bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of the physical versus mental presence of a high‐powered person on consumers' healthy food choices
Authors: Huang Yunzhi , Xie Yi (Fionna) , Ye Jun
Published: February 2023

Consumers make distinct food choices when they see versus when they think about a powerful person. This research identifies two scenarios involving the presence of a high‐powered other, physical presence versus mental presence, and examines the effect of the physical and mental presence of a high‐powered other on consumers' healthy food choices. Conducting six experiments, we show that the physical presence of a high‐powered other increases one's self‐enhancement motivation and leads to healthier food choices, while the mental presence of a high‐powered other increases one's perceived constraints and leads to unhealthy food choices. We also find that interpersonal closeness moderates the positive effect of the physical presence of a high‐powered other on healthy food choices but does not moderate the negative effect of the mental presence of a high‐powered other on healthy food choices.
Quality Assessment of Bee Pollen‐Honey Mixtures Using Thin‐Layer Chromatography in Combination with Chemometrics
Authors: Mosić Mirjana D. , Trifković Jelena Đ. , Ristivojević Petar M. , Milojković‐Opsenica Dušanka M.
Published: February 2023

The aim of this study is to develop a rapid, effect‐directed screening method for quality assessment of bee pollen‐honey mixtures. The comparative antioxidant potential and phenolic content of honey, bee pollen, and the bee pollen‐honey mixtures, was performed using spectrophotometry. The total phenolic content and antioxidative activity of bee pollen‐honey mixtures with 20 % bee pollen share were in the range 3.03–3.11 mg GAE/g, and 6.02–6.96 mmol TE/kg, respectively, while mixtures with 30 % bee pollen share contained 3.92–4.18 mg GAE/g, and 9.69–10.11 mmol TE/kg. Chromatographic fingerprint of bee pollen‐honey mixtures was performed by high‐performance thin‐layer chromatography with conditions developed by authors and reported for the first time. Fingerprint analysis hyphenated with chemometrics enabled authenticity assessments of honey in mixtures. Results indicate that bee pollen‐honey mixtures represent a food with highly, both, nutritious characteristics and health‐promoting effect.
Advances in Multifunctional Chemotherapeutic Prodrugs for Near‐infrared Fluorescence Imaging‐guided Therapy
Authors: Zeng Jiayu , Liu Minhui , Li Songjiao , Cheng Dan , He Longwei , Yuan Lin
Published: February 2023

Conventional chemotherapy (CT) is associated with severe side effects and inducible resistance, making it difficult to meet clinical requirements, forcing the development of new multifunctional prodrugs for precision medicine. In recent decades, researchers and clinicians have focused on developing of multifunctional chemotherapeutic prodrugs with tumor‐targeting capability, activatable and traceable chemotherapeutic activity, as a powerful tool to improve theranostic outcomes in cancer treatment. The conjugates of near‐infrared (NIR) organic fluorophores and chemotherapy reagents create an exciting avenue for real‐time monitoring of drug delivery and distribution, as well as the combination of chemotherapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Therefore, there are great opportunities for researchers to conceive and exploit multifunctional prodrugs that can visualize chemo‐drugs release and tumor treatment in vivo. In this review, the design strategy and the recent progress of multifunctional organic chemotherapeutic prodrugs for activating NIR fluorescence imaging‐guided therapy are described and discussed in detail. Finally, the prospects and challenges of multifunctional chemotherapeutic prodrugs for NIR fluorescence imaging‐guided therapy are provided.
TFEB attenuates hyperglycemia‐induced retinal capillary endothelial cells injury via autophagy regulation
Authors: Cheng Yanhua , Fan Huimin , Liu Kangcheng , Liu Jingying , Zou Hua , You Zhipeng
Published: February 2023

Diabetic retinopathy is a common microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus. The maintenance of retinal capillary endothelial cell homeostasis requires a complete and unobtrusive flow of autophagy because it may help combat the inflammatory response, apoptosis, and oxidative stress damage of cells in diabetes mellitus. The transcription factor EB is a master regulator of autophagy and lysosomal biogenesis, but its role in diabetic retinopathy remains unknown. This study aimed to confirm the involvement of transcription factor EB in diabetic retinopathy and explore the role of transcription factor EB in hyperglycemia‐linked endothelial injury in vitro. First, the expression levels, including the nuclear location of transcription factor EB and autophagy, were reduced in diabetic retinal tissues and high glucose‐treated human retinal capillary endothelial cells. Subsequently, autophagy was mediated by transcription factor EB in vitro. Moreover, transcription factor EB overexpression reversed high glucose‐induced autophagy inhibition and lysosomal dysfunction and protected human retinal capillary endothelial cells from inflammation, apoptosis, and oxidative stress damage caused by high glucose treatment. Additionally, under high‐glucose stimulation, the autophagy inhibitor chloroquine attenuated transcription factor EB overexpression‐mediated protection, and the autophagy agonist Torin1 rescued transcription factor EB knockdown‐induced damage effects. Taken together, these results suggest that transcription factor EB is involved in the development of diabetic retinopathy. In addition, transcription factor EB protects human retinal capillary endothelial cells from high glucose‐induced endothelial damage via autophagy.
Unexpectedly Large Structural Variations in Benzyl‐Substituted Sila[1]ferrocenophanes
Authors: Nezamzadeh Ahmadreza , Bhattacharya Satavisha , Zhu Jianfeng , Müller Jens
Published: February 2023

A set of four planar‐chiral sila[1]ferrocenophanes equipped with a benzyl group in the α‐position, either on one or both Cp rings, and substituted on the bridging silicon atom, either by methyl or phenyl groups, were prepared. While NMR, UV/Vis, and DSC measurements did not show anything uncommon, single crystal X‐ray analyses revealed unexpectedly large variations of the dihedral angles between both Cp rings (α tilt angle). While DFT calculations predicted α between 19.6 and 20.8°, measured values were found between 16.6(2) and 21.45(14)°. However, experimentally determined conformers differ significantly from those calculated for the gas phase. For the sila[1]ferrocenophane with the largest mismatch between the experimental and predicted α angle, it was shown that the orientation of benzyl groups have a significant influence on the ring‐tilted structure. Packing of molecules in the crystal lattice forces benzyl groups into unusual orientations, resulting in a significantly reduced α angle through steric repulsions.
In Cellulo Light‐Induced Dynamics in a BODIPY‐Perylene Dyad
Authors: Yang Tingxiang , Arellano‐Reyes Ruben Arturo , Curley Rhianne C. , Jha Keshav Kumar , Chettri Avinash , Keyes Tia E. , Dietzek‐Ivanšić Benjamin
Published: February 2023

BODIPY‐based donor‐acceptor dyads are widely used as sensors and probes in life science. Thus, their biophysical properties are well established in solution, while their photophysical properties in cellulo, i. e., in the environment, in which the dyes are designed to function, are generally understood less. To address this issue, we present a sub‐ns time‐resolved transient absorption study of the excited‐state dynamics of a BODIPY‐perylene dyad designed as a twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) probe of the local viscosity in live cells.
P‐wave parameters and their association with thrombi and spontaneous echo contrast in the left atrial appendage
Authors: Kreimer Fabienne , Backhaus Julian Felix , Krogias Christos , Pflaumbaum Andreas , Mügge Andreas , Gotzmann Michael
Published: February 2023

Background

The aim of this study was to examine the prevalence of abnormal P‐wave parameters in patients with thrombus and/or spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) in the left atrial appendage (LAA), and to identify P‐wave parameters particularly associated with thrombus and SEC formation.

Hypothesis

We presume a significant relationship of P‐wave parameters with thrombi and SEC.

Methods

All patients in whom a thrombus or SEC was detected in the LAA on transoesophageal echocardiography were included in this study. Patients at risk (CHA2DS2‐VASc Score ≥3) and routine transoesophageal echocardiography to exclude thrombi served as the control group. A detailed ECG analysis was performed.

Results

Of a total of 4062 transoesophageal echocardiographies, thrombi and SEC were detected in 302 patients (7.4%). Of these patients, 27 (8.9%) presented with sinus rhythm. The control group included 79 patients. There was no difference in mean CHA2DS2‐VASc score in the two groups (p = .182). A high prevalence of abnormal P‐wave parameters was detected in patients with thrombus/SEC. Indicators for the presence of thrombi or SEC in the LAA were P‐wave duration >118 ms (Odds ratio (OR) 3.418, Confidence interval (CI) 1.522–7.674, p < .001), P‐wave dispersion >40 ms (OR 2.521, CI 1.390–4.571, p < .001) and advanced interatrial block (OR 1.431, CI 1.033–1.984, p = .005).

Conclusion

Our study revealed that several P‐wave parameters are associated with thrombi and SEC in the LAA. The results may help identify patients who are at particularly high risk for thromboembolic events (e.g., in patients with embolic stroke of undetermined source).
Diagnostic implication of extracellular mucin in pancreatic/biliary brushing and stent cytology
Authors: Suben Jesse , Goyal Abha , Rao Rema , Sung Simon
Published: February 2023

Background

Pancreatic and/or biliary (PB) brushing is commonly used to rule out malignant strictures. Many studies have attempted to characterize cytomorphologic characteristics of brushing and stent cytology. However, scant literature exists on the diagnostic implication (DI) of thick extracellular mucin (ECM) indicative of neoplasm in these samples. This study was aimed at reviewing the DI of thick ECM in PB brushing and stent cytology.

Methods

A retrospective search of consecutive cytologic samples of PB brushings/stents with corresponding surgical pathology or relevant clinical information over a 1‐year period was performed. Blinded review of the slides was performed by two cytopathologists. The slides were assessed for the presence, quantity, and quality of ECM. The results were analyzed for statistical significance with the Fisher exact and χ2 tests.

Results

One hundred ten cases were identified from 63 patients. Twenty‐two cases (20%) were PB brushings only without a prior stent. The remaining 88 cases (80%) had a preexisting stent for symptomatic obstruction. Fourteen of 22 cases (63%) without prior stents and 67 of 88 poststented cases (76%) were nonneoplastic (NN) upon follow‐up. ECM was present more frequently in neoplastic cases than in NN cases (p = .03). Among NN cases (n = 87), poststented samples showed more evidence of ECM than prestented samples (15% vs. 45%, p = .045). Identical thick ECM was observed in NN poststent and main‐duct intraductal papillary neoplasm samples.

Conclusions

Although ECM was frequently seen in neoplastic cases, NN cases showed increased evidence of thick ECM among poststented samples. Thick ECM may be common in stent cytology, regardless of the underlying biologic process.
Different modeling approaches in the simulation of extrinsic coagulation factor X activation: Limitations and areas of applicability
Authors: Kovalenko Tatiana A. , Panteleev Mikhail A. , Sveshnikova Anastasia N.
Published: February 2023

Proteolytic reactions on the phospholipid membrane surface, so‐called “membrane‐dependent” reactions, play central role in the process of blood clotting. One particularly important example is FX activation by the extrinsic tenase (VIIa/TF). Here we constructed three mathematical models of FX activation by VIIa/TF: (A) a homogeneous “well‐mixed” model, (B) a two‐compartment “well‐mixed” model, (C) a heterogeneous model with diffusion, to investigate the impact and importance of inclusion of each complexity level. All models provided good description of the reported experimental data and were equivalently applicable for <40 μM of phospholipids. Model C provided better predictions than A, B in the presence of TF‐negative phospholipid microparticles. Models predicted that for high TF surface density (STF) and FX deficiency the FX activation rate was limited by the rate of FX binding to the membrane. For low STF and excess of FX the reaction rate was limited by the tenase formation rate. The analysis of the substrate delivery pathways revealed that FX bound to VIIa/TF predominantly from solution for STF >2.8 × 10−3 nmol/cm2 and from the membrane for lower STF. We proposed the experimental setting to distinguish between the collision‐limited and non‐collision‐limited binding. The analysis of models in flow and non‐flow conditions revealed that the model of a vesicle in flow might be substituted by model C in the absence of the substrate depletion. Together, this study was the first which provided the direct comparison of more simple and more complex models. The reaction mechanisms were studied in a wide range of conditions.
Donanemab Population Pharmacokinetics, Amyloid Plaque Reduction, and Safety in Participants with Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Gueorguieva Ivelina , Willis Brian A. , Chua Laiyi , Chow Kay , Ernest C. Steven , Shcherbinin Sergey , Ardayfio Paul , Mullins Garrett R. , Sims John R.
Published: February 2023

Donanemab is an amyloid‐targeting therapy that resulted in robust amyloid plaque reduction and slowed Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression compared with placebo in the phase II TRAILBLAZER‐ALZ study (NCT03367403). The objectives of the current analyses are to characterize (i) the population pharmacokinetics of donanemab, (ii) the relationship between donanemab exposure and amyloid plaque reduction (response), and (iii) the relationship between donanemab exposure and amyloid‐related imaging abnormalities with edema or effusions (ARIA‐E). Model development included data from participants with mild cognitive impairment or mild to moderate dementia due to AD from the phase Ib study on donanemab (NCT02624778) and participants with early symptomatic AD from the TRAILBLAZER‐ALZ study. The analysis showed donanemab has a terminal elimination half‐life of 11.8 days. Body weight and antidrug antibody titer impact donanemab exposure but not the pharmacodynamic response. Maintaining a donanemab serum concentration above 4.43 μg/mL (95% confidence interval: 0.956, 10.4) is associated with amyloid plaque reduction. The time to achieve amyloid plaque clearance (amyloid plaque level < 24.1 Centiloids) varied depending on the baseline amyloid level, where higher baseline levels were associated with fewer participants achieving amyloid clearance. The majority of participants achieved amyloid clearance by 52 weeks on treatment. Apolipoprotein ε4 carriers, irrespective of donanemab serum exposure, were 4 times more likely than noncarriers to have an ARIA‐E event by 24 weeks.
Associations between mukbang viewing and disordered eating behaviors
Authors: von Ash Tayla , Huynh Rachel , Deng Carrie , White Marney A.
Published: February 2023

Objective

Mukbang videos are a popular cultural phenomenon that often feature a host consuming large amounts of food to entertain an audience. We aim to examine the relationship between mukbang viewing characteristics and eating disorders symptoms.

Methods

Eating disorder symptoms were evaluated using the eating disorders examination–questionnaire. Frequency of mukbang viewing, average watch time per occasion, tendency to eat while watching mukbang, and problematic mukbang viewing (using the Mukbang Addiction Scale) were assessed. We used multivariable regressions to estimate associations between mukbang viewing characteristics and eating disorder symptoms, adjusting for gender, race/ethnicity, age, education, and BMI. We used social media to recruit adults who watched mukbang at least once during the past year (n = 264).

Results

A total of 34% of participants reported watching mukbang daily or almost daily, with mean watch time per viewing session being 29.94 min (SD = 1.00). Eating disorder symptoms, especially binge eating and purging, were associated with greater problematic mukbang viewing and a tendency to not consume food while viewing mukbang. Participants with greater body dissatisfaction watched mukbang more frequently and were more likely to eat while watching mukbang, yet they scored lower on the Mukbang Addiction Scale and watched fewer average minutes of mukbang per viewing occasion.

Discussion

In a world increasingly penetrated by online media, our findings linking mukbang viewing and disordered eating may inform clinical diagnoses and treatments of eating disorders. Future studies establishing directionality of the relationship between mukbang viewing behaviors and eating disorder pathology are warranted.

Public Significance

Mukbang videos often feature a host consuming large amounts of food. Using a questionnaire assessing mukbang viewing behaviors and disordered eating pathology, we found associations between certain viewing habits and disordered eating symptoms. Given the health consequences of eating disorders and potentially problematic consequences of certain online media, this study can inform clinical understanding of individuals with disordered eating who engage in certain online media, like mukbang.
Mapping the correlations and gaps in studies of complex life histories
Authors: Richardson Emily L. , Marshall Dustin J.
Published: February 2023

For species with complex life histories, phenotypic correlations between life‐history stages constrain both ecological and evolutionary trajectories. Studies that seek to understand correlations across the life history differ greatly in their experimental approach: some follow individuals (“individual longitudinal”), while others follow cohorts (“cohort longitudinal”). Cohort longitudinal studies risk confounding results through Simpson's Paradox, where correlations observed at the cohort level do not match that of the individual level. Individual longitudinal studies are laborious in comparison, but provide a more reliable test of correlations across life‐history stages. Our understanding of the prevalence, strength, and direction of phenotypic correlations depends on the approaches that we use, but the relative representation of different approaches remains unknown. Using marine invertebrates as a model group, we used a formal, systematic literature map to screen 17,000+ papers studying complex life histories, and characterized the study type (i.e., cohort longitudinal, individual longitudinal, or single stage), as well as other factors. For 3315 experiments from 1716 articles, 67% focused on a single stage, 31% were cohort longitudinal and just 1.7% used an individual longitudinal approach. While life‐history stages have been studied extensively, we suggest that the field prioritize individual longitudinal studies to understand the phenotypic correlations among stages.
MaxEnt brings comparable results when the input data are being completed; Model parameterization of four species distribution models
Authors: Ahmadi Mohsen , Hemami Mahmoud‐Reza , Kaboli Mohammad , Shabani Farzin
Published: February 2023

Species distribution models (SDMs) are practical tools to assess the habitat suitability of species with numerous applications in environmental management and conservation planning. The manipulation of the input data to deal with their spatial bias is one of the advantageous methods to enhance the performance of SDMs. However, the development of a model parameterization approach covering different SDMs to achieve well‐performing models has rarely been implemented. We integrated input data manipulation and model tuning for four commonly‐used SDMs: generalized linear model (GLM), gradient boosted model (GBM), random forest (RF), and maximum entropy (MaxEnt), and compared their predictive performance to model geographically imbalanced‐biased data of a rare species complex of mountain vipers. Models were tuned up based on a range of model‐specific parameters considering two background selection methods: random and background weighting schemes. The performance of the fine‐tuned models was assessed based on recently identified localities of the species. The results indicated that although the fine‐tuned version of all models shows great performance in predicting training data (AUC > 0.9 and TSS > 0.5), they produce different results in classifying out‐of‐bag data. The GBM and RF with higher sensitivity of training data showed more different performances. The GLM, despite having high predictive performance for test data, showed lower specificity. It was only the MaxEnt model that showed high predictive performance and comparable results for identifying test data in both random and background weighting procedures. Our results highlight that while GBM and RF are prone to overfitting training data and GLM over‐predict nonsampled areas MaxEnt is capable of producing results that are both predictable (extrapolative) and complex (interpolative). We discuss the assumptions of each model and conclude that MaxEnt could be considered as a practical method to cope with imbalanced‐biased data in species distribution modeling approaches.
Morphometric changes on dung beetle Dichotomius problematicus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) related to conversion of forest into grassland: A case of study in the Ecuadorian Amazonia
Authors: Marín‐Armijos Diego , Chamba‐Carrillo Adolfo , Pedersen Karen M.
Published: February 2023

The conversion of forest into grassland can induce differentiation in the functional morphology of resilient species. To assess this effect, we have chosen a dung beetle Dichotomius problematicus, as a model species. We established 20 sampling points distributed along a transect for a forest and grassland located in the Podocarpus National Park in Ecuador. Four pit‐fall traps were baited with pig feces per sample point and were left open for 48 h. We sexed and measured 13 morphological traits of 269 individuals. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling was carried out to evaluate the influence of habitat and sexual dimorphism on the traits. We applied a principal component analysis to evaluate the morphological features that best explain the differences between land use and sexual dimorphism. We used generalized linear models to evaluate the explanatory variables: habitat and sexual dimorphism with respect to morphological traits. Five traits contributed over 70% body thickness, Pronotum width, Pronotum length, Head width and Elytra length, following the results of a principal component analysis. Both habitat and sex influence traits. In the forest, the individuals are larger than grassland likely due to available resources, but in grassland, the structures in charge of the burial process head, protibia are larger, displaying a strong pronotum and possible a greater reproductive capacity given by spherecity. These patterns of changes in the size of beetles and their structures could reflect the conservation state of an ecosystem.
Multiple genetic lineages of anadromous migratory Mekong catfish Pangasius krempfi revealed by mtDNA control region and cytochrome b
Authors: Duong Thuy‐Yen , Nguyen Ngoc‐Tran Thi , Tran Dac Dinh , Le Thanh Hoa , Nor Siti Azizah Mohd
Published: February 2023

Population genetic structure of migratory fishes can reflect ecological and evolutionary processes. Pangasius krempfi is a critically important anadromous catfish in the Mekong River, and its migration pathways and genetic structure have attracted much interest. To investigate, we quantified the genetic diversity of this species using the control region (D‐loop) and Cytochrome b (Cytb) of the mitochondrial genome. Fish were sampled (n = 91) along the Mekong tributaries from upstream to estuaries and coastal areas in the Mekong Delta and compared to three samples from Pakse (Laos). The D‐loop haplotype (0.941 ± 0.014) and nucleotide diversity (0.0083 ± 0.0005) were high in all populations, but that of Cytb was low (0.331 ± 0.059 and 0.00063 ± 0.00011, respectively). No genetic difference was detected between populations, indicating strong gene flow and confirming a long migration distance for this species. Pangasius krempfi was not genetically structured according to geographical populations but was delineated into three haplogroups, suggesting multiple genetic lineages. The presence of haplogroups in each sampling location implies that migration downstream is random but parallel when the fish enter two river tributaries bifurcating from the main Mekong River. Individuals can also migrate along the coast, far from the estuaries, suggesting a longer migration path than previously reported, which is crucial for maintaining diverse genetic origin and migration pathways for P. krempfi.
Scale‐dependent diversity–biomass relationships can be driven by tree mycorrhizal association and soil fertility
Authors: Mao Zikun , van der Plas Fons , Corrales Adriana , Anderson‐Teixeira Kristina J. , Bourg Norman A. , Chu Chengjin , Hao Zhanqing , Jin Guangze , Lian Juyu , Lin Fei , Li Buhang , Luo Wenqi , McShea William J. , Myers Jonathan A. , Shen Guochun , Wang Xihua , Yan En‐Rong , Ye Ji , Ye Wanhui , Yuan Zuoqiang , Wang Xugao
Published: February 2023

Diversity–biomass relationships (DBRs) often vary with spatial scale in terrestrial ecosystems, but the mechanisms driving these scale‐dependent patterns remain unclear, especially for highly heterogeneous forest ecosystems. This study explores how mutualistic associations between trees and different mycorrhizal fungi, i.e., arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) vs. ectomycorrhizal (EM) association, modulate scale‐dependent DBRs. We hypothesized that in soil‐heterogeneous forests with a mixture of AM and EM tree species, (i) AM and EM tree species would respond in contrasting ways (i.e., positively vs. negatively, respectively) to increasing soil fertility, (ii) AM tree dominance would contribute to higher tree diversity and EM tree dominance to greater standing biomass, and that as a result (iii) mycorrhizal associations would exert an overall negative effect on DBRs across spatial scales. To empirically test these hypotheses, we collected detailed tree distribution and soil information (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus, organic matter, pH) from seven temperate and subtropical AM–EM mixed forest megaplots (16–50 ha). Using a spatial codispersion null model and structural equation modeling, we identified the relationships among AM or EM tree dominance, soil fertility, tree species diversity, and biomass and, thus, DBRs across 0.01‐ to 1‐ha scales. We found the first evidence overall supporting the three aforementioned hypotheses in these AM–EM mixed forests: (i) In most forests, with increasing soil fertility, tree communities changed from EM‐dominated to AM‐dominated; (ii) increasing AM tree dominance had an overall positive effect on tree diversity and a negative effect on biomass, even after controlling for soil fertility and number of trees. Together, (iii) the changes in mycorrhizal dominance along soil fertility gradients weakened the positive DBR observed at 0.01‐ to 0.04‐ha scales in nearly all forests and drove negative DBRs at 0.25‐ to 1‐ha scales in four out of seven forests. Hence, this study highlights a soil‐related mycorrhizal dominance mechanism that could partly explain why, in many natural forests, biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships shift from positive to negative with increasing spatial scale.
Modeling the continua in the outcomes of biotic interactions
Authors: Gómez José María , Iriondo José María , Torres Pedro
Published: February 2023

The outcome of many ecological interactions lies somewhere along a continuum between pure positive and pure negative effects. Although the popularity of this idea has notoriously risen in the last decades, with the occurrence of continua in interaction outcomes invoked for a wide variety of interactions, the absence of a precise theoretical treatment has led to considerable inaccuracy and ambiguity in its treatment. We develop here a consumer‐resource model to explore the occurrence of continua. This model is based on the assumption that the distribution of individual interaction events includes both negative and positive immediate outcomes, with variable frequencies, for at least one of the interacting species. Our study shows that continua in interaction outcomes happen just by varying the sign and impact of individual events. The exact shape of the continua depends on the proportion of positive versus negative events and the relative magnitude of per‐capita interaction strengths. Our model shows that continua in interaction outcomes are a key property of most pairwise interactions and are originated from the variable roles played by the interacting partners. It constitutes a step forward in the paradigm change from discrete categorization of ecological interactions to a new perspective over a continuous space.
Stochasticity causes high β‐diversity and functional divergence of bacterial assemblages in closed systems
Authors: Le Moigne Alizée , Randegger Florian , Gupta Anubhav , Petchey Owen L. , Pernthaler Jakob
Published: February 2023

Stochasticity is a major cause of compositional β‐diversity in communities that develop under similar environmental conditions. Such communities may exhibit functional similarity due to sympatric taxa with equivalent metabolic capacities in the source assemblage. However, the redundancy of individual physiological traits may differ in the original source community, which in turn might lead to more or less pronounced variability of single functions among newly formed communities. We analyzed the degree of stochasticity during the primary assembly of bacterial communities originating from the same source and growing under identical conditions. We tested the links between community composition and functioning in parallel microcosms containing glucose and its dimer cellobiose. Bacteria from prefiltered lake water were diluted in artificial lake water and grown to the stationary phase. The resulting assemblages exhibited high compositional variability of taxa that were rare in the source communities. Simulations showed that the observed richness and incidence‐based β‐diversity could be reproduced by dispersal limitation, or by low dispersal rates associated with the ecological drift of the colonizers. Further null model analysis supported an important influence of stochasticity, as well as a synergy between dispersal limitation and both, heterogeneous and homogeneous selection. The communities functionally differed and the magnitude of functional variability depended on the substrate: more communities consumed glucose than cellobiose. However, there was no relationship between community structure and growth kinetics or substrate consumption. Thus, both structural and functional variability may be a consequence of stochastic processes during initial colonization in closed microbial communities.
Material legacies can degrade resilience: Structure‐retaining disturbances promote regime shifts on coral reefs
Authors: Kopecky Kai L. , Stier Adrian C. , Schmitt Russell J. , Holbrook Sally J. , Moeller Holly V.
Published: February 2023

Standing dead structures of habitat‐forming organisms (e.g., dead trees, coral skeletons, oyster shells) killed by a disturbance are material legacies that can affect ecosystem recovery processes. Many ecosystems are subject to different types of disturbance that either remove biogenic structures or leave them intact. Here we used a mathematical model to quantify how the resilience of coral reef ecosystems may be differentially affected following structure‐removing and structure‐retaining disturbance events, focusing in particular on the potential for regime shifts from coral to macroalgae. We found that dead coral skeletons could substantially diminish coral resilience if they provided macroalgae refuge from herbivory, a key feedback associated with the recovery of coral populations. Our model shows that the material legacy of dead skeletons broadens the range of herbivore biomass over which coral and macroalgae states are bistable. Hence, material legacies can alter resilience by modifying the underlying relationship between a system driver (herbivory) and a state variable (coral cover).
Auditory predator cues decrease herbivore survival and plant damage
Authors: Lee Zachary A. , Cohen Caroline B. , Baranowski Alex K. , Berry Kristen N. , McGuire Maxwell R. , Pelletier Tyler S. , Peck Brendan P. , Blundell Jacqueline J. , Preisser Evan L.
Published: February 2023

The high fitness cost of predation selects prey capable of detecting risk cues and responding in ways that reduce their vulnerability. While the impacts of auditory predator cues have been extensively researched in vertebrate prey, much less is known about invertebrate species' responses and their potential to affect the wider food web. We exposed larvae of Spodoptera exigua, a slow‐moving and vulnerable herbivore hunted by aerial predators, to recordings of wasp buzzing (risk cue), mosquito buzzing (no‐risk cue), or a no‐sound control in both laboratory and field settings. In the laboratory, wasp buzzing (but not mosquito buzzing) reduced survival relative to the control; there was, however, no effect on time to or weight at pupation in survivors. In the field, wasp buzzing reduced caterpillar herbivory and increased plant biomass relative to the control treatment. In contrast, mosquito buzzing reduced herbivory less than wasp buzzing and had no effect on plant biomass. The fact that wasp cues evoked strong responses in both experiments, while mosquito buzzing generally did not, indicates that caterpillars were responding to predation risk rather than sound per se. Such auditory cues may have an important but largely unappreciated impacts on terrestrial invertebrate herbivores and their host plants.
An experimental analysis of density dependence in meadow voles: Within‐season and delayed effects
Authors: Edwards Phoebe D. , Boonstra Rudy , Oli Madan K.
Published: February 2023

Wild mammal populations exhibit a variety of dynamics, ranging from fairly stable with little change in population size over time to high‐amplitude cyclic or erratic fluctuations. A persistent question in population ecology is why populations fluctuate as they do. Answering this seemingly simple question has proven to be challenging. Broadly, density‐dependent feedback mechanisms should allow populations to grow at low density and slow or halt growth at high density. However, experimental tests of what demographic processes result in density‐dependent feedback and on what timescale have proven elusive. Here, we used replicated density perturbation experiments and capture‐mark‐recapture analyses to test density‐dependent population growth in populations of meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus) during the summer breeding season by manipulating founding population density and observing the pattern of survival, reproduction, and population growth. High population density had no consistent effect on survival rates but generally negatively influenced recruitment and population growth rates. However, these density‐dependent effects varied within the breeding season and across years. Our study provides evidence that density‐dependent feedback mechanisms operate at finer time scales than previously believed and that process, additively with delayed year effects, is key to understanding multiyear population demography.
Low‐Temperature Carbonized Nitrogen‐Doped Hard Carbon Nanofiber Toward High‐Performance Sodium‐Ion Capacitors
Authors: Sun Congkai , Zhang Xiong , An Yabin , Li Chen , Wang Lei , Zhang Xiaohu , Sun Xianzhong , Wang Kai , Zhang Haitao , Ma Yanwei
Published: February 2023

Carbon nanofiber (CNF) was widely utilized in the field of electrochemical energy storage due to its superiority of conductivity and mechanics. However, CNF was generally prepared at relatively high temperature. Herein, nitrogen‐doped hard carbon nanofibers (NHCNFs) were prepared by a low‐temperature carbonization treatment assisted with electrospinning technology. Density functional theory analysis elucidates the incorporation of nitrogen heteroatoms with various chemical states into carbon matrix would significantly alter the total electronic configurations, leading to the robust adsorption and efficient diffusion of Na atoms on electrode interface. The obtained material carbonized at 600 °C (NHCNF‐600) presented a reversible specific capacity of 191.0 mAh g−1 and no capacity decay after 200 cycles at 1 A g−1. It was found that the sodium‐intercalated degree had a correlation with the electrochemical impedance. A sodium‐intercalated potential of 0.2 V was adopted to lower the electrochemical impedance. The constructed sodium‐ion capacitor with activated carbon cathode and presodiated NHCNF‐600 anode can present an energy power density of 82.1 Wh kg−1 and a power density of 7.0 kW kg−1.
Implementation of HACCP in the production of Egyptian cheeses: A review
Authors: Farag Mohamed A. , Ashaolu Tolulope Joshua , Guirguis Hania , Khalifa Ibrahim
Published: February 2023

Significant difficulties about the function of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) in manufacture of three genuine varieties of Egyptian cheese, namely Domiati, Karish, and Ras's cheeses, are covered in this review. Benefits of implementing HACCP include complementing other quality management systems, improving food safety, making better use of resources, boosting productivity and quality, providing better security and lowering inspection rates, responding to issues quickly and effectively, and fostering international trade cooperation. The setting is important for the manufacturing, security, and quality control of cheese. A common household item across the world that is fermented dairy‐based and high in protein, calcium, amino acids, vitamins, phosphorus, and fat is cheese. Egypt consumes more cheese than any other country in North Africa, which is helped by the wide selection of cheeses on offer, includes soft, brined, salted, semi‐soft, and hard cheeses. Three illustrated graphics explain the manufacturing flow of each cheese with reference to critical control points determination were created using text that was obtained from the references that were accessible. As lists of dangers, important control limits, monitoring, and corrective measures for cheese manufacturing, three exemplary tables were equally given. These provide readers with a more thorough summary of all results.
The burden of heart failure in cardiac intensive care unit: a prospective 7 years analysis
Authors: Grupper Avishay , Chernomordik Fernando , Herscovici Romana , Mazin Israel , Segev Amitai , Beigel Roy , Matetzky Shlomi
Published: February 2023

Aims

The profiles of patients at cardiac intensive care units (CICU) have evolved towards a patient population with an increasing number of co‐morbid medical conditions and acute heart failure (HF). The current study was designed to illustrate the burden of HF patients admitted to CICU, and evaluate patient characteristics, in‐hospital course and outcomes of CICU patients with HF compared with patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

Methods and results

A prospective study including all consecutive patients admitted to the CICU at a tertiary medical centre between 2014 and 2020. The main outcome was a direct comparison between HF and ACS patients in processes of care, resource use, and outcomes during CICU hospitalization. A secondary analysis compared ischaemic versus non‐ischaemic HF aetiology. Adjusted analysis evaluated parameters associated with prolonged hospitalization. The cohort included 7674 patients with a total annual CICU admissions of 1028–1145 patients. HF diagnosis patients represented 13–18% of the annual CICU admissions and were significantly older with higher incidence of multiple co‐morbidities compared with patients with ACS. HF patients also required more intensive therapies and demonstrated higher incidence of acute complications as compared with ACS patients. Length of stay at the CICU was significantly longer among HF patients compared with patients with ACS (either STEMI or NSTEMI) (6.2 ± 4.3 vs. 4.1 ± 2.5 vs. 3.5 ± 2.1, respectively, P < 0.001). HF patients represented a disproportionately higher amount of total CICU patient days during the study period, as the total length of hospitalization of HF patients was 44–56% out of the total cumulative days in CICU of patients with ACS every year. In hospital mortality rates were also significantly higher among patients with HF compared with STEMI or NSTEMI (4.2% vs. 3.1% vs. 0.7%, respectively, P < 0.001). Despite several differences in baseline characteristics between patients with ischaemic versus non‐ischaemic HF, which can be attributed mainly to disease aetiology, hospitalization length and outcomes were similar among the groups regardless of HF aetiology. In multivariable analysis for the risk of prolonged hospitalization in the CICU adjusted to potential significant co‐morbidities associated with poor outcomes, HF was found to be an independent and significant parameter associated with the risk of prolonged hospitalization with an OR of 3.5 (95% CI 2.9–4.1, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Patients with HF in CICU have higher severity of illness with a prolonged and complicated hospital course, all of which can substantially increase the burden on clinical resources.
Quantitative model for predicting the electroosmotic flow in dual‐pole nanochannels
Authors: Khosravikia Mohammad
Published: February 2023

Developing and assessing nanofluidic systems is time‐consuming and costly owing to the method's novelty; hence, modeling is essential to determine the optimal areas for implementation and to grasp its workings. In this work, we examined the influence of dual‐pole surface and nanopore configuration on ion transfer simultaneously. To achieve this, the two trumpet and cigarette configuration were coated with a dual‐pole soft surface so that the negative charge could be positioned in the nanopore's small aperture. Subsequently, the Poisson–Nernst–Planck and Navier–Stokes equations were simultaneously solved under steady‐state circumstances using varied values physicochemical properties for the soft surface and electrolyte. The pore's selectivity was , and the rectification factor, on the other hand, was , when the overall concentration was very low. When the ion partitioning effect is taken into account, we clearly show that the rectifying variables for the cigarette configuration and the trumpet configuration can reach values of 45 and 49.2, when the charge density and mass concentration were 100 mol/m3 and 1 mM, respectively. By using dual‐pole surfaces, the controllability of nanopores’ rectifying behavior may be modified to produce superior separation performance.
Metal–Organic Framework‐Derived Carbon Materials Loading on Polydopamine‐Modified Polyurethane Foam for Interfacial Solar Steam Generation and Seawater Desalination
Authors: Chao Jiabao , Lv Bizhi , Zhao Yongqing , Gong Chengxin , Hong Xuefeng , Pan Yingjie , Xu Linqiong
Published: February 2023

Solar interfacial evaporation is an effective way to address water scarcity in the 21st century. However, when the evaporator is exposed to light for a long time, salt would be deposited on its surface, leading to degradation of evaporation performance. Herein, an easily fabricated bilayer interfacial carbon–ZrO2/polydopamine/polyurethane foam (carbon–ZrO2/PDA/PU) evaporator is developed, in which carbonized Zr‐based metal–organic frameworks are used as photothermal layer with a light absorption of about 98% in the range of 200–2500 nm and PDA‐modified PU foam is used as the substrate with well water absorption ability and thermal insulation performance. The evaporation system achieves an evaporation rate of 1.626 kg m−2 h−1 and a photothermal conversion efficiency of 80.8% under 1 sun irradiation. Moreover, no salt deposition is generated and the evaporation rate keeps steady even in 10 wt% brine with prolonged light exposure. Therefore, the evaporator has great potential in solar water desalination and alleviates water shortage problems for less developed regions.
The influence of the development of dunes on the stability of bifurcations in sand‐bed rivers
Authors: Jing Ye , Qin Jie
Published: February 2023

Channel bifurcations are common features observed in fluvial landforms from upstream gravel‐bed rivers to downstream deltas. Extensive research has been carried out to study the stability and equilibrium configurations of bifurcations in the last two decades. However, existing studies generally employed oversimplified flow resistance equations, and the influence of the development of bedforms on the stability of bifurcations is rarely explicitly considered. The morphological features of bedforms in sand‐bed rivers vary with flow conditions, which in turn affect flow resistance and sediment transport processes. Such a mutual feedback process is expected to exert a significant influence on the evolution of a bifurcation. A theoretical one‐dimensional (1D) model is built, based on the classical model proposed by Bolla Pittaluga et al. in 2003, to evaluate the influence of the development of dunes on the stability of bifurcations. Results show that the development of dunes enhances the stability of symmetric bifurcations for low Shields stress conditions, whereas it exhibits an opposite effect under the situation of high Shields stress. The response of flow resistance to the perturbations of the Shields stress dominates over the response to the perturbations of the flow depth. In addition, based on the two‐dimensional (2D) model proposed by Redolfi et al. in 2016, this study compared the results of the 1D and 2D models taking into account the development of dunes, and evident differences between the models present at small Shields stresses. Meanwhile, 2D models with or without considering the influence of dunes exhibit different results as well. The results of this study demonstrate that considering the development of dunes is of significance when analysing the stability of bifurcations in sand‐bed rivers.