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FRENCH language, SOCIOLINGUISTICS, CONTINUITY, CANADIAN history, and TECHNOLOGICAL innovations

Copyright of Diachronica is the property of John Benjamins Publishing Co. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The home-field advantage (HFA) hypothesis establishes that plant litter decomposes faster at 'home' sites than in 'away' sites due to more specialized decomposers acting at home sites. This hypothesis has predominantly been tested through 'yes or no' transplanting experiments, where the litter decomposition of a focal species is quantified near and away from their conspecifics. Herein, we evaluated the occurrence and magnitude of home-field effects on the leaf litter decomposition of Myrcia ramuliflora (O.Berg) N. Silveira (Myrtaceae) along a natural gradient of conspecific litterfall input and also if home-field effects are affected by litter and soil traits. Litter decomposition of M. ramuliflora was assessed through litterbags placed in 39 plots in a tropical heath vegetation over a period of 12 months. We also characterized abiotic factors, litter layer traits, and litter diversity. Our results indicated the occurrence of positive (i.e. Home-field advantage) and negative (i.e. Home-field disadvantage) effects in more than half of the plots. Positive and negative effects occurred in a similar frequency and magnitude. Among all predictors tested, only the community weighted mean C/N ratio of the litterfall input was associated with home-field effects. Our results reinforce the lack of generality for home-field effects found in the literature and thus challenge the understanding of litter-decomposer interaction in tropical ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HELP-seeking behavior, TINNITUS, and HEARING disorders

Knowledge on characteristics of people that seek help for tinnitus is scarce. The primary objective of this study was to describe differences in characteristics between people with tinnitus that seek help compared to those who do not seek help. Next, we described differences in characteristics between those with and without tinnitus. In this cross-sectional study, we sent a questionnaire on characteristics in different domains; demographic, tinnitus-specific, general- and psychological health, auditory and noise- and substance behaviour. We assessed if participants had sought help or planned to seek help for tinnitus. Tinnitus distress was defined with the Tinnitus Functional Index. Differences between groups (help seeking: yes/no, tinnitus: yes/no) were described. 932 people took part in our survey. Two hundred and sixteen participants were defined as having tinnitus (23.2%). Seventy-three of those sought or planned to seek help. A constant tinnitus pattern, a varying tinnitus loudness, and hearing loss, were described more frequently in help seekers. Help seekers reported higher TFI scores. Differences between help seekers and people not seeking help were mainly identified in tinnitus- and audiological characteristics. These outcomes might function as a foundation to explore the heterogeneity in tinnitus patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SECOND language acquisition, DOMINANT language, CHINESE language, LANGUAGE & languages, NATIVE language, and NATURAL languages

And even though I do not think that most domain-general models of L SB 1 sb /L SB 2 sb acquisition are going to come under further scrutiny, Mazuka's distinction is likely to be valuable for domain-specific models of acquisition (of phonology). Yes, L SB 2 sb learners do not parse de-RCs in the same way as native speakers do, but that only indicates that they have not achieved ultimate attainment; not that there are fundamental differences in L SB 1 sb and L SB 2 sb processing. Martohardjono, Valian and Klein (MVK) take up the deficit and transfer accounts (d/t) of L SB 2 sb acquisition in their chapter, while looking at acquisition of tense. [Extracted from the article]

PROSTATE cancer, ANDROGEN deprivation therapy, LABORATORY mice, CANCER genes, TRANSCRIPTION factors, and DIAGNOSIS

Neuroendocrine prostate cancer (NEPC) is a rare but aggressive histologic variant of prostate cancer that responds poorly to androgen deprivation therapy. Hybrid NEPC‐adenocarcinoma (AdCa) tumors are common, often eluding accurate pathologic diagnosis and requiring ancillary markers for classification. We recently performed an outlier‐based meta‐analysis across a number of independent gene expression microarray datasets to identify novel markers that differentiate NEPC from AdCa, including up‐regulation of insulinoma‐associated protein 1 (INSM1) and loss of Yes‐associated protein 1 (YAP1). Here, using diverse cancer gene expression datasets, we show that Hippo pathway‐related genes, including YAP1, are among the top down‐regulated gene sets with expression of the neuroendocrine transcription factors, including INSM1. In prostate cancer cell lines, transgenic mouse models, and human prostate tumor cohorts, we confirm that YAP1 RNA and YAP1 protein expression are silenced in NEPC and demonstrate that the inverse correlation of INSM1 and YAP1 expression helps to distinguish AdCa from NEPC. Mechanistically, we find that YAP1 loss in NEPC may help to maintain INSM1 expression in prostate cancer cell lines and we further demonstrate that YAP1 silencing likely occurs epigenetically, via CpG hypermethylation near its transcriptional start site. Taken together, these data nominate two additional markers to distinguish NEPC from AdCa and add to data from other tumor types suggesting that Hippo signaling is tightly reciprocally regulated with neuroendocrine transcription factor expression. © 2021 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AFLATOXINS, ASPERGILLUS flavus, LACTIC acid bacteria, ASPERGILLUS parasiticus, COMPETITION (Biology), ZEARALENONE, and POTASSIUM phosphates

The increased consumption of plant-based foods has intensified the concern related to mycotoxin intoxication. This study aimed to investigate the effect of selected lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains on the growth of Aspergillus parasiticus NRRL 2999 and its production of aflatoxin (AF). The ability of the heat-killed (100°C for 1 h) LAB strains to bind aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in milk and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1), ochratoxin A (OTA), and zearalenone (ZEN) in potassium phosphate buffer (PPB) was also evaluated in vitro. Ten LAB strains were tested individually, by inoculating them simultaneously with the fungus or after incubation of the fungus for 24 or 48 h at 25°C. Double layer yeast extract sucrose (YES) agar, de Man Rogosa and Sharpe (MRS) agar, and YES broth were incubated for 7 days at 25°C to follow the development of the fungus. Levilactobacillus spp. 3QB398 and Levilactobacillus brevis 2QB422 strains were able to delay the growth of A. parasiticus in YES broth, even when these strains were inoculated 24 h after the fungus. The inhibitory effect of these LAB strains was confirmed by the reduction of fungus colony size, suggesting dominance of LAB by competition (a Lotka-Voltera effect). The production of AFB1 by A. parasiticus was inhibited when the fungus was inoculated simultaneously with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 3QB361 or L. plantarum 3QB350. No AFB1 was found when Levilactobacillus spp. 2QB383 was present, even when the LAB was inoculated 48 h after the fungus. In binding studies, seven inactivated LAB strains were able to promote a reduction of at least 50% the level of AFB1, OTA, and ZEN. This reduction varied depending on the pH of the PPB. In milk, however, only two inactivated LAB strains were able to reduce AFM1, with a reduction of 33 and 45% for Levilactobacillus spp. 3QB398 (Levilactobacillus spp.) and L. brevis 2QB422, respectively. Nevertheless, these results clearly indicate the potential of using LAB for mycotoxin reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Persistent fatigue among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients might be associated with unfavorable body composition, but data are sparse and inconsistent. We studied how skeletal muscle index (SMI), skeletal muscle radiodensity (SMR), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) at diagnosis are associated with fatigue up to 24 months post-diagnosis in stage I–III CRC patients. Methods: SMI, SMR, VAT, and SAT were assessed among 646 CRC patients using pre-treatment computed tomography images. Fatigue at diagnosis, at 6, and 24 months post-diagnosis was assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire. The association of SMI, SMR, VAT, and SAT with fatigue (yes/no) was assessed using confounder-adjusted restricted cubic spline analyses. Results: Prevalence of fatigue at diagnosis was 18%, at 6 months 25%, and at 24 months 12%. At diagnosis, a significant (p = 0.01) non-linear association of higher levels of SAT with higher prevalence of fatigue was observed. Lower levels of SMR were linearly associated with higher prevalence of fatigue at 6 months post-diagnosis (overall association p = 0.02). None of the body composition parameters were significantly associated with fatigue at 24 months. Conclusion: Having more SAT was associated with more fatigue at diagnosis, while low levels of SMR were associated with more fatigue at 6 months post-diagnosis. Implications for Cancer Survivors: Our results suggest that it may be interesting to investigate whether interventions that aim to increase SMR around the time of diagnosis may help to lower fatigue. However, more knowledge is needed to understand the mechanisms behind the association of SMR with fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CARDIOVASCULAR diseases risk factors, MYELOPEROXIDASE, CORONARY disease, CARDIOVASCULAR diseases, CIRCULATING tumor DNA, and HDL cholesterol

Introduction: Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are DNA scaffolds enriched with antimicrobial proteins. NETs have been implicated in the development of various diseases, such as cardiovascular disease. Here, we investigate the association of demographic and cardiovascular (CVD) risk factors with NETs in the general population. Material and methods: Citrated plasma was collected from 6449 participants, aged ≥55 years, as part of the prospective population-based Rotterdam Study. NETs were quantified by measuring MPO-DNA complex using an ELISA. We used linear regression to determine the associations between MPO-DNA complex and age, sex, cardio-metabolic risk factors, and plasma markers of inflammation and coagulation. Results: MPO-DNA complex levels were weakly associated with age (log difference per 10 year increase: -0.04 mAU/mL, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.06;-0.02), a history of coronary heart disease (yes versus no: -0.10 mAU/mL, 95% CI -0.17;-0.03), the use of lipid-lowering drugs (yes versus no: -0.06 mAU/mL, 95% CI -0.12;-0.01), and HDL-cholesterol (per mmol/l increase: -0.07 mAU/mL/, 95% CI -0.12;-0.03). Conclusions: Older age, a history of coronary heart disease, the use of lipid-lowering drugs and higher HDL-cholesterol are weakly correlated with lower plasma levels of NETs. These findings show that the effect of CVD risk factors on NETs levels in a general population is only small and may not be of clinical relevance. This supports that NETs may play a more important role in an acute phase of disease than in a steady state situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FOLIC acid, COLON cancer, CARCINOGENESIS, COLON cancer patients, and PROPORTIONAL hazards models

Background Folates, including folic acid, may play a dual role in colorectal cancer development. Folate is suggested to be protective in early carcinogenesis but could accelerate growth of premalignant lesions or micrometastases. Whether circulating concentrations of folate and folic acid, measured around time of diagnosis, are associated with recurrence and survival in colorectal cancer patients is largely unknown. Methods Circulating concentrations of folate, folic acid, and folate catabolites p-aminobenzoylglutamate and p-acetamidobenzoylglutamate were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry at diagnosis in 2024 stage I-III colorectal cancer patients from European and US patient cohort studies. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess associations between folate, folic acid, and folate catabolites concentrations with recurrence, overall survival, and disease-free survival. Results No statistically significant associations were observed between folate, p-aminobenzoylglutamate, and p-acetamidobenzoylglutamate concentrations and recurrence, overall survival, and disease-free survival, with hazard ratios ranging from 0.92 to 1.16. The detection of folic acid in the circulation (yes or no) was not associated with any outcome. However, among patients with detectable folic acid concentrations (n = 296), a higher risk of recurrence was observed for each twofold increase in folic acid (hazard ratio = 1.31, 95% confidence interval = 1.02 to 1.58). No statistically significant associations were found between folic acid concentrations and overall and disease-free survival. Conclusions Circulating folate and folate catabolite concentrations at colorectal cancer diagnosis were not associated with recurrence and survival. However, caution is warranted for high blood concentrations of folic acid because they may increase the risk of colorectal cancer recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ACADEMIC medical centers, CANCER genetics, CHI-squared test, CONFIDENCE intervals, EMPLOYMENT, GENETIC counseling, HEALTH services accessibility, HEALTH status indicators, HEALTH insurance, MARITAL status, MEDICAL care use, MEDICAL referrals, METROPOLITAN areas, MULTIVARIATE analysis, RACISM, LOGISTIC regression analysis, ELECTRONIC health records, DESCRIPTIVE statistics, ODDS ratio, and DISEASE risk factors

Purpose: Genetic counseling (GC) provides critical risk prediction information to women at-risk of carrying a genetic alternation; yet racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities persist with regard to GC uptake. This study examined patterns of GC uptake after a referral in a racially diverse population. Materials and Methods: In an urban academic medical center, medical records were reviewed between January 2016 and December 2017 for women who were referred to a genetic counselor for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer. Study outcomes were making an appointment (yes/no) and keeping an appointment. We assessed sociodemographic factors and clinical factors. Associations between factors and the outcomes were analyzed using chi square, and logistic regression was used for multivariable analysis. Results: A total of 510 women were referred to GC and most made appointments. More than half were white (55.3%) and employed (53.1%). No significant associations were observed between sociodemographic factors and making an appointment. A total of 425 women made an appointment and 268 kept their appointment. Insurance status ( p = 0.003), marital status ( p = 0.000), and work status ( p = 0.039) were associated with receiving GC. In the logistic model, being married (odds ratio [OR] 2.119 [95% confidence interval, CI 1.341–3.347] p = 0.001) and having insurance (OR 2.203 [95% CI 1.208–4.016] p = 0.021) increased the likelihood of receiving counseling. Conclusions: Racial disparities in GC uptake were not observed in this sample. Unmarried women may need additional support to obtain GC. Financial assistance or other options need to be discussed during navigation as a way to lessen the disparity between women with insurance and those without. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ATTITUDE (Psychology), CULTURE, EXPERIENTIAL learning, FAMILY psychotherapy, HOSPITAL medical staff, INTERPROFESSIONAL relations, INTERVIEWING, MEDICAL personnel, PROFESSIONS, SELF-efficacy, SUPERVISION of employees, PEER relations, and THEMATIC analysis

Copyright of Family Process is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: The long-term risks and benefits of radiotherapy for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) remain unclear. Recent data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registries showed that DCIS-associated radiotherapy treatment significantly increased risk of second non-breast cancers including lung cancer. To help understand those observations and whether breast cancer risk factors are related to radiotherapy treatment decision-making, we examined associations between lifestyle and clinical factors with DCIS radiotherapy receipt. Methods: Among 1628 participants from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, diagnosed with incident DCIS (1995–2011), we examined associations between lifestyle and clinical factors with radiotherapy receipt. Radiotherapy and clinical information were ascertained from state cancer registries. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for radiotherapy receipt (yes/no) were estimated from multivariable logistic regression. Results: Overall, 45% (n = 730) received radiotherapy. No relationships were observed for most lifestyle factors and radiotherapy receipt, including current smoking (OR 0.97, 95%CI 0.70, 1.34). However positive associations were observed for moderate alcohol consumption and infrequent physical activity. The strongest associations were observed for radiotherapy receipt and more recent diagnoses (2005–2011 vs. 1995–1999; OR 1.60, 95%CI 1.14, 2.25), poorly versus well-differentiated tumors (OR 1.69, 95%CI 1.16, 2.46) and endocrine therapy (OR 3.37, 95%CI 2.56, 4.44). Conclusions: Clinical characteristics were the strongest determinants of DCIS radiotherapy. Receipt was largely unrelated to lifestyle factors suggesting that the previously observed associations in SEER were likely not confounded by these lifestyle factors. Further studies are needed to understand mechanisms driving radiotherapy-associated second malignancies following DCIS, to identify prevention opportunities for this growing population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

POLLINATION, AGRICULTURAL productivity, APPLE orchards, CROP yields, FACTORIAL experiment designs, SUSTAINABLE agriculture, POLLINATORS, and ORCHARDS

Copyright of Journal of Applied Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

NURSES, PHYSICIANS, and CLINICAL trials

Copyright of BJS Open is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

ATHEROSCLEROSIS, LUNG diseases, VITAMIN D deficiency, COMPUTED tomography, ARTERIOSCLEROSIS, COMPARATIVE studies, ETHNIC groups, INTERSTITIAL lung diseases, LONGITUDINAL method, RESEARCH methodology, MEDICAL cooperation, RESEARCH, RESEARCH funding, VITAMIN D, and EVALUATION research

Background: Activated vitamin D has anti-inflammatory properties. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] deficiency might contribute to subclinical interstitial lung disease (ILD).Objective: We examined associations between serum 25(OH)D concentrations and subclinical ILD among middle-aged to older adults who were free of cardiovascular disease at baseline.Methods: We studied 6302 Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) participants who had baseline serum 25(OH)D concentrations and computed tomography (CT) imaging spanning ≤ 10 y. Baseline cardiac CT scans (2000-2002) included partial lung fields. Some participants had follow-up cardiac CT scans at exams 2-5 and a full-lung CT scan at exam 5 (2010-2012), with a mean ± SD of 2.1 ± 1.0 scans. Subclinical ILD was defined quantitatively as high-attenuation areas (HAAs) between -600 and -250 Hounsfield units. We assessed associations of 25(OH)D with adjusted HAA volumes and HAA progression. We also examined associations between baseline 25(OH)D and the presence of interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs) assessed qualitatively (yes or no) from full-lung CT scans at exam 5. Models were adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle factors (including smoking), and lung volumes.Results: The cohort's mean ± SD characteristics were 62.2 ± 10 y for age, 25.8 ± 10.9 ng/mL for 25(OH)D concentrations, and 28.3 ± 5.4 for body mass index (kg/m2); 53% were women, with 39% white, 27% black, 22% Hispanic, and 12% Chinese race/ethnicities. Thirty-three percent had replete (≥30 ng/mL), 35% intermediate (20 to <30 ng/mL), and 32% deficient (<20 ng/mL) 25(OH)D concentrations. Compared with those with replete concentrations, participants with 25(OH)D deficiency had greater adjusted HAA volume at baseline (2.7 cm3; 95% CI: 0.9, 4.5 cm3) and increased progression over a median of 4.3 y of follow-up (2.7 cm3; 95% CI: 0.9, 4.4 cm3) (P < 0.05). 25(OH)D deficiency was also associated with increased prevalence of ILAs 10 y later (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1, 2.2).Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency is independently associated with subclinical ILD and its progression, based on both increased HAAs and ILAs, in a community-based population. Further studies are needed to examine whether vitamin D repletion can prevent ILD or slow its progression. The MESA cohort design is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00005487. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]