bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Polyvinyl alcohol scaffolds and supplementation support 3D and sphere culturing of human cancer cell lines by reducing apoptosis and promoting cellular proliferation
Authors: Okita Yukari , Zheng Ling , Kawanishi Kunio , Miyoshi Hirotoshi , Yanagihara Kazuyoshi , Kato Mitsuyasu
Published: February 2021

Three‐dimensional (3D) culturing mimics the heterogeneous cellular conditions of the in vivo tumor microenvironment compared to 2D monolayer‐cultured cells and 3D cultures of established cancer cell lines (sphere culture) or patient‐derived cancer cells (organoid culture) are frequently used for cancer research or drug screening and evaluation. To establish more cost and time‐efficient 3D culture methods for cancer cell lines, we supplemented sphere culture medium with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and found that 3D sphere cultures of breast and pancreatic cancer cell lines were significantly increased. Mechanistically, we found that PVA prevented cell death and promoted cellular proliferation while maintaining levels of stemness‐related gene expression. Furthermore, we showed that polyvinyl formal resin (PVF) 3D scaffolds made by cross‐linked PVA can function in serum‐free, long‐term 3D cultures to support maintenance of sphere‐ or tumor‐like cell masses for diverse cancer cell types. Taken together, we demonstrate the effectiveness of PVA and PVF in human cancer cell line culture protocols.
Are oral hygiene instructions with aid of plaque‐disclosing methods effective in improving self‐performed dental plaque control? A systematic review of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Oliveira Leandro Machado , Pazinatto Josiele , Zanatta Fabrício Batistin
Published: February 2021

Objectives

To systematically evaluate the literature on whether plaque‐disclosing (PD) methods, applied by dental professionals (FQ1) or at‐home (FQ2), combined with verbal oral hygiene instructions and brushing demonstration (standard OHI) lead to improvements in self‐performed dental plaque control in comparison to standard OHI alone.

Materials and methods

Seven databases were searched by two independent reviewers according to pre‐specified eligibility criteria up to September 2020. No restrictions regarding language, date and type of report were imposed. The Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool (RoB 2.0) was used for quality appraisal. Multiple comparisons referring to a single study were included if the articles evaluated different PD agents. Narrative synthesis using evidence tables were performed.

Results

Seven eligible studies were retrieved, including data of 430 individuals (159 wearers of orthodontic appliances). The studies exhibited considerable heterogeneity regarding outcome assessments and follow‐up. Eleven (eight corresponding to FQ1 and three to FQ2) out of 13 relevant comparisons found no significant difference between techniques for dental plaque outcomes and three (two corresponding to FQ1 and one to FQ2) out of five comparisons indicated a positive effect of standard OHI with aid of PD methods on gingival inflammation scores. With respect specifically to orthodontic patients, three out of four comparisons indicated significant improvements on gingival inflammation scores for individuals instructed with PD methods.

Conclusion

Clinicians should consider PD agents as adjunct to standard OHI in orthodontic patients. For those without appliances, PD methods can be used as an alternative.
Comparison of performance between Fast Track Diagnostics Respiratory Kit and the CDC global reference laboratory for influenza rRT‐PCR panel for detection of influenza A and influenza B
Authors: Cissé Assana , Milucky Jennifer , Ilboudo Abdoul Kader , Waller Jessica L. , Bicaba Brice , Medah Isaïe , Mirza Sara , Whitney Cynthia G. , Tarnagda Zekiba
Published: February 2021

Background

Reliable diagnostics are a key to identifying influenza infections.

Objectives

Our objectives were to describe the detection of influenza among severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) cases, to compare test results from the Fast Track Diagnostics (FTD) Kit for influenza detection to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) human influenza virus detection and characterization panel, and to assess seasonality of influenza in Burkina Faso.

Methods

Nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal specimens from SARI cases (hospitalized patients with fever, cough, and onset in the previous 10 days) were tested using the FTD‐33 Kit and the CDC rRT‐PCR influenza assays. We assessed sensitivity and specificity of the FTD‐33 Kit for detecting influenza A, influenza B, and the influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 strain using the CDC human influenza rRT‐PCR panel as the gold standard.

Results

From December 2016 to February 2019, 1706 SARI cases were identified, 1511 specimens were tested, and 211 were positive for influenza A (14.0%) and 100 for influenza B (6.6%) by either assay. Higher influenza circulation occurred between November and April with varying peaks of influenza A and influenza B. Sensitivity of the FTD‐33 assay was 91.9% for influenza A, 95.7% for influenza B, and 93.8% for A(H1N1)pdm09 subtype. Specificity was over 99% for all three tests.

Conclusions

Our study indicates that Burkina Faso has one peak of influenza each year which is similar to the Northern Hemisphere and differs from other countries in West Africa. We found high concordance of influenza results between the two assays indicating FTD‐33 can be used to reliably detect influenza among SARI cases.
Multiple criteria analysis of the popularity and growth of research and practice of visual analytics, and a forecast of the future trajectory
Authors: Akpan Ikpe Justice , Akpan Asuama A.
Published: February 2021

This study employs Google trends and data from the web of science to evaluate the popularity, growth, and impacts of visual analytics (VA) as a research field and data science technique. The paper undertakes quantitative analyses and visualization of the temporal trends, from VA's emergence in 2000 to the end of 2019. The trend analysis helps to forecast future growth in the research and practice of VA. The study highlights four outcomes. First, there is a robust direct relationship among the variables, including VA's growth on the Google trends, the scientific literature production (SLP), and usage of the published documents. Second, the SLP's growth pattern highlights VA's popularity as an emerging field with an overall annual increase of 17.4%. The high citation counts of the published scholarship indicate a significant impact and a continuous growth of the VA field. Third, VA contributes to diverse disciplines other than computer science and information systems, from business and economics to engineering, healthcare, biomedical and chemical sciences, and arts and humanities. VA helps researchers and practitioners in multidisciplinary fields analyze multidimensional data, enhance data visualization, knowledge discovery, generating insights, and make informed decisions. On the reverse, other disciplines contribute to propelling VA's popularity through research productivity, usage, and citation impacts. Finally, a trend analysis predicts sustained future growth of VA technology in research and practice to dissect and sensemaking of the increasingly massive and complex data structures, which is now the norm in many fields.
Spontaneous, synchronous zinc spikes oscillate with neural excitability and calcium spikes in primary hippocampal neuron culture
Authors: Zhang Chen , Maslar Drew , Minckley Taylor F. , LeJeune Kate D. , Qin Yan
Published: February 2021

Zinc has been suggested to act as an intracellular signaling molecule due to its regulatory effects on numerous protein targets including enzymes, transcription factors, ion channels, neurotrophic factors, and postsynaptic scaffolding proteins. However, intracellular zinc concentration is tightly maintained at steady levels under natural physiological conditions. Dynamic changes in intracellular zinc concentration have only been detected in certain types of cells that are exposed to pathologic stimuli or upon receptor ligand binding. Unlike calcium, the ubiquitous signaling metal ion that can oscillate periodically and spontaneously in various cells, spontaneous zinc oscillations have never been reported. In this work, we made the novel observation that the developing neurons generated spontaneous and synchronous zinc spikes in primary hippocampal cultures using a fluorescent zinc sensor, FluoZin‐3. Blocking of glutamate receptor‐dependent calcium influx depleted the zinc spikes, suggesting that these zinc spikes were driven by the glutamate‐mediated spontaneous neural excitability and calcium spikes that have been characterized in early developing neurons. Simultaneous imaging of calcium or pH together with zinc, we uncovered that a downward pH spike was evoked with each zinc spike and this transient cellular acidification occurred downstream of calcium spikes but upstream of zinc spikes. Our results suggest that spontaneous, synchronous zinc spikes were generated through calcium influx‐induced cellular acidification, which liberates zinc from intracellular zinc binding ligands. Given that changes in zinc concentration can modulate activities of proteins essential for synapse maturation and neuronal differentiation, these zinc spikes might act as important signaling roles in neuronal development.

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Validity of Chronic Venous Disease Diagnoses and Epidemiology Using Validated Electronic Health Records From Primary Care: A Real‐World Data Analysis
Authors: Homs‐Romero Erica , Romero‐Collado Angel , Verdú Jose , Blanch Jordi , Rascón‐Hernán Carolina , Martí‐Lluch Ruth
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of lower limb chronic venous disease (CVD) diagnoses entered in a large electronic health record database in primary care in Catalonia, Spain; to investigate the reliability of these data for research purposes; and to estimate the prevalence and incidence of CVD, chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), and venous leg ulcer (VLU).

Design

Real‐world data analysis based on a large electronic health record database in primary care in Catalonia, Spain.

Methods

We used a primary care research database (Information System for the Development of Research in Primary Care [SIDIAP]), which contains anonymous data on some 5.8 million people from 279 primary care centers, accounting for more than 80% of the Catalonian population and 15% of the Spanish population. We evaluated the validity of the ICD‐10 codes for CVD in SIDIAP for 200 adult patients through the responses of 20 primary care physicians to a questionnaire.

Findings

The positive predictive value of CVD in SIDIAP was 89.95% (95% confidence interval [CI] 84.99–93.40). The prevalence rates for CVD, CVI, and VLU were 9.54% (95% CI 9.51–9.56), 3.87%, and 0.33%, respectively. The incidence rates for CVD, CVI, and VLU were 7.91/1,000 person‐years (95% CI 7.82–8.00), 3.37/1,000 person‐years (95% CI 3.31–3.43), and 0.23/1,000 person‐years (95% CI 0.21–0.24), respectively.

Conclusions

The Catalonian SIDIAP database contains valid CVD diagnoses. The prevalence and incidence rates found using real‐world data are low compared with those in the literature, possibly because CVD is an underdiagnosed entity.

Clinical Relevance

Real‐world data can inform clinicians on lower limb venous health in a population, show changes as individuals age, and reveal aspects where healthcare can be improved.
Effect of type of diet on blood and plasma taurine concentrations, cardiac biomarkers, and echocardiograms in 4 dog breeds
Authors: Adin Darcy , Freeman Lisa , Stepien Rebecca , Rush John E. , Tjostheim Sonja , Kellihan Heidi , Aherne Michael , Vereb Michelle , Goldberg Robert
Published: February 2021

Background

Associations of diet with dilated cardiomyopathy are under investigation.

Objectives

That cardiac assessment would show abnormalities in healthy dogs eating grain‐free (GF) diets or diets with Food and Drug Administration (FDA)‐listed ingredients of concern (peas, lentils, or potatoes) as top 10 ingredients (FDA‐PLP), but not in dogs eating grain‐inclusive (GI) diets or diets without FDA‐listed ingredients of concern (PLP) in the top 10 ingredients (NoFDA‐PLP).

Animals

One hundred eighty‐eight healthy Doberman Pinschers, Golden Retrievers, Miniature Schnauzers, and Whippets.

Methods

This study was an observational cross‐sectional study. Echocardiograms, cardiac biomarkers, and blood and plasma taurine concentrations were compared between dogs eating GF (n = 26) and GI (n = 162) diets, and between FDA‐PLP (n = 39) and NoFDA‐PLP (n = 149) diets, controlling for age and breed. Demographic characteristics, murmurs, genetic status, and ventricular premature complexes (VPCs) during examination were compared between dogs eating different diet types.

Results

No differences in echocardiographic variables, N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide or whole blood taurine were noted between dogs eating different diet types. Dogs eating GF diets had higher median high‐sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs‐cTnI) (GF 0.076 ng/mL [Interquartile range (IQR), 0.028‐0.156] vs. GI 0.048 [IQR, 0.0026‐0.080]; P < .001) and higher median plasma taurine (GF 125 nmol/mL [IQR, 101‐148] vs GI 104 [IQR, 86‐123]; P = .02) than dogs eating GI diets. Dogs eating FDA‐PLP diets had higher median hs‐cTnI (0.059 ng/mL [IQR, 0.028‐0.122]) than dogs eating NoFDA‐PLP diets (0.048 [IQR, 0.025‐0.085]; P = .006). A greater proportion of dogs eating FDA‐PLP diets (10%) had VPCs than dogs eating NoFDA‐PLP diets (2%; P = .04).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Higher hs‐cTnI in healthy dogs eating GF and FDA‐PLP diets might indicate low‐level cardiomyocyte injury.
A retrospective study of 237 dogs hospitalized with suspected acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome: Disease severity, treatment, and outcome
Authors: Dupont Nana , Jessen Lisbeth Rem , Moberg Frida , Zyskind Nathali , Lorentzen Camilla , Bjørnvad Charlotte Reinhard
Published: February 2021

Background

Few studies have investigated management and outcome in dogs with acute hemorrhagic diarrhea syndrome (AHDS), and there is a paucity of data on dogs with concurrent signs of sepsis.

Objectives

To report outcome in dogs with suspected AHDS according to disease severity and antimicrobial treatment, and to evaluate effect of fluid resuscitation on clinical criteria.

Animals

Two hundred thirty‐seven dogs hospitalized with suspected AHDS.

Methods

Retrospective study based on medical records. Disease severity was evaluated using AHDS index, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria, and serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) according to 3 treatment groups: No, 1, or 2 antimicrobials.

Results

Sixty‐two percent received no antimicrobials, 31% received 1 antimicrobial, predominantly aminopenicillins, and 7% received 2 antimicrobials. At admission, median AHDS index was 13 (interquartile range, 11‐15), which decreased significantly after the first day's hospitalization (P < .001) for all groups. Compared with no antimicrobials (7%), more dogs had ≥2 SIRS criteria in the antimicrobial groups (15% and 36%, respectively). C‐reactive protein (CRP) correlated positively with AHDS index at hospitalization (P < .001). Across treatment groups, rehydration markedly reduced number of clinical SIRS criteria. Survival to discharge was 96%, lower for dogs receiving 2 antimicrobials (77%, P < .05).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

The majority of dogs hospitalized with suspected AHDS improve rapidly with symptomatic treatment only, despite signs of systemic disease on initial presentation. The often‐used SIRS criteria might be a poor proxy for identifying dogs with AHDS in need of antimicrobial treatment, in particular when hypovolemic. The role of CRP in clinical decision‐making or prognostication warrants further investigation.
Pathological predictive factors for late recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma in chronic liver disease
Authors: Nahm Ji Hae , Lee Hye Sun , Kim Haeryoung , Yim Sun Young , Shin Ji‐hyun , Yoo Jeong Eun , Ahn Sang Hoon , Choi Jin Sub , Lee Ju‐Seog , Park Young Nyun
Published: February 2021

Background & Aims

Late recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is regarded as de novo HCC from chronic hepatitis. This study investigated clinicopathological and molecular factors to develop a nomogram for predicting late HCC recurrence (>2 years after curative resection).

Methods

The training and validation cohorts included HCC patients with a major aetiology of hepatitis B who underwent curative resection. Clinicopathological features including lobular and porto‐periportal inflammatory activity, fibrosis and liver cell change were evaluated. Proteins encoded by genes related to late recurrence were identified using a reverse phase protein array of 95 non‐tumourous liver tissues. Immunoexpression of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (pSTAT3), plasminogen activator inhibitor‐1, phosphorylated extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 (pERK1/2) and spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) was measured.

Results

Late recurrence occurred in 74/402 (18%) and 47/243 (19%) in the training and validation cohorts respectively. Cirrhosis, moderate/severe lobular inflammatory activity, and expression of pSTAT3, pERK1/2, and SYK proteins correlated to the gene signature of hepatocyte injury and regeneration were independently associated with late recurrence, with odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) of 2.0 (1.2‐3.3), 21.1 (4.3‐102.7) and 6.0 (2.1‐17.7) respectively (P < .05 for all). A nomogram based on these variables (histological parameters and immunohistochemical marker combinations) showed high reliability in both the training and validation cohorts (Harrell’s C index: 0.701 and 0.716; 95% confidence intervals: 0.64‐0.76 and 0.64‐0.79 respectively).

Conclusions

The combination of pSTAT3, pERK1/2 and SYK immunoexpression with high lobular inflammatory activity and cirrhosis (fibrosis) predicts late HCC recurrence.
Vote Switching in Multiparty Presidential Systems: Evidence from the Argentine Chamber of Deputies
Authors: Bonvecchi Alejandro , Clerici Paula
Published: February 2021

Why do legislators switch their votes between the committee and floor stages in multiparty presidential systems? The literature on the US Congress has argued that switches are conditional on cross‐cutting pressures by competing principals (i.e., party leaders and interest groups), partisanship, electoral competitiveness, ideology, seniority, and informational updates. This article argues that unlike in the US two‐party system, in multiparty systems electoral competitiveness increases the likelihood of switching. Additionally, the practice of switching is more likely for legislators whose competing principals are leaders with conflicting electoral interests. We test these hypotheses analyzing vote switches between committee reports and roll‐call votes in the Argentine Chamber of Deputies. Our results indicate that legislative vote switching indeed behaves differently in multiparty than in a two‐party presidential system.
A new symbiotic lineage related to Neisseria and Snodgrassella arises from the dynamic and diverse microbiomes in sucking lice
Authors: Říhová Jana , Batani Giampiero , Rodríguez‐Ruano Sonia Maria , Martinů Jana , Vácha František , Nováková Eva , Hypša Václav
Published: February 2021

The phylogenetic diversity of symbiotic bacteria in sucking lice suggests that lice have a complex history of symbiont acquisition, loss, and replacement throughout their evolution. These processes have resulted in the establishment of different, phylogenetically distant bacteria as obligate mutualists in different louse groups. By combining metagenomics and amplicon screening across several populations of three louse species (members of the genera Polyplax and Hoplopleura) we describe a novel louse symbiont lineage related to Neisseria and Snodgrassella, and show its independent origin in the two louse genera. While the genomes of these symbionts are highly similar, their respective distributions and status within lice microbiomes indicate that they have different functions and history. In Hoplopleura acanthopus, the Neisseriaceae‐related bacterium is a dominant obligate symbiont present across several host populations. In contrast, the Polyplax microbiomes are dominated by the obligate symbiont Legionella polyplacis, with the Neisseriaceae‐related bacterium co‐occurring only in some samples and with much lower abundance. The results thus support the view that compared to other exclusively blood feeding insects, Anoplura possess a unique capacity to acquire symbionts from diverse groups of bacteria.
The McdAB system positions α‐carboxysomes in proteobacteria
Authors: MacCready Joshua S. , Tran Lisa , Basalla Joseph L. , Hakim Pusparanee , Vecchiarelli Anthony G.
Published: February 2021

Carboxysomes are protein‐based organelles essential for carbon fixation in cyanobacteria and proteobacteria. Previously, we showed that the cyanobacterial nucleoid is used to equally space out β‐carboxysomes across cell lengths by a two‐component system (McdAB) in the model cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942. More recently, we found that McdAB systems are widespread among β‐cyanobacteria, which possess β‐carboxysomes, but are absent in α‐cyanobacteria, which possess structurally and phyletically distinct α‐carboxysomes. Cyanobacterial α‐carboxysomes are thought to have arisen in proteobacteria and then horizontally transferred into cyanobacteria, which suggests that α‐carboxysomes in proteobacteria may also lack the McdAB system. Here, using the model chemoautotrophic proteobacterium Halothiobacillus neapolitanus, we show that a McdAB system distinct from that of β‐cyanobacteria operates to position α‐carboxysomes across cell lengths. We further show that this system is widespread among α‐carboxysome‐containing proteobacteria and that cyanobacteria likely inherited an α‐carboxysome operon from a proteobacterium lacking the mcdAB locus. These results demonstrate that McdAB is a cross‐phylum two‐component system necessary for positioning both α‐ and β‐carboxysomes. The findings have further implications for understanding the positioning of other protein‐based bacterial organelles involved in diverse metabolic processes.

Plain language summary

Cyanobacteria are well known to fix atmospheric CO2 into sugars using the enzyme Rubisco. Less appreciated are the carbon‐fixing abilities of proteobacteria with diverse metabolisms. Bacterial Rubisco is housed within organelles called carboxysomes that increase enzymatic efficiency. Here we show that proteobacterial carboxysomes are distributed in the cell by two proteins, McdA and McdB. McdA on the nucleoid interacts with McdB on carboxysomes to equidistantly space carboxysomes from one another, ensuring metabolic homeostasis and a proper inheritance of carboxysomes following cell division. This study illuminates how widespread carboxysome positioning systems are among diverse bacteria. Carboxysomes significantly contribute to global carbon fixation; therefore, understanding the spatial organization mechanism shared across the bacterial world is of great interest.
Delirium care knowledge in critical care nurses: A multiple‐choice question‐based quiz
Authors: Ho Mu‐Hsing , Traynor Victoria , Chen Kee‐Hsin , Montayre Jed , Lin Yen‐Kuang , Chang Hui‐Chen (Rita)
Published: February 2021

Background

Lack of evidence regarding whether a useful examination instrument such as an multiple choice question (MCQ) quiz is reliable for assessing delirium care knowledge.

Aim

To develop and psychometrically test a MCQ‐based quiz for assessing the delirium care knowledge in critical care nurses.

Design

Instrument development and psychometric evaluation study.

Methods

The development and validation process consisted of two phases. The first Phase focused on the quiz development, which was achieved through the following steps: (a) generation of an initial 20‐item pool; (b) assessment of content validity; (c) assessment of face validity; (d) conduction of a pilot test, involving the collection of data from 217 critical care nurses through an online survey; and (e) item analysis and item elimination according to item difficulty and discrimination indices. The MCQ quiz was finalized through the development process. The second phase emphasized quiz validation through estimation of the internal consistency, split‐half and test–retest reliability, and construct validity using parallel analysis with exploratory factor analysis (EFA).

Results

A final 16‐item MCQ quiz was emerged from the item analysis. The Kuder–Richardson formula 20 coefficient for the overall quiz indicated good internal consistency (0.85), and the intraclass correlation coefficient with a 30‐day interval also indicated that the questionnaire had satisfactory stability (0.97). EFA confirmed that the quiz had appropriate construct validity, and four factors could explain 60.87% of the total variance.

Conclusion

In this study, the MCQ, and single best answer quiz for assessing delirium care knowledge was developed, and its reliability and validity for this purpose were demonstrated.

Relevance to clinical practice

This study introduced an evidence‐based quiz designed for future use in delirium care research and education that has significant implications for MCQ‐based knowledge assessment in clinical practice.
Crop diversity enriches arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in an intensive agricultural landscape
Authors: Guzman Aidee , Montes Marisol , Hutchins Leslie , DeLaCerda Gisel , Yang Paula , Kakouridis Anne , Dahlquist‐Willard Ruth M. , Firestone Mary K. , Bowles Timothy , Kremen Claire
Published: February 2021

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are keystone symbionts of agricultural soils but agricultural intensification has negatively impacted AMF communities. Increasing crop diversity could ameliorate some of these impacts by positively affecting AMF. However, the underlying relationship between plant diversity and AMF community composition has not been fully resolved.

We examined how greater crop diversity affected AMF across farms in an intensive agricultural landscape, defined by high nutrient input, low crop diversity and high tillage frequency. We assessed AMF communities across 31 field sites that were either monocultures or polycultures (growing > 20 different crop types) in three ways: richness, diversity and composition. We also determined root colonization across these sites.

We found that polycultures drive the available AMF community into richer and more diverse communities while soil properties structure AMF community composition. AMF root colonization did not vary by farm management (monocultures vs polycultures), but did vary by crop host.

We demonstrate that crop diversity enriches AMF communities, counteracting the negative effects of agricultural intensification on AMF, providing the potential to increase agroecosystem functioning and sustainability.
Untangling structural factors driving genome stabilization in nascent Brassica napus allopolyploids
Authors: Ferreira de Carvalho Julie , Stoeckel Solenn , Eber Frédérique , Lodé‐Taburel Maryse , Gilet Marie‐Madeleine , Trotoux Gwenn , Morice Jérôme , Falentin Cyril , Chèvre Anne‐Marie , Rousseau‐Gueutin Mathieu
Published: February 2021

Allopolyploids have globally higher fitness than their diploid progenitors; however, by comparison, most resynthesized allopolyploids have poor fertility and highly unstable genome. Elucidating the evolutionary processes promoting genome stabilization and fertility is thus essential to comprehend allopolyploid success.

Using the Brassica model, we mimicked the speciation process of a nascent allopolyploid species by resynthesizing allotetraploid Brassica napus and systematically selecting for euploid individuals over eight generations in four independent allopolyploidization events with contrasted genetic backgrounds, cytoplasmic donors, and polyploid formation type. We evaluated the evolution of meiotic behavior and fertility and identified rearrangements in S1 to S9 lineages to explore the positive consequences of euploid selection on B. napus genome stability.

Recurrent selection of euploid plants for eight generations drastically reduced the percentage of aneuploid progenies as early as the fourth generation, concomitantly with a decrease in number of newly fixed homoeologous rearrangements. The consequences of homoeologous rearrangements on meiotic behavior and seed number depended strongly on the genetic background and cytoplasm donor.

The combined use of both self‐fertilization and recurrent euploid selection allowed identification of genomic regions associated with fertility and meiotic behavior, providing complementary evidence to explain B. napus speciation success.
Working in the end times
Authors: Rolf Steven
Published: February 2021

Capitalism has always generated predictions of its demise. One common form such predictions take is the fear of an absence of sufficient work to go around. In an important new text, Daniel Susskind argues that revolutions in computational power are already bringing about such a condition, which will soon lead to a secular stagnation of employment. I argue that even if correct in its conclusions, Susskind’s argument doesn’t bear scrutiny – since it pays little attention to the critical dynamics shaping today’s global economy (globalisation, financialisation, and a slowdown in investment and productivity). Examining these factors carefully gives us a very different take on turbulent techno‐economic change.
The impact of COVID‐19 on oral surgery training
Authors: Aulakh Gurnam , Wanis Christine , Wilson Gavin , Moore Richard
Published: February 2021

Aim

Coronavirus disease, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, originated in December 2019 from Wuhan, China. This virus has spread worldwide, with over 16 million cases and over 650,000 deaths. The novel coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) has resulted in significant impact on the livelihoods of the British public and has had implications for healthcare delivery. The cancellation of elective procedures is likely to affect oral surgery (OS) specialty training. This paper aims to ascertain the extent of any impact of COVID‐19 on OS specialty training.

Material and Methods

A survey was created for OS specialty trainees in the United Kingdom. A variety of questions were used, including multiple choice, yes/no, Likert scales and free text answers. All questions were related to the impact of COVID‐19 on training.

Results

A total of 34 full responses were recorded. Results showed that COVID‐19 has had an immense impact on OS training, with most trainees recording high anxiety levels regarding the future of their training. The overall experience of most trainees involved a reduction in logbook procedures, cancelled study days, courses or conferences.

Conclusion

Although OS training has been deficient during this period, some trainees reported positive experiences while redeployed in other fields or specialties. In addition, we highlight the significant effect on trainees' mental health. Most trainees suggested a training period extension to remedy deficiencies. From this paper, we identify the wide‐ranging effects of the pandemic, and OS trainees now await decisions on the future of specialty training.
Shared Belief and the Limits of Empathy
Authors: Betzler Monika , Keller Simon
Published: February 2021

To showaffective empathyis to share in another person's experiences, including her emotions. Most philosophers who write about emotions accept the broadly cognitivist view that emotions are rationally connected with beliefs. We argue that affective empathy is also rationally connected with belief; you can only share in another's emotions insofar as you can share certain of her beliefs. In light of that claim, we argue that affective empathy brings both epistemic dangers and epistemic benefits, that the ideal of universal empathy cannot be built upon affective empathy, and that affective empathy cannot be the basis of morality.
Group Action Without Group Minds
Authors: Silver Kenneth
Published: February 2021

Groups behave in a variety of ways. To show that this behavior amounts to action, it would be best to fit it into a general account of action. However, nearly every account from the philosophy of action requires the agent to have mental states such as beliefs, desires, and intentions. Unfortunately, theorists are divided over whether groups can instantiate these states—typically depending on whether or not they are willing to accept functionalism about the mind. But we can avoid this debate. I show how a more general view of action captures what is central to action without mentioning mental states, and I argue that a group’s members can fulfill the role in group action that mental states play in our actions. Group behavior is explicable in terms of reasons, regardless of whether the group itself cognizes those reasons. After discussing the kind of reasons at issue and arguing that groups can act in light of them without minds, I assess how this account bears on the question of group responsibility.
A Tale of Two Countries and Two Stages: South Africa, China and the Lewis Model
Authors: Knight John
Published: February 2021

The paper compares the economic progress of two countries, South Africa and China, in relation to the Lewis model. These economies are chosen because they have interesting similarities and also interesting differences. At the start of economic reform in China and with the advent of democracy in South Africa, both countries had surplus labour: they were at the first, labour‐surplus, stage of the Lewis model. It is shown that, since then, South Africa has continued to experience surplus labour: the unemployment rate has risen. By contrast, China’s labour market is shown to have tightened, and there is evidence that China has entered the second, labour‐scarce, stage of the Lewis model. The difference lies in their growth rates. There are sections explaining why the South African economy has grown slowly and why the Chinese economy has grown rapidly, in relation to the growth of their labour forces. The Lewis model provides an enlightening framework for explaining how widely the fruits of economic development can be shared.
Comparing warning signs of suicide between suicide decedents with depression and those non‐diagnosed psychiatric disorders
Authors: Kim Eun Ji , Kim Yuwon , Lee Gusang , Choi Jin Hwa , Yook Vidal , Shin Myung‐Hee , Jeon Hong Jin
Published: February 2021

Objective

Early recognition of a high‐risk group impending suicide is important. We aimed to compare warning signs depending on the nature of the psychiatric disorder and whether it was a documented diagnosis.

Methods

Data of suicide decedents were collected from police records from 2013 to 2017. We evaluate psychiatric symptoms and warning signs in three aspects (language, behavior, and affect) using the Korea‐Psychological Autopsy Checklist for Police Records (K‐PAC‐PR).

Results

A total of 13,265 suicide decedents were recruited for this study. Of them, 66.9% of females and 46.7% of males diagnosed psychiatric disorders, with depressive disorder being the most common one. Warning signs were observed in 93.0% of suicide decedents. They were observed more in those who were diagnosed with psychiatric disorders, especially in those with a depressive disorder. “Talking about dying or suicide” was the most common warning sign in all groups, and “apathetic behavior” was the most related warning sign for depressive disorder. Especially for “talking about dying or suicide,” the proportion of observed “within a week” was high, making it valuable as a warning sign.

Conclusion

Warning signs were commonly found in suicide decedents regardless of gender. They were more common among the decedents diagnosed with psychiatric disorders, especially among those with a depressive disorder.
Validity and reproducibility of VO2max testing in a respiration chamber
Authors: Kleinloog Jordi P. D. , van Laar Stephen P. G. A. , Schoffelen Paul F. M. , Plasqui Guy
Published: February 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate whether VO2max can be accurately measured in a respiration chamber. Thirty participants aged 23.4 ± 3.9 years with a wide range in VO2max were included. Participants performed four incremental cycle ergometer tests (VO2max) with a minimum of 5 days between tests. These tests consisted of one familiarization test with face mask, followed by two VO2max tests in the respiration chamber and one test with face mask in randomized order. Oxygen consumption and CO2 production were measured continuously using Omnical (Maastricht University, the Netherlands) gas analysis system. The mean VO2max was 3634 ± 766 ml, which resulted in mean VO2max per lean body mass of 60.8 ± 8.0 ml/kg. Repeated respiration chamber tests showed a high concordance, and no significant differences were detected between tests (Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (Rc) = 0.99; ∆70 ± 302 ml/min; p = .38). There was high concordance between the mean VO2max from both respiration chamber tests and the mean face mask tests, and no significant difference (Rc = 0.99; ∆41 ± 173 ml/min; p = .22) was observed. The Bland‐Altman plots showed no proportional bias between different tests. In conclusion, the respiration chamber has been found to be a valid and reproducible method for measuring VO2max. New research opportunities are possible in the respiration chamber, such as maximal exercise testing during 24‐hour measurements.
Exploring the landscape of psychological threat: A cartography of threats and threat responses
Authors: Reiss Stefan , Leen‐Thomele Eline , Klackl Johannes , Jonas Eva
Published: February 2021

Over the recent years, research in the field of threat and defense has accumulated evidence on how encounters with various psychological threats influence human behavior, cognition, motivation, affect, and health. Unifying different theoretical threat models, the General Process Model of Threat and Defense claims that different threatening concerns have a similar underlying dynamic. Some years after the publication of this theory, we deem it important to take a comparative look at psychological threat, comparing threats regarding their properties and outcomes on personal and social level. As potential dimensions to describe psychological threats, we discuss the existential nature of concerns, phenomenological worlds involved, and thwarted needs in threat encounters. We also discuss data‐driven approaches to threat classifications, describing first empirical efforts to create threat taxonomies, and suggest directions for future research. This research will enhance our understanding of threat dynamics, and will help us make stronger, more clear‐cut assumptions about human behavior upon experiencing threat.
Global, regional and national disability‐adjusted life years due to HIV from 1990 to 2019: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Authors: Wu Jiayuan , Lai Tianwen , Han Huanqin , Liu Jie , Wang Shuangmiao , Lyu Jun
Published: February 2021

Objectives

Increasing life expectancy and decreasing mortality in patients with HIV infection are well documented. However, details of how many of the years of healthy life are damaged by HIV infection vs. good health have not been understood. We conducted this study to provide a comprehensive assessment of the levels and trends of the global burden, as measured by disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs), of HIV infection.

Methods

Data on HIV‐related DALY were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The absolute numbers and age‐standardised rates of DALYs due to HIV were reported between 1990 and 2019. Estimated annual percentage changes in age‐standardised rates by sex, region and nation were calculated to quantify the temporal trends in HIV burden.

Results

Global HIV infection caused 47.63 million DALYs in 2019, presenting a 1.28‐fold increase from 1990 to 2019. In 2019, years of life lost contributed to most of the total DALYs, but the increases in HIV‐related years lived with disability have outpaced increases in years of life lost. The age‐standardised rates of HIV‐related DALYs in 2019 decreased as the sociodemographic indexes increased. The highest age‐standardised rates were observed in sub‐Saharan Africa, and the greatest increments over time were detected in Oceania.

Conclusions

Globally, HIV continues to cause enormous healthy life loss. The first and foremost strategy for controlling the HIV burden is still the reduction of premature deaths, and much effort needs to be exerted to mitigate the harm of comorbidities.
Complications between ventral and lateral approach for mandibular and sublingual sialoadenectomy in dogs with sialocele
Authors: Cinti Filippo , Rossanese Matteo , Buracco Paolo , Pisani Guido , Vallefuoco Rosario , Massari Federico , Montinaro Vincenzo , Rossetti Diego , Gobbetti Matteo , Cantatore Matteo
Published: February 2021

Objective

To compare complications of dogs treated with mandibular and sublingual sialoadenectomy for sialocele using a lateral (LAT) or ventral paramedian (VPM) approach.

Study design

Retrospective multicenter study.

Animals

Dogs (140) with mandibular and sublingual sialocele.

Methods

Medical records of dogs that underwent mandibular and sublingual sialoadenectomy through a LAT or VPM approach from 2004 to 2020 were reviewed. Clinical and histopathological findings were analyzed to compare the groups.

Results

Seventy dogs were included in each group. The most represented breed was crossbreed (26%), and males (99/140 [71%], intact/neutered) were overrepresented. Dogs in the VPM approach group were more likely to undergo digastricus tunnelization and placement of a drain or a bandage. Dogs in the LAT approach group were heavier and more likely to undergo excision of an inflammatory pseudocapsule. No difference was detected in complication rates between groups (LAT [20%], VPM [31%],P= .116). Recurrences were more likely after LAT approach (5/70 vs 0/70, respectively;P= .029), whereas wound‐related complications were more likely after VPM approach (20/70 vs 9/70, respectively;P= .018). Prolonged duration of surgery was associated with an increased risk of recurrence, and none of the other variables affected the complication rate.

Conclusion

Ventral paramedian approach for mandibular and sublingual sialoadenectomy was associated with a lower risk of recurrence but a higher risk of wound‐related complications compared with LAT approach.

Clinical significance

Ventral paramedian approach for mandibular and sublingual sialoadenectomy may be preferred to reduce recurrence in dogs with sialoceles, but wound‐related complications are common.
A task‐relevant experimental pain model to target motor adaptation
Authors: Gallina Alessio , Abboud Jacques , Blouin Jean‐Sébastien
Published: February 2021

Key points

Motor adaptation is thought to be a strategy to avoid pain.

Current experimental pain models do not allow for consistent modulation of pain perception depending on movement.

We showed that low‐frequency sinusoidal stimuli delivered at painful intensity result in minimal habituation of pain perception (over 60 s) and minimal stimulation artefacts on electromyographic signals.

When the amplitude of the low‐frequency sinusoidal stimuli was modulated based on the vertical force participants applied to the ground with their right leg while standing upright, we demonstrated a strong association between perceived pain and motor adaptation.

By enabling task‐relevant modulation of perceived pain intensity and the recording electromyographic signals during electrical painful stimulation, our novel pain model will permit direct experimental testing of the relationship between pain and motor adaptation.

Contemporary pain adaptation theories predict that motor adaptation occurs to limit pain. Current experimental pain models, however, do not allow for pain intensity modulation according to one's posture or movements. We developed a task‐relevant experimental pain model using low‐frequency sinusoidal electrical stimuli applied over the infrapatellar fat pad. In fourteen participants, we compared perceived pain habituation and stimulation‐induced artefacts in vastus medialis electromyographic recordings elicited by sinusoidal (4, 10, 20 and 50 Hz) and square electrical waveforms delivered at constant peak stimulation amplitude. Next, we simulated a clinical condition where perceived knee pain intensity is proportional to the load applied on the leg by controlling sinusoidal current amplitude (4 Hz) according to the vertical force the participants applied with their right leg to the ground while standing upright. Pain ratings habituated over a 60 s period for 50 Hz sinusoidal and square waveforms but not for low‐frequency sinusoidal stimuli (P < 0.001). EMG filters removed most stimulation artefacts for low‐frequency sinusoidal stimuli (4 Hz). While balancing upright, participants’ pain ratings were correlated with the force applied by the right leg (R2 = 0.65), demonstrating task‐relevant changes in perceived pain intensity. Low‐frequency sinusoidal stimuli can induce knee pain of constant intensity for 60 s with minimal EMG artefacts while enabling task‐relevant pain modulation when controlling current amplitude. By enabling task‐dependent modulation of perceived pain intensity, our novel experimental model replicates key temporal aspects of clinical musculoskeletal pain while allowing quantification of neuromuscular activation during painful electrical stimulation. This approach will enable researchers to test the predicted relationship between movement strategies and pain.
The Influence of Exercise Modality on Training Load Management
Authors: Sandbakk Øyvind , Haugen Thomas , Ettema Gertjan
Published: February 2021

Purpose: To provide novel insight regarding the influence of exercise modality on training load management by (1) providing a theoretical framework for the impact of physiological and biomechanical mechanisms associated with different exercise modalities on training load management in endurance exercise and (2) comparing effort-matched low-intensity training sessions performed by top-level athletes in endurance sports with similar energy demands. Practical Applications and Conclusions: The ability to perform endurance training with manageable muscular loads and low injury risks in different exercise modalities is influenced both by mechanical factors and by muscular state and coordination, which interrelate in optimizing power production while reducing friction and/or drag. Consequently, the choice of exercise modality in endurance training influences effort beyond commonly used external and internal load measurements and should be considered alongside duration, frequency, and intensity when managing training load. By comparing effort-matched low- to moderate-intensity sessions performed by top-level athletes in endurance sports, this study exemplifies how endurance exercise with varying modalities leads to different tolerable volumes. For example, the weight-bearing exercise and high-impact forces in long-distance running put high loads on muscles and tendons, leading to relatively low training volume tolerance. In speed skating, the flexed knee and hip position required for effective speed skating leads to occlusion of thighs and low volume tolerance. In contrast, the non-weight-bearing, low-contraction exercises in cycling or swimming allow for large volumes in the specific exercise modalities. Overall, these differences have major implications on training load management in sports.