bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Radon gas concentration in Tap water supply of Haditha Town / west Al-Anbar Governorate / Iraq
Authors: Al-Paruany Kamal B. , Al-Hadiathy Abdul-Hameed A. , Abdul Eman H. , Abass Ali , Abd Amer
Published: September 2022

The current study was performed to estimate Radon concentration in the tap water and annual effective dose in 22 water samples from three districts in Haditha city (Haditha center, Haqlaniyah and Barowana) in addition to Euphrates river. the results show that overall concentration of radon 226 in drinking water in Haditha city was ranged (0.0091 – 0.031 Bq L−1). Also, the annual effective dose of radon 226 was calculated, The highest was 0.113166 μSv/y, while the lowest was 0.03322 μSv/y. The rank order of drinking water resources in Haditha region based on the concentration of radon 226 was Euphrates river > Haditha > Barwana > Haglanyah. The overall concentration of radon 226 in drinking water in Haditha city was lower than WHO and EPA standard limits.
Monitoring desertification in the Euphrates region south Iraq using Remote Sensing Techniques
Authors: Al-Jarrah Omar B.
Published: September 2022

Although Euphrates regions are very important agricultural areas, the land fertility declined due to drought episodes of desertification. Sand dunes developed into Euphrates areas and salinity increased, Landsat satellite images for years 1972, 1984, 1990, 2002, 2016 where used to study such changes and match for all records to identify negative phenomena. Separated layers and its spatial area for each year showed expansion of desertification (29%) during the period 1972 – 2002 as a result of wind come from two major sand resources areas on the other hand, period 2002 – 2016 witnessed a low of rate about 7% desertification due to the invasion of the Ahwar (swamps) by water that partly cover sand areas, salinity increased up to 21% on river banks and places of shallow groundwater with high evaporation, Gravel covering is a highly recommended to prevent soil erosion and dune development, about salinity must establish an active drainage channels for all area.
Microfacies and Sequence Stratigraphy of the Saadi Formation within the sequences of the (Torunian - Santonian) cycle in Balad and Tikrit / Salah al-Din Governorate / Iraq
Authors: Omar Omar M. , Hassan Faris N. , Saleh Abdulsalam M.
Published: September 2022

The current study included a study of the microfacies and sequence stratigraphy of Saadi Formation in two subsurface sections within the Balad and Tikrit oilfields, the first represented (Ba-5) with a thickness of (120) m, and the second section (TK-6) the thickness of this formation (270))m. The formation under study consisted of chalk limestone sequences with the layers of marley limestone, the study showed that the lower bounder is compatible with the of Tanuma Formation in both sections, while the upper bounder is conformable with the Mashura Formation within well (Ba-5) and is unconformable with the Hartha Formation in a well (TK-6).

Petrographic study showed the presence of many microfacies at divided into five main microfacies and six submicrofacies Lime mudstone microfacies, Lime wackstone microfacies divided to (Calcispheres lime wackestone and Rotalid lime wackestone submicrofacies), Lime packestone microfacies divided to (keeled planktonic foraminiferal lime packstone, Hedbergella lime packstone, Calcispheres lime packstone and Rotalid lime packstone submicrofacies), lime grainstone microfacies and crystalline microfacies. Depending on microfacise the paleoenvironment of formation extended from slope, open marina, deep shelf and deep sea.

The sequence stratigraphy defined of study divide to the sequences into sets, and each sets represents a sedimentary cycle that event a rise and fall in sea level during a certain period of time, the formation in well (Ba-5) compound one sequence and well (TK-6) consist three sequence, the sequence begins with the sequence boundary of (Type-2) and after the transgression system tract (TST) it deposit by Retrogadation and the upper surface of this tract represented by the Maximum Flood Surface (MFS), followed high stand system tract (HST) deposited in progradation pattern, which is characterized by a gradual decrease in sea level and a shallowing sedimentary environment. The presence of three sequence cycles through the Tk-6 well is due to the fact that the Tikrit field is shallower than the Balad field of sedimentation and is located at the edges of the deeper part of the sedimentary basin and the beginning of the shallowing, which is affected more The processes of marine Transgression, where the final report of the well (Tk-6) showed that the succession of shallow sedimentary facies with deep facies as shown, indicating the instability of the substratum and its significant impact on tectonic movements.
Abnormality of geothermal gradients in Iraqi western desert inferred from borehole temperatures
Authors: Abdula Rzger A. , Al-Zubedi Ahmed Srdah , Hashmi Hedayat
Published: September 2022

Geothermal gradient is an important tool in petroleum exploration and critical to several reservoir evaluations. Borehole Temperature data from 14 wells are utilized to find the geothermal tendency of the Western Desert in Iraq. The discrepancies in geothermal gradients throughout the area are a consequence of variability of sediment’s thermal conductivity, direction of groundwater flow, fault pattern, and heat generation. High value converts liquid hydrocarbon to dry gas and low value will not help organic matter to reach maturity level. The lowest gradient within the units above Palaeozoic Era’s section is 12.2 °C/km for well KH-9/7 in the eastern part of the area and the highest is 31.3 °C/km for well KH-5/4 in the middle part of the region. Whereas, the highest geothermal gradient which is 61.0 °C/km within the Palaeozoic section is recorded within Akkas Formation in 2100-2350 m subsurface. The mean geothermal gradient in Western Desert is 26 °C/km within the units younger than the Palaeozoic, but this average rises up to 40 °C/km within Palaeozoic units due to existence of Silurian hot shales and heat flow from the Proterozoic section especially from Halaban Group andesites.
Detection of Haqlaniyah cave within carbonate stratigraphic sequence rocks using 2D resistivity imaging technique, Haditha, western Iraq
Authors: Al-Jibouri Amer S. , Hamad Al-Halboosi Jassim M. , Abed Ali M.
Published: September 2022

The western desert of Iraq is characterized by a widespread karst phenomenon and caves. The study area is a site for the establishment of a primary school inAl- Haqlanighah village Haditha area, during leveling the land with a bulldozer, the ground collapsed, causing a hole with a diameter of up to two meters. Two-dimensional resistivity imaging has been applied to detect the depth and extent of the subsurface cave within carbonate rocks and along two cross-image lines in the array of Dipole-dipole and an electrode distance of 5 meters, each length of 105m. 2D Dipole-dipole imaging technique is obtained the inverse models which shows the resistivity variation between the anomalous of background resistivity of rocks and part of cavity is about 750:100 Ω.m. These models showed that the depth 11m at the cavity operator to the roof of cavity. While the actual depth at same location of this cavity measured of 11.35m approximately. The results of this study showed that the extension of the cave along the first track is 52 meters in a direction of west-east, 11 meters depth to the ceiling of the cave, 31-35 meters to the bottom of the cave. While the extension of this cave along the second track is 20 meters in a direction south-north, and the depth to the ceiling of the cave is 12 meters and 32-34 meters to the bottom of the cave. The stratigraphic succession of the study area, starting from bottom withAnah Formation, overlain by unconformity brecciated bed, ranging from 6 to 30m meters in thickness, followed by Euphrates Formation in the top. The unconformity layer is less cohesive than the rocks beneath and above it. So it was the best area for the caves to be formed as a result of dissolving its rocks by leaking rain water and groundwater. Therefore, it must be a pre-engineering preparation before starting any urban construction of the population in the study area or adjacent areas to avoid risks.
The use of stable isotopes (18O,2H) and hydrochemistry to determine the type and origin of water for Euphrates Aquifer in Alkhasfa Area –Western of Iraq
Authors: Al-Kubaisi Qusai Y. , Al-Sumaidai Sufyan K.
Published: September 2022

Alkhasfa area is located in Al-Anbar Governorate - Western of Iraq. Isotopes and Hydrochemical analysis in groundwater were attempted the study area to learn more about water quality conditions and geochemical evolution. Groundwater in study area is dominated by (Ca+2and SO4−2) ions refers to the effect of gypsum that exists in the Fatha Formation and limestone in Euphrates Formation. The type of water according to Piper classification is alkaline water with an increase in alkalinity due to the prevailing of chloride and sulphate ions. Through the relationship between δ2H and δ18O, Three group may be distinguished, the first group include the well (W8), the water representing the mixing between groundwater and surface water (Haditha Lake), the second group includes the well (W1) the water representing the more enriched in δ18O, δ2H isotopic values indicate deep water impacts due to the location of the well above a Fault and the third group includes the remaining wells which have more depleted in heavy stable (δ18O, δ2H) values indicates that rainfall recharged to groundwater in these well. All groundwater samples are located right the Local meteoric line and global meteoric waterline. This means that water undergoes evaporates.
The [PSI+] prion modulates cytochrome c oxidase deficiency caused by deletion of COX12
Authors: Saini Pawan Kumar , Dawitz Hannah , Aufschnaiter Andreas , Bondarev Stanislav , Thomas Jinsu , Amblard Amélie , Stewart James , Thierry-Mieg Nicolas , Ott Martin , Pierrel Fabien
Published: September 2022

Yeast cells lacking the Cox12 subunit of Cytochrome c (CcO) oxidase are impaired in mitochondrial respiration. With a combination of experimental evolution, genetics, and biochemistry, we prove that elimination of the PSI+ prion improves CcO oxidase activity and respiratory metabolism in strains lacking Cox12.
F-actin organization and target constriction during primary macrophage phagocytosis is balanced by competing activity of myosin-I and myosin-II
Authors: Barger Sarah R. , Vorselen Daan , Gauthier Nils C. , Theriot Julie A. , Krendel Mira
Published: September 2022

Analysis of forces produced during phagocytosis of deformable targets by primary macrophages shows that phagocytic force production and actin distribution in these cells is determined by a balance between myosin-I and myosin-II activity.
Associations of Immunogenicity and Reactogenicity After Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 mRNA-1273 Vaccine in the COVE and TeenCOVE Trials
Authors: Siangphoe Uma , Baden Lindsey R , El Sahly Hana M , Essink Brandon , Ali Kashif , Berman Gary , Tomassini Joanne E , Deng Weiping , Pajon Rolando , McPhee Roderick , Dixit Avika , Das Rituparna , Miller Jacqueline M , Zhou Honghong ,   for the COVE and TeenCOVE Study Groups
Published: September 2022

Background

The reactogenicity and immunogenicity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are well studied. Little is known regarding the relationship between immunogenicity and reactogenicity of COVID-19 vaccines.

Methods

This study assessed the association between immunogenicity and reactogenicity after 2 mRNA-1273 (100 µg) injections in 1671 total adolescent and adult participants (≥12 years) from the primary immunogenicity sets of the blinded periods of the Coronavirus Efficacy (COVE) and TeenCOVE trials. Associations between immunogenicity through day 57 and solicited adverse reactions (ARs) after the first and second injections of mRNA-1273 were evaluated among participants with and without solicited ARs using linear mixed-effects models.

Results

mRNA-1273 reactogenicity in this combined analysis set was similar to that reported for these trials. The vaccine elicited high neutralizing antibody (nAb) geometric mean titers (GMTs) in evaluable participants. GMTs at day 57 were significantly higher in participants who experienced solicited systemic ARs after the second injection (1227.2 [1164.4–1293.5]) than those who did not (980.1 [886.8–1083.2], P = .001) and were associated with fever, chills, headache, fatigue, myalgia, and arthralgia. Significant associations with local ARs were not found.

Conclusions

These data show an association of systemic ARs with increased nAb titers following a second mRNA-1273 injection. While these data indicate systemic ARs are associated with increased antibody titers, high nAb titers were observed in participants after both injections, consistent with the immunogenicity and efficacy in these trials. These results add to the body of evidence regarding the relationship of immunogenicity and reactogenicity and can contribute toward the design of future mRNA vaccines.
Novel strategies in nephrology: what to expect from the future?
Authors: Copur Sidar , Tanriover Cem , Yavuz Furkan , Soler Maria J , Ortiz Alberto , Covic Adrian , Kanbay Mehmet
Published: September 2022

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) will become the fifth global case of death by 2040. Its largest impact is on premature mortality but the number of persons with kidney failure requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) is also increasing dramatically. Current RRT is suboptimal due to the shortage of kidney donors and dismal outcomes associated with both hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. Kidney care needs a revolution. In this review, we provide an update on emerging knowledge and technologies that will allow an earlier diagnosis of CKD, addressing the current so-called blind spot (e.g. imaging and biomarkers), and improve renal replacement therapies (wearable artificial kidneys, xenotransplantation, stem cell-derived therapies, bioengineered and bio-artificial kidneys).
Energetic basis for bird ontogeny and egg-laying applied to the bobwhite quail
Authors: Marn Nina , Lika Konstadia , Augustine Starrlight , Goussen Benoit , Ebeling Markus , Heckmann David , Gergs Andre
Published: September 2022

Birds build up their reproductive system and undergo major tissue remodeling for each reproductive season. Energetic specifics of this process are still not completely clear, despite the increasing interest. We focused on the bobwhite quail — one of the most intensely studied species due to commercial and conservation interest — to elucidate the energy fluxes associated with reproduction, including the fate of the extra assimilates ingested prior to and during reproduction. We used the standard Dynamic Energy Budget model, which is a mechanistic process-based model capable of fully specifying and predicting the life cycle of the bobwhite quail: its growth, maturation and reproduction. We expanded the standard model with an explicit egg-laying module and formulated and tested two hypotheses for energy allocation of extra assimilates associated with reproduction: Hypothesis 1, that the energy and nutrients are used directly for egg production; and Hypothesis 2, that the energy is mostly spent fueling the increased metabolic costs incurred by building up and maintaining the reproductive system and, subsequently, by egg-laying itself. Our results suggest that Hypothesis 2 is the more likely energy pathway. Model predictions capture well the whole ontogeny of a generalized northern bobwhite quail and are able to reproduce most of the data variability via variability in (i) egg size, (ii) egg-laying rate and (iii) inter-individual physiological variability modeled via the zoom factor, i.e. assimilation potential. Reliable models with a capacity to predict physiological responses of individuals are relevant not only for experimental setups studying effects of various natural and anthropogenic pressures on the quail as a bird model organism, but also for wild quail management and conservation. The model is, with minor modifications, applicable to other species of interest, making it a most valuable tool in the emerging field of conservation physiology.
Behavioral Comparison in Males of Two Praying Mantis Species of the Same Genus, Hierodula patellifera and H. chinensis (Mantodea: Mantidae: Hierodulinae) in Japan, in Response to the Conspecific or Allospecific Species of Calling Females and Females’ Headspace Crude Extract
Authors: Saji Seiya , Yamasaki Kazuhisa , Fujimoto Nanami , Naka Hideshi
Published: September 2022

For many years, only one species of praying mantis in the genus Hierodula, Hierodula patellifera Serville, had been recorded in Japan. In recent years, however, Hierodula chinensis Werner, a larger species than H. patellifera Serville, has been discovered in Japan, and observations and collections in Japan have increased rapidly. There are reports that in some areas, H. patellifera became locally extinct due to the invasion of H. chinensis. Since females of H. patellifera attract conspecific males by volatile with characteristic calling behavior, a sex pheromone-mediated reproductive interference may exist between the two species. Both males of H. patellifera and males of H. chinensis were strongly attracted to conspecific females and crude headspace extract from conspecific females, while they were not attracted to females of allospecific species or crude headspace extract from allospecific females. These results indicate that sex pheromone-mediated reproductive interference may not exist between H. patellifera and H. chinensis.
Women’s health in migrant populations: a qualitative study in France
Authors: Ouanhnon Lisa , Astruc Pauline , Freyens Anne , Mesthé Pierre , Pariente Karine , Rougé Daniel , Gimenez Laetitia , Rougé-Bugat Marie-Eve
Published: September 2022

Background

In 2019, there are 6.5 million migrants living in France. Numerous quantitative studies show inequalities in access and quality of care, in particular in women’s health. This study aimed to explore migrant women’s experience of gynaecological care.

Methods

We conducted 17 semi-structured in-depth interviews with migrant women in Toulouse (France). We used a Grounded Theory approach to perform the analysis.

Results

Although migrant women were generally satisfied with the gynaecological care received, they also reported dysfunctions. Positive elements were the French health insurance system, the human qualities of the healthcare providers and the performance of the health system. Although reassuring, the structured framework was perceived to have little flexibility. This was sometimes felt as oppressive, paternalistic or discriminatory. These obstacles, amplified by the women’s lifestyle instability and precariousness, the language barrier and the difficulty to understand a totally new healthcare system, made women’s health care and, especially, preventive care, a difficult-to-achieve and low-priority objective for the women.

Conclusions

Migrant women’s overall satisfaction with the healthcare system contrasted with the known health inequalities in these populations. This is a good example of the concept of acculturation. Healthcare professionals need to make an introspective effort to prevent the emergence of stereotypes and of discriminatory and paternalistic behaviours. A better understanding and respect of the other person’s culture is an indispensable condition for intercultural medicine, and thus for reducing the health inequalities that migrant women experience.
Rigidity of the Stochastic Airy Operator
Authors: Gaudreau Lamarre Pierre Yves , Ghosal Promit , Li Wenxuan , Liao Yuchen
Published: September 2022

We prove that the spectrum of the stochastic Airy operator is rigid in the sense of Ghosh and Peres [22] for Dirichlet and Robin boundary conditions. This proves the rigidity of the Airy-$\beta $ point process and the soft-edge limit of rank-$1$ perturbations of Gaussian $\beta $-Ensembles for any $\beta>0$ and solves an open problem mentioned in [9]. Our proof uses a combination of the semigroup theory of the stochastic Airy operator and the techniques for studying insertion and deletion tolerance of point processes developed in [24].
Borderline Global Regularity for Nonuniformly Elliptic Systems
Authors: De Filippis Cristiana , Piccinini Mirco
Published: September 2022

We establish sharp global regularity results for solutions to nonhomogeneous, nonuniformly elliptic systems with zero boundary conditions imposed only on some part of the boundary of convex domains. In particular, we obtain everywhere Lipschitz continuity under borderline Lorentz assumptions on the forcing term, thus positively settling the optimality issue raised in [11].
Recognising the potential of neglected tropical disease programmes as a platform for pandemic preparedness: the Ascend experience
Authors: Hill Becks , Dauda Nurudeen , Dabo Shehu , Woods Geordie
Published: September 2022

Living in an increasingly interconnected world, epidemics and pandemics are increasingly likely to be a vista for the future. This, coupled with the likely devastating effects of climate change, means that humanitarian crises are likely to increase. Now, more than ever before, is the time to scale up investment in prevention and preparedness strategies, and to review our current approaches to delivering health services, including those that address neglected tropical diseases. The Ascend West and Central Africa programme has illustrated the importance of innovation, multisector partnerships, resilience and the opportunity for change.
Dharmaśāstra in Aurangzeb’s India: A Persian Translation of the Yājñavalkya Smṛti and Mitākṣarā
Authors: Gandhi Supriya
Published: September 2022

This article explores the use of dharmaśāstra in Mughal India through the case of a little-known seventeenth-century Persian translation of a dharmaśāstra text entitled Aḥkām-i awāmir wa nawāhī-yi mazhab-i hunūd (Legal rulings on commanding [right] and forbidding [wrong] of the legal school of the Hindus). The work, apparently completed in 1658 by a Kāyastha named Lāl Bihārī Bhojpurī, is a translation of the Yājñavalkya Smṛti together with the Mitākṣarā and includes lavish praise of Aurangzeb ʿĀlamgīr (d. 1707). I investigate the broader context in which the Aḥkām was produced and argue that this work represents an effort to delineate the boundaries of a separate legal space for Hindus from the standpoint of a munshī committed to Persianate culture and the ethos of Mughal imperial service. Persian dharmaśāstra translations later came to play a role in British colonial efforts to codify Hindu law for use in the administration of justice. The prior engagements with dharmaśāstra in the Persian language are suggestive of a more complex background to such colonial enterprises than modern scholarship has hitherto identified.
Under the Radar—The Return of Member States in EU Investment Policy
Authors: Bungenberg Marc , Böhme Bianca
Published: September 2022

While the investment agreements concluded by the EU have not entered into force, its Member States’ bilateral treaties have become a new vehicle to implement EU investment policy in a decentralized fashion. To that end, the EU is planning to use model clauses and interpretative guidelines to be followed by its Member States in their investment agreements. This article argues that this approach has significant benefits but also considerable costs of fragmentation. On the one hand, a decentralized EU investment policy enhances the exportation of EU values, contributes to level the playing field among the Member States, and leads to further integration in that area. On the other hand, the decentralized approach has important downsides: it requires multiple costly treaty (re-)negotiations and the abandonment of the EU’s competence-based allocation of international responsibilities. A plurilateral (re-)negotiation is the better approach, with the same benefits but no costs of fragmentation.
First Report of Mutations Associated With Pyrethroid (L1014F) and Organophosphate (G119S) Resistance in Belgian Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) Mosquitoes
Authors: Wang Lanjiao , Soto Alina , Remue Laure , Rosales Rosas Ana Lucia , De Coninck Lander , Verwimp Sam , Bouckaert Johanna , Vanwinkel Mathias , Matthijnssens Jelle , Delang Leen
Published: September 2022

The emergence of West Nile virus and Usutu virus in Europe poses a significant risk to public health. In the absence of efficient antiviral therapy or vaccine candidates, the only strategy to control these arboviruses is to target the Culex (Diptera: Culicidae) mosquito vector. However, the selection pressure caused by exposure to insecticides for vector control or agricultural pest control can lead to insecticide resistance, thereby reducing the efficacy of insecticide-based vector control interventions. In Culex mosquitoes, two of the most common amino acid substitutions associated with insecticide resistance are the kdr L1014F in voltage gated sodium channels and G119S in acetylcholinesterase. In this study, Culex pipiens biotype pipiens, Culex torrentium, and Culex modestus were sampled from 2019 to 2021 in three distinct environmental habitats (urban, peri-urban, and agricultural) in and around the city of Leuven, Belgium. Individual mosquitoes were screened for two mutations resulting in L1014F and G119S amino acid substitutions. Both mutations were observed in Cx. pipiens and Cx. modestus but not in Cx. torrentium mosquitoes across the four collection sites. Furthermore, multi-resistance or cross-resistance in Cx. pipiens could be a threat in these areas, as both mutations were observed at low frequencies. These results provide the first report of kdr L1014F and ace-1 G119S resistance mutations in Cx. pipiens and Cx. modestus mosquitoes from Belgium, highlighting the importance of mosquito surveillance to design effective arbovirus outbreak control strategies.
Effects of Hibernation Site, Temperature, and Humidity on the Abundance and Survival of Overwintering Culex pipiens pipiens and Anopheles messeae (Diptera: Culicidae)
Authors: Sauer F G , Timmermann E , Lange U , Lühken R , Kiel E
Published: September 2022

Knowledge of the hibernation site preferences and the factors which influence winter survival in these hibernation sites may enhance understanding of mosquito population dynamics after winter and how arboviruses persist in temperate regions. Our study quantified the number of adult overwintering mosquitoes in cellars and aboveground constructions and analyzed survival rates in relation to the environmental conditions in these sites. During the winters 2016/2017 and 2018/2019, 149 different constructions in Northwest Germany were sampled for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes were detected in 44% of the cellars and in 33% of the aboveground constructions. Culex p. pipiens Linnaeus was the most abundant species in cellars, whereas high numbers of Anopheles messeae Falleroni were collected from a single barn. Subsequently, an enclosure study was conducted during 2019/2020. Overwintering field-collected Cx. p. pipiens and An. messeae were divided into groups with or without fructose availability, and placed in cages with different man-made hibernations sites, where temperature and relative humidity were recorded hourly. For both species, increasing mean temperatures (5–16°C) but not mean relative humidity (58–94%) were correlated with winter mortality rates of the mosquitoes. The lipid measurements were greater and mortality rates were lower when both species were provided fructose. Larger specimens (determined by wing length) stored more lipids, and in Cx. p pipiens, but not in An. messeae, survival probability of large specimens was significantly greater than for small females. Mosquitoes showed a distinct pattern in the selection of overwintering sites, while temperature was an important driver for survival.
May the robotic approach expand the indications for redo surgery in recurrent pNETs in Multiple Neuroendocrine Neoplasia type 1?
Authors: Baz Carolina , Dreifuss Nicolas H , Cubisino Antonio , Schlottmann Francisco , Mangano Alberto , Aguiluz Gabriela , Vanetta Carolina , Masrur Mario A , Giulianotti Pier Cristoforo
Published: September 2022

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) represent the leading cause of disease-specific mortality in patients with Multiple Neuroendocrine Neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). Although surgery is the recommended treatment for non-functional pNETs >2 cm, the management of recurrent lesions between 1 and 2 cm is controversial. Robotic surgery was used on a 29-year-old female with MEN1 and previous distal splenopancreatectomy that presented with a 1 cm recurrent pNET. The advantages offered by this approach facilitating a precise resection of the tumor and minimizing the postoperative morbidity may favor the decision towards redo surgery for local recurrences <2 cm, expanding current indications.
Portomesenteric venous thrombosis post gastric sleeve
Authors: Palomares Jaime Ponce-de-León , Barajas Iván González , León Valeria Jaime , Estrada Isaac Esparza , Guzmán Barba José A , Orozco Álvarez-Malo José O
Published: September 2022

The gastric sleeve is the most performed bariatric surgery, and several studies have shown a good safety profile. Among its main postoperative complications are bleeding, leak, stenosis, reflux and to a lesser extent, portomesenteric venous thrombosis (1%). More than 80% of this entity occur after discharge. Diagnosis is difficult because it does not have characteristic symptoms or laboratory abnormalities. A 30-year-old male with a body mass index of 40.2 kg/m2, submitted to gastric sleeve, developing tachycardia, abdominal pain and oral intolerance on the eighth postoperative day. Contrast-enhanced abdominopelvic tomography revealed thrombosis of the portal, mesenteric and splenic veins. Portomesenteric venous thrombosis managed with resection, laparoscopic entero–entero anastomosis and anticoagulation. Although the risk of presenting portomesenteric venous thrombosis is relatively low, its complications are serious and life-threatening, in addition to an increased prevalence in bariatric surgeries.
Priming Self-Reported Partisanship
Authors: Schiff Kaylyn Jackson , Montagnes B Pablo , Peskowitz Zachary
Published: September 2022

Can features of surveys, such as question ordering and informational stimuli, affect respondent self-reported partisanship? We report the results of two studies to examine how the survey environment affects the probability that a respondent identifies with a particular party and presidential approval conditional on self-reported partisanship. In an original experiment, we find that, under some circumstances, a question-ordering treatment increases Republican partisanship. The estimated effects are statistically different from zero in unweighted specifications where leaners are excluded from the definition of Republicans and also among respondents who identified as Republicans in previous survey waves. In our second study, we show that an informational intervention reduces the probability that a respondent identifies as an Independent and that including post-treatment partisanship in a regression changes the estimated treatment effect of informational interventions on presidential approval. Our analysis shows that seemingly minor features of survey design can affect self-reported partisanship, average outcomes for different partisans, and treatment effect estimates. We discuss the implications of our findings for survey design and theories of partisan identification and presidential approval.
Modeling human pregastulation development by 3D culture of blastoids generated from primed-to-naïve transitioning intermediates
Authors: Tu Zhifen , Bi Yan , Zhu Xuehao , Liu Wenqiang , Hu Jindian , Wu Li , Mao Tengyan , Zhou Jianfeng , Wang Hanwei , Wang Hong , Gao Shaorong , Wang Yixuan
Published: September 2022

Human pluripotent stem cells provide an inexhaustible model to study human embryogenesis in vitro. Recent studies have provided diverse models to generate human blastoids by self-organization of different pluripotent stem cells or somatic reprogramming intermediates. However, whether blastoids can be generated from other cell types or whether they can recapitulate postimplantation development in vitro is unknown. Here, we develop a strategy to generate human blastoids from heterogeneous intermediates with epiblast, trophectoderm and primitive endoderm signatures of the primed-to-naïve conversion process, which resemble natural blastocysts in morphological architecture, composition of cell lineages, transcriptome, and lineage differentiation potential. In addition, these blastoids reflect many features of human peri-implantation and pregastrulation development when further cultured in an in vitro 3D culture system. In summary, our study provides an alternative strategy to generate human blastoids and offers insights into human early embryogenesis by modeling peri- and postimplantation development in vitro.
Protein engineering approach to enhance activity assays of mono-ADP-ribosyltransferases through proximity
Authors: Galera-Prat Albert , Alaviuhkola Juho , Alanen Heli I , Lehtiö Lari
Published: September 2022

Human mono-ADP-ribosylating PARP enzymes have been linked to several clinically relevant processes and many of these PARPs have been suggested as potential drug targets. Despite recent advances in the field, efforts to discover inhibitors have been hindered by the lack of tools to rapidly screen for high potency compounds and profile them against the different enzymes. We engineered mono-ART catalytic fragments to be incorporated into a cellulosome-based octavalent scaffold. Compared to the free enzymes, the scaffold-based system results in an improved activity for the tested PARPs due to improved solubility, stability and the proximity of the catalytic domains, altogether boosting their activity beyond 10-fold in the case of PARP12. This allows us to measure their activity using a homogeneous NAD+ conversion assay, facilitating its automation to lower the assay volume and costs. The approach will enable the discovery of more potent compounds due to increased assay sensitivity.
Transnational Family Separation among Migrant Women in Canada: An Intersectional Analysis
Authors: Schmidt Catherine , Bhuyan Rupaleem , Lash Rebecca
Published: September 2022

A growing proportion of immigrants enter Canada on temporary resident permits to study or work, or they enter as asylum seekers—all with limited rights or access to permanent residence. As a result, transnational family separation is a growing phenomenon among immigrants who are unable to migrate as a family or who face barriers to family reunification. Using a systems-centered intersectional lens, the authors examine pathways to transnational family separation among immigrant women who arrived in Canada with precarious immigration status. Analysis draws from qualitative interviews with 35 immigrant women living in different regions of Ontario, Canada. Through examining intersecting social systems and processes, the authors analyze how transnational family separation is constituted through embedded gendered, racial, and class processes in Canada’s immigration system and labor market, which normalize family separation as a common experience for racialized immigrants in Canada. Given the harms associated with prolonged family separation, the authors urge the social work profession to advocate for immigration policies that prioritize family reunification and uphold the rights of migrants to maintain family unity.
Exploring Conflicts in Whole Genome Phylogenetics: A Case Study Within Manakins (Aves: Pipridae)
Authors: Zhao Min , Kurtis Sarah M , White Noor D , Moncrieff Andre E , Leite Rafael N , Brumfield Robb T , Braun Edward L , Kimball Rebecca T
Published: September 2022

Some phylogenetic problems remain unresolved even when large amounts of sequence data are analyzed and methods that accommodate processes such as incomplete lineage sorting are employed. In addition to investigating biological sources of phylogenetic incongruence, it is also important to reduce noise in the phylogenomic dataset by using appropriate filtering approach that addresses gene tree estimation errors. We present the results of a case study in manakins, focusing on the very difficult clade comprising the genera Antilophia and Chiroxiphia. Previous studies suggest that Antilophia is nested within Chiroxiphia, though relationships among Antilophia+Chiroxiphia species have been highly unstable. We extracted more than 11,000 loci (ultra-conserved elements and introns) from whole genomes and conducted analyses using concatenation and multispecies coalescent methods. Topologies resulting from analyses using all loci differed depending on the data type and analytical method, with 2 clades (Antilophia+Chiroxiphia and Manacus+Pipra+Machaeopterus) in the manakin tree showing incongruent results. We hypothesized that gene trees that conflicted with a long coalescent branch (e.g., the branch uniting Antilophia+Chiroxiphia) might be enriched for cases of gene tree estimation error, so we conducted analyses that either constrained those gene trees to include monophyly of Antilophia+Chiroxiphia or excluded these loci. While constraining trees reduced some incongruence, excluding the trees led to completely congruent species trees, regardless of the data type or model of sequence evolution used. We found that a suite of gene metrics (most importantly the number of informative sites and likelihood of intralocus recombination) collectively explained the loci that resulted in non-monophyly of Antilophia+Chiroxiphia. We also found evidence for introgression that may have contributed to the discordant topologies we observe in Antilophia+Chiroxiphia and led to deviations from expectations given the multispecies coalescent model. Our study highlights the importance of identifying factors that can obscure phylogenetic signal when dealing with recalcitrant phylogenetic problems, such as gene tree estimation error, incomplete lineage sorting, and reticulation events. [Birds; c-gene; data type; gene estimation error; model fit; multispecies coalescent; phylogenomics; reticulation]
Remaking the International Civil Service: The Legacies of British Internationalism in the United Nations Secretariat, 1945–7
Authors: Limoncelli Amy
Published: September 2022

While Great Britain’s influence upon the League of Nations Secretariat has been extensively studied, its role in the United Nations Secretariat has not received the same attention, despite high British representation in the organization’s first decades. This article examines concurrent debates on the location and staffing of the United Nations from 1945 to 1947 to argue that British officials saw representation in the United Nations administration as a way to extend the version of internationalism they had institutionalized at the League, based on ideas of administrative neutrality, expertise, and efficiency, which favoured Britain’s empire and global influence. These discussions illustrate a clear focus on administration, despite principles of staff neutrality and geographic representation, and despite the rise of the United States and anticolonialism. However, this article shows, these developments impacted the international civil service in ways that diminished Britain’s influence. It was in siting and staffing the new international organization that British officials realized their old tactics would no longer work, with implications for Britain’s world role and empire that extended far beyond the Secretariat.
Fetal hemoglobin regulating genetic variants identified in homozygous (HbSS) and heterozygous (HbSA) subjects from South Mexico
Authors: Rizo-de la Torre L C , Borrayo-López F J , Perea-Díaz F J , Aquino E , Venegas M , Hernández-Carbajal C , Espinoza-Mata L L , Ibarra-Cortés B
Published: September 2022

Hemoglobin S is caused by a nucleotide change in HBB gene (HBB:c.20A>T, p.Glu6Val), is presented in diverse forms: simple carriers (HbSA), homozygotes (HbSS) also known as sickle cell anemia, and compound heterozygotes with other β-hemoglobinopathies. It is worldwide distributed, in Mexico, is frequently observed in the southern states Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas. Elevated fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is associated with mild phenotype; single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in modifier genes, such as BCL11A, HBG2, HBBP1 pseudogene and HBS1L-MYB intergenic region, upregulate HbF synthesis. The aim of this study was to identify HbF regulating genetic variants in HbSS and HbSA Mexican subjects. We studied 39 individuals (HbSS = 24, 61%, HbSA = 15, 39%) from Chiapas (67%) and Guerrero (33%), peripheral blood was collected in ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) for molecular and hematological studies, DNA was isolated by salting-out technic and genotyping was performed through allelic discrimination by real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using Taqman® probes for 15 SNV (in BCL11A: rs6706648, rs7557939, rs4671393, rs11886868, rs766432, rs7599488, rs1427407; HBS1L-MYB: rs28384513, rs7776054, rs9399137, rs4895441, rs9402686, rs1320963; HBG2: rs7482144; and HBBP1: rs10128556). The obtained data were analyzed using IMB SPSS v.22.0 software. All minor alleles were observed in frequencies over 0.05, the most frequent was rs9402686 (0.82), while the less frequent was rs101028556 (0.08). In HbSS group, the mean fetal hemoglobin was 11.9 ± 5.9% and was significantly elevated in BCL11A rs11886868 wildtype homozygotes and in carriers of HBS1L-MYB intergenic region rs7776054 (p = 0.04 and p = 0.03, respectively). In conclusion, in HbSS Mexican patients, two SNVs were observed related to increased HbF; BCL11A rs11886868 and HBS1L-MYB rs7776054.
Strength in Numbers: Density-Dependent Volatile-Induced Antimicrobial Activity by Xanthomonas perforans
Authors: Klein-Gordon Jeannie M. , Guingab-Cagmat Joy , Minsavage Gerald V. , Meke Laurel , Vallad Gary E. , Goss Erica M. , Garrett Timothy J. , Jones Jeffrey B.
Published: September 2022

For most of the 20th century, Xanthomonas euvesicatoria was the only known bacterium associated with bacterial spot of tomato in Florida. X. perforans quickly replaced X. euvesicatoria, mainly because of production of three bacteriocins (BCNs) against X. euvesicatoria; however, X. perforans outcompeted X. euvesicatoria even when the three known BCNs were deleted. Surprisingly, we observed antimicrobial activity against X. euvesicatoria in the BCN triple mutant when the triple mutant was grown in Petri plates containing multiple spots but not in Petri plates containing only one spot. We determined that changes in the headspace composition (i.e., volatiles) rather than a diffusible signal in the agar were required for induction of the antimicrobial activity. Other Xanthomonas species also produced volatile-induced antimicrobial compounds against X. euvesicatoria and elicited antimicrobial activity by X. perforans. A wide range of plant pathogenic bacteria, including Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. michiganensis, Pantoea stewartii, and Pseudomonas cichorii, also elicited antimicrobial activity by X. perforans when multiple spots of the species were present. To identify potential antimicrobial compounds, we performed liquid chromatography with high-resolution mass spectrometry of the agar surrounding the spot in the high cell density Petri plates where the antimicrobial activity was present compared with agar surrounding the spot in Petri plates with one spot where antimicrobial activity was not observed. Among the compounds identified in the zone of inhibition were N-butanoyl-L-homoserine lactone and N-(3-hydroxy-butanoyl)-homoserine lactone, which are known quorum-sensing metabolites in other bacteria.
Metabolic Syndrome and Risk of Peripheral Arterial Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Soriano-Moreno David R. , Fernandez-Morales Jared , Medina-Ramirez Sebastian A. , Coico-Lama Abdiel H. , Soriano-Moreno Anderson N. , Zafra-Tanaka Jessica Hanae
Published: September 2022

This systematic review aimed to evaluate metabolic syndrome as a risk factor for the development of peripheral arterial disease (PAD). We searched in four databases: (1) PubMed, (2) Web of Science, (3) Scopus, and (4) Embase until March 2021. We included cohort studies that evaluated the risk of PAD in patients with and without metabolic syndrome. Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias analysis were performed independently by 2 authors. We used a random-effects model to conduct a meta-analysis of effect measures [hazard ratio (HR), risk ratio (RR), and odds ratio (OR)]. Individual analyses were performed according to the diagnostic criterion used for metabolic syndrome. We included 7 cohort studies with a total of 43 824 participants. Most of the studies were performed in the general adult population. The metabolic syndrome and PAD diagnostic criteria used in the individual studies were heterogeneous. Almost all studies using RR found an association between metabolic syndrome and the development of PAD (RR: 1.31; confidence interval 95%: 1.03–1.59; I2: 15.6%). On the other hand, almost all the studies that used HR found no association between the two variables. All studies had a low risk of bias. In conclusion, available evidence on the association between metabolic syndrome and the risk of developing PAD is inconsistent. However, given the high prevalence of risk factors that patients with metabolic syndrome have, testing to rule out PAD could be recommended. Future studies should analyze each component of the metabolic syndrome separately and according to the severity of PAD.
Genetically predicted blood pressure, antihypertensive drugs and risk of heart failure: a Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Lian Jiao , Shi Xuezhong , Jia Xiaocan , Fan Jingwen , Wang Yuping , Zhao Yang , Yang Yongli
Published: September 2022

Background:

Elevated blood pressure (BP) was associated with higher risk of heart failure, but the relationship between BP-lowering via antihypertensive drugs and diminution of heart failure was inconclusive. This study aimed to estimate the causal association of BP with heart failure, and explore the effects of BP-lowering through different antihypertensive drug classes on heart failure risk using Mendelian randomization analysis with genetic variants as instrument variables.

Methods:

Genetic variants associated with BP were derived from UK Biobank (n = 317 754) and the genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis of UK Biobank and International Consortium of Blood Pressure (n = 757 601). Heart failure summary association data were contributed by HERMES Consortium (47 309 heart failure cases and 930 014 controls). Inverse variance weighted (IVW) was performed to estimate causality between exposure and outcome, and weighted median was utilized as sensitivity analysis, and Mendelian randomization–Egger regression was used to identify pleiotropy of instrument variables. Multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) was applied to control for the confounders.

Results:

Genetically predicted SBP and DBP were associated with heart failure [SBP: odds ratio (OR) = 1.355, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.201–1.529; DBP: OR = 1.348, 95% CI 1.213–1.498] in UK Biobank. Likewise, in the GWAS meta-analysis of UK Biobank and International Consortium of Blood Pressure, the causal associations were observed between SBP, DBP and heart failure (SBP: OR = 1.237, 95% CI 1.188–1.289; DBP: OR = 1.337, 95% CI 1.245–1.437). Genetically determined β-blockers and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) were associated with lower risk of heart failure (β-blockers: OR = 0.617, 95% CI 0.453–0.839; CCBs: OR = 0.730, 95% CI 0.625–0.851). No association was found between angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) and heart failure (OR = 1.593, 95% CI 0.647–3.924). When adjusted for smoking, alcohol, physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, the results were stable.

Conclusion:

Our study indicates causal associations between SBP, DBP, and heart failure, and suggests the preventive effects of heart failure by BP-lowering using β-blockers and CCBs.