bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early and sustained improvements of lung clearance index from two to sixteen weeks of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor therapy in patients with cystic fibrosis—a real world study
Authors: Appelt Dorothea , Steinkamp Gratiana , Sieber Sarah , Ellemunter Helmut
Published: March 2023

Since the introduction of CFTR modulator therapies, longitudinal real-life data of lung clearance index (LCI) during treatment is scarce. In this single-centre, post-approval setting, we report data of 51 patients with different stages of lung disease, age 2–52 years with repeated measurements of forced expiratory volume as a percentage of the predicted value (ppFEV₁) and LCI after 2, 4, and 16 weeks of CFTR modulator treatment and at baseline. In 25 patients during elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ELX/TEZ/IVA) treatment, significant improvements of LCI (median −1.4) and ppFEV₁ (median +8.3%) were observed after only 2 weeks, and were maintained after 4 and 16 weeks of treatment (LCI: -2.0, −2.2; ppFEV₁: +7.2%, +11.8%). We observed a significant correlation between LCI improvement at week 16 and lower baseline LCI. In 26 younger and healthier patients receiving lumacaftor/ivacaftor (LUM/IVA) treatment, no significant changes of LCI and ppFEV₁ occured. With ELX/TEZ/IVA, our data shows rapid, significant improvements of LCI and ppFEV₁ already after 2 weeks. Early LCI measurements can help to assess the patient’s response to this high-cost therapy.
Key events in cancer: Dysregulation of SREBPs
Authors: Li Yunkuo , Wu Shouwang , Zhao Xiaodong , Hao Shiming , Li Faping , Wang Yuxiong , Liu Bin , Zhang Difei , Wang Yishu , Zhou Honglan
Published: March 2023

Lipid metabolism reprogramming is an important hallmark of tumor progression. Cancer cells require high levels of lipid synthesis and uptake not only to support their continued replication, invasion, metastasis, and survival but also to participate in the formation of biological membranes and signaling molecules. Sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs) are core transcription factors that control lipid metabolism and the expression of important genes for lipid synthesis and uptake. A growing number of studies have shown that SREBPs are significantly upregulated in human cancers and serve as intermediaries providing a mechanistic link between lipid metabolism reprogramming and malignancy. Different subcellular localizations, including endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, and nucleus, play an indispensable role in regulating the cleavage maturation and activity of SREBPs. In this review, we focus on the relationship between aberrant regulation of SREBPs activity in three organelles and tumor progression. Because blocking the regulation of lipid synthesis by SREBPs has gradually become an important part of tumor therapy, this review also summarizes and analyzes several current mainstream strategies.
Fire exposure index as a tool for guiding prevention and management
Authors: De Freitas Ana , Ferreira Joice , Escada Maria , Reis João , Leite Cândida , Andrade Dárlison , Spínola Jackeline , Soares Maria , Anderson Liana
Published: March 2023

Protected Areas (PA) in Brazil have legal instruments for the conservation and protection of fauna and flora. The Sustainable Use Reserves (SURs) category have mechanisms to ensure the security of traditional lifestyles. Despite the existence of mechanisms and information that contribute to the protection of forest areas, threats to its conservation such as deforestation, fires, and climate extremes are increasing. Fires represent a major threat to many sustainable development goals, such as climate, health and food security, especially for people who depend on forest resources. This study covers two SURs, the Tapajós National Forest (FLONA Tapajós) and the Tapajós-Arapiuns Extractive Reserve (RESEX Tapajós-Arapiuns) located in Pará State, Brazilian Amazon, where deforestation, fires and land conflicts have escalated during the last decade. This research aimed to analyze environmental and land management data to construct a Fire Exposure Index (FEI), identify the pressure exerted on SURs and a tool to guide strategic planning since exposure is a component of vulnerability, therefore also of risk. The index is composed of four dimensions: fire, landscape, climate and territorial management. We analyzed the spatio-temporal dynamics between 2003 and 2020 to determine the Fire Exposure Index in 2020. The results indicate where and how interactions occur in priority areas, with regard to fire, landscape, climate and territorial management. High values of FEI (above 0.8) were mainly distributed around the northern and southeastern part of FLONA Tapajós in approximately 1,300 km2, an area occupied by a high density of roads and agricultural expansion, which may affect the interior of the SURs. In the RESEX Tapajós-Arapiuns, the area with high FEI occur along the banks of the Arapiuns and Tapajós rivers, covering an area of about 330 km2, where most of the riverside communities live. The methodology developed in this research is potentially replicable for other protected areas in Brazil and in the world to support understanding and the development of management strategies to deal with fire threats. The additional format of communicating the results of this research to society and decision makers was conceived as a dashboard to facilitate its use.
Virulence of entomopathogenic fungi against fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) under laboratory conditions
Authors: Idrees Atif , Afzal Ayesha , Qadir Ziyad Abdul , Li Jun
Published: March 2023

Maize is an essential crop of China. The recent invasion of Spodoptera frugiperda, also known as fall armyworm (FAW), poses a danger to the country’s ability to maintain a sustainable level of productivity from this core crop. Entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) Metarhizium anisopliae MA, Penicillium citrinum CTD-28 and CTD-2, Cladosporium sp. BM-8, Aspergillus sp. SE-25 and SE-5, Metarhizium sp. CA-7, and Syncephalastrum racemosum SR-23 were tested to determine their effectiveness in causing mortality in second instars, eggs, and neonate larvae. Metarhizium anisopliae MA, P. citrinum CTD-28, and Cladosporium sp. BM-8 caused the highest levels of egg mortality, with 86.0, 75.3, and 70.0%, respectively, followed by Penicillium sp. CTD-2 (60.0%). Additionally, M. anisopliae MA caused the highest neonatal mortality of 57.1%, followed by P. citrinum CTD-28 (40.7%). In addition, M. anisopliae MA, P. citrinum CTD-28, and Penicillium sp. CTD-2 decreased the feeding efficacy of second instar larvae of FAW by 77.8, 75.0, and 68.1%, respectively, followed by Cladosporium sp. BM-8 (59.7%). It is possible that EPF will play an important role as microbial agents against FAW after further research is conducted on the effectiveness of these EPF in the field.
The layout measures of micro-sprinkler irrigation under plastic film regulate tomato soil bacterial community and root system
Authors: Zhang Mingzhi , Xiao Na , Yang Haijian , Li Yuan , Gao Fangrong , Li Jianbin , Zhang Zhenxing
Published: March 2023

Introduction

The change in rhizosphere soil bacterial community and root system under new water-saving device is not clear.

Methods

A completely randomized experimental design was used to explore the effects of different micropore group spacing (L1: 30 cm micropore group spacing, L2: 50 cm micropore group spacing) and capillary arrangement density (C1: one pipe for one row, C2: one pipe for two rows, C3: one pipe for three rows) on tomato rhizosphere soil bacteria community, roots and tomato yield under MSPF. The bacteria in tomato rhizosphere soil were sequenced by 16S rRNA gene amplicon metagenomic sequencing technology, the interaction of bacterial community, root system and yield in tomato rhizosphere soil was quantitatively described based on regression analysis.

Results

Results showed that L1 was not only beneficial to the development of tomato root morphology, but also promoted the ACE index of tomato soil bacterial community structure and the abundance of nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism functional genes. The yield and crop water use efficiency (WUE) of spring tomato and autumn tomato in L1 were about 14.15% and 11.27%, 12.64% and 10.35% higher than those in L2. With the decrease of capillary arrangement density, the diversity of bacterial community structure in tomato rhizosphere soil decreased, and the abundance of nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism functional genes of soil bacteria also decreased. The small abundance of soil bacterial functional genes limited the absorption of soil nutrients by tomato roots and roots morphological development. The yield and crop water use efficiency of spring and autumn tomato in C2 were significantly higher than those in C3 about 34.76% and 15.23%, 31.94% and 13.91%, respectively. The positive interaction between soil bacterial community and root morphological development of tomato was promoted by the capillary layout measures of MSPF.

Discussion

The L1C2 treatment had a stable bacterial community structure and good root morphological development, which positively promoted the increase of tomato yield. The interaction between soil microorganisms and roots of tomato was regulated by optimizing the layout measures of MSPF to provide data support for water-saving and yield-increasing of tomato in Northwest China.
Temporal transcriptome analysis reveals several key pathways involve in cadmium stress response in Nicotiana tabacum L.
Authors: Li Chenyang , Hong Yi , Sun Jinhao , Wang Guoping , Zhou Huina , Xu Liangtao , Wang Long , Xu Guoyun
Published: March 2023

Tobacco has a strong cadmium (Cd) enrichment capacity, meaning that it can absorb large quantities from the environment, but too much Cd will cause damage to the plant. It is not yet clear how the plant can dynamically respond to Cd stress. Here, we performed a temporal transcriptome analysis of tobacco roots under Cd treatment from 0 to 48 h. The number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was found to change significantly at 3 h of Cd treatment, which we used to define the early and middle stages of the Cd stress response. The gene ontology (GO) term analysis indicates that genes related to photosynthesis and fatty acid synthesis were enriched during the early phases of the stress response, and in the middle phase biological process related to metal ion transport, DNA damage repair, and metabolism were enriched. It was also found that plants use precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) processes to first resist Cd stress, and with the increasing of Cd treatment time, the overlapped genes number of DEGs and DAS increased, suggesting the transcriptional levels and post-transcriptional level might influence each other. This study allowed us to better understand how plants dynamically respond to cadmium stress at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels and provided a reference for the screening of Cd-tolerant genes in the future.
Iron sensing in plants
Authors: Vélez-Bermúdez Isabel Cristina , Schmidt Wolfgang
Published: March 2023

The ease of accepting or donating electrons is the raison d’être for the pivotal role iron (Fe) plays in a multitude of vital processes. In the presence of oxygen, however, this very property promotes the formation of immobile Fe(III) oxyhydroxides in the soil, which limits the concentration of Fe that is available for uptake by plant roots to levels well below the plant’s demand. To adequately respond to a shortage (or, in the absence of oxygen, a possible surplus) in Fe supply, plants have to perceive and decode information on both external Fe levels and the internal Fe status. As a further challenge, such cues have to be translated into appropriate responses to satisfy (but not overload) the demand of sink (i.e., non-root) tissues. While this seems to be a straightforward task for evolution, the multitude of possible inputs into the Fe signaling circuitry suggests diversified sensing mechanisms that concertedly contribute to govern whole plant and cellular Fe homeostasis. Here, we review recent progress in elucidating early events in Fe sensing and signaling that steer downstream adaptive responses. The emerging picture suggests that Fe sensing is not a central event but occurs in distinct locations linked to distinct biotic and abiotic signaling networks that together tune Fe levels, Fe uptake, root growth, and immunity in an interwoven manner to orchestrate and prioritize multiple physiological readouts.
Social media and body dissatisfaction in young adults: An experimental investigation of the effects of different image content and influencing constructs
Authors: Castellanos Silva Raquel , Steins Gisela
Published: March 2023

Research shows negative correlations between media exposure of body images in the context of hegemonic beauty ideals and body satisfaction. The present study deals with the underlying mechanisms and the effects of different exposure contents. In the online experimental study, a sample consisting of 226 individuals (82.3% female, 17.7% male) received a three-minute exposure to Instagram images of women and men in the context of either hegemonic beauty ideals in the experimental group or body diversity in the control group. A conducted Mixed ANOVA with repeated measures showed significant group differences, including an increase in body dissatisfaction in the experimental group and a reduction in the control group after exposure. Statistically significant detrimental effects of exposure to images in the experimental group on women’s state mood as well as descriptive similar tendencies on men’s state mood were found. Moderating effects of the tendency to make upward social comparisons and the internalization of the gender-specific beauty ideal on the relationship between exposure content and the change scores of body dissatisfaction were found. Furthermore, a mediation model was calculated to investigate the effect of exposure content on post-measurement of body dissatisfaction, using the constructs “comparison processes regarding sexual attractiveness” and “assessment of one’s own sexual attractiveness” as mediators. The model did not yield significant mediation, although significant relationships were found between the model components. Exploratory analyses were conducted on the influence of the assessment of one’s own sexual attractiveness on related social comparisons and the intensity of engagement with Instagram content as a predictor of body dissatisfaction. The results highlight the relevance for psychoeducational purposes of addressing a critical engagement with depicted beauty ideals in social media. Moreover, the study proposes body diversity as an alternative content that can have a positive impact on body satisfaction, which can be actively sought during the individual Instagram user experience.
A single bout of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise improves motor learning in premanifest and early Huntington’s disease
Authors: Andrews Sophie C. , Kämpf Lydia , Curtin Dylan , Hinder Mark , Wenderoth Nicole , Stout Julie C. , Coxon James P.
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Cardiorespiratory exercise has emerged as a promising candidate to modify disease progression in Huntington’s disease (HD). In animal models, exercise has been found to alter biomarkers of neuroplasticity and delay evidence of disease, and some interventions–including exercise–have shown benefits in human HD patients. In healthy human populations, increasing evidence suggests that even a single bout of exercise can improve motor learning. In this pilot study, we investigated the effect of a single bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise on motor skill learning in presymptomatic and early manifest HD patients.

Methods

Participants were allocated to either an exercise (n= 10) or control (n= 10) group. They performed either 20 min of moderate intensity cycling or rest before practicing a novel motor task, the sequential visual isometric pinch force task (SVIPT). After 1 week, the retention of the SVIPT was measured in both groups.

Results

We found that the exercise group performed significantly better during initial task acquisition. There were no significant differences in offline memory consolidation between groups, but total skill gain across both acquisition and retention sessions was greater in the group who exercised. The better performance of the exercise group was driven by improvements in accuracy, rather than speed.

Discussion

We have shown that a single bout of moderate intensity aerobic exercise can facilitate motor skill learning in people with HD gene-expansion. More research is needed to investigate the underlying neural mechanisms and to further explore the potential for neurocognitive and functional benefits of exercise for people with HD.
Corpus-based critical discourse analysis of reporting practices in English news reports on public health event in China and United States
Authors: Li Zhuoran , Zhao Ronghui , Lou Baocui
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Reporting speech is a basic form of human language, and reporting practices play a key role in news report. As one of the important rhetorical devices to introduce the reported speech, reporting verbs can help the readers understand the source of the reported speech and the attitude of the journalist or the media toward the reported information.

Method

This study examines the features of reporting practice in Chinese and American news reports on public health emergency by investigating the use of reporting verbs from the perspectives of critical discourse analysis. Two English news corpora of COVID-19 pandemic are built, namely, the China Daily News Corpus and the New York Times News Corpus, with 50 news texts in each corpus. The corpus analysis tool AntConc 3.3.5 is used to conduct concordance analysis.

Results and discussion

It is found that Chinese and American news reports tend to use roughly the same high-frequency reporting verbs in reporting the COVID-19 pandemic. Chinese and American news corpora show difference in the distribution feature of high-frequency reporting verbs in terms of semantic category. Both Chinese and American news reports use speech reporting verbs most frequently, indicating an objective attitude toward the reported event, and use speech reporting verbs and speech act reporting verbs to introduce the reported speech with comparatively higher degree of certainty. American news reports frequently use mental reporting verbs to show the attitude of uncertainty toward the reported speech, and Chinese news reports probably need to raise the awareness of using mental reporting verbs to express the opinions and attitude of the common people or the authority. The findings of this study can provide insights into the research on reporting strategies of news reports on emergencies in China for foreign audience.
The alliance-outcome association in borderline and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
Authors: Beiling Peter , Schurig Susan , Keller Andrea , Weidner Kerstin , Noack René
Published: March 2023

Personality disorders are considered a possible factor affecting the relationship between therapeutic alliance and therapy outcome. The present study investigated the alliance-outcome effect in patient groups with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD). Data derived from a sample of n = 66 patients, treated in a day care hospital setting with a dialectical-behavioral and schema therapeutic treatment concept. Patients rated their symptom severity at admission, early alliance after 4–6 therapy sessions and symptom severity as well as alliance at discharge. Results showed no significant differences between BPD and OCPD patients regarding symptom severity and alliance. Multiple regression analyses indicated that the alliance was a significant predictor of symptom reduction, however only in the OCPD group. Our results showed an exceptionally strong alliance-outcome relationship in OCPD patients, suggesting that focusing on building a strong alliance and measuring it early in therapy may be especially beneficial for this patient group. For patients with BPD, a more regular screening of the therapeutic alliance might be helpful.
Breaking the vicious cycle: The interplay between loneliness, metabolic illness, and mental health
Authors: Ahmed Minhal , Cerda Ivo , Maloof Molly
Published: March 2023

Loneliness, or perceived social isolation, is a leading predictor of all-cause mortality and is increasingly considered a public health epidemic afflicting significant portions of the general population. Chronic loneliness is itself associated with two of the most pressing public health epidemics currently facing the globe: the rise of mental illness and metabolic health disorders. Here, we highlight the epidemiological associations between loneliness and mental and metabolic health disorders and argue that loneliness contributes to the etiology of these conditions by acting as a chronic stressor that leads to neuroendocrine dysregulation and downstream immunometabolic consequences that manifest in disease. Specifically, we describe how loneliness can lead to overactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and ultimately cause mitochondrial dysfunction, which is implicated in mental and metabolic disease. These conditions can, in turn, lead to further social isolation and propel a vicious cycle of chronic illness. Finally, we outline interventions and policy recommendations that can reduce loneliness at both the individual and community levels. Given its role in the etiology of the most prevalent chronic diseases of our time, focusing resources on alleviating loneliness is a vitally important and cost-effective public health strategy.
Symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder in parents of preterm newborns: A systematic review of interventions and prevention strategies
Authors: Laccetta Gianluigi , Di Chiara Maria , De Nardo Maria Chiara , Terrin Gianluca
Published: March 2023

Background

Preterm birth and subsequent NICU admission can be a traumatic experience for parents who may subsequently develop post-traumatic stress (PTS) disorder (PTSD). Given that developmental issues are common among children of parents with PTSD, interventions for prevention and treatment are essential.

Objective

To assess the most effective non-pharmacological interventions to prevent and/or treat PTS symptoms in parents of preterm newborns.

Methods

Systematic review performed in accordance with the PRISMA statements. Eligible articles in English language were searched in MEDLINE, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science databases using the following medical subject headings and terms: “stress disorder, post-traumatic,” “parents,” “mothers,” “fathers,” “infant, newborn,” “intensive care units, neonatal,” and “premature birth.” The terms “preterm birth” and “preterm delivery” were also used. Unpublished data were searched in ClinicalTrials.gov website. All intervention studies published until September 9th, 2022 and including parents of newborns with gestational age at birth (GAb) <37 weeks which underwent ≥1 non-pharmaceutical interventions for prevention and/or treatment of PTS symptoms related to preterm birth were included. Subgroup analyses were conducted by type of intervention. The quality assessment was performed according to the criteria from the RoB-2 and the “NIH Quality Assessment Tool for Before-After studies.”

Results

Sixteen thousand six hundred twenty-eight records were identified; finally, 15 articles (1,009 mothers, 44 fathers of infants with GAb ≤ 366/7 weeks) were included for review. A good standard of NICU care (effective as sole intervention: 2/3 studies) and education about PTSD (effective in association with other interventions: 7/8 studies) could be offered to all parents of preterm newborns. The 6-session Treatment Manual is a complex intervention which revealed itself to be effective in one study with low risk of bias. However, the effectiveness of interventions still remains to be definitively established. Interventions could start within 4 weeks after birth and last 2–4 weeks.

Conclusion

There is a wide range of interventions targeting PTS symptoms after preterm birth. However, further studies of good quality are needed to better define the effectiveness of each intervention.
Information, partisanship, and preferences in a pandemic
Authors: Rothwell Jonathan T. , Makridis Christos Andreas , Ramirez Christina Michelle , Desai Sonal
Published: March 2023

We investigate the role of information exposure in shaping attitudes and behaviors related to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic and whether baseline political affiliation and news diet mediate effects. In December 2020, we randomly assigned 5,009 U.S. adults to nine brief text-based segments related to the dynamics of the pandemic and the safety of various behaviors, estimating the effects on 15 binary outcomes related to COVID-19 policy preferences, expected consumer behavior, and beliefs about safety. Average effects reach significance (95% CI) in 47 out of 120 models and equal 7.4 ppt. The baseline effects are large for all outcomes except beliefs. By contrast, interaction effects by political party and media diet are significant for beliefs but rarely significant for policy and behavioral attitudes. These findings suggest partisan policy and behavioral gaps are driven, at least in part, by exposure to different information and that equalizing information sources would lead to partisan convergence in beliefs.
Evaluation of knowledge of risk factors and warning signs of stroke – An observational study among future health care professionals
Authors: Syed Wajid , Qadhi Omaimah A. , Barasheed Amal , AlZahrani Ebtesam , Basil A. Al-Rawi Mahmood
Published: March 2023

Background and objective

The role of healthcare professionals in society is unique since they are providers of health information and medication counseling to patients. Hence, this study aimed to evaluate Knowledge of Risk Factors and Warning Signs of Stroke among undergraduate health care Students (UHCS) at King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Methodology

An online cross-sectional study was conducted among UHCS at KSU, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from September to November 2022, using self-administered 34-item questionnaires divided into five sections to assess participants' knowledge of stroke risk factors, warning signs, and management and source of information about the stroke. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26 was used to analyze the data (SPSS).

Results

Of the 300 questionnaires distributed, 205 students completed the questionnaires, giving a response rate of 68.3%. Of whom 63 (30.7%) were pharmacy, 81 (39.5%) were nursing and 61 (29.8%) were emergency medical services (EMS) Students. One hundred and eighty-two (88.8%) of the students agreed that stroke affects bodily movement. With regards to risk factors, students identified high blood pressure 182 (88.8%), followed by heart disease 175 (85.4%), advanced age 164 (80%), previous Stroke history 158(77.1%), and lack of physical activity 156 (76.1%). Difficulty in speaking or slurred speech 164 (80%), dizziness, and loss of balance 163 (79.5%) were identified as the warning signs of stroke. In this study, 41.3 % of the pharmacy students reported a good level of knowledge than nursing and EMS students. However, 32.2% (N = 66) of the healthcare undergraduates reported good knowledge. The knowledge score was significantly associated with the year of study, and educational degree (p = 0.0001). Furthermore, there were no differences between parents working in healthcare settings (p = 0.99).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the knowledge of stroke among healthcare students at King Saud University varied. The reported knowledge gap mostly relates to stroke risk factors and warning signs. Therefore, increasing public awareness of potential risk factors and stroke warning signs needs to receive more attention.
A new look at osteoarthritis: Threshold potentials and an analogy to hypocalcemia
Authors: Van Gelder P. , Audenaert E. , Calders P. , Leybaert L.
Published: March 2023

Cartilage is a tissue that consist of very few cells embedded in a highly negatively charged extracellular matrix (ECM). This tissue is dealing with several electrical potentials which have been shown to control the production of ECM. Cartilage is present at joints and is constantly prone to degradation. Failing to repair the damage will result in the occurrence of osteoarthritis (OA). This perspective aims to link biophysical insights with biomolecular research in order to provide an alternative view on the possible causes of OA. Firstly, we hypothesize the existence of a threshold potential, which should be reached in order to initiate repair but if not met, unrepaired damage will evolve to OA. Measurements of the magnitude of this threshold electrical potential would be a helpful diagnostic tool. Secondly, since electrical potential alterations can induce chondrocytes to synthesize ECM, a cellular sensor must be present. We here propose an analogy to the hypocalcemia ‘unshielding’ situation to comprehend electrical potential generation and explore possible sensing mechanisms translating the electrical message into cellular responses. A better understanding of the cellular voltage sensors and down-stream signalling mechanisms may lead to the development of novel treatments for cartilage regeneration.
Enhancing young people's individual skills and knowledge. The case of vulnerable youth participating in co-creative policymaking in housing in the city of Barakaldo
Authors: Lorenz Usue
Published: March 2023

This research aims to explore in what extent young people can enhance their individual skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors by taking part in urban policymaking co-creation processes. The empirical study conducted within the UPLIFT project is based on two main theoretical influences: co-creation and youth participation in policymaking and the capability approach. The author found that the young participants in the UPLIFT co-creation process in Barakaldo who were encountering vulnerabilities or difficulties in housing, experienced positive individual effects from their participation in the process. Framed in terms of the Capability Approach, the process impacts positively on young people's individual abilities (individual factors) that may influence their opportunities (capabilities) and life strategies (functionings) in the housing domain. In the following lines, I also suggest a set of critical aspects that need to be pursued in a co-creative policymaking process to help increase the vulnerable young participants' knowledge and attitudes toward community planning initiatives in the field of urban policymaking.
Mindfulness-based therapy for insomnia alleviates insomnia, depression, and cognitive arousal in treatment-resistant insomnia: A single-arm telemedicine trial
Authors: Kalmbach David A. , Cheng Philip , Ong Jason C. , Reffi Anthony N. , Fresco David M. , Fellman-Couture Cynthia , Ruprich Melissa K. , Sultan Zain , Sagong Chaewon , Drake Christopher L.
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Cognitive-behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy are effective insomnia treatments, yet half of patients do not remit. Emerging evidence indicates refractory cognitive arousal is associated with poor insomnia treatment outcomes, giving rise to the concept that therapeutic approaches directly aimed at reducing cognitive arousal may benefit patients with a history of inadequate response to intervention. This proof-of-concept study examined the effects of mindfulness-based therapy for insomnia (MBTI) delivered individually via telemedicine on insomnia, depression, and cognitive arousal in patients with treatment-resistant insomnia.

Methods

A single-arm trial wherein 19 patients whose insomnia did not remit with prior psychotherapy and/or pharmacotherapy received a course of MBTI as second-stage therapy, which included eight weekly 1-h sessions in an individual format via telemedicine video. Study outcomes included the 15-item version of the five-facet mindfulness questionnaire (FFMQ-15), insomnia severity index (ISI), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 to assess depression (PHQ-9), and three cognitive arousal indices: pre-sleep arousal scale's cognitive factor, perseverative thinking questionnaire, and the daytime insomnia symptom response scale.

Results

Patients reported increased mindfulness from pretreatment to posttreatment (FFMQ-15: 52.95 ± 8.30 to 57.47 ± 9.82, p = 0.008). Patients also reported large reductions in ISI (16.42 ± 3.95 to 8.37 ± 4.19, p < 0.001, Cohen's dz = 1.73; 57.9% remission), PHQ-9 (6.42 ± 3.47 to 3.32 ± 2.93, p = 0.001, Cohen's dz = 0.93), and all cognitive arousal indices (Cohen's dzs = 0.82–1.30) at posttreatment. Six months later, ISI scores and cognitive arousal levels remained significantly lower than pretreatment, although effect sizes decreased for ISI (Cohen's dz = 1.11) and cognitive arousal (Cohen's dzs = 0.63–0.68). Antidepressant effects were no longer significant at follow-up.

Conclusion

Treatment-resistant insomnia patients are engaged in MBTI, which produces large acute reductions in insomnia, depression, and cognitive arousal. MBTI effects on insomnia and cognitive arousal were moderate to large 6 months after treatment. These findings support the concept and feasibility of MBTI for treatment-resistant patients along with indication that longer-term strategies are needed to help maintain acute treatment gains.

Clinical trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT03724305.
Illegitimate bodies? Turner syndrome and the silent interplay of age, gender, and generational positions
Authors: Diasio Nicoletta
Published: March 2023

This paper focuses on the strength of social norms that define the right development of the body in time. It also analyzes how the social positions of age, gender and generation intertwine in the definition of such a legitimate body. The starting point is anthropological research carried out in France between 2018 and 2020 among girls and women affected by Turner syndrome, a rare genetic condition causing small stature, ovarian insufficiency, a delay or absence of puberty, and infertility. We first explore how measuring the body has become central in the social construction of the concept of age-appropriateness. We then present four women' narratives, which express various forms of desynchronization: the gap between physical appearance, chronological age and age status; the cleft between the physical development induced by hormone therapy and being in a particular stage in life; the difference between chronological and reproductive age; and lastly, the trouble in a generational position related to infertility. For women suffering from this genetic condition, the gap between bodies, time and social statuses associated with age, gender and generation, may engender a feeling of “being out of place.” The alignment of body and time is then one of the bastions of essentialization and naturalization. Finally, we stress the complex interplay of bodily and social markers of age and gender, and their role in social relations as both a resource and a constraint. Thus, while the syndrome may cause distress and sometimes a lack of legitimacy, it also leads to a critical re-examination of hegemonic models of womanhood and their intersection with age positions.
Redefining flux ropes in heliophysics
Authors: Nieves-Chinchilla Teresa , Pal Sanchita , Salman Tarik M. , Carcaboso Fernando , Guidoni Silvina E. , Cremades Hebe , Narock Ayris , Balmaceda Laura A. , Lynch Benjamin J. , Al-Haddad Nada , Rodríguez-García Laura , Narock Thomas W. , Dos Santos Luiz F. G. , Regnault Florian , Kay Christina , Winslow Réka M. , Palmerio Erika , Davies Emma E. , Scolini Camilla , Weiss Andreas J. , Alzate Nathalia , Jeunon Mariana , Pujadas Roger
Published: March 2023

Magnetic flux ropes manifest as twisted bundles of magnetic field lines. They carry significant amounts of solar mass in the heliosphere. This paper underlines the need to advance our understanding of the fundamental physics of heliospheric flux ropes and provides the motivation to significantly improve the status quo of flux rope research through novel and requisite approaches. It briefly discusses the current understanding of flux rope formation and evolution, and summarizes the strategies that have been undertaken to understand the dynamics of heliospheric structures. The challenges and recommendations put forward to address them are expected to broaden the in-depth knowledge of our nearest star, its dynamics, and its role in its region of influence, the heliosphere.
Mapping out the gut microbiota-dependent trimethylamine N-oxide super pathway for systems biology applications
Authors: Valenbreder Isabel M. E. , Balăn Sonia , Breuer Marian , Adriaens Michiel E.
Published: March 2023

The metabolic axis linking the gut microbiome and heart is increasingly being researched in the context of cardiovascular health. The gut microbiota-derived trimethylamine/trimethylamine N-oxide (TMA/TMAO) pathway is responsible along this axis for the bioconversion of dietary precursors into TMA/TMAO and has been implicated in the progression of heart failure and dysbiosis through a positive-feedback interaction. Systems biology approaches in the context of researching this interaction offer an additional dimension for deepening the understanding of metabolism along the gut-heart axis. For instance, genome-scale metabolic models allow to study the functional role of pathways of interest in the context of an entire cellular or even whole-body metabolic network. In this mini review, we provide an overview of the latest findings on the TMA/TMAO super pathway and summarize the current state of knowledge in a curated pathway map on the community platform WikiPathways. The pathway map can serve both as a starting point for continual curation by the community as well as a resource for systems biology modeling studies. This has many applications, including addressing remaining gaps in our understanding of the gut-heart axis. We discuss how the curated pathway can inform a further curation and implementation of the pathway in existing whole-body metabolic models, which will allow researchers to computationally simulate this pathway to further understand its role in cardiovascular metabolism.
Hyperspectral Imaging as a Tool for Viability Assessment During Normothermic Machine Perfusion of Human Livers: A Proof of Concept Pilot Study
Authors: Fodor Margot , Lanser Lukas , Hofmann Julia , Otarashvili Giorgi , Pühringer Marlene , Cardini Benno , Oberhuber Rupert , Resch Thomas , Weissenbacher Annemarie , Maglione Manuel , Margreiter Christian , Zelger Philipp , Pallua Johannes D. , Öfner Dietmar , Sucher Robert , Hautz Theresa , Schneeberger Stefan
Published: March 2023

Normothermic machine perfusion (NMP) allows for ex vivo viability and functional assessment prior to liver transplantation (LT). Hyperspectral imaging represents a suitable, non-invasive method to evaluate tissue morphology and organ perfusion during NMP. Liver allografts were subjected to NMP prior to LT. Serial image acquisition of oxygen saturation levels (StO2), organ hemoglobin (THI), near-infrared perfusion (NIR) and tissue water indices (TWI) through hyperspectral imaging was performed during static cold storage, at 1h, 6h, 12h and at the end of NMP. The readouts were correlated with perfusate parameters at equivalent time points. Twenty-one deceased donor livers were included in the study. Seven (33.0%) were discarded due to poor organ function during NMP. StO2 (p < 0.001), THI (p < 0.001) and NIR (p = 0.002) significantly augmented, from static cold storage (pre-NMP) to NMP end, while TWI dropped (p = 0.005) during the observational period. At 12–24h, a significantly higher hemoglobin concentration (THI) in the superficial tissue layers was seen in discarded, compared to transplanted livers (p = 0.036). Lactate values at 12h NMP correlated negatively with NIR perfusion index between 12 and 24h NMP and with the delta NIR perfusion index between 1 and 24h (rs = −0.883, p = 0.008 for both). Furthermore, NIR and TWI correlated with lactate clearance and pH. This study provides first evidence of feasibility of hyperspectral imaging as a potentially helpful contact-free organ viability assessment tool during liver NMP.
Proza Olgi Tokarczuk jako wyzwanie dla tłumacza: notatki na
marginesach ukraińskiego przekładu powieści Księgi Jakubowe
Authors: Sływynski Ostap
Published: March 2023

Olga Tokarczuk’s novel The Books of Jacob is a wide and complicated epic panorama the action of which takes place on the borderlands of countries, cultures, and religions. Translating such a work into any language is a task that requires a lot of effort and careful preparation, aimed first of all at exploring all possible contexts: historical, linguistic, religious. A particularly difficult challenge is to translate The Books of Jacob into one of the languages that are part of the reality presented in the novel and are in relationships of interference with other languages used by the characters or functioning in their environments. Ukrainian is such a language. This article is an attempt to summarise the experience of translating the novel into this language, taking into account the greatest difficulties faced by the translator.
O niewiarygodności języka w dyskursie ideologicznym
Authors: Cegieł Anna
Published: March 2023

Ideological discourse serves the purpose of imposing a vision of the world based on the sender's beliefs on the recipient. For this purpose, treatments to modify the meanings of terms and the axiological marking of words are used, ways of understanding and prioritising values are imposed, and the designata of words are arbitrarily changed. The subordination of the language to ideology deprives it of its credibility as an instrument for describing reality, weakens its ability to express meanings precisely, and makes it a tool for sustaining disputes.
Transfer Learning and Analogical Inference: A Critical Comparison of Algorithms, Methods, and Applications
Authors: Combs Kara , Lu Hongjing , Bihl Trevor J.
Published: March 2023

Artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) research has aimed to achieve human-level performance in tasks that require understanding and decision making. Although major advances have been made, AI systems still struggle to achieve adaptive learning for generalization. One of the main approaches to generalization in ML is transfer learning, where previously learned knowledge is utilized to solve problems in a different, but related, domain. Another approach, pursued by cognitive scientists for several decades, has investigated the role of analogical reasoning in comparisons aimed at understanding human generalization ability. Analogical reasoning has yielded rich empirical findings and general theoretical principles underlying human analogical inference and generalization across distinctively different domains. Though seemingly similar, there are fundamental differences between the two approaches. To clarify differences and similarities, we review transfer learning algorithms, methods, and applications in comparison with work based on analogical inference. Transfer learning focuses on exploring feature spaces shared across domains through data vectorization while analogical inferences focus on identifying relational structure shared across domains via comparisons. Rather than treating these two learning approaches as synonymous or as independent and mutually irrelevant fields, a better understanding of how they are interconnected can guide a multidisciplinary synthesis of the two approaches.
Properties of the Quadratic Transformation of Dual Variables
Authors: Krutikov Vladimir , Tovbis Elena , Bykov Anatoly , Stanimirovic Predrag , Chernova Ekaterina , Kazakovtsev Lev
Published: March 2023

We investigate a solution of a convex programming problem with a strongly convex objective function based on the dual approach. A dual optimization problem has constraints on the positivity of variables. We study the methods and properties of transformations of dual variables that enable us to obtain an unconstrained optimization problem. We investigate the previously known method of transforming the components of dual variables in the form of their modulus (modulus method). We show that in the case of using the modulus method, the degree of the degeneracy of the function increases as it approaches the optimal point. Taking into account the ambiguity of the gradient in the boundary regions of the sign change of the new dual function variables and the increase in the degree of the function degeneracy, we need to use relaxation subgradient methods (RSM) that are difficult to implement and that can solve non-smooth non-convex optimization problems with a high degree of elongation of level surfaces. We propose to use the transformation of the components of dual variables in the form of their square (quadratic method). We prove that the transformed dual function has a Lipschitz gradient with a quadratic method of transformation. This enables us to use efficient gradient methods to find the extremum. The above properties are confirmed by a computational experiment. With a quadratic transformation compared to a modulus transformation, it is possible to obtain a solution of the problem by relaxation subgradient methods and smooth function minimization methods (conjugate gradient method and quasi-Newtonian method) with higher accuracy and lower computational costs. The noted transformations of dual variables were used in the program module for calculating the maximum permissible emissions of enterprises (MPE) of the software package for environmental monitoring of atmospheric air (ERA-AIR).
Transformation of Organic Soils Due to Artificial Drainage and Agricultural Use in Poland
Authors: Łachacz Andrzej , Kalisz Barbara , Sowiński Paweł , Smreczak Bożena , Niedźwiecki Jacek
Published: March 2023

Organic soils that had been drained in order to obtain fertile agricultural land underwent changes leading to the formation of mursh (also known as moorsh). The mursh-forming process is a generic soil process that occurs in drained (artificially or naturally) organic soils, and leads to the changes in soil morphology, soil physical properties (including water retention capability), physicochemical properties, and chemical and biological properties. The aim of the paper is to present scientific knowledge on mursh soils, especially those that are not available to the wider audience. We firstly reviewed scientific literature on the mursh (moorsh) forming process of drained organic soils used for agriculture. We described the specific character of organic soils, differences between mursh and peat, the origin of the mursh-forming process, and the classification of organic soils (Histosols). Additionally, we described the changes in organic matter, such as the loss of soil carbon, increase of availability of plant nutrients, and leaching of biogens to groundwater. We revealed that the mineral matter in organic soils can be an indicator for distinguishing various types of murshes. We have highlighted the current gaps in the research that need to be filled in. The mursh-forming process is inherently related to the mineralization of soil organic matter and leads to a reduction of organic carbon in soil. Mursh has many unfavorable properties with regards to agriculture and environmental management. These properties are mainly related to decreased water storage capacity, which significantly limits the hydrological function of organic soils. The use of drained organic soils is a trade-off between environmental quality and agricultural production.