bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Uric Acid on Human Health: Beyond Gout and Kidney Stones
Authors: Anaizi Nasr
Published: July 2023

In most primates, including humans, uric acid (UA) is the end product of purine metabolism due to the loss of hepatic uricase activity during evolution. This loss resulted in higher serum urate concentrations (3.5–7.5 mg/dL) than normally observed in other mammals (0.05–2 mg/dL). About 70% of the daily urate burden is eliminated via the kidneys and the remainder via the intestines, where gut bacteria break it down. Urate is freely filtered through the glomerular capillaries, and most of the filtered urate is reabsorbed so that only an amount equivalent to about 10% of the filtered load is excreted in the urine. Virtually all of the renal urate reabsorption takes place in proximal convoluted tubules. Many transport proteins connected with urate have been identified. However, the best studied are URAT1 and GLUT9, which function in concert to translocate urate from the proximal tubule lumen to the peritubular fluid, the first in the apical membrane and the second in the basolateral membrane. Genetic mutations, as well as drugs that alter the function of these transporters, can affect urate homeostasis resulting in abnormal serum levels, which may, in turn, be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic metabolic and inflammatory diseases, including most features of the metabolic syndrome, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and chronic kidney disease. Several mechanisms are thought to provide the link between urate and these disorders, including reactive oxygen species (oxidative stress) and both acute and chronic inflammation. This mini-review summarizes the basic human biology of UA and its association with and potential involvement in developing chronic diseases beyond gout and nephrolithiasis.
A cytohistopathological correlation study of skin lesions in leprosy: An experience in a tertiary care hospital in South India
Authors: Padma Madana , Katta Ramya
Published: July 2023

Objectives:

Leprosy is a granulomatous disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. Early detection and clinical diagnosis remain a challenge, especially in paucibacillary cases and initial lesions during early phases of leprosy. Use of cytological methods can reduce time for diagnosis, especially in peripheral centers. The present study was taken up to calculate the correlation between cytology and histopathology of skin lesions in leprosy.

Materials and Methods:

This study is a 2-year retrospective observational study taken up in the Department of Pathology, Rangaraya Medical College and Government General Hospital, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. A total of 49 cases of clinically suspected leprosy were included in the study. Skin biopsies and cytological smears were examined in all cases.

Results:

A total of 49 cases of clinically suspected leprosy were included in the study. The age incidence ranged between 9 and 72 years. There was a male preponderance. The overall diagnostic accuracy of fine-needle aspiration smears was 83.3% and that of slit-skin smears was 62.1%.

Conclusions:

Cytological examination being a simple, less time-consuming, and easy technique can enhance the diagnostic accuracy in detection of leprosy and act as an adjunct to clinical diagnosis.
Unveiling the job characteristics-creativity rapport through the bridge of thriving: a self-determination perspective from the Chinese hospitality sector
Authors: Farid Hasan , Zhang Yang , Tian Ming , Raza Jamshed , Lu Shiyao
Published: July 2023

Grounding on self-determination theory, this study proposes that job characteristics (task variety and skill variety) enhance employees’ creativity through thriving at work. It also aims to examine the boundary condition of managerial coaching for the link between job characteristics and thriving. A time-lagged dyadic data collected from 313 frontline hospitality individuals’ analyses performed through AMOS and PROCESS macro show that job characteristics promote individuals’ thriving and thriving affects individuals’ creativity positively. Skill variety as compared to task variety was found to be more strongly affecting thriving at work. Thriving mediates job characteristics and creativity. Moreover, managerial coaching significantly moderates the effects of job characteristics on thriving. This study supports the self-determination perspective of job characteristics, thriving, creativity and managerial coaching in the Chinese hospitality sector.
Integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria: their impacts on corporate sustainability performance
Authors: de Souza Barbosa Anrafel , da Silva Maria Cristina Basilio Crispim , da Silva Luiz Bueno , Morioka Sandra Naomi , de Souza Vinícius Fernandes
Published: July 2023

In a corporate sustainability context, scholars have been studying internal and external relations provided by Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria, mostly from the organizational perspective. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to map and analyze the literature on the impacts of integrating ESG criteria on corporate sustainability performance from different points of view. The methodology used followed the Preferred Report Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, corroborated by a critical analysis. The results indicate that the integration of ESG criteria, observed from different perspectives, strengthens corporate sustainability performance. They also revealed narrowing gaps in the literature regarding methodological analysis. Most of the papers in the analyzed sample use company-level data and employ regression analysis in their analysis. The present study concludes that companies, regardless of nationality, follow the guidelines of ESG criteria integration and such procedure brings several benefits. It points to the lack of more confirmatory research approaches from a workers’ perspective, as the interest remains in the economic-environmental realm from the organizations’ point of view. The absence of such evidence points to a gap in the literature that suggests the need for new study initiatives.
Airspace in the Anthropocene
Authors: Mackay Anson W.
Published: July 2023

Technologies for manipulating the weather and climate have long been around, especially since the early 1950s. Weather modification applications were quickly weaponised to influence war and protest, until the 1978 UN Convention on the Prohibition of Military or any other hostile use of Environmental Modification Techniques. Reviewed interest in controlling weather and climate has grown again since. Technology to modify weather has been used consistently to modify weather at local scales, but regional applications are now being developed to mitigate impacts of wide-scale drought. Interest in climate modification technologies has grown rapidly in the past 15 years as back-stop solutions to the problem of global warming. Climate modification technologies (often called geoengineering or climate engineering) can largely be classed as either greenhouse gas removal or radiation management, the latter being more controversial. However, there is widespread concern as to the implications of geoengineering in terms of social justice and human rights; climate modification does not recognise political boundaries. In this paper, I will provide a brief review of how humanity has influenced the atmospheric environment above us since the Industrial Revolution, and how this chemical modification of the atmosphere kills millions of people every year, especially those who are poor and vulnerable. I will summarise major geoengineering techniques in play today, highlighting issues related to governance and human rights, relevant to this special issue on The Airspace Tribunal.
Cs/O co-adsorption on C-doped GaAs surface: From first-principles simulation to experiment
Authors: Guo Xin , Shi Feng , Zhang Ruoyu , Gan Linyu , Jia Tiantian , Du Jinjuan , Qiu Hongjin , Zhang Yijun
Published: July 2023

C-doped GaAs is considered a potential material for negative electron affinity photocathodes, where the p-type doped property is beneficial to photoemission. To clarify the stability and efficiency during Cs/O activation, the gradient concentration of Cs adsorption and Cs/O co-adsorption models of C-doped GaAs are established. The work function, adsorption energy, and surface dipole moment are intensified by first principles calculation based on density functional theory. Experimental results demonstrate that Cs/O activation effectively enhances the performance of C-doped GaAs photocathodes, resulting in high levels of quantum efficiency. Therefore, we conclude that C-doped GaAs photocathodes have the potential to significantly improve the photoelectric emission performance and stability of GaAs photocathodes, making them a viable candidate for future applications.
The effect of triangularity on predicted pedestals for the CFETR
Authors: Zhou Cheng-Xi , Chan Vincent , Chen Jia-Le , Zhu Yi-Ren , Jian Xiang , Zhuang Ge
Published: July 2023

In this work, the dominant unstable magnetohydrodynamic mode and its stable region in the pedestal of the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor are studied by numerical modeling with the peeling-ballooning theory over a wide range of triangularities (δ) and collisionalities (υ*). A new accessible stable region is found at δ<−0.1 for large βN,ped and υ*. This new stable region expands toward lower βN,ped and υ* with decreasing δ and is totally covered by the peeling unstable region with δ=−0.5 because of the increasing trapped particle fraction (ft,eff). The sensitivity of this new stable region to the kinetic ballooning mode constraint and elongation is studied. For negative and low δ<0.1, the boundary of the first stable region is determined from the ballooning mode. For δ>0.1, the peeling mode becomes dominant as the boundary approaches low s with low υ*, while the ballooning mode is still dominant at the boundary with high υ*. When δ increases beyond 0.46, the first stable region is expanded, and access to the second stable region of the ballooning mode opens up. The entire newly connected region of the first and second stable regions keeps expanding with further increases in δ until δ=0.6. Beyond this value, the ballooning mode becomes more unstable with increasing δ, while the peeling mode is approximately unchanged with increasing δ in this range. The change in the dominant mode and the stable region with increasing δ can be explained by the trade-off between the stabilization effect from the deeper poloidal magnetic well and destabilization due to the enlarged drive term.
Experimental study and characteristic analysis of vacuum arc between cup-type axial magnetic contacts under different diameter-to-gap ratios
Authors: Tan Tao , Xiu Shixin , Jiang Yuzi , Liu Shiqi , Zhu Dejun , Shen Yantao , Guo Meiqin
Published: July 2023

Since vacuum circuit breakers gradually advanced to higher voltage levels, axial magnetic field (AMF) contacts have drawn a great deal of attention due to their excellent breaking ability. The cup-type AMF contact is a common kind of AMF contact, which has much potential in contact design and application of high voltage grade systems due to the advantages of strong structural strength, uniform magnetic field distribution, lower resistance, etc. This study analyzes the arcing characteristics of a cup-type AMF contact with a large slotted rotation angle at various diameter-to-gap ratios (DGRs). The arcing process is divided into five stages as follows: initial diffusion, contracting, fully constricted, re-diffusion, and extinguished. Arc self-rotation and anode separation phenomena in the re-diffusion stage appear when the DGR is 58/24. The reasons for these occurrences were discussed and explained with regard to the magnetic field vector's spatial distribution. The duration of each stage and the current threshold of a fully constricted arc will both differ with the change of the DGR. The structural parameters of the fully constricted arc were computed through the method of imaging the luminous intensity distribution after the arc was fully constricted. The source of the change in the arc voltage can be seen in the variation of arc structural parameters, which also reflect anode activity intensity to a certain extent. The transient magnetic field simulation method was used to explain why the arc under the same instantaneous current shows variable morphology at the extinguished stage and contracting stage in one arcing process. The research results presented in the article can be used as a reference for developing high-voltage cup-type AMF contacts.
Mapping surface flaws on float glass through Fourier ptychographic quantitative phase imaging
Authors: Tekseth Kim Robert , Rudshaug Jonas , Mayani Mahdieh Gholami , Akram Muhammad Nadeem , Børvik Tore , Breiby Dag Werner
Published: July 2023

Glass is increasingly used as a load-carrying construction material both in buildings and vehicles, and growing emphasis is consequently given to its safety properties. How the mechanical properties of glass relate to the inevitable presence of surface defects, and how these defects can be efficiently measured, are important scientific questions. We demonstrate that Fourier ptychographic microscopy can be used to detect, count, and topographically measure glass surface defects through the reconstructed quantitative phase images. We characterized several key parameters, including the length, width, orientation, eccentricity, and depth of the identified flaws and cross-validated our results with atomic force microscopy topography maps. The sign of the phase shift makes it feasible to discriminate surface flaws from impurities residing on the glass surface. The method is quantitative, scalable, and allows extended areas to be screened. The proposed technique has the potential to improve the understanding of surface flaws in glass and thereby contribute to better mechanical models for predicting glass failure and fracture under quasi-static and dynamic loading.
Synthetic gauge fields and Landau levels in acoustic Moiré superlattices
Authors: Duan Guiju , Zheng Shengjie , Zhang Jie , Jiang Zihan , Man Xianfeng , Yu Dejie , Xia Baizhan
Published: July 2023

The synthetic gauge field, offering an excellent platform to explore some fascinating magnetic-like phenomena, has attracted extensive research. Here, we report the realization of a synthetic gauge field in acoustic Moiré superlattices consisting of two superimposed periodic phononic crystals with mismatched lattice constants along one direction. Benefiting from the synthetic gauge field, we observe the symmetric and antisymmetric Landau levels and interface states in the acoustic Moiré superlattices. We further experimentally measure sound pressure field distributions of Landau levels, which is consistent with the full-wave simulations. This study offers an extremely simple way to generate synthetic gauge fields in phononics and expand the avenues for manipulating sound waves that were previously inaccessible in traditional periodic acoustic systems.
The dynamics, mixing, and thermonuclear burn of compressed foams with varied gas fills
Authors: Haines Brian M. , Murphy T. J. , Olson R. E. , Kim Y. , Albright B. J. , Appelbe B. , Day T. H. , Gunderson M. A. , Hamilton C. E. , Morrow T. , Patterson B. M.
Published: July 2023

Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions involve highly coupled physics and complex hydrodynamics that are challenging to model computationally. Due to the sensitivity of such implosions to small features, detailed simulations require accurate accounting of the geometry and dimensionality of the initial conditions, including capsule defects and engineering features such as fill tubes used to insert gas into the capsule, yet this is computationally prohibitive. It is therefore difficult to evaluate whether discrepancies between the simulation and experiment arise from inadequate fidelity to the capsule geometry and drive conditions, uncertainties in physical data used by simulations, or inadequate physics. We present results from detailed high-resolution three-dimensional simulations of ICF implosions performed as part of the MARBLE campaign on the National Ignition Facility [Albright et al., Phys. Plasmas 29, 022702 (2022)]. These experiments are foam-filled separated-reactant experiments, where deuterons reside in the foam and tritons reside in the capsule gas fill and deuterium–tritium (DT) fusion reactions only occur in the presence of mixing between these materials. Material mixing in these experiments is primarily seeded by shock interaction with the complex geometry of the foam and gas fill, which induces the Richtmyer–Meshkov instability. We compare results for experiments with two different gas fills (ArT and HT), which lead to significant differences in the hydrodynamic and thermodynamic developments of the materials in the implosion. Our simulation results show generally good agreement with experiments and demonstrate a substantial impact of hydrodynamic flows on measured ion temperatures. The results suggest that viscosity, which was not included in our simulations, is the most important unmodeled physics and qualitatively explains the few discrepancies between the simulation and experiment. The results also suggest that the hydrodynamic treatment of shocks is inadequate to predict the heating and yield produced during shock flash, when the shock converges at the center of the implosion. Alternatively, underestimation of the level of radiative preheat from the shock front could explain many of the differences between the experiment and simulation. Nevertheless, simulations are able to reproduce many experimental observables within the level of experimental reproducibility, including most yields, time-resolved X-ray self-emission images, and an increase in burn-weighted ion temperature and neutron down-scattered ratio in the line of sight that includes a jet seeded by the glue spot that joins capsule hemispheres.
Spin-dependent electrified protein interfaces for probing the CISS effect
Authors: Gupta Ritu , Chinnasamy Hariharan V. , Sahu Dipak , Matheshwaran Saravanan , Sow Chanchal , Chandra Mondal Prakash
Published: July 2023

Bio-spinterfaces present numerous opportunities to study spintronics across the biomolecules attached to (ferro)magnetic electrodes. While it offers various exciting phenomena to investigate, it is simultaneously challenging to make stable bio-spinterfaces as biomolecules are sensitive to many factors that it encounters during thin-film growth to device fabrication. The chirality-induced spin-selectivity effect is an exciting discovery, demonstrating an understanding that a specific electron’s spin (either up or down) passes through a chiral molecule. The present work utilizes Ustilago maydis Rvb2 protein, an ATP-dependent DNA helicase (also known as Reptin), to fabricate bio-spintronic devices to investigate spin-selective electron transport through the protein. Ferromagnetic materials are well-known for exhibiting spin-polarization, which many chiral and biomolecules can mimic. We report herein spin-selective electron transmission through Rvb2 that exhibits 30% spin polarization at a low bias (+0.5 V) in a device configuration, Ni/Rvb2 protein/indium tin oxide measured under two different magnetic configurations. Our findings demonstrate that biomolecules can be put in circuit components without any expensive vacuum deposition for the top contact. The present study holds a remarkable potential to advance spin-selective electron transport in other biomolecules, such as proteins and peptides, for biomedical applications.
Enhancing magnetocaloric properties of NiMnGa-based alloys via Dy micro-alloying and pseudoelastic cyclic training
Authors: Liang L. , Tong W. , Wang H. J. , Peng L. M.
Published: July 2023

Considerable interest to improve magnetic entropy change (ΔSm) and broaden working temperature interval (WTI) of NiMnGa ferromagnetic shape memory alloys (FESMAs) was stimulated by their applications as promising candidate materials for solid-state refrigeration. In the present study, we presented an approach to enhance the magnetocaloric properties of polycrystalline NiMnGa FESMAs via combining Dy micro-alloying and pseudoelastic cyclic training. The introduction of Dy elements established stable magneto-structural coupling transformation from the paramagnetic austenite to ferromagnetic martensite, accompanied by a large ΔSm [−16.42 J/(kg K)] and a widened WTI (∼15.98 K). Fascinatingly, it was demonstrated that the internal strain fields at phase interface between matrix and DyNi4Ga precipitates could assist the phase transformation nucleation, which significantly reduced the hysteresis loss from 20.84 J/kg of Ni54Mn25Ga21 alloy to 8.14 J/kg of Ni54Mn25Ga20.7Dy0.3 alloy. More importantly, the subsequent pseudoelastic cyclic training produced a strong ⟨110⟩NM preferred crystallographic orientation, which facilitated the magnetic alignment along easy magnetization axis. Consequently, the giant ΔSm value up to −24.25 J/(kg K) and effective refrigeration capacity RCeff of 198.77 J/kg were further achieved in the trained Ni54Mn25Ga20.7Dy0.3 alloy under an external magnetic-field change of 5.0 T.
Skepi Creole Dutch
Authors: Jacobs Bart , Parkvall Mikael
Published: July 2023

This paper presents new Skepi Creole Dutch data from the late-18th century, found in the work of the German
scholar Ernst Karl Rodschied. The creole data include pronominal and verbal paradigms, a short 60-word excerpt from a private
letter, and around two dozen names for local flora. After briefly introducing Rodschied, we present the data and compare them to
the existing Skepi corpus.
Improving the anticorrosion property of outdoor fitness equipment via a novel Ti/Zr/Mo composite conversion coating
Authors: Wang Yiqun , Qian Xuzheng , Huang Feng , Fan Yingsong , Wang Tingting , Hu Lan
Published: July 2023

In recent years, a large number of outdoor fitness equipment have been newly built in China. In order to improve the anticorrosion property of outdoor fitness equipment, a new type of Ti/Zr/Mo conversion coating (TiZrMoCC) has been prepared on its surface. The surface morphology, element distribution, phase composition, and anticorrosion property were systematically measured, and the relationships between them were established. The results show that the optimal conversion temperature and time were 30 °C and 20 min, respectively. Under the optimal conversion parameters, the surface morphology of the TiZrMoCC is relatively flat and dense, and its phase compositions mainly consisted of TiO2, ZrO2, MoO3, Mo2O5 and Fe2O3, as well as a small quantity of Na3FeF6 and ZrF4. The TiZrMoCC could significantly reduce corrosion rate with the lower i

corr
, which is also confirmed by EIS results. The ACR of the TiZrMoCC decreased by nearly 63.5% compared to the Q235 matrix, and it has positive significance for protecting outdoor fitness equipment.
Decadal changes in rapid intensification of western North Pacific tropical cyclones modulated by the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation
Authors: Song Jinjie , Klotzbach Philip J , Dai Yifei , Duan Yihong
Published: July 2023

This study investigates the modulation of western North Pacific (WNP) tropical cyclone rapid intensification (RI) by the North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO) on decadal timescales. There is a significant inverse relationship between basinwide RI numbers during July–November and the simultaneous NPGO index from 1970 to 2021. During the positive NPGO phase, suppressed RI occurs over almost the entire WNP, with a distinctly different spatial distribution compared to the Pacific Decadal Oscillation-driven pattern of RI modulation. RI occurrence is significantly reduced over the eastern Philippine Sea (10°–25°N, 140°–155°E). This is primarily caused by enhanced negative low-level vorticity, which can be linked to the horizontal extent of the anomalous low-level anticyclone. By comparison, over the western Philippine Sea (10°–25°N, 125°–140°E), there are only weak RI occurrence changes due to offsetting influences of increased mid-level humidity and decreased low-level vorticity.
Creep behavior and characterization analysis of Mg-1.8Zn-0.3Ca alloy:a molecular dynamics analysis
Authors: Gowthaman S
Published: July 2023

The addition of Zinc (Zn) and Calcium (Ca) on the Magnesium (Mg) has invoked better biocompatibility in various orthopedic applications. But this addition (Zn and Ca) leads to inducing greater modifications in the creep characteristics. In this current study, a study on the creep characterization of Mg-1.8Zn-0.3Ca alloy has been examined using molecular dynamics analysis. The creep analysis has been focused on numerous grain sizes and creep environments such as temperature and pressure to analyze its effect on the creep performance and its features. Further, the creep performance, radial distribution function, dislocation length, and structural and microstructural transformation under various grain size and deformation time has been confirmed by the modifications in the deformation mechanism and its features under various grain size and creep conditions.
Social defeat stress induces genome-wide 5mC and 5hmC alterations in the mouse brain
Authors: Kuehner Janise N , Walia Nevin R , Seong Rachel , Li Yangping , Martinez-Feduchi Paula , Yao Bing
Published: July 2023

Stress is adverse experience that require constant adaptation to reduce the emotional and physiological burden, or “allostatic load”, of an individual. Despite their everyday occurrence, a subpopulation of individuals is more susceptible to stressors, while others remain resilient with unknown molecular signatures. In this study, we investigated the contribution of the DNA modifications, 5-methylcytosine (5mC) and 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), underlying the individual differences in stress susceptibility and resilience. Genome-wide 5mC and 5hmC profiles from 3- and 6-month adult male mice that underwent various durations of social defeat were generated. In 3-month animals, 5mC and 5hmC work in parallel and do not distinguish between stress-susceptible and resilient phenotypes, while in 6-month animals, 5mC and 5hmC show distinct enrichment patterns. Acute stress responses may epigenetically “prime” the animals to either increase or decrease their predisposition to depression susceptibility. In support of this, re-exposure studies reveal that the enduring effects of social defeat affect differential biological processes between susceptible and resilient animals. Finally, the stress-induced 5mC and 5hmC fluctuations across the acute-chronic-longitudinal time course demonstrate that the negative outcomes of chronic stress do not discriminate between susceptible and resilient animals. However, resilience is more associated with neuroprotective processes while susceptibility is linked to neurodegenerative processes. Furthermore, 5mC appears to be responsible for acute stress response, whereas 5hmC may function as a persistent and stable modification in response to stress. Our study broadens the scope of previous research offering a comprehensive analysis of the role of DNA modifications in stress-induced depression.
Change in Pain During Physical Activity Following Total Knee Arthroplasty: Associations With Improved Physical Function and Decreased Situational Pain Catastrophizing
Authors: Wilson Jenna M , Madden Victoria J , Pester Bethany D , Yoon JiHee , Papianou Lauren N , Meints Samantha M , Campbell Claudia M , Smith Michael T , Haythornthwaite Jennifer A , Edwards Robert R , Schreiber Kristin L
Published: July 2023

Background and Objectives

Knee osteoarthritis is one of the primary causes of chronic pain among older adults and because of the aging population, the number of total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) performed is exponentially increasing. While pain reduction is a goal of TKA, movement-evoked pain is rarely assessed pre- and post-TKA. We characterized the distributions of change in pain, function, and situational catastrophizing in patients from presurgery to 3 months postsurgery and explored associations among these pre–post changes.

Research Design and Methods

This prospective study longitudinally assessed movement-evoked pain, function, and situational catastrophizing in patients with knee osteoarthritis (N = 92) using in-person performance-based tests (6-min walk test [6MWT], stair-climb test [SCT]) prior to and 3 months after TKA. Patients also completed the Western Ontario McMaster Universities Scales (WOMAC) pain and function subscales, and Pain Catastrophizing Scale, presurgery and 3- and 6-months postsurgery.

Results

Movement-evoked pain and function on performance tests significantly improved from pre- to post-TKA. Improved SCT function was associated with reduced SCT pain and catastrophizing. Similarly, reduced pain during the SCT was associated with reduced catastrophizing during the SCT. However, 6MWT function was not associated with 6MWT pain or catastrophizing; yet reduced pain during the 6MWT was associated with reduced catastrophizing during the 6MWT. Reduced movement-evoked pain during both performance tests was consistently associated with improved WOMAC function and pain, whereas improved function on performance tests was inconsistently associated with WOMAC function and pain. Notably, greater movement-evoked pain on both performance tests at 3-month post-TKA was associated with worse WOMAC function and pain at 6 months, whereas better function on performance tests at 3 months was associated with better WOMAC function, but not related to WOMAC pain at 6 months.

Discussion and Implications

Findings highlight the importance of situation-specific and in vivo assessments of pain and catastrophizing during physical activity.
Establishing the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Caregiver Targeted Intervention to Improve Pain Assessment Among Persons With Dementia
Authors: Riffin Catherine , Brody Lilla , Mukhi Priya , Herr Keela , Pillemer Karl , Rogers Madeline , Henderson Charles R , Reid M Cary
Published: July 2023

Background and Objectives

Despite its prevalence and impact, pain is underdetected and undermanaged in persons with dementia. Family caregivers are well positioned to detect pain and facilitate its management in their care recipients, but they lack training in symptom recognition and communication. This study reports findings from a pilot trial evaluating the Pain Identification and Communication Toolkit (PICT), a multicomponent intervention that provides training in observational pain assessment and coaching in pain communication techniques.

Research Design and Methods

Family caregivers of persons with comorbid pain and moderate-to-advanced dementia were randomly assigned to PICT (n = 19) or a control condition (n = 15). Caregivers in the PICT group participated in four weekly sessions delivered by telephone with a trained interventionist; caregivers in the control group received an information pamphlet about pain and dementia. All participants completed surveys at baseline and 12 weeks. Caregivers in the intervention group also completed semistructured interviews at 12 weeks. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and t tests; qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis.

Results

All participants (100%) in the PICT group completed the intervention and most completed the 12-week assessment (94%). PICT randomized caregivers reported that the intervention helped them to feel more confident in their ability to recognize (67%) and communicate about pain symptoms (83%). At 12 weeks, caregivers in the PICT group showed a statistically significant improvement in self-efficacy in pain-related communication. In qualitative interviews, caregivers emphasized the utility of PICT’s components, including pain assessment tools, and offered considerations for future enhancements, such as technology-based adaptations and integration within care delivery systems.

Discussion and Implications

This pilot trial demonstrates that PICT is feasible to implement, acceptable to caregivers, and has the potential to improve confidence in recognizing and communicating about pain. Results support conducting a fully powered efficacy trial, an important step toward future integration into real-world care delivery.

Clinical Trial Registration Number

NCT03853291
Development of an HIV/STI and partner violence health promotion intervention for abused US Virgin Islands women
Authors: Alexander Kamila A , Sharps Phyllis , Addison Helena , Bertrand Desiree , Bauman Aletha , Braithwaite-Hall Marilyn , Yarandi Hossein N , Callwood Gloria , Jemmott Loretta S , Campbell Jacquelyn C
Published: July 2023

Women in the US Virgin Islands (USVI) experience intimate partner violence (IPV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) at disproportionate rates compared to women on the US mainland. Women in violent relationships report experiencing controlling behaviours that decrease their ability to negotiate for sex using condoms or to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Though several evidence-based interventions exist to prevent either IPV or HIV, few address them through an integrated health promotion approach or attend to particular USVI cultural mores. This article describes the systematic development of a theory based, culturally tailored, integrated health promotion intervention that addresses IPV and HIV among USVI women experiencing abuse. The process included: (i) identifying and integrating evidence-based health promotion interventions, (ii) conducting formative research using focus groups, (iii) synthesizing focus group data to inform intervention development and (iv) developing a culturally and linguistically appropriate intervention specific to the needs and concerns of USVI women. The Empowered Sisters Project: Making Choices Reducing Risks (ESP) was developed through this research. ESP is a three-session health promotion curriculum focussed on enhancing sexual health and safety among women experiencing abuse. The ESP intervention components included promoting condom use, increasing IPV and HIV knowledge and developing a personalized safety plan. Health professionals facilitated individual intervention sessions using culturally tailored visual media and scripts. This program focussed on experiences of women living in the USVI and has implications for utility across the Caribbean diaspora.
Determinants of cervical cancer screening among women living with HIV in Zimbabwe
Authors: Antabe Roger , Luginaah Nasong A , Kangmennaang Joseph , Mkandawire Paul
Published: July 2023

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), cervical cancer (CC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths, with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositive women being particularly vulnerable. Despite the benefits of early CC screening in reducing HIV-related CC deaths, CC screening uptake remains limited, with wide disparities in access across SSA. As part of a larger study, this paper examines the determinants of CC screening among HIV-seropositive women of reproductive age (15–49 years) in Zimbabwe. Using the 2015 Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey, we conducted multilevel analyses of CC screening among 1490 HIV-seropositive women, nested in 400 clusters. Our findings revealed that, even though 74% of HIV-seropositive women knew about CC, only 17.6% of them reported ever screening for it. Women who held misconceptions about HIV (OR = 0.47, p = 0.01) were less likely to screen for CC compared to those with accurate knowledge about HIV and CC. HIV-seropositive women with secondary or higher education were more likely to screen (OR = 1.39, p = 0.04) for CC compared to those with a primary or lower level of education. Age was positively associated with screening for CC. Furthermore, locational factors, including province and rural–urban residence, were associated with CC screening. Based on these findings, we call for integrated care and management of HIV and non-communicable diseases in Southern Africa, specifically, Zimbabwe due to the legacy of HIV in the region.
Novel pathological variants of NHP2 affect N-terminal domain flexibility, protein stability, H/ACA Ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex formation and telomerase activity
Authors: Maliński Bartosz , Vertemara Jacopo , Faustini Elena , Ladenvall Claes , Norberg Anna , Zhang Yuming , von Castelmur Eleonore , Baliakas Panagiotis , Tisi Renata , Cammenga Jörg , Lottersberger Francisca
Published: July 2023

Telomere biology disorders (TBDs) are characterized by short telomeres, premature aging, bone marrow failure and cancer predisposition. Germline mutations in NHP2, encoding for one component of the telomerase cofactor H/ACA RNA binding complex together with Dyskerin, NOP10 and GAR1, have been previously reported in rare cases of TBDs. Here, we report two novel NHP2 variants (NHP2-A39T and NHP2-T44M) identified in a compound heterozygous patient affected by premature aging, bone marrow failure/myelodysplastic syndrome and gastric cancer. Although still able to support cell viability, both variants reduce the levels of hTR, the telomerase RNA component, and telomerase activity, expanding the panel of NHP2 pathological variants. Furthermore, both variants fail to be incorporated in the H/ACA RNA binding complex when in competition with wild-type endogenous NHP2, and the lack of incorporation causes their drastic proteasomal degradation. By RoseTTAFold prediction followed by molecular dynamics simulations, we reveal a dramatic distortion of residues 33–41, which normally position on top of the NHP2 core, as the main defect of NHP2-A39T, and high flexibility and the misplacement of the N-terminal region (residues 1–24) in NHP2-T44M and, to a lower degree, in NHP2-A39T. Because deletion of amino acids 2–24 causes a reduction in NHP2 levels only in the presence of wild-type NHP2, while deletion of amino acids 2–38 completely disrupts NHP2 stability, we propose that the two variants are mis-incorporated into the H/ACA binding complex due to the altered dynamics of the first 23 amino acids and/or the distortion of the residues 25–41 loop.
Influence of microbial fermentation on the antioxidant activity of phenolic substances in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Prudêncio de Souza Edlene Ribeiro , Braz Marcos Vinicius da Conceição , Castro Rosane Nora , Pereira Marcos Dias , Riger Cristiano Jorge
Published: July 2023

Aim

Using in vitro assay and eukaryotic cell model of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we investigated the impact of microbial fermentation on the antioxidant activity of phenolic substances.

Methods and Results

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and mangiferin were fermented by lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and the antioxidant activity of the fermented products was compared to that of the pure substances. This comparison was assessed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), in vitro by 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), and in vivo in yeast cells. The wild-type strain (BY4741) and its isogenic mutants in glutathione (Δgsh1), catalase (Δctt1), and superoxide dismutase (Δsod1) were treated with CAPE and mangiferin, fermented or not, and exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced stress. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by cellular viability, intracellular oxidation, and lipid peroxidation. We expected that fermentation would change the antioxidant activity of phenolic substances. While HPLC analysis revealed changes in the composition of fermented products, significant alterations in antioxidant activity were only observed when using mutant strains. The fermentation of mangiferin increased dependency on GSH compared to the respective pure phenolic substance to resolve H2O2-induced stress. Additionally, CAPE appeared to act as a preconditioning agent, enhancing antioxidant responses, and promoting increased tolerance to H2O2 stress, and this mechanism was maintained after fermentation.

Conclusions

This study highlights that fermentation impacts the enzymatic mechanism of oxidative stress resolution, even though differences could not be observed in in vitro assays or in the wild-type strain.
Studying Nonlinear Change in Music Therapy Applying Dynamic Systems Theory
Authors: Antichi Lorenzo , Giannini Marco , Edwards Jane
Published: July 2023

Change in music therapy is often modeled linearly. In linear analysis, change is represented as the difference between the scores recorded before and after treatment, where changes in the input are proportional to the output. However, changes in complex systems are often not linear and depend on time. We propose Dynamic Systems Theory (DST) as a means to overcome the shortcomings of linear analysis and enrich the study of change in music therapy. This article aims to introduce and critically discuss the applications of DST in music therapy, focusing on its theoretical and methodological aspects. DST offers a meta-framework to model nonlinear change in music therapy, considering time as continuous. The application of DST can further enhance the understanding of how music therapy works, the shape of the change, and how the relevant therapeutic processes within music therapy support therapeutic change. An introduction to DST theory is provided along with its history, implications, assessment methods, statistical analyses, mathematical modeling, and implementation examples in music therapy research.
The DeCAMFounder: nonlinear causal discovery in the presence of hidden variables
Authors: Agrawal Raj , Squires Chandler , Prasad Neha , Uhler Caroline
Published: July 2023

Many real-world decision-making tasks require learning causal relationships between a set of variables. Traditional causal discovery methods, however, require that all variables are observed, which is often not feasible in practical scenarios. Without additional assumptions about the unobserved variables, it is not possible to recover any causal relationships from observational data. Fortunately, in many applied settings, additional structure among the confounders can be expected. In particular, pervasive confounding is commonly encountered and has been utilised for consistent causal estimation in linear causal models. In this article, we present a provably consistent method to estimate causal relationships in the nonlinear, pervasive confounding setting. The core of our procedure relies on the ability to estimate the confounding variation through a simple spectral decomposition of the observed data matrix. We derive a DAG score function based on this insight, prove its consistency in recovering a correct ordering of the DAG, and empirically compare it to previous approaches. We demonstrate improved performance on both simulated and real datasets by explicitly accounting for both confounders and nonlinear effects.
Automated calibration for stability selection in penalised regression and graphical models
Authors: Bodinier Barbara , Filippi Sarah , Nøst Therese Haugdahl , Chiquet Julien , Chadeau-Hyam Marc
Published: July 2023

Stability selection represents an attractive approach to identify sparse sets of features jointly associated with an outcome in high-dimensional contexts. We introduce an automated calibration procedure via maximisation of an in-house stability score and accommodating a priori-known block structure (e.g. multi-OMIC) data. It applies to [Least Absolute Shrinkage Selection Operator (LASSO)] penalised regression and graphical models. Simulations show our approach outperforms non-stability-based and stability selection approaches using the original calibration. Application to multi-block graphical LASSO on real (epigenetic and transcriptomic) data from the Norwegian Women and Cancer study reveals a central/credible and novel cross-OMIC role of LRRN3 in the biological response to smoking. Proposed approaches were implemented in the R package sharp.
A Falciformispora senegalensis grain model in Galleria mellonella larvae
Authors: Ma Jingyi , Konings Mickey , Verbon Annelies , van de Sande Wendy W J
Published: July 2023

Eumycetoma is a subcutaneous implantation mycosis often found in the foot. One of the hallmarks of eumycetoma is the formation of grains. These grains are either black or white, and the consistency and morphology differs per causative agent. The two most common causative agents of black-grain eumycetoma are Madurella mycetomatis and Falciformispora senegalensis. Since grains cannot be formed in vitro, in vivo models are needed to study grain formation. Here, we used the invertebrate Galleria mellonella to establish an in vivo grain model for F. senegalensis. Three different F. senegalensis strains were selected, and four different inocula were used to infect G. mellonella larvae, ranging from 0.04 mg/larvae to 10 mg/larvae. Larval survival was monitored for 10 days. Grain formation was studied macroscopically and histologically. The efficacy of antifungal therapy was determined for itraconazole, amphotericin B, and terbinafine. A concentration of 10 mg F. senegalensis per larva was lethal for the majority of the larvae within 10 days. At this inoculum, grains were formed within 24 h after infection. The grains produced in the larvae resembled those formed in human patients. Amphotericin B given at 1 mg/kg 4 h, 28 h, and 52 h after infection prolonged larval survival. No enhanced survival was noted for itraconazole or terbinafine. In conclusion, we developed a F. senegalensis grain model in G. mellonella larvae in which grains were formed that were similar to those formed in patients. This model can be used to monitor grain formation over time and study antifungal efficacy.
mRNA decapping activators Pat1 and Dhh1 regulate transcript abundance and translation to tune cellular responses to nutrient availability
Authors: Vijjamarri Anil Kumar , Gupta Neha , Onu Chisom , Niu Xiao , Zhang Fan , Kumar Rakesh , Lin Zhenguo , Greenberg Miriam L , Hinnebusch Alan G
Published: July 2023

We have examined the roles of yeast mRNA decapping-activators Pat1 and Dhh1 in repressing the translation and abundance of specific mRNAs in nutrient-replete cells using ribosome profiling, RNA-Seq, CAGE analysis of capped mRNAs, RNA Polymerase II ChIP-Seq, and TMT-mass spectrometry of mutants lacking one or both factors. Although the Environmental Stress Response (ESR) is activated in dhh1Δ and pat1Δ mutants, hundreds of non-ESR transcripts are elevated in a manner indicating cumulative repression by Pat1 and Dhh1 in wild-type cells. These mRNAs show both reduced decapping and diminished transcription in the mutants, indicating that impaired mRNA turnover drives transcript derepression in cells lacking Dhh1 or Pat1. mRNA degradation stimulated by Dhh1/Pat1 is not dictated by poor translation nor enrichment for suboptimal codons. Pat1 and Dhh1 also collaborate to reduce translation and protein production from many mRNAs. Transcripts showing concerted translational repression by Pat1/Dhh1 include mRNAs involved in cell adhesion or utilization of the poor nitrogen source allantoin. Pat1/Dhh1 also repress numerous transcripts involved in respiration, catabolism of non-preferred carbon or nitrogen sources, or autophagy; and we obtained evidence for elevated respiration and autophagy in the mutants. Thus, Pat1 and Dhh1 function as post-transcriptional repressors of multiple pathways normally activated only during nutrient limitation.