bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal index insurance and basis risk decomposition: an application to Kenya
Authors: Stigler Matthieu , Lobell David
Published: February 2023

Index insurance is a promising tool to reduce the risk faced by farmers, but high basis risk, which arises from imperfect correlation between the index and individual farm yields, has limited its adoption to date. Improving adoption will require reducing one or both of the two fundamental sources of basis risk: the intrinsic heterogeneity within an insurance zone (zonal risk), and the lack of predictive accuracy of the index (design risk). Previous work has focused mostly on design risk, conflating the quality of the index with the quality of the zone. Consequently, there is currently no way to distinguish a “good index in a bad zone” from a “bad index in a good zone”. Here we investigate the relative roles of zonal and design risk, with two main contributions. First, using a formal decomposition of basis risk, we show that the optimal index is the first principal component of the correlation matrix of yields between fields. This provides a simple upper bound on the insurable basis risk that any index can reach within a given zone. Second, we use 10 m resolution satellite data on maize yields in Kenya to provide the first large‐scale empirical analysis of the extent of zonal versus design risk. Our results show a strong local heterogeneity in yields, underscoring the challenge of implementing index insurance in smallholder systems and the potential benefits of low‐cost yield measurement approaches that can enable more local definitions of insurance zones.
Visual acuity and causes of central visual loss in the adult Danish population 2020–2022. Results from the FORSYN study
Authors: Bek Toke , Bech Bodil Hammer
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Knowledge of visual health in the population is necessary for designing and implementing measures to handle visual handicap. The purpose of the FORSYN (Forekomst af synshandicap og synshjælpemidler i Danmark) project was to study visual health in the Danish population 2020–2022 after implementation of the recent advances in the management of choroidal and retinal vascular disease. The present study reports visual acuity and causes of central visual loss from this study.

Methods

A population‐representative sample of 10 350 citizens living within 40 kilometres from Aarhus University Hospital were invited to answer a questionnaire about quality of life related to vision, measurement of visual acuity and a non‐mydriatic examination of the eyes. The data were corrected for selection bias on the basis of demographic and socioeconomic factors so that the results could be projected to represent the adult Danish population.

Results

Population‐adjusted visual acuity in ETDRS letters (mean ± SD) differed significantly (p < 0.0001) among the worse eye (84.1 ± 0.25), the better eye (88.4 ± 0.11) and binocularly (89.2 ± 0.15). Social blindness affected 0.22% (95% CI: 0.14%–0.33%) of the population and was in none of the studied persons due to exudative age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) or diabetic retinopathy. The most frequent causes of visual loss were atrophic AMD, neuro‐ophthalmic disorders and other chorioretinal diseases.

Conclusions

Recent advances in the therapy of chorioretinal vascular diseases have been paralleled with a reduction in central vision loss secondary to exudative AMD and diabetic retinopathy in Denmark. The demographic development can be expected to increase the demand for treatments of vision‐threatening diseases that mainly affect older persons.
‘Like a ticking time bomb’: A qualitative study exploring the illness experiences of adults with kidney stone disease
Authors: Ní Néill Emma , Richards Helen L. , Hennessey Derek , Fortune Dónal G.
Published: February 2023

Objective

Kidney stone disease (KSD) is a common, complex and painful urological condition, but how patients make sense of and respond to the challenges of KSD is poorly understood. Using the common‐sense model of illness self‐regulation (CSM‐SR), we aimed to explore the illness experiences of individuals with KSD.

Design

A qualitative design using individual semi‐structured interviews.

Methods

Thirty‐three patients with KSD attending outpatient urology services participated in interviews informed by the CSM‐SR. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Themes were mapped onto the domains of the CSM‐SR.

Results

Five main themes were generated, broadly echoing domains within the CSM‐SR: (1) making sense of KSD, (2) normality paused, (3) the psychological burden of KSD, (4) the tensions of managing KSD, and (5) improving understanding of KSD. Additionally, findings suggested that partners' perceptions of KSD were an additional contextual factor that informed patients' own perceptions and management of KSD. Participants appraised initial KSD symptoms as indicative of a serious health threat. Diagnosis brought some relief, however, KSD wielded multi‐dimensional impacts on patients' perceptions, self‐management and well‐being. Anxiety, including fear of KSD recurrence, and low mood were common psychological burdens across narratives.

Conclusion

The majority of the themes identified were commensurate with an extended CSM‐SR. This model has utility in informing how patients perceive and manage KSD. Examining patients' KSD representations and routinely assessing for psychological distress may be of benefit to improve health outcomes for this patient group.
Moving from ‘what we know works’ to ‘what we do in practice’: An evidence overview of implementation and diffusion of innovation in transition to adulthood for care experienced young people
Authors: Alderson Hayley , Smart Deborah , Kerridge Gary , Currie Graeme , Johnson Rebecca , Kaner Eileen , Lynch Amy , Munro Emily , Swan Jacky , McGovern Ruth
Published: February 2023

Global research has shown that most young people who are care experienced are not prepared to transition to independent living at 18 years of age and require support into early adulthood. We used rigorous systematic methods to identify English‐based peer reviewed and grey literature describing innovations relevant to care experienced young people as they transition into adulthood, with a focus upon lessons for their implementation and diffusion. We synthesised the evidence narratively and organise data linked to seven key areas important to the transition to adulthood: (1) Health and well‐being; (2) relationships; (3) education and training; (4) employment; (5) participation in society; (6) accommodation; (7) other. Twenty‐five papers met our inclusion criteria. This review has found that, whilst there are a broad spectrum of innovations taking place within the social care environment for care experienced young people to support their transition into adulthood, there exists limited insight into how best to support implementation and diffusion of evidence‐based innovation. We drew upon the ‘Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research’, developed in the setting of clinical service delivery, to highlight challenges in implementing and diffusing evidence‐based innovation for care experienced young people transitioning into adulthood.
Marginal bone changes around platform‐switched conical connection implants placed 1 or 2 mm subcrestally: A multicenter crossover randomized controlled trial
Authors: Stacchi Claudio , Lamazza Luca , Rapani Antonio , Troiano Giuseppe , Messina Marcello , Antonelli Alessandro , Giudice Amerigo , Lombardi Teresa
Published: February 2023

Introduction

This study analyzes early marginal bone modifications occurring around platform‐switched implants with conical connection placed 1 or 2 mm subcrestally.

Methods

This crossover randomized controlled trial enrolled partially edentulous patients needing two implants in either the posterior maxilla or mandible. Each patient received two platform‐switched implants with conical connection inserted 2 mm (Test) and 1 mm (Control) subcrestally. Definitive abutments were immediately connected and, after 4 months of unsubmerged healing, screwed metal‐ceramic crowns were delivered. Radiographs were taken at implant placement (T0), prosthesis delivery (T1), and after 1 year of prosthetic loading (T2).

Results

Fifty‐one patients (25 males and 26 females; mean age 61.2 ± 12.1 years) totaling 102 implants were included in the final analysis. Mean peri‐implant bone level (PBL) reduction from T0 to T2 was not significantly different around Test (0.49 ± 0.32 mm) and Control implants (0.46 ± 0.35 mm;p = 0.66). Multivariate linear regression models highlighted a significant positive correlation between history of periodontitis and PBL reduction. At T2, no Test group implant and 6 Control group implants exhibited PBL below the implant platform (11.8% of Control group implants).

Conclusion

No significant differences in peri‐implant marginal bone changes were demonstrated after 1 year of prosthetic loading between platform‐switched implants with conical connection inserted either 1 or 2 mm subcrestally. However, 2 mm subcrestal placement resulted in deeper implant positioning at T2, with no exposure of treated implant surface and potential preventive effect against subsequent peri‐implant pathology.
Improved fistula plug outcome depends on the type of plug: a single‐centre retrospective study
Authors: Sayers Adele E , Lee Matthew J , Brown Steve R
Published: February 2023

Aim

Fistula‐in‐ano is a common condition that is potentially difficult to treat. In recent years ‘sphincter‐sparing’ procedures have increased in popularity due to the lower rates of reported complications, such as incontinence. One such treatment is the fistula plug, which has seen varied success compared with other techniques. There are currently several plugs on the market and it is possible that difference in outcomes could be linked to the type of plug used. The aim of this study was to compare healing and complication rates between two fistula plugs in a single tertiary referral centre in the UK.

Method

We conducted a single‐centre retrospective analysis of all patients over the age of 18 years who underwent elective fistula plug insertion, with two different fistula plugs over a 13‐year period.

Results

A total of 113 patients underwent fistula plug insertion (plug A n = 90; plug B n = 23). Plug B had been on the market for the final 4 years of the study period, hence the differing patient numbers. There was no difference in patient demographics, fistula type or aetiology of the fistula between the two plugs. Plug B had a significantly higher fistula healing rate compared with plug A (56.5% vs. 12.2%; p < 0.005). A quarter of all patients experienced a complication, 93% being those who had fistula plug A inserted. The most common complication was extrusion of the plug within 72 h of insertion.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated significantly different outcomes according to the type of fistula plug used. Whilst current randomized controlled trials have not found a significant difference in healing rates when comparing one type of fistula plug to other treatment modalities, this study suggests that plug type may influence efficacy.
Process improvement and efficiency analysis using the Single‐Minute Exchange of Dies method applied to the set‐up and operation of screen‐printing machines
Authors: Emekdar Elçin , Açikgöz‐Tufan Hatice , Şahin Umut Kıvanç , Kurşun Bahadir Senem , Tuluk Burak , Şimşek Adnan Nail
Published: February 2023

Lean manufacturing methods are concerned with simplifying the production process and thus maximising efficiency and minimising wastage. All production processes contain several steps, which include sub‐steps such as cleaning and changing devices and preparing the production areas for later steps. Most of these sub‐steps require that machines are stopped and therefore they must be performed as quickly as possible. This downtime causes a decrease in efficiency, while increasing the costs and production time. Single‐Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED) is a lean manufacturing strategy that has been applied successfully in many sectors to minimise excessive downtime. In this study, the SMED technique is applied in a textile screen‐printing company for the case of changing the screens between each design. The steps are evaluated and designated as either external steps, which are performed without downtime, or internal steps, which take place during downtime. The number of external steps is increased while being decreased for internal steps. Also, the production time decreased by 54% and a 32% increase in efficiency was achieved during the screen‐printing production of a sample t‐shirt.
Differences in clinical characteristics and chest CT findings between severe and critical H1N1 pneumonia
Authors: Yu Mei , Zhu Yuanbo , Qu Xiaoyan , Hou Xingyi , Xin Tao , Li Gangfeng
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Critical H1N1 pneumonia patients usually have one of the symptoms such as respiratory failure, septic shock, multiple organ dysfunction, or other need for intensive care management, which are associated with high risk of mortality. It is essential to differentiate the severity of H1N1 pneumonia and take corresponding target treatments.

Objectives

We aim to investigate the differences in clinical characteristics and chest computed tomography (CT) findings between severe and critical patients with H1N1 pneumonia.

Methods

A total of 27 patients diagnosed with H1N1 pneumonia from October 2018 to March 2019 were retrospectively analyzed, and the differences in clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, and chest CT findings between the severe group (15 patients) and the critical group (12 patients) were compared.

Results

Frequency of dyspnea at rest was higher in critical group than that in severe group (P = 0.019). The neutrophil percentage was higher (P = 0.014) and the lymphocyte percentage was lower (P = 0.025) in critical compared with severe group. Bilateral lung involvement was the predominant pattern in both severe and critical patients, whereas the number of involved lobes in critical patients was more than that in severe patients (P = 0.024). Peripheral distribution was the predominant pattern in severe patients (40%), whereas more diffuse involvement of the lungs was observed in critical patients (83.30%). Ground‐glass opacities and consolidation were the main CT findings in both groups, and prevalence of consolidation was higher in critical relative to severe group (83.30%).

Conclusion

Compared with severe patients, those with critical H1N1 pneumonia were more likely to present with dyspnea at rest and decreased lymphocyte percentage. Chest CT showed that diffuse bilateral involvement and higher prevalence of consolidation are associated with critical outcomes.
Self‐assembling peptide gel application to achieve endoscopic hemostasis for fistula bleeding after lumen apposing metal stent removal
Authors: Nakahara Kazunari , Sekine Akihiro , Tateishi Keisuke
Published: February 2023

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The miR‐29 family members induce glioblastoma cell apoptosis by targeting cell division cycle 42 in a p53‐dependent manner
Authors: Shi Cuijuan , Luo Wenjun , Sun Cuiyun , Yu Lin , Zhou Xuexia , Hua Dan , Jiang Zhendong , Wang Qian , Yu Shizhu
Published: February 2023

Background

Emerging evidence has shown that miR‐29 is a promising biomarker and therapeutic target for malignancies. The roles of miR‐29a/b/c in glioma pathogenesis remain need further investigation.

Methods

The expression levels of miR‐29a/b/c and CDC42 were systematically analysed, and prognostic significance was evaluated by Kaplan–Meier survival and Cox regression analyses. The roles of miR‐29a/b/c in apoptosis and the underlying mechanisms were explored via an alkaline single‐cell gel electrophoresis assay, caspase 3/7 activity assays and Western blotting.

Results

miR‐29a/b/c expression decreased progressively with the elevation of the WHO grade in our 147 human glioma specimens, compared with 20 non‐tumour control brain tissues, and decreased miR‐29a/b/c expression was associated with more aggressive phenotypes. Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analyses demonstrated that lower miR‐29a/b/c expression was correlated with worse prognosis, which was confirmed by analysis of 198 glioma patients from the CGGA cohort. These all indicate that miR‐29a/b/c were independent predictors of prognosis in glioma patients. miR‐29a/b/c induced apoptosis in GBM cells by silencing CDC42. Further detailed mechanistic investigation revealed that miR‐29a/b/c promoted apoptosis in a p53‐dependent manner by suppressing the CDC42/PAK/AKT/MDM2 pathway.

Conclusions

miR‐29a/b/c are independent predictors of prognosis in glioma patients. They induce glioblastoma cell apoptosis via silencing of CDC42 and suppression of downstream PAK/AKT/MDM2 signalling in a p53‐dependent manner.
Bridging Gender Divides: Toward a Transcendentalist Feminism
Authors: Saito Naoko
Published: February 2023

How can we build a path from the binary of gender to the unity of common humanity? What kind of difference can the “different voice” of feminism make as a human voice? In this article, Naoko Saito argues that the way we talk about the difference of a “different voice” needs to be radically transformed. To envision a route to such a transformation, she explores an alternative possibility of feminism in the American transcendentalism of Margaret Fuller and Ralph Waldo Emerson. First, Saito critically examines the politics of recognition and suggests a susceptibility to binary thinking in its approach. Second, as a way of transcending the binary mode of thinking, Saito introduces the humanist feminism of the nineteenth‐century American transcendentalist Margaret Fuller. Third, as a way of elucidating the radicality of Fuller's transcendentalist feminism, Saito introduces the feminine voice of two male philosophers — Ralph Waldo Emerson and Stanley Cavell — as her conversational partners. By radically converting the way we talk about difference of voice, the transcendentalist feminism of Fuller, Emerson, and Cavell provides a third way that lies beyond the politics of recognition and care ethics. In conclusion, Saito proposes that the cultivation of the feminine subject requires an alternative political education that resists assimilation into political realism. This would realize our common humanity and, in its crossing of divides between men and women, would create democracy from within.
Bridging the Conversational Chasm: White Antiracist Confrontations in Personal Spaces
Authors: Vanderbilt Sandra
Published: February 2023

In this essay Sandra Vanderbilt explores philosophies of peace and protest through a dialectical reading of the works of Martin Luther King Jr., Daisaku Ikeda, and Paulo Freire, and considers these philosophies in relation to her own activism, specifically in the context of dealing with White postracial myths and more overt acts of racism. This essay outlines what she learned from her dialectical reading across several works by King, Ikeda, and Freire, and how these philosophies of peace and protest informed the ways in which she has been able to initiate and sustain conversations across the chasm that separates her antiracist positioning from the stance of friends and family members who deny and enact racism and White supremacy. The three theorists Vanderbilt focuses on here all point to ongoing engagement among individuals as necessary to sustaining the collective. Drawing on their work, Vanderbilt suggests that we have to begin with a critical understanding of Whiteness in our efforts to engage someone, in radically loving acts, in confrontation with their own words and behavior. Opportunities for this sort of confrontation have the potential to bridge the conversational chasm and to open discussions wherein one can practice the virtue of justice, and importantly racial justice.
The role of host plant usage and the accumulation of toxic secondary chemical compounds across the life cycle of a passion vine specialist butterfly
Authors: Morrison Colin R. , Nguyen Chloe , Gilbert Lawrence E.
Published: February 2023

Host plant specialisation by herbivorous insects is ubiquitous, especially among the Lepidoptera. Many taxa have the ability to accumulate toxic compounds from their host plants that serve as chemical defences against natural enemies. Despite common knowledge of this pattern among insect ecologists, we still have much to learn about how dietary variation affects an insect's ability to acquire toxic plant chemicals.

Longwing butterfly larvae (Heliconius) accumulate toxic cyanogenic glucosides from their host plants, passion vines (Passiflora), that make them toxic to most predators.

Here, we present on zebra longwing (H. charithonia) caterpillar cohorts that were reared on native P. affinis, P. biflora, P. lutea, or P. suberosa to determine how host usage affected cyanide accumulation over larval developmental stages, and ultimately the toxicity of adult butterflies. Samples were collected at third, fourth and fifth instars, and teneral adults. Cyanogenic glucosides were extracted, the cyanide molecules were captured as sodium cyanide (CN), and CN content was quantified colorimetrically.

The quantity of CN acquired increased linearly over larval ontogeny and was variable among host plants. CN concentration increased over larval development for two hosts but declined on the third. There was no clear relationship between host plant and adult CN concentrations, but adults that consumed certain hosts as larvae ended up accumulating significantly more CN, and thus expressed higher CN concentrations, than others.

We demonstrated that some host plants provide specialist insects with more toxins than others and that larval secondary chemical accumulation may predict which life stages are more vulnerable to natural enemies. These conclusions support the hypothesis that host choice affects the survival of specialist insect herbivores.
The cysteine S–H stretching mode reports on long‐range conformational changes in pyruvate oxidase from E. coli
Authors: Deniz Erhan , Oberle Michael , Ulrich Kristina , Mäntele Werner , Wille Georg
Published: February 2023

The pyruvate oxidases from Escherichia coli (EcPOX) and Lactobacillus plantarum (LpPOX) are both thiamin‐dependent flavoenzymes. Their sequence and structure are closely related, and they catalyse similar reactions—but they differ in their activity pattern: LpPOX is always highly active, EcPOX only when activated by lipids or limited proteolysis, both involving the protein's C‐terminal 23 residues (the ‘α‐peptide’). Here, we relate the redox‐induced infrared (IR) difference spectrum of EcPOX to its unusual activation mechanism. The IR difference spectrum of EcPOX is marked by contributions from the protein backbone, reflecting major conformational changes. A rare sulfhydryl (−SH) difference signal indicates changes in the vicinity of cysteines. We could pin the Cys–SH difference signal to Cys88 and Cys494, both being remote from the moving α‐peptide and the redox‐active flavin cofactor. Yet, when the α‐peptide is proteolytically removed, the Cys–SH difference signal disappears, together with several difference signals in the amide range. The remaining IR signature of the permanently activated EcPOXΔ23 is strikingly similar to the simpler signature of LpPOX. The loss of the α‐peptide ‘transforms’ the catalytically complex EcPOX into the catalytically ‘simpler’ LpPOX.
Vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms influence on clinical profile and bone mineral density at different skeletal sites in postmenopausal osteoporotic women
Authors: de Azevêdo Silva Jaqueline , de Lima Camilla Albertina Dantas , Guaraná Werbson Lima , Barbosa Alexandre Domingues , Fragoso Thiago Sotero , Duarte Ângela Luzia Branco Pinto , Crovella Sergio , Sandrin‐Garcia Paula
Published: February 2023

Bone remodeling is marked by bone synthesis and absorption balance, and any altered dynamic in this process leads to osteoporosis (OP). The interaction of hormonal, environmental and genetic factors regulate bone metabolism. Since vitamin D displays a classic role in bone metabolism regulation, acting through vitamin D receptor (VDR), the genetic variants within VDR were the first ones associated with bone density and remodelling. Therefore, we investigated whether three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within VDR were associated with OP differential susceptibility and clinical profile from postmenopausal versus healthy women from Northeast Brazil. Genetic association study enrolling 146 postmenopausal osteoporotic women as the patient group and 95 healthy age‐matched women as the control group. We assessed three SNPs within VDR (rs11168268, rs1540339 and rs3890733), considering the clinical profile of all patients. Our results showed an association of rs11168268 G/G genotype with higher bone mineral density (BMD) mean for the total hip (A/A = 0.828 ± 0.09; A/G = 0.081 ± 0.13; G/G = 0.876 ± 0.12, p = .039), and the rs3890733 T/T genotype was associated with increased OP risk in patients below 60 years old (odds ratio [OR] = 5.12, 95% confidence interval [CI ]= 1.13–23.27, p = .012). The rs1540339 T/T genotype was associated with protection for individuals with low melanin deposition when compared to the high melanin deposition group (OR = 0.24, 95%CI = 0.06–0.94, p = .029). Additionally, 61% of patients presented deficient vitamin D serum levels. The SNP rs11168268 G/G was associated with a significantly increased mean total hip BMD in patients OP, highlighting this SNP and its relationship with BMD.
Luseogliflozin and caloric intake restriction increase superoxide dismutase 2 expression, promote antioxidative effects, and attenuate aortic endothelial dysfunction in diet‐induced obese mice
Authors: Kawade Shigeru , Ogiso Kazuma , Shayo Sigfrid Casmir , Obo Takahiko , Arimura Aiko , Hashiguchi Hiroshi , Deguchi Takahisa , Nishio Yoshihiko
Published: February 2023

Aims/Introduction

The mechanisms underlying the effect of sodium‐glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors on aortic endothelial dysfunction in diet‐induced obesity are not clearly understood. This study investigated whether SGLT2 inhibition by luseogliflozin improved free fatty acid (FFA)‐induced endothelial dysfunction in high‐fat diet (HFD)‐induced obese mice.

Materials and Methods

Mice were fed a control diet or high‐fat diet for 8 weeks, and then each diet with or without luseogliflozin was provided for an additional 8 weeks under free or paired feeding. Afterward, the thoracic aortas were removed and utilized for the experiments.

Results

Luseogliflozin treatment decreased body weight, fasting blood glucose, insulin, and total cholesterol in HFD‐fed mice only under paired feeding but not under free feeding. Endothelial‐dependent vasodilation under FFA exposure conditions was significantly lower in HFD‐fed mice than in control diet‐fed mice, and luseogliflozin treatment ameliorated FFA‐induced endothelial dysfunction. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production induced by FFA was significantly increased in HFD‐induced obese mice. Luseogliflozin treatment increased the expression of superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), an antioxidative molecule, and reduced FFA‐induced ROS production in the thoracic aorta. Superoxide dismutase reversed FFA‐induced endothelial dysfunction in HFD‐fed mice.

Conclusions

It was shown that caloric restriction is important for the effect of luseogliflozin on metabolic parameters and endothelial dysfunction. Furthermore, SGLT2 inhibition by luseogliflozin possibly ameliorates FFA‐induced endothelial dysfunction by increasing SOD2 expression and decreasing reactive oxygen species production in the thoracic aorta.
Exploring the determinants of food choice in Chinese immigrants living in Australia and Chinese people living in mainland China: A qualitative study
Authors: Wang‐Chen Yixi , Kellow Nicole J. , Choi Tammie S. T.
Published: February 2023

Background

The present study aimed to qualitatively explore the food choice determinants of both Chinese immigrants living in Australia and Chinese people living in mainland China.

Methods

Eight Chinese Australian participants (female, n = 5; male, n = 3) and ten mainland Chinese participants (female, n = 5; male, n = 5) were recruited from Australia (primarily in Melbourne, Victoria) and China (predominantly in Zhengzhou, Henan province) between June 2021 and March 2022. Participants were diverse in age, socio‐economic background, occupation and health status. Semi‐structured in‐depth interviews were conducted in Mandarin either face‐to‐face or using online video/voice calls. Interviews were audio‐recorded and transcribed verbatim. Investigator triangulation was used to enhance scientific rigour.

Results

Four themes were identified: (1) food choice determinants were shaped by traditional and modern nutrition perceptions and personal food philosophy; (2) physiological responses to food provide direct feedback that impacts future food choices; (3) consideration of convenience was a predominant influencer of food choice; and (4) the differences in food environments between China and Australia promoted distinctive food choice determinants for Chinese people.

Conclusions

Chinese Australian and mainland Chinese participants' food choices are shaped by traditional Chinese nutrition philosophy, modern Western nutrition science and the contemporary food environment. There are clear cultural characteristics in their food choice determinants that should be considered by health educators, nutrition professionals and nutrition policymakers when developing culturally appropriate health interventions for Chinese people.
Guanidinoacetate (GAA) is a potent GABAA receptor GABA mimetic: Implications for neurological disease pathology
Authors: Meera Pratap , Uusi‐Oukari Mikko , Wallner Martin , Lipshutz Gerald S.
Published: February 2023

Impairment of excretion and enzymatic processing of nitrogen, for example, because of liver or kidney failure, or with urea cycle and creatine synthesis enzyme defects, surprisingly leads to primarily neurologic symptoms, yet the exact mechanisms remain largely mysterious. In guanidinoacetate N‐methyltransferase (GAMT) deficiency, the guanidino compound guanidinoacetate (GAA) increases dramatically, including in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and has been implicated in mediating the neurological symptoms in GAMT‐deficient patients. GAA is synthesized by arginine–glycine amidinotransferase (AGAT), a promiscuous enzyme that not only transfers the amidino group from arginine to glycine, but also to primary amines in, for example, GABA and taurine to generate γ‐guanidinobutyric acid (γ‐GBA) and guanidinoethanesulfonic acid (GES), respectively. We show that GAA, γ‐GBA, and GES share structural similarities with GABA, evoke GABAA receptor (GABAAR) mediated currents (whereas creatine [methylated GAA] and arginine failed to evoke discernible currents) in cerebellar granule cells in mouse brain slices and displace the high‐affinity GABA‐site radioligand [3H]muscimol in total brain homogenate GABAARs. While γ‐GBA and GES are GABA agonists and displace [3H]muscimol (EC50/IC50 between 10 and 40 μM), GAA stands out as particularly potent in both activating GABAARs (EC50 ~6 μM) and also displacing the GABAAR ligand [3H]muscimol (IC50 ~3 μM) at pathophysiologically relevant concentrations. These findings stress the role of substantially elevated GAA as a primary neurotoxic agent in GAMT deficiency and we discuss the potential role of GAA in arginase (and creatine transporter) deficiency which show a much more modest increase in GAA concentrations yet share the unique hyperexcitability neuropathology with GAMT deficiency. We conclude that orthosteric activation of GABAARs by GAA, and potentially other GABAAR mimetic guanidino compounds (GCs) like γ‐GBA and GES, interferes with normal inhibitory GABAergic neurotransmission which could mediate, and contribute to, neurotoxicity.

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Social Dynamics and the Lost Tradition of a Third Front Enterprise in Post‐Maoist China: The Anding Computer Factory and the Everyday Lives of Employees
Authors: Peng Tao , Shen Jianxun
Published: February 2023

During significant social transformations, the government and society are closely interconnected with each other, mediated by the family. A special group of the state‐owned enterprises in China prepared for national security and infrastructure constructions. The Third Front (TF), such as the Anding Computer Factory, were typical small societies that confronted the decline of the work unit system and the socioeconomic transformation from a planned economy to a socialist market system. This study attempts to understand the lives of employee residents in the Anding factory community by applying long‐term participant observation and in‐depth interviews. Overall, both the Anding community and its employees can be considered to have experienced three historical stages—the productive youth, the confused midlife, and the unsettled twilight years. The material culture, organization, and spirit were all profoundly impacted in each of the three periods. After realizing the unstoppable deindustrializing trend and the rising social disparity brought along by the free market, employees gradually transferred their considerations from the factory society to the future of their families as a cultural adaptaion. Driven by the priority rule of profits, the employees' lives are full of contradictions and are poorly suited to the economically competitive society. This study opens a novel dialog between ethnography, industrial relations, labor history, elderly affairs, and social dynamics.
The effects of biophysical and anthropogenic factors on the recent upper forest‐cover upward shift in the Romanian Carpathians
Authors: Kucsicsa Gheorghe , Bălteanu Dan
Published: February 2023

Aim

To estimate the effects of environmental and human drivers on upper forest‐cover upward shift over the period 1945–2018.

Location

Romanian Carpathians.

Methods

Using historical topographic maps and high‐resolution Sentinel‐2A satellite images, we delineated the location of the upper forest‐cover limit in 1945 and 2018 to obtain a binary raster with the “forest gains” and “no‐forest gains” for 1945–2018. The maps were overlapped over 12 independent variables to estimate how they affected the recent upper forest‐cover upward shift, and to predict its probability of expansion in the near future. To achieve this, logistic regression models were applied and then integrated into the GIS spatial analysis.

Results

Forest gains of almost 35,000 ha have been detected at the upper forest limit in the study sites, leading to an average upward movement of 30 m (0.5 m per year), mainly at the altitudinal bands between 1,400 and 1,800 m a.s.l. (72%); only 9.7% of the gain was detected above the estimated potential climatic limit. The process was significantly inversely related to elevation (−17.3 ≤ β ≤ −5.7,p < 0.01), slope aspect (−1.5 ≤ β ≤ −0.4,p < 0.01), sheepfold numbers (−18.1 ≤ β ≤ −0.7,p < 0.01), and sheep (−18.3 ≤ β ≤ −0.6,p < 0.01) and cattle (−16.4 ≤ β ≤ −0.8,p < 0.01) populations. Strong direct effects were found for the slope angle (1.3 ≤ β ≤ 10.6,p < 0.01) and distance to sheepfolds (0.5 ≤ β ≤ 12.8,p < 0.01). A low contribution was indicated for the trend in mean air temperature (−1.1 ≤ β ≤ 4.3,p < 0.01), growing season length (−2.1 ≤ β ≤ 5.1,p < 0.01) and protective measures (−1.1 ≤ β ≤ 2.4,p < 0.01, for national parks; −1.8 ≤ β ≤ 1.2,p < 0.01, for natural parks).

Conclusions

The analysis demonstrated that decreased land‐use intensity and, in particular, declining traditional practices were the foremost mechanisms of the recent upper forest‐cover upward shift, whereas the effect of climate warming remains not so obvious.
Thecate stem medusozoans (Cnidaria) from the early Cambrian Chengjiang biota
Authors: Qu Hanzhi , Li Kexin , Ou Qiang
Published: February 2023

Cnidarians are phylogenetically located near the base of the ‘tree of animals’, and their early evolution had a profound impact on the rise of bilaterians. However, the early diversity and phylogeny of this ‘lowly’ metazoan clade has hitherto been enigmatic. Fortunately, cnidarian fossils from the early Cambrian could provide key insights into their evolutionary history. Here, based on a scrutiny of the purported hyolith Burithes yunnanensis Hou et al. from the early Cambrian Chengjiang biota in South China, we reveal that this species shows characters distinct from those typical of hyoliths, not least a funnel‐shaped gastrovascular system with a single opening, a whorl of tentacles surrounding the mouth, and the lack of an operculum. These characters suggest a great deviation from the original definition of the genus Burithes, and a closer affinity with cnidarians. We therefore reassign the material to a new genus: Palaeoconotuba. Bayesian inference of phylogeny based on new anatomical traits identifies a new clade, including Palaeoconotuba and Cambrorhytium, as a stem group of sessile medusozoan cnidarians that are united by the synapomorphies of developing an organic conical theca and a funnel‐like gastrovascular system. This study unveils a stem lineage of medusozoans that evolved a lifelong conical theca in the early Cambrian.
Disseminated cysticercosis with multi‐system involvement in a child
Authors: Kaur Lovleen , Bansal Aanchal , Dayal Surabhi , Karwal Ambar , Singh Sunita
Published: February 2023

We report a rare case of disseminated cysticercosis in a 7‐year‐old Indian girl with recent onset seizures treated with antiepileptics for 2 months. When she presented to dermatology clinic, she had multifocal subcutaneous and submucosal nodules. The subsequent diagnostic workup revealed extensive neurocysticercosis as well as orbital and myocysticercosis.
A novel mutation in a CARD14‐associated papulosquamous eruption
Authors: Li Nana , Tao Jing , Zhang Jingli , Liu Zhen , Yu Ping
Published: February 2023

CARD14‐associated papulosquamous eruption (CAPE), a spectrum that includes clinical features of psoriasis and pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP), is associated with activating mutations in the CARD14 gene. Herein we describe the clinical features of a family with CAPE and a novel mutation of CARD14, and highlight ectropion as part of the phenotypic spectrum of CAPE.
Non‐invasive imaging techniques in presurgical margin assessment of basal cell carcinoma: Current evidence
Authors: Janowska Agata , Oranges Teresa , Granieri Giammarco , Romanelli Marco , Fidanzi Cristian , Iannone Michela , Dini Valentina
Published: February 2023

Background

The diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is based on clinical and dermoscopical features. In uncertain cases, innovative imaging techniques, such as reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) and optical coherence tomography (OCT), have been used. The main limitation of these techniques is the inability to study deep margins. HFUS (high‐frequency ultrasound) and the most recent UHFUS (ultra‐high‐frequency ultrasound) have been used in various applications in dermatology, but they are not yet routinely used in the diagnosis of BCC. A key point in clinical practice is to find an imaging technique that can help to reduce post‐surgical recurrences with a careful presurgical assessment of the lesional margins. This technique should show high sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility and simplicity of execution. This concept is very important for the optimal management of patients who are often elderly and have many comorbidities. The aim of the paper is to analyse the characteristics of current imaging techniques and the studies in the literature on this topic.

Materials and methods

The authors independently searched the MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Scopus, ScienceDirect and Cochrane Library databases for studies looking for non‐invasive imaging techniques for the presurgical margin assessment of BCC.

Results

Preoperative study of the BCC subtype can help to obtain a complete excision with free margins. Different non‐invasive imaging techniques have been studied for in vivo evaluation of tumour margins, comparing the histologic evaluation with a radical surgery. The possibility to study the lateral and deep margins would allow a reduction of recurrences and sparing of healthy tissue.

Conclusion

HFUS and UHFUS represent the most promising, non‐invasive techniques for the pre‐operative study of BCC facilitating the characterization of vascularization, deep lateral margins and high‐risk subtypes, although they are limited by insufficient literature unlike RCM and OCT.
Detection of superficial lymphatic malformation with dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy
Authors: Lin Er‐Yi , Rao Lang , Wang Xiao‐Hua
Published: February 2023

Background

Superficial lymphatic malformation (SLM) is a congenital disorder of the lymphatic channels. It usually appears as clusters of vesicles filled with lymphatic fluid and blood on the skin that resemble frogspawn, making it difficult to distinguish from haemangiomas, angiokeratomas, and pyogenic granulomas. Although pathological results have diagnostic values, the significance of noninvasive examination in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis is also worth exploring.

Materials and Methods

A 24‐year‐old female presented with a history of multiple asymptomatic, pink lesions located on the chest since age 10. Histopathological examination was performed, and results informed the diagnosis of SLM. Lesions were detected by dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM).

Results

Dermoscopy (polarized, 30×) revealed multiple yellowish‐red lacunae in a light red background that were separated by pale septa and “hypopyon sign” was observed. RCM displayed a honeycomb pattern and multiple dark cavities in the upper dermal layers separated by thin septa with a few hypo‐refractile cells at the periphery that demonstrated slow fluid flow via dynamic scanning.

Conclusion

We described a case of SLM detected by dermoscopy and RCM. Dermoscopic and RCM features may provide a potentially powerful, noninvasive instrument for the recognition and differentiation of SLM.
Two novel HLA class I alleles, HLA‐C*04:489 and ‐C*07:01:115, were identified by next‐generation sequencing
Authors: Nørgaard Maja , Stenkjær Liselotte , Lam Marie Quach , Bobach Ida Schwartz , Koefoed‐Nielsen Pernille
Published: February 2023

The novel HLA‐C*04:489 and ‐C*07:01:115 alleles were detected during routine HLA typing by next‐generation sequencing.
Dissociative Amnesia? It Might be Organic Memory Loss!
Authors: Jelicic Marko
Published: February 2023

This article discusses the possibility of practitioners who mistake organic memory loss for dissociative amnesia. It starts with the case of a young man with complete retrograde amnesia due to a traumatic head injury. Because he did not show any gross neurological abnormalities, a neurologist thought his amnesia had a psychological origin. An extensive neuropsychological examination revealed that the man did have an organic reason for his amnesia. Next, the existence of dissociative memory loss as well as isolated organic retrograde amnesia is considered. While cases of organic memory loss are well‐documented, there is hardly any evidence for dissociative amnesia. It is argued that organic memory loss might be mistakenly taken for dissociative amnesia. In line with the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, practitioners are advised to rule out the possibility of organic memory loss, before diagnosing a patient with dissociative amnesia.
Severe fetal anemia caused by anti‐Jra: Burst forming unit‐erythroid colony formation inhibition assay suggesting possible erythroid suppression mechanism
Authors: Tran Ann , Yan Matthew T. S. , Branch Donald R. , Blacquiere Megan , Pineault Nicolas , Pasha Roya , Clarke Gwen
Published: February 2023

Background

The Jr blood group system includes a single, high‐prevalence antigen, Jra, encoded by the ABCG2 gene. The impact of anti‐Jra in pregnancy is variable, ranging from no clinical effect to severe anemia including some fetal deaths. Case reports have postulated that anti‐Jra mediated fetal anemia is poorly hemolytic, suggesting other mechanisms of anemia may be involved.

Study Design and Methods

We describe the case of severe anti‐Jra mediated fetal anemia. At Canadian Blood Services laboratories, maternal anti‐Jra was tested for phagocytic activity via a monocyte monolayer assay (MMA) and erythroid suppression via inhibition of burst forming unit‐erythroid (BFU‐E) colony formation assays. The New York Blood Center sequenced exons 4 and 7 of the ABCG2 gene.

Results and Discussion

Sequencing of exons 4 and 7 of the ABCG2 gene revealed maternal compound heterozygosity for two nonsense mutations at exon 7 (c.706 C > T and c.784G > T). Fetal sequencing revealed the c.706C > T polymorphism. The MMA showed a borderline phagocytic index (around the cutoff of five for both donor segments tested [5 ± 1 and 7 ± 3]). The BFU‐E colony formation inhibition assay suggested a dose‐dependent inhibition of BFU‐E colony formation with inhibition percentages of 4%, 11%, and 43% at maternal serum concentrations of 2%, 5%, and 10%, respectively. Our findings support the hypothesis that anti‐Jra may impair erythropoiesis leading to clinically significant fetal/neonatal anemia. A referral to maternal fetal medicine is recommended if anti‐Jra is detected in pregnancy, regardless of the titer.
Thoracic CT incidental pulmonary bullae in dogs: Characterization, interobserver variability, and general anesthesia risks
Authors: Kim Won Suk , Ward Michael , Huynh Elizabeth , Griffin Lynn , Heo Jin , Vinayak Arathi
Published: February 2023

Ruptures of pulmonary blebs and bullae are the most common cause of spontaneous pneumothorax in dogs. Incidental bullae/blebs have been documented in otherwise healthy people, however information for veterinary patients is currently lacking. Objectives of this retrospective, observer agreement, analytical study were to characterize incidental bullae in thoracic CT studies of dogs, assess interobserver variability for characterizing the bullae, and assess anesthesia risks. Inclusion criteria were dogs presenting for non‐pneumothorax related reasons that had a thoracic CT at a single specialty and emergency hospital from 2012 to 2021 and had a bulla listed in the CT report. Medical records for dogs meeting inclusion criteria were reviewed to collect data on signalment, weight, total number of general anesthesia procedures 2 years prior and 2 years following the CT scan, and adverse anesthesia events. In addition, the CT images were reviewed by three American College of Veterinary Radiology‐certified veterinary radiologists to collect data on the location, size, number of bullae and thickness of the bulla wall. A total of 1119 dogs met initial inclusion criteria and 74 dogs were included in analyses. There was no sex predilection for incidental pulmonary bullae. Bullae were more commonly found in older (median age 11.3 years), large breed dogs (median weight 20.7 kg). A solitary bulla of less than 1 cm was the most common finding with no apparent predilection for a particular lung lobe. There was strong correlation among the three radiologists for bulla location, size, and number, but weak correlations for bulla wall thickness. No adverse anesthesia events were found following CT anesthesia or following repetitive anesthesia procedures.