bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations between skeletal muscle energetics and accelerometry‐based performance fatigability: Study of Muscle, Mobility and Aging
Authors: Qiao Yujia (Susanna) , Santanasto Adam J. , Coen Paul M. , Cawthon Peggy M. , Cummings Steven R. , Forman Daniel E. , Goodpaster Bret H. , Harezlak Jaroslaw , Hawkins Marquis , Kritchevsky Stephen B. , Nicklas Barbara J. , Toledo Frederico G. S. , Toto Pamela E. , Newman Anne B. , Glynn Nancy W.
Published: October 2023

Performance fatigability is typically experienced as insufficient energy to complete daily physical tasks, particularly with advancing age, often progressing toward dependency. Thus, understanding the etiology of performance fatigability, especially cellular‐level biological mechanisms, may help to delay the onset of mobility disability. We hypothesized that skeletal muscle energetics may be important contributors to performance fatigability. Participants in the Study of Muscle, Mobility and Aging completed a usual‐paced 400‐m walk wearing a wrist‐worn ActiGraph GT9X to derive the Pittsburgh Performance Fatigability Index (PPFI, higher scores = more severe fatigability) that quantifies percent decline in individual cadence‐versus‐time trajectory from their maximal cadence. Complex I&II‐supported maximal oxidative phosphorylation (max OXPHOS) and complex I&II‐supported electron transfer system (max ETS) were quantified ex vivo using high‐resolution respirometry in permeabilized fiber bundles from vastus lateralis muscle biopsies. Maximal adenosine triphosphate production (ATPmax) was assessed in vivo by 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We conducted tobit regressions to examine associations of max OXPHOS, max ETS, and ATPmax with PPFI, adjusting for technician/site, demographic characteristics, and total activity count over 7‐day free‐living among older adults (N = 795, 70–94 years, 58% women) with complete PPFI scores and ≥1 energetics measure. Median PPFI score was 1.4% [25th–75th percentile: 0%–2.9%]. After full adjustment, each 1 standard deviation lower max OXPHOS, max ETS, and ATPmax were associated with 0.55 (95% CI: 0.26–0.84), 0.39 (95% CI: 0.09–0.70), and 0.54 (95% CI: 0.27–0.81) higher PPFI score, respectively. Our findings suggested that therapeutics targeting muscle energetics may potentially mitigate fatigability and lessen susceptibility to disability among older adults.
Improvement in quality of life among women and men aged 60 years and older following treatment for alcohol use disorder
Authors: Tryggedsson Jeppe Sig Juelsgaard , Andersen Kjeld , Behrendt Silke , Bilberg Randi , Bogenschutz Michael P. , Buehringer Gerhard , Søgaard Nielsen Anette
Published: October 2023

Background

Previous studies have yielded mixed results on the association between gender and alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment outcomes. Thus, additional research is needed to determine the effect of gender on AUD treatment outcomes, including quality of life (QoL), particularly among older adults.

Aims

In a clinical sample of older adults with DSM‐5 AUD, we examined changes in QoL from the beginning of AUD treatment through 1 year of follow‐ups. We also examined the effect of gender and explored interaction effects with gender on QoL.

Methods

We utilized data from the “Elderly Study,” a multi‐national, single‐blind, randomized, controlled trial of 693 adults aged 60+ with DSM‐5 AUD. Alcohol use was assessed with the Form‐90, and QoL with the brief version of the World Health Organization QoL measure. Information was collected at treatment initiation and at 4‐, 12‐, 26‐, and 52‐week follow‐ups. Multilevel mixed‐effects logistic and linear regression models were used to examine QoL changes and the effect of gender on changes in QoL.

Results

Following treatment, small, but significant improvements were seen over time in overall perceived health (p < 0.05). Improvements that persisted over the 1‐year follow‐up period were seen in the QoL domains of physical health (β: 2.6, 95% CI: 1.4–3.9), psychological health (β: 3.5, 95% CI: 3.3–3.8), social relationships (β: 4.0, 95% CI: 2.5–5.6), and environmental health (β: 1.4, 95% CI: 0.4–2.4). No significant changes were seen over time in overall perceived QoL (p = 0.58). Gender was not associated with changes in any of the QoL outcome measures (all p ≥ 0.05).

Conclusions

Among 60+ year‐old adults receiving treatment for DSM‐5 AUD, improvements in QoL were achievable and maintained over time, but were not associated with gender.
Flower diversity on organic farms increases invasive ants rather than non‐invasive natural enemies
Authors: Sparer Amy E. , Madden Melina K. , Blubaugh Carmen K.
Published: October 2023

Increasing plant diversity in agroecosystems is well‐known to strengthen natural pest suppression, yet reliably predicting which non‐crop management practices best support natural enemies remains a challenge. Farmers often supplement diversity with managed flower patches or by allowing weedy non‐crop plant growth, both of which may support diverse, abundant and balanced communities of insect predators that provide biocontrol.

At the same time, evenness among predators and effectiveness of biocontrol may be compromised by dominant arthropod invaders that co‐benefit from non‐crop diversity.

We examined whether floral resources or adjacent weeds had stronger effects on the evenness and abundance of natural enemies by surveying plants and insects on zucchini crops at 37 organic farms.

Neither flower richness nor weed richness affected insect predator evenness. Instead, the abundance of an invasive predator, the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta Buren), increased with floral resource diversity, which negatively predicted the evenness and abundance of non‐invasive predators.

These results suggest that floral diversity might be a less reliable predictor of natural enemy diversity when invasive predators interfere. Habitat management recommendations for bolstering biocontrol services should consider and potentially mitigate unintended consequences of floral resource provisions on farms where invasive predators dominate.
Ketogenic propensity is differentially related to lipid‐induced hepatic and peripheral insulin resistance
Authors: Mey J. T. , Vandagmansar B. , Dantas W. S. , Belmont K. P. , Axelrod C. L. , Kirwan J. P.
Published: October 2023

Aim

Determine the ketogenic response (β‐hydroxybutyrate, a surrogate of hepatic ketogenesis) to a controlled lipid overload in humans.

Methods

In total, nineteen young, healthy adults (age: 28.4 ± 1.7 years; BMI: 22.7 ± 0.3 kg/m2) received either a 12 h overnight lipid infusion or saline in a randomized, crossover design. Plasma ketones and inflammatory markers were quantified by colorimetric and multiplex assays. Hepatic and peripheral insulin sensitivity was assessed by the hyperinsulinemic–euglycemic clamp. Skeletal muscle biopsies were obtained to quantify gene expression related to ketone body metabolism and inflammation.

Results

By design, the lipid overload‐induced hepatic (50%, p < 0.001) and peripheral insulin resistance (73%, p < 0.01) in healthy adults. Ketones increased with hyperlipidemia and were subsequently reduced with hyperinsulinemia during the clamp procedure (Saline: Basal = 0.22 mM, Insulin = 0.07 mM; Lipid: Basal = 0.78 mM, Insulin = 0.51 mM; 2‐way ANOVA: Lipid p < 0.001, Insulin p < 0.001, Interaction p = 0.07). In the saline control condition, ketones did not correlate with hepatic or peripheral insulin sensitivity. Conversely, in the lipid condition, ketones were positively correlated with hepatic insulin sensitivity (r = 0.59, p < 0.01), but inversely related to peripheral insulin sensitivity (r = −0.64, p < 0.01). Hyperlipidemia increased plasma inflammatory markers, but did not impact skeletal muscle inflammatory gene expression. Gene expression related to ketone and fatty acid metabolism in skeletal muscle increased in response to hyperlipidemia.

Conclusion

This work provides important insight into the role of ketones in human health and suggests that ketone body metabolism is altered at the onset of lipid‐induced insulin resistance.
Extragonadal recurrence of benign mature teratoma in the pouch of Douglas
Authors: Sato Miho , Nasu Kaei , Matsumoto Harunobu , Konishi Kota , Yasumi Shunsuke , Sato Yusuke , Yano Mitsutake , Kobayashi Eiji
Published: October 2023

Laparoscopic cystectomy for mature teratomas is associated with a high incidence of intraperitoneal spillage and tumor spread; however, extragonadal recurrence of this benign tumor is rare. We hereby present an additional case of extragonadal mature teratoma that recurred in the pouch of Douglas after ovarian cystectomy. A 43‐year‐old Japanese woman presented with atypical genital bleeding. A 7 cm mature teratoma was detected using transvaginal ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging. At 26 years old, she underwent bilateral cystectomy for bilateral mature teratoma of the ovary. During laparoscopic surgery, a cystic tumor appeared in the pouch of Douglas and was firmly adhered to the surrounding tissues. Both ovaries were normal. The resected tumor was diagnosed as extragonadal, benign, mature teratoma. To avoid the extragonadal recurrence of mature teratoma, removal of tumor contents from intraperitoneal spillage by lavage should be performed at the end of surgery.
From ideas to innovations: The role of individuals in idea implementation
Authors: Valtonen Alena , Kimpimäki Jaan‐Pauli , Malacina Iryna
Published: October 2023

The extant literature has underlined the pivotal role of individuals in innovation implementation. However, we are still missing a holistic understanding of the individual‐level factors necessary for idea implementation. Based on a systematic content analysis review of 125 articles, we identify six categories of individual‐level factors that have been found to promote the successful implementation of innovations: expertise, motivation, cognitive factors, personality traits, attitudes and social skills. Drawing on previous theoretical developments, we present an extended model of creativity and innovation in organizations and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the idea implementation stage. Finally, we draw some potentially important implications for research and practice and offer directions for future research.
The development of audiovisual speech perception in Mandarin‐speaking children: Evidence from the McGurk paradigm
Authors: Weng Yi , Rong Yicheng , Peng Gang
Published: October 2023

The developmental trajectory of audiovisual speech perception in Mandarin‐speaking children remains understudied. This cross‐sectional study in Mandarin‐speaking 3‐ to 4‐year‐old, 5‐ to 6‐year‐old, 7‐ to 8‐year‐old children, and adults from Xiamen, China (n = 87, 44 males) investigated this issue using the McGurk paradigm with three levels of auditory noise. For the identification of congruent stimuli, 3‐ to 4‐year‐olds underperformed older groups whose performances were comparable. For the perception of the incongruent stimuli, a developmental shift was observed as 3‐ to 4‐year‐olds made significantly more audio‐dominant but fewer audiovisual‐integrated responses to incongruent stimuli than older groups. With increasing auditory noise, the difference between children and adults widened in identifying congruent stimuli but narrowed in perceiving incongruent ones. The findings regarding noise effects agree with the statistically optimal hypothesis.
Role of acrylates in the development of contact dermatitis in diabetic patients—A Polish dermatology tertiary centre experience
Authors: Cichoń Mikołaj , Myśliwiec Małgorzata , Trzeciak Magdalena
Published: October 2023

Background

In recent years, an increasing number of contact dermatitis cases triggered by acrylates contained in diabetes medical devices have been reported. Acrylates seem to play a major role in the development of irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) in diabetic patients.

Objectives

To study a group of patients with contact dermatitis caused by diabetes medical devices with a focus on acrylates as possible allergens responsible for contact dermatitis.

Patients and Methods

Fifteen patients with diabetes mellitus type 1 and contact dermatitis from diabetic devices were patch tested to 25 acrylate allergens.

Results

Three patients (20%) reacted to the following allergens: three patients reacted to isobornyl acrylate (IBOA) and one of them additionally to 2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate (2‐HEA); results were of clinical relevance. All three patients were using insulin pumps and glucose sensors (GS)—in one patient contact dermatitis was towards the insulin pump and the GS, in one patient only towards the insulin pump and in one patient only towards the GS. Twelve patients (80%) did not show any skin reaction towards the allergens tested.

Conclusion

A majority of diabetic patients showed no reactions towards any acrylate allergen tested; yet, the presence of untested allergens must be kept in mind. IBOA proved to be a cause of ACD in diabetes patients. 2‐HEA might be another culprit allergen, but its presence in the devices must first be confirmed.
Outcomes of kidney, liver, and simultaneous liver and kidney transplants from hepatitis c infected donors to hepatitis c naïve recipients: A large single center experience
Authors: Elbeshbeshy Hany , Modi Neal , Patel Twinkle , Matthews Ian , Kampert Timothy , Lee Jaenic , Okeke Raymond , Caliskan Yasar , Fleetwood Vidyaratna , Varma Chintalapati , Gabris Brittney , Bastani Bahar , Abu Al Rub Fadee , Guenette Alexis , Befeler Alex , Agbim Uchenna , Desai Roshani , Alsabbagh Eyad , Qureshi Kamran , Schnitzler Mark , Lentine Krista L. , Randall Henry B. , Nazzal Mustafa
Published: October 2023

Background

With the introduction of direct‐acting antiviral therapies (DAAs), the non‐use rate of hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐positive donor organs (D+) has decreased significantly. We present the donor, recipient, and transplant allograft characteristics, along with recipient outcomes, in one of the largest cohorts of HCV‐D+ transplants into HCV‐naïve recipients (R−).

Methods

Charts of HCV D+/R− kidney (KT), liver (LT), and simultaneous liver‐kidney (SLKT) transplant recipients between January 2019 and July 2022 were reviewed. Primary outcomes of interest included waitlist times and 1‐year graft failure. Secondary outcomes included hospital and intensive care unit length of stay, post‐transplant complications, effectiveness of DAA therapy, and characteristics of patients who relapsed from initial DAA therapy.

Results

Fifty‐five HCV D+/R− transplants at our center [42 KT (26 nucleic acid testing positive [NAT+], 16 NAT−), 12 LT (eight NAT+, four NAT−), and one SLKT (NAT+)] had a median waitlist time of 69 days for KT, 87 days for LT, and 15 days for SLKT. There were no graft failures at 1 year. All viremic recipients were treated with a 12‐week course of DAAs, of which 100% achieved end of treatment response (EOTR)—85.7% (n = 30) achieved sustained virologic response (SVR) and 14.3% relapsed (n = 5; four KT, one LT). All relapsed recipients were retreated and achieved SVR. The most common post‐transplantation complications include BK virus infection (n = 9) for KT and non‐allograft infections (n = 4) for LT.

Conclusions

Our study has demonstrated no graft failures or recipient deaths at 1 year, and despite a 14.3% relapse rate, we achieved 100% SVR. Complications rates of D+/R− appeared comparable to national D−/R− complication rates. Further studies comparing D+/R− to D−/R− outcomes are needed.
Chronic pain assessment for young people with cerebral palsy: Moving beyond pain intensity
Authors: Smith Nadine
Published: October 2023

This commentary is on the original article by Schiariti et al. on pages 610–622 of this issue.
Q&A
Authors: Flowers Woodie , Greenberg Sarah Stein , Miller Richard K. , Datar Srikant M.
Published: October 2023

Being a “gracious professional” is the key to leadership, whether you’re an engineer, a scientist, or an MIT professor.

As managing director of Stanford University's d.school, this Renaissance woman spends her time developing “adaptive learners.”

Olin College's first president (and first employee) has plenty to say about engineering—and education.

Rethinking the MBA at Harvard Business School.
Don't Make Art, Do Industrial Design: A Voice from Industry
Authors: Kim KwanMyung , Lee Kun‐Pyo
Published: October 2023

Industrial designers and engineering designers: Can't we all just get along? Unfortunately, when push comes to shove, it's engineering that tends to win. How can schools better prepare industrial designers for the work force?

Engineering designers and industrial designers would get along much better if they shared common knowledge and common goals—long before they reached the workplace.
3D print and multi‐modality imaging guided transcatheter closure of multiple left ventricular pseudoaneurysms
Authors: Shpilsky Daniel , von Buchwald Claudia Lama , Villablanca Pedro A. , O'Neill Brian P. , Engel Gonzalez Pedro , Frisoli Tiberio , Lee James , Guruswamy Jayakar , Yeldo Nicholas , Reeser Nicholas , Song Thomas , O'Neill William W. , Wang Dee Dee
Published: October 2023

Left ventricular pseudoaneurysm (PSA) after surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) is a known but uncommon complication. It is associated with risks such as thromboembolism and life‐threatening rupture. Surgical repair has traditionally been utilized in low‐risk patients but transcatheter closure has become a promising therapeutic option. This case report describes the utility of multimodality imaging in pre‐, intra‐, and post‐procedural evaluation of transcatheter PSA closure and is among the first to demonstrate the utility of 3D print model.
Beyond simple adaptation: Incorporating other evolutionary processes and concepts into eco‐evolutionary dynamics
Authors: Yamamichi Masato , Ellner Stephen P. , Hairston Nelson G.
Published: October 2023

Studies of eco‐evolutionary dynamics have integrated evolution with ecological processes at multiple scales (populations, communities and ecosystems) and with multiple interspecific interactions (antagonistic, mutualistic and competitive). However, evolution has often been conceptualised as a simple process: short‐term directional adaptation that increases population growth. Here we argue that diverse other evolutionary processes, well studied in population genetics and evolutionary ecology, should also be considered to explore the full spectrum of feedback between ecological and evolutionary processes. Relevant but underappreciated processes include (1) drift and mutation, (2) disruptive selection causing lineage diversification or speciation reversal and (3) evolution driven by relative fitness differences that may decrease population growth. Because eco‐evolutionary dynamics have often been studied by population and community ecologists, it will be important to incorporate a variety of concepts in population genetics and evolutionary ecology to better understand and predict eco‐evolutionary dynamics in nature.
Dynamics of actomyosin filaments in the contractile ring revealed by ultrastructural analysis
Authors: Arima Takeru , Okita Keisuke , Yumura Shigehiko
Published: October 2023

Cytokinesis, the final process of cell division, involves the accumulation of actin and myosin II filaments at the cell's equator, forming a contractile ring that facilitates the division into two daughter cells. While light microscopy has provided valuable insights into the molecular mechanism of this process, it has limitations in examining individual filaments in vivo. In this study, we utilized transmission electron microscopy to observe actin and myosin II filaments in the contractile rings of dividing Dictyostelium cells. To synchronize cytokinesis, we developed a novel method that allowed us to visualize dividing cells undergoing cytokinesis with a frequency as high as 18%. This improvement enabled us to examine the lengths and alignments of individual filaments within the contractile rings. As the furrow constricted, the length of actin filaments gradually decreased. Moreover, both actin and myosin II filaments reoriented perpendicularly to the long axis during furrow constriction. Through experiments involving myosin II null cells, we discovered that myosin II plays a role in regulating both the lengths and alignments of actin filaments. Additionally, dynamin‐like protein A was found to contribute to regulating the length of actin filaments, while cortexillins were involved in regulating their alignment.
Identifying performance‐based outcome measures of physical function in people with haemophilia (IPOP)
Authors: Bladen Melanie , Harbidge Hannah , Drechsler Wendy , Duport Gaetan , Mahaffey Ryan , van der Net Janjap , Pérez‐Alenda Sofía , Sayers Fionnuala , Strike Karen , Timmer Merel , Stephensen David
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Recent recommendations of core outcome sets for haemophilia highlight the need for including measures of performance‐based physical health and physical function sustainability. To date, there is no consensus on what outcomes might be of value to clinicians and patients.

Aim

To identify instruments of performance‐based physical function to monitor musculoskeletal health in people with haemophilia that are practical in the clinical setting.

Methods

Utilising components from the Activities and Participation Category of the WHO International Classification of Functioning (WHO‐ICF), a consensus‐based, decision analysis approach was used to: identify activities people with haemophilia have most difficulty performing; identify quantitative performance‐based measures of identified activities via a scoping review; and obtain views on acceptability of the tests utilising a DELPHI approach.

Results

Eleven activities were identified: maintaining a standing position, walking long distances, walking up and down stairs, walking on different surfaces, running, hopping, jumping, squatting, kneeling, undertaking a complex lower limb task, undertaking a complex upper limb task. Following a 2‐round DELPHI survey of international physiotherapists, the 6‐min walk test, timed up and down stairs, 30‐s sit to stand, single leg stance, tandem stance, single hop for distance (children only) and timed up and go (adults only) reached consensus.

Conclusion

This study is the first step in defining a core set of performance‐based instruments to monitor physical health and sustainability of physical function outcomes in people with haemophilia. Establishing the psychometric properties of the instruments and whether they are meaningful to people with haemophilia is essential.
A new criterion including the aspartate aminotransferase‐to‐platelet ratio index and liver and spleen stiffness to rule out varices needing treatment in children with biliary atresia: Modification of the Baveno VII criteria
Authors: Yokoyama Shinya , Ishizu Yoji , Honda Takashi , Imai Norihiro , Ito Takanori , Yamamoto Kenta , Muto Hisanori , Shirota Chiyoe , Tainaka Takahisa , Sumida Wataru , Makita Satoshi , Takada Shunya , Nakagawa Yoichi , Maeda Takuya , Nakamura Masanao , Ishigami Masatoshi , Uchida Hiroo , Kawashima Hiroki
Published: October 2023

Aims

Biliary atresia (BA) is a congestive biliary disease that develops in the neonatal period or early infancy. It may present with portal hypertension and varices needing treatment (VNT) even after successful Kasai portoenterostomy. This study aimed to stratify the risk of VNT in children and adolescents with BA.

Methods

In this prospective cross‐sectional study, we measured liver stiffness (LS) and spleen stiffness (SS) by two‐dimensional shear wave elastography and checked for VNT endoscopically in 53 patients with BA who attended for follow‐up between July 2018 and September 2022. Varices needing treatment were defined as large esophageal varices, esophageal varices of any size with red color signs, and/or gastric varices along the cardia.

Results

Twenty‐five patients (aged 0–18 years) had VNT. Eighteen patients met the Baveno VI criteria (LS <20 kPa; platelet count >150 000/L) and were deemed to be at low risk of VNT (spared endoscopies) while three had missed VNT (16.7%). Applying the Baveno VII criteria, which combines the SS cut‐off value of 40 kPa with the Baveno VI criteria, resulted in five missed VNTs among 22 spared endoscopies (22.7%). A modification of the Baveno VII criteria using the aspartate aminotransferase‐to‐platelet ratio index (APRI) instead of the platelet count with cut‐off values of 25 kPa, 30 kPa, and 1.04 for LS, SS, and APRI, respectively, missed only one VNT (5.0%) among 20 spared endoscopies.

Conclusions

A novel diagnostic criterion that combines LS, SS, and APRI reduced the risk of missing VNT to 5% in children and adolescents with BA.
GROWTH, HOUSING, AND GLOBAL IMBALANCES
Authors: FRANJO LUIS , LAMBERTINI LUISA , STEPANCHUK SERHIY
Published: October 2023

In the decade leading to the Great Recession, the United States experienced rising house prices and current account deficits, whereas China and other fast‐growing Asian economies saw rising house prices accompanied by current account surpluses. To explain these differences, we study a transition path in a two‐country life‐cycle model with housing once the two economies become financially integrated. We allow for asymmetries in productivity growth, the loan‐to‐value ratio, the life‐cycle wage profile, and the population structure across countries. Our findings highlight that differences in the life‐cycle pattern of the wage income profile are key to obtaining our results.
Delamination mitigation in additively manufactured Al2O3 via enhanced thermal postprocessing
Authors: Lam Benjamin C. , Kassner Christopher T. , Kemp James W. , Leicht Bryan T. , Bohan Brian T. , Rueschhoff Lisa M.
Published: October 2023

Manufacturing thick (>10 mm) alumina (Al2O3) parts through the ceramic additive manufacturing technique of digital light processing (DLP) is difficult due to the large amount of polymer that must be removed. Nearly 35–65 vol% of a fugitive UV‐curable polymer is used in commercial ceramic slurries in order to maintain shape through the DLP process. During the thermal debind, gases form and escape quickly due to pressure build‐up, leading to defects in the form of print layer delamination. Here, we analyze the polymer decomposition through thermogravimetric analysis in order to design a less aggressive thermal debind schedule through strategic thermal holds and decreased heating rates. The new schedule led to a 83% reduction in average delaminations per sample (from 6.9 delaminations per sample to 1.2 delaminations per sample) and up to a 100% increase in wall thickness (from nominally 10–20 mm). A complex, Al2O3 turbine rotor (with maximum wall thickness of 5 mm in the center hub section) of a JetCat P400 engine was fabricated to compare the new schedule to the manufacturer provided one. The improved thermal debind schedule produced a turbine rotor with no observable delamination defects.
Effect of BPO4 on phase transition behavior and sintering of quartz materials
Authors: Li Jialu , Li Yuanbing , Li Shujing , Wang Hailu , Qiao Zhe , Xiang Kun
Published: October 2023

In order to inhibit the phase transition of quartz, the effects of BPO4 addition and sintering temperature on the structure and properties of quartz materials were studied. The results showed that the addition of 5 wt.% BPO4 successfully inhibited the formation of cristobalite. Samples with 5 wt.% BPO4 added exhibited the high cold modulus of rupture (15.59 MPa) and bulk density (1.92 g/cm3) sintered at 1200°C–1400°C. In addition, BPO4 formed a glass phase sintered at 1200°C–1400°C and distributed between SiO2 particles, filling pores and densifying the material. Therefore, the prepared quartz‐based ceramics with BPO4 have broad potential in the field of medium and high temperatures, and can be applied to aerospace and other fields.
Survival and division fate programs are preserved but retuned during the naïve to memory CD8+ T‐cell transition
Authors: Heinzel Susanne , Cheon HoChan , Belz Gabrielle T , Hodgkin Philip D
Published: October 2023

Memory T cells are generated from naïve precursors undergoing proliferation during the initial immune response. Both naïve and memory T cells are maintained in a resting, quiescent state and respond to activation with a controlled proliferative burst and differentiation into effector cells. This similarity in the maintenance and response dynamics points to the preservation of key cellular fate programs; however, whether memory T cells have acquired intrinsic changes in these programs that may contribute to the enhanced immune protection in a recall response is not fully understood. Here we used a quantitative model–based analysis of proliferation and survival kinetics of in vitro–stimulated murine naïve and memory CD8+ T cells in response to homeostatic and activating signals to establish intrinsic similarities or differences within these cell types. We show that resting memory T cells display heightened sensitivity to homeostatic cytokines, responding to interleukin (IL)‐2 in addition to IL‐7 and IL‐15. The proliferative response to αCD3 was equal in size and kinetics, demonstrating that memory T cells undergo the same controlled division burst and automated return to quiescence as naïve T cells. However, perhaps surprisingly, we observed reduced expansion of αCD3‐stimulated memory T cells in response to activating signals αCD28 and IL‐2 compared with naïve T cells. Overall, we demonstrate that although sensitivities to cytokine and costimulatory signals have shifted, fate programs regulating the scale of the division burst are conserved in memory T cells.
From Spatial Continuity to Fragmentation: The Case of Russian Farming
Authors: Ioffe Grigory , Nefedova Tatyana , Zaslavsky Ilya
Published: October 2023

The continuous zone of settlement long considered a defining feature of Europe, is undergoing spatial framentation along its eastern periphery. Massive areas of rural depopulation have emerged in many regions of European Russia, including its heartland. As a result of farmland abandonment, no fewer than 20 million hectares of arable land are already deserted in European Russia, and more will be left behind in the foreseeable future. The ongoing spatial fragmentation results in two diverging structures, identified on the basis of a unique district‐structured database: an emerging archipelago of commercial farming, and the so‐called black holes, the likely loci of soon‐to‐be‐abandoned land. While land abandonment is by no means a uniquely Russian phenomenon, one of its preconditions in Russia is that farmland was extended beyond environmentally reasonable limits. The rural depopulation naturally leads to the contraction of farmland. Because land that is likely to be retained under cultivation is a better match to people's actual ability to cultivate it, fewer resources are going to be wasted, and the overall efficiency of Russia's agriculture is likely to rise as a result.
“A Useless Thing!” or “Nectar of the Gods?” The Cultural Production of Education and Young Men's Struggles for Respect in Liberalizing North India
Authors: Jeffrey Craig , Jeffery Patricia , Jeffery Roger
Published: October 2023

Drawing on fourteen months' ethnographic field research in western Uttar Pradesh among educated Dalit (ex‐untouchable) and Muslim young men, this article uncovers a crisis in educated people's access to salaried employment in rural north India. Against the grain of other studies of youth underemployment in postcolonial settings, we argue that educated Muslim and Dalit young men have reacted to their exclusion from secure white‐collar occupations by embracing education as a form of embodied cultural distinction rather than seeking out “traditional,”“indigenous,” or “village‐based” identities. Young men elaborate on education's value with reference to a system of differences between moral, civilized, developed “educated” people and immoral, savage, underdeveloped “illiterates.” Education has become a type of discursive “scaffold” upon which people display their ideas about morality, development, and respect. These narratives are compromised and contested and highlight differences in the ability of Muslim and Dalit young men to maintain an image of themselves as educated people. The extraordinary durability of local ideas of development (vikās) in the face of poor occupational outcomes and local variations in young people's ability to maintain development identities point to the importance of the cultural production of education as a field for comparative geographical enquiry.
Resolving the DDT target protein in insects as a subunit of the ATP synthase
Authors: Younis Hassan M. , Abo‐El‐Saad Mahmoud M. , Abdel‐Razik Reda K. , Abo‐Seda Samia A.
Published: October 2023

1,1‐bis‐(p‐Chlorophenyl)‐2,2,2‐trichloroethane (DDT) inhibited the ATP hydrolytic activity of the ATP synthase from a DDT‐susceptible insect (Apis mellifera) as well as a DDT‐tolerant insect (Spodoptera littoralis), and from rat liver and bovine heart in a parallel way to its insecticidal properties and selectivity of action. Inhibition of the ATPase activity of these preparations by DDT was parallel to the poisoning of the source organism with DDT. Furthermore, both the inhibition and poisoning of insects were affected similarly by temperature. Inhibition of the insect enzyme activity by DDT was specific and differed from that by oligomycin or N,N‐dicyclohexylcarbodi‐imide (DCCD). PAGE analysis of the various preparations of the enzyme showed that the inhibition of the enzyme activity by DDT was associated with the presence of a selective protein band with an apparent molecular mass of 23 kDa. This protein band exists in the preparations from the DDT‐susceptible insects but was absent from the preparations of the enzyme from the DDT‐insensitive sources. Removal of this protein band from the enzyme rendered its activity insensitive to inhibition by DDT. The protein was purified directly from mitochondria and the DDT sensitivity was reconstituted upon its addition to the DDT‐insensitive F1‐ATPase. We conclude that this identified protein of the ATP synthase is the DDT target protein in insects.
Cultivation of Acetobacter xylinum for bacterial cellulose production in a modified airlift reactor
Authors: Cheng Hai‐Peng , Wang Pei‐Ming , Chen Jech‐Wei , Wu Wen‐Teng
Published: October 2023

Acetobacter xylinum for bacterial cellulose production was cultivated in a modified airlift reactor. Better results were obtained from the modified reactor than from a conventional bubble column. After 72 h of cultivation, the final concentration of bacterial cellulose was 7.72 g/l and the productivity was 0.107 g/l per h in the modified airlift reactor. The concentration of bacterial cellulose was about three times higher than that produced in the conventional bubble column. Moreover, the bacterial cellulose produced using the modified reactor formed a unique elliptical pellet (the average diameter was 10 mm), which is different from the fibrous form produced using the stirred‐tank reactor. The modified airlift reactor with the suspended bacterial cellulose in pellet form had a higher volumetric oxygen‐transfer coefficient and mixing capability than that with bacterial cellulose in fibrous form. The dissolved oxygen in the modified airlift reactor could be maintained above 35% throughout the cultivation.
Reported speech in individuals with Down syndrome: First evidence
Authors: Neitzel Isabel
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Narratives are enriched by taking the perspective of the protagonists, which can be expressed using reported speech. Nevertheless, the use of reported speech is unaddressed internationally among individuals with Down syndrome.

Method

Narratives of 28 children and adolescents with Down syndrome were collected using a non‐verbal picture book. Occurrence and forms of reported speech were analysed and compared to typically‐developing children (TD; n = 33).

Results

Participants from both populations use reported speech in their narratives with a comparable proportion. Nevertheless, differences appear concerning forms of direct speech with persons with Down syndrome using more free direct speech than TD‐children.

Discussion

The results suggest that children and adolescents are able to implement the use of reported speech regardless of their syntactic impairments. Concerning the occurring forms of direct speech, the results might point to cognitive impairments that manifest in limited consideration of the interlocutor's knowledge.
Functional diversity and community convergence of land snails in the Aegean Sea islands
Authors: Proios Konstantinos , Maroulis Leonidas , Rigal François , Matthews Thomas J. , Cameron Robert A. D. , Sfenthourakis Spyros , Whittaker Robert J. , Vardinoyannis Katerina , Mylonas Moissis , Triantis Kostas A.
Published: October 2023

Aim

Island biological communities are considered to comprise non‐random assemblages from surrounding source pools, but whether they converge towards predictable structural properties remains unclear. Here, we (i) test whether insular communities of land snails converge towards similar functional and/or taxonomic properties and (ii) evaluate whether island functional diversity is determined by island biogeographical characteristics such as area and distance to the pool as well as human‐related variables.

Location

Sixty‐six continental Aegean islands.

Taxon

Land snails.

Methods

We compiled a database of two morphological traits with functional significance (shell height and width) for 163 island species and 1529 species from the major species pools. We quantified inter‐specific morphological dissimilarity between pairs of islands (turnover), using a modified index of the mean nearest taxon distance. We tested for functional and taxonomic convergence using null models and assessing whether overall mean turnover among islands and pairwise island‐by‐island turnover were lower than expected by chance. We performed multiple regression analyses to test whether functional diversity metrics scale with island biogeographical characteristics and human‐related variables.

Results

Our analyses provide strong evidence that communities of land snails across the Aegean islands converge towards non‐random functional properties and taxonomic structure. At the island level, a wide range of different shell shapes is observed, indicating greater functional richness than expected by chance. Regression analyses showed that island area is the only efficient predictor of functional diversity, indicating that available ecological/resource space is of central importance in driving the assembly of different shell shapes.

Main Conclusions

Our findings, consistent with previous studies of other taxa from oceanic islands, highlight that island species communities are not randomly assembled and display convergence in their functional and taxonomic composition. Integrating functional diversity metrics within biogeographic analyses has the potential to further our understanding of island biodiversity patterns.
Biogeographical variation in migratory patterns of palearctic breeding Greater White‐fronted Geese
Authors: Zhang Junjian , Deng Xueqin , Zhao Qingshan , Solovyeva Diana , Kölzsch Andrea , Bysykatova‐Harmey Inga , Xu Zhenggang , Xie Yanbo , Kruckenberg Helmut , Cao Lei , Fox Anthony David
Published: October 2023

Aim

Continental comparisons of migration strategies within and between populations of single species are rare but can be insightful to understand key environmental factors shaping differences in migration systems. We investigated differences in stopover networks and migration strategies between three separate Eurasia Greater White‐fronted Geese (GWFG) Anser albifrons populations to better understand how each overcomes the different topographic challenges faced along their migration routes during spring and autumn.

Location

Eurasia.

Taxon

Birds.

Methods

Using 106 (autumn) and 65 (spring) tracks from tagged GWFG from three Eurasian populations (Baltic‐North Sea [BNS] in the west; East Asia Continental [EAC] and West Pacific [WP] in the east), we generated stopover networks, calculated network metrics, quantified migration parameters and compared variation between populations and seasons.

Results

BNS showed largest network size, shortest average geodesic distance in both seasons, shortest migration distances, most stopover sites, longest stopover duration and shortest step length. EAC showed longest migration distance and second maximal flight length (>1600 km). WP showed shortest migration durations and longest maximal flight length (>2500 km). Summering ground arrival dates did not differ between populations. Autumn migration duration was shorter and migration speed faster than in spring in all populations.

Main Conclusions

We infer lack of obvious ecological barriers to BNS geese shapes their frequent stopovers of short duration. In contrast, EAC geese face two major ecological barriers (3100 km boreal forest, high mountains, dense human settlement and ocean) and WP geese must pass c. 2400 km of forest, mountains and ocean along their migration corridors, necessitating longer staging and migration segments of greater duration. We conclude that, despite almost identical body plan, all populations respond to radically different topographic challenges, adapting to meet these using different movement strategies, balancing migration schedule and fat accumulation patterns with availability and quality of stopovers.
Detecting Multidimensional DIF in Polytomous Items with IRT Methods and Estimation Approaches
Authors: Yavuz Temel Güler
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this study was to investigate multidimensional DIF with a simple and nonsimple structure in the context of multidimensional Graded Response Model (MGRM). This study examined and compared the performance of the IRT‐LR and Wald test using MML‐EM and MHRM estimation approaches with different test factors and test structures in simulation studies and applying real data sets. When the test structure included two dimensions, the IRT‐LR (MML‐EM) generally performed better than the Wald test and provided higher power rates. If the test included three dimensions, the methods provided similar performance in DIF detection. In contrast to these results, when the number of dimensions in the test was four, MML‐EM estimation completely lost precision in estimating the nonuniform DIF, even with large sample sizes. The Wald with MHRM estimation approaches outperformed the Wald test (MML‐EM) and IRT‐LR (MML‐EM). The Wald test had higher power rate and acceptable type I error rates for nonuniform DIF with the MHRM estimation approach.The small and/or unbalanced sample sizes, small DIF magnitudes, unequal ability distributions between groups, number of dimensions, estimation methods and test structure were evaluated as important test factors for detecting multidimensional DIF.
Untangling the taxonomic ambiguities of the spotted seerfish Scomberomorus guttatus with the description of a new species from India
Authors: Abdussamad Eruppakkottil M. , Toji Thomas , Margaret Amalraj M. R. , Mini Kalappurakkal G. , Rajesh Kothanahally M. , Azeez Pokkathappada A. , Ramar Vinothkumar , Retheesh Thayichira B. , Abbas Athikkattil M. , Shihab Ismail , George Sneha M. , Prathibha Rohith , Gopalakrishnan Achamveettil
Published: October 2023

Scomberomorus guttatus has been subjected to a series of synonym assignations over the years. Its taxonomy has been mired with ambiguities due to the greater‐than‐average morphological variations observed in samples from different regions. An integrated taxonomic revision with molecular support indicated that the species that was thought to be a single entity, in reality, is a complex of three distinct species. They are morphologically distinct with respect to the body depth and elongation, cephalic morphometry, and meristic characteristics. Otolith morphometry and phylogenetic evidence further established the taxonomic divergence within the spotted seerfish complex. The phylogenetic characteristic as indicated by the mitochondrial Cytochrome c Oxidase subunit I (COI) sequence unveiled that S. guttatus had a high intraspecific divergence of 11.1% from its two identical congeners and a divergence of 2.34% between the congeners, indicating scope for categorizing them as separate species. Based on the morphological and molecular evidence, S. guttatus is redescribed; the senior synonym Scomberomorus leopardus is resurrected as a valid species; and a new species Scomberomorus avirostrus n. sp. is described with keys for species distinction.
Fish processing side streams are promising ingredients in diets for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) —Effects on growth physiology, appetite, and intestinal health
Authors: Warwas Niklas , Langeland Markus , Roques Jonathan A. C. , Montjouridès Marie , Smeets Jolie , Sundh Henrik , Jönsson Elisabeth , Sundell Kristina
Published: October 2023

Due to the growth of aquaculture and the finite supply of fishmeal and oil, alternative marine protein and lipid sources are highly sought after. Particularly promising is the use of side streams from the fish processing industry, allowing for the recovery and retention of otherwise lost nutrients in the food production chain. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential of three fish processing side streams as fish feed ingredients. The side streams originated from different stages of the production chain, were used without further processing, and included sprat trimmings (heads, frames, viscera), marinated herring (fillets), and mackerel in tomato sauce (fillets and sauce). The three side streams contained moderate levels of protein (28–32% dry matter) and high levels of lipid (34–43%). The sprat trimmings included ca. 29% ash and 1.5% phosphorous, which may add value due to the high level of essential minerals but needs to be considered in feed formulations. Three diets were formulated to include 50% of each side stream replacing all fishmeal and ca. 80% of the fish oil of the control diet, which contained 35% fishmeal and 10% fish oil. The diets were evaluated in a 12‐week feeding trial using rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Fish fed the sprat diet displayed the highest feed intake and growth and showed no negative effects on the intestinal health. The mackerel side stream displayed a good digestibility but resulted in lower growth rates compared to the sprat trimmings. Fish fed the herring diet displayed the lowest performance regarding growth, feed intake, and digestibility. They further exhibited a reduction in nutrient uptake in both proximal and distal intestines, likely contributing to the observed lower digestibility and growth, and a reduction in plasma ghrelin levels. As part of a circular approach to increase marine lipid and protein production for fish feed, the tested sprat and mackerel side streams are promising raw materials; however, additional studies using more commercial‐like feed formulations are encouraged.