bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Haplotype structure defines effects of common DPYD variants c.85T > C (rs1801265) and c.496A > G (rs2297595) on dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase activity: Implication for 5‐fluorouracil toxicity
Authors: Hamzic Seid , Schärer Dominic , Offer Steven M. , Meulendijks Didier , Nakas Christos , Diasio Robert B. , Fontana Stefano , Wehrli Marc , Schürch Stefan , Amstutz Ursula , Largiadèr Carlo R.
Published: January 2021

Aims

The aim of this study was to identify risk variants and haplotypes that impair dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) activity and are, therefore, candidate risk variants for severe toxicity to 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU) chemotherapy.

Methods

Plasma dihydrouracil/uracil (UH2/U) ratios were measured as a population marker for DPD activity in a total of 1382 subjects from 4 independent studies. Genotype and haplotype correlations with UH2/U ratios were assessed.

Results

Significantly lower UH2/U ratios (panova < 2 × 10−16) were observed in carriers of the 4 well‐studied 5‐FU toxicity risk variants with mean differences (MD) of −43.7% for DPYD c.1905 + 1G > A (rs3918290), −46.0% for DPYD c.1679T > G (rs55886062), −37.1%, for DPYD c.2846A > T (rs67376798), and −13.2% for DPYD c.1129‐5923C > G (rs75017182). An additional variant, DPYD c.496A > G (rs2297595), was also associated with lower UH2/U ratios (P < .0001, MD: −12.6%). A haplotype analysis was performed for variants in linkage disequilibrium with c.496A > G, which consisted of the common variant c.85T > C (rs1801265) and the risk variant c.1129‐5923C > G. Both haplotypes carrying c.496A > G were associated with decreased UH2/U ratios (H3, P = .003, MD: −9.6%; H5, P = .002, MD: −16.9%). A haplotype carrying only the variant c.85T > C (H2) was associated with elevated ratios (P = .004, MD: +8.6%).

Conclusions

Based on our data, DPYD‐c.496A > G is a strong candidate risk allele for 5‐FU toxicity. Our data suggest that DPYD‐c.85T > C might be protective; however, the deleterious impacts of the linked alleles c.496A > G and c.1129‐5923C > G likely limit this effect in patients. The possible protective effect of c.85T > C and linkage disequilibrium with c.496A > G and c.1129‐5923C > G may have hampered prior association studies and should be considered in future clinical studies.
The Development of Simile Comprehension: From Similarity to Scalar Implicature
Authors: Long Madeleine , Shukla Vishakha , Rubio‐Fernandez Paula
Published: January 2021

Similes require two different pragmatic skills: appreciating the intended similarity and deriving a scalar implicature (e.g., “Lucy is like a parrot” normally implies that Lucy is not a parrot), but previous studies overlooked this second skill. In Experiment 1, preschoolers (N = 48; ages 3–5) understood “X is like a Y” as an expression of similarity. In Experiment 2 (N = 99; ages 3–6, 13) and Experiment 3 (N = 201; ages 3–5 and adults), participants received metaphors (“Lucy is a parrot”) or similes (“Lucy is like a parrot”) as clues to select one of three images (a parrot, a girl or a parrot‐looking girl). An early developmental trend revealed that 3‐year‐olds started deriving the implicature “X is not a Y,” whereas 5‐year‐olds performed like adults.
The association between food insecurity and dental caries among U.S. adults: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey
Authors: Bahanan Lina , Singhal Astha , Zhao Yihong , Scott Thayer , Kaye Elizabeth
Published: January 2021

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between food insecurity and untreated dental caries using a nationally representative sample of US adults.

Methods

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) cycles 2011‐2012 and 2013‐2014 on adults aged 18 years and older were analysed (n = 10 723). Primary predictors were overall food security (food‐secure/ food‐insecure) and household food security (full, marginal, low and very low). The main outcome was any untreated dental caries (none/ ≥ one). Multiple logistic regression analyses were done to estimate the adjusted odds ratio after controlling for confounders.

Results

Food‐insecure adults were more likely to have untreated dental caries than food‐secure adults after adjusting for potential confounders (OR: 1.2; 95% CI: 0.9‐1.5). Adults from households with marginal (OR:1.4; 95% CI:1.5‐2.2), low (OR:1.3, 95% CI:1.3‐2.0) and very low food security (OR:1.3; 95% CI:0.9‐1.5) had higher odds of untreated caries than adults from households with full food security. Following age stratification, marginal, low and very low food‐secure adults had higher prevalence of untreated dental caries than full food‐secure adults across all age groups.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that food‐insecure adults had higher odds of untreated dental caries than food‐secure adults. These findings highlight the importance of assessing food insecurity as a risk factor for dental caries. Longitudinal cohort studies are recommended to determine causal mechanisms.
Drug‐induced photosensitivity: culprit drugs, potential mechanisms and clinical consequences
Authors: Hofmann Georg Amun , Weber Benedikt
Published: January 2021

Drug‐induced photosensitivity, the development of phototoxic or photoallergic reactions due to pharmaceuticals and subsequent exposure to ultraviolet or visible light, is an adverse effect of growing interest. This is illustrated by the broad spectrum of recent investigations on the topic, ranging from molecular mechanisms and culprit drugs through epidemiological as well as public health related issues to long‐term photoaging and potential photocarcinogenic consequences. The present review summarizes the current state of knowledge on the topic while focusing on culprit drugs and long‐term effects. In total, 393 different drugs or drug compounds are reported to have a photosensitizing potential, although the level of evidence regarding their ability to induce photosensitive reactions varies markedly among these agents. The pharmaceuticals of interest belong to a wide variety of drug classes. The epidemiological risk associated with the use of photosensitizers is difficult to assess due to under‐reporting and geographical differences. However, the widespread use of photosensitizing drugs combined with the potential photocarcinogenic effects reported for several agents has major implications for health and safety and suggests a need for further research on the long‐term effects.
Considerations for patients with psoriasis travelling under immunosuppression
Authors: Stephan Brigitte , Tittelbach Jörg , Bühler Silja
Published: January 2021

With the establishment of modern systemic therapies for psoriasis, comprehensive consultation is required for travelling with immune modulation. Logistic aspects regarding transport and storage, climatic peculiarities of the country of travel and drug dependent risks regarding infections must be considered. Vaccinations and preventive measures are emphasized. Depending on the current national recommendations, special features of vaccinations while under immunosuppression must be taken into account.
In search of the perfect web? Males of the golden silk orb‐web spider trichonephila clavipes do not aggregate in webs of high‐quality females
Authors: de Almeida João Gabriel Lacerda , Peixoto Paulo Enrique Cardoso
Published: January 2021

In many species, the location of females may affect the spatial distribution of males. If females vary in their reproductive quality, and males have to fight for access to the females, then weaker males should aggregate around high‐quality females while avoiding areas occupied by males of high fighting capacity. However, this aggregation pattern should only occur if males have low dispersing costs. Otherwise, males should preferentially stay near the first female they encounter. In this study, we used the golden silk orb‐web spider, Trichonephila clavipes, to evaluate the following hypotheses: When costs of moving between female webs are low, weaker males should aggregate at the periphery of (a) webs of females that have higher reproductive quality and (b) webs of females occupied by central males (i.e., stronger males that are guarding females in the central web position) with lower fighting capacity. To evaluate these hypotheses, we counted the number of males at the periphery of female webs that were aggregated with other female webs (i.e., areas with lower dispersal costs among webs) or isolated from other female webs (areas with higher dispersal costs among webs). We used the ontogenetic status of the females (mature or immature) as a surrogate of female reproductive quality and the length of the first pair of male legs as a surrogate of male fighting capacity. We found that, independently of the spatial disposition of female webs, the number of males per web was unrelated to female reproductive quality or the fighting capacity of the central males. We conclude that this pattern provides an intriguing system in which the intensity of intra‐sexual competition for males presumably varies in unpredictable ways between different female webs.
Mixed‐mode brittle fracture test of polymethylmethacrylate with a new specimen
Authors: Li Yifan , Pavier Martyn J. , Coules Harry
Published: January 2021

A new test configuration called Holed‐Cracked Square Plate (HCSP) is proposed to investigate I/II mixed‐mode fracture of brittle and quasi‐brittle materials. This specimen is a square plate containing a central hole with two radial cracks emanating from its circumference. The finite element method was used to calculate mode I and mode II stress intensity factors and T‐stress solutions for various crack lengths and hole diameters. The numerical results show that a full range of fracture mode mixities can be realized by changing the orientation angle of two radial cracks, while maintaining a very simple specimen geometry and loading requirement. A series of fracture tests were conducted on polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) to study the practical capabilities of the HCSP specimen. These yielded fracture toughness values that are consistent with other experimental results. Other observed quantities including fracture initiation angles and fracture resistance also agree very well with mixed‐mode fracture theories.
Oral healthcare delivery in institutionalised older people: A health‐economic evaluation
Authors: Werbrouck Amber , Schmidt Masja , Annemans Lieven , Duyck Joke , Janssens Barbara , Simoens Steven , Verhaeghe Nick , Putman Koen
Published: January 2021

Objectives

This health‐economic evaluation aimed to assess the cost‐effectiveness of a number of alternatives for preventive and curative oral health care in institutionalised older people in Flanders.

Methods

A six‐state Markov model was used to compare expected costs and healthy oral years (HOYs) of four alternatives: (1) usual care; (2) on‐site preventive care; (3) on‐site preventive care + curative care in the community; and (4) on‐site preventive care + on‐site curative care. A healthcare payer perspective was adopted, and the time horizon was 10 years. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed.

Results

Incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios (ICERs) of alternatives 2, 3 and 4 (all compared to alternative 1) were as follows: (2) 7944 €/HOY gained; (3) 1576 €/HOY gained; and (4) 1132 €/HOY gained. Hence, alternatives 2 and 3 were not cost‐effective compared to alternative 4. The probability that oral care interventions are more effective and cost‐saving than usual care was <3% for all three interventions.

Conclusions

For institutionalised older people, on‐site solutions for preventive and curative oral health care might be the most cost‐effective alternative. It should be kept in mind that on‐site solutions require large initial investment and that the advanced age of the population and the high costs of oral health care make it unlikely that these interventions would become cost‐saving, even in the long term.
Differences in the association between white matter hyperintensities and gait performance among older adults with and without cognitive impairment
Authors: Sakurai Ryota , Inagaki Hiroki , Tokumaru Aya M , Sakurai Keita , Shimoji Keigo , Kobayashi‐Cuya Kimi E , Kitamura Akihiko , Watanabe Yutaka , Shinkai Shoji , Awata Shuichi ,   Takashimadaira Study Group
Published: January 2021

Aim

Gait impairment implies subtle cognitive impairment (CI) and is associated with severity of white matter hyperintensities (WMHs). However, cognitive differences in such an association are not yet fully understood. This study examined the association between WMHs and gait performance among three cognitively different older groups.

Methods

Gait performance and WMHs were assessed in 150 community‐dwelling older adults, comprising 53 with CI (Mini‐Mental State Examination [MMSE] score <24), 63 with mild CI (MMSE score ≥24 and Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA] score <25), and 34 who were cognitively normal or preserved (MMSE ≥24 and MoCA score ≥25). Gait velocity and variability were assessed on a 5‐m electronic walkway. Furthermore, WMH volume was derived by automated segmentation using 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging.

Results

Adjusted multiple regression analyses showed that greater WMHs were associated with slower gait velocity and greater temporal (stride time) and spatial (stride and step lengths) variabilities among older adults with CI. In contrast, WMH was only associated with spatial variability in older adults with mild CI and in cognitively normal or preserved older adults.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that gait variability measures are more sensitive to subtle underlying neurological pathologies including WMHs in older adults. The cognitive‐dependent differences found in the association between WMHs and gait performance suggests that the level of cognitive function interferes with the association between WMH and gait performance. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2021; ••: ••–••.
PRIASE 2021 guidelines for reporting animal studies in Endodontology: explanation and elaboration
Authors: Nagendrababu V. , Kishen A. , Murray P. E. , Nekoofar M. H. , de Figueiredo J. A. P. , Priya E. , Jayaraman J. , Pulikkotil S. J. , Jakovljevic A. , Dummer P. M. H.
Published: January 2021

Laws and ethics require that before conducting human clinical trials, a new material, device or drug may have to undergo testing in animals in order to minimize health risks to humans, unless suitable supporting grandfather data already exist. The Preferred Reporting Items for Animal Studies in Endodontology (PRIASE) 2021 guidelines were developed exclusively for the specialty of Endodontology by integrating and adapting the ARRIVE (Animals in Research: Reporting In Vivo Experiments) guidelines and the Clinical and Laboratory Images in Publications (CLIP) principles using a validated consensus‐based methodology. Implementation of the PRIASE 2021 guidelines will reduce potential sources of bias and thus improve the quality, accuracy, reproducibility, completeness and transparency of reports describing animal studies in Endodontology. The PRIASE 2021 guidelines consist of a checklist with 11 domains and 43 individual items and a flowchart. The aim of the current document is to provide an explanation for each item in the PRIASE 2021 checklist and flowchart and is supplemented with examples from the literature in order for readers to understand their significance and to provide usage guidance. A link to the PRIASE 2021 explanation and elaboration document and PRIASE 2021 checklist and flowchart is available on the Preferred Reporting Items for study Designs in Endodontology (PRIDE) website (http://pride‐endodonticguidelines.org/priase/).
Transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of memory NK cell responses
Authors: Beaulieu Aimee M.
Published: January 2021

Natural killer (NK) cells are cytotoxic innate lymphocytes with key roles in host protection against viruses and malignancy. Notwithstanding their historical classification as innate immune cells, NK cells are now understood to have some capacity to mount memory or memory‐like immune responses in which effector cells undergo antigen‐driven expansion and give rise to long‐lived memory cells with enhanced functionality. Understanding how antigen‐specific effector and memory NK responses are regulated is an important and active area of research in the field. Here, we discuss key transcription factors and epigenetic processes involved in antigen‐specific effector and memory NK cell differentiation.
The Greta Thunberg Effect: Familiarity with Greta Thunberg predicts intentions to engage in climate activism in the United States
Authors: Sabherwal Anandita , Ballew Matthew T. , van der Linden Sander , Gustafson Abel , Goldberg Matthew H. , Maibach Edward W. , Kotcher John E. , Swim Janet K. , Rosenthal Seth A. , Leiserowitz Anthony
Published: January 2021

Despite Greta Thunberg's popularity, research has yet to investigate her impact on the public's willingness to take collective action on climate change. Using cross‐sectional data from a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults (N = 1,303), we investigate the “Greta Thunberg Effect,” or whether exposure to Greta Thunberg predicts collective efficacy and intentions to engage in collective action. We find that those who are more familiar with Greta Thunberg have higher intentions of taking collective actions to reduce global warming and that stronger collective efficacy beliefs mediate this relationship. This association between familiarity with Greta Thunberg, collective efficacy beliefs, and collective action intentions is present even after accounting for respondents’ overall support for climate activism. Moderated mediation models testing age and political ideology as moderators of the “Greta Thunberg Effect” indicate that although the indirect effect of familiarity with Greta Thunberg via collective efficacy is present across all age‐groups, and across the political spectrum, it may be stronger among those who identify as more liberal (than conservative). Our findings suggest that young public figures like Greta Thunberg may motivate collective action across the U.S. public, but their effect may be stronger among those with a shared political ideology. Implications for future research and for broadening climate activists’ appeals across the political spectrum are discussed.
Critical angioedema induced by a renin angiotensin system blocker in the contemporary era of increasing heart failure: A case report and commentary
Authors: Sato Masafumi , Takahashi Masao , Kario Kazuomi
Published: January 2021

Bradykinin‐mediated angioedema, a nonallergic reaction most commonly caused by renin angiotensin system (RAS) blockers, has the potential to lead to a critical condition. RAS blockers are important for treating heart failure and are widely used in clinical settings. We present the case of an 85‐year‐old man who was administered enalapril after percutaneous coronary intervention for an acute myocardial infarction and developed severe angioedema requiring a tracheostomy. He had multiple risks for angioedema including advanced age, smoking history, renal dysfunction, and longstanding use of an angiotensin receptor blocker. The prompt diagnosis of drug‐induced angioedema is critical and depends on physicians' recognition of risk factors and knowledge of pathophysiology. In the present era of increasingly prevalent heart failure, it is imperative that the possibility of angioedema receives attention, especially given the continuing reliance on RAS blockers and the advent of angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitors, a new type of heart failure drug.
Development of diagnostic assays for differentiation of atypical Aeromonas salmonicidavapA type V and type VI in ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta, Ascanius)
Authors: Papadopoulou Athina , Davie Andrew , Monaghan Sean J. , Migaud Herve , Adams Alexandra
Published: January 2021

Aeromonas salmonicida (As) is a highly heterogeneous bacterial species, and strains’ host specificity has been reported. Ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta Ascanius, 1767) is susceptible to atypical As (aAs) vapA type V and type VI in Scotland and Norway. Identification of the bacterium is achieved by culture and molecular techniques; however, the available methods used to distinguish the As types are costly and time‐consuming. This paper describes the development of a PCR and a restriction enzyme assay for the detection of aAs vapA type V and type VI in ballan wrasse, respectively. Type V‐specific primers were designed on conserved regions of the vapA gene, and the restriction enzyme assay was performed on the PCR products of the hypervariable region of vapA gene for the detection of type VI isolates. Amplification product was produced for type V (254 bp) and restriction bands (368 and 254 bp) for type VI isolates only. In addition, the assays detected type V and type VI isolates in spiked water samples and type V in diagnostic tissue samples. The assays are fast, specific and cost‐effective and can be used as specific diagnostic tools for cleaner fish, to detect infectious divergence strains, and to manage and mitigate aAs disease outbreaks through vaccine development.
Pediatric Cancer Genetics Research and an Evolving Preventive Ethics Approach for Return of Results after Death of the Subject
Authors: Scollon Sarah , Bergstrom Katie , McCullough Laurence B. , McGuire Amy L. , Gutierrez Stephanie , Kerstein Robin , Parsons D. Williams , Plon Sharon E.
Published: January 2021

In the pediatric clinical setting, the parent/guardian will almost always be the authorized representative and designated recipient of clinical and research results, making the issue of to whom results should be returned in the pediatric setting less complex than in adult settings. It is also clear that, in genomic research related to pediatric diseases such as cancer, results may be of considerable clinical, ethical, and personal significance for parents in a number of ways, including a genomic explanation of the origin of their child’s cancer, implications for the genetic testing and medical care of other siblings and of the parents themselves, and reproductive planning with regard to the recurrence risk for future children to have an increased risk of cancer. However, what remains unclear is which results should be disclosed, and under what circumstances, to parents of deceased children.
Considering Actionability at the Participant's Research Setting Level for Anticipatable Incidental Findings from Clinical Research
Authors: Ortiz-Osorno Alberto (Betto) , Ehler Linda A. , Brooks Judith
Published: January 2021

Wolf et al. define an incidental finding (IF) as “... a finding concerning an individual research participant that has potential health or reproductive importance and is discovered in the course of conducting research but is beyond the aims of the study...” Wolf et al. also propose that researchers “... should consider what kinds of IFs the protocol may produce and how rapidly the identification and evaluation process needs to proceed to provide timely information to the research participant and avoid harm.”

Recently, the U.S. Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues considered the matter of IFs. In the Commission's December 2013 report on this topic, “Anticipate and Communicate–Ethical Management of Incidental and Secondary Findings in the Clinical, Research, and Direct-to-Consumer Contexts,” the panel further defines two categories of IFs, anticipatable and un-anticipatable, as well as introduces the concept of secondary findings. The commission recommends that researchers should develop plans to manage anticipatable IFs, and should consider to actively look for secondary findings.
The Pediatrician's Dilemma: Refusing the Refusers of Infant Vaccines
Authors: Block Stan L.
Published: January 2021

“Their decision about vaccines is based on an emotional response to the perceived risk of harm from vaccines, weighed against the intangible risk of disease they have never seen.”

“Vaccine refusal is often only the first step in a one-sided parent-physician relationship, where our experience, training and expertise are disregarded.”

A mother new to my general pediatrics practice says that she wants no vaccines for her infant because she says, “I have read on the internet…,” or “I heard from a nurse…,” or “So-and-so celebrity says they can cause autism, brain damage, poisoning, cancer, neurological disorders, and even death.” Perhaps she has read about “the dangers” of vaccines in the first edition of Dr. Sears’ The Vaccine Book. Or people on her Facebook page also say that the “preventable” diseases are just too rare anymore to ever take “the risk” of a vaccine with “known” risks. These vaccine risks are clearly explained, and even sometimes overstated (such as a risk of death for Haemophilus influenzae type B (HIB) vaccine) in the routinely distributed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vaccine Information Sheet (VIS). On the other hand, the families typically overlook the risks of “omission,” or non-vaccination, such as brain damage or meningitis, etc., which are also clearly stated in the VIS.
Ethical Integrity in Health Care Organizations
Authors: Mantel Jessica
Published: January 2021

The rise of managed care initiated a steady decline in solo and small group physician practices and the emergence of new delivery models built around large health care organizations (HCOs). Health care reform has only accelerated this trend as public and private payors shift to new payment methodologies that reward clinical and financial integration among providers. As a result, patients increasingly receive care from physicians and other health professionals organized into collaborative partnerships with one another and institutional providers, such as hospitals. As described below, this new organizational dynamic profoundly influences the clinical judgment of physicians. No longer can society simply depend on the professionalism of individual physicians to ensure ethical integrity in the health care setting. Rather, ethical integrity in the health care setting also requires a strong foundation of organizational ethics.
Biobanking and Privacy Laws in Australia
Authors: Chalmers Don
Published: January 2021

Australia is a multi-cultural society with a population of nearly 24 million. The Aboriginal heritage traces back some 40,000 years and continues to influence Australian culture as a whole. A large proportion of Australian citizens were of British descent or birth at the outset of the last century, but post-World War II there was significant immigration from other European nations, particularly from Greece and Italy. In the last decades, there has been a significant intake of migrants from Asia.
Biobanking and Privacy Law in Brazil
Authors: Dallari Sueli Gandolfi , Castellaro Felipe Angel Bocchi , Guerriero Iara Coelho Zito
Published: January 2021

Recent scientific and technological developments have promoted the emergence of biobanks on a population scale. Although the storage of human biological material has taken place for a long time, it is only recently that biobanks have acquired a broader scientific significance, especially for genomic research. The increase in biobanks creates many ethical dilemmas, such as the protection of privacy, and creates the need for a new regulatory framework, which must enable the sustainable development of biobanks while also protecting the rights of research subjects and biobank participants.
Russian to modern world history: Teodor Shanin and peasant studies
Authors: Bernstein Henry
Published: January 2021

This paper is a retrospective of Teodor Shanin's work, mostly in the 1970s and 1980s, the principal period of his publications in English. It may also serve as a guide to tracing Shanin's main themes and issues, which included establishing a ‘generic’ peasant studies (‘peasantology’) and how he aimed to do so; his explorations of the development of capitalism and its impact on peasantries in Russia from the late 19th century to the contemporary Third World; similarly, his ideas of the promotion of ‘modernization’ of peasant agriculture by states; his relationship to Marxism in the historic Russian context and beyond; his views of peasant ‘classness’ and politics; and his vision of an alternative path of agricultural development based in peasant farming, which he drew largely from Chayanov.
Effects of sitting posture and jaw clenching on neck and trunk muscle activities during typing
Authors: Tomita Yosuke , Suzuki Yoshitaka , Tanaka Yuto , Hasegawa Yoko , Yoshihara Yasutomo , Okura Kazuo , Matsuka Yoshizo
Published: January 2021

Neck pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal complaints. Evidence suggests that increased activities of neck and trunk muscles are one of the mechanisms related to neck pain. Jaw clenching and sitting posture may modulate the muscle activity in neck and trunk muscles during typing. The present study aimed to assess the effects of different postural positions and clenching conditions on neck and trunk muscle activities. Thirteen healthy adults (39.8 ± 5.0 years) performed computer typing tasks in four conditions (two postural positions [upright vs slouched] and two jaw clenching conditions [clenching vs non‐clenching]). Integrated surface electromyography (iEMG) was measured in sternocleidomastoid (SCM), upper trapezius (uTP) and middle trapezius (mTP) muscles and compared between conditions. The Friedman and Wilcoxon signed‐rank tests with Bonferroni's corrections were used to estimate the condition‐specific differences in the iEMG data. The statistical significance level was set at 5%. In both postural positions, iEMGSCM was significantly greater under the jaw clenching than under the non‐clenching condition (χ2 = 21.700, P < .01). Under both jaw clenching conditions, iEMGuTP was significantly greater in the slouched than in the upright postural position (χ2 = 23.182, P < .01). No significant differences in iEMGmTP were seen across conditions (χ2 = 5.018, P = .10). Sitting posture and jaw clenching appear to influence activities of different muscles.
Relationship between arteriovenous fistula cannulation practices and dialysis adequacy: A prospective, multicenter study
Authors: Ozen Nurten , Aydin Sayilan Aylin , Sayilan Samet , Mut Dilek , Akin Emin B. , Ecder Suleyman T.
Published: January 2021

Background

Successful arteriovenous fistula cannulation ensures maximum patient benefit in the haemodialysis procedure.

Objective

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of various cannulation methods used for arteriovenous fistulas on dialysis adequacy.

Design

It is a descriptive, cross‐sectional and multicenter study.

Participants

A total of 164 dialysis patients from four dialysis centers were included.

Measurements

Data were collected by determining patients' characteristics and the arteriovenous fistula cannulation method used, in addition to recording the Kt/V and urea reduction ratio values to evaluate dialysis adequacy. The mean Kt/V and urea reduction ratio values over 3 months after dialysis initiation were used. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04270292.

Results

Cannulation with the puncture method was used in 53% of the patients; the fistula needles were inserted in the antegrade direction in 43.9% of the patients; the arterial needle was rotated after fistula needle placement in 63.4% of the patients; and the arterial and venous needles were on the same vascular line in 15.2% of the patients. Placement of the fistula needle in the antegrade direction increased the Kt/V value 0.164 times (95% confidence interval: 0.002–0.212, p = .047).

Conclusion

Antegrade placement could be a factor influencing dialysis adequacy. We suggest antegrade interventions to the fistula to maximize the patient benefit from the haemodialysis treatment.
Periprocedural analgesia and sedation in air enema reduction for intussusception: A retrospective Australian cohort study
Authors: Yeoh Kenny , Palmer Greta M , Teague Warwick J , Shavit Itay , Babl Franz E
Published: January 2021

Aim

Periprocedural analgesia or sedation for air enema reduction (AER) of intussusception is a matter of debate. We set out to review Australian periprocedural pain management in AER.

Methods

Retrospective electronic medical record review of emergency department presentations of intussusception at an Australian children's hospital over 2 years for periprocedural analgesia and sedation and short‐term outcomes.

Results

A total of 73 patients (mean age 23 months) had ultrasound‐confirmed intussusception. Prior to AER, analgesia was administered to 61 of 73 (83.5%) patients. Opioids were administered in 48 of 73 (65.8%) and 8 of 73 (11.0%) received sedation. Thirteen of 73 (17.8%, 95% confidence interval 9.0–26.6) had spontaneously reduced; 60/73 that underwent primary AER had successful reduction in 54 (90.0%, 95% confidence interval 82.4–97.6). A total of seven patients required surgery. No AER attempts were complicated by bowel perforation.

Conclusion

The use of periprocedural analgesia for AER in this Australian series was common, whilst sedation use was infrequent. No perforations occurred.
Molecular phylogeny and synonymy of Balechina gracilis comb. nov. (=Gymnodinium gracile), a widespread polymorphic unarmored dinoflagellate (Dinophyceae)
Authors: Gómez Fernando , Artigas Luis Felipe , Gast Rebecca J.
Published: January 2021

Gymnodinium gracile, described from the coasts of Denmark in 1881, is one of the first described unarmored dinoflagellates. Individuals that morphologically fit with the original description were isolated from the English Channel (North‐East Atlantic). The SSU rRNA gene sequences were identical to the sequences identified as Balechina pachydermata and Gymnodinium amphora from the Mediterranean Sea and Brazil. We propose the transfer of Gymnodinium gracile into the genus Balechina as B. gracilis comb. nov. These sequences constitute an independent lineage, clustering with numerous environmental sequences from polar to tropical waters. The widespread distribution, the high plasticity in size, shape and coloration and the difficulties in discerning the fine longitudinal striae have contributed to the description of numerous synonyms: Amphidinium vasculum, Balechina pachydermata (=Gymnodinium pachydermatum), Gymnodinium achromaticum, G. abbreviatum, G. amphora, G. dogielii, G. lohmannii (=G. roseum sensu Lohmann 1908), G. situla, and Gyrodinium cuneatum (=G. gracile sensu Pouchet 1885).
Risk factors for urinary bacterial growth in dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts: 66 cases (1997‐2019)
Authors: Tinoco‐Najera A. , Steiner J. M. , Suchodolski J. s. , Lidbury J. A.
Published: January 2021

Objective

To identify risk factors for urinary bacterial growth in dogs with confirmed congenital portosystemic shunts on which a quantitative urine culture was performed.

Materials and Methods

Sixty‐six dogs were included in this retrospective cross‐sectional study. Medical records were reviewed from 1997 through 2019. Variables of interest included age, sex and sexual status, clinical signs for a urinary tract infection, blood urea concentration, urinalysis abnormalities, ultrasound abnormalities of the urinary tract, and previous treatment. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed.

Results

The median age of the dogs was one year (range: 0.2‐11.0 years). Urinary tract ultrasound abnormalities (cystic calculi and cystic debris) were reported in 50 dogs (75.7%). Abnormalities on urinalysis included pyuria in nine dogs (13.6%), bacteriuria in 13 dogs (19.7%), and haematuria in 26 dogs (39.4%). The median urine specific gravity was 1.021 (range: 1.004‐1.052). Sixteen dogs (24.2%) had a positive quantitative urine culture. Based on multivariable analysis, bacteriuria (Odds ratio, 116; 95% CI, 9.6‐1393; P = < 0.001) was the only variable significantly associated with a significantly increased odds for a positive quantitative urine culture.

Clinical Significance

Clinical and subclinical bacteriuria can occur in dogs with congenital portosystemic shunts. In this group of dogs, bacteriuria was a risk factor for urinary bacterial growth.
Cebranopadol, a novel first‐in‐class drug candidate: Method validation and first exploratory pharmacokinetic study in rabbits
Authors: Łebkowska‐Wieruszewska Beata , Gbylik‐Sikorska Małgorzata , Gajda Anna , Sartini Irene , Lisowski Andrzej , Poapolathep Amnart , Giorgi Mario
Published: January 2021

Cebranopadol is a novel, centrally acting, potent, first‐in‐class analgesic drug candidate with a unique mode of action that combines nociceptin/orphanin FQ peptide receptor and opioid peptide receptor agonism. The present study aimed to develop and validate a novel UHPLC‐MS/MS method to quantify cebranopadol in rabbit plasma and to assess its pharmacokinetics in rabbits after subcutaneous (s.c.) administration. Twelve adult females were administered with 200 µg/kg s.c. injection. Blood samples were withdrawn at 15, 30 and 45 min and 1, 1.5, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 24 hr after administration. The plasma samples were extracted with a liquid/liquid extraction. The new analytical method complied with the EMA requirements for the bioanalytical method validation. The method was selective, repeatable, accurate, precise and robust with a lower limit of quantification of 0.1 ng/ml. In all the rabbits, cebranopadol was quantifiable from 0.25 to 10 hr. Mean Cmax and Tmax were 871 ng/ml and 0.25 hr, respectively. Further studies including the i.v. administration are necessary to fully evaluate the pharmacokinetic features of this novel active compound.
Successful application of snare‐kissing‐catheter technique to implant leadless pacemaker in severely dilated right heart
Authors: Huang Jingjuan , Zhang Weiwei , Pan Xin , Ma Lan , Guo Lina , Li Ruogu , He Ben
Published: January 2021

Implantation of leadless pacemaker is efficacy and safety compared with the traditional pacemaker in structurally normal hearts. However, delivery experience of leadless pacemaker in patients with severe right heart enlargement remains limited. We present the rare case of a patient with giant right heart and moderate to severe tricuspid regurgitation implanted with a leadless Micra transcatheter pacemaker system. The extension of the Micra delivery catheter can be improved by using a single‐loop snare on the catheter proximal to appropriate right ventricle (RV) pacing position. The snare‐kissing‐catheter technique can aid in successful deployment in the setting of challenging right heart enlargement.
Left bundle branch pacing for cardiac resynchronization therapy: A systematic literature review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Zhong Chenghao , Xu Wei , Shi Shunyi , Zhou Xiujuan , Zhu Zhenyan
Published: January 2021

Background

Left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) recently has been suggested as an alternative modality to deliver cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Data on LBBP for CRT are limited to small sample reports, and clinical benefits and risks have not been systematically assessed. We sought to systematically examine published studies of LBBP for CRT and quantify the feasibility and efficacy of the therapy.

Methods

Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases were searched from inception to September 30, 2020 to identify relevant studies evaluating LBBP in patients for CRT. Clinical outcomes of interest included implant success rate, QRS duration (QRSd), pacing threshold, left ventricular (LV) function at baseline and follow‐up, heart failure‐related hospitalization, and mortality. Data were extracted and summarized.

Results

A total of six studies (two single‐arm studies and four comparative studies) involving 174 patients were included. The results showed that the average age of patients was 64.9 years and all were implanted for CRT. The procedural success rate was only reported in two studies (97% and 81.1%, respectively). LBBP resulted in a narrow of mean QRSd from 172.7 ± 4.8 to 115.1 ± 7.6 ms. LV function, including LV ejection fraction and LV end‐diastolic dimension improved at follow‐up. During a mean follow‐up of 8.1 months, 1.3% of patients experienced heart failure‐related hospitalization and no patients died.

Conclusion

LBBP is a feasible strategy with significant efficacy and safety for CRT candidates.
Trade and currency weapons
Authors: Bénassy‐Quéré Agnès , Bussière Matthieu , Wibaux Pauline
Published: January 2021

The debate on trade and currency wars has reemerged since the Global Financial Crisis. We study the two forms of noncooperative policies within a single framework. First, we compare the elasticity of trade flows to import tariffs and to the real exchange rate, based on product‐level data for 110 countries over the 1989–2013 period. We find that a 1% depreciation of the importer's currency reduces imports by around 0.5% in current dollar, whereas an increase in import tariffs by 1 percentage point reduces imports by around 1.4%. Hence, the two instruments are not equivalent. Second, we build a stylized short‐term macroeconomic model where the government aims at internal and external balance. We find that, in this setting, monetary policy is more stabilizing for the economy than trade policy. One implication is that, in normal times, a country will more likely react to a trade “aggression” through monetary easing rather than through a tariff increase. However, both instruments are (imperfect) substitutes in the short term, when only one of them is available.
Soil Olsen P response to different phosphorus fertilization strategies in long‐term experiments in NW Italy
Authors: Battisti Michela , Moretti Barbara , Sacco Dario , Grignani Carlo , Zavattaro Laura
Published: January 2021

Soil available P for crops, derived from P inputs and regulated by soil chemical, physical and biological factors, represents a small fraction of the total P content. Soil P balance (P input minus P output) is potentially a good descriptor of fluctuations in the available P pool, making it possible to compare experiments that differ in management and duration. Using a data set compiled from three long‐term experiments in NW Italy that tested different P fertilization types (nil, mineral, organic and manures), cropping systems and P balances in different soils, this paper focused on (a) proposing an empirical exponential model to describe the relationship between variables and (b) providing an agronomical interpretation of optimized parameter values, to set the basis for a unified interpretation of long‐term dynamics of soil plant‐available P. The pooled data fit well in an exponential model that identified three factors supportive of an agronomic interpretation, two linked to soil attributes and one that differentiated fertilizer types. Soil characteristics were found to affect minimum soil Olsen P values in depletion and response rates with additions, while fertilizer type had a multiplier effect on cumulative P balance. Farmyard manure was shown to build the available P pool better than other organic sources (bovine slurry, commercial organic fertilizers, green manure) and inorganic fertilizers, owing to a high C/P. The exponential model provided a good theoretical basis, but further studies are needed to correlate parameter values to soil (e.g., carbonates, Al and Fe oxide content) and fertilizer (e.g., C:P, lignin:P) characteristics and to verify the model applicability to different conditions.
Assemblage, place and globalisation
Authors: Woods Michael , Fois Francesca , Heley Jesse , Jones Laura , Onyeahialam Anthonia , Saville Samantha , Welsh Marc
Published: January 2021

Relational perspectives have become pre‐eminent in geographical analysis of globalisation and its impacts in reshaping places, yet arguably leave unanswered questions about precisely how globalisation is reproduced through local places in practice. This paper seeks to extend and enhance the relational approach to globalisation and place by drawing on theoretical insights from assemblage thinking to articulate a methodological framework for empirical research. It draws on DeLanda's iteration of Deleuzoguattarian assemblage thinking to explore how the concepts of the exteriority of relations, territorialisation, coding, and multiplicity provide insights into the dynamics through which interactions between places and translocal assemblages affect changes in the properties and capacities of places and of their component parts, the internal adjustment of places to changes in components, and the possible future forms that a place may take following specific interactions. As such, the framework outlined advances relational analysis by permitting deeper analysis of the mechanics through which individual places endure and change in the context of globalisation and how these produce uneven geographies of globalisation. The discussion is illustrated by examples from empirical research on globalisation and rural localities.
Genetic determinants of ferritin, haemoglobin levels and haemoglobin trajectories: results from Donor InSight
Authors: Timmer Tiffany , Tanck Michael , Penkett Christopher , Stirrups Kathleen , Gleadall Nicholas , de Kort Wim , van der Schoot Ellen , van den Hurk Katja
Published: January 2021

Background and objectives

Blood donors might develop iron deficiency as approximately 250 mg of iron is lost with every donation. Susceptibility to iron deficiency and low haemoglobin levels differs between individuals, which might be due to genetic variation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and haemoglobin trajectories, haemoglobin levels and ferritin levels in blood donors.

Materials and methods

In 2655 donors participating in the observational cohort study Donor InSight‐III (2015–2017), haemoglobin and ferritin levels were measured in venous EDTA whole blood and plasma samples, respectively. Haemoglobin trajectories (stable/declining) were determined by fitting growth‐mixture models on repeated pre‐donation capillary haemoglobin measurements. Genotyping was done using the UK Biobank – version 2 Axiom Array. Single SNP analyses adopting an additive genetic model on imputed genetic variants were performed for haemoglobin trajectories, haemoglobin levels and ferritin levels. Conditional analyses identified independent SNPs.

Results

Twelve, twenty and twenty‐four independent SNPs were associated with haemoglobin trajectories, haemoglobin levels and ferritin levels respectively (P < 1 x 10−5). Rs112016443 reached genome‐wide significance for ferritin levels, which influences WDSUB1 expression.

Conclusion

Rs112016443 was genome‐wide significantly associated with ferritin levels in Dutch donors. Further validation studies are needed, as well as studies towards underlying mechanisms and predicting iron deficiency using SNPs.