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Background The recently developed modified COVID-19 (coronavirus of 2019) Yorkshire Rehabilitation Scale (C19-YRSm) captures comprehensive biopsychosocial components of WHO's International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health related to the Long Covid or post-COVID syndrome. The scale response categories on C19-YRSm were done post hoc on data collected from the original version of C19-YRS. Aim To evaluate the C19-YRSm scale using reliability and validity measures. Design Prospective, observational study. Methods The study includes 369 patients (clinical group) and 426 subjects of the general population (control group) and captures their post-COVID-19 symptoms. In addition, the reliability of C19-YRSm was estimated by Cronbach's alpha coefficients of internal consistency and inter-item correlations for subscales ('Symptom severity, Functional disability, and Other symptoms'). Convergent validity was established using correlations between C19-YRSm and Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). The incremental validity of C19-YRSm was measured by introducing a hierarchical regression model using the C19-YRSm 'Overall health' subscale and FSS as criterion variables. Results C19-YRSm subscales have excellent internal consistencies (Cronbach's α value 0.81–0.96) and acceptable inter-item correlations (r value 0.23–0.79). Hereafter, the convergent validity of the C19-YRSm is good due to significant correlations between C19-YRSm subscales and FSS and C19-YRSm subscales. Finally, the hierarchical regression analysis supported consistent evidence for the incremental validity of the C19-YRSm subscales. Conclusion C19-YRSm is a reliable and valid self-assessment scale for the assessment of post-COVID-19 syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Cavotricuspid isthmus pulsed-field ablation has been recently described to be safely performed despite initial reports on coronary arterial spasm while conduction disturbances as a complication of cavotricuspid isthmus ablation are rare and have been reported exclusively for radiofrequency catheter ablation. Case summary A 64-year-old female patient with mechanical prosthetic valves underwent atrial fibrillation ablation using the pentaspline pulsed-field ablation catheter. At the end of the uneventful pulmonary vein isolation, an atrial tachycardia depended to the cavotricuspid isthmus occurred. A single pulsed-field application at the cavotricuspid isthmus resulted in right bundle branch block combined with posterior fascicular hemiblock and PR prolongation that resolved spontaneously within 12 h. Discussion This is the first report of transient conduction disturbances as a complication of cavotricuspid isthmus pulsed-field ablation. Although the underlying mechanism, either single or miscellaneous, was not verified, this case highlights that caution should be taken when the pentaspline pulsed-field ablation catheter is used for cavotricuspid isthmus ablation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Hyperlinear palms are described as a feature of loss-of-function (LoF) variants in filaggrin (FLG). Objectives To explore the phenotype of participants (age < 31 years) with atopic eczema of Bangladeshi ancestry from East London and investigate which factors best associate with LoF FLG variants. Methods A cross-sectional study with participants recruited between May 2018 and December 2020. Patterns of palmar linearity were categorized and modelled with the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI), transepidermal water loss (TEWL), skin hydration (SH) and LoF FLG variants. Results There were 506 complete cases available. Five palm patterns were noted. The 'prominent diamond' pattern associated best with EASI [marginal effects (ME) 2.53, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.74–3.67], SH (ME 0.85, 95% CI 0.78–0.96) and TEWL (ME 1.32, 95% CI 1.11–1.62). Using five palm patterns had some ability to discriminate LoF FLG variants [area under the receiver operator characteristic (AUROC) 76.32%, 95% CI 71.91–80.73], improving to 77.99% (73.70–82.28) with the addition of SH. In subgroup analysis with only fine perpendicular/prominent diamond patterns the AUROC was 89.11% (95% CI 84.02–94.19). Conclusions This was a single-centre study design with humans classifying clinical patterns. The stability of temperature and humidity was not guaranteed across TEWL and SH measurements despite using a climate-controlled room. Palm patterns associate with EASI and TEWL. The fine perpendicular/prominent diamond patterns are markers to detect the absence/presence of LoF FLG variants, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important part of urban landscape research, analyzing and studying street-level greenery can increase the understanding of a city's greenery, contributing to better urban living environment planning and design. Planning the best path of urban greenery is a means to effectively maximize the use of urban greenery, which plays a positive role in the physical and mental health of urban residents and the path planning of visitors. In this paper, we used Google street view to obtain street view images of Osaka City. The semantic segmentation model is adopted to segment the street view images and analyze the green view index (GVI) of Osaka City. Based on the GVI, we take advantage of the adjacency matrix and Floyd-Warshall algorithm to calculate GVI best path, solving the limitations of ArcGIS software. Our analysis not only allows the calculation of specific routes for the GVI best paths but also realizes the visualization and integration of neighborhood urban greenery. By summarizing all the data, we can conduct an intuitive feeling and objective analysis of the street-level greenery in the research area. Based on this, such as urban residents and visitors can maximize the available natural resources for a better life. The dataset and code are available at https://github.com/Jackieam/GVI-Best-Path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammatory bowel disease is fast becoming a disease of the East. Of all its entities, Crohn's disease is the most diverse and debilitating due to its nature of transmural granulomatous inflammation. The clinical picture varies according to the disease location and severity. This translates to tailoring the treatment according to individual disease. The management should be predominantly medical since recurrence rates post-surgery are objectionable. But surgery, as a measure to tackle complications under cover of adequate medical and nutritional therapy, can be lifesaving. Herein, we describe a series of seven cases where surgery was crucial in the management of Crohn's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chloride (Cl−), traditionally considered harmful for agriculture, has recently been defined as a beneficial macronutrient with specific roles that result in more efficient use of water (WUE), nitrogen (NUE), and CO2 in well-watered plants. When supplied in a beneficial range of 1–5 mM, Cl− increases leaf cell size, improves leaf osmoregulation, and reduces water consumption without impairing photosynthetic efficiency, resulting in overall higher WUE. Thus, adequate management of Cl− nutrition arises as a potential strategy to increase the ability of plants to withstand water deficit. To study the relationship between Cl− nutrition and drought resistance, tobacco plants treated with 0.5–5 mM Cl− salts were subjected to sustained water deficit (WD; 60% field capacity) and water deprivation/rehydration treatments, in comparison with plants treated with equivalent concentrations of nitrate, sulfate, and phosphate salts. The results showed that Cl− application reduced stress symptoms and improved plant growth during water deficit. Drought resistance promoted by Cl− nutrition resulted from the simultaneous occurrence of water deficit avoidance and tolerance mechanisms, which improved leaf turgor, water balance, photosynthesis performance, and WUE. Thus, it is proposed that beneficial Cl− levels increase the ability of crops to withstand drought, promoting a more sustainable and resilient agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptation of cell populations to environmental changes is mediated by phenotypic variability at the single-cell level. Enzyme activity is a key factor in cell phenotype and the expression of the alkaline phosphatase activity (APA) is a fundamental phytoplankton strategy for maintaining growth under phosphate-limited conditions. Our aim was to compare the APA among cells and species revived from sediments of the Bay of Brest (Brittany, France), corresponding to a pre-eutrophication period (1940's) and a beginning of a post-eutrophication period (1990's) during which phosphate concentrations have undergone substantial variations. Both toxic marine dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum and the non-toxic dinoflagellate Scrippsiella acuminata were revived from ancient sediments. Using microfluidics, we measured the kinetics of APA at the single-cell level. Our results indicate that all S. acuminata strains had significantly higher APA than A. minutum strains. For both species, the APA in the 1990's decade was significantly lower than in the 1940's. For the first time, our results reveal both inter and intraspecific variabilities of dinoflagellate APA and suggest that, at a half-century timescale, two different species of dinoflagellate may have undergone similar adaptative evolution to face environmental changes and acquire ecological advantages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does regime type affect the likelihood of negotiated settlements that end civil conflicts? A limited number of previous studies have offered divergent theories and mixed findings about whether democracy is an asset or a liability. I draw these disparate findings together and present a novel theory on why leaders under fully democratic and autocratic regimes may have a particularly difficult time in peacemaking, and how leaders in anocratic (hybrid) regimes are more likely to be successful in reaching negotiated settlements. Thus, I hypothesize that the relationship between regime type and the likelihood of conflict-resolution is inverted U-shaped. I test this hypothesis using data on all internal conflicts between 1946 and 2014, and find empirical support. The findings suggest that even if anocracies are more prone to the outbreak of civil wars as has been proposed by previous studies, they are also better at settling these conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a secreted low-molecular weight iron-siderophore-binding protein. NGAL overexpression in injured tubular epithelia partly explains its utility as a sensitive and early urinary biomarker of acute kidney injury (AKI). Herein, we extend mechanistic insights into the source and kinetics of urinary NGAL excretion in experimental AKI. Three models of experimental AKI were undertaken in adult male Wistar rats; renal ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) and gentamicin (G) and cisplatin (Cisp) nephrotoxicity. Alongside standard histological and biochemical assessment of AKI, urinary NGAL excretion rate, plasma NGAL concentration, and renal NGAL mRNA/protein expression were assessed. In situ renal perfusion studies were undertaken to discriminate direct shedding of NGAL to the urine from addition of NGAL to the urine secondary to alterations in the tubular handling of glomerular filtrate-derived protein. Renal NGAL expression and urinary excretion increased in experimental AKI. In acute studies in both the IRI and G models, direct renal perfusion with Kreb's buffer eliminated urinary NGAL excretion. Addition of exogenous NGAL to the Kreb's buffer circuit, reestablishment of perfusion with systemic blood or reperfusion with renal vein effluent restored high levels of urinary NGAL excretion. Urinary NGAL excretion in AKI arises in large proportion from reduced reabsorption from the glomerular filtrate. Hence, subclinical cellular dysfunction could increase urinary NGAL, particularly in concert with elevations in circulating prerenal NGAL and/or pharmacological inhibition of tubular reabsorption. More granular interpretation of urinary NGAL measurements could optimize the scope of its clinical utility as a biomarker of AKI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a serious syndrome with increasing incidence and health consequences, and high mortality rate among critically ill patients. Acute kidney injury lacks a unified definition, has ambiguous semantic boundaries, and relies on defective diagnosis. This, in part, is due to the absence of biomarkers substratifying AKI patients into pathophysiological categories based on which prognosis can be assigned and clinical treatment differentiated. For instance, AKI involving acute tubular necrosis (ATN) is expected to have a worse prognosis than prerenal, purely hemodynamic AKI. However, no biomarker has been unambiguously associated with tubular cell death or is able to provide etiological distinction. We used a cell-based system to identify TCP1- eta in the culture medium as a noninvasive marker of damaged renal tubular cells. In rat models of AKI, TCP1- eta was increased in the urine co-relating with renal cortical tubule damage. When kidneys from ATN rats were perfused in situ with Krebs-dextran solution, a portion of the urinary TCP1- eta protein content excreted into urine disappeared, and another portion remained within the urine. These results indicated that TCP1- eta was secreted by tubule cells and was not fully reabsorbed by the damaged tubules, both effects contributing to the increased urinary excretion. Urinary TCP1- eta is found in many etiologically heterogeneous AKI patients, and is statistically higher in patients partially recovered from severe AKI. In conclusion, urinary TCP1- eta poses a potential, substratifying biomarker of renal cortical damage associated with bad prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alexandrium catenella , the main species associated with harmful algal blooms, has progressively increased its distribution through one of the most extensive and highly variable fjord systems in the world. In order to understand this successful expansion, we evaluated the effects of different salinities, light intensity, temperatures, nitrogen (N) forms and nitrogen/phosphate (N:P) ratio levels on the growth performance, using clones isolated from different locations across its wide geographic distribution. Results showed that the growth responses were plastic and, in some cases, different reaction norms among clones were observed. Despite plasticity, the optimal growth of A. catenella (i.e. highest growth rate and highest maximal cells density) was reached within a narrow thermal range (12–15°C), while salinity (20–30 PSU) and light intensity (20–120 μmol m−2 s−1) ranges were wider. These results are partially consistent with the highest cell densities recorded in the field. Furthermore, optimal growth was reached using reduced forms of nitrogen (i.e. urea and NH4+) and in unbalanced N:P ratios (18:1 and 30:1). These characteristics likely allow A. catenella to grow in highly variable environmental conditions and might partly explain the recent expansion of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mistrust between conflict parties after civil war is a major hurdle to sustainable peace. However, existing research focuses on elite interactions and has not examined the trust relationship between government and rank-and-file members of armed groups, despite their importance for postconflict stability. We use the unexpected decision of the Colombian government to extradite top-level former paramilitary leaders to the United States in 2008 to identify how a peace deal reversal influences ex-combatants' trust in government. In theory, they may lose trust for instrumental reasons, if they suffer personal costs, or for normative reasons, if they think the government is failing its commitments. Using quasi-experimental survey evidence, we find that extradition decreases trust substantially among ex-paramilitaries, but not in a comparison group of ex-guerrillas not part of the same peace deal. Even though paramilitaries are seen as particularly opportunistic, our evidence suggests that normative rather than instrumentalist considerations led to trust erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harmful algae can cause death in fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and humans, via their toxins or from effects associated with their sheer quantity. There are many species, which cause a variety of problems around north-west Europe, and the frequency and distribution of algal blooms have altered in the recent past. Species distribution modelling was used to understand how harmful algal species may respond in the future to climate change, by considering environmental preferences and how these may shift. Most distribution studies to date use low resolution global model outputs. In this study, high resolution, downscaled shelf seas climate projections for the north-west European shelf were nested within lower resolution global projections, to understand how the distribution of harmful algae may change by the mid to end of century. Projections suggest that the habitat of most species (defined by temperature, salinity, depth, and stratification) will shift north this century, with suitability increasing in the central and northern North Sea. An increase in occurrence here might lead to more frequent detrimental blooms if wind, irradiance and nutrient levels are also suitable. Prioritizing monitoring of species in these susceptible areas could help in establishing early-warning systems for aquaculture and health protection schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient extraction of doxorubicin (Dox) from homemade stealth hyalurionic acid (HA)-based nanoparticles (NPs) in rat plasma could not be performed by previously published methods. Therefore, we attempted to establish the novel NPs-breaking and UPLC-MS-MS method for evaluating the pharmacokinetic profiles of the homemade stealth HA NPs in rats. The pretreatment method of plasma samples used the liquid-liquid extraction method with isopropyl alcohol as NPs-breaking and protein-precipitating solvents, and the NPs-breaking efficiency of isopropyl alcohol was as high as 97.2%. The analyte and gliclazide (internal standard) were extracted from plasma samples with isopropyl alcohol andwere separated on UPLC BEH C18 with a mobile phase consisting of methanol and water (containing 0.1% formic acid). The method demonstrated good linearity at the concentrations ranging from 5 to 5,000 ng/mL. The intra- and interday relative standard deviations were >10%. Finally, the method was successfully applied to a pharmacokinetic study of homemade stealth HA-based NPs in rats following intravenous administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increase in public services offered at the local level and heightened budgetary and financial constraints on local government, new ways of managing local public services must be sought, in order to maximize the efficiency of resource management. Accordingly, local governments have introduced organizational changes, through contracting out, the creation of public agencies, and increased cooperation with other municipalities and private companies. However, previous studies have only examined the relationship between contracting out and efficiency, and no in-depth survey has been made of the relationship between efficiency with other forms of management, nor of the joint impact of these forms of management on efficiency. The main aim of this study is to determine whether New Public Management (NPM) delivery forms do in fact improve the efficiency of Spanish local governments. In this regard, we analyze the particular impact of the global recession. Our results suggest that in general terms the creation of agencies, contracting out, and intermunicipal cooperation reduce cost efficiency. However, these results also lead to the conclusion that during the global recession, some of these NPM delivery forms tended to become more efficient. Thus, empirical evidence suggests that the adoption of mixed firms contributes to higher levels of cost efficiency in the whole period considered, and thus it may be a suitable instrument in periods of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abdominal pain in pregnancy is a diagnostic challenge with many potential aetiologies. Diagnostic imaging is a valuable tool in the assessment of these patients, with ultrasound commonly employed first line. MRI is an excellent problem‐solving adjunct to ultrasound and has many advantages in terms of improved spatial resolution and soft tissue characterisation. This pictorial review aims to outline the role of MRI in the work up of acute abdominal pain in pregnancy and provide imaging examples of pathologies which may be encountered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although generally reversible, contrast media toxicity often induces contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), which is associated with longer hospitalization time, the need for dialysis, and higher incidence of later cardiovascular events and higher mortality. Preventive cotreatments have been assayed at the preclinical and clinical levels, but recent meta-analysis has not demonstrated a beneficial effect, which supports the search for new nephroprotective strategies. We have assessed if the administration of cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1), an endogenous cytokine with protective properties on the heart and liver, might mitigate CIN in rats. We have developed a model of CIN induced by the administration of the contrast medium gastrographin iv (3.7mg/kg) in rats sensitized by previous administration of subnephrotoxic doses of gentamicin (50mg/kg/day, ip) for 6 days. The severity of CIN was assessed by the measurement of renal function; renal histological damage; urinary excretion of markers of tubular damage, including N-acetyl beta glucosaminidase (NAG), kidney injury molecule 1 (KIM-1), and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1; lipid peroxidation; and renal apoptosis. Treatment with CT-1 almost completely prevented the renal tissue damage, as evidenced by almost total prevention of tubular desepithelization and tubular obstruction, reduced caspase activation, and cell proliferation. Besides, CT-1 also prevented the increment in renal tissue levels of renal tissue injury markers NAG, KIM-1, and neutrophil gelatinase–associated lipocalin. Oxidative stress, a hallmark of CIN, was also prevented by CT-1. Administration of CT-1 also prevented the derangement in kidney function induced by CIN. Renal hemodynamics, also impaired by the contrast medium, was normal in rats cotreated with CT-1. CT-1 administration significantly prevents the alterations in renal function and structure observed in a rat model of CIN. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]