bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Submucosal Microbiome Profiles in Paired and Unpaired Samples From Healthy and Peri‐Implantitis Dental Implants
Authors: Tocarruncho Oscar Iván , Neuta Yineth , Lesmes Yamil , Castillo Diana Marcela , Leal Sandra , Chambrone Leandro , Lafaurie Gloria Inés
Published: January 2025

Background

This cross‐sectional study aimed to compare the composition of the submucosal microbiome of peri‐implantitis with paired and unpaired healthy implant samples.

Methods

We evaluated submucosal plaque samples obtained in 39 cases, including 13 cases of peri‐implantitis, 13 cases involving healthy implants from the same patient (paired samples), and 13 cases involving healthy implants from different individuals (unpaired samples). The patients were evaluated using next‐generation genomic sequencing (Illumina) based on 16S rRNA gene amplification. The sequences were grouped according to the amplicon sequence variant (ASV) to define the taxonomic categories. Alpha diversity was analyzed using Shannon's and Simpson's indices, while beta diversity was evaluated using principal coordinate analysis, analysis of similarities, and permutational multivariate variance analysis. Additionally, UniFrac distances were evaluated using Quantitative Insights into Microbial Ecology 2. Finally, we evaluated between‐group differences in the taxonomic components.

Results

There were no significant between‐group differences in alpha diversity. The average bacterial ratios of Filifactor alocis, Porphyromona endodontalis, Tannerella forsythia, Treponema denticola, Peptostreptococcaceae [Eubacterium nodatum], Desulfobulbus sp. HTM 041, and Mogibacterium timidum significantly differed between peri‐implantitis samples and unpaired samples from the healthy implants (p < 0.05). However, there were few differences in the microbiota between peri‐implantitis samples and those paired with healthy implants in the same patient.

Conclusions

Future studies comparing the microbiome compositions using sequencing techniques between healthy implants and implants with peri‐implantitis should focus on retrieving samples from the same patient, especially in individuals with a history of periodontitis.
Salivary Inflammatory Mediator Profiles in Periodontal and Peri‐Implant Health and Disease: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Authors: Titusson Carl , Jansson Leif , Modin Carolina , Lundmark Anna , Eriksson Kaja , Adler Lottie , Yucel‐Lindberg Tülay
Published: January 2025

Objective

This cross‐sectional study aimed to investigate the salivary profile of inflammatory mediators in individuals with periodontal and peri‐implant disease as compared to individuals with periodontal and peri‐implant health.

Materials and Methods

Saliva samples were collected from 155 participants (mean age 63.3 ± 11.4 years), comprising individuals with periodontal and peri‐implant health (N = 41), gingivitis and/or mucositis (N = 18), and periodontitis and/or peri‐implantitis (N = 96). Samples were analyzed using multiplex‐immunoassay panel consisting of inflammatory mediators in the tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interferon (IFN), interleukin (IL) superfamily, and matrix metalloproteinases.

Results

The levels of B‐cell activating factor (BAFF), sIL‐6Rβ, IFN‐β, and sIL‐6Rα, sTNFR1, and Pentraxin‐3 were significantly higher in patients with periodontitis and/or peri‐implantitis compared to healthy subjects. Furthermore, among the investigated inflammatory mediators, Pentraxin‐3 exhibited the highest diagnostic potential (AUC = 0.74) for distinguishing between subjects with periodontitis and/or peri‐implantitis and healthy individuals.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrated elevated salivary levels of BAFF, sIL‐6Rβ, IFN‐β, sIL‐6Rα, sTNF‐R1, and Pentraxin‐3 in individuals with periodontitis and/or peri‐implantitis in comparison to periodontal and peri‐implant healthy controls.
Fine‐Needle Aspiration Biopsy of Adrenal Gland Lesions: The Roles of Image Guidance, Rapid On‐Site Evaluation and Additional Tissue Sampling
Authors: Yu Sanhong , Dolezal Darin , Aslanian Harry R. , Cai Guoping
Published: January 2025

Objective

An accurate fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) diagnosis of adrenal lesions may be challenging. This study was to investigate roles of imaging guidance, rapid on‐site evaluation (ROSE) and additional tissue sampling in FNA diagnosis of adrenal lesions.

Methods

Adrenal FNA cases were retrieved from pathology archive. Patients' demographics, lesion size and location, imaging guidance methods, cytologic diagnoses and histopathologic diagnoses were reviewed and analysed.

Results

The study cohort included 72 cases of left (86%) and right (14%) adrenal lesions. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and computed tomography (CT) were used in 47 (65%) and 25 (35%) cases, respectively. Left adrenal lesions were sampled mostly by EUS‐FNA (73%), whereas right adrenal lesions by CT‐guided FNA (80%). There were no differences between the EUS‐FNA and CT‐FNA groups in terms of non‐diagnostic rate and cytologic diagnostic categories. The non‐diagnostic rate and cytologic diagnostic categories were the same between ROSE and non‐ROSE groups. In a subset of 18 cases with concurrent core tissue biopsy, a definite diagnosis was rendered in all biopsy cases including three cases with a non‐diagnostic or indeterminate cytology diagnosis.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates that FNA has great efficacy for evaluation of adrenal lesions, either via EUS or CT guidance. Incorporation of ROSE evaluation into FNA procedure does not directly affect the performance of FNA biopsy but may help direct additional tissue sampling to salvage the cases with a non‐diagnostic or indeterminate cytology diagnosis, increasing diagnostic yield.
Development of Electronic Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (e‐OSCEs) for Prosthodontic Clinical Assessment
Authors: Moghadam Marjan , Mucciolo Thomas W. , Jahangiri Leila
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) serve as a reliable assessment tool for clinical and competency evaluation. Traditional OSCEs, involving live patients, present logistical challenges and evoke student anxiety. In an effort to create a comprehensive clinical series of examinations, electronic OSCEs (e‐OSCEs) were developed for assessing clinical competencies in prosthodontics at a large dental school. This manuscript aims to describe e‐OSCEs as a competency assessment.

Methods

The e‐OSCEs were implemented for the graduating classes from 2014 to 2023, covering categories of Single‐unit Crowns and Fixed Partial Dentures, Implants, Removable Partial Dentures and Complete Dentures. A digital library of clinically relevant questions was developed to simulate chairside scenarios. Competence in any area was defined as scoring a 100% where questions were taken from a pool that represented the full scope of the clinical procedure.

Results

Ten‐year retrospective data indicate sustained student performance over the years, with the majority achieving competence after three e‐OSCE attempts.

Discussion

Advantages of the e‐OSCE include standardised assessments, reduced examiner bias and adaptability to external disruptions in addition to fair and relevant evaluations, cost‐effectiveness and test security. Evaluation of e‐OSCE outcomes allows ease of analysis for curriculum enhancement and modification.

Conclusion

The e‐OSCE method of clinical assessment offers a standardised, clinically equivalent and efficient process for assessing dental students' competencies. The assessment methodology aligns with US accreditation standards and can be easily adapted by other institutions with different grading parameters for comprehensive clinical assessments. This approach provides a feasible and effective method for assessments in dental education.
Retrospective analysis of 80 patients diagnosed with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area
Authors: Girfanova Maria , Martinez‐Majander Nicolas , Mannismäki Laura , Sibolt Gerli , Tiainen Marjaana , Curtze Sami
Published: January 2025

Background and purpose

Up to 80% of patients diagnosed with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) experience complications such as ischaemic stroke, intracerebral or subarachnoid haemorrhage or posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. The aim was to evaluate the incidence of complications in patients diagnosed with RCVS in our clinic.

Patients and methods

All adult patients (age >16 years) diagnosed with RCVS at the Helsinki University Central Hospital during the period between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2022 were retrospectively identified. Medical and follow‐up data were collected from medical records.

Results

Eighty patients diagnosed with RCVS were identified, of whom four patients had parenchymal lesions such as ischaemic stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage, posterior cerebral encephalopathy syndrome, subarachnoid haemorrhage or combinations thereof.

Conclusion

The complication rate of RCVS is lower than in previously published cohorts. This may be related to better and earlier diagnostics and earlier withdrawal of possible triggers.
Cross‐Country Inequalities in Disease Burden and Quality of Care of Stroke, 1990–2021: A Systematic Analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
Authors: Luo Zeyu , Jiang Denan , Shan Shiyi , Zhou Jiali , Sun Weidi , Wu Jing , Ying Jiayao , Zhou Liying , Zhu Yajie , Song Peige , Rahimi Kazem
Published: January 2025

Background and Purpose

This study aims to assess the disease burden and care quality along with cross‐country inequalities for stroke at global, regional, and national levels from 1990 to 2021.

Methods

Data on stroke were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study 2021 for the globe, five sociodemographic index (SDI) regions, 21 GBD regions, and 204 countries/territories. The disease burden was quantified using the age‐standardized disability‐adjusted life years rate (ASDR). Quality of care (QoC) was evaluated through the age‐standardized QoC index (QCI). To assess cross‐country disparities in both disease burden and age‐standardized QCI, the slope index of inequality (SII) and the concentration index were utilized.

Results

From 1990 to 2021, the global ASDR of stroke decreased from 3078.95 (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 2893.58, 3237.34) to 1886.20 (95% UI: 1738.99, 2017.90) per 100,000 population, while the age‐standardized QCI improved from 50.79 to 64.61. However, the results of inequalities showed worsening inequalities in both ASDR and QCI, with lower SDI countries shouldering a disproportionate burden and higher SDI countries maintaining higher QoC. The SII and concentration index for ASDR indicated a worsening inequality among lower SDI countries, with SII increasing to −2616.44 and the concentration index increasing to −0.1119 in 2021. Meanwhile, the SII and concentration index for age‐standardized QCI showed a worsening inequality among higher SDI countries, with SII of 27.48 and concentration index of 0.0922 in 2021.

Conclusions

Despite notable global advancements, significant disparities in stroke still exist, particularly in lower SDI regions facing high disease burdens and substandard care.
‘You Can't Muck Around With Transplant’: Young People's Experiences of Clinical Care Following Lung Transplant
Authors: Paraskeva Miranda , Gulline Hannah , West Simone , Walsh Louisa , Tarrant Ben , Hatzikiriakidis Kostas , Morris Heather , Ayton Darshini
Published: January 2025

Background

Lung transplantation improves survival and quality of life in young people with end‐stage lung disease. Few studies have investigated the clinical care experiences of young people after lung transplantation.

Design

This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of young people who underwent lung transplantation. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 16 lung transplant recipients (< 25 years at transplant). Interviews were analysed to identify themes and categorize and describe the experience of young lung transplant recipients.

Results

The themes that emerged were (1) Hope and spectre: The transplant dilemma; (2) Information delivery and comprehension; (3) Independence and navigating care; and (4) Continuity and youth‐appropriate care. Findings suggest that young people have distinct care needs that consider the many parallel life transitions that occur in addition to transplantation. They value consistent and familiar teams, which nurture autonomy and independence in the context of post‐transplant survivorship and highlight the importance of feeling that they can relate to the healthcare process.

Conclusion

The results highlight key areas where adolescent lung transplant recipients can be supported by clinicians, enabling the development of youth‐friendly services that cater to this group's healthcare and psychosocial needs.

Patient or Public Contribution

Sixteen lung transplant recipients participated in the study by completing a semi‐structured interview. Two additional lung transplant recipients who received lung transplants as adolescents and one parent of an adolescent lung transplant recipient participated in a Project Advisory Group (PAG) with six clinicians representing paediatric, adolescent, and adult healthcare experience. They provided advice on research design including the development and revision of the interview guide and recruitment methods. They additionally provided feedback on the preliminary findings and outline of the manuscript. A summary of results was presented to the PAG who in conjunction with the writing group developed a list of recommendations based on the themes identified and the tenets of youth‐appropriate care as set out by the World Health Organization. One lung transplant recipient was an author on the manuscript contributing to its writing and review before submission. The clinicians who participated in the PAG did not have direct healthcare relationships with the study participants.
Cooperative and plural breeding by the precocial Vulturine Guineafowl
Authors: Nyaguthii Brendah , Dehnen Tobit , Klarevas‐Irby James A. , Papageorgiou Danai , Kosgey Joseph , Farine Damien R.
Published: January 2025

Cooperative breeding in birds is thought to be more common in altricial species, with few described cases in precocial species. However, cooperative breeding may also be more difficult to detect in precocial species and could have been overlooked. We investigated whether precocial Vulturine Guineafowl Acryllium vulturinum breed cooperatively and, if so, how care is distributed among group members. We collected data from 51 uniquely marked individuals (27 males, 24 females), of which 13 females bred at least once over three different breeding seasons. We found that broods had close associates comprising both adults and subadults that exhibited four distinct cooperative breeding behaviours: babysitting, chick guarding, covering the chicks and calling the chicks to food. Further, we found that offspring care is significantly male‐biased, that non‐mother individuals provided most of the care that each brood received, that breeding females differed in how much help they received and that carers pay a foraging cost when providing care. In line with many other birds, we found that females received help from their sons. Our results confirm that Vulturine Guineafowl are cooperative and plural breeders and add to growing evidence that cooperative breeding may be more widespread among species with precocial young than previously thought, thereby providing a counterpoint to the altriciality–cooperative breeding hypothesis.
Green Skills in Logistics Vocational Education: A Comparative Study of Curriculum Integration in China and Germany
Authors: Pujun Chen
Published: January 2025

The logistics sector plays a pivotal role in driving economic growth while addressing environmental sustainability challenges. As the industry transitions towards greener practices, the integration of ‘green skills’ into logistics vocational education and training becomes crucial for equipping the workforce with the competencies needed for sustainable growth. This study explores the integration of green skills into logistics vocational curricula in China and Germany, aiming to gain the current state and challenges in greening the VET curricula for equipping logistics professionals to address the transition towards a green logistics. Using a qualitative curriculum analysis framework inspired by Sterling's model of educational responses to sustainability, this study examines national, regional and school‐level curricula to identify the embedded green skills and their integration approaches in both national contexts. The findings reveal both similarities and differences in green skills integration across the two countries. Both contexts exhibit a stronger emphasis on general green skills over logistics‐specific and cross‐sectoral green skills, reflecting a shared priority for transferable competencies. However, the Chinese curricula demonstrate a fragmented, bottom‐up approach with inconsistent alignment between national and school‐level curricula. In contrast, the German curricula adopt a more structured, top‐down integration strategy, yet inconsistencies at the school level hinder deeper systemic reform. This study concludes that although both countries exhibit evidence of green skills integration, the efforts predominantly remain at the stage of ‘cosmetic reform’. Greater efforts are needed to strengthen the role of VET in supporting the global green transition, with a particular emphasis on adopting systemic approaches from a transformative perspective to embed sustainability into logistics vocational education.
Did COVID‐19 Level the Playing Field or Entrench It? Comparing Patterns of Homeworking by Ethnicity, Gender and Migration Status, Before, During and After COVID‐19 in the UK
Authors: Chung Heejung , Yuan Shiyu
Published: January 2025

This study examines how the pandemic changed the ethnicity gaps in working‐from‐home practices in the UK. We do this by examining seven waves of the UK Labour Force Survey from 2017 to 2023, divided into three time periods—pre‐pandemic, during‐lockdown and post‐lockdown. The results show that although the gap found between White and BME workers in the pre‐pandemic period disappears as we move into the post‐lockdown period, there are large differences between different ethnicities, especially when we intersect ethnicity with migration status, gender, and parental status. Even in the post‐lockdown period of 2022–2023, Black men, particularly Black fathers, stood out for their low levels of homeworking, alongside Chinese and ‘Other Asian’ workers ‐ both men and women. On closer inspection, we found that it was especially migrant workers from these ethnicities who were significantly worse off in terms of their access to homeworking. The paper shows that although we see a positive change in homeworking, which has increased for most ethnic groups over the course of the pandemic, certain groups are still left behind in this growth. The paper further highlights the need for an intersectional analysis when examining such labour market patterns.
Extraversion and the Brain: A Coordinate‐Based Meta‐Analysis of Functional Brain Imaging Studies on Positive Affect
Authors: Tian Qianqian , Li Qingyuan , Lai Han , Shekara Aniruddha , Li Jingguang , Wang Song
Published: January 2025

Objective

Extraversion is a fundamental personality dimension that contributes to an individual's overall health and well‐being. Many studies have examined the neural bases of extraversion but these results are inconsistent. This study adopted a meta‐analysis approach to examine the brain activity correlates of extraversion by incorporating functional neuroimaging studies in the context of positive affect/emotional stimuli.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed in the databases of PubMed, Web of Science Core Collection, Embase, PsycInfo, CNKI, WanFang, and Weipu. The demographic characteristics and basic information of the included studies were first summarized. Then, a meta‐analysis was conducted using anisotropic effect‐size seed‐based d mapping. Jackknife sensitivity analysis was next conducted to examine the reliability of the findings. Finally, meta‐regression analysis was performed to test the potential demographic effects (i.e., sex and age) on the association between extraversion and brain activity.

Results

A total of 11 studies were included in the meta‐analysis. The results of meta‐analysis revealed robust and consistent positive correlations between extraversion and activation of right inferior frontal gyrus/insula, right angular gyrus, and left precentral gyrus during positive affect processing. In contrast, brain activity in the right striatum during positive affect processing was negatively associated with extraversion. Additionally, meta‐regression analysis revealed sex as a moderator in the relationship between extraversion and right insular activation.

Conclusions

Overall, our study is the first to provide a comprehensive understanding of functional brain activation patterns of extraversion, which may be helpful for targeting of specific brain regions in personalized interventions for extraversion‐related psychological/physical illness.
How do extreme fluctuations in water level affect fish condition in Amazonian Floodplain Lakes?
Authors: Zingel Priit , Tuvikene Arvo , Zingel Tiina , Val Adalberto Luis , Agasild Helen
Published: January 2025

The annual flood pulse is a defining feature of Amazonian floodplain lakes, creating a highly variable environment that influences resource availability, such as food and habitat. These cyclical changes necessitate a high degree of adaptability among fish species, many of which have evolved specialized strategies to cope with the fluctuating conditions. In 2023, the Amazon basin experienced a record‐breaking drought event, leading to mass mortality of Amazonian fish and other wildlife. This study examines the effect of this extreme event on fish condition in white‐water (Rio Solimões basin) and black‐water (Rio Negro basin) floodplain lakes. These contrasting environments provide a unique opportunity to study how different water qualities and extreme water‐level fluctuations impact fish condition. Research was conducted during the normal low‐water period in November 2019 and the drastically decreased water levels in November 2023. The main objective was to understand how extreme water‐level fluctuations affect fish health and nutritional status. A total of 585 fishes were analyzed, with 294 from white‐water and 291 from black‐water, representing different feeding types to provide a comprehensive picture of changes in fish condition. Water‐level changes had a statistically significant impact on fish condition in both areas. Comparing low‐water and extreme low‐water levels, fish condition was consistently higher during the normal low‐water period. The linear mixed‐effects model revealed that the intensity of the low‐water season had a significant effect on fish length‐adjusted mass, suggesting that the decrease in water level is associated with an overall decrease in fish length‐adjusted mass. When comparing the mean water‐level effect (Glass's Δ) between low‐water and extreme low‐water levels, we found a bigger effect in the black‐water system than in the white‐water system. This difference may be attributed to the lower nutrient content and higher levels of humic acids and refractory dissolved organic matter in black‐water, which can further limit primary productivity and food availability for fishes.
Community and Hospital Healthcare Use by Adults With and Without Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in Ontario, Canada, During the First 2 Years of the COVID‐19 Pandemic
Authors: Durbin A. , Balogh R. , Lin E. , Palma L. , Plumptre L. , Lunsky Y.
Published: January 2025

Background

This study describes the proportion of Ontario adults with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who used community‐ and hospital‐based healthcare in the first 2 years of the pandemic compared with the year pre–COVID‐19.

Methods

Linked health administrative databases identified 87 341 adults with IDD and also adults without IDD living in Ontario, Canada. For each cohort, counts and proportions of adults who used different types of healthcare services were reported for the pre–COVID‐19 year (16 March 2019 to 14 March 2020) and the first two COVID‐19 years (15 March 2020 to 14 March 2021 and 15 March 2021 to 14 March 2022).

Results

Compared with the year prior to COVID‐19, the proportion of adults with and without IDD who used health services was lower during the first COVID‐19 year, but the likelihood of all types of visits increased during the second year. The likelihood of using homecare and of being hospitalized nearly returned to pre‐pandemic levels. Virtual physician visits increased in each COVID‐19 year from 5.2% prior to the pandemic to 13.0% in year 1 and 58.7% in year 2. For all years, the proportion of adults who used each service type was higher for those with IDD than without IDD.

Conclusions

For adults with and without IDD in Ontario, Canada, during the first two COVID‐19 years healthcare use decreased for all service types, except for virtual physician visits. In the second year, healthcare use increased but did not reach pre–COVID‐19 levels. In all years, adults with IDD were more likely to use services than other adults.
Medicare telehealth utilization by Rural Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers prior to and during the COVID‐19 pandemic
Authors: Jonk Yvonne , O'Connor Heidi , Gale John , Thayer Deborah
Published: January 2025

Purpose

To address the extent to which Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and independent and provider‐based Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) were using telehealth prior to and during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Methods

A nationally representative 5% sample of Medicare Fee‐for‐Service beneficiaries who used outpatient services at FQHCs and RHCs were identified within the 2019–2021 5% Medicare Limited Data Set Outpatient and Carrier files. Rural‐Urban Continuum Codes were used to identify rural–urban clinic locations. Logistic regression included three‐way interaction terms for time, rurality, and clinic type.

Findings

Telehealth use curbed the decline in outpatient visits for all clinic types during the pandemic. Telehealth use declined as the pandemic continued in 2021 yet remained higher than pre‐pandemic levels. FQHCs had higher telehealth use (18%–31%) than RHCs (8%–14%) in 2020–2021. Across all years, tele‐behavioral health was the primary venue for originating and distant site providers. Overall, 19%–34% of originating site providers were psychiatrists and 10%–31% were primary care providers. Likely due to patients sheltering‐in‐place (at home), 2020–2021 distant site providers were largely primary care providers. Urban FQHCs experienced the largest increase in telehealth use during the pandemic (24.6% increase in urban, 14.4%–15.8% in rural) followed by rural ID_RHCs (10.2%–11.7%). RHCs were less likely to provide telehealth services than FQHCs during the pandemic.

Conclusions

Telehealth played a key role in facilitating access to health services during the height of the pandemic (2020–2021). Telehealth flexibilities were associated with greater telehealth use among FQHCs and RHCs but did not make up for the overall decline in health service use.
Cues inducing non‐sexual conspecific attraction in an invasive shrimp
Authors: Vázquez María Guadalupe , Bas Claudia Cristina
Published: January 2025

The aggregation of conspecifics in the invasive shrimp Palaemon macrodactylus could be driven by either patchy environmental conditions or conspecific attraction. This study aimed to determine whether the observed grouped distribution in natural conditions results from gregarious behavior and the type of cue used by shrimp to locate conspecifics. Four experiments were conducted during the non‐reproductive season in which a focal shrimp was given the choice between a zone with cues of conspecifics or an empty zone. The cues permitted in each experiment encompassed visual and chemical cues, exclusively visual cues, exclusively chemical cues and a control devoid of any visual or chemical cues. The results indicated that focal shrimps exhibited a preference for conspecific zones when exposed to chemical cues alone or in combination with visual cues. However, visual cues alone were insufficient to induce grouping with their peers. The value of this trait is discussed along with other behavioral characteristics of the species as a possible explanation for its success as an invader.
Bicarbonate use reduces the photorespiration in Ottelia alismoides adapting to the CO2‐fluctuated aquatic systems
Authors: Li Pengpeng , Liao Zuying , Zhang Bo , Yin Liyan , Li Wei , Jiang Hong Sheng
Published: January 2025

Underwater CO2 concentration fluctuates extremely in natural water bodies. Under low CO2, the unique CO2 concentrating mechanism in aquatic plants, bicarbonate use, can suppress photorespiration. However, it remains unknown (1) to what extent bicarbonate use reduces photorespiration, (2) how exactly photorespiration varies between bicarbonate‐users and CO2‐obligate users under CO2‐fluctuated environments, and (3) what are differences in Rubisco characteristics between these two types of aquatic plants. In the present study, the bicarbonate user Ottelia alismoides and its phylogenetically close CO2‐obligate user Blyxa japonica were chosen to answer these questions. The results showed that bicarbonate use saved ~13% carbon loss under low CO2 via decreasing photorespiration in O. alismoides. Through bicarbonate use, the photorespiration of O. alismoides was kept stable both under high and low underwater CO2 concentrations, while the photorespiration significantly increased in the CO2‐obligate user B. japonica under low CO2. However, B. japonica showed a significantly higher photosynthesis rate than O. alsimoides when CO2 was sufficient. These differences could be related to the kinetic characteristics of Rubisco showing a higher carboxylation turnover rate (Kcat) in B. japonica, and the similar affinity to CO2 (Kc) and specificity factor (Sc/o) in these two species that might be determined by the variation of six amino acid residuals in Rubisco large subunit sequences, especially the site 281 (A vs. S) and 282 (H vs. F). All these differences in photorespiration and kinetic characteristics of Rubisco could explain the distribution patterns of bicarbonate users and CO2‐obligate users in the field.
Response of an obligate CAM plant to competition and increased watering intervals
Authors: Fan Jingjing , Wang Zhengyu , Tu Chengyi , Lv Zhenglin , Liu Shuting , Fan Ying
Published: January 2025

Climate change has exacerbated precipitation variability, profoundly impacting vegetation dynamics and community structures in arid ecosystems. There remains a notable knowledge gap regarding the ecological effects of altered precipitation on crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants and their interactions with other photosynthetic types. This study investigated the response of the typical obligate CAM plant Orostachys fimbriata to extended watering intervals (WI4‐WI8) and various competitive patterns (M1‐M4) with the C3 grass Melilotus officinalis and the C4 grass Setaria viridis through greenhouse experiments. The results showed that: (1) In species mixtures, CAM plants had slightly reduced the total biomass (TB) compared to monocultures, yet maintained competitiveness by increasing the root‐to‐shoot biomass (R:S) ratio, stabilizing plant height, and sustaining their photosynthetic rates. (2) As watering intervals increased, CAM plants adapted by further elevating the R:S ratio, reducing height, and decreasing aboveground biomass. However, their height, CO2 assimilation rate, and above‐ and below‐ground biomass were significantly suppressed, particularly when coexisting with C4 plants. More extreme watering regime caused a 47.6% decrease in TB of CAM plants in M4, while C3 and C4 grasses declined by 53.2% and 37.8%, respectively. (3) Given the predicted extension of drought intervals and the intensification of individual rainfall events under future climate conditions, the competitive pressure from C4 plants with high drought tolerance and resource acquisition advantages may limit the expansion potential of CAM plants in drylands. This study enhances the understanding of adaptive mechanisms of CAM plants competing and coexisting with grasses under variable environments, providing scientific bases for predicting arid ecosystem dynamics.
Neural Correlates of Narrative Reading Development: A Comparative fMRI Study of Adults and Children Using Time‐Locked Inter‐Subject Correlation Analyses
Authors: Li Jingxiao , Su Mengmeng , Zhou Wei
Published: January 2025

The naturalistic paradigm and analytical methods present new approaches that are particularly suitable for research concentrating on narrative reading development. We analyzed fMRI data from 44 adults and 42 children engaged in story reading using time‐locked inter‐subject correlation (ISC), inter‐subject representation similarity analysis (IS‐RSA), and inter‐subject functional correlation (ISFC). The ISC results indicated that for both children and adults, narrative reading recruited not only traditional reading areas but also regions that are sensitive to long‐time‐scale information, such as the medial prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, which increased involvement from children to adults. The results of the IS‐RSA indicated that during narrative reading, children exhibited greater uniqueness in neural patterns, while adults demonstrated greater similarity. The analysis of reading‐level subgroups with the ISC and ISFC reveals differences in narrative reading development that span from children to adults, especially for regions sensitive to long‐time‐scale semantic processing. These results indicate that the maturity and experience play a crucial role in narrative reading development.
Effect of Time‐Lapse Incubation System on In Vitro Development of Alpaca Embryos
Authors: Ccahuana Cendy Lutz Ccasa , Matheus Pedro Walter Bravo , Liu Ying , Mamani‐Mango Guiulfo Duriel
Published: January 2025

Currently, incubators with a time‐lapse system are widely used for in vitro embryo production in several species, however, their effect on alpaca embryo development compared to conventional incubators remains unknown. The aim of this study was to compare early in vitro embryo development in alpacas using a time‐lapse incubator system versus a conventional incubator. Ovaries were obtained from a slaughterhouse and 1048 cumulus‐oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected and in vitro matured for 26 h in either a time‐lapse system (n = 542) or a conventional incubator (n = 542). All the matured COCs were fertilised for 24 h with fresh spermatozoa recovered from epididymis obtained from the slaughterhouse. The presumptive zygotes in both systems were cultured in a commercial one‐step culture medium, and the embryo development was evaluated at 48, 120 and 168 h after fertilisation. Our results showed no differences in maturation rates between the time‐lapse system and the conventional incubator (79.9% vs. 55.0%, p = 0.080). Cleavage rates at 48 h were also similar between the time‐lapse and conventional systems: 20.5% vs. 20.8% for embryos at the two‐ to four‐cell stage, and 6.0% vs. 7.0% for embryos above the four‐cell stage (p > 0.05). At 120 h after fertilisation, the percentage of embryos were more evenly distributed across all stages (below eight‐cell, eight‐cell and above eight‐cell stages) in both systems (p > 0.05). At 168 h, no differences in the blastocyst rates and blastocyst quality were observed between the time‐lapse and conventional systems. In conclusion, in vitro embryo production in alpacas can be successfully carried out using the time‐lapse incubation system or a conventional incubator with comparable results. Further study would focus on the correlation between the developmental patterns and the quality of alpaca embryos, as well as the comparison of in vivo embryo development between the two incubation systems.
Riga‐Fede Disease in a Child With Neuropsychomotor Impairment: A Case Report
Authors: Teixeira Letícia Maria Pereira , Marega Laís Furlaneto , Costa Beatriz , Rios Daniela , Dalben Gisele da Silva
Published: January 2025

Riga‐Fede disease (RFD) is a rare, benign condition marked by traumatic ulceration on the tongue's ventral side in infants. It arises from friction between the tongue and lower incisors during sucking, potentially worsening into a keratinized lesion if the cause is not addressed. This report details the case of a 1‐year‐6‐month‐old male with hydrocephalus, cleft palate, corpus callosum dysgenesis, neuropsychomotor developmental delay, and tracheostomy and gastrostomy needs. He presented to the Hospital for Rehabilitation of Craniofacial Anomalies of Bauru with a persistent tongue lesion. Clinical examination showed a yellowish‐white lesion with defined edges, closely associated with teeth 71 and 81. A biopsy under general anesthesia confirmed RFD. Initial treatment involved smoothing the incisors and applying fluoride varnish to reduce sensitivity. Due to the child's repetitive tongue movements, the lesion persisted. Consequently, low‐level laser therapy was introduced weekly, leading to substantial improvement. The laser's anti‐inflammatory and tissue repair properties demonstrated effectiveness. This case underscores the importance of tailoring treatment to the individual clinical circumstances of each patient.
Responses of the soil phosphorus fraction distribution to a chronosequence and soil depth in deserts undergoing revegetation
Authors: Chengyi Li , Mingzhu He , Chunming Xin , Huijun Qin , Zhaohui Zhang
Published: January 2025

Elucidating the changes in phosphorus (P) fractions (available P [A‐P], dicalcium phosphate [Ca2‐P], aluminium‐bond phosphate [Al‐P], iron‐bond phosphate [Fe‐P], octacalcium phosphate [Ca8‐P], deca‐calcium phosphate [Ca10‐P], occluded‐P [O‐P] and organic P [Po]) in revegetated deserts is essential for understanding how P responds to environmental changes in arid regions. To investigate this, we selected a chronosequence of desert revegetation sites (12, 32, 41, 58 and 66 years old) and compared them to a moving dune without plant cover and a naturally vegetated desert. We used non‐metric multidimensional scaling to analyse the similarity among the three types of sites and redundancy analysis to explore the contribution of environmental factors on P fractions. The results showed that revegetation for >41 years significantly improved the total P, A‐P, Ca2‐P, Ca10‐P and Po concentrations in contrast to the moving dune (p < .05). Specifically, Ca8‐P and Po concentrations reached their maximum at 66 years, whereas Al‐P and Fe‐P concentrations reached their maximum at 32 years of revegetation. The Po concentration steadily increased as the number of revegetation years increased. Across a profile of 0–200 cm, two patterns of P fractions in revegetated deserts were found (from 0 to 10 cm: Ca10‐P > Ca8‐P > O‐P > Ca2‐P > Po > A‐P; from 10 to 200 cm: Ca10‐P > O‐P > Po > A‐P), with Ca10‐P accounting for 65%–85% of the total P concentration which suggested that the low bioavailable P fractions throughout the soil profile may have constrained the progress of revegetation efforts in deserts. Soil total nitrogen, soil organic matter and soil organic carbon were important in explaining the variation in P fractions, with a relatively high explanation (>20%, p < .01). This study highlights the positive impact of revegetation on P fractions and their distribution patterns in contrast to moving dunes, and also explores the responses of P to environmental variations.
Limited efficacy of florpyrauxifen‐benzyl alone for Lolium perenne L. spp. multiflorum and Poa annua L. control: The need for herbicide combinations in hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) orchard management
Authors: Miranda Joshua W. A. , Moretti Marcelo L.
Published: January 2025

Hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) production is an important agricultural industry in the Willamette Valley of OR, where growers face persistent challenges from weed and sucker management. This study investigates the efficacy of florpyrauxifen‐benzyl to control weeds and suckers in hazelnut orchards and optimise hazelnut production. Florpyrauxifen‐benzyl had no adverse effects on tree health, growth or yield when applied up to 117.6 g ai ha−1 four times per year for two consecutive years. Florpyrauxifen‐benzyl controlled hazelnut suckers, achieving >83% control 84 days after initial treatment. In greenhouse studies, florpyrauxifen‐benzyl suppressed Lolium multiflorum and Poa annua growth, although regrowth was observed. In field studies, florpyrauxifen‐benzyl did not control L. multiflorum, but it effectively suppressed inflorescence biomass by 88%. When florpyrauxifen‐benzyl was combined with glyphosate, clethodim, rimsulfuron, diuron, tiafenacil or glufosinate, it did not negatively impact L. multiflorum control compared to individual herbicides. For instance, at an application rate of 29.4 g ai ha−1, florpyrauxifen‐benzyl reduced L. multiflorum inflorescence biomass by 98%–99% when combined with glyphosate compared to 97%–99% with glyphosate alone. Colby's test confirmed the additive effects of florpyrauxifen mixtures, indicating that these herbicides can broaden the control spectrum and improve management practices. This study highlights the potential for using florpyrauxifen‐benzyl in combination with other herbicides to develop a more integrated weed and sucker management approach in hazelnuts. The adoption of herbicide rotation and the use of multiple modes of action are essential for reducing the risk of resistance and ensuring long‐term orchard management.
Control Co-Design With Performance-Robustness Trade-Off Using Tube-Based Stochastic Model Predictive Control
Authors: Tsai Ying-Kuan , Malak, Jr. Richard J.
Published: January 2025

Control co-design (CCD) has been demonstrated to achieve superior solutions for closed-loop systems. However, limited work has addressed CCD problems under probabilistic disturbances. This article addresses this gap by formulating a finite-horizon optimal control problem with chance constraints and proposing a novel CCD approach. This approach integrates tube-based stochastic model predictive control with constraint-tightening techniques to optimize performance and robustness while preventing instability and infeasibility. A nested CCD framework is introduced, along with a constrained multi-objective optimization algorithm that enables the performance-robustness trade-off. A method for quantifying the robustness of closed-loop systems under stochastic disturbances is presented. The proposed CCD approach is demonstrated on a numerical example and an engineering case of the satellite attitude control system. Results show that CCD can generate more well-spread Pareto fronts that cannot be reached by other design strategies. This helps designers explore more potential solutions with different dynamic characteristics. Selected nondominated solution trajectories are visualized for qualitative comparisons. Future work will extend this to nonlinear applications.
The Ripple Effect: The Impact of Narrative on Team Culture and Lifelong Exercise Adherence
Authors: Busanich Rebecca , Nelson Paige E. , Koren Amber
Published: January 2025

This case study narratively explores a high school cross-country team in a small U.S. Midwestern town from 1992 to 1999. Results of this study revealed how the team coconstructed discovery and relational nonperformance narratives, with the head coach adopting aligning narrative practices (i.e., newsletters and team journals), which together socially constructed a team culture built on love (i.e., for running, for one’s own self, and for one another). This case study highlights what a discovery and relational narrative are, how they vary from the more dominant performance narrative, and the ways in which these narratives were drawn upon, used, and reproduced over time and ultimately changed the meanings around exercise and sport for the members of this team. The outcomes associated with these narrative practices, and the meanings embedded within them, led to a successful program, greater exercise enjoyment, the development of lifelong friendships and healthy habits, long-term exercise adherence, and a ripple effect of many of the young athletes on this team going on to become future exercise and/or sport leaders (i.e., fitness coaches, personal trainers, and sport coaches) as adults. The long-term implications and implementation recommendations are explored.
Exploring the boundary of quantum correlations with a time-domain optical processor
Authors: Liu Zheng-Hao , Meng Yu , Wu Yu-Ze , Hao Ze-Yan , Xu Zhen-Peng , Ai Cheng-Jun , Wei Hai , Wen Kai , Chen Jing-Ling , Ma Jie , Xu Jin-Shi , Li Chuan-Feng , Guo Guang-Can
Published: January 2025

Contextuality is a hallmark feature of the quantum theory that captures its incompatibility with any noncontextual hidden-variable model. The Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ)–type paradoxes are proofs of contextuality that reveal this incompatibility with deterministic logical arguments. However, the GHZ-type paradox whose events can be included in the fewest contexts and that brings the strongest nonclassicality remains elusive. Here, we derive a GHZ-type paradox with a context-cover number of 3 and show that this number saturates the lower bound posed by quantum theory. We demonstrate the paradox with a time-domain fiber optical platform and recover the quantum prediction in a 37-dimensional setup based on high-speed modulation, convolution, and homodyne detection of time-multiplexed pulsed coherent light. By proposing and studying a strong form of contextuality in high-dimensional Hilbert space, our results pave the way for the exploration of exotic quantum correlations with time-multiplexed optical systems.
Replication-incompetent VSV-based vaccine elicits protective responses against SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus
Authors: Adeleke Richard A. , Sahler Julie , Choi Annette , Roth Kyle , Upadhye Viraj , Ezzatpour Shahrzad , Imbiakha Brian , Khomandiak Solomiia , Diaz Annika , Whittaker Gary R. , Jager Mason C. , August Avery , Buchholz David W. , Aguilar Hector C.
Published: January 2025

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza viruses lead to severe respiratory illnesses and death in humans, exacerbated in individuals with underlying health conditions, remaining substantial global public health concerns. Here, we developed a bivalent replication-incompetent single-cycle pseudotyped vesicular stomatitis virus vaccine that incorporates both a prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike protein lacking a furin cleavage site and a full-length influenza A virus neuraminidase protein. Vaccination of K18-hACE2 or C57BL/6J mouse models generated durable levels of neutralizing antibodies, T cell responses, and protection from morbidity and mortality upon challenge with either virus. Furthermore, the vaccine provided heterologous protection upon challenge with a different influenza virus strain, supporting the advantage of using NA to increase the breadth of vaccine protection. Now, no bivalent vaccine is approved for use against both SARS-CoV-2 and influenza virus. Our study supports using this platform to develop safe and efficient vaccines against multiple viruses.