bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Positive interactions of native species melt invasional meltdown over long‐term plant succession
Authors: Yin Deyi , Meiners Scott J. , Ni Ming , Ye Qing , He Fangliang , Cadotte Marc W.
Published: October 2022

Positive interactions have been hypothesised to influence plant community dynamics and species invasions. However, their prevalence and importance relative to negative interactions remain unclear to understand community change and invasibility. We examined pairwise biotic interactions using over 50 years of successional data to assess the prevalence of positive interactions and their effects on each focal species (either native or exotic). We found that positive interactions were widespread and the relative frequency of positive and negative interactions varied with establishment stage and between native and exotic species. Specifically, positive interactions were more frequent during early establishment and less frequent at later stages. Positive interactions involving native species were more frequent and stronger than those between exotic species, reducing the importance of invasional meltdown on succession. Our study highlights the role of positive native interactions in shielding communities from biological invasion and enhancing the potential for long‐term resilience.
2021 Condon Prize: Improvising care: A theatrical exploration of Turner syndrome subjectivities
Authors: Jones A. J.
Published: October 2022

This article discusses an ethnographic theater project designed to explore how social performances of gender and disability shape the experiences of those with Turner syndrome, a genetic condition causing short stature and infertility. Working alongside two interlocutors with the condition, our rehearsals demonstrate subjectivity to be an ethical, relational, and generative practice of striving for good that fosters self‐care and empathy for others. Our collaboration exemplifies how anthropological approaches that engage vulnerability and improvisation encourage our interlocutors to investigate their self‐understandings with us in real time. Such communal explorations are frequently punctuated by uncertainty, contradiction, and tension, which shape interrelational processes of self‐formation and invite the ethnographer to reflect and improve upon shared expectations for the research encounter. This article, therefore, outlines a care‐oriented anthropology that prioritizes accessibility, recognizes the creative in the everyday, and embraces failure as an inextricable part of our research and the lives of our interlocutors.

care, ethics and morality, performance, subjectivity, Turner syndrome
‘Reproduction mobility’ and motherhood construction: Chinese education migrants in Chiang Mai
Authors: Jiangyu Li , Sisi Guo , Siriphon Aranya
Published: October 2022

‘Reproduction mobility’ adopted in this article indicates a rising trend of social reproduction mobility serving the purpose of maintaining an alternative life that many middle‐class Chinese parents, mostly mothers, are taking their children out of the hyper‐competitive domestic education arena in mainland China to attend international schools in Chiang Mai. This escape implies macro‐level changes in the global education market on two fronts: Chinese national education is enveloping families into a national education competition from which they cannot withdraw; meanwhile, Thailand's international education market is being industrialized as part of the neoliberal marketization of international education in less developed countries. This paper analyses the calculation, evaluation and agentive selection of Chinese families as they pursue an increasingly popular education project of reproduction mobility. It identifies different modes of mothering that are similar to the domestic phenomenon of ‘mothering brokerage’ but practised in the international education environment of Southeast Asia.
Indicators for adequate diabetes care for the indigenous communities of Ecuador
Authors: Martin‐Delgado Jimmy , Tovar Carla , Pazmiño Israel , Briones Amelia , Carrillo Irene , Guilabert Mercedes , Mira José Joaquín
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Diabetes is the second leading cause of death in Ecuador, as 79% of the indigenous population live in rural areas that are difficult to access and have below‐average health resources. The objective of this study was to define person‐centred indicators to monitor the care received by patients with diabetes in the indigenous population.

Method

Qualitative research combining three focus groups (with the participation of 10 patients and 18 professionals) to capture relevant information and Delphi to reach a consensus on the pertinence, relevance, and feasibility of a set of indicators was conducted. Two rounds of the Delphi technique were performed, with the participation of 64 professionals in the first round (90% response rate) and 34 in the second round (53% response rate).

Results

A total of 23 indicators were identified which were distributed in the previously identified six dimensions (cosmovision, accessibility, adaptability to cosmovision, resources, equipment, community care, quality culture and results).

Conclusions

The consensus on the set of indicators among all the participants in this study strengthened the results obtained. These indicators have considered the feasibility and relevance and aimed to achieve comprehensive person‐centred care for diabetes among the indigenous population in Ecuador and possibly the Andean community.

Patient or Public Contribution

These indicators’ development included patients and caregivers since its conception. During the qualitative phase of this research, relevant information on cultural and social beliefs was gathered directly from the study population to achieve patient‐centred indicators for adequate diabetes care.
Brood sex ratios in Merlins reflect characteristics of the associated breeding male and population density
Authors: Warkentin Ian G. , Brooks Darin W. , Lieske David J. , Espie Richard H. M. , James Paul C.
Published: October 2022

Population‐level estimates of offspring sex ratios in birds typically approximate parity whereas biased ratios within nests are not uncommon. In sexually dimorphic raptors, the costs and relative fitness benefits of rearing male and female progeny vary with changing environmental circumstances. This may lead to substantial deviations from balanced investment in offspring of a particular sex by individual parents. Based on a 13‐year dataset for breeding MerlinsFalco columbariusin Saskatoon, Canada, we used a model selection approach to assess the influence of parents, nest‐mates and nesting area on brood sex ratio during the nestling phase. The best model for predicting brood sex ratio included age of the breeding male and brood size for each nest (n = 127); nests with older male breeders and smaller brood sizes had more female young. The population‐level annualized average proportion of male offspring was 0.472 ± 0.017 (mean ± standard error), but tended towards greater production of female young during an initial period of population growth (8 years, 10–21 pairs; proportion male 0.435 ± 0.031) versus a period when the population fluctuated around a presumed carrying capacity (11 years, 24–33 pairs; proportion male 0.500 ± 0.017). Energetics appears to be a finely tuned mechanism driving sex ratio allocation in Merlins at both brood and population levels. Provisioning food for young in the nest represents the male's ability to successfully capture prey, reflecting his age and/or experience, as well as the availability of prey to the male. Confounding this mechanism to determine sex ratio allocation are the pressures created by population dynamics that dictate competition for resources both within the nest (brood size) and external to the nest (population density).
Biocompatibility and bioactive potential of an experimental tricalcium silicate‐based cement in comparison with Bio‐C repair and MTA Repair HP materials
Authors: Queiroz Marcela Borsatto , Inada Rafaela N. H. , Jampani José Leandro de Abreu , Guerreiro‐Tanomaru Juliane Maria , Sasso‐Cerri Estela , Tanomaru‐Filho Mário , Cerri Paulo Sérgio
Published: October 2022

Aim

To evaluate the tissue reaction of a tricalcium silicate‐based repair material associated with 30% calcium tungstate (TCS + CaWO4) in comparison to Bio‐C Repair (Bio‐C; Angelus) and to MTA Repair HP (MTA HP; Angelus).

Methodology

Polyethylene tubes filled with one of the materials or left empty (control group, CG) were implanted into the subcutaneous tissues of rats for 7, 15, 30 and 60 days (n = 32/group). The capsule thickness, number of inflammatory cells, collagen content, interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), osteocalcin (OCN), von Kossa reaction and analysis under polarized light were evaluated. The data were subjected to generalized linear models for repeated measures, except the OCN. OCN data were submitted to Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn's post hoc test and Friedman followed by Nemenyi's test at significance level of 5%.

Results

At all time points, significant differences in the number of inflammatory cells were not observed between TCS + CaWO4 and Bio‐C, whereas, at 15, 30 and 60 days, no significant difference was detected between TCS + CaWO4 and MTA HP. At all periods, significant differences were not detected in the number of fibroblasts in TCS + CaWO4 versus MTA HP, and, at 60 days, no significant difference was demonstrated between these groups and CG. Significant differences in the immunoexpression of IL‐6 were not detected amongst bioceramic materials at all periods. From 7 to 60 days, significant reduction in the number of inflammatory cells, number of IL‐6‐immunopositive cells and in the capsule thickness was accompanied by significant increase in the collagen in all groups. OCN‐immunolabelled cells, von Kossa‐positive structures and amorphous calcite deposits were observed around all materials, whereas, in the CG, these structures were not seen.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that the experimental material (TCS + CaWO4) is biocompatible and has a bioactive potential, similar to the MTA HP and Bio‐C Repair, and suggest its use as a root repair material.
Changing perspectives on frontotemporal dementia: A review
Authors: Snowden Julie S.
Published: October 2022

This article examines the evolution in understanding of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) during the last four decades. A central theme is the recognition of heterogeneity. Originally construed as a disorder of behaviour and executive impairment, FTD is now known also to be associated with alterations in language, conceptual knowledge and praxis. An absence of neurological signs is the hallmark of many FTD patients, but there is also an established association with motor neurone disease (MND), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD). FTD is commonly defined as an early onset dementia, yet about a quarter of patients present after the age of 65. The underlying pathological protein is tau, TDP‐43 or more rarely fused‐in‐sarcoma (FUS). Distinct genetic mutations have been identified in familial FTD. There are predictable relationships between clinical phenotype, pathological substrate and genetic mutation. For example, a circumscribed semantic disorder predicts TDP‐43 pathology, and speech or limb apraxia tau pathology. The co‐occurrence of MND predicts TDP‐43 pathology, and PSP and CBD tau pathology. FUS pathology is associated with very youthful onset, stereotyped behaviours and caudate atrophy. Non‐fluent aphasia is linked to progranulin (GRN) mutations and MND and psychosis to repeat expansions in the C9orf72 gene. Despite striking worldwide consensus in findings there remain some issues of contention, largely related to the classification of FTD and its sub‐variants. Understanding the diverse nature of FTD is crucial for effective diagnosis, management and the development of targeted therapies.
Are acupuncture and dry needling effective in the management of masticatory muscle pain: A network meta‐analysis of randomised clinical trials
Authors: Al‐Moraissi Essam Ahmed , Goddard Greg , Christidis Nikolaos
Published: October 2022

Background

Several studies have shown that both acupuncture and dry needling are effective in the treatment of musculoskeletal pains. Therefore, the aim of this network meta‐analysis (NMA) was to investigate the treatment outcome of acupuncture and dry‐needling for masticatory muscle pain (TMD‐M) and to compare with active and inactive placebo.

Material and Method

An electronic search was performed to identify randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published until September 2019, comparing dry‐needling, acupuncture, and inactive as well as active placebo in patients with TMD‐M. Outcome variables were post‐treatment pain intensity, pressure pain threshold (PPT), and maximum mouth opening (MMO). The quality of evidence was rated according to Cochrane's tool for assessing the risk of bias. Mean difference was used to analyse via frequentist NMA using STATA‐software.

Results

Both NMA and direct pairwise meta‐analysis have shown that there was no difference between active treatment with either acupuncture or dry‐needling when compared to active and inactive placebo in patients with TMD‐M with respect to pain intensity, and PPT (p > .05). However, there was a significant increase in MMO following dry‐needling when compared to the placebo (very low‐quality evidence).

Conclusion

Despite the short‐term positive effect of MMO by dry‐needling, this NMA could not show any pain‐reducing effect in patients with TMD‐M by acupuncture or dry‐needling when compared to an active or inactive placebo. Taken together, this NMA indicates that it is the placebo effect that accounts for the majority of the treatment effect of TMD‐M, rather than a real therapeutic effect of acupuncture/dry‐needling.
α1‐ and β2‐Microglobulin reduction ratios and survival in patients on predilution online haemodiafiltration
Authors: Mizuiri Sonoo , Nishizawa Yoshiko , Yamashita Kazuomi , Doi Toshiki , Okubo Aiko , Morii Kenichi , Usui Koji , Arita Michiko , Naito Takayuki , Shigemoto Kenichiro , Masaki Takao
Published: October 2022

Aim

β2‐Microglobulin (β2‐MG) and α1‐microglobulin (α1‐MG) have molecular weights of 11,800 and 33,000 Da, respectively. We studied the α1‐MG and β2‐MG reduction ratios (RRs) and survival in patients on predilution online haemodiafiltration (Pre‐OL‐HDF).

Methods

Participants were 247 Pre‐OL‐HDF patients. α1‐MG and β2‐MG RRs were assessed at baseline. Kaplan–Meier survival and Cox proportional hazard analyses were used.

Results

In 247 patients, the median age was 67 (56–73) years, the dialysis duration was 77 (46–150) months, and the diabetes prevalence was 47.4%. Twenty‐two patients died over the 450‐day study period. The mortality cut‐off values using receiver‐operating characteristic curves for the α1‐MG and β2‐MG RRs were 20% and 80%, respectively. Survival rates were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in patients with α1‐MG RRs ≥20% (n = 134) compared with patients with α1‐MG RRs <20% (n = 113) and in patients with β2‐MG RRs ≥80% (n = 87) compared with patients with β2‐MG RRs <80% (n = 160). Cox models adjusting for diabetes and dialysis duration showed that α1‐MG RR, β2‐MG RR, and pre‐ and postdialysis β2‐MG were risk factors for all‐cause mortality; however, after additional adjustment for age, sex, and serum albumin, only β2‐MG RR and pre‐ and postdialysis β2‐MG were significant predictors of mortality (p < 0.05). α1‐MG RRs were significantly correlated with β2‐MG RRs (ρ = 0.73, p < 0.0001) and serum albumin levels (ρ = 0.13, p < 0.05).

Conclusion

In patients on Pre‐OL‐HDF, α1‐MG RRs ≥20% and β2‐MG RRs ≥80% were associated with better survival, β2‐MG RR ≥80% and pre‐and postdialysis β2‐MG levels were significant predictors of all‐cause mortality, and α1‐MG RR ≥20% may predict mortality.
Transition to energy‐efficient and clean transportation system in Nigeria: Evidence from transportation fuels demand analysis
Authors: Sa'ad Suleiman , Omaye Solomon Ochada , Adama Ahmad Hamma , Dotti Rakiya , Usman Baba Ali
Published: October 2022

This paper examines the prospects and challenges of transition from the current inefficient and highly polluting road transportation system in Nigeria to a highly efficient and environmentally friendly road transportation system. The study used time‐series data from 1981 to 2019 within the framework of demand for gasoline and diesel in the structural time‐series estimation model, where the concept of the asymmetric price increase and underlying energy demand trends were incorporated into the models. The findings of the study show that both gasoline and diesel are highly price inelastic, and the UEDT is generally stochastic but exhibits a positive trend in a large part of the estimation period. The conclusion and policy implication of the result suggests that governments should combine incentives and public enlightenment on the importance of energy efficiency as well as transport infrastructure improvements with gradual adjustments of domestic prices in the short run. However, in the long run, policy should be extended towards massive investments in the transformation and modernization of the whole transportation sector in line with sustainability, efficiency and environmentally friendly goals in the transportation system of the country.
Atrial tachyarrhythmias after lung transplantation in children: A common occurrence
Authors: Wattenbarger Laura E. , Kim Jeffrey J. , Melicoff Ernestina , Miyake Christina Y. , Valdes Santiago O. , Pham Tam Dan N. , Adachi Iki , Heinle Jeffrey S. , Howard Taylor S.
Published: October 2022

Background

Atrial arrhythmia's (AA) following lung transplant in adults are a well‐described clinical finding. In pediatrics, however, there are limited data with some reports suggesting that arrhythmias are rare.

Methods

We performed a single‐center retrospective review of lung transplant recipients from January 2013 to June 2020. A detailed evaluation of clinical characteristics, presence of arrhythmias, and outcomes was completed. Arrhythmias were documented based on inpatient telemetry or remote Holter monitoring. Analyses assessing risk factors for arrhythmias and associations with clinical outcomes were performed.

Results

Ninety‐one lung transplants were performed in 90 patients. Post‐operative AA occurred following 19% transplants. Ectopic atrial tachycardia was seen in 14%, atrial flutter in 2%, and a combination in 2%. The majority of these arrhythmias occurred within the first 45 days post‐operatively. Antiarrhythmic treatment was required in 59%, but none required ablation or electrical cardioversion. In patients followed for a year or more, 88% had resolution of their arrhythmia. Arrhythmias were not associated with mortality. In further analysis, however, the presence of arrhythmia was associated with an increased length of ICU stay (median of 12 days (IQR 6, 23) versus 5 days (IQR 4, 9); p = .019) and overall length of hospital stay (median of 26 days (IQR 19, 36) versus 17 days (IQR 19, 36); p = .043).

Conclusions

Atrial tachyarrhythmias after lung transplantation are common in the pediatric population and usually occur early. Although they frequently require medical therapy and are associated with longer stays, there is no associated increased mortality. In addition, the arrhythmias typically self‐resolve.
Peter Hacker on forms of representation: A critical evaluation
Authors: Yan Hektor K. T.
Published: October 2022

P. M. S. Hacker's tetralogy on human nature (2007–2021) is a recent contribution to philosophical anthropology. In this work, the expression ‘form of representation’ appears at crucial points of discussion. This paper begins with an exposition and analysis of this notion, followed by a look at how it is utilised in the discussion of knowledge, the mind, and other emotive and moral concepts. It then turns to a comparison of ‘forms of representation’ with two important concepts, namely, analogy and metaphor. To offer an evaluation of ‘forms of representation’ as a critical tool, this paper examines the increasingly common tendency for humans to identify with their brains.
Anatomical inferences on aerial bud protection of three Eugenia shrub species from the Cerrado
Authors: da Silva G. S. , Firmino G. V. , Ferraro A. , Appezzato‐da‐Glória B.
Published: October 2022

Location and degree of protection of aerial buds are important functional traits in disturbance‐ or stress‐prone environments since aerial buds ensure the development of new organs under favourable growing conditions. This study was carried out in a Brazilian Cerrado area under regeneration after long‐term Pinus cultivation, where the trees were clear‐cut in 2012 and the remaining material was burned in 2014.

After the fire treatment, several species resprouted from belowground organs and their aboveground organs were directly exposed to full sunlight. We collected 15 terminal branches with fully expanded leaves from three individuals of each of three Eugenia species to investigate if those with well‐developed belowground organs invest in bark for aboveground bud protection. The samples were analysed using light and electron microscopy.

In addition to terminal and axillary buds, all species presented accessory buds, and the number varied according to the node analysed. None of the aerial buds were protected by bark, but all were well protected by cataphylls and densely pubescent leaf primordia. There were also inter‐ and intra‐petiolar colleters that released a mucilaginous protein exudate. The distance between the shoot apical meristem and the outer surface was longer in the terminal bud than in axillary buds. The bud leaf primordia covering the shoot apical meristem had a thick cuticle, unicellular non‐glandular trichomes that accumulate phenolic and lipophilic compounds, and secretory cavities.

Our study shows that all three Eugenia species studied here had highly protected aerial buds allocated from belowground organs. These morphological traits may improve the chances of the species' persistence in areas subjected to frost events, low relative humidity, high irradiance and harmful UV levels.
Pathogenicity and diversity of large‐spored Alternaria associated with three solanaceous vegetables (Solanum tuberosum, S. lycopersicum and S. melongena) in China
Authors: Zhao Lin , Cheng Hong , Liu Hai‐Feng , Gao Guo‐Yang , Zhang Yu , Li Zheng‐Nan , Deng Jian‐Xin
Published: October 2022

Alternaria foliar diseases are important factors that pose a significant threat to yield in solanaceous crops. To clarify the diversity of large‐spored Alternaria species in China, diseased leaves of three solanaceous vegetables (potato, tomato and eggplant) were collected and used for fungal isolation. In total, 67 strains representing six species in section Porri of Alternaria were isolated, based on morphological characterizations and multilocus phylogenetic analyses. There were three known species (A. blumeae, A. linariae and A. solani), one new record of A. argyroxiphii and two new species, A. melongenicola sp. nov. and A. yichangensis sp. nov. The sequence analyses encompassed the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA (ITS), glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), Alternaria major allergen (Alt a 1), translation elongation factor 1‐α (TEF1) and RNA polymerase second largest subunit (RPB2). To confirm pathogenicity, 15 representative strains were evaluated for their virulence under greenhouse conditions. The results revealed that they were able to induce leaf spot symptoms on potato, tomato and eggplant plants with a range of aggressive abilities. The present study provides a basis for the recognition and management of Alternaria foliar diseases.
US state government privatization: Implications for social equity and inequality?
Authors: Smith Sarah Ausmus
Published: October 2022

Privatization of state government services is commonplace, but our understanding of its effects is limited by data availability. We study the relationship between American state government contracting and public sector wages. Governments have used public sector employment to support a variety of goals, including social equity and economic development, but privatization, as a new public management (NPM) reform, may shift the focus. Our empirical analysis shows that state privatization of service delivery is associated with decreases in the public sector wage premium, but that these effects are not driven by gender, race, or low‐levels of educational attainment. The fidelity of the implementation to NPM values conditions these effects. We also find that contracting service delivery is associated with a lower public sector wage premium for middle‐class workers.
Political behavior in collaborative innovation spaces: outlining triggers, behaviors and shaping mechanisms
Authors: Ollila Susanne , Yström Anna
Published: October 2022

Innovation management research often underestimates the social and political nature of innovation processes, leading it to fail to fully explain why many innovative projects experience delays and/or failure. As many organizations engage in collaborative innovation processes involving multiple partners, we must also recognize that such environments are fertile ground for actors to utilize political behavior to pursue their agendas. While political behavior is often dismissed as destructive, it can be a necessary and essential part of pushing collaborative innovation processes forward. This study explores how political behavior can shape spaces for collaboration. We draw on four extensive qualitative studies of collaborative initiatives and outline a three‐stage model of shaping collaborative innovation spaces. The model includes background triggers, political behaviors, and four shaping mechanisms. We discuss the influence of the model and the managerial implications of the political nature of collaborative spaces, contributing to the current debate on collaborative innovation spaces.
Conditional cash transfers tools to combat child labor: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in Costa Rica
Authors: Meza‐Cordero Jaime A.
Published: October 2022

The Government of Costa Rica collaborated with a research team to conduct a randomized controlled trial of their Working Children and Adolescents program. The program provided working youth with a monthly cash transfer with the conditions that they attend school regularly and complete their grade. This study examines the effect of the cash transfer on (1) child labor and hazardous child labor participation as well as hours worked; (2) school enrollment, attendance, and completion; and (3) self‐reported health. The main findings provide evidence of a statistically significant reduction of more than 4 hours worked per week by children. The findings also suggest null effects on labor participation and school outcomes. Cost‐effectiveness analysis shows that the program demonstrates a transfer effectiveness and cost‐effectiveness comparable to similar interventions in Latin American countries. The subsidy alone does not seem enough to improve schooling outcomes, justifying the necessity of additional education policies to complement the cash transfer program.
Relationship between pistol players' psychophysiological state and shot performance: Activation effect of EEG and HRV
Authors: Wang Kun , Li Yan , Liu Hengxu , Zhang Tingran , Luo Jiong
Published: October 2022

Objective

To understand the mechanism of dual activation of the brain and heart in pistol athletes during shooting performances, through synchronized monitoring of electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG).

Methods

Eighteen adolescents air pistol athletes were placed in a simulated competition environment and performed 40 self‐paced shooting tasks, and simultaneously monitored the athletes' EEG, ECG, and shooting performance during the preparation period.

Results

(1) In the successful performance, the power values of the alpha wave of the athlete's T7 area showed a significant upward trend 6 s before the shot, but there was no significant change in the alpha wave in the T8 area. In the failure performance, the alpha wave in the T7 and T8 areas did not change significantly 6 s before the shot. (2) The Fz theta wave power value of athletes in successful performance showed a significant upward trend in the 6 s before firing, and in the failure performance, it showed an “inverted U‐shaped” characteristic of rising first and then decreasing. (3) Regardless of whether it was a success or a failure, the SMR wave power value of the athlete's central area has no significant change before the shot. (4) At 6 s before the shot, the athlete's heart rate and R‐R interval (RRI) in the successful performance showed a significant decline and rise, respectively, but there was no significant change in the failure performance. (5) Approaching the firing time, the athletes' EEG and ECG have a more significant correlation in successful performance and a more synchronized trend, while the correlation was lower in failure performance.

Conclusions

The psychophysiological state of young air pistol athletes was closely related to shooting performance. If the brain–cardiac system maintains a benign dual activation level during the aiming and firing period, it will be beneficial to the improvement of shooting performance, otherwise, it was easy to reduce shooting performance.
Efficacy of microneedle radiofrequency therapy in the treatment of senile purpura: A prospective study
Authors: Baek Gayun , Kim Moon Hwan , Jue Mihn‐Sook
Published: October 2022

Background

Radiofrequency (RF) devices have been used for skin rejuvenation and treating skin laxity. It may also be effective for senile purpura (SP) based on its action of promoting neocollagenesis with minimal epidermal damage. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of microneedle RF for treating SP of the forearms in elderly.

Material and methods

In this prospective study, 23 patients who underwent a single session of microneedle RF device (GENIUS, Lutronic Co., Korea) therapy for SP were enrolled. Histopathological features were assessed 1 week before and 8 weeks after therapy. The total amount of collagen and elastic fibers were measured using the computer vision method, and epidermal thickness and the number of blood vessels were analyzed using ImageJ. The clinical improvements were evaluated by blinded evaluators and the patients using investigator global assessment (IGA) and patient global assessment (PGA), respectively. Data regarding the number of purpuric lesions and the size of the largest lesion were collected via a telephone survey.

Results

The total amount of collagen and elastic fibers, and mean epidermal thickness tended to improve after RF treatments, although they did not reach statistical significance. The locally estimated scatterplot smoothing curve showed decreasing tendency in both size and number of purpuras as weeks progressed. PGA showed very satisfied in 65% of patients and IGA showed 39% near‐total improvement and 43% marked improvement. There were no serious adverse events.

Conclusions

Microneedle RF therapy induces remodeling of dermal circumstances with minimal epidermal impairment. It may be a promising therapeutic option for SP.
Fat infiltration into dermal layer induces aged facial appearance by decreasing dermal elasticity
Authors: Ezure Tomonobu , Amano Satoshi , Matsuzaki Kyoichi
Published: October 2022

Background

Facial morphology changes with aging, producing an aged appearance, but the mechanisms involved are not fully established. We recently showed that subcutaneous fat infiltrates into the dermal layer with aging, but it is not yet clear whether and how this drastic change of the dermal layer influences facial appearance.

Purpose

We aimed to establish the role of fat infiltration in producing an aged facial appearance and to clarify the mechanism involved.

Methods

We analyzed the severity of fat infiltration in cheek skin of 30 middle‐aged female volunteers by means of ultrasonography. Severity of the nasolabial fold, an established age‐related morphology, was evaluated based on our photographic grading criteria as a measure of aged appearance. Skin elasticity was measured with a Cutometer.

Results

Fat infiltration to the dermal layer was detected at the cheek skin noninvasively by means of ultrasonography. Fat infiltration severity, measured as the minimum depth of the fat inside the dermal layer from the skin surface, was positively correlated with the magnitude of the nasolabial fold. Further, fat infiltration severity was significantly negatively correlated with dermal elasticity.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that fat infiltration into the dermal layer is a critical factor inducing aged appearance of the face. The infiltrated fat decreases the dermal elasticity, which exacerbates nasolabial folds, namely producing an aged facial appearance.
Recent Research Trends in Arabic-Oriented Radio and TV Channels: An Analytical Review
Authors: Attia Bassant M.
Published: October 2022

The current study investigated the most significant scientific research conducted in this field in both Arabic and English to provide an integrated view of contemporary research trends in Arabic radio/channels and to identify the findings of prior studies. In Arabic, between 2013 to 2021, the researcher conducted a second-level qualitative analysis process on several research papers and studies, totaling 88 research papers.Compared to oriented channels, the analysis of radio-targeted discourse has been the subject of a relatively small number of studies, and even in the most recent studies, the radio-targeted discourse has been regarded as a historical narrative. Youth represented the most significant percentage of the target audience for research-oriented radios and channels, followed by adolescents. Despite an increase in the Arab school's contributions to the research of oriented radios and channels and its desire to identify the image of Arab countries' issues and crises in Western media, no studies were conducted. Future studies should focus on examining how to present a correct media image or correct the false image that has been presented.
Direct Detection of Alpha Particles with Solid-State Electronics
Authors: Bakhoum Ezzat G. , Cheng Marvin H. M.
Published: October 2022

Alpha-particle sources are widely used in industrial and medical applications. Such applications include smoke detectors, static charge eliminators, and radiation therapy. This paper is concerned with the detection of alpha particles. A number of techniques are known for the detection of alpha particles. Those techniques include the Geiger–Müller tube, the ZnS scintillator, the air-filled ionization chamber, and the spark chamber. All the techniques that are currently known are based on the interaction of the ionizing radiation with matter. Charged particles, such as alpha particles, upon entering a medium (such as air), encounter many collisions with bound electrons and lose kinetic energy in the process. The atoms of the medium also become ionized, and a large number of free electrons are released inside the medium. The theory describing the interaction of ionizing radiation with matter is well known and includes formulas such as the Bethe-Bloch formula for the stopping power of matter and formulas for calculating the range of the ionizing radiation in matter. Essentially, all the known techniques for the detection of alpha particles are based on detecting the presence of free electrons inside the medium. This paper presents a new technique for the detection of alpha particles that does not depend on the theory of the interaction of alpha particles with matter. Instead, the technique is based on the direct detection of the positive charge that is carried by the alpha particles. Furthermore, it is the objective of this paper to demonstrate that the direct detection of the charge carried by alpha particles can be done with a tiny and inexpensive component: a metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET).
Geometry and the Cause of the Seasons: The Changing Hours of Daylight and
Elevation Angle of the Sun at Noon
Authors: Greenwood Margaret Stautberg
Published: October 2022

From my home on the west bank of the Columbia River in Richland, Washington (46.3°N latitude), I have an unobstructed view of the sunrise along the east bank during an entire year. As a retirement project after a career of teaching and research in physics, I decided to take photographs of the sunrise for a year and, and at the same time, carry out calculations to determine 1) the hours of daylight on a given day and 2) the elevation angle of the Sun at noon. My goal is to use geometrical diagrams along with a simplified model so that results are very easy to understand. In this model, the spherical Earth revolves around the Sun in a circular orbit, and the parallel sunbeam striking Earth is directed along a line connecting their centers. However, Earth’s axis of rotation maintains the same direction throughout its motion around the Sun, which causes the seasons and the variations that we observe.
A Color-Mixing Setup for a Physics Teaching Laboratory
Authors: Dai Rucheng , Wang Zhongping , Zhang Zengming , Sun Lazhen
Published: October 2022

In this paper, an experimental setup composed of a color-mixing device, power supply, and spectrometer is developed. This setup is available for students to do hands-on color mixing with red, green, and blue light in undergraduate labs. LED volt-ampere and spectrum characteristics are investigated. The apparatus was used to perform additive color mixing, and visual colorimetric parameters such as color coordinates, dominant wavelength, and color purity were obtained. This will help students understand the physics of LEDs and chromaticity. In addition, this experiment is useful in introducing topics such as the CIE chromaticity diagram and human perception of colors.
The 3D-Printed Twirly Whirly: A New Spin on a Toy for Teaching Moment of Inertia
Authors: Perry Spencer
Published: October 2022

The use of toys as teaching aids in physics classrooms has a rich history, and the role of play in science education is a well-established line of research. Much of what has been written on the topic has included discussions of specific toys and the implications of using those toys to teach physics. One of the toys from my childhood that seems to be absent from discussions in this journal is what I call a “twirly whirly,” though I have also heard it referred to using the names “button flywheel,” “buzz toy,” and “whirligig.” In this paper, I will discuss the development of a 3D-printed twirly whirly, its use in an inquiry activity to introduce moment of inertia, and a few ideas for extending the activity into more robust physics investigations.
Storytelling and Sensemaking Physics from Newspapers
Authors: Bahng E. J. , Hauptman John Michael
Published: October 2022

Surprisingly, newspapers contain wide-ranging physics topics available for narrative-style teaching in the classroom. Topics of newspaper articles we have covered over the years include physicists (obituaries of Hans Bethe, etc.), art or music that involve physics (color and standing waves), forensics (auto accidents and art forgeries), archeology (dating and satellite imaging), human folly (accidents), public policy (nuclear weapons, tasers, and earthquake prediction), and random events (statistics).
Using a Mobile Phone to Demonstrate Thermal Properties of
Materials
Authors: Zhdanov Arsenii , Pyayt Anna
Published: October 2022

Mobile phones are a widely used platform for educational apps, mobile health, and a variety of chemical tests. Here, we are working on a mobile phone-based physics lab (mPhysics) that uses a mobile phone’s capabilities to run simple physics experiments and demonstrations. While a mobile phone can be used to analyze magnetic and optical properties of materials using built-in sensors, thermal analysis has never been incorporated into a mobile phone. Here, we propose to integrate thermochromic sensing with the image processing conducted on a mobile phone for in-class or in-lab demonstration of thermal properties of materials. We make inexpensive and nontoxic materials based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mixed with a thermochromic pigment that changes color from blue to white when heated. This material can be used to visualize such phenomena as change of temperature, thermal conductivity, and heat capacity. Then, the smartphone camera and a custom app can be used to track local color changes and translate them into different thermal properties. We propose to use this approach for experimental education of high school and undergraduate students.
Electrical Stimulation of Distal Tibial Nerve During Stance Phase of Walking May Reverse Effects of Unilateral Paw Pad Anesthesia in the Cat
Authors: Park Hangue , Klishko Alexander N. , Oh Kyunggeune , Zhang Celina , Grenga Gina , Herrin Kinsey R. , Dalton John F. , Kistenberg Robert S. , Lemay Michel A. , Pitkin Mark , DeWeerth Stephen P. , Prilutsky Boris I.
Published: October 2022

Cutaneous feedback from feet is involved in regulation of muscle activity during locomotion, and the lack of this feedback results in motor deficits. We tested the hypothesis that locomotor changes caused by local unilateral anesthesia of paw pads in the cat could be reduced/reversed by electrical stimulation of cutaneous and proprioceptive afferents in the distal tibial nerve during stance. Several split-belt conditions were investigated in four adult female cats. In addition, we investigated the effects of similar distal tibial nerve stimulation on overground walking of one male cat that had a transtibial, bone-anchored prosthesis for 29 months and, thus, had no cutaneous/proprioceptive feedback from the foot. In all treadmill conditions, cats walked with intact cutaneous feedback (control), with right fore- and hindpaw pads anesthetized by lidocaine injections, and with a combination of anesthesia and electrical stimulation of the ipsilateral distal tibial nerve during the stance phase at 1.2× threshold of afferent activation. Electrical stimulation of the distal tibial nerve during the stance phase of walking with anesthetized ipsilateral paw pads reversed or significantly reduced the effects of paw pad anesthesia on several kinematic variables, including lateral center of mass shift, cycle and swing durations, and duty factor. We also found that stimulation of the residual distal tibial nerve in the prosthetic hindlimb often had different effects on kinematics compared with stimulation of the intact hindlimb with paw anesthetized. We suggest that stimulation of cutaneous and proprioceptive afferents in the distal tibial nerve provides functionally meaningful motion-dependent sensory feedback, and stimulation responses depend on limb conditions.
Dephospho-Coenzyme A Kinase Is an Exploitable Drug Target against Plasmodium falciparum: Identification of Selective Inhibitors by High-Throughput Screening of a Large Chemical Compound Library
Authors: Nurkanto Arif , Imamura Riyo , Rahmawati Yulia , Prabandari Erwahyuni Endang , Waluyo Danang , Annoura Takeshi , Yamamoto Kazuki , Sekijima Masakazu , Nishimura Yuki , Okabe Takayoshi , Shiba Tomoo , Shibata Norio , Kojima Hirotatsu , Duffy James , Nozaki Tomoyoshi
Published: October 2022

Malaria is a mosquito-borne fatal infectious disease that affects humans and is caused by
Plasmodium
parasites, primarily
Plasmodium falciparum
. Widespread drug resistance compels us to discover novel compounds and alternative drug discovery targets.
The Proteomic and Transcriptomic Landscapes Altered by Rgg2/3 Activity in Streptococcus pyogenes
Authors: Rued Britta E. , Anderson Caleb M. , Federle Michael J.
Published: October 2022

Streptococcus pyogenes
causes several important human diseases. This study evaluates how the induction or disruption of a cell-cell communication system alters
S. pyogenes
’s gene expression and, in extreme conditions, its physiology.
Function and Structure of FlaK, a Master Regulator of the Polar Flagellar Genes in Marine
Vibrio
Authors: Homma Michio , Kobayakawa Tomoya , Hao Yuxi , Nishikino Tatsuro , Kojima Seiji
Published: October 2022

FlaK is an NtrC-type activator of the AAA+ ATPase subfamily of σ
54
-dependent promoters of flagellar genes. FlhG, a MinD-like ATPase, negatively regulates the polar flagellar number by collaborating with FlhF, an FtsY-like GTPase.
Where Have All the Diagnostic Morphological Parasitologists Gone?
Authors: Bradbury Richard S. , Sapp Sarah G. H. , Potters Idzi , Mathison Blaine A. , Frean John , Mewara Abhishek , Sheorey Harsha , Tamarozzi Francesca , Couturier Marc Roger , Chiodini Peter , Pritt Bobbi
Published: October 2022

Advances in laboratory techniques have revolutionized parasitology diagnostics over the past several decades. Widespread implementation of rapid antigen detection tests has greatly expanded access to tests for global parasitic threats such as malaria, while next-generation amplification and sequencing methods allow for sensitive and specific detection of human and animal parasites in complex specimen matrices.
Optimized Method for Bacterial Nucleic Acid Extraction from Positive Blood Culture Broth for Whole-Genome Sequencing, Resistance Phenotype Prediction, and Downstream Molecular Applications
Authors: Bauer Michelle J. , Peri Anna Maria , Lüftinger Lukas , Beisken Stephan , Bergh Haakon , Forde Brian M. , Buckley Cameron , Cuddihy Thom , Tan Patrice , Paterson David L. , Whiley David M. , Harris Patrick N. A.
Published: October 2022

The application of direct metagenomic sequencing from positive blood culture broth may solve the challenges of sequencing from low-bacterial-load blood samples in patients with sepsis. Forty prospectively collected blood culture broth samples growing Gram-negative bacteria were extracted using commercially available kits to achieve high-quality DNA.
Generation of Recombinant Rotaviruses Expressing Human Norovirus Capsid Proteins
Authors: Philip Asha A. , Patton John T.
Published: October 2022

Rotavirus (RV) and norovirus (NoV) are the two most important causes of acute viral gastroenteritis (AGE) in infants and young children. While the incidence of RV AGE has been brought under control in many countries through the introduction of universal mass vaccination with live attenuated RV vaccines, similar highly effective NoV vaccines are not available.
Ataxia Telangiectasia-Mutated Is Activated but Not Required for Productive Autographa californica Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus Infection
Authors: Erickson Jared R. , Kalejta Robert F. , Friesen Paul D.
Published: October 2022

The DDR, while necessary for the maintenance and fidelity of the host genome, represents an important cellular response to viral infection. The prolific DNA baculoviruses activate and manipulate the invertebrate DDR by using mechanisms that positively impact virus multiplication, including virus DNA replication.
Establishment of a Cynomolgus Macaque Model of Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus Type 1 (HTLV-1) Infection by Direct Inoculation of Adult T-Cell Leukemia Patient-Derived Cell Lines for HTLV-1 Infection
Authors: Urano Emiko , Ueda Kayoko , Higuchi Mahoko , Furukawa Mugi , Okamura Tomotaka , Tanaka Yuetsu , Yasutomi Yasuhiro
Published: October 2022

HTLV-1 was discovered in the 1980s as the causative agent of adult T-cell leukemia and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis. However, the precise mechanisms leading to HTLV-1 chronic infection and the onset of the diseases still remain unidentified.
Draft Genome Sequence of “
Candidatus
Nardonella dryophthoridicola” Strain NARMHE1, Endosymbiont of Metamasius hemipterus (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Dryophthorinae)
Authors: Palmieri Luciano , Pavarini Ronaldo , Sharma Prashant P.
Published: October 2022

Here, we report the draft genome and annotation of “
Candidatus
Nardonella dryophthoridicola” strain NARMHE1, obtained via Oxford Nanopore sequencing of the ovaries of its host, the weevil
Metamasius hemipterus
, from a population from southeast Brazil.