bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular insights from the crab Neohelice memory model
Authors: Romano Arturo , Freudenthal Ramiro , Feld Mariana
Published: June 2023

Memory acquisition, formation and maintenance depend on synaptic post-translational machinery and regulation of gene expression triggered by several transduction pathways. In turns, these processes lead to stabilization of synaptic modifications in neurons in the activated circuits. In order to study the molecular mechanisms involved in acquisition and memory, we have taken advantage of the context-signal associative learning and, more recently, the place preference task, of the crab Neohelice granulata. In this model organism, we studied several molecular processes, including activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and the nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) transcription factor, involvement of synaptic proteins such as NMDA receptors and neuroepigenetic regulation of gene expression. All these studies allowed description of key plasticity mechanisms involved in memory, including consolidation, reconsolidation and extinction. This article is aimed at review the most salient findings obtained over decades of research in this memory model.
Vitamin D supplementation for depression in older adults: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Park Yoonjung , Ah Young-Mi , Yu Yun Mi
Published: June 2023

Background

In older adults, depression is associated with several other clinical problems such as cognitive impairment and low quality of life. Several studies have evaluated the relationship between vitamin D and depression in older adults; however, the results have been controversial thus far.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin D supplementation on depressive symptom improvement among individuals aged ≥60 years with or without a diagnosis of depression or depressive symptoms based on a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Methods

RCTs were identified to analyze the relationship between vitamin D supplementation and depressive symptoms. MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Embase, and PsycINFO were systematically searched for relevant articles published from inception to November 2022. RCTs that evaluated the effect of vitamin D supplementation in participants aged ≥60 years compared to placebo were included. A random effects model was used in this meta-analysis because of the differences between the included RCTs. The quality of the RCTs was assessed using Risk of Bias 2.

Results

Seven trials were included in the analyses. The primary outcome of pre-post score changes included five trials with a total of 752 participants. The secondary outcome of post-intervention score included all seven trials with a total of 4,385 participants. No significant improvement in depressive symptoms in either pre-post score changes [standardized mean difference (SMD) = −0.49; 95% confidence interval (CI) −1.07–0.09; p = 0.10] or post-intervention score (SMD = −0.10; 95% CI −0.28–0.07; p = 0.25) was found.

Conclusion

Vitamin D supplementation in older adults was not associated with an improvement in depressive symptoms. More studies in older adults are needed to evaluate the association between vitamin D supplementation and depression.
Required biological time for lung maturation and duration of invasive ventilation: a Korean cohort study of very low birth weight infants
Authors: Jo Heui Seung , Lim Myoung Nam , Cho Sung-Il
Published: June 2023

Background

We investigated the duration of invasive ventilation among very low birth weight (VLBW) infants to evaluate the current minimum time required for lung maturation to breathe without ventilator assistance after preterm birth.

Methods

A total of 14,658 VLBW infants born at ≤32+6 weeks between 2013 and 2020 were enrolled. Clinical data were collected from the Korean Neonatal Network, a national prospective cohort registry of VLBW infants from 70 neonatal intensive care units. Differences in the duration of invasive ventilation according to gestational age and birth weight were investigated. Recent trends and changes in assisted ventilation duration and associated perinatal factors between 2017–20 and 2013–16 were compared. Risk factors related to the duration of assisted ventilation were also identified.

Results

The overall duration of invasive ventilation was 16.3 days and the estimated minimum time required corresponded to 30+4 weeks of gestation. The median duration of invasive ventilation was 28.0, 13.0, 3.0, and 1.0 days at <26, 26–27, 28–29, and 30–32 weeks of gestation, respectively. In each gestational age group, the estimated minimum weaning points from the assisted ventilator were 29+5, 30+2, 30+2, and 31+5 weeks of gestation. The duration of non-invasive ventilation (17.9 vs. 22.5 days) and the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (28.1% vs. 31.9%) increased in 2017–20 (n = 7,221) than in 2013–16 (n = 7,437). In contrast, the duration of invasive ventilation and overall survival rate did not change during the periods 2017–20 and 2013–16. Surfactant treatment and air leaks were associated with increased duration of invasive ventilation (inverse hazard ratio 1.50, 95% CI, 1.04–2.15; inverse hazard ratio 1.62, 95% CI, 1.29–2.04). We expressed the incidence proportion of ventilator weaning according to the invasive ventilation duration using Kaplan–Meier survival curves. The slope of the curve slowly decreased as gestational age and birth weight were low and risk factors were present.

Conclusions

This population-based data on invasive ventilation duration among VLBW infants suggest the present limitation of postnatal lung maturation under specific perinatal conditions after preterm birth. Furthermore, this study provides detailed references for designing and/or assessing earlier ventilator weaning protocols and lung protection strategies by comparing populations or neonatal networks.
Efficacy analysis of enhanced recovery after surgery in laparoscopic-assisted radical resection of type I choledochal cyst
Authors: Zhang Bing , Fang Yifan , Wu Dianming , Xie Siqi , Fang Xuejuan
Published: June 2023

Objective

The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of laparoscopic-assisted radical resection of type I choledochal cyst (CC) guided by the principles of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS).

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of type I CC admitted to our hospital between May 2020 and December 2021 were analyzed, a total of 41 patients with choledochal cyst underwent surgery during this period and 30 cases were selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Patients (n = 15) who received the traditional treatment from May 2020 to March 2021 were included in the traditional group. Patients (n = 15) who received ERAS from April 2021 to December 2021 were included in the ERAS group. Both groups underwent surgery performed by the same surgical team. Preoperative data of the two groups were recorded, and relevant data were statistically analyzed and compared.

Results

There was a statistically significant difference in the dose of opioids. Significant differences were observed between the ERAS and traditional groups in the results of the FLACC pain assessment scale on the 1st and 2nd day after surgery, time of gastric tube, urinary catheter and abdominal drainage tube removal, time of first defecation after operation, time of first eating after operation, time to reach full food intake, results of CRP, ALB, and ALT on the 3rd and 7th postoperative day, postoperative hospital stay, and total treatment cost. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of gender, age, body weight, cyst size, preoperative CRP, ALB, ALT, intraoperative blood loss, operation time, and the number of cases converted to laparotomy. Neither the FLACC pain assessment scale on the 3rd day after surgery, the incidence of postoperative complications, nor the rate of readmission within 30 days showed significant differences.

Conclusions

Laparoscopic-assisted radical resection of type I CC guided by the principles of ERAS is safe and effective for children. The ERAS concept demonstrated advantages over traditional laparoscopic surgery, including reduced opioid use, shorter time to first postoperative defecation, earlier resumption of postoperative feeding, shorter time to reach full feeding, shorter postoperative hospital stay, and lower total treatment cost.
Targeting NMDA receptor in Alzheimer’s disease: identifying novel inhibitors using computational approaches
Authors: Siddiqui Arif Jamal , Badraoui Riadh , Jahan Sadaf , Alshahrani Mohammed Merae , Siddiqui Maqsood Ahmed , Khan Andleeb , Adnan Mohd
Published: June 2023

The glutamate-gated ion channels known as N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are important for both normal and pathological brain function. Subunit-selective antagonists have high therapeutic promise since many pathological conditions involve NMDAR over activation, although few clinical successes have been reported. Allosteric inhibitors of GluN2B-containing receptors are among the most potential NMDAR targeting drugs. Since the discovery of ifenprodil, a variety of GluN2B-selective compounds have been discovered, each with remarkably unique structural motifs. These results expand the allosteric and pharmacolog-ical spectrum of NMDARs and provide a new structural basis for the development of next-generation GluN2B antagonists that have therapeutic potential in brain diseases. Small molecule therapeutic inhibitors targeting NMDA have recently been developed to target CNS disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. In the current study, a cheminformatics method was used to discover potential antagonists and to identify the structural requirements for Gly/NMDA antagonism. In this case we have created a useful pharmacophore model with solid statistical values. Through pharmacophore mapping, the verified model was used to filter out virtual matches from the ZINC database. Assessing receptor-ligand binding mechanisms and affinities used molecular docking. To find the best hits, the GlideScore and the interaction of molecules with important amino acids were considered essential features. We found some molecular inhibitors, namely, ZINC13729211, ZINC07430424, ZINC08614951, ZINC60927204, ZINC12447511, and ZINC18889258 with high binding affinity using computational methods. The molecules in our studies showed characteristics such as good stability, hydrogen bonding and higher binding affinities in the solvation-based assessment method than ifenprodil with acceptable ADMET profile. Moreover, these six leads have been proposed as potential new perspectives for exploring potent Gly/NMDA receptor antagonists. In addition, it can be tested in the laboratory for potential therapeutic strategies for both in vitro and in vivo research.
Protecting security of quantum neural network with sampling checks
Authors: Zhang Yulu , Lu Hua
Published: June 2023

With the development of quantum computing, the application of quantum neural networks will be more and more extensive, and its security will also face more challenges. Although quantum communication has high security, quantum neural networks may have many internal and external insecure factors in the process of information transmission, such as noise impact during the preparation of input quantum states, privacy disclosure during transmission, and external attacks on the network structure, which may cause major security incidents. Because of the possible insecurity factors of quantum neural networks, this paper proposes a quantum sampling method to detect the state of quantum neural networks at each stage, so as to judge whether there are security risks in quantum neural networks and thus ensure their security. The method also provides a safe basis for further research on the stability and reliability of quantum neural networks.
Phylogenetic analysis and temporal diversification of the tribe Alsineae (Caryophyllaceae) with the description of three new genera, Hesperostellaria, Reniostellaria and Torreyostellaria
Authors: Xue Bine , Song Zhuqiu , Cai Jie , Ma Zhonghui , Huang Jiuxiang , Li Yuling , Yao Gang
Published: June 2023

Alsineae are one of the most taxonomically difficult tribes in Caryophyllaceae and consist of over 500 species distributed in the northern temperate zone. Recent phylogenetic results have improved our understanding on the evolutionary relationships among Alsineae members. Nevertheless, there are still some unresolved taxonomic and phylogenetic problems at the generic level, and the evolutionary history of major clades within the tribe was unexplored to date. In this study, we carried out phylogenetic analyses and divergence time estimation of Alsineae using the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) and four plastid regions (matK,rbcL,rps16,trnL-F). The present analyses yielded a robustly supported phylogenetic hypothesis of the tribe. Our results showed that the monophyletic Alsineae are strongly supported to be the sister of Arenarieae, and the inter-generic relationships within Alsineae were mostly resolved with strong support. Both molecular phylogenetic and morphological evidence supported the Asian speciesStellaria bistylataand the two North American speciesPseudostellaria jamesianaandStellaria americanaall should be recognized as new monotypic genera respectively, and three new generaReniostellaria,Torreyostellaria, andHesperostellariawere thereby proposed here. Additionally, molecular and morphological evidence also supported the proposal of the new combinationSchizotechium delavayi. Nineteen genera were accepted within Alsineae and a key to these genera was provided. Molecular dating analysis suggested that Alsineae splitted from its sister tribe at ca. 50.2 million-years ago (Ma) during the early Eocene and began to diverge at ca. 37.9 Ma during the late Eocene, and divergent events within Alsineae occurred mainly since the late Oligocene. Results from the present study provide insights into the historical assembly of herbaceous flora in northern temperate regions.
Photosynthetic efficiency and transcriptome analysis of Dunaliella salina under hypersaline: a retrograde signaling mechanism in the chloroplast
Authors: Ramachandran Pavithra , Pandey Naveen Kumar , Yadav Ranay Mohan , Suresh Praveena , Kumar Aman , Subramanyam Rajagopal
Published: June 2023

Understanding the molecular mechanisms of environmental salinity stress tolerance and acclimation strategies by photosynthetic organisms facilitates accelerating the genetic improvement of tolerant economically important crops. In this study, we have chosen the marine algae Dunaliella (D.) salina, a high-potential and unique organism that shows superior tolerance against abiotic stresses, especially hypersaline conditions. We have grown the cells in three different salt concentrations 1.5M NaCl (control), 2M NaCl, and 3M NaCl (hypersaline). Fast chlorophyll fluorescence analysis showed increased initial fluorescence (Fo) and decreased photosynthetic efficiency, indicating hampered photosystem II utilization capacity under hypersaline conditions. Also, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) localization studies and quantification revealed elevated accumulation of ROS was observed in the chloroplast in the 3M condition. Pigment analysis shows a deficit in chlorophyll content and increased carotenoid accumulation, especially lutein and zeaxanthin content. This study majorly explored the chloroplast transcripts of the D. salina cell as it is the major environmental sensor. Even though most of the photosystem transcripts showed moderate upregulation in hypersaline conditions in the transcriptome study, the western blot analysis showed degradation of the core as well as antenna proteins of both the photosystems. Among the upregulated chloroplast transcripts, chloroplast Tidi, flavodoxin IsiB, and carotenoid biosynthesis-related protein transcripts strongly proposed photosynthetic apparatus remodeling. Also, the transcriptomic study revealed the upregulation of the tetrapyrrole biosynthesis pathway (TPB) and identified the presence of a negative regulator of this pathway, called the s-FLP splicing variant. These observations point towards the accumulation of TPB pathway intermediates PROTO-IX, Mg-PROTO-IX, and P-Chlide, those earlier reported as retrograde signaling molecules. Our comparative transcriptomic approach along with biophysical and biochemical studies in D. salina grown under control (1.5 M NaCl) and hypersaline (3M NaCl) conditions, unveil an efficient retrograde signaling mechanism mediated remodeling of photosynthetic apparatus.
A biophysiological framework exploring factors affecting speech and swallowing in clinical populations: focus on individuals with Down syndrome
Authors: Madhavan Aarthi , Lam Larissa , Etter Nicole M. , Wilkinson Krista M.
Published: June 2023

Speech and swallowing are complex sensorimotor behaviors accomplished using shared vocal tract anatomy. Efficient swallowing and accurate speech require a coordinated interplay between multiple streams of sensory feedback and skilled motor behaviors. Due to the shared anatomy, speech and swallowing are often both impacted in individuals with various neurogenic and developmental diseases, disorders, or injuries. In this review paper, we present an integrated biophysiological framework for modeling how sensory and motor changes alter functional oropharyngeal behaviors of speech and swallowing, as well as the potential downstream effects to the related areas of language and literacy. We discuss this framework with specific reference to individuals with Down syndrome (DS). Individuals with DS experience known craniofacial anomalies that impact their oropharyngeal somatosensation and skilled motor output for functional oral-pharyngeal activities such as speech and swallowing. Given the increased risk of dysphagia and “silent” aspiration in individuals with DS, it is likely somatosensory deficits are present as well. The purpose of this paper is to review the functional impact of structural and sensory alterations on skilled orofacial behaviors in DS as well as related skills in language and literacy development. We briefly discuss how the basis of this framework can be used to direct future research studies in swallowing, speech, and language and be applied to other clinical populations.
Morphosyntactic development in German-speaking individuals with Down syndrome—longitudinal data
Authors: Witecy Bernadette , Wimmer Eva , Neitzel Isabel , Penke Martina
Published: June 2023

Introduction

The present study provides longitudinal data on the development of receptive and expressive grammar in children and adolescents with Down syndrome and addresses the role of nonverbal cognitive abilities and verbal short-term memory for morphosyntactic development.

Method

Seventeen German-speaking individuals with Down syndrome (aged 4;6–17;1 years at first testing (T1)) were assessed twice, 4;4–6;6 years apart. For a subset of five participants, there was also a third assessment 2 years after the second. Receptive grammar, nonverbal cognition, and verbal short-term memory were tested using standardized measures. For expressive grammar, elicitation tasks were used to assess the production of subject-verb agreement and ofwh-questions.

Results

At group level, the participants showed a significant increase in grammar comprehension from T1 to T2. However, progress diminished with increasing chronological age. Notable growth could not be observed beyond the age of 10 years.

With respect to expressive grammatical abilities, progress was limited to those participants who had mastered verbal agreement inflection around age 10 years. Individuals who did not master verbal agreement by late childhood achieved no progress in producingwh-questions, either.

There was an increase in nonverbal cognitive abilities in the majority of participants. Results for verbal short-term memory followed a similar pattern as those for grammar comprehension. Finally, neither nonverbal cognition nor verbal short-term memory were related to changes in receptive or expressive grammar.

Discussion

The results point to a slowdown in the acquisition of receptive grammar which starts before the teenage years. For expressive grammar, improvement inwh-question production only occurred in individuals with good performance in subject-verb agreement marking, which suggests that the latter might have a trigger function for further grammatical development in German-speaking individuals with Down syndrome. The study provides no indication that nonverbal cognitive abilities or verbal short-term memory performance determined the receptive or expressive development. The results lead to clinical implications for language therapy.
Psychiatric symptoms in Long-COVID patients: a systematic review
Authors: Marchi Mattia , Grenzi Pietro , Serafini Valentina , Capoccia Francesco , Rossi Federico , Marrino Patrizia , Pingani Luca , Galeazzi Gian Maria , Ferrari Silvia
Published: June 2023

Objective

People who have been infected by COVID-19 showing persistent symptoms after 4 weeks from recovery are thought to suffer from Long-COVID syndrome (LC). There is uncertainty on the clinical manifestations of LC. We undertook a systematic review to summarize the available evidence about the main psychiatric manifestations of LC.

Method

PubMed (Medline), Scopus, CINHAL, PsycINFO, and EMBASE were searched until May 2022. Studies reporting estimation of emerging psychiatric symptoms and/or psychiatric diagnoses among adult people with LC were included. Pooled prevalence for each psychiatric condition was calculated in absence of control groups to compare with.

Results

Thirty-three reports were included in the final selection, corresponding to 282,711 participants with LC. After 4 weeks from COVID-19 infection recovery, participants reported the following psychiatric symptoms: depression, anxiety, post-traumatic symptoms (PTS), cognitive and sleeping disturbances (i.e., insomnia or hypersomnia). The most common psychiatric manifestation resulted to be sleep disturbances, followed by depression, PTS, anxiety, and cognitive impairment (i.e., attention and memory deficits). However, some estimates were affected by important outlier effect played by one study. If study weight was not considered, the most reported condition was anxiety.

Conclusions

LC may have non-specific psychiatric manifestations. More research is needed to better define LC and to differentiate it from other post-infectious or post-hospitalization syndromes.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO (CRD42022299408).
Night-time population consistently explains the transmission dynamics of coronavirus disease 2019 in three megacities in Japan
Authors: Okada Yuta , Yamasaki Syudo , Nishida Atsushi , Shibasaki Ryosuke , Nishiura Hiroshi
Published: June 2023

Background

Mobility data are crucial for understanding the dynamics of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but the consistency of the usefulness of these data over time has been questioned. The present study aimed to reveal the relationship between the transmissibility of COVID-19 in Tokyo, Osaka, and Aichi prefectures and the daily night-time population in metropolitan areas belonging to each prefecture.

Methods

In Japan, the de facto population estimated from GPS-based location data from mobile phone users is regularly monitored by Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare and other health departments. Combined with this data, we conducted a time series linear regression analysis to explore the relationship between daily reported case counts of COVID-19 in Tokyo, Osaka, and Aichi, and night-time de facto population in downtown areas estimated from mobile phone location data, from February 2020 to May 2022. As an approximation of the effective reproduction number, the weekly ratio of cases was used. Models using night-time population with lags ranging from 7 to 14 days were tested. In time-varying regression analysis, the night-time population level and the daily change in night-time population level were included as explanatory variables. In the fixed-effect regression analysis, the inclusion of either the night-time population level or daily change, or both, as explanatory variables was tested, and autocorrelation was adjusted by introducing first-order autoregressive error of residuals. In both regression analyses, the lag of night-time population used in best fit models was determined using the information criterion.

Results

In the time-varying regression analysis, night-time population level tended to show positive to neutral effects on COVID-19 transmission, whereas the daily change of night-time population showed neutral to negative effects. The fixed-effect regression analysis revealed that for Tokyo and Osaka, regression models with 8-day-lagged night-time population level and daily change were the best fit, whereas in Aichi, the model using only the 9-day-lagged night-time population level was the best fit using the widely applicable information criterion. For all regions, the best-fit model suggested a positive relationship between night-time population and transmissibility, which was maintained over time.

Conclusion

Our results revealed that, regardless of the period of interest, a positive relationship between night-time population levels and COVID-19 dynamics was observed. The introduction of vaccinations and major outbreaks of Omicron BA. Two subvariants in Japan did not dramatically change the relationship between night-time population and COVID-19 dynamics in three megacities in Japan. Monitoring the night-time population continues to be crucial for understanding and forecasting the short-term future of COVID-19 incidence.
Individual and mutual effects of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity on acute respiratory distress syndrome mortality rates in clinical patients: a multicentre study
Authors: de Araújo Márcio Flávio Moura , Monteiro Flávia Paula Magalhães , de Araújo Thiago Moura , Lira Neto José Cláudio Garcia , Santos Lívia Fernanda Siqueira , Rolim Isaura Letícia Tavares Palmeira , Santos Floriacy Stabnow , Pascoal Livia Maia , Costa Ana Cristina Pereira de Jesus , Santos Neto Marcelino
Published: June 2023

Patients with comorbidities are more vulnerable to severe clinical cases of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and COVID-19 require complex health care. To analyse the association between the individual and combined effects of diabetes, hypertension, and obesity on ARDS mortality rates among patients receiving clinical care. A multicentre study encompassing retrospective data analysis and conducted with 21,121 patients from 6,723 health services across Brazil, during the 2020–2022 time period. The sample group consisted of clinical patients of both sexes and different age groups who received clinical care and showed at least one comorbidity. The data collected were analysed using binary logistic regressions and the Chi-square test. The overall mortality rate was 38.7%, with a higher predominance among males (p < 0.001), mixed-race individuals (p < 0.001), and older adults (p < 0.001). The main comorbidity variables associated with and leading to death from ARDS were arterial hypertension (p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus (p < 0.001), diabetes mellitus and arterial hypertension (p < 0.001), cardiovascular diseases (p < 0.001) and obesity (p < 0.001). Both the patients who progressed to recovery (48.4%) and to death (20.5%) presented only one comorbidity (χ2 (1,749) = 8, p < 0.001), respectively. The isolated comorbidities with the greatest impact on death outcomes were diabetes (95% CI 2.48–3.05, p < 0.001), followed by obesity (95% CI 1.85–2.41, p < 0.001) and hypertension (95% CI 1.05–1.22, p < 0.001), even after adjusting for sex and number of simultaneous comorbidities. Diabetes and obesity, as isolated conditions, had a greater influence on the number of deaths of clinical patients with ARDS compared to those with mutual diagnosis of diabetes, hypertension and obesity.
Peculiar Winds At The Coast—And How To Catch Them!
Authors: Hallgren Christoffer , Ivanell Stefan , Körnich Heiner , Sahlée Erik
Published: June 2023

Strong winds mean a lot of power production by wind turbines! In the search for the windiest locations with the potential to produce lots of power, the coastal zone has popped up as one of the most appealing places. However, there are some peculiar wind patterns in coastal regions that need to be well-understood to accurately predict how much power can be produced. In this article, we will explain the mechanisms behind two of these wind patterns: the sea breeze and low-level jets.
A personal reflection upon navigating into a senior academic role
Authors: Idowu Bernadine D.
Published: June 2023

There are 22,795 University professors in the UK, where 6,340 are women and only 40 are Black women, whilst Asian women are a few more in number. This clearly demonstrates the uncommon narrative of the under-representation of Black minority ethnic (BME) academics in higher education (HE) which has been written about in detail. In contrast, it is rare to read reports on initiatives to successfully navigate senior academic posts. In this article, I will describe two initiatives that I have developed and organized to successfully navigate senior BME academic posts, which have impacted my journey. The first initiative was to understand why postdoctoral researchers were “post-docing” for years, having not been successful in making the transition to lecturers. What was hindering the transition? I was one of them, and some of my female peers as well, who incidentally left HE. I was determined not to leave. I again thought about how to tackle it. It is a known fact that hearing successful BME people experiences and journeys and also understanding how they navigated HE can be powerful. In addition, empowering oneself with additional skills including mentoring, networking, applying for positions, not excluding ourselves due to the lack of confidence, and finally, the importance of having a work–life balance is important as health is wealth. I used this to put together the BME Early Career Researcher (ECR) conference—How to Stay in Academia. After 6 years, it is still going strong. In this article, I will share the impact made over the years which will include testimonies and promotions, including my recent promotion to an associate professor. The second initiative was to understand the barriers and challenges of senior lecturers being promoted to readers and professors. Having successfully transitioned to a lecturer, being overlooked for promotion was now an issue. The project was conducted in 2016/17 at KCL as part of the action plans that needed to be delivered having been a recipient of the Bronze Race Equality Charter Mark. I was provided with a cohort of 51 names of BME staff from different disciplines and was directed to see how I would engage them to hear their experiences. My first concern was that the staff would have engaged in previous initiatives with little or no benefits to them; however, this did not deter me. I thought of the best approach which commenced with a phone interview and then followed up with a focus group, ending with an informal conversation with the Principal of the University. Within 6 months, a BME male was promoted to professor. After a year, both genders were promoted to associate professors (readers) and professors, and to date, I am aware of at least 10 promotions. In both examples, I will demonstrate the support from our allies, some of whom are senior leaders that have openly supported us in our journey. This article will demonstrate a slight shift in the narrative, but a lot more needs to be done, and I am convinced the time is right to start pushing for more. This special issue is an example.
Sport club dropout under COVID-19 in the Netherlands: do characteristics of the neighbourhood matter?
Authors: Hoekman Remco , Grubben Malou , Kraaykamp Gerbert
Published: June 2023

Sport is considered important to mitigate social and health problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic and thus contributes to a resilient society. Because of poverty, caring responsibilities, social isolation and/or health issues, caused or reinforced by the COVID-19 pandemic, (too) high thresholds may be experienced lowering sports club participation. In this article, we study dropout from sports club membership among the Dutch population in COVID times and relate it to neighbourhood characteristics to determine whether inequality in sports behaviour is increasing or decreasing. Specifically, we analyse changes in the association to sport clubs by utilizing membership register data of the National Sport Federation in the Netherlands (NOC*NSF). This longitudinal information on 3.6 million club members in 2019 within Dutch sport federations was used to analyse developments at the individual level between 2019 (pre-COVID) and 2021. Based on register information on the area of residence of sporters, neighbourhood characteristics were added to these individual membership data. Our results display that the socioeconomic status of a member's neighbourhood and the sport infrastructure in this neighbourhood impacts the likelihood of dropping out of a sport club of both youths and adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dropout among members is lower in higher socioeconomic status neighbourhoods and in neighbourhoods with abundant sport facilities. Remarkably, the impact of these living environment features seems higher for youth than for adults. To conclude, our study enhances a further understanding of inequalities in sport club membership dropout during COVID-19. First, it may inform policy makers to intensify sport promotion policies and to especially support sport clubs in lower status neighbourhoods. Second, given the relatively high dropout rates during the COVID-19 pandemic particular attention for retention seems necessary.
Benefit sharing model of hydropower development based on input perspective: a case study of Xiluodu project in China
Authors: Sun Haibing , Li Xuan , Duan Yuefang , Zhang Ningjing
Published: June 2023

Hydropower provides important support for achieving dual-carbon goal, but problems such as reservoir resettlement conflicts are common in developing countries, which have become a bottleneck of sustainable hydropower development. Fair distribution of benefits is the key to solve this dilemma. While the concept of benefit sharing as the fundamental guarantee for the sustainable livelihood of landless resettlers is gradually reaching consensus, the amount of benefit distribution has always been an outstanding issue. In order to quantify the amount of benefit sharing scientifically and reasonably, this paper constructs a benefit sharing model of hydropower development from the perspective of stakeholder input, and carries out a case analysis. The results indicate that the main stakeholders of hydropower projects include governments, development enterprises and reservoir resettlers. Their inputs are water or environmental resources, capital, and land resources, which produce hydropower resources. The net present value method can be used to construct the benefit sharing model. In this model, sharing amount of resettlers and other major stakeholders is the product of the sum of the present value of the net cash flow of hydropower projects and the proportion of their respective input. In view of many uncertainties, the grey prediction method and Monte Carlo simulation method are used to solve the model. The case of the Xiluodu hydropower station in China proves the rationality and operability of the model. The study also shows with reference to the model’s calculation results, a shared development fund can be established by drawing money from electricity generation income to ensure long-term benefits for resettlers, while considering the reasonable benefit of other stakeholders. The two are connected. It is expected to achieve a new pattern of mutual benefit and multi-win outcome, which are characterized by stable power station revenue, prosperity and stability of the reservoir area, and increased benefit and common wealth of resettlers. This paper may provide a convenient and novel analysis tool for benefit sharing systems.
Evaluation of safety and efficacy of the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell and gelatin-nano-hydroxyapatite combination in canine femoral defect repair
Authors: Ma Zihang , Guo Xiaoying , Zhang Jun , Jiang Qifeng , Liang Wuying , Meng Wenxin , Chen Shuaijiang , Zhu Yufan , Ye Cundong , Jia Kun
Published: June 2023

Femoral shaft fracture is a common bone trauma in dogs. The limitation of mesenchymal stem cells in bone defect applications is that the cell suspension cannot be fixed to the bone defect site. In the study, our objective was to substantiate the combined application of canine bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (cBMSCs) and gelatin-nano-hydroxyapatite (Gel-nHAP) and evaluate its therapeutic effect on bone defect diseases in dogs. Experiments were performed to evaluate the following: (1) the porosity of Gel-nHAP; (2) the adhesion of cBMSCs to Gel-nHAP; and (3) the effect of Gel-nHAP on cBMSC proliferation. The efficacy and safety of the combination of cBMSC and Gel-nHAP in the repair of femoral shaft defects were evaluated in animal experiments. The results showed that Gel-nHAP supported the attachment of cBMSCs and exhibited good biocompatibility. In the animal bone defect repair experiment, significant cortical bone growth was observed in the Gel-nHAP group at week 8 (p < 0.05) and in the cBMSCs-Gel-nHAP group at week 4 (p < 0.01). We demonstrated that Gel-nHAP could promote the repair of bone defects, and the effect of cBMSC-Gel-nHAP on the repair of bone defects was profound.
Healthy Bus Drivers, Sustainable Public Transport: A Three-Time Repeated Cross-Sectional Study in Switzerland
Authors: Remy Viviane Fiona Mathilde , Guseva Canu Irina
Published: June 2023

Objectives:To study the change in the prevalence of bus drivers’ health outcomes between 2010 and 2022 and their relationship with working conditions.

Method:Unionized bus drivers completed a self-administered questionnaire in 2010, 2018, and 2022 on 13 health outcomes, sick leaves, and accidents and working conditions and their change during SARS-CoV-2 crisis. For outcomes which prevalence increased since 2010, we performed logistic regression models adjusted for covariates.

Results:The study sample included 772 participants in 2010, 393 in 2018, and 916 in 2022. The most prevalent health problem (≥50%) was shoulder or neck muscle pain. The most tedious working conditions were working days over 10 h. Shoulder or neck pain, sleep disorders, sick leaves, and accidents increased since 2010 and were associated with working conditions, and co-morbidity. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic had additional negative consequences.

Conclusion:Most bus drivers’ working and health conditions worsened in the last 12 years. Given the study design, the results deserve a cautious interpretation and generalization. Cohort studies should confirm these results and inform interventions targeting the most tedious and harmful working conditions.
A Domain-Adaptive Tree-Crown Detection and Counting Method Based on Cascade Region Proposal Networks
Authors: Wang Yisha , Yang Gang , Lu Hao
Published: June 2023

Rapid and accurate tree-crown detection is significant to forestry management and precision forestry. In the past few decades, the development and maturity of remote sensing technology has created more convenience for tree-crown detection and planting management. However, the variability of the data source leads to significant differences between feature distributions, bringing great challenges for traditional deep-learning-based methods on cross-regional detection. Moreover, compared with other tasks, tree-crown detection has the problems of a poor abundance of objects, an overwhelming number of easy samples and the existence of a quantity of impervious background similar to the tree crown, which make it difficult for the classifier to learn discriminative features. To solve these problems, we apply domain adaptation (DA) to tree-crown detection and propose a DA cascade tree-crown detection framework with multiple region proposal networks, dubbed CAS-DA, realizing cross-regional tree-crown detection and counting from multiple-source remote sensing images. The essence of the multiple region proposal networks in CAS-DA is obtaining the multilevel features and enhancing deeper label classifiers gradually by filtering simple samples of source domain at an early stage. Then, the cascade structure is integrated with a DA object detector and the end-to-end training is realized through the proposed cascade loss function. Moreover, a filtering strategy based on the planting rules of tree crowns is designed and applied to filter wrongly detected trees by CAS-DA. We verify the effectiveness of our method in two different domain shift scenarios, including adaptation between satellite and drone images and cross-satellite adaptation. The results show that, compared to the existing DA methods, our method achieves the best average F1-score in all adaptions. It is also found that the performance between satellite and drone images is significantly worse than that between different satellite images, with average F1-scores of 68.95% and 88.83%, respectively. Nevertheless, there is an improvement of 11.88%~40.00% in the former, which is greater than 0.50%~5.02% in the latter. The above results prove that in tree-crown detection, it is more effective for the DA detector to improve the detection performance on the source domain than to diminish the domain shift alone, especially when a large domain shift exists.
Animal Research in Spain: A Study of Public Perception and Attitudes
Authors: Miguel-Batuecas Andrea , Fuertes-Recuero Manuel , Díaz-Regañón David , Ortiz-Díez Gustavo , Revuelta Luis , De Pablo-Moreno Juan A.
Published: June 2023

Since the time of Hippocrates in the 4th century BC, animal research has been extensively used for various purposes up to the present day. However, the use of animals for research has also been controversial for a long time. We report the findings of a public, online questionnaire-based survey designed to assess the opinions of a sample of Spanish society regarding animal research. Demographic data and opinions were obtained from 806 respondents. The results indicated a high level of acceptance of animal research (73.1%). However, certain factors, such as completing the questionnaire immediately after a reading negative media report (OR = 2.41; 95%CI: 1.64–3.54; p < 0.001), being a woman (OR = 1.77; 95%CI: 1.24–2.53; p = 0.002) or having a non-scientific background (OR = 2.47; 95%CI: 1.76–3.47; p < 0.001), were associated with a tendency towards a more negative opinion. The opinions seemed to be influenced by gender, education level and by protest incidents reported in the media. Our results also indicate that a lot of information regarding animal welfare, such as care and handling protocols, along with legislation was unknown to individuals. Further, a growing popularity of companion species and opposition to animal experimentation for non-biomedical purposes were reflected in the responses obtained. The use of animals for research purposes emerged as a sensitive social issue in terms of concerns about animal ethics and welfare.
The Subjunctive as a Model of Grammatical Complexity: An Integrative Review of Issues Based on Combined Evidence from Mental Chronometry and Neurosciences
Authors: Grevisse Daniel Grégoire , Watorek Marzena , Isel Frédéric
Published: June 2023

The acquisition of a second language requires the construction or reconstruction of linguistic knowledge about the new language system. Learners of a second language have to acquire the linguistic structures of the second language by constructing or reassessing their own knowledge in the light of the new one. Some of these new linguistic structures may be more or less complex to process and/or difficult to acquire. In this review, we focus on an example of linguistic complexity in French, namely, the subjunctive. Through a discussion of some selected studies on the second language acquisition of the French subjunctive, our purpose is to argue that these findings, considered from a psycholinguistic perspective, could be fruitful for further research employing neuroscience techniques, such as electroencephalography or neuroimaging in order to better understand the neurocognitive processing of this complex structure both in French native speakers and in learners of French. Hence, we aim to contribute to exploring the question of linguistic transfer in the field of second language acquisition, the typological distance/relation between L1–L2, the syntactic acquisition of complex structures in adult second language learners, and the potential contributions of electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging to the processing of the subjunctive, selected as an example of linguistic complexity that has not yet received much attention.
PET Radiomics and Response to Immunotherapy in Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Evangelista Laura , Fiz Francesco , Laudicella Riccardo , Bianconi Francesco , Castello Angelo , Guglielmo Priscilla , Liberini Virginia , Manco Luigi , Frantellizzi Viviana , Giordano Alessia , Urso Luca , Panareo Stefano , Palumbo Barbara , Filippi Luca
Published: June 2023

The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the existing literature concerning the applications of positron emission tomography (PET) radiomics in lung cancer patient candidates or those undergoing immunotherapy. Materials and Methods: A systematic review was conducted on databases and web sources. English-language original articles were considered. The title and abstract were independently reviewed to evaluate study inclusion. Duplicate, out-of-topic, and review papers, or editorials, articles, and letters to editors were excluded. For each study, the radiomics analysis was assessed based on the radiomics quality score (RQS 2.0). The review was registered on the PROSPERO database with the number CRD42023402302. Results: Fifteen papers were included, thirteen were qualified as using conventional radiomics approaches, and two used deep learning radiomics. The content of each study was different; indeed, seven papers investigated the potential ability of radiomics to predict PD-L1 expression and tumor microenvironment before starting immunotherapy. Moreover, two evaluated the prediction of response, and four investigated the utility of radiomics to predict the response to immunotherapy. Finally, two papers investigated the prediction of adverse events due to immunotherapy. Conclusions: Radiomics is promising for the evaluation of TME and for the prediction of response to immunotherapy, but some limitations should be overcome.
Caring for Adolescents and Young Adults (AYA) with Cancer: A Scoping Review into Caregiver Burdens and Needs
Authors: Reuvers Milou J. P. , Gedik Asiye , Way Kirsty M. , Elbersen-van de Stadt Sanne M. , van der Graaf Winette T. A. , Husson Olga
Published: June 2023

AYAs with cancer (aged 15 to 39 at primary diagnosis) form a specific group within oncology, and there is limited information on the impact on their informal caregivers. This scoping review aimed to gain insight into the burden on caregivers of AYAs with cancer and identify the unmet needs they might have. Eligible articles focused on impacts in one of the domains of caregiver burden (physical, psychological, social, on schedule, financial) or unmet needs. In all domains of caregiver burden, impact was reported by caregivers. Caregiving leads to physical problems (such as sleep problems) and psychological symptoms (e.g., depression, anxiety, and negative emotions). Loneliness is reported, and little peer-support. Many different tasks and roles must be undertaken, which is perceived as challenging. In addition, there is a financial impact and there are unmet needs to be met. Several domains of the lives of caregivers of AYA cancer patients are negatively affected by the disease. Some of these are age-specific, and tailored to a particular group of caregivers (parents, partners, or friends). AYA cancer patients represent a wide age range, resulting in the engagement of many different caregivers. Future research will need to take this into account in order to adequately provide support.