bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of once‐weekly semaglutide versus thrice‐daily insulin aspart, both as add‐on to metformin and optimized insulin glargine treatment in participants with type 2 diabetes (SUSTAIN 11): A randomized, open‐label, multinational, phase 3b trial
Authors: Kellerer Monika , Kaltoft Margit Staum , Lawson Jack , Nielsen Lasse Lykke , Strojek Krzysztof , Tabak Ömür , Jacob Stephan
Published: May 2022

Aim

To compare the efficacy and safety of once‐weekly (OW) semaglutide versus thrice‐daily (TID) insulin aspart (IAsp) in participants with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes (T2D) treated with insulin glargine (IGlar) and metformin.

Materials and Methods

SUSTAIN 11 (NCT03689374) was a randomized (1:1), parallel, open‐label, multinational, phase 3b trial. After a 12‐week run‐in to optimize once‐daily IGlar U100, 1748 adults with T2D (HbA1c >7.5% to ≤10.0%) were randomized to OW semaglutide or TID IAsp as add‐on to optimized IGlar and metformin for 52 weeks. The primary outcome was change in HbA1c from randomization to week 52. Confirmatory secondary endpoints included the occurrence of severe hypoglycaemic episodes and change in body weight (BW). Safety was assessed.

Results

HbA1c (randomization: 8.6% [70.0 mmol/mol]) decreased by 1.5% points (16.6 mmol/mol) and 1.2% points (13.4 mmol/mol) with semaglutide (n = 874) and IAsp (n = 874), respectively (estimated treatment difference [ETD] −0.29% points [95% confidence interval {CI} −0.38; −0.20]; P < .0001 for non‐inferiority). Few severe hypoglycaemic episodes were recorded in either group, with no statistically significant difference between the groups. Change in BW from randomization (87.9 kg) to week 52 was in favour of semaglutide (−4.1 kg) versus IAsp (+2.8 kg) (ETD −6.99 kg [95% CI −7.41; −6.57]). A higher proportion of participants experienced adverse events with semaglutide (58.5%) versus IAsp (52.1%); most were mild to moderate.

Conclusions

In this basal insulin‐treated population, OW semaglutide improved glycaemic control to a greater extent than TID IAsp and provided numerically greater weight loss.
Prior actions influence cost–benefit‐related decision‐making during mouse foraging behaviours
Authors: Dylda Evelyn , Wang Kuan Hong
Published: May 2022

Food foraging is essential for the fitness of animals. Previous studies have suggested that optimal foraging strategies involve a cost–benefit analysis comparing reward versus effort to guide action choices. Little is known how prior experience with different actions to obtain rewards may affect subsequent foraging choices. Here, we report a sunflower seed foraging test to investigate how effort and prior actions influence decision‐making in laboratory mice. Sunflower seeds are a natural food favourite for mice, and mice spend effort to peel the hard shells to obtain the seeds. In our test, peeled and unpeeled sunflower seeds were placed at different ends of a Y‐maze. Mice were free to explore the maze and make foraging decisions. Naïve mice were more likely to choose peeled seeds requiring low effort versus unpeeled seeds requiring high effort. Furthermore, mice with prior seed peeling experience significantly reduced preference for peeled seeds during the subsequent Y‐maze foraging test, compared with mice pre‐exposed to peeled seeds only. This experience‐dependent shift in foraging choice was associated with reduced seed peeling time and improved motor skills with practice, and predictable on a trial‐by‐trial basis by a probabilistic decision‐making model with the amount of peeled and unpeeled seeds consumed as inputs. Together, these results suggest that laboratory mice make rational foraging choices based on effort estimation and moreover, prior actions to obtain reward alter effort estimation and decision‐making through motor skill learning. This naturalist behavioural task may be applied to dissect neural mechanisms in adaptive decision‐making during foraging.
Urethane anaesthesia exhibits neurophysiological correlates of unconsciousness and is distinct from sleep
Authors: Mondino Alejandra , González Joaquín , Li Duan , Mateos Diego , Osorio Lucía , Cavelli Matías , Castro‐Nin Juan Pedro , Serantes Diego , Costa Alicia , Vanini Giancarlo , Mashour George A. , Torterolo Pablo
Published: May 2022

Urethane is a general anaesthetic widely used in animal research. The state of urethane anaesthesia is unique because it alternates between macroscopically distinct electrographic states: a slow‐wave state that resembles non‐rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and an activated state with features of both REM sleep and wakefulness. Although it is assumed that urethane produces unconsciousness, this has been questioned because of states of cortical activation during drug exposure. Furthermore, the similarities and differences between urethane anaesthesia and physiological sleep are still unclear. In this study, we recorded the electroencephalogram (EEG) and electromyogram in chronically prepared rats during natural sleep–wake states and during urethane anaesthesia. We subsequently analysed the power, coherence, directed connectivity and complexity of brain oscillations and found that EEG under urethane anaesthesia has clear signatures of unconsciousness, with similarities to other general anaesthetics. In addition, the EEG profile under urethane is different in comparison with natural sleep states. These results suggest that consciousness is disrupted during urethane. Furthermore, despite similarities that have led others to conclude that urethane is a model of sleep, the electrocortical traits of depressed and activated states during urethane anaesthesia differ from physiological sleep states.
Emergence patterns of locally novel plant communities driven by past climate change and modern anthropogenic impacts
Authors: Staples Timothy L. , Kiessling Wolfgang , Pandolfi John M.
Published: May 2022

Anthropogenic disturbance and climate change can result in dramatic increases in the emergence of new, ecologically novel, communities of organisms. We used a standardised framework to detect local novel communities in 2135 pollen time series over the last 25,000 years. Eight thousand years of post‐glacial warming coincided with a threefold increase in local novel community emergence relative to glacial estimates. Novel communities emerged predominantly at high latitudes and were linked to global and local temperature change across multi‐millennial time intervals. In contrast, emergence of locally novel communities in the last 200 years, although already on par with glacial retreat estimates, occurred at midlatitudes and near high human population densities. Anthropogenic warming does not appear to be strongly associated with modern local novel communities, but may drive widespread emergence in the future, with legacy effects for millennia after warming abates.
Future climate risks from stress, insects and fire across US forests
Authors: Anderegg William R. L. , Chegwidden Oriana S. , Badgley Grayson , Trugman Anna T. , Cullenward Danny , Abatzoglou John T. , Hicke Jeffrey A. , Freeman Jeremy , Hamman Joseph J.
Published: May 2022

Forests are currently a substantial carbon sink globally. Many climate change mitigation strategies leverage forest preservation and expansion, but rely on forests storing carbon for decades to centuries. Yet climate‐driven disturbances pose critical risks to the long‐term stability of forest carbon. We quantify the climate drivers that influence wildfire and climate stress‐driven tree mortality, including a separate insect‐driven tree mortality, for the contiguous United States for current (1984–2018) and project these future disturbance risks over the 21st century. We find that current risks are widespread and projected to increase across different emissions scenarios by a factor of >4 for fire and >1.3 for climate‐stress mortality. These forest disturbance risks highlight pervasive climate‐sensitive disturbance impacts on US forests and raise questions about the risk management approach taken by forest carbon offset policies. Our results provide US‐wide risk maps of key climate‐sensitive disturbances for improving carbon cycle modeling, conservation and climate policy.
Terrestrial ecosystem restoration increases biodiversity and reduces its variability, but not to reference levels: A global meta‐analysis
Authors: Atkinson Joe , Brudvig Lars A. , Mallen‐Cooper Max , Nakagawa Shinichi , Moles Angela T. , Bonser Stephen P.
Published: May 2022

Ecological restoration projects often have variable and unpredictable outcomes, and these can limit the overall impact on biodiversity. Previous syntheses have investigated restoration effectiveness by comparing average restored conditions to average conditions in unrestored or reference systems. Here, we provide the first quantification of the extent to which restoration affects both the mean and variability of biodiversity outcomes, through a global meta‐analysis of 83 terrestrial restoration studies. We found that, relative to unrestored (degraded) sites, restoration actions increased biodiversity by an average of 20%, while decreasing the variability of biodiversity (quantified by the coefficient of variation) by an average of 14%. As restorations aged, mean biodiversity increased and variability decreased relative to unrestored sites. However, restoration sites remained, on average, 13% below the biodiversity of reference (target) ecosystems, and were characterised by higher (20%) variability. The lower mean and higher variability in biodiversity at restored sites relative to reference sites remained consistent over time, suggesting that sources of variation (e.g. prior land use, restoration practices) have an enduring influence on restoration outcomes. Our results point to the need for new research confronting the causes of variability in restoration outcomes, and close variability and biodiversity gaps between restored and reference conditions.
Suggesting method names based on graph neural network with salient information modelling
Authors: Kuang Li , Ge Fan , Zhang Lingyan
Published: May 2022

Descriptive method names have a great impact on improving program readability and facilitating software maintenance. Recently, due to high similarity between the task of method naming and text summarization, large amount of research based on natural language processing has been conducted to generate method names. However, method names are much shorter compared to long source code sequences. The salient information of the whole code snippet account for an relatively small part. Additionally, unlike natural language, source code has complicated structure information. Thus, modelling the salient information from highly structured input presents a great challenge. To tackle this problem, we propose a graph neural network (GNN)‐based model with a novel salient information selection layer. Specifically, to comprehensively encode the tokens of the source code, we employ a GNN‐based encoder, which can be directly applied to the code graph to ensure that the syntactic information of code structure and semantic information of code sequence can be modelled sufficiently. To effectively discriminate the salient information, we introduce an information selection layer which contains two parts: a global filter gate used to filter irrelevant information, and a semantic‐aware convolutional layer used to focus on the semantic information contained in code sequence. To improve the precision of the copy mechanism when decoding, we introduce a salient feature enhanced attention mechanism to facilitate the accuracy of copying tokens from input. Experimental results on an open source dataset indicate that our proposed model, equipped with the salient information selection layer, can effectively improve method naming performance compared to other state‐of‐the‐art models.
A randomized trial of relationship education using Within Our Reach for economically vulnerable couples
Authors: Barden Sejal M. , Carlson Ryan G. , Dillman Taylor Dalena , Dickenson Tammiee , Gao Ruiqin
Published: May 2022

Couples relationship education is grounded in teaching couples’ skills and strategies to form and sustain healthy relationships. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the impact of a relationship education intervention on emotion regulation, individual distress, dyadic coping, and relationship adjustment utilizing a randomized control trial for economically vulnerable couples. The analysis sample included 1418 couples (2836 individuals) who were randomly assigned to receive the 12‐h Within Our Reach curriculum immediately, or to a wait‐list control group. We estimated multilevel growth curve models over time among outcomes between treatment and wait‐list control conditions. Treatment group couples demonstrated statistically significant improvements over the 6‐month study period on emotional regulation and dyadic coping when compared to their wait‐list group counterparts. Although models showed improvements in individual distress and relationship adjustments, these improvements did not amount to statistically significant group differences. Implications and limitations are also noted.
Influence of wheel out‐of‐roundness on the remaining life of railway wheels under mixed‐mode fatigue loading
Authors: Yan Rui‐Guo , Wang Wen‐Jing , Guo Yu‐Tong , Liu Xiao‐Long , Wu Sheng‐Chuan , Zhang Zhen‐Xian
Published: May 2022

As a common condition in train operation, the out‐of‐roundness (OOR) of wheels may have a great influence on the life of cracked wheels. In this study, the I–II mixed‐mode crack growth rate of different angles was tested, finite element analysis was carried out by using the test results, and the influence of different wheel roundness conditions on the life of cracked wheels was revealed. The results show that the mode II stress intensity factor of mixed‐mode cracks is the main driving force for crack propagation in the process of wheel rim crack growth. With an increase in the wheel scar length and the order of the wheel polygon, the crack propagation life decreases significantly.
No xylem phenotypic plasticity in mature Picea abies and Fagus sylvatica trees after 5 years of throughfall precipitation exclusion
Authors: Petit Giai , Zambonini Dario , Hesse Benjamin D. , Häberle Karl‐Heinz
Published: May 2022

Forest trees are experiencing increasing frequency and intensity of drought events with climate change. We investigated xylem and phloem traits from mature Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies trees after 5 years of complete exclusion of throughfall precipitation during the growing season. Xylem and phloem anatomy, leaf and branch biomass were analysed along top branches of ~1.5 m lenght in 5 throughfall precipitation excluded (TE) and 5 control (CO) trees of both beech and spruce. Xylem traits were analysed on wood cores extracted from the stem at breast height. In the top branches of both species, the lumen diameter (or area) of xylem and phloem conduits did not differ between TE and CO trees. At breast height, TE trees of both species produced narrower xylem rings and conduits. While allocation to branch (BM) and needle biomass (LM) did not change between TE and CO in P. abies, TE F. sylvatica trees allocated proportionally more biomass to leaves (LM) than BM compared with CO. Despite artificial drought increased the mortality in the TE plots, our results revealed no changes in both xylem and phloem anatomies, undermining the hypothesis that successful acclimation to drought would primarily involve increased resistance against air embolism.
Predictive models for determining treatment response to nonprescription acute medications in migraine: Results from the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention Study
Authors: Ezzati Ali , Fanning Kristina M. , Buse Dawn C. , Pavlovic Jelena M. , Armand Cynthia E. , Reed Michael L. , Martin Vincent T. , Lipton Richard B.
Published: May 2022

Objective

To identify predictors of acute treatment response for nonprescription (over‐the‐counter [OTC]) medications among people with migraine and develop improved models for predicting treatment response.

Background

Pain freedom and sustained pain relief are important priorities in the acute treatment of migraine. OTC medications are widely used for migraine; however, it is not clear which treatment works best for each patient without going through the trial and error process.

Methods

A prediction model development study was completed using the 2006 American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention Study survey, from participants who were aged ≥18, met criteria and headache day frequency for episodic migraine, did not take prescription medication for migraine, and used ≥1 of the following acute migraine medication classes: acetaminophen, aspirin, NSAIDs, or caffeine containing combination products (CCP). Two items from the Migraine Treatment Optimization Questionnaire were used to evaluate treatment response, adequate 2‐h pain freedom (2hPF) and 24‐h pain relief (24hPR), which were defined by a response to treatment ≥half the time at 2 h and 24 h post treatment, respectively. We identified predictors of adequate treatment response and developed models to predict probability of treatment response to each medication class.

Results

The sample included 3852 participants (3038 [79.0%] females) with an average age of 45.0 years (SD = 12.8). Only 1602/3852 (41.6%) and 1718/3852 (44.6%) of the participants reported adequate 2hPF and 24hPR, respectively. Adequate treatment‐response was significantly predicted by lower average headache pain intensity, less cutaneous allodynia, and lower depressive symptom scores. Lower migraine symptom severity was predictive of adequate 2hPF and fewer monthly headache days was predictive of adequate 24hPR. Among participants reporting OTC monotherapy (n = 2168, 56.3%) individuals taking CCP were more likely to have adequate 2hPF (OR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.23–1.95) and 24hPR (OR = 1.79, 95% CI 1.18–1.88) in comparison with those taking acetaminophen. Predictive models were modestly predictive of responders to OTC medications (c‐statistics = 0.65; 95% CI 0.62–0.68).

Conclusion

These results show that response to acute migraine treatments is not optimized in the majority of people with migraine treating with OTC medications. Predictive models can improve our ability to choose the best therapeutic option for individuals with episodic migraine and increase the proportion of patients with optimized response to treatments.
Normal glymphatic system function in patients with migraine: A pilot study
Authors: Lee Dong Ah , Lee Ho‐Joon , Park Kang Min
Published: May 2022

Objective

No studies have evaluated the glymphatic system function in patients with migraine. In this pilot study, we evaluated and compared the alterations in the glymphatic system function in patients with migraine with healthy controls using a diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) analysis along the perivascular space (DTI‐ALPS) method. We also investigated the differences in the glymphatic system function table between patients with migraine with and without aura using the ALPS method.

Methods

This field study used a cross‐sectional study design. We prospectively enrolled patients with migraine and healthy controls. All brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including DTI, in participants, patients with migraine, and healthy controls were obtained using the same MRI scanner. We calculated and compared the ALPS index between patients with migraine and healthy controls, and between patients with migraine with and without aura. In addition, we investigated the association between the glymphatic system function and the clinical characteristics of migraine.

Results

We enrolled 92 patients with migraine and 80 healthy controls. There were no significant differences in the ALPS index between patients with migraine and healthy controls (1.655 ± 0.335 [patients with migraine] vs. 1.713 ± 0.297 [controls], difference = 0.058, 95% confidence interval [CI] of difference = −0.037 to 0.154, p = 0.233), and between patients with migraine with and without aura (1.690 ± 0.380 [with aura] vs. 1.645 ± 0.323 [without aura], difference = −0.044, 95% CI of difference = −0.213 to 0.124, p = 0.601). There was no significant correlation between the ALPS index and clinical characteristics of migraine, including age (r = −0.07, p = 0.507), age at onset (r = 0.07, p = 0.552), disease duration (r = −0.12, p = 0.306), attack frequency (r = −0.05, p = 0.668), and headache intensity (r = 0.00, p = 0.976).

Conclusions

There was no glymphatic system dysfunction in patients with migraine. Moreover, there were no differences in the glymphatic system function between patients with migraine with and without aura. We also demonstrated the feasibility of the ALPS method, which can be used for research on various neurological diseases. Further studies are needed to confirm our findings.
Short‐term outcomes of patients with chronic liver disease hospitalised with COVID‐19
Authors: Grgurevic Ivica , Lucijanić Marko , Pastrovic Frane , Barisic Jaman Mislav , Tjesic Drinkovic Ida , Zelenika Marko , Milosevic Marko , Medic Barbara , Kardum Dusko , Bokun Tomislav , Luksic Ivica , Piskac Zivkovic Nevenka , Keres Tatjana , Grabovac Vlatko , Persec Jasminka , Barsic Bruno
Published: May 2022

Background

Patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) might have an aggravated course after acquisition of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19).

Aims

To analyse the outcomes of patients with CLD who were hospitalised due to COVID‐19.

Methods

The medical records of 4014 patients hospitalised because of COVID‐19 in a regional referral hospital over a 12‐month period were analysed. Patients with CLD were identified based on discharge diagnoses according to the International Classification of Diseases‐10th Revision. Patients were followed for 30 days from admission and their outcomes (intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation (MV) or death) were analysed.

Results

Of the 4014 patients, 110 (2.7%) had CLD and 49 (1.2%) had cirrhosis. The median age of CLD patients was 67.5 years, 79 (71.8%) were males, 224 (23.5%) were obese, 56 (50.9%) reported alcohol abuse, 24 (21.8%) had non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease, 11 (10%) had viral hepatitis and 98 (89.1%) had pneumonia. The median length of hospitalisation was 12 days; 32 (29.1%) patients required ICU admission and 23 (20.9%) patients required MV, while 43 (39.1%) died. In univariate analysis, patients with cirrhosis (45% vs 73%, hazard ratio (HR) = 2.95; P < 0.001), but not those with non‐cirrhotic CLD (74% vs 73%; P > 0.05), experienced worse 30‐day survival when compared with age, sex and COVID‐19 duration‐matched cohorts. In a logistic regression analysis conducted on the overall and matched cohorts, liver cirrhosis, but not CLD, predicted inferior survival independently of age, comorbidities and severity of COVID‐19, with a fourfold higher adjusted risk of 30‐day mortality.

Conclusion

Cirrhosis is independently associated with higher 30‐day mortality of hospitalised patients with COVID‐19.
Microbial stowaways: Waterbirds as dispersal vectors of aquatic pro‐ and microeukaryotic communities
Authors: Szabó Beáta , Szabó Attila , Vad Csaba F. , Boros Emil , Lukić Dunja , Ptacnik Robert , Márton Zsuzsanna , Horváth Zsófia
Published: May 2022

Aim

Waterbirds are important dispersal vectors of multicellular organisms; however, no study to date has focused on their potential role in dispersing aquatic microbial communities. We explicitly studied endozoochory of prokaryotes and unicellular microeukaryotes by waterbirds using DNA metabarcoding. By directly comparing the dispersed set of organisms to the source pool of a natural metacommunity, we aimed at a realistic estimate of the importance of waterbird zoochory for natural microbial communities.

Location

Temporary saline soda pans in Austria and Hungary.

Taxon

Prokaryotes and unicellular microeukaryotes.

Methods

In 2017 and 2018, water samples were collected from a network of 25 temporary ponds along with fresh droppings of five waterbird species including the dominant greylag goose (Anser anser). Prokaryotic and microeukaryotic communities were identified via 16S and 18S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. After quality filtering of sequence reads, pro‐ and microeukaryotic amplicon sequence variant (ASV) compositions were compared between the aquatic and dropping samples, across years and waterbird species.

Results

28% of the dominant aquatic prokaryotic and 19% of the microeukaryotic ASVs were transported by A. anser. ASV richness was lower, but compositional variation was higher in A. anser droppings than in aquatic communities, probably resulting from stochastic pick‐up from multiple aquatic habitats. The composition of prokaryotic ASVs in bird droppings differed among the 2 years and reflected the actual aquatic communities. The dispersed set of microbes were largely similar among the waterbird species except for the planktivore filter‐feeder northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata), which dispersed more microeukaryotes than the other waterbirds.

Main conclusions

Using an amplicon sequencing approach to characterize aquatic microorganisms in waterbird droppings and in the associated environment, our study provides strong evidence for endozoochory of natural communities. These results imply that waterbirds may be crucial in maintaining ecological connectivity between aquatic habitats at the level of microbial communities.
Evaluating performance on a bespoke maths game with children with Down syndrome
Authors: Porter Jill
Published: May 2022

Background

Despite the interest and potential of multi touch devices, there are limited published studies researching their effectiveness and usability specifically with children with Down syndrome, one of the most common groups of children with an intellectual disability. This is particularly true for mathematical learning, an area in which many experience particular difficulty.

Objectives

The study set out to evaluate a bespoke digital game in which children learned to select which was “more,” a foundational skill for understanding magnitude.

Methods

A mixed methods approach was adopted with eight single case studies of children aged 9–14 years. Probes (untaught examples) were introduced to examine progress and the impact on performance in non‐digital contexts.

Results

Five pupils improved their performance on the digital games and this was sustained at the time of the delayed post‐test. Four pupils showed improved performance in non‐taught, non‐digital contexts for both taught and untaught ratios. Disaggregated data reveals the variability in performance, with peak performances occurring at different points of the intervention. The introduction of a two‐player version improved performance for five pupils through promoting sustained attention and strategic responses to winning. One child performed at chance level on the digital game throughout but made gains in non‐digital settings.

Conclusions

Bespoke learning tools have good potential to promote attention to numerosity. However, progress in digital contexts does not automatically transfer to non‐digital contexts. The study reveals the individual nature of the learning affordances of different pedagogic tools and the place of bespoke games within teachers' repertoires.
A novel strategy for deliveringNiemann‐Pick typeC2proteins across the blood–brain barrier using the brain endothelial‐specificAAV‐BR1virus
Authors: Rasmussen Charlotte Laurfelt Munch , Hede Eva , Routhe Lisa Juul , Körbelin Jakob , Helgudottir Steinunn Sara , Thomsen Louiza Bohn , Schwaninger Markus , Burkhart Annette , Moos Torben
Published: May 2022

Treating central nervous system (CNS) diseases is complicated by the incapability of numerous therapeutics to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB), mainly composed of brain endothelial cells (BECs). Genetically modifying BECs into protein factories that supply the CNS with recombinant proteins is a promising approach to overcome this hindrance, especially in genetic diseases, like Niemann Pick disease type C2 (NPC2), where both CNS and peripheral cells are affected. Here, we investigated the potential of the BEC‐specific adeno‐associated viral vector (AAV‐BR1) encoding NPC2 for expression and secretion from primary BECs cultured in anin vitroBBB model with mixed glial cells, and in healthy BALB/c mice. Transduced primary BECs had significantly increased NPC2 gene expression and secreted NPC2 after viral transduction, which significantly reversed cholesterol deposition in NPC2 deficient fibroblasts. Mice receiving an intravenous injection with AAV‐BR1‐NCP2‐eGFP were sacrificed 8 weeks later and examined for its biodistribution and transgene expression of eGFP and NPC2. AAV‐BR1‐NPC2‐eGFP was distributed mainly to the brain and lightly to the heart and lung, but did not label other organs including the liver. eGFP expression was primarily found in BECs throughout the brain but occasionally also in neurons suggesting transport of the vector across the BBB, a phenomenon also confirmedin vitro. NPC2 gene expression was up‐regulated in the brain, and recombinant NPC2 protein expression was observed in both transduced brain capillaries and neurons. Our findings show that AAV‐BR1 transduction of BECs is possible and that it may denote a promising strategy for future treatment of NPC2.

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Pitfalls of self‐reported measures of self‐control: Surprising insights from extreme debtors
Authors: Jia Lile , Yuen Wei Lun , Ong Qiyan , Theseira Walter Edgar
Published: May 2022

Objective

We took a rare opportunity to examine whether extreme debtors have inflated assessment of their self‐control capacity, potentially rendering self‐reported measures ineffective as prediction tools for debt risks.

Method

The self‐control profiles of extreme debtors (n = 1442), whose credit card debt amounted to more than 12 months of their income, were compared with samples of the general population (n = 505) and students from an elite university (n = 1011) on a self‐reported measure, a behavioral intention measure, and an executive function measure.

Results

Extreme debtors reported the highest self‐control on the self‐reported measure but scored the lowest on the behavioral intention measure and executive function. This pattern was robust across different subsections of demographics and diverse reasons of indebtedness.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that self‐reported measures may be more susceptible to psychological distortions than behavioral measures, a pitfall that past research has overlooked. Furthermore, we reveal a double whammy faced by extreme debtors: they have a low capacity to regulate their behavior but hold an illusory perception of high capacity, which may expose them to further debt accumulation. The insights from our study underscore the utility of examining extreme segments of the population for advancing psychological knowledge.
Infant feeding type and maternal sleep during the postpartum period: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Srimoragot Manassawee , Hershberger Patricia E. , Park Chang , Hernandez Teri L. , Izci Balserak Bilgay
Published: May 2022

The aim of this meta‐analysis was to examine the associations among infant feeding types, sleeping habits, and maternal sleep postpartum. Databases including Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied‐Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, and Google Scholar were searched in addition to reference lists from selected articles and other key references. A critical review of relevant articles from the data sources was conducted with attention to the infant feeding types and maternal night‐time sleep. The methodological quality was assessed systematically. The pooled mean difference was calculated. Narrative summaries were also used. A total of 6,472 participants from seven studies were included in the meta‐analysis. A random‐effects model demonstrated a significantly higher maternal night‐time sleep in breastfeeding mothers than non‐breastfeeding mothers with a pooled standardized mean difference of 0.24 h (95% confidence interval 0.03–0.46, p = 0.026). Co‐sleeping with infants during the night also increased the sleeping hours in breastfeeding mothers. Homogeneity was observed with a Tau2 of 0.0308 and I2 of 44.3%. Funnel plots, Egger's and Begg's tests revealed no evidence of publication bias. This systematic review and meta‐analysis demonstrated that breastfeeding may be associated with a longer night‐time sleep postpartum and the synthesis of the literature suggested that co‐sleeping with the infant was associated with longer sleep duration in breastfeeding women. Further research into factors involving maternal decisions on infant feeding types and their effects on maternal sleep is needed to better understand the mothers' attitude toward infant feeding and their own sleep.
Closing the hepatitis C treatment gap: United States strategies to improve retention in care
Authors: Jones Austin T. , Briones Christopher , Tran Torrence , Moreno‐Walton Lisa , Kissinger Patricia J.
Published: May 2022

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment landscape is shifting given the advent of direct‐acting antivirals and a global call to action by the World Health Organization. Eliminating HCV is now an issue of healthcare delivery. Treatment is limited by the complexity of the HCV care continuum, expensive therapy and competing health burdens experienced by an underserved HCV population. The objective of this literature review was to assess strategies to improve retention in HCV care, with particular focus on those implemented in the United States. We identified barriers in HCV care retention and propose solutions to increase HCV treatment delivery. The following recommendations are herein described: improving the cohesion of health services through localized care and integrated case management, expanding the supply of non‐specialist HCV treatment providers, leveraging patient navigators and care coordinators, improving adherence through directly observed therapy and reducing cost barriers through value‐based payment and pharmaceutical subscription models.
New insights into the etiology, risk factors, and pathogenesis of pancreatitis in dogs: Potential impacts on clinical practice
Authors: Cridge Harry , Lim Sue Yee , Algül Hana , Steiner Jörg M.
Published: May 2022

While most cases of pancreatitis in dogs are thought to be idiopathic, potential risk factors are identified. In this article we provide a state‐of‐the‐art overview of suspected risk factors for pancreatitis in dogs, allowing for improved awareness and detection of potential dog‐specific risk factors, which might guide the development of disease prevention strategies. Additionally, we review important advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of pancreatitis and potential areas for therapeutic manipulation based thereof. The outcome of pathophysiologic mechanisms and the development of clinical disease is dependent on the balance between stressors and protective mechanisms, which can be evaluated using the critical threshold theory.
Cytomegalovirus viral interleukin‐10 in patients with Aspergillus infection and effects on clinical outcome
Authors: Huang Shiang‐Fen , Huang Yu‐Chi , Lee Chen‐Te , Chou Kun‐Ta , Chen Hsin‐Pai , Huang Chia‐Chang , Ji Dar‐Der , Chan Yu‐Jiun , Yang Ying‐Ying
Published: May 2022

Background

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is associated with aspergillosis, but the simultaneous presence of CMV viral interleukin‐10 (cmvIL‐10) and aspergillosis has never been investigated. CmvIL‐10 is produced by CMV‐infected cells and acts as an immune modulator during CMV infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate cmvIL‐10 levels in peripheral blood and its influence on the clinical outcomes of Aspergillus infection.

Methods

Patients who visited or were admitted to the hospital with suspected Aspergillus infection, including invasive aspergillosis (IA) and chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA), were prospectively enrolled. The cmvIL‐10, human IL‐10 (hIL‐10), IL‐1B, IL‐6, IL‐8, IFN‐γ, and TNF‐α levels in peripheral blood were measured.

Results

Patients with Aspergillus infection had a higher level of cmvIL‐10 than the control group (158 ± 305 vs 27.9 ± 30.4 pg/ml, p < .05). The level of cmvIL‐10 was not correlated with CMV viremia or end‐organ disease. The cmvIL‐10 but not hIL‐10 level was positively correlated with the IFN‐γ level (p < .05) and marginally negatively correlated with IL‐1B and IL‐8 levels (p < .1). In patients with CPA, a high level of cmvIL‐10 (≥100 pg/ml) was a poor prognostic factor for long‐term survival (p < .05). In contrast, CMV viremia or end‐organ disease was associated with poor survival in patients with IA (p = .05).

Conclusions

Aspergillus infection was associated with CMV coinfection with cmvIL‐10 in blood. A cmvIL‐10 concentration ≥100 pg/ml was a predictor for unfavourable outcome in CPA patients.
Changes and differences in school food standards (2010–2021) and free school meal provision during COVID‐19 across the UK: Potential implications for children's diets
Authors: McIntyre Rebecca Louise , Adamson Ashley J , Nelson Michael , Woodside Jayne , Beattie Shirley , Spence Suzanne
Published: May 2022

This paper explores changes to school food standards from 2010, free school meal provision during the COVID‐19 pandemic across the UK and potential implications for children's diets. To obtain information on UK school food policies and free school meal provision methods we reviewed several sources including news articles, policy documents and journal articles. School food is an important part of the UK's health agenda and commitment to improving children's diets. Each UK nation has food‐based standards implemented, however, only Scotland and Wales also have nutrient‐based standards. School food standards in each nation have been updated in the last decade. Universal free school meals are available for children in the first 3 years of primary school in England and the first 5 years of primary school in Scotland, with plans announced for implementation of free school meals for all primary schoolchildren in Scotland and Wales. There is a lack of consistent monitoring of school food across the UK nations, and a lack of reporting compliance to the standards. Each nation differed in its response and management of free school meals during COVID‐related school closures. Further, there are issues surrounding the monitoring of the methods to provide free school meal support during school closures. The role of school food has been highlighted during COVID‐19, and with this, there have been calls for a review of free school meal eligibility criteria. The need for improved and consistent monitoring of school food across the UK remains, as does the need to evaluate the impact of school food on children's diets.
Rampant nuclear–mitochondrial–plastid phylogenomic discordance in globally distributed calcifying microalgae
Authors: Kao Tzu‐Tong , Wang Tzu‐Haw , Ku Chuan
Published: May 2022

Incongruent phylogenies have been widely observed between nuclear and plastid or mitochondrial genomes in terrestrial plants and animals. However, few studies have examined these patterns in microalgae or the discordance between the two organelles.

Here we investigated the nuclear–mitochondrial–plastid phylogenomic incongruence in Emiliania–Gephyrocapsa, a group of cosmopolitan calcifying phytoplankton with enormous populations and recent speciations. We assembled mitochondrial and plastid genomes of 27 strains from across global oceans and temperature regimes, and analyzed the phylogenomic histories of the three compartments using concatenation and coalescence methods.

Six major clades with varying morphology and distribution are well recognized in the nuclear phylogeny, but such relationships are absent in the mitochondrial and plastid phylogenies, which also differ substantially from each other. The rampant phylogenomic discordance is due to a combination of organellar capture (introgression), organellar genome recombination, and incomplete lineage sorting of ancient polymorphic organellar genomes. Hybridization can lead to replacements of whole organellar genomes without introgression of nuclear genes and the two organelles are not inherited as a single cytoplasmic unit.

This study illustrates the convoluted evolution and inheritance of organellar genomes in isogamous haplodiplontic microalgae and provides a window into the phylogenomic complexity of marine unicellular eukaryotes.
A replication of “an experimental test of the expectancy‐disconfirmation theory of citizen satisfaction”
Authors: Chen Wenna , Dong Binzizi , Hsieh Chih‐Wei , Lee M. Jin , Liu Ning , Walker Richard M. , Wang Yao , Wen Bo , Wen Wen , Wu Peiyi , Wu Xia , Zhang Jiasheng
Published: May 2022

To better understand citizen satisfaction with public services, public administration research has adopted the expectancy‐disconfirmation model in recent years. This model proposes that satisfaction is a function of perceived performance and expectations. Recent quantitative and experimental studies of the expectancy‐disconfirmation model have supported the framework. However, few replications have been conducted and none outside western contexts. We conducted two narrow, robust experimental replications of Van Ryzin (2013, Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 32(3), pp. 597–614) in the Chinese cities of Hong Kong (in 2017) and Shenzhen (in 2021). We found support for the findings reported in Van Ryzin (2013) and concluded that the expectancy‐disconfirmation model holds promise in a variety of settings as a framework for measuring citizen satisfaction with public services.
Bearing Witness: The Duty of Non‐indifference and the Case for Reading the News
Authors: Brown Brookes
Published: May 2022

Ignorance of current events is ordinarily treated as a moral failing. In this article, I argue that much of this ire is misplaced. The disengaged are no less positioned to do good or dispense beneficence, no more arrogant or complicit than those glued to the headlines. Nonetheless, I contend that citizens do have moral reason to remain informed – they ought not be indifferent to others. This, I show, provides a standing reason to pay attention to distant strangers: by bearing witness, we avoid indifference. It follows that we should reconsider our media diet and our critiques of the disengaged.
Genome‐wide association study revealed TaHXK3‐2A as a candidate gene controlling stomatal index in wheat seedlings
Authors: Li Shumin , Yu Shizhou , Zhang Yifang , Zhu Dehe , Li Fangfang , Chen Bin , Mei Fangming , Du Linying , Ding Li , Chen Lei , Song Jiancheng , Kang Zhensheng , Mao Hude
Published: May 2022

Stomata are important channels for the control of gas exchange between plants and the atmosphere. To examine the genetic architecture of wheat stomatal index, we performed a genome‐wide association study (GWAS) using a panel of 539 wheat accessions and 450 678 polymorphic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that were detected using wheat‐specific 660K SNP array. A total of 130 SNPs were detected to be significantly associated with stomatal index in both leaf surfaces of wheat seedlings. These significant SNPs were distributed across 16 chromosomes and involved 2625 candidate genes which participate in stress response, metabolism and cell/organ development. Subsequent bulk segregant analysis (BSA), combined with GWAS identified one major haplotype on chromosome 2A, that is responsible for stomatal index on the abaxial leaf surface. Candidate gene association analysis revealed that genetic variation in the promoter region of the hexokinase gene TaHXK3‐2A was significantly associated with the stomatal index. Moreover, transgenic analysis confirmed that TaHXK3‐2A overexpression in wheat decreased the size of leaf pavement cells but increased stomatal density through the glucose metabolic pathway, resulting in drought sensitivity among TaHXK3‐2A transgenic lines due to an increased transpiration rate. Taken together, these results provide valuable insights into the genetic control of the stomatal index in wheat seedlings.
Taxonomic and thematic semantic relationships in picture naming as revealed by Laplacian‐transformed event‐related potentials
Authors: Anderson Elizabeth J. , Midgley Katherine J. , Holcomb Phillip J. , Riès Stephanie K.
Published: May 2022

Semantically related concepts co‐activate when we speak. Prior research reported both behavioral interference and facilitation due to co‐activation during picture naming. Different word relationships may account for some of this discrepancy. Taxonomically related words (e.g., WOLF‐DOG) have been associated with semantic interference; thematically related words (e.g., BONE‐DOG) have been associated with facilitation. Although these different semantic relationships have been associated with opposite behavioral outcomes, electrophysiological studies have found inconsistent effects on event‐related potentials. We conducted a picture‐word interference electroencephalography experiment to examine word retrieval dynamics in these different semantic relationships. Importantly, we used traditional monopolar analysis as well as Laplacian transformation allowing us to examine spatially deblurred event‐related components. Both analyses revealed greater negativity (150–250 ms) for unrelated than related taxonomic pairs, though more restricted in space for thematic pairs. Critically, Laplacian analyses revealed a larger negative‐going component in the 300 to 500 ms time window in taxonomically related versus unrelated pairs which were restricted to a left frontal recording site. In parallel, an opposite effect was found in the same time window but localized to a left parietal site. Finding these opposite effects in the same time window was feasible thanks to the use of the Laplacian transformation and suggests that frontal control processes are concurrently engaged with cascading effects of the spread of activation through semantically related representations.
Genomic sequence of the HLA‐B*15:01:02 and HLA‐C*08:72:01 alleles identified in Gujarati individuals
Authors: Chaudhary Akshay , Thakker Nirali C. , Buch Hiteshree , Shah Sandip , Kumar Prabin
Published: May 2022

The full length sequence of HLA‐B*15:01:02 and HLA‐C*08:72:01 are reported.
Arabidopsis B‐box transcription factors BBX20‐22 promote UVR8 photoreceptor‐mediated UV‐B responses
Authors: Podolec Roman , Wagnon Timothée B. , Leonardelli Manuela , Johansson Henrik , Ulm Roman
Published: May 2022

Plants undergo photomorphogenic development in the presence of light. Photomorphogenesis is repressed by the E3 ubiquitin ligase CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC 1 (COP1), which binds to substrates through their valine–proline (VP) motifs. The UV RESISTANCE LOCUS 8 (UVR8) photoreceptor senses UV‐B and inhibits COP1 through the cooperative binding of its own VP motif and photosensing core to COP1, thereby preventing COP1 binding to substrates, including the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcriptional regulator ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5 (HY5). As a key promoter of visible light and UV‐B photomorphogenesis, HY5 requires coregulators for its function. The B‐box family transcription factors BBX20–BBX22 were recently described as HY5 rate‐limiting coactivators under red light, but their role in UVR8 signaling was unknown. Here we describe a hypermorphic bbx21‐3D mutant with enhanced photomorphogenesis, carrying a proline‐to‐leucine mutation at position 314 in the VP motif that impairs the interaction with and regulation by COP1. We show that BBX21 and BBX22 are UVR8‐dependently stabilized after UV‐B exposure, which is counteracted by a repressor induced by HY5/BBX activity. bbx20 bbx21 bbx22 mutants under UV‐B are impaired in hypocotyl growth inhibition, photoprotective pigment accumulation and the expression of several HY5‐dependent genes under continuous UV‐B, but the immediate induction of marker genes after exposure to UV‐B remains surprisingly rather unaffected. We conclude that BBX20–BBX22 contribute to HY5 activity in a subset of UV‐B responses, but that additional, presently unknown, coactivators for HY5 are functional in early UVR8 signaling.