bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SOX5: Lamb–Shaffer syndrome—A case series further expanding the phenotypic spectrum
Authors: Edgerley Katharine , Bryson Lisa , Hanington Lucy , Irving Rachel , Joss Shelagh , Lampe Anne , Maystadt Isabelle , Osio Deborah , Richardson Ruth , Split Miranda , Sansbury Francis H. , Scurr Ingrid , Stewart Helen , McNeil Alisdair , Low Karen
Published: March 2023

To delineate further the clinical phenotype of Lamb–Shaffer Syndrome (LSS) 16 unpublished patients with heterozygous variation in SOX5 were identified either through the UK Decipher database or the study team was contacted by clinicians directly. Clinical phenotyping tables were completed for each patient by their responsible clinical geneticist. Photos and clinical features were compared to assess key phenotypes and genotype–phenotype correlation. We report 16 SOX5 variants all of which meet American College of Medical Genetics/Association for Clinical Genomic Science ACMG/ACGS criteria class IV or V. 7/16 have intragenic deletions of SOX5 and 9/16 have single nucleotide variants (including both truncating and missense variants). The cohort includes two sets of monozygotic twins and parental gonadal mosaicism is noted in one family. This cohort of 16 patients is compared with the 71 previously reported cases and corroborates previous phenotypic findings. As expected, the most common findings include global developmental delay with prominent speech delay, mild to moderate intellectual disability, behavioral abnormalities and sometimes subtle characteristic facial features. We expand in more detail on the behavioral phenotype and observe that there is a greater tendency toward lower growth parameters and microcephaly in patients with single nucleotide variants. This cohort provides further evidence of gonadal mosaicism in SOX5 variants; this should be considered when providing genetic counseling for couples with one affected child and an apparently de novo variant.
Two‐Qubit Steerability, Nonlocality, and Average Steered Coherence under Classical Dephasing Channels
Authors: Rahman Atta ur , Abd‐Rabbou M. Y. , Haddadi Saeed , Ali Hazrat
Published: March 2023

When two qubits are prepared in a mixture of two Bell states and exposed to local transmission channels, the dynamics of steerability, Bell nonlocality, and average steered coherence are investigated. Disorders are assumed to influence the channels, resulting in either Markovian Ornstein–Uhlenbeck noise or non‐Markovian static noise in two models: a single noisy channel or two local noisy channels. Their findings show that the type and number of classical channels, noise, and initial state must be in an optimal setting in order to preserve quantum correlations.
A Tunable Colorimetric Carbon Dioxide Sensor Based on Ion‐Exchanger‐ and Chromoionophore‐Doped Hydrogel
Authors: Zhang Yupu , Du Xinfeng , Zhai Jingying , Xie Xiaojiang
Published: March 2023

We report here a colorimetric carbon dioxide (CO2) optode sensor with a polypropylene microporous membrane on top of a thin layer (30 μm) of polyurethane hydrogel. The diffusion of CO2 across the polypropylene membrane induced pH changes in the hydrogel containing a lipophilic indicator, a cation exchanger, and a cationic amine. The ratio of the indicator and the cation exchanger was successfully utilized to adjust the sensitivity of the CO2 response. Increasing the relative amount of the cation exchanger made the sensor much more sensitive to CO2 in the lower concentration range. Moreover, the carbarmic formation reaction between the primary amine and CO2 was investigated. The results indicated a very small contribution of carbarmic formation to the overall pH change. With a detection limit of 0.014 % for the CO2 partial pressure, the sensor was successful applied to monitor CO2 evolution during yeast catalyzed flour fermentation.
Involvement of Transcriptional Factor Pbx1 in Peripheral B Cell Homeostasis to Constrain Lupus Autoimmunity
Authors: Gu Shuangshuang , Zhang Jinsong , Han Xiaxia , Ding Huihua , Yao Chao , Ye Zhizhong , Yin Zhihua , Hou Guojun , Jiang Yang , Qian Jie , Zhou Haibo , Guo Qiang , Chen Sheng , Dai Dai , Shen Nan
Published: March 2023

Objective

Disruption of B cell homeostasis and subsequent dominance of effector B cell subsets are critical for the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Revealing the key intrinsic regulators involved in the homeostatic control of B cells has important therapeutic value for SLE. This study was undertaken to determine the regulatory role of the transcription factor Pbx1 in B cell homeostasis and lupus pathogenesis.

Methods

We constructed mice with B cell–specific deletion of Pbx1. T cell–dependent and T cell–independent humoral responses were induced by intraperitoneal injection of nitrophenyl‐containing hapten (NP) conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin or NP‐Ficoll. The regulatory effects of Pbx1 on autoimmunity were observed in a Bm12‐induced lupus murine model. We investigated mechanisms of Pbx1 using RNA sequencing, the cleavage under targets and tagmentation assay, and chromatin immunoprecipitation–quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay. We transduced B cells from SLE patients with plasmids that overexpressed PBX1 to explore the in vitro therapeutic efficacy of PBX1.

Results

Pbx1 was specifically down‐regulated in autoimmune B cells and negatively correlated with disease activity. The deficiency of Pbx1 in B cells resulted in excessive humoral responses following immunization. In the Bm12‐induced lupus model, mice with B cell–specific Pbx1 deficiency displayed enhancements in germinal center responses, plasma cell differentiation, and autoantibody production. Pbx1‐deficient B cells had increased survival and proliferative advantages after activation. Pbx1 regulated genetic programs by directly targeting critical components of the proliferation and apoptosis pathways. In SLE patients, PBX1 expression was negatively correlated with effector B cell expansion; when PBX1 expression was enforced, the survival and proliferative capacity of SLE B cells were attenuated.

Conclusion

Our study reveals the regulatory function and mechanism of Pbx1 in adjusting B cell homeostasis and highlights Pbx1 as a therapeutic target in SLE.

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Contactin‐6‐deficient male mice exhibit the abnormal function of the accessory olfactory system and impaired reproductive behavior
Authors: Zhang Wei , Huang Huiling , Gui Ailing , Mu Di , Zhao Tian , Li Hongtao , Watanabe Kazutada , Xiao Zhicheng , Ye Haihong , Xu Yiliang
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Contactin‐6 (CNTN6), also known as NB‐3, is a neural recognition molecule and a member of the contactin subgroup of the immunoglobulin superfamily. Gene encoding CNTN6 is expressed in many regions of the neural system, including the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) in mice. We aim to determine the effect of CNTN6 deficiency on the function of the accessory olfactory system (AOS).

Methods

We examined the effect of CNTN6 deficiency on the reproductive behavior of male mice through behavioral experiments such as urine sniffing and mate preference tests. Staining and electron microscopy were used to observe the gross structure and the circuitry activity of the AOS.

Results

Cntn6 is highly expressed in the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and the AOB, and sparsely expressed in the medial amygdala (MeA) and the medial preoptic area (MPOA), which receive direct and/or indirect projections from the AOB. Behavioral tests to examine reproductive function in mice, which is mostly controlled by the AOS, revealed that Cntn6−/− adult male mice showed less interest and reduced mating attempts toward estrous female mice in comparison with their Cntn6+/+ littermates. Although Cntn6−/− adult male mice displayed no obvious changes in the gross structure of the VNO or AOB, we observed the increased activation of granule cells in the AOB and the lower activation of neurons in the MeA and the MPOA as compared with Cntn6+/+ adult male mice. Moreover, there were an increased number of synapses between mitral cells and granule cells in the AOB of Cntn6−/− adult male mice as compared with wild‐type controls.

Conclusion

These results indicate that CNTN6 deficiency affects the reproductive behavior of male mice, suggesting that CNTN6 participated in normal function of the AOS and its ablation was involved in synapse formation between mitral and granule cells in the AOB, rather than affecting the gross structure of the AOS.
Causal effect of psychiatric disorders on epilepsy: A two‐sample Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Li Gongfei , Wang Minghui , Zheng Meiqi , Liu Xiao , Yu Tingting , Ren Jiechuan , Wang Qun
Published: March 2023

Background

This study aims to explore the relationship between psychiatric disorders and the risk of epilepsy using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Methods

We collected summary statistics of seven psychiatric traits from recent largest genome‐wide association study (GWAS), including major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety disorder, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), bipolar disorder (BIP), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia (SCZ), and insomnia. Then, MR analysis estimates were performed based on International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) consortium data (ncase = 15,212 and ncontrol = 29,677), the results of which were subsequently validated in FinnGen consortium (ncase = 6260 and ncontrol = 176,107). Finally, a meta‐analysis was conducted based on the ILAE and FinnGen data.

Results

We found significant causal effects of MDD and ADHD on epilepsy in the meta‐analysis of the ILAE and FinnGen, with corresponding odds ratios (OR) of 1.20 (95% CI 1.08–1.34, p = .001) and 1.08 (95% CI 1.01–1.16, p = .020) by the inverse‐variance weighted (IVW) method respectively. MDD increases the risk of focal epilepsy while ADHD has a risk effect on generalized epilepsy. No reliable evidence regarding causal effects of other psychiatric traits on epilepsy was identified.

Conclusions

This study suggests that major depressive disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may causally increase the risk of epilepsy.
Three New Steriodal Saponins from the Rhizomes of Tupistra chinensis Baker
Authors: He Xuefeng , Yuan Xiaofeng , Liu Yang , Qiu Pengcheng , Bi Linlin , Tang Haifeng , Lu Yunyang
Published: March 2023

The phytochemical constituent investigation on the 70 % ethanol extract of the rhizomes of Tupistra chinensis Baker resulted in the isolation of three new steroidal saponins which were named tuchinosides A–C (1–3). Their structures were determined by extensive spectrum analysis and chemical evidence, especially 2D NMR and HR‐ESI‐MS techniques. In addition, the cytotoxicity of compounds 1–3 against several human cancer cell lines was evaluated.
Dynamic expression of H19 and MALAT1 and their correlation with tumor progression biomarkers in a multistage hepatocarcinogenesis model
Authors: El‐Daly Sherien M. , El‐Bana Mona A. , Abd El‐Rahman Sahar S. , Latif Yasmin Abdel , Medhat Dalia
Published: March 2023

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progresses sequentially in a stepwise pattern. Long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) can regulate the complex cascade of hepatocarcinogenesis. Our study aimed to elucidate the expression profile of H19 and MALAT1 during the different stages of hepatocarcinogenesis and the correlation between H19 and MALAT1 with the genes implicated in the carcinogenesis cascade. We employed a chemically induced hepatocarcinogenesis murine model to mimic the successive stages of human HCC development. Using real‐time PCR, we analyzed the expression patterns of H19 and MALAT1, as well as the expression of biomarkers implicated in the Epithelial‐Mesenchymal transition (EMT). The protein expression of the mesenchymal marker vimentin was also evaluated using immunohistochemistry in the stepwise induced stages. The histopathological evaluation of the liver tissue sections revealed significant changes during the experiment, with HCC developing at the final stage. Throughout the stages, there was a dynamic significant increase in the expression of H19 and MALAT1 compared to the normal control. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference between each stage and the preceding one. The tumor progression biomarkers (Matrix Metalloproteinases, vimentin, and β‐catenin) exhibited the same trend of steadily increasing levels. However, in the case of Zinc finger E‐box‐binding homeobox 1 and 2 (ZEB1 and ZEB2), the significant elevation was only detected at the last stage of induction. The correlation between lncRNAs and the tumor progression biomarkers revealed a strong positive correlation between the expression pattern of H19 and MALAT1 with Matrix Metalloproteinases 2 and 9 and vimentin. Our findings imply that genetic and epigenetic alterations influence HCC development in a stepwise progressive pattern.
Adult‐onset Still's disease after SARS‐Cov‐2 infection
Authors: Achour Tayssir Ben , Elhaj Wiem Ben , Jridi Maysam , Naceur Ines , Smiti Monia , Ghorbel Imed Ben , Lamloum Mounir , Said Fatma , Houman Mohamed Habib
Published: March 2023

Adult‐onset Still's disease (AOSD) is an uncommon inflammatory disorder. AOSD and SARS‐Cov‐2 infection share clinical and laboratory features, including systemic inflammation. A 19‐year‐old woman had prolonged fever for 3 weeks, joint pain, and biological inflammatory syndrome. Post COVID‐19 AOSD was diagnosed. SARS‐Cov‐2 infection induces many inflammatory diseases including AOSD.
Intravenous plus intravitreal erythropoietin for management of methanol toxicity optic neuropathy: A case report and brief review
Authors: Rashidi Alavijeh Mehran , Mazaheri‐Tehrani Sadegh , Saffari Amir Sepehr , Fazel Mohammadreza , Fazel Farhad
Published: March 2023

Methanol can inhibit cellular aerobic respiration pathway and causes cell hypoxia specially in optic neurons. Despite using many drugs, methanol‐induced optic neuropathy (MION) still has a poor prognosis. Here we present a case of MION which is managed by a combination of intravenous and intravitreal erythropoietin in addition to corticosteroids.
Bereit für die Gigafabriken von morgen
Authors: Manke David
Published: March 2023

Die Ystral‐Technologie verkürzt die Prozesszeit zur Herstellung von Lithium‐Ionen‐Elektroden‐Slurries. Sie saugt Pulverstoffe staubfrei unter Vakuum in einen Flüssigkeitsstrom ein und ermöglicht dadurch eine Dispergierung der Pulverpartikel innerhalb von Millisekunden. Im Produktionsmaßstab erzielt die neue Lösung eine mehr als 10‐fach höhere Produktivität im Vergleich zu gängigen Planetenmischern.
Verknüpfte Datenbanken in der Prozessindustrie
Authors: Ochsenreither Steffen
Published: March 2023

Jeder Hersteller in der Prozess‐Automatisierung baut eigene IIoT‐Anwendungen und damit verknüpft eigene Cloud‐Lösungen. Die Integration von Informationen aus dem IIoT‐ökosystem Netilion von Endress+Hauser in führende Systeme, bspw. in das SAP Business
A Tetravalent Plutonium Organic Framework Containing [Pu2O16] Dimers as Secondary Building Units: Synthesis, Structure, and Radiation Stability
Authors: Zhang Yugang , Du Yingzhe , Li Lili , Tao Ye , Li Kai , Zhang Hailong , Wang Yanlong , Chen Lanhua , Wang Yaxing , Chai Zhifang , Wang Shuao
Published: March 2023

Comprehensive Summary

The second example of tetravalent plutonium carboxyl‐based organic framework, 242Pu(OH)[PO[(C6H4)COO]3]·H2O, termed as PuTPO (TPO = tris(4‐carboxylphenyl)‐phosphineoxide), was reported in this work. A series of characterizations of PuTPO, such as X‐ray crystallography and solid‐state UV‐Vis‐NIR spectroscopy, were carried out to expatiate its structure and physicochemical properties. PuTPO is constructed by dimers of the plutonium‐oxygen subunit of [Pu2O16]. Characteristic peaks located at approximately 1100 nm can be considered to be the fingerprint peaks of tetravalent plutonium. While PuTPO can maintain high crystallinity within several months after synthesis, it exhibits a radiation‐induced swelling effect probed by the expansion of cell parameter of b axis after self‐irradiation from α‐decay of 242Pu. This result enriches the inventory of tetravalent plutonium compounds and provides an insight into the irradiation resistance of metal‐organic frameworks.
Supercritical carbon dioxide technology in synthesis, modification, and recycling of battery materials
Authors: Han Yiyao , Zhou Xiaozheng , Fang Ruyi , Lu Chengwei , Wang Kun , Gan Yongping , He Xinping , Zhang Jun , Huang Hui , Zhang Wenkui , Xia Xinhui , Xia Yang
Published: March 2023

For pursuing the ambitious goals in the burgeoning electric vehicles, portable electronic devices, and energy storage sectors, Li‐ion batteries (LIBs) are considered as one of the most promising electrochemical power sources because of their high energy density and moderate cost. Particularly, the improvement of battery materials and recycling of spent LIBs are receiving great attention since the sustainable approaches for the synthesis, modification, and recycling of battery materials are the crucial factors to the successful large‐scale implementation of LIBs. In this regard, supercritical carbon dioxide (SC‐CO2), which possesses many merits, such as environmentally friendly, low‐cost, individual chemical environment, and especially its unique physical properties, has been employed as solvent and reaction medium in the synthesis and modification of diverse functional materials. In this review, we mainly aim at compiling the applications of SC‐CO2 technology in the synthesis and modification of electrode materials as well as the recycling of LIBs. First, the unique properties and principles of SC‐CO2 technology are highlighted. Second, the latest progresses of the electrode materials design and recycling with the assistance of SC‐CO2 technique are summarized. Finally, the challenges, future directions, and perspectives on the design and development of battery materials and battery recycling by SC‐CO2 technology are proposed.
Existential isolation and prolonged grief in bereaved people: The moderating role of culture
Authors: Zhou Ningning , Zhao Yiming , Smith Kirsten V. , Killikelly Clare , Stelzer Eva , Maercker Andreas , Xi Juzhe , Helm Peter J.
Published: March 2023

Objective

Existential isolation refers to an individual's awareness of the unbridgeable gulf between oneself, other people and the world. This kind of isolation has been found to be higher in individuals with nonnormative experiences, such as racial or sexual minorities. Bereaved individuals may experience a stronger sense of existential isolation and feel that no one shares their feelings or perceptions. However, research on bereaved people's experiences of existential isolation and its effects on post‐loss adaptation is scarce. This study aims to validate the German and Chinese versions of the Existential Isolation Scale, investigate cultural and gender differences in existential isolation and explore the associations between existential isolation and prolonged grief symptoms in German‐speaking and Chinese bereaved individuals.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study with 267 Chinese and 158 German‐speaking bereaved participants was conducted. The participants completed self‐report questionnaires assessing existential isolation, prolonged grief symptoms, social networks, loneliness and social acknowledgement.

Results

The results indicated that the German and Chinese versions of the Existential Isolation Scale demonstrated adequate validity and reliability. No cultural or gender differences (or their interaction) were found for existential isolation. Higher existential isolation was associated with elevated prolonged grief symptoms, which was further moderated by the cultural group. The relationship between existential isolation and prolonged grief symptoms was significant for the German‐speaking bereaved people but not significant for those from China.

Conclusion

The findings highlight the role of existential isolation in the adaptation to bereavement and how different cultural backgrounds moderate the effect of existential isolation on post‐loss reactions. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Development of an External Control Arm Using Electronic Health Record‐Based Real‐World Data to Evaluate the Efficacy of COVID‐19 Treatment
Authors: Jeon Ji‐Young , Kim Min‐Ji , Im Yong‐Jin , Kim Eun‐Young , Kim Ji Sun , Kwon Ki Tae , Hwang Jeong‐Hwan , Kim Jong Seung , Kim Min‐Gul
Published: March 2023

To protect people from severe acute respiratory syndrome‐coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) infection, tremendous research efforts have been made toward coronavirus disease 19 (COVID‐19) treatment development. Externally controlled trials (ECTs) may help reduce their development time. To evaluate whether ECT using real‐world data (RWD) of patients with COVID‐19 is feasible enough to be used for regulatory decision making, we built an external control arm (ECA) based on RWD as a control arm of a previously conducted randomized controlled trial (RCT), and compared it to the control arm of the RCT. The electronic health record (EHR)‐based COVID‐19 cohort dataset was used as RWD, and three Adaptive COVID‐19 Treatment Trial (ACTT) datasets were used as RCTs. Among the RWD datasets, eligible patients were evaluated as a pool of external control subjects of the ACTT‐1, ACTT‐2, and ACTT‐3 trials, respectively. The ECAs were built using propensity score matching, and the balance of age, sex, and baseline clinical status ordinal scale as covariates between the treatment arms of Asian patients in each ACTT and the pools of external control subjects was assessed before and after 1:1 matching. There was no statistically significant difference in time to recovery between ECAs and the control arms of each ACTT. Among the covariates, the baseline status ordinal score had the greatest influence on the building of ECA. This study demonstrates that ECA based on EHR data of COVID‐19 patients could sufficiently replace the control arm of an RCT, and it is expected to help develop new treatments faster in emergency situations, such as the COVID‐19 pandemic.
Design of novel compact eight‐element lotus shaped UWB‐MIMO antenna with triple‐notch characteristics on hollow substrate
Authors: Addepalli Tathababu , Manda Rajasekhar , Vidyavathi Thota , Babu Kamili Jagadeesh , Kumar Bandi Kiran
Published: March 2023

The design of novel compact two‐element and eight‐element lotus shaped multiple‐input‐multiple‐output (MIMO) antenna system employing pattern diversity with enhanced isolation characteristics is presented. The proposed two‐element antenna system is arranged rotationally on a square‐hollow substrate resulting in an eight‐element MIMO antenna system employing pattern diversity. The developed eight‐element MIMO antenna system resonates in the frequency range 3.1 to 14.6 GHz housing the complete UWB band with triple band‐notch characteristics at 3.7–4.5 GHz (C‐band satellite down link [3.7–4.2 GHz]), 5.1–5.9 GHz (WLAN) and 6.8–8.25 GHz (X‐band satellite down link (7.25–7.75 GHz) and up link (7.9–8.4 GHz)) bands. The antenna system gives element‐to‐element isolation of more than 25 dB in the majority of the operating band with a peak gain of 6.8 dBi and a maximum 90% efficiency. The important MIMO metrics like ECC (envelope correlation coefficient), DG (diversity gain), total active reflection coefficient (TARC), channel capacity losses (CCL) and MEG (mean effective gain) are presented for both two‐element and eight‐element to estimate the performance the proposed antennas in multi‐antenna environments. The both two‐ and eight‐element designs are fabricated and the measured results of those are well agreed with simulation results.
Infant negative affectivity and patterns of affect‐biased attention
Authors: Swales Danielle A. , Markant Julie , Hennessey Ella‐Marie P. , Glueck Deborah H. , Hankin Benjamin L. , Davis Elysia Poggi
Published: March 2023

Biased attention toward affective cues often cooccurs with the emergence and maintenance of internalizing disorders. However, few studies have assessed whether affect‐biased attention in infancy relates to early indicators of psychopathological risk, such as negative affectivity. The current study evaluates whether negative affectivity relates to affect‐biased attention in 6‐month‐old infants. Affect‐biased attention was assessed via a free‐viewing eye‐tracking task in which infants were presented with a series of face pairs (comprised of a happy, angry, or sad face and a neutral face). Attention was quantified with metrics of both attention orienting and attention holding. Overall, infants showed no differences in attention orienting (i.e., speed of looking) or attention holding (i.e., duration of looking) toward emotional faces in comparison to the neutral face pairs. Negative affectivity, assessed via parent report, did not relate to attention orienting but was associated with biased attention toward positive, happy faces and away from threat‐cueing, angry faces in comparison to the neutral faces they were paired with. These findings suggest that negative affectivity is associated with differences in attention holding, but not initial orienting toward emotional faces; biases which have important implications for the trajectory of socioemotional development.
Advances in inutero electroporation
Authors: Kittock Claire M. , Pilaz Louis‐Jan
Published: March 2023

In utero electroporation (IUE) is a technique developed in the early 2000s to transfect the neurons and neural progenitors of embryonic brains, thus enabling continued development in utero and subsequent analyses of neural development. Early IUE experiments focused on ectopic expression of plasmid DNA to analyze parameters such as neuron morphology and migration. Recent advances made in other fields, such as CRISPR/CAS9 genome editing, have been incorporated into IUE techniques as they were developed. Here, we provide a general review of the mechanics and techniques involved in IUE and explore the breadth of approaches that can be used in conjunction with IUE to study cortical development in a rodent model, with a focus on the novel advances in IUE techniques. We also highlight a few cases that exemplify the potential of IUE to study a broad range of questions in neural development.
Trajectories and state changes of a grassland stream and riparian zone after a decade of woody vegetation removal
Authors: Dodds Walter K. , Ratajczak Zak , Keen Rachel M. , Nippert Jesse B. , Grudzinski Bartosz , Veach Allison , Taylor Jeffery H. , Kuhl Amanda
Published: March 2023

Riparian zones and the streams they border provide vital habitat for organisms, water quality protection, and other important ecosystem services. These areas are under pressure from local (land use/land cover change) to global (climate change) processes. Woody vegetation is expanding in grassland riparian zones worldwide. Here we report on a decade‐long watershed‐scale mechanical removal of woody riparian vegetation along 4.5 km of stream channel in a before–after control impact experiment. Prior to this removal, woody plants had expanded into grassy riparian areas, associated with a decline in streamflow, loss of grassy plant species, and other ecosystem‐scale impacts. We confirmed some expected responses, including rapid increases in stream nutrients and sediments, disappearance of stream mosses, and decreased organic inputs to streams via riparian leaves. We were surprised that nutrient and sediment increases were transient for 3 years, that there was no recovery of stream discharge, and that areas with woody removal did not shift back to a grassland state, even when reseeded with grassland species. Rapid expansion of shrubs (Cornus drummondii, Prunus americana) in the areas where trees were removed allowed woody vegetation to remain dominant despite repeating the cutting every 2 years. Our results suggest woody expansion can fundamentally alter terrestrial and aquatic habitat connections in grasslands, resulting in inexorable movement toward a new ecosystem state. Human pressures, such as climate change, atmospheric CO2 increases, and elevated atmospheric nitrogen deposition, could continue to push the ecosystem along a trajectory that is difficult to change. Our results suggest that predicting relationships between riparian zones and the streams they border could be difficult in the face of global change in all biomes, even in well‐studied sites.
Emotional intelligence subdimensions as moderators in the association between body dissatisfaction and symptoms of eating disorders among female Mexican adolescents
Authors: Castro‐López Violeta R. , Franco‐Paredes Karina , Peláez‐Fernández María Angeles , Trujillo Chi Vacuán Eva María
Published: March 2023

Objective

Strong empirical research has shown a relationship between body dissatisfaction and symptoms of eating disorders (ED) and the direct and combined influence of emotional factors and dimensions of emotional intelligence (EI) on ED symptoms. However, whether these emotional variables and competencies moderate the well‐established relationship between body dissatisfaction and ED symptomatology has not yet been tested. Neither have studies of this nature been performed among high at‐risk populations such as Mexican female adolescents. Thus, this research aimed to explore the moderator role of EI subdimensions in the relationship between body dissatisfaction and ED symptoms among female adolescents from Sinaloa, Mexico.

Methods

A total of 485 female adolescents aged 14–19 years old (M = 16.81, SD = 1.33) who were students in middle school, high school, and college completed questionnaires about body dissatisfaction, ED symptomatology, and EI. We conducted moderating analyses.

Results

Subdimensions of EI significantly moderated the relationship between body dissatisfaction and symptoms of ED. For participants high in body dissatisfaction, lower levels in stress management ability and higher levels in the interpersonal EI and Adaptability EI dimensions were associated with higher levels of ED symptomatology.

Discussion

Subdimensions of EI have an important role in moderating the association between body dissatisfaction and symptoms of ED. The findings of this study contribute to improving the knowledge about the role of emotional competencies in ED. Proposals for future research and to improve preventative approaches are discussed.

Public Significance Statement

This study shows the moderating role of EI dimensions in the well‐established relationship between body dissatisfaction and ED symptomatology. The research was conducted with a population at high risk of ED: female adolescents in the northwest of Mexico. Results showed that low Stress management EI, high Adaptability EI, and high Interpersonal EI were associated with higher levels of ED symptomatology among participants with high (but not low) body dissatisfaction. These insightful results have theoretical and practical implications.
Assessing non‐adjunctive CGM safety at home and in new markets (ANSHIN)
Authors: Chao Christy , Andrade Sarah B. , Bergford Simon , Calhoun Peter , Welsh John B. , Walker Tomas C. ,   ANSHIN Study Group
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) can guide treatment for people with type 1 (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). The ANSHIN study assessed the impact of non‐adjunctive CGM use in adults with diabetes using intensive insulin therapy (IIT).

Materials and Methods

This single‐arm, prospective, interventional study enrolled adults with T1D or T2D who had not used CGM in the prior 6 months. Participants wore blinded CGMs (Dexcom G6) during a 20‐day run‐in phase, with treatment based on fingerstick glucose values, followed by a 16‐week intervention phase and then a randomized 12‐week extension phase with treatment based on CGM values. The primary outcome was change in HbA1c. Secondary outcomes were CGM metrics. Safety endpoints were the number of severe hypoglycaemic (SH) and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) events.

Results

Of the 77 adults enrolled, 63 completed the study. Those enrolled had mean (SD) baseline HbA1c of 9.8% (1.9%), 36% had T1D, and 44% were ≥65 years old. Mean HbA1c decreased by 1.3, 1.0 and 1.0 percentage points for participants with T1D, T2D or age ≥65, respectively (p < .001 for each). CGM‐based metrics including time in range also improved significantly. SH events decreased from the run‐in period (67.3 per 100 person‐years) to the intervention period (17.0 per 100 person‐years). Three DKA events unrelated to CGM use occurred during the total intervention period.

Conclusions

Non‐adjunctive use of the Dexcom G6 CGM system improved glycaemic control and was safe for adults using IIT.
Comprehensive analysis of thermophysical properties of a binary stearyl alcohol and benzamide eutectic phase change material and determination of thermal performance of a solar dryer integrated with phase change material
Authors: Duraipandi Sruthi , Somkunwar Sandeep , Appukuttan Sreekumar
Published: March 2023

A thermal energy storage system must integrate with a solar thermal collector for continuous energy delivery. This article focuses on the identification, preparation, thermo‐physical characteristic studies, and experimental investigation of a novel eutectic hot storage material for solar dryer applications. The identified organic novel eutectic mixture comprises stearyl alcohol and benzamide (SA‐B) with a molar ratio of 70:30. From the differential scanning calorimetry analysis, the melting point and enthalpy of the developed eutectic mixture were found to be 54. 26°C and 157.45 kJ kg−1 respectively. The melting temperature of the eutectic phase‐change material (PCM) fits the drying application. The corrosion analysis test confirms that the prepared eutectic mixture is compact with stainless steel (SS 316) heat exchanger material. Further, the eutectic PCM were characterized using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermo‐gravimetric analysis, which confirms the material is chemically and thermally stable. The thermal reliability of the eutectic PCM was evaluated through 1000 thermal charge and discharge cycling. In addition, the thermal conductivity of the identified material was found to be 0.18 W m−1 K−1. Thus, the specified material ascertained its suitability for thermal application. Further, 5 kg of eutectic PCM‐filled rectangular heat exchanger was integrated into the solar dryer. The use of eutectic PCM extended the drying time by more than 4 h, which can be helpful to run continuously on intermittent solar days and in the evening after sunset. Hence, the prepared eutectic SA‐B material is irresistible for hot storage dryer application.
Chemical and microbiological characterization of two traditional Mongolian high‐fat dairy products produced in Xilin Gol, China
Authors: Guo Liang , Xu Wei‐Liang , Li Chun‐Dong , Guo Yuan‐Sheng , Ya Mei
Published: March 2023

Mongolian butter and Tude are traditional high‐fat dairy products produced in Xilin Gol, China, which have unique chemical and microbiological characteristics. Mongolian Tude is made from Mongolian butter, dreg, and flour. In this study, the traditional manufacturing process of Mongolian butter and Tude was investigated for the first time. Mongolian butter was characterized by high‐fat content (99.38 ± 0.63%) and high acidity (77.09 ± 52.91°T), whereas Mongolian Tude was considered a high‐fat (21.45 ± 1.23%) and high‐protein (8.28 ± 0.65%) dairy product obtained by butter, dreg, and flour. Mongolian butter and Tude were proven to be safe for human consumption in terms of benzopyrene content. In addition, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, coliforms, and aflatoxin M1 were not detected in the samples. Bacteria and molds were not isolated from Mongolian butter; in contrast, the total count of bacteria and molds in Mongolian Tude was within the range of 4.5 × 102 to 9.5 × 104 and 0 to 2.2 × 105, respectively. Moreover, Lactococcus (41.55%), Lactobacillus (11.05%), Zygosaccharomyces (40.20%), and Pichia (12.90%) were the predominant bacterial and fungal genera, and Lactobacillus helveticus (15.6%), Lactococcus raffinolactis (9.6%), Streptococcus salivarius (8.5%), Pantoea vagans (6.1%), Bacillus subtilis (4.2%), Kocuria rhizophila (3.5%), Acinetobacter johnsonii (3.5%), Zygosaccharomyces rouxii (46.2%), Pichia fermentans (14.7%), and Dipodascus geotrichum (11.7%) were the predominant species in the microbiota of Mongolian Tude. Thus, it can be stated that the microbiota of food products produced by different small families varied significantly. Collectively, the findings presented herein are the first report of chemical and microbiological characterization of products of geographical origin and highlight the need for standardization of manufacturing procedures of Mongolian butter and Tude in the future.
Opioid prescription trends among American Head and Neck Society fellowship graduates
Authors: Patel Rushi , Nguyen Julia , Choudhry Hannaan S. , Lemdani Mehdi S. , Park Richard Chan Woo
Published: March 2023

Background

Opioids are commonly used to manage the pain of head and neck (HN) cancer patients.

Methods

Retrospective cohort of graduates from American Head and Neck Society accredited fellowships from 1997 to 2018. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services Part D Provider Utilization and Payment database 2014–2019 was cross‐referenced with provider names to identify opioid prescription trends.

Results

From 2014 to 2019, there was no significant difference in the average number of opioid beneficiaries per provider (18.02 vs. 18.10, p = 0.586) or opioid claims per provider (28.06 vs. 26.73, p = 0.708). The average total opioid day supply per beneficiary declined from 11.09 to 7.05 days from 2014 to 2019 (p < 0.001). In 2019, providers in the Northeast had the lowest prescribed opioid day supply (3.67 days) compared to those from the South who had the highest (10.32 days).

Conclusions

Opioid prescription length has significantly declined among HN surgeons, with variations across geographic regions.
The impact of health reform on poverty estimates in Iran: Implications for monitoring the first goal of Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Ahmadnezhad Elham , Dastan Ilker , Alvandi Rezvaneh , Abdi Zhaleh
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Iran launched a series of health reforms called Health Transformation Plan (HTP) in order to improve financial protection and access to health care in 2014. This study aimed to investigate the extent of impoverishment due to out of pocket (OOP) payments during 2011–2016 and to assess the implications of health expenditures to overall national poverty rate before and after the HTP implementation, with a focus on monitoring the first Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Methods

The study relied on data from a nationally representative household income and expenditure survey. Two measures of poverty were estimated in this study: the prevalence (poverty headcount) and the intensity of poverty before and after OOP health payments (poverty gap). Proportion of the population fell into poverty due to OOP spending for health care from total poor population calculated for 2 years before and after the HTP implementation using three poverty lines suggested by the World Bank for global poverty comparison ($1.90, $3.2 and $5.5 per day in 2011 purchasing power parity (PPP) $).

Results

Our results indicate that the incidence of impoverishing health expenditures has remained relatively low during 2011–2016. At the 2011 PPP $5.5 daily poverty line, the average incidence rate at the national level was 1.36% during the period. The percentage of population impoverished due to OOP health expenditures increased after HTP implementation, irrespective of the poverty line used. However, the proportion of individuals that pushed further into poverty decreased after HTP implementation. It was estimated that around 12.5% of total poor population fell below poverty line due to paying OOP payments in 2016.

Conclusion

Although health care costs are not major causes of impoverishment in Iran, the relative impact of OOP spending for health is not negligible. To attain SDG 1, pro‐poor interventions that aim to reduce the burden of OOP payments should be advocated and implemented with an inter‐sectoral approach.
Prediction of drug amount in Parkinson's disease using hybrid machine learning systems and radiomics features
Authors: Salmanpour Mohammad R. , Hosseinzadeh Mahdi , Bakhtiyari Mahya , Maghsudi Mehdi , Rahmim Arman
Published: March 2023

Parkinson's disease (PD) is progressive and heterogeneous. Levodopa is widely prescribed to control PD, and its long‐term‐treatment leads to dyskinesia in a dose‐dependent manner. Interpretation of clinical trials comparing different drug treatments for PD is complicated by different dose intensities employed: higher doses of levodopa produce better symptomatic control but more late complications. Thus, the dose must be recalibrated and reduced gradually. Since recommendations for gradually reducing Levodopa are currently lacking and estimation of Levodopa amount can help doctor to correctly prescribe drug amount, this study aims to predict Levodopa amount and incremental doses using Hybrid Machine Learning Systems (HMLS) and a mixture of radiomics and clinical features. We selected 264 patients from PPMI and obtained 950 features including imaging and nominating features. We generated seven datasets constructed from the dataset in years 0 and 1, which linked with outcomes, (O1) patients being on/off drug in year 1, (O2) dose amount in year 1, and (O3‐8) incremental dose from 1st to 2nd, 2nd to 3rd, 3rd to 4th, 4th to 5th, 1st to 4th, 1st to 5th year. HMLSs included 10 feature extraction/9 feature selection algorithms followed by 10 prediction algorithms. To predict O1, timeless dataset + Random Forest + ReliefA had the highest accuracy~88.5% ± 2.2%, and external testing~91.6%. Furthermore, to predict O2, timeless dataset + Minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance Algorithm (MRMR) + K Nearest Neighbor Regressor (KNN‐R) achieved a mean absolute error (MAE) ~ 47.5 ± 13.6 ([30.3:850 milligram]) and external testing~31.9. To predict dose increments (O3‐8), HMLSs: Unsupervised Feature Selection with Ordinal Locality + KNNR, ReliefA + KNNR, ReliefA + KNNR, Local Learning‐based Clustering Feature Selection + KNNR, MRMR + KNNR, and MRMR + KNNR applied to timeless datasets resulted in MAEs ~ 0.42 ± 0.18, 0.10 ± 0.09, 0.04 ± 0.01, 0.24 ± 0.15, 0.25 ± 0.05, and 0.33 ± 0.26 ([0.23:29.7]), respectively. Moreover, their external testing confirmed our findings. We demonstrated that timeless datasets including a mixture of clinical and imaging features, linked with appropriate HMLSs, significantly improve prediction performances.
Parental substance use and home visiting programs: Implementation considerations for relationship‐based treatment
Authors: Lowell Amanda F. , Suchman Nancy E. , Byatt Nancy , Feinberg Emily , Friedmann Peter D. , Peacock‐Chambers Elizabeth
Published: March 2023

Home visiting programs can provide critical support to mothers in recovery from substance use disorders (SUDs) and young children prenatally exposed to substances. However, families impacted by maternal SUDs may not benefit from traditional child‐focused developmental home visiting services as much as families not impacted by SUDs, suggesting the need to adjust service provision for this population. Given the need to implement tailored services within home visiting programs for families impacted by SUDs, we sought to investigate the implementation barriers and facilitators to inform future integration of a relationship‐based parenting intervention developed specifically for parents with SUDs (Mothering from the Inside Out) into home visiting programs. We conducted nine interviews and five focus groups with a racially diverse sample (N = 38) of parents and providers delivering services for families affected by SUDs in the USA. Qualitative content analysis yielded three most prominent themes related to separate implementation domains and their associated barriers and facilitators: (1) engagement, (2) training, and (3) sustainability. We concluded that the home visiting setting may mitigate the logistical barriers to access for families affected by SUDs, whereas relationship‐based services may mitigate the emotional barriers that parents with SUDs experience when referred to home visiting programs.
Envisioning motherhood: Mental‐state language in caregiving narratives across the perinatal period
Authors: Rutherford Helena J. V. , Yatziv Tal , Vess Matthew , Brooker Rebecca J
Published: March 2023

Nancy Suchman's work highlighted the fundamental role of maternal mentalization in maternal addiction, mental health, and caregiving challenges. In this study, we aimed to examine the role of mental‐state language (MSL) as a measure of mentalization in prenatal and postnatal narratives and their sentiment in a sample of 91 primarily White mothers from the western United States, followed from the second trimester of pregnancy, through the third trimester, to 4 months postpartum. Specifically, we investigated the use of affective and cognitive MSL in prenatal narratives when mothers visualized caring for their baby and postnatal narratives when mothers compared their prenatal visualization to the current caregiving reality. Results indicated moderate consistency in MSL between the second and third trimesters, but prenatal and postnatal MSL was not significantly correlated. Across all time points, higher use of MSL was related to more positive sentiment, indicating an association between mentalization and positive caregiving representations across the perinatal period. Women used more affective than cognitive MSL in prenatal imagination of caregiving, but this pattern was reversed in their postpartum reflection. Implications on assessing parental mentalization prenatally and considering the relative dominance of affective and cognitive mentalizing are discussed while considering study limitations.
Water resource management for irrigated agriculture in China: Problems and prospects
Authors: Ju Qianqian , Du Lijuan , Liu Changshun , Jiang Shan
Published: March 2023

Agriculture underpins the continuous development and progress of society. As water resources impose a major constraint on economic and social development, strengthened management and scientific allocation of water resources for agricultural purpose has become a hot issue of concern for countries around the world. This is particularly important for China, a large, populous country, to safeguard its food security. In 2010, irrigation, on which China's crop production is highly dependent, contributed 32.4% of the national grain yield. With rapid economic development, however, agriculture has always faced competition for water with nonagricultural sectors. Given water and land shortage and growing rigid grain demand in China and based on the decoupling theory, this paper analyses the relationship between grain yield and irrigation water use from 2000 to 2020. The paper examines the impacts on grain yield brought by such factors as irrigation water use, effective irrigation area, fertilizer application and labour input and explores China's agricultural water security mechanism. The results show that grain yield has been significantly affected by irrigation water use, but such dependence is gradually reducing at this stage. China tries to guarantee agricultural water use by developing farmland water conservation and water‐saving irrigation, but future agricultural water use will be affected by a variety of factors, including the intensified constraint of adversely distributed water and land resources, poor operation and management of irrigation works, transfer of water rights from agriculture to industry and potential conversion of irrigated areas. This calls for red lines that define the lower and upper limits of agricultural water use to ensure agricultural water security.