bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nurses leading male lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) clinics: A scoping review
Authors: Middleton Claire , Dunleavy Stephanie
Published: November 2022

Nurse‐led clinics are known to positively impact and benefit patients; however, there is little understanding of the role of the nurse in a nurse‐led male Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) clinic. LUTS affect up to 30% of males over 65 in the United Kingdom and can significantly impact the quality of life of the person experiencing them. LUTS can be managed with conservative changes, as well as with medication and surgical intervention. The aim of this scoping review is to map what is known about the role of the nurse in a nurse‐led male LUTS clinic and what research tells us regarding, the barriers and enablers in nurses leading a male LUTS clinic. This scoping review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA‐SCR) checklist and the methodological guidelines set out by the Joanna Briggs institute. A literature search was carried out over three databases (CINAHL, Medline Ovid, ProQuest health and medical collection) and systematically searched from 2000 to 2021. Grey literature was also searched, and citation chaining was undertaken. Following a systematic review of the literature, four papers met the inclusion criteria for this scoping review. The emergent themes across the four papers consisted of structure, assessment and resources, and effectiveness of the nurse‐led male LUTS clinic. There was clear agreement across the literature regarding the investigations and assessment the nurse should carry out. Ongoing practical, theoretical, and observational training and education is required to ensure the nurse is competent in running a male LUTS clinic. The papers reviewed showed the nurse provided a supportive role to the consultant. However, there is evidence indicating there is a move towards autonomous practice. There is a dearth of the current research relating to the role of the nurse in nurse‐led male LUTS clinics and the enablers and barriers in nurses leading male LUTS clinics. Further research should be considered to gain a better understanding of where nurse‐led male LUTS clinics currently take place, what the role of the nurse is in leading a LUTS clinic and what enablers and barriers exist.
A time‐dependent survival analysis for early prognosis of chronic wounds by monitoring wound alkalinity
Authors: Hoang Le Quynh , Pal Suvra , Liu Zhaoli , Senkowsky Jon , Tang Liping
Published: November 2022

The objective is to determine whether monitoring wound alkalinity between visits may help prognosticate chronic wound healing. The alkalinity of 167 wounds during the first 3 visits was assessed using disposable DETEC® pH. Wounds grouped by frequency of alkaline results were compared by % wound size reduction during each visit and 120‐day healing probability. The Cox proportional hazards model for time‐dependent variables was used to generate non‐healing probability curves, where variables are binary (alkaline/non‐alkaline, infection/no infection), categorical (wound type), and continuous (wound area); the response is time to complete wound healing; and the event of interest is complete wound healing in 120 days. Results show that wounds with frequent alkaline results have significantly smaller % size reduction per visit. Logistic regression shows an increase in 120‐day healing probability with fewer alkaline results. Survival analysis shows that the instantaneous healing rate of non‐alkaline or non‐alkaline transitioning wounds is 1.785, 2.925, and 5.908 times that of alkaline or alkaline‐transitioning wounds for 1, 2, and 3 alkalinity measurements, respectively. Furthermore, the concordance statistic of each survival model shows that goodness of fit increases with more alkalinity measurements. Overall, frequent wound alkalinity assessments may serve as a novel way to prognosticate wound healing outcomes.
Genetic survey in smallholder dairy production system of Southern province of Zambia
Authors: Odubote Idowu Kolawole , Musimuko Ellison , Rensing Stefan , Schmitt Ferdinand , Kapotwe Brian
Published: November 2022

Milk production among the smallholder dairy farmers in Zambia is reported to be low despite improvements in milk collection infrastructure and unmet demand by the populace. This study was conducted to characterize cattle breeds and the breeding strategies of the smallholder dairy production system in the Southern province of Zambia. The study was conducted using questionnaires to obtain responses from identified respondents in six districts considered the main dairy cattle producing areas. One hundred and twenty questionnaires were administered and available for descriptive statistical analysis. The cattle genetic groups included local (Tonga and Angoni) breeds and their crosses (40.0%); beef (Boran and Brahman) breeds and their crosses (23.3%); Friesian breed and its crosses (28.8%); Jersey breed and its crosses (4.9%); and Fleckvieh breed (3.0%). Calving rate was found to be to be between 36% and 50% for the dairy herds. Compared to the other genetic groups, it was noted that Friesian and its crosses had higher milk production (3.55 L vs. 1.4 L). The low milk yield reported could be attributed to the period of study, which coincided with the long dry season between April and October. The Friesian and its crosses recorded earlier age at first calving (2.65 vs. 2.8 years), shorter longevity (10.5 vs. 12.25 years), and shorter lactation length (7.5 vs. 9.25 months). Jersey and its crosses, on the other hand, had an above average performance for all indices of economic importance such as milk production, lactation length, age at first calving, longevity, and number of calves produced. The results indicated natural mating was practised by 85% of the farmers. Farmer‐preferred traits include size and conformation (23%); performance and colour (16% and 15%, respectively) in the choice of a bull. Selection by farmers were thus based on simple observation without pedigree or performance‐based genetic evaluation. It was apparent that the smallholder dairy production system is in a shifting trend to transform the mainly local and beef breed animals into dairy herds through crossing with exotic dairy breeds. The production system is, however, faced with the challenges of water and feed supply to meet nutritional requirements, and high disease burden. Jersey breed was found to be a logical choice for the resource poor smallholder dairy farmers. The development and management of the smallholder dairy breeding schemes should be all‐inclusive and directed at the prevalent production systems with the aim of also improving the feeding and management practices.
The relationship between perceived income inequality, adverse mental health and interpersonal difficulties in UK adolescents
Authors: Piera Pi‐Sunyer Blanca , Andrews Jack L. , Orben Amy , Speyer Lydia G. , Blakemore Sarah‐Jayne
Published: November 2022

Background

Adolescence is a period of life when young people increasingly define themselves through peer comparison and are vulnerable to developing mental health problems. In the current study, we investigated whether the subjective experience of economic disadvantage among friends is associated with social difficulties and poorer mental health in early adolescence.

Methods

We used latent change score modelling (LCSM) on data from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, collected at ages 11 and 14 (N = 12,995). Each LCSM modelled the mean of an outcome related to mental health and interpersonal difficulties at age 11 (including self‐esteem, well‐being, emotional difficulties, peer problems, bullying, victimisation and externalising difficulties), the change of the outcome from ages 11 to 14 and its predictors, including perceived income inequality among friends (i.e. perceiving oneself as belonging to a poorer family than the families of one's friends).

Results

Perceived income inequality predicted adverse mental health and a range of interpersonal difficulties during adolescence, even when controlling for objective family income. Follow‐up analyses highlighted that, at 11 years, young people who perceived themselves as belonging to poorer families than their friends reported worse well‐being, self‐esteem, internalising problems, externalising problems and victimisation at the same age (relative to those who perceived themselves as richer than or equal to their friends, or who did not know). Longitudinal analyses suggested that victimisation decreased from ages 11 to 14 to a greater extent for adolescents who perceived themselves as poorer than other adolescents.

Conclusions

The salience of economic inequalities in proximal social environments (e.g. among friends) in early adolescence could further amplify the negative effects of economic disadvantage on mental health and behavioural difficulties during this period.
Ultrasound assisted processing of milk: Advances and challenges
Authors: Soltani Firouz Mahmoud , Sardari Hamed , Soofiabadi Mahsa , Hosseinpour Soleiman
Published: November 2022

High‐intensity ultrasound (HIUS) is a green technology that has improved various processes in the food industry. HIUS leads to improved heat and mass transfer rates, providing a faster processing technique and limiting production costs by increasing process efficiency. In food processing, ultrasound is regarded as a promising emerging technology with the potential to speed up processes and produce high quality products. This article describes recent applications of power ultrasound for physical milk processing, mentions the advantage and disadvantages of this technology, evaluates the physical and chemical effects of HIUS on the modification of milk, and novel research areas leading to the promotion and solving the challenges ahead. It is concluded that HIUS is a useful tool for milk processing, because of its positive effects on the quality and retaining their initial nutritional properties and sensory characteristics. It can also be considered that the forthcoming research will lead to the improvement and industrialization of this technology.

Practical Applications

As a very important food item in the human diet, milk has very sensitive components that usually undergo undesirable changes during processing. Power ultrasound is an emerging green technology that has a great potential for application in dairy processing that can significantly reduce such unfavorable changes. It has been proven that ultrasound has an appropriate capability to accelerate processes, reduce energy consumption and increase productivity. This technology has been successfully used in pasteurization, homogenization, filtration, and drying of milk in laboratory scale. Ultrasound has a very high potential for industrialization in the dairy industry and draws a promising perspective for its conventional applications in the production of dairy products in the not‐too‐distant future.
Crustaceans (shrimp, crab, and lobster): A comprehensive review of their potential health hazards and detection methods to assure their biosafety
Authors: Farag Mohamed A. , Mansour Somaia T. , Nouh Roua A. , Khattab Amira R.
Published: November 2022

Crustaceans are popular seafood items worldwide owing to their rich nutritional value, unique tastes, and their incorporation in a variety of cuisines. There has been a great concern about the safety of crustaceans for human consumption being more prone to hazardous contaminants due to their exposure to diverse habitats and unhealthy farming and handling practices. These hazards can arise from chemical contaminants such as heavy metals, environmental pollutants, and biotoxins or biological sources, that is, pathogenic microbes and parasites. The different types of chemical contamination of crustaceans as well as biological hazards are reviewed as major part of this review. Although there are many reviews on contaminants in fisheries, nothing is traces to crustaceans. The current review compiles the food safety hazards of crustaceans arising from both chemical and biological origins and their impact on human health in farmed versus wild origins. The different methods of contaminants detection, viz. microbiological, molecular, and analytical methods, as well as control measures viz. cooking and processing methods that can be implemented to safeguard consumer safety are also reviewed. Future perspectives have been raised toward HACCP protocol implementation during handling, processing, and storage of crustaceans and posing real‐time freshness monitoring tools such as intelligent packaging.
Salicylic acid biosynthesis is not from phenylalanine in Arabidopsis
Authors: Wu Jie , Zhu Wentao , Zhao Qiao
Published: November 2022

The phytohormone salicylic acid (SA) regulates biotic and abiotic stress responses in plants. Two distinct biosynthetic pathways for SA have been well documented in plants: the isochorismate (IC) pathway in the chloroplast and the phenylalanine ammonia‐lyase (PAL) pathway in the cytosol. However, there has been no solid evidence that the PAL pathway contributes to SA biosynthesis. Here, we report that feeding Arabidopsis thaliana with Ring‐13C‐labeled phenylalanine (13C6‐Phe) resulted in incorporation of the 13C label not into SA, but into its isomer 4‐hydroxybenzoic acid (4‐HBA) instead. We obtained similar results when feeding 13C6‐Phe to the SA‐deficient ics1 ics2 mutant and the SA‐hyperaccumulating mutant s3h s5h. Notably, we detected 13C6‐SA when 13C6‐benzoic acid (BA) was provided, suggesting that SA can be synthesized from BA. Furthermore, despite the substantial accumulation of SA upon pathogen infection, we did not observe incorporation of 13C label from Phe into SA. We also did not detect 13C6‐SA in PAL‐overexpressing lines in the kfb01 kfb02 kfb39 kfb50 background after being fed 13C6‐Phe, although endogenous PAL levels were dramatically increased. Based on these combined results, we propose that SA biosynthesis is not from Phe in Arabidopsis. These results have important implications for our understanding of the SA biosynthetic pathway in land plants.
Multi‐foci parallelised RESOLFT nanoscopy in an extended field‐of‐view
Authors: Casas Moreno Xavier , Pennacchietti Francesca , Minet Guillaume , Damenti Martina , Ollech Dirk , Barabas Federico , Testa Ilaria
Published: November 2022

Live‐cell imaging of biological structures at high resolution poses challenges in the microscope throughput regarding area and speed. For this reason, different parallelisation strategies have been implemented in coordinate‐ and stochastic‐targeted switching super‐resolution microscopy techniques. In this line, the molecular nanoscale live imaging with sectioning ability (MoNaLISA), based on reversible saturable optical fluorescence transitions (RESOLFT), offers resolution of large fields of view in a few seconds. In MoNaLISA, engineered light patterns strategically confine the fluorescence to sub‐diffracted volumes in a large area and provide optical sectioning, thus enabling volumetric imaging at high speeds. The optical setup presented in this paper extends the degree of parallelisation of the MoNaLISA microscope by more than four times, reaching a field‐of‐view of . We set up the periodicity and the optical scheme of the illumination patterns to be power‐efficient and homogeneous. In a single recording, this new configuration enables super‐resolution imaging of an extended population of the post‐synaptic density protein Homer1c in living hippocampal neurons.
Less Mainstream Credit, More Payday Borrowing? Evidence from Debt Collection Restrictions
Authors: FONSECA JULIA
Published: November 2022

Governments regulate debt collectors to protect consumers from predatory practices. These restrictions may lower repayment, reducing the supply of mainstream credit and increasing demand for alternative credit. Using individual credit record data and a difference‐in‐differences design comparing consumers in states that tighten restrictions on debt collection to those in neighboring states that do not, I find that restricting collections reduces access to mainstream credit and increases payday borrowing. These findings provide new evidence of substitution between alternative and mainstream credit and point to a trade‐off between shielding consumers from certain collection practices and pushing them into higher cost payday lending markets.
The relation between stress and impulsivity during the first year of college
Authors: Seldin Katherine , Lengua Liliana J. , King Kevin M.
Published: November 2022

Objective

Previous research has established that short‐term and persistent stress negatively impact mental health, with one proposed consequence being increased impulsivity. The present study tests the short‐term and persistent associations between stress and three facets of global self‐reports of impulsivity: negative urgency, lack of premeditation, and lack of perseverance, among young adults across 6 months of their first year of college.

Method

College freshmen (n = 362) completed self‐report questionnaires assessing stress, negative urgency, lack of premeditation, and lack of perseverance three times over a 6‐month period. Pre‐registered analyses were conducted using multilevel growth curve models.

Results

Confirmatory analyses suggested that persistent stress was associated with higher levels of negative urgency and trajectories of worsening lack of perseverance over time, while short‐term stress was associated with higher negative urgency. Lack of premeditation was not robustly associated with stress.

Conclusions

While both persistent and short‐term exposure to stress may be associated with some facets of global self‐reports of impulsivity, the relations vary across facets of impulsivity. Overall, negative urgency was the most robustly associated with stress on both time scales, which suggests that this facet of impulsivity may be the most impacted in the context of stress in the first year of college.
Systematic Review of the Effects of Sleep on Memory and Word Learning in Infancy
Authors: Belia Margherita , Keren‐Portnoy Tamar , Vihman Marilyn
Published: November 2022

This systematic review surveyed research on the associations between sleep and the memory processes involved in word learning in infancy. We found only 16 studies that addressed this topic directly, identifying associations between infant sleep and the memory processes, the identification of word forms in running speech, and the stabilization and generalization of new word form–meaning associations. Some studies investigated changes in brain responses after word learning and in sleep parameters during postlearning sleep. Others investigated the long‐term effects of sleeping patterns on later vocabulary development. All but one of these studies identified positive associations between sleep and word learning in early childhood, extending similar findings from studies on adults and school‐aged children. However, there remain several gaps in the current research on early lexical development and sleep. Future investigations should address these gaps for researchers to better understand lexical development and to create links between memory and language acquisition research.
Association of sex‐specific donor skeletal muscle index with surgical outcomes in living donor liver transplantation recipients
Authors: Sim Ji‐Hoon , Kim Kyung‐Won , Ko YouSun , Kwon Hye‐Mee , Moon Young‐Jin , Jun In‐Gu , Kim Sung‐Hoon , Kim Seonok , Song Jun‐Gol , Hwang Gyu‐Sam
Published: November 2022

Background

A recent study reported a correlation between the muscle mass of male donors and graft failure in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) recipients. We investigated the association of sex‐specific donor skeletal muscle index (SMI) with mortality and graft failure in LDLT recipients.

Methods

We retrospectively analysed 2750 sets of donors and recipients between January 2008 and January 2018. The recipient outcomes were analysed by dividing the data according to donor sex. Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between donor SMI by sex and 1‐year mortality and graft failure in recipients.

Results

In the male donor group, robust donor (increased SMI) was significantly associated with higher risks for mortality (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.00–1.06, p = .023) and graft failure (HR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.01–1.06, p = .007) at 1 year. In the female donor group, the robust donor was significantly associated with lower risks for mortality (HR: 0.92, 95% CI: 0.87–0.97, p = .003) and graft failure (HR: 0.95, 95% CI: 0.90–1.00, p = .032) at 1 year.

Conclusions

Donor SMI was associated with surgical outcomes in recipients. Robust male and female donors were a significant negative and protective factor for grafts respectively.
Alpha‐momorcharin preserves catalase activity to inhibit viral infection by disrupting the 2b–CAT interaction in Solanum lycopersicum
Authors: Yang Ting , Peng Qiding , Lin Honghui , Xi Dehui
Published: November 2022

Many host factors of plants are used by viruses to facilitate viral infection. However, little is known about how alpha‐momorcharin (αMMC) counters virus‐mediated attack strategies in tomato. Our present research revealed that the 2b protein of cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) directly interacted with catalases (CATs) and inhibited their activities. Further analysis revealed that transcription levels of catalase were induced by CMV infection and that virus accumulation increased in CAT‐silenced or 2b‐overexpressing tomato plants compared with that in control plants, suggesting that the interaction between 2b and catalase facilitated the accumulation of CMV in hosts. However, both CMV accumulation and viral symptoms were reduced in αMMC transgenic tomato plants, indicating that αMMC engaged in an antiviral role in the plant response to CMV infection. Molecular experimental analysis demonstrated that αMMC interfered with the interactions between catalases and 2b in a competitive manner, with the expression of αMMC inhibited by CMV infection. We further demonstrated that the inhibition of catalase activity by 2b was weakened by αMMC. Accordingly, αMMC transgenic plants exhibited a greater ability to maintain redox homeostasis than wild‐type plants when infected with CMV. Altogether, these results reveal that αMMC retains catalase activity to inhibit CMV infection by subverting the interaction between 2b and catalase in tomato.
Global models and predictions of plant diversity based on advanced machine learning techniques
Authors: Cai Lirong , Kreft Holger , Taylor Amanda , Denelle Pierre , Schrader Julian , Essl Franz , van Kleunen Mark , Pergl Jan , Pyšek Petr , Stein Anke , Winter Marten , Barcelona Julie F. , Fuentes Nicol , Inderjit  , Karger Dirk Nikolaus , Kartesz John , Kuprijanov Andreij , Nishino Misako , Nickrent Daniel , Nowak Arkadiusz , Patzelt Annette , Pelser Pieter B. , Singh Paramjit , Wieringa Jan J. , Weigelt Patrick
Published: November 2022

Despite the paramount role of plant diversity for ecosystem functioning, biogeochemical cycles, and human welfare, knowledge of its global distribution is still incomplete, hampering basic research and biodiversity conservation.

Here, we used machine learning (random forests, extreme gradient boosting, and neural networks) and conventional statistical methods (generalized linear models and generalized additive models) to test environment‐related hypotheses of broad‐scale vascular plant diversity gradients and to model and predict species richness and phylogenetic richness worldwide. To this end, we used 830 regional plant inventories including c. 300 000 species and predictors of past and present environmental conditions.

Machine learning showed a superior performance, explaining up to 80.9% of species richness and 83.3% of phylogenetic richness, illustrating the great potential of such techniques for disentangling complex and interacting associations between the environment and plant diversity. Current climate and environmental heterogeneity emerged as the primary drivers, while past environmental conditions left only small but detectable imprints on plant diversity.

Finally, we combined predictions from multiple modeling techniques (ensemble predictions) to reveal global patterns and centers of plant diversity at multiple resolutions down to 7774 km2. Our predictive maps provide accurate estimates of global plant diversity available at grain sizes relevant for conservation and macroecology.
Trait matching and sampling effort shape the structure of the frugivory network in Afrotropical forests
Authors: Durand‐Bessart Clémentine , Cordeiro Norbert J. , Chapman Colin A. , Abernethy Katharine , Forget Pierre‐Michel , Fontaine Colin , Bretagnolle François
Published: November 2022

Frugivory in tropical forests is a major ecological process as most tree species rely on frugivores to disperse their seeds. However, the underlying mechanisms driving frugivore–plant networks remain understudied. Here, we evaluate the data available on the Afrotropical frugivory network to identify structural properties, as well as assess knowledge gaps.

We assembled a database of frugivory interactions from the literature with > 10 000 links, between 807 tree and 285 frugivore species. We analysed the network structure using a block model that groups species with similar interaction patterns and estimates interaction probabilities among them. We investigated the species traits related to this grouping structure.

This frugivory network was simplified into 14 tree and 14 frugivore blocks. The block structure depended on the sampling effort among species: Large mammals were better‐studied, while smaller frugivores were the least studied. Species traits related to frugivory were strong predictors of the species composition of blocks and interactions among them. Fruits from larger trees were consumed by most frugivores, and large frugivores had higher probabilities to consume larger fruits.

To conclude, this large‐scale frugivory network was mainly structured by species traits involved in frugivory, and as expected by the distribution areas of species, while still being limited by sampling incompleteness.
The impacts of sport emissions on climate: Measurement, mitigation, and making a difference
Authors: Wilby Robert L. , Orr Madeleine , Depledge Duncan , Giulianotti Richard , Havenith George , Kenyon Jamie A. , Matthews Tom K. R. , Mears Stephen A. , Mullan Donal J. , Taylor Lee
Published: November 2022

As a global industry, sport makes potentially significant contributions to climate change through both carbon emissions and influence over sustainability practices. Yet, evidence regarding impacts is uneven and spread across many disciplines. This paper investigates the impacts of sport emissions on climate and identifies knowledge gaps. We undertook a systematic and iterative meta‐analysis of relevant literature (1992–2022) on organized and individual sports. Using a defined search protocol, 116 sources were identified that map to four sport‐related themes: (1) carbon emissions and their measurement; (2) emissions control and decarbonization; (3) carbon sinks and offsets; and (4) behavior change. We find that mega sport events, elite sport, soccer, skiing, and golf have received most attention, whereas grass‐roots and women's sport, activity in Africa and South America, cricket, tennis, and volleyball are understudied. Other knowledge gaps include carbon accounting tools and indicators for smaller sports clubs and active participants; cobenefits and tradeoffs between mitigation‐adaptation efforts in sport, such as around logistics, venues, sports equipment, and facilities; geopolitical influence; and scope for climate change litigation against hosts and/or sponsors of carbon‐intensive events. Among these, researchers should target cobenefits given their scope to deliver wins for both climate mitigation and risk management of sport.
Comparison of the Imaging and Clinical Outcomes among the Measured Resection, Gap Balancing, and Hybrid Techniques in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty
Authors: Hao Kuo , Wei Maozheng , Ji Gang , Jia Yanfeng , Wang Fei
Published: November 2022

Objective

Although many studies have compared the measured resection (MR) technique to the gap balancing (GB) technique, few studies have investigated the hybrid technique. In this study, we compared imaging and clinical outcomes of the MR, GB, and hybrid techniques in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods

From January 2016 to January 2019, we conducted a retrospective study on 90 patients who underwent unilateral primary TKA; 30 received the MR technique, 30 received the GB technique, and 30 received the hybrid technique. Radiological outcomes, including joint line level, mechanical alignment of the lower limb, positions of the femoral and tibial components, and rotation of the femoral component, and clinical outcomes, including the visual analog scale score for pain, the Knee Society Score, and the range of motion, were assessed among the three groups. One‐way analysis of variance and Dunnett's test were performed for normally distributed data. Kruskal–Wallis H test and Dunn–Bonferroni test were conducted for non‐normally distributed data.

Results

No significant difference in the mechanical alignment (p = 0.151) and the positions of the tibial and femoral components (p = 0.230 for α angle, p = 0.517 for β angle, p = 0.686 for femoral flexion angle, and p = 0.918 for tibial slope angle) was found among the three groups. No significant difference in the elevation of the joint line between the MR and the hybrid groups was found (2.1 ± 0.3 mm vs 2.1 ± 0.1 mm, p = 0.627), but the GB group (2.8 ± 0.2 mm) differed significantly from the other two groups (p < 0.001). Although rotation of the femoral component in the GB group was larger than that of the MR and hybrid groups, the difference was not significant (1.8° ± 0.2° vs 1.7° ± 0.3° vs. 1.7° ± 0.2°, p = 0.101). The clinical outcomes were not significantly different (p > 0.05), although the results in the hybrid group were slightly higher.

Conclusion

The hybrid technique helped to restore the mechanical alignment of the lower limb and realize optimal positions of the femoral and tibial components without significant differences relative to the MR and GB techniques. The hybrid technique was more helpful for maintaining the original height of the joint line, which was similar to the MR technique. Additionally, although the improvement in the clinical outcomes in the hybrid group was slightly higher, it was not significantly different among the three groups.
Algorithms in the public sector. Why context matters
Authors: Wenzelburger Georg , König Pascal D. , Felfeli Julia , Achtziger Anja
Published: November 2022

Algorithms increasingly govern people's lives, including through rapidly spreading applications in the public sector. This paper sheds light on acceptance of algorithms used by the public sector emphasizing that algorithms, as parts of socio‐technical systems, are always embedded in a specific social context. We show that citizens' acceptance of an algorithm is strongly shaped by how they evaluate aspects of this context, namely the personal importance of the specific problems an algorithm is supposed to help address and their trust in the organizations deploying the algorithm. The objective performance of presented algorithms affects acceptance much less in comparison. These findings are based on an original dataset from a survey covering two real‐world applications, predictive policing and skin cancer prediction, with a sample of 2661 respondents from a representative German online panel. The results have important implications for the conditions under which citizens will accept algorithms in the public sector.
Volatile‐mediated signalling in barley induces metabolic reprogramming and resistance against the biotrophic fungus Blumeria hordei
Authors: Laupheimer S. , Kurzweil L. , Proels R. , Unsicker S. B. , Stark T. D. , Dawid C. , Hückelhoven R.
Published: November 2022

Plants have evolved diverse secondary metabolites to counteract biotic stress. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released upon herbivore attack or pathogen infection. Recent studies suggest that VOCs can act as signalling molecules in plant defence and induce resistance in distant organs and neighbouring plants. However, knowledge is lacking on the function of VOCs in biotrophic fungal infection on cereal plants.

We analysed VOCs emitted by 13 ± 1‐day‐old barley plants (Hordeum vulgare L.) after mechanical wounding using passive absorbers and TD‐GC/MS. We investigated the effect of pure VOC and complex VOC mixtures released from wounded plants on the barley–powdery mildew interaction by pre‐exposure in a dynamic headspace connected to a powdery mildew susceptibility assay. Untargeted metabolomics and lipidomics were applied to investigate metabolic changes in sender and receiver barley plants.

Green leaf volatiles (GLVs) dominated the volatile profile of wounded barley plants, with (Z)‐3‐hexenyl acetate (Z3HAC) as the most abundant compound. Barley volatiles emitted after mechanical wounding enhanced resistance in receiver plants towards fungal infection. We found volatile‐mediated modifications of the plant–pathogen interaction in a concentration‐dependent manner. Pre‐exposure with physiologically relevant concentrations of Z3HAC resulted in induced resistance, suggesting that this GLV is a key player in barley anti‐pathogen defence.

The complex VOC mixture released from wounded barley and Z3HAC induced e.g. accumulation of chlorophyll, linolenic acid and linolenate‐conjugated lipids, as well as defence‐related secondary metabolites, such as hordatines in receiving plants. Barley VOCs hence induce a complex physiological response and disease resistance in receiver plants.
Light‐induced damage to photosystem II at a very low temperature (195 K) depends on singlet oxygen
Authors: Mattila Heta , Tyystjärvi Esa
Published: November 2022

Photosynthetic organisms, like evergreen plants, may encounter strong light at low temperatures. Light, despite being the energy source of photosynthesis, irreversibly damages photosystem II (PSII). We illuminated plant thylakoid membranes and intact cyanobacterial cells at −78.5°C and assayed PSII activity with oxygen evolution or chlorophyll fluorescence, after thawing the sample. Both UV radiation and visible light damaged PSII of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) thylakoids at −78.5°C, but visible‐light‐induced photoinhibition at −78.5°C, unlike at +20°C, proceeded only in the presence of oxygen. A strong magnetic field that would decrease triplet chlorophyll formation by recombination of the primary radical pair slowed down photoinhibition at −78.5°C, suggesting that singlet oxygen produced via recombination of the primary pair is a major contributor to photoinhibition at −78.5°C. However, a magnetic field did not affect singlet oxygen production at +25°C. Thylakoids of winter leaves of an evergreen plant, Bergenia, were less susceptible to photoinhibition both at −78.5°C and +20°C, contained high amounts of carotenoids and produced little singlet oxygen (measured at +20°C), compared to thylakoids of summer leaves. In contrast, high carotenoid amount and low singlet oxygen yield did not protect a Synechocystis mutant from photoinhibition at −78.5°C. Thylakoids isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana grown under high light, which reduces PSII antenna size, were more resistant than control plants against photoinhibition at −78.5°C but not at +20°C, although carotenoid amounts were similar. The results indicate that visible‐light‐induced photoinhibition at −78.5°C depends on singlet oxygen, whereas photoinhibition at +20°C is largely independent of oxygen.
Policy coordination and selective corruption control in China
Authors: Zhan Jing Vivian , Zhu Jiangnan
Published: November 2022

In autocracies facing widespread corruption, the allocation of the scant attention available for fighting corruption strongly affects corruption control. Although research has found that authoritarian regimes tend to fight corruption selectively, it is unknown whether and how autocracies allocate attention across different policy areas to combat corruption. We propose that single‐party authoritarian regimes can steer anticorruption attention to the policy domains prioritized by the central authority through the mechanism of cross‐organizational policy coordination. Using original datasets compiled from Chinese governmental and procuratorial policy papers from 1998 to 2016, we demonstrate that Chinese prosecutors direct anticorruption attention to the policy domains accentuated in the central government's major reforms. Our field interviews support this finding and reveal possible disruption of anticorruption efforts in policy domains falling off the central government's top list. Thus, we extend the research on political influence over anticorruption agencies and show that single‐party regimes can instrumentalize anticorruption to serve the government's policy agenda, driving the allocation of limited anticorruption attention across policy areas.
Tidal restoration to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from freshwater impounded coastal wetlands
Authors: Cadier Charles , Waltham Nathan J. , Canning Adam , Fry Scott , Adame Maria Fernanda
Published: November 2022

Freshwater impounded wetlands are created by artificially restricting coastal wetlands connection to tides. The decrease in salinity and altered hydrology can significantly increase greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, specifically methane (CH4). Restoration of freshwater impounded wetlands through tidal reintroduction can potentially reduce GHG emissions; however, studies in tropical regions are scare. This study investigates the potential for tidal restoration of impounded freshwater coastal wetlands by comparing their GHG emissions with tidally connected mangrove and saltmarshes in the Burdekin catchment in Queensland, Australia. We found that freshwater impounded wetlands had significantly higher CH4 emissions (3,633 ± 812 μg CH4 m−2 hour−1) than mangroves (27 ± 8 μg CH4 m−2 hour−1) and saltmarsh (13 ± 8 μg CH4 m−2 hour−1). Soil redox, moisture, carbon, nitrogen, and bulk density were all significantly correlated to methane emissions. Conversely, freshwater impounded wetlands had significantly lower nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions (−0.72 ± 0.18 μg N2O m−2 hour−1) than mangroves and saltmarsh (0.35 ± 0.29 and 1.32 ± 0.52 μg N2O m−2 hour−1 respectively). Nevertheless, when converting to CO2 equivalents (CO2‐eq), freshwater impounded wetlands emitted 91 ± 20 g CO2‐eq m−2 hour−1, compared to the much lower 0.8 ± 0.2 and 0.7 ± 0.2 g CO2‐eq m−2 hour−1 emission rates for mangroves and saltmarsh. In conclusion, restoration of freshwater impounded wetlands through tidal restoration is likely to result in reduced GHG emissions.
The essential spectrum of periodically stationary pulses in lumped models of short‐pulse fiber lasers
Authors: Shinglot Vrushaly , Zweck John
Published: November 2022

In modern short‐pulse fiber lasers, there is significant pulse breathing over each round trip of the laser loop. Consequently, averaged models cannot be used for quantitative modeling and design. Instead, lumped models, which are obtained by concatenating models for the various components of the laser, are required. As the pulses in lumped models are periodic rather than stationary, their linear stability is evaluated with the aid of the monodromy operator obtained by linearizing the round‐trip operator about the periodic pulse. Conditions are given on the smoothness and decay of the periodic pulse that ensure that the monodromy operator exists on an appropriate Lebesgue function space. A formula for the essential spectrum of the monodromy operator is given, which can be used to quantify the growth rate of continuous wave perturbations. This formula is established by showing that the essential spectrum of the monodromy operator equals that of an associated asymptotic operator. Since the asymptotic monodromy operator acts as a multiplication operator in the Fourier domain, it is possible to derive a formula for its spectrum. Although the main results are stated for a particular experimental stretched pulse laser, the analysis shows that they can be readily adapted to a wide range of lumped laser models.
Phylogenomics of the family Lachesillidae (Insecta: Psocodea: Psocomorpha)
Authors: Saenz Manchola Oscar Fernando , Virrueta Herrera Stephany , D'Alessio Lorenzo Mario , García Aldrete Alfonso Neri , Johnson Kevin P.
Published: November 2022

Lachesillidae is one of the largest families of bark lice and includes more than 420 described species, in 26 genera and three subfamilies. This family belongs in the suborder Psocomorpha, infraorder Homilopsocidea. The classification of Lachesillidae is based on male and female genital morphologies, but questions remain regarding the monophyly of the family and some of its genera. Here, we used whole genome and transcriptome data to generate a 2060 orthologous gene data matrix of 2,438,763 aligned bp and used these data to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships of species of Lachesillidae and relatives. Taxon sampling included 24 species from Lachesillidae and 23 additional species belonging to related families from the infraorders Homilopsocidea and Caeciliusetae. Phylogenetic relationships reconstructed with maximum likelihood and coalescent‐based analyses indicated paraphyly of Lachesillidae, and monophyly of the tribe Graphocaeciliini and the genus Lachesilla were also never recovered. Instability was observed in the position of Eolachesilla chilensis, which was recovered either as sister to Elipsocidae or to Mesopsocidae species, so we cannot conclusively determine the position of this genus within the Homilopsocidea. Given our results, a reclassification is necessary, but more taxon sampling of other species in Mesopsocidae and Peripsocidae would be useful to add to a tree in future before proposing a new classification.
Reversible changes in structure and function of photosynthetic apparatus of pea (Pisum sativum) leaves under drought stress
Authors: Pandey Jayendra , Devadasu Elsinraju , Saini Deepak , Dhokne Kunal , Marriboina Sureshbabu , Raghavendra Agepati S. , Subramanyam Rajagopal
Published: November 2022

The effects of drought on photosynthesis have been extensively studied, whereas those on thylakoid organization are limited. We observed a significant decline in gas exchange parameters of pea (Pisum sativum) leaves under progressive drought stress. Chl a fluorescence kinetics revealed the reduction of photochemical efficiency of photosystem (PS)II and PSI. The non‐photochemical quenching (NPQ) and the levels of PSII subunit PSBS increased. Furthermore, the light‐harvesting complexes (LHCs) and some of the PSI and PSII core proteins were disassembled in drought conditions, whereas these complexes were reassociated during recovery. By contrast, the abundance of supercomplexes of PSII‐LHCII and PSII dimer were reduced, whereas LHCII monomers increased following the change in the macro‐organization of thylakoids. The stacks of thylakoids were loosely arranged in drought‐affected plants, which could be attributed to changes in the supercomplexes of thylakoids. Severe drought stress caused a reduction of both LHCI and LHCII and a few reaction center proteins of PSI and PSII, indicating significant disorganization of the photosynthetic machinery. After 7 days of rewatering, plants recovered well, with restored chloroplast thylakoid structure and photosynthetic efficiency. The correlation of structural changes with leaf reactive oxygen species levels indicated that these changes were associated with the production of reactive oxygen species.
A Portable, Vacuum-Operated, and Purely Mechanical Device for Extracting Feces by Suction to Cure Chronic Anal Fissures
Authors: Mohammed Riaz Ur Rehman , Bassari Vedad , Rasmussen Richard , Terry Benjamin S.
Published: November 2022

An anal fissure is a common anorectal problem that affects men and women of all age groups. It initiates with an acute stage that presents as a linear or oval tear in the anoderm and may progress to a more complex chronic stage due to poor healing. Routine defecation causes overstretching of the injured anoderm which deepens the injury resulting in hypertonicty and ischemia, setting up a positive feedback loop that keeps the fissure from healing. Existing treatments can be invasive, expensive, and may include side effects. Here we present a novel vacuum-operated mechanical device to extract feces via suction. The device is designed to solve the problem of anodermal stretching by assisting in defecation. The device was tested in vitro on a benchtop model of the rectum and in vivo on live pigs. in vitro tests showed that the device could hold vacuum pressures for 12 h with negligible leakage. Further, the device could extract simulated human feces at a flowrate of 32 mL/s. in vivo tests on pigs showed that the device did not cause any trauma to the rectal wall, thus demonstrating its safety. Our results highlight the potential of this novel platform to circumvent the problem of anodermal stretching and improve the healing rate of anal fissures.
A Zigzag-Based Thickness-Accommodating Foldable Prismatic Structure With a Single-Degree-of-Freedom
Authors: Li Jihui , Yu Zhenyuan , Zhu Zhiwei , Deng Zichen
Published: November 2022

Origami inspires various designs of foldable prismatic structures with zero-thickness facets. However, there is a difficulty in directly applying them to thick materials. This paper presents a novel design of the foldable prismatic structure inspired by the zigzag pattern, which can accommodate the thickness of materials easily by placing hinges on the top or bottom surfaces of panels. The foldable prismatic structures are constructed by connecting multiple zigzag strips, in which each strip is made up of uniform-thickness hexagonal panels. By identifying the relationship between the foldable structure and spatial linkages, we analyze the mobility of the assembly based on the matrix method with DH notations. The result reveals that the foldable prismatic structure is equivalent to a network of spherical 4R linkages and Bennett linkages, and its motion has a single-degree-of-freedom. Based on the proposed foldable prismatic structure, a foldable manipulator is developed to demonstrate its potential engineering applications. The actuation strategy is designed by employing a motor-cable-driven system and torsional spring hinges. The physical prototype of the foldable manipulator is fabricated, and experimental results prove that our designs are feasible and effective.
Wire-Arc Directed Energy Deposition of Aluminum Alloy 7075 With Dispersed Nanoparticles
Authors: Chi Yitian , Pan Shauihang , Liese Maximillian , Liu Jingke , Murali Narayanan , Soemardy Ebryanto , Li Xiaochun
Published: November 2022

High-strength Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys such as AA7075 have drawn considerable attention and interest from both industry and academia owing to their high-specific strengths and good fatigue resistance. Wire-arc directed energy deposition, an emerging near-net-shape manufacturing technology, faces significant challenges in printing AA7075 due to its hot cracking susceptibility. In this study, we use nano-treated AA7075 wire as feedstock to additively manufacture a crack-free deposition of the high-performance alloy. After T6 heat treatment, the nano-treated AA7075 achieves exceptional yield strength (510.3 MPa), ultimate tensile strength (606.0 MPa), and elongation (12.6%). In addition, nanoparticles homogenize the microstructure upon solidification and inhibit grain growth from cyclic thermal exposure, yielding refined, equiaxed grains throughout the deposition and enabling isotropic mechanical properties in both as-built and T6-treated conditions. Thus, this study highlights a promising intersection of nano-treatment and wire-arc directed energy deposition for printing traditionally unprintable materials.