bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“Neurological manifestations of COVID-19” - guideline of the German society of neurology
Authors: Berlit Peter , Bösel Julian , Gahn Georg , Isenmann Stefan , Meuth Sven G. , Nolte Christian H. , Pawlitzki Marc , Rosenow Felix , Schoser Benedikt , Thomalla Götz , Hummel Thomas
Published: December 2020

Infection with the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) leads to a previously unknown clinical picture, which is known as COVID-19 (COrona VIrus Disease-2019) and was first described in the Hubei region of China. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has implications for all areas of medicine. It directly and indirectly affects the care of neurological diseases. SARS-CoV-2 infection may be associated with an increased incidence of neurological manifestations such as encephalopathy and encephalomyelitis, ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage, anosmia and neuromuscular diseases.

In October 2020, the German Society of Neurology (DGN, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurologie) published the first guideline on the neurological manifestations of the new infection. This S1 guideline provides guidance for the care of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection regarding neurological manifestations, patients with neurological disease with and without SARS-CoV-2 infection, and for the protection of healthcare workers.

This is an abbreviated version of the guideline issued by the German Neurological society and published in the Guideline repository of the AWMF (Working Group of Scientific Medical Societies; Arbeitsgemeinschaft wissenschaftlicher Medizinischer Fachgesellschaften).
Fungal species associated with apple Valsa canker in East Asia
Authors: Wang Xuli , Shi Cheng-Min , Gleason Mark L. , Huang Lili
Published: December 2020

Since its discovery more than 110 years ago, Valsa canker has emerged as a devastating disease of apple in East Asia. However, our understanding of this disease, particularly the identity of the causative agents, has been in a state of confusion. Here we provide a synopsis for the current understanding of Valsa canker and the taxonomy of its causal agents. We highlight the major changes concerning the identity of pathogens and the conflicting viewpoints in moving to “One Fungus = One Name” system for this group of fungal species. We compiled a list of 21Cytosporaspecies associated withMalushosts worldwide and curated 12 of them with rDNA-ITS sequences. The inadequacy of rDNA-ITS in discriminatingCytosporaspecies suggests that additional molecular markers, more intraspecific samples and robust methods are required to achieve reliable species recognition.
Evaluation of radically open dialectical behaviour therapy in an adult community mental health team: effectiveness in people with autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Cornwall Peter L. , Simpson Susan , Gibbs Claire , Morfee Valerie
Published: December 2020

Aims and method

Radically open dialectical behaviour therapy (RO DBT) is a transdiagnostic treatment designed to address disorders associated with overcontrol, including autism spectrum disorders (ASD). To date, no studies have reported on the effectiveness of RO DBT for people with ASD. Forty-eight patients were referred to a RO DBT programme, of whom 23 had a diagnosis of ASD. Outcome was measured using the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation – Outcome Measure (CORE) and the Questionnaire about the Process of Recovery.

Results

The intervention was effective, with a medium effect size of 0.53 for improvement in CORE global distress. End-point CORE global distress score was predicted from initial severity and a diagnosis of ASD. Participants with a diagnosis of ASD who completed the therapy had significantly better outcomes than completing participants without an ASD diagnosis.

Clinical implications

These findings provide preliminary support for RO DBT as an effective intervention for ASD in routine settings.
International medical graduates: how can UK psychiatry do better?
Authors: Lagunes-Cordoba Emmeline , Maitra Raka , Dave Subodh , Matheiken Shevonne , Oyebode Femi , O'Hara Jean , Tracy Derek K.
Published: December 2020

The National Health Service (NHS) was created 70 years ago to provide universal healthcare to the UK, and over the years it has relied upon international medical graduates (IMGs) to be able to meet its needs. Despite the benefits these professionals bring to the NHS, they often face barriers that hinder their well-being and performance. In this editorial, we discuss some of the most common challenges and the adverse effects these have on IMGs’ lives and careers. However, we also propose practical measures to improve IMGs’ experiences of working in psychiatry.
Regulation of murine copper homeostasis by members of the COMMD protein family
Authors: Singla Amika , Chen Qing , Suzuki Kohei , Song Jie , Fedoseienko Alina , Wijers Melinde , Lopez Adam , Billadeau Daniel D. , van de Sluis Bart , Burstein Ezra
Published: December 2020

Copper is an essential transition metal for all eukaryotes. In mammals, intestinal copper absorption is mediated by the ATP7A copper transporter, whereas copper excretion occurs predominantly through the biliary route and is mediated by the paralog ATP7B. Both transporters have been shown to be recycled actively between the endosomal network and the plasma membrane by a molecular machinery known as the COMMD/CCDC22/CCDC93 or CCC complex. In fact, mutations in COMMD1 can lead to impaired biliary copper excretion and liver pathology in dogs and in mice with liver-specific Commd1 deficiency, recapitulating aspects of this phenotype. Nonetheless, the role of the CCC complex in intestinal copper absorption in vivo has not been studied, and the potential redundancy of various COMMD family members has not been tested. In this study, we examined copper homeostasis in enterocyte-specific and hepatocyte-specific COMMD gene-deficient mice. We found that, in contrast to effects in cell lines in culture, COMMD protein deficiency induced minimal changes in ATP7A in enterocytes and did not lead to altered copper levels under low- or high-copper diets, suggesting that regulation of ATP7A in enterocytes is not of physiological consequence. By contrast, deficiency of any of three COMMD genes (Commd1, Commd6 or Commd9) resulted in hepatic copper accumulation under high-copper diets. We found that each of these deficiencies caused destabilization of the entire CCC complex and suggest that this might explain their shared phenotype. Overall, we conclude that the CCC complex plays an important role in ATP7B endosomal recycling and function.
Dinuclear Rhombic Copper(I) Iodide Complexes with Rigid Bidentate Arsenic Ligands
Authors: Kobayashi Ryosuke , Kihara Hyota , Kusukawa Takahiro , Imoto Hiroaki , Naka Kensuke
Published: December 2020

We have recently developed a series of arsenic ligands based on practical synthetic strategies. Herein, three kinds of bidentate arsenic ligands with rigid linkers were selected to construct dinuclear rhombic copper(I) iodide (CuI) complexes, whose structures were analyzed by X-ray crystallography. They had sufficient solubility in organic solvents, and it was confirmed that their coordination forms were kept in the solutions. Intense solid-state emissions were observed even at room temperature, and the emission colors were varied from yellow to red by the ligands.
First Results on the Mw=6.9 Samos Earthquake of 30 October 2020
Authors: Papadimitriou Panayotis , Kapetanidis Vasilis , Karakonstantis Andreas , Spingos Ioannis , Kassaras Ioannis , Sakkas Vassilis , Kouskouna Vasiliki , Karatzetzou Anna , Pavlou Kyriaki , Kaviris George , Voulgaris Nicholas
Published: December 2020

On 30 October 2020 11:51 UTC, a Mw=6.9 earthquake struck the offshore region north of Samos Island, Greece, in the Gulf of Ephesos/Kuşadasi, causing two fatalities and 19 minor injuries at Samos Island, as well as 115 casualties and over 1,030 injuries in Western Turkey. Preliminary results indicate that the mainshock occurred on a north-dipping normal fault, with a focal mechanism of 270º/50º/-81º. The selection of the fault plane is supported by evidence of uplift at western Samos and over 10 cm of subsidence at the northernmost edge of the central part of the island. The distribution of relocated hypocenters shows clustering of events, east of the mainshock’s epicenter, where most major aftershocks have occurred. To the west, a smaller group of aftershocks is observed, separated by a spatial gap in seismicity. The latter is likely related to the region of the fault plane where most of the co-seismic slip occurred, with Coulomb stress-transfer towards the western and eastern margins of the rupture triggering aftershock activity. The apparent complexity of the mainshock’s source time function, supported by preliminary results, could indicate the rupture of more than one structures. This could explain the relatively weak magnitude of the largest aftershock (Mw=5.0). The mainshock caused damage mainly to non-engineered constructions, i.e. old residential buildings, churches and monuments in Samos Island, and minor damage to the majority of the building stock of the island built according to the National Seismic Code. On the other hand, it caused severe damage at Izmir, especially to high-rise buildings. The mainshock also triggered a small tsunami that reached heights of over 1 m, mainly affecting the Turkish coast.
Theatre and Performance Go Massively Online During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implications and Side Effects
Authors: Timplalexi Eleni
Published: December 2020

During the COVID-19 pandemic, theatre groups and companies started massively providing online (filmed) versions of their productions. Theatre performances, live-streamed or recorded, have been shown online before, but mostly as a supplementary strategy, assisting the promotion of a live performance, not as a cultural trend per se, nor to the massive extend it has been happening during the pandemic. However, the consumption of this sort of online content, as this is literally what becomes anything posted on the web’s hypertextual multimedial selves, cannot occur without consideration of the potential implications and side effects. What exactly is it we are watching on our screens, why is it marketed as theatre and performance, and why do we consume it as such? In the paper, the Phelan/Auslander debate is revisited, as this eradication of the distinction between the live and the mediatized may indicate performance’s crucial shift away from independence towards technological, economical and linguistic dependence from mass reproduction. However, before lightheartedly welcoming this hybridity of massively experiencing online performances, which springs out from the collision between live performance (art) and web content (creativity), it is worth considering welcoming first digital performance hybrids emerging within and in between the medial restrictions imposed by the pandemic. These bold, experimental, participatory, ‘transparent’ intermedial forms of expression may prove out to be a source of strength in times of crisis.
How to communicate effectively while wearing face masks
Authors: Mitchell Aby , Hill Barry
Published: December 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed communication in nursing. Aby Mitchell and Barry Hill provide recommendations for improving communication when wearing a face covering

Communication is an essential part of nursing care and practice. The COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed communication in healthcare. The 2 metre social distancing rule combined with the need to wear face masks has made communication more challenging. Wearing masks reduces the ability to access the non-verbal facial expressions and cues, such as lip movements, that are so vital to daily communication. Practice nurses rely on non-verbal communication as part of a complete holistic assessment and to build therapeutic relationships. This article provides some recommendations for improving communication when wearing a face covering.
‘Head held high and carrying on’: Reflections from GPNs on the impact of COVID-19
Authors: Henry Heather
Published: December 2020

Twitter is a useful tool for nurses to use to share experiences and network, particularly while opportunities to meet face-to-face are reduced. Heather Henry gives an overview of a tweet chat on how COVID-19 has affected nurses working in general practice
Primeiro registro do uso medicinal do gênero Cleoserrata (Cleomaceae)
Authors: Falcão Joyce Gomes , Soares Neto Raimundo Luciano , Zanandrea Ilisandra , Marinho Lucas Cardoso
Published: December 2020

Medicinal use of Cleoserrata (Cleomaceae)
On-chip absorption spectroscopy enabled by graded index fiber tips
Authors: Gill Kamalpreet K. , Riesen Nicolas , Priest Craig , Phillips Nicholas , Guan Bin , Lancaster David G.
Published: December 2020

This paper describes the design and characterization of miniaturized optofluidic devices for sensing based on integrating collimating optical fibers with custom microfluidic chips. The use of collimating graded-index fiber (GIF) tips allows for effective fiber-channel-fiber interfaces to be realized when compared with using highly-divergent standard single-mode fiber (SMF). The reduction in both beam divergence and insertion losses for the GIF configuration compared with SMF was characterized for a 10.0 mm channel. Absorption spectroscopy was demonstrated on chip for the measurement of red color dye (Ponceau 4R), and the detection of thiocyanate in water and artificial human saliva. The proposed optofluidic setup allows for absorption spectroscopy measurements to be performed with only 200 µL of solution which is an order of magnitude smaller than for standard cuvettes but provides a comparable sensitivity. The approach could be integrated into a lab-on-a-chip system that is compact and does not require free-space optics to perform absorption spectroscopy.
Superresolved image reconstruction in FZA lensless camera by color-channel synthesis
Authors: Nakamura Tomoya , Watanabe Takuto , Igarashi Shunsuke , Chen Xiao , Tajima Kazuyuki , Yamaguchi Keita , Shimano Takeshi , Yamaguchi Masahiro
Published: December 2020

The Fresnel-zone-aperture lensless camera using a fringe-scanning technique allows non-iterative well-conditioned image reconstruction; however, the spatial resolution is limited by the mathematical reconstruction model that ignores diffraction. To solve this resolution problem, we propose a novel image-reconstruction algorithm using the wave-optics-based design of the deconvolution filter and color-channel image synthesis. We verify a two-fold improvement of the effective angular resolution by conducting numerical simulations and optical experiments with a prototype.
One-dimensional terahertz dielectric gradient metasurface for broadband spoof surface plasmon polaritons couplers
Authors: Li Xiang-Jun , Cheng Gang , Yan De-Xian , Hou Xiao-Mei , Qiu Guo-Hua , Li Jiu-Sheng , Li Ji-Ning , Guo Shi-Hui , Zhou Wei-Dong
Published: December 2020

At present, most of the gradient metasurfaces used to construct surface
plasmon polaritons (SPPs)/spoof SPPs (SSPs) couplers are usually
compact metal antennas working under reflection and transmission. In
reflection mode, meta-couplers link propagating waves and surface
waves (SWs), and SWs will undergo significant scattering before
coupling to an Eigen SPP in the target system. In transmission mode,
metal meta-couplers will encounter complex multilayer designing at the
microwave/terahertz region and metal absorption loss at optical
frequencies. In this Letter, to the best of our knowledge, a novel
design using dielectric gradient metasurfaces instead of metal
metasurface couplers is proposed to excite broadband SSPs on the metal
groove array. We demonstrate that the well-designed phase dielectric
gradient metasurface converts the normal incident terahertz wave to
the predetermined angle in the dielectric substrate and then excites
the broadband SSPs with the transmission coupling between the
dielectric meta-coupler and SSPs surface. This research may open up
new avenues in simple and broadband plane dielectric meta-couplers for
SSPs in ultra-thin and compact functional devices for versatile
applications.
Mitochondrial dysfunction induces RNA interference in C. elegans through a pathway homologous to the mammalian RIG-I antiviral response
Authors: Mao Kai , Breen Peter , Ruvkun Gary
Published: December 2020

RNA interference (RNAi) is an antiviral pathway common to many eukaryotes that detects and cleaves foreign nucleic acids. In mammals, mitochondrially localized proteins such as mitochondrial antiviral signaling (MAVS), retinoic acid-inducible gene I (RIG-I), and melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5) mediate antiviral responses. Here, we report that mitochondrial dysfunction inCaenorhabditis elegansactivates RNAi-directed silencing via induction of a pathway homologous to the mammalian RIG-I helicase viral response pathway. The induction of RNAi also requires the conserved RNA decapping enzyme EOL-1/DXO. The transcriptional induction ofeol-1requires DRH-1 as well as the mitochondrial unfolded protein response (UPRmt). Upon mitochondrial dysfunction, EOL-1 is concentrated into foci that depend on the transcription of mitochondrial RNAs that may form double-stranded RNA (dsRNA), as has been observed in mammalian antiviral responses. Enhanced RNAi triggered by mitochondrial dysfunction is necessary for the increase in longevity that is induced by mitochondrial dysfunction.
Gut-derived Flavonifractor species variants are differentially enriched during in vitro incubation with quercetin
Authors: Rodriguez-Castaño Gina Paola , Rey Federico E. , Caro-Quintero Alejandro , Acosta-González Alejandro
Published: December 2020

Flavonoids are a common component of the human diet with widely reported health-promoting properties. The gut microbiota transforms these compounds affecting the overall metabolic outcome of flavonoid consumption. Flavonoid-degrading bacteria are often studied in pure and mixed cultures but the multiple interactions between quercetin-degraders and the rest of the community have been overlooked. In this study, a comparative metataxonomic analysis of fecal communities supplemented with the flavonoid quercetin led us to identify a potential competitive exclusion interaction between two sequence variants related to the flavonoid-degrading species, Flavonifractor plautii, that belong to the same genus but different species. During incubation of fecal slurries with quercetin, the relative abundance of these two variants was inversely correlated; one variant, ASV_65f4, increased in relative abundance in half of the libraries and the other variant, ASV_a45d, in the other half. This pattern was also observed with 6 additional fecal samples that were transplanted into germ-free mice fed two different diets. Mouse’s diet did not change the pattern of dominance of either variant, and initial relative abundances did not predict which one ended up dominating. Potential distinct metabolic capabilities of these two Flavonifractor-related species were evidenced, as only one variant, ASV_65f4, became consistently enriched in complex communities supplemented with acetate but without quercetin. Genomic comparison analysis of the close relatives of each variant revealed that ASV_65f4 may be an efficient utilizer of ethanolamine which is formed from the phospholipid phosphatidylethanolamine that is abundant in the gut and feces. Other discordant features between ASV_65f4- and ASV_a45d-related groups may be the presence of flagellar and galactose-utilization genes, respectively. Overall, we showed that the Flavonifractor genus harbors variants that present a pattern of negative co-occurrence and that may have different metabolic and morphological traits, whether these differences affect the dynamic of quercetin degradation warrants further investigation.
Identification of novel regulators of dendrite arborization using cell type-specific RNA metabolic labeling
Authors: Aboukilila Mohamed Y. , Sami Josephine D. , Wang Jingtian , England Whitney , Spitale Robert C. , Cleary Michael D.
Published: December 2020

Obtaining neuron transcriptomes is challenging; their complex morphology and interconnected microenvironments make it difficult to isolate neurons without potentially altering gene expression. Multidendritic sensory neurons (md neurons) of Drosophila larvae are commonly used to study peripheral nervous system biology, particularly dendrite arborization. We sought to test if EC-tagging, a biosynthetic RNA tagging and purification method that avoids the caveats of physical isolation, would enable discovery of novel regulators of md neuron dendrite arborization. Our aims were twofold: discover novel md neuron transcripts and test the sensitivity of EC-tagging. RNAs were biosynthetically tagged by expressing CD:UPRT (a nucleobase-converting fusion enzyme) in md neurons and feeding 5-ethynylcytosine (EC) to larvae. Only CD:UPRT-expressing cells are competent to convert EC into 5-ethynyluridine-monophosphate which is subsequently incorporated into nascent RNA transcripts. Tagged RNAs were purified and used for RNA-sequencing. Reference RNA was prepared in a similar manner using 5-ethynyluridine (EUd) to tag RNA in all cells and negative control RNA-seq was performed on “mock tagged” samples to identify non-specifically purified transcripts. Differential expression analysis identified md neuron enriched and depleted transcripts. Three candidate genes encoding RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) were tested for a role in md neuron dendrite arborization. Loss-of-function for the m6A-binding factor Ythdc1 did not cause any dendrite arborization defects while RNAi of the other two candidates, the poly(A) polymerase Hiiragi and the translation regulator Hephaestus, caused significant defects in dendrite arborization. This work provides an expanded view of transcription in md neurons and a technical framework for combining EC-tagging with RNA-seq to profile transcription in cells that may not be amenable to physical isolation.
Enhanced detection of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) enables its use as a reliable biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of gastric cancer
Authors: Bu Jiyoon , Lee Tae Hee , Jeong Woo-jin , Poellmann Michael J. , Mudd Kara , Eun Hyuk Soo , Liu Elizabeth W. , Hong Seungpyo , Hyun Sung Hee
Published: December 2020

Although circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is a promising biomarker for the diagnosis and prognosis of various tumors, clinical correlation of cfDNA with gastric cancer has not been fully understood. To address this, we developed a highly sensitive cfDNA capture system by integrating polydopamine (PDA) and silica. PDA-silica hybrids incorporated different molecular interactions to a single system, enhancing cfDNA capture by 1.34-fold compared to the conventional silica-based approach (p = 0.001), which was confirmed using cell culture supernatants. A clinical study using human plasma samples revealed that the diagnostic accuracy of the new system to be superior than the commercially available cfDNA kit, as well as other serum antigen tests. Among the cancer patients, plasma cfDNA levels exhibited a good correlation with the size of a tumor. cfDNA was also predicative of distant metastasis, as the median cfDNA levels of metastatic cancer patients were ~60-fold higher than those without metastasis (p = 0.008). Furthermore, high concordance between tissue biopsy and cfDNA genomic analysis was found, as HER2 expression in cfDNA demonstrated an area under ROC curve (AUC) of 0.976 (p <0.001) for detecting patients with HER2-positive tumors. The new system also revealed high prognostic capability of cfDNA, as the concentration of cfDNA was highly associated with the survival outcomes. Our novel technology demonstrates the potential to achieve efficient detection of cfDNA that may serve as a reliable biomarker for gastric tumor.
Colchicine reduces lung injury in experimental acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Dupuis Jocelyn , Sirois Martin G. , Rhéaume Eric , Nguyen Quang T. , Clavet-Lanthier Marie-Élaine , Brand Genevieve , Mihalache-Avram Teodora , Théberge-Julien Gabriel , Charpentier Daniel , Rhainds David , Neagoe Paul-Eduard , Tardif Jean-Claude
Published: December 2020

The acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by intense dysregulated inflammation leading to acute lung injury (ALI) and respiratory failure. There are no effective pharmacologic therapies for ARDS. Colchicine is a low-cost, widely available drug, effective in the treatment of inflammatory conditions. We studied the effects of colchicine pre-treatment on oleic acid-induced ARDS in rats. Rats were treated with colchicine (1 mg/kg) or placebo for three days prior to intravenous oleic acid-induced ALI (150 mg/kg). Four hours later they were studied and compared to a sham group. Colchicine reduced the area of histological lung injury by 61%, reduced lung edema, and markedly improved oxygenation by increasing PaO2/FiO2from 66 ± 13 mmHg (mean ± SEM) to 246 ± 45 mmHg compared to 380 ± 18 mmHg in sham animals. Colchicine also reduced PaCO2and respiratory acidosis. Lung neutrophil recruitment, assessed by myeloperoxidase immunostaining, was greatly increased after injury from 1.16 ± 0.19% to 8.86 ± 0.66% and significantly reduced by colchicine to 5.95 ± 1.13%. Increased lung NETosis was also reduced by therapy. Circulating leukocytosis after ALI was not reduced by colchicine therapy, but neutrophils reactivity and CD4 and CD8 cell surface expression on lymphocyte populations were restored. Colchicine reduces ALI and respiratory failure in experimental ARDS in relation with reduced lung neutrophil recruitment and reduced circulating leukocyte activation. This study supports the clinical development of colchicine for the prevention of ARDS in conditions causing ALI.
Message in a bottle: Open source technology to track the movement of plastic pollution
Authors: Duncan Emily M. , Davies Alasdair , Brooks Amy , Chowdhury Gawsia Wahidunnessa , Godley Brendan J. , Jambeck Jenna , Maddalene Taylor , Napper Imogen , Nelms Sarah E. , Rackstraw Craig , Koldewey Heather
Published: December 2020

Rivers worldwide are now acting as major transport pathways for plastic pollution and discharge large quantities of waste into the ocean. Previous oceanographic modelling and current drifter data have been used to predict the movement and accumulation of plastic pollution in the marine environment, but our understanding of the transport and fate through riparian systems is still largely unknown. Here we undertook a proof of concept study by applying open source tracking technology (both GPS (Global Positing System) cellular networks and satellite technology), which have been successfully used in many animal movement studies, to track the movements of individual plastic litter items (500 ml PET (polyethylene terephthalate) drinks bottles) through the Ganges River system (known as the Ganga in India and the Padma and Meghna in Bangladesh, hereafter known as the Ganges) and the Bay of Bengal. Deployed tags were successfully tracked through the Ganges river system and into the Bay of Bengal marine system. The “bottle tags” were designed and built (e.g. shape, size, buoyancy) to replicate true movement patterns of a plastic bottle. The maximum distance tracked to date is 2845 km over a period of 94 days. We discuss lessons learnt from the development of these plastic litter tags, and outline how the potential widespread use of this open source technology has the ability to significantly increase understanding of the location of accumulation areas and the timing of large inputs of plastic pollution into the aquatic system. Furthermore, “bottle tags” may act as a powerful tool for stimulating social behaviour change, informing science-based policy, and as valuable educational outreach tools for public awareness.
Human appropriation of net primary production estimates in the Xinjiang grasslands
Authors: Huang Xiaotao , Ma Li , Luo Geping , Chen Chunbo , Li Gangyong , Yan Yang , Zhou Huakun , Yao Buqing , Ma Zhen
Published: December 2020

The human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP) was developed to estimate the intensity of human activities in natural ecosystems, which is still unclear in the Xinjiang grasslands. Using the Biome-Biogeochemical Cycle (Biome-BGC) grazing model in combination with field data, we assessed the HANPP and explored its spatiotemporal patterns in the Xinjiang grasslands. Our results showed that (1) the HANPP increased from 38 g C/m2/yr in 1979 to 88 g C/m2/yr in 2012, with an average annual increase of 1.47%. The HANPP was 80 g C/m2/yr, which represented 51% of the potential net primary production (NPPpot), and the HANPP efficiency was 70% in this region. (2) The areas with high HANPP values mainly occurred in northern Xinjiang and northwest of the Tianshan Mountains, while areas with low HANPP values mainly occurred in southern Xinjiang and southwest of the Tianshan Mountains. (3) Interannual variations in HANPP and NPPpotwere significantly positively correlated (P<0.01). Interannual variations in HANPP efficiency and grazing intensity were negatively correlated (P<0.01). These results can help identify the complex impacts of human activities on grassland ecosystems and provide basic data for grassland management.
Determinant factor of married women’s knowledge on vertical transmission of HIV in Mecha district, Ethiopia; a community-based study
Authors: Liyeh Tewachew Muche
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV infection remains a major public health problem and constitutes the most important cause of HIV infection in children. Knowledge of married women on MTCT of HIV is very important for successful intervention toward prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and achieving the goal of eliminating the new HIV infection. The objective of the study was to assess knowledge of married women on MTCT of HIV and associated factors in Mecha district Northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

A community based cross sectional study was conducted involving 520 married women from January 1 to February 30 /2017 in Mecha district. Interviewer administered questionnaires were used to collect the data. The collected data was entered, cleaned and checked using Epi Data version 3.1 and then analyzed with SPSS version 20. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression was computed for all explanatory variables to identify determinant factors at 95% confidence interval. Explanatory variables having P-value <0.05 taken as a predictor for knowledge of married women on mother to child transmission of HIV.

Result

This study was carried out among a total of 520 married reproductive age group women with a response rate of 98%. From the total of 510 respondents, 160(31.4%) of women were knowledgeable on vertical transmission of HIV (MTCT). Women who were knowledgeable on MTCT of HIV was positively associated with urban residence (AOR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.05–2.92), women who had history of ANC follow up (AOR = 2.68, 95% CI: 1.17–6.13), women who were pregnant during the study period (AOR = 1.86, 95%CI: 1.10–3.13) and those who had discussions with their husband about HIV/AIDS/ MTCT (AOR = 2.40, 95% CI: 1.52-.3.80).

Conclusion and recommendation

The finding from this study revealed that knowledge of married women on MTCT of HIV was low. This may contribute to increase the spread of MTCT of HIV. Therefore, giving more attention and emphasis on continuous education regarding MTCT of HIV is highly recommended.
The impact of antenatal care utilization on admissions to neonatal intensive care units and perinatal mortality in Georgia
Authors: Manjavidze Tinatin , Rylander Charlotta , Skjeldestad Finn Egil , Kazakhashvili Nata , Anda Erik Eik
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Appropriate antenatal care (ANC) utilization has direct, significant effects on perinatal mortality (PM). Georgia has one of the highest PM rates (11.7 per 1000 births) in Europe and launched a more intensive ANC programme in 2018.

Aim

To evaluate the associations between the Adequacy of Prenatal Care Utilization (APNCU) index and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission and PM in Georgia.

Methods

The Georgian Birth Registry (GBR), with linkage to the Vital Registration System, was used as the main data source; 148,407 eligible mothers and singleton newborns were identified during the observation period (2017–2019). The main exposure was ANC utilization, measured by the APNCU index, and the hospitalization registry was used to validate NICU admissions. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the associations between the exposure and outcomes while controlling for potential confounders.

Results

The overall PM rate was 11.6/1000 births, and the proportion of newborns with a NICU admission was 7.8%. 85% of women initiated ANC before gestational age week 12. According to the APNCU index, 16% of women received inadequate, 10% intermediate, 38% adequate, and 36% intensive care. Women who received intermediate care had the lowest odds of PM (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.45–0.70), and newborns of women who received inadequate care had the highest odds of NICU admission (AOR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.09–1.23) and PM (AOR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.02–1.36).

Conclusion

ANC utilization is significantly associated with newborn asmissions to NICU and PM in Georgia. Women received inadequate care experienced the highest odds of newborn admissions to NICU and PM.
Thermal characteristics of rheumatoid feet in remission: Baseline data
Authors: Gatt Alfred , Mercieca Cecilia , Borg Andrew , Grech Andrea , Camilleri Liberato , Gatt Corene , Chockalingam Nachiappan , Formosa Cynthia
Published: December 2020

Objectives

Studies have shown conflicting characteristic thermographic patterns of the feet in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, to date no studies have compared thermographic patterns of patients with RA in remission and healthy controls. Thus this study aimed to investigate whether the thermal characteristics of the feet of RA patients, in clinical and radiological remission differ to those of healthy controls.

Methods

Using convenience sampling, RA patients were recruited upon confirmed absence of synovitis by clinical examination and musculoskeletal ultrasound. Thermal images of the feet were taken. Each foot was subdivided into medial, central, lateral, forefoot and heel regions. Subsequently, temperatures in the different regions were analyzed and compared to a cohort of healthy adults.

Results

Data from 32 RA patients were compared to that of 51 healthy controls. The Independent samples T-Test demonstrated a significant difference in temperatures in all the regions of the forefoot between RA participants versus healthy subjects (Table 1). Using the One-Way ANOVA test, no significant difference was found between all the forefoot regions (p = 0.189) of RA patients. Independent sample T-test found significant differences in all heel regions between the two groups (Table 2). One-Way ANOVA demonstrated no significant differences (p = 0.983) between the different foot regions (n = 192) of RA patients.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that RA patients in clinical and radiological remission exhibit significantly different feet thermographic patterns compared to healthy controls. This data will provide the basis for future studies to assess whether thermographic patterns change with disease activity.
Associations between preconception macronutrient intake and birth weight across strata of maternal BMI
Authors: Salavati Nastaran , Bakker Marian K. , Lewis Fraser , Vinke Petra C. , Mubarik Farya , Erwich JanJaap H. M. , van der Beek Eline M.
Published: December 2020

Introduction

Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is linked with birth outcomes including fetal growth, birth weight, congenital anomalies and long-term health through intra-uterine programming. However, a woman’s nutritional status before pregnancy is a strong determinant in early embryo-placental development, and subsequently outcomes for both mother and child. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the association between dietary macronutrient intake in the preconception period with birth weight.

Methods

We studied a group of 1698 women from the Dutch Perined-Lifelines linked birth cohort with reliable detailed information on preconception dietary macronutrient intake (using a semi quantitative food frequency questionnaire) and data available on birth weight of the offspring. Birth weight was converted into gestational age adjusted z-scores, and macronutrient intake was adjusted for total energy intake using the nutrient residual method. Preconception BMI was converted into cohort-based quintiles. Multivariable linear regression was performed, adjusted for other macronutrients and covariates.

Results

Mean maternal age was 29.5 years (SD 3.9), preconception BMI: 24.7 kg/m2(SD 4.2) and median daily energy intake was 1812 kcal (IQR 1544–2140). Mean birth weight was 3578 grams (SD 472). When adjusted for covariates, a significant association (adjusted z score [95% CI], P) between polysaccharides and birth weight was shown (0.08 [0.01–0.15], 0.03). When linear regression analyses were performed within cohort-based quintiles of maternal BMI, positive significant associations between total protein, animal protein, fat, total carbohydrates, mono-disaccharides and polysaccharides with birth weight were shown in the lowest quintile of BMI independent of energy intake, intake of other macronutrients and covariates.

Conclusion

Out of all macronutrients studied, polysaccharides showed the strongest association with birth weight, independent of energy intake and other covariates. Our study might suggest that specifically in women with low preconception BMI a larger amount of macronutrient intake was associated with increased birth weight. We recommend that any dietary assessment and advise during preconception should be customized to preconception weight status of the women.
The effects of assistance dogs on psychosocial health and wellbeing: A systematic literature review
Authors: Rodriguez Kerri E. , Greer Jamie , Yatcilla Jane K. , Beck Alan M. , O’Haire Marguerite E.
Published: December 2020

Beyond the functional tasks that assistance dogs are trained for, there is growing literature describing their benefits on the psychosocial health and wellbeing of their handlers. However, this research is not only widely disparate but, despite its growth, has not been reviewed since 2012. Our objective was to identify, summarize, and methodologically evaluate studies quantifying the psychosocial effects of assistance dogs for individuals with physical disabilities. Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted across seven electronic databases. Records were independently screened by two authors. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they assessed outcomes from guide, hearing, medical, or mobility service dogs, if they collected original data on handlers’ psychosocial functioning, and if the outcome was measured quantitatively with a validated, standardized measure. Studies on psychiatric service dogs, emotional support dogs, and pet dogs were excluded. Of 1,830 records screened, 24 articles were identified (12 publications, 12 theses) containing 27 studies (15 cross-sectional, 12 longitudinal). Studies assessed the effects of mobility (18), hearing (7), guide (4), and medical (2) assistance dog partnerships with an average sample size of N = 83. An analysis of 147 statistical comparisons across the domains of psychological health, quality of life, social health, and vitality found that 68% of comparisons were null, 30% were positive in the hypothesized direction, and 2% were negative. Positive outcomes included significant effects of having an assistance dog on psychological wellbeing, emotional functioning, self-esteem, and vitality. However, it is of note that several methodological weaknesses of the studies make it difficult to draw any definitive conclusions, including inadequate reporting and a failure to account for moderating or confounding variables. Future research will benefit from stronger methodological rigor and reporting to account for heterogeneity in both humans and assistance dogs as well as continued high-quality replication.
How long should the COVID-19 lockdown continue?
Authors: Caulkins Jonathan , Grass Dieter , Feichtinger Gustav , Hartl Richard , Kort Peter M. , Prskawetz Alexia , Seidl Andrea , Wrzaczek Stefan
Published: December 2020

Nations struggled to decide when and how to end COVID-19 inspired lockdowns, with sharply divergent views between those arguing for a resumption of economic activity and those arguing for continuing the lockdown in some form. We examine the choice between continuing or ending a full lockdown within a simple optimal control model that encompasses both health and economic outcomes, and pays particular attention to when need for care exceeds hospital capacity. The model shows that very different strategies can perform similarly well and even both be optimal for the same relative valuation on work and life because of the presence of a so-called Skiba threshold. Qualitatively the alternate strategies correspond to trying essentially to eradicate the virus or merely to flatten the curve so fewer people urgently need healthcare when hospitals are already filled to capacity.
Everyone needs to breathe
Authors: Fraleigh Sondra
Published: December 2020

This article is written with an eye towards the future and a foot in the past. It is partly autobiographical, and in each of four parts offers reflective somatic practices. The author is sheltering at home, so her thoughts centre on the meaning of home, family and pets. At the same time, she articulates somatic skills to cultivate embodied presence, insightful verbal interactions and healing touch. Her writing invites readers into somatic movement explorations and somatic communication practices through poetry. Life and death, love and war, ground her article. The section on Simbi involves global shadow work through butoh and the healing essence of water. Golden shadows appear as elemental and ecosomatic in Morphic Curiosity, a butoh invitation to site-specific dance. Video links and photographs further embody the work. The final section, Dance back the world, presents somatic witnessing as an extraordinary process of intimate notice and care. Becoming friends with the whole world is an exhortation of Mahatma Gandhi, and the life work of this author. Her article was written before the brutal murder of George Floyd and the international protests that began in America as cries for social and racial justice. Now we have a new imperative for Gandhi’s call, because everyone has a right to breathe.
Between the lost childhoods of our parents and the infantile public of the Hindu Rashtra: A personal take
Authors: Kapur Jyotsna
Published: December 2020

Weaving personal history into a reflection on the escalation of communal politics and rhetoric under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this article foregrounds the importance of childhood as a concept that can illuminate the nature of Hindutva fascism – its particular appeal to the adult followers of this ideology and the consequences for children. Briefly, while childhood is increasingly denied and taken away from Muslim children, Hindutva followers are forming into an infantile public utterly supplicant in its devotion to authoritarian figures. Against the Hindutva project and its infantile public is the memory of Partition and the anti-colonial dreams of an egalitarian, socialist society – a history remembered by adults for the sake of children.
Supporting international students’ academic acculturation and sense of academic self-efficacy
Authors: Nikula Pii-Tuulia , Sibley Jonathan
Published: December 2020

International students arriving in New Zealand must acculturate to studying in a new academic environment. This article evaluates graduate and postgraduate level international students’ perceptions of their home and host environments and the benefits of offering an academic preparation course to support international students’ sense of academic self-efficacy. The data were collected using quantitative surveys, including a pre-post design with a control group. The findings highlight notable differences in many students’ host and home country academic environments, and how international students’ sense of academic self-efficacy tends to reduce at the commencement of their academic journey in New Zealand. However, participation in an academic preparation course may be able to minimize this decline. Hence, the academic adjustment of international students should be increasingly perceived as a joint responsibility of both students and education providers, highlighting the need for institutional adjustments in a form of relevant academic support services.
Migration and the duty of hospitality: A genealogical sketch
Authors: Boudou Benjamin
Published: December 2020

Hospitality is usually defined as a benevolent act towards strangers. The concept has seen a revival during the ‘European migrant crisis’, as a humanitarian duty inspired by ancient traditions and natural empathy. This narrative is unsatisfying because it depoliticizes hospitality, homogenizes its historical meanings and neglects to take seriously the features of hospitality that are incompatible with modern politics. In order to redefine the concept of hospitality for contemporary issues, it is necessary to understand precisely what hospitality has meant throughout its different historical and philosophical instantiations and what kind of political problems it was supposed to address. This article offers a genealogy of the various political features of hospitality and distinguishes four sources of it: the ancient relation of dependence, the politics of ritualized hospitality, the medieval and Christian roots of hospitality as charity and its emergence as a natural right. Then, I argue for a reconstruction of the political meaning of hospitality for contemporary migration issues, based on practical mobilizations of the concept. I define modern hospitality as the collective obligation to relieve distress caused by crossing borders.