% CI 1.36 to 2.89), emotional IPV (aOR=1.84; 95% CI 1.49 to 2.27) and economic IPV (aOR=1.66; 95% CI 1.45 to 1.89), with an overall association between disability and past 12-month physical/sexual IPV of aOR=1.93 (95% CI 1.52 to 2.46). Compared to women without disability, women with moderate and severe disability showed a trend of increasing risk of IPV in the past 12 months for each of physical, sexual, emotional and economic IPV. Overall, both women with moderate disability (aOR=1.86, 95% CI 1.57 to 2.21) and women with severe disability (aOR=2.63; 95% CI 1.95 to 3.55) were significantly more likely to experience any form of IPV when compared with women without disability.

Conclusion

Women with disabilities are at increased risk of past-year IPV compared to women without disabilities across a range of settings in the Global South, and the risk of IPV increases with increasing severity of disability. IPV prevention and response efforts in these settings must find ways to include and address the needs of women with disabilities, including increased outreach and improved accessibility of programmes.
Caesarean section and the association with migraine: a retrospective register-linked HUNT population cohort study
Authors: Kristoffersen Espen Saxhaug , Børte Sigrid , Hagen Knut , Zwart John-Anker , Winsvold Bendik Slagsvold
Published: November 2020

Objectives

To evaluate the association between caesarean section and migraine in a population-based register-linked cohort study.

Setting

Data from the population-based Nord-Trøndelag Health Studies (HUNT2 and HUNT3) were linked to information from the Norwegian Medical Birth Registry.

Participants

65 343 participants responded to the headache questions in any of the two HUNT studies. Only those answering the headache questions in HUNT2 or 3 and had information about mode of delivery in the Norwegian Medical Birth Registry (born after 1967) were included. Our final sample consisted of 6592 women and 4602 men, aged 19–41 years.

Outcomes

ORs for migraine given caesarean section. Analyses were performed in multivariate logistic regression models.

Results

After adjusting for sex, age and fetal growth restriction, delivery by caesarean section was not associated with migraine later in life (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.15). Delivery by caesarean section was associated with a reduced OR of non-migrainous headache (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.99).

Conclusion

No association was found between caesarean section and migraine in this population-based register-linked study.
Adjusting working conditions and evaluating the risk of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic in different workplace settings in Germany: a study protocol for an explorative modular mixed methods approach
Authors: Rind Esther , Kimpel Klaus , Preiser Christine , Papenfuss Falko , Wagner Anke , Alsyte Karina , Siegel Achim , Klink Antje , Steinhilber Benjamin , Kauderer Johanna , Rieger Monika A
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Currently, many countries, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, discuss how the ‘lockdown-restrictions’ could be lifted to restart the economy and public life after the first wave of the COVID-19 disease has subsided. This study protocol describes an approach designed to provide an in-depth understanding of how companies and their employees in Germany deal with their working conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are also interested in how and why the risk of infection with SARS-CoV-2 could vary across different professional activities, company sites and regions with different epidemiological activity or infection control measures in Germany. We expect the results of this study to contribute to the development of working conditions protecting the health of employees during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods and analysis

An explorative multimodal mixed methods approach will be applied.Module 1comprises a document analysis of prevailing federal and regional laws and regulations at the respective location of the participating company.Module 2includes qualitative interviews with key actors at different companies.Module 3is a repeated standardised employee survey designed to capture potential changes in the participants’ experiences and attitudes towards working conditions, occupational safety regulations/measures, and infection control measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.Module 4comprises SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence testing. This is carried out by the medical service of the participating company sites as a voluntary offer for employees. Qualitative data will be analysed through document and content analysis. The complexity of the quantitative analysis depends on the response rates of modules 3 and 4.

Ethics and dissemination

The approval of the study design was received in June 2020 from the responsible local ethical committee of the Medical Faculty, University of Tübingen and University Hospital Tübingen (No. 423/2020BO). The results will be presented at national and international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals.
Development in PaCO2over 12 months in patients with COPD with persistent hypercapnic respiratory failure treated with high-flow nasal cannula—post-hoc analysis from a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Storgaard Line Hust , Hockey Hans-Ulrich , Weinreich Ulla Møller
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Persistent hypercapnic failure in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with poor prognosis. Long-term home non-invasive ventilation is recommended for patients with PaCO2>7.0 kPa. Domiciliary high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) reduces PaCO2in short-term studies. This post-hoc analysis examines the effect of HFNC on PaCO2levels, exacerbations and admissions in patients with COPD with persistent hypercapnic and hypoxic failures.

Methods

The original trial included 74 long-term oxygen-treated patients (31 HFNC treated/43 controls) with persistent hypercapnic failure (PaCO2>6 kPa) who completed the 12-month study period. Baseline data included age, sex, blood gases, exacerbations and hospital admissions in the previous year. Data on blood gases were also recorded at 6 and 12 months for all patients. In addition, acute changes in blood gases after 30 min of HFNC use at site visits were examined, as were exacerbations and hospital admissions during study.

Results

Patients were comparable at baseline. After 12 months there was a 1.3% decrease in PaCO2in patients using HFNC and a 7% increase in controls before HFNC use on site (p=0.003). After 30 min of HFNC at visits PaCO2changed significantly, with comparable reductions, at 0, 6 and 12 months, including for controls who tried HFNC at study end (p<0.001). The exacerbation rate increased, compared with 12 months prestudy, by 2.2/year for controls (p<0.001) and 0.15/year for HFNC-treated patients (p=0.661). Hospital admission rates increased in the control group,+0.3/year from prestudy (p=0.180), And decreased by 0.67/year (p=0.013)for HFNC-treated patients.

Conclusion

This post-hoc analysis indicates that HFNC stabilises patients with COPD with persistent hypoxic and hypercapnic failures, in terms of PaCO2, exacerbations and number of hospitalisations, whereas those not receiving HFNC worsened. This suggests that HFNC is a possible treatment for patients with persistent hypercapnic COPD.