bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of donor and recipient sex on outcomes following simultaneous pancreas–kidney transplantation in the new millennium: Single‐center experience and review of the literature
Authors: Coffman David , Jay Colleen L. , Sharda Berjesh , Garner Matthew , Farney Alan C. , Orlando Giuseppe , Reeves‐Daniel Amber , Mena‐Gutierrez Alejandra , Sakhovskaya Natalia , Stratta Robert , Stratta Robert J.
Published: November 2022

Introduction

The influence of sex on outcomes following simultaneous pancreas–kidney transplantation (SPKT) in the modern era is uncertain.

Methods

We retrospectively studied 255 patients undergoing SPKT from 11/2001 to 8/2020. Cases were stratified according to donor (D) sex, recipient (R) sex, 4 D/R sex categories, and D/R sex‐matched versus mismatched.

Results

D‐male was associated with slightly higher patient (p = .08) and kidney (p = .002) but not pancreas (p = .23) graft survival rates (GSR) compared to D‐female. There were no differences in recipient outcomes other than slightly higher pancreas thrombosis (8% R‐female vs. 4.2% R‐male, p = .28) and early relaparotomy rates in female recipients (38% R‐female vs. 29% R‐male, p = .14). When analyzing the 4 D/R sex categories, the two D‐male groups had higher kidney GSRs compared to the two D‐female groups (p = .01) whereas early relaparotomy and pancreas thrombosis rates were numerically higher in the D‐female/R‐female group compared to the other three groups. Finally, there were no significant differences in outcomes between sex‐matched and sex‐mismatched groups although overall survival outcomes were lower with female donors irrespective of recipient sex.

Conclusions

The influence of D/R sex following SPKT is subject to multiple confounding issues but survival rates appear to be higher in D‐male/R‐male and lower in D‐female/R‐male categories.
Congenital esophageal diverticulum with bronchoesophageal fistula treated with diverticular peroral endoscopic myotomy
Authors: Wang Yating , Mi Jianwei , Zhao Dongqiang
Published: November 2022

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Detection of colorectal adenomas with texture and color enhancement imaging: Multicenter observational study
Authors: Sakamoto Taku , Ikematsu Hiroaki , Tamai Naoto , Mizuguchi Yasuhiko , Takamaru Hiroyuki , Murano Tatsuro , Shinmura Kensuke , Sasabe Maasa , Furuhashi Hiroto , Sumiyama Kazuki , Saito Yutaka
Published: November 2022

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of texture and color enhancement imaging (TXI), which allows the acquisition of brighter images with enhanced color and surface structure in colorectal polyp detection compared to white light imaging.

Methods

Patients who underwent colonoscopy with repeated ascending colon observation using TXI and white light imaging between August 2020 and January 2021 were identified in three institutions. The outcomes included the mean number of adenomas detected per procedure (MAP), adenoma detection rate (ADR), and ascending colonic adenoma miss rate (Ac‐AMR). Logistic regression was used to determine the effects of the variables on the outcomes.

Results

We included 1043 lesions from 470 patients in the analysis. The MAP, ADR, flat polyp detection rate, and Ac‐AMR in TXI and white light imaging were 1.5% (95% confidence interval 1.3–1.6%) vs. 1.0% (0.9–1.1%), 58.2% (51.7–64.6%) vs. 46.8% (40.2–53.4%), 66.2% (59.8–72.2%) vs. 49.8% (43.2–56.4%), and 17.9% (12.1–25.2%) vs. 28.2% (20.0–37.6%), respectively. TXI, age, withdrawal time, and endoscopy type were identified as significant factors affecting the MAP and the ADR using multivariate regression analysis.

Conclusions

Our study indicates that TXI improve the detection of colorectal neoplastic lesions. However, prospective randomized trials are required to confirm these findings.
Cell proliferation and neurogenesis in the adult telencephalon of the newt Cynops pyrrhogaster
Authors: Iwasa Ami , Hanaoka Naoki , Ohwada Kosuke , Iwamuro Shawichi , Toyoda Fumiyo , Kikuyama Sakae , Hasunuma Itaru
Published: November 2022

Urodele amphibians have the ability to regenerate several organs, including the brain. For this reason, the research on neurogenesis in these species after ablation of some parts of the brain has markedly progressed. However, detailed information on the characteristics and fate of proliferated cells as well as the function of newly generated neurons under normal conditions is still limited. In this study, we focused on investigating the proliferative and neurogenic zones as well as the fate of proliferated cells in the adult brain of the Japanese red‐bellied newt to clarify the significance of neurogenesis in adulthood. We found that the proximal region of the lateral ventricles in the telencephalon and the preoptic area in the diencephalon were the main sites for continuous cell proliferation in the adult brain. Furthermore, we characterized proliferative cells and analyzed neurogenesis through a combination of 5‐ethynyl‐2′‐deoxyuridine (EdU) labeling and immunohistochemistry using antibodies against the stem cell marker Sox2 and neuronal marker NeuN. Twenty‐four hours after EdU injection, most of the EdU‐positive cells were Sox2‐immunopositive, whereas, EdU‐positive signals and NeuN‐immunoreactivities were not colocalized. Two months after EdU injection, the colocalization ratio of EdU‐positive signals with Sox2‐immunoreactivities decreased to approximately 10%, whereas the ratio of colocalization of EdU‐positive signals with NeuN‐immunoreactivities increased to approximately 60%. Furthermore, a portion of the EdU‐incorporated cells developed into γ‐aminobutyric acid‐producing cells, which are assumed to function as interneurons. On the basis of these results, the significance of newly generated neurons was discussed with special reference to their reproductive behavior.
Producing a preference‐based quality of LIFE measure to quantify the impact of HYPOGLYCAEMIA on people living with diabetes: A mixed‐methods research protocol
Authors: Carlton Jill , Powell Philip , Rowen Donna , Broadley Melanie , Pouwer Frans , Speight Jane , Heller Simon , Gall Mari‐Anne , Rosilio Myriam , Child Christopher J. , Comins Jonathan , McCrimmon Rory J. , de Galan Bastiaan , Brazier John ,   Hypo‐RESOLVE CONSORTIUM
Published: November 2022

Background

Assessment of patient‐reported outcome measures (PROMs), including quality of life (QoL), is essential in diabetes research and care. However, a recent review concluded that current hypoglycaemia‐specific PROMs have limited evidence of validity, reliability and responsiveness for assessing the impact of hypoglycaemia on QoL in people living with diabetes. None of the PROMs identified could be used directly to inform the cost‐effectiveness of treatments and interventions. There is a need for a new hypoglycaemia‐specific QoL PROM, which can be used directly to inform economic evaluations.

Aims

This project has three aims: (a) To develop draft PROM content for measuring the impact of hypoglycaemia on QoL in adults with diabetes. (b) To refine the draft content using cognitive debriefing interviews and psychometrics. This will result in a condition‐specific PROM that can be used to quantify the impact of hypoglycaemia upon QoL. (c) To generate a preference‐based measure (PBM) that will enable utility values to be calculated for economic evaluation.

Methods

A mixed‐methods, three‐stage design is used: (a) Qualitative interviews will inform the draft PROM content. (b) Cognitive debriefing interview data will be used to refine the draft PROM content. The PROM will be administered in a large‐scale survey to enable psychometric validation. Final item selection for the PROM will be informed by psychometric performance, translatability assessment and input from stakeholder groups. (c) A classification system will be generated, comprising a reduced number of items from the PROM. A valuation survey will be conducted to derive a value set for the PBM.
Metabolic predictors of pain, fatigue, depression and quality of life in people with long‐term type 1 diabetes—the Dialong study
Authors: Molvær Anne Karin , Iversen Marjolein M. , Igland Jannicke , Peyrot Mark , Tell Grethe S. , Holte Kristine Bech , Monnier Vincent M. , Seljeflot Ingebjørg , Berg Tore Julsrud
Published: November 2022

Aim

To examine associations of metabolic parameters (mean 30 years' time‐weighted HbA1c and low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol [LDL‐c], current methionine sulfoxide [MetSO], advanced glycation end products [AGEs], inflammatory markers and hypoglycaemia) with pain, fatigue, depression and quality of life (QoL) in people with long‐term type 1 diabetes.

Methods

A total of 104 persons with type 1 diabetes ≥45 years duration were included. Participants completed questionnaires measuring bodily pain (RAND‐36 bodily pain domain with lower scores indicate higher levels of bodily pain), fatigue (Fatigue Questionnaire), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire), overall QoL (World Health Organization Quality of Life—BREF) and diabetes‐related QoL (Audit of Diabetes‐Dependent Quality of Life). In this observational study, mean time‐weighted HbA1c and LDL‐c were calculated based on longitudinal measures obtained from medical records of up to 34 years, while current HbA1c, LDL‐c and inflammatory markers were analysed in blood samples and collagen MetSO and AGEs in skin biopsies. History of hypoglycaemia was self reported. Associations between metabolic parameters and questionnaire scores were analysed using linear regression analyses and are reported as standardized regression coefficients (beta).

Results

Of the metabolic variables, higher mean time‐weighted HbA1c was associated with higher levels of bodily pain and total fatigue (beta [p‐value]) −0.3 (<0.001) and 0.2 (0.001).

Conclusions

Long‐term chronic hyperglycaemia may have a negative influence on pain and fatigue in people with type 1 diabetes. These results may assist health care workers in emphasizing the importance of strict glycaemic control in people with diabetes and identifying and treating type 1 diabetes‐related pain and fatigue.
Centris pallida(Hymenoptera: Apidae) male body size decreases across five decades
Authors: Barrett Meghan , Johnson Meredith G.
Published: November 2022

Historical data suggest that many bee species have declined in body size. Larger‐bodied bees with narrow phenological and dietary breadth are most prone to declines in body size over time. This may be especially true in solitary, desert‐adapted species that are vulnerable to climate change such asCentris pallida(Hymenoptera: Apidae). In addition, body size changes in species with size‐linked behaviours could threaten the prevalence of certain behavioural phenotypes long‐term.C. pallidasolitary bees are found in the Sonoran Desert. Males use alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs) and are dimorphic in both morphology and behaviour.C. pallidamale body size has been studied since the 1970s in the same population. The authors collected body size data in 2022 and combined it with published records from 1974–2022. The authors find a persistent decline in the mean head width of patrolling males, and shifts towards smaller body sizes in the populations of males found foraging and hovering. Both morphs declined in average body size, and the proportion of large‐morph males in the population decreased by 8%. Mating males did not decline in mean body size over the last five decades. The authors discuss hypotheses related to the decline inC. pallidamale head width. Finally, the authors advocate forC. pallidaas an excellent study system for understanding the stability of ARTs with size‐linked behavioural phenotypes.
Cost‐effectiveness of recombinant factor VIII Fc versus emicizumab for prophylaxis in adults and adolescents with haemophilia A without inhibitors in the UK
Authors: Kragh Nana , Tytula Anna , Pochopien Michał , Aballéa Samuel , Toumi Mondher , Hakimi Zalmai , Nazir Jameel , Bystrická Linda , Fatoye Francis
Published: November 2022

Introduction

The economic and clinical burden of haemophilia A is high. Primary prophylaxis with factor VIII replacement therapy is the recognised standard of care, but the emergence of non‐factor therapies, such as emicizumab, is extending treatment options for people with haemophilia A.

Aim

There are currently no direct comparisons of efficacy or cost between recombinant factor FVIII Fc‐fusion protein efmoroctocog alfa (a recombinant factor FVIII Fc‐fusion protein referred to herein as rFVIIIFc) and emicizumab; therefore, a cost‐effectiveness model was developed to compare prophylactic treatment with rFVIIIFc versus emicizumab in patients with haemophilia A without inhibitors in the UK.

Methods

The cost‐effectiveness model was based on a matching‐adjusted indirect comparison and included male patients, aged ≥12 years, with haemophilia A without inhibitors. The model was designed as a Markov process with a flexible lifelong time horizon, and cost‐effectiveness was presented as an incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio. Base‐case analysis and sensitivity analyses (including scenario analyses, one‐way deterministic sensitivity analysis [DSA] and probability sensitivity analysis [PSA]) were performed using the following treatment strategies: individualised prophylaxis with rFVIIIFc and prophylaxis with emicizumab administered once weekly (scenario analyses used regimens of once every 2 weeks or once every 4 weeks).

Results

Base‐case analysis, DSA and PSA indicated that, compared with emicizumab administered once weekly, rFVIIIFc individualised prophylaxis was the dominant treatment strategy, with lower costs, a greater number of quality‐adjusted life years, and a lower number of bleeds.

Conclusions

rFVIIIFc has proven efficacy and is cost‐effective compared with emicizumab, providing clinicians with a viable treatment option to improve the health outcomes for adults and adolescents with haemophilia A in the UK.
Challenging neoliberal sport: Skateboarding as a resilient cultural practice
Authors: Gazeres Rhys
Published: November 2022

This paper argues that research on sporting cultures can illuminate wider debates over the power relations materialised through the fields of cultural practice. Specifically, as neoliberalism has spread across the social realm, sport has come to mirror and reinforce its logics, placing emphasis on individualised competition and ultimately contributing to the reproduction of neoliberal hegemony more generally. Within this, however, alternative movement‐based practices have emerged that show resilience to this process, offering alternative futures and new ways of being that are not organised by injustice. This paper examines the case of resilience within skateboarding, a cultural practice that champions participation and community values despite its ongoing incorporation into the neoliberal sport system.
Hepatic and cardiac iron overload quantified by magnetic resonance imaging in patients on hemodialysis: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Nashwan Abdulqadir J. , Yassin Mohamed A. , Abd‐Alrazaq Alaa , Shuweihdi Farag , Othman Muftah , Abdul Rahim Hanan F. , Shraim Mujahed
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Few studies have reported hepatic and cardiac iron overload in patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD), and the current evidence regarding the prevalence is still scarce.

Aim

This review aims to estimate the prevalence of hepatic and/or cardiac iron overload quantified by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with ESRD who receive hemodialysis (HD), peritoneal dialysis (PD), or have undergone a kidney transplant.

Methods

A systematic review with meta‐analysis was conducted and reported in line with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis) guidelines. MEDLINE and Embase bibliographic databases were searched using a comprehensive list of controlled vocabulary and keywords to identify relevant studies. All studies reporting the prevalence of hepatic and/or cardiac iron overload quantified by MRI in ESRD patients were considered. The Newcastle‐Ottawa scale was used to assess the methodological quality of included studies. To investigate the heterogeneity between studies, random‐effect meta‐analyses for proportions were used.

Results

The review comprised seven studies that included 339 patients. Using meta‐analysis, the pooled prevalence of severe and mild to moderate hepatic iron overload quantified by MRI was 0.23 [95% CI: 0.08–0.43] and 0.52 [95% CI: 0.47–0.57], respectively. Only three studies included cardiac iron quantification, and none reported iron overload.

Conclusions

This review has revealed a high prevalence of severe hepatic iron overload in patients with ESRD treated by HD. Further studies with a larger sample size are needed to determine the impact of iron overload on vital organs in patients with ESRD and guide future research in this understudied field. Proper use of iron chelation and continuous monitoring will help in the early detection of unsolicited complications; however, the low renal clearance of most iron chelators limits the options for treating iron excess in patients with ESRD.
Intranasal therapeutic vaccine containing HBsAg and HBcAg for patients with chronic hepatitis B; 18 months follow‐up results of phase IIa clinical study
Authors: Yoshida Osamu , Akbar Sheikh Mohammad Fazle , Imai Yusuke , Sanada Takahiro , Tsukiyama‐Kohara Kyoko , Miyazaki Takashi , Kamishita Taizou , Miyake Teruki , Tokumoto Yoshio , Hikita Hayato , Tsuge Masataka , Shimizu Masahito , Al Mahtab Mamun , Aguilar Julio Cesar , Guillen Gerardo , Kohara Michinori , Hiasa Yoichi
Published: November 2022

Aims

HBsAg loss with anti‐HBs acquisition is considered a functional cure and ideal treatment goal for patients with CHB. Our group have reported the efficacy of therapeutic vaccine with HBsAg and HBcAg (NASVAC) by intranasal and subcutaneous injection. In this study, we investigated the safety and efficacy of newly developed CVP‐NASVAC, which contained NASVAC with mucoadhesive carboxyl vinyl polymer (CVP) in the dedicated device.

Methods

A single dose, open‐label, phase IIa clinical trial of CVP‐NASVAC was conducted. Patients with CHB treated with nucleoside/nucleotide analogs (NAs) and HBV carriers not undergoing anti‐HBV treatment were enrolled. CVP‐NASVAC was injected through the nose for, in total, 10 times. Participants were followed‐up for 18 months, and their HBsAg reduction and anti‐HBs induction assessed as endpoints.

Results

Among the patients with CHB treated with NAs (n = 27) and HBV carriers without NAs (n = 36), 74.1% and 75.0% exhibited reductions in their baseline HBsAg, and the mean reductions were −0.1454 log10 IU/ml (p < 0.05) and −0.2677 log10 IU/ml (p < 0.05), respectively. Anti‐HBs antibody was detected in 40.7% and 58.3% of patients treated with and without NAs, respectively. Six of 71 (9.5%) patients were functionally cured after the CVP‐NASVAC treatment.

Conclusions

Anti‐HBs induction and HBsAg reduction was observed after CVP‐NASVAC treatment in some patients with CHB. The CVP‐NASVAC is a safe treatment, which might expect to achieve functional cure for patients with CHB.
Linking maternal psychopathology to children's excessive crying and sleeping problems in a large representative German sample—The mediating role of social isolation and bonding difficulties
Authors: Lux Ulrike , Müller Mitho , Reck Corinna , Liel Christoph , Walper Sabine
Published: November 2022

Attaining self‐regulation is a major developmental task in infancy, in which many children show transient difficulties. Persistent, clinically relevant difficulties in self‐regulation include excessive crying or sleeping disorders. Many families with affected children are burdened with multiple psychosocial risk. This suggests that regulatory problems are best conceptualized as the maladaptive interplay of overly burdened parents and a dysfunctional parent–child interaction. The current study examines whether social isolation and bonding difficulties function as mediating mechanisms linking maternal psychopathology to (1) children's excessive crying and (2) sleeping problems. The sample comprised N = 6598 mothers (M = 31.51 years) of children between zero to three years of age (M = 14.08 months, 50.1% girls). In addition to socio demographic data, the written questionnaire included information on maternal depression/anxiety, isolation, bonding, and children's regulatory problems. Hypotheses were tested with a mediation model controlling for psychosocial risk and child characteristics. As expected, maternal symptoms of depression/anxiety were linked to infants‘ excessive crying and sleeping problems. Social isolation and bonding difficulties mediated this association for excessive crying as well as for sleeping problems, but social isolation was a single mediator for sleeping problems only. The findings provide important insights in the mediating pathways linking maternal psychopathology to children's regulatory problems.
Application of the free‐style brachial artery perforator based propellar flap in the management of axillary hidradenitis suppurativa
Authors: Datli Asli , Demirel Oguzhan
Published: November 2022

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic and recurrent inflammatory disease often requiring surgical intervention in extensive lesions. Total of seven axillary lesion with HS was treated with free‐style perforator based propeller flaps (innominate perforator originating from the brachial artery) after complete excision. The flap design mimicked the axis and design of the brachioplasty surgery. The flaps were elevated and after obliterating the defect, the remnant flap was discarded and donor site was primarily closed. All flaps were performed successfully and HS did not recur in any of the patients. In addition, the operated limb also showed a reduction of arm circumference of more than 5 cm. This is the first report using the free‐style perforator based propeller flap to reconstruct the axillary HS. It is a simple and a reliable approach yielding good functional and aesthetic outcome with additional advantages of providing a brachioplasty.
Association between employment status and quality of life for individuals with intellectual or developmental disability
Authors: Randall Kristina N. , Bernard Gerald , Durah Lois
Published: November 2022

The current study examined how employment conditions (competitive employment, work center employment, unemployment) are associated with the quality of life (QoL) for individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Using the Comprehensive Quality of Life Scale – Intellectual/Cognitive Disability (5th Edition; ComQoL‐I5; Cummins, 1997a) to measure objective QoL factors, and the PWI‐ID (Personal Wellbeing Index – Intellectual Disability, 3rd Edition; Cummins & Lau, 2005b) to measure subjective well‐being, participants answered self‐reporting questions regarding the seven QoL domains. Kruskal–Wallis H for Oneway Analysis of Variance was used to determine statistical significance between comparison work conditions. Results indicate significant findings in the objective QoL domains of Material Well‐Being, Productivity, and Safety between the work conditions for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, with participants in the competitive‐employment group reporting the highest QoL objective scores in these areas. Implications of these findings for practice and research are discussed.
GhAP1‐D3 positively regulates flowering time and early maturity with no yield and fiber quality penalties in upland cotton
Authors: Wang Caixiang , Liu Juanjuan , Xie Xiaoyu , Wang Ji , Ma Qi , Chen Pengyun , Yang Delong , Ma Xiongfeng , Hao Fushun , Su Junji
Published: November 2022

Flowering time (FTi) is a major factor determining how quickly cotton plants reach maturity. Early maturity greatly affects lint yield and fiber quality and is crucial for mechanical harvesting of cotton in northwestern China. Yet, few quantitative trait loci (QTLs) or genes regulating early maturity have been reported in cotton, and the underlying regulatory mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, we characterized 152, 68, and 101 loci that were significantly associated with the three key early maturity traits—FTi, flower and boll period (FBP) and whole growth period (WGP), respectively, via four genome‐wide association study methods in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). We focused on one major early maturity‐related genomic region containing three single nucleotide polymorphisms on chromosome D03, and determined that GhAP1‐D3, a gene homologous to Arabidopsis thaliana APETALA1 (AP1), is the causal locus in this region. Transgenic plants overexpressing GhAP1‐D3 showed significantly early flowering and early maturity without penalties for yield and fiber quality compared to wild‐type (WT) plants. By contrast, the mutant lines of GhAP1‐D3 generated by genome editing displayed markedly later flowering than the WT. GhAP1‐D3 interacted with GhSOC1 (SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1), a pivotal regulator of FTi, both in vitro and in vivo. Changes in GhAP1‐D3 transcript levels clearly affected the expression of multiple key flowering regulatory genes. Additionally, DNA hypomethylation and high levels of H3K9ac affected strong expression of GhAP1‐D3 in early‐maturing cotton cultivars. We propose that epigenetic modifications modulate GhAP1‐D3 expression to positively regulate FTi in cotton through interaction of the encoded GhAP1 with GhSOC1 and affecting the transcription of multiple flowering‐related genes. These findings may also lay a foundation for breeding early‐maturing cotton varieties in the future.
Role of astroglial ACBP in energy metabolism flexibility and feeding responses to metabolic challenges in male mice
Authors: Bouyakdan Khalil , Manceau Romane , Robb Josephine L. , Rodaros Demetra , Fulton Stephanie , Alquier Thierry
Published: November 2022

Acyl‐CoA binding protein (ACBP), also known as diazepam binding inhibitor (DBI), has recently emerged as a hypothalamic and brainstem gliopeptide regulating energy balance. Previous work has shown that the ACBP‐derived octadecaneuropeptide exerts strong anorectic action via proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neuron activation and the melanocortin‐4 receptor. Importantly, targeted ACBP loss‐of‐function in astrocytes promotes hyperphagia and diet‐induced obesity while its overexpression in arcuate astrocytes reduces feeding and body weight. Despite this knowledge, the role of astroglial ACBP in adaptive feeding and metabolic responses to acute metabolic challenges has not been investigated. Using different paradigms, we found that ACBP deletion in glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)‐positive astrocytes does not affect weight loss when obese male mice are transitioned from a high fat diet to a chow diet, nor metabolic parameters in mice fed with a normal chow diet (e.g., energy expenditure, body temperature) during fasting, cold exposure and at thermoneutrality. In contrast, astroglial ACBP deletion impairs meal pattern and feeding responses during refeeding after a fast and during cold exposure, thereby showing that ACBP is required to stimulate feeding in states of increased energy demand. These findings challenge the general view that astroglial ACBP exerts anorectic effects and suggest that regulation of feeding by ACBP is dependent on metabolic status.
Identities as predictors of vaccine hesitancy during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Heiman Samantha L. , Hirt Edward R. , Isch Calvin , Brinkworth Jessica F. , Cronk Lee , Alcock Joe , Aktipis Athena , Todd Peter M.
Published: November 2022

Vaccine hesitancy is variable across individuals and contexts. Theoretical work suggests that group membership should differentially affect attitudes and behavior related to COVID‐19 vaccines, as individuals draw on their identities and experiences relevant to their social groups to deal with uncertainty concerning the vaccines. The present work uses longitudinal survey data to explore how identity predicted vaccination attitudes in the U.S. before COVID‐19 vaccines were widely available and which role‐based or contextual variables influenced early vaccination decisions. We replicate these patterns in hesitancy with a larger and more racially diverse sample and identify whether encouragement from people with shared identities was important when participants made the decision to be vaccinated. Before the vaccines were widely available, higher SES predicted less hesitancy toward the COVID‐19 vaccines, while being Black and/or having more conservative political orientation predicted more hesitancy. More conservative political orientation was a predictor of vaccine hesitancy across racial identities. While rationale for mistrust may vary by identity, vaccine trust is a significant predictor of early vaccination, and it is influenced by local norms surrounding the COVID‐19 vaccines. Encouragement from shared group members was more important for women, liberal individuals, and younger individuals in making the decision to be vaccinated.
This is what you came for? University–industry collaborations and follow‐on inventions by the firm
Authors: Anckaert Paul‐Emmanuel , Peeters Hanne
Published: November 2022

The positive impact of university–industry collaborations on firms' innovative performance is well recognized. However, to date, the existing heterogeneity within university–industry collaboration processes and the sources of value creation underlying the resulting inventions are left underexplored. As a result, our understanding as to why some of the joint inventions resulting from such collaborations turn out to present a more fertile source of follow‐on developments and value for the collaborating firm than others is limited. The present paper sheds light on this question through the application of a knowledge recombination perspective. Hence, we open the black box of innovation and put a spotlight on the knowledge components that make up the joint inventions resulting from university–industry collaborations. We evaluate how the nature—scientific versus technological—and origins—internal versus external to the collaborating partners—of these knowledge components relate to the inventive impact of the partners' joint invention. Examining a sample of 9102 USPTO co‐patents, joint inventions created through university–industry collaborations are shown to be most fertile as a source of firm follow‐on inventions when they are the result of a recombination process that includes technological knowledge components stemming from both collaborating partners. This effect is most pronounced when the partners' technological knowledge contributions are moderately similar. In contrast, when the joint technology development takes place in a technology domain that is novel to the firm, the resulting joint inventions are most fertile as a source of firm follow‐on inventions when the university contributes through the input of technological knowledge components situated in exactly this technology domain that is novel to the firm. Remarkably, no evidence for such direct effects is found regarding the partners' scientific contributions. Together, these findings provide important insights for firms who intend to spur their internal technology development through collaboration with a university partner.
Macrophages contribute to periodontal wound healing mainly in the tissue proliferation stage
Authors: Chen Bin , Li Songying , Chang Yaqin , Zhang Jiading , Liu Jiaying , Dong Yingchun , Yan Fuhua
Published: November 2022

Objective

The aim of this study was to determine the preliminary role of macrophages in different stages of periodontal healing.

Background

Macrophages are promising target cells for periodontal regeneration. However, the stage at which they play a more important role during periodontal repair has not been elucidated till date.

Methods

First, the dynamic changes in M1 and M2 macrophages were analyzed in a rat periodontal‐defect model at Days 1, 3, 5, 7, 14, 21, and 28 post‐surgery. Macrophages were then depleted after 1, 6, and 14 days of surgery, and the healing results were evaluated via micro‐computed tomography and histopathological detection. Finally, the effects of M1 and M2 macrophages on the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were verified in vitro.

Results

During natural periodontal healing, the number of M1 macrophages increased the most during the early stage of healing (3 days post‐operation), and subsequently, it decreased rapidly. The number of M2 macrophages was at its peak during the middle and late stages of tissue healing (5–21 days post‐surgery). Interestingly, the highest number of M2 macrophages was observed at 5–14 days post‐operation in the alveolar bone, while it was observed at 21 days post‐operation in the cementum area. On the first and 14th day post‐operation, the clearance of macrophages had no significant effect on tissue healing; however, on the sixth day post‐operation, macrophage depletion significantly inhibited tissue regeneration (p < .05). In vitro studies showed that M2 macrophages, rather than M1 macrophages, could significantly promote the proliferation of MSCs (p < .01).

Conclusion

It is better to intervene in tissue proliferation phase when a M2 macrophage regulation‐based periodontal regenerative therapy is planned in the future.
The role of sleep and dreams in long‐COVID
Authors: Scarpelli Serena , De Santis Alessandra , Alfonsi Valentina , Gorgoni Maurizio , Morin Charles M. , Espie Colin , Merikanto Ilona , Chung Frances , Penzel Thomas , Bjorvatn Bjørn , Dauvilliers Yves , Holzinger Brigitte , Wing Yun K. , Partinen Markku , Plazzi Giuseppe , De Gennaro Luigi
Published: November 2022

Recent investigations show that many people affected by SARS‐CoV2 (COVID‐19) report persistent symptoms 2–3 months from the onset of the infection. Here, we report the Italian findings from the second International COVID‐19 Sleep Study survey, aiming to investigate sleep and dream alterations in participants with post‐acute symptoms, and identify the best determinants of these alterations among patients with long‐COVID. Data from 383 participants who have had COVID‐19 were collected through a web‐survey (May–November 2021). Descriptive analyses were performed to outline the sociodemographic characteristics of long‐COVID (N = 270, with at least two long‐lasting symptoms) and short‐COVID (N = 113, with none or one long‐lasting symptom) participants. They were then compared concerning sleep and dream measures. We performed multiple linear regressions considering as dependent variables sleep and dream parameters discriminating the long‐COVID group. Age, gender, work status, financial burden, COVID‐19 severity and the level of care were significantly different between long‐COVID and short‐COVID subjects. The long‐COVID group showed greater sleep alterations (sleep quality, daytime sleepiness, sleep inertia, naps, insomnia, sleep apnea, nightmares) compared with the short‐COVID group. We also found that the number of long‐COVID symptoms, psychological factors and age were the best explanatory variables of sleep and oneiric alterations. Our findings highlight that sleep alterations are part of the clinical presentation of the long‐COVID syndrome. Moreover, psychological status and the number of post‐acute symptoms should be considered as state‐like variables modulating the sleep problems in long‐COVID individuals. Finally, according to previous investigations, oneiric alterations are confirmed as a reliable mental health index.
“Maybe we should take the legal ways”: Citizen engagement with lower state courts in post-war northern Uganda
Authors: Macdonald Anna , Cooper-Knock SJ , Hopwood Julian
Published: November 2022

Lower state courts are the focus of both international and national access to justice policies and programs but remain understudied in Uganda. Drawing on 3 years of ethnographically informed research on citizen engagement with a busy magistrates' court in post-war northern Uganda, we show the diverse reasons why citizens appeal to the rule-of-law in places where state authority is contested. In a context of limited statehood, against a backdrop of high-levels of corruption and inefficiency in the judicial system, people turn to lower state courts for normative, pragmatic, and tactical reasons that are not well captured by conventional measures of procedural justice. Our findings extend theory on citizen-authority relations in a global context, shedding light on contextual meanings of legitimacy, trust, and corruption in places where lower state courts are deeply problematic sites for achieving justice.
Cortactin: A universal host cytoskeletal target of Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacterial pathogens
Authors: Sharafutdinov Irshad , Knorr Jakob , Rottner Klemens , Backert Steffen , Tegtmeyer Nicole
Published: November 2022

Pathogenic bacteria possess a great potential of causing infectious diseases and represent a serious threat to human and animal health. Understanding the molecular basis of infection development can provide new valuable strategies for disease prevention and better control. In host‐pathogen interactions, actin‐cytoskeletal dynamics play a crucial role in the successful adherence, invasion, and intracellular motility of many intruding microbial pathogens. Cortactin, a major cellular factor that promotes actin polymerization and other functions, appears as a central regulator of host‐pathogen interactions and different human diseases including cancer development. Various important microbes have been reported to hijack cortactin signaling during infection. The primary regulation of cortactin appears to proceed via serine and/or tyrosine phosphorylation events by upstream kinases, acetylation, and interaction with various other host proteins, including the Arp2/3 complex, filamentous actin, the actin nucleation promoting factor N‐WASP, focal adhesion kinase FAK, the large GTPase dynamin‐2, the guanine nucleotide exchange factor Vav2, and the actin‐stabilizing protein CD2AP. Given that many signaling factors can affect cortactin activities, several microbes target certain unique pathways, while also sharing some common features. Here we review our current knowledge of the hallmarks of cortactin as a major target for eminent Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacterial pathogens in humans.
The impact of COVID‐19 on oral squamous cell carcinoma's diagnostic stage—A retrospective study
Authors: Remschmidt Bernhard , Gaessler Jan , Brcic Luka , Wallner Jürgen , Muallah David , Rieder Marcus
Published: November 2022

Objective

The COVID‐19 pandemic has had an impact on patients' access to primary care services. A timely diagnosis of oral squamosa cell carcinoma is paramount. This study aims to quantify the pandemic's effect on tumor volume at the time of initial diagnosis.

Materials and Methods

In a retrospective study, all primarily diagnosed cancer patients between March 2018 and March 2022 were compiled; the TNM stage and the tumor volume were evaluated. Tumor volumes were calculated using pathology or radiology reports.

Results

In total, 162 newly diagnosed tumor cases were included in this study. Of these, 76 (46.9%) cases were allocated in the “pre‐COVID‐19” group and 86 (53.1%) in the “COVID‐19” group. Patients diagnosed during the “COVID‐19” period showed a significantly advanced T stage (p < 0.001) and larger mean tumor volumes (53.16 ± 73.55 cm3 vs. 39.89 ± 102.42 cm3; p = 0.002) when compared to the control group.

Conclusion

Tumor volume and T stage were significantly advanced in the “COVID‐19” group when compared to prepandemic data. We hypothesize that the postponement of routine dental check‐ups may explain this finding. Hence, dentists and primary care providers are encouraged to place particular emphasis on screening during routine check‐ups.
“Inside Disc Out” Discectomy for the Treatment of Discogenic Lumbar Spinal Canal Stenosis under the Intervertebral Foramen Endoscope
Authors: Sun Shunqiang , Wang Lu , Xue Yuan
Published: November 2022

Objective

Conventional posterior‐approach decompression surgeries have a higher risk of nerve root injury and dura laceration. We explore the therapeutic strategy and effect of “inside disc out” discectomy under intervertebral foramen endoscope technique for discogenic lumbar spinal canal stenosis (DLSS) treatment.

Methods

Twenty‐nine patients with DLSS in the responsible segment were treated with “inside disc out” discectomy under intervertebral foramen endoscope technique between October 2017 to October 2019. Lower limb and back pain were recorded before operation, and visual analogue scale (VAS) score and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were recorded for lower limb and back pain at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. The postoperative effects were evaluated using the modified MacNab method for all the patients.

Results

All 29 patients successfully completed the operation. The operation time was 75–120 min, with an average of 90 ± 17 min. Postoperative lumbar CT examinations of all the patients showed full decompression of the spinal cord with no residual pressure. The average follow‐up time for all the patients was 13 ± 3.5 months (12–18 months). The VAS score for lower back and lower limb pain was 7.52 ± 1.25 before the operation, and 1.80 ± 0.63, 1.33 ± 0.88, 1.07 ± 0.89, and 0.81 ± 0.51 at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the surgery, respectively. The Oswestry dysfunction index was 59.43 ± 10.04 before surgery and 29.67 ± 10.35, 21.13 ± 9.32, 14.52 ± 5.98, and 9.84 ± 4.68 at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the surgery, respectively. The VAS score and ODI index of low back and lower limb pain at different time points after the surgery were significantly improved compared to those before the surgery (P < 0.01). The effect of the modified MacNab was excellent in 26 patients, good in two patients, and fair in one patient. The excellent and good rates were 91.4%. Among them, one patient had symptoms of hyperesthesia in the anterior aspect of the thigh and decreased quadriceps muscle strength after lumbar 4/5 segment endoscopic surgery. After symptomatic and conservative treatment, the symptoms disappeared 4 weeks postoperatively, and there were no other serious surgical complications.

Conclusions

Following the “inside disc out” discectomy under intervertebral foramen endoscope protocols, the risk of nerve injury can greatly be reduced, with good postoperative efficacy. Overall, the procedure is safe and feasible for DLSS treatment.
Hiring by professional affiliation: The benefits and challenges of leveraging prospective hires’ prior employment ties to improve matching and access to resources
Authors: Kehoe Rebecca R. , Brymer Rhett Andrew , Keller JR , Kim Joonyoung
Published: November 2022

Increasingly mobile careers mean that today's hiring firms encounter external prospective employees who hold professional affiliations with more organizations (e.g., former employers) and groups (e.g., project teams) than ever before. This trend invites attention to a collection of hiring practices in which a firm leverages prospective hires’ professional affiliations to increase the firm's access to and facilitate the efficient selection of individuals in a particular labor market talent segment––hereafter, hiring by professional affiliation (HBPA). We review research on six HBPA practices: acqui‐hiring, boomerang hiring, competitor poaching, formative affiliation hiring, liftouts, and supply chain hiring. Using Podolny's pipes and prisms metaphor, we show that research on HBPA has emphasized hiring organizations’ efforts to (a) leverage prospective hires’ focal professional affiliations as prisms to facilitate matching between the organization and new hires, and (b) leverage new hires’ focal affiliations as pipes to access resources otherwise difficult to acquire. Transcending the focus of extant research on individual HBPA practices, we then develop propositions elaborating the conditions under which HBPA is likely to yield varied consequences for firms’ workforce composition and organizational capabilities––ranging from replicating the status quo to increasing workforce diversity and organizational capacity for innovation and change.
Basiliximab as maintenance immunosuppression in heart transplant recipients: A single pediatric center experience
Authors: Chen Teaghan T. , Greene Megan M. , Everitt Melanie D. , Simpson Kathleen E.
Published: November 2022

Background

Pediatric heart transplant recipients are at risk for complications from prolonged exposure to immunosuppressive drugs, pharmacokinetic challenges in maintaining consistent immunosuppression, and medication non‐adherence. Basiliximab (BAS), an interleukin‐2 receptor antagonist, is used for induction therapy across many pediatric heart transplant centers, but use as maintenance immunosuppression has not been well described.

Methods

This was a retrospective, single pediatric center cohort study of heart transplant recipients who received BAS for maintenance immunosuppression (defined as >2 monthly doses) from January 1, 2011, to December 31, 2021.

Results

Ten patients met study criteria with a median age of 17.5 (5–22) years and median 9.6 (1.2–18.9) years since transplant at time of BAS initiation. The primary indications for BAS use were recurrent rejection (n = 4), fluctuating immunosuppression levels (n = 3), and renal dysfunction (n = 3). A median of 5.5 (3–32) monthly BAS doses were received. Three patients had a rejection event while on BAS. Calcineurin inhibitor exposure was reduced in 70% of patients. Three of the 10 patients were alive at last follow‐up. There was one documented infection during BAS use, and no hypersensitivity reactions.

Conclusions

Monthly BAS infusions were well tolerated and allowed for reduced calcineurin inhibitor exposure in most patients. Mortality commonly occurred despite BAS use, potentially reflecting the acuity of this patient cohort. BAS can be considered for maintenance immunosuppression in pediatric patients with fluctuating immunosuppressive levels and/or renal dysfunction. More studies are needed to determine long‐term outcomes and explore expanded use of BAS in the pediatric heart transplant population.
Th2 and metabolic responses to nematodes are independent of prolonged host microbiota abrogation
Authors: Elizalde‐Velázquez Luis E. , Yordanova Ivet A. , Liublin Wjatscheslaw , Adjah Joshua , Leben Ruth , Rausch Sebastian , Niesner Raluca , Hartmann Susanne
Published: November 2022

Antibiotic treatment can lead to elimination of both pathogenic bacteria and beneficial commensals, as well as to altered host immune responses. Here, we investigated the influence of prolonged antibiotic treatment (Abx) on effector, memory and recall Th2 immune responses during the primary infection, memory phase and secondary infection with the small intestinal nematode Heligmosomoides polygyrus. Abx treatment significantly reduced gut bacterial loads, but neither worm burdens, nor worm fecundity in primary infection were affected, only worm burdens in secondary infection were elevated in Abx treated mice. Abx mice displayed trends for elevated effector and memory Th2 responses during primary infection, but overall frequencies of Th2 cells in the siLP, PEC, mLN and in the spleen were similar between Abx treated and untreated groups. Gata3+ effector and memory Th2 cytokine responses also remained unimpaired by prolonged Abx treatment. Similarly, the energy production and defence mechanisms of the host tissue and the parasite depicted by NAD(P)H fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) did not change by the prolonged use of antibiotics. We show evidence that the host Th2 response to intestinal nematodes, as well as host and parasite metabolic pathways are robust and remain unimpaired by host microbiota abrogation.