bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fully digital versus conventional workflow for horizontal ridge augmentation with intraoral block bone: A randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Zhu Ning , Liu Jiayu , Ma Ting , Zhang Yu , Lin Ye
Published: September 2022

Objectives

To compare the outcome and efficiency of the computer‐aided intraoral block bone grafting procedure with those of the conventional technique for the augmentation of horizontal ridge defects.

Materials and Methods

A total of 28 patients with single missing tooth in esthetic zone with class IV horizontal alveolar bone defect in need of dental implant restoration were recruited. Computer‐aided design of the implant restoration and intraoral block bone grafting was performed for all the participants. The patients were randomly and equally divided into guide and control groups. A fully guided bone harvesting, trimming, and grafting surgery was executed in the guide group. The control group patients underwent surgery without any guide. After 6 months, all the patients underwent implant placement. The primary outcomes were the root mean square estimate (RMSE) values between the outer contours of the actual implanted and planned bone block as well as the RMSE values between the inner surface of the implanted bone block and the original bone surface of the recipient site immediately after surgery. The secondary outcomes were the trimming time of bone block and the surgery‐associated complications. The postoperative visual analog scale (VAS) of pain, swelling, and mouth opening difficulty was recorded.

Results

All 28 patients underwent intraoral block bone grafting, followed by the placement of implant after 191.8 ± 19.69 days. The RMSE values between the outer contours of the implanted and planned bone blocks were significantly lower in the guide group (0.37 ± 0.16 mm) as compared to those in the control group (0.72 ± 0.29 mm) (p = 0.0007). The RMSE values between the inner contours of the graft block and original bone at the recipient site were lower in the guide group (0.35 ± 0.15 mm) as compared to those in the control group (0.48 ± 0.17 mm) (p = 0.043). The duration of bone block trimming was shorter in the guide group (401.51 ± 97.60 s) as compared to the control group (602.36 ± 160.57 s) (p = 0.0005). In the control group, two patients received secondary bone grafting, one patient experienced bleeding of donor site and temporary hypoesthesia of the lower lip and chin skin, and one patient developed temporary sensitivity of the adjacent tooth.

Conclusions

As compared to the conventional procedure, the fully digital workflow in the present study seemed to be a more accuracy and effective protocol for horizontal ridge augmentation with intraoral block bone. Trial registration: Chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2000036390).
Ten‐year prevalence of acute hospital ENT infections and the impact of COVID: A large population study
Authors: Mettias Bassem , Jenkins David , Rea Peter
Published: September 2022

Background

Acute ear, nose and throat (ENT) infections were the commonest referrals from accident and emergency to ENT services. The referral rate changed dramatically with season, year, national outbreaks and during the COVID pandemic.

Method

Retrospective longitudinal study of the epidemiology of seven acute ENT infections in secondary care over 10 years. A mixed city and rural population of over 650 000 in central England was studied. The risk factors for each wave of infection during the surge of infection were sought. A statistical analysis of their significance was undertaken. This included analysis and correlation of group A‐beta haemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) in hospital and community. Seasonal variations, hospital admissions and the impact of the COVID were analysed.

Results

There were 16 883 reported cases of the seven index ENT infections during the 10‐year period. Great seasonal and year‐to‐year variations were recorded. There was an incremental rise in 2018. Spring had the highest season of acute ENT infections. An outbreak of GABHS was noted in the community in 2014. The mean duration of hospital admission was 1.5 days. There was no statistical ethnic or gender predominance. A dramatically lower number of acute ENT infections were recorded during the COVID‐19 pandemic, and this continued after lifting of lockdown restrictions.

Conclusion

A resurgence in scarlet fever directly and indirectly contributed to an incremental rise in acute ENT infections in the following years. Both hospital and community B‐haemolytic cultures have declined during the COVID‐19 pandemic due to a reduction in infections as opposed to reduced case ascertainment.
A spatially explicit risk assessment of salamander populations to Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in the United States
Authors: Moubarak Michael , Fischhoff Ilya R. , Han Barbara A. , Castellanos Adrian A.
Published: September 2022

Aim

Amphibian populations are threatened globally by anthropogenic change and Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a fungal pathogen causing chytridiomycosis disease to varying degrees of severity. A closely related new fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), has recently left its supposed native range in Asia and decimated some salamander populations in Europe. Despite being noticed initially for causing chytridiomycosis‐related population declines in salamanders, Bsal can also infect anurans and cause non‐lethal chytridiomycosis or asymptomatic infections in salamanders. Bsal has not yet been detected in the United States, but given the United States has the highest salamander biodiversity on Earth, predictive assessments of salamander risk to Bsal infection will enable proactive allocation of research and conservation efforts into disease prevention and mitigation.

Location

The United States, Europe and Asia.

Methods

We first predicted the environmental suitability for the Bsal pathogen in the United States through an ecological niche model based on the pathogen's known native range in Asia, validated on the observed invasive range in Europe using bioclimatic, land cover, elevation, soil characteristics and human modification variables. Second, we predicted the susceptibility of salamander species to Bsal infection using a machine‐learning model that correlated life history traits with published data on confirmed species infections. Finally, we mapped the geographic ranges of the subset of species that were predicted to be susceptible to Bsal infection.

Results

In the United States, the overlap of environmental suitability and susceptible salamander species was greatest in the Pacific Northwest, near the Gulf of Mexico, and along the Atlantic coast, and in inland states east of the Plains region.

Main Conclusions

The overlap of these metrics identify salamander populations that may be at risk of developing Bsal infection and suggests priorities for pre‐emptive research and conservation measures to protect at‐risk salamander species from an additional pathogenic threat.
Hearing water temperature: Characterizing the development of nuanced perception of sound sources
Authors: Agrawal Tanushree , Schachner Adena
Published: September 2022

Without conscious thought, listeners link events in the world to sounds they hear. We study one surprising example: Adults can judge the temperature of water simply from hearing it being poured. We test the development of the ability to hear water temperature, with the goal of informing developmental theories regarding the origins and cognitive bases of nuanced sound source judgments. We first confirmed that adults accurately distinguished the sounds of hot and cold water (pre‐registered Experiments. 1, 2; total N = 384), even though many were unaware or uncertain of this ability. By contrast, children showed protracted development of this skill over the course of middle childhood (Experiments. 2, 3; total N = 178). In spite of accurately identifying other sounds and hot/cold images, older children (7–11 years) but not younger children (3–6 years) reliably distinguished the sounds of hot and cold water. Accuracy increased with age; 11‐year old's performance was similar to adults. Adults also showed individual differences in accuracy that were predicted by their amount of prior relevant experience (Experiment 1). Experience may similarly play a role in children's performance; differences in auditory sensitivity and multimodal integration may also contribute to young children's failures. The ability to hear water temperature develops slowly over childhood, such that nuanced auditory information that is easily and quickly accessible to adults is not available to guide young children's behavior.

Highlights

Adults can make nuanced judgments from sound, including accurately judging the temperature of water from the sound of it being poured.

Children showed protracted development of this skill over the course of middle childhood, such that 7–11‐year‐olds reliably succeeded while 3–6‐year‐olds performed at chance.

Developmental changes may be due to experience (adults with greater relevant experience showed higher accuracy) and the development of multimodal integration and auditory sensitivity.

Young children may not detect subtle auditory information that adults easily perceive.
Newly raised anti‐c‐Kit antibody visualizes morphology of interstitial cells of Cajal in the developing gut of chicken embryos
Authors: Yagasaki Rei , Shikaya Yuuki , Kawachi Teruaki , Inaba Masafumi , Takase Yuta , Takahashi Yoshiko
Published: September 2022

The gut peristaltic movement, a wave‐like propagation of a local contraction, is important for the transportation and digestion of ingested materials. Among three types of cells, the enteric nervous system (ENS), smooth muscle cells, and interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs), the ICCs have been thought to act as a pacemaker, and therefore it is important to decipher the cellular functions of ICCs to further our understanding of gut peristalsis. c‐Kit, a tyrosine kinase receptor, has widely been used as a marker for ICCs. Most studies with ICCs have been conducted in mammals using commercially available anti‐c‐Kit antibody. Recently, the chicken embryonic gut has emerged as a powerful model to study gut peristalsis. However, since the anti‐c‐Kit antibody for mammals does not work for chickens, cellular mechanisms by which ICCs are regulated have largely been unexplored. Here, we report a newly raised polyclonal antibody against the chicken c‐Kit protein. The specificity of the antibody was validated by both western blotting analyses and immunocytochemistry. Co‐immunostaining with the new antibody and anti‐α smooth muscle actin (αSMA) antibody successfully visualized ICCs in the chicken developing hindgut in the circular muscle and longitudinal muscle layers. As previously shown in mice, common progenitors of ICCs and smooth muscle cells at early stages were double positive for αSMA and c‐Kit, and at later stages, differentiated ICCs and smooth muscle cells exhibited only c‐Kit and αSMA, respectively. A novel ICC population was also found that radially extended from the submucosal layer to the circular muscle layer. Furthermore, the new antibody delineated individual ICCs in a cleared hindgut. The antibody newly developed in this study will facilitate the study of peristaltic movement in chicken embryos.
Sleep homeostasis, seizures, and cognition in children with focal epilepsy
Authors: Eriksson Maria H. , Baldeweg Torsten , Pressler Ronit , Boyd Stewart G. , Huber Reto , Cross J. Helen , Bölsterli Bigna K. , Chan Samantha Y. S.
Published: September 2022

Aim

To investigate the link between sleep disruption and cognitive impairment in childhood epilepsy by studying the effect of epilepsy on sleep homeostasis, as reflected in slow‐wave activity (SWA).

Method

We examined SWA from overnight EEG‐polysomnography in 19 children with focal epilepsy (mean [SD] age 11 years 6 months [3 years], range 6 years 6 months–15 years 6 months; 6 females, 13 males) and 18 age‐ and sex‐matched typically developing controls, correlating this with contemporaneous memory consolidation task scores, full‐scale IQ, seizures, and focal interictal discharges.

Results

Children with epilepsy did not differ significantly from controls in overnight SWA decline (p = 0.12) or gain in memory performance with sleep (p = 0.27). SWA was lower in patients compared to controls in the first hour of non‐rapid eye movement sleep (p = 0.021), although not in those who remained seizure‐free (p = 0.26). Full‐scale IQ did not correlate with measures of SWA in patients or controls. There was no significant difference in SWA measures between focal and non‐focal electrodes.

Interpretation

Overnight SWA decline is conserved in children with focal epilepsy and may underpin the preservation of sleep‐related memory consolidation in this patient group. Reduced early‐night SWA may reflect impaired or immature sleep homeostasis in those with a higher seizure burden.

What this paper adds

The decline in slow‐wave activity (SWA) across the night, reflecting global synaptic downscaling, was preserved in children with focal lesional epilepsies.

Sleep benefited memory consolidation in this group of patients, as in typically developing children.

Reduced early‐night SWA was associated with increased likelihood of a subsequent seizure.
Small firms amidst COVID‐19: Financial constraints and role of government support
Authors: Chundakkadan Radeef , Natarajan Rajesh Raj , Sasidharan Subash
Published: September 2022

The coronavirus disease 2019 has severely affected the financially constrained small and medium enterprises (SMEs). In response, various countries employed several policies to support SMEs. Using rich firm‐level data from 34 countries, we study the impact of the pandemic‐led crisis on cash‐strapped SMEs and the role of governments in offsetting losses. Our results suggest that (i) government support programmes target mostly financially constrained firms; (ii) firms adjustments to the pandemic are associated with the likelihood of government support; (iii) financially constrained firms are more likely to lay off workers; and (iv) financially constrained firms layoff more male employees than female employees.
Self‐heating measurements under cyclic loading to identify history effects on HCF properties of high‐strength low‐alloy steel: Part II—Modeling
Authors: Louge Julien , Moyne Sylvain , Doudard Cédric , Calloch Sylvain , Weber Bastien , Munier Rémi
Published: September 2022

The present paper proposes a new version of a model for high cycle fatigue of steels able to take load history effects into account. This model is developed in a probabilistic two‐scale framework. The proposed model accounts not only for the failure of samples under high cycle loadings but also for the thermal effects during cycling in a unified theoretical framework. Thus, an ad hoc identification procedure, essentially based on self‐heating tests under cyclic loadings provided in the accompanying paper, is proposed. The model was then validated by predicting the effect of a pre‐cycling loading on S‐N curves.
Effect of the arterial needle bevel position on puncture pain and postremoval bleeding time in hemodialysis patients: A self‐controlled, single‐blind study
Authors: Ozen Nurten , Tosun Betul , Sayilan Aylin Aydin , Eyileten Tayfun , Ozen Volkan , Ecder Tevfik , Tosun Nuran
Published: September 2022

Aim

This study aimed to investigate the effect of the bevel orientation (facing upwards or downwards towards the skin) of the needle inserted into the arterial limb of the arteriovenous fistula (AVF) on puncture pain and postremoval bleeding time.

Methods

This study, using a single‐blind crossover design, was conducted on 35 maintenance hemodialysis patients who had been dialyzed for at least 6 months and in whom blood access was via an AVF. AVF cannulation was performed with the needle bevel pointing upward in the first six sessions and the needle bevel pointing downwards (towards the skin) in the subsequent six sessions. Needles were always inserted in the direction of blood flow. At each dialysis session, cannulation pain was measured using a visual analog scale (VAS), and the bleeding time at the end of dialysis after needle removal was recorded.

Findings

The VAS score and postremoval bleeding time were lower when the needle bevel pointed downwards towards the skin during insertion (P < 0.05).

Discussion

Insertion of the needle with the bevel pointed downward decreased puncture pain during cannulation and bleeding time postdialysis on needle removal.
Simulation and measurement of ultrathin glass residual stress
Authors: Tong Lianjie , Liu Shimin , Sun Yaming , Gu Jianmin , Xu Shiqing
Published: September 2022

Accurate simulation and measurement of the residual stress are pressing needs in ultrathin glass (UTG) industrial stable production. Herein, the heat transfer in an annealing lehr and the residual stresses at different positions along the width of the UTG ribbon were simulated by the finite element method and measured via the Vickers indentation. The residual stresses at 400 and 600 mm to the edge were large, which caused serious production loss. Besides, we conducted molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to reveal the mechanism for residual stress formation. During UTG cooling, the cooling rate of the core is slower than that of the surface. Due to the influence of the relaxation process, the latter would hinder the former's R–O (where R is Na, Mg, Ca, Al, or Si) length contraction, implying that the surface would generate residual compressive stress. The temperature difference between them increases as the cooling rate grows, leading to the residual stress increase. Finally, based on revealing the formation principle of residual stress by MD, the edge electric heatings were set in zone B, and the residual stresses at 400 and 600 mm to the edge are reduced.
Temporary reduction of immunosuppression enhances production of anti‐S antibody against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 after vaccination in kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Miura Masayoshi , Fukumoto Maiko , Komatsu Natsumi , Shuto Reimi , Harada Hiroshi , Sasaki Hajime
Published: September 2022

Objectives

The study identified factors affecting anti‐S immunoglobulin G production after vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) in kidney transplant recipients.

Methods

Serum samples were prospectively collected from kidney transplant recipients, live kidney donors, and healthy volunteers 1 month after receiving the second dose of SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine, and anti‐S immunoglobulin G titers were measured. The mycophenolate mofetil dose was reduced before vaccination in some immunologically low‐risk recipients.

Results

A total of 151 kidney transplant recipients, 74 live kidney donors, and 50 healthy volunteers were included. Kidney transplant recipients had significantly lower titers of anti‐S immunoglobulin G than donors and healthy volunteers (1377 ± 246, 8310 ± 932, and 9908 ± 1040 AU/ml, respectively). Only 67.3% of kidney transplant recipients, compared to 100% of donors and healthy volunteers, were positive for anti‐S immunoglobulin G. Among the kidney transplant recipients, the anti‐S titer was higher in younger recipients, those with higher peripheral blood lymphocyte counts and glomerular filtration rates, those without a history of antithymocyte globulin use, and those who had discontinued or received a reduced dose of mycophenolate mofetil. Younger age, higher lymphocyte count, glomerular filtration rate, and mycophenolate reduction were significantly associated with anti‐S immunoglobulin G > 1000 AU/ml in nominal logistic regression analysis. There were no rejection episodes after mycophenolate modification in kidney transplant recipients.

Conclusions

Anti‐S immunoglobulin G production after vaccination was attenuated in kidney transplant recipients. Mycophenolate mofetil cessation or reduction is a modifiable means to enhance anti‐S immunoglobulin G production in immunosuppressed kidney transplant recipients.
The pains and gains of reception centres: How length of stay in reception centres is associated with Syrian refugees' mental health during early resettlement
Authors: van der Linden Meta , Weeda Luuk , Dagevos Jaco
Published: September 2022

In European countries, refugees await the approval of their asylum claim in reception centres. Scholars have repeatedly expressed concern about the consequences of a long reception period for refugees' mental health but the mechanisms that drive this negative relationship remain not fully understood. Using survey data from 481 Syrian refugees in the Netherlands, we show that the length of stay in reception centres was associated with an increasing number of forced relocations between reception centres, which weakened refugees' mental health during their resettlement up to 2 years later. In an attempt to improve refugees' mental health, reception centres now offer day‐time activities. However, while we find that length of stay in reception centres was associated with more frequent participation in day‐time activities, it did not substantially improve refugees' mental health. We call for policy makers to reduce the detrimental effects of a frequent forced relocations between reception centres.
High‐performance antiferroelectric ceramics via multistage phase transition
Authors: Quan Kaifeng , Zhao Ye , Meng Xiangjun , Zhang Qiwei , Hu Yanhua , Lou Xiaojie , Li Yong , Hao Xihong
Published: September 2022

Lead‐based antiferroelectric (AFE) ceramics have attracted increasing interest in pulse power systems owing to their high‐energy storage and power densities. However, the single AFE–ferroelectric (FE) phase transition in conventional AFE materials usually leads to premature polarization saturation and low breakdown strength, which are disadvantageous to energy storage performance. In this study, high energy storage performance was achieved in Pb0.94−xLa0.04Cax[Nb0.02(Zr0.99Ti0.01)0.975]O3 (PLCNZT) AFE ceramics by constructing electric‐field‐induced multiple phase transitions. A maximum recoverable energy storage density of 12.15 J/cm3 and a high energy efficiency of 85.4% were obtained for the PLCNZT ceramic with x = 0.03 at 420 kV/cm. These excellent properties are attributed to the AFE–FE Ⅰ‐FE Ⅱ multiple phase transitions induced by Ca2+ doping, which effectively enhances the breakdown strength. This result indicates that field‐induced multiple phase transitions significantly improve the energy storage of AFE materials.
Sea crossings of migratory pink‐footed geese: seasonal effects of winds on flying and stopping behaviour
Authors: Geisler Jan , Madsen Jesper , Nolet Bart A. , Schreven Kees H. T.
Published: September 2022

Migratory birds may need to cross barriers such as seas, without opportunities to rest or refuel. Waterbirds, unlike land birds, can stop at sea to rest or wait for better winds and thus may be less selective for supportive winds at departure and tolerate larger drift. However, pay‐offs of waiting are likely to depend on circumstances (e.g. pressure for well‐timed arrival, wind availability and travelling with/without juvenile brood), thus migratory behaviour during barrier crossings is expected to differ between seasons. We studied pink‐footed geese Anser brachyrhynchus crossing the Barents Sea (ca 650 km), in spring and autumn during 2018–2020, using 94 GPS‐tracks of 38 individuals, with annotated ERA5 weather data. We found that 1) especially in autumn, geese selected supportive winds for departure; 2) in spring, geese experienced lower wind support and more crosswinds than in autumn, leading to 23% longer routes, 60% longer durations, 93% longer air distances and 45% higher ratios of air‐to‐ground distances; 3) in both seasons, geese had more tailwinds in the first part of crossings, and in spring when deviating more from the shortest route; 4) geese stopped at sea more often in spring (mean 11×) than autumn (3×), in spring during earlier stages of crossings, but in both seasons, spent half of the crossing time at sea, during which they still continued to approach their destination slowly; 5) stops at sea happened mostly in adverse winds, warmer air, higher air humidity and on calmer water and, in autumn, took longer without juvenile brood. We conclude that for migrating pink‐footed geese, Arctic capital breeders, the importance of time and energy can shift en route and that seasonal differences in wind support, flying and stopping behaviour and the pressure for a well‐timed arrival cause the Barents Sea to be a larger barrier in spring than in autumn.
Sacubitril/valsartan: An antiarrhythmic drug?
Authors: Huang Elaine , Bernard Michael L. , Elise Hiltbold A. , Khatib Sammy , Polin Glenn M. , Rogers Paul A. , Dominic Paari , Morin Daniel P.
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Heart failure (HF) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, with nearly half of all HF‐related deaths resulting from sudden cardiac death (SCD), most often from an arrhythmic event. The pathophysiologic changes that occur in response to the hemodynamic stress of HF may lead to increased arrhythmogenesis. Theoretically, medications that block these arrhythmogenic substrates would decrease the risk of SCD. The combined angiotensin receptor and neprilysin inhibitor (ARNi; tradename Entresto) is the newest commercially available medication for the treatment of heart failure.

Methods and Results

We reviewed and synthesized the available literature regarding sacubitril/valsartan and its effects on cardiac rhythm. ARNi has been shown to decrease cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Emerging evidence suggests that ARNi also may play a role in reducing arrhythmogenesis and thereby SCD.

Conclusion

This review summarizes the current data regarding this ARNi and its potential antiarrhythmic effects.
Knowledge diffusion and morality: Why do we freely share valuable information with Strangers?
Authors: Ayoubi Charles , Thurm Boris
Published: September 2022

This article offers a model integrating heterogeneously moral preferences to overcome the seemingly irrational tendency of individuals to freely share data and knowledge. We build on recent literature showing that moral preferences are favored by evolution theoretically, and have a strong explanatory power empirically, to model individual sharing behavior. Our analysis highlights the limit of financial incentives and the importance of promoting a sharing culture by enhancing awareness. Shedding light on how people respond not only to financial but also moral motives, we contribute to the ongoing policy debate on the design of effective open science policies.
Fielding the quality of communication questionnaire to persons with cognitive impairment and their family in primary care: A pilot study
Authors: Reiff Jenni S. , Cagle John , Zhang Talan , Roth David L. , Wolff Jennifer L.
Published: September 2022

Background

The quality of communication (QOC) questionnaire has been widely used to assess foundational aspects of patient‐clinician communication about end‐of‐life (EOL) care. However, this instrument has never before been fielded with primary care patients who have cognitive impairment and their caregivers, a population with unique communication needs.

Design

We report on baseline data from a completed pilot study and ongoing efficacy trial of advance care planning involving dyads of primary care patients ages 80 and older with cognitive impairment and their family care partners. Two QOC subscales assessed ratings of general communication and EOL care communication from 0 (“worst”) to 10 (“best”). Due to challenges piloting the EOL subscale, we integrated skip logic to improve cognitive accessibility and measurement precision. Participants were first asked whether EOL communication occurred (yes/no); those responding affirmatively were subsequently asked to rate communication. We report experiences with EOL subscale adaptations from our ongoing trial (NCT04593472).

Results

Using the original instrument in our pilot (13 dyads), mean patient and family general communication ratings were similar (9.65 and 9.60, respectively), but EOL ratings diverged (4.23 and 5.88, respectively), and “Don't Know” comprised 5% of patient and 32% of family responses. Interviewers reported patient and family participants expressed confusion when asked to rate EOL communication behaviors that had not occurred. Using the adapted instrument in our efficacy trial (43 dyads), EOL communication behaviors were most often reported as not having occurred (76% of patient and 73% of family responses across all items). Mean patient and family EOL subscale ratings were similar (2.23 and 2.26) and responses of “Don't Know” were minimal (<1%).

Conclusion

The original QOC EOL subscale involves rating conversations that rarely occur in primary care but are important for older adults with cognitive impairment. Subscale adaptations may reduce confusion and response uncertainty and improve measurement accuracy.
Innovations and stepwise evolution of CBFs/DREB1s and their regulatory networks in angiosperms
Authors: Nie Yuqi , Guo Liangyu , Cui Fuqiang , Shen Yirong , Ye Xiaoxue , Deng Deyin , Wang Shuo , Zhu Jianhua , Wu Wenwu
Published: September 2022

The C‐repeat binding factors/dehydration‐responsive element binding protein 1s (CBFs/DREB1s) have been identified as major regulators of cold acclimation in many angiosperm plants. However, their origin and evolutionary process associated to cold responsiveness are still lacking. By integrating multi‐omics data of genomes, transcriptomes, and CBFs/DREB1s genome‐wide binding profiles, we unveil the origin and evolution of CBFs/DREB1s and their regulatory network. Gene collinearity and phylogeny analyses show that CBF/DREB1 is an innovation evolved from tandem duplication‐derived DREB III gene. A subsequent event of ε‐whole genome duplication led to two CBF/DREB1 archetypes (Clades I and II) in ancient angiosperms. In contrast to cold‐insensitivity of Clade I and their parent DREB III genes, Clade II evolved a further innovation in cold‐sensitive response and was stepwise expanded in eudicots and monocots by independent duplications. In geological time, the duplication events were mainly enriched around the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) boundary and/or in the Late Cenozoic Ice Age, when the global average temperature significantly decreased. Consequently, the duplicated CBF/DREB1 genes contributed to the rewiring of CBFs/DREB1s‐regulatory network for cold tolerance. Altogether, our results highlight an origin and convergent evolution of CBFs/DREB1s and their regulatory network probably for angiosperms adaptation to global cooling.
Barriers to accessing sterile injecting equipment for people who inject drugs: An integrative review
Authors: Lawson Elaine , Walthall Helen
Published: September 2022

Background

The global prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection is estimated to be 71 million, with an estimated 6.1 million of those having recently injected drugs. The recognised measures to prevent hepatitis C transmission in people who inject drugs are needle and syringe programmes. As people who inject drugs are at considerable risk of hepatitis C transmission, understanding the barriers they encounter when accessing needle and syringe programmes is important to support the hepatitis C elimination goal.

Objective

This integrative review aimed to synthesise research exploring the barriers to accessing sterile injecting equipment faced by people who inject drugs.

Methods

An integrative review was conducted guided by the PRISMA 2020 checklist, based on a systematic literature search using the following databases: CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, psychology & behavioural sciences collection, and Emcare, as well as Google Scholar.

Results

The search returned seven studies which met the criteria, and four key themes were identified: stigma; experienced and internalised, purchase experience, practical issues, and fear of negative consequences. Participants reported barriers such as the location of the services, and concerns around confidentiality when accessing services. In addition to this, the fear of arrest and the involvement of social services proved to discourage access to these services.

Conclusions

People who inject drugs face many challenges when accessing sterile injecting equipment, such as stigma, purchase experience, practical issues and fears and concerns. To support the World Health Organisation Hepatitis C virus elimination plan, these barriers must be tackled to maximise the provision and reduce hepatitis C transmission and reinfection rates. Since the level of research on this topic is limited, further studies are strongly needed.

No patient or public contribution

Patient and public involvement were not used for this review.
Specialist care of children with complex needs: Insights from comparison of child development and child mental health clinics
Authors: Butler Louise , Harris Alison , Rapaic Tijana , Heussler Helen , Bor William
Published: September 2022

Aim

Paediatricians and child psychiatrists review children with complex comorbidity, noting similarities between tertiary Child Development Service (CDS) and Child and Youth Mental Health Service (CYMHS) cohorts. Mental health comorbidity is common in developmental services. Developmental comorbidity in mental health cohorts is uncharacterised. The study aimed to describe CDS and CYMHS cohorts using measures of child development, mental health, physical health and psychosocial risk.

Methods

A questionnaire was completed by parents of CDS and CYMHS new clients aged 4–11. It included measures of mental health symptoms, child development, physical health, stressful life events, family functioning, parent mental health and socio‐economic variables. Sample rates were compared to population norms. CDS and CYMHS cohorts were compared.

Results

The study population had elevated rates of psychosocial risk, family dysfunction, physical illness, developmental risk and mental health symptoms. CDS had higher levels of developmental risk and family dysfunction. Most CDS clients (81%) had mental health difficulties. CYMHS clients were older, and had more mental health symptoms, stressful life events and child safety contact; 81% of CYMHS clients demonstrated developmental risk. CDS and CYMHS had similar socio‐demographic profiles and parent mental health difficulties, and similarly high rates of physical health problems.

Conclusions

Consideration should be given to mental health screening and support in CDS, and to developmental screening in CYMHS. Both services support at‐risk children with complex developmental, mental health and physical co‐morbidity necessitating shared approaches to clinical and population health, including care integration, and collaborative cross‐disciplinary models of service provision and training, and advocacy.
Association of women's empowerment with anaemia and haemoglobin concentration in children in sub‐Saharan Africa: A multilevel analysis
Authors: Wilunda Calistus , Wanjohi Milkah , Takahashi Risa , Kimani‐Murage Elizabeth , Mutoro Antonina
Published: September 2022

We assessed the associations between women's empowerment and anaemia and haemoglobin concentration among children (6–59 months) in 31 sub‐Saharan African (SSA) countries. We included 72,032 mother–child pairs from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 2006 and 2019. A three‐dimensional women's empowerment index (attitude towards violence, decision making and social independence) was constructed using principal components analysis, and associations between the index and any anaemia and Hb concentration were assessed using multilevel regression. The mean (standard deviation) haemoglobin concentration was 102.3 (16.0 g/L) and 65.8% of the children were anaemic. The odds of anaemia reduced with increasing empowerment in the dimensions of attitude towards violence [quintile (Q5) versus Q1, OR 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.65–0.89, ptrend = 0.006], decision making (Q5 vs. Q1, OR 0.72; 95% CI 0.61–0.84, ptrend < 0.001) and social independence (Q5 vs. Q1, OR 0.86; 95% CI 0.76–0.97, ptrend = 0.015). The mean Hb concentration increased with increasing women's empowerment in the dimensions of attitude towards violence (Q5 vs. Q1, mean difference [MD] 1.40 g/L; 95% CI 0.63–2.17, ptrend < 0.001) and social independence (Q5 vs. Q1, MD 1.32 g/L; 95% CI 0.36–2.28, ptrend = 0.001). There was no evidence for a linear trend in the association between decision making and haemoglobin concentration (ptrend = 0.051). Women's empowerment was associated with reduced odds of any anaemia and higher haemoglobin concentration in children. The promotion of women's empowerment may play a role in reducing the burden of childhood anaemia in SSA.
Analysis and visualization methods for detecting functional activation using laser speckle contrast imaging
Authors: Hu Peng , Niu Bochao , Yang Hang , Xia Yang , Chen Donna , Meng Chun , Chen Ke , Biswal Bharat
Published: September 2022

Background

Previous studies have used regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) hemodynamic response to measure brain activities. In this work, we use a laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) apparatus to sample the CBF activation in somatosensory cortex (S1BF) with repetitive whisker stimulation. Traditionally, the CBF activations were processed by depicting the change percentage above baseline; however, it is not clear how different methods influence the detection of activations.

Aims

Thus, in this work we investigate the influence of different methods to detect activations in LSCI.

Materials & Methods

First, principal component analysis (PCA) was performed to denoise the CBF signal. As the signal of the first principal component (PC1) showed the highest correlation with the S1BF CBF response curve, PC1 was used in the subsequent analyses. Then, we used fast Fourier transform (FFT) to evaluate the frequency properties of the LSCI images and the activation map was generated based on the amplitude of the central frequency. Furthermore, Pearson's correlation coefficient (C–C) analysis and a general linear model (GLM) were performed to estimate the S1BF activation based on the time series of PC1.

Results

We found that GLM performed better in identifying activation than C–C. Additionally, the activation maps generated by FFT were similar to those obtained by GLM. Particularly, the superficial vein and arterial vessels separated the activation region as segmented activated areas, and the regions with unresolved vessels showed a common activation for whisker stimulation.

Discussion and Conclusion

Our research analyzed the extent to which PCA can extract meaningful information from the signal and we compared the performance for detecting brain functional activation between different methods that rely on LSCI. This can be used as a reference for LSCI researchers on choosing the best method to estimate brain activation.
Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants of Pashat Valley, Bajaur, along Pakistan–Afghanistan border: a mountainous region of the Hindu Kush Range
Authors: Haq Aminul , Badshah Lal , Ali Asghar , Ullah Abd , Khan Shujaul Mulk , Ullah Irshad
Published: September 2022

Medicinal plants are the primary and effective source to cure various human ailments throughout the globe. The remote area of the Pashat valley at the Pakistan–Afghanistan border is still unexplored to document ethnomedicinal knowledge and practices. In the current study, the contemporary investigation recorded the native acquaintance of remedial plants. A total of 73 plant species belonging to 68 genera and 46 families were used by traditional communities for the treatment of 40 different kinds of human diseases including digestive, respiratory, urinary, skeletal, muscular systems, etc. The family Lamiaceae was found dominant with 9 species followed by Leguminosae and Solanaceae with 4 species each, Euphorbiaceae, Moraceae, Rhamnaceae and Rosaceae with three species each. The most frequently used parts of plants were leaves (35.7%) followed by fruits (22.4%), seeds (12.2%), roots (7.14%) and plants as a whole (6.12%). Whereas the remedy preparation approaches were in powder form (28.46%), decoction (26.15%), extract (20%) and a paste (11.54%). The quantitative ethnobotanical indices i.e. used value (UV), relative frequency citation (RFC), family importance value (FIV) and Jaccard index (JI) were calculated for all plant species. The used value (UV = 0.04) was found highest for Berberis lyceum, Myrtus communis, Punica granatum and Dodonea viscosa. Similarly, the maximum RFC value of 0.25 was investigated for Foeniculum vulgare and Olea ferruginea each. Besides, the highest FIV of 96.08% and 58.17% values were calculated for the family Lamiaceae and Solanaceae. This study shows that the corresponding area is rich in medicinal plants and could contribute to ethnomedicinal knowledge. The collected data will establish a baseline for the comprehensive investigation of active molecular constituents of the medicinal flora of the area. Soon, the exploration of these medicinal plants could discover new herbal drugs in the field of pharmacology.
Raphiocarpussinovietnamicus (Gesneriaceae), a new species from southern China and central Vietnam
Authors: Xin Zi‐Bing , Yuan Lang‐Xing , Zhang Zhong‐Yang , Dinh Quang Diep , Lu Gang , Maciejewski Stephen , Do Truong Van
Published: September 2022

Raphiocarpus sinovietnamicus, a new species of Gesneriaceae from China and Vietnam, is described and illustrated here. It is morphologically close to R. axillaris and R. tamdaoensis, but can be distinguished from the later two by its broadly tubular corolla tube and red to purple‐red, purplish‐yellow corolla outside. Detailed morphological description together with color illustration, information on phenology, distribution, ecology and preliminarily conservation status of the new taxon was also presented.
An enhancing effect attributed to a nonsynonymous mutation in SOYBEAN SEED SIZE 1, a SPINDLY‐like gene, is exploited in soybean domestication and improvement
Authors: Zhu Weiwei , Yang Ce , Yong Bin , Wang Yan , Li Bingbing , Gu Yongzhe , Wei Siming , An Zhenghong , Sun Wenkai , Qiu Lijuan , He Chaoying
Published: September 2022

Soybean (Glycine max) was domesticated from its wild relative Glycine soja. One‐hundred‐seed weight is one of the most important domesticated traits determining soybean yield; however, its underlying genetic basis remains elusive.

We characterized a soybean seed size 1 (sss1) mutant featuring large seeds compared to its wild‐type background. Positional cloning revealed that the candidate gene GmSSS1 encoded a SPINDLY homolog and was co‐located in a well‐identified quantitative trait locus (QTL)‐rich region on chromosome 19. Knocking out GmSSS1 resulted in small seeds, while overexpressing GmSSS1/Gmsss1 induced large seeds. Modulating GmSSS1/Gmsss1 in transgenic plants can positively influence cell expansion and cell division. Relative to GmSSS1, one mutation leading to an E to Q substitution at the 182nd residue in Gmsss1 conferred an enhancing effect on seed weight.

GmSSS1 underwent diversification in wild‐type and cultivated soybean, and the alleles encoding the Gmsss1‐type substitution of 182nd‐Q, which originated along the central and downstream parts of the Yellow River, were selected and expanded during soybean domestication and improvement.

We cloned the causative gene for the sss1 mutant, which is linked with a seed weight QTL, identified an elite allele of this gene for increasing seed weight, and provided new insights into soybean domestication and breeding.
Effects of drought on grassland phenology depend on functional types
Authors: Castillioni Karen , Newman Gregory S. , Souza Lara , Iler Amy M.
Published: September 2022

Shifts in flowering phenology are important indicators of climate change. However, the role of precipitation in driving phenology is far less understood compared with other environmental cues, such as temperature.

We use a precipitation reduction gradient to test the direction and magnitude of effects on reproductive phenology and reproduction across 11 plant species in a temperate grassland, a moisture‐limited ecosystem. Our experiment was conducted in a single, relatively wet year. We examine the effects of precipitation for species, functional types, and the community.

Our results provide evidence that reduced precipitation shifts phenology, alters flower and fruit production, and that the magnitude and direction of the responses depend on functional type and species. For example, early‐blooming species shift toward earlier flowering, whereas later‐blooming species shift toward later flowering. Because of opposing species‐level shifts, there is no overall shift in community‐level phenology.

This study provides experimental evidence that changes in rainfall can drive phenological shifts. Our results additionally highlight the importance of understanding how plant functional types govern responses to changing climate conditions, which is relevant for forecasting phenology and community‐level changes. Specifically, the implications of divergent phenological shifts between early‑ and late‐flowering species include resource scarcity for pollinators and seed dispersers and new temporal windows for invasion.
From common gardens to candidate genes: exploring local adaptation to climate in red spruce
Authors: Capblancq Thibaut , Lachmuth Susanne , Fitzpatrick Matthew C. , Keller Stephen R.
Published: September 2022

Local adaptation to climate is common in plant species and has been studied in a range of contexts, from improving crop yields to predicting population maladaptation to future conditions. The genomic era has brought new tools to study this process, which was historically explored through common garden experiments.

In this study, we combine genomic methods and common gardens to investigate local adaptation in red spruce and identify environmental gradients and loci involved in climate adaptation. We first use climate transfer functions to estimate the impact of climate change on seedling performance in three common gardens. We then explore the use of multivariate gene–environment association methods to identify genes underlying climate adaptation, with particular attention to the implications of conducting genome scans with and without correction for neutral population structure.

This integrative approach uncovered phenotypic evidence of local adaptation to climate and identified a set of putatively adaptive genes, some of which are involved in three main adaptive pathways found in other temperate and boreal coniferous species: drought tolerance, cold hardiness, and phenology. These putatively adaptive genes segregated into two ‘modules’ associated with different environmental gradients.

This study nicely exemplifies the multivariate dimension of adaptation to climate in trees.
Topological sound in two dimensions
Authors: Yves Simon , Ni Xiang , Alù Andrea
Published: September 2022

Topology is the branch of mathematics studying the properties of an object that are preserved under continuous deformations. Quite remarkably, the powerful theoretical tools of topology have been applied over the past few years to study the electronic band structure of crystals. Topological band theory can explain and predict topological phase transitions in a material, and the unusual robustness of certain band structure shapes, such as Dirac cones, against small perturbations. These findings have also unveiled a new phase of matter—topological insulators—whose exotic transport properties at their boundaries are topologically protected against imperfections and disorder. The fascinating features of topological boundary states have triggered the search for their analogs in classical wave physics. Here, we focus on the peculiar features of two‐dimensional topological insulators for sound and mechanical waves. Two‐dimensional Dirac cones and phononic topological insulators can emerge under certain conditions in periodic acoustic metamaterials, demonstrating great potential for acoustic and mechanical systems to demonstrate, over a tabletop platform, complex fundamental phenomena driven by topological concepts. In addition, these discoveries offer a direct path toward new technologies for enhanced sound control and manipulation.