Depicting deterministic variables within directed acyclic graphs (DAGs): An aid for identifying and interpreting causal effects involving derived variables and compositional data.

Deterministic variables are variables that are functionally determined by one or more parent variables. They commonly arise when a variable has been functionally created from one or more parent variables, as with derived variables, and in compositional data, where the 'whole' variable is determined from its 'parts'. This article introduces how deterministic variables may be depicted within directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) to help with identifying and interpreting causal effects involving derived variables and/or compositional data.

Ciliary tip actin dynamics regulate photoreceptor outer segment integrity.

As signalling organelles, cilia regulate their G protein-coupled receptor content by ectocytosis, a process requiring localised actin dynamics to alter membrane shape. Photoreceptor outer segments comprise an expanse of folded membranes (discs) at the tip of highly-specialised connecting cilia, into which photosensitive GPCRs are concentrated. Discs are shed and remade daily.

Viral Threats to Fruit and Vegetable Crops in the Caribbean.

Viruses pose major global challenges to crop production as infections reduce the yield and quality of harvested products, hinder germplasm exchange, increase financial inputs, and threaten food security. Small island or archipelago habitat conditions such as those in the Caribbean are particularly susceptible as the region is characterized by high rainfall and uniform, warm temperatures throughout the year. Moreover, Caribbean islands are continuously exposed to disease risks because of their location at the intersection of transcontinental trade between North and South America and their role as central hubs for regional and global agricultural commodity trade.

First report of sweepoviruses infecting L. cultivars and landraces in Trinidad.

Root crops, referred to as ground provisions in the Caribbean, are traditional staples in Trinidad. One widely consumed example is sweet potato (Ipomeas batatas L.).

First report of cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus infecting cucurbit crops in Jamaica.

The increasing prevalence of whitefly-transmitted viruses affecting cucurbit crops has emerged as a significant concern for global cucurbit production. Two of the most widely prevalent threats in the Americas are cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV) and cucurbit chlorotic yellows virus (CCYV) (Crinivirus, Closteroviridae). These viruses induce similar foliar symptoms on cucurbit crops (Mondal et al.

Consistent detection of Trypanosoma brucei but not T. congolense DNA in faeces of experimentally infected cattle.

Animal African trypanosomiasis (AAT) is a significant food security and economic burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Current AAT empirical and immunodiagnostic surveillance tools suffer from poor sensitivity and specificity, with blood sampling requiring animal restraint and trained personnel. Faecal sampling could increase sampling accessibility, scale, and species range.

Radiotherapy Plus Cisplatin With or Without Lapatinib for Non-Human Papillomavirus Head and Neck Carcinoma: A Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Patients with locally advanced non-human papillomavirus (HPV) head and neck cancer (HNC) carry an unfavorable prognosis. Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) with cisplatin or anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody improves overall survival (OS) of patients with stage III to IV HNC, and preclinical data suggest that a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor dual EGFR and ERBB2 (formerly HER2 or HER2/neu) inhibitor may be more effective than anti-EGFR antibody therapy in HNC.

Objective: To examine whether adding lapatinib, a dual EGFR and HER2 inhibitor, to radiation plus cisplatin for frontline therapy of stage III to IV non-HPV HNC improves progression-free survival (PFS).

Coffee Berry Borer, (Ferrari) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): Activity and Infestation in the High Mountain and Blue Mountain Regions of Jamaica.

Jamaica produces coffee marketed as Blue Mountain and high mountain (grown outside the Blue Mountains). Since the discovery of the coffee berry borer (CBB; ) in Jamaica in 1978, chemical control has traditionally been the primary approach used to protect the crop from the pest. However, in the last 20 years, there has been an effort to shift towards more sustainable management strategies.

Raising the Bar: Multimodal Analgesia with Transdermal Lidocaine for Nuss Repair of Pectus Excavatum Decreases Length of Stay and Opioid Use.

Intro: Pain management for minimally invasive (Nuss) repair of pectus excavatum (PE) is challenging, particularly as the judicious use of opioids has become a patient safety priority. Multi-modal pain management protocols are increasingly used, but there is limited experience using transdermal lidocaine patches (TLP) in this patient population.

Methods: Pediatric anesthesiologists and surgeons in a children's hospital within a hospital designed a multi-modal perioperative pain management protocol for patients undergoing Nuss repair of PE (IRB00068901).

Centriolar satellites expedite mother centriole remodeling to promote ciliogenesis.

Centrosomes are orbited by centriolar satellites, dynamic multiprotein assemblies nucleated by Pericentriolar material 1 (PCM1). To study the requirement for centriolar satellites, we generated mice lacking PCM1, a crucial component of satellites. mice display partially penetrant perinatal lethality with survivors exhibiting hydrocephalus, oligospermia, and cerebellar hypoplasia, and variably expressive phenotypes such as hydronephrosis.

Theory and performance of substitution models for estimating relative causal effects in nutritional epidemiology.

Background: Estimating relative causal effects (i.e., "substitution effects") is a common aim of nutritional research.

Cross-species efficacy of enzyme replacement therapy for CLN1 disease in mice and sheep.

CLN1 disease, also called infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) or infantile Batten disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorder resulting from mutations in the CLN1 gene encoding the soluble lysosomal enzyme palmitoyl-protein thioesterase 1 (PPT1). Therapies for CLN1 disease have proven challenging because of the aggressive disease course and the need to treat widespread areas of the brain and spinal cord. Indeed, gene therapy has proven less effective for CLN1 disease than for other similar lysosomal enzyme deficiencies.

Causal and Associational Language in Observational Health Research: A Systematic Evaluation.

We estimated the degree to which language used in the high-profile medical/public health/epidemiology literature implied causality using language linking exposures to outcomes and action recommendations; examined disconnects between language and recommendations; identified the most common linking phrases; and estimated how strongly linking phrases imply causality. We searched for and screened 1,170 articles from 18 high-profile journals (65 per journal) published from 2010-2019. Based on written framing and systematic guidance, 3 reviewers rated the degree of causality implied in abstracts and full text for exposure/outcome linking language and action recommendations.

Avoiding overadjustment bias in social epidemiology through appropriate covariate selection: a primer.

Obtaining accurate estimates of the causal effects of socioeconomic position (SEP) on health is important for public health interventions. To do this, researchers must identify and adjust for all potential confounding variables, while avoiding inappropriate adjustment for mediator variables on a causal pathway between the exposure and outcome. Unfortunately, 'overadjustment bias' remains a common and under-recognized problem in social epidemiology.

Estimating the effects of lockdown timing on COVID-19 cases and deaths in England: A counterfactual modelling study.

Background: During the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the United Kingdom experienced one of the highest per-capita death tolls worldwide. It is debated whether this may partly be explained by the relatively late initiation of voluntary social distancing and mandatory lockdown measures. In this study, we used simulations to estimate the number of cases and deaths that would have occurred in England by 1 June 2020 if these interventions had been implemented one or two weeks earlier, and the impact on the required duration of lockdown.

Defining Biological Phenotypes of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Using Saliva MicroRNA Profiles.

Concussion is a heterogeneous injury that relies predominantly on subjective symptom reports for patient assessment and treatment. Developing an objective, biological test could aid phenotypic categorization of concussion patients, leading to advances in personalized treatment. This prospective multi-center study employed saliva micro-ribonucleic acid (miRNA) levels to stratify 251 individuals with concussion into biological subgroups.

Saliva RNA Biomarkers of Gastrointestinal Dysfunction in Children With Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Potential Implications for Precision Medicine.

Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are common in children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A limited understanding of the biologic factors that predispose this population to GI disorders has prevented development of individualized therapies to address this important medical issue. The goal of the current study was to determine if elements of the salivary micro-transcriptome could provide insight into the biologic perturbations unique to children with ASD-related GI disturbance.

Surface mould brachytherapy in oral and oropharyngeal cancers.

Introduction: There are insufficient data on surface mold brachytherapy (SMB) in treating oral cancers. We reviewed our institutional experience to investigate the efficacy and toxicity of this treatment modality.

Material And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all the patients treated between 1989 and 2018 with high-dose-rate iridium-192 SMB for oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas at our institution.

In Vivo Modeling of Patient Genetic Heterogeneity Identifies New Ways to Target Cholangiocarcinoma.

Unlabelled: Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is an aggressive malignancy of the bile ducts within the liver characterized by high levels of genetic heterogeneity. In the context of such genetic variability, determining which oncogenic mutations drive ICC growth has been difficult, and developing modes of patient stratification and targeted therapies remains challenging. Here we model the interactions between rare mutations with more common driver genes and combine in silico analysis of patient data with highly multiplexed in vivo CRISPR-spCas9 screens to perform a functional in vivo study into the role genetic heterogeneity plays in driving ICC.

Choice of Outcome in COVID-19 Studies and Implications for Policy: Mortality and Fatality.

In this brief communication, we discuss the confusion of mortality with fatality in the interpretation of evidence in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and how this confusion affects the translation of science into policy and practice. We discuss how this confusion has influenced COVID-19 policy in France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom and discuss the implications for decision-making about COVID-19 vaccine distribution. We also discuss how this confusion is an example of a more general statistical fallacy we term the "Missing Link Fallacy.