bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Palaeogeography and tectono‐stratigraphic evolution of the Aptian Ezanga‐Loémé evaporites along the proximal domain of the south Gabon‐Congo‐Cabinda margin
Authors: Pichat Alexandre , Delhaye‐Prat Vincent , Guiraud Michel , Gindre‐Chanu Laurent , Gaucher Eric C.
Published: August 2024

During the Early Cretaceous, massive evaporite accumulations formed in the opening South Atlantic. However, the depositional model of these salts is still poorly constrained at the scale of the West African margin. The present study focuses along the proximal domain of the south Gabon‐Congo‐Cabinda margin and is based on (i) log interpretations of 246 wells crossing undeformed to weakly deformed evaporite intervals and (ii) a structural characterization of the basement. The evaporites show 11 regional evaporite depositional cycles (CI–CXI) bounded by meter‐thick shale beds. The cycles display alternating meter‐scale carnallite‐halite beds that can be correlated over several hundred kilometres, and CVI, CVII, CVIIIa and CX culminate in localized tachyhydrite accumulations. Cross section correlations and isopach maps help to understand the palaeogeographical evolution of each cycle and depositional environments that evolved from relatively deep at the base of cycles, to very shallow at their top. CI formed a mosaic of halite‐prone depocenters deposited in pre‐salt topographic relief. CII and CIII were deposited uniformly over a flattened basin in a highly extended brine pond. From CIV to CVIIIa, the stratigraphic architecture of the salts was shaped by freshwater inflow sourced from the north and possible basement movements. This setting, together with an increased confinement of the proximal domain from the distal one with basin drawdown, favoured the development of depocenters with perennial subaqueous conditions and extreme salinities, in which more than 70 m of tachyhydrite accumulation could locally be preserved. From CVIIIb to CXI, the basin returned to a flat depositional setting without well‐developed depocenters and with increasing subsidence westwards. Marine influx increased starting from CX, allowing the deposition of sulphate beds. The salt section is capped by anhydrite deposits interbedded with clastic and dolomite, before the final marine invasion of the basin. For the first time, this study provides a large‐scale depositional tectonostratigraphic setting of the Aptian salts in the proximal domain of the West African margin. The results are of interest for K‐Mg salts exploration resources in the Aptian and pave the way for further investigation of the salt depositional environment in the distal domain of the margin.
Pain perception, aqueous humour cytokines, and miosis response following first and second eye femtosecond laser‐assisted cataract surgery: A randomised, prospective, intraindividual study
Authors: Yu Yinhui , Wang Lixia , Qiao Yue , Ye Yang , Zhong Yueyang , Song Xiaohui , Yao Ke , Yu Yibo
Published: August 2024

Background

To compare pain perception, pupil behaviours, and cytokine levels during first‐eye and second‐eye femtosecond laser‐assisted cataract surgery (FLACS) and determine which is better regarding a short or long interval for bilateral FLACS.

Methods

Notably, 96 eyes of 48 patients with bilateral cataracts underwent the first surgeries in the left or right eye, according to a random sequence. They were further randomised into 2‐ and 6‐week subgroups based on surgery intervals. Pupil size was measured from captured images, and pain perception was assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS). Aqueous humour prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1), interleukin (IL)‐6, and IL‐8 levels were also quantitatively analysed. All patients were followed for 1 week to evaluate changes in endothelial cell density (ECD), central corneal thickness (CCT), and macular central subfield thickness (CST).

Results

Ocular pain was significantly higher in patients who underwent second‐eye FLACS. First tear break‐up time was negatively correlated with VAS score. MCP‐1 levels were significantly higher in patients who underwent second‐eye FLACS, and VAS scores were positively correlated with MCP‐1 levels across all patients. There were no differences between sequential FLACS in miosis, PGE2, IL‐6, IL‐8 levels and changes in postoperative ECD, CCT, and CST. Patients who underwent second‐eye FLACS after 6 weeks showed more CCT, CST, and MCP‐1 changes than baseline.

Conclusion

Second‐eye FLACS causes more pain and upregulated MCP‐1. There was no difference between sequential FLACS in PGE2 levels, miosis, and postoperative inflammation. Furthermore, first‐eye FLACS triggered a sympathetic irritation, particularly after a 6‐week interval.
Stational liturgy and the minority right to the city
Authors: Sheklian Christopher
Published: August 2024

Armenian Apostolic Christians in Istanbul implicitly assert their “right to the city” through the liturgical itinerary that moves around the megalopolis of Istanbul. Though the right to the city has been taken up in a plethora of ways, its applicability to religion and religious practices is underexplored. While many Armenians in the Republic of Turkey explicitly take up the language of rights, the urban liturgical movements described in this article do not sit easily with either ideas of universal human rights or the minority rights framework operative in the Republic of Turkey. The concept of the right to the city, which already sits at the limits of conventional notions of rights, helps articulate how these religious practices claim an urban minority presence. By considering Armenian Christian liturgical practice in Istanbul simultaneously as “stational liturgy” and as a claim to the “right to the city,” this article offers an ethnographic account of urban minority presence‐making that encounters the legal strictures of rights discourse without being fully enmeshed in them. In so doing, the article uses the ethnography to make a broader argument about the limits of rights discourse to account fully for forms of presence‐making that are grounded in minority traditions.
Circular RNA NFIX Functions as an Oncogene in Non‐Small Cell Lung Cancer by Modulating the miR‐214‐3p/TRIAP1 Axis
Authors: Liu Guohua , Shi Hanbing , Zheng Hongyan , Kong Weili , Cheng Xinyue , Deng Liling
Published: August 2024

Background

circRNA NFIX has been shown to exist as an oncogene in glioma. But its expression and role in NSCLC (non‐small cell lung cancer) are still unclear. This research aimed to discover the expression and function of circRNA NFIX in NSCLC.

Methods

In this research, qRT‐PCR was utilized to investigate the expression levels of circRNA NFIX, miRNA‐214‐3p, and TRIAP1 in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. The binding sites between circRNA NFIX/TRIAP1 and miRNA‐214‐3p were predicted using the Starbase. These interactions were further validated using a double luciferase reporter assay. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed through MTT and flow cytometry, respectively. The expression of apoptosis‐related proteins was measured by western blot assay.

Results

miRNA‐214‐3p could link with circRNA NFIX. circRNA NFIX was upregulated, while miRNA‐214‐3p was downregulated in NSCLC cell lines and clinical samples. Besides, suppression of circRNA NFIX repressed cell proliferation and induced apoptosis in NSCLC cells by upregulating miRNA‐214‐3p expression. Besides, the data indicated that TRIAP1 was a target of miRNA‐214‐3p, and it was negatively regulated by miRNA‐214‐3p in NSCLC cells. The excessive expression of miRNA‐214‐3p suppressed NSCLC cell proliferation and increased apoptosis. In addition, overexpression of TRIAP1 significantly reversed the effects on NSCLC cells caused by miRNA‐214‐3p mimic.

Conclusion

circRNA NFIX silencing repressed the proliferation of NSCLC cells and induced cell apoptosis by regulating the miR‐214‐3p/TRIAP1 axis, which was a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target for NSCLC.
Co‐occurrence of surf breaks and carbon‐dense ecosystems suggests opportunities for coastal conservation
Authors: Bukoski Jacob J. , Atkinson Scott R. , Miller Marissa Anne S. , Sancho‐Gallegos Diego A. , Arroyo Mara , Koenig Kellee , Reineman Dan R. , Kittinger John N.
Published: August 2024

Surf breaks are increasingly recognized as socio‐environmental phenomena that provide opportunities for biodiversity conservation and sustained benefits for local communities. Here, we examine an additional benefit from improved conservation of the ecosystems that host and surround surf breaks—their coincidence with carbon dense coastal ecosystems. Using global spatial datasets of irrecoverable carbon (defined as carbon stocks that, if lost today, could not be recovered within 30 years' time), surf break locations, ecosystem types, protected areas, and Key Biodiversity Areas, we identified 88.3 million tonnes of irrecoverable carbon held in surf ecosystems. Of this total, 17.2 million tonnes are found in Key Biodiversity Areas without formal measures of protection. These results highlight surf conservation as a potential avenue to simultaneously mitigate climate change, protect biodiversity, and promote sustainable development in coastal communities.
The effect of Mankai plant consumption on postprandial glycaemic response among patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized crossover trial
Authors: Tsaban Gal , Aharon‐Hananel Genya , Shalem Shiran , Zelicha Hila , Yaskolka Meir Anat , Pachter Dafna , Goldberg Dana Tamar , Kamer Omer , Alufer Liav , Stampfer Meir J. , Wang Dong D. , Qi Lu , Blüher Matthias , Stumvoll Michael , Hu Frank B. , Shai Iris , Tirosh Amir
Published: August 2024

Aim

To explore the effect of Mankai, a cultivated aquatic duckweed green plant, on postprandial glucose (PG) excursions in type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods

In a 4‐week, randomized crossover‐controlled trial, we enrolled 45 adults with T2D (HbA1c range: 6.5%‐8.5%) from two sites in Israel. Participants were randomized to drink Mankai (200 mL of raw‐fresh‐aquatic plant + 100 mL of water, 40 kcal, ~10 g of dry matter equivalent) or water (300 mL) following dinner, for 2 weeks each, with a 4‐day washout interval, without dietary, physical activity or pharmacotherapy alterations. We used continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices.

Results

Forty patients (adherence rate = 88.5%; 743 person‐intervention‐days, 68.9% men, age = 64 years, HbA1c = 6.8%) completed the study with a consistent diet and complete CGM reads. Only two‐thirds of the individuals responded beneficially to Mankai. Overall, Mankai significantly lowered the PG peak by 19.3% (∆peak = 24.3 ± 16.8 vs. 30.1 ± 18.5 mg/dL; P < .001) and delayed the time‐to‐peak by 20.0% (112.5 [interquartile range: 75‐135] vs. 90 [60‐105] min; P < .001) compared with water. The PG incline and decline slopes were shallower following postdinner Mankai (incline slope: 16.8 vs. water: 29.9 mg/[dL h]; P < .001; decline slope: −6.1 vs. water: −7.9 mg/[dL h]; P < .01). Mean postprandial net incremental area‐under‐the‐glucose‐curve was lowered by 20.1% with Mankai compared with water (P = .03). Results were consistent across several sensitivity and subgroup analyses, including across antidiabetic pharmacotherapy treatment groups. Within 2 weeks, the triglycerides/high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio in the Mankai group (−0.5 ± 1.3) decreased versus water (+0.3 ± 1.5, P = .05).

Conclusions

Mankai consumption may mitigate the PG response in people with T2D with an ~20% improvement in glycaemic values. These findings provide case‐study evidence for plant‐based treatments in T2D to complement a healthy lifestyle and pharmacotherapy.
What characterizes device‐related thrombosis following LAAC, if ejection fraction fails to shine?
Authors: Kerkhof Peter L. M. , Osto Elena , Handly Neal
Published: August 2024

Cardiac compartmental size depends on sex, with smaller values found in (healthy) women compared to a matched group of men. Various types of heart disease may cause dilation of the affected chamber. For example, atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with enlarged left atrial (LA) size, often also implying increased left ventricular (LV) size. Sex‐specific differences appear to persist during disease states. Thus, chamber volumes depend on both sex and the severity of the underlying disorder, and require quantification to evaluate the effect of interventions. Often, we rely on the popular performance metric ejection fraction (EF) which refers to the ratio of the minimum and maximum LV or LA volumetric values observed during the cardiac cycle. Here we discuss a sex stratified analysis of LVEF and LAEF in AF patients as treated by LA appendage closure, while comparing those with or without device‐related thrombosis. Also, an alternative analysis based on primary data is presented while emphasizing its attractiveness. In any event, age‐ and sex‐specific reference values as broadly documented for various imaging modalities should be applied to LA and LV.
Triglyceride‐glycaemic index: Insights into predicting fetal macrosomia and its interaction with gestational diabetes mellitus: A cohort study of Chinese pregnant women
Authors: Zhao Dan , Chai Sanbao , Yuan Ning , Sun Jianbin , Zhao Xin , Zhang Xiaomei
Published: August 2024

Objective

This study investigates the association between a new insulin resistance indicator, the triglyceride‐glucose (TyG) index, and the risk of macrosomia.

Design

This is a prospective cohort study.

Methods

This study included 1332 women who delivered at Peking University International Hospital between October 2017 and August 2019. Participants were divided equally into three groups based on the TyG index. Logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between the TyG index and macrosomia and conducted subgroup analyses. The TyG index's ability to predict macrosomia was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results

Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that the TyG index is an independent risk factor for macrosomia (Odds ratio [OR] 1.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02–3.30, p < .05). RCS analysis indicates that the risk of macrosomia increases with the rise of the TyG index (p for nonlinearity <.001) when the TyG index is >6.53. Subgroup analysis showed a synergistic additive interaction between the TyG index and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) of macrosomia. The area under the ROC curve for the predictive model was 0.733 (95% CI 0.684, 0.781), with a sensitivity of 76.4% and specificity of 66.9%. Incorporating the TyG index alongside traditional risk factors notably enhances macrosomia prediction (p < .05).

Conclusions

The TyG index independently predicts macrosomia, and exhibits an additive interaction with GDM in its occurrence. Integrating the TyG index with traditional risk factors improves the prediction of macrosomia.

Trial Registry

Clinical trials. gov [NCT02966405].
Refracting lecturers' digital identity through the lens of policy reform of technological universities in Ireland
Authors: Finnegan Clare , Murphy Regina
Published: August 2024

The Irish higher education sector is undergoing transformation as many Institutes of Technology (IoTs) become Technology Universities (TUs). This paper aims to explore lecturer identity in higher education in the context of recent contract structure recommendations by the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) for lecturers in the emerging TU sector. This study is of significant relevance as the OECD recommendations are being used to inform future lecturer contracts. First, theoretical perspectives on identity development are explored, focussing on teacher identity, professionality, professionalism and ideal online teacher identity. Using this theoretical framework, lecturer identity as presented by TU lecturers of education in their public, online biographies is deconstructed. Qualitative, desk‐based analysis of these biographies explores (i) lecturers' imagined audience for their online identity; (ii) projected, ideal lecturer identity, including representations of professionality; and (iii) teaching and research values. By aligning lecturer identity portraits to proposed OECD contract structures, the discussion considers how well‐positioned TU lecturers are to changes across the IoT/TU sector nationally and implications for the sector.
Spinal nerve transection‐induced upregulation of KDM4A in the dorsal root ganglia contributes to the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain via promoting CCL2 expression in rats
Authors: Li Liren , Ding Zheng , Ma Fang , Zhang Kai , Lu Dan , Wang Hongmin , Yang Kangli
Published: August 2024

Studies indicate that the lysine‐specific demethylase 4A (KDM4A), acts as a key player in neuropathic pain, driving the process through its involvement in promoting neuroinflammation. Emerging evidence reveals that C‐C Motif Chemokine Ligand 2 (CCL2) participates in neuroinflammation, which plays an important role in the development and maintenance of neuropathic pain. However, it remains unclear if KDM4A plays a role in regulating CCL2 in neuropathic pain. This study found that following spinal nerve transection (SNT) of the lumbar 5 nerve root in rats, the expression of KDM4A and CCL2 increased in the ipsilateral L4/5 dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Injecting KDM4A siRNA into the DRGs of rats post‐SNT resulted in a higher paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) and paw‐withdrawal latency (PWL) compared to the KDM4A scRNA group. In addition, prior microinjection of AAV‐EGFP‐KDM4A shRNA also alleviates the decrease in PWT and PWL caused by SNT. Correspondingly, microinjection of AAV‐EGFP‐KDM4A shRNA subsequent to SNT reduced the established mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia. Furthermore, AAV‐EGFP‐KDM4A shRNA injection decreased the expression of CCL2 in DRGs. ChIP‐PCR analysis revealed that increased binding of p‐STAT1 with the CCL2 promoter induced by SNT was inhibited by AAV‐EGFP‐KDM4A shRNA treatment. These findings suggest that KDM4A potentially influences neuropathic pain by regulating CCL2 expression in DRGs.
Walk or swim: The substrate for movement affects female treefrog mate choice behaviors but has little effect on their preferences
Authors: Warner Hannah , Höbel Gerlinde
Published: August 2024

Semiaquatic animals breed in environments with a mix of aquatic and terrestrial features, each requiring appropriate types of locomotion with differential energetic demands and containing different suits of predators. We surveyed calling locations of male Eastern Gray Treefrogs (Hyla versicolor) at our study pond to assess average composition of land/water substrates available to females during mate choice. We also conducted acoustic playback trials to examine whether the mate choice behavior of females was affected by approach substrate; that is, whether females had to swim or walk towards a potential mate. We found that mate preferences were not strongly affected by the substrate of movement: the preferred call duration (“peak preference”) was similar in both treatments, but females showed somewhat stronger discrimination against values deviating from their peak preference (higher “preference selectivity”) in the water treatment. By contrast, other aspects of phonotaxis behavior were clearly different and consistent with females perceiving water as a more dangerous environment: in the water treatment, females took longer to leave the dry release point, jumped further when leaving the release point, and took advantage of features of the playback setup (i.e., the aquatic arena was surrounded by walls) to leave the water and approach the speaker “on land”. This suggests that females do not compromise mate preferences but adjust associated behaviors to minimize risk, and that environmental heterogeneity has little influence on sexual selection regimes.
Global distribution pattern of soil phosphorus‐cycling microbes under the influence of human activities
Authors: Wang Jichen , Zhu Yong‐Guan , Ge Yuan
Published: August 2024

Human activities have profoundly altered the Earth's phosphorus (P) cycling process and its associated microbial communities, yet their global distribution pattern and response to human influences remain unclear. Here, we estimated the abundances of P‐cycling genes from 3321 global soil metagenomic samples and mapped the global distribution of five key P‐cycling processes, that is, organic phosphoester hydrolysis, inorganic phosphorus solubilization, two‐component system, phosphotransferase system, and transporters. Structural equation modeling and random forest analysis were employed to assess the impact of anthropogenic and environmental factors on the abundance of P‐cycling genes. Our findings suggest that although less significant than the climate and soil profile, human‐related factors, such as economic activities and population, are important drivers for the variations in P‐cycling gene abundance. Notably, the gene abundances were increased parallel to the extent of human intervention, but generally at low and moderate levels of human activities. Furthermore, we identified critical genera, such as Pseudomonas and Lysobacter, which were sensitive to the changes in human activities. This study provides insights into the responses of P‐cycling microbes to human activities at a global scale, enhancing our understanding of soil microbial P cycling and underscoring the importance of sustainable human activities in the Earth's biogeochemical cycle.
Utility of an Instantaneous Salt Dilution Method for Measuring Streamflow in Headwater Streams
Authors: Rogers Karli M. , Fair Jennifer B. , Hitt Nathaniel P. , Kessler Karmann G. , Kelly Zachary A. , Briggs Martin
Published: August 2024

Streamflow records are biased toward large streams and rivers, yet small headwater streams are often the focus of ecological research in response to climate change. Conventional flow measurement instruments such as acoustic Doppler velocimeters (ADVs) do not perform well during low‐flow conditions in small streams, truncating the development of rating curves during critical baseflow conditions dominated by groundwater inflow. We revisited an instantaneous solute tracer injection method as an alternative to ADVs based on paired measurements to compare their precision, efficiency, and feasibility within headwater streams across a range of flow conditions. We show that the precision of discharge measurements using salt dilution by slug injection and ADV methods were comparable overall, but salt dilution was more precise during the lowest flows and required less time to implement. Often, headwater streams were at or below the depth threshold where ADV measurements could even be attempted and transects were complicated by coarse bed material and cobbles. We discuss the methodological benefits and limitations of salt dilution by slug injection and conclude that the method could facilitate a proliferation of streamflow observation across headwater stream networks that are highly undersampled compared to larger streams.
International research collaborations: A comparative study on the lived‐experience of academics in Iran and Türkiye
Authors: Kondakci Yasar , Nazarzadeh Zare Mohsen , Ghoraishi Khorasgani Maryam Sadat , Kızılhan Pinar
Published: August 2024

Decades of research form an extensive body of knowledge on International Collaboration in Research (IRC). However, experiential perspectives of the operative core (the academics) in research collaboration, remained relatively uninvestigated. Besides, explorations on how academics in peripheral countries accomplish IRC are still very limited. Finally, the representation of social sciences is also limited compared to natural sciences and engineering. The current study aims to explore the factors facilitating and inhibiting IRC from the lived experiences of academics in Iran and Türkiye comparatively. The study was designed as a dual phenomenology, one study in each country. In each of the countries, 20 academics in social sciences participated in the study. The results suggest that similar generic forces motivate the researchers for IRC in Türkiye and Iran at the individual level, parallel to international literature. However, macro‐level factors surrounding higher education ecologies including national‐level support schemes, geopolitical dynamics, and the country's foreign policy play an important role in determining the IRC cluster to connect with and the mode of collaboration in these two peripheral countries. The role of macro‐level political factors in IRC patterns suggests that although individual researchers intend to attach to the core cluster (USA, UK, Germany, France) of IRC at the global level, macro‐level factors push researchers in the periphery for more periphery‐periphery collaboration, which may strengthen the growing regionalization in IRC.
Mechanical, thermophysical, and ablation properties of C/HfC–SiC composites with various SiC/HfC ratios
Authors: Yan Chunlei , Liu Fangming , Wang Wei , Liu Rongjun
Published: August 2024

The mechanical, thermophysical, and ablation properties of 2.5D C/HfC–SiC composites with various SiC/HfC ratios are studied. The S7‐C/HfC–SiC composite with a high SiC/HfC volume ratio of 30.4/15.2 has the highest flexural strength of 203.4 ± 26.8 MPa and fracture toughness of 10.0 ± .5 MPa·m1/2. All C/HfC–SiC composites have a similar low thermal conductivity of ∼2 W·m−1·K−1 and their CTEs are in the range of  .45–4.0 × 10−6/K from 30°C to 1400°C. S5‐C/HfC–SiC with medium SiC/HfC ratio possesses the lowest mass ablation rate of  .29 ± .02 mg·cm−2·s−1 and linear ablation rate of  .003 ± .0002 mm/s. The C/HfC–SiC composites are endowed with a pitting corrosion feature according to the morphology and composition evolution of the ablated surface, which results from both high temperature and stagnation pressure gradients in the radial direction of the oxyacetylene torch.
Differences in interaction strategy use between L1 and L2 group discussions of primary school students
Authors: Zhu Xinhua , Zhao Pengfei , Sun Yiwen , Huang Shuming , Cheong Choo Mui , Liao Xian
Published: August 2024

Students’ development of multilingual competence has attracted increasing attention from language researchers and educators. However, research on students’ interaction strategy use in group discussions across different language settings remains scarce. In this study, therefore, we examined interaction strategy use in Cantonese as a first language (L1) and Putonghua as a second language (L2) during group discussion tasks among 42 primary school students in Hong Kong. We also investigated the effects of interaction strategy use on performance in respective tasks. We discovered that students employed significantly more interaction strategies in L1 than in L2, with a higher contribution to L1 task performance. Specifically, three of the five strategies identified—Strategy 2 (S2) asking for opinions, S3 expressing attitude, and S5 non‐verbal language—were employed more frequently in L1 than in L2. Furthermore, we found that strategy use had various effects on oral performance between the two languages. In the L1 task, S1 expressing actively, S3 expressing attitude, and S4 giving clarification significantly predicted students’ group discussion performance, whereas this effect was only observed in S1 expressing actively in the L2 task. Pedagogical implications for primary students’ learning of interaction strategies for group discussions in both L1 and L2 are discussed.
Balancing transparency with enhanced mechanical properties in MgO‐Al2O3‐SiO2 glass‐ceramics
Authors: Rodrigues Lorena R. , Santos Gisele G. , Acosta María Helena R. , Koike Akio , Akiba Shusaku , Sawamura Shigeki , Nagano Mikio , Yoshida Satoshi , Serbena Francisco C. , Zanotto Edgar D.
Published: August 2024

Transparent glass‐ceramics (GCs) are promising for applications that require both optical clarity and superior mechanical strength, such as high‐performance displays and ballistic armor. However, achieving this combination typically involves a trade‐off, as crystallization processes that enhance mechanical properties often compromise transparency. This study investigates the optimization of mechanical properties in transparent and translucent MgO‐Al2O3‐SiO2 (MAS) GCs. We examine the heat treatment conditions necessary for achieving various levels of transparency and evaluate the influence of crystal size and volume fraction on Vickers hardness, indentation crack resistance, and fracture toughness (KIc). Our findings indicate that, depending on the composition and heat treatment conditions, even nanocrystals smaller than 100 nm can diminish transparency, rendering the GCs translucent. Translucent and opaque samples exhibit superior mechanical performance due to higher crystallized fractions and larger crystals. However, specific thermal protocols were identified to produce transparent GCs (visible light transmittance > 80% for 1.5 mm thick samples) with at least a 30% increase in KIc compared to their parent glasses. This study demonstrates the feasibility of balancing transparency and mechanical strength in MAS GCs through careful optimization of processing parameters.
Representation of obesity in contemporary atrial fibrillation ablation randomized controlled trials
Authors: Dircks Danielle , Khaing Eh , Aroudaky Ahmad , Almerstani Muaaz , Alziadin Nmair , Kanneganti Radha P. , Aguto James , Mimms Jmaylia , Jiang Chen , Mont Lluis , Grieco Domenico , Blomstrom‐Lundqvist Carina , Davtyan Karapet V. , Prabhu Sandeep , Kistler Peter , Aryana Arash , Andrade Jason G. , Macle Laurent , Schleifer William , Payne Jason , Easley Arthur , Khan Faris , Windle John , Tsai Shane , Anderson Daniel , Haynatzki Gleb , Peeraphatdit Thoetchai , Naksuk Niyada
Published: August 2024

Background

The prevalence and impact of obesity on outcomes of atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have not been well studied.

Objective

To examine the proportion of participants with obesity enrolled in RCTs of AF ablation and outcomes of ablation when subgroup analysis of participants with obesity were available.

Methods

We systematically searched PubMed and EMBASE for AF ablation RCTs published between January 1, 2015 to May 31, 2022. When body mass index (BMI) data were available, normal distribution was assumed and a z score was used to estimate the proportion of obesity. Results categorized by BMI or body weight status were reviewed. Authors were contacted for additional information.

Results

Of 148 eligible RCTs with 30174 participants, 144 (97.30%) RCTs did not report the proportion of participants with obesity, while published information regarding BMI was available in 63.51%. Three trials excluded patients based on BMI. Using reported BMI, we estimated the proportion of participants with obesity varied greatly across these trials, ranging from 5.82%–71.9% (median 38.02%, interquartile 29.64%, 49.10%). Patients with obesity were represented in a greater proportion among trials conducted in North America (50.23%) and Asia (44.72%), compared to others (32.16%), p < .001. Subgroup analysis or analysis adjusting for BMI was reported in only 13 (8.78%) RCTs; four (30.77%) of these suggested that BMI or body weight might negatively affect primary outcomes.

Conclusion

Obesity is a common comorbidity among AF patients. However, most AF ablation RCTs underreported the proportion of participants with obesity and its impact on the primary outcomes.
Convergent ablation for persistent atrial fibrillation: A UK multicentre perspective
Authors: Mannakkara Nilanka N. , Khan Ibrar , Ghazanfar Auns , Wijesuriya Nadeev , Mehta Vishal S. , De Vere Felicity , Howell Sandra , Adhya Shaumik , Porter Bradley , Child Nicholas , Razavi Reza , Rinaldi Christopher A. , Bosco Paolo , Blauth Christopher , Gill Jaswinder S.
Published: August 2024

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia worldwide and remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Unfortunately, a significant proportion of patients have persistent AF, for which conventional catheter ablation is less effective. However, convergent ablation has emerged in recent years as a hybrid treatment targeting both the epicardium and endocardium in a multidisciplinary joint cardiothoracic and electrophysiology procedure, with promising efficacy outcomes in recent studies. This treatment is increasingly being performed in the United Kingdom. This review article discusses the rationale and evidence behind convergent ablation, along with factors that need to be considered when setting up a successful ablation service.
Distance‐dependent neuromodulation effect during thermal ablation for atrial fibrillation
Authors: Nakasone Kazutaka , Tanaka Kaoru , Del Monte Alvise , Della Rocca Domenico Giovanni , Pannone Luigi , Mouram Sahar , Cespón‐Fernández María , Doundoulakis Ioannis , Marcon Lorenzo , Audiat Charles , Vetta Giampaolo , Scacciavillani Roberto , Overeinder Ingrid , Bala Gezim , Sorgente Antonio , Sieira Juan , Almorad Alexandre , Fukuzawa Koji , Hirata Ken‐ichi , Brugada Pedro , Sarkozy Andrea , Chierchia Gian Battista , de Asmundis Carlo , Ströker Erwin
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Thermal atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation exerts an additive treatment effect on the cardiac autonomic nervous system (CANS). This effect is mainly reported during ablation of the right superior pulmonary vein (RSPV), modulating the right anterior ganglionated plexus (RAGP), which contains parasympathetic innervation to the sinoatrial node in the epicardial fat pad between RSPV and superior vena cava (SVC). However, a variable response to neuromodulation after ablation is observed, with little to no effect in some patients. Our objective was to assess clinical and anatomic predictors of thermal ablation‐induced CANS changes, as assessed via variations in heart rate (HR) postablation.

Methods

Consecutive paroxysmal AF patients undergoing first‐time PV isolation by the cryoballoon (CB) or radiofrequency balloon (RFB) within a 12‐month time frame and with preprocedural cardiac computed tomography (CT), were evaluated. Preablation and 24‐h postablation electrocardiograms in sinus rhythm were collected and analyzed to assess HR. Anatomic evaluation by CT included the measurement of the shortest distance between the SVC and RSPV ostium (RSPV‐SVC distance).

Results

A total of 97 patients (CB, n = 50 vs. RFB, n = 47) were included, with similar baseline characteristics between both groups. A significant HR increase postablation (ΔHR ≥ 15 bpm) occurred in a total of 37 patients (38.1%), without difference in number of patients between both thermal ablation technologies (CB, 19 [51%]), RFB, 18 [49%]). Independent predictors for increased HR were RSPV‐SVC distance (odds ratio [OR]: 0.49, CI: 0.34–0.71, p value < .001), and age (OR: 0.94, CI: 0.89–0.98, p value = .003).

Conclusions

Thermal balloon‐based PV isolation influences the CANS through its effect on the RAGP, especially in younger patients and patients with shorter RSPV‐SVC distance.
All the king's men (and women): Fluoro‐less leadless pacemaker implant in a severely obese patient
Authors: Howard Ato , Blackwell Jacob N. , Ayub Muhammad Talha , Ezeldeen Abuelkasem , Whyte Alice , Estes N. A. Mark , Shalaby Alaa A.
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Severe obesity presents significant challenges in imaging and delivery of therapy, including pacemaker implant.

Methods and Result

We present our experience implanting a leadless pacemaker (LP) in a severely obese man presenting with heart block. We describe our multidisciplinary approach using right internal jugular venous access and transesophageal imaging in lieu of fluoroscopy which failed to provide workable images in this instance.

Conclusion

Ultrasound guided LP placement may have wider application in the midst of an ongoing obesity epidemic where fluoroscopy imaging is both limited and unsafe.
GHG comparison of frozen milk concentrate and milk powder
Authors: Robertson Lindsay J. , Morel J. P. , Archer R. H. , McLaren S. J.
Published: August 2024

Increased awareness by industry of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is forcing companies to examine electrical technologies as alternatives to fossil fuel‐driven thermal ones. Spray drying of milk is recognized as a high‐energy process and is of particular importance to New Zealand. It requires inlet air temperatures higher than most existing electrically‐driven heat‐pumps can reliably achieve. Already some companies internationally are considering freezing and shipping milk concentrates rather than drying which begs the question as to whether the GHG emissions of frozen concentrate outweigh the GHG avoided by not drying. This research note assesses the relative GHG emissions and indicates a GHG advantage for frozen concentrate shipping.

Practical applications

Increased awareness of the significance of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is forcing companies to examine alternatives to fossil fuel‐driven thermal technologies. Spray drying of milk is recognized as a high‐energy process and is of particular importance to New Zealand. It requires inlet air temperatures higher than most existing electrically‐driven heat‐pumps can achieve and so commonly requires fossil‐fuel use. Already some companies internationally are considering freezing and shipping milk concentrates rather than shipping dried milk. This research note assesses the relative GHG emissions of conventional (fossil‐fuelled) processes, and a novel process involving frozen concentrate. The evaluation shows that significant greenhouse gas reduction is possible by shipping frozen concentrate.
Prognostic impact of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy on elderly patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma: A propensity score matching study
Authors: Huang Heng , Chen Xijiong , Xu Jinyi , Tu Maopu , Lai Bin , Ouyang Xi
Published: August 2024

Background and Aim

Currently, the primary treatment modality for patients with colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRA) is radical surgery combined with postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy (PAC). However, many elderly patients decline PAC due to concerns about their underlying physiological condition, and the impact of PAC on the prognosis of elderly patients remains uncertain.

Methods

We extracted data from the SEER database for CRA patients aged 75 and above between 2010 and 2019. Utilizing propensity score matching (PSM), we stratified the patients into a PAC group and a non‐PAC group, enabling us to compare the differences in Kaplan–Meier survival curves between these two groups. Furthermore, through univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses, we identified the clinical factors that influence the survival of elderly CRA patients and compared the prognostic disparities between the two patient groups within specific subgroups of these clinical factors.

Results

Following PSM, a total of 3668 patients were included and divided into the PAC group and the non‐PAC group, with no statistically significant differences observed in crucial clinical characteristics between the two groups. Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed a significantly better prognosis for patients in the PAC group compared with those in the non‐PAC group. In addition, age, chemotherapy, TNM staging, gender, and preoperative CEA levels were all identified as important factors affecting patient prognosis. Moreover, PAC provided survival benefits across the majority of levels within the aforementioned subgroups. However, in specific subgroups (age > 90, Grade IV stage, median household income < $40 000), PAC did not confer any survival benefits.

Conclusion

PAC can significantly improve the prognosis of elderly CRA patients. Nonetheless, in certain population subsets characterized by specific clinical features, PAC does not provide any survival benefits.
The relationship between smoking and rosacea: A Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Cai YuJia , Zeng HaiFeng , Tao MaoCan
Published: August 2024

Background

Rosacea can be seen in many patients nowadays, and the related causes are complex. Despite a certain association between smoking and rosacea being reported by several studies, the actual causality has not been established for the possible bias and confounders.

Methods

We used Mendelian randomization (MR) to evaluate a potential causal effect of smoking on rosacea risk. Statistics on smoking and rosacea were obtained from the FinnGen project and Neale Lab Consortium. The causal association was assessed by multiple methods including inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode. Furthermore, sensitivity analyses were also conducted to address pleiotropy, along with the leave‐one‐out method.R version 4.2.3 was applied for the analyses.

Results

The IVW estimation revealed that previous smoking has a deleterious effect on rosacea (odds ratio [OR] = 6.7729, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.5691–29.2356, p = 0.0104). By contrast, there was no statistically relationship between current smokers and rosacea (OR = 0.6180, 95% CI = 0.0605–6.3094, p = 0.6847). Results were similar in the analysis based on the weighted median method (previous smoking: OR = 8.6297, 95% CI = 1.0131–73.5071, p = 0.0486; current smoking: OR = 0.2896, 95% CI = 0.0106–7.9132, p = 0.4627). The stability of the causal effect estimates was supported by several sensitivity analyses and the leave‐one‐out method.

Conclusion

Our MR study found support forrosacea risk and previous smoking. Although no evidence was found to increase the risk of rosacea in current smokers, to prevent various diseases associated with smoking, the public should be encouraged to avoid smoking at the very beginning.
Temporomandibular joint disc responses to installation and removal of the experimental malocclusion
Authors: Zhang Yuejiao , Xu Lingfeng , Xu Xiaojie , Xu Jiali , Liu Qian , Zhao Yali , Wang Meiqing
Published: August 2024

Background

Aberrant occlusion and aging are two main risks for temporomandibular joint (TMJ) degeneration.

Objective

To assess the combined impact of occlusion and age on TMJ disc.

Methods

To avoid the confounding impact of gender, presently, 126 female C57BL/6J mice, 63 youngsters, 6‐week old and 63 adults, 28‐week old, were used. An experimental bilateral anterior crossbite (BAC) relation was created by installing metal tubes onto the mandibular incisors. Mice were sacrificed at 3, 7 and 11 weeks (n = 9). Additionally, the installed tubes were removed at 7 weeks in removal groups and the TMJs were sampled after another 4 weeks (n = 9). Disc changes were detected by histomorphology, immunohistochemistry, and western blot assays.

Results

Disc deformation was obvious in BAC groups. The typical change was hyperplasia at the posterior region of the disc where there was significant infiltration of inflammatory cells. Expressions of the inflammatory markers, including tumour necrosis factor‐α and interleukin‐1β, and the catabolic markers, including fibronectin (FN), FN N‐terminal fragments, and vascular endothelial growth factor‐A, were all increased. The changes were more obvious in adults than in youngsters. Removal of BAC attenuated inflammatory and catabolic changes in the youngsters, but the inflammatory markers recovered little in the adults.

Conclusion

TMJ disc responds to BAC by degeneration and inflammation, and respond to BAC removal by rehabilitation. Adult discs show severer degeneration responses to BAC and a lower level of anti‐inflammatory capability to BAC removal than the youngster's discs. Animals cannot be equated with humans. The human disc response to occlusion changes worth further exploration.
Partial replacement of soybean with alternative protein sources: Effects on meat quality, sensory attributes, and fatty acids and amino acids content of breast meat of a local chicken strain
Authors: Yalçin Servet , Özkan Sezen , Acar Muazzez Cömert
Published: August 2024

The environmental sustainability of soybean cultivation has been questioned as it has been linked to deforestation, eutrophication, pesticide use, and carbon dioxide footprint. Agri‐industrial byproducts and black soldier fly (BSF) larvae meal are promising alternative protein sources that can be used to partly replace soybean in broiler diets. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of partial replacement of soybeans with agro‐industrial by‐products with or without the addition of BSF dried larvae meal on the meat quality, fatty acid and amino acid content, and sensory traits of breast meat of local chickens. A total of 252 one‐day‐old mixed‐sex chicks from the Anadolu‐T pure dam line were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 diets; a soybean‐based Control diet, a diet in which soybean meal was partly replaced (SPR) with brewers' dried grain, sunflower seed meal, and wheat middlings and an SPR + BSF diet in which 5% of BSF dried larva meal was added to the SPR diet. All birds were slaughtered at a commercial slaughterhouse at 55 days and breast and drumstick muscles were sampled for meat quality analysis from 18 chickens/dietary treatments. No significant effects of diets were observed for the pH24 and lightness, redness, and yellowness of breast and leg meats. Thawing loss significantly decreased and cooking loss increased in the breast meat of chickens fed the SPR + BSF compared with those fed Control and SPR diets. Diets did not affect either texture profile or consumer sensory properties of breast meat. The chickens fed the SPR + BSF had the highest total saturated fatty acid and lower polyunsaturated fatty acid content in breast meat than those fed the Control and SPR diets. The essential and nonessential amino acid content of breast meat decreased by the SPR diet compared with the SPR + BSF diet. The chickens fed SPR + BSF diet had higher values of tasty, aromatic, and umami‐related amino acids than those fed SPR and Control diets. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicated that agri‐industrial byproducts with or without BSF larvae meal could be used to partially replace soybean meal in broiler diets without affecting technological meat quality traits. The addition of BSF larvae meal to the diet along with agri‐industrial by‐products improved the amino acid content of the breast meat of chickens but reduced polyunsaturated fatty acid levels.
Objective alertness, rather than sleep duration, is associated with burnout and depression: A national survey of Japanese physicians
Authors: Wada Hiroo , Basner Mathias , Cordoza Makayla , Dinges David , Tanigawa Takeshi
Published: August 2024

Approximately 40% of Japanese physicians report working more than 960 hr of overtime annually, with 10% exceeding 1860 hr. To protect their health, annual overtime limits went into effect in 2024. The objective of this study was to investigate associations of self‐reported sleep duration with psychological health and objective alertness. This was a cross‐sectional National Survey for The Work Style Reform of Long Working Physicians. Physicians self‐reported daily sleep duration, burnout (Abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory), depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale) and traffic accidents. Alertness was then evaluated using the brief Psychomotor Vigilance Test. Of 20,382 physicians invited, 1226 completed the survey and brief Psychomotor Vigilance Test. Daily sleep duration was inversely associated with weekly work hours (β = −5.4; 95% confidence interval −6.8 to −4.0, p < 0.0001). Sleep duration < 6 hr and ≥ 8 hr per day was associated with slower responses on the brief Psychomotor Vigilance Test (adjusted p < 0.05). An additional 10 hr worked per week was associated with a 0.40 point (95% confidence interval 0.08–0.72) increase in burnout severity and a 1.7% (95% confidence interval 0.1–3.3%) increase in odds of reporting a traffic accident. Increased brief Psychomotor Vigilance Test lapses, indicating lower alertness, were associated with worse symptoms of depression (β = 0.23 points; 95% confidence interval 0.14–0.31, p < 0.0001) and burnout (β = 0.25 points; 95% confidence interval 0.13–0.36, p < 0.0001). This study emphasizes the importance of sufficient sleep to maintain alertness, and supports limiting work hours for Japanese physicians to protect psychological health. Performance on the brief Psychomotor Vigilance Test may be a useful indicator of psychological health.