bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reducing publication delay to improve the efficiency and impact of conservation science
Authors: Christie Alec P. , White Thomas B. , Martin Philip A. , Petrovan Silviu O. , Bladon Andrew J. , Bowkett Andrew E. , Littlewood Nick A. , Mupepele Anne-Christine , Rocha Ricardo , Sainsbury Katherine A. , Smith Rebecca K. , Taylor Nigel G. , Sutherland William J.
Published: October 2021

Evidence-based decision-making is most effective with comprehensive access to scientific studies. If studies face significant publication delays or barriers, the useful information they contain may not reach decision-makers in a timely manner. This represents a potential problem for mission-oriented disciplines where access to the latest data is required to ensure effective actions are undertaken. We sought to analyse the severity of publication delay in conservation science—a field that requires urgent action to prevent the loss of biodiversity. We used the Conservation Evidence database to assess the length of publication delay (time from finishing data collection to publication) in the literature that tests the effectiveness of conservation interventions. From 7,447 peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed studies of conservation interventions published over eleven decades, we find that the raw mean publication delay was 3.2 years (±2SD = 0.1) and varied by conservation subject. A significantly shorter delay was observed for studies focused on Bee Conservation, Sustainable Aquaculture, Management of Captive Animals, Amphibian Conservation, and Control of Freshwater Invasive Species (Estimated Marginal Mean range from 1.4–1.9 years). Publication delay was significantly shorter for the non-peer-reviewed literature (Estimated Marginal Mean delay of 1.9 years ± 0.2) compared to the peer-reviewed literature (i.e., scientific journals; Estimated Marginal Mean delay of 3.0 years ± 0.1). We found publication delay has significantly increased over time (an increase of ~1.2 years from 1912 (1.4 years ± 0.2) to 2020 (2.6 years ± 0.1)), but this change was much weaker and non-significant post-2000s; we found no evidence for any decline. There was also no evidence that studies on more threatened species were subject to a shorter delay—indeed, the contrary was true for mammals, and to a lesser extent for birds. We suggest a range of possible ways in which scientists, funders, publishers, and practitioners can work together to reduce delays at each stage of the publication process.
Teachers and Students Perception of the Low Academic Performance of Senior High School Students in Integrated Science in Ghana
Authors: Taylor Isaac , Sonful Coffie Isaac , Agyei Stephen , Edusei Ackah Justice
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this study was to determine school and teacher-related factors affecting low academic performance of senior high school students in integrated science in some selected districts in western region of Ghana. The research design used in this study is descriptive cross-sectional survey. The population of the study was made up of students and science teachers in selected senior high schools in the study area which comprises three districts; Ellembele District, Jomoro District and Nzema-East Municipal. A Sample of 342 students and 18 teachers were used for this study. In carrying out the study, a questionnaire was used as the main instrument for the data collected which were analyzed using descriptive statistics. From the results, it was seen that school-related factors causing poor performance in Integrated Science among students include; the inadequacy of facilities, poor state of existing facilities, general disturbances in class and the ineffective supervision of teaching. Moreover, inadequate number of science teachers, inability to complete syllabi, poor teaching style and little time spent in teaching were among the teacher-related factors which caused low academic performance in Science.
Motivational Interviewing for Prevention of Early Childhood Caries
Authors: Wazurkar Saee , Madhu Priyanka Paul , Chhabra Kumar Gaurav , Reche Amit , Tidke Samiksha , Fulzele Punit
Published: October 2021

Early childhood caries is prevalent disease worldwide involving 1.76 billion children even though it is preventable with proper measures. Early childhood caries not only cause local discomfort but also hampers overall growth and development of child. Early childhood caries requires invasive treatments as it progress to later stages so early intervention is helpful to prevent these invasive procedures like restoration and extraction. Various procedures such as fluoride application, oral hygiene maintenance, motivational interviewing, diet counselling, oral health education programs are used for prevention, among them motivational interviewing is the emerging modality for prevention. Motivational interviewing is client centred counselling approach which elicits the behavior change by helping clients to explore and resolve ambivalence. It was first introduced for treating alcoholism now it is implemented in various fields for management of disease such as diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, reducing sexual behavior and pain management. In some of the researches it is found that the preventive measures accompanied with motivational interviewing are more effective than the conventional health education and intervention. Though there are many researches are present on the motivational interviewing in prevention of early childhood caries, better designed and reported interventions are still needed.
Effective Mechanical Properties of Additive Manufactured Strut‐Lattice Structures: Experimental and Finite Element Study
Authors: Kladovasilakis Nikolaos , Tsongas Konstantinos , Kostavelis Ioannis , Tzovaras Dimitrios , Tzetzis Dimitrios
Published: October 2021

Current developments in additive manufacturing (AM) technologies enable the fabrication of complex geometries with a variety of materials. Utilizing AM techniques, lattice structures are usually employed for the topology optimization (TO) process in various industries. Therefore, it is essential to identify the effective mechanical behavior of the lattices and establish finite element (FE) models capable to evaluate their performance. This research focuses on four lattice structures consisted of struts, two structures for foam‐like applications, namely, Kelvin and Weaire–Phelan structures, and two geometries for structural applications, that is, octet and rhombic dodecahedron structures. Herein, a theoretical approach is employed for each structure to present the basic structural properties and connect their design‐related parameters, such as unit cell's length and strut thickness, with the relative density of each geometry. In addition, unit cells of each structure are manufactured utilizing selective laser sintering AM technique with Polyamide 12 as construction material. Compression tests are performed to identify the mechanical behavior of each geometry through representative volume elements and FE hyper‐elastic material models are developed accordingly to the experimental data. Finally, more complex specimens of each geometry are fabricated and tested to verify the accuracy and the reliability of the FE models.
2D Molecular Sheets of Hydrogen‐Bonded Organic Frameworks for Ultrastable Sodium‐Ion Storage
Authors: Wu Yunling , Mao Xinnan , Zhang Mochun , Zhao Xuan , Xue Renjie , Di Sijia , Huang Wei , Wang Lu , Li Youyong , Li Yanguang
Published: October 2021

There has been growing research interest in hydrogen bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) by virtue of their great structural crystallinity, large surface areas and porosity. Their potential in electrochemical applications, unfortunately, remains elusive because weak hydrogen bonds would dissociate in solution that eventually compromises the structural integrity. Herein, it is demonstrated that this issue may be overcome by designing and introducing multisite hydrogen bonding within HOFs. 2D molecular sheets are prepared using diaminotriazole as the linkers for the first time. In spite of the molecular thickness (≈1 nm), they are chemically stable and mechanically robust, and have diminished solubility in most polar or nonpolar organic solvents. This solution‐stable HOF exhibits an excellent electrochemical performance for Na+ ion storage. In particular, it enables an exceptional cycle life of >10 000 cycles at 1 A g‐1, which is far superior to most other organic electrode materials. Theoretical simulations indicate that the activation barrier for the intralayer or interlayer diffusion of Na+ ions within the organic frameworks is small.
Plastid phylogenomics of the Gynoxoid group (Senecioneae, Asteraceae) highlights the importance of motif‐based sequence alignment amid low genetic distances
Authors: Escobari Belen , Borsch Thomas , Quedensley Taylor S. , Gruenstaeudl Michael
Published: October 2021

Premise

The genusGynoxysand relatives form a species‐rich lineage of Andean shrubs and trees with low genetic distances within the sunflower subtribe Tussilaginineae. Previous molecular phylogenetic investigations of the Tussilaginineae have included few, if any, representatives of this Gynoxoid group or reconstructed ambiguous patterns of relationships for it.

Methods

We sequenced complete plastid genomes of 21 species of the Gynoxoid group and related Tussilaginineae and conducted detailed comparisons of the phylogenetic relationships supported by the gene, intron, and intergenic spacer partitions of these genomes. We also evaluated the impact of manual, motif‐based adjustments of automatic DNA sequence alignments on phylogenetic tree inference.

Results

Our results indicate that the inclusion of all plastid genome partitions is needed to infer well‐supported phylogenetic trees of the Gynoxoid group. Whole plastome‐based tree inference suggests that the generaGynoxysandNordenstamiaare polyphyletic and form the core clade of the Gynoxoid group. This clade is sister to a clade ofAequatoriumandParagynoxysand also includes some but not all representatives ofParacalia.

Conclusions

The concatenation and combined analysis of all plastid genome partitions and the construction of manually‐curated, motif‐based DNA sequence alignments are found to be instrumental in the recovery of well‐supported relationships of the Gynoxoid group. We demonstrate that the correct assessment of homology in genome‐level plastid sequence data sets is crucial for subsequent phylogeny reconstruction and that the manual post‐processing of multiple sequence alignments improves the reliability of such reconstructions amid low genetic distances between taxa.
Polygenic burden could explain high rates of affective disorders in a community with restricted founder population
Authors: Wang Xiaotong , Lin Tian , Yengo Loic , Sidorenko Julia , Wray Naomi R. , Levinson Douglas F.
Published: October 2021

This study investigates if genetic factors could contribute to the high rate of mood disorders reported in a U.S. community known to have a restricted early founder population (confirmed here through runs of homozygosity analysis). Polygenic scores (PGSs) for eight common diseases, disorders, or traits, including psychiatric disorders, were calculated in 274 participants (125 mood disorder cases) who each reported three or four grandparents born in the community. Ancestry‐matched controls were selected from the UK Biobank (UKB; three sets of N = 1,822 each). The mean PGSs were significantly higher in the community for major depression PRS (p = 2.1 × 10−19, 0.56 SD units), bipolar disorder (p = 2.5 × 10−15, 0.56 SD units), and schizophrenia (p = 3.8 × 10−21, 0.64 SD units). The PGSs were not significantly different between the community participants and UKB controls for the traits of body mass index, Type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, and chronotype. The mean PGSs for height were significantly lower in the community sample compared to controls (−0.21 SD units, p = 1.2 × 10−5). The results are consistent with enrichment of polygenic risk factors for psychiatric disorders in this community.
Remote C−H Pyridylation of Hydroxamates through Direct Photoexcitation of O‐Aryl Oxime Pyridinium Intermediates
Authors: Kweon Byeongseok , Kim Changha , Kim Seonyul , Hong Sungwoo
Published: October 2021

Herein, we report an efficient strategy for the remote C−H pyridylation of hydroxamates with excellent ortho‐selectivity by designing a new class of photon‐absorbing O‐aryl oxime pyridinium salts generated in situ from the corresponding pyridines and hydroxamates. When irradiated by visible light, the photoexcitation of oxime pyridinium intermediates generates iminyl radicals via the photolytic N−O bond cleavage, which does not require an external photocatalyst. The efficiency of light absorption and N−O bond cleavage of the oxime pyridinium salts can be modulated through the electronic effect of substitution on the O‐aryl ring. The resultant iminyl radicals enable the installation of pyridyl rings at the γ‐CN position, which yields synthetically valuable C2‐substituted pyridyl derivatives. This novel synthetic approach provides significant advantages in terms of both efficiency and simplicity and exhibits broad functional group tolerance in complex settings under mild and metal‐free conditions.
Recent Advances in Hydrogen Peroxide Responsive Organoborons for Biological and Biomedical Applications
Authors: Saxon Eron , Peng Xiaohua
Published: October 2021

Hydrogen peroxide is the most stable reactive oxygen species generated endogenously, participating in numerous physiological processes and abnormal pathological conditions. Mounting evidence suggests that a higher level of H2O2 exists in various disease conditions. Thus, H2O2 functions as an ideal target for site‐specific bioimaging and therapeutic targeting. The unique reactivity of organoborons with H2O2 provides a method for developing chemoselective molecules for biological and biomedical applications. This review highlights the design and application of boron‐derived molecules for H2O2 detection, and the utility of boron moieties toward masking reactive compounds leading to the development of metal prochelators and prodrugs for selectively delivering an active species at the target sites with elevated H2O2 levels. Additionally, the emergence of H2O2‐responsive theranostic agents consisting of both therapeutic and diagnostic moieties in one integrated system are discussed. The purpose of this review is to provide a better understanding of the role of boron‐derived molecules toward biological and pharmacological applications.
A novel approach: Supercritical carbon dioxide + ethanol extraction to improve techno‐functionalities of pea protein isolate
Authors: Vatansever Serap , Ohm Jae‐Bom , Simsek Senay , Hall Clifford
Published: October 2021

Background and objectives

Dry peas (Pisum sativum L.) are an excellent source of functional proteins. Supercritical carbon dioxide +ethanol (SC‐CO2+EtOH) extraction was reported as a successful deflavoring approach to improve sensory attributes of pea flour. However, the effects of this extraction system on nutrient, structural, thermal, and functional characteristics of pea protein isolate (PPI) extracted from deflavored whole pea flour (DWPF) were not examined; thus, the focus of this study was to evaluate these characteristics.

Findings

Deflavored PPI (DPPI) obtained from SC‐CO2+EtOH extraction had significantly (p < .05) higher moisture, total starch, and protein contents than nonextracted PPI (NPPI). Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) wavelengths associated with lipids were more intense in NPPI compared with DPPI. Significant higher denaturation temperature, protein solubility, emulsion, and foaming properties of DPPI were obtained. Structural changes in DPPI were recorded based on FTIR spectra, X‐ray diffraction pattern, and scanning electron microscopy.

Conclusion

SC‐CO2+EtOH extraction as a green technology significantly impacted the proximate composition, structural, thermal, and functional characteristic of PPI.

Significance and novelty

Effects of SC‐CO2+EtOH extraction on pea protein characteristics have not reported in the literature. The results are crucial for adoption of this technology for physical modification of plant proteins.
Behcet's disease in an adult male from Nepal: A case report
Authors: Basnet Madan , Gautam Kamal , Pathak Bishnu Deep , Phudong Abisha , Gaire Suman , Bohara Narayan , Srivastava Ayushi
Published: October 2021

This case report highlights considering Behcet's disease as a diagnosis in orogenital ulcers and uveitis, although its prevalence is unknown in Nepal due to underreporting. Also, collaboration for patient care among relevant specialties is required.
Explaining the Advantageous Impact of Tertiary versus Secondary Nitrogen Center on the Activity of PNP‐Pincer Co(I)‐Complexes for Catalytic Hydrogenation of CO2
Authors: Bothra Neha , Das Shubhajit , Pati Swapan K.
Published: October 2021

Pincer ligated coordination complexes of base metals have shown remarkable catalytic activity for hydrogenation/dehydrogenation of CO2. The recently reported MeN[CH2CH2(iPr2)]2Co(I)PNP‐pincer complex was shown to exhibit substantially higher catalytic activity in comparison to the corresponding catalyst, HN[CH2CH2(iPr2)]2Co(I)PNP, bearing a secondary nitrogen center on the pincer ligand. Here, we computationally investigate the mechanisms for hydrogenation of CO2 to formate catalyzed by these two Co‐PNP complexes to explain how such a small structural difference could have a sizable impact on their catalytic activity. Plausible hydrogenation routes were examined in details and our findings provide solid support for the experimental observations. Our results reveal that such trends in catalytic activity could be explained from the lower activation barrier for the hydride transfer step upon changing the pincer nitrogen center from secondary to tertiary.
C–H Arylation of Benzene with Aryl Halides using H2 and a Water‐Soluble Rh‐Based Electron Storage Catalyst
Authors: Yatabe Takeshi , Tome Tamon , Takahashi Yukina , Matsumoto Takahiro , Yoon Ki‐Seok , Nakai Hidetaka , Ogo Seiji
Published: October 2021

This paper reports the first example of C−H arylation of benzene under mild conditions, using H2 as an electron source {turnover numbers (TONs)=0.7–2.0 for 24 h}. The reaction depends on a Rh‐based electron storage catalyst, and proceeds at room temperature and in aqueous solution. Furthermore, the H2 is inactive during the radical transfer step, greatly reducing unwanted side reactions.
Advancing Inorganic Coordination Chemistry by Spectroscopy of Isolated Molecules: Methods and Applications
Authors: Niedner‐Schatteburg Gereon , Kappes Manfred M.
Published: October 2021

A unique feature of the work carried out in the Collaborative Research Center 3MET continues to be its emphasis on innovative, advanced experimental methods which hyphenate mass‐selection with further analytical tools such as laser spectroscopy for the study ofisolatedmolecular ions. This allows to probe the intrinsic properties of the species of interest free of perturbing solvent or matrix effects. This review explains these methods and uses examples from past and ongoing 3MET studies of specific classes of multicenter metal complexes to illustrate how coordination chemistry can be advanced by applying them. As a corollary, we will show how the challenges involved in providing well‐defined, for example monoisomeric, samples of the molecular ions have helped to further improve the methods themselves thus also making them applicable to many other areas of chemistry.
Different effects of smoking on atopic and non‐atopic adult‐onset asthma
Authors: Lajunen Taina K. , Jaakkola Jouni J. K. , Jaakkola Maritta S.
Published: October 2021

Background

Both tobacco smoking and atopy increase the risk of adult‐onset asthma. We studied if there are differences in the effects of smoking on the risks of atopic and non‐atopic adult‐onset asthma, and if gender modifies these effects.

Methods

The Finnish Environment and Asthma Study (FEAS) includes 521 incident cases of adult‐onset asthma and 932 population‐based controls, aged 21 to 63 years, recruited from a geographically defined area of Pirkanmaa, South Finland. Asthma was defined based on symptoms and lung function measurements, atopy by IgE antibodies to common aeroallergens and smoking by the study questionnaire.

Results

Altogether 212 cases were atopic, and 251 cases were non‐atopic. Regular smoking increased the risk of atopic asthma (adjusted OR 1.24, 95% CI 0.83–1.85), this effect was seen in women (aOR 1.77, 1.06–2.95) but not in men (aOR 0.75, 0.39–1.45). Among regular smokers, the amount smoked was lowest among women with atopic asthma. Recent quitting of smoking was related to increased risk of both atopic (aOR 4.91, 2.26–10.65) and non‐atopic (aOR 4.37, 1.87–10.21) asthma. Having quitted smoking over a year ago was related to increased risk of non‐atopic asthma (aOR 1.57, 1.08–2.28), mainly in men (aOR 2.03, 1.06–3.88).

Conclusions

In women, rather small amounts of regular smoking increase the risk of atopic asthma. However, for non‐atopic asthma, the smoking induced risk continues for longer after quitting, especially in men. In conclusion, the effects of smoking on the risks of atopic and non‐atopic asthma differ, and gender modifies these effects.
Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Safety of a 10% Aminolevulinic Acid Hydrochloride Nanoemulsion Gel (BF‐200 ALA) in Photodynamic Therapy of Patients Extensively Affected With Actinic Keratosis: Results of 2 Maximal Usage Pharmacokinetic Trials
Authors: Novak Ben , DuBois Janet , Chahrour Osama , Papusha Tamara , Hirt Stefan , Philippi Thomas , Zogel Corinna , Osenberg Katharina , Schmitz Beate , Lübbert Hermann
Published: October 2021

The nanoemulsion‐based 10% aminolevulinic acid (ALA) hydrochloride gel BF‐200 ALA optimizes epidermal penetration of its active ingredient and is approved for topical photodynamic therapy (PDT) for the treatment of actinic keratosis in the United States and Europe. To characterize systemic absorption from dermal application during PDT, ALA and its key active metabolite protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) were analyzed in 2 maximal usage pharmacokinetic trials (MUsT) in patients severely affected with actinic keratosis. The primary objective of both MUsTs was to assess baseline‐adjusted plasma concentration–time curves for ALA and PpIX after a single PDT treatment applying either 2 g (1 tube) of BF‐200 ALA on the face (MUsT‐1) or applying 6 g (3 tubes) of BF‐200 ALA on the face/scalp or body periphery (MUsT‐2), to 20 or 60 cm2, respectively. All PDTs were performed using red light at around 635 nm wavelength. Safety and tolerability were documented along with pharmacokinetics. In both MUsTs, ALA plasma concentrations were transiently increased to a maximum concentration at about 2.5 to 3.3 times above endogenous baseline with time to maximum concentration at ≈3 hours after dosing. Plasma levels subsequently returned to baseline within 10 hours after dosing. Overall baseline‐adjusted mean area under the baseline‐adjusted plasma concentration‐time curve from time zero to the last sampling time point at which the concentration was at or above the lower limit of quantification ranged from 142.8 to 146.2, indicating that a similar, minor fraction of topical ALA is systemically absorbed under both dosing regimens. Systemic PpIX exposure after administration of either dose of BF‐200 ALA was equally minimal. Application site skin reactions were treatment area size‐related, albeit transient and consistent with the known safety profile of BF‐200 ALA.
Simulated longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) restoration increased streamflow—A case study in the Lower Flint River Basin
Authors: Qi Ji , Brantley Steven T. , Golladay Stephen W.
Published: October 2021

Water scarcity in the southeastern United States has increased in recent decades due to population growth, land use intensification and climate variability. Precipitation is relatively abundant, but declines in streamflow suggest a need to better manage water yield. Restoration of low‐density, frequent‐fire longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) woodlands, which once dominated the southeastern Coastal Plain, represents a possible strategy to increase water yield and mitigate water scarcity. The Flint River Basin has seen recent conflicts over water appropriations and lies within the historic range of longleaf pine. We used the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to evaluate the potential effect of longleaf pine restoration on streamflow in the Ichawaynochaway Creek, a major tributary of the Flint River. Parameters governing plant water use, for example, leaf area and leaf physiology, were adjusted to create a longleaf pine land cover. We simulated the conversion of ~95,000 ha of existing forest to longleaf pine, an increase from 3% to 35% of landcover in the basin. Modelled evapotranspiration was lower for longleaf pine compared with other forest types in the region, and conversion to longleaf pine increased annual water yield by 17.9 ± 1.6 mm, or 5.2%. Proportional changes in monthly streamflow were up to 74% higher during low flow periods, when in‐stream habitat is most vulnerable. Restoration of longleaf pine could be a promising way to mitigate water scarcity in the southeastern United States and adding flow during extreme droughts may prove vitally important for conserving imperilled aquatic organisms.
Passivity‐based stabilization of converter in DC power supply system using feedforward control
Authors: Kato Toshiji , Inoue Kaoru , Funaki Takashi , Takai Hisanari
Published: October 2021

This paper proposes a passivity‐based stabilization control of a converter in a DC power supply system using feedforward (FF) control to improve output frequency impedance characteristics that satisfy the Nyquist stability criterion. The principle is that the output impedance is designed to be passive, and the system is sufficiently stable for any filter impedances. The new design principle for the proposed stabilization method consists of four steps. First, the state feedback (FB) control gains with a mitigated integral compensator are designed to possess a good response characteristic according to the optimal control. The designed characteristic of the output impedance may not be passive at a lower frequency band due to an essential characteristic of an integral compensator. Second, the integral characteristic is modified and a resistive characteristic is added to the band by a new FF control design based on a fitting method to make the total characteristic passive and to ensure stability. Third, the correction coefficients are tuned to eliminate a deviation between the measured and reference output voltage values at transient operations. Finally, the system passivity is re‐checked, and a resistive characteristic is re‐added using the FF control design if a nonpassive band exists. The effectiveness of the proposed method to render the system passive and stable is investigated and validated using simulated and experimental results.
Cd3(PO4)(TePO6): A Novel Cadmium Tellurite‐Phosphate featuring a {[TePO6]3−}∞ Chain
Authors: Yao Wen‐Dong , Yan Mei , Li Xiao‐Hui , Liu Wenlong , Tang Ru‐Ling
Published: October 2021

New inorganic crystals containing multiple anions have received extensive attensions recently in view of their abilities to be potential multifunctional materials. Among them, tellurite‐phosphates with simple chemical components are relatively rarely studied. Here, one novel tellurite phosphate Cd3(PO4)(TePO6) was obtained through conventional soild‐state reaction, and it is the first tellurite‐phosphate only possessing d10 transition metal. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/c, and its structure features an interesting {[TePO6]3−}∞ chain constructed by corner‐sharing connected PO4 and TeO4 tetrahedra. Meanwhile, we obtained a new phase of Cd3(PO4)2 and Cd1.725Mg1.275(PO4)2 in the exploration of tellurite‐phosphates, and they also crystalize in the centric space group P21/c. Crystal structures, theoretical calculations on their electronic structure and birefringence have been studied, together with the IR and UV‐vis‐NIR diffuse reflectance spectra.
Downturn in Childhood Bone Mass: A Cross‐Sectional Study Over Four Decades
Authors: Rosengren Björn E , Bergman Erika , Karlsson Jessica , Ahlborg Henrik , Jehpsson Lars , Karlsson Magnus K
Published: October 2021

Screen time and physical inactivity have increased among children. As physical activity is a determinant of bone mass, there is a concern that children today have lower bone mass than earlier. If this is true, fractures may become more common in the future. In 2017–2018, we used single‐photon absorptiometry (SPA) to measure distal forearm bone mineral density (BMD; mg/cm2) in a normative cohort of 238 boys and 204 girls aged 7 to 15 years. We compared these results to BMD in a normative cohort collected in 1979–1981 (55 boys and 61 girls aged 7 to 15 years) measured by the same scanner. To investigate difference between the two cohorts, we used multiple linear regression with age, sex, and cohort as predictors. Predicted bone density at age 16 years was estimated through the slope values. The bone density‐age slope was flatter in the cohort measured in 2017–2018 than in the cohort measured 1979–1981 (−5.6 mg/cm2/yr [95% confidence interval −9.6 to −1.5]). Predicted bone density was at age 16 years in 2017–2018 in boys was 10% lower (−0.9 SD) and in girls 11% lower (−1.1 SD) than in their counterparts measured in 1979–1981. We found indications that children nowadays develop lower bone mass than four decades ago, giving concern that they may have a higher risk of osteoporosis and fragility fractures as they grow old. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
NS2B‐NS3 protease inhibitors as promising compounds in the development of antivirals against Zika virus: A systematic review
Authors: Nunes Damiana Antônia de Fátima , Santos Felipe Rocha da Silva , da Fonseca Sara Thamires Dias , de Lima William Gustavo , Nizer Waleska Stephanie da Cruz , Ferreira Jaqueline Maria Siqueira , de Magalhães José Carlos
Published: October 2021

Zika virus (ZIKV) infections are associated with severe neurological complications and are a global public health concern. There are no approved vaccines or antiviral drugs to inhibit ZIKV replication. NS2B‐NS3 protease (NS2B‐NS3 pro), which is essential for viral replication, is a promising molecular target for anti‐ZIKV drugs. We conducted a systematic review to identify compounds with promising effects against ZIKV; we discussed their pharmacodynamic and pharmacophoric characteristics. The online search, performed using the PubMed/MEDLINE and SCOPUS databases, yielded 56 articles; seven relevant studies that reported nine promising compounds with inhibitory activity against ZIKV NS2B‐NS3 pro were selected. Of these, five (niclosamide, nitazoxanide, bromocriptine, temoporfin, and novobiocin) are currently available on the market and have been tested for off‐label use against ZIKV. The 50% inhibitory concentration values of these compounds for the inhibition of NS2B‐NS3 pro ranged at 0.38–21.6 µM; most compounds exhibited noncompetitive inhibition (66%). All compounds that could inhibit the NS2B‐NS3 pro complex showed potent in vitro anti‐ZIKV activity with a 50% effective concentration ranging 0.024–50 µM. The 50% cytotoxic concentration of the compounds assayed using A549, Vero, and WRL‐69 cell lines ranged at 0.6–1388.02 µM and the selectivity index was 3.07–1698. This review summarizes the most promising antiviral agents against ZIKV that have inhibitory activity against viral proteases.
The use and abuse of cinnabar in Late Neolithic and Copper Age Iberia
Authors: Emslie Steven D. , Silva Ana Maria , Valera António , Vijande Vila Eduardo , Melo Linda , Curate Francisco , Fidalgo Daniel , Inácio Nuno , Molina Moreno María , Cambra‐Moo Oscar , González Martín Armando , Barroso‐Bermejo Rosa , Montero Artús Raquel , García Sanjuán Leonardo
Published: October 2021

In this study, total mercury (THg) was analyzed in archaeological human bone from 23 sites dating to between the Middle Neolithic and the Antiquity. A total of 370 individuals from individual or collective burials was sampled, mostly using cortical bone from the humerus. These individuals were recovered from over 50 different funerary structures ranging from tholoi, pits, caves, and hypogea. Although cinnabar (HgS) is a likely cause of mercury poisoning and toxicity for people exposed to this mineral from mining or use as a paint or pigment, not all sites investigated here had cinnabar associated with the burials or other excavated areas. We found unusual levels of THg in many of the sampled individuals that we assume were caused by exposure to cinnabar in life, and not by diagenetic processes or other exposures to mercury such as through diet, which would only cause negligible accumulation of THg in bone. Our data, based on the largest sampling ever undertaken on contamination of human bone through archaeological evidence, provide a baseline for additional research on cinnabar and its use in Prehistory. Moderate to high levels of THg in human bone are mainly associated with societies dating from the second half of the 4th to late 3rd millennia B.C. (Late Neolithic to Middle Chalcolithic) in southern Iberia. By the Late Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age, the use of cinnabar decreased significantly and became minimal or absent. The use and abuse of cinnabar appears to have been pervasive throughout the above‐mentioned period and particularly between c. 2900–2300 B.C. This occurred in connection with the high symbolic and probably sacred value of the substance, which was sought after, traded, and extensively used in a variety of rituals and social practices.
A multicultural, gender, and sexually diverse affirming school‐based consultation framework
Authors: Brown Jeffrey M. , Naser Shereen C. , Brown Griffin Charity , Grapin Sally L. , Proctor Sherrie L.
Published: October 2021

Gender and sexually diverse (GSD) students face unique challenges in schools due to the privileging of cisgender and heterosexist norms in these settings. In particular, GSD youth who belong to ethnically and racially minoritized groups face further challenges within school environments that disregard their cultural contexts and intersectional identities. It is important for school psychologists to ensure safe and high‐quality mental health, educational, and behavioral supports for these students. One possible avenue for building these types of supports is through school consultation. When school psychologists collaborate with other professionals in a culturally competent, participatory way, their work has the potential to bolster behavioral, academic, and mental health outcomes at the individual, group, and/or systems levels. Adapting Ingraham's multicultural school consultation model, this article proposes a multicultural, GSD affirming school consultation framework that also approaches the experiences of racially and ethnically minoritized individuals through the lenses of intersectionality and minority stress frameworks. Across its five domains, this adapted framework aims to give practitioners and researchers a conceptual foundation to support GSD students of minoritized ethnic and racial identities by considering interactions among consultants, consultees, and clients within their wider school contexts.
Prevalence and factors associated with urinary incontinence in females with cystic fibrosis: An Italian single‐center cross‐sectional analysis
Authors: Mariani Alessandra , Gambazza Simone , Carta Federica , Ambrogi Federico , Brivio Anna , Bulfamante Anna M. , Daccò Valeria , Bassotti Giacomo , Colombo Carla
Published: October 2021

Background

Individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF) are deemed to have a higher risk of developing urinary incontinence (UI), likely due to repeated increasing pressure on the pelvic floor. We aimed to determine the prevalence of female UI in a large CF referral center, and to assess the association between UI and severity of CF disease.

Methods

We consecutively recruited female patients regularly attending our CF center, aged ≥6 years and with a confirmed diagnosis of CF. Prevalence, severity, and impact of UI were assessed by administering two validated questionnaires. Relationship between variables was evaluated by means of multiple correspondence analysis, whereas a logistic model was fitted to capture the statistical association between UI and independent variables.

Results

UI was present in 51/153 (33%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 26%–41%) females. Among children and adolescents, the prevalence was 12/82 (15%, 95% CI: 8%–25%) whereas among adults was 39/71 (55%, 95% CI: 43%–67%). The only explanatory variable associated with UI was age, with children presenting the lowest risk (odds ratio, 0.32; 95% CI: 0.05–0.93). Females presenting low or high nutritional status show higher profile risk of having UI.

Conclusions

Stress UI is a common complication in females with CF since childhood. Although it frequently occurs in older patients with a more severe phenotype, much attention should be paid to adults and to their nutritional status.
The role of mid‐tropospheric moistening and land‐surface wetting in the progression of the 2016 Indian monsoon
Authors: Menon Arathy , Turner Andrew G. , Volonté Ambrogio , Taylor Christopher M. , Webster Stuart , Martin Gill
Published: October 2021

Accurately predicting the Indian monsoon is limited by inadequate understanding of the underlying processes, which feed into systematic model biases. Here we aim to understand the dynamic and thermodynamic features associated with the progression of the monsoon, using 2016 as a representative year, with the help of convection‐permitting simulations of the Met Office Unified Model. Simulations are carried out in a 4 km resolution limited‐area model, nested within a coarser global model. Two major processes thought to influence the northwestward progression of the monsoon are: (a) the interaction between the low‐level monsoon flow and a mid‐tropospheric dry‐air intrusion from the northwest, and (b) land–atmosphere interactions. We find that the 4 km limited‐area model simulates the mid‐tropospheric moistening that erodes the northwesterly dry intrusion, pushing the northern limit of moist convection northwestwards. The surface soil moisture also plays a major role at the leading edge of the monsoon progression. The heavy rains associated with the local onset wet the soil, reducing the sensitivity of surface fluxes to soil moisture and weakening the land influence on further progression of monsoon rains. The 4 km model is tested with an alternative land‐surface configuration to explore its sensitivity to land‐surface processes. We find that the choice of soil and vegetation ancillaries affects the time‐scales of soil moisture–precipitation feedback and the timing of diurnal convection, thereby affecting the local onset. We further compare these simulations with a parametrized convection run at 17 km resolution to isolate the effects of convective parametrization and resolution. The model with explicit convection better simulates the dynamic and thermodynamic features associated with the progression of the monsoon.
Bullous eruption as a cutaneous manifestation of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis
Authors: Tjokrosaputro Paula P. , Lian Tsui Y. , Wang Dingyuan , Lee Joyce S. S. , Xu Chuanhui
Published: October 2021

Cutaneous manifestations are variable in patients with eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA). We report a case where bullous eruption was a presenting manifestation of EGPA. A 55‐year‐old Chinese man with a background of adult‐onset asthma and chronic sinusitis was admitted for a 3‐week history of lower limb weakness and a large bulla on his right calf with surrounding erythema. Skin biopsy showed a subepidermal blister with significant dermal eosinophilia, without vasculitis. The patient was diagnosed with EGPA with systemic involvement on the basis of a thorough medical history, eosinophilia, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showing acute myocarditis, and nerve biopsy with eosinophilic vasculitic neuropathy. He responded well to corticosteroids and rituximab. Nonvasculitic bullous eruptions are rarely described as manifestations of EGPA. Prompt recognition of this entity is crucial for its early diagnosis.
Diffuse goitre enlargement after immunotherapy for non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Fujita Kohei , Araki Norio , Mio Tadashi
Published: October 2021

Key message

It is well known that a phenomenon called hyperprogressive disease (HPD) often occurs during immunotherapy with immune checkpoint inhibitors. In the present case, we experienced a case of HPD in a potential metastatic thyroid tumour during immunotherapy. HPD can be life‐threatening depending on where it appears, so clinicians need to be careful.
Teachers’ Transnational Identities as Activity: Constructing Mobility Systems at the Intersections of Gender and Language Difference
Authors: Sánchez‐Martín Cristina
Published: October 2021

While studies following a translingual orientation have demonstrated the potential for decolonial pedagogical practices (Cushman, 2016), including teachers’ self‐decolonization by drawing on their translinguistic identities (Motha, Jain, & Tecle, 2012), a translingual paradigm and pedagogy also has the potential to address “the intersection of several structuring nodes in the colonial matrix of power” (Cushman, 2016, p. 238). Some studies have put forth women’s narratives and lived experiences as teachers (Motha, Jain, & Tecle, 2012; Park, 2017); however, few studies have investigated identity construction at the intersections of language and gender when teachers are asked to explicitly engage in translingual and transnational labor. Drawing on mobility systems (Fraiberg, 2018), Individual Networks of Practice (INoPs) (Zappa‐Hollman & Duff, 2015), and translingualism (Canagarajah, 2012), this qualitative study offers a detailed account of how four emergent teacher scholars construct their teaching identities when they were encouraged to scrutinize transnational spaces and identities. In particular, the study has two purposes: 1) to investigate the decolonial potential of translingual and transnational paradigms as emergent teacher scholars reflect on their identities at the intersections of language and gender and 2), to document identity reconstruction in relation to the environments and sociocultural contexts of their transnational experiences. Besides the affordances of narrative and/or autobiographical writing through translingual and transnational perspectives, the study demonstrates the benefits of identity reconstruction through mobile systems (Fraiberg, 2018) in creating opportunities for agency within oppressive discourses of language and gender in the TESOL field.
Quantification = Economization? Numbers, Ratings and Rankings in the Prison Service of England and Wales
Authors: Guter-Sandu Andrei , Mennicken Andrea
Published: October 2021

This paper uses the case of prison privatization in England and Wales to scrutinize what it means to “economize the social” through numbers. It argues that we ought to be careful not to equate quantification with economization. To uncover the multiple effects of economization and quantification brought about by new public management reforms and prison privatization, one needs to set presumed dichotomies between the public and the private aside and turn instead to the multiplicity of economizing practices (curtailing, marketizing, financializing) and their implication in different forms of quantification. Ironically, numbers and state contracts governing privately managed prisons also shielded these establishments from economization (e.g. budgetary savings requests); and it is the public prisons that have been exposed the most to measures of government austerity.
Homo Statisticus: A History of France’s General Public Statistical Infrastructure on Population Since 1950
Authors: Amossé Thomas
Published: October 2021

Changes of public statistical infrastructure on population shed light on the transformation of views of quantification from France’s post-war boom to recent years. Witnessing a crisis of totalization as well as a neoliberal inflection, this classic tool of quantification has been profoundly transformed, as much in its themes and technical characteristics as in the questions it poses and categories it retains. Three models progressively overlap one another: the “representative household survey”, the “biographical investigation”, and the “matched panel”. From these models emerge three types of being that the different statistical infrastructures address—the homo statisticus they contribute to defining—herein called subject, person, and individual, in reference to the three pillars of Alain Supiot’s “homo juridicus”.
New discovery modes for a light charged Higgs boson at the LHC
Authors: Arhrib A. , Benbrik R. , Krab M. , Manaut B. , Moretti S. , Wang Yan , Yan Qi-Shu
Published: October 2021

Abstract

At the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), both the ATLAS and CMS Collaborations have been searching for light charged Higgs bosons via top (anti)quark production and decays channels, like pp → t$$ \overline{t} $$

t
¯

with one top (anti)quark decaying into a charged Higgs boson and a b (anti)quark, when the decay is kinematically open (i.e., when $$ {m}_{H^{\pm }} $$

m

H
±

≲ mt). In this paper, we propose new searches at the LHC involving light charged Higgs bosons via their pair production channels like pp → H±h/A and pp → H+H− in the 2-Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM) Type-I and -X scenarios. By focusing on the case where the heavy H state plays the role of the Standard Model (SM)-like Higgs boson with a mass near 125 GeV, we study the aforementioned Higgs boson pair production channels and investigate their bosonic decays, such as H± → W±h and/or H± → W±A. We demonstrate that for a light charged Higgs boson state, with $$ {m}_{H^{\pm }} $$

m

H
±

≲ mt, at the LHC, such di-Higgs production and decay channels can give rise to signatures with event rates much larger than those emerging from pp → t$$ \overline{t} $$

t
¯

→ t$$ \overline{b} $$

b
¯

H− + c.c. We specifically study h/A → b$$ \overline{b} $$

b
¯

and τ+τ− decays. We, therefore, claim that the discussed combination of new production and decay modes can result in an alternative discovery channel for charged Higgs bosons lighter than the top (anti)quark at the LHC within the above two 2HDM Types. Finally, in order to motivate experimentalists in ATLAS and CMS to search for such signatures, we propose 16 Benchmark Points (BPs) which are compatible with both theoretical and experimental constraints.
Mellin amplitudes for 1d CFT
Authors: Bianchi Lorenzo , Bliard Gabriel , Forini Valentina , Peveri Giulia
Published: October 2021

Abstract

We define a Mellin amplitude for CFT1 four-point functions. Its analytical properties are inferred from physical requirements on the correlator. We discuss the analytic continuation that is necessary for a fully nonperturbative definition of the Mellin transform. The resulting bounded, meromorphic function of a single complex variable is used to derive an infinite set of nonperturbative sum rules for CFT data of exchanged operators, which we test on known examples. We then consider the perturbative setup produced by quartic interactions with an arbitrary number of derivatives in a bulk AdS2 field theory. With our formalism, we obtain a closed-form expression for the Mellin transform of tree-level contact interactions and for the first correction to the scaling dimension of “two-particle” operators exchanged in the generalized free field theory correlator.