bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
GmYSL7 controls iron uptake, allocation, and cellular response of nodules in soybean
Authors: Wu Xinying , Wang Yongliang , Ni Qiaohan , Li Haizhen , Wu Xuesong , Yuan Zhanxin , Xiao Renhao , Ren Ziyin , Lu Jingjing , Yun Jinxia , Wang Zhijuan , Li Xia
Published: September 2022

Iron (Fe) is essential for DNA synthesis, photosynthesis and respiration of plants. The demand for Fe substantially increases during legumes‐rhizobia symbiotic nitrogen fixation because of the synthesis of leghemoglobin in the host and Fe‐containing proteins in bacteroids. However, the mechanism by which plant controls iron transport to nodules remains largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that GmYSL7 serves as a key regulator controlling Fe uptake from root to nodule and distribution in soybean nodules. GmYSL7 is Fe responsive and GmYSL7 transports iron across the membrane and into the infected cells of nodules. Alterations of GmYSL7 substantially affect iron distribution between root and nodule, resulting in defective growth of nodules and reduced nitrogenase activity. GmYSL7 knockout increases the expression of GmbHLH300, a transcription factor required for Fe response of nodules. Overexpression of GmbHLH300 decreases nodule number, nitrogenase activity and Fe content in nodules. Remarkably, GmbHLH300 directly binds to the promoters of ENOD93 and GmLbs, which regulate nodule number and nitrogenase activity, and represses their transcription. Our data reveal a new role of GmYSL7 in controlling Fe transport from host root to nodule and Fe distribution in nodule cells, and uncover a molecular mechanism by which Fe affects nodule number and nitrogenase activity.
Keep it simple: comparing functional assessments in individuals with Down syndrome
Authors: Stone W. J. , Buoncristiani N. A. , Malone G. T.
Published: September 2022

Background

A number of assessments exist that evaluate function in ambulatory adults. However, these assessments take for granted the cognitive abilities required for the participant to understand what is being asked of them in order to demonstrate their functional abilities. It has been shown that individuals with Down syndrome (DS) demonstrate lower functional levels when asked to perform additional tasks while walking. Therefore, measurements of function may not be reflective of actual function if the assessment requires additional tasks in those with DS. It is for these reasons the current investigation sought to evaluate four common functional assessments, two with [modified Berg balance test (mBERG) and Functional Gait Assessment (FGA)] and two without [Timed Up and Go (TUG) and Established Populations for Epidemiologic Study in the Elderly (EPESE)] complex tasks.

Methods

Adults with DS (n = 19) completed four functional assessments, which were later compared using bivariate Pearson correlation coefficients.

Results

There were large associations between simple assessments (TUG–EPESE:r = −0.525,P = 0.021) and complex assessments (FGA–mBERG:r = 0.612,P = 0.005), respectively. The TUG also inversely correlated with the FGA (r = −0.476,P = 0.039), and the EPESE had a large association with mBERG (r = 0.508,P = 0.027).

Conclusions

The mBERG may be the best test to replicate real‐world scenarios through its tasks, although it may also be confounded by the cognitive load required to perform the movements as asked. The TUG and EPESE may be more appropriate as mobility assessments because they require very little cognitive attention when completing the tasks. True assessments of mobility ought to err on the side of simple so to not confuse the outcomes with executive functionality.
Geographic Cross‐Sectional Fiscal Spending Multipliers and the Role of Local Autonomy: Evidence from European Regions
Authors: BRUECKNER MARKUS , PAPPA EVI , VALENTINYI ÁKOS
Published: September 2022

Using a panel of 268 European regions during 1990–2014, we document that the degree of local government's autonomy, measured with the “Local Autonomy Index,” has a significant positive effect on the fiscal spending multiplier. The estimated geographic cross‐sectional fiscal spending multiplier is on average close to zero in countries with the lowest degree of local autonomy, and around unity in countries with the highest degree of local autonomy. Multipliers are state‐dependent: larger when gross domestic product is below trend and when there is slack in the labor market; in those states, local autonomy has a particularly large positive effect on the multiplier. To interpret the empirical findings, we build a Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) model where both local and central government spending contribute to a public good that enhances private labor productivity. Local governments are more efficient in producing the public good and the multiplier is higher in countries where local government spending has a larger share in the production of the public good.
Autologous platelet‐rich plasma intrauterine perfusion to improve pregnancy outcomes after implantation failure: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Liu Kepeng , Cheng Hui , Guo Yaqiong , Liu Yuan , Li Lifei , Zhang Xuehong
Published: September 2022

Aims

Previous studies have reported inconsistent findings on the efficacy of platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) therapy in women with implantation failure. The objective of this review was to evaluate whether PRP administration could improve pregnancy outcomes in women with implantation failure undergoing in vitro fertilization.

Methods

Electronic databases were searched for studies that explored the effects of PRP for patients with implantation failure. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Based on the available data, we performed subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses.

Results

Eight studies were included. PRP treatment improved pregnancy outcomes for all women compared with no treatment or placebo (clinical pregnancy rate: OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.41–3.54; live birth rate: OR 5.76, 95% CI 1.55–21.44; miscarriage rate: OR 0.18, 95% CI 0.05–0.63), especially in randomized controlled trials. No significant differences were detected in multiple pregnancy rates (OR 2.54, 95% CI 0.67–9.67). Furthermore, subgroup analysis based on the number of previous implantation failures showed that PRP treatment improved pregnancy outcomes in women with recurrent implantation failure (clinical pregnancy rate: OR 2.55, 95% CI 1.49–4.38; live birth rate: OR 5.07, 95% CI 1.15–22.34; miscarriage rate: OR 0.20, 95% CI 0.05–0.78).

Conclusion

PRP administration could improve pregnancy outcomes in women with recurrent implantation failure. Due to the limited evidence available, the efficacy of PRP in women with recurrent implantation failure needs to be further verified in high‐quality studies with larger sample sizes.
Experiments on the reactivity of basaltic minerals and glasses in Venus surface conditions using the Glenn Extreme Environment Rig
Authors: Radoman‐Shaw Brandon G. , Harvey Ralph P. , Costa Gustavo , Jacobson Nathan S. , Avishai Amir , Nakley Leah M. , Vento Daniel
Published: September 2022

Climate models for Venus rely heavily on theoretical modeling and laboratory experimentation due to the extreme surface conditions of the planet and limited in situ surface data. To better explore the relative importance of reactions between the surface and the atmosphere on Venus, we exposed representative volcanic glasses and basaltic minerals to a large‐scale simulation of Venus surface conditions with a realistic atmospheric composition. This study consistend of two experiments of 42 and 80 days that replicated both physical conditions and atmosphere composition derived from available in situ near‐surface data using the Glenn Extreme Environment Rig (GEER) at the NASA Glenn Research Center. These experiments revealed significant reactivity of common Ca‐bearing pyroxenes (diopside and augite) to form anhydrite. Olivine and labradorite showed minimal reactivity. Volcanic glasses, including both natural and synthetic samples, were exceptionally reactive, rapidly forming both anhydrite and thénardite (Na2SO4), as well as transition metal sulfates (i.e., Cu, Cr), halite (NaCl), and sylvite (KCl). Our results document chemical and textural alteration of sample surfaces and provide sufficient evidence for an active sulfur sink on multiple samples, with sulfates as the dominant secondary mineralogy. These experiments suggest likely surface mineralogies and solid phases present on Venus' surface with significant implications for upcoming missions and provide new data for comparison to high‐temperature mineral–gas reactions prevalent on Venus, Earth, and Io.
The Empire Cannot Die: Propaganda and Immortality in Top Gun: Maverick
Authors: Loia Donato
Published: September 2022

Top Gun: Maverick is a film about the American Empire: its ethos and hopes, its illusions and contradictions. This essay considers the propaganda content of the movie, and reflects on what it reveals and conceals about the wider political and social context of America's imperial project. The film provides insights on the shifting expectations, and troubles facing the American Empire in 2022. In reflecting upon the sequel and comparing it with the original, it is possible to notice changes and new prerogatives in the self-perception of the United States, as well as an overall imperial fatigue and tension. In particular, this essay evaluates the use of missionary language and metaphors in the film, and considers that empires have a chronic incapacity, or maybe impossibility, in abdicating their power. Top Gun: Maverick shows that an empire, any empire, would simply cease to be such if it would not believe in its own myth of perennial youth. Ultimately, this essay considers the burden of the American Empire: its damnation is its immortality, its illusion of eternity.
Maize cytosolic invertase INVAN6 ensures faithful meiotic progression under heat stress
Authors: Huang Wei , Li Yunfei , Du Yan , Pan Lingling , Huang Yumin , Liu Hongbing , Zhao Yue , Shi Yunlu , Ruan Yong‐Ling , Dong Zhaobin , Jin Weiwei
Published: September 2022

Faithful meiotic progression ensures the generation of viable gametes. Studies suggested the male meiosis of plants is sensitive to ambient temperature, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain elusive.

Here, we characterized a maize (Zea mays ssp. mays L.) dominant male sterile mutant Mei025, in which the meiotic process of pollen mother cells (PMCs) was arrested after pachytene.

An Asp‐to‐Asn replacement at position 276 of INVERTASE ALKALINE NEUTRAL 6 (INVAN6), a cytosolic invertase (CIN) that predominantly exists in PMCs and specifically hydrolyses sucrose, was revealed to cause meiotic defects in Mei025. INVAN6 interacts with itself as well as with four other CINs and seven 14‐3‐3 proteins. Although INVAN6Mei025, the variant of INVAN6 found in Mei025, lacks hydrolytic activity entirely, its presence is deleterious to male meiosis, possibly in a dominant negative repression manner through interacting with its partner proteins. Notably, heat stress aggravated meiotic defects in invan6 null mutant. Further transcriptome data suggest INVAN6 has a fundamental role for sugar homeostasis and stress tolerance of male meiocytes.

In summary, this work uncovered the function of maize CIN in male meiosis and revealed the role of CIN‐mediated sugar metabolism and signalling in meiotic progression under heat stress.
The older adult brain is less modular, more integrated, and less efficient at rest: A systematic review of large‐scale resting‐state functional brain networks in aging
Authors: Deery Hamish A. , Di Paolo Robert , Moran Chris , Egan Gary F. , Jamadar Sharna D.
Published: September 2022

The literature on large‐scale resting‐state functional brain networks across the adult lifespan was systematically reviewed. Studies published between 1986 and July 2021 were retrieved from PubMed. After reviewing 2938 records, 144 studies were included. Results on 11 network measures were summarized and assessed for certainty of the evidence using a modified GRADE method. The evidence provides high certainty that older adults display reduced within‐network and increased between‐network functional connectivity. Older adults also show lower segregation, modularity, efficiency and hub function, and decreased lateralization and a posterior to anterior shift at rest. Higher‐order functional networks reliably showed age differences, whereas primary sensory and motor networks showed more variable results. The inflection point for network changes is often the third or fourth decade of life. Age effects were found with moderate certainty for within‐ and between‐network altered patterns and speed of dynamic connectivity. Research on within‐subject bold variability and connectivity using glucose uptake provides low certainty of age differences but warrants further study. Taken together, these age‐related changes may contribute to the cognitive decline often seen in older adults.
Bacterial killing activity and lysozymes: A stable defence mechanism in stallion seminal plasma?
Authors: Jakop Ulrike , Hensel Britta , Czirják Gábor. Á. , Quirino Monike , Schröter Filip , Jung Markus , Schulze Martin
Published: September 2022

During insemination, bacterial contamination of the ejaculate can lead to reduced sperm quality and transmission of pathogens to the female, thus should be avoided. The semen of a variety of animal taxa possess antimicrobial properties against a wide range of bacterial species through antimicrobial molecules, such as lysozyme, but their variance and the factors influencing it are unknown for most species. In this study, the antibacterial defence (bacterial killing activity (BKA) against Escherichia (E.) coli and Staphylococcus (S.) aureus as well as lysozyme concentration) was studied in seminal fluid from two consecutive ejaculates of 18 stallions. All ejaculates showed BKA against the tested bacteria, which correlated between the two consecutive ejaculates (rS = 0.526, p = .025 for E. coli and rS = 0.656, p = .003 for S. aureus) and appeared to be stable over the tested period. The lysozyme concentration (LC) showed no significant correlation between the consecutive ejaculates (rS = 0.161, p = .681). However, LC had a positive correlation to the ratio of apoptotic spermatozoa within the ejaculates (rS = 0.426, p = .019). In contrast to other livestock (e.g., boar, bull), the BKA in stallion semen did not correlate significantly with the age of the animal nor sperm quality characteristics.
Going Places: First‐Generation College Students Framing Higher Education1
Authors: Laemmli Taylor , Grodsky Eric , Macgregor Lyn C.
Published: September 2022

This paper draws on interviews with first‐generation (FG) college students in their first year attending two distinct public colleges (a rural state university and an urban flagship) to show how these students framed college in terms of place, how different place frames shaped students' college choices and experiences, and how place served as a proxy for students' feelings of belonging. Some students wanted place continuity: to attend college in a place that felt proximate and symbolically similar to the place where they were from. Other students, however, wanted place change: to attend college in a place that felt markedly different from where they grew up. The extent to which students' place desires matched their choice of college shaped students' sense of fit in college by determining students' access to relevant cultural and network resources. Students experienced steady belonging, forged belonging, reluctant belonging, or interrupted belonging on these bases. Our findings provide support for the role of place broadly understood in FG college students' adaptation to college, and we consider implications for higher education outcomes and improving institutional support for FG students.
N‐terminal domain of ARF‐GEF GNOM prevents heterodimerization with functionally divergent GNL1 in Arabidopsis
Authors: Brumm Sabine , Singh Manoj K. , Kriechbaum Choy , Richter Sandra , Huhn Kerstin , Kucera Tim , Baumann Sarah , Wolters Hanno , Takada Shinobu , Jürgens Gerd
Published: September 2022

Evolutionary change following gene duplication can lead to functionally divergent paralogous proteins. If comprising identical subunits their random assortment would also form potentially detrimental heteromeric proteins. In Arabidopsis, the ARF GTPase guanine‐nucleotide exchange factor GNOM is essential for polar recycling of auxin‐efflux transporter PIN1 from endosomes to the basal plasma membrane whereas its paralog GNL1 mediates retrograde Golgi‐endoplasmic reticulum traffic. Here we show that both GNOM and GNL1 form homodimers but no heterodimers. To assess the biological significance of this, we generated transgenic plants expressing engineered heterodimer‐compatible GNOM variants. Those plants showed developmental defects such as the failure to produce lateral roots. To identify mechanisms underlying heterodimer prevention, we analyzed interactions of the N‐terminal dimerization and cyclophilin‐binding (DCB) domain. Each DCB domain interacted with the complementary fragment (ΔDCB) both of their own and of the paralogous protein. However, only DCBGNOM interacted with itself whereas DCBGNL1 failed to interact with itself and with DCBGNOM. GNOM variants in which the DCB domain was removed or replaced by DCBGNL1 revealed a role for DCB‐DCB interaction in the prevention of GNOM‐GNL1 heterodimers whereas DCB‐ΔDCB interaction was essential for dimer formation and GNOM function. Our data suggest a model of early DCB‐DCB interaction that facilitates GNOM homodimer formation, indirectly precluding formation of detrimental heterodimers.
The efficacy of subcutaneous slow‐release melatonin implants in the prevention of canine flank alopecia recurrence is uncertain: A double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled study
Authors: Verschuuren Millie U. M. Y. , Schlotter Yvette M. , van Geijlswijk Inge M. , van der Lugt Jaco J. , Gehring Ronette
Published: September 2022

Background

Canine flank alopecia (CFA) is characterized by seasonally recurring noninflammatory, occasionally hyperpigmented alopecia predominantly in the thoracolumbar area. Previous studies suggest that reduced production of endogenous melatonin may play a role in the pathogenesis of this condition, and placebo‐controlled studies on the efficacy of preventative melatonin treatment are lacking.

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of subcutaneous slow‐release melatonin implants in the prevention of CFA recurrence.

Animals

Twenty‐one client‐owned dogs with a history of CFA were included in the study.

Materials and Methods

At time (T)0, a general physical and dermatological examination was performed on each dog, blood was collected for serum biochemistry analysis and two skin biopsies were taken from alopecic areas on the nonsedated affected dogs after subcutaneous injection with 2% lidocaine. Dogs with normal blood work and histological results compatible with CFA were included in the study. Participating dogs were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or 18 mg melatonin subcutaneously in the interscapular area, approximately 2 months before expected CFA onset (T1). CFA recurrence was scored qualitatively as complete, ≤50% recurrence, or no recurrence at 5 and 7 months after the intervention (T2 and T3, respectively).

Results

At T3, in dogs treated with placebo (nine of 17), the percentages for complete recurrence, ≤50% recurrence and no recurrence were 44%, 0% and 56%, respectively. In dogs treated with melatonin (eight of 17), these percentages were 25%, 50% and 25%, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in the scores between melatonin‐treated dogs and placebo‐treated dogs (p = 0.40). In three of eight melatonin‐treated dogs, mild transient swelling was observed at the injection site.

Conclusions

This study did not provide evidence that an 18 mg melatonin implant treatment, although well‐tolerated, is efficacious in preventing recurrence of CFA in affected dogs.
Exploring Visual Cues for Design Analogy: A Deep Learning Approach
Authors: Zhang Zijian , Jin Yan
Published: September 2022

The goal of this research is to develop a computer-aided visual analogy support (CAVAS) framework to augment designers’ visual analogical thinking by stimulating them by providing relevant visual cues from a variety of categories. Two steps are taken to reach this goal: developing a flexible computational framework to explore various visual cues, i.e., shapes or sketches, based on the relevant datasets and conducting human-based behavioral studies to validate such visual cue exploration tools. This article presents the results and insights obtained from the first step by addressing two research questions: How can the computational framework CAVAS be developed to provide designers in sketching with certain visual cues for stimulating their visual thinking process? How can a computation tool learn a latent space, which can capture the shape patterns of sketches? A visual cue exploration framework and a deep clustering model CAVAS-DL are proposed to learn a latent space of sketches that reveal shape patterns for multiple sketch categories and simultaneously cluster the sketches to preserve and provide category information as part of visual cues. The distance- and overlap-based similarities are introduced and analyzed to identify long- and short-distance analogies. Performance evaluations of our proposed methods are carried out with different configurations, and the visual presentations of the potential analogical cues are explored. The results have demonstrated the applicability of the CAVAS-DL model as the basis for the human-based validation studies in the next step.
Exceptional preservation of organs in Devonian placoderms from the Gogo lagerstätte
Authors: Trinajstic Kate , Long John A. , Sanchez Sophie , Boisvert Catherine A. , Snitting Daniel , Tafforeau Paul , Dupret Vincent , Clement Alice M. , Currie Peter D. , Roelofs Brett , Bevitt Joseph J. , Lee Michael S. Y. , Ahlberg Per E.
Published: September 2022

The origin and early diversification of jawed vertebrates involved major changes to skeletal and soft anatomy. Skeletal transformations can be examined directly by studying fossil stem gnathostomes; however, preservation of soft anatomy is rare. We describe the only known example of a three-dimensionally mineralized heart, thick-walled stomach, and bilobed liver from arthrodire placoderms, stem gnathostomes from the Late Devonian Gogo Formation in Western Australia. The application of synchrotron and neutron microtomography to this material shows evidence of a flat S-shaped heart, which is well separated from the liver and other abdominal organs, and the absence of lungs. Arthrodires thus show the earliest phylogenetic evidence for repositioning of the gnathostome heart associated with the evolution of the complex neck region in jawed vertebrates.
Few-cycle vacuum squeezing in nanophotonics
Authors: Nehra Rajveer , Sekine Ryoto , Ledezma Luis , Guo Qiushi , Gray Robert M. , Roy Arkadev , Marandi Alireza
Published: September 2022

One of the most fundamental quantum states of light is the squeezed vacuum, in which noise in one of the quadratures is less than the standard quantum noise limit. In nanophotonics, it remains challenging to generate, manipulate, and measure such a quantum state with the performance required for a wide range of scalable quantum information systems. Here, we report the development of a lithium niobate–based nanophotonic platform to demonstrate the generation and all-optical measurement of squeezed states on the same chip. The generated squeezed states span more than 25 terahertz of bandwidth supporting just a few optical cycles. The measured 4.9 decibels of squeezing surpass the requirements for a wide range of quantum information systems, demonstrating a practical path toward scalable ultrafast quantum nanophotonics.
Whom is real science for?
The Biggest Ideas in the Universe
Sean Carroll
Dutton, 2022. 304 pp.
Authors: Motter Adilson E.
Published: September 2022

Skip the metaphors—physics needn’t be diluted for nonexperts to achieve real understanding
The “water machine” of Bengal
Authors: Mukherji Aditi
Published: September 2022

A data-driven and policy-supported strategic use of aquifers for irrigation is needed to maximize their benefits
Moving target
Authors: Kupferschmidt Kai
Published: September 2022

The global monkeypox outbreak is giving the virus an unprecedented opportunity to adapt to humans. Will it change for the worse?
Record salinity and low water imperil Great Salt Lake
Authors: Kintisch Eli
Published: September 2022

Drought spurs efforts to restore shrinking lake’s water supplies
Key Role of Transconjugants for Dissemination of the Integrative Conjugative Element ICE
Bs1
in Biofilms
Authors: Payot Sophie
Published: September 2022

In this issue of the
Journal of Bacteriology
, J.-S. Bourassa, G. Jeannotte, S. Lebel-Beaucage, and P. B. Beauregard (J Bacteriol 204:e00181-22, 2022,
https://doi.org/10.1128/jb.00181-22
) showed that ICE
Bs1
propagation in
Bacillus subtilis
biofilm relies almost exclusively on transconjugants. It appears restricted to clusters of bacteria in a close neighborhood of initial donor cells, which are heterogeneously distributed in the biofilm and expand vertically toward the air-liquid interface.
Complete Genome Sequences of Four Campylobacter jejuni Strains Isolated from Retail Chicken Meat and Broiler Feces
Authors: Poudel Sabin , Li Tianmin , Arick Mark A. , Hsu Chuan-Yu , Thrash Adam , Sukumaran Anuraj T. , Adhikari Pratima , Kiess Aaron S. , Zhang Li
Published: September 2022

Campylobacter jejuni
is the leading pathogen that causes foodborne infections. Here, we report the complete genome sequences of four
C. jejuni
strains isolated from retail chicken meat and broiler feces samples. Genes encoding type VI secretion and antibiotic resistance were detected among these isolates.
Evolution of the Bronson Hill arc and Central Maine basin, northern New Hampshire to western Maine: U-Pb zircon constraints on the timing of magmatism, sedimentation, and tectonism
Authors: Eusden* J. Dykstra , Hillenbrand† Ian W. , Folsom Elizabeth , Merrill Thorn , Niiler Kurt , Wheatcroft Audrey
Published: September 2022

The Ordovician Bronson Hill arc and Silurian–Devonian Central Maine basin are integral tectonic elements of the northern Appalachian Mountains (USA). However, understanding the evolution of, and the relationship between, these two domains has been challenging due to complex field relationships, overprinting associated with multiple phases of Paleozoic orogenesis, and a paucity of geochronologic dates. To constrain the nature of this boundary, and the tectonic evolution of the northern Appalachians, we present U-Pb zircon dates from 24 samples in the context of detailed mapping in northern New Hampshire and western Maine. Collectively, the new geochronology and mapping results constrain the timing of magmatism, sedimentation, metamorphism, and deformation. The Bronson Hill arc formed on Gondwana-derived basement and experienced prolonged magmatic activity before and after a ca. 460 Ma reversal in subduction polarity following its accretion to Laurentia in the Middle Ordovician Taconic orogeny. Local Silurian deformation between ca. 441 and 434 Ma may have been related to the last stages of the Taconic orogeny or the Late Ordovician to early Silurian Salinic orogeny. Silurian Central Maine basin units are dominated by local, arc-derived zircon grains, suggestive of a convergent margin setting. Devonian Central Maine basin units contain progressively larger proportions of older, outboard, and basement-derived zircon, associated with the onset of the collisional Early Devonian Acadian orogeny at ca. 410 Ma. Both the Early Devonian Acadian and Middle Devonian to early Carboniferous Neoacadian orogenies were associated with protracted amphibolite-facies metamorphism and magmatism, the latter potentially compatible with the hypothesized Acadian altiplano orogenic plateau. The final configuration of the Jefferson dome formed during the Carboniferous via normal faulting, possibly related to diapirism and/or ductile thinning and extrusion. We interpret the boundary between the Bronson Hill arc and the Central Maine basin to be a pre-Acadian normal fault on which dip was later reversed by dome-stage tectonism. This implies that the classic mantled gneiss domes of the Bronson Hill anticlinorium formed relatively late, during or after the Neoacadian orogeny, and that this process may have separated the once-contiguous Central Maine and Connecticut Valley basins.
Is rehabilitation effective in preventing decreased functional status after community-acquired pneumonia in elderly patients? Results from a multicentre, retrospective observational study
Authors: Chen Hao , Hara Yu , Horita Nobuyuki , Saigusa Yusuke , Hirai Yoshihiro , Kaneko Takeshi
Published: September 2022

Objectives

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of rehabilitation in preventing decreased functional status (FS) after community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in elderly patients.

Design

This was a retrospective observational study.

Setting

Multicentre study was conducted in two medical facilities from January 2016 to December 2018.

Participants

Hospitalised patients with CAP aged over 64 years were enrolled. FS was assessed by the Barthel Index (BI) (range, 0–100, in 5-point increments) at admission and before discharge and graded into three categories: independent, BI 80–100; semidependent, BI 30–75; and dependent, BI 0–25. Multivariable analysis of factors contributing to decreased FS was conducted with two groups: with a decrease of at least one category (decreased group) or without a decrease of category (maintained group).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary outcome was the effect of rehabilitation in preventing decreased FS. The secondary outcomes were factors associated with decreased FS.

Results

The maintained and decreased groups included 400 and 138 patients, respectively. A high frequency of rehabilitation therapy was observed in the decreased group (189 (47.3%) vs 104 (75.4%); p<0.001). Multivariable analysis showed that the factors affecting FS were aspiration pneumonia, Pneumonia Severity Index (PSI) category V, length of stay and age (OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.58 to 4.49; OR 1.92, 95% CI 1.29 to 3.44; OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.07; and OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.09, respectively). After adjusting for factors contributing to decreased FS, rehabilitation showed a limited effect in preventing decreased FS in 166 matched pairs by McNemar’s test (p=0.327).

Conclusions

Aspiration and PSI played important roles in reducing FS. The effect of rehabilitation remains unclear in CAP.

Trial registration number

UMIN000046362.
Treatment of periprosthetic joint infections guided by minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) in addition to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC): protocol for a prospective randomised clinical trial
Authors: Tillander Jonatan A N , Rilby Karin , Svensson Malchau Karin , Skovbjerg Susann , Lindberg Erika , Rolfson Ola , Trobos Margarita
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are disastrous complications for patients and costly for healthcare organisations. They may promote bacterial resistance due to the extensive antibiotic use necessary in the PJI treatment. The PJI incidence is estimated to be 1%–3%, but the absolute numbers worldwide are high and increasing as large joint arthroplasties are performed by the millions each year. Current treatment algorithms, based on implant preserving surgery or full revision followed by a semitailored antibiotic regimen for no less than 2–3 months, lead to infection resolution in approximately 60% and 90%, respectively. Antibiotic choice is currently guided by minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of free-living bacteria and not of bacteria in biofilm growth mode. Biofilm assays with relatively rapid output for the determination of minimum biofilm eradication concentrations (MBECs) have previously been developed but their clinical usefulness have not been established.

Methods and analysis

This single-blinded, two-arm randomised study of hip or knee staphylococcal PJI will evaluate 6-week standard of care (MIC guided), or an alternative antibiotic regimen according to an MBEC-guided-based decision algorithm. Sixty-four patients with a first-time PJI treated according to the debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention principle will be enrolled at a single tertiary orthopaedic centre (Sahlgrenska University Hospital). Patients will receive 14 days of standard parenteral antibiotics before entering the comparative study arms. The primary outcome measurement is the proportion of changes in antimicrobial regimen from first-line treatment dependent on randomisation arm. Secondary endpoints are unresolved infection, how microbial properties including biofilm abilities and emerging antimicrobial resistance correlate to infection outcomes, patient reported outcomes and costs with a 12-month follow-up.

Ethics and dissemination

Approval is received from the Swedish Ethical Review Authority, no 2020-01471 and the Swedish Medical Products Agency, EudraCT, no 2020-003444-80.

Trial registration number

ClinicalTrials.gov ID:NCT04488458.
Identifying context-specific domains for assessing antimicrobial stewardship programmes in Asia: protocol for a scoping review
Authors: Vu Huong Thi Lan , Hamers Raph L , Limato Ralalicia , Limmathurotsakul Direk , Karkey Abhilasha , Dodds Ashley Elizabeth , Anderson Deverick , Patel Payal K , Patel Twisha S , Lessa Fernanda C , van Doorn H Rogier
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is an important strategy to control antimicrobial resistance. Resources are available to provide guidance for design and implementation of AMS programmes, however these may have limited applicability in resource-limited settings including those in Asia. This scoping review aims to identify context-specific domains and items for the development of a healthcare facility (HCF)-level tool to guide AMS implementation in Asia.

Methods and analysis

This review is the first step in a larger project to assess AMS implementation, needs and gaps in Asia. We will employ a deductive qualitative approach to identify locally appropriate domains and items of AMS implementation guided by Nilsen and Bernhardsson’s contextual dimensions. This process is also informed by discussions from a technical advisory group coordinated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop an AMS HCF-level assessment tool for low-income and middle-income countries. We will review English-language documents that discuss HCF-level implementation, including those describing frameworks, components/elements or recommendations for design, implementation or assessment globally and specific to Asia. We have performed the search in August–September 2021 including general electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science and Google Scholar), region-specific databases, national action plans, grey literature sources and reference lists to identify eligible documents. Country-specific documents will be restricted to countries in three subregions: South Asia, East Asia and Southeast Asia. Codes and themes will be derived through a content analysis, classified following the predefined context dimensions and used for developing domains and items of the assessment tool.

Ethics and dissemination

Results from this review will feed into our stepwise process for developing a context-specific HCF-level assessment tool for AMS programmes to assess the implementation status, identify intervention opportunities and monitor progress over time. The process will be done in consultation with local stakeholders, the end-users of the generated knowledge.
Analysis of suicide risk in adult US patients with squamous cell carcinoma: a retrospective study based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database
Authors: Yu Haohui , Tao Shengru , She Wenli , Liu Min , Wu Yayun , Lyu Jun
Published: September 2022

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to determine the risk factors for suicide in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the USA.

Setting

Patients with SCC diagnosed between 1975 and 2017 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database were selected for this study.

Participants

This study included patients with SCC older than 20 years who were diagnosed between 1975 and 2017.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The general population included in data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were used to calculate the suicide rate and standardised mortality rate (SMR) of SCC patients. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify risk factors for suicide in patients with SCC.

Results

There were 415 268 SCC patients registered in the SEER database, among which 1157 cases of suicide were found, comprising a total of 2 289 772 person-years. The suicide rate for patients with SCC was 50.53 per 100 000 person-years, and the SMR was 4.13 (95% CI 3.90 to 4.38). The Cox regression analyses showed that the factors related to a high risk of suicide among patients with SCC included being male (vs female: HR 5.36, 95% CI 4.51 to 6.38, p<0.001), older at the diagnosis (70–79 vs ≤39 years: HR 1.46, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.08, p=0.012; ≥80 vs ≤39 years: HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.08, p=0.025) and white (vs black, HR 2.97, 95% CI 2.20 to 4.02, p<0.001) and surgery (vs not performed: HR 0.65, 95% CI 0.57 to 0.74, p<0.001).

Conclusions

Compared with the general population, patients with SCC in the USA have a higher risk of suicide. Being male, older at the diagnosis, white and having a higher histological grade are risk factors for suicide in patients.
Bronchial smooth muscle cell in asthma: where does it fit?
Authors: Hassoun Dorian , Rose Lindsay , Blanc François-Xavier , Magnan Antoine , Loirand Gervaise , Sauzeau Vincent
Published: September 2022

Asthma is a frequent respiratory condition whose pathophysiology relies on altered interactions between bronchial epithelium, smooth muscle cells (SMC) and immune responses. Those leads to classical hallmarks of asthma: airway hyper-responsiveness, bronchial remodelling and chronic inflammation. Airway smooth muscle biology and pathophysiological implication in asthma are now better understood. Precise deciphering of intracellular signalling pathways regulating smooth muscle contraction highlighted the critical roles played by small GTPases of Rho superfamily. Beyond contractile considerations, active involvement of airway smooth muscle in bronchial remodelling mechanisms is now established. Not only cytokines and growth factors, such as fibroblats growth factor or transforming growth factor-β, but also extracellular matrix composition have been demonstrated as potent phenotype modifiers for airway SMC. Although basic science knowledge has grown significantly, little of it has translated into improvement in asthma clinical practice. Evaluation of airway smooth muscle function is still limited to its contractile activity. Moreover, it relies on tools, such as spirometry, that give only an overall assessment and not a specific one. Interesting technics such as forced oscillometry or specific imagery (CT and MRI) give new perspectives to evaluate other aspects of airway muscle such as bronchial remodelling. Finally, except for the refinement of conventional bronchodilators, no new drug therapy directly targeting airway smooth muscle proved its efficacy. Bronchial thermoplasty is an innovative and efficient therapeutic strategy but is only restricted to a small proportion of severe asthmatic patients. New diagnostic and therapeutic strategies specifically oriented toward airway smooth muscle are needed to improve global asthma care.
Using Systemised Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED) codes to select digital pathology whole slide images for long-term archiving
Authors: Ali Mahmoud , Evans Harriet , Whitney Peter , Minhas Fayyaz , Snead David R J
Published: September 2022

The archiving of whole slide images represents a hurdle to digital pathology implementation largely because of the amount of data generated. The retention of glass slides is currently recommended for a minimum of 10 years, but it is for individual departments to determine how digital images are archived and for how long. In a retrospective study, we examined the combination of Systemised Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED) codes allocated to cases reported between July 2011 and December 2015 and recalled more than 12 months after diagnosis in comparison to non-recalled cases.

Our results show that 0.2% of cases are recalled after 12 months, and SNOMED code combinations can be used to identify which cases are likely to be recalled and which are not. This approach could reduce the number of cases archived by 62% and still ensure all cases likely to be recalled remain in the archive.
Late Quaternary changes in sediment sources in the Labrador Sea
Authors: Andrews John T. , Piper David J.W.
Published: September 2022

Quaternary sediment in the Labrador Sea was derived from many proglacial sources in Greenland and eastern Canada. Understanding the spatial and temporal changes in sediment provenance provides information on ice extent and sediment dispersal patterns. Variations in mineral composition of sediment from late Quaternary cores has been determined by a whole pattern of quantitative X-ray diffraction procedure. Mineral facies were extracted statistically by a supervised analysis of 90 samples from bedrock and ice-rafted clasts, which were then used to predict the most probable mineral facies in 1443 marine sediment samples. We used a non-parametric Classification Decision Tree (CDT) to validate that decision. Only 26% of the samples were misclassified in the CDT. The six facies identified consisted of four facies reflecting differences in the composition of Canadian and Greenland Precambrian igneous and metamorphic bedrock, a set of samples dominated by high weight percentages of calcite and dolomite (detrital carbonate (DC) and Hudson Strait Heinrich (HS-H) events), and a “shale” facies. We isolated 284 sediments from the HS-H DC facies and determined that they could be divided into four categories based on differences in their mineral proportions. These categories vary geographically, based on non-carbonate sediment supply during these events from Greenland, the Canadian Shield, the Appalachians, and the outer continental shelf. In the Holocene of the Labrador Sea, dolomite is derived from Baffin Bay and abundance of calcite is influenced by both biogenic productivity and dissolution.
Information and Decision-Making Power: Explicating the Impact of Information Provision in the Conditional Cash Transfer Program on Food Consumption Share in the Philippines
Authors: NAKAMURA NOBUYUKI , SUZUKI AYA
Published: September 2022

We studied the impact of distributing nutritional information in the conditional cash transfer program on intrahousehold food expenditure allocation in the Philippines. Using the original randomized controlled trials dataset, which was collected 2 months after a social experiment to teach nutrition information, we found that providing nutrition information improved mothers’ nutrition knowledge, but no significant positive effects were found on the Engel coefficient. However, the provision of information to mothers with greater intrahousehold decision-making power tends to increase the consumption ratio of food. These results imply that not only raising awareness through information provision, but also female leadership and strong decision-making power within the household play an essential role in changing household budget allocations and improving child welfare.
Nexus of Technology Adoption, E-commerce, and Global Value Chains: The Case of Asia
Authors: KANG JONG WOO , RAMIZO DOROTHEA M.
Published: September 2022

Existing literature has examined either the key drivers of global value chain (GVC) exports or the factors affecting e-commerce growth. Studies that investigate the impact of e-commerce, in particular business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce, on GVCs are largely missing. The growing prevalence of digital platforms centered around e-commerce marketplaces motivates this study to examine if e-commerce growth in an economy can affect its GVC exports and how information and communication technology infrastructure and technology adoption measures, payment systems, and delivery mechanisms can facilitate this growth. Panel ordinary least squares, feasible generalized least squares, and two-stage least squares estimations are used to determine the relationship between GVC exports and e-commerce sales. The results indicate empirical evidence of the positive impact of B2C e-commerce on GVC exports. The robust and positive impact of B2C e-commerce on GVC exports—when instrumented by secure internet servers, internet bandwidth, and digital payment schemes—suggests growth of B2C e-commerce in an economy can contribute to its GVC participation.
Thermodynamic studies of the rainbow gravity-inspired higher-dimensional Schwarzschild black hole: Snyder–de Sitter model
Authors: Haldar Amritendu , Haldar Anendu
Published: September 2022

One of the staple objectives of theoretical physics is to establish a reliable theory of quantum gravity. To achieve this goal, some fundamental scales are proposed in the modern era, e.g. two scales are proposed in the Snyder–de Sitter model. These two scales relate to measurement limits of the position and momentum. In this paper, we study the thermodynamic properties of the higher-dimensional Schwarzschild black hole in the context of rainbow gravity in the Snyder–de Sitter model within the presence and absence of rainbow gravity and compare our results for [Formula: see text] with the results which are already derived in the previous literature [B. Hamil and B. C. Lütfüoğlu, Int. J. Geom. Methods Mod. Phys. 19, 2250047 (2022)]. We find the existence of the remnant temperature of the concerned black hole. Unlike the four-dimensional Schwarzschild black hole, the black hole in higher dimensions [Formula: see text] has two remnant temperatures. Moreover, we observe that in the rainbow gravity background a nonzero lower bound value of the temperature of the black hole exists. Finally, we analyze the thermal stability remnant conditions of the black hole by computing the heat capacity within this model.
Ricci soliton vector fields of Kantowski–Sachs spacetimes
Authors: Ali Ahmad T. , Khan Suhail
Published: September 2022

In this paper our focus is on exploring the Ricci solitons of the Kantowski–Sachs spacetime. All the obtained Ricci solitons are expanding only. Also in all the cases except one case, Ricci soliton manifolds are Einstein and hence the Ricci solitons are the trivial Ricci solitons. Only in one particular case the obtained Ricci soliton is non-Einstein and expanding. We have also shown that in some cases the obtained Ricci soliton vector fields are potential fields while in other cases they are not potential fields.