bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of immune status in testis and macrophage polarization associated with testicular damage in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia
Authors: Zheng Wenzhong , Zhang Shiqiang , Jiang Shaoqin , Huang Zhangcheng , Chen Xiaobao , Guo Huan , Li Mengqiang , Zheng Song
Published: July 2021

Objective

Immune cells residing in the testicular interstitial space form the immunological microenvironment of the testis. They are assumed to play a role in maintaining testicular homeostasis and immune privilege. However, the immune status and related cell polarization in patients with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) remains poorly characterized. System evaluation of the testis immunological microenvironment in NOA patients may help to reveal the mechanisms of idiopathic azoospermia.

Study design

The gene expression patterns of immune cells in normal human testes were systematically analyzed by single‐cell RNA sequencing (scRNA‐seq) and preliminarily verification by the human protein atlas (HPA) online database. The immune cell infiltration profiles and immune status of patients with NOA was analyzed by single‐sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) based on four independent public microarray datasets (GSE45885, GSE45887, GSE9210, and GSE145467), obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) online database. The relationship between immune cells and spermatogenesis score was further analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis. Finally, immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining was performed to identify the main immune cell types and their polarization status in patients with NOA.

Results

Both scRNA‐seq and HPA analysis showed that testicular macrophages represent the largest pool of immune cells in the normal testis, and also exhibit an attenuated inflammatory response by expressing high levels of tolerance proteins (CD163, IL‐10, TGF‐β, and VEGF) and reduced expression of TLR signaling pathway‐related genes. Correlation analysis revealed that the testicular immune score and macrophages including M1 and M2 macrophages were significantly negatively correlated with spermatogenesis score in patients with NOA (GSE45885 and GSE45887). In addition, the number of M1 and M2 macrophages was significantly higher in patients with NOA (GSE9210 and GSE145467) than in normal testis. GSVA analysis indicated that the immunological microenvironment in NOA tissues was manifested by activated immune system and pro‐inflammatory status. IHC staining results showed that the number of M1 and M2 macrophages was significantly higher in NOA tissues than in normal testis and negatively correlated with the Johnson score.

Conclusion

Testicular macrophage polarization may play a vital role in NOA development and is a promising potential therapeutic target.
Grief and Border‐Crossing Rage
Authors: Rosas Gilberto
Published: July 2021

In 2019, a White Nationalist shooting occurred in El Paso in the wake of Trump’s administration’s efforts to dramatically curtail immigration, asylum‐seeking, and other kinds of border crossing. The essay draws on the reflexive anthropology of Renato Rosaldo and related bodies of theory to examine the shooting. Its linkages to US border and immigration policy, including family separation, crystallize both how unsettling mass movements of people evident at borders may be and the significance of extremist, if not settler, violence to contemporary liberal societies.
Genetics and pathophysiology of haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
Authors: Meeths Marie , Bryceson Yenan T.
Published: July 2021

Haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) represents a life‐threatening hyperinflammatory syndrome. Familial studies have established autosomal and X‐linked recessive causes of HLH, highlighting a pivotal role for lymphocyte cytotoxicity in the control of certain virus infections and immunoregulation. Recently, a more complex etiological framework has emerged, linking HLH predisposition to variants in genes required for metabolism or immunity to intracellular pathogens. We review genetic predisposition to HLH and discuss how molecular insights have provided fundamental knowledge of the immune system as well as detailed pathophysiological understanding of hyperinflammatory diseases, highlighting new treatment strategies.
Number needed to treat for net effect of anticoagulation in atrial fibrillation: Real‐world vs. clinical‐trial evidence
Authors: Ding Wern Yew , Rivera‐Caravaca José Miguel , Marín Francisco , Li Guowei , Roldán Vanessa , Lip Gregory Y. H.
Published: July 2021

Aims

The net benefit of oral anticoagulants (OACs) in atrial fibrillation (AF) is poorly understood. We aimed to determine the NNT for net effect (NNTnet) using calculator of absolute stroke risk (CARS) in anticoagulated patients with AF in real‐world and clinical trial cohorts.

Methods

Post‐hoc analysis of patient‐level data from the real‐world Murcia AF Project and AMADEUS clinical trial. Baseline risk of stroke was determined using CARS. The risk of stroke and major bleeding events with OAC were determined using the number of respective events at 1‐year. NNTnet was calculated as a reciprocal of the net effect of absolute risk reduction with OAC (NNTnet = 1/(absolute risk reduction of stroke[ARRstroke] − absolute risk increase of major bleeding[ARIbleeding])).

Results

In total, 3511 patients were included (1306 [37.2%] real‐world patients and 2205 [62.8%] clinical trial participants). The absolute 1‐year stroke risk was similar across both cohorts. In the real‐world cohort, OAC was associated with a 4.0% ARRstroke, 25 NNTbenefit, 1.0% ARIbleeding, 100 NNTharm and 34 NNTnet. In the clinical trial cohort, OAC was associated with a 3.8% ARRstroke, 27 NNTbenefit, 1.6% ARIbleeding, 63 NNTharm and 46 NNTnet. In both cohorts, the NNTnet was significantly lower in patients with an excess stroke risk of ≥2% by CARS.

Conclusion

Overall, the NNTnet approach in AF incorporates information regarding baseline risk of stroke and major bleeding, and relative effects of OAC with the potential to include multiple additional outcomes and weighting of events based on their perceived effects by individual patients.
Honokiol inhibits proliferation of colorectal cancer cells by targeting anoctamin 1/TMEM16A Ca2+‐activated Cl− channels
Authors: Wang Tianyu , Wang Hui , Yang Fan , Gao Kuan , Luo Shuya , Bai Lichuan , Ma Ke , Liu Mei , Wu Shuwei , Wang Huijie , Chen Zaixing , Xiao Qinghuan
Published: July 2021

Background and Purpose

Ca2+‐activated Cl− channels (Ano1 channels) contribute to the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. Honokiol is known to inhibit cell proliferation and tumour growth in colorectal cancer. However, the molecular target of honokiol remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether honokiol inhibited cell proliferation of colorectal cancer by targeting Ano1 channels.

Experimental Approach

Patch‐clamp techniques were performed to study the effect of honokiol on Ca2+‐activated Cl− currents in HEK293 cells overexpressing Ano1‐ or Ano2‐containing plasmids or in human colorectal carcinoma SW620 cells. Site‐directed mutagenesis was used to identify the critical residues for honokiol‐induced Ano1 inhibition. Proliferation of SW620 cells or human intestinal epithelial NCM460 cells by CCK‐8 assays.

Key Results

Honokiol blocked Ano1 currents in Ano1‐overexpressing HEK293 cells and SW620 cells. Honokiol more potently inhibited Ano1 currents than Ano2 currents. Three amino acids (R429, K430 and N435) were critical for honokiol‐induced Ano1 inhibition. The R429A/K430L/N435G mutation reduced the sensitivity of Ano1 to honokiol. Honokiol inhibited SW620 cell proliferation, and this effect was reduced by Ano1‐shRNAs. Furthermore, Ano1 overexpression promoted proliferation in NCM460 cells with low Ano1 endogenous expression and resulted in an increased sensitivity to honokiol. Overexpression of the R429A/K430L/N435G mutation reduced WT Ano1‐induced increase in the sensitivity of NCM460 cells to honokiol.

Conclusion and Implications

We identified a new anticancer mechanism of honokiol, through the inhibition of cell proliferation, by targeting Ano1 Ca2+‐activated Cl− channels.
Assessing the population‐level conservation effects of marine protected areas
Authors: Ovando Daniel , Caselle Jennifer E. , Costello Christopher , Deschenes Olivier , Gaines Steven D. , Hilborn Ray , Liu Owen
Published: July 2021

Marine protected areas (MPAs) cover 3–7% of the world's ocean, and international organizations call for 30% coverage by 2030. Although numerous studies show that MPAs produce conservation benefits inside their borders, many MPAs are also justified on the grounds that they confer conservation benefits to the connected populations that span beyond their borders. A network of MPAs covering roughly 20% of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary was established in 2003, with a goal of providing regional conservation and fishery benefits. We used a spatially explicit bioeconomic simulation model and a Bayesian difference‐in‐difference regression to examine the conditions under which MPAs can provide population‐level conservation benefits inside and outside their borders and to assess evidence of those benefits in the Channel Islands. As of 2017, we estimated that biomass densities of targeted fin‐fish had a median value 81% higher (90% credible interval: 23–148) inside the Channel Island MPAs than outside. However, we found no clear effect of these MPAs on mean total biomass densities at the population level: estimated median effect was –7% (90% credible interval: –31 to 23) from 2015 to 2017. Our simulation model showed that effect sizes of MPAs of <30% were likely to be difficult to detect (even when they were present); smaller effect sizes (which are likely to be common) were even harder to detect. Clearly, communicating expectations and uncertainties around MPAs is critical to ensuring that MPAs are effective. We provide a novel assessment of the population‐level effects of a large MPA network across many different species of targeted fin‐fish, and our results offer guidance for communities charged with monitoring and adapting MPAs.
Long‐term survival outcomes and prognostic factors related to ruptured intracranial aneurysms: A comparison of surgical and endovascular options in a propensity score–matched, nationwide population‐based cohort study
Authors: Lo Yang‐Lan , Li Ming‐Chang , Yu Ying‐Hui , Chen Ho‐Min , Wu Szu‐Yuan
Published: July 2021

Background and purpose

To determine the long‐term survival outcomes of and prognostic factors for survival in patients with a ruptured intracranial aneurysm (RIA) who underwent endovascular coil embolization or surgical clipping.

Methods

We selected patients who had received a diagnosis of RIA between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2017. Propensity score matching was performed, and Cox proportional hazards model curves were plotted to analyze all‐cause mortality in patients undergoing different treatments.

Results

The matching process yielded a final cohort of 8102 patients (4051 and 4051 in endovascular coil embolization and surgical clipping groups, respectively) who were eligible for inclusion. In multivariate Cox regression analyses, the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for endovascular coil embolization compared with surgical clipping were 0.87 (95% CI, 0.79–0.97). The aHRs for the ages of 65 to 74, 75 to 84, and ≥85 years compared with the ages of 20 to 64 years were 1.82 (95% CI, 1.60–2.07), 3.35 (95% CI, 2.93–3.84), and 6.99 (95% CI, 5.51–8.86), respectively. Surgical clipping; old age; male sex; treatment during 2011 to 2013; presence of diabetes, congestive heart failure, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, or end‐stage renal disease; history of stroke or transient ischemic attack; Charlson Comorbidity Index ≥2; attendance of nonacademic hospitals; and low income were significant independent prognostic factors for poor survival.

Conclusions

Compared with surgical clipping, endovascular coil embolization led to more favorable survival outcomes in patients with RIAs.
The EU return system under the Pact on Migration and Asylum: A case of tipped interinstitutional balance?
Authors: Majcher Izabella
Published: July 2021

The article holistically discusses the alleged new EU return system which the Pact on Migration and Asylum heralds. Absent any impact assessment accompanying the key draft legislative measures and any implementation report regarding the existing legislative instruments following the 2015 refugee‐protection crisis, it provides both a substantial and a formal assessment of the proposed reform. A substantial analysis reveals that the two main objectives of the EU return system, namely effectiveness and human rights compliance, are pitted against each other to the detriment of human rights compliance and that effectiveness is questionably narrowed to return rate. Looking at the key components of the return system under the Pact and taking into account past interinstitutional negotiations in the field, it shows that the draft proposals are not conducive to fulfilling these objectives. From a formal standpoint, the article questions the weight of the Commission's proposals on the future outcome of the current negotiations based on their lack of legitimacy.
RQCSNet: A deep learning approach to quantized compressed sensing of remote sensing images
Authors: Mirrashid Alireza , Shirazi Ali‐Asghar Beheshti
Published: July 2021

In this article, a deep neural network is proposed that can be used to perform a quantized compressed sensing of remote sensing images. This network, dubbed RQCSNet consists of three parts: sensing, nonlinear quantization, and reconstruction. All network's parts are trained simultaneously according to the input data. RQCSNet has fully convolutional architecture, and it can work with different resolutions of the input images without the need for large initial fully connected layers. Furthermore, its structure reduces the blocky artefacts in the final reconstructed images by considering the effects of different image blocks in the reconstruction process. The proposed model has the ability to learn the nonlinear quantization function according to the input data and sending the measured values from the transmitter to the receiver with a fewer bit budget. Also, RQCSNet can learn the compressed sensing reconstruction algorithm without initial image reconstruction (that is usually the first step of reconstruction in other models), which reduces network flops. The results are presented on standard datasets of UCMerced as a remote sensing data that is the main concentration of this article, and as well as the set11 which is a dataset widely used for the benchmark of the state‐of‐the‐art models. The experiments show that RQCSNet has a better performance than existing models in terms of the quality of image reconstruction and time complexity. As a benchmark, our network has a mean PSNR improvement of about 1.2 dB in reconstructed images compared to available techniques, at a measurement rate of 0.25. The effect of adding noise to the quantized measured data from the transmitter to the receiver at the time of transmission is also investigated in this article, and it is shown that the quality of image reconstruction will be robust to the noise once adding a noise layer to the network during training.
Living with spousal loss: Continuing bonds and boundaries in remarried widows’ marital relationships
Authors: Dekel Rachel , Shorer Shai , Nuttman‐Shwartz Orit
Published: July 2021

The grief literature emphasizes widows’ continuing bonds with their deceased spouses as a significant part of their grief process. Yet, little is known about what happens to those bonds when a widow remarries and there is a second spouse, and how these bonds are dealt with by the new family members. This study explored the continuing bonds of remarried Israeli widows, the role the second spouse plays in these processes, and the ambiguity and permeability of the boundaries between the first and the second marital relationships. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 29 Israeli remarried military widows, over three decades after their first husbands’ deaths. Data were analyzed by using thematic content analysis. Findings revealed that most of the women maintained continuing bonds with their deceased husbands, whereas a few of them severed these bonds. In all of the scenarios, however, the second husband played a major role, resulting in different levels of boundaries, from strict to blurred, between the first and the second marriages. These findings suggest that in order to obtain a full understanding of grief's impact on the second marital relationship, grief should be considered a couple‐hood process in which the boundaries between the relationships are dynamic. The association between these patterns and personal and marital adjustment should be further explored.
Dom António and the early modern Iberian world: Global approaches to the Portuguese succession crisis of 1580
Authors: McTaggart Heather
Published: July 2021

Early modern Iberian history has enjoyed renewed interest over the last 2 decades or so, with historians utilizing connected historical and global approaches to untangle interactions between various peoples within a vast empire. These studies have accounted for the unique social constructions within the Iberian world, and contended with questions regarding the political integration of Spain and Portugal during the Iberian Union (1581–1640). Scholars have attempted to complicate previous nationalistic interpretations of this period and looked at the institutional and cultural interactions within the Iberian Peninsula and its overseas territories. However, scholars have omitted serious examinations of Dom António's claim to the Portuguese crown during and after the dynastic crisis of 1580, as well as to the imperial and global dimensions of his candidacy. This article considers how the candidacy of Dom António and the Portuguese succession crisis can contribute to understandings of diplomatic interaction and more generally the negotiation of power in the Iberian world.
Delivering eye health education to deprived communities in India through a social media‐based innovation
Authors: Maitra Chandrani , Rowley Jenny
Published: July 2021

In this article, Chandrani Maitra, with her supervisor, Prof. Jennifer Rowley, reports on her PhD research conducted at Manchester Metropolitan University. This research aimed to develop understanding of the benefits of, and the challenges associated with the use of social media to disseminate eye health information in deprived communities in India. Such communities typically have a low level of access to health information, as the result of poor literacy, poverty, lack of women's empowerment, cultural practices, society dynamics, and medical malpractice. This study used an intervention based on the social media platform, WhatsApp, to educate a group of women volunteers so that they were able to contribute to the management of the eye health of their family, friends, and neighbours. Interviews were conducted with deprived community members (DCMs), community healthcare advocates (CHAs) and, healthcare professionals (HCPs). The DCMs reported a number of benefits associated with their participation in the eye health intervention. CHAs and HCPs agreed that an extended roll out of the intervention had potential to deliver benefits, but expressed concerns that some of the ongoing social challenges facing deprived communities might act as barriers to progress. F.J.
Audit committee strength and auditors' risk assessments: The moderating role of CEO narcissism
Authors: Zengin‐Karaibrahimoglu Yasemin , Emanuels Jim , Gold Anna , Wallage Philip
Published: July 2021

This paper examines the impact of two elements of the client's control environment on auditor's assessment of the risk of material misstatement: audit committee strength and CEO narcissism, the latter of which is a component of management philosophy, operating style, and tone at the top. We predict and find that auditors' risk assessments are adequately responsive to both elements; however, importantly, a strong audit committee decreases perceived risk assessments only when the client has a CEO with less narcissistic characteristics. In other words, our findings suggest that the presence of narcissistic CEOs' attitudes weakens the perceived audit committee effectiveness, leading auditors to rely less on a strong audit committee. Our findings contribute to the auditing literature by exploring auditors' responses to the complex dynamics between management boards and those charged with governance. From a practical perspective, our results suggest that auditing standards and practice guidance should consider making such complexities and the role of management attitudes and styles even more explicit.
Feasibility of using exogenous pectin to improve water redispersibility and viscoelasticity of reconstituted dried nanofibrillated cellulose from cabbage outer leaves
Authors: Rodkantuk Khanisorn , Chiewchan Naphaporn , Devahastin Sakamon
Published: July 2021

Since endogenous pectin has been reported to improve water redispersibility of dried nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), feasibility of using exogenous pectin to achieve such a purpose when NFC was prepared from a material with minute amount of pectin was investigated. Cabbage outer leaves, which are by‐product with low pectin content, were selected as the test material. Prior to defibrillation, commercial citrus pectin at different concentrations was autoclaved at 130 °C for 2 h with the cabbage. After hot air drying at 60 °C, dried NFC samples with 43%–44% (dry mass) cellulose and varying pectin contents were obtained. Freshly prepared NFC suspensions exhibited desirable gel‐like behaviour, while suspensions prepared from dried NFC did not. Aggregation of NFC was clearly seen from microstructural images although the contents of pectin were believed to be adequate. Hydrolysis of exogenous pectin during autoclaving into low molecular‐weight oligomers was noted to be responsible for such incapability.
An observation of a potential metastatic mimic in bone marrow aspirate smears
Authors: Gouda Prabhu , Mazumder Sujaya , Anbalagan Anandhi , Kar Rakhee
Published: July 2021

We present an interesting observation of crushed erythroid precursors in bone marrow aspirate smears mimicking metastatic deposits. These artefactual clusters could be due to anticoagulation with ethylenediaminetetraacetic and also due to shearing forces exerted on the cells during aspiration and smearing. It is important to be aware of this potential mimic as in a given clinical context it can get misdiagnosed as metastasis.
Connecting content and structure: A review of mechanisms in entrepreneurs’ social networks
Authors: van Burg Elco , Elfring Tom , Cornelissen Joep P.
Published: July 2021

Network studies in the entrepreneurship domain suffer from an incomplete theorization of how the content of social capital relates to network relationships and structures in which entrepreneurs are embedded or embed themselves. This study presents a systematic review of the various ways in which the interaction between content (e.g. cognition and resources) and social structure has been studied within entrepreneurship. Based on this review, we develop a more integrative account of the underlying action mechanisms that link the content and structure of social capital. These mechanisms cut across different research traditions and align areas of entrepreneurship research. In this way, we contribute an integrative review of prior work and a formative set of directions for further theorizing and research on social capital, networks and entrepreneurship.
Prevalence and severity of verbal, physical, and sexual inpatient violence against nurses in Swiss psychiatric hospitals and associated nurse‐related characteristics: Cross‐sectional multicentre study
Authors: Schlup Nanja , Gehri Beatrice , Simon Michael
Published: July 2021

This analysis (1) describes the prevalence and severity of psychiatric inpatient violence against nurses in Switzerland’s German‐speaking region and (2) investigates the associations between nurse‐related characteristics (socio‐demographics; previous exposure to severe forms of psychiatric inpatient violence; attitude towards psychiatric inpatient violence) and nurses’ exposure to various types of psychiatric inpatient violence. We used cross‐sectional survey data from the MatchRN Psychiatry study sample of 1128 nurses working on 115 units across 13 psychiatric hospitals. In addition to lifetime severe assaults, nurses’ exposure to violence against property, verbal violence, verbal sexual violence, physical violence, and physical sexual violence was assessed for the 30 days prior to the survey. Descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) were calculated for each class of violence as also for items under study. With generalized linear mixed models, odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Of nurse respondents, 73% reported facing verbal violence, 63% violence against property, 40% verbal sexual violence, 28% physical violence, and 14% physical sexual violence. Almost 30% had been subjected to a serious assault in their professional lifetimes. All nurse characteristics were associated with psychiatric inpatient violence against nurses, especially a history of sexual assault (OR 4.53, 95%‐CI 2.19–9.34; P = 0.00) and ≤3 years’ professional experience (OR 3.70, 95%‐CI 1.95–7.02; P = 0.00). Prevalence data suggest that widely used strategies such as aggression management courses or alarm devices cannot fully reduce patient violence against nurses in psychiatry. This situation demands proactive strategies in safety and violence prevention.
Trade Union Legitimacy and Legitimation Politics in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Wright Chris F. , McLaughlin Colm
Published: July 2021

This article analyzes how engagement in legitimation politics in Australia and New Zealand has enabled unions to influence the industrial relations policy process. It demonstrates how enhanced moral legitimacy with the wider public positively impacts unions’ pragmatic legitimacy with governing political parties. Drawing on Grant’s insider–outsider typology, we show how enhanced legitimacy can increase unions’ power resources as insider groups with center‐left and, to a lesser extent, center‐right governing parties, which can enable greater influence over industrial relations policy.
Biochemical variability in sponges across the Caribbean basin
Authors: Clayshulte Abraham Amelia , Gochfeld Deborah J. , Macartney Keir , Mellor Amelia , Lesser Michael P. , Slattery Marc
Published: July 2021

Sponges are a diverse phylum of sessile filter‐feeding invertebrates that are abundant on Caribbean reefs and provide essential ecological services, including nutrient cycling, reef stabilization, habitat, and food for a variety of fishes and invertebrates. As prominent members of the benthic community, and thus potential food resources, factors determining the biochemical and energetic content of sponges will affect their trophic contributions to coral reef ecosystems. In order to evaluate the influence of geographic variation on biochemical composition and energetic content in the tissue of sponges, we collected several common and widespread species (Agelas conifera, Agelas tubulata, Amphimedon compressa, Aplysina cauliformis, Niphates amorpha, Niphates erecta, and Xestospongia muta) from multiple shallow reefs in four countries across the Caribbean Basin, including Belize, Curaçao, Grand Cayman, and St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. In addition, we correlated inherent species‐level traits, including the production of antipredator chemical defenses and the relative abundance of microbial symbionts, with biochemical and energetic content. We found that energetic content was higher in sponges with antipredator chemical defenses, and was significantly correlated with the concentration of chemical extracts from these sponges. We also noted that sponges with high microbial abundance contained significantly more soluble protein than sponges with low microbial abundance. Finally, both biochemical and energetic content varied significantly among sponges from different locations; sponges from Grand Cayman had the highest lipid and energetic content, whereas sponges from Belize had the highest carbohydrate content but lowest energetic content. Despite similar environmental conditions at these sites, our results demonstrate that biochemical and energetic content of sponges exhibits geographic variability, with potential implications for the trophic ecology of sponges throughout the Caribbean Basin.
Knowledge and practice of diabetic foot care and the prevalence of diabetic foot ulcers among diabetic patients of selected hospitals in the Volta Region, Ghana
Authors: Tuglo Lawrence Sena , Nyande Felix Kwasi , Agordoh Percival Delali , Nartey Eunice Berko , Pan Zhongqin , Logosu Lydia , Dei‐Hlorlewu Atsu Eyram , Haligah Desire Koku , Osafo Linda , Taful Simon , Chu Minjie
Published: July 2021

Diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are a common but serious complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). The factors distressing the worth of diabetic foot care (DFC) are knowledge and practice. Foot ulcers are the main cause of amputation and death in people suffering from DM. This study assessed the knowledge and practice of DFC and the prevalence of DFUs and its associated factors among diabetic patients of selected hospitals in the Volta Region, Ghana. A multihospital‐based cross‐sectional study was conducted among 473 patients with DM who were recruited using the systematic sampling method. Data were collected using a validated, pretested, and structured questionnaire, while medical variables were obtained from patient folders and analysed using SPSS version 23. All statistically significant parameters in bivariate analysis were incorporated in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. The results showed that 63% of diabetic patients had good knowledge of DFC, while 49% competently practiced it. A negative correlation was found between knowledge and practice levels of DFC (r = −0.15, P = <.01). The prevalence of DFUs was 8.7% among the studied diabetic patients. Male diabetic patients were 3.4 times more likely to develop DFUs than female diabetic patients (crude odd ratio [cOR] = 3.35; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.75‐6.43; P = <.001). Type 1 diabetic patients were five times more likely to develop DFUs than those who had type 2 diabetes (cOR = 5.00; 95% CI = 2.50‐10.00; P = <.001). Diabetic patients who had a family history of diabetes were 4.7 times more likely to develop DFUs than those without family history (adjusted odd ratio [aOR] = 4.66; 95% CI = 1.55‐13.89; P = .006). Those who had diabetes for 5 to 10 years were 3.3 times more likely to develop DFUs than those who had diabetes for less than 5 years (aOR = 3.28; 95% CI = 1.40‐7.67; P = .006). Diabetic patients who had comorbidity were 3.4 times more likely to develop DFUs than those without comorbidity (cOR = 3.35; 95% CI = 1.74‐6.45; P = <.001). The study found that there was good knowledge but poor practices of DFC among patients. Health care providers are expected to better educate patients and emphasise self‐care practices to patients. Health care providers should also give more attention to patients with associated risk factors to avoid further complications and reduce the occurrence of DFUs.
Conduction properties of Ti‐doped NaTaO3 at intermediate temperature
Authors: Chen Ximu , Hatada Naoyuki , Toyoura Kazuaki , Uda Tetsuya
Published: July 2021

In this work, the ionic conductivity and charge carriers of acceptor‐doped sodium tantalate (NaTaO3) with perovskite structure were investigated at intermediate temperatures. The Ta‐site of NaTaO3 was doped with up to 20% titanium (Ti) with the conventional solid‐state reaction method. After calcination at 900°C, samples nominally doped with 5, 10% Ti show X‐ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of orthorhombic NaTaO3 only, while peaks of Na2Ti3O7 can be observed in those doped with 15, 20% Ti. The conductivity of undoped, 5% Ti and 10% Ti‐doped NaTaO3 at 300°C–700°C was measured with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) under dry and wet O2 atmospheres. Ti‐doped NaTaO3 samples have higher conductivity in the wet atmosphere than in the dry atmosphere, reaching 3 × 10−4 S/cm at 700°C (10% Ti‐doped NaTaO3), which confirms the hydration and proton conduction in Ti‐doped NaTaO3. Through the investigation on the dependence of conductivity on oxygen partial pressure, hole conduction in an oxidizing atmosphere, and electron conduction in reducing atmosphere can be verified. Na+ conduction was proven to be negligible with direct current polarization.
A method of information fusion for identification of rice seed varieties based on hyperspectral imaging technology
Authors: Sun Jun , Zhang Lin , Zhou Xin , Yao Kunshan , Tian Yan , Nirere Adria
Published: July 2021

Accurate, rapid, and nondestructive identification of rice seed varieties has great significance for agriculture and food security, a method based on information fusion and artificial fish swarm algorithm (AFSA) combined with the hyperspectral imaging (HSI) of five kinds of rice seeds was proposed in this work. First, the spectral and image data were obtained from HSI, and the spectral data were preprocessed by detrending. Then, bootstrapping soft shrinkage (BOSS), variable iterative space shrinkage approach, successive projections algorithm, and principal component analysis were adopted to select feature variables from the spectral and image data. Next, the support vector machine (SVM) model was constructed based on the spectral and image feature variables. In order to further improve the classification accuracy of single feature model, the model based on fused feature was developed and it was finally optimized by AFSA. The research showed that the feature variables (114 spectral variables and 11 image variables) selected by BOSS were representative, and the model accuracy based on BOSS spectral and image features reached 91.48% and 70%, respectively. The performance of the SVM model based on fused feature was improved significantly, and the model accuracy reached 97.22%. After AFSA optimization, the model accuracy finally reached 99.44%. The above result confirmed that using AFSA to optimize the model based on fused feature could be a promising method to identify rice seed varieties.

Practical application

Rapid and accurate identification of rice seed varieties contributes to establishment of online rice seed identification system. HSI combined with information fusion and AFSA can overcome the disadvantage of low accuracy of traditional nondestructive testing methods. The method proposed in this article can be recommended to be widely popularized in farms, grain markets, and market regulators.
Development of an efficient plant dual cytosine and adenine editor
Authors: Xu Rongfang , Kong Fanna , Qin Ruiying , Li Juan , Liu Xiaoshuang , Wei Pengcheng
Published: July 2021

An enhanced CDA‐like (eCDAL) was established from Japanese lamprey CDA1‐like 4 to achieve a high editing frequency in a broad region as a C‐terminal cytosine base editors (CT‐CBE). Then, a novel plant dual‐base editor version 1(pDuBE1) was developed by integrating TadA‐8e into eCDAL. The editing efficiency of pDuBE1 could reach to 87.6%, with frequencies of concurrent A‐to‐G and C‐to‐T conversions as high as 49.7% in stably transformed plant cells. Our results showed that pDuBE1 could mediate robust dual editing in plant genome, providing a powerful manipulation tool for precise crop breeding and screening platforms for in planta direct evolution.
Transforming Mongolian Wedding Speech Genres in Bilingual Bicultural Urban Inner Mongolia
Authors: Baioud Gegentuul
Published: July 2021

In Mongolian culture, wedding speeches are a traditional component of a marriage celebration, but in bilingual, bicultural urban Inner Mongolia, China, two hybrid genres have emerged which reflect competing ideologies of languages and speakers. There can be a Mongolian performance with a commentary in Chinese, or a blended Mongolian and Chinese language performance. In these hybrids, Mongolian is often associated with a minority status but an authentic tradition, while Chinese seems to represent a modern majority, but alien, culture. By situating the hybrid and bilingual Mongolian wedding speech genre in the contexts of Mongolian cultural loss and revival, urbanization, and the increasing weight of the Chinese state’s political discourse in public space, the study unravels the complexity and contestations inherent in a hybridized traditional Mongolian speech genre. Drawing on the inherent duality of genre, that is its boundedness/monology and its plasticity/heteroglossia, this paper presents ethnographic evidence of these sociolinguistic representations, and contributes to the understanding of hybrid genre, agency, and a transforming expressive culture in the context of social displacement, cultural shift, and internal colonization in China.
Comparison of lipid deposition of intramuscular preadipocytes in Tan sheep co‐cultured with satellite cells or alone
Authors: Xu Xiaochun , Zhao Rui , Ma Wenping , Zhao Qingmei , Zhang Guijie
Published: July 2021

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the skeletal muscle satellite cells (SMSCs) on the lipid deposition of the intramuscular preadipocytes (IMPs) in a co‐culture system of the Tan sheep cells. The SMSCs and IMPs from Tan sheep were separated and cultured. After the two kinds of cells were separated and cultured, they were inoculated onto a transwell cell chamber co‐culture plate for co‐cultivation. When the cell density reached more than 90%, the cells were induced to differentiate. After the induction of the SMSCs differentiation for 8 days, the level of the IMPs differentiation and the expression levels of the differentiation marker genes and the key enzymes of the lipid metabolism were assessed. The results showed that the number and area of the lipid droplets in the IMPs in the co‐culture system were significantly reduced compared to those in the IMPs culture alone (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the expression levels of the PPARγ, c/EBPα, ACC, FAS mRNA in the IMPs were significantly decreased (p < 0.05); the expression level of aP2 mRNA was decreased, but the difference was not significant (p > 0.05).These findings indicate that the SMSCs of the Tan sheep in the co‐culture system inhibited the lipid deposition by the IMPs.
Willingness to pay for accommodating job attributes when returning to work after cancer treatment: A discrete choice experiment with Danish breast cancer survivors
Authors: Kollerup Anna , Ladenburg Jacob
Published: July 2021

Through a unique combination of Danish administrative data and a discrete choice experiment, we estimate 30‐ to 60‐year‐old breast cancer survivors' willingness to pay for accommodating job attributes when they return to work after cancer treatment. We find that breast cancer survivors are willing to accept a wage reduction in return for receiving psychological help and to work fewer hours in the first 18 months after returning to work. This clearly emphasizes the relevance of accommodating breast cancer survivors to ease their return to work and to retain the survivors in employment. Furthermore, we identify preference heterogeneity across age groups, income levels, job types and ability to work. This highlights the importance of communication between employers and breast cancer survivors in order to accommodate individual needs, and it suggests cafeteria‐style accommodation plans where cancer survivors are able to choose between different accommodating elements within a predefined budget.
Writing from Multiple Source Texts: SRSD for Fifth Grade Learners in Inclusive Settings
Authors: FitzPatrick Erin R. , McKeown Debra
Published: July 2021

Writing is an essential academic skill that proves challenging for many learners both with and without diagnosed learning disabilities. In this multiple probe across participants study, a fifth‐grade special educator in an inclusive setting implemented Self‐regulated Strategy Development for the informational genre. Eight Black students participated—five had IEPs, three were referred by teachers. Research questions explored fidelity of SRSD instruction following practice‐based professional development; social validity; and the impact on writing outcomes including genre elements, length, holistic quality, strategy use, and academic vocabulary. The teacher implemented SRSD with high fidelity. All writing outcomes increased following intervention. Instances of copying text directly from sources decreased. Both teacher and students rated SRSD high on measures of social validity.
Loss function of Bcr mutation causes gastrointestinal dysmotility and brain developmental defects
Authors: Xiao Yongtao , Sun Yu , Lu Ying , Du Jun , Tian Xinbei , Cai Wei , Wang Ying
Published: July 2021

Background

The breakpoint cluster region (BCR) is a protein that originally forms a fusion protein with c‐Abl tyrosine kinase and induces leukemia. Researchers have shown that BCR is enriched in the central nervous system and may contribute to neurological disorders. We aimed to investigate the physiological function of BCR in neural development in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and brain.

Methods

Whole‐exome sequencing was used to screen for mutations in the BCR. Bcr knockout mice (Bcr−/−, ΔExon 2–22) were generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Transit of carmine red dye and glass bead expulsion assays were used to record total and proximal GI transit and distal colonic transit.

Key Results

In an infant with pediatric intestinal pseudo‐obstruction, we found a heterozygous de novo mutation (NM_004327.3:c.3072+1G>A) in BCR. Bcr deficiency mice (Bcr−/−) exhibited growth retardation and impaired gastrointestinal motility. Bcr−/− mice had a prolonged average total GI transit time with increased distal colonic transit and proximal GI transit in isolation. Morphology analysis indicated that Bcr−/− mice had a less number of neurons in the submucosal plexus and myenteric plexus. Bcr−/− mice exhibited apparent structural defects in the brain, particularly in the cortex. Additionally, Bcr− depletion in the mouse cortex altered the expression of Ras homologous (Rho) family small GTPases.

Conclusions and Inferences

BCR mutations are associated with intestinal obstruction in children. Loss of Bcr can cause intestinal dysmotility and brain developmental defects may via regulation of Rho GTPases.
Is beauty more than skin deep? Attractiveness, power, and nonverbal presence in evaluations of hirability
Authors: Tu Min‐Hsuan , Gilbert Elisabeth K. , Bono Joyce E.
Published: July 2021

It turns out that being good‐looking really does pay off: decades of research have shown that attractive individuals are more likely to get ahead in their careers. Although prior research has suggested that bias on the part of evaluators is the source of attractive individuals’ favorable career outcomes, there is also evidence that these individuals may be socialized to behave and perceive themselves differently from others in ways that contribute to their success. Building on socialization research and studies on nonverbal power cues, we examined nonverbal communication in individuals with varying degrees of physical attractiveness. In two experimental studies with data from 300 video interview pitches, we found that attractive individuals had a greater sense of power than their less
attractive counterparts and thus exhibited a more effective nonverbal presence, which led to higher managerial ratings of their hirability. However, we also identified a potential means for leveling this gap. Adopting a powerful posture was found to be especially beneficial for individuals rated low in attractiveness, enabling them to achieve the same level of effective nonverbal presence as their highly attractive counterparts naturally displayed. Our research sheds new light on the source of attractive individuals’ success and suggests a possible remedy for individuals who lack an appearance advantage.
Skeletal EWSR1‐NFATC2 sarcoma previously diagnosed as Ewing‐like adamantinoma: A case report and literature review emphasizing its unique radiological features
Authors: Makise Naohiro , Yoshida Ken‐Ichi , Iijima Takuo , Yoshida Akihiko , Ushiku Tetsuo , Ishida Tsuyoshi
Published: July 2021

Ewing‐like adamantinoma (EAD) is a rare bone tumor. It remains unclear whether EAD belongs to adamantinoma, Ewing sarcoma (ES), or an independent category. Herein, we present a case of femoral sarcoma previously diagnosed as EAD in a 26‐year‐old woman. We observed amplified EWSR1 and NFATC2 fusion signals using fluorescence in situ hybridization. Prompted by its unique radiological features, we reviewed the current literature on skeletal EWSR1‐NFATC2 sarcoma (ENS) and EAD. In addition to the similar histological features, we found that both ENS and EAD displayed similar characteristic radiological features, such as the tendency to occur in the diaphysis of long bones, cortical expansion and buttressing‐type thickening, and bone surface involvement with saucer‐like erosion without cortical destruction. We believe that these unique radiological features were related to its indolent behavior. Altogether, it is possible that previously reported EAD cases may be neither ES nor the classic adamantinoma but ENS. Further studies are needed to clarify the relationship between EAD and ENS.
Disentangling effects of expectancy, accuracy, and empathy on the processing of observed actions
Authors: Albrecht Christine , Bellebaum Christian
Published: July 2021

A number of studies suggest that event‐related potential (ERP) components previously associated with error processing might represent expectation violation instead of valence. When observing others, these processes might further be modulated by trait empathy. We suggest that trait empathy modulates expectancy formation and that these expectancies then influence observed response processing as reflected in a frontocentral negative ERP component resembling the previously described observer error‐related negativity. We acquired single trial ERPs of participants who observed another person in a true‐ or false‐belief condition answering correctly or erroneously. Additionally, we prompted participants' expectancy in some trials. Using linear mixed model analyses, we found that for low empathy participants, expectations for the false‐belief condition decreased throughout the experiment, so that expectations were more pronounced in participants with higher empathy toward the end of the experiment. We also found that single trial expectancy measures derived from regression models of the measured expectancies predicted the amplitude of the frontocentral negative ERP component, and that neither the addition of empathy nor accuracy or trial type (true‐ or false‐belief) led to the explanation of significantly more variance compared with the model just containing expectancy as predictor. These results suggest that empathy modulates the processing of observed responses indirectly via its effect on expectancy of the response.
The affective benefits of nature exposure
Authors: Bratman Gregory N. , Olvera‐Alvarez Hector A. , Gross James J.
Published: July 2021

Mounting evidence demonstrates that nature exposure can have affective benefits. These include behavioral and psychophysiological responses consistent with (a) decreases in stress and negative affect; and (b) increases in subjective well‐being and positive affect. What is less clear, however, is what mechanisms are responsible for these effects. In this article, we examine the evidence for affective impacts of nature exposure, consider underlying mechanisms (with a focus on affect regulation), and discuss what might moderate these effects at the individual and population level. We end by pointing to future research directions and practical applications. This includes investigations into the range of effects and duration of their impact, harnessing knowledge about temporal dynamics for insights into causal mechanisms, broadening the discussions around moderators and effect modifications to include diverse perspectives on the relationship between nature exposure and psychological well‐being, and integrating findings into existing frameworks from public health.