bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Examination of cord blood at birth in women with SARS-CoV-2 exposure and/or vaccination during pregnancy and relationship to fetal complete blood count, cortisol, ferritin, vitamin D, and CRP
Authors: Mendenhall Eric , Hogan Mary Beth , Nudelman Matthew , Preston Deborah L. , Weese Hayley , Muckleroy Garrett , Needens Jordan , Addicott Katherine , Haas Jessica Dailey , Roybal Ashlee , Miller Dustin , Cottrell Jesse , Massey Cynthia , Govindaswami Balaji
Published: March 2023

Background

SARS-CoV-2 is known to manifest a robust innate immune response. However, little is known about inflammatory influences from maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection or maternal mRNA vaccination upon the fetus. In addition, it is unknown if Vitamin D deficiency influences fetal homeostasis or if an anti-inflammatory mechanism to the development of possible innate cytokines or acute phase reactants by the maternal/fetal dyad, in the form of cortisol elevations, occur. In addition, effects on Complete Blood Count (CBC) are not known.

Objective

To evaluate the neonatal acute phase reactants and anti-inflammatory responses after maternal SARS-CoV-2 disease or mRNA vaccination.

Methods

Samples and medical records reviews from mother/baby dyads (n = 97) were collected consecutively, and were categorized into 4 groups; no SARS-CoV-2 or vaccination exposure (Control), Vaccinated mothers, maternal SARS-CoV-2 disease positive/IgG titer positive fetal blood, and maternal SARS-CoV-2 positive/IgG titer negative fetal blood. SARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM/IgA titers, CBC, CRP, ferritin, cortisol, and Vitamin D were obtained to examine the possible development of an innate immune response and possible anti-inflammatory response. Student's t-test, Wilcoxon rank-sum, and Chi-squared with Bonferroni corrections were used to compare groups. Multiple imputations were performed for missing data.

Results

Cortisol was higher in babies of both mothers who were vaccinated (p = 0.001) and SARS-CoV-2 positive/IgG positive (p = 0.009) as compared to the control group suggesting an attempt to maintain homeostasis in these groups. Measurements of ferritin, CRP, and vitamin D did not reach statistical significance. CBC showed no variation, except for the mean platelet volume (MPV), which was elevated in babies whose mothers were vaccinated (p = 0.003) and SARS-CoV-2 positive/IgG positive (p = 0.007) as compared to the control group.

Conclusion

Acute phase reactant elevations were not noted in our neonates. Vitamin D levels were unchanged from homeostatic levels. Cord blood at birth, showed Cortisol and MPV higher in vaccinated and SARS-CoV-2 IgG positive mother/baby dyads as compared to the Control group, indicating that possible anti-inflammatory response was generated. The implication of possible inflammatory events and subsequent cortisol and/or MPV elevation effects upon the fetus after SARS-CoV-2 disease or vaccination is unknown and merits further investigation.
Review on non-relativistic gravity
Authors: Hartong Jelle , Obers Niels A. , Oling Gerben
Published: March 2023

This study reviews the history of Newton–Cartan (NC) gravity with an emphasis on recent developments, including the covariant, off-shell large speed of light expansion of general relativity. Depending on the matter content, this expansion leads to either NC geometry with absolute time or NC geometry with non-relativistic gravitational time dilation effects. The latter shows that non-relativistic gravity (NRG) includes a strong field regime and goes beyond Newtonian gravity. We start by reviewing early developments in NC geometry, including the covariant description of Newtonian gravity, mainly through the works of Trautman, Dautcourt, Künzle, and Ehlers. We then turn to more modern developments, such as the gauging of the Bargmann algebra and describe why the latter cannot be used to find an off-shell covariant description of Newtonian gravity. We review recent work on the 1/c expansion of general relativity and show that this leads to an alternative “type II” notion of NC geometry. Finally, we discuss matter couplings, solutions, and odd powers in 1/c and conclude with a brief summary of related topics.
Interface transmittance and interface waves in acoustic Willis media
Authors: Qu Hongfei , Liu Xiaoning , Zhang Anfu
Published: March 2023

Acoustics Willis media, known as bianisotropic acoustic media, incorporate additional coupling between pressure and velocity and between momentum and volumetric strain in their constitutive equation. The extra coupling terms have a significant influence on acoustic wave behavior. In this paper, the unusual wave phenomena relevant to interfaces between homogeneous acoustic Willis media are theoretically studied. We show that Willis media offer more flexible control in wave front and energy flow when waves are transmitted through an interface. Different from traditional acoustic fluid, Willis acoustic media support edge and interface waves, for which the existence conditions and corresponding wave features are systematically investigated. The study unveils more possibilities for manipulating acoustic waves and may inspire new functional designs with acoustic Willis metamaterials.
An integrated pre-clerkship curriculum to build cognitive medical schema: It’s not just about the content
Authors: LeClair Renée J. , Cleveland Jennifer L. , Eden Kristin , Binks Andrew P.
Published: March 2023

Both physiology and pathophysiology are essential disciplines in health professional education however, clinicians do not use this knowledge in isolation. Instead, physicians use inter-disciplinary concepts embedded within integrated cognitive schema (illness scripts) established through experience/knowledge that manifest as expert-level thinking. Our goal was to develop a pre-clerkship curriculum devoid of disciplinary boundaries (akin to the physician’s illness script) and enhance learners’ clerkship and early clinical performance. As well as developing curricular content, the model considered non-content design elements such as learner characteristics and values, faculty and resources and the impact of curricular and pedagogical changes. The goals of the trans-disciplinary integration were to develop deep learning behaviors through, 1) developing of integrated, cognitive schema to support the transition to expert-level thinking, 2) authentic, contextualization to promote knowledge transfer to the clinical realm 3) allowing autonomous, independent learning, and 4) harnessing the benefits of social learning. The final curricular model was a case-based approach with independent learning of basic concepts, differential diagnosis and illness scripting writing, and concept mapping. Small-group classroom sessions were team-taught with basic scientists and physicians facilitating learners’ self-reflection and development of clinical reasoning. Specifications grading was used to assess the products (written illness scripts and concept maps) as well as process (group dynamics) while allowing a greater degree of learner autonomy. Although the model we adopted could be transferred to other program settings, we suggest it is critical to consider both content and non-content elements that are specific to the environment and learner.
Red blood cell transfusion-related eicosanoid profiles in intensive care patients—A prospective, observational feasibility study
Authors: Raeven Pierre , Hagn Gerhard , Niederstaetter Laura , Brugger Jonas , Bayer-Blauensteiner Sophia , Domenig Christoph , Hoetzenecker Konrad , Posch Martin , Leitner Gerda , Gerner Christopher , Baron David M.
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Eicosanoids are bioactive lipids present in packed red blood cells (PRBCs), and might play a role in transfusion-related immunomodulation (TRIM). We tested the feasibility of analyzing eicosanoid profiles in PRBC supernatant and in plasma samples of postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) patients transfused with one unit of PRBCs.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational feasibility study enrolling postoperative ICU patients: 1) patients treated with acetylsalicylic acid following abdominal aortic surgery (Aorta); 2) patients on immunosuppressants after bilateral lung transplantation (LuTx); and 3) patients undergoing other types of major surgery (Comparison). Abundances of arachidonic acid (AA) and seven pre-defined eicosanoids were assessed by liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. PRBC supernatant was sampled directly from the unit immediately prior to transfusion. Spearman’s correlations between eicosanoid abundance in PRBCs and storage duration were assessed. Patient plasma was collected at 30-min intervals: Three times each before and after transfusion. To investigate temporal changes in eicosanoid abundances, we fitted linear mixed models.

Results: Of 128 patients screened, 21 were included in the final analysis (Aorta n = 4, LuTx n = 8, Comparison n = 9). In total, 21 PRBC and 125 plasma samples were analyzed. Except for 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE), all analyzed eicosanoids were detectable in PRBCs, and their abundance positively correlated with storage duration of PRBCs. While 5-HETE, 12-HETE/8-HETE, 15-HETE, 20-HETE, and AA were detectable in virtually all plasma samples, 9-HETE and 11-HETE were detectable in only 57% and 23% of plasma samples, respectively.

Conclusions: Recruitment of ICU patients into this transfusion study was challenging but feasible. Eicosanoid abundances increased in PRBC supernatants during storage. In plasma of ICU patients, eicosanoid abundances were ubiquitously detectable and showed limited fluctuations over time prior to transfusion. Taken together, larger clinical studies seem warranted and feasible to further investigate the role of PRBC-derived eicosanoids in TRIM.
Identification of the protonation and oxidation states of the oxygen-evolving complex in the low-dose X-ray crystal structure of photosystem II
Authors: Saito Keisuke , Nakao Shu , Ishikita Hiroshi
Published: March 2023

In photosystem II (PSII), the O3 and O4 sites of the Mn4CaO5 cluster form hydrogen bonds with D1-His337 and a water molecule (W539), respectively. The low-dose X-ray structure shows that these hydrogen bond distances differ between the two homogeneous monomer units (A and B) [Tanaka et al., J. Am Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 1718]. We investigated the origin of the differences using a quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) approach. QM/MM calculations show that the short O4-OW539 hydrogen bond (~2.5 Å) of the B monomer is reproduced when O4 is protonated in the S1 state. The short O3-NεHis337 hydrogen bond of the A monomer is due to the formation of a low-barrier hydrogen bond between O3 and doubly-protonated D1-His337 in the overreduced states (S−1 or S−2). It seems plausible that the oxidation state differs between the two monomer units in the crystal.
AtCIPK16, a CBL-interacting protein kinase gene, confers salinity tolerance in transgenic wheat
Authors: Imtiaz Khadija , Ahmed Moddassir , Annum Nazish , Tester Mark , Saeed Nasir A.
Published: March 2023

Globally, wheat is the major source of staple food, protein, and basic calories for most of the human population. Strategies must be adopted for sustainable wheat crop production to fill the ever-increasing food demand. Salinity is one of the major abiotic stresses involved in plant growth retardation and grain yield reduction. In plants, calcineurin-B-like proteins form a complicated network with the target kinase CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) in response to intracellular calcium signaling as a consequence of abiotic stresses. The AtCIPK16 gene has been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana and found to be significantly upregulated under salinity stress. In this study, the AtCIPK16 gene was cloned in two different plant expression vectors, i.e., pTOOL37 having a UBI1 promoter and pMDC32 having a 2XCaMV35S constitutive promoter transformed through the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation protocol, in the local wheat cultivar Faisalabad-2008. Based on their ability to tolerate different levels of salt stress (0, 50, 100, and 200 mM), the transgenic wheat lines OE1, OE2, and OE3 expressing AtCIPK16 under the UBI1 promoter and OE5, OE6, and OE7 expressing the same gene under the 2XCaMV35S promoter performed better at 100 mM of salinity stress as compared with the wild type. The AtCIPK16 overexpressing transgenic wheat lines were further investigated for their K+ retention ability in root tissues by utilizing the microelectrode ion flux estimation technique. It has been demonstrated that after 10 min of 100 mM NaCl application, more K+ ions were retained in the AtCIPK16 overexpressing transgenic wheat lines than in the wild type. Moreover, it could be concluded that AtCIPK16 functions as a positive elicitor in sequestering Na+ ions into the cell vacuole and retaining more cellular K+ under salt stress to maintain ionic homeostasis.
Recent insights into metabolic and signalling events of directional root growth regulation and its implications for sustainable crop production systems
Authors: Retzer Katarzyna , Weckwerth Wolfram
Published: March 2023

Roots are sensors evolved to simultaneously respond to manifold signals, which allow the plant to survive. Root growth responses, including the modulation of directional root growth, were shown to be differently regulated when the root is exposed to a combination of exogenous stimuli compared to an individual stress trigger. Several studies pointed especially to the impact of the negative phototropic response of roots, which interferes with the adaptation of directional root growth upon additional gravitropic, halotropic or mechanical triggers. This review will provide a general overview of known cellular, molecular and signalling mechanisms involved in directional root growth regulation upon exogenous stimuli. Furthermore, we summarise recent experimental approaches to dissect which root growth responses are regulated upon which individual trigger. Finally, we provide a general overview of how to implement the knowledge gained to improve plant breeding.
Mentalizing the therapist – Therapist experiences with short-term mentalization-based therapy for borderline personality disorder: A qualitative study
Authors: Søndergaard Amanda Ark , Juul Sophie , Poulsen Stig , Simonsen Sebastian
Published: March 2023

Background

Mentalization-Based Therapy (MBT) was originally developed as a structured psychotherapy approach developed to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD) lasting up to 18 months in outpatient settings. However, a short-term (5 months) MBT program has recently been developed. No studies have investigated how MBT therapists experience the shift towards conducting short-term MBT for BPD.

Objective

The objective of this study was to explore therapist experiences with conducting short-term MBT for outpatients with BPD in the Danish mental health services.

Methods

Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with seven therapists about their experiences with short-term MBT after a one-year pilot phase. The interviews were verbatim transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

The following four major themes from the therapists’ experiences with short-term MBT were found in the qualitative analysis: (1) The longer the better, (2) Change processes can be intellectual or experiential, (3) Short-term therapy is hard work, and (4) Termination is more challenging in short-term MBT.

Conclusion

Most therapists were overall reluctant towards changing from long-term to short-term MBT. These therapist experiences could inform implementation of short-term MBT in mental health settings in the future.
The neurobiology of functional neurological disorders characterised by impaired awareness
Authors: Milano Beatrice Annunziata , Moutoussis Michael , Convertino Laura
Published: March 2023

We review the neurobiology of Functional Neurological Disorders (FND), i.e., neurological disorders not explained by currently identifiable histopathological processes, in order to focus on those characterised by impaired awareness (functionally impaired awareness disorders, FIAD), and especially, on the paradigmatic case of Resignation Syndrome (RS). We thus provide an improved more integrated theory of FIAD, able to guide both research priorities and the diagnostic formulation of FIAD. We systematically address the diverse spectrum of clinical presentations of FND with impaired awareness, and offer a new framework for understanding FIAD. We find that unraveling the historical development of neurobiological theory of FIAD is of paramount importance for its current understanding. Then, we integrate contemporary clinical material in order to contextualise the neurobiology of FIAD within social, cultural, and psychological perspectives. We thus review neuro-computational insights in FND in general, to arrive at a more coherent account of FIAD. FIAD may be based on maladaptive predictive coding, shaped by stress, attention, uncertainty, and, ultimately, neurally encoded beliefs and their updates. We also critically appraise arguments in support of and against such Bayesian models. Finally, we discuss implications of our theoretical account and provide pointers towards an improved clinical diagnostic formulation of FIAD. We suggest directions for future research towards a more unified theory on which future interventions and management strategies could be based, as effective treatments and clinical trial evidence remain limited.
Life stories of patients with personality disorders before and after treatment: Change and stability in agency and communion
Authors: Pol Silvia M. , Schug Fabian , Chakhssi Farid , Westerhof Gerben J.
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Studying written life stories of patients with personality disorders (PDs) may enhance knowledge of how they understand themselves, others and the world around them. Comparing the construction of their life stories before psychotherapy to their reconstruction after psychotherapy may provide insight in therapeutic changes in the understandings of their lives.

Methods

As few studies addressed this topic, the current study explored changes in agency (i.e., perceived ability to affect change in life), and communion (i.e,, perceived connectedness to other persons) in written life stories of 34 patients with various PDs, before and after intensive psychotherapy treatment.

Results

Life stories showed a positive increase in agency from pre- to posttreatment, in particular regarding internal agency, societal success, and occupational success. No significant changes were observed for communion as a whole. However, the perceived number and quality of close relationships revealed a significant positive increase.

Discussion

The increased agency in the reconstruction of patients’ life story after psychotherapy suggests that patients improved their perceived ability to affect change in their own lives. This can be seen as an important step in the treatment of PDs towards further recovery.
Coping with burnout and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers’ mental health: A systematic review
Authors: Rossi Maria Francesca , Gualano Maria Rosaria , Magnavita Nicola , Moscato Umberto , Santoro Paolo Emilio , Borrelli Ivan
Published: March 2023

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the psychological wellbeing of workers worldwide. Certain coping styles may increase burnout risk. To investigate the relationship between burnout and coping styles, a systematic review was performed.

Methods

Following the PRISMA statements, three databases were screened up until October 2022, including research articles written in English language and investigating the relationship between burnout and coping strategies in workers. The quality of articles was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale.

Results

The initial search resulted in 3,413 records, 15 of which were included in this review. Most studies were performed on healthcare workers (n = 13, 86.6%) and included a majority of female workers (n = 13, 86.7%). The most used burnout assessment questionnaire was the Maslach Burnout Inventory (n = 8, 53.3%), and the most used coping assessment tool was the Brief-COPE (n = 6, 40.0%). Task-related coping was a protective factor for burnout in all four studies investigating its correlation with burnout dimensions. Two of the four studies investigating emotion-oriented coping found that it was protective while the other two found that it was predictive of burnout. All five studies investigating avoidance-oriented coping and burnout dimensions found that this coping style was predictive of burnout.

Discussion

Task-oriented and adaptive coping were protective for burnout, avoidance-oriented, and maladaptive coping were predictive factors of burnout. Mixed results were highlighted concerning emotion-oriented coping, suggesting that different outcomes of this coping style may depend on gender, with women relying more on it than men. In conclusion, further research is needed to investigate the effect of coping styles in individuals, and how these correlates with their unique characteristics. Training workers about appropriate coping styles to adopt may be essential to enact prevention strategies to reduce burnout incidence in workers.
The development of narrative identity in the psychodynamic treatment of avoidant personality disorder: A case study
Authors: Timberlake Ashley Frances Volodina , Fesel Daniel
Published: March 2023

Avoidant personality disorder (AvPD) is characterized by feelings of shyness, inadequacy, and restraint in intimate relationships and has been associated with a disturbance in narrative identity, which is the internalized and evolving story of past, present, and future experiences. Study findings have indicated that an improvement in overall mental health through psychotherapy may increase narrative identity. However, there is a lack of studies incorporating not only the examination of narrative identity development before and after psychotherapy but also within psychotherapy sessions. This case study examined the development of narrative identity in short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy treatment of a patient with AvPD, using therapy transcripts and life narrative interviews before, after, and 6 months following treatment termination. Narrative identity development was assessed in terms of agency, communion fulfillment, and coherence. Results showed that the patient’s agency and coherence increased over the course of therapy, whereas communion fulfillment decreased. At the six-month follow-up, agency and communion fulfillment increased, whereas coherence remained stable. The results of this case study suggest that the patient’s sense of narrative agency and ability to narrate coherently improved after undergoing short-term psychodynamic therapy. The decrease of communion fulfillment during psychotherapy and later increase after termination suggests that the patient became more aware of conflictual patterns in their relationships, therefore realizing that their wishes and desires were not being fulfilled in their current relationships. This case study displays the possible impact short-term psychodynamic therapy may have by helping patients with AvPD develop a narrative identity.
Elimination of hepatitis C in a hospital characterized by infectious diseases
Authors: Han Ying , Zheng Mei , Meng Huan , Han Jinyu , Chen Jin , Wang Yajie
Published: March 2023

Background

The World Health Organization has proposed to eliminate hepatitis C by 2030, yet there is still a large gap to the goal. Screening for hepatitis C is cost-effective and efficient in medical institutions. The aim of this study was to identify the key populations for HCV antibody screening in hospital characterized by infectious diseases, and provide estimates of the proportion of HCV-infected persons in the Beijing Ditan hospital completing each step along a proposed HCV treatment cascade.

Methods

A total of 105,112 patients who underwent HCV antibody testing in Beijing Ditan hospital between 2017 and 2020 were included in this study. HCV antibody and HCV RNA positivity rate were calculated and compared by chi-square test.

Results

The positivity rate of HCV antibody was 6.78%. The HCV antibody positivity rate and the proportion of positive patients showed an upward trend along with age in the five groups between 10–59 years. In the contrary, a decreasing trend was observed in the three groups above 60 years. Patients with positive HCV antibody were mainly from the Liver Disease Center (36.53%), the Department of Integrative Medicine (16.10%), the Department of Infectious Diseases (15.93%) and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (9.44%). Among HCV antibody positive patients, 6,129 (85.95%) underwent further HCV RNA testing, of whom 2097 were HCV RNA positive, the positivity rate was 34.21%. Of the patients who were HCV RNA positive, 64.33% did not continue with HCV RNA testing. The cure rate for HCV antibody positive patients was 64.98%. Besides, there was a significant positive correlation between HCV RNA positivity rate and HCV antibody level (r = 0.992, P < 0.001). The detection rate of HCV antibody among inpatients showed an upward trend (Z = 5.567, P < 0.001), while the positivity rate showed a downward trend (Z = 2.2926, P = 0.0219).

Conclusions

We found that even in hospitals characterized by infectious diseases, a large proportion of patients did not complete each step along a proposed HCV treatment cascade. Besides, we identified key populations for HCV antibody screening, namely: (1) patients over 40 years of age, especially those aged 50–59 years; (2) the Department of Infectious Diseases and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology patients. In addition, HCV RNA testing was highly recommended for patients with HCV antibody levels above 8 S/CO.
Constructing big data prevention and control model for public health emergencies in China: A grounded theory study
Authors: Wang Huiquan , Ye Hong , Liu Lu
Published: March 2023

Big data technology plays an important role in the prevention and control of public health emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Current studies on model construction, such as SIR infectious disease model, 4R crisis management model, etc., have put forward decision-making suggestions from different perspectives, which also provide a reference basis for the research in this paper. This paper conducts an exploratory study on the construction of a big data prevention and control model for public health emergencies by using the grounded theory, a qualitative research method, with literature, policies, and regulations as research samples, and makes a grounded analysis through three-level coding and saturation test. Main results are as follows: (1) The three elements of data layer, subject layer, and application layer play a prominent role in the digital prevention and control practice of epidemic in China and constitute the basic framework of the “DSA” model. (2) The “DSA” model integrates cross-industry, cross-region, and cross-domain epidemic data into one system framework, effectively solving the disadvantages of fragmentation caused by “information island”. (3) The “DSA” model analyzes the differences in information needs of different subjects during an outbreak and summarizes several collaborative approaches to promote resource sharing and cooperative governance. (4) The “DSA” model analyzes the specific application scenarios of big data technology in different stages of epidemic development, effectively responding to the disconnection between current technological development and realistic needs.
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Spain and associated factors
Authors: Falcon Maria , Rodríguez-Blázquez Carmen , Romay-Barja María , Ayala Alba , Burgos Alfredo , De Tena-Dávila María José , Forjaz Maria João
Published: March 2023

Introduction

The present study explores the reasons of those who have not been vaccinated in the later stage of the vaccine rollout in Spain and its associated determinants.

Methods

Cluster and logistic regression analyses were used to assess differences in claimed reasons for vaccine hesitancy in Spain using two samples of unvaccinated people (18–40 years old) gathered by an online cross-sectional survey from social networks (n = 910) and from a representative panel (n = 963) in October-November 2021.

Results

The main reasons for not being vaccinated were believing that the COVID-19 vaccines had been developed too fast, they were experimental, and they were not safe, endorsed by 68.7% participants in the social network sample and 55.4% in the panel sample. The cluster analysis classified the participants into two groups. Logistic regression showed that Cluster 2 (individuals who reported structural constraints and health-related reasons such as pregnancy or medical recommendation) presented a lower trust in information from health professionals, had a lower willingness to get vaccinated in the future, and avoided less social/family events than those in Cluster 1 (reasons centered in distrust on COVID-19 vaccines, conspiracy thoughts and complacency).

Conclusions

It is important to promote information campaigns that provide reliable information and fight fake news and myths. Future vaccination intention differs in both clusters, so these results are important for developing strategies target to increase vaccination uptake for those who do not reject the COVID-19 vaccine completely.
What naturalistic stimuli tell us about pronoun resolution in real-time processing
Authors: Repp Magdalena , Schumacher Petra B.
Published: March 2023

Studies on pronoun resolution have mostly utilized short texts consisting of a context and a target sentence. In the current study we presented participants with nine chapters of an audio book while recording their EEG to investigate the real-time resolution of personal and demonstrative pronouns in a more naturalistic setting. The annotation of the features of the pronouns and their antecedents registered a surprising pattern: demonstrative pronouns showed an interpretive preference for subject/agent antecedents, although they are described to have an anti-subject or anti-agent preference. Given the presence of perspectival centers in the audio book, this however confirmed proposals that demonstrative pronouns are sensitive to perspectival centers. The ERP results revealed a biphasic N400–Late Positivity pattern at posterior electrodes for the demonstrative pronoun relative to the personal pronoun, thereby confirming previous findings with highly controlled stimuli. We take the observed N400 for the demonstrative pronoun as an indication for more demanding processing costs that occur due to the relative unexpectedness of this referential expression. The Late Positivity is taken to reflect the consequences of attentional reorientation: since the demonstrative pronoun indicates a possible shift in the discourse structure, it induces updating of the discourse structure. In addition to the biphasic pattern, the data showed an enhanced positivity at frontal electrode sites for the demonstrative pronoun relative to the personal pronoun. We suggest that this frontal positivity reflects self-relevant engagement and identification with the perspective holder. Our study suggests that by using naturalistic stimuli, we get one step closer to understanding the implementation of language processing in the brain during real life language processing.
Extent, Type and Reasons for Adaptation and Modification When Scaling-Up an Effective Physical Activity Program: Physical Activity 4 Everyone (PA4E1)
Authors: Mclaughlin Matthew , Campbell Elizabeth , Sutherland Rachel , McKenzie Tom , Davies Lynda , Wiggers John , Wolfenden Luke
Published: March 2023

Background: Few studies have described the extent, type and reasons for making changes to a program prior to and during its delivery using a consistent taxonomy. Physical Activity 4 Everyone (PA4E1) is a secondary school physical activity program that was scaled-up for delivery to a greater number of schools. We aimed to describe the extent, type and reasons for changes to the PA4E1 program (the evidence-based physical activity practices, implementation support strategies and evaluation methods) made before its delivery at scale (adaptations) and during its delivery in a scale-up trial (modifications).

Methods: The Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications-Enhanced (FRAME) was used to describe adaptations (planned and made prior to the scale-up trial) and modifications (made during the conduct of the trial). A list of adaptations was generated from a comparison of the efficacy and scale-up trials via published PA4E1 protocols, trial registrations and information provided by trial investigators. Monthly trial team meetings tracked and coded modifications in “real-time” during the conduct of the scale-up trial. The extent, type and reasons for both adaptations and modifications were summarized descriptively.

Results: In total, 20 adaptations and 20 modifications were identified, these were to physical activity practices (n = 8; n = 3), implementation support strategies (n = 6; n = 16) and evaluation methods (n = 6, n = 1), respectively. Few adaptations were “fidelity inconsistent” (n = 2), made “unsystematically” (n = 1) and proposed to have a “negative” impact on the effectiveness of the program (n = 1). Reasons for the adaptations varied. Of the 20 modifications, all were “fidelity consistent” and the majority were made “proactively” (n = 12), though most were “unsystematic” (n = 18). Fifteen of the modifications were thought to have a “positive” impact on program effectiveness. The main reason for modification was the “available resources” (n = 14) of the PA4E1 Implementation Team.

Conclusions: Adaptations and modifications to public health programs are common. Modifications have the potential to impact the implementation and effectiveness of programs. Our findings underscore the importance of comprehensive reporting of the extent, type and reasons for modifications as part of process evaluations, as this data may be important to the interpretation of trial findings.

Clinical Trial Registration:https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=372870, Identifier ACTRN12617000681358.
To scrape or not to scrape, this is dilemma. The post-API scenario and implications on digital research
Authors: Trezza Domenico
Published: March 2023

Introduction

This article aims to investigate the potential impact of restricted social data access on digital research practices. The 2018 Cambridge Analytica scandal exposed the exploitation of Facebook user data for speculative purposes and led to the end of the so-called “Data Golden Age,” characterized by free access to social media user data. As a result, many social platforms have limited or entirely banned data access. This policy shift, referred to as the “APIcalypse,” has revolutionized digital research methods.

Methods

To address the impact of this policy shift on digital research, a non-probabilistic sample of Italian researchers was surveyed and the responses were analyzed. The survey was designed to explore how constraints on digital data access have altered research practices, whether we are truly in a post-API era with a radical change in data scraping strategies, and what shared and sustainable solutions can be identified for the post-API scenario.

Results

The findings highlight how limits on social data access have not yet created a “post-Api” scenario as expected, but it is turning research practices upside down, positively and negatively. On the positive side, because researchers are experimenting with innovative forms of scraping. Negatively, because there could be a “mass migration” to the few platforms that freely grant their APIs, with critical consequences for the quality of research.

Discussion

The closure of many social media APIs has not opened up a post-API world, but has worsened the conditions of making research, which is increasingly oriented to “easy-data” environments such as Twitter. This should prompt digital researchers to make a self-reflexive effort to diversify research platforms and especially to act ethically with user data. It would also be important for the scientific world and large platforms to enter into understandings for open and conscious sharing of data in the name of scientific progress.
Predictive role of arterial lactate in acute kidney injury associated with off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting
Authors: Yu Ruiming , Liang Tingyi , Li Longfei , Bi Yanwen , Meng Xiangbin
Published: March 2023

Objectives

This observational study aims to explore the predictive role of postoperative arterial lactate in off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)-associated acute kidney injury (AKI).

Materials and methods

A total of 500 consecutive patients who underwent off-pump CABG from August 2020 to August 2021 at the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, were included. Logistic regression analysis was used to confirm the independent risk factors of off-pump CABG-associated AKI. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to evaluate the discrimination ability and Hosmer–Lemeshow goodness of fit test was performed to evaluate the calibration ability.

Results

The incidence of off-pump CABG-associated AKI was 20.6%. Female gender, preoperative albumin, baseline serum creatinine, 12 h postoperative arterial lactate and duration of mechanical ventilation were independent risk factors. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 12 h postoperative arterial lactate for predicting off-pump CABG-associated AKI was 0.756 and the cutoff value was 1.85. The prediction model that incorporated independent risk factors showed reliable predictive ability (AUC = 0.846). Total hospital stay, intensive care unit stay, occurrence of other postoperative complications, and 28-day mortality were all significantly higher in AKI group compared to non-AKI group.

Conclusion

12 h postoperative arterial lactate was a validated predictive biomarker for off-pump CABG-associated AKI. We constructed a predictive model that facilitates the early recognition and management of off-pump CABG-associated AKI.
Clinical effect of limited posterior decompression and 13-mm titanium mesh implantation on severe thoracolumbar burst fractures: A case series
Authors: Jingcheng Liu , Lei Lu
Published: March 2023

Background

Posterior incision with 270° spinal canal decompression and reconstruction surgery is a treatment option for thoracolumbar burst fractures (TLBF), but the large diameter titanium mesh placement is difficult. This study evaluated the characteristics and clinical effects of limited posterior decompression and 13-mm titanium mesh implantation to treat TLBF.

Hypothesis

13-mm titanium meshes could be used to fix thoracolumbar burst fractures.

Patients and methods

This case series included patients who underwent limited posterior decompression and 13-mm titanium mesh implantation at China Medical University Shaoxing Hospital (01/2015–12/2019). The Cobb angle, injury vertebral anterior edge height loss percentage, and spinal canal occupancy rate were analyzed. The degree of spinal cord injury was evaluated according to the ASIA grade.

Results

Fifteen patients were included (eight males and seven females). The patients were 32.2 ± 4.6 years of age. The American Association of Spinal Injury improved after surgery (A/B/C/D/E: from 2/6/5/2/0 to 0/0/2/8/5, P < 0.001). The Cobb angle decreased after surgery (from 20.1 ± 4.8° to 7.1 ± 1.4°, P < 0.001) but increased to 8.2 ± 0.9° at 1 year (P = 0.003). The percentage of loss of the anterior edge height of the injured vertebrae decreased after surgery (from 40.9% ± 6.1% to 7.5% ± 1.8%, P < 0.001) and decreased at 1 year (7.0% ± 1.5%, P = 0.044). The spinal canal occupancy rate decreased after surgery (from 64.8% ± 7.8% to 20.1% ± 4.2%, P < 0.001) but did not decrease further at 1 year (19.4% ± 3.4%, P = 0.166).

Discussion

Spinal canal limited posterior decompression, and 13-mm titanium mesh implantation in the treatment of TLBF can achieve one-stage spinal canal decompression and three-column reconstruction. The curative effect was satisfying.

Level of evidence

Level IV; case series.
Plant Cell Cultures: Biofactories for the Production of Bioactive Compounds
Authors: Bapat Vishwas Anant , Kavi Kishor Polavarapu Bilhan , Jalaja Naravula , Jain Shri Mohan , Penna Suprasanna
Published: March 2023

Plants have long been exploited as a sustainable source of food, flavors, agrochemicals, colors, therapeutic proteins, bioactive compounds, and stem cell production. However, plant habitats are being briskly lost due to scores of environmental factors and human disturbances. This necessitates finding a viable alternative technology for the continuous production of compounds that are utilized in food and healthcare. The high-value natural products and bioactive compounds are often challenging to synthesize chemically since they accumulate in meager quantities. The isolation and purification of bioactive compounds from plants is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and involves cumbersome extraction procedures. This demands alternative options, and the plant cell culture system offers easy downstream procedures. Retention of the metabolic cues of natural plants, scale-up facility, use as stem cells in the cosmetics industry, and metabolic engineering (especially the rebuilding of the pathways in microbes) are some of the advantages for the synthesis and accumulation of the targeted metabolites and creation of high yielding cell factories. In this article, we discuss plant cell suspension cultures for the in vitro manipulation and production of plant bioactive compounds. Further, we discuss the new advances in the application of plant cells in the cosmetics and food industry and bioprinting.
The Influence of Different Irrigation Scenarios on the Yield and Sustainability of Wheat Fodder under Hydroponic Conditions
Authors: Grigas Andrius , Savickas Dainius , Steponavičius Dainius , Niekis Žygimantas , Balčiūnas Jonas
Published: March 2023

Agriculture uses more water than any other resource to produce animal feed and wastes much of it through inefficiency. One possible alternative to solve this problem is hydroponically grown animal fodder, which under hydroponic conditions can achieve optimal results and, most importantly, use expensive resources, such as water, more efficiently. In the conducted research, different irrigation scenarios (IR1–IR6) were investigated when the water flow rate, irrigation frequency, and duration (IR1—1 l min−1, 4 times day−1, 120 s; IR2—2 l min−1, 4 times day−1, 120 s; IR3—3 l min−1, 4 times day−1, 120 s; IR4—1 l min−1, 8 times day−1, 60 s; IR5—2 l min−1, 8 times day−1, 60 s; and IR6—3 l min−1, 8 times day−1, 60 s) were changed during the hydroponic wheat fodder cultivation using a 7-day growth cycle. The results showed that the highest yield from the used seed was obtained in scenarios IR5 (5.95 ± 0.14 kg kg−1) and IR6 (5.91 ± 0.19 kg kg−1). In terms of frequency and irrigation duration, in IR1, IR2, and IR3, the average yield reached 4.7 ± 1.85 kg kg−1, and in scenarios IR4, IR5, and IR6, the average yield was 15.4% higher—5.55 ± 1.63 kg kg−1. The results obtained showed that by increasing the flow rate (from 1 l min−1 to 3 l min−1) and the frequency of irrigation (from 4 times day−1 to 8 times day−1), the yield increased by 32.5%, but the mass of the grown fodder per liter of water used simultaneously decreased by 50.6%. The life cycle assessment showed that although irrigation scenario IR4 had the most efficient use of water, the CO2 footprint per functional unit (FU) was the highest due to the lowest yield compared to the other five irrigation scenarios. The lowest environmental impacts per FU were obtained in scenarios IR5 and IR6 (100.5 ± 3.3 and 100.6 ± 2.4 kg CO2eq t−1, respectively).
Identification of Soybean Planting Areas Combining Fused Gaofen-1 Image Data and U-Net Model
Authors: Zhang Sijia , Ban Xuyang , Xiao Tian , Huang Linsheng , Zhao Jinling , Huang Wenjiang , Liang Dong
Published: March 2023

It is of great significance to accurately identify soybean planting areas for ensuring agricultural and industrial production. High-resolution satellite remotely sensed imagery has greatly facilitated the effective extraction of soybean planting areas but novel methods are required to further improve the identification accuracy. Two typical planting areas of Linhu Town and Baili Town in Northern Anhui Province, China, were selected to explore the accurate extraction method. The 10 m multispectral and 2 m panchromatic Gaofen-1 (GF-1) image data were first fused to produce training, test, and validation data sets after the min–max standardization and data augmentation. The deep learning U-Net model was then adopted to perform the accurate extraction of soybean planting areas. Two vital influencing factors on the accuracies of the U-Net model, including cropping size and training epoch, were compared and discussed. Specifically, three cropping sizes of 128 × 128, 256 × 256, and 512 × 512 px, and 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 training epochs were compared to optimally determine the values of the two parameters. To verify the extraction effect of the U-Net model, comparison experiments were also conducted based on the SegNet and DeepLabv3+. The results show that U-Net achieves the highest Accuracy of 92.31% with a Mean Intersection over Union (mIoU) of 81.35%, which is higher than SegNet with an improvement of nearly 4% in Accuracy and 10% on mIoU. In addition, the mIoU has been also improved by 8.89% compared with DeepLabv3+. This study provides an effective and easily operated approach to accurately derive soybean planting areas from satellite images.
Effects of Priming Rice Seeds with Decoyinine on Fitness Traits and Virus Transmission Ability of the Small Brown Planthopper, Laodelphax striatellus
Authors: Shah Amir Zaman , Zhang Yuanyuan , Gui Wei , Qian Mingshi , Yu Youxin , Xu Gang , Yang Guoqing
Published: March 2023

Laodelphax striatellus is a notorious sap-feeding insect that also serves as a vector of rice stripe virus (RSV) and is responsible for a significant decline in rice yield. Pesticide application remains a crucial strategy for controlling insect pests. In recent years, the utilization of biopesticides has gained attention due to their eco-friendliness and suitability for controlling insect pests and pathogens in agriculture. The present study aimed Figureto evaluate the potential efficacy of a microbial pesticide, decoyinine (DCY), as a seed priming agent in rice against SBPH’s biology, feeding behavior, and RSV transmission ability in the laboratory. Here, we revealed that the body weight of females and males and honeydew extraction of RSV-virulent SBPH were (22.50%, 25.0%, and 23.25%, respectively) significantly lower than non-virulent SBPH. Meanwhile, the fecundity of RSV-virulent SBPH females was significantly higher (8.24%) than non-virulent SBPH. However, nymphal survival and RSV transmission (horizontal and vertical) were found to be non-significantly affected by DCY application. Furthermore, DCY-primed rice seedlings significantly prolonged the time period and frequency of the electrical penetration graph (EPG) feeding waveforms (np, N2, and N3), and also reduced the time period of the waveform (N4-b) for both RSV-virulent and non-virulent SBPH strains with reduced RSV inoculation. The recent study provides new insights for DCY application in rice against SBPH by reducing fecundity, body weight, and honeydew contents, which might contribute to modern integrated pest management.