bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using photos of basic facial expressions as a new approach to measuring implicit attitudes
Authors: Malinakova Klara , Korinek Richard , Tavel Peter , Polackova Solcova Iva , Koenig Harold G. , van Dijk Jitse P. , Reijneveld Sijmen A.
Published: May 2021

Background

Measuring implicit attitudes is difficult due to social desirability (SD). A new method, the Emotion Based Approach (EBA), can solve this by using emotions from a display of faces as response categories. We applied this on an EBA Spirituality tool (EBA-SPT) and an Actual Situation tool (EBA-AST). Our aim was to assess the structure, reliability and validity of the tools and to compare two EBA assessment approaches, i.e., an explicit one (only assessing final replies to items) and an implicit one (assessing also the selection process).

Methods

We obtained data on a sample of Czech adults (n = 522, age 30.3±12.58; 27.0% men) via an online survey; cortisol was assessed in 46 participants. We assessed the structure and psychometric properties (internal consistency and test-retest reliability; convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity) of the EBA, and examined the differences between explicit vs. implicit EBA approaches.

Results

We found an acceptable-good internal consistency reliability of the EBA tools, acceptable discriminant validity between them and low (neutral expression) to good (joy) test-retest reliability for concrete emotions assessed by the tools. An implicit EBA approach showed stronger correlations between emotions and weaker convergent validity, but higher criterion validity, than an explicit approach and standard questionnaires.

Conclusion

Compared to standard questionnaires, EBA is a more reliable approach for measuring attitudes, with an implicit approach that reflects the selection process yielding the best results.
Compartmentalization of cerebrospinal fluid inflammation across the spectrum of untreated HIV-1 infection, central nervous system injury and viral suppression
Authors: Gisslen Magnus , Keating Sheila M. , Spudich Serena , Arechiga Victor , Stephenson Sophie , Zetterberg Henrik , Di Germanio Clara , Blennow Kaj , Fuchs Dietmar , Hagberg Lars , Norris Philip J. , Peterson Julia , Shacklett Barbara L. , Yiannoutsos Constantin T. , Price Richard W.
Published: May 2021

Objective

To characterize the evolution of central nervous system (CNS) inflammation in HIV-1 infection applying a panel of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inflammatory biomarkers to grouped subjects representing a broad spectrum of systemic HIV-1 immune suppression, CNS injury and viral control.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional analysis of archived CSF and blood samples, assessing concentrations of 10 functionally diverse soluble inflammatory biomarkers by immunoassays in 143 HIV-1-infected subjects divided into 8 groups: untreated primary HIV-1 infection (PHI); four untreated groups defined by their blood CD4+ T lymphocyte counts; untreated patients presenting with subacute HIV-associated dementia (HAD); antiretroviral-treated subjects with ≥1 years of plasma viral suppression; and untreated elite controllers. Twenty HIV-1-uninfected controls were included for comparison. Background biomarkers included blood CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, CSF and blood HIV-1 RNA, CSF white blood cell (WBC) count, CSF/blood albumin ratio, CSF neurofilament light chain (NfL), and CSF t-tau.

Findings

HIV-1 infection was associated with a broad compartmentalized CSF inflammatory response that developed early in its course and changed with systemic disease progression, development of neurological injury, and viral suppression. CSF inflammation in untreated individuals without overt HAD exhibited at least two overall patterns of inflammation as blood CD4+ T lymphocytes decreased: one that peaked at 200–350 blood CD4+ T cells/μL and associated with lymphocytic CSF inflammation and HIV-1 RNA concentrations; and a second that steadily increased through the full range of CD4+ T cell decline and associated with macrophage responses and increasing CNS injury. Subacute HAD was distinguished by a third inflammatory profile with increased blood-brain barrier permeability and robust combined lymphocytic and macrophage CSF inflammation. Suppression of CSF and blood HIV-1 infections by antiretroviral treatment and elite viral control were associated with reduced CSF inflammation, though not fully to levels found in HIV-1 seronegative controls.
Risk-taking unmasked: Using risky choice and temporal discounting to explain COVID-19 preventative behaviors
Authors: Byrne Kaileigh A. , Six Stephanie G. , Anaraky Reza Ghaiumy , Harris Maggie W. , Winterlind Emma L.
Published: May 2021

To reduce the spread of COVID-19 transmission, government agencies in the United States (US) recommended precautionary guidelines, including wearing masks and social distancing to encourage the prevention of the disease. However, compliance with these guidelines has been inconsistent. This correlational study examined whether individual differences in risky decision-making and motivational propensities predicted compliance with COVID-19 preventative behaviors in a sample of US adults (N= 404). Participants completed an online study from September through December 2020 that included a risky choice decision-making task, temporal discounting task, and measures of appropriate mask-wearing, social distancing, and perceived risk of engaging in public activities. Linear regression results indicated that greater temporal discounting and risky decision-making were associated with less appropriate mask-wearing behavior and social distancing. Additionally, demographic factors, including personal experience with COVID-19 and financial difficulties due to COVID-19, were also associated with differences in COVID-19 preventative behaviors. Path analysis results showed that risky decision-making behavior, temporal discounting, and risk perception collectively predicted 55% of the variance in appropriate mask-wearing behavior. Individual differences in general decision-making patterns are therefore highly predictive of who complies with COVID-19 prevention guidelines.
Stroke outcome assessment: Optimizing cutoff scores for the Longshi Scale, modified Rankin Scale and Barthel Index
Authors: Zhou Mingchao , Liu Xiangxiang , Zha Fubing , Liu Fang , Zhou Jing , Huang Meiling , Luo Wei , Li Weihao , Chen Yuan , Qu Sheng , Xue Kaiwen , Fu Wanqi , Wang Yulong
Published: May 2021

The Longshi Scale, a visual-based scale, is reliable and valid in activity assessment, but lacks cutoff definition corresponding to classical scales such as the modified Rankin Scale and Barthel Index. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationships of the Longshi Scale with the modified Rankin Scale and Barthel Index and optimize cutoff scores of these scales in stroke outcomes assessment. This is a cross-sectional study. Stroke patients were measured concurrently by the Longshi scale, modified Rankin Scale and Barthel Index. Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman correlation analysis were used to analyze the differences and associations among the three scales. The receiver operating characteristic curve was performed to determine the optimal cutoff scores. A total of 5475 stroke patients (67.3% ischemic) were included in this study. There are close relationships of the Longshi Scale with adjusted modified Rankin Scale and Barthel Index (r = -0.861, 0.922; p<0.001, <0.001; respectively). The activity levels assessed by adjusted modified Rankin Scale and Barthel Index among different Longshi scale grades were significantly different (χ2:4217.27, 4676.55; p<0.001, <0.001; respectively). The optimal cutoff scores were adjusted modified Rankin Scale 4, 3, 3, 3, 2 for Longshi scale grade 2 to 6 (sensitivity%: 96.12, 70.24, 89.10, 96.80, 86.23, specificity%: 72.72, 98.29, 93.81, 79.82, 92.89, respectively), and Barthel Index 15, 45, 60, 75, 80 for Longshi scale grade 2 to 6 (sensitivity%: 92.54, 89.28, 91.32, 90.30, 95.65, specificity%: 95.48, 89.51, 94.02, 90.41, 90.62, respectively). In conclusion, the classification of Longshi Scale is consistent with those of modified Rankin Scale and Barthel Index. We recommend the Longshi Scale as an effective supplement for modified Rankin Scale and Barthel Index in assessing the outcome in acute stroke patients.
Biogeography and ecology of Ostracoda in the U.S. northern Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas
Authors: Gemery Laura , Cronin Thomas M. , Cooper Lee W. , Dowsett Harry J. , Grebmeier Jacqueline M.
Published: May 2021

Ostracoda (bivalved Crustacea) comprise a significant part of the benthic meiofauna in the Pacific-Arctic region, including more than 50 species, many with identifiable ecological tolerances. These species hold potential as useful indicators of past and future ecosystem changes. In this study, we examined benthic ostracodes from nearly 300 surface sediment samples, >34,000 specimens, from three regions—the northern Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas—to establish species’ ecology and distribution. Samples were collected during various sampling programs from 1970 through 2018 on the continental shelves at 20 to ~100m water depth. Ordination analyses using species’ relative frequencies identified six species,Normanicythere leioderma,Sarsicytheridea bradii,Paracyprideis pseudopunctillata,Semicytherura complanata,Schizocythere ikeyai, andMunseyella mananensis, as having diagnostic habitat ranges in bottom water temperatures, salinities, sediment substrates and/or food sources. Species relative abundances and distributions can be used to infer past bottom environmental conditions in sediment archives for paleo-reconstructions and to characterize potential changes in Pacific-Arctic ecosystems in future sampling studies. Statistical analyses further showed ostracode assemblages grouped by the summer water masses influencing the area. Offshore-to-nearshore transects of samples across different water masses showed that complex water mass characteristics, such as bottom temperature, productivity, as well as sediment texture, influenced the relative frequencies of ostracode species over small spatial scales. On the larger biogeographic scale, synoptic ordination analyses showed dominant species—N.leioderma(Bering Sea),P.pseudopunctillata(offshore Chukchi and Beaufort Seas), andS.bradii(all regions)—remained fairly constant over recent decades. However, during 2013–2018, northern Pacific speciesM.mananensisandS.ikeyaiincreased in abundance by small but significant proportions in the Chukchi Sea region compared to earlier years. It is yet unclear if these assemblage changes signify a meiofaunal response to changing water mass properties and if this trend will continue in the future. Our new ecological data on ostracode species and biogeography suggest these hypotheses can be tested with future benthic monitoring efforts.
Risk factors for lactation mastitis in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Lai Bao-Yong , Yu Bo-Wen , Chu Ai-Jing , Liang Shi-Bing , Jia Li-Yan , Liu Jian-Ping , Fan Ying-Yi , Pei Xiao-Hua
Published: May 2021

Background

Lactation mastitis (LM) affects approximately 3% to 33% of postpartum women and the risk factors of LM have been extensively studied. However, some results in the literature reports are still not conclusive due to the complexity of LM etiology and variation in the populations. To provide nationally representative evidence of the well-accepted risk factors for LM in China, this study was aimed to systematically summary the risk factors for LM among Chinese women and to determine the effect size of individual risk factor.

Material and methods

Six major Chinses and English electronic literature databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wan fang Database and China Science Technology Journal Database) were searched from their inception to December 5st, 2020. Two authors extracted data and assessed the quality of included trials, independently. The strength of the association was summarized using the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). The population attributable risk (PAR) percent was calculated for significant risk factors.

Results

Fourteen studies involving 8032 participants were included. A total of 18 potential risk factors were eventually evaluated. Significant risk factors for LM included improper milking method (OR 6.79, 95%CI 3.45–13.34; PAR 59.14%), repeated milk stasis (OR 6.23, 95%CI 4.17–9.30; PAR 49.75%), the first six months postpartum (OR 5.11, 95%CI 2.66–9.82; PAR 65.93%), postpartum rest time less than 3 months (OR 4.71, 95%CI 3.92–5.65; PAR 56.95%), abnormal nipple or crater nipple (OR 3.94, 95%CI 2.34–6.63; PAR 42.05%), breast trauma (OR 3.07, 95%CI 2.17–4.33; PAR 15.98%), improper breastfeeding posture (OR 2.47, 95%CI 2.09–2.92; PAR 26.52%), postpartum prone sleeping position (OR 2.46, 95%CI 1.58–3.84; PAR 17.42%), little or no nipple cleaning (OR 2.05, 95%CI 1.58–2.65; PAR 24.73%), primipara (OR 1.73, 95%CI 1.25–2.41; PAR 32.62%), low education level (OR 1.63, 95%CI 1.09–2.43; PAR 23.29%), cesarean section (OR 1.51, 95%CI 1.26–1.81; PAR 18.61%), breast massage experience of non-medical staff (OR 1.51, 95%CI 1.25–1.82; PAR 15.31%) and postpartum mood disorders (OR 1.47, 95%CI 1.06–2.02; PAR 21.27%).

Conclusions

This review specified several important risk factors for LM in China. In particular, the incidence of LM can be reduced by controlling some of the modifiable risk factors such as improper breastfeeding posture, improper milking method, repeated milk stasis, nipple cleaning, breast massage experience of non-medical staff and postpartum sleeping posture.
Isolation of intact extracellular vesicles from cryopreserved samples
Authors: Tessier Shannon N. , Bookstaver Lauren D. , Angpraseuth Cindy , Stannard Cleo J. , Marques Beatriz , Ho Uyen K. , Muzikansky Alona , Aldikacti Berent , Reátegui Eduardo , Rabe Daniel C. , Toner Mehmet , Stott Shannon L.
Published: May 2021

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as promising candidates in biomarker discovery and diagnostics. Protected by the lipid bilayer, the molecular content of EVs in diverse biofluids are protected from RNases and proteases in the surrounding environment that may rapidly degrade targets of interests. Nonetheless, cryopreservation of EV-containing samples to -80°C may expose the lipid bilayer to physical and biological stressors which may result in cryoinjury and contribute to changes in EV yield, function, or molecular cargo. In the present work, we systematically evaluate the effect of cryopreservation at -80°C for a relatively short duration of storage (up to 12 days) on plasma- and media-derived EV particle count and/or RNA yield/quality, as compared to paired fresh controls. On average, we found that the plasma-derived EV concentration of stored samples decreased to 23% of fresh samples. Further, this significant decrease in EV particle count was matched with a corresponding significant decrease in RNA yield whereby plasma-derived stored samples contained only 47–52% of the total RNA from fresh samples, depending on the extraction method used. Similarly, media-derived EVs showed a statistically significant decrease in RNA yield whereby stored samples were 58% of the total RNA from fresh samples. In contrast, we did not obtain clear evidence of decreased RNA quality through analysis of RNA traces. These results suggest that samples stored for up to 12 days can indeed produce high-quality RNA; however, we note that when directly comparing fresh versus cryopreserved samples without cryoprotective agents there are significant losses in total RNA. Finally, we demonstrate that the addition of the commonly used cryoprotectant agent, DMSO, alongside greater control of the rate of cooling/warming, can rescue EVs from damaging ice formation and improve RNA yield.
Evaluation of the S-locus in Prunus domestica, characterization, phylogeny and 3D modelling
Authors: Fernandez i Marti Angel , Castro Sarah , DeJong Theodore M. , Dodd Richard S.
Published: May 2021

Self-compatibility has become the primary objective of most prune (Prunus domestica) breeding programs in order to avoid the problems related to the gametophytic self-incompatibility (GSI) system present in this crop. GSI is typically under the control of a specific locus., known as the S-locus., which contains at least two genes. The first gene encodes glycoproteins with RNase activity in the pistils., and the second is an SFB gene expressed in the pollen. There is limited information on genetics of SI/SC in prune and in comparison., with other Prunus species, cloning., sequencing and discovery of different S-alleles is very scarce. Clear information about S-alleles can be used for molecular identification and characterization of the S-haplotypes. We determined the S-alleles of 36 cultivars and selections using primers that revealed 17 new alleles. In addition, our study describes for the first time the association and design of a molecular marker for self-compatibility in P. domestica. Our phylogenetic tree showed that the S-alleles are spread across the phylogeny, suggesting that like previous alleles detected in the Rosaceae., they were of trans-specific origin. We provide for the first time 3D models for the P. domestica SI RNase alleles as well as in other Prunus species, including P. salicina (Japanese plum), P. avium (cherry), P. armeniaca (apricot), P. cerasifera and P. spinosa.
Mental-physical multimorbidity treatment adherence challenges in Brazilian primary care: A qualitative study with patients and their healthcare providers
Authors: Rzewuska Magdalena , Carolina Guidorizzi Zanetti Ana , Skea Zoë C. , Moscovici Leonardo , Almeida de Oliveira Camila , Mazzoncini de Azevedo-Marques João
Published: May 2021

Improved understanding of multimorbidity (MM) treatment adherence in primary health care (PHC) in Brazil is needed to achieve better healthcare and service outcomes. This study explored experiences of healthcare providers (HCP) and primary care patients (PCP) with mental-physical MM treatment adherence. Adults PCP with mental-physical MM and their primary care and community mental health care providers were recruited through maximum variation sampling from nine cities in São Paulo State, Southeast of Brazil. Experiences across quality domains of the Primary Care Assessment Tool-Brazil were explored through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 19 PCP and 62 HCP, conducted between April 2016 and April 2017. Through thematic conent analysis ten meta-themes concerning treatment adherence were developed: 1) variability and accessibility of treatment options available through PHC; 2) importance of coming to terms with a disease for treatment initation; 3) importance of person-centred communication for treatment initiation and maintenance; 4) information sources about received medication; 5) monitoring medication adherence; 6) taking medication unsafely; 7) perceived reasons for medication non-adherence; 8) most challenging health behavior change goals; 9) main motives for initiation or maintenance of treatment; 10) methods deployed to improve treatment adherence. Our analysis has advanced the understanding of complexity inherent to treatment adherence in mental-physical MM and revealed opportunities for improvement and specific solutions to effect adherence in Brazil. Our findings can inform research efforts to transform MM care through optimization.
A comprehensive swarming intelligent method for optimizing deep learning-based object detection by unmanned ground vehicles
Authors: Xu Qian , Wang Gang , Li Ying , Shi Ling , Li Yaxin
Published: May 2021

Unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) are an important research application of artificial intelligence. In particular, the deep learning-based object detection method is widely used in UGV-based environmental perception. Good experimental results are achieved by the deep learning-based object detection method Faster region-based convolutional neural network (Faster R-CNN). However, the exploration space of the region proposal network (RPN) is restricted by its expression. In our paper, a boosted RPN (BRPN) with three improvements is developed to solve this problem. First, a novel enhanced pooling network is designed in this paper. Therefore, the BRPN can adapt to objects with different shapes. Second, the expression of BRPN loss function is improved to learn the negative samples. Furthermore, the grey wolf optimizer (GWO) is used to optimize the parameters of the improved BRPN loss function. Thereafter, the performance of the BRPN loss function is promoted. Third, a novel GA-SVM classifier is applied to strengthen the classification capacity. The PASCAL VOC 2007, VOC 2012 and KITTI datasets are used to test the BRPN. Consequently, excellent experimental results are obtained by our deep learning-based object detection method.
Three pre-vaccine responses to Covid-like epidemics
Authors: Young Lai-Sang , Danial Zach
Published: May 2021

This paper contains a theoretical study of epidemic control. It is inspired by current events but not intended to be an accurate depiction of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We consider the emergence of a highly transmissible pathogen, focusing on metropolitan areas. To ensure some degree of realism, we present a conceptual model of the outbreak and early attempts to stave off the onslaught, including the use of lockdowns. Model outputs show strong qualitative—in some respects even quantitative—resemblance to the events of Spring 2020 in many cities worldwide. We then use this model to project forward in time to examine different paths in epidemic control after the initial surge is tamed and before the arrival of vaccines. Three very different control strategies are analyzed, leading to vastly different outcomes in terms of economic recovery and total infected population (or progress toward herd immunity). Our model, which is a version of the SEIQR model, is a time-dependent dynamical system with feedback-control. One of the main conclusions of this analysis is that the course of the epidemic is not entirely dictated by the virus: how the population responds to it can play an equally important role in determining the eventual outcome.
Strawberry fruit skins are far more permeable to osmotic water uptake than to transpirational water loss
Authors: Hurtado Grecia , Grimm Eckhard , Brüggenwirth Martin , Knoche Moritz
Published: May 2021

Water movements through the fruit skin play critical roles in many disorders of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) such as water soaking, cracking and shriveling. The objective was to identify the mechanisms of fruit water loss (dry skin, transpiration) and water uptake (wet skin, osmosis). Fruits were held above dried silica gel or incubated in deionized water. Water movements were quantified gravimetrically. Transpiration and osmotic uptake increased linearly with time. Abrading the thin cuticle (0.62 g m-2) increased rates of transpiration 2.6–fold, the rates of osmotic uptake 7.9-fold. The osmotic potential of the expressed juice was nearly the same for green and for white fruit but decreased in red fruit stages. Fruit turgor was low throughout development, except for green fruit. There was no relationship between the rates of water movement and fruit osmotic potential. The skin permeance for transpiration and for osmotic uptake were both high (relative to other fruit species) but were two orders of magnitude greater for osmotic uptake than for transpiration. Incubating fruit in isotonic solutions of osmolytes of different sizes resulted in increases in fruit mass that depended on the osmolyte. The rate of osmotic uptake decreased asymptotically as molecular size of the osmolyte increased. When transpiration and osmotic uptake experiments were conducted sequentially on the same fruit, the rates of transpiration were higher for fruit previously incubated in water. Fluorescence microscopy revealed considerable microcracking in a fruit previously incubated in water. Our findings indicate that the high permeance for osmotic uptake is accounted for by an extremely thin cuticle and by viscous water flow through microcracks and along polar pathways.
Difficulties in reporting purpose and dosage of prescribed medications are associated with poor cognition and depression
Authors: Zipprich Hannah M. , Prell Tino
Published: May 2021

Knowledge on prescribed medication is important for medication adherence. We determined the presence of cognitive impairment in neurological patients who report not to know reasons and dosages of their medication. Data from 350 patients were collected: sociodemographic data, German Stendal Adherence to Medication Score (SAMS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Eighty-eight (29.0%) patients did not know the reasons for taking their prescribed medication and 83 (27.4%) did not know the doses. Sixty-three (20.8%) knew neither reasons nor dosage. The latter were characterized by higher nonadherence, higher number of prescribed medication per day, lower MoCA, higher BDI, and had more often a lower education level compared with patients who knew the reasons. The MANOVA revealed a significant multivariate effect for not knowing the reasons and not knowing the dosages of medication on MoCA and BDI. Significant univariate effects for not knowing reasons were found for depressive mood, but not for cognitive performance. Significant univariate effects for not knowing dosages were found for cognitive performance, but not for depressive mood. Inaccurate medication reporting is not solely associated with cognitive problems, but also with depression, which has to be taken into account in daily practice and research.
TweepFake: About detecting deepfake tweets
Authors: Fagni Tiziano , Falchi Fabrizio , Gambini Margherita , Martella Antonio , Tesconi Maurizio
Published: May 2021

The recent advances in language modeling significantly improved the generative capabilities of deep neural models: in 2019 OpenAI released GPT-2, a pre-trained language model that can autonomously generate coherent, non-trivial and human-like text samples. Since then, ever more powerful text generative models have been developed. Adversaries can exploit these tremendous generative capabilities to enhance social bots that will have the ability to write plausibledeepfakemessages, hoping to contaminate public debate. To prevent this, it is crucial to develop deepfake social media messages detection systems. However, to the best of our knowledge no one has ever addressed the detection of machine-generated texts on social networks like Twitter or Facebook. With the aim of helping the research in this detection field, we collected the first dataset ofrealdeepfake tweets,TweepFake. It isrealin the sense that each deepfake tweet was actually posted on Twitter. We collected tweets from a total of 23 bots, imitating 17 human accounts. The bots are based on various generation techniques, i.e., Markov Chains, RNN, RNN+Markov, LSTM, GPT-2. We also randomly selected tweets from the humans imitated by the bots to have an overall balanced dataset of 25,572 tweets (half human and half bots generated). The dataset is publicly available on Kaggle. Lastly, we evaluated 13 deepfake text detection methods (based on various state-of-the-art approaches) to both demonstrate the challenges that Tweepfake poses and create a solid baseline of detection techniques. We hope that TweepFake can offer the opportunity to tackle the deepfake detection on social media messages as well.
Pbp1, the yeast ortholog of human Ataxin-2, functions in the cell growth on non-fermentable carbon sources
Authors: Tuong Vi Dang Thi , Fujii Shiori , Valderrama Arvin Lapiz , Ito Ayaka , Matsuura Eri , Nishihata Ayaka , Irie Kaoru , Suda Yasuyuki , Mizuno Tomoaki , Irie Kenji
Published: May 2021

Pbp1, the yeast ortholog of human Ataxin-2, was originally isolated as a poly(A) binding protein (Pab1)-binding protein. Pbp1 regulates the Pan2-Pan3 deadenylase complex, thereby modulating the mRNA stability and translation efficiency. However, the physiological significance of Pbp1 remains unclear since a yeast strain harboring PBP1 deletion grows similarly to wild-type strain on normal glucose-containing medium. In this study, we found that Pbp1 has a role in cell growth on the medium containing non-fermentable carbon sources. While the pbp1Δ mutant showed a similar growth compared to the wild-type cell on a normal glucose-containing medium, the pbp1Δ mutant showed a slower growth on the medium containing glycerol and lactate. Microarray analyses revealed that expressions of the genes involved in gluconeogenesis, such as PCK1 and FBP1, and of the genes involved in mitochondrial function, such as COX10 and COX11, were decreased in the pbp1Δ mutant. Pbp1 regulated the expressions of PCK1 and FBP1 via their promoters, while the expressions of COX10 and COX11 were regulated by Pbp1, not through their promoters. The decreased expressions of COX10 and COX11 in the pbp1Δ mutant were recovered by the loss of Dcp1 decapping enzyme or Xrn1 5’-3’exonuclease. Our results suggest that Pbp1 regulates the expressions of the genes involved in gluconeogenesis and mitochondrial function through multiple mechanisms.
Blue justice: A survey for eliciting perceptions of environmental justice among coastal planners’ and small-scale fishers in Northern-Norway
Authors: Engen Sigrid , Hausner Vera Helene , Gurney Georgina G. , Broderstad Else Grete , Keller Rose , Lundberg Aase Kristine , Murguzur Francisco Javier Ancin , Salminen Emma , Raymond Christopher M. , Falk-Andersson Jannike , Fauchald Per
Published: May 2021

Ocean-based economic development arising from an increasing interest in the ‘blue economy’ is placing ecosystems and small-scale fisheries under pressure. The dominant policy response for dealing with multiple uses is the allocation of coastal space through coastal zone planning (CZP). Recent studies have shown that the rush to develop the blue economy and regulate coastal activity can result in social injustices and the exclusion of less powerful and unrecognized groups (e.g., small-scale fishers, women, Indigenous peoples and youth). To achieve a primary goal of the 2030 sustainable development agenda to “leave no one behind”, it is important to understand the implications of coastal planning and development for these groups. Here, we present a social survey protocol for examining perceptions of justice related to small-scale fisheries (SSF) in the context of the blue economy in coastal areas. Specifically, we designed the survey instrument and sampling protocol to assess whether decisions about the use of the coastal zone over the last five years have i) followed principles of good governance, ii) recognized fishers’ knowledge, culture and rights and iii) been attentive to impacts of changed coastal zone use on fisheries. The survey will engage coastal planners (N = app. 120) and fishers (N = app. 4300) in all the coastal municipalities (N = 81) in Northern-Norway. The sampling protocol is designed to ensure representation of different sectors of society, including those defined by gender, age, ethnicity and occupation (e.g., small-scale fishers, large-scale fishers, coastal planners).
Molecular characterization of leaf spot caused by Alternaria alternata on buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus L.) and determination of pathogenicity by a novel disease rating scale
Authors: Abbas Muhammad Fahim , Rafiq Muhammad , Al-Sadi Abdullah M. , Alfarraj Saleh , Alharbi Sulaiman Ali , Arif Muhammad , Ansari Mohammad Javed
Published: May 2021

The buttonwood (Conocarpus erectusL.) is a mangrove shrub belonging toCombretaceaefamily. It mostly grows on the shorelines oftropicalandsubtropicalregions in the world. It was introduced to Lasbela University of Water, Agriculture & Marine Sciences (LUWMS), Uthal, Baluchistan as an ornamental plant as it grows well under harsh, temperate and saline conditions. During a routine survey, typical leaf spot symptoms were observed on the leaves of buttonwood plants. A disease severity scale for alternaria leaf spot of buttonwood was developed for the first time through this study. Disease severity according to the scale was 38.97%. The microscopic characterizations was accomplished for the identification ofAlternaria alternataand Koch’s postulates were employed to determine the pathogenicity. For molecular identification, 650 bp internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions (ITS1, 5.8s and ITS2) were amplified from three representative isolates (LUAWMS1, LUAWMS2 and LUAWMS3) through polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The nucleotide sequences from ITS regions of the isolates were submitted to NCBI with GenBank accession numbers MW585375, MW585376 and MW585377, respectively. The phylogenetic tree of 22A.alternataisolates was computed and representative isolates exhibited 99.98% genetic similarity with mangroves ecosystem isolates. This study reports the incidence of alternaria leaf spot of buttonwood at LUWMS for the first time. It is suspected that the disease may spread further. Therefore, effective management strategies should be opted to halt the further spread of the disease.
Intra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome in the critically ill liver cirrhotic patient–prevalence and clinical outcomes. A multicentric retrospective cohort study in intensive care
Authors: Pereira Rui , Buglevski Maria , Perdigoto Rui , Marcelino Paulo , Saliba Faouzi , Blot Stijn , Starkopf Joel
Published: May 2021

Background

Liver cirrhosis and ascites are risk factors for intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS); however, data is scarce. We aimed to determine the prevalence of IAH/ACS in a population of critically ill cirrhotic patients with acute medical illness in intensive care and to assess for risk factors and clinical outcomes.

Methods

This was a multicentric retrospective cohort study including two general ICUs and pooled data from a multicentric study between January 2009 and October 2019.

Results

A total of 9,345 patients were screened, and 95 were included in the analysis. Mean age was 56.7±1.3 years, and 79% were male. Liver cirrhosis etiology included alcohol in 45.3% and alcohol plus hepatitis C virus in 9.5%. Precipitating events included infection in 26% and bleeding in 21% of cases. Mean severity score MELD and SAPS II were 26.2±9.9 and 48.5±15.3, respectively, at ICU admission. The prevalence of IAH and ACS was respectively 82.1% and 23.2% with a mean value of maximum IAP of 16.0±5.7 mmHg and IAH grades: absent 17.9%, I 26.3%, II 33.7%, III 17.9%, and IV 4.2%. Independent risk factors for IAH were alcoholic cirrhosis (p = 0.01), West-Haven score (p = 0.01), and PaO2/FiO2 ratio (p = 0.02); as well as infection (p = 0.048) for ACS. Overall, 28-day mortality was 52.6% associated with higher IAP and ACS, and independent risk factors were MELD (p = 0.001), white blood cell count (p = 0.03), PaO2/FiO2 ratio (p = 0.03), and lactate concentration (p = 0.04) at ICU admission.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates a very high prevalence of IAH/ACS in the critically ill cirrhotic patient in intensive care. Increased IAP and ACS were associated with severity of disease and adverse outcomes and independent risk factors for IAH were alcoholic cirrhosis, hepatic encephalopathy and PO2/FiO2 ratio, as well as infection for ACS. Early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of IAH/ACS might improve outcome in critically ill cirrhotic patients.
SARS-CoV-2 infection in cystic fibrosis: A multicentre prospective study with a control group, Italy, February-July 2020
Authors: Colombo Carla , Alicandro Gianfranco , Daccó Valeria , Gagliano Vanessa , Morlacchi Letizia Corinna , Casciaro Rosaria , Pisi Giovanna , Francalanci Michela , Badolato Raffaele , Bignamini Elisabetta , Messore Barbara , Lucanto Maria Cristina , Leonetti Giuseppina , Maschio Massimo , Cipolli Marco ,   on behalf of the Italian Cystic Fibrosis Society (SIFC) Study Group for COVID-19
Published: May 2021

Objective

To describe the symptoms and clinical course of SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).

Methods

We carried out a prospective multicentre cohort study based on 32 CF centres and 6597 patients. Centres were contacted to collect baseline and follow-up data of patients who reported symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 or who had contact with a positive/suspected case between the end of February and July 2020. Symptoms and clinical course of the infection were compared between patients who tested positive by molecular testing (cases) and those who tested negative (controls).

Results

Thirty patients were reported from the centres, 16 of them tested positive and 14 tested negative. No differences in symptoms and outcome of the disease were observed between groups. Fever, cough, asthenia and dyspnea were the most frequently reported symptoms. Eight cases (50%) were hospitalized but none required ICU admission. Two adults with a history of lung transplant required non-invasive ventilation, none required ICU admission and all patients fully recovered without short-term sequelae.

Conclusions

The course of SARS-CoV-2 in our patients was relatively favorable. However, COVID-19 should not be considered a mild disease in CF patients, particularly for those with severely impaired respiratory function and organ transplant.
Does blood type affect the COVID-19 infection pattern?
Authors: Miotto Mattia , Di Rienzo Lorenzo , Gosti Giorgio , Milanetti Edoardo , Ruocco Giancarlo
Published: May 2021

Among the many aspects that characterize the COVID-19 pandemic, two seem particularly challenging to understand: i) the great geographical differences in the degree of virus contagiousness and lethality that were found in the different phases of the epidemic progression, and, ii) the potential role of the infected people’s blood type in both the virus infectivity and the progression of the disease. A recent hypothesis could shed some light on both aspects. Specifically, it has been proposed that, in the subject-to-subject transfer, SARS-CoV-2 conserves on its capsid the erythrocytes’ antigens of the source subject. Thus these conserved antigens can potentially cause an immune reaction in a receiving subject that has previously acquired specific antibodies for the source subject antigens. This hypothesis implies a blood type-dependent infection rate. The strong geographical dependence of the blood type distribution could be, therefore, one of the factors at the origin of the observed heterogeneity in the epidemics spread. Here, we present an epidemiological deterministic model where the infection rules based on blood types are taken into account, and we compare our model outcomes with the exiting worldwide infection progression data. We found an overall good agreement, which strengthens the hypothesis that blood types do play a role in the COVID-19 infection.
Predictive variables of prescription opioid misuse in patients with chronic noncancer pain. Development of a risk detection scale: A registered report protocol
Authors: Ramírez-Maestre Carmen , López-Martínez Alicia E. , Esteve Rosa
Published: May 2021

Background

Opioid therapy is utilized for a broad range of chronic pain conditions. Several studies have highlighted the adverse effects of opioid medication due to the misuse of these drugs. The gradual increase in the use of opioids has become a global phenomenon and is generating social concern. Several treatment guidelines have strongly recommended assessing the risks and benefits of pharmacological treatment with opioids. These guidelines also recommend the psychological assessment of patients with chronic noncancer pain in order to make informed decisions on the advisability of intervention with opioids. Some authors have emphasized the relevance of assessing the risk of opioid misuse in patients with noncancer chronic pain before initiating treatment.

Methods and analysis

Two studies will be conducted, each with a different primary objective. The primary objective of the first study (Study 1) will be to conduct a comprehensive investigation to identify the factors most closely associated with subsequent opioid misuse; and based on the results of Study 1, the primary objective of the second study (Study 2) will be to develop a brief, reliable, valid, and useful instrument that would enable health care providers to make decisions on opioid prescription and on the required level of monitoring and follow-up. These decisions would have positive consequences for patient wellbeing. Study 1 will include a logistic regression analysis to test the hypothetical model. Study 2 will have a longitudinal design and include three assessment sessions in order to develop a measure to assess the risk of prescribed opioid misuse and to analyse its reliability and validity. Participants will be individuals with chronic noncancer pain attending three Pain Units. These individuals will either be undergoing pharmacological treatment that includes opioid analgesics (Study 1, N = 400) or are going to commence such treatment (Study 2, N = 250).
Studies of involvement of G-protein coupled receptor-3 in cannabidiol effects on inflammatory responses of mouse primary astrocytes and microglia
Authors: Wu Jun , Chen Nu , Liu Yongqing , Godlewski Grzegorz , Kaplan Henry J. , Shrader Sarah H. , Song Zhao-Hui , Shao Hui
Published: May 2021

Cannabidiol (CBD) exhibits anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties and is suggested to be effective in the pre-clinical and clinical treatment of illnesses of the central nervous system (CNS). Two major types of CNS glial cells, astrocytes and microglia, play critical roles in the development and pathogenesis of CNS diseases. However, the mechanisms by which CBD plays an anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective role for these glial cells have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we examined the effects of CBD on the inflammatory response of mouse primary astrocytes and microglia. We also investigated whether the effect of CBD on cytokine release is mediated by the G protein coupled receptor 3 (GPR3), which was recently identified as a novel receptor for CBD. Our results showed that CBD inhibited inflammatory responses of astrocytes and microglia stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), a Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) ligand in vitro and in vivo. In addition, CBD reduced the phosphorylation of STAT3 and NF-κB signaling pathways in LPS-stimulated astrocytes. However, the inhibitory effect of CBD on pro-inflammatory cytokine production was independent of GPR3 expression in both types of glial cells. Thus, although CBD is effective in ameliorating the activation of astrocytes and microglia, its mechanism of action still requires further study. Our data support the concept that CBD may have therapeutic potential for neurological disorders that involve neuroinflammation.
Time consumption for non-conveyed patients within emergency medical services (EMS): A one-year prospective descriptive and comparative study in a region of Sweden
Authors: Malm Frida , Elfström Annika , Ohlsson-Nevo Emma , Höglund Erik
Published: May 2021

Introduction

Over time, ambulance assignments have increased in number both nationally and internationally, and a substantial proportion of patients encountered by emergency medical services are assessed as not being in need of services. Non-conveying patients has become a way for emergency medical services clinicians to meet this increasing workload. It has been shown that ambulances can be made available sooner if patients are non-conveyed, but there is no previous research describing the factors that influence the non-conveyance time.

Study objective

To describe ambulance time consumption and the factors that influence time consumption when patients are non-conveyed.

Methods

A prospective observational review of 2615 non-conveyed patients’ ambulance and hospital medical records was conducted using a consecutive sample. Data were analysed with the Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test and Spearman’s rank correlation (rho) for linear correlations.

Results

The mean NC time for all ambulance assignments during the study period was 26 minutes, with a median of 25 minutes. The shortest NC time was 4 minutes, and the longest NC time was 73 minutes. NC times were significantly faster during the day than at night.

Conclusions

This study provides new knowledge about time consumption when patients are non-conveyed. Although there are time differences when patients are non-conveyed, the differences observed in this study are small and not of clinical value. Ambulances will most often become available sooner if patients are non-conveyed. Although patients might be eligible for non-conveyance, policy-makers might have to decide when it is appropriate to non-convey patients from time, resource, patient safety and patient-centred care perspectives.
Finding balance: Nostalgia in Star Wars transmedia
Authors: Kinder Elizabeth
Published: May 2021

Nostalgia is a necessary element of Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008–20) and the ‘new’ Star Wars comics (Marvel, 2015–19), recent serial narratives in the ever-expanding transmedia Star Wars universe. The anticipation (and consequential reception) of these works is, in part, driven by nostalgia: the original Star Wars film, A New Hope, was released in 1977 and as the series has expanded in the decades since, in film and other media, nostalgia has become ingrained within the fandom as audiences are invited to repeatedly return to ‘a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away’. As a result of decades of content, there is a sense of ‘ownership’ amongst the fandom and, at times, a resistance to new content that attempts to ‘weaponize’ nostalgia as a marketing tool, such as in the ‘Sequel Trilogy’ (2015, 2017, 2019). The Clone Wars, first mentioned in A New Hope, is set between two Star Wars (Prequel) films that feature key events in the overall saga, while the Star Wars comics take place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back (1980). The Clone Wars and the Star Wars comics succeed where the sequels (and prequels) arguably do not because they use nostalgia to serialize and capitalize on transmedia, allowing the audience to revisit characters and narrative events that have already been established for decades. Both works allow for character and narrative development between two fixed (cinematic) points in the story canon, with the spaces in between and around those points that frame their place in the Star Wars universe allowing for rich exploration.
Idiomaticidad e idiomatización en traducción literaria
Authors: González-Rey María Isabel
Published: May 2021

Traducir la idiomaticidad de un texto en otra lengua requiere del traductor un procedimiento fraseotraductológico basado en la idiomatización. Idiomatizar el texto meta (texto B) no consiste solamente en fraseologizarlo, es decir, respetar en la lengua de destino el sistema fraseológico de la lengua de origen (texto A), sino también en tener en cuenta el resto de las combinaciones que componen el texto, tanto libres como creadas por el autor. En este estudio, abordaremos pues la idiomaticidad de un texto literario, el género más resistente, en el proceso traductivo, a la fraseologización pero no necesariamente a la idiomatización. Para ello, partiremos de un estudio idiomatológico del texto A, distinguiendo, desde las máximas de desviación y elección, tres principios de combinabilidad (libre, lexicalizada y creativa) que dan lugar a cuatro tipos de construcciones (co-creaciones, unidades fraseológicas, contra-creaciones y creaciones afines) que soportarán, en el proceso traductivo, un tratamiento que garantice la misma densidad idiomática en el texto B. Lo haremos dentro de una rama de la fraseología aplicada, la fraseotraductología, entendida como aquella que se ocupa de la traducción de la idiomaticidad de un texto. Para ello, ofreceremos las pautas de un modelo fraseotraductológico que se aplicará a un pasaje del libro El Alquimista de Pablo Coelho en el par de lenguas portugués-español.