bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Virtual reality‐based simulation intervention for enhancing the empathy of informal caregivers of people with dementia: A mixed‐methods systematic review
Authors: Huang Yaqi , Ho Ken Hok Man , Christensen Martin , Wong Duo Wai‐Chi , Wang Shanshan , Su Jing Jing , Zhao Ivy Yan , Kor Patrick Pui Kin , Liu Justina Yat Wa , Cheung James Chung‐Wai , Leung Angela Yee Man , Cheung Daphne Sze Ki
Published: October 2023

Dementia is a long‐term and progressive syndrome that not only influences the person with dementia (PWD) but also the caregiver. However, informal caregivers are not always empathic and understand the symptoms of dementia, leading to destructive caregiving relationships and poor quality of caregiving. VR‐based simulation interventions can provide a more realistic and memorable learning experience for caregivers to walk in PWDs' shoes. This review aimed to provide practitioners and researchers with insights on developing and/or adopting an effective VR‐based simulation intervention for enhancing the empathy of informal caregivers of PWD. A mixed‐methods systematic review was conducted. Quantitative, qualitative, and mixed‐methods studies were searched from MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane Library updating. Standard JBI critical appraisal instruments were used for the quality appraisal. A convergent segregated approach was used to synthesize and integrate the data. A total of seven studies were included. Inconsistent quantitative results were reported on the effects of VR‐based simulation on empathy enhancement. Significant effects were reported on knowledge of dementia and emotion‐focused coping strategies. Two themes were generated from the qualitative studies, including “Informal caregivers gained better insight into problems encountered by older people with dementia” and “Thinking from the perspective of older people with dementia, leading to changes in attitudes and behaviours towards dementia”. The qualitative synthesized evidence showed that informal caregivers gained better insight into problems encountered by PWD, but the quantitative synthesized results are inconsistent. Yet, informal caregivers experienced a change in attitude by thinking from the perspective of PWD.
Exploring bimodal multi‐level networks: Network structure and dynamics driving herding effects and growth in livestreaming
Authors: Lin Qingyuan , Liao Xiuwu , Li Jin , Liu Yang
Published: October 2023

The majority of social network research in the IS field relies on assumptions that social networks are single‐level unified entities, disregarding the potential bimodal network structure with the coexistence of centralized and decentralized networks and overlooking the essential role of adjacent nodes as decision‐makers. By challenging these assumptions, we propose that both centralized and decentralized networks can coexist within multi‐level bimodal platforms via various role‐based subgroups with different types of decision‐makers. Livestreaming platforms, exemplifying the coexistence of multi‐level networks within a single digital ecosystem, have become increasingly popular in various industries. Drawing on social impact theory (SIT), we examine the role of information from host‐audience centralized and host–host decentralized networks in shaping subscription increment and herding effects. Using a panel dataset in livestreaming, we find that bidirectional ties in host–host networks strengthen fan acquisition and herding effect in the host‐audience decentralized network, with hosts of lower social status gaining more fans than those with higher status in bidirectional ties. Our study contributes to the understanding of social network structure, herding effect, SIT and livestreaming by problematizing assumptions and offering a contextual explanation of livestreaming. Moreover, our work provides practitioners with valuable insights into leveraging network effects for hosts' success in livestreaming.
Double regulatory effect of As‐designed Na3Sb1‐xAsxS4 sodium superionic conductors
Authors: Yin Jingxuan , Yu Liangliang , Gong Zhemin , Shu Lingjun , Gao Chengwei , Liu Yongxing , Shen Xiang , Lin Changgui , Jiao Qing
Published: October 2023

All‐solid‐state sodium‐ion batteries (NIBs) are emerging as a strong contender to the widely used lithium‐ion batteries due to their abundant resources and high safety performance. Solid‐state electrolytes, as the key component of SSBs, have gained widespread attention for their high safety and chemical stability. This study presented a novel solid glass‐ceramic electrolyte, Na3Sb0.75As0.25S4, which was synthesized by high ball milling and heat treatment. The findings demonstrate that elemental As can have a dual effect of improving ionic conductivity and successfully lowering H2S gas emission. Na3Sb0.75As0.25S4 exhibits superior performance in the cubic phase due to the partial replacement of Sb by As, with ionic conductivity up to 2.42 mS/cm and a low activation energy of 0.119 eV at room temperature. Furthermore, it releases only 0.017 cm3/g H2S in a conventional humidity environment for 30 min, much lower than the amount of 0.05 cm3/g H2S released by undoped Na3SbS4, making it an excellent candidate for all‐solid‐state NIB electrolyte.
Political Legitimacy and the Indigenous Voice to Parliament
Authors: Cox Ryan
Published: October 2023

This article sets out an argument from legitimacy for the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament in Australia. The article first sets out an understanding of political legitimacy and of legitimacy deficits and argues that the Australian Government faces a legitimacy deficit with respect to its exercise of political power and authority over Indigenous Australians. The deficit arises, it is argued, because Indigenous Australians face significant structural injustice and there is little hope of redressing this injustice within the prevailing governing conventions. The article then argues that the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament ought to be seen as part of a package to address this legitimacy deficit by resetting the governing conventions of Australian society. The argument from legitimacy is then compared favorably with more familiar arguments from sovereignty and the right to self‐determination.
Ascertaining the genetic background of the Celtic‐Iberian pig strain: A signatures of selection approach
Authors: Arias Katherine D. , Lee Hanboreum , Bozzi Riccardo , Álvarez Isabel , Gutiérrez Juan Pablo , Fernandez Iván , Menéndez Juan , Beja‐Pereira Albano , Goyache Félix
Published: October 2023

Celtic‐Iberian pig breeds were majority in Spain and Portugal until the first half of the 20th century. In the 1990s, they were nearly extinct as a result of the introduction of foreign improved pig breeds. Despite its historical importance, the genetic background of the Celtic‐Iberian pig strain is poorly documented. In this study, we have identified genomic regions that might contain signatures of selection peculiar of the Celtic‐Iberian genetic lineage. A total of 153 DNA samples of Celtic‐Iberian pigs (Spanish Gochu Asturcelta and Portuguese Bísara breeds), Iberian pigs (Spanish Iberian and Portuguese Alentejano breeds), Cinta Senese pig, Korean local pig and Cosmopolitan pig (Hampshire, Landrace and Large White individuals) were analysed. A pairwise‐comparison approach was applied: the Gochu Asturcelta and the Bísara samples as test populations and the five other pig populations as reference populations. Three different statistics (XP‐EHH, FST and ΔDAF) were computed on each comparison. Strict criteria were used to identify selection sweeps in order to reduce the noise brought on by the Gochu Asturcelta and Bísara breeds' severe population bottlenecks. Within test population, SNPs used to construct potential candidate genomic areas under selection were only considered if they were identified in four of ten two‐by‐two pairwise comparisons and in at least two of three statistics. Genomic regions under selection constructed within test population were subsequently overlapped to construct candidate regions under selection putatively unique to the Celtic‐Iberian pig strain. These genomic regions were finally used for enrichment analyses. A total of 39 candidate regions, mainly located on SSC5 and SSC9 and covering 3130.5 kb, were identified and could be considered representative of the ancient genomic background of the Celtic‐Iberian strain. Enrichment analysis allowed to identify a total of seven candidate genes (NOL12, LGALS1, PDXP, SH3BP1, GGA1, WIF1, and LYPD6). Other studies reported that the WIF1 gene is associated with ear size, one of the characteristic traits of the Celtic‐Iberian pig strain. The function of the other candidate genes could be related to reproduction, adaptation and immunity traits, indirectly fitting with the rusticity of a non‐improved pig strain traditionally exploited under semi‐extensive conditions.
Measuring cognitive load in augmented reality with physiological methods: A systematic review
Authors: Suzuki Yuko , Wild Fridolin , Scanlon Eileen
Published: October 2023

Background

Cognitive load during AR use has been measured conventionally by performance tests and subjective rating. With the growing interest in physiological measurement using non‐invasive biometric sensors, unbiased real‐time detection of cognitive load in AR is expected. However, a range of sensors and parameters are used in various subject fields, and reported results are fragmented.

Objectives

The aim of this review is to analyse systematically how physiological methods have been used to measure cognitive load and what the implications are for the future research on AR‐based tools.

Methods

This paper took the systematic review approach. Through screening with 10 exclusion criteria, 23 studies, that contain 3 key elements: AR‐based intervention, cognitive state examination and physiological methods, were identified, analysed and synthesised.

Results

Physiological methods in their current form require reference to provide meaningful interpretations and suggestions. Therefore, they are often combined with conventional methods. Many studies investigate the effect of wearable devices in comparison with non‐AR stimuli, which has been controversial, but detection of different causes of cognitive load are on the horizon. Eye‐tracking is the method most used and most consistent in the use of its parameters.

Conclusions

A multi‐method approach combining two or more evaluation instruments is essential for the validation of users' cognitive state. In addition to the AR stimuli in question, having another independent variable such as task difficulty in experiment design is useful. Statistical approaches with more data input could help establish a reliable scale. The future research should attempt to dissociate cognitive load caused by different effects such as device, instruction, and other AR techniques as well as intrinsic and extraneous aspects, in a better experimental setup with multiple parameters.
START NOW: a cognitive behavioral skills training for adolescent girls with conduct or oppositional defiant disorder – a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Stadler Christina , Freitag Christine M. , Popma Arne , Nauta‐Jansen Lucres , Konrad Kerstin , Unternaehrer Eva , Ackermann Katharina , Bernhard Anka , Martinelli Anne , Oldenhof Helena , Gundlach Malou , Kohls Gregor , Prätzlich Martin , Kieser Meinhard , Limprecht Ronald , Raschle Nora M. , Vriends Noortje , Trestman Robert L. , Kirchner Marietta , Kersten Linda
Published: October 2023

Background

Conduct disorder (CD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) both convey a high risk for maladjustment later in life and are understudied in girls. Here, we aimed at confirming the efficacy of START NOW, a cognitive‐behavioral, dialectical behavior therapy‐oriented skills training program aiming to enhance emotion regulation skills, interpersonal and psychosocial adjustment, adapted for female adolescents with CD or ODD.

Methods

A total of 127 girls were included in this prospective, cluster randomized, multi‐center, parallel group, quasi‐randomized, controlled phase III trial, which tested the efficacy of START NOW (n = 72) compared with standard care (treatment as usual, TAU, n = 55). All female adolescents had a clinical diagnosis of CD or ODD, were 15.6 (±1.5) years on average (range: 12–20 years), and were institutionalized in youth welfare institutions. The two primary endpoints were the change in number of CD/ODD symptoms between (1) baseline (T1) and post‐treatment (T3), and (2) between T1 and 12‐week follow‐up (T4).

Results

Both treatment groups showed reduced CD/ODD symptoms at T3 compared with T1 (95% CI: START NOW = −4.87, −2.49; TAU = −4.94, −2.30). There was no significant mean difference in CD/ODD symptom reduction from T1 to T3 between START NOW and TAU (−0.056; 95% CI = −1.860, 1.749; Hedge's g = −0.011). However, the START NOW group showed greater mean symptom reduction from T1 to T4 (−2.326; 95% CI = −4.274, −0.378; Hedge's g = −0.563). Additionally, secondary endpoint results revealed a reduction in staff reported aggression and parent‐reported irritability at post assessment.

Conclusions

Although START NOW did not result in greater symptom reduction from baseline to post‐treatment compared with TAU, the START NOW group showed greater symptom reduction from baseline to follow‐up with a medium effect size, which indicates a clinically meaningful delayed treatment effect.
Automating risk stratification for geriatric syndromes in the emergency department
Authors: Haimovich Adrian D. , Shah Manish N. , Southerland Lauren T. , Hwang Ula , Patterson Brian W.
Published: October 2023

Background

Geriatric emergency department (GED) guidelines endorse screening older patients for geriatric syndromes in the ED, but there have been significant barriers to widespread implementation. The majority of screening programs require engagement of a clinician, nurse, or social worker, adding to already significant workloads at a time of record‐breaking ED patient volumes, staff shortages, and hospital boarding crises. Automated, electronic health record (EHR)‐embedded risk stratification approaches may be an alternate solution for extending the reach of the GED mission by directing human actions to a smaller subset of higher risk patients.

Methods

We define the concept of automated risk stratification and screening using existing EHR data. We discuss progress made in three potential use cases in the ED: falls, cognitive impairment, and end‐of‐life and palliative care, emphasizing the importance of linking automated screening with systems of healthcare delivery.

Results

Research progress and operational deployment vary by use case, ranging from deployed solutions in falls screening to algorithmic validation in cognitive impairment and end‐of‐life care.

Conclusions

Automated risk stratification offers a potential solution to one of the most pressing problems in geriatric emergency care: identifying high‐risk populations of older adults most appropriate for specific GED care. Future work is needed to realize the promise of improved care with less provider burden by creating tools suitable for widespread deployment as well as best practices for their implementation and governance.
Serum total tau, neurofilament light, and glial fibrillary acidic protein are associated with mortality in a population study
Authors: Halloway Shannon , Evans Denis A. , Desai Pankaja , Dhana Klodian , Beck Todd , Rajan Kumar B.
Published: October 2023

Background

Total tau (t‐tau), neurofilament light (NfL), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) are neuronal cytoskeletal biomarkers that may indicate greater risk of poor outcomes in age‐related conditions, including mortality. Health disparities experienced by some racial minority subgroups may influence biomarker expression and effects on longevity. We aimed to examine (a) associations of serum t‐tau, NfL, and GFAP with overall and cardiovascular mortality and (b) differences in associations by racial background.

Methods

Data came from 1327 older participants from the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP), a longitudinal population‐based study. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to examine associations between concentrations of serum t‐tau, NfL, and GFAP biomarker(s) and mortality (overall/cardiovascular mortality based on age at death). Interaction terms were used to examine differences between African‐American and European‐American participants. Models were adjusted for age, sex, education, the APOE‐ε4 allele, body mass index, chronic health conditions, and cognitive and physical functioning.

Results

Models showed that fivefold higher concentrations of t‐tau (HR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.27, 1.68), NfL (HR = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.76, 2.58), and GFAP (HR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.90) were separately associated with increased risk of overall mortality, with higher risk in African Americans in t‐tau or NfL. In models with all biomarkers, NfL (HR = 2.17, 95% CI: 1.65, 2.85) was associated with risk of overall mortality, with racial differences in t‐tau. Higher concentrations of t‐tau (HR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.70), NfL (HR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.40, 2.72), and GFAP (HR = 1.87, 95% CI: 1.18, 2.98) were separately associated with risk of cardiovascular mortality, with racial differences in t‐tau, NfL, or GFAP. In combined models, NfL (HR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.08, 2.78) was associated with cardiovascular mortality.

Conclusions

Serum t‐tau, NfL, and GFAP may be early indicators for mortality outcomes among older adults, with racial differences among associations.
Neuronal NADPH oxidase is required for neurite regeneration of Aplysia bag cell neurons
Authors: Alam S. M. Sabbir , Watanabe Yuichiro , Steeno Brooke L. , Dutta Soumyajit , Szilagyi Halie A. , Wei Alexander , Suter Daniel M.
Published: October 2023

NADPH oxidase (Nox), a major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS), is involved in neurodegeneration after injury and disease. Nox is expressed in both neuronal and non‐neuronal cells and contributes to an elevated ROS level after injury. Contrary to the well‐known damaging effect of Nox‐derived ROS in neurodegeneration, recently a physiological role of Nox in nervous system development including neurogenesis, neuronal polarity, and axonal growth has been revealed. Here, we tested a role for neuronal Nox in neurite regeneration following mechanical transection in cultured Aplysia bag cell neurons. Using a novel hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)‐sensing dye, 5′‐(p‐borophenyl)‐2′‐pyridylthiazole pinacol ester (BPPT), we found that H2O2 levels are elevated in regenerating growth cones following injury. Redistribution of Nox2 and p40phox in the growth cone central domain suggests Nox2 activation after injury. Inhibiting Nox with the pan‐Nox inhibitor celastrol reduced neurite regeneration rate. Pharmacological inhibition of Nox is correlated with reduced activation of Src2 tyrosine kinase and F‐actin content in the growth cone. Taken together, these findings suggest that Nox‐derived ROS regulate neurite regeneration following injury through Src2‐mediated regulation of actin organization in Aplysia growth cones.

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Leptin prevents aberrant targeting of tau to hippocampal synapses via PI 3 kinase driven inhibition of GSK3β
Authors: Hamilton Kirsty , Morrow Kate , Markantoni Ermione , Harvey Jenni
Published: October 2023

Amyloid‐β (Aβ) and hyper‐phosphorylated tau are key hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD), with an accumulation of both proteins linked to hippocampal synaptic dysfunction. Recent evidence indicates that Aβ drives mis‐localisation of tau from axons to synapses, resulting in AMPA receptor (AMPAR) internalisation and impaired excitatory synaptic function. These tau‐driven synaptic impairments are thought to underlie the cognitive deficits in AD. Consequently, limiting the synapto‐toxic effects of tau may prevent AD‐related cognitive deficits. Increasing evidence links leptin dysfunction with higher AD risk, and numerous studies have identified neuroprotective properties of leptin in AD models of Aβ‐induced toxicity. However, it is unclear if leptin protects against tau‐related synaptic dysfunction. Here we show that Aβ1‐42 significantly increases dendritic and synaptic levels of tau and p‐tau in hippocampal neurons, and these effects were blocked by leptin. In accordance with GSK‐3β being involved in tau phosphorylation, the protective effects of leptin involve PI 3‐kinase (PI3K) activation and inhibition of GSK‐3β. Aβ1‐42‐driven synaptic targeting of tau was associated with the removal of GluA1‐containing AMPARs from synapses, which was also inhibited by leptin‐driven inhibition of GSK‐3β. Direct application of oligomeric tau to hippocampal neurons caused internalisation of GluA1‐containing AMPARs and this effect was blocked by prior application of leptin. Similarly, leptin prevented the ability of tau to block induction of activity‐dependent long‐term potentiation (LTP) at hippocampal SC‐CA1 synapses. These findings increase our understanding of the neuroprotective actions of leptin in the early pre‐clinical stages of AD and further validate the leptin system as a therapeutic target in AD.

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Consumption and Dignified Life: A Socio‐Historic Restatement
Authors: Brito Mauricio Casanova
Published: October 2023

This article provides an examination of the concept of consumption within the fields of sociology and economic historiography. Two theoretical approaches towards this phenomenon exist in the literature: the consumer society as a characteristic element of late capitalism in the 20th century and the society of consumption as a fundamental aspect in the historical origins of modern society between the 17th and 19th centuries. The article challenges one of the central premises of the first approach, which suggests that mass consumption contaminates a previously given society. Instead, I argue that the expansion of a consumer society during the early phase of capitalism created the conditions for the emergence of an emancipatory ideal of dignified life associated with a basic standard of consumption. This concept served as a historical precursor to the contemporary notion of absolute poverty.
Novel diversity within Roseofilum (Desertifilaceae, Cyanobacteria) from marine benthic mats with description of four new species
Authors: Wang Yi , Berthold David E. , Hu Jing , Lefler Forrest W. , Huang I‐Shuo , Laughinghouse H. Dail
Published: October 2023

Benthic cyanobacterial mats (BCMs) are natural phenomena in marine environments. Reports of BCMs occurring across coastal marine environments have increased, partly driven by nutrient loading and climate change; thus, there is a need to understand the diversity involved in the proliferations and potential toxicity of the BCMs. Furthermore, marine cyanobacterial mats are observed growing on and affecting the health of corals with one specific cyanobacterial genus, Roseofilum, dominating the microbial mats associated with black band disease (BBD), a destructive polymicrobial disease that affects corals. To explore the diversity of Roseofilum, cyanobacterial mats from various marine habitats were sampled, and individual isolates were identified based on morphology, 16S rRNA gene phylogenies, 16S–23S ITS rRNA region sequence dissimilarities, and phylogenomics. Four novel species of Roseofilum were isolated from benthic marine mats, three from the coasts of Florida, United States (R. capinflatum sp. nov., R. casamattae sp. nov., and R. acuticapitatum sp. nov.) and one from the coast of France (R. halophilum sp. nov.). Our analyses revealed that Roseofilum associated with coral BBD and those not associated with corals but rather from coastal benthic mats are systematically distinct based on both phylogenetic and phylogenomic analyses. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and LC–MS data indicated that microcystin production was found in one of the four species.
Fuzapladib in a randomized controlled multicenter masked study in dogs with presumptive acute onset pancreatitis
Authors: Steiner Joerg M. , Lainesse Chantal , Noshiro Yuya , Domen Yumiko , Sedlacek Heather , Bienhoff Stephen E. , Doucette Kelly P. , Bledsoe David L. , Shikama Hiroshi
Published: October 2023

Background

Currently, no specific treatment is available for acute onset pancreatitis (AP), and management relies on symptomatic and supportive standard of care (SOC). Fuzapladib is a novel leukocyte function‐associated antigen type‐1 (LFA‐1) activation inhibitor, blocking activation and subsequent adhesion and migration of neutrophils, potentially decreasing the risk of pancreatitis progression and systemic inflammation.

Objective

Evaluate the safety and clinical response of dogs with AP after 3 days of administration of fuzapladib.

Animals

Sixty‐one client‐owned dogs with presumptive AP.

Methods

Randomized, masked, and placebo controlled multicenter study. Sixty‐one dogs with AP were included for safety assessment, whereas 35 evaluable cases (fuzapladib, n = 16; placebo, n = 19) were included for clinical evaluation. Clinical improvement was assessed based on the change in the modified clinical activity index (MCAI) score on Day 3 compared to Day 0. Secondary variables included canine acute pancreatitis clinical severity index (CAPCSI) scores and serum concentrations of canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity, cytokines, and C‐reactive protein.

Results

Fuzapladib was well tolerated by all treated dogs. Mean change in MCAI scores was significantly higher in the fuzapladib‐treated (−7.75) than the placebo group (−5.68; P = .02, 95% confidence interval [CI] for the difference, −4.33, −0.35), suggesting clinical improvement in fuzapladib‐treated dogs. No significant difference was found in any of the secondary variables between groups.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

Administration of fuzapladib to dogs was safe, and a favorable response was detected in 2 clinical activity scores. Effects of fuzapladib on survival and duration of hospitalization were not studied.
Influence of predator suppression and prey availability on carnivore occurrence in western Himalaya
Authors: Patel J. , Sharma M. , Khanyari M. , Bijoor A. , Mishra C. , Harihar A. , Suryawanshi K.
Published: October 2023

Species assemblages are influenced by trophic and intraguild interactions, which may be competitive, facilitative, or neutral. These interactions vary in relative importance depending on resource availability. We assessed the nature of interactions among six carnivore species (Ursus arctos, Panthera uncia, Vulpes vulpes, Mustela altaica, and Martes foina) and their prey (Capra sibirica, Pseudois nayaur, Hemitragus jemlahicus, Moschus leucogaster, Ochotona sp., and Rodentia sp.) by examining their spatial–temporal overlaps using camera‐trap data gathered between 2016 and 2019 from the resource‐limited landscapes of the high Himalayas. We examined fine scale pairwise spatial interaction using multi‐species occupancy method and temporal overlap using time activity kernel densities function. Carnivore species showed relatively high spatio‐temporal overlap. We found spatial avoidance between two pairs and temporal avoidance between four out of 15 pairs. Contrary to our expectation that carnivore species would segregate due to competition in a resource‐poor environment, our results showed that they generally showed significant co‐occurrence and appeared to track their prey's activity. Our findings highlight the potentially overriding role of prey availability in influencing carnivore species occurrence in resource‐poor landscapes.
The Role of Modality in L2 Learning: The Importance of Learners Acquiring a Second Sign Language (M2L2 and M1L2 Learners)
Authors: Pichler Deborah Chen , Koulidobrova Elena
Published: October 2023

Second language acquisition (SLA) research offers valuable insight on how languages are learned and how they coexist and influence each other. Sign language learners offer unique perspectives on SLA, allowing researchers to test theories that are otherwise constrained by access to only one modality. Current literature on sign language learning focuses primarily on bimodal bilinguals, mostly hearing adults learning their first sign language (M2L2 learners). However, other groups of L2 signers exist, including deaf learners who have previously acquired a sign language and are learning a new one (M1L2 learners). M1L2 acquisition offers unique insights into complex interactions including multilingualism, modality, and timing of acquisition. We argue that M1L2 signers are a key comparison group for investigations of various L2 and so‐called modality effects and also represent a crucial test case for re‐examining the traditional constructs of “native speaker/signer” and the effects of initial language delay or deprivation on subsequent language acquisition.
Technologies of care and the engineering imaginary: Two approaches to assistive device design for the Global South
Authors: Sigounas Vaia Y.
Published: October 2023

Assistive devices serve as vectors for the ideals, judgments, and goals that their society of origin has towards people with disabilities. For some Ugandan inventors and prosthetists, familiarity with sociocultural norms and consistent feedback allow them to design prosthetic limbs as technologies of care that specifically meet the needs of Ugandans using these devices. In contrast, many biomedical engineers living in the United States rely on what I call the “engineering imaginary” to produce universalized forms of assistive technology intended for people living in an essentialized Global South. Drawing on research with engineers, prosthetists, and people living with limb loss in Uganda and the United States, I investigate the social and cultural aspects of prosthetic limb design and argue that there is a cross‐cultural mismatch about what a prosthetic device does and what kinds of limbs it should fit. This mismatch becomes inscribed in the prosthetic device itself.
RNase III participates in control of quorum sensing, pigmentation and oxidative stress resistance in Rhodobacter sphaeroides
Authors: Börner Janek , Friedrich Tobias , Klug Gabriele
Published: October 2023

RNase III is a dsRNA‐specific endoribonuclease, highly conserved in bacteria and eukarya. In this study, we analysed the effects of inactivation of RNase III on the transcriptome and the phenotype of the facultative phototrophic α‐proteobacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. RNA‐seq revealed an unexpectedly high amount of genes with increased expression located directly downstream to the rRNA operons. Chromosomal insertion of additional transcription terminators restored wild type‐like expression of the downstream genes, indicating that RNase III may modulate the rRNA transcription termination in R. sphaeroides. Furthermore, we identified RNase III as a major regulator of quorum‐sensing autoinducer synthesis in R. sphaeroides. It negatively controls the expression of the autoinducer synthase CerI by reducing cerI mRNA stability. In addition, RNase III inactivation caused altered resistance against oxidative stress and impaired formation of photosynthetically active pigment‐protein complexes. We also observed an increase in the CcsR small RNAs that were previously shown to promote resistance to oxidative stress. Taken together, our data present interesting insights into RNase III‐mediated regulation and expand the knowledge on the function of this important enzyme in bacteria.
Metabolic variations in root tissues and rhizosphere soils of weak host plants potently lead to distinct host status and chemotaxis regulation of Meloidogyne incognita in intercropping
Authors: Zhang Xu , Song Mengyuan , Gao Lihong , Tian Yongqiang
Published: October 2023

Root‐knot nematodes (RKNs) inflict extensive damage to global agricultural production. Intercropping has been identified as a viable agricultural tool for combating RKNs, but the mechanisms by which intercropped plants modulate RKN parasitism are still not well understood. Here, we focus on the cucumber–amaranth intercropping system. We used a range of approaches, including the attraction assay, in vitro RNA interference (RNAi), untargeted metabolomics, and hairy root transformation, to unveil the mechanisms by which weak host plants regulate Meloidogyne incognita chemotaxis towards host plants and control infection. Amaranth roots showed a direct repellence to M. incognita through disrupting its chemotaxis. The in vitro RNAi assay demonstrated that the Mi‐flp‐1 and Mi‐flp‐18 genes (encoding FMRFamide‐like peptides) regulated M. incognita chemotaxis towards cucumber and controlled infection. Moreover, M. incognita infection stimulated cucumber and amaranth to accumulate distinct metabolites in both root tissues and rhizosphere soils. In particular, naringenin and salicin, enriched specifically in amaranth rhizosphere soils, inhibited the expression of Mi‐flp‐1 and Mi‐flp‐18. In addition, overexpression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of pantothenic acid and phloretin, both of which were enriched specifically in amaranth root tissues, delayed M. incognita development in cucumber hairy roots. Together, our results reveal that both the distinct host status and disruption of chemotaxis contribute to M. incognita inhibition in intercropping.
Meloidogyne enterolobiiMeMSP1 effector targets the glutathione‐S‐transferase phi GSTF family in Arabidopsis to manipulate host metabolism and promote nematode parasitism
Authors: Chen Yongpan , Liu Qian , Sun Xuqian , Liu Lei , Zhao Jianlong , Yang Shanshan , Wang Xiangfeng , Quentin Michaël , Abad Pierre , Favery Bruno , Jian Heng
Published: October 2023

Meloidogyne enterolobii is an emerging root‐knot nematode species that overcomes most of the nematode resistance genes in crops. Nematode effector proteins secreted in planta are key elements in the molecular dialogue of parasitism. Here, we show the MeMSP1 effector is secreted into giant cells and promotes M. enterolobii parasitism.

Using co‐immunoprecipitation and bimolecular fluorescent complementation assays, we identified glutathione‐S‐transferase phi GSTFs as host targets of the MeMSP1 effector. This protein family plays important roles in plant responses to abiotic and biotic stresses. We demonstrate that MeMSP1 interacts with all Arabidopsis GSTF. Moreover, we confirmed that the N‐terminal region of AtGSTF9 is critical for its interaction, and atgstf9 mutant lines are more susceptible to root‐knot nematode infection.

Combined transcriptome and metabolome analyses showed that MeMSP1 affects the metabolic pathways of Arabidopsis thaliana, resulting in the accumulation of amino acids, nucleic acids, and their metabolites, and organic acids and the downregulation of flavonoids.

Our study has shed light on a novel effector mechanism that targets plant metabolism, reducing the production of plant defence‐related compounds while favouring the accumulation of metabolites beneficial to the nematode, and thereby promoting parasitism.
Aquatic insects balance growth with future supply of algal food resources
Authors: Botsch Jamieson C. , Book K. Riley , Phillips Joseph S. , Ives Anthony R.
Published: October 2023

Many consumers depend on the contemporaneous growth of their food resources. For example, Tanytarsus gracilentus midges feed on algae, and because midge generation time is much longer than that of algae, individual midges benefit not just from the standing stock but also from the growth of algae during their lifespans. This implies that an intermediate consumption rate maximizes midge somatic growth: low consumption rates constrain midge growth because they do not fully utilize the available food, whereas high consumption rates suppress algal biomass growth and consequently limit future food availability. An experiment manipulating midge presence and initial algal abundance showed that midges can suppress algal growth, as measured by changes in algal gross primary production (GPP). We also found a positive relationship between GPP and midge growth. A consumer–resource model fit to the experimental data showed a hump‐shaped relationship between midge consumption rates and their somatic growth. In the model, predicted midge somatic growth rates were only positively associated with GPP when their consumption rate was below the value that optimized midge growth. Therefore, midges did not overexploit algae in the experiment. This work highlights the balance that consumers which depend on contemporaneous resource growth might have to strike between short‐term growth and future food availability, and the benefits for consumers when they ‘manage' their resources well.
Apply Anticoagulants after Discharge not Benefit to the Incidence of Symptomatic Thrombus in High‐Altitude Areas: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Dang Xiangji , Liu Zhilong , Sheng Xiaoyun , Liu Yan
Published: October 2023

Objective

Many guidelines indicate that continuous use of anticoagulant drugs reduces the incidence of venous thrombus (VT), but no studies show the effect on the incidence of symptomatic venous thrombus (SVT) in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients after discharge. This study aimed to investigate whether it is necessary to apply anticoagulants to TKA patients after discharge.

Methods

Patients who met the exclusion criteria requirement, underwent TKA by the same surgical team and received anticoagulant therapy after the operation were eligible for the study. Finally, a total of 567 TKA patients were recruited as participants. The patients were divided into two groups. The patients in group A were taken low molecular heparin for 5–10 days after surgery, which included but was not limited to low molecular weight heparin calcium injection (0.4 mL, ih, Qd), calcium dioxin injection (0.6 mL, ih, Qd), or enoxaparin sodium injection (0.4 mL, ih, Qd), and the patients needed to continue oral anticoagulant drug (10 mg, po, Qd) for 7–21 days after discharge. The patients in group B only took low molecular heparin 5–10 days after surgery and no treatment after discharge. The baseline characteristics of patients, total complications of SVT include lower limb vascular pain (LLVP), lower limb vascular pain no fester (LLVPNF), lower limbs swelling (LLS), lower limb fester (LLF), and death by thrombosis (DT), bleeding and mortality following discharged were compared between two groups.

Results

The study showed that the incidence of SVT patients had no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.489). Moreover, the incidence of LLVP (p = 0.265), LLS (p = 0.84), LLVPNF (p = 0.213), LLF (p = 0.907), DT (p = 0.907), death from other causes, and bleeding (p = 0.323) had no significant differences between the two groups. However, the incidence of SVT in patients with smoking (p = 0.0001 or 0.0011) or drinking (p = 0.0002 or 0.0001) was significantly increased.

Conclusion

There is not enough evidence showing that the TKA patients given anticoagulants after discharge had benefits in decreasing the risk of SVT. Furthermore, smoking and drinking would significantly increase the risk of SVT in TKA patients.
What Is It To Have A Language?
Authors: Balcarras David
Published: October 2023

This article defends the view that having a language just is knowing how to engage in communication with it. It also argues that, despite claims to the contrary, this view is compatible and complementary with the Chomskyan conception of language on which humans have languages in virtue of being in brain states realizing tacit knowledge of grammars for those languages.
Pulsed radiofrequency or surgery for anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome: Long‐term results of a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Have Tom ten , Geffen Sem T. van , Zwaans Willem A. R. , Maatman Robbert C. , Boelens Oliver B. A. , Steegers Monique A. H. , Scheltinga Marc R. M. , Roumen Rudi M. H.
Published: October 2023

Purpose

Patients with anterior cutaneous nerve entrapment syndrome (ACNES) often require a step‐up treatment strategy including abdominal wall injections, pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) or a neurectomy. Long‐term success rates of PRF and surgery are largely unknown. The aim of the current study was to report on the long‐term efficacy of PRF and neurectomy in ACNES patients who earlier participated in the randomized controlled PULSE trial.

Methods

Patients who completed the PULSE trial were contacted about pain status and additional treatments in the following years. Treatment success was based on numerical rating scale (NRS) following IMMPACT recommendations and Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) scores.

Results

A total of 44 of the original 60 patients were eligible for analysis (73.3%). Median follow‐up was 71.5 months. One patient (4.3%) was still free of pain after a single PRF session, and five additional patients (21.7%) were free of pain by repetitive PRF treatments. By contrast, 13 patients (61.9%) in the neurectomy group were still free of pain without additional treatments. All pain recurrences and therefore primary re‐interventions occurred in the first 2 years after the initial treatment.

Conclusion

Approximately one in five ACNES patients undergoing PRF treatment reports long‐term success obviating the need of surgical intervention. Surgery for ACNES is long‐term effective in approximately two of three operated patients. Recurrent ACNES beyond 2 years after either intervention is rare.
Guide RNA scaffold variants enabled easy cloning of large gRNA cluster for multiplexed gene editing
Authors: Wang Yaqi , Li Xiaofei , Liu Minglei , Zhou Yingjia , Li Feng
Published: October 2023

Cas9 protein‐mediated gene editing has revolutionized genetic manipulation in most organisms. There are many cases where multiplexed gene editing is needed. Cas9 is capable of multiplex gene editing when expressed with multiple guide RNAs. Conventional cloning methods for multiplexed gene editing vector is not efficient due to repeated use of a single‐guide RNA scaffold and inefficient ligation. In this study, we conducted structure‐guided mutagenesis and random mutagenesis on the original sgRNA scaffold and identified a large number of functional sgRNA scaffold variants. With these scaffold variants and different tRNAs, fusion polymerase chain reaction protocol was developed to rapidly synthesize spacer‐scaffold‐tRNA‐spacer units with up to 9 targets. In conjunction with golden gate cloning, gene editing vectors with up to 24 target sites were efficiently cloned in one‐step cloning. One such gene editing vector targeting 12 genes in tomato were tested in stable transformation and 10 out of the 12 genes were found mutated in a single transgenic line. To facilitate the application of multiplexed gene editing using these scaffold variants and tRNAs from different species, a webserver was created to generate primer sets and provide template sequences for the synthesis of large sgRNA expression units based on the user‐supplied target sequences and species.
Photobiomodulation therapy enhances neural differentiation of dental pulp stem cells via ERK1/2 signaling pathway
Authors: Zhang Xinran , Li Haotian , Tang Lu , Zhu Biao , Yang Wenwen , Li Miao , Zhao Ying
Published: October 2023

Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) is the application of a low‐level laser device to generate physiological changes and provide therapeutic effects. Till now, the effects of PBMT on the neural differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells have been rarely reported. Herein, the potential effect and mechanism of PBMT on the neural differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) were preliminarily investigated in our research. The optimal dose of 3.75 J/cm2 was first screened for use in the following neural‐inducing studies. Then, DPSCs were cultured in neural induction medium and treated with laser irradiation for 7 days. From the results of morphology and immunofluorescence, we found that irradiation promoted the formation of neural stem cell‐like spheroids derived from DPSCs and enhanced potential neural differentiation. Furthermore, neural differentiation gene expressions of Nestin, microtubule‐associated protein‐2, and neural cell adhesion molecule were increased after PBMT irradiation. The protein expressions of class III β‐tubulin and neurogenic differentiation factor 1 were also improved. Meanwhile, the involvement of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK1/2) was investigated by western blot. Our study showed that the neural differentiation of DPSCs was promoted by PBMT, and the underlying mechanism in this process was associated with activating the ERK1/2 signaling pathway.
A single photodynamic priming protocol augments delivery of ⍺‐PD‐L1 mAbs and induces immunogenic cell death in head and neck tumors
Authors: Bhandari Chanda , Moffat Azophi , Fakhry John , Malkoochi Ashritha , Nguyen Austin , Trinh Brian , Hoyt Kenneth , Story Michael D. , Hasan Tayyaba , Obaid Girgis
Published: October 2023

Photodynamic priming (PDP) leverages the photobiological effects of subtherapeutic photodynamic therapy (PDT) regimens to modulate the tumor vasculature and stroma. PDP also sensitizes tumors to secondary therapies, such as immunotherapy by inducing a cascade of molecular events, including immunogenic cell death (ICD). We and others have shown that PDP improves the delivery of antibodies, among other theranostic agents. However, it is not known whether a single PDP protocol is capable of both inducing ICD in vivo and augmenting the delivery of immune checkpoint inhibitors. In this rapid communication, we show for the first time that a single PDP protocol using liposomal benzoporphyrin derivative (Lipo‐BPD, 0.25 mg/kg) with 690 nm light (75 J/cm2, 100 mW/cm2) simultaneously doubles the delivery of ⍺‐PD‐L1 antibodies in murine AT‐84 head and neck tumors and induces ICD in vivo. ICD was observed as a 3–11 fold increase in tumor cell exposure of damage‐associated molecular patterns (Calreticulin, HMGB1, and HSP70). These findings suggest that this single, highly translatable PDP protocol using clinically relevant Lipo‐BPD holds potential for improving immunotherapy outcomes in head and neck cancer. It can do so by simultaneously overcoming physical barriers to the delivery of immune checkpoint inhibitors, and biochemical barriers that contribute to immunosuppression.
The myth of full belief
Authors: Goodman Jeremy
Published: October 2023

Belief is typically understood to be the success‐neutral counterpart of knowledge. But there is no success‐neutral counterpart of knowledge.
Sophora tonkinensis: response and adaptation of physiological characteristics, functional traits, and secondary metabolites to drought stress
Authors: Liang Y. , Wei F. , Qin S. , Li M. , Hu Y. , Lin Y. , Wei G. , Wei K. , Miao J. , Zhang Z.
Published: October 2023

The medicinal plant Sophora tonkinensis is a characteristic Chinese shrub of karst areas. The arid climate in karst areas produces high‐quality S. tonkinensis; however, the mechanisms of drought tolerance are not clear, which restricts sustainable plantings of S. tonkinensis.

This study involved a 20‐day drought stress experiment with potted S. tonkinensis and threee soil water regimes: control (CK), mild drought (MDT), and severe drought (SDT). Plant morphology, biomass, physiological indicators, alkaloid content, and other changes under drought stress were monitored.

The content of soluble sugars and proteins, and activity of antioxidant enzymes in leaves and roots were higher under drought than CK, indicating that S. tonkinensis is tolerant to osmotic stress in early drought stages. Content of matrine and oxymatrine increased gradually with increasing drought duration in the short term. The epidermis of S. tonkinensis leaves have characteristics of desert plants, including upper epidermal waxy layer, lower epidermal villi, and relatively sunken stomata, suggesting that S. tonkinensis has strong drought tolerance.

In conclusion, drought stress changed the cell structure of S. tonkinensis, induced antioxidant enzyme activity and increased its resistance to drought.