bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Ethics and ambiguity in wastewater development on the Placencia Peninsula, Belize
Authors: Webb W. Alex , Wells E. Christian , Prouty Christine , Zarger Rebecca , Trotz Maya 
Published: April 2024

AbstractDevelopment projects present ambiguous ethical terrain for anthropologists to navigate. Particularly in relation to WaSH (Water, Sanitation, Hygiene) infrastructures which mediate human and environmental health. Our interdisciplinary team of anthropologists and engineers initially set out to design context‐sensitive on‐site wastewater treatment infrastructures for homes along Belize's Placencia Peninsula. The project's beginning coincided with the announcements of a government sponsored centralized wastewater infrastructure project and the construction of a cruise ship port on a nearby island, however. Soon the wastewater project's promises—economic opportunity, improved human and environmental health, modernization ‐ came crashing into its pratfalls—exacerbating existing inequalities, loss of livelihoods, and diminished local governance. Our team was left with uncertain decisions about how to engage with improving infrastructure, given the emerging community dynamics. By detailing the imperfect trade‐offs at play, we highlight ethical complexities inherent when communities’ development futures are at stake. Anthropology's fraught history includes legacies of unintended harms from entanglement in others’ inequities. However, avoiding involvement out of excessive caution risks leaving marginalized voices unheard and extant problems unresolved. This case immersed our team in the inherent optimism and ethical experimentation which underlie development contexts. Our analysis adopts the structure from Whiteford and Trotters’ (2008) “Ethical‐Problem Solving Guide” to reveal the layered tensions that underly critical WaSH infrastructures.
Sequential activation of strigolactone and salicylate biosynthesis promotes leaf senescence
Authors: Jing Yexing , Yang Ziyi , Yang Zongju , Bai Wanqing , Yang Ruizhen , Zhang Yanjun , Zhang Kewei , Zhang Yunwei , Sun Jiaqiang 
Published: April 2024

Summary
Leaf senescence is a complex process strictly regulated by various external and endogenous factors. However, the key signaling pathway mediating leaf senescence remains unknown.
Here, we show that Arabidopsis SPX1/2 negatively regulate leaf senescence genetically downstream of the strigolactone (SL) pathway. We demonstrate that the SL receptor AtD14 and MAX2 mediate the age‐dependent degradation of SPX1/2.
Intriguingly, we uncover an age‐dependent accumulation of SLs in leaves via transcriptional activation of SL biosynthetic genes by the transcription factors (TFs) SPL9/15. Furthermore, we reveal that SPX1/2 interact with the WRKY75 subclade TFs to inhibit their DNA‐binding ability and thus repress transcriptional activation of salicylic acid (SA) biosynthetic gene SA Induction‐Deficient 2, gating the age‐dependent SA accumulation in leaves at the leaf senescence onset stage.
Collectively, our new findings reveal a signaling pathway mediating sequential activation of SL and salicylate biosynthesis for the onset of leaf senescence in Arabidopsis.
A critique of Occupational Safety and Health Administration's halfmask respirator assigned protection factor
Authors: Nicas Mark 
Published: April 2024

AbstractHalfmask air‐purifying respirators are used by millions of workers to reduce inhaling air contaminants, both chemical (e.g., asbestos, styrene) and biological (e.g., SARS‐CoV‐2, Mycobacterium tuberculosis). In 2006, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) promulgated a standard that gave halfmask respirators an assigned protection factor (APF) of 10. This signified that OSHA assumes a fit‐tested and trained wearer will experience a 10% maximum total inward leakage of contaminated air into the facepiece. To derive APF = 10, OSHA analyzed data from 16 workplace studies of the efficacy of halfmask respirators worn against particulate contaminants. In this commentary, I contend that, in considering the data, OSHA made several errors that overstated halfmask respirator efficacy. The errors were (i) failing to properly account for within‐wearer and between‐wearer variability in respirator efficacy; (ii) ignoring the effect of particle deposition in the respiratory tract; (iii) aggregating unbalanced data within and between studies, and effectively double‐counting the data in some studies; and (iv) ignoring the effect that particle size exerts in penetrating respirator facepiece leak paths. The net result is that OSHA's APF = 10 can lead to excessive toxicant exposure for many workers.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection rate among pediatric patients with respiratory symptoms
Authors: Samerton Penpitcha , Apiwattanakul Nopporn , Assawawiroonhakarn Surapat , Sahakijpicharn Thiantip , Thongchai Rakruthai , Techasaensiri Chonnamet , Boonsathorn Sophida , Chaisavaneeyakorn Sujittra 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackgroundThe incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) in children has been increasing worldwide since the onset of the pandemic. This study examined the risk factors and characteristics of COVID‐19 among pediatric patients compared to other respiratory viral infections.MethodsThis was a prospective cross‐sectional study. Patients aged 0–18 years presenting with respiratory symptoms from October 2020 to December 2021 were included. Demographic and clinical data were reviewed.ResultsIn total, 738 pediatric patients were enrolled. Of these, 48.5% had COVID‐19, and 41.3% were infected with another respiratory virus. The COVID‐19 incidence increased from 0.5% during the original strain outbreak (October 2020 to March 2021) to 56.5% and 73.4% during the alpha (April to June 2021) and delta (July to December 2021) periods, respectively. Children aged 6‐18 years, being female, obesity, exposure to household members with COVID‐19, and the delta period were risk factors for COVID‐19. Being aged 1‐5 years, obesity, shortness of breath, productive cough, and chest pain were associated with COVID‐19 pneumonia. Children aged 5–18 years, underlying neurological disease, a history of COVID‐19 pneumonia, and the delta period were associated with long COVID.ConclusionsPediatric COVID‐19 patients presenting with respiratory symptoms who are obese or have been exposed to household members with COVID‐19 should be tested for COVID‐19. COVID‐19 patients who are obese, younger than five years old, or who present with shortness of breath, productive cough, or chest pain should be evaluated for pneumonia. COVID‐19 patients with a history of COVID‐19 pneumonia or underlying neurological disease should receive follow‐up for long COVID.
Oxygenation saturation index in neonatal hypoxemic respiratory failure
Authors: Tsurukawa Shinichiro , Zuiki Masashi , Naito Yuki , Kitamura Kazumasa , Matsumura Utsuki , Kanayama Takuyo , Ichise Eisuke , Horiguchi Go , Teramukai Satoshi , Komatsu Hiroshi 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackgroundThis study aimed to assess the validity of the oxygenation saturation index (OSI) and the ratio of oxygen saturation to the fraction of inspired oxygen (FIO2) (S/F ratio) with percutaneous oxygen saturation (OSISpO2 and the Sp/F ratio) and to evaluate the correlation between these values and the oxygen index (OI). It also determined their cut‐off values for predicting OI in accordance with neonatal hypoxic respiratory failure severity.MethodsWe reviewed the data of 77 neonates (gestational age 31.7 ± 6.1 weeks; birthweight, 1768 ± 983 g) requiring invasive mechanical ventilation between 2013 and 2020, 1233 arterial blood gas samples in total. We calculated the OI, OSISpO2, OSI with arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) (OSISaO2), Sp/F ratio, and the ratio of SaO2 to FIO2 (Sa/F ratio).ResultsThe regression and Bland–Altman analysis showed good agreement between OSISpO2 or the Sp/F ratio and OSISaO2 or the Sa/F ratio. Although a significant positive correlation was found between OSISpO2 and OI, OSISpO2 was overestimated in SpO2 > 98% with a higher slope of the fitted regression line than that below 98% of SpO2. Furthermore, receiver‐operating characteristic curve analysis using only SpO2 ≤ 98% samples showed that the optimal cut‐off points of OSISpO2 and the Sp/F ratio for predicting OI were: OI 5, 3.0 and 332; OI 10, 5.3 and 231; OI 15, 7.7 and 108; OI 20, 11.0 and 149; and OI 25, 17.1 and 103, respectively.ConclusionThe cut‐off OSISpO2 and Sp/F ratio values could allow continuous monitoring for oxygenation changes in neonates with the potential for wider clinical applications.
Identifying novel disease genes and revealing the pathomechanism of monogenic diseases
Authors: Miyake Noriko 
Published: April 2024

AbstractDiseases are caused by genetic and/or environmental factors. It is important to understand the pathomechanism of monogenic diseases that are caused only by genetic factors, especially prenatal‐ or childhood‐onset diseases for pediatricians. Identifying “novel” disease genes and elucidating how genomic changes lead to human phenotypes would develop new therapeutic approaches for rare diseases for which no fundamental cure has yet been established. Genomic analysis has evolved along with the development of analytical techniques, from Sanger sequencing (first‐generation sequencing) to techniques such as comparative genomic hybridization, massive parallel short‐read sequencing (using a next‐generation sequencer or second‐generation sequencer) and long‐read sequencing (using a next‐next generation sequencer or third‐generation sequencer). I have been researching human genetics using conventional and new technologies, together with my mentors and numerous collaborators, and have identified genes responsible for more than 60 diseases. Here, an overview of genomic analyses of monogenic diseases that aims to identify novel disease genes, and several examples using different approaches depending on the disease characteristics are presented.
Spectrum of WAS gene mutations in Vietnamese patients with Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome
Authors: Chuong Ho Quoc , Xinh Phan Thi , Tram Duong Bich , Ha Nguyen Thi Thanh , Nguyen Tuan Minh , Anh Phan Nguyen Lien , Van Nguyen Dinh , Anh Nguyen Hoang Mai , Dung Phu Chi , Nghia Huynh , Vu Hoang Anh 
Published: April 2024

AbstractBackgroundWAS gene mutational analysis is crucial to establish a definite diagnosis of Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome (WAS). Data on the genetic background of WAS in Vietnamese patients have not been reported.MethodsWe recruited 97 male, unrelated patients with WAS and analyzed WAS gene mutation using Sanger sequencing technology.ResultsWe identified 36 distinct hemizygous pathogenic mutations, with 17 novel variants, from 38 patients in the entire cohort (39.2%). The mutational spectrum included 14 missense, 12 indel, five nonsense, four splicing, and one non‐stop mutations. Most mutations appear only once, with the exception of c.37C>T (p.R13X) and c.374G>A (p.G125E) each of which occurs twice in unrelated patients.ConclusionOur data enrich the mutational spectrum of the WAS gene and are crucial for understanding the genetic background of WAS and for supporting genetic counseling.
Potato miR394 targets StA/N‐INVE and StLCR to negatively regulate late blight resistance
Authors: Sun Xinyuan , Xu Meng , Luo Ming , Wu Xinya , Li Hongjun , Nie Jiahui , Qi Yetong , Yang Zhu , Tian Zhendong 
Published: April 2024

AbstractMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs in eukaryotes. Plant endogenous miRNAs play pivotal roles in regulating plant development and defense responses. MicroRNA394 (miR394) has been reported to regulate plant development, abiotic stresses and defense responses. Previous reports showed that miR394 responded to P. infestans inoculation in potato, indicating that miR394 may be involved in defense responses. In this study, we further investigated its role in potato defense against P. infestans. Stable expression of miR394 in tobacco and potato enhances the susceptibility to P. infestans, which is accompanied with the reduced accumulation of ROS and down‐regulation of the PTI (pattern‐triggered immunity) marker genes. Besides well‐known target StLCR, miR394 also targets StA/N‐INVE, which encodes a chloroplast Alkaline/Neutral Invertases (A/N‐INVE). Both StLCR and StA/N‐INVE positively regulate late blight resistance, while miR394 degrades them. Interestingly, StA/N‐INVE is located in the chloroplast, indicating that miR394 may manipulate chloroplast immunity. Degradation of StA/N‐INVE may affect the chloroplast function and hence lead to the compromised ROS (reactive oxygen species) burst and reduced retrograde signaling from the chloroplast to the nucleus and cytoplasm. In summary, this study provides new information that miR394 targets and degrades StA/N‐INVE and StLCR, which are positive regulators, to enhance potato susceptibility to P. infestans.
Confronting the Philippines' war on drugs: A literature review
Authors: Lamchek Jayson S. , Jopson Teresa 
Published: April 2024

AbstractUpon election in 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte launched one of the world's most lethal and aggressive anti‐drug campaigns known as the War on Drugs in the Philippines. The War on Drugs unleashed an unprecedented level of violence while enjoying high public approval in the Philippines throughout Duterte's presidency. Scholars from a variety of disciplines grappled with understanding the significance and impact of the War on Drugs, generating a substantial literature. How have scholars contributed to critical understanding and practice that confront the Philippines' War on Drugs? We analyse and assess the state of the scholarship on the Philippines' War on Drugs by reviewing 140 scholarly materials. We find that scholars contextualized the popularity of violence, documented its various actual effects on Philippine society, and to a lesser extent, offered alternatives. Our literature review synthesises two major analytical approaches explaining the drug war: as penal populism and as moral politics. Scholars describe the War on Drugs as a way of governing society through violence and with impunity for extrajudicial killings and human rights abuses, using legitimising moral discourses. We present key findings on the drug war's actual consequences, underscoring its catastrophic impact across various communities except the drug trade itself. Throughout, we offer reflections on blind spots, highlighting the value of considering the historical context and deeper structural and political‐economic drivers. We arrive at a research agenda intended to aid scholars in engaging with the persistent issues in the War on Drugs as it continues to be implemented by the Philippine government.
Genome sequence and cell biological toolbox of the highly regenerative, coenocytic green feather alga Bryopsis
Authors: Ochiai Kanta K. , Hanawa Daiki , Ogawa Harumi A. , Tanaka Hiroyuki , Uesaka Kazuma , Edzuka Tomoya , Shirae‐Kurabayashi Maki , Toyoda Atsushi , Itoh Takehiko , Goshima Gohta 
Published: April 2024

SUMMARYGreen feather algae (Bryopsidales) undergo a unique life cycle in which a single cell repeatedly executes nuclear division without cytokinesis, resulting in the development of a thallus (>100 mm) with characteristic morphology called coenocyte. Bryopsis is a representative coenocytic alga that has exceptionally high regeneration ability: extruded cytoplasm aggregates rapidly in seawater, leading to the formation of protoplasts. However, the genetic basis of the unique cell biology of Bryopsis remains poorly understood. Here, we present a high‐quality assembly and annotation of the nuclear genome of Bryopsis sp. (90.7 Mbp, 27 contigs, N50 = 6.7 Mbp, 14 034 protein‐coding genes). Comparative genomic analyses indicate that the genes encoding BPL‐1/Bryohealin, the aggregation‐promoting lectin, are heavily duplicated in Bryopsis, whereas homologous genes are absent in other ulvophyceans, suggesting the basis of regeneration capability of Bryopsis. Bryopsis sp. possesses >30 kinesins but only a single myosin, which differs from other green algae that have multiple types of myosin genes. Consistent with this biased motor toolkit, we observed that the bidirectional motility of chloroplasts in the cytoplasm was dependent on microtubules but not actin in Bryopsis sp. Most genes required for cytokinesis in plants are present in Bryopsis, including those in the SNARE or kinesin superfamily. Nevertheless, a kinesin crucial for cytokinesis initiation in plants (NACK/Kinesin‐7II) is hardly expressed in the coenocytic part of the thallus, possibly underlying the lack of cytokinesis in this portion. The present genome sequence lays the foundation for experimental biology in coenocytic macroalgae.
Resolution of chronic regurgitation in an 8 month old Babydoll sheep by thoracoscopic treatment of a vascular ring anomaly
Authors: McOnie Rebecca C. , Buote Nicole J. , Hackett Eileen S. , Scrivani Peter V. , Mazan Melissa R. , Lehmann Fionna , Pomerantz Leah K. , Mitchell Katharyn J. 
Published: April 2024

AbstractObjectiveThe objective was to describe the successful thoracoscopic treatment of esophageal entrapment resulting from a vascular ring anomaly (VRA) comprising a persistent right aortic arch (PRAA) and left ligamentum arteriosum (LA) in a Babydoll sheep wether.Study designCase report.AnimalEight month old Babydoll sheep wether, 13 kg.MethodsThe patient presented with a weight half that of its sibling, persistent regurgitation following eating, and delayed growth noted from the age of approximately 2 months, coinciding with the introduction of solid feed into the diet. Plain thoracic radiographs were within normal limits but computed tomography angiography (CTA) confirmed multiple congenital vascular anomalies. The primary finding was esophageal and tracheal entrapment by a PRAA and left LA. Thoracoscopic transection of the LA was performed with a bipolar vessel sealing device with the aid of transesophageal endoscopy.ResultsImmediate improvement in attitude and absence of regurgitation were observed. The patient was discharged and subsequently reintroduced to grazing and long‐stem hay, which were previously not tolerated. By 6 months post discharge, the patient's weight was 36 kg, comparable to an age‐matched sibling and considered appropriate for the stage of growth.ConclusionThoracoscopic transection of the LA in sheep is a feasible treatment for esophageal compression resulting from a VRA. Surgical intervention resolved the clinical signs and allowed normal digestive rumination, restoring bidirectional esophageal function in a ruminant.
Beware of epistaxis: fatal pseudoaneurysm rupture 30 years after treatment of acromegaly
Authors: Carreira Ana , Muna Solomon , Grossman Ashley B , Korbonits Márta 
Published: April 2024

We present a fatal complication of treatment in a patient with early-onset acromegaly, treated with two transsphenoidal operations, radiotherapy, radiosurgery and pegvisomant. He was diagnosed in his 30s, and controlled from his 40s, with stable residual tumour within the left cavernous sinus. In his 60s, 30 years after surgery/radiotherapy and 14 years after radiosurgery, he developed recurrent episodes of mild epistaxis. A week later, he presented at his local hospital’s emergency department with severe epistaxis and altered consciousness. He was diagnosed with a ruptured internal carotid artery (ICA) pseudoaneurysm, but unfortunately died before treatment could be attempted.ICA pseudoaneurysms are rare complications of surgery or radiotherapy and can present with several years of delay, often with epistaxis. This case highlights the importance of life-long monitoring in patients with previous pituitary interventions and early recognition of epistaxis as a herald sign of a potentially catastrophic event, thus leading to timely treatment.
Building a house without foundations? A 24-country qualitative interview study on artificial intelligence in intensive care medicine
Authors: McLennan Stuart , Fiske Amelia , Celi Leo Anthony 
Published: April 2024

ObjectivesTo explore the views of intensive care professionals in high-income countries (HICs) and lower-to-middle-income countries (LMICs) regarding the use and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in intensive care units (ICUs).MethodsIndividual semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted between December 2021 and August 2022 with 59 intensive care professionals from 24 countries. Transcripts were analysed using conventional content analysis.ResultsParticipants had generally positive views about the potential use of AI in ICUs but also reported some well-known concerns about the use of AI in clinical practice and important technical and non-technical barriers to the implementation of AI. Important differences existed between ICUs regarding their current readiness to implement AI. However, these differences were not primarily between HICs and LMICs, but between a small number of ICUs in large tertiary hospitals in HICs, which were reported to have the necessary digital infrastructure for AI, and nearly all other ICUs in both HICs and LMICs, which were reported to neither have the technical capability to capture the necessary data or use AI, nor the staff with the right knowledge and skills to use the technology.ConclusionPouring massive amounts of resources into developing AI without first building the necessary digital infrastructure foundation needed for AI is unethical. Real-world implementation and routine use of AI in the vast majority of ICUs in both HICs and LMICs included in our study is unlikely to occur any time soon. ICUs should not be using AI until certain preconditions are met.
Effectiveness of an online recovery training for employees exposed to blurred boundaries between work and non-work: Bayesian analysis of a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Brückner Hanna , Wallot Sebastian , Horvath Hanne , Ebert David Daniel , Lehr Dirk 
Published: April 2024

BackgroundBlurred work–non-work boundaries can have negative effects on mental health, including sleep.ObjectivesIn a randomised control trial, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of an online recovery training programme designed to improve symptoms of insomnia in a working population exposed to blurred boundaries.Methods128 participants with severe insomnia symptoms (Insomnia Severity Index ≥15) and working under blurred work and non-work conditions (segmentation supplies <2.25) were randomly assigned to either the recovery intervention or a waitlist control group (WLC). The primary outcome was insomnia severity, assessed at baseline, after 2 months (T2) and 6 months (T3).FindingsA greater reduction in insomnia was observed in the intervention compared with the WLC group at both T2 (d=1.51; 95% CI=1.12 o 1.91) and T3 (d=1.63; 95% CI=1.23 to 2.03]. This was shown by Bayesian analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), whereby the ANCOVA model yielded the highest Bayes factor (BF10=3.23×e60] and a 99.99% probability. Likewise, frequentist analysis revealed significantly reduced insomnia at both T2 and T3. Beneficial effects were found for secondary outcomes including depression, work-related rumination, and mental detachment from work. Study attrition was 16% at T2 and 44% at T3.ConclusionsThe recovery training was effective in reducing insomnia symptoms, work related and general indicators of mental health in employees exposed to blurred boundaries, both at T2 and T3.Clinical implicationsIn addition to demonstrating the intervention’s effectiveness, this study exemplifies the utilisation of the Bayesian approach in a clinical context and shows its potential to empower recipients of interventional research by offering insights into result probabilities, enabling them to draw informed conclusions.Trial registration numberGerman Clinical Trial Registration (DRKS): DRKS00006223,https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00006223