bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How personnel allocation affects performance: Evidence from Brazil's federal protected areas agency
Authors: Greenstein Gus
Published: August 2023

Many government agencies operate with fewer personnel than they need to perform effectively. Yet little research has explored how agencies might allocate their personnel so as to maximize performance with the personnel they have. I address this gap through a study of Brazil's federal protected areas agency, which manages the world's third largest system of conservation areas. Based on 66 interviews and econometric analyses covering 322 administrative units, I find that three moderators influence the relationship between sub‐unit size and performance: the size of a sub‐unit's jurisdiction, a sub‐unit's likelihood of near‐term failure, and the strength of a sub‐unit's ties with local stakeholders. Personnel re‐allocation strategies informed by these factors may have reduced deforestation on the order of 26% over the agency's first decade. This study contributes a framework for analyzing the efficacy of personnel allocation strategies, with implications for management of one of the world's greatest natural assets.
Fascial plane blocks in children—Scientifically supported or not?
Authors: Lönnqvist Per‐Arne
Published: August 2023

Since the introduction of Fascial Plane Blocks in 2007 there has been an enormous interest and application of Fascial Plane Blocks, evidenced by substantially more than 1000 PubMed items. Despite this gigantic number of publications, also including randomized controlled trials and meta‐analyses in children, there is still no clear‐cut insight into how much of the purported effect is in fact due to the blockade of nerve structures and how much is merely adding the well‐known analgesic and anti‐inflammatory effects of the plasma levels of local anesthetics that are achieved with these techniques. Furthermore, Fascial Plane Blocks appear useful only if compared to conventional multi‐modal analgesia (no block or placebo) and Fascial Plane Blocks lack the potency to provide surgical anesthesia on their own and appear only to be of value when used for minor‐moderate surgery. Despite the huge literature, there has so far not emerged any clinical situations where Fascial Plane Blocks have definitively been shown to be the block of choice, being decisively more effective than other established regional blocks. Lastly, Fascial Plane Blocks may appear as virtually free of complications, but case reports are emerging that point to a real risk for causing local anesthetic systemic toxicity when using Fascial Plane Blocks. This text aims to synthesize the current knowledge base regarding the Fascial Plane Blocks that are relevant to use in the pediatric context. In summary, there does currently not exist any convincing scientific evidence for the continued support for the use of Fascial Plane Blocks in children, except for the rectus sheath block and possibly also the transmuscular quadratus lumborum block.
Freedom, foreknowledge, and betting
Authors: Seymour Amy
Published: August 2023

Certain kinds of prediction, foreknowledge, and future‐oriented action appear to require settled future truths. But open futurists think that the future is metaphysically unsettled: if it is open whetherpis true, then it cannot currently be settled thatpis true. So, open futurists—and libertarians who adopt the position—face the objection that their view makes rational action and deliberation impossible. I defuse the epistemic concern: open futurism does not entail obviously counterintuitive epistemic consequences or prevent rational action.
Phenotyping and metabolome analysis reveal the role of AdoMetDC and Di19 genes in determining acquired tolerance to drought in rice
Authors: Sankarapillai Lekshmy V. , Vijayaraghavareddy Preethi , Nanaiah Karthik , Arpitha Gajamaranahally D. , Chaitanya Purushothama M. , Sathishraj Rajendran , Shindhe Dhananjay , Vemanna Ramu S. , Yin Xinyou , Struik Paul C. , Sreeman Sheshshayee
Published: August 2023

Water‐saving attempts for rice cultivation often reduce yields. Maintaining productivity under drought is possible when rice genotypes are bred with improved metabolism and spikelet fertility. Although attempts have been made to introgress water mining and water use efficiency traits, combining acquired tolerance traits (ATTs), that is, specific traits induced or upregulated to better tolerate severe stress, appears equally important. In our study, we screened 90 rice germplasm accessions that represented the molecular and phenotypic variations of 851 lines of the 3 K rice panel. Utilising phenomics, we identified markers linked to ATTs through association analysis of over 0.2 million SNPs derived from whole‐genome sequences. Propensity to respond to ‘induction’ stress varied significantly among genotypes, reflecting differences in cellular protection against oxidative stress. Among the ATTs, the hydroxyl radical and proline contents exhibited the highest variability. Furthermore, these significant variations in ATTs were strongly correlated with spikelet fertility. The 43 significant markers associated with ATTs were further validated using a different subset of contrasting genotypes. Gene expression studies and metabolomic profiling of two well‐known contrasting genotypes, APO (tolerant) and IR64 (sensitive), identified two ATT genes: AdoMetDC and Di19. Our study highlights the relevance of polyamine biosynthesis in modulating ATTs in rice. Genotypes with superior ATTs and the associated markers can be effectively employed in breeding rice varieties with sustained spikelet fertility and grain yield under drought.
Cysteine proteases are activated in sensitive Amaranthus palmeri populations upon treatment with herbicides inhibiting amino acid biosynthesis
Authors: Barco‐Antoñanzas Maria , Font‐Farre Maria , Eceiza Mikel V. , Gil‐Monreal Miriam , van der Hoorn Renier A. L. , Royuela Mercedes , Zabalza Ana
Published: August 2023

The herbicides glyphosate and pyrithiobac inhibit the enzyme 5‐enolpyruvylshikimate‐3‐phosphate synthase (EPSPS) in the aromatic amino acid biosynthetic pathway and acetolactate synthase (ALS) in the branched‐chain amino acid biosynthetic pathway, respectively. Here we characterise the protease activity profiles of a sensitive (S), a glyphosate‐resistant (GR) and a multiple‐resistant (MR) population of Amaranthus palmeri in response to glyphosate and pyrithiobac. Amino acid accumulation and cysteine protease activities were induced with both herbicides in the S population and with pyrithiobac in the GR population, suggesting that the increase in cysteine proteases is responsible for the increased degradation of the available proteins and the observed increase in free amino acids. Herbicides did not induce any changes in the proteolytic activities in the populations with target‐site resistance, indicating that this effect was only induced in sensitive plants.
Presidential particularism, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and the Biden administration
Authors: Ha Heonuk
Published: August 2023

Federal spending has been a strong governing instrument for the president and governing party, who have pursued their political and electoral benefits by strategically allocating federal grants, procurements, and loans to subnational governments. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), in which the federal government issued almost $1 trillion in loans over three rounds between April 2020 and May 2021 to support small businesses' operations in response to the COVID‐19 crisis, was no different. I build on previous research in distributive politics by examining the third round of PPP loans, in which $277 billion was allocated in the first months of the Biden administration. I find significant evidence of presidential particularism, as the Biden administration issued a large amount of PPP lending to Pro‐Biden and core Democratic counties as well as to congressional districts with copartisan (Democratic) house members. Furthermore, the magnitude of these presidential particularism findings immediately following the presidential election year is considerably larger compared to previous studies.
Impact of the corpus luteum and follicular parameters on the levels of plasma progesterone and the prediction of pregnancy in Holstein dairy cows
Authors: Sharawy Heba A. , Hegab AbdelRaouf O. , Elmetwally Mohammed A.
Published: August 2023

The objective of this study was to investigate the reliability of corpus luteum and dominant follicles, imaging parameters on the plasma progesterone, and prediction of pregnancy in cows. In total, 48 cows were used in this study and underwent Ovsynch program. Ultrasound imaging of the ovaries was done at the time of PG shots. Corpus luteum diameter (CL_d), area (CL_area), volume (CL_vol), and pixels (CL_PXL), as well as dominant follicle diameter (F_d) and area (F_area), were estimated using the ImageJ program. Blood samples were taken to assess progesterone (P4) concentrations. Pregnancy status was determined at 32 ± 3 days after insemination using an ultrasound “Sonoscape‐5 V.” Data were analysed using correlation analysis and ROC curves. Plasma P4 concentration showed positive correlation with CL_d (r = .68, p < .01), CL_area (r = .45, p < .01), CL_volume (r = .41, p < .01), and CL_pixels (r = .67, p < .01). The ROC curve indicated that P4 concentrations and CL parameters, especially the CL_pixels, were the best predictors of the pregnancy, among the others that were able to detect pregnancy at the time of PG with the best P4 and CL_pixels cut‐off value (4.1 ng/mL and 43.18) and AUC was (0.95 and 0.89); resp. (p < .001). Regarding the other parameters, it was possible to set AUC 0.79, 0.79, and 0.68 for CL_d, area, and volume with a sensitivity of 66.7%, 70.8%, and 66.7% and a specificity of 88.2%, 82.4%, and 70.4% (p < .01), respectively. The AUC for both the follicular diameter and F_area was (0.56) with a sensitivity of 58.33% and 70.8% and a specificity of 62.5% and 50% (p > .05), respectively. In conclusion, CL measurements and progesterone concentrations had the greatest pregnancy prediction in Holstein dairy cows.
Mammary gland inflammation in rabbits does (Oryctolagus cuniculus): A systematic review
Authors: Vasiu Iosif , Wochnik Marco , Dąbrowski Roman
Published: August 2023

Mastitis is a common condition in rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) does, especially in rabbitries where mammae inflammations are the leading pathological expression of Staphylococcus aureus infections in reproductive females. It affects both the litter and the lactating female, including subsequent lactations. Non‐septic (i.e. galactostasis and cystic mastitis) and septic (i.e. Mastitis acuta; including Mastitis gangrenosa; and Mastitis chronica) mammary inflammations are acknowledged; however, the literature is scarce regarding non‐septic inflammations or subclinical mastitis. Thus, the present systematic review highlights and summarizes the existing data concerning mastitis in rabbit does, including diagnosis and treatment plans.
Risk factors associated with adolescent suicidality before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Zhu Allison Y. , Crawford Michael H.
Published: August 2023

Objective

To evaluate the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on youth suicidal behaviors.

Method

This study examined two national surveys of high school students, the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) and the 2021 Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey (ABES).

Results

The YRBS 2019 had 13,677 entries: 18.6% (17.5–19.8) (weighted percentage and 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) of youth had suicidal ideation (SI) and 8.9% (7.9–10.0) had at least one suicide attempt (SA). The ABES 2021 had 7705 entries: 19.9% (18.0–22.0) of youth had SI and 9.0% (7.7–10.5) had SA. In ABES 2021, both the percentage of youth with SI or SA was highest at age 14, at 21.8% (16.9–27.8) and 10.0% (6.6–14.8), respectively. The top factors associated with both SI and SA were parental abuse, sexual violence, illicit drug use, misuse of prescription pain medicine, and being bullied electronically. Screen time ≥3 h per day (not including schoolwork) was associated with a lower risk of SA (odds ratio [OR] 0.553, 95% CI: 0.382–0.799), but not SI (OR 1.011, 0.760–1.344).

Conclusions

Earlier onset of adolescent suicidality, at age 14, was noted during the pandemic. The association of higher non‐school work‐related screen time with lower SA is unexpected and warrants validation.
Two Paleoproterozoic tectono‐thermal events in the Central Orogenic belt, North China craton, determined from EPMA Th–U–Pb monazite geochronology of the Zanhuang massif
Authors: Wang Junpeng , Jiao Yunzhe , Jiang Kang , Kusky Timothy , Wang Lu , Deng Hao
Published: August 2023

Tectono‐thermal records older than ca. 1.8 Ga in the North China craton have been poorly resolved given that they have been strongly overprinted by younger events, despite being key to understanding the tectonic evolution of the craton. We report results of monazite Th–U–Pb isochron geochronology via electron probe microanalysis on the Zanhuang massif in the North China craton, to determine its detailed Precambrian tectono‐thermal history. Results suggest that the ca. 2.1 Ga tectono‐thermal event can be divided into distinct ca. 2.17 Ga and ca. 2.10 Ga stages, reflecting metamorphism related to retroarc regional extension of the North China craton. Similarly, the previously established ca. 1.8 Ga metamorphic event can be divided into distinct ca. 1.88 Ga and ca. 1.79 Ma stages. Through a detailed summary and comparison, we interpret that the ca. 1.88 Ga monazite age reflects the timing of peak metamorphism, which was followed by ca. 1.79 Ga retrogression.
Social media insights on public perception and sentiment during and after disasters: The European floods in 2021 as a case study
Authors: Li Weilian , Haunert Jan‐Henrik , Knechtel Julius , Zhu Jun , Zhu Qing , Dehbi Youness
Published: August 2023

Detecting and collecting public opinion via social media can provide near real‐time information to decision‐makers, which plays a vital role in urban disaster management and sustainable development. However, there has been little work focusing on identifying the perception and the sentiment polarity expressed by users during and after disasters, particularly regional flood events. In this article, we comprehensively analyze tweets data related to the “European floods in 2021” over time, topic, and sentiment, forming a complete workflow from data processing, topic modeling, sentiment analysis, and topic and sentiment prediction. The aim is to address the following research questions: (1) What are the public perception and main concerns during and after floods? (2) How does the public sentiment change during and after floods? Results indicate that there is a significant correlation between a flood's trend and the heat of corresponding tweets. The three topics that receive the most public concern are: (1) climate change and global warming; (2) praying for the victims: and (3) disaster situations and information. Negative sentiments are predominant during the floods and will continue for some time. We tested five different classifiers, of which TextCNN‐attention turned out to deliver the best predictions in topic and sentiment prediction, and performed well for sparse flood tweets, it can be used to predict the topic and sentiment polarity of a single tweet in real‐time during the flood events. Our findings can help disaster agencies to better understand the dynamics of social networks and develop stronger situational awareness towards a disaster, which can contribute to scientifically justified decision‐making in urban risk management and also meet the challenges associated with the global sustainable development goal 11 (SDGs) on Sustainable Cities and Communities.
Clinical findings, surgical techniques, prognostic factors for short‐term survival and long‐term outcome in horses with acquired inguinal hernias: Ninety‐eight cases (2005–2020)
Authors: François Isé , Lepage Olivier M. , Schramme Michael C. , Salciccia Alexandra , Detilleux Johann , Grulke Sigrid
Published: August 2023

Objective

To report findings, outcome and determine variables associated with survival in horses with acquired inguinal hernia (AIH).

Study design

Retrospective study.

Animals

A total of 98 cases in 97 horses.

Methods

The medical records (2005–2020) of horses diagnosed with AIH were reviewed. Retrieved data included signalment, history, clinical variables, surgical aspects, postoperative complications, and short‐ and long‐term outcomes. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine factors associated with short‐term survival (p < .05).

Results

Manual reduction was attempted in a third of the cases (32/98, 33%) and emergency surgery to reduce the hernia was performed in 64 of 98 (65%) cases. Concurrent small intestinal (SI) volvulus was identified in 26 (26/98, 27%) cases. Castration was the most common technique used to prevent recurrence (64/94, 68%). Overall AIH recurrence rate was 11% (11/98). A total of 59 (59/98, 60%) cases survived to hospital discharge and 49 of 52 (94%) cases were still alive after 12 months. Cases admitted within 10 h of colic signs had increased odds of survival (72%) compared to those admitted after 10 h (26%; p < .001). Draft breeds (p = .021), high heart rate on admission (p = .001) and concurrent SI volvulus (p = .048) were associated with reduced survival to hospital discharge.

Conclusions

Horses with AIH had a higher risk of concurrent SI volvulus and lower survival than reported. Draft breeds, high heart rate on admission and concurrent SI volvulus were associated with reduced short‐term survival.

Clinical significance

The results of this study should help in prognostication for horses with AIH.
Electrochemical Performance of Co1-xMnxFe2O4 Decorated Nanofiber Polyaniline Composites
Authors: Mohammed Sura R. , Ismail Mukhlis M. , Ibrahim Isam M.
Published: August 2023

The current work is concerned with preparing cobalt manganese ferrite (Co1-xMnxFe2O4) with different concentrations of cobalt and manganese (x = 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6) and decorating it with polyaniline (PAni) for use in supercapacitive applications. The results of the X-ray diffraction (XRD) manifested a broad peak of PAni and a cubic structure of cobalt manganese ferrite having crystal size between 60 nm and 138 nm, which decreases with increasing concentration of Mn. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images evidenced that the PAni has nanofiber (NF) structures, according to the method of preparation, where the hydrothermal method was used. The magnetic properties of the prepared ferrite, as well as the prepared PAni/Co1-xMnxFe2O4 composites, were studied through the vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) analysis, where the magnetic hysteresis loops of ferrite elucidated a significant influence on the manganese content and the decorated PAni, through the decrease of both saturation magnetism (Ms) and remnant magnetism (Mr) in addition to the corrosive field (Hc). Increasing the content of manganese in the composites led to an improvement in the energy storage performance of the capacitors, which were tested in 1 M of H2SO4 by using the cyclic voltammetry analysis, galvanostatic charge–discharge (GCD), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Increasing the manganese content caused an increase in the specific capacity and a significant increase in the charging and discharging time; the highest capacitance is 556 F/g.
Characterization of Carbon Dioxide Hydrate Growth Kinetics in Carbon Micron Tube Oil–Water System
Authors: Lv Xiaofang , Ni XingYa , Zhao Yi , Liu Tianhui , Jing Shu , Bai Boyu , Liang Shangbin , Liu Yang , Ma Qianli , Wang Chuanshuo , Zhou Shidong
Published: August 2023

Carbon nanotubes have a significant impact on hydrate formation. However, the effect and mechanism of carbon micrometer tubes, which have a similar structure to carbon nanotubes, on the promotion of hydrate growth is not yet clear. Therefore, in this paper, experiments on the growth kinetics of CO2 hydrate in oil–water systems under the effect of multiwalled carbon microtubes (MWCMTs) were carried out. The effects of pressure, temperature, and oil–water ratio on the induction period and gas consumption of CO2 hydrate were investigated. It also revealed the hydrate growth promotion mechanism of MWCMTs. The conclusions were as follows: (1) MWCMTs could significantly improve the hydrate gas storage capacity in an oil–water system by up to 80.3% over the pure water system. (2) Pressure and temperature had a large effect on the storage capacity and induction time of CO2 hydrate, and the results showed that the induction time decreased significantly with increasing pressure and decreasing temperature. At the same time, the hydrate growth time was significantly shortened, but the gas storage capacity first increased and then decreased. One reason for this was that the hydrate film hindered gas–water mass transfer, and the other was that the gas dissolved by the oil droplets rapidly generated hydrates and could not continue to transfer gas molecules. (3) In the oil–water system, lipophilic MWCMTs carried adsorbed CO2 to contact water, at the same time providing a large number of hydrate nucleation sites to promote hydrate formation.
The Association Between Allostatic Load and Frailty Trajectories Among Adults Aged 50+ Years: Mediating Role of Physical Activity
Authors: Shi Kanglin , He Lingxiao , Zhang Zeyun , Lin Jianlin , Chen Xiaodong , Du Xinyuan , Shi Kewei , Yang Jinzhu , Shi Zaixing , Fang Ya
Published: August 2023

Objectives: To identify frailty trajectories and examine its association with allostatic load (AL) and mediating effect of physical activity (PA). Methods: This study included 8,082 adults from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging over Waves 4–9. AL was calculated by 14 biological indicators, and a 53-item frailty index was used to evaluate frailty. Frailty trajectories were classified by group-based trajectory modeling, and the mediated effect of PA was tested by causal mediation analysis. Results: Four frailty trajectories were identified: “Robustness” (n = 4,437, 54.9%), “Incident prefrailty” (n = 2,061, 25.5%), “Prefrailty to frailty” (n = 1,136, 14.1%), and “Frailty to severe frailty” (n = 448, 5.5%). High baseline AL was associated with increased odds of “Incident prefrailty,” “Prefrailty to frailty,” and “Frailty to severe frailty” trajectories. PA demonstrated significant mediated effects in aforementioned associations. Conclusions: AL is significantly associated with the onset and progression of frailty, and such associations are partially mediated by PA.
The Influence of Athletes’ Psychological Needs on Motivation, Burnout, and Well-Being: A Test of Self-Determination Theory
Authors: Shannon Stephen , Brick Noel , Prentice Garry , Breslin Gavin
Published: August 2023

Sport provides a significant role in the lives of athletes; however, both positive and negative mental health effects may occur from sporting experiences, including burnout and/or well-being. A cross-sectional survey was conducted including 685 athletes (Mage = 23.39, SD = 6.22, 71% = male), testing multiple, complementary, self-determination theory hypotheses linked to well-being, and burnout. A multistage modeling approach encompassing confirmatory factor and path analysis was utilized, with results showing significant variance explained for well-being (R2 = .30) and burnout (R2 = .35). Several direct effects were found in line with self-determination theory, including between; needs-support and needs-satisfaction (β = 0.48), and needs-control and needs-frustration (β = 0.44); needs-satisfaction and motivational orientation (β = 0.25); needs-satisfaction and well-being (β = 0.37), and needs frustration and burnout (β = 0.25); and motivational orientation and burnout (β = −0.27), and motivational orientation and well-being (β = 0.18). Indirect effects were found for well-being and burnout via coach needs-support, needs-satisfaction, and motivational orientation in sequence (β = 0.24 and β = −0.22, respectively), in addition to burnout via coach needs-control, needs frustration, and motivational orientation in sequence (β = −0.12). To conclude, coach-based, sporting mental health interventions that promote the utilization of needs-supportive behaviors, while also highlighting the need to minimize needs-controlling behaviors, are recommended for the prevention of burnout and the promotion of well-being in athletes.
Intracellular tPA–PAI-1 interaction determines VLDL assembly in hepatocytes
Authors: Dai Wen , Zhang Heng , Lund Hayley , Zhang Ziyu , Castleberry Mark , Rodriguez Maya , Kuriakose George , Gupta Sweta , Lewandowska Magdalena , Powers Hayley R. , Valmiki Swati , Zhu Jieqing , Shapiro Amy D. , Hussain M. Mahmood , López José A. , Sorci-Thomas Mary G. , Silverstein Roy L. , Ginsberg Henry N. , Sahoo Daisy , Tabas Ira , Zheng Ze
Published: August 2023

Apolipoprotein B (apoB)–lipoproteins initiate and promote atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Plasma tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) activity is negatively associated with atherogenic apoB-lipoprotein cholesterol levels in humans, but the mechanisms are unknown. We found that tPA, partially through the lysine-binding site on its Kringle 2 domain, binds to the N terminus of apoB, blocking the interaction between apoB and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) in hepatocytes, thereby reducing very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) assembly and plasma apoB-lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1) sequesters tPA away from apoB and increases VLDL assembly. Humans with PAI-1 deficiency have smaller VLDL particles and lower plasma levels of apoB-lipoprotein cholesterol. These results suggest a mechanism that fine-tunes VLDL assembly by intracellular interactions among tPA, PAI-1, and apoB in hepatocytes.
Biological hydrogen cyanide emission globally impacts the physiology of both HCN-emitting and HCN-perceiving
Pseudomonas
Authors: Anand Abhishek , Falquet Laurent , Abou-Mansour Eliane , L'Haridon Floriane , Keel Christoph , Weisskopf Laure
Published: August 2023

Bacterial volatile compounds have emerged as important chemical messengers between bacteria themselves as well as in their interactions with other organisms. One of the earliest examples of bioactive volatiles emitted by bacteria is hydrogen cyanide (HCN), which was long considered a mere respiratory toxin conferring competitive advantage to cyanide-producing strains. Using cyanide-deficient mutants in two
Pseudomonas
strains and global transcriptome analysis, we demonstrate that the impact of HCN is much more global than previously thought. We first observed that the lack of cyanogenesis (i.e., the ability to produce HCN) in emitting strains led to massive transcriptome reprogramming affecting diverse traits such as motility and biofilm formation (respectively inhibited vs promoted by HCN), or the production of siderophores, phenazines, and other antimicrobial compounds (repressed by HCN). We then exposed non-cyanogenic strains to biogenically emitted HCN from neighboring cells and observed similar transcriptome modulations and phenotypic changes, suggesting that HCN not only acts endogenously but also exogenously, remotely manipulating important traits involved in competition and virulence, e.g., siderophore production, in other organisms. Cyanogenesis in
Pseudomonas
has long been known to play a role in both the virulence of opportunistic pathogens and the efficient biocontrol activity of plant-beneficial strains; however, this impact was so far thought to occur solely through the inhibition of respiration. We demonstrate here new ecological roles for a small and fast-diffusing volatile compound, which opens novel avenues in our understanding of and ability to interfere with important processes taking place in pathogenic and beneficial
Pseudomonas
strains.

IMPORTANCE

Bacteria communicate by exchanging chemical signals, some of which are volatile and can remotely reach other organisms. HCN was one of the first volatiles discovered to severely impact exposed organisms by inhibiting their respiration. Using HCN-deficient mutants in two
Pseudomonas
strains, we demonstrate that HCN’s impact goes beyond the sole inhibition of respiration and affects both emitting and receiving bacteria in a global way, modulating their motility, biofilm formation, and production of antimicrobial compounds. Our data suggest that bacteria could use HCN not only to control their own cellular functions, but also to remotely influence the behavior of other bacteria sharing the same environment. Since HCN emission occurs in both clinically and environmentally relevant
Pseudomonas
, these findings are important to better understand or even modulate the expression of bacterial traits involved in both virulence of opportunistic pathogens and in biocontrol efficacy of plant-beneficial strains.
Complete genome sequence of a human bacteremia isolate of
Kalamiella piersonii
Authors: Howard Mondraya , Maki Joel J. , Connelly Sara , Hardy Dwight J. , Cameron Andrew
Published: August 2023

The complete genome of
Kalamiella piersonii
clinical isolate URMC-2103A041 from human bacteremia was determined using the hybrid assembly of short- and long-read sequencing chemistry. The genome contains a 3.93 Mb chromosome, three circular plasmids, and one linear plasmid.
Detrimental impact of the
Geobacter metallireducens
type VI secretion system on direct interspecies electron transfer
Authors: Smith Jessica A. , Holmes Dawn E. , Woodard Trevor L. , Li Yang , Liu Xinying , Wang Li-Ying , Meier David , Schwarz Ingrid A. , Lovley Derek R.
Published: August 2023

Direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) is important in anaerobic communities of environmental and practical significance. Other than the need for close physical contact for electrical connections, the interactions of DIET partners are poorly understood. Type VI secretion systems (T6SSs) typically kill competitive microbes. Surprisingly,
Geobacter metallireducens
highly expressed T6SS genes when DIET-based co-cultures were initiated with
Geobacter sulfurreducens
. T6SS gene expression was lower when the electron shuttle anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate was added to alleviate the need for interspecies contact. Disruption of
hcp
, the
G. metallireducens
gene for the main T6SS needle-tube protein subunit, and the most highly upregulated gene in DIET-grown cells eliminated the long lag periods required for the initiation of DIET. The mutation did not aid DIET in the presence of granular-activated carbon (GAC), consistent with the fact that DIET partners do not make physical contact when electrically connected through conductive materials. The
hcp
-deficient mutant also established DIET quicker with
Methanosarcina barkeri
. However, the mutant also reduced Fe(III) oxide faster than the wild-type strain, a phenotype not expected from the loss of the T6SS. Quantitative PCR revealed greater gene transcript abundance for key components of extracellular electron transfer in the
hcp
-deficient mutant versus the wild-type strain, potentially accounting for the faster Fe(III) oxide reduction and impact on DIET. The results highlight that interspecies interactions beyond electrical connections may influence DIET effectiveness. The unexpected increase in the expression of genes for extracellular electron transport components when
hcp
was deleted emphasizes the complexities in evaluating the electromicrobiology of highly adaptable
Geobacter
species.

IMPORTANCE

Direct interspecies electron transfer is an alternative to the much more intensively studied process of interspecies H
2
transfer as a mechanism for microbes to share electrons during the cooperative metabolism of energy sources. DIET is an important process in anaerobic soils and sediments generating methane, a significant greenhouse gas. Facilitating DIET can accelerate and stabilize the conversion of organic wastes to methane biofuel in anaerobic digesters. Therefore, a better understanding of the factors controlling how fast DIET partnerships are established is expected to lead to new strategies for promoting this bioenergy process. The finding that when co-cultured with
G. sulfurreducens, G. metallireducens
initially expressed a type VI secretion system, a behavior not conducive to interspecies cooperation, illustrates the complexity of establishing syntrophic relationships.
Myofascial acupuncture versus routine acupuncture for mechanical neck pain: a protocol for a multicentre randomised controlled trial
Authors: Qiu Xing-Hua , Yang Xing-Yue , Wang Yu-Yu , Tian Su-Ling , Yan Yan-Bin , Xu An-Ping , Fu Fei , Wen Feng-Yun , Yang Yang , Zhang Yang , Zhang Yu-Qin , Yang Zhi-Wen , Xu Chang , Sun Qian-Hui , Wu Xiao-Ling , Dai Xing-Ye , Li Na , Cheng Kai
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Mechanical neck pain (MNP) is defined as pain in the area of the neck and/or neck-shoulder provoked by body mechanics and which adversely affects physical, psychological and social function. The treatments for MNP are limited. Previous studies and clinical experience have indicated that myofascial acupuncture might be a better treatment option for MNP, but the efficacy is controversial. Therefore, our aim is to compare the efficacy of myofascial acupuncture and routine acupuncture for MNP.

Methods and analysis

The study is a multicentre, prospective randomised clinical trial. Patients will be recruited from four tertiary hospitals in China. A total of 438 participants with MNP will be randomly assigned into two groups, namely the ‘Sancai-Tianbu’ myofascial acupuncture group and the routine acupuncture group, at a ratio of 1:1. Each group will receive the acupuncture treatment twice a week for 21 days, totalling six sessions. The primary outcome will be the Visual Analogue Scale score. The secondary outcomes will be the Neck Disability Index, the cervical range of motion and the MOS 36-Item Short Form Health Survey. The assessments will be performed at baseline (immediately after allocation), pretreatment (5 min before every treatment), post-treatment (within 10 min after every treatment), postcourse (within 1 day after the course), and at 1, 3 and 6 months after the course. All patients will be included in the intent-to-treat analysis. Repeated-measure analysis of covariance will be used to determine the effects of the intervention on the outcome measures.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval was obtained from China Aerospace Science & Industry Corporation 731 Hospital, with permission number 2022-0204-01. Written informed consent will be obtained from the enrolled patients. Trial results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR2200061453.
Endoluminal radiofrequency ablation in patients with malignant biliary obstruction: a randomised trial
Authors: Jarosova Jana , Zarivnijova Lea , Cibulkova Ivana , Mares Jan , Macinga Peter , Hujova Alzbeta , Falt Premysl , Urban Ondrej , Hajer Jan , Spicak Julius , Hucl Tomas
Published: August 2023

Background

Endoluminal radiofrequency ablation (RFA) has been promoted as palliative treatment for patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) in order to improve biliary drainage and eventually prolong survival. No high level evidence is, however, available on this technique.

Design

In this randomised controlled study, we compared endoluminal RFA plus stenting with stenting alone (control group) in patients with malignant biliary obstruction; metal stents were primarily placed. Primary outcome was overall survival; secondary outcomes were stent patency, quality of life and adverse events. In a superiority design, survival was assumed to be doubled by RFA as compared with 6.4 months in the control group (n=280).

Results

A total of 161 patients (male:female 90:71, mean age 71±9 years) were randomised before recruitment was terminated for futility after an interim analysis. Eighty-five patients had CCA (73 hilar, 12 distal) and 76 had pancreatic cancer. There was no difference in survival in both subgroups: for patients with CCA, median survival was 10.5 months (95% CI 6.7 to 18.3) in the RFA group vs 10.6 months (95% CI 9.0 to 24.8), p=0.58)) in the control group. In the subgroup with pancreatic cancer, median survival was 6.4 months (95% CI 4.3 to 9.7) for the RFA vs 7.7 months (95% CI 5.6 to 11.3), p=0.73) for the control group. No benefit was seen in the RFA group with regard to stent patency (at 12 months 40% vs 36% in CCA and 66% vs 65% in PDAC), and quality of life was unchanged by either treatment and comparable between the groups. Adverse events occurred in seven patients in each groups.

Conclusion

A combination of endoluminal RFA and stenting was not superior to stenting alone in prolonging survival or improving stent patency in patients with malignant biliary obstruction.

Trial registration number

NCT03166436.
Procedural education for cancer-related pain in Pain Medicine fellowships: a national program survey
Authors: Woodrow Alex , Teramoto Masaru , Thapliyal Mrinal , Christiansen Sandy
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Cancer-related pain is ubiquitous. Targeted procedural interventions may be an important and underutilized method for improving cancer-related pain and quality of life. The goal of this study was to determine the baseline educational experience and perceived post-graduation comfort of Pain Medicine fellows in performing procedures that can be used for cancer-related pain.

Methods

Using Qualtrics, a 16-question survey was distributed to graduating fellows at accredited Pain Medicine Fellowship programs in the USA in June 2022. The fellows’ experience and comfort level performing eight procedures was analyzed using summary descriptive statistics and contingency table analysis with statistical significance determined by Pearson’s χ2test.

Results

Survey respondents represented 30% of fellows among 44% of Pain Medicine programs during the 2021–2022 academic year. The majority of respondents reported no experience performing 7 of the 8 procedures for cancer-related pain (56.1%–90.6%). Graduating fellows reported overall comfort performing sympathetic neurolysis (65.7%), spinal cord stimulator trials (85.7%) and implantations (66.0%), but not intrathecal pump trials (36.9%) and implantations (31.3%), peripheral nerve stimulator implantations (41.7%), vertebral augmentations (31.3%), and vertebral body radiofrequency ablations (16.7%).

Conclusions

Experience performing 10 or more of the surveyed procedures, personal interest in treating cancer-related pain, and attendance of cancer-related pain lectures were found to significantly increase comfortability in performing cancer-related pain procedures post graduation, whereas cadaver-based learning did not. This study highlights the need for more robust procedural education for cancer-related pain and identifies procedural experience in non-cancer patients and lectures on cancer-related pain as ways to bridge this educational gap.
Artificial water-level fluctuation modulates trophic niches of benthic fish assemblages in one of the world's largest reservoirs
Authors: Liao Chuansong , Wang Jiacheng , Correa Sandra Bibiana , Yu Jixin , Yang Rui , Yuan Jing , Li Wei , Ye Shaowen , Guo Chuanbo , Liu Jiashou
Published: August 2023

The impoundment of the Yangtze River and construction of the Three Gorges Dam and Reservoir created an unnatural flow regime with a 30 m water-level fluctuation and four artificial seasons that differ from the river's natural flow-regime timing. Using stable isotopes, we selected 15 common benthic fish species representing five trophic guilds to analyze seasonal variation in production sources, trophic niche width, and niche overlap. We hypothesized that, similarly to a natural flow regime, artificial hydrological seasons effectively influence fish trophic niches. We found consistency in seasonal shifts in the contribution of aquatic and terrestrial producers to fish biomass. δ13C and δ15N depicted seasonal changes in intra-guild trophic niche width and intra- and inter-guild niche overlap. Considering that the Three Gorges Reservoir's flow regime is artificially regulated, our findings suggest that water-level fluctuation is one of the key mechanisms driving such trophic shifts and allowing multiple species to coexist. Given the increased cascaded large reservoir construction and the concomitant creation of unnatural flow regimes in large rivers worldwide, these findings are timely. Our findings contribute to improving water-level management by optimizing rhythmicity while balancing flood control and fish protection.
Dilaton-induced open quantum dynamics
Authors: Käding Christian , Pitschmann Mario , Voith Caroline
Published: August 2023

In modern cosmology, scalar fields with screening mechanisms are often used as explanations for phenomena like dark energy or dark matter. Amongst a zoo of models, the environment dependent dilaton, screened by the Polyakov–Damour mechanism, is one of the least constrained ones. Using recently developed path integral tools for directly computing reduced density matrices, we study the open quantum dynamics of a probe, modelled by another real scalar field, induced by interactions with an environment comprising fluctuations of a dilaton. As the leading effect, we extract a correction to the probe’s unitary evolution, which can be observed as a frequency shift. Assuming the scalar probe to roughly approximate a cold atom in matter wave interferometry, we show that comparing the predicted frequency shifts in two experimentally distinct setups has the potential to exclude large parts of the dilaton parameter space.
Flow of shear response functions in hyperscaling violating Lifshitz theories
Authors: Chattopadhyay Arghya , M Nihal , Mukherjee Debangshu
Published: August 2023

We study the flow equations of the shear response functions for hyperscaling violating Lifshitz (hvLif) theories, with Lifshitz and hyperscaling violating exponents z and $$\theta $$
θ
. Adapting the membrane paradigm approach of analysing response functions as developed by Iqbal and Liu, we focus specifically on the shear gravitational modes which now are coupled to the perturbations of the background gauge field. Restricting to the zero momenta sector, we make further simplistic assumptions regarding the hydrodynamic expansion of the perturbations. Analysing the flow equations shows that the shear viscosity at leading order saturates the Kovtun–Son–Starinets (KSS) bound of $$\frac{1}{4\pi }$$

1

4
π

. When $$z=d_i-\theta $$

z
=

d
i

-
θ

, ($$d_i$$

d
i

being the number of spatial dimension in the dual field theory) the first-order correction to shear viscosity exhibits logarithmic scaling, signalling the emergence of a scale in the UV regime for this class of hvLif theories. We further show that the response function associated to the gauge field perturbations diverge near the boundary when $$z>d_i+2-\theta $$

z
>

d
i

+
2
-
θ

. This provides a holographic understanding of the origin of such a constraint and further vindicates results obtained in previous works that were obtained through near horizon and quasinormal mode analysis.
Non-Inclusive Diagnosability of Alternating Group Graphs
Authors: Zhuo Nengjin , Zhang Shumin , Ye Chengfu , Li Yalan
Published: August 2023

The diagnosability is very important in multiple-processor systems. Ding et al. proposed the non-inclusive diagnosability of systems in 2020. Compared to previous diagnosability, non-inclusive diagnosability requires all faulty sets to be non-inclusive. In this paper, we show the non-inclusive diagnosability of alternating group graphs under the PMC model and the MM* model for [Formula: see text].
A Novel Paradigm Defines Functional Molecule Clusters for an Anti-Alzheimer’s Disease Recipe from Traditional Chinese Medicine
Authors: Ji Peiyi , Xu Jianrong , Li Miaomiao , Song Chenghuan , Zhang Yongfang , Zhang Rui , Chen Hongzhuan , Wang Hao , Zhao Lanxue
Published: August 2023

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) prescriptions are organically composed of compatible herbs according to the TCM theory. The complex ingredients of TCM could act on multiple targets through various pathways simultaneously to exert pharmacological effects, making TCM an unrivaled gem in the medical world. However, due to a lack of comprehensive and standard study methods, the research of TCM products has been quite limited. A novel paradigm that could aid in the discovery of the material basis and fully clarify the mechanism of TCM prescriptions is urgently needed. In this study, a similarity analysis based on molecular fingerprints was adopted to explore the representative molecules of the Tiaoxin recipe, a Chinese patent formula approved by the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and 38 out of 1047 chemicals were finally screened out. Next, we tried to define a new concept of a “functional molecule cluster” for chemicals with similar pharmacological effects to elucidate how the chemical mixture from TCMs produce their therapeutic effects. Four anti-AD functional molecule clusters from the Tiaoxin recipe were identified: an anti-inflammatory cluster, an anti-ROS cluster, an anti-AChE activity cluster, and an anti-A[Formula: see text] aggregation cluster. Furthermore, the chemicals from the anti-inflammatory cluster and anti-ROS cluster were proved to display their multi-target and multi-pathway roles partially or mainly through molecules of the TLR4-MYD88-NF-[Formula: see text]B and Keap1-Nrf2-ARE pathways. The functional molecule clusters may be vital to the explanation of the efficacy of the Tiaoxin recipe, which could give us a more profound understanding of TCM prescriptions. Our paradigm may open a novel path for TCM research.
Neuro-computing for third-grade nanomaterial flow under impacts of activation energy and mixed convection along rotating disk
Authors: Shoaib Muhammad , Zubair Ghania , Nisar Kottakkaran Sooppy , Raja Muhammad Asif Zahoor , Naz Iqra , Morsy Ahmed
Published: August 2023

This paper examines the activation energy influence in third-grade nanoparticle flow model (TG-NPFM), which is nonlinear mixed convective flow over a spinning disk under the influence of heat sink/source as well as viscous dissipation by utilizing Bayesian Regulation Method with backpropagated Artificial Neural Networks (BRM-BPANN). Nonlinear thermal radiation is also involved in the considered flow dynamics to obtain the approximated numerical solutions. The nonlinear PDEs of TG-NPFM are then transformed into nonlinear ODEs by implementing the corresponding transformation. We solved these ODEs by Optimal Homotopy Analysis Method (OHAM) to explain the dataset used as a reference for BRM-BPANN for different scenarios of TG-NPFM. This reference dataset is then exported to MATLAB to compute the results. The outcomes of TG-NPFM are figured by adopting the procedures of testing, validation and training. Moreover, approximated solution is compared with standard solution and the efficacy examination of TG-NPFM is authenticated by the studies of MSE, error histogram and regression plots. These soft computation frameworks provide incentive to use an efficient and dependable alternative paradigm built on soft computing environments to solve problems by doing a descriptive analysis to mitigate the impacts of different physical features. It is a new implementation of intelligent computational system of artificial intelligence introduced by incorporating the solver BRM-BPANN for interpreting the TG-NPFM. The absolute error values lie between 10[Formula: see text] to 10[Formula: see text], 10[Formula: see text] to 10[Formula: see text], 10[Formula: see text] to 10[Formula: see text], 10[Formula: see text] to 10[Formula: see text], 10[Formula: see text] to 10[Formula: see text], 10[Formula: see text] to 10[Formula: see text], 10[Formula: see text] to 10[Formula: see text] and 10[Formula: see text] to 10[Formula: see text], which show the reliability and accuracy of the technique. The convergence and precision of the algorithm can easily be seen through the results of performance, training state and fitness plot, along with the regression value of [Formula: see text].