bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Revisiting the historical scenario of a disease dissemination using genetic data and Approximate Bayesian Computation methodology: The case of Pseudocercospora fijiensis invasion in Africa
Authors: Gilabert A. , Rieux A. , Robert S. , Vitalis R. , Zapater M.‐F. , Abadie C. , Carlier J. , Ravigné V.
Published: April 2023

The reconstruction of geographic and demographic scenarios of dissemination for invasive pathogens of crops is a key step toward improving the management of emerging infectious diseases. Nowadays, the reconstruction of biological invasions typically uses the information of both genetic and historical information to test for different hypotheses of colonization. The Approximate Bayesian Computation framework and its recent Random Forest development (ABC‐RF) have been successfully used in evolutionary biology to decipher multiple histories of biological invasions. Yet, for some organisms, typically plant pathogens, historical data may not be reliable notably because of the difficulty to identify the organism and the delay between the introduction and the first mention. We investigated the history of the invasion of Africa by the fungal pathogen of banana Pseudocercospora fijiensis, by testing the historical hypothesis against other plausible hypotheses. We analyzed the genetic structure of eight populations from six eastern and western African countries, using 20 microsatellite markers and tested competing scenarios of population foundation using the ABC‐RF methodology. We do find evidence for an invasion front consistent with the historical hypothesis, but also for the existence of another front never mentioned in historical records. We question the historical introduction point of the disease on the continent. Crucially, our results illustrate that even if ABC‐RF inferences may sometimes fail to infer a single, well‐supported scenario of invasion, they can be helpful in rejecting unlikely scenarios, which can prove much useful to shed light on disease dissemination routes.
Legacy effects in temporally separated tadpole species are not mediated by invasive Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)
Authors: Smith Geoffrey R.
Published: April 2023

Temporally separated species are often thought to have limited competition over a shared resource. However, early arriving species may consume a limited resource such that later‐arriving species have access to fewer resources and thus experience competitive effects, even if they are temporally separated (i.e., they experience legacy effects from the early species). The presence of a predator might affect potential legacy effects by influencing the behavior or survivorship of the early species. Using a mesocosm experiment, I examined whether the presence of nonnative Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis) mediated legacy effects in the interaction of two temporally separated species of tadpoles, early arriving American Toads (Anaxyrus americanus) and late‐arriving Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana). Anaxyrus americanus tadpoles reduced R. catesbeiana tadpole growth despite all A. americanus tadpoles metamorphosing 8 days before the introduction of R. catesbeiana tadpoles into the mesocosms (i.e., legacy effects). Gambusia affinis had limited effects on A. americanus (1 day delay in metamorphosis but no effect on survivorship or size at metamorphosis) and positive effects on R. catesbeiana (increased growth). There were no significant interactions between the A. americanus tadpole density and G. affinis treatments. In conclusion, I found evidence of significant legacy effects of A. americanus tadpoles on R. catesbeiana tadpoles, but no evidence that G. affinis mediated the legacy effects.
Free‐ranging livestock affected the spatiotemporal behavior of the endangered snow leopard (Panthera uncia)
Authors: Li Jiaxin , Shi Xiaogang , He Xingcheng , Li Dongrui , Hu Qiang , Zhang Yanni , Ran Jianghong
Published: April 2023

Long recognized as a threat to wildlife, particularly for large carnivores, livestock grazing in protected areas can potentially undermine conservation objectives. The interspecific interactions among livestock, snow leopards (Panthera uncia), and their wild prey in fragile Asian highland ecosystems have been a subject of debate. We strategically deployed 164 camera traps in the Wolong National Nature Reserve to systematically investigate the activities of snow leopards, their primary wild ungulate prey species, and free‐ranging livestock. We found that snow leopard habitat use was influenced by both wild prey and livestock. Blue sheep served as the main wild prey that spatially attracted snow leopards and coexisted with yaks while free‐ranging yaks significantly restricted snow leopard habitat use both temporally and spatially. This study challenges the conventional understanding that livestock indirectly impacts large carnivores by competing with and displacing wild prey. Our findings highlight that free‐ranging yaks within the alpine canyon terrain could directly limit snow leopard habitat use, suggesting a potential risk of grazing in reducing apex predator distribution and jeopardizing their populations. Consequently, managing their coexistence in shared habitats requires a more nuanced approach. Furthermore, our research underscores the importance of further research efforts aimed at enhancing our comprehension of the complex interplay within animal communities and ecosystems. This knowledge will contribute to the development of informed, evidence‐based conservation strategies and policies.
Dear neighbor: Trees with extrafloral nectaries facilitate defense and growth of adjacent undefended trees
Authors: Staab Michael , Pietsch Stefanie , Yan Haoru , Blüthgen Nico , Cheng Anpeng , Li Yi , Zhang Naili , Ma Keping , Liu Xiaojuan
Published: April 2023

Plant diversity can increase productivity. One mechanism behind this biodiversity effect is facilitation, which is when one species increases the performance of another species. Plants with extrafloral nectaries (EFNs) establish defense mutualisms with ants. However, whether EFN plants facilitate defense of neighboring non‐EFN plants is unknown. Synthesizing data on ants, herbivores, leaf damage, and defense traits from a forest biodiversity experiment, we show that trees growing adjacent to EFN trees had higher ant biomass and species richness and lower caterpillar biomass than conspecific controls without EFN‐bearing neighbors. Concurrently, the composition of defense traits in non‐EFN trees changed. Thus, when non‐EFN trees benefit from lower herbivore loads as a result of ants spilling over from EFN tree neighbors, this may allow relatively reduced resource allocation to defense in the former, potentially explaining the higher growth of those trees. Via this mutualist‐mediated facilitation, promoting EFN trees in tropical reforestation could foster carbon capture and multiple other ecosystem functions.
Paired environmental DNA and dive surveys provide distinct but complementary snapshots of marine biodiversity in a temperate fjord
Authors: Robinson Kristin Meagher , Prentice Carolyn , Clemente‐Carvalho Rute , Hall Kyle , Monteith Zachary L. , Morien Evan , Olson Angeleen M. , Pontier Ondine , Hessing‐Lewis Margot , Kellogg Colleen T. E. , Lemay Matthew A.
Published: April 2023

Marine biodiversity is a key indicator of ecosystem health and can be assessed using a variety of methods, including environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling. However, the ecology of eDNA in physically dynamic nearshore environments remains uncertain, particularly with regards to how eDNA stratifies with depth. Here, we paired eDNA sampling with dive surveys at six sites in Knight Inlet, British Columbia, Canada. eDNA samples were collected from the surface, midwater column and bottom (8–25 m depth) at each site, while dive surveys focused on the bottom (benthic) habitat. Amplicon sequencing using the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene (targeting fish) and the COI gene (targeting marine invertebrates and algae) resolved significant differences in community composition in surface waters compared with midwater and bottom. Differences by depth were greater than differences across sites, with surface waters dominated by salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) and rotifer DNA, and midwater and bottom samples largely dominated by Pacific herring, copepods, and mussels. eDNA samples collected at the surface, therefore, may not accurately capture benthic communities, particularly in systems with high levels of freshwater input such as coastal temperate fjords. Over small spatial scales, particularly in systems with strong stratification, adding samples from different depths may be more effective at maximizing inferred diversity rather than sampling more sites. In general, there was low overlap in species detection between dive and eDNA surveys (less than 10% for each taxonomic group – fish, invertebrates, and algae). However, we observed clear strengths for each method – dive surveys provided better taxonomic resolution, while eDNA resolved greater total diversity. These results suggest that the two survey methods can be used in tandem to provide distinct and complementary snapshots of marine biodiversity in the nearshore environment.
The potential role of astroglial GABAA receptors in autoimmune encephalitis associated with GABAA receptor antibodies and seizures
Authors: Ismail Fatme Seval , Faustmann Pedro M.
Published: April 2023

The γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) is the main inhibitory transmitter in the central nervous system and GABA receptors mediate the inhibitory synaptic transmission. GABA binding to neuronal GABAAR leads to a rapid hyperpolarization and a higher excitation threshold due to an increase in membrane Cl− permeability. The synaptic GABAAR is mostly composed of two α(1–3), two β, and one γ subunit with the most abundant configuration α1β2γ2. Recently, antibodies (Abs) against α1, β3, and γ2 subunits of GABAAR were detected in a severe form of autoimmune encephalitis with refractory seizures, status epilepticus, and multifocal brain lesions, affecting gray and white matter. Experimental studies confirmed multiple mechanisms and direct functional effects of GABAAR Abs on neurons with decreased GABAergic synaptic transmission and increased neuronal excitability. The expression of GABAAR on astrocytes is well established. However, extensive studies about the effects of autoimmune GABAAR Abs on astrocytic GABAAR are missing. We hypothesize that GABAAR Abs may lead additionally to blocking astrocytic GABAARs with impaired Ca2+ homeostasis/spreading, astrocytic Cl− imbalance, dysfunction of astrocyte‐mediated gliotransmission (e.g., decreased adenosine levels) and accumulation of excitatory neurotransmission, all this contributing to seizures, variable clinical/MRI presentations, and severity. The most abundant expressed GABAAR subunits in rodent astrocytes are α1, α2, β1, β3, and γ1 localized in both white and gray matter. Data about GABAAR subunits in human astrocytes are even more limited, comprising α2, β1, and γ1. Overlapping binding of GABAAR Abs to neuronal and astroglial receptors is still possible. In vitro and in vivo animal models can be helpful to test the effects of GABAAR Abs on glia. This is from an epileptological point of view relevant because of the increasing evidence, confirming the glial involvement in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Taken together, autoimmune disorders are complex and multiple mechanisms including glia could contribute to the pathogenesis of GABAAR encephalitis with seizures.
Mid‐career faculty peer mentoring: Rationale and program design
Authors: Sotirin Patty , Goltz Sonia M.
Published: April 2023

While formal early career mentoring is considered significant for faculty success, few universities have instituted programmatic mid‐career mentoring. We review the reasons mid‐career mentoring is important especially for under‐represented (URM) faculty and consider the ways the entrenched model of one‐on‐one mentoring can fail URM faculty. We advocate for a feminist‐inspired peer mentoring approach using a Community of Practice model that supports mentoring as advocacy. We then describe how our own mid‐career mentoring program enacts this approach and offer lessons learned that include the need to make a cost‐analysis case.
Engineering Host–Guest Interactions in Organic Framework Materials for Drug Delivery
Authors: Ernst Michelle , Gryn'ova Ganna
Published: April 2023

Metal‐organic frameworks (MOF) and covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are promising nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery. Noncovalent interactions between frameworks and drugs play a fundamental role in the therapeutic uptake and release of the latter. However, the scope of framework functionalizations and deliverable drugs remains underexplored. Using a multilevel approach combining molecular docking and density functional theory, we show for a range of drugs and frameworks that experimentally reported release metrics are in good agreement with the in silico computed host–guest interaction energies. Functional groups within the framework significantly impact the strength of these host–guest interactions, while a given framework can serve as an efficient delivery agent for drugs beyond the prototypical few. Our findings identify the interaction energy as a reliable and relatively easy to compute descriptor of organic framework materials for drug delivery, able to facilitate their high‐throughput screening and targeted design towards extended‐release times.
Revisiting the predictive role of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computerized tomography on treatment outcome in early‐stage favorable Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Gallamini Andrea , Sudria Axel , Kurlapski Michał , Gastaud Lauris
Published: April 2023

In the present manuscript Gallamini et al. comment the results of three large, phase III, randomized clinical trials in early‐stage favorable Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL), aimed at exploring the non‐inferiority of ABVD chemotherapy alone compared to combined‐modality treatment with ABVD and Involved Field/Node Radiotherapy (INRT). The authors also report the preliminary results of risk‐stratification in the first 60 enrolled patients in the phase 2, prospective, international study RAFTING: RAdiotherapy Free Treatment IN Good‐prognosis early‐stage HL (National Trial Identifier 04866654). In this trial patients are stratified, before treatment onset, according to the risk of therapy failure in a single patient basis, taking into account non only the results of interim and End‐of‐Therapy PET, but also the value of new metrics extracted from the baseline PET/CT such as the Large Nodal Mass (LNM) and Total Metabolic Tumor Volume (TMTV). Treatment intensity, consisting in ABVD chemotherapy, INRT and Nivolumab maintenance, is modulated on the presence/absence of the above factors, in a personalized‐medicine approach. The most frequently detected factors driving treatment intensity were LNM and TMTV, while the results of interim and end‐of‐treatment PET were also determinant, albeit in a lower percentage of cases.
Single probe light reflectance spectroscopy and parameter spectrum feature extraction in experimental skin cancer detection and classification
Authors: Abookasis David , Shemesh David , Litwin Arik , Siegelmann Hava T. , Didkovsky Elena , Ad‐El Dean D.
Published: April 2023

Skin cancer, an anomalous development of skin cells in the epidermis, is among the most common types of cancer worldwide. Because of its clinical importance and to improve early diagnosis and patient management, there is an urgent need to develop noninvasive, accurate medical diagnostic tools. To this aim, light reflectance spectroscopy over the visible and near‐infrared spectral range (400–1000 nm) based on a single‐fiber six‐around‐one optical probe was applied to extract nine features used for diagnostics. These features include skewness, entropy, energy, kurtosis, scattering amplitude, and others, and are spread over each of four different spectral signatures, namely, light reflectance, absorbance, scattering profile approximation, and absorption/scattering ratio. Our preliminary studies focused on 11 adult patients with diagnoses of malignant melanoma (n = 4), basal cell carcinoma (n = 5), and squamous cell carcinoma (n = 2) in a variety of locations on the body. Measurements were taken first in vivo before surgery, at the site of the lesion and from healthy skin of the same patient, and ex vivo after surgical excision, where the lesion was rinsed in saline solution and measurements of the reflected light from the “inside” facing plane of the tissue were taken in the same manner. Overall, experimental results demonstrate that by examining a variety of wavebands, features, and statistical metrics, we can detect and distinguish cancer from normal tissue and different cancer subtypes. Nevertheless, discrepancies in results between in vivo and ex vivo tissue were observed and explanations for these discrepancies are discussed.
Automatic segmentation of the cerebellum using volBrain software in normal paediatric population
Authors: Turamanlar Ozan , Kundakci Yunus Emre , Saritas Alperen , Bilir Abdülkadir , Atay Emre , Gökaslan Cigdem Ozer
Published: April 2023

Background

Morphological differences that can lead to cerebellar volume changes are associated with the pathogenesis of paediatric diseases. The aim of this study was to examine cerebellum volume in a healthy paediatric population.

Materials and methods

To provide MRI‐based volumetric measurements of the cerebellum, images from the years 2019 to 2021 were scanned retrospectively. A total of 100 images, including the paediatric population aged 0–15 years, were imported into the volBrain software. Volumetric segmentations were obtained automatically, and each lobular cerebellar volume was obtained. The samples were divided into groups of 0–2 years (n = 18), 3–5 years (n = 24), 6–11 years (n = 34) and 12–15 years (n = 24). Obtained cerebellar volumes, age groups, gender and bilateral side comparisons were made.

Results

In the comparative analyses performed for the total cerebellum and each of the 12 lobular segments, statistically significant differences were found between the age groups in all measurements except Crus II, lobules VIIB, VIIIA and VIIIB (p < 0.05). In multiple comparison tests, statistically significant differences were found between defined age groups, especially infants and toddlers and early adolescence groups (p < 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between the ages of the subjects and their cerebellum volumes (p < 0.05). Statistically significant differences were found in lobules I–II, VI, VIIIB, IX and X in right and left side volumes (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

There is a tendency to increase in cerebellar volume during the transition from childhood to adolescence. The cerebellum has volumetric differences in the first years of life and during adolescence. When the development of a healthy cerebellum is analysed based on volumetric segmentation, differences are observed. The findings of this study may be useful in confirming various theories attributed to the cerebellum in the clinic.
A mouse mutant deficient in both neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis‐associated proteins CLN3 and TPP1
Authors: Sleat David E. , Banach‐Petrosky Whitney , Larrimore Katherine E. , Nemtsova Yuliya , Wiseman Jennifer A. , Najafi Allison , Johnson Dymonn , Poole Timothy A. , Takahashi Keigo , Cooper Jonathan D. , Lobel Peter
Published: April 2023

Late‐infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (LINCL) and juvenile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (JNCL) are inherited neurodegenerative diseases caused by mutations in the genes encoding lysosomal proteins tripeptidyl peptidase 1 (TPP1) and CLN3 protein, respectively. TPP1 is well‐understood and, aided by animal models that accurately recapitulate the human disease, enzyme replacement therapy has been approved and other promising therapies are emerging. In contrast, there are no effective treatments for JNCL, partly because the function of the CLN3 protein remains unknown but also because animal models have attenuated disease and lack robust survival phenotypes. Mouse models for LINCL and JNCL, with mutations in Tpp1 and Cln3, respectively, have been thoroughly characterized but the phenotype of a double Cln3/Tpp1 mutant remains unknown. We created this double mutant and find that its phenotype is essentially indistinguishable from the single Tpp1−/− mutant in terms of survival and brain pathology. Analysis of brain proteomic changes in the single Tpp1−/− and double Cln3−/−;Tpp1−/− mutants indicates largely overlapping sets of altered proteins and reinforces earlier studies that highlight GPNMB, LYZ2, and SERPINA3 as promising biomarker candidates in LINCL while several lysosomal proteins including SMPD1 and NPC1 appear to be altered in the Cln3−/− animals. An unexpected finding was that Tpp1 heterozygosity significantly decreased lifespan of the Cln3−/− mouse. The truncated survival of this mouse model makes it potentially useful in developing therapies for JNCL using survival as an endpoint. In addition, this model may also provide insights into CLN3 protein function and its potential functional interactions with TPP1.
Characterizing treatment burden during neoadjuvant therapy for patients with gastrointestinal cancer: A mixed methods analysis
Authors: Bath Natalie M. , Sarna Angela , Palettas Marilly , Monsour Christina , Stevens Lena , Santry Heena , Ejaz Aslam , Kim Alex , Pawlik Timothy , Cloyd Jordan M.
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Neoadjuvant therapy (NT) is increasingly used before surgery for patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. Treatment burden is a patient‐centered measure defined as the work of being a patient and characterizes the impact of medical treatment on one's functioning and well‐being. While treatment burden has previously been studied in chronic diseases and cancer survivorship, the treatment burden of undergoing NT is unknown.

Methods

All patients enrolled in a prospective cohort study evaluating the real‐time experience of NT for GI cancers completed either the Patient Experience with Treatment and Self‐management (PETS) survey, a 46‐item validated measure of treatment burden, or the mini‐PETS questionnaire. PETS subsections were scored on a 5‐point Likert scale and then standardized on a 100‐point scale (a higher number means more treatment burden). Semistructured interviews were conducted among a convenience sample of patients (n = 5); qualitative data were coded and then analyzed using an integrated approach.

Results

Among 126 participants, the mean age was 59 years old, 61% were male, and the mean number of comorbidities was 1.57. The most common cancers were colorectal (46%) and pancreatic (28%). The mean length of NT treatment was 3.7 months and 80.2% of patients underwent surgical resection following NT. The highest standardized treatment burden scores were observed in healthcare services (44 ± 15), social limitations (44 ± 26), exhaustion (41 ± 23), and medical expenses (40 ± 18) whereas the lowest scores were reported in medication use (19 ± 16) and interpersonal challenges (19 ± 17). Commonly experienced emotional symptoms were feeling worn out (43%) or frustrated (32%). No significant differences were observed in mean treatment burden subscores between patients who underwent surgery versus those who did not. Qualitative analysis of treatment burden during NT identified common themes of impact on normal life activities, challenges with healthcare access, impact on relationships, and significant physical and emotional symptoms.

Conclusions

NT is associated with a significant treatment burden, particularly in the domains of accessing healthcare services, social limitations, and exhaustion. Given the increasing use of NT for GI cancers, novel patient‐centered approaches are needed to improve quality of life and ensure the completion of multimodality therapy.
Effects of Low‐Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound in Tendon Injuries
Authors: Li Yujie , Li Wei , Liu Xinyue , Liu Xueli , Zhu Bin , Guo Sheng , Wang Chenglong , Wang Dingxuan , Li Sen , Zhang Zhongfa
Published: April 2023

Tendon injuries are the most common soft tissue injuries, caused by tissue overuse and age‐related degeneration. However, the tendon repair process is slow and inefficient due to the lack of cellular structure and blood vessels in the tendon. Low‐intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has received increasing attention as a non‐invasive, simple, and safe way to promote tendon healing. This review summarizes the effects and underlying mechanisms of LIPUS on tendon injury by comprehensively examining the published literature, including in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies. This review reviewed 24 studies, with 87.5% showing improvement. The application of LIPUS in tendon diseases is a promising field worthy of further study.
Ultrasound Assessment of Abdominal Muscle Thickness With and Without Lumbopelvic Pain in Pregnant Women
Authors: Kawabe Rika , Morino Saori , Ishihara Mika , Shimoura Kanako , Yamashiro Chiaki , Negoro Kaho , Chen Chang Yu , Koshi Masumi , Kato Naoko , Hatanaka Hiroko , Umezaki Fumiko , Yamashita Mamoru , Aoyama Tomoki , Nagai‐Tanima Momoko
Published: April 2023

Objectives

Lumbopelvic pain (LPP) is a very common cause of discomfort during pregnancy, but its etiology remains unclear. The association between abdominal muscle thickness and LPP in pregnant women has not been studied extensively, despite the significant abdominal changes that occur during pregnancy. This study aimed to examine the relationship between abdominal muscle thickness and LPP in pregnant women.

Methods

In this study, 49 pregnant women in their second trimester participated. The intensity of LPP was assessed using a numerical rating scale. Ultrasound imaging was used to measure the thickness of abdominal muscles, including the rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique, and transversus abdominis muscles. Participants were classified into two groups, the LPP group and non‐LPP group, and the abdominal muscle thickness was compared between the two groups. The statistical significance level was set at P < .05.

Results

There were 24 and 25 participants in the LPP and non‐LPP groups, respectively. Internal oblique (IO) thickness was significantly thinner in the LPP group than in the non‐LPP group (5.4 ± 0.2 mm versus 6.1 ± 0.2 mm; P = .042). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that IO thickness was significantly associated with LPP (odds ratio, 0.516; 95% confidence interval, 0.284–0.935; P = .019).

Conclusions

This study suggested that LPP in second trimester pregnancy might be related to IO thickness. Further longitudinal studies are needed to understand the role of this muscle as an LPP risk factor for pregnant women.
Influence of the Frequency‐to‐Place Function on Recognition with Place‐Based Cochlear Implant Maps
Authors: Dillon Margaret T. , Helpard Luke , Brown Kevin D. , Selleck A. Morgan , Richter Margaret E. , Rooth Meredith A. , Thompson Nicholas J. , Dedmon Matthew M. , Ladak Hanif M. , Agrawal Sumit
Published: April 2023

Objective

Comparison of acute speech recognition for cochlear implant (CI) alone and electric‐acoustic stimulation (EAS) users listening with default maps or place‐based maps using either a spiral ganglion (SG) or a new Synchrotron Radiation‐Artificial Intelligence (SR‐AI) frequency‐to‐place function.

Methods

Thirteen adult CI‐alone or EAS users completed a task of speech recognition at initial device activation with maps that differed in the electric filter frequency assignments. The three map conditions were: (1) maps with the default filter settings (default map), (2) place‐based maps with filters aligned to cochlear SG tonotopicity using the SG function (SG place‐based map), and (3) place‐based maps with filters aligned to cochlear Organ of Corti (OC) tonotopicity using the SR‐AI function (SR‐AI place‐based map). Speech recognition was evaluated using a vowel recognition task. Performance was scored as the percent correct for formant 1 recognition due to the rationale that the maps would deviate the most in the estimated cochlear place frequency for low frequencies.

Results

On average, participants had better performance with the OC SR‐AI place‐based map as compared to the SG place‐based map and the default map. A larger performance benefit was observed for EAS users than for CI‐alone users.

Conclusion

These pilot data suggest that EAS and CI‐alone users may experience better performance with a patient‐centered mapping approach that accounts for the variability in cochlear morphology (OC SR‐AI frequency‐to‐place function) in the individualization of the electric filter frequencies (place‐based mapping procedure).

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 133:3540–3547, 2023
Ink‐Assisted Laser‐Induced Heterogeneous Permanent/Erasable Nanostructures on Metals
Authors: Li Ruihao , Zhou Yuhao , Liu Shiting , Huang Min , Jiang Shaoji
Published: April 2023

Structural color fabrication attracting significant interest for science and art is usually restricted by costly and time‐consuming structuring processes or inerasable characteristics of structures. Herein, by developing a universal, low‐cost technical solution—the nanosecond laser irradiation of ink (Solvent Black 7) layers coated on metal—laser‐induced heterogeneous permanent/erasable nanostructures (LIHPEN) are produced successfully on multiple metals, especially noble metals, without ablation damage to intrinsic surfaces. LIHPEN consist of uniform laser‐induced periodic surface structures produced by surface plasmon polariton excitation of metals and can be extended into 2D hybrid micro/nanostructures by introducing the direct laser interference patterning technique. LIHPEN technology operated under a large processing parameter window can realize space‐selective erasability of prepared structures by controlling processing parameters, which determine the ink‐layer carbonization degree and thus the permanent or erasable characteristic. Because ink layers can be coated manually, in addition to realizing digital scanning patterns, LIHPEN technology can be integrated with traditional artistic techniques to solidify and color artworks without risk of information loss and leakage in digital copying. LIHPEN with good durability can exhibit vivid structural colors on metals, demonstrating its great potential in fields of artwork iridescent coloring, encryption, and anti‐counterfeiting, particularly those requiring customization, personalization, and rewritability.
Roe–Strichartz theorem on two‐step nilpotent Lie groupsa
Authors: Bagchi Sayan , Kumar Ashisha , Sen Suparna
Published: April 2023

Strichartz characterized eigenfunctions of the Laplacian on Euclidean spaces by boundedness conditions which generalized a result of Roe for the one‐dimensional case. He also proved an analogous statement for the sub‐Laplacian on the Heisenberg groups. In this paper, we extend this result to connected, simply connected two‐step nilpotent Lie groups.
Hopf fibration in a C*‐module†
Authors: Andruchow Esteban , Corach Gustavo , Recht Lázaro
Published: April 2023

Let X be a right C*‐module over a unital C*‐algebra . We study the Hopf fibration of X:
where the projective space of X is the set of singly generated orthocomplemented submodules of X, is the set of elements of X, which generate such submodules, and module generated by . The group of unitary operators of the module X acts on both spaces. We introduce a Finsler metric in , which is invariant under the unitary action. Our main results establish that the map is distance decreasing (when the projective space of X is considered with its natural unitary invariant metric), and a minimality result in , characterizing metric geodesics in this space.
Global shortfalls in threat assessments for endemic flora by country
Authors: Gallagher Rachael V. , Allen Stuart P. , Govaerts Rafaël , Rivers Malin C. , Allen Andrew P. , Keith David A. , Merow Cory , Maitner Brian , Butt Nathalie , Auld Tony D. , Enquist Brian J. , Eiserhardt Wolf L. , Wright Ian J. , Mifsud Jonathon C. O. , Espinosa‐Ruiz Silvia , Possingham Hugh , Adams Vanessa M.
Published: April 2023

Societal Impact Statement

Plants are fundamental to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and are key to human livelihoods. To protect plant diversity, systematic approaches to conservation assessment are needed. Many nations have legislation or other policy instruments that seek to protect biodiversity (including plants), and species‐level assessments are essential for identifying the most threatened species that require special and immediate protection measures. Some plants occur in only one place (for instance, a single country) and here we have estimated how many of these ‘endemic’ species have had their threats assessed in each country or close country‐equivalent worldwide. We show that the level of assessment completion is only weakly related to the income of countries or the likely level of threat that species face.

The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation ambitiously called for an assessment of the conservation status of all recognised plant taxa by 2020. This target was not met in the short term. Nevertheless, the need for conservation assessments remains urgent as plants go extinct and face increasing threats from human impacts on the biosphere.

Here, the completeness of threat assessments for endemic flora in 179 countries or their close equivalents was assessed. To do so, distribution information from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants was combined with assessments collated in the ThreatSearch database. The completeness of assessments was expected to be associated with the objective affluence of countries (measured using inequality‐adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI)) and/or the exposure of their plant species to threats associated with human impacts (measured using Global Human Modification index (GHM)). The number of endemic species per country was also hypothesised to influence the completion of assessments.

Overall, 58% of all country‐based endemic species examined have no conservation assessment (127,643 species). Countries' progress toward the completion of threat assessments for endemic plants could not be confidently predicted by IHDI, GHM or the richness of endemic plant flora.

The shortfall in threat assessments identified here restricts national regulation of actions which imperil plant species, with particular consequences for endemic plant species subject to local laws. Some nations with high IHDI scores (i.e. wealthier nations) are not systematically assessing extinction risk in their endemic species. Scarce funding should be directed to global hotspots of endemism with few available resources for assessment.
Tender Shoots: A Parent‐Mediated Randomized Controlled Trial With Preschool Children Benefits Beginning Reading 1 Year Later
Authors: Schaughency Elizabeth , Linney Kelsi , Carroll Jane , Das Shika , Riordan Jessica , Reese Elaine
Published: April 2023

This study evaluated a parent‐mediated preventive intervention for children’s literacy skills 1 year after participation. Parents of 3½ to 4½‐year‐old‐children (n = 69) recruited through early childhood centers were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (a) a target shared reading condition emphasizing phonological awareness (Strengthening Sound Sensitivity; SSS); (b) an alternative shared reading condition emphasizing meaning‐related extra‐textual talk (Rich Reading and Reminiscing; RRR); or (c) a non‐reading activities control condition (Activity‐Based Control; ABC), all implemented for 6 weeks. Together, SSS and RRR comprise Tender Shoots. Tender Shoots' conditions included one parent‐education session, used the same books, provided parents two books per week, and encouraged scaffolding higher‐level skills through repeated readings and verbal interactions outside reading. The non‐reading control provided weekly resources and suggested activities for preschool children. At follow‐up 1 year later, children (n = 62; 5‐ to 6‐years‐old) were in their first year of primary school and reading instruction. Controlling for age and baseline alphabet knowledge, analyses indicated benefits of SSS participation for children’s letter sounds (d = .74), pseudoword (d = .85) and word reading (d = .66), book level (d = .82), and teacher judged reading (d = .60) relative to ABC, with medium to large effects. Age at follow‐up moderated the effect of condition on word reading, such that benefits of SSS were observed for children who were older and had been in school longer (around 6 months or more). Findings suggest SSS is promising for preparing preschool children for reading acquisition.
Crises as incubators of sustainable mobility patterns? Evidence from two shock events
Authors: Csutora Mária , Zsóka Ágnes
Published: April 2023

This paper promotes our understanding of how crises accelerate systemic sustainability‐related changes in our transforming societies using the example of mobility. Not only is the magnitude of the mobility carbon footprint large, but its dynamics make reducing it very challenging. Our paper addresses the impact of crises on the transformation of mobility patterns, including short‐distance mobility and holiday tourism. A first study was conducted after the 2008–2010 crisis using focus‐group participatory systems mapping. This found that when people are forced to change their habits for financial reasons, they adapt holiday travel first. Nonetheless, participants were just as satisfied with domestic destinations, provided they could spend time with loved ones. The second study focused on the COVID‐19 crisis. Participants missed foreign travel, so some rebound seems inevitable. However, the crisis has been an incubator of changes in urban mobility that could reduce carbon footprints in the longer term and offset the prospective increase in tourism. Recent changes have been more profound and innovative than those during the 2008–2010 crisis.
One Molecule Suffices: Spectroscopy of Yariv Reagents
Authors: Tang Chengcheng , Taylor Peter R.
Published: April 2023

We have investigated the structure and spectra (NMR, UV/visible) of several Yariv reagents and models for these species, using both density functional theory (DFT) and approximate coupled‐cluster methods (ADC(2)). We have also studied the formation of dimers and model trimers as a first step to understand the aggregation of these species in aqueous solution. One question that our calculations help resolve is the origin of two strong bands in the visible region of the spectrum: these are confirmed as resulting from enol‐keto tautomerism, and are not a result of aggregation, which was a hypothesis that had been advanced previously. The UV/visible spectrum of the Yariv reagents can be explained entirely in terms of tautomerism within a single molecule – no dimers or clusters are involved.
Decolorization Performance of a Methyl Benzyl Diallyl Quaternary Ammonium Salt Copolymer in a Simulated Reactive Dyeing Wastewater
Authors: Duan Yuxin , Peng Wenhui , Jia Xu , Wang Guoqing , Xu Xiao , Zhao Xiaolei , Zhang Yuejun
Published: April 2023

The source of dyeing wastewater and the composition of pollutants are very complex, direct discharge will bring great harm to living environment, and cause waste of water resources. For the treatment of reactive dyeing wastewater, this work developed and synthesized a novel cationic flocculant called Poly (DMDAAC‐co‐DAMBAC), which was made by copolymerizing dimethyl‐diallyl‐ammonium chloride (DMDAAC) and methyl‐benzyl‐diallyl‐ammonium chloride (DAMBAC). To assess its flocculation effects, flocculation decolorization studies with 3RF reactive yellow, KN−R reactive blue, and 3BF reactive red were conducted. The copolymers′ lipophilicity considerably increased once atyl groups were added. The experimental results showed that Poly(DMDAAC‐co‐DAMBAC) had an optimal decolorization rate of over 94 % for three reactive dyes and a maximum decolorization rate of roughly 80 % for CODMn, both of which were significantly higher than those of PDMDAAC and nearly on par with those of PDAMBAC with a comparable viscosity. Instead, Theoretical calculations of the binding energy of the results demonstrated the accuracy of the findings. The study illustrated the flocculation mechanism and laid the foundation for further application of Poly(DMDAAC‐co‐DAMBAC).
Compounds Interacting with Cholecystokinin as Potential Drugs Against Excessive Weight Gain and Obesity
Authors: Vique‐Sánchez José Luis , López Lujano Paola Guadalupe , Rodríguez Fonseca Karla Alejandra , Benítez‐Cardoza Claudia Guadalupe
Published: April 2023

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a peptide family that functions pancreatic enzyme secretion, gallbladder contraction, intestinal motility, satiety, and stomach acid secretion. The CCK peptides are derived from pro‐CCK with a specific amino acid sequence (Asp, Tyr, Met, Gly, Trp, Met, Asp, and Phe) at their C‐terminus, where the Tyr residue is sulfated. The CCK peptides are ligands of the CCK receptors 1 (CCK1) and 2 (CCK2).

In this study, we propose an approach for treating overweight and obese patients, preventing or reducing CCK1 activation using compounds that specifically interact with CCK peptides to regulate their interactions with CCK1. The compounds were selected by molecular docking using a chemical library with the selected residues (Asp, Tyr, Met, Gly, Trp, Met, Asp, and Phe) in CCK. Their effects were evaluated in a diet‐induced obese mice model.

We show that compounds K2 and K5 decreased and maintained the body weight of the diet‐induced obese mice model, respectively, likely by preventing/hindering interactions between CCK peptides and CCK1, modifying its activity. This study demonstrates another approach to treating overweight and obesity by regulating CCK1 functions. The K2 and K5 compounds have properties supporting their continued development as new drugs against these risk factors.
Finding the right path to the top: How past interorganizational moves impact executive selection outcomes
Authors: Won Shinjae , Bidwell Matthew
Published: April 2023

Research summary

Executives are a critical strategic resource but often build careers across multiple organizations. We explore how firms value that interorganizational mobility by studying executive selection. We suggest that hiring firms will value the diverse experience and adaptability that past mobility across organizations fosters, but that prior mobility can also signal a higher retention risk or lack of competency. Using data from an executive search firm, we employ search‐fixed effects model and structural equation models to estimate candidates' probabilities of receiving a job offer. We find that candidates' prior mobility indirectly increases their chances of being hired by increasing their functional diversity and reducing their tenure with their employer below 10 years. Net of these effects, prior mobility has a negative effect on hiring.

Managerial summary

Executives are increasingly building their careers across organizations. How do prospective employers evaluate their records of past moves when they are considered as external hires? We propose that by moving firms, individuals can accumulate diverse experience and become more adaptable, but employers may be concerned about retention or performance issues for those with records of frequent moves. Using executive search data, we find that prior mobility is valuable to the extent that it builds diverse functional experience; once it is accounted for, we find that prior mobility decreases the likelihood of receiving an offer. Further, staying at the same employer for 10 years or longer is unfavorable due to employers' concerns about adaptability and firm‐specific skills. Our survey of fifty‐four CHROs resonates with these findings.
Chemical Bath Deposition of Zn1−xSnxOy Films as Buffer Layers for Cu(In,Ga)Se2 Solar Cells
Authors: Garzón Diego A. , Rossi Christian , Khatri Ishwor , Soggia Francesco , Çaha Ihsan , Deepak Francis Leonard , Colombara Diego , Sadewasser Sascha
Published: April 2023

Cu(In,Ga)Se2 (CIGSe) thin‐film solar cells are a commercial photovoltaic technology that provides sustainable power. Herein, the formation of Zn1−xSnxOy (ZTO) thin films is studied as Cd‐free buffer layer by chemical bath deposition (CBD) suitable for CIGSe solar cell devices. ZTO films are obtained by CBD onto soda lime glass, by modifying a reported procedure otherwise leading to columnar ZnO thin films. These ZTO films show a flatter morphology compared to the reference ZnO due to inhibition of the columnar growth. In addition, a nontrivial increase in the bandgap is observed by enhancing Sn concentration. When a concentration of 20% [Sn]/([Sn] + [Zn]) (where [Sn] and [Zn] are the molar concentrations of Sn and Zn, respectively) is employed in the chemical bath, the resulting buffer layer allows the CIGSe solar cell to achieve similar performance as with a CdS buffer layer (average efficiency of (11 ± 2)%), yielding a maximum efficiency of 10.4%, with an average of (9 ± 2)%.
Variable selection with LASSO regression for complex survey data
Authors: Iparragirre Amaia , Lumley Thomas , Barrio Irantzu , Arostegui Inmaculada
Published: April 2023

Variable selection is an important step to end up with good prediction models. LASSO regression models are one of the most commonly used methods for this purpose, for which cross‐validation is the most widely applied validation technique to choose the tuning parameter . Validation techniques in a complex survey framework are closely related to “replicate weights”. However, to our knowledge, they have never been used in a LASSO regression context. Applying LASSO regression models to complex survey data could be challenging. The goal of this paper is twofold. On the one hand, we analyze the performance of replicate weights methods to select the tuning parameter for fitting LASSO regression models to complex survey data. On the other hand, we propose new replicate weights methods for the same purpose. In particular, we propose a new design‐based cross‐validation method as a combination of the traditional cross‐validation and replicate weights. The performance of all these methods has been analyzed and compared by means of an extensive simulation study to the traditional cross‐validation technique to select the tuning parameter for LASSO regression models. The results suggest a considerable improvement when the new proposal design‐based cross‐validation is used instead of the traditional cross‐validation.
Effect of Multiple Short‐Time Repeated Microwave Treatments on the Structure and Physicochemical Properties of Sweet Potato Starch
Authors: Wang Wei , Hu Aijun , Li Yu , Yan Jiatian , Liu Shiwei , Zheng Jie
Published: April 2023

The effects of short‐time repeat microwave treatments on the physicochemical properties of sweet potato starch are investigated in this study. Pores appear on the surface of starch after repeat microwaves treatment, and the repeat microwave treatment for 60 s has a greater effect on the destruction of the pore size of the starch surface. Compared with the native starch, the Fourier infrared spectrum of short‐time repeat microwave treatment shows no new peaks but reduces the short‐range ordering of the starch. The short‐time repeat microwave treatment has no effect on the crystal mode of starch (A‐type), but the relative crystallinity of starch decreases. Multiple short‐time repeat microwave treatments reduce the peak viscosity of starch, but increase the water/oil holding capacity (WHC/OHC) and the particle diameter of starch. Modified starch obtained by short‐time repeat microwave treatment can be used as thickener.