bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Large maternal waist circumference in relation to height is associated with high glucose concentrations in an early‐pregnancy oral glucose tolerance test: A population‐based study
Authors: Jokelainen Mervi , Stach‐Lempinen Beata , Teramo Kari , Nenonen Arja , Kautiainen Hannu , Klemetti Miira M.
Published: February 2023

Introduction

To explore the role of maternal anthropometric characteristics in early‐pregnancy glycemia, we analyzed the associations and interactions of maternal early‐pregnancy waist circumference (WC), height and pre‐pregnancy body mass index (BMI) with plasma glucose concentrations in an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) at 12–16 weeks’ gestation.

Material and Methods

A population‐based cohort of 1361 pregnant women was recruited in South Karelia, Finland, from March 2013 to December 2016. All participants had their WC, weight, height, HbA1c, and blood pressure measured at 8–14 weeks’ gestation and subsequently underwent a 2‐h 75‐g OGTT, including assessment of fasting insulin concentrations, at 12–16 weeks’ gestation. BMI (kg/m2) was calculated using self‐reported pre‐pregnancy weight. Maternal WC ≥80 cm was defined as large. Maternal height ≥166 cm was defined as tall. Data on gestational diabetes treatment was extracted from hospital records.

Results

In the total cohort, 901 (66%) of women had an early‐pregnancy WC ≥80 cm, which was associated with higher early‐pregnancy HbA1c, higher concentrations of  fasting plasma glucose and serum insulin, higher post‐load plasma glucose concentrations, higher HOMA‐IR indices, higher blood pressure levels, and higher frequencies of pharmacologically treated gestational diabetes, than early‐pregnancy WC <80 cm. Maternal height ≥166 cm was negatively associated with 1‐ and 2‐h post‐load plasma glucose concentrations. Waist‐to‐height ratio (WHtR) >0.5 was positively associated with both fasting and post‐load plasma glucose concentrations at 12–16 weeks’ gestation, even when adjusted for age, smoking, nulliparity, and family history of type 2 diabetes. The best cut‐offs for WHtR (0.58 for 1‐h plasma glucose, and 0.54 for 2‐h plasma glucose) were better predictors of post‐load glucose concentrations >90th percentile than the best cut‐offs for BMI (28.1 kg/m2 for 1‐h plasma glucose, and 26.6 kg/m2 for 2‐h plasma glucose), with areas‐under‐the‐curve (95% confidence interval) 0.73 (0.68–0.79) and 0.73 (0.69–0.77), respectively, for WHtR, and 0.68 (0.63–0.74) and 0.69 (0.65–0.74), respectively, for BMI.

Conclusions

In our population‐based cohort, early‐pregnancy WHtR >0.5 was positively associated with both fasting and post‐load glucose concentrations at 12–16 weeks’ gestation and performed better than BMI in the prediction of post‐load glucose concentrations >90th percentile. Overall, our results underline the importance of evaluating maternal abdominal adiposity in gestational diabetes risk assessment.
Efficacy of a short sandwich protocol, methotrexate, gemcitabine, L‐asparaginase and dexamethasone chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy, in localised newly diagnosed NK/T‐cell lymphoma: A French retrospective study
Authors: Chaubard Sammara , Marouf Amira , Lavergne David , Lemonnier François , Rossignol Julien , Clavert Aline , Gressin Rémy , Cartron Guillaume , Waultier‐Rascalou Agathe , Vargaftig Jacques , Salles Gilles , Bachy Emmanuel , Ghesquières Hervé , Tournilhac Olivier , Chauchet Adrien , Le Gouill Steven , Damaj Gandhi , Fornecker Luc‐Matthieu , Sibon David , Obéric Lucie , Michot Jean‐Marie , Gaulard Philippe , Hermine Olivier , Couronné Lucile , Jaccard Arnaud
Published: February 2023

Extranodal NK/T‐cell lymphoma, nasal type is a rare and aggressive form of lymphoma, historically associated with poor prognosis. We report here the results of a retrospective multi‐centre study evaluating the efficacy of MGAD (methotrexate, gemcitabine, L‐asparaginase and dexamethasone) regimen (two cycles) combined with ‘sandwich’ radiotherapy in 35 patients with localised newly diagnosed extranodal NK/T‐cell lymphoma. Thirty‐two patients (91%) reached complete remission. With a long median follow‐up of 59.6 months, progression‐free and overall survival at 2 and 5 years were 71%, 80% and 53%, 73%, respectively. Around one third of the patients experienced relapse within a median time of 14.5 months. Side‐effects were manageable with grades 3–4 cytopenias, mucositis and infection in 50%, 24% and 21% of the cases, respectively. Monitoring of asparaginase activity was performed in 13 patients and showed inactivation of the drug in seven (54%) patients. Our results indicate that a short therapy by sandwich MGAD chemoradiotherapy is a tolerable and effective treatment option in localised newly diagnosed extranodal NK/T‐cell lymphoma patients.
The effect of adjuvant radiotherapy on skin biophysical properties in patients with breast cancer at risk for breast lymphedema: A prospective study
Authors: Tuğral Alper , Akyol Murat , Bakar Yeşim
Published: February 2023

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common type of cancer among women. Radiotherapy (RT) is one of the main and primary treatment options for BC, especially in breast‐conserving surgery (BCS). BC patients who underwent RT experience a wide range of symptoms, in which breast oedema and irritation of the skin take the lion's share. Breast oedema/lymphedema, which is also a prominent side effect after RT should be well determined in earlier settings due to the chronicity of lymphedema. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the biophysical parameters of skin on the ipsilateral (IL) and contralateral (CL) sites via Tissue dielectric constant (TDC) and Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) methods in terms of oedema and skin barrier function (SBF). The following reference points before and after the RT were measured: (R1: Pectoralis muscle, R2: Upper breast, R3: Lower breast, R4: Lateral site of the thorax). A total of 24 BC patients (mean age and BMI: 52.78 ± 9.85 years and 28.42 ± 5.64 kg/m2) were evaluated. In the IL site, the SBF was not found significant in R1‐R3, whereas significantly lower SBF was observed in R4 after RT (t = −3.361, p = 0.003). A significant increase in TDC was observed in R2 at the 5.0 mm depth (t = −2.500, p = 0.02). We suggest that a longer period of follow‐up should be carefully carried out to track changes in terms of SBF and oedema in the irradiated breast. The increased need for early detection of changes associated with breast lymphedema can be achievable via noninvasive, safe, cheap, and easily repeatable devices.
Issue segmentation by public agencies: Assessing communication strategies of EU agencies related to Covid‐19
Authors: Müller Moritz , Fraussen Bert
Published: February 2023

An agency's self‐portrayal can help to protect its jurisdictional turf and strengthen its reputational uniqueness. While prior reputational studies have shown that agencies are attentive to the media and political principals, they have not assessed how inter‐agency dynamics might shape their public outreach and message. This paper argues that if multiple public agencies are confronted with a shared salient issue, such as the Covid‐19 pandemic, they engage in ‘issue segmentation’: mindful of each other's distinct jurisdictional and reputational profiles, their communication centers around sub‐issues that do not overlap with core missions of other agencies. We assess this expectation via a study of Twitter communication of 38 European Union agencies related to Covid‐19. Using an automated thematic analysis of tweets, we show that agencies engage in issue segmentation and focus on unique sub‐issues. The findings contribute to a better understanding of public outreach of agencies in times of crisis.
Long‐term prolonged‐release tacrolimus outcomes in living donor kidney transplantation: The Japan Academic Consortium of Kidney Transplantation study‐II
Authors: Okumi Masayoshi , Omoto Kazuya , Shimizu Tomokazu , Shirakawa Hiroki , Unagami Kohei , Lee Takumi , Ishida Hideki , Tanabe Kazunari , Takagi Toshio
Published: February 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the 10‐year efficacy and safety of a prolonged‐release tacrolimus‐based combination immunosuppressive regimen on longer‐term outcomes in living donor kidney transplantation.

Methods

Data from Japanese living donor kidney transplant recipients (n = 410) maintained on continuous prolonged‐release tacrolimus‐based immunosuppression from 2009–2013 were analyzed with a median follow‐up of 9.9 years.

Results

A prolonged‐release, tacrolimus‐based combination regimen provided death‐censored graft failure and all‐cause death rates at 10 years of 7.0% and 6.8%, respectively. In multivariable analyses, acute and chronic rejection and ‘throughout’ (new‐onset plus preexisting) diabetes mellitus were risk factors for death‐censored graft failure. Recipient age ≥ 65 years, throughout diabetes mellitus and malignancy were common risk factors for all‐cause death. Throughout diabetes mellitus was the most common risk factor for both death‐censored graft failure and all‐cause death. Additional analyses showed 10‐year cumulative rates of death‐censored graft failure were 14.0% and 5.4% for recipients with or without preexisting diabetes mellitus, respectively (log‐rank test: p = 0.009). All‐cause death rates were 12.7% and 5.4% in the preexisting and non‐diabetes mellitus groups, respectively (log‐rank test: p = 0.023).

Conclusions

In this real‐world, retrospective, living donor kidney transplantation study, a prolonged‐release tacrolimus‐based immunosuppressive combination regimen provided 10‐year death‐censored graft failure rates of 14.0% and 5.4% in diabetes mellitus and non‐diabetes mellitus patients, respectively; Similarly, 10‐year all‐cause death rates were 12.7% and 5.4% in diabetes mellitus and non‐diabetes mellitus patients, respectively. To our knowledge, the data in this study are the first to provide 10‐year transplant outcomes in living donor kidney transplant recipients under prolonged‐release tacrolimus‐based regimen.
Understanding emotion processing in offspring of mothers with depression – A commentary on Burkhouse and Kujawa (2023)
Authors: Platt Belinda
Published: February 2023

In the JCPP Annual Research Review, Burkhouse and Kujawa (Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2022) report a systematic review of 64 studies assessing the association between maternal depression and neural and physiological markers of children's emotion processing. This comprehensive review makes a novel contribution to models of transgenerational depression with important implications for future research in this field. In this commentary I reflect more generally on the role of emotion processing in the transmission of depression from parents to children and the clinical implications of neural and physiological studies.
Noninvasive tests predict liver‐related events and mortality in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease: sub‐analysis of the CLIONE‐Asia study
Authors: Ishiba Hiroshi , Sumida Yoshio , Kamada Yoshihiro , Fujii Hideki , Iwaki Michihiro , Hayashi Hideki , Toyoda Hidenori , Oeda Satoshi , Hyogo Hideyuki , Kawanaka Miwa , Morishita Asahiro , Munekage Kensuke , Kawata Kazuhito , Tsutsumi Tsubasa , Sawada Koji , Maeshiro Tatsuji , Tobita Hiroshi , Yoshida Yuichi , Naito Masafumi , Araki Asuka , Arakaki Shingo , Kawaguchi Takumi , Noritake Hidenao , Ono Masafumi , Masaki Tsutomu , Yasuda Satoshi , Tomita Eiichi , Yoneda Masato , Tokushige Akihiro , Takahashi Hirokazu , Ueda Shinichiro , Aishima Shinichi , Nakajima Atsushi , Okanoue Takeshi ,   Japan Study Group of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (JSG‐NAFLD)
Published: February 2023

Background and Aims

Noninvasive tests (NITs) have prognostic potential, but whether NITs are comparable with liver biopsy is unclear. This study aimed to examine the prognostic accuracy of NITs for liver‐related mortality (LRM) and events (LREs) in patients with biopsy‐proven nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methods

We investigated 1313 patients with NAFLD. Patients were assigned to low‐risk, indeterminate‐risk, and high‐risk groups using conventional cutoff values of each FIB‐4 and NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS) and to stage 0–2 and stage 3–4 groups using the fibrosis stage. Survival and Cox regression analyses of the prognostic potential of NITs for LRM/LREs were conducted.

Results

During a median follow‐up of 4.5 years, regarding to FIB‐4, the incidence rate (/1000 person‐years) in the low risk was zero for LRM and 0.5 for LREs. In contrast, the rate in stage 0–2 was 1.3 for LRM and 2.8 for LRE. The adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) for LREs in the high risk compared with the low risk were 32.85 (P < 0.01). The aHRs in stage 3–4 compared with stage 0–2 were 2.68 (P = 0.02) for LREs and 2.26 (P = 0.582) for LRM. In the same fibrosis stage, the incidence of LRM/LREs was more frequent with a higher risk stratification. The same trend was observed for NFS.

Conclusions

NITs accurately predict LRM and LREs as well as a liver biopsy in Japanese patients with NAFLD. Patients in the low risk may not require close follow‐up for at least 5 years. The simple NITs could be an acceptable alternative method to performing a liver biopsy for the prognosis of NAFLD.
NLRP3‐directed antisense oligonucleotides reduce microglial immunoactivities in vitro
Authors: Braatz Charlotte , Komes Max P. , Ravichandran Kishore Aravind , de Fragas Matheus Garcia , Griep Angelika , Schwartz Stephanie , McManus Róisín M. , Heneka Michael T.
Published: February 2023

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is associated with the cerebral deposition of Amyloid‐β (Aβ) peptide, which leads to NLRP3 inflammasome activation and subsequent release of interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and interleukin‐18 (IL‐18). NLRP3 reduction has been found to increase microglial clearance, protect from synapse loss, and suppress both the changes to synaptic plasticity and spatial memory dysfunction observed in murine AD models. Here, we test whether NLRP3‐directed antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) can be harnessed as immune modulators in primary murine microglia and human THP‐1 cells. NLRP3 mRNA degradation was achieved at 72 h of ASO treatment in primary murine microglia. Consequently, NLRP3‐directed ASOs significantly reduced the levels of cleaved caspase‐1 and mature IL‐1β when microglia were either activated by LPS and nigericin or LPS and Aβ. In human THP‐1 cells NLRP3‐targeted ASOs also significantly reduced the LPS plus nigericin‐ or LPS plus Aβ‐induced release of mature IL‐1β. Together, NLRP3‐directed ASOs can suppress NLRP3 inflammasome activity and subsequent release of IL‐1β in primary murine microglia and THP‐1 cells. ASOs may represent a new and alternative approach to modulate NLRP3 inflammasome activation in neurodegenerative diseases, in addition to attempts to inhibit the complex pharmacologically.

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Aluminum alters excitability by inhibiting calcium, sodium, and potassium currents in bovine chromaffin cells
Authors: Baraibar Andrés M. , de Pascual Ricardo , Carretero Victoria Jiménez , Liccardi Ninfa , Juárez Natalia Hernández , Hernández‐Guijo Jesús M.
Published: February 2023

Aluminum (Al3+) has long been related to neurotoxicity and neurological diseases. This study aims to describe the specific actions of this metal on cellular excitability and neurotransmitter release in primary culture of bovine chromaffin cells. Using voltage‐clamp and current‐clamp recordings with the whole‐cell configuration of the patch clamp technique, online measurement of catecholamine release, and measurements of [Ca2+]c with Fluo‐4‐AM, we have observed that Al3+ reduced intracellular calcium concentrations around 25% and decreased catecholamine secretion in a dose‐dependent manner, with an IC50 of 89.1 μM. Al3+ blocked calcium currents in a time‐ and concentration‐dependent manner with an IC50 of 560 μM. This blockade was irreversible since it did not recover after washout. Moreover, Al3+ produced a bigger blockade on N‐, P‐, and Q‐type calcium channels subtypes (69.5%) than on L‐type channels subtypes (50.5%). Sodium currents were also inhibited by Al3+ in a time‐ and concentration‐dependent manner, 24.3% blockade at the closest concentration to the IC50 (399 μM). This inhibition was reversible. Voltage‐dependent potassium currents were low affected by Al3+. Nonetheless, calcium/voltage‐dependent potassium currents were inhibited in a concentration‐dependent manner, with an IC50 of 447 μM. This inhibition was related to the depression of calcium influx through voltage‐dependent calcium channels subtypes coupled to BK channels. In summary, the blockade of these ionic conductance altered cellular excitability that reduced the action potentials firing and so, the neurotransmitter release and the synaptic transmission. These findings prove that aluminum has neurotoxic properties because it alters neuronal excitability by inhibiting the sodium currents responsible for the generation and propagation of impulse nerve, the potassium current responsible for the termination of action potentials, and the calcium current responsible for the neurotransmitters release.

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Links between parental autonomy support and psychological control and Chinese emerging adults' conceptions of adulthood
Authors: Bao Guanghua , Gao Fangfang , Xie Han , Zhang Rui , Hong Jianzhong
Published: February 2023

Framed through family life course theory, two studies were conducted to examine the relationship between parenting and Chinese emerging adults' conceptions of adulthood. Study 1 identified five important adult criteria among 763 participants (Mage = 23.13; 54.8% girls) through exploratory factor analysis. In Study 2, 616 participants (Mage = 22.51; 71.6% girls) completed measures of parental autonomy support (PAS) and psychological control (PPC), subjective adult status, and adult criteria. Results showed that PAS was positively associated with subjective adult status and endorsement of almost all adult criteria, whereas PPC was both positively and negatively associated with different adult criteria. Findings reveal the influence of family factors on youth transition to adulthood in the Chinese context and may have implications for family based interventions.
Under thequasi‐judicialstate:H‐1Bemployment rights in an era of judicial retrenchment
Authors: Clark Gabrielle
Published: February 2023

Foreign workers holding H‐1B visas gained recourse to federal employment rights under the Immigration & Nationality Act (INA) for the very first time when Congress passed the Immigration Act of 1990 (IMMACT90). This paper examines H‐1B employment rights enforcement under the INA as it has intersected with broader features of the American legal system: what political scientists call judicial retrenchment and the quasi‐judicial state. I first show how H‐1B rights, already limited by the domestic politics that shaped the IMMACT, became subject to judicial retrenchment when the federal courts confined H‐1B disputes under the INA to the quasi‐judicial state at the Department of Labor (DOL). I then use published data on DOL investigation outcomes, published and unpublished administrative case records, and judicial cases reviewing agency action to examine the extent to which and how H‐1B workers can use the quasi‐judicial state to solve workplace problems. My empirical findings contribute to a new understanding of the relationship between rights retrenchment, the judiciary, and the rise of alternatives to court in immigration and employment law and point to possible fine‐grained changes for future immigration reform.
Parallel evolution and cryptic diversification in a common and widespread Amazonian tree, Protium subserratum
Authors: Misiewicz Tracy M. , Simmons Tracey , Carter Benjamin E. , Fine Paul V. A. , Moore Abigail J.
Published: February 2023

The lowland Amazon rainforest houses some of the greatest tree diversity on Earth. While the vast majority of these species are rare, a small number are common and widespread and thus considered to play a disproportionate role in many of the global ecosystem services provided by the Amazon. However, the extent to which dominant Amazonian tree species actually include multiple clades, each on their own unique evolutionary trajectory, is unknown. Here we investigate the extent to which lineage divergence may be occurring within Protium subserratum (Burseraceae), a common and widespread tree species that is monophyletic with populations exhibiting genotypic and phenotypic differences associated with soil and geography. Utilizing a combination of phylogenomic and population genomic methods with sampling from across the range, we found that P. subserratum contains at least eight distinct clades. Specialization onto white‐sand soils has evolved independently at least twice within the species; however, phenotype is not correlated with soil type. Finally, cryptic diversity at the base of the Andes is associated with elevational shifts. Together these results lend support to the hypothesis that common and widespread Amazon tree species may not represent evolutionary cohesive units. Instead, these dominant species may more commonly represent species complexes, undergoing evolutionary transitions on a trajectory to become multiple range‐restricted, specialist species.
vsiRNA18 derived from tobacco curly shoot virus can regulate virus infection in Nicotiana benthamiana
Authors: Wu Rui , Wu Gentu , Huang Yongjie , Zhang Haolan , Tang Jiaxin , Li Mingjun , Qing Ling
Published: February 2023

Virus‐derived small interfering RNAs (vsiRNAs) play important roles in regulating host endogenous gene expression to promote virus infection and induce RNA silencing to suppress virus infection. However, to date, how vsiRNAs affect geminivirus infection in host plants has been less studied. In this study, we found that tobacco curly shoot virus (TbCSV)‐derived vsiRNA18 (TvsiRNA18) can regulate TbCSV infection in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. The virus‐mediated small RNA expression system and stable transformation technique were used to clarify the molecular role of TvsiRNA18 in TbCSV infection. The results indicate that TvsiRNA18 can aggravate disease symptoms in these plants and enhance viral DNA accumulation. ATP‐dependent RNA helicase (ATP‐dRH) was proven to be a target of TvsiRNA18, and down‐regulation of ATP‐dRH in plants was shown to induce virus‐like leaf curling symptoms and increase TbCSV infection. These results suggest that TvsiRNA18 is an important regulator of TbCSV infection by suppressing ATP‐dRH expression. This is the first report to demonstrate that TbCSV‐derived vsiRNA can target host endogenous genes to affect symptom development, which helps to reveal the molecular mechanism of symptom occurrence after the virus infects the host.
Insights into cryptochrome modulation of ABA signaling to mediate dormancy regulation in Marchantia polymorpha
Authors: Liao Jiakai , Deng Ban , Yang Qixin , Li Yu , Zhang Yuxiang , Cong Jiajing , Wang Xiaqin , Kohnen Markus V. , Liu Zhong‐Jian , Lu Meng‐Zhu , Lin Deshu , Gu Lianfeng , Liu Bobin
Published: February 2023

The acquisition of dormancy capabilities has enabled plants to survive in adverse terrestrial environmental conditions. Dormancy accumulation and release is coupled with light signaling, which is well studied in Arabidopsis, but it is unclear in the distant nonvascular relative. We study the characteristics and function on dormancy regulation of a blue light receptor cryptochrome in Marchantia polymorpha (MpCRY).

Here, we identified MpCRY via bioinformatics and mutant complement analysis. The biochemical characteristics were assessed by multiple protein‐binding assays. The function of MpCRY in gemma dormancy was clarified by overexpression and mutation of MpCRY, and its mechanism was analyzed via RNA sequencing and quantitative PCR analyses associated with hormone treatment.

We found that the unique MpCRY protein in M. polymorpha undergoes both blue light‐promoted interaction with itself (self‐interaction) and blue light‐dependent phosphorylation. MpCRY has the specific characteristics of blue light‐induced nuclear localization and degradation. We further demonstrated that MpCRY transcriptionally represses abscisic acid (ABA) signaling‐related gene expression to suppress gemma dormancy, which is dependent on blue light signaling.

Our findings indicate that MpCRY possesses specific biochemical and molecular characteristics, and modulates ABA signaling under blue light conditions to regulate gemma dormancy in M. polymorpha.
Co‐occurrence patterns in a steppe bird community: insights into the role of dominance and competition
Authors: Barrero Adrián , Ovaskainen Otso , Traba Juan , Gómez‐Catasús Julia
Published: February 2023

Spatial co‐occurrence patterns are determined by environmental factors, such as food availability or habitat characteristics and by biotic associations. When resources are limited, competition which implies a dominant hierarchy can shape species assemblage. Here, we study space and time co‐occurrence of steppe passerines during the breeding season in a natural steppe habitat, its modulation by environmental filtering, potential biotic interactions and random processes. We applied the joint species distribution model of hierarchical modelling of species community (HMSC) to data on species presence–absence and environmental, temporal and spatial covariates acquired from seven plots in a natural steppe in central Spain during two consecutive years. Our results reveal the patterns of bird species co‐occurrence and suggest that this assemblage might be competitively structured. The assemblage appears to be configured around one dominant species, the Eurasian skylark, which establishes principally negative associations with many of the coexistent species. Our results contribute to the understanding of how competition and dominance processes, together with ecological constraints and other biotic associations, shape bird assemblages.
Impact of carotid atherosclerosis on arrhythmia recurrence following atrial fibrillation catheter ablation
Authors: Luo Fangyuan , Sun Liping , Li Jiaju , Chen Jiawei , Zhang Yuekun , Wang Zhe , Chen Xiaojie , Chen Yingwei , Dong Jianzeng
Published: February 2023

Background

It remains unclear whether carotid atherosclerosis (CAS) increases the atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence rate after ablation. The aim was to assess the association between CAS, defined as carotid intima‐media thickness (CIMT) ≥1 mm and or presence of carotid plaques, and AF recurrence rate after ablation.

Methods

We retrospectively collected patients who underwent carotid ultrasonography and AF ablation at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. The AF recurrence was defined as documented atrial arrhythmias over 30 s on ECG or 24‐h Holter monitoring after the first three months blanking period. Cox regression models were used to analyze the risk of AF recurrence.

Results

Overall, 385 patients were analyzed (mean age, 60.58±10.98 years old; female, 41.30%; persistent AF, 47.27%). After a follow‐up of 1 year, 138 (35.84%) patients experienced recurrence, Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that patients with the presence of carotid plaques, CIMT ≥1 mm, and CAS had a higher risk of recurrence compared with the absence (all log‐rank p < .05). In multivariate Cox regression analysis, CAS (HR 2.159, ±95% CI 1.320‐3.532, p = .002), carotid plaque (HR 1.815, ±95%CI 1.160‐2.841, p = .009), and CIMT ≥1 mm (HR 1.696, ±95%CI 1.192‐2.413, p = .003) were independently associated with a higher risk of recurrence. In subgroup analysis, the association of CAS, carotid plaque, and AF recurrence rate was weaker in men than women.

Conclusion

Carotid atherosclerosis, CIMT ≥1 mm, and carotid plaque were significantly associated with a higher AF recurrence rate after radiofrequency catheter ablation. They were all risk factors for the recurrence of AF.
Diet‐associated vertically transferred metabolites and risk of asthma, allergy, eczema, and infections in early childhood
Authors: Brustad Nicklas , Olarini Alessandra , Kim Min , Chen Liang , Ali Mina , Wang Tingting , Cohen Arieh S. , Ernst Madeleine , Hougaard David , Schoos Ann‐Marie , Stokholm Jakob , Bønnelykke Klaus , Lasky‐Su Jessica , Rasmussen Morten A. , Chawes Bo
Published: February 2023

Background

Evidence suggests maternal pregnancy dietary intake and nutrition in the early postnatal period to be of importance for the newborn child's health. However, studies investigating diet‐related metabolites transferred from mother to child on disease risk in childhood are lacking. We sought to investigate the influence of vertically transferred metabolites on risk of atopic diseases and infections during preschool age.

Methods

In the Danish population‐based COPSAC2010 mother–child cohort, information on 10 diet‐related vertically transferred metabolites from metabolomics profiles of dried blood spots (DBS) at age 2–3 days was analyzed in relation to the risk of childhood asthma, allergy, eczema, and infections using principal component and single metabolite analyses.

Results

In 678 children with DBS measurements, a coffee‐related metabolite profile reflected by principal component 1 was inversely associated with risk of asthma (odds ratio (95% CI) 0.78 (0.64; 0.95), p = .014) and eczema at age 6 years (0.79 (0.65; 0.97), p = .022). Furthermore, increasing stachydrine (fruit‐related), 3‐carboxy‐4‐methyl‐5‐propyl‐2‐furanpropanoate (fish‐related), and ergothioneine (fruit‐, green vegetables‐, and fish‐related) levels were all significantly associated with reduced risks of infections at age 0–3 years (p < .05).

Conclusion

This study demonstrates associations between pregnancy diet‐related vertically transferred metabolites measured in children in early life and risk of atopic diseases and infections in childhood. The specific metabolites associated with a reduced disease risk in children may contribute to the characterization of a healthy nutritional profile in pregnancy using a metabolomics‐based unbiased tool for predicting childhood health.
Modulation of haematopoiesis by protozoal and helminth parasites
Authors: Cunningham Kyle T. , Mills Kingston H. G.
Published: February 2023

During inflammation, haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in the bone marrow (BM) and periphery rapidly expand and preferentially differentiate into myeloid cells that mediate innate immune responses. HSCs can be directed into quiescence or differentiation by sensing alterations to the haematopoietic niche, including cytokines, chemokines, and pathogen‐derived products. Most studies attempting to identify the mechanisms of haematopoiesis have focused on bacterial and viral infections. From intracellular protozoan infections to large multicellular worms, parasites are a global health burden and represent major immunological challenges that remain poorly defined in the context of haematopoiesis. Immune responses to parasites vary drastically, and parasites have developed sophisticated immunomodulatory mechanisms that allow development of chronic infections. Recent advances in imaging, genomic sequencing, and mouse models have shed new light on how parasites induce unique forms of emergency haematopoiesis. In addition, parasites can modify the haematopoiesis in the BM and periphery to improve their survival in the host. Parasites can also induce long‐lasting modifications to HSCs, altering future immune responses to infection, inflammation or transplantation, a term sometimes referred to as central trained immunity. In this review, we highlight the current understanding of parasite‐induced haematopoiesis and how parasites target this process to promote chronic infections.
Going green or making green? The effects of partisanship and inflation on environmental executive orders, 1945−2020
Authors: Fitz Erin B.
Published: February 2023

While a growing body of scholarship examines US presidential unilateralism, there remains less focus on policy‐specific areas of unilateral action. Given environmental politics is a particularly constrained and contentious issue area, understanding the conditions that affect the frequency of presidents' environment‐related unilateral activity requires a more nuanced examination. As such, this study draws upon existing theories of unilateralism to explore the relationship between environmental executive orders, Congress, the economy, and environmental disasters in the United States between 1945 and 2020. A broad examination of environmental executive orders provides evidence to suggest that while Democratic presidents are more likely to issue environmental executive orders compared to Republican presidents, presidents are generally more likely to issue environmental executive orders in response to higher inflation. A second analysis using a subset of these data further indicates Democratic presidents are more likely to issue environmental executive orders following technological disasters and that the frequency of these orders increases when their partisanship changes from that of the previous president. Collectively, these findings serve to broaden our current understanding of US presidential unilateralism by providing important linkages between executive power, the environment, and the economy.
A systematic review of fish adulteration and contamination in Bangladesh: A way forward to food safety
Authors: Khan Md. Akhtaruzzaman , Hossain Md. Emran , Islam Md. Sayemul , Rahman Mohammad Saidur , Sudhakaran Pratheesh Omana , Dey Madan Mohan
Published: February 2023

For decades, the world has been plagued by widespread food adulteration, and Bangladesh is no exception. Dishonest business people and fish farmers unlawfully utilize various preservatives to avoid rotting and extend the shelf life of fish. Although previous research has examined the level of formalin use in fish bodies, no studies focusing on all aspects of fish adulteration and contamination in Bangladesh have been carried out. In this context, the aim of this review is to explore the extent and magnitude of illegal fish adulteration and contamination in Bangladesh. Among the 37 reviewed studies, 11 of them highlighted formalin adulteration in fish samples and fish feed. The extent of formalin use varied between local and imported fish, and between large and small fish. Imported and large fish were substantially more formalin‐contaminated. Several investigations have discovered that antibiotic levels in farm water and fish feed exceed the permitted level. Farmers have used growth promoters incautiously. This study also identifies that certain metal substances, such as chromium, lead, arsenic, cadmium, iron, mercury and cobalt, have been frequently found in fish bodies and feed samples. Furthermore, a distinct type of fish adulteration caused by aromatic compounds has emerged recently. The findings and their ramifications are extremely concerning for human lives. However, since each study employed a different testing kit, the results were quite distinct. Thus, the adoption of a precise and sensitive kit is strongly recommended. The government should make it a top priority to solve the problem of fish adulteration by implementing appropriate food safety laws and policies.
Engineering the plant metabolic system by exploiting metabolic regulation
Authors: Selma Sara , Ntelkis Nikolaos , Nguyen Trang Hieu , Goossens Alain
Published: February 2023

Plants are the most sophisticated biofactories and sources of food and biofuels present in nature. By engineering plant metabolism, the production of desired compounds can be increased and the nutritional or commercial value of the plant species can be improved. However, this can be challenging because of the complexity of the regulation of multiple genes and the involvement of different protein interactions. To improve metabolic engineering (ME) capabilities, different tools and strategies for rerouting the metabolic pathways have been developed, including genome editing and transcriptional regulation approaches. In addition, cutting‐edge technologies have provided new methods for understanding uncharacterized biosynthetic pathways, protein degradation mechanisms, protein–protein interactions, or allosteric feedback, enabling the design of novel ME approaches.
Re‐arranging the urban: Forms, rhythms, politics
Authors:   The Urban Re‐Arrangements Collective, Abdullah Adam , Cardoso Ricardo , Dasgupta Shreyashi , Pati Sushmita , Plueckhahn Rebekah , Shafique Tanzil , Simone AbdouMaliq , Teo Shaun S. K. , Ye Junjia , Zhao Yimin
Published: February 2023

This intervention is by a collective of scholars working on various facets of urbanisation in Asia. Focusing on the notion of arrangements/re‐arrangements, it seeks to extend the consideration of urban politics as a matter of surges, a provisional consolidation of intensities, inhabitants and their practices, affiliations and orientations that give rise to continuously mutating forms of sense, care, and collective action. Whereas the work and effects of institutions, with their genealogies, remits, and competencies, are to a large extent specifiable according to their operating norms and the various regulatory frameworks that govern their operations, the dispositions of arrangements – what they do, what they actually bring about – are not readily definable or clear, enacting a form of performative ambiguity. Involving workarounds, collaborations, exchanges, and agreements that exceed the familiar protocols of interaction among households, local authorities, markets, civil institutions, brokers, and service providers, arrangements entail the enactment of caring, provisioning, regulating, mapping, and steering as the purview of more provisional, incessantly mutating forms that fold in bits and pieces of discernible institutions. In this heuristic intervention we seek to further the ‘urbanisation’ of urban geography itself, in the sense of complexifying both the terrain and the methodological practices brought to bear. It attempts to open a way of speaking about urbanisation processes that exceed binary formulations, countervailing scales, or structural absences to encompass a broader range of processes at work in shaping dispositions that are materialised or simply potentiated. It proceeds from a process of collective composition whose objective is to diversify the working tools of urban analysis rather than simply offering new conceptual formulations.
Optimal Design and Sensitivity Analysis of the Dynamic Vibration Absorber With Amplifying Mechanism
Authors: Liu Yifan , Cai Jiazhi , Li Haiyuan , Gao Qingbin
Published: February 2023

This work optimizes a dynamic vibration absorber (DVA) model equipped with an additional amplifying mechanism using the H∞ optimization criterion, which aims to minimize the maximum frequency response amplitude of the primary structure. This optimization problem is widely investigated using the fixed-point method, which, however, works only when the primary structure is undamped and gives approximate solutions at best. Instead, we seek the exact solutions, and a resultant-based optimization scheme is accordingly proposed, which allows handling purely univariate polynomial equations in the solving procedure to guarantee the convergence and global optimum conditions. Consequently, exactly numerical and closed-form optimal DVA parameters are obtained when the primary structure is damped and undamped, respectively. Furthermore, we are also interested in the effect of the amplifying mechanism on vibration suppression, showing that it functions as a convenient equivalent mass ratio regulator to benefit the DVA performance. Finally, the presented sensitivity analysis reveals the effect of the small variations of the DVA stiffness and damping on the vibration suppression performance and the role of the amplifying mechanism in balancing such two components’ uncertainties. This work generalizes the existing exact H∞ optimization methods and provides a guideline for the enhanced DVA design using the amplifying mechanism.
Optical Metrology of Critical Dimensions in Large-Area Nanostructure Arrays With Complex Patterns
Authors: Sabbagh Ramin , Stothert Alec , Sreenivasan S. V. , Djurdjanovic Dragan
Published: February 2023

It was recently demonstrated that scatterometry-based metrology has the capability to perform high-throughput metrology on large-area nanopatterned surfaces. However, the way this approach is currently pursued requires an a priori generated library of reflectance spectra to be simulated for an exhaustive set of possible underlying critical dimensions (CDs) characterizing the measured nanopatterns. Generating this library is time consuming and can be infeasible for complex patterns characterized by a large number of CDs. This article addresses the aforementioned drawback of optical inspection of CDs of nanopatterned surfaces through the use of an inverse problem-based optimization methodology coupled with a recently introduced approach for efficient organization of the library of previously simulated reflectance spectra. Specifically, for each physically measured reflectance spectrum, the best matching simulated spectrum is sought in the initial incomplete library in order to serve as the initial guess for the inverse problem optimization process. Through that optimization process, further refinements of the best matching simulated spectra are conducted to obtain sufficiently accurate estimates of the CDs characterizing the inspected nanopattern geometries. Capabilities of the newly proposed approach are evaluated through inspection of semiconductor wafer samples with hourglass patterns characterized by eight CDs. It was observed that one can obtain significantly faster measurements of CDs compared to inspection times associated with scanning electron microscopy, while at the same time not deteriorating the corresponding Gage Repeatability and Reproducibility. In conclusion, this method enables real-time, accurate, and repeatable metrology of CDs of large-area nanostructured surfaces with complex nanopatterns.
Automated Subtractive Timber Manufacturing—Joinery Machines Versus Industrial Robots
Authors: Pantscharowitsch Marc , Kromoser Benjamin
Published: February 2023

A high degree of automation, especially through the use of robots, is state of the art in the automotive and electronics industries. Even though the construction sector is currently lagging behind, an increase in automation and the use of robots can be observed. To assess the potential in industrial timber construction with a focus set on subtractive machining, this paper presents the state of the art in terms of the use of industrial robots and joinery machines, compact joinery machines, and gantry-type joinery machines in regard to milling processes. The capabilities of different types of joinery machines are evaluated and compared with vertical articulated industrial robots equipped with machining spindles. An overview of the history and an assessment of various parameters in the categories: Quality, System, Machining and Economy, is given. Publications, manufacturer information, and industry findings are reviewed to answer pressing questions on automation in timber construction. Limitations such as robotic stability or the limited working space of joinery machines and the affordability of robotic systems are elaborated and CAD/CAM (computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing) processes are scrutinized. After the evaluation and comparison of four different systems, an approach for future research is proposed. The main findings are a very low degree of robotization and data availability within the timber industry, lower acquisition costs for industrial robots while increasing the flexibility of the workspace, and task-specific advantages of the respective systems, including machining power, potential for improvement in automation (especially CAD/CAM), and machining quality.
Analytical Study and Experimental Verification of Shear-Thinning Ink Flow in Direct Ink Writing Process
Authors: Guo Zipeng , Fei Fan , Song Xuan , Zhou Chi
Published: February 2023

Direct ink writing (DIW) process is a facile additive manufacturing technology to fabricate three-dimensional (3D) objects with various materials. Its versatility has attracted considerable interest in academia and industry in recent years. As such, upsurging endeavors are invested in advancing the ink flow behaviors in order to optimize the process resolution and the printing quality. However, so far, the physical phenomena during the DIW process are not revealed in detail, leaving a research gap between the physical experiments and its underlying theories. Here, we present a comprehensive analytical study of non-Newtonian ink flow behavior during the DIW process. Different syringe-nozzle geometries are modeled for the comparative case studies. By using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation method, we reveal the shear-thinning property during the ink extrusion process. Besides, we study the viscosity, shear stress, and velocity fields, and analyze the advantages and drawbacks of each syringe-nozzle model. On the basis of these investigations and analyses, we propose an improved syringe-nozzle geometry for stable extrusion and high printing quality. A set of DIW printing experiments and rheological characterizations are carried out to verify the simulation studies. The results developed in this work offer an in-depth understanding of the ink flow behavior in the DIW process, providing valuable guidelines for optimizing the physical DIW configuration toward high-resolution printing and, consequently, improving the performance of DIW-printed objects.
Mixture of Experts for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Motor Thrust Models
Authors: Kawamura Evan , Azimov Dilmurat
Published: February 2023

This study aims to analyze three unmanned aerial vehicles’ static and dynamic motor thrust models and to compare them with flight test telemetry motor angular velocity data as ground truth. This comparison determines which model is the most accurate based on the root mean square of the difference between the motor models and the telemetry data values. The Burgers and Staples models are dynamic thrust models with nonlinear drag, while the Gibiansky model is a static thrust model with linear drag. The mixture of experts (MoE) architecture assigns weights to each thrust model through a gating network such that higher weights map to the more accurate models. Flight tests include two maneuvers: triangle and shoelace loop. The triangle maneuver uses the cornering option to stop and turn at each waypoint. In contrast, the shoelace loop maneuver uses the curved option to fly smooth curves at waypoints instead of stopping and turning at each waypoint. Simulation results of the motor thrust models use the telemetry data to compute the motor angular velocities with tuned model parameters tailored to the type of maneuver. Regarding motor angular velocity estimation, the Gibiansky and Burgers models tend to overestimate, while the Staples model tends to underestimate. The combination of the simulation results of the models with the mixture of experts allows us to achieve higher accuracy than any of the individual models.
Continuous fractional component Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo
Authors: Mayr Niklas , Haring Michael , Wallek Thomas
Published: February 2023

A continuous fractional component (CFC) approach increases the probability of particle swaps in the context of vapor-liquid equilibrium simulations using the Gibbs ensemble Monte Carlo algorithm. Two variants of the CFC approach are compared for simulations of pure Lennard-Jones (LJ) fluids and binary LJ mixtures as examples. The details of an exemplary CFC implementation are presented. Recommendations are provided to reduce the effort required for the suggested problems.