bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Health effects of social connectedness in older adults living in congregate long‐term care settings: A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative evidence
Authors: Lim Emily , Nielsen Natalia , Lapane Lucienne , Barooah Adrita , Xu Shu , Qu Shan , McPhillips Emily , Dubé Catherine E. , Lapane Kate
Published: October 2023

Background

The overall impact of social connectedness on health outcomes in older adults living in nursing homes and assisted living settings is unknown. Given the unclear health impact of social connectedness for older adults in congregate long‐term care settings worldwide, a comprehensive systematic review is required to evaluate the overall relationship between social connectedness and health outcomes for them.

Objectives

The purpose of this article was to synthesize the literature regarding the health impact of social connectedness among older adults living in nursing homes or assisted living settings.

Methods

Using PRISMA guidelines, we identified eligible studies from Scopus, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Cochrane databases (1990–2021). Bias and quality reporting assessment was performed using standardized criteria for cohort, cross sectional and qualitative studies. At each stage, ≥ 2 researchers conducted independent evaluations.

Results

Of the 7350 articles identified, 25 cohort (follow‐up range: 1 month–11 years; with two also contributing to cross sectional), 86 cross sectional, eight qualitative and two mixed methods were eligible. Despite different instruments used, many residents living in nursing homes and assisted living settings had reduced social engagement. Quantitative evidence supports a link between higher social engagement and health outcomes most studied (e.g. depression, quality of life). Few studies evaluated important health outcomes (e.g. cognitive and functional decline). Most cohort studies showed that lack of social connectedness accelerated time to death.

Conclusions

Social connectedness may be an important modifiable risk factor for adverse health outcomes for older adults living in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Most studies were cross sectional and focused on quality of life and mental health outcomes. Longitudinal studies suggest that higher social engagement delays time to death. Evidence regarding other health outcomes important to older adults was scant and requires further longitudinal studies.
Emerging roles ofRNAbinding proteins in intervertebral disc degeneration and osteoarthritis
Authors: Li Wen , Li Xing‐Hua , Gao Yang , Xiong Cheng‐Jie , Tang Zhong‐Zhi
Published: October 2023

The etiology of intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) and osteoarthritis (OA) is complex and multifactorial. Both predisposing genes and environmental factors are involved in the pathogenesis of IDD and OA. Moreover, epigenetic modifications affect the development of IDD and OA. Dysregulated phenotypes of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and OA chondrocytes, including apoptosis, extracellular matrix disruption, inflammation, and angiogenesis, are involved at all developmental stages of IDD and OA. RNA binding proteins (RBPs) have recently been recognized as essential post‐transcriptional regulators of gene expression. RBPs are implicated in many cellular processes, such as proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. Recently, several RBPs have been reported to be associated with the pathogenesis of IDD and OA. This review briefly summarizes the current knowledge on the RNA‐regulatory networks controlled by RBPs and their potential roles in the pathogenesis of IDD and OA. These initial findings support the idea that specific modulation of RBPs represents a promising approach for managing IDD and OA.
On the Health Impacts of Climatic Shocks: How Heatwaves Reduce Birthweight in Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Andriano Liliana
Published: October 2023

Heatwaves are among the most important global public health challenges of our time. Yet we know little about how exposure to heatwaves (as opposed to hot days) affects health at birth, which is a key contributor to health, development, and well‐being in later life. This study addresses this shortcoming by investigating the relationship between in utero exposure to heatwave and birthweight by assessing both the timing and mechanisms of heatwave effects. I use novel georeferenced survey data on birth and pregnancy outcomes from the latest round of the Demographic and Health Surveys to link the birth outcomes of 64,210 infants across 11 sub‐Saharan African countries with high‐resolution daily climate data. I find that infants exposed to heatwave in the third trimester of gestation had significantly lower birthweight and that this effect is mediated by reduced gestational age at birth instead of reduced intrauterine growth. The effect of heatwave is concentrated among male babies and mothers with no or little formal education. By highlighting how exposure to environmental conditions early in life shapes health outcomes with far‐reaching consequences, the findings carry lessons for policymakers to protect pregnant women from heatwave exposure to mitigate the negative impact of climate change.
Cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis: The end of the line or time for a new approach?
Authors: Newman‐Taylor Katherine , Bentall Richard
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Following its introduction in the early 1990s, cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis (CBTp) has been evaluated in a large number of clinical trials and is now established as a recommended treatment in the UK National Health Service and elsewhere in the world. Meta‐analyses, however, indicate modest effects compared to treatment as usual or comparison therapies such as supportive counselling. Here, we seek to identify factors impacting the effectiveness of CBTp, and avenues for future psychotherapy research that may improve outcomes.

Method

We outline two recent umbrella reviews and discuss factors likely to impact the effectiveness of CBTp.

Results

Modest effect sizes from meta‐analyses mask heterogeneous outcomes, with some people benefiting and others possibly being harmed by therapy. Common factors such as the therapeutic alliance play an important role in determining outcomes but have been largely neglected by CBTp researchers. There is also the promise of improving outcomes by identifying and targeting the psychological mechanisms that either maintain psychotic symptoms (e.g. worry) or are causally implicated (e.g. trauma).

Conclusions

It is unlikely that everyone with psychosis will be equally responsive to the same therapeutic protocols. We need a new, personalised psychotherapy approach to CBTp research and practice, and can learn from research for anxiety and depression examining predictors of therapeutic response to inform treatment decisions. Precision psychological therapies informed by a combination of individual characteristics, common factors and a focus on specific mechanisms will require new research strategies and are likely to lead to improved outcomes for people with psychosis.
Proceedings from the Melanoma Research Foundation Mucosal Melanoma Meeting (December 16, 2022, New York, USA)
Authors: Wei Alexander Z. , Chen Lanyi N. , Orloff Marlana , Ariyan Charlotte E. , Asgari Maryam , Barker Christopher A. , Buchbinder Elizabeth , Chandra Sunandana , Couts Kasey , Frumovitz Michael M. , Futreal Andrew , Gershenwald Jeffrey E. , Hanna Ehab Y. , Izar Benjamin , LeBlanc Amy K. , Leitao Mario M. , Lipson Evan J. , Liu David , McCarter Martin , McQuade Jennifer L. , Najjar Yana , Rapisuwon Suthee , Selig Sara , Shoushtari Alexander N. , Yeh Iwei , Schwartz Gary K. , Guo Jun , Patel Sapna P. , Carvajal Richard D.
Published: October 2023

Mucosal melanoma remains a rare cancer with high mortality and a paucity of therapeutic options. This is due in significant part to its low incidence leading to limited patient access to expert care and downstream clinical/basic science data for research interrogation. Clinical challenges such as delayed and at times inaccurate diagnoses, and lack of consensus tumor staging have added to the suboptimal outcomes for these patients. Clinical trials, while promising, have been difficult to activate and accrue. While individual institutions and investigators have attempted to seek solutions to such problems, international, national, and local partnership may provide the keys to more efficient and innovative paths forward. Furthermore, a mucosal melanoma coalition would provide a potential network for patients and caregivers to seek expert opinion and advice. The Melanoma Research Foundation Mucosal Melanoma Meeting (December 16, 2022, New York, USA) highlighted the current clinical challenges faced by patients, providers, and scientists, identified current and future clinical trial investigations in this rare disease space, and aimed to increase national and international collaboration among the mucosal melanoma community in an effort to improve patient outcomes. The included proceedings highlight the clinical challenges of mucosal melanoma, global clinical trial experience, basic science advances in mucosal melanoma, and future directions, including the creation of shared rare tumor registries and enhanced collaborations.
Prediction of refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease in young children
Authors: Getsuwan Songpon , Tanpowpong Pornthep , Butsriphum Napapat , Lertudomphonwanit Chatmanee , Thirapattaraphan Chollasak , Thanachatchairattana Pornsri , Treepongkaruna Suporn
Published: October 2023

Background

Many children respond to medical treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, some may require invasive intervention for refractory disease. Due to the lack of prognostic tools in children, this study aimed to develop a predictive model for refractory GERD.

Methods

A retrospective review was performed in children with symptoms of GERD at a university hospital. Refractory GERD was defined as an unresponsive disease after optimal treatment with medication for >8 weeks. The predictive model was constructed based on clinical features and 24‐h multichannel intraluminal impedance‐pH (MII‐pH) monitoring results.

Results

A total of 205 children were included with a median (IQR) age of 0.6 (0.3, 2.0) years. Over half of the patients (59.5%) had motor disabilities. Forty‐four children (21.5%) were diagnosed with refractory GERD and subsequently underwent fundoplication. Multivariable analysis suggested that the refractory disease was associated with motor disabilities (OR: 5.35; 95% CI: 2.06–13.91), recurrent aspiration pneumonia (OR: 2.78; 95% CI: 1.24–6.26), prematurity with an onset of GERD at a post‐conceptual age <40 weeks (OR: 6.76; 95% CI: 1.96–23.33), and abnormal total reflux episodes according to age (OR: 2.78; 95% CI: 1.24–6.19), but not the acid exposure time or symptom association analysis. The predictive model for refractory GERD based on associated factors revealed an area under the ROC curve of 76.8% (95% CI: 69.2%–84.3%) with a sensitivity of 77.3% and a specificity of 64% when applying a cutoff score of ≥2.5.

Conclusions

The predictive model, using clinical features and MII‐pH, may be an additional tool to predict refractory GERD in young children.
Prednisolone versus cyclosporine as initial treatment for Kawasaki disease
Authors: Kameda Satoko , Sasabuchi Yusuke , Michihata Nobuaki , Yamana Hayato , Matsui Hiroki , Fushimi Kiyohide , Yasunaga Hideo , Kohro Takahide
Published: October 2023

Background

Several studies have demonstrated the efficacy of prednisolone and cyclosporine as initial combination treatments for the prevention of coronary artery abnormalities (CAA) in patients with Kawasaki disease. However, whether prednisolone or cyclosporine results in superior clinical outcomes is unknown. Thus, this study aimed to compare the outcomes of these two treatments.

Methods

Using the Japanese Diagnosis Procedure Combination database, we identified patients with Kawasaki disease who had received prednisolone or cyclosporine in addition to initial intravenous immunoglobulin treatment between April 2014 and March 2021. The primary outcome was the proportion of CAA; secondary outcomes included intravenous immunoglobulin resistance, medical costs, and length of hospital stay. Propensity score matching was conducted to compare outcomes between the two groups.

Results

We identified 6288 patients with Kawasaki disease who had received prednisolone (n = 6147) or cyclosporine (n = 141) as an initial treatment in combination with intravenous immunoglobulin. Four‐to‐one propensity score‐matched analysis demonstrated no significant difference in the proportion of CAA (0.7% vs. 2.8%; p = 0.098), intravenous immunoglobulin resistance, or medical costs between the treatment groups. The length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the prednisolone group (14 vs. 11 days, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Prednisolone and cyclosporine used in the initial combination treatment for Kawasaki disease showed similar clinical outcomes regarding the risk of CAA, intravenous immunoglobulin resistance, and medical costs, whereas the length of hospital stay was longer in the prednisolone group than in the cyclosporine group.
Seizures in children undergoing stem cell transplantation
Authors: Turón‐Viñas Eulalia , López‐Torija Iván , Coca‐Fernández Elisabet , Badell Isabel , Sierra‐Marcos Alba , Turón Marc , Ribosa‐Nogué Roser , Boronat Susana
Published: October 2023

Background

Neurological complications (NCs) are of major concern following hematological stem cell transplantation (HSCT), most of which present with seizures.

Procedures

We performed a retrospective study (2002–2018) of patients undergoing HSCT in order to analyze the incidence and aetiologies related to seizures.

Results

Of 155 children undergoing HSCT, 27 (17.4%) developed seizures at some point in 2 years of follow‐up. The most frequent etiologies were central nervous system (CNS) infection (n = 10), drug toxicity (n = 8), and vascular disease (n = 5). A statistically significant association was found between seizure and the HSCT type (lower risk for a related identical donor,p = .010), prophylactic or therapeutic mycophenolate use (p = .043 and .046, respectively), steroid use (p = .023), selective CD45RA+ depletion (p = .002), pre‐engraftment syndrome (p = .007), and chronic graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) severity (p = .030). Seizures predicted evolution to life‐threatening complications and admission to intensive care (p < .001) and higher mortality (p = .023). A statistically significant association was also found between seizures and sequelae in survivors (p = .029). Children who developed seizures had a higher risk of CNS infection and vascular disease (odds ratio 37.25 [95% CI: 7.45–186.05] and 12.95 [95% CI 2.24–74.80], respectively).

Conclusions

Neurological complications highly impact survival and outcomes and need to be addressed when facing an HSCT procedure.
Why be a relational egalitarian?
Authors: Zhuang Xuanpu
Published: October 2023

Relational egalitarians claim that a situation is just only if everyone it involves relates to one another as equals. It implies that relational egalitarians believe the ideal of “living as equals” (for short) is desirable, and furthermore, necessary for justice. In this paper, I distinguish three accounts of the desirability of the ideal: the instrumental value account, the non‐instrumental value account, and the non‐consequentialist account. I argue that the former two accounts cannot provide satisfying reasons for being a relational egalitarian. Instead, the ideal of “living as equals” ought to be understood as fundamentally a moral requirement in a non‐consequentialist sense. In addition, a pluralist (though fundamentally non‐consequentialist) approach is welcome.
Characterization, phylogeny and pathogenicity of Fusarium solani causing quinoa basal stem rot in Shanxi Province, China
Authors: Yin Hui , Tian Miao , Peng Yu‐Fei , Chen Ya‐Lei , Qin Nan , Lü Hong , Sun Jiang‐Wei , Ren Lu , Zhao Xiao‐Jun
Published: October 2023

A new emerging disease of quinoa, quinoa basal stem rot (QBSR), has been recorded in Shanxi Province, China. Observed during the inflorescence emergence stage, the pathogen causes wilting, foliar chlorosis, leaf abscission and eventual death of quinoa. In this study, isolates were identified as Fusarium solani using morphology, molecular and phylogenetic analysis (using sequences of calmodulin, rDNA internal transcribed spacer region, RNA polymerase II B‐subunits RPB1 RPB1 and RPB2 RPB2, and translation elongation factor 1‐α), and pathogenicity analysis. Twenty‐seven isolates were classified into two different groups according to their morphological characteristics, and the mycelial growth rate of Group 2 was higher than that of Group 1 on six different media. The optimum growth temperature for both groups was 30°C and the highest mycelial growth rates were 9.2 and 10.0 mm/day, for Groups 1 and 2, respectively. The sporodochial conidia (SC) and aerial conidia (AC) germinated normally at 15–25°C and 10–40°C, respectively, and the width of SC and AC germ tubes were 1.4 and 2.2 μm. The lethal temperature for AC was 51°C for 20 min, and SC stopped germinating at 45°C. Pathogenicity tests of representative isolates showed that mycelia or conidia caused typical symptoms of QBSR on wounded basal stems of Chenopodium quinoa at 6 days postinoculation. The optimum temperature for the onset of QBSR was 30°C for both groups of isolates, and lesion lengths ranged from 5.4 to 5.9 cm. Knowledge of this pathogen will provide useful information for effective disease management to prevent its spread.
Political time in public bureaucracies: Explaining variation of structural duration in European governments
Authors: Fleischer Julia , Bezes Philippe , Yesilkagit Kutsal
Published: October 2023

Structural duration conveys stability but also resilience in central government and is therefore a key issue in the debate on the structure and organization of government. This paper discusses three core variants of structural duration to study the explanatory relevance of politics. We compare these durations across ministerial units in four European democracies (Germany, France, The Netherlands, and Norway) from 1980 to 2013, totaling over 17,000 units. Our empirical analyses show that cabinets' ideological turnover and extremism are the most significant predictors of all variants of duration, whereas polarization in parliament as well as new prime ministers without office experience yield the predicted significant negative effects for most models. We discuss these findings and avenues for future research that acknowledge the definition and measures for structural change as well as temporal aspects of the empirical phenomenon more explicitly.
Revealing the energy paradox: Assessing the asymmetric impact of pandemic uncertainty on consumption of renewable and nonrenewable energy
Authors: Lin Tsung‐Xian , Lin Tsung‐Te , Ali Sajid , Nazar Raima , Anser Muhammad Khalid
Published: October 2023

Uncertainties have grown around the world during the last few decades. Pandemic uncertainty has a substantial impact on economic activities, which may have a big influence on energy consumption. The goal of this investigation is to appraise the asymmetric influence of pandemic uncertainty on nonrenewable and renewable energy consumption in the top 10 energy consumer economies of the European Union (Germany, Poland, Spain, Netherlands, France, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Czech Republic, and Finland). Previously, panel data approaches were utilized to obtain reliable outcomes on the pandemic‐energy consumption nexus, regardless of the fact that various nations did not autonomously exhibit similar relationship. This investigation, on the other hand, implements a special technique “Quantile‐on‐Quantile” that supports us to appraise time‐series interdependence in each economy by providing international yet nation‐specific perceptions of the connection among the variables. Estimates show that pandemic uncertainty reduces both nonrenewable and renewable energy consumption in most selected nations at stated quantiles of the data distribution. Nonrenewable energy consumption is much more influenced by pandemic uncertainty than renewable energy consumption. Furthermore, the rank of asymmetries across our variables differentiates by the economy, emphasizing the need for decisionmakers to pay much attention to pandemics‐related uncertainty and the energy sector.
Narratives and Self‐Reflective Process of Lifestyle Migrants: The Quest for the “Good Life”*
Authors: Sagner‐Tapia Johanna , Matarrita Cascante David , Zunino Hugo Marcelo , Tijmes‐Ihl Jaime
Published: October 2023

This article analyses the self‐reflective process and narratives of 12 lifestyle migrants who settled between 1990 and 2010 in a rural Andean community in southern Chile. The results show that the time of their arrival and the migrants' life stages were relevant in their reflective process regarding belongingness to the local community and other migrants, the search for an ontological sense and a critical perspective into how their migration affected rurality. The article discusses how rural fantasies and dissatisfaction with modern urban life are central elements in constructing a self and we‐image, as well as a compass that enables them to integrate into the rural community while becoming increasingly aware of how their presence inevitably changes rurality.
Spatiotemporal propagation of a time‐periodic reaction–diffusion SI epidemic model with treatment
Authors: Wang Shuang‐Ming , Zhang Liang
Published: October 2023

This work is concerned with the spatiotemporal propagation phenomena for a time‐periodic reaction‐diffusion susceptible‐infectious (SI) epidemic model with treatment in terms of the asymptotic speed of spread and periodic traveling waves. First, the asymptotic speed of spread is characterized and the spreading properties of the model are analyzed by combining the periodic principal eigenvalue problem, comparison method, and the uniform persistence idea for a dynamical system. Second, by constructing suitable super‐ and subsolutions for truncation problems corresponding to the traveling wave system, the existence of periodic traveling waves is established via the fixed point theorem twice. It turned out that the asymptotic speed of spread coincides with the minimum wave speed of periodic traveling waves. Finally, via numerical simulation, the effects of some important parameters (such as diffusion rate, treatment rate, etc.) on the spreading speed are discussed, and the asymptotic properties of the periodic traveling waves are explored.
Effect of movement‐evoked and tonic experimental pain on muscle force production
Authors: Cabral Hélio V. , Devecchi Valter , Oxendale Chelsea , Jenkinson Ned , Falla Deborah , Gallina Alessio
Published: October 2023

Introduction

When performing an exercise or a functional test, pain that is evoked by movement or muscle contraction could be a stronger stimulus for changing how individuals move compared to tonic pain. We investigated whether the decrease in muscle force production is larger when experimentally‐induced knee pain is directly associated to the torque produced (movement‐evoked) compared to a constant painful stimulation (tonic).

Methods

Twenty‐one participants performed three isometric knee extension maximal voluntary contractions without pain (baseline), during pain, and after pain. Knee pain was induced using sinusoidal electrical stimuli at 10 Hz over the infrapatellar fat pad, applied continuously or modulated proportionally to the knee extension torque. Peak torque and contraction duration were averaged across repetitions and normalized to baseline.

Results

During tonic pain, participants reported lower pain intensity during the contraction than at rest (p < 0.001), whereas pain intensity increased with contraction during movement‐evoked pain (p < 0.001). Knee extension torque decreased during both pain conditions (p < 0.001), but a larger reduction was observed during movement‐evoked compared to tonic pain (p < 0.001). Participants produced torque for longer during tonic compared to movement‐evoked pain (p = 0.005).

Conclusion

Our results indicate that movement‐evoked pain was a more potent stimulus to reduce knee extension torque than tonic pain. The longer contraction time observed during tonic pain may be a result of a lower perceived pain intensity during muscle contraction. Overall, our results suggest different motor adaptation to tonic and movement‐evoked pain and support the notion that motor adaptation to pain is a purposeful strategy to limit pain. This mechanistic evidence suggests that individuals experiencing prevalently tonic or movement‐evoked pain may exhibit different motor adaptations, which may be important for exercise prescription.
The Dynamicist Landscape
Authors: Barack David L.
Published: October 2023

The dynamical hypothesis states that cognitive systems are dynamical systems. While dynamical systems play an important role in many cognitive phenomena, the dynamical hypothesis as stated applies to every system and so fails both to specify what makes cognitive systems distinct and to distinguish between proposals regarding the nature of cognitive systems. To avoid this problem, I distinguish several different types of dynamical systems, outlining four dimensions along which dynamical systems can vary: total‐state versus partial‐state, internal versus external, macroscopic versus microscopic, and systemic versus componential, and illustrate these with examples. I conclude with two illustrations of partial‐state, internal, microscopic, componential dynamicism.
Hshouma: Corps et sexualité au Maroc (Shame: Body and Sexuality in Morocco)
Authors: Talley Gwyneth , Fasiki Zainab
Published: October 2023

This Dialogues contribution reviews the work Hshouma: Corps et Sexualité au Maroc (Hshouma: Body and Sexuality in Morocco) by Zainab Fasiki and includes an interview of the author. Hshouma is a graphic novel comic book that has received great acclaim for its direct confrontation of shame and taboos in Morocco. However, the book and the author have also received a lot of criticism for Fasiki's use of nudity and her secular approach. What follows is background of the author and discussion of the word hshouma, a review of the work, and a transcription of the May 2022 interview.
The complete chloroplast genome sequence of Rhododendron caucasicum (Ericaceae)
Authors: KWAK Myounghai , BUSSMANN Rainer W.
Published: October 2023

Rhododendron caucasicum Pall. is a shrub distributed in the mountainous areas of the Caucasus from northeastern Türkiye towards the Caspian Sea. This study reports the first complete chloroplast genome sequence of R. caucasicum. The plastome is 199,487 base pairs (bp) long and exhibits a typical quadripartite structure comprising a large single-copy region of 107,645 bp, a small single-copy region of 2,598 bp, and a pair of identical inverted repeat regions of 44,622 bp each. It contains 143 genes, comprising 93 protein-coding genes, 42 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. The large chloroplast genome size is likely due to the expansion of inverted repeats. A phylogenetic analysis of chloroplast genomes with other Rhododendron species supports previously recognized infrageneric relationship.
Exacerbated impairments in neuromuscular function when two bouts of team sport match simulations are separated by 48 h
Authors: Hubbard Joseph , Pitcairn Jade , Brownstein Callum G.
Published: October 2023

Intermittent team sports, involving high metabolic and mechanical demands, elicit prolonged impairments in neuromuscular function which persist for ∼48–72 h. Whether impairments in neuromuscular function are exacerbated when such exercise is repeated with incomplete recovery is unknown. This study assessed the neuromuscular, heart rate and metabolic responses to two bouts of ∼90 min modified team sport match simulations separated by 48 h in 12 competitive football players. Before and 2 min after both bouts, knee extensor isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), contractile function (Qtw,pot) and voluntary activation (VA) were measured. Heart rate (HR), sprint time, blood lactate and glucose were measured throughout both bouts. MVC was reduced relative to baseline at post‐bout 1 (21 ± 12%; P = 0.003) and pre‐bout 2 (14 ± 11%; P = 0.009), and was lower post‐bout 2 (33 ± 14%; P < 0.001) relative to post‐bout 1 (P = 0.036). Qtw,pot was reduced post‐bout 1 (30 ± 11%; P < 0.001) and pre‐bout 2 (9 ± 6%; P = 0.004), and was not different post‐bout 2 (28 ± 8%; P < 0.001) relative to post‐bout 1 (P = 0.872). VA was reduced post‐bout 1 (8 ± 7%; P = 0.023), recovered pre‐bout 2 (P = 0.133) and was lower post‐bout 2 (16 ± 7%; P < 0.001) relative to post‐bout 1 (P = 0.029). Total sprint time was longer, and HR, blood lactate and glucose were lower during bout 2 than bout 1 (P ≤ 0.021). Thus, impairments in neuromuscular function are exacerbated when high‐intensity intermittent exercise is performed with incomplete recovery concurrent with accentuated reductions in VA. The lower blood lactate and glucose during the second bout might be due, at least in part, to reduced glycogen availability upon commencing exercise and consequently a greater reliance on glucose extraction.
Numerical Investigation of the Interaction of a Circumferential Groove Casing Treatment and Near-Tip Modifications for a Highly Loaded Low-Speed Rotor Under the Influence of Double Leakage
Authors: Eckel Jannik , Reisinger Lukas , von Jeinsen Philipp , Gümmer Volker
Published: October 2023

Eckel et al. (2023, “Numerical Investigation of Near-Tip Modifications for a Highly Loaded Low-Speed Rotor Under the Influence of Double Leakage,” ASME J. Turbomach., 145(4), p. 041003) proposed using a convex-profiled pressure side region close to the tip, known as belly, as an effective method of extending the operating range of low-speed axial compressor rotors. In the literature, circumferential grooves are another well-described technique for improving the stable working range of a compressor rotor. No research has been conducted to date to determine which modification is more effective and how they interact when used together. This paper numerically investigates the influence of circumferential casing grooves and near-tip modifications on the flow field in the tip region of a highly loaded, low-speed axial compressor rotor. The simulated rotor consists of a hybrid blade configuration with a tandem profile in the mid-span region and single blade profiles near the endwalls. The single blade profile close to the tip features three different convex-profiled elements, which differ in their respective thicknesses. The aim of the numerical analysis is to explain the interaction of the secondary flow phenomena when applying the circumferential grooves and the belly geometries. For this purpose, eight different axial positions of the circumferential groove are investigated for each of the three belly configurations. These are arranged in 10% increments from −7% to 63% along the axial rotor tip chord. The potential of the concept is evaluated by a numerical investigation in the 1.5-stage setup with an inlet guide vane and tandem stator. It is shown that a circumferential groove can further increase the operating range for all belly configurations when positioned axially correctly. In this respect, equalization of the near-casing deceleration in the circumferential direction leads to an extension of the stall margin with both modifications. Concentrated regions of low-momentum fluid with a large extent in the radial direction should be avoided consequently. A tip vortex stability factor is introduced to quantitatively evaluate this effect. The operating range can thus already be estimated in a first approximation at the design point. In general, the groove and belly should be positioned where the tip leakage vortex meets the pressure side of the adjacent blade. If the groove is used together with the belly, the leading edge of the former should be situated at the location of maximum thickness of the near-tip modification. The effects of the circumferential groove and the belly are then superimposed. If using only one modification, the belly appears better suited for ensuring an extension of the operating range while maintaining high efficiencies.
BIGNet: A Deep Learning Architecture for Brand Recognition with Geometry-Based Explainability
Authors: Chen Yu-hsuan , Kara Levent Burak , Cagan Jonathan
Published: October 2023

Incorporating style-related objectives into shape design has been centrally important to maximize product appeal. However, algorithmic style capture and reuse have not fully benefited from automated data-driven methodologies due to the challenging nature of design describability. This paper proposes an AI-driven method to fully automate the discovery of brand-related features. First, to tackle the scarcity of vectorized product images, this research proposes two data acquisition workflows: parametric modeling from small curve-based datasets, and vectorization from large pixel-based datasets. Second, this study constructs BIGNet, a two-tier Brand Identification Graph Neural Network, to learn from both scalar vector graphics’ curve-level and chunk-level parameters. In the first case study, BIGNet not only classifies phone brands but also captures brand-related features across multiple scales, such as lens’ location, as confirmed by AI evaluation. In the second study, this paper showcases the generalizability of BIGNet learning from a vectorized car image dataset and validates the consistency and robustness of its predictions given four scenarios. The results match the difference commonly observed in luxury versus economy brands in the automobile market. Finally, this paper also visualizes the activation maps generated from a convolutional neural network and shows BIGNet’s advantage of being a more explainable style-capturing agent.
One million (paper) satellites
Authors: Falle Andrew , Wright Ewan , Boley Aaron , Byers Michael
Published: October 2023

Radiofrequency filings warn of more congestion in space, but also offer possible remedies
A family portrait of human brain cells
Authors: Weninger Alyssa , Arlotta Paola
Published: October 2023

A cell census provides information on the source of human brain specialization
Photocatalysis gets energized by abundant metals
Authors: Yaltseva Polina , Wenger Oliver S.
Published: October 2023

Cobalt compounds might enable cheaper and more-complex photocatalysis processes
Candida auris
—macrophage cellular interactions and transcriptional response
Authors: Miramón Pedro , Pountain Andrew W. , Lorenz Michael C.
Published: October 2023

The pathogenic yeast
Candida auris
represents a global threat of the utmost clinical relevance. This emerging fungal species is remarkable in its resistance to commonly used antifungal agents and its persistence in the nosocomial settings. The innate immune system is one the first lines of defense preventing the dissemination of pathogens in the host.
C. auris
is susceptible to circulating phagocytes, and understanding the molecular details of these interactions may suggest routes to improved therapies. In this work, we examined the interactions of this yeast with macrophages. We found that macrophages avidly phagocytose
C. auris
; however, intracellular replication is not inhibited, indicating that
C. auris
resists the killing mechanisms imposed by the phagocyte. Unlike
Candida albicans
, phagocytosis of
C. auris
does not induce macrophage lysis. The transcriptional response of
C. auris
to macrophage phagocytosis is very similar to other members of the CUG clade (
C. albicans, C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. lusitaniae
), i.e., downregulation of transcription/translation and upregulation of alternative carbon metabolism pathways, transporters, and induction of oxidative stress response and proteolysis. Gene family expansions are common in this yeast, and we found that many of these genes are induced in response to macrophage co-incubation. Among these, amino acid and oligopeptide transporters, as well as lipases and proteases, are upregulated. Thus,
C. auris
shares key transcriptional signatures shared with other fungal pathogens and capitalizes on the expansion of gene families coding for potential virulence attributes that allow its survival, persistence, and evasion of the innate immune system.
Delftia acidovoranssepsis in a neonate with nosocomial pneumonia
Authors: Alam Md Shahbaz , Ranjan Ankit , Kumar Vinod , Kumar Rajesh
Published: October 2023

A term neonate weighing 2900 g was referred in the first week of life with complaints of abdominal distension since birth. New onset respiratory distress was noted 36 hours prior to referral. Baby required non-invasive respiratory support and intravenous antibiotics as chest X-ray was suggestive of pneumonia. Ultrasound abdomen confirmed low ano-rectal malformation treated with cut-back anoplasty. Blood culture on admission grew a rare organismDelftia acidovorans. The antibiotics were tailored as per the sensitivity pattern and continued for a duration of 14 days. Respiratory distress gradually resolved by day 10 of admission. The baby developed pneumonia after 36 hours of stay in the referring hospital; most probably indicating a hospital acquired source of this pathogen. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second reported neonatal case ofD. acidovoranssepsis.
The deleterious effects of maternal protein deprivation on the brainstem are minimized with moderate physical activity by offspring during early life
Authors: Bernardo Elenilson Maximino , Pedroza Anderson Apolônio da Silva , Ferreira Diorginis José Soares , de Andrade Severina Cassia , Rozendo Allifer , Fernandes Matheus Santos de Sousa , Silva Tercya Lucidi , Fernandes Mariana Pinheiro , Lagranha Claudia J.
Published: October 2023

Maternal protein malnutrition during developmental periods might impair the redox state and the brain’s excitatory/inhibitory neural network, increasing central sympathetic tone. Conversely, moderate physical exercise at an early age reduces the risk of chronic diseases. Thus, we hypothesized that a moderate training protocol could reduce the harmful effects of a low-protein maternal diet on the brainstem of young male offspring. We used a rat model of maternal protein restriction during the gestational and lactation period followed by an offspring’s continuous treadmill exercise. Pregnant rats were divided into two groups according to the protein content in the diet: normoprotein (NP), receiving 17% of casein, and low protein (LP), receiving 8% of casein until the end of lactation. At 30 days of age, the male offspring were further subdivided into sedentary (NP-Sed and LP-Sed) or exercised (NP-Ex and LP-Ex) groups. Treadmill exercise was performed as follows: 4 weeks, 5 days/week, 60 min/day at 50% of maximal running capacity. The trained animals performed a treadmill exercise at 50% of the maximal running capacity, 60 min/day, 5 days/week, for 4 weeks. Our results indicate that a low-protein diet promotes deficits in the antioxidant system and a likely mitochondrial uncoupling. On the other hand, physical exercise restores the redox balance, which leads to decreased oxidative stress caused by the diet. In addition, it also promotes benefits to GABAergic inhibitory signaling. We conclude that regular moderate physical exercise performed in youthhood protects the brainstem against changes induced by maternal protein restriction.
Community science to the rescue: capturing water quality data during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Smith Erin D. , Kirkwood Andrea E.
Published: October 2023

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted all aspects of human activity, including environmental research and monitoring. Despite a lack of laboratory access and other restrictive measures, we adapted an existing community science monitoring program to continue through the summer of 2020. We worked with local community groups to recruit 58 volunteers who collected lake water samples from 60 sites on 16 lakes in south-central Ontario from June to September 2020. We organized drop-off depots and had volunteers freeze samples to monitor nearshore nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) and chlorophyll-a. A survey was distributed to volunteers to analyze lake-front property owners’ activities during the pandemic. We found spatial patterns in nearshore water quality across the lakes, with sub-watershed development being a significant predictor of nutrients and chlorophyll-a. Additionally, pre-pandemic (2019) and pandemic (2020 and 2021) nutrient concentrations were compared, but there was no clear impact of the pandemic on nearshore nutrient concentrations, despite changes in lake-front property owners activities. Overall, this study demonstrated the ability of community science to provide water quality data on a large spatial scale despite a major societal disruption, providing insight into regional nutrient trends during the first year of the pandemic.
Initial assessment of soil liquefaction potential for selected sites in Hilla city, Babylon Governorate, Iraq
Authors: Al-Rubaiee Abdul-Kareem H. , Al-Owaidi Mohanad R. A.
Published: October 2023

The current research focused on the use of some geotechnical characteristics for the initial assessment of soil liquefaction at sites in the city of Hilla, Babylon Governorate. Five sites were chosen in the city centre and relatively close to the Shatt Al-Hilla. Geotechnical properties data were used to separate soils that can be classified as liquefiable from those that are not. The criteria used in this study were of two types: the Second Chinese Criteria, which is based on the natural water content and liquid limit; and the Modified Chinese Criteria, which depends on the clay content and liquid limit for the liquefaction potential of the soil. The results of this study showed that in the Second Chinese Criteria the risk of soil increases with an increase in the natural water content and a decrease in the liquid limit; however, in the Modified Chinese Criteria, the liquefaction potential increases with a decrease in the clay content to less than 10% and in the liquid limit to less than or equal to 32%.
Robust Collaborative Filtering to Popularity Distribution Shift
Authors: Zhang An , Ma Wenchang , Zheng Jingnan , Wang Xiang , Chua Tat-Seng
Published: October 2023

In leading collaborative filtering (CF) models, representations of users and items are prone to learn popularity bias in the training data as shortcuts. The popularity shortcut tricks are good for in-distribution (ID) performance but poorly generalized to out-of-distribution (OOD) data, i.e., when popularity distribution of test data shifts w.r.t. the training one. To close the gap, debiasing strategies try to assess the shortcut degrees and mitigate them from the representations. However, there exist two deficiencies: (1) when measuring the shortcut degrees, most strategies only use statistical metrics on a single aspect (i.e., item frequency on item and user frequency on user aspect), failing to accommodate the compositional degree of a user–item pair; (2) when mitigating shortcuts, many strategies assume that the test distribution is known in advance. This results in low-quality debiased representations. Worse still, these strategies achieve OOD generalizability with a sacrifice on ID performance.

In this work, we present a simple yet effective debiasing strategy,
PopGo
, which quantifies and reduces the interaction-wise popularity shortcut without any assumptions on the test data. It first learns a shortcut model, which yields a shortcut degree of a user–item pair based on their popularity representations. Then, it trains the CF model by adjusting the predictions with the interaction-wise shortcut degrees. By taking both causal- and information-theoretical looks at PopGo, we can justify why it encourages the CF model to capture the critical popularity-agnostic features while leaving the spurious popularity-relevant patterns out. We use PopGo to debias two high-performing CF models (matrix factorization [
28
] and LightGCN [
19
]) on four benchmark datasets. On both ID and OOD test sets, PopGo achieves significant gains over the state-of-the-art debiasing strategies (e.g., DICE [
71
] and MACR [
58
]). Codes and datasets are available at
https://github.com/anzhang314/PopGo
.
Promoting crucial team building, collaboration, and communication skills in graduate students through interactive retreats
Authors: Schmidt Jean Marie , Porter James T. , Rivera-Amill Vanessa , Appleyard Caroline B.
Published: October 2023

Off-site interactive science-related retreats are a valuable tool for enhancing soft skills and sense of team identity in a biomedical sciences graduate program, while covering important issues related to pursuing a career in science. There are many perceived benefits, so we encourage other training programs to include a similar type of regular activity in students’ training with the goal of improving trainee well-being and supporting their academic and research productivity.
Ouabain enhances renal cyst growth in a slowly progressive mouse model of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease
Authors: Trant Jordan , Sanchez Gladis , McDermott Jeffrey P. , Blanco Gustavo
Published: October 2023

This work shows that the hormone ouabain enhances the progression of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) in vivo. Ouabain augments the size and number of renal cysts, the kidney weight to body weight ratio, and kidney fibrosis in an ADPKD mouse model. The Na+-K+-ATPase affinity for ouabain plays a critical role in these effects. In addition, these outcomes are independent of the sex of the mice.
Neuropilin 1 promotes unilateral ureteral obstruction-induced renal fibrosis via RACK1 in renal tubular epithelial cells
Authors: Hou Ling , Du Yue
Published: October 2023

Although a few studies have confirmed the correlation between neuropilin 1 (NRP1) and renal diseases, the mechanism of NRP1 in renal fibrosis remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of NRP1 on renal fibrosis through in vitro and in vivo experiments and explored the possible downstream mechanisms. We found that NRP1 can stimulate the TGF-β1 signaling pathway, possibly by binding to RACK1, thereby promoting renal fibrosis.