bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Survival and complications of implant‐supported cantilever fixed dental prostheses with zirconia and metal frameworks: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Horsch Laura , Kronsteiner Dorothea , Rammelsberg Peter
Published: August 2022

Background

Current evidence about long‐term survival of all‐ceramic implant‐supported cantilever fixed dental prostheses (cFDP) is limited.

Purpose

To evaluate the survival and complication rates of all‐ceramic and metal–ceramic implant‐supported cFDPs located in anterior and posterior sites, under consideration of risk factors.

Methods of study

The retrospective analysis compared an experimental group (75 implant‐supported cFDPs among 48 patients [mean age 60.47 ± 9.25 years; 21 men]; mean observation period 3.56 years) with a control group (300 implant‐supported non‐cantilever FDPs [ncFDP] among 241 patients [mean age 62.85 ± 10.72 years; 109 men]; mean observation period 7.25 years). Kaplan–Meier estimates were used to describe the long‐term survival and success of both groups. Log‐rank tests were used for group comparisons. Mixed‐effects Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to examine the effects of restoration‐ and site‐specific risk factors. A random intercept was included in the models to take multiple FDPs per patient into account.

Results

Five‐year cumulative survival until loss of restoration was 97.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.93–1.00) for cFDPs and 97.0% (95% CI 0.95–0.99) for ncFDPs. Ten‐year survival was 93.7% (95% CI 0.86–1.00) for cFDPs and 92.8% (95% CI 0.87–0.98) for ncFDPs, no difference between the survival curves of these groups was observed. Success differed between cFDPs and ncFDPs (pLog = 0.002), zirconia and metal frameworks (pLog < 0.001), and provisional and definitive cements (pLog = 0.025). The effects of the variables “framework material” and “attachment method” were confirmed in a mixed‐effects Cox regression model. Loss of retention was the predominant complication for both cFDPs and ncFDPs and usually affected provisionally cemented FDPs.

Conclusions

cFDPs do not differ from ncFDPs with regard to long‐term failure, whereas additional complications were higher for cFDPs. Fewer complications were observed for zirconia frameworks without occlusal veneers and definitive cemented FDPs.

Clinical trial registration: the trial has no registration number because it commenced before January 31, 2017.
Eosinophil‐rich linear IgA bullous dermatosis induced by mRNA COVID‐19 booster vaccine
Authors: Nahm William J. , Juarez Michelle , Wu Julie , Kim Randie H.
Published: August 2022

Abstract

We present a case of eosinophil‐rich linear IgA bullous disease (LABD) following the administration of a messenger RNA COVID‐19 booster vaccine. A 66‐year‐old man presented to the emergency department with a 3‐week history of a pruritic blistering rash characterized by fluid‐filled bullae and multiple annular and polycyclic plaques. He was initially diagnosed with bullous pemphigoid based on a biopsy showing a subepidermal blister with numerous eosinophils. However, direct immunofluorescence studies showed linear IgA and IgM deposition along the basement membrane zone with no immunoreactivity for C3 or IgG. Additionally, indirect immunofluorescence was positive for IgA basement membrane zone antibody. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with LABD and initiated on dapsone therapy with resolution of his lesions at 3‐month follow‐up. This case illustrates the growing number of autoimmune blistering adverse cutaneous reactions from vaccination. Dermatopathologists should be aware that features of autoimmune blistering diseases can overlap and may not be distinguishable based on these histopathological findings alone. Confirmation with direct immunofluorescence and/or serological studies may be necessary for accurate diagnosis.
Seasonality shapes community structure and functional group dynamics of zooplankton in Changjiang River estuary and its adjacent waters
Authors: Zheng Zeqi , Zhuang Yunyun , Chen Hongju , Ge Ruping , Li Yixuan , Liu Guangxing
Published: August 2022

Aim

Functional trait‐based approach links the zooplankton community to the marine ecosystem functioning. It provides a comprehensive insight into the diversity of zooplankton ecological strategies but has rarely been used to characterize the zooplankton community in estuarine ecosystem. Here, we investigated the seasonality of mesozooplankton functional structure with respect to environmental changes in Changjiang River estuary (CRE) and its adjacent waters.

Location

Changjiang River estuary and its adjacent waters.

Methods

Samples were collected in three seasons of 2019. Morphologically identified species were assigned functional traits including body length, feeding strategy, trophic group, reproduction mode and habitat type, and clustered into functional groups. Taxonomic and functional diversity indices were calculated. The relative importance of the environmental variables in explaining the seasonality of functional structures was assessed.

Results

Ten functional groups were identified, and functional structure showed strong seasonal dynamics. Current‐ and mixed‐feeding omnivore–herbivores were the predominant group over seasons. The contribution of carnivorous, detritivorous and omnivorous groups increased from winter–spring to autumn. The seasonality of zooplankton functional structure was mainly explained by the effect of temperature, fluvial discharge and warm current. Low temperature and riverine input of nutrient in winter–spring favoured the small‐sized herbivores. Subsequently, the rising temperature and run‐off in summer shifted the zooplankton community to larger herbivores and carnivores. Moderate temperature and relatively enhanced effect of warm current promoted the proliferation of carnivores and detritivores in autumn. Functional diversity also varied over seasons.

Main conclusions

The functional dynamics of mesozooplankton in CRE across estuarine gradient and seasonality is shaped by the seasonal variation of temperature, fluvial pulse and warm current intrusion. Our findings pave the way for further understanding estuarine biodiversity and have implications in conservation strategies.
A Gendered Counter‐archive: Mining and Resistance in Morocco
Authors: Salime Zakia
Published: August 2022

In August 2011, thousands of villagers climbed Mount Alebban in Imider, southeast Morocco. They shut off the valve diverting water from the mountain's reservoir to a neighbouring silver mine. The villagers’ encampment on the mount lasted for eight years, withstanding state violence, prison sentences and political containment. Although Imider was considered a political protest camp, this article explores it through the notion of counter‐archive, defining the counter‐archive as a collective record keeping of disruption. The Imider camp is a counter‐archive in the sense that it enabled unauthorized stories to surface and radical politics to emerge. As a counter‐archive, it revealed the hidden links between politics and profit, extraction and dispossession, and life and death. As a forbidden space, the camp engaged in a quotidian performance of collective modes of living that resisted erasure through artwork, gendered spatial arrangements, storytelling and record making. The goal of the article is twofold: to illustrate the everyday making of this counter‐archive by analysing the modes of disruptive engagement of the villagers with the mine, and the new communities they have generated; and to show the soft spots of radical politics and its vulnerability in the context of neoliberal governance.
Chromosome‐level reference genome for European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis L.)
Authors: Gundappa Manu Kumar , Peñaloza Carolina , Regan Tim , Boutet Isabelle , Tanguy Arnaud , Houston Ross D. , Bean Tim P. , Macqueen Daniel J.
Published: August 2022

The European flat oyster (Ostrea edulis L.) is a bivalve naturally distributed across Europe, which was an integral part of human diets for centuries, until anthropogenic activities and disease outbreaks severely reduced wild populations. Despite a growing interest in genetic applications to support population management and aquaculture, a reference genome for this species is lacking to date. Here, we report a chromosome‐level assembly and annotation for the European Flat oyster genome, generated using Oxford Nanopore, Illumina, Dovetail OmniC™ proximity ligation and RNA sequencing. A contig assembly (N50: 2.38 Mb) was scaffolded into the expected karyotype of 10 pseudochromosomes. The final assembly is 935.13 Mb, with a scaffold‐N50 of 95.56 Mb, with a predicted repeat landscape dominated by unclassified elements specific to O. edulis. The assembly was verified for accuracy and completeness using multiple approaches, including a novel linkage map built with ddRAD‐Seq technology, comprising 4016 SNPs from four full‐sib families (eight parents and 163 F1 offspring). Annotation of the genome integrating multitissue transcriptome data, comparative protein evidence and ab‐initio gene prediction identified 35,699 protein‐coding genes. Chromosome‐level synteny was demonstrated against multiple high‐quality bivalve genome assemblies, including an O. edulis genome generated independently for a French O. edulis individual. Comparative genomics was used to characterize gene family expansions during Ostrea evolution that potentially facilitated adaptation. This new reference genome for European flat oyster will enable high‐resolution genomics in support of conservation and aquaculture initiatives, and improves our understanding of bivalve genome evolution.
The Attachment Versus Differentiation Debate: Bringing the Conversation to Parent–Child Relationships
Authors: Miller Elizabeth A.
Published: August 2022

This article contributes to the attachment versus differentiation debate, bringing the conversation to parent–child relationships. While attachment theory's (AT) approach emphasizes bonding, Bowen family systems theory's (BFST) differentiation approach emphasizes emotional boundaries. They both suggest that balancing autonomy and connection is important, but AT conceptualizes this in terms of the parent's ability to meet the child's needs for autonomy and connection, while BFST conceptualizes this in terms of the parent's and child's ability to be connected due to mutual respect for each other's emotional boundaries. They similarly recognize that: (1) emotionally mature parents respect children individuality, (2) emotionally immature parents may project their needs and wishes onto children, and (3) emotionally mature parents focus on calming themselves to help their children to be calm. They differ in that: (1) BFST suggests that children may project their needs and wishes onto their parents and intrude on their parents' emotional boundaries, and AT does not conceptualize this; (2) BFST suggests that caregiver over‐involvement may be experienced as positive for a child and program them to be excessively needy, and AT suggests that caregiver over‐involvement is negative for children and neediness is caused by under‐involved caregiving; and (3) BFST suggests that therapists should not try to be a parent to their clients as this can replicate the fusion that the client experienced with their parents, and AT suggests that therapists should try to be like a good parent to their clients to help them to develop more secure attachment styles.
Psychometric properties of the Coparenting Relationship Scale in Chinese parents
Authors: Ju Jiawen , Ye Panqin , Bian Yufang
Published: August 2022

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Coparenting Relationship Scale (CRS) in Chinese samples.

Background

The coparenting relationship serves an important role in raising children. The CRS was originally developed to measure the multidimensionality of the coparenting relationship. However, its latent structure and psychometric properties have not been extensively addressed, particularly in non‐Western cultures.

Method

Data were collected from a sample of 991 Chinese families (991 mothers, 967 fathers, 31–57 years of age). Confirmatory factor analyses were utilized to provide evidence of the theoretical factorial structure. Internal consistency was examined by Cronbach's α and omega coefficients. Correlations with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale were to verify criterion validity. Configural, metric, scalar, and residual variance invariance were examined across the gender of parents in dyadic perspective.

Results

In contrast to a poor fit for the seven‐factor structure of the original 35‐item CRS, the Chinese version of the CRS (CRS‐C) showed a good fit in a six‐factor structure with 27 items. The CRS‐C showed strict measurement invariance across gender of the parent, satisfactory internal consistency, and criterion‐related validity as indicated by marital quality.

Conclusions

These findings provided preliminary evidence that the CRS‐C is reliable and valid for measuring the coparenting relationship among Chinese parents.

Implications

Coparenting relationship and its measurement will benefit from attention in non‐Western contexts and cross‐cultural studies.
Latina mothers navigating COVID‐19: Within‐ and between‐family stress processes over time
Authors: Boyer Chase J. , Ugarte Elisa , Buhler‐Wassmann Andrea C. , Hibel Leah C.
Published: August 2022

Objective

This study aimed to understand how periodic shifts in financial cutbacks and fears of contracting COVID‐19 contributed to children's externalizing behaviors due to increases in maternal stress among low‐income Latina mothers during the first 10 months of the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Background

The COVID‐19 pandemic caused widespread health, economic, and psychological consequences for families and children. The Latino community is particularly vulnerable to the economic and health risks of this pandemic as a consequence of systemic oppression. The family stress model suggests that these family stressors will have psychological repercussions to parents, and downstream behavioral consequences to children.

Method

We examined both the within‐ and between‐person impacts of worry surrounding contracting the virus and the economic consequences of the pandemic on maternal stress and child externalizing behaviors. Participants were 73 Latina mothers who completed assessments an average eight times across the first  10 months of the COVID‐19 pandemic. At each assessment time, the mother was asked about worries surrounding contracting the virus, economic cutbacks the family was making, her perceived stress, and her child's externalizing behaviors during a brief phone call.

Results

Between‐families, higher economic cutbacks indirectly increased child externalizing behaviors through maternal stress. The within‐family model revealed that at assessments when mothers expressed greater worry about contracting the COVID‐19 virus, they also reported greater stress. Further, at the within‐person level, a mother's greater experience of stress was associated with greater reports of child externalizing behaviors, though the indirect association between COVID‐19 contract worry and child externalizing behaviors through maternal stress was not significant.

Conclusions

Across the first 10 months of the COVID‐19 pandemic, the children in Latino families participating in this research exhibited more externalizing behaviors among families that engaged in more financial cutbacks as a function maternal stress. However, periodic spikes in Latina mothers' fears of contracting COVID‐19 contributed to periodic spikes in stress, which predicted periodic spikes in child externalizing behaviors.

Implications

Greater effort toward social policy that provides economic support for vulnerable families before periods of increased societal stress and greater protections for workers with limited sick leave and schedule flexibility will help promote resilience to future crises among low‐income Latino families.
Sympatric soil biota mitigate a warmer‐drier climate for Bouteloua gracilis
Authors: Remke Michael J. , Johnson Nancy C. , Bowker Matthew A.
Published: August 2022

Climate change is altering temperature and precipitation, resulting in widespread plant mortality and shifts in plant distributions. Plants growing in soil types with low water holding capacity may experience intensified effects of reduced water availability as a result of climate change. Furthermore, complex biotic interactions between plants and soil organisms may mitigate or exacerbate the effects of climate change. This 3‐year field experiment observed the performance of Bouteloua gracilis ecotypes that were transplanted across an environmental gradient with either sympatric soil from the seed source location or allopatric soil from the location that plants were transplanted into. We also inoculated plants with either sympatric or allopatric soil biotic communities to test: (1) how changes in climate alone influence plant growth, (2) how soil types interact with climate to influence plant growth, and (3) the role of soil biota in mitigating plant migration to novel environments. As expected, plants moved to cooler‐wetter sites exhibited enhanced growth; however, plants moved to warmer‐drier sites responded variably depending on the provenance of their soil and inoculum. Soil and inoculum provenance had little influence on the performance of plants moved to cooler‐wetter sites, but at warmer‐drier sites they were important predictors of plant biomass, seed set, and specific leaf area. Specifically, transplants inoculated with their sympatric soil biota and grown in their sympatric soil were as large as or larger than reference plants grown at the seed source locations; however, individuals inoculated with allopatric soil biota were smaller than reference site individuals at warmer, drier sites. These findings demonstrate complicated plant responses to various aspects of environmental novelty where communities of soil organisms may help ameliorate stress. The belowground microbiome of plants should be considered to predict the responses of vegetation more accurately to climate change.
Employment in old age and all‐cause mortality: A systematic review
Authors: Murayama Hiroshi , Takase Mai , Watanabe Saya , Sugiura Keiko , Nakamoto Isuzu , Fujiwara Yoshinori
Published: August 2022

Social participation promotes and maintains the health of older adults. Working is a type of social participation; however, the effect of employment in old age on health outcomes has not been established. This study aimed to review the relationship between employment in old age (≥60 years) and all‐cause mortality. For this systematic review, a computerized search was performed using PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO for prospective studies published through June 2020. The observational studies were extracted according to the study participants, indicators, follow‐up period, statistical approach and main results. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Of the 37 832 records identified, 14 studies were included in the systematic review based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Eight studies were derived from Asian countries (four from Japan, two from Taiwan and one from Thailand and South Korea), three were from the United States, two were from Israel and one was from Brazil. The baseline data of 13 studies were collected before 2000. Thirteen of the 14 studies reported any association between employment in later life and a lower risk of mortality. Four studies examined the sex‐related differences in the effect of later‐life employment on all‐cause mortality, but the association was controversial. Overall, we revealed that working in old age would lower mortality risk. Although more findings based on recent data are required, this study indicates that working later in life is beneficial for promoting and maintaining health. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 705–714.
Migrant visits over time: Ethnographic returning and the technological turn
Authors: Baldassar Loretta
Published: August 2022

This paper reflects on four decades of research (via ethnographic returning) to explore the social transformations in travel and communication technologies that have impacted the lived experiences, and consequently the theoretical conceptualization, of migrant visits. A comparison of migration waves between Italy and Australia reveals both continuities in visiting experience as deeply relational practices that facilitate a mutuality of being, but also transformations brought about by the technological turn. Visits take on different meanings depending on individual/ family life stage, generation, and community and national histories. The capacity for both physical and virtual copresence must be understood as coconstitutive, requiring a temporal perspective. The experiences of immobile migrants in residential care suggest that, in the context of rich histories of copresence over time, digital kinning can provide the capacity to share a mutuality of being that safeguards the socio‐relational ties of individual and collective identities and belonging that make us human.
UV and visible light exposure to hair leads to widespread changes in the hair lipidome
Authors: Ross Alastair B. , Maes Evelyne , Lee Erin J. , Homewood Ines , Marsh Jennifer M. , Davis Stephanie L. , Willicut Robert J.
Published: August 2022

Objective

Scalp hair is among the most exposed parts of the human body, yet the impact of visible and UV light on hair lipids, an important structural component of hair, is poorly researched. We have used lipidomics, a broad‐based approach to measure lipids in samples, which has hitherto not been applied to UV‐exposed hair in the published literature, and could allow for a wider understanding of how UV light impacts on specific hair lipids.

Methods

Mixed blonde Caucasian hair switches were divided into two groups of five, with half of the hair switches exposed to UV and visible light mimicking normal daytime exposure and half left unexposed. LC–MS lipidomics was used to profile the lipids in the hair samples.

Results

A total of 791 lipids and 32 lipid classes with tentative identifications were detected in the hair samples. Nineteen lipid classes and 397 lipids differed between UV‐treated and non‐treated hair. The main lipid classes that differed were vitamin A fatty acid esters, sterol esters, several ceramides, mono‐, di‐ and triglycerides, phosphatidylethanolamines (all decreased in UV‐exposed hair) and bismonoacylglycerolphosphates, acylcarnitines and acylglycines (all increased in UV‐exposed hair). Most detected lipids were decreased in UV‐exposed hair, supporting earlier work that has found that UV exposure causes oxidation of lipids which would result in a decrease in most lipid classes.

Conclusion

Light exposure to hair has a widespread impact on the hair lipidome. This study also adds to the emerging literature on the hair lipidome, broadening the range of lipid classes reported in hair.
Prevalence of dental floss use in deciduous dentition: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Nascimento Edite Barbeitos , Rodrigues Rita , Manso Maria Conceição
Published: August 2022

Objectives

Adherence to the daily use of dental floss in childhood is recommended by various international health institutions/organizations. This systematic review (PROSPERO number CRD42020205232) aims to evaluate the prevalence of dental floss use in deciduous dentition.

Materials and methods

A systematic review was conducted in six databases (B‐on, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scielo, Science Direct and Web of Science) up to December 2020. The CoCoPop mnemonic allowed for obtaining 2333 articles and resulted in the inclusion of 7 observational studies that evaluated the prevalence of dental floss use (primary outcome) in children up to 6 years old. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist was used to evaluate the risk of bias, showing that most articles presented good quality. Meta‐analyses were performed using the proportion of dental floss use (yes or once/day) and the random effects model.

Results

The meta‐analysis showed a prevalence of dental floss use of only 12.60% (95% CI: 7.69%–18.52%) based on studies with high heterogeneity of results (I2 = 94.75%; 95% CI: 91.44%–96.78%). Six of the seven studies showed that more than 70% of children never used dental floss.

Conclusions

A low prevalence of dental floss use was observed in children up to 6 years old. Given the diversity of evaluating the use of dental floss, different options should be the target of standardization in future studies.
Microstructural evolution during thermal shock process and the residual strength of Si3N4 ceramics
Authors: Yang Xiao , Liu Xuejian , Zhang Hui , Huang Zhengren
Published: August 2022

Thermal shock resistance of silicon nitride was investigated from aspects of residual strength and microstructure, using a water quenching method. The residual strengths after 800 and 1000°C thermal shock polarized as higher ones and much lower ones, and reasons for the huge disparity are explored. With heat treatment temperature getting higher, the inner small pores rush to and aggregate in the surface layer of the samples. When the heat treatment reaches 1400°C, a darker subsurface layer is observed, which is caused by the loss of most Al and Y elements. Moreover, many more small pores are found in this layer, acting as the dissipation sources, they protect the material strength by releasing the intense thermal stress. But this subsurface layer disappears during the natural cooling down to 600°C as Al and Y uniformly redistributed in extended oxidation, then huge cracks form on the surface layer undergoing much smaller thermal stress from 600 to 0°C. Moreover, the bonding Y and Si can be oxidized into two types of Y2Si2O7 crystals that improve the thermal shock performance of Si3N4.
Wet milling synthesis of ammonium cobalt phosphate hydrate platelets for LCP‐olivine cathodes of LIBs using a bead mill
Authors: Kondo Akira , Kozawa Takahiro , Ishii Toshihiro , Naito Makio
Published: August 2022

In this study, NH4CoPO4·H2O (ACP) platelets were synthesized from NH4H2PO4 and Co(OH)2 by wet milling process using a bead mill. ACP is one of the precursors of LiCoPO4 (LCP) cathode materials for Li‐ion batteries. In the wet milling, ACP large platelets were synthesized in a short time at the beginning, and the large platelets were gradually cleaved into the smaller platelets. The lateral sizes of the ACP platelets were several 10 μm at 30 min and about 10 μm at 5 h. It was found that the ACP platelets were synthesized efficiently by using the bead mill as a promising machine for the scale‐up in manufacturing. The ACP platelets were converted into LCP by mixing with Li2CO3 and heating, whereas platelet shapes were retained. The initial discharge capacities of the cathodes using the LCP platelets converted from the ACP of 30 min and 5 h milling were 70 and 95 mAh/g at 0.05 C, respectively. It is because the specific surface area of the latter sample (3.3 m2/g) was larger than that of the former (2.2 m2/g). The larger specific surface area possibly led to the increase of contacts with electron conductive additives (carbon) and electrolytes.
Photocatalytic degradation of Basic Blue 41 dye under visible light over SrTiO3/Ag3PO4 hetero‐nanostructures
Authors: Kafian Soheila , Sadeghzadeh‐Attar Abbas
Published: August 2022

In an attempt to develop nanostructured photocatalysts with high performance, SrTiO3/Ag3PO4 hetero‐nanostructures were successfully fabricated. The formed binary heterojunctions were composed of SrTiO3 nanotubes prepared using liquid‐phase deposition, and Ag3PO4 nanoparticles prepared using a sol–gel method. Synthesis details, including morphology, structure, and optical properties of the prepared photocatalysts, were characterized and comparatively discussed. The results showed that at an optimal ratio of SrTiO3 to Ag3PO4 (20–80), the photocatalytic degradation of Basic Blue 41 under 80‐min visible light irradiation is the maximum amount of 99%, which is about 4.4 and 1.5 times higher than that of pristine SrTiO3 nanorods and Ag3PO4 nanoparticles, respectively. It can be due to the synergistic effect of two materials that provide high light absorption and charge carriers’ separation. Finally, a detailed possible mechanism for enhancing the photocatalytic activity of the SrTiO3/Ag3PO4 hetero‐nanostructures was proposed.
Synthesis, microstructure, and catalytic properties of porous SiFeCO nanocomposites derived from MIL‐101(Fe)‐modified PCS
Authors: Zhou Cong , Feng HaiPeng , Liu GuangAo , Tao Feng , Liu Qi
Published: August 2022

SiFeCO ceramic nanocomposites with porous structure have been successfully prepared via pyrolysis of novel iron‐containing precursors, which were synthesized by modification of polycarbosilane with different contents of MIL‐101(Fe), a kind of metal‐organic framework made by our laboratory. Iron‐containing precursors were pyrolyzed at relatively low temperatures ranging from 500 to 900°C under nitrogen atmosphere, the polymer‐to‐ceramic conversion process were investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) measurements. SiFeCO ceramics with different iron contents were intensively studied with respect to their crystallization behavior, microstructure evolution, and porous morphology influenced by additive amount of MIL‐101(Fe). The results of XRD and Transmission electron microscopy revealed that MIL‐101(Fe)‐modified precursors converted into amorphous SiFeCO ceramics when pyrolyzed below 700°C under nitrogen, extremely small Fe3O4 and α‐Fe crystallites with grain size of only 2–5 nm were in situ generated and dispersed uniformly in the SiCO ceramic matrix. Simultaneously, interconnected porous structure was created in the matrix by the decomposition of MIL‐101(Fe). The as‐obtained SiFeCO ceramics could serve as heterogeneous Fenton‐like catalysts for the degradation of xylene orange and exhibit outstanding catalytic properties.
A real‐world study of low‐dose thalidomide in severe erythema nodosum leprosum highlighting its mechanistic rationale in a resource‐constrained target population
Authors: Bathula Savitha , Sardana Kabir , Mathachan Sinu Rose , Khurana Ananta , Ahuja Arvind , Paliwal Purnima
Published: August 2022

Background

Corticosteroids remain the main therapy in erythema nodosum leprosum (ENL), and long‐term usage in chronic or recurrent ENL is a cause of significant morbidity and mortality. Thalidomide exerts dramatic effect in controlling ENL and helps reduce the dose of steroids, but the cost is a hindrance to its usage.

Methods

Patients of ENL (steroid naïve and steroid‐dependent) were recruited over a 1‐year period. An escalating dose of low‐dose thalidomide with a reducing dose of prednisolone was titrated depending on the control of disease activity. The primary aim was to reduce the dose of steroids to the lowest effective dose, and the secondary aim was to stop.

Results

Sixteen patients of ENL were studied (mean duration of ENL 22.1 months, 15 severe ENL), and a majority (11/16, 68%) were on steroids with a mean duration of 11.27 months. All patients had steroid‐related side effects (cushingoid habitus 81.8%, weight gain 54.5%, diabetes mellitus 9%, hyperlipidemia 18.18%, cataract 18.1%, osteoporosis 36.3%, striae 36.3%, acneiform eruptions 18.1%, and myopathy 9%). Steroids could be tapered in a majority of patients (n = 9) within 3 months (mean 2.44 months) with a low dose of thalidomide (25–150 mg/day, mean 78.3 mg) achieving a significant reduction in prednisolone dose (33.16 mg at baseline; 4.28 mg at 3 months, P < 0.05). Steroids could be stopped in 92% of patients by 3.03 months, and both drugs could be stopped in 80% of cases by 5.83 months.

Conclusion

The rapid and effective control of ENL with low‐dose thalidomide in our series is comparable to the historical efficacy of high‐dose thalidomide regimens, making it an affordable therapy in resource‐constrained settings and an excellent steroid‐sparing agent. The rapid onset of disease control is likely attributable to its action via neutrophils.
Accommodation, empowerment and disinvestment—Typical second‐language learning trajectories of Syrian refugees in Germany
Authors: Bernhard Stefan
Published: August 2022

This paper asks how refugees' second‐language learning processes are embedded in their lives in host countries. To address this question, the paper proposes the concept of second‐language learning trajectories. These trajectories explain refugees' second‐language learning as closely intertwined with learners' self‐understanding, experiences and positioning in host countries. Using longitudinal narrative interview data from Syrian refugees in Germany, the paper identifies three different types of second‐language learning trajectories, that is empowerment, accommodation and disinvestment. These trajectories have vastly diverse outcomes, not only in terms of second‐language proficiency but also in terms of learning motivation, self‐views and future prospects. Moreover, second‐language learning trajectories evolve based on self‐reinforcing dynamics that make switching between trajectories increasingly difficult over time. This is particularly detrimental to refugees on the disinvestment trajectory, which entails social decline and exclusion. The paper also identifies institutional regulations in Germany that compound refugees' struggles to gain a foothold in their host country.
Circular RNA ACTR2 activates M2 polarization of macrophages through activating Yes‐associated protein signalling and contributes to renal fibrosis
Authors: Fu Hua , Chu Ling , Yuan Yi‐Shu , Liao Shan , Wang Guo‐Hui
Published: August 2022

Macrophages, associated with their heterogenous and dynamic polarization status, actively shape the development of renal fibrosis (RF). In this study, we revealed the significance of a signalling axis, circular RNA ACTR2 (circACTR2)/miR‐200c/Yes‐associated protein (YAP), in regulating macrophage polarization and the development of RF. A unilateral urethral obstruction (UUO)‐induced RF model was established in vivo. In vitro, interferon‐γ (IFNγ) and interleukin (IL)‐4 were applied to induce M1 and M2 polarization, respectively. The abundance of M1 and M2 macrophages were examined by immunofluorescence (IF) or flow cytrometry on markers specific for each subtype. Expressions of circACTR2, miR‐200c and YAP were measured by quantitative real‐time‐polymerase chain reaction and/or Western blotting. Interactions between circACTR2, miR‐200c and YAP were examined by combining luciferase assay, RNA immunoprecipitation and IF. Impact of targeting circACTR2 on RF and macrophage polarization was also examined in vivo. UUO‐induced RF was associated with increased M1 and M2 macrophages, up‐regulations of circACTR2 and YAP and the down‐regulation of miR‐200c in the obstructed kidney. circACTR2 was essential for IL‐4‐induced M2 polarization, but not IFNγ‐induced M1 polarization. This activity of circACTR2 was mediated by sponging miR‐200c and activating the downstream YAP signalling. In vivo, knocking down circACTR2 boosted miR‐200c expression, reduced YAP level, lowered M2 macrophages in obstructed kidney and ameliorated UUO‐induced RF. circACTR2, by targeting and sponging miR‐200c, activates YAP signalling, stimulates M2 macrophage polarization and promotes the development of RF. Therefore, targeting circACTR2 may benefit the treatment of RF.
Recent advances in the therapeutic efficacy of hepatocyte growth factor gene‐modified mesenchymal stem cells in multiple disease settings
Authors: Meng Hong‐fang , Jin Jide , Wang Hua , Wang Li‐sheng , Wu Chu‐tse
Published: August 2022

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy is considered a new treatment for a wide range of diseases and injuries, but challenges remain, such as poor survival, homing and engraftment rates, thus limiting the therapeutic efficacy of the transplanted MSCs. Many strategies have been developed to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs, such as preconditioning, co‐transplantation with graft materials and gene modification. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is secreted by MSCs, which plays an important role in MSC therapy. It has been reported that the modification of the HGF gene is beneficial to the therapeutic efficacy of MSCs, including diseases of the heart, lung, liver, urinary system, bone and skin, lower limb ischaemia and immune‐related diseases. This review focused on studies involving HGF/MSCs both in vitro and in vivo. The characteristics of HGF/MSCs were summarized, and the mechanisms of their improved therapeutic efficacy were analysed. Furthermore, some insights are provided for HGF/MSCs' clinical application based on our understanding of the HGF gene and MSC therapy.
Downregulation of miRNA‐26 in chronic periodontitis interferes with innate immune responses and cell migration by targeting phospholipase C beta 1
Authors: Uttamani Juhi R. , Naqvi Afsar R. , Estepa Araceli Maria Valverde , Kulkarni Varun , Brambila Maria F. , Martínez Gloria , Chapa Gabriela , Wu Christine D. , Li Wei , Rivas‐Tumanyan Sona , Nares Salvador
Published: August 2022

Aim

To evaluate the potential role of miR‐26 family members in periodontal pathogenesis by assessing innate immune responses to periopathic bacteria and regulation of cytoskeletal organization.

Materials and Methods

Expression of miR‐26a‐5p and miR‐26b‐5p was quantified in gingival biopsies derived from healthy and periodontally diseased subjects before and after non‐surgical (scaling and root planing) therapy by RT‐qPCR. Global pathway analysis and luciferase assays were performed for target identification and validation. Cytokine expression was assessed in miR‐26a‐5p transfected human oral keratinocytes upon stimulation with either live Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans or Pg lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Wound closure assays were performed in cells transfected with miR‐26a‐5p, while the impact on cytoskeletal organization was assessed by F‐actin staining.

Results

miR‐26a‐5p and miR‐26b‐5p were downregulated in diseased gingiva and restored 4–6 weeks post‐therapy to levels comparable with healthy subjects. Target validation assays identified phospholipase C beta 1 as a bona fide novel target exhibiting antagonistic expression pattern in disease and post‐therapy cohorts. miR‐26a‐5p transfected cells secreted higher levels of cytokine/chemokines upon stimulation with periopathogens and demonstrated impaired cell migration and cytoskeletal rearrangement.

Conclusions

Downregulated miR‐26a‐5p levels in periodontal inflammation may interfere with key cellular functions that may have significant implications for host defence and wound healing.
The global prevalence of primary psychodermatologic disorders: a systematic review
Authors: Turk T. , Liu C. , Straube S. , Dytoc M. , Hagtvedt R. , Dennett L. , Abba‐Aji A. , Fujiwara E.
Published: August 2022

The management of primary psychodermatologic disorders (PPDs) (i.e. psychiatric disorders with dermatologic presentation) is challenging. The scarceness of reported prevalence hinders the development of coordinated interventions to improve healthcare delivery. This review aimed to explore the global prevalence of PPDs. The review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta‐Analyses statement. Of the 4632 identified publications, 59 were included. Five PPDs were investigated from the included studies: delusional parasitosis (n = 9), skin picking disorder (n = 26), trichotillomania (n = 26), tanning dependence (n = 5) and repetitive nail biting (n = 6). Delusional parasitosis was rare in the general population (prevalence ranging from 0.0002% to 0.03%), with higher rates in psychiatric settings (outpatient = 0.5%; inpatient = 0.1%). Other pathologic or subclinical forms of PPDs had a minimum prevalence of 0.3% (median = 7.0%; mean = 17.0%). The distribution of the prevalence rates was highly skewed, with large differences based on the study setting (e.g. dermatologic settings, psychiatric settings, and general population). The most common condition was pathologic skin picking (prevalence, 1.2%–11.2%) in the general population. Its rates were higher in the psychiatric settings (obsessive–compulsive disorder, 38.5%; Tourette syndrome, 13.0%; body dysmorphic disorder, 26.8%–64.7%). The prevalence of trichotillomania in the general population ranged from 0.6% to 2.9%, while that of pathologic tanning and nail biting could not be ascertained as the studies were mainly in students (range; 12.0%–39.3% and 3.0%–10.1%, respectively). In conclusion, PPDs are common, especially in the dermatologic and psychiatric settings. Further population‐based studies are needed to determine more accurate prevalence rates.
The impact of the pulsed electric field on the structural, morphological, functional, textural, and rheological properties of red rice starch (Oryza sativa)
Authors: Almeida Raphael Lucas Jacinto , Santos Newton Carlos , Feitoza João Vítor Fonseca , de Alcântara Ribeiro Victor Hebert , de Alcântara Silva Virgínia Mirtes , de Figueiredo Maria José , Ribeiro Celene Ataide Cordeiro , Galdino Pablícia Oliveira , Queiroga Adriano Heverson Feitosa , de Sousa Muniz Cecília Elisa
Published: August 2022

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of pulsed electric field (PEF) on the structural, morphological, functional, textural and rheological properties of red rice starch (Oryza sativa). The 5 mm thick starch pastes were subjected to PEF at 10 and 30 kV cm−1 with a pulse frequency of 600 Hz for 90 s. PEF was responsible for decreasing crystallinity, due to the damage caused during processing. The spectra showed different intensities in the bands close to 1000 cm−1, a characteristic region of starch. PEF30 showed greater stability and less retrogradation. The values for textural and rheological parameters were decreased, showing the effect of treatments on amylopectin chains. Therefore, based on the results, nonthermal modification of red rice starch by PEF at 30 kV cm−1 is the most suitable formulation to obtain a new material with optimized characteristics.

Practical Applications

The results of this study are beneficial for the industry, where its use to process rice starch‐based foods is targeted. Due to the practicality and efficiency when it comes to a nonthermal process, the modification of the structures and the improvement of the nature of food materials is the main objective. The advantage of PEF is that it can be applied to solid foods (in the form of a paste) and to liquids (food fluids), varying system parameters such as electrical intensity. When working with starch in paste form, the article shows that the highest intensity (30 kV cm−1) was the most indicated.
FERONIA is involved in phototropin 1‐mediated blue light phototropic growth in Arabidopsis
Authors: Li Chiyu , Chen Jia , Li Xiaoyan , Zhang Xin , Liu Ying , Zhu Sirui , Wang Long , Zheng Heping , Luan Sheng , Li Jiada , Yu Feng
Published: August 2022

Plant shoot phototropism is triggered by the formation of a light‐driven auxin gradient leading to bending growth. The blue light receptor phototropin 1 (phot1) senses light direction, but how this leads to auxin gradient formation and growth regulation remains poorly understood. Previous studies have suggested phot1's role for regulated apoplastic acidification, but its relation to phototropin and hypocotyl phototropism is unclear. Herein, we show that blue light can cause phot1 to interact with and phosphorylate FERONIA (FER), a known cell growth regulator, and trigger downstream phototropic bending growth in Arabidopsis hypocotyls. fer mutants showed defects in phototropic growth, similar to phot1/2 mutant. FER also interacts with and phosphorylates phytochrome kinase substrates, the phot1 downstream substrates. The phot1‐FER pathway acts upstream of apoplastic acidification and the auxin gradient formation in hypocotyl under lateral blue light, both of which are critical for phototropic bending growth in hypocotyls. Our study highlights a pivotal role of FER in the phot1‐mediated phototropic cell growth regulation in plants.
Microbe‐derived non‐necrotic glycoside hydrolase family 12 proteins act as immunogenic signatures triggering plant defenses
Authors: Wang Lan , Liu Hanmei , Zhang Mingmei , Ye Yu , Wang Lei , Zhu Jinyi , Chen Zhaodan , Zheng Xiaobo , Wang Yan , Wang Yuanchao
Published: August 2022

Plant pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) are sentinels at the cell surface sensing microbial invasion and activating innate immune responses. During infection, certain microbial apoplastic effectors can be recognized by plant PRRs, culminating in immune responses accompanied by cell death. However, the intricated relationships between the activation of immune responses and cell death are unclear. Here, we studied the glycoside hydrolase family 12 (GH12) protein, Ps109281, secreted by Phytophthora sojae into the plant apoplast during infection. Ps109281 exhibits xyloglucanase activity, and promotes P. sojae infection in a manner dependent on the enzyme activity. Ps109281 is recognized by the membrane‐localized receptor‐like protein RXEG1 and triggers immune responses in various plant species. Unlike other characterized GH12 members, Ps109281 fails to trigger cell death in plants. The loss of cell death induction activity is closely linked to a sequence polymorphism at the N‐terminus. This sequence polymorphism does not affect the in planta interaction of Ps109281 with the recognition receptor RXEG1, indicating that cell death and immune response activation are determined using different regions of the GH12 proteins. Such GH12 protein also exists in other Phytophthora and fungal pathogens. Taken together, these results unravel the evolution of effector sequences underpinning different immune outputs.
Surgical wound assessment tool: Construct validity and inter‐rater reliability of a tool designed for nurses
Authors: Do Hien Thi Thu , Edwards Helen , Finlayson Kathleen
Published: August 2022

Aims and objectives

To validate construct validity and inter‐rater reliability of a surgical wound assessment tool.

Background

Wound assessment is central to appropriate wound management. However, limited standard surgical wound assessment tools are available to assist nurses in assessing and recording progress in the healing of surgical wounds.

Design

A prospective observational study was utilised to test the validity and reliability. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guideline was used.

Methods

Convenience sampling was used to recruit 260 patients who underwent elective or emergency surgery at a hospital in Vietnam. Exploratory factor analysis was used to examine the construct validity of the surgical wound assessment tool. Inter‐rater reliability was calculated using the intraclass correlation coefficient and Cohen's kappa to determine reliability of the overall scale and identified items.

Results

The results of the exploratory factor analysis supported a three‐component structure of the surgical wound assessment tool. The intraclass correlation coefficient value of the overall scale was 0.79 (95% CI 0.67–0.89), p < .001, confirming excellent inter‐rater reliability. Cohen's kappa value ranged from 0.5 to 1, demonstrating moderate to almost perfect level of agreement for individual items, except for one item on pain.

Conclusion

The surgical wound assessment tool was deemed to be acceptable, valid and reliable for monitoring the status of surgical wound healing. However, further modification and testing are needed to strengthen the tool and to determine the applicability of the tool in other populations.

Relevance to clinical practice

The application of the SWAT would improve the assessment of surgical wounds in daily nursing practice which will promote improved postoperative wound management. It is an easy and practical tool for enhancing inter‐disciplinary communication and care outcomes for all patients with surgical wounds.