bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microenvironment of the male and female reproductive tracts regulate sperm fertility: Impact of viscosity, pH, and osmolality
Authors: Lavanya Maharajan , Selvaraju Sellappan , Krishnappa Balaganur , Krishnaswamy Narayanan , Nagarajan Govindasamy , Kumar Harendra
Published: August 2021

Background

Terminally differentiated mammalian sperm are exposed to gradients of viscosity, pH, and osmolality both in the male and female reproductive tract during their perilous journey to quest the ovum. The complex physicochemical factors play an integral role in preparing sperm for the fertilization process.

Objectives

To elucidate the influence of the reproductive tract microenvironment especially viscosity, pH, and osmolality in regulating sperm functional and fertilization competence.

Materials and Methods

The data used in this review were collected from the research papers and online databases focusing on the influence of viscosity, pH, and osmolality on sperm function.

Discussion

The gradients of viscosity, pH, and osmolality exist across various segments of the male and female reproductive tract. The changes in the viscosity create a physical barrier, pH aid in capacitation and hyperactivation, and the osmotic stress selects a progressive sperm subpopulation for accomplishing fertilization. The sperm function tests are developed based on the concept that the male genotype is the major contributor to the reproductive outcome. However, recent studies demonstrate the significance of sperm genotype‐environment interactions that are essentially contributing to reproductive success. Hence, it is imperative to assess the impact of physicochemical stresses and the adaptive ability of the terminally differentiated sperm, which in turn would improve the outcome of the assisted reproductive technologies and male fertility assessment.

Conclusion

Elucidating the influence of the reproductive tract microenvironment on sperm function provides newer insights into the procedures that need to be adopted for selecting fertile males for breeding, and ejaculates for the assisted reproductive technologies.
Changes in antiepileptic drug prescriptions over a decade in childbearing women in Lombardy region, Italy
Authors: Clavenna Antonio , Campi Rita , Putignano Daria , Fortino Ida , Bonati Maurizio
Published: August 2021

Aims

To describe the antiepileptic drug (AED) prescription pattern in pregnant women and women of childbearing age in the 2010–2019 period in the Lombardy region, Italy.

Methods

The Lombardy region administrative healthcare databases (2010–2019) were analysed. AEDs were classified as drugs belonging to the N03A subgroup of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System. Women aged 15–49 years were considered as being of childbearing age, while exposure during pregnancy was estimated taking into account the 12 months before delivery (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification, ICD‐9‐CM codes in the diagnosis record from 650 to 659).

Results

During 2019, 16 605 women of childbearing age (prevalence: 14.8‰) received at least 1 AED prescription. Pregabalin was the most widely used antiepileptic in women of childbearing age (22.3%), followed by valproic acid (20.0%). In 2010, the prevalence of valproic acid prescription to women of childbearing age was 30.2%; in 2019 this was 20.0%. In pregnant women, this prevalence was 24.9% in 2010 and 14.1% in 2019. Starting from 2017, levetiracetam and lamotrigine were the most commonly drugs prescribed to pregnant women.

Conclusion

Despite the decrease in valproic acid prescription over time, this drug is still among the most used AEDs, in particular in women of childbearing age. Educational interventions for healthcare professionals and women are needed in order to reduce the risk of unplanned pregnancy.
Multidimensional profiles of parent involvement: Antecedents and impact on student engagement
Authors: Chan Melvin , Manzon Maria , Hong Helen , Khong Lana Y. L.
Published: August 2021

Background

Parent involvement in school is a consistent predictor of educational success. However, research has been inconsistent in addressing how parent involvement ought to be defined and measured, which has led to varied findings across schools and educational systems.

Aims

Attending to the multidimensionality of the construct, this study adopted a person‐centred approach to identify subpopulations of school‐based parent involvement. Subsequently, profile differences were investigated in relation to student engagement and three antecedent variables (gender, socio‐economic status, and authoritative parenting).

Sample

Data were obtained from primary (10‐year old; N = 4,284) and secondary (14‐year old; N = 3,346) school students in Singapore.

Methods

Latent profile analysis was conducted on student‐rated surveys of multiple parent involvement behaviours in school and their perceptions. Subsequently, the manual BCH method was employed to concurrently model covariates and outcomes on the latent profile model. Pairwise comparisons between profiles were examined for statistical significance.

Results

Consistent across both cohorts, four distinct profiles emerged that revealed high, moderate, selective, and low parent involvement patterns. High parent involvement reflected high ratings across multiple activities, combined with positive perceptions of parental involvement. These profiles differed significantly in terms of their antecedent characteristics, particularly, authoritative parenting, and in relation to their impact on student engagement.

Conclusion

Results from this study clarify relations between multi‐faceted dimensions of parent involvement in school. Additionally, there is a case for continued school‐family partnerships among secondary students as students remain academically engaged when parents are involved in school and students relate positively to their involvement.
Analyzing disparities in transit‐based healthcare accessibility in the Chicago Metropolitan Area
Authors: Liu Dong , Kwan Mei‐Po , Kan Zihan
Published: August 2021

Public transit is indispensable for car‐free households to access healthcare. Meanwhile, different households have unequal transit‐based healthcare accessibility due to different socio‐economic factors such as race/ethnicity and car ownership. Few studies have comprehensively explored the inequality in transit‐based healthcare accessibility by integrating both racial/ethnic inequity and car ownership. This study fills the gap with an up‐to‐date analysis of transit‐based healthcare accessibility in the Chicago Metropolitan Area at the census tract level. The results show that the percentage of car‐free households is positively related to transit‐based healthcare accessibility; while a higher percentage of minorities (i.e., Black/Hispanic) is negatively related to transit‐based healthcare accessibility. Among all neighbourhoods with higher percentages of higher‐than‐average car‐free households, Hispanic‐majority neighbourhoods fare the worst; while White‐majority neighbourhoods have much better healthcare accessibility than both Black‐majority and Hispanic‐majority neighbourhoods.
Cell‐to‐cell contact‐mediated regulation of tumor behavior in the tumor microenvironment
Authors: Sato Akira , Rahman Nor Idayu A. , Shimizu Akio , Ogita Hisakazu
Published: August 2021

Tumor growth and progression are complex processes mediated by mutual interactions between cancer cells and their surrounding stroma that include diverse cell types and acellular components, which form the tumor microenvironment. In this environment, direct intercellular communications play important roles in the regulation of the biological behaviors of tumors. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are insufficiently defined. We used an in vitro coculture system to identify genes that were specifically expressed at higher levels in cancer cells associated with stromal cells. Major examples included epithelial membrane protein 1 (EMP1) and stomatin, which positively and negatively regulate tumor progression, respectively. EMP1 promotes tumor cell migration and metastasis via activation of the small GTPase Rac1, while stomatin strongly suppresses cell proliferation and induces apoptosis of cancer cells via inhibition of Akt signaling. Here we highlight important aspects of EMP1, stomatin, and their family members in cancer biology. Furthermore, we consider the molecules that participate in intercellular communications and signaling transduction between cancer cells and stromal cells, which may affect the phenotypes of cancer cells in the tumor microenvironment.
Irisin levels in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of patients with multiple sclerosis and the expression and distribution of irisin in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis
Authors: Zhang Qiu-Xia , Zhang Sheng-Nan , Zhang Lin-Jie , Zhang Da-Qi , Yang Li
Published: August 2021

Irisin is a novel hormone-like myokine that plays an important role in central nervous system (CNS) diseases, such as cerebral ischaemia and Alzheimer's disease. However, irisin is rarely investigated in multiple sclerosis (MS), a typical inflammatory demyelinating disease of the CNS, and in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a typical model of MS. We determined the levels of irisin in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid in patients with MS. The expression and histological distribution of irisin were determined in EAE. Serum irisin levels in patients with MS and in EAE mice were increased, and the levels of FNDC5/irisin mRNA were decreased in the spinal cord and brain regardless of the onset, peak or chronic phase of EAE. Immunofluorescence staining showed co-localization of irisin and neurones. The levels of irisin fluctuated with disease progression in MS and EAE. Irisin may be involved in the pathological process of MS/EAE.
Dysregulation of the epithelial barrier by environmental and other exogenous factors
Authors: Mitamura Yasutaka , Ogulur Ismail , Pat Yagiz , Rinaldi Arturo O. , Ardicli Ozge , Cevhertas Lacin , Brüggen Marie‐Charlotte , Traidl‐Hoffmann Claudia , Akdis Mubeccel , Akdis Cezmi A.
Published: August 2021

The “epithelial barrier hypothesis” proposes that the exposure to various epithelial barrier–damaging agents linked to industrialization and urbanization underlies the increase in allergic diseases. The epithelial barrier constitutes the first line of physical, chemical, and immunological defense against environmental factors. Recent reports have shown that industrial products disrupt the epithelial barriers. Innate and adaptive immune responses play an important role in epithelial barrier damage. In addition, recent studies suggest that epithelial barrier dysfunction plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of the atopic march by allergen sensitization through the transcutaneous route. It is evident that external factors interact with the immune system, triggering a cascade of complex reactions that damage the epithelial barrier. Epigenetic and microbiome changes modulate the integrity of the epithelial barrier. Robust and simple measurements of the skin barrier dysfunction at the point‐of‐care are of significant value as a biomarker, as recently reported using electrical impedance spectroscopy to directly measure barrier defects. Understanding epithelial barrier dysfunction and its mechanism is key to developing novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases. The aim of this review is to summarize recent studies on the pathophysiological mechanisms triggered by environmental factors that contribute to the dysregulation of epithelial barrier function.
Contact dermatitis to hair cosmetics: Current diagnostic recommendations
Authors: Thomas Zita‐Rose Manjaly , Jamiolkowski Dagmar , Chantraine Sibylla , Steveling‐Klein Esther , Hofmeier Kathrin Scherer , Hartmann Karin
Published: August 2021

Hair cosmetics such as shampoos, hair dyes, bleaching agents or hair straightening creams contain frequent contact allergens. These can lead to allergic contact dermatitis especially in hairdressers, but also in their customers and in others who use hair products at home. While hairdressers suffer mainly from hand dermatitis, in customers and home‐users, dermatitis primarily affects the head, neck and face. In this mini‐review, we propose a diagnostic algorithm in two steps, based on patch testing, that can be used for the assessment of suspected hair product‐induced contact dermatitis. In a first step, we recommend testing the German Contact Allergy Group (DKG) standard series, DKG ointment series, DKG preservative series, DKG hairdresser series, DKG fragrance series as well as (especially in hairdressers) the DKG rubber series. In a second step, if the culprit allergen cannot be identified with the help of the standardized test series and there is a well‐founded suspicion, testing the patient’s own products, such as shampoos, hair sprays and hair dyes, is recommended.
Potential distributions of invasive vertebrates in the Iberian Peninsula under projected changes in climate extreme events
Authors: Baquero Rocío A. , Barbosa A. Márcia , Ayllón Daniel , Guerra Carlos , Sánchez Enrique , Araújo Miguel B. , Nicola Graciela G.
Published: August 2021

Aim

Invasive alien species (IAS) can cause profound impacts on ecosystem function and diversity, human health, well‐being and livelihoods. Climate change is an important driver of biological invasions, so it is critical to develop models and climate‐driven scenarios of IAS range shifts to establish preventive measures. In this study, we analyse how projected changes in the frequency and magnitude of climate extreme events could affect the spread of the six most widely distributed invasive vertebrate species in the Iberian Peninsula.

Location

Iberian Peninsula.

Taxa

Red avadavat (Amandava amandava), common waxbill (Estrilda astrild), monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus), rose‐ringed parakeet (Psittacula krameri), American mink (Neovison vison) and pond slider (Trachemys scripta).

Methods

We followed best‐practice standards for species distribution models (SDMs) regarding handling of the response and predictor variables, model building and evaluation using metrics that assess different facets of model performance. We used an ensemble approach with four modelling methods of varying complexity, including both regression‐based and tree‐based machine‐learning algorithms. We analysed five regional models for current (1971–2000) and future climate (2021–2050). We used principal components analysis to assess consensus among model outputs and positively weighed predictions from well‐performing models.

Results

Selected models showed high consensus and good predictive capacity on block cross‐validation areas. Generalized Linear Models and Generalized Additive Models scored highest in reliability (calibration), but Bayesian Additive Regression Trees provided the best balance between calibration and discrimination capacity. Forecasts include visible changes in environmental favourability, with losses generally outweighing the gains, but with some areas becoming more favourable for several species.

Main conclusions

Increased frequency and/or intensity of climate extreme events associated with ongoing climate change are projected to reduce overall invasion risk for the species examined although increases in favourability should be expected locally.
Task‐specific training for bicycle‐riding goals in ambulant children with cerebral palsy: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Toovey Rachel A M , Harvey Adrienne R , McGinley Jennifer L , Lee Katherine J , Shih Sophy T F , Spittle Alicia J
Published: August 2021

Aim

To determine whether a task‐specific physiotherapist‐led training approach is more effective than a non‐specific parent‐led home programme for attaining bicycle‐riding goals in ambulant children with cerebral palsy (CP).

Method

Sixty‐two ambulant children with CP aged 6 to 15 years (33 males, 29 females, mean age 9y 6mo) with bicycle‐riding goals participated in this multi‐centre, assessor‐blind, parallel‐group, superiority randomized controlled trial. Children in the task‐specific group participated in a physiotherapist‐led, group‐based, intensive training programme. Children in the parent‐led home group were provided with a practice schedule, generic written information, and telephone support. Both programmes involved a 1‐week training period. The primary outcome was goal attainment at 1 week after training measured using the Goal Attainment Scale. Secondary outcomes included bicycle skills, participation in bicycle riding, functional skills, self‐perception, physical activity, and health‐related quality of life at 1 week and 3 months after training.

Results

Children in the task‐specific training group had greater odds of goal attainment than those in the parent‐led home programme at 1 week after intervention (odds ratio [OR] 10.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.8–38.6), with evidence for superiority retained at 3 months (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.3–12.5).

Interpretation

The task‐specific physiotherapist‐led training approach was more effective for attaining bicycle‐riding goals than a non‐specific parent‐led home programme in ambulant children with CP.
Can Agenda 2030 bring about “localization”? Policy limitations of Agenda 2030 in the broader global governance system
Authors: Novovic Gloria
Published: August 2021

Motivation

Localization is an elusive target of international development, aimed at strengthening local ownership through equitable partnerships and redistribution of resources and decision‐making. While this is a long‐standing objective, it remains unachieved. In light of these limitations in global governance, the transformative potential of Agenda 2030 is questioned.

Purpose

This article observes policy shifts triggered by Agenda 2030 by analysing its domestication in institutional and national contexts in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda. By asking “Can Agenda 2030 bring about localization?” the article examines the policy potential of Agenda 2030 to transform the traditional international development paradigm, as David Slater theorized in 1993.

Methods and approach

The article offers interpretive policy analysis and presents insights drawn from 172 interviews and 11 focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted with international and national civil servants, civil society actors, and academics in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda, as well as headquarters and regional offices of selected United Nations and donor agencies.

Findings

Agenda 2030 emerges as a legitimate framework that creates new policy avenues of national agenda‐setting and multi‐stakeholder co‐ordination. Across all three national contexts, Agenda 2030 was integrated into national agendas, considered to be central development anchors that, however, largely depend on change‐resistant donor structures. This is intensifying critiques of development paradigms among development practitioners, particularly from historically disadvantaged countries.

Policy implications

While triggering meaningful shifts in development agenda‐setting, Agenda 2030 has not resulted in political commitments to transform inequitable global development mechanisms that would enable its achievement. Key bottlenecks, in fact, are found not in the insufficient implementation of countries receiving official development assistance, but in the lack of institutional reforms to donor and global governance mechanisms. Political, rather than policy, solutions are required.
Massive spider web aggregations in South American grasslands after flooding
Authors: Piacentini Luis N. , Grismado Cristian J. , Aisenberg Anita , Toscano‐Gadea Carlos A. , Laborda Alvaro , Simó Miguel , Postiglioni Rodrigo , Peralta Luciano , Proud Dan N. , Ramírez Martín J.
Published: August 2021

1. Major floods of riparian and grassland habitats may lead to a shift in the availability of resources (e.g., food, space) that produces cascading effects on the organisms that rely on it. After flooding occurs, particularly in natural grasslands or agricultural fields, massive aggregative spider webs are occasionally observed. However, given it is an infrequent and unpredictable event, it is seldom reported in detail.

2. We characterise two instances of massive web aggregations that followed major floods in grasslands and agricultural fields in Argentina and Uruguay in 2015. In the Argentinean event, we compare the composition of spider assemblages on the webs, in grasses below the webs, and in grasses from nearby habitats, with samples taken in the same location but when the fields were not flooded.

3. The assemblage of spiders in the massive web aggregations largely consisted of immature Diapontia uruguayensis (Lycosidae). In the grass below the webs, we recorded an impressive density of 1007 specimens m−1 belonging to several spider species, 6–15 times the density of similar samples without aggregated webs, co‐occurring and showing low levels of aggression among them.

4. Our observations and review of the literature support the idea massive webs produced by lycosids are a byproduct of an unusually high density of spiders simultaneously attempting to disperse through the air via ballooning and escaping from floods.
Insect and plant invasions follow two waves of globalisation
Authors: Bonnamour Aymeric , Gippet Jérôme M. W. , Bertelsmeier Cleo
Published: August 2021

Globalisation has facilitated the spread of alien species, and some of them have significant impacts on biodiversity and human societies. It is commonly thought that biological invasions have accelerated continuously over the last centuries, following increasing global trade. However, the world experienced two distinct waves of globalisation (~1820–1914, 1960‐present), and it remains unclear whether these two waves have influenced invasion dynamics of many species. To test this, we built a statistical model that accounted for temporal variations in sampling effort. We found that insect and plant invasion rates did not continuously increase over the past centuries but greatly fluctuated following the two globalisation waves. Our findings challenge the idea of a continuous acceleration of alien species introductions and highlight the association between temporal variations in trade openness and biological invasion dynamics. More generally, this emphasises the urgency of better understanding the subtleties of socio‐economic drivers to improve predictions of future invasions.
A web‐based algorithm to rapidly classify seizures for the purpose of drug selection
Authors: Beniczky Sándor , Asadi‐Pooya Ali A. , Perucca Emilio , Rubboli Guido , Tartara Elena , Meritam Larsen Pirgit , Ebrahimi Saqar , Farzinmehr Somayeh , Rampp Stefan , Sperling Michael R.
Published: August 2021

Objective

To develop and validate a pragmatic algorithm that classifies seizure types, to facilitate therapeutic decision‐making.

Methods

Using a modified Delphi method, five experts developed a pragmatic classification of nine types of epileptic seizures or combinations of seizures that influence choice of medication, and constructed a simple algorithm, freely available on the internet. The algorithm consists of seven questions applicable to patients with seizure onset at the age of 10 years or older. Questions to screen for nonepileptic attacks were added. Junior physicians, nurses, and physician assistants applied the algorithm to consecutive patients in a multicenter prospective validation study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03796520). The reference standard was the seizure classification by expert epileptologists, based on all available data, including electroencephalogram (EEG), video‐EEG monitoring, and neuroimaging. In addition, physicians working in underserved areas assessed the feasibility of using the web‐based algorithm in their clinical setting.

Results

A total of 262 patients were assessed, of whom 157 had focal, 51 had generalized, and 10 had unknown onset epileptic seizures, and 44 had nonepileptic paroxysmal events. Agreement between the algorithm and the expert classification was 83.2% (95% confidence interval = 78.6%–87.8%), with an agreement coefficient (AC1) of .82 (95% confidence interval = .77–.87), indicating almost perfect agreement. Thirty‐two health care professionals from 14 countries evaluated the feasibility of the web‐based algorithm in their clinical setting, and found it applicable and useful for their practice (median = 6.5 on 7‐point Likert scale).

Significance

The web‐based algorithm provides an accurate classification of seizure types, which can be used for selecting antiseizure medications in adolescents and adults.
Wearable devices for seizure detection: Practical experiences and recommendations from the Wearables for Epilepsy And Research (WEAR) International Study Group
Authors: Bruno Elisa , Böttcher Sebastian , Viana Pedro F. , Amengual‐Gual Marta , Joseph Boney , Epitashvili Nino , Dümpelmann Matthias , Glasstetter Martin , Biondi Andrea , Van Laerhoven Kristof , Loddenkemper Tobias , Richardson Mark P. , Schulze‐Bonhage Andreas , Brinkmann Benjamin H.
Published: August 2021

The Wearables for Epilepsy And Research (WEAR) International Study Group identified a set of methodology standards to guide research on wearable devices for seizure detection. We formed an international consortium of experts from clinical research, engineering, computer science, and data analytics at the beginning of 2020. The study protocols and practical experience acquired during the development of wearable research studies were discussed and analyzed during bi‐weekly virtual meetings to highlight commonalities, strengths, and weaknesses, and to formulate recommendations. Seven major essential components of the experimental design were identified, and recommendations were formulated about: (1) description of study aims, (2) policies and agreements, (3) study population, (4) data collection and technical infrastructure, (5) devices, (6) reporting results, and (7) data sharing. Introducing a framework of methodology standards promotes optimal, accurate, and consistent data collection. It also guarantees that studies are generalizable and comparable, and that results can be replicated, validated, and shared.
Comparison of ultrasonography and radiography with arthroscopy for diagnosis of dorsoproximal osteochondral fragmentation of the proximal phalanx in 56 Thoroughbred racehorses
Authors: Plevin Sarah , McLellan Jonathan
Published: August 2021

Background

Osteochondral fragmentation of the proximal phalanx (DPP1 fragment) is a common finding in the racehorse. Whilst radiographic assessment has been reported to lack diagnostic sensitivity, ultrasonographic examination has been documented to be extremely sensitive for identification of bone fragments in the metacarpophalangeal joint.

Objectives

To determine the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography as an imaging modality for diagnosis of DPP1 fragmentation and to compare it with radiography in the Thoroughbred racehorse.

Study design

Retrospective cohort study.

Methods

Medical records (radiographs and ultrasonographic examinations) of 56 Thoroughbred racehorses in training (average age 26.4 months [SD ±5.9]) with a history of forelimb fetlock joint effusion and arthroscopically confirmed DPP1 fragmentation were evaluated. Inter‐observer agreement was calculated between three blinded reviewers for both ultrasonographic and radiographic findings. Median values were used for statistical analyses. Ultrasonographic and radiographic identification of DPP1 fragmentation was considered correct if in agreement with arthroscopic findings. The McNemar test was used to compare correct proportions between radiography and ultrasonography. Analyses were performed to evaluate correct identification of presence of fragment(s), location of fragment(s) and presence and location of fragment(s) within the joints, with values P < .05 considered significant.

Results

Eighty‐one fetlock joints from 56 Thoroughbreds were evaluated. In total, 99 individual DPP1 fragments were confirmed arthroscopically. Ultrasonography was shown to have high levels of sensitivity (94%, 95% CI 89%–99%) and specificity (97%, 95% CI 92%–100%) for identification of DPP1 fragments, with transverse ultrasonographic images being more sensitive than sagittal ultrasonography (P = .001). Ultrasonography was also shown in this population to have significantly greater sensitivity than radiography (47%, 95% CI 37%–56%) (P < .001).

Conclusions

Ultrasonography is an extremely sensitive and specific imaging modality for evaluation of DPP1 fragmentation, with transverse ultrasonographic imaging being the most sensitive technique. Radiographic evaluation was less sensitive than ultrasonography in this study.
Management implications of shifting baselines in fish stock assessments
Authors: Schijns Rebecca , Pauly Daniel
Published: August 2021

To make sound decisions about the future of fisheries, managers need to have a good understanding of the amount of fish that have been caught over long periods. Unfortunately, current stock assessment processes are often flawed, as they are frequently based on data time series that do not represent the full range of change. The process of selecting a shortened (or truncated) time series may lead to misconceptions regarding the fishery's status and impact on management decisions. This study investigates shifting baseline effects in official stock assessments from the Ransom Myers Legacy Stock Assessment Database that used truncated catch time series. The findings suggest that truncated time series often fail to account for important features, such as historical biomass maxima, past recoveries, low abundance levels and biomass fluctuations, whose omission can bias reference points and perceptions of stock status. This study emphasises the importance of considering long‐term data wherever possible to improve historical scientific baselines and inform sustainable fisheries management.
An assessment of executive function in two different rat models of attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder: Spontaneously hypertensive versus Lphn3 knockout rats
Authors: Sable Helen J. K. , Lester Deranda B. , Potter Joshua L. , Nolen Hunter G. , Cruthird Destinee M. , Estes Lauren M. , Johnson Alyssa D. , Regan Samantha L. , Williams Michael T. , Vorhees Charles V.
Published: August 2021

Attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) a common neurodevelopmental disorder of childhood and often comorbid with other externalizing disorders (EDs). There is evidence that externalizing behaviors share a common genetic etiology. Recently, a genome‐wide, multigenerational sample linked variants in the Lphn3 gene to ADHD and other externalizing behaviors. Likewise, limited research in animal models has provided converging evidence that Lphn3 plays a role in EDs. This study examined the impact of Lphn3 deletion (i.e., Lphn3−/−) in rats on measures of behavioral control associated with externalizing behavior. Impulsivity was assessed for 30 days via a differential reinforcement of low rates (DRL) task and working memory evaluated for 25 days using a delayed spatial alternation (DSA) task. Data from both tasks were averaged into 5‐day testing blocks. We analyzed overall performance, as well as response patterns in just the first and last blocks to assess acquisition and steady‐state performance, respectively. “Positive control” measures on the same tasks were measured in an accepted animal model of ADHD–the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR). Compared with wildtype controls, Lphn3−/− rats exhibited deficits on both the DRL and DSA tasks, indicative of deficits in impulsive action and working memory, respectively. These deficits were less severe than those in the SHRs, who were profoundly impaired on both tasks compared with their control strain, Wistar‐Kyoto rats. The results provide evidence supporting a role for Lphn3 in modulating inhibitory control and working memory, and suggest additional research evaluating the role of Lphn3 in the manifestation of EDs more broadly is warranted.
Diminishing weed control exacerbates maize yield loss to adverse weather
Authors: Landau Christopher A. , Hager Aaron G. , Williams Martin M.
Published: August 2021

Both weed interference and adverse weather can cause significant maize yield losses. However, most climate change projections on maize yields ignore the fact that weeds are widespread in maize production. Herein, we examine the effects of weed control and weather variability on maize yield loss due to weeds by using machine learning techniques on an expansive database of herbicide efficacy trials spanning 205 weather environments and 27 years. Late‐season control of all weed species was the most important driver of maize yield loss due to weeds according to multiple analyses. Average yield losses of 50% were observed with little to no weed control. Furthermore, when the highest levels of weed control were not achieved, drier, hotter conditions just before and during silking exacerbated maize yield losses due to weeds. Current climate predictions suggest much of the US maize‐growing regions will experience warmer, drier summers. This, coupled with the growing prevalence of herbicide resistance, increases the risk of maize yield loss due to weeds in the future without transformational change in weed management systems.
Beyond the control of the care home: A meta‐ethnography of qualitative studies of Infection Prevention and Control in residential and nursing homes for older people
Authors: Daker‐White Gavin , Panagioti Maria , Giles Sally , Blakeman Thomas , Moore Victoria , Hall Alex , Jones Paul P. , Wright Oliver , Shears Bethany , Tyler Natasha , Campbell Stephen
Published: August 2021

Objective

This study aimed to develop interpretive insights concerning Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) in care homes for older people.

Design

This study had a meta‐ethnography design.

Data Sources

Six bibliographic databases were searched from inception to May 2020 to identify the relevant literature.

Review Methods

A meta‐ethnography was performed.

Results

Searches yielded 652 records; 15 were included. Findings were categorized into groups: The difficulties of enacting IPC measures in the care home environment; workload as an impediment to IPC practice; the tension between IPC and quality of life for care home residents; and problems dealing with medical services located outside the facility including diagnostics, general practice and pharmacy. Infection was revealed as something seen to lie ‘outside’ the control of the care home, whether according to origins or control measures. This could help explain the reported variability in IPC practice. Facilitators to IPC uptake involved repetitive training and professional development, although such opportunities can be constrained by the ways in which services are organized and delivered.

Conclusions

Significant challenges were revealed in implementing IPC in care homes including staffing skills, education, workloads and work routines. These challenges cannot be properly addressed without resolving the tension between the objectives of maintaining resident quality of life while enacting IPC practice. Repetitive staff training and professional development with parallel organisational improvements have prospects to enhance IPC uptake in residential and nursing homes.

Patient or Public Contribution

A carer of an older person joined study team meetings and was involved in writing a lay summary of the study findings.
Adjunctive benefit of ozonized water irrigation with mechanical debridement in the management of Stage III periodontitis: A randomized controlled clinical and biochemical study
Authors: Ranjith Ambili , Niranjana J. Mohan , Baiju Kamalasanan Vijayakumary
Published: August 2021

Objective

Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory disease initiated by dysbiotic microbiota. Conventional mechanical debridement often needs adjunctive measures to control the disease process. The objective of the present study was to find out benefit of ozonized water irrigation along with nonsurgical periodontal therapy for the management of periodontitis.

Methods

We have conducted a randomized controlled, triple‐blinded, parallel‐group clinical trial. The test group (n = 25) was treated with ozonized water irrigation, whereas the control group (n = 25) received normal saline irrigation along with mechanical debridement. Full mouth plaque score, bleeding score, probing pocket depth and clinical attachment loss were evaluated at baseline and 4 weeks after treatment. Salivary interleukin 1 beta was analysed using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Analysis of covariance, t test and chi‐square test were used for intergroup comparison. Intragroup comparison was done using the paired t test.

Results

Adjunctive ozone water irrigation resulted in significant improvement in all clinical parameters, except probing pocket depth after adjusting the extraneous effects due to initial confounding factors (p < 0.001). But as per subgroup analysis, ozone water irrigation resulted in significant reduction in pocket depth in deep pockets (p = 0.01) and the number of sites with a pocket depth ≥4 mm with bleeding on probing. Salivary interleukin 1 beta also reduced significantly in the test group after therapy.

Conclusion

Ozone irrigation provides adjunctive benefit along with nonsurgical periodontal therapy in reducing clinical parameters and inflammatory mediators in saliva. But long‐term benefits need to be assessed with future studies. The study was registered in the Clinical Trial Registry of India (CTRI no: CTRI/2020/06/026275).
The investigation of thermal behaviour and physical properties of several types of contemporary gutta‐percha points
Authors: Liao Szu‐Chin , Wang Hsin‐Hui , Hsu Yung‐Hao , Huang Haw‐Ming , Gutmann James L. , Hsieh Sung‐Chih
Published: August 2021

Aim

To analyse the contents and thermal behaviour of several brands of contemporary gutta‐percha points due to the variable nature of the components of gutta‐percha, and the impact they can have on the physical properties of this unique material during canal filling.

Methodology

Six brands of gutta‐percha were investigated: Conform Fit TM Gutta‐Percha Points for ProTaper Gold® (PTG) (Dentsply Sirona), ProTaper® Universal Gutta‐Percha Points (PTU) (Dentsply Sirona), Autofit TM Feathered Tip Gutta Percha (Kerr), Mtwo® Gutta‐Percha (VDW), Gutta Percha Root Canal Points (GC, GC Corporation) and Gutta‐Percha Points ISO Color‐Coded (ISO; Dentsply Sirona). The organic and inorganic fractions of gutta‐percha points were separated by quantitative chemical analysis. Thermal conductivity was detected using a laser flash method. In addition, the thermal behaviour of gutta‐percha in response to temperature variations was analysed using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Kruskal–Wallis and Dunn tests were applied for comparisons amongst groups for chemical compositions and temperature obtained from DSC. The associations between compositions and thermal conductivity were determined using simple linear regression. A p value <.05 was considered to be statistically significant.

Results

There were significant difference in the inorganic fractions of the gutta‐percha points in percentage by weight amongst the groups (p < .05). PTG had the lowest thermal conductivity (0.42 W/m K). A positive correlation was observed between the percentage of inorganic fraction and thermal conductivity (r = 0.95). The initial phase changing temperature and peak temperature measured by DSC were significantly different when the β‐form transformed to α‐form (p < .05), whereas no significant difference was found during the α‐form to the amorphous‐phase transition (p > .05).

Conclusions

Chemical compositions and initial phase changing temperature by DSC varied according to the various brands of gutta‐percha points. Conform Fit TM gutta‐percha had the lowest percentage of inorganic fraction and thermal conductivity amongst these six brands of gutta‐percha. Thermal conductivity had the strongest positive correlation with the percentage of inorganic components and zinc, whilst there was a negative correlation to the amount (ratio) of gutta‐percha.
Calcium aluminate cements under high‐temperature compression tests
Authors: Zapata John F. , Gómez Maryory A. , Colorado Henry A.
Published: August 2021

This investigation is about the damage generated with high‐temperature compression tests in pure calcium aluminate cement pastes (CACP) with quartz. Two types of formulations of CACP were manufactured and later exposed to a compression of .3 MPa at 800°C for 16 h. Samples had a water to cement ratio (W/C) of .40. The formulations were characterized using laser granulometry, X‐ray fluorescence, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. The theta projection model parameters for creep were estimated using nonlinear regression fit methods. The activation energy, minimum time of creep, minimum creep rate, and other parameters were calculated. The creep micro‐mechanisms were established as well. The activation energy was obtained exclusively by creep for the formulations CACP 71–0 wt% and CACP 71–20 wt% of 2.98 kJ/mol and 7.04 kJ/mol, respectively.
Determinants of mobile social media use, customer heterogeneity, and international microsegmentation
Authors: Ju Xingting , Martín Martín Oscar , Chocarro Raquel
Published: August 2021

How to effectively examine the heterogeneous nature of consumer preferences across borders and cultures is a challenge for firms that use mobile social media. This study identifies the determinants of individuals’ mobile social media use behavior and profiles the resulting international microsegments. We propose a model that integrates different theoretical perspectives and sets of factors to explain mobile social media use behavior and test it on a sample of users in China and the United States via online surveys. We estimate a global model (GM) based on all respondents and three local models created by post hoc international microsegmentation. The three local models reveal the existence of three unobserved user segments: “usage goal experts,” “determined pragmatists,” and “pressured hedonists.” Perceived usefulness is the most influential factor in the GM, while users in the three segments significantly differ in their behavioral patterns, cultural value orientations, and demographic characteristics. This study is the first to examine unobserved heterogeneity and international microsegmentation in the mobile social media domain. It provides insights into the factors explaining use behavior and international microsegmentation for scholars and marketers operating in the global marketplace.
The use of technology‐mediated interviews and their perception from the organization's point of view
Authors: Basch Johannes M. , Melchers Klaus G.
Published: August 2021

Technology‐mediated interviews are increasingly finding their way into selection processes. However, it is unclear which factors lead to their use and how recruiters perceive these interviews. In the present study, 98 recruiters were surveyed regarding reasons for the use or nonuse of these interviews and their perceptions of them. The results showed that innovativeness in IT, the perceived usability, the perceived usefulness, the ease of implementation, and accessing a larger applicant pool are relevant factors for the use of technology‐mediated interviews. With regard to the perception of technology‐mediated interviews, recruiters tend to share the perception of applicants and view these interviews more skeptically than face‐to‐face interviews.
Estimating Ni valence with magnetometry in solid‐state reactive sintered yttrium‐doped barium zirconate
Authors: Knight Michael , Jennings Dylan , Ricote Sandrine , Reimanis Ivar
Published: August 2021

Ni is known to have a significant impact on the sintering and microstructure evolution in yttrium‐doped barium zirconate (BZY) and yet details of its specific role remain unclear. The present study examined the valence state of Ni in solid‐state reactive sintered BZY prepared with different amounts of Ni, formulated for deliberate substitution of Ni for Zr : BaZr0.8−xY0.2NixO3−δ with x = 0.005, 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.04 (approx. 0.1 wt%, 0.2 wt%, 0.4 wt%, 0.6 wt%, 0.8 wt%). Quenching from revealed transient BaY2NiO5 phase was present in the microstructure for all concentrations of Ni studied here. Energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy identified Ni segregation in grain‐boundary regions upon completion of the solid‐state reactive sintering process, and magnetometry is used to show that low‐spin Ni3+ predominantly substitutes for Zr4+.
“Doing Good” versus “Being Good”: The interplay between pride appeals and regulatory‐focused messages in green advertising
Authors: Hong Ji Mi , Lim Rachel Esther , Atkinson Lucy
Published: August 2021

Many consumers feel proud of making green choices, which is of crucial relevance to explaining environmentally responsible behaviors. However, compared to other self‐conscious emotions, such as guilt and shame, little research attention has been paid to the role of pride in green consumerism. Through conducting two online experimental surveys, this research examined what features of a message induce the two facets of the emotion pride—authentic and hubristic—and how pride appeals interact with message frames having different regulatory foci. In Study 1, participants revealed more favorable eco‐friendly attitudes and intentions when hubristic pride appeals were combined with promotion‐focused messages (detailing the positive benefits of using the green product), and when authentic pride appeals were matched with prevention‐focused messages (emphasizing the negative consequences averted by using the green product). Study 2 replicated and supported the proposed matching hypotheses while including a control condition. Findings of this research will add to a growing body of literature on pride as a discrete emotion and its carryover effects on persuasion while providing guidelines to help practitioners design green advertising campaigns.
Newly diagnosed immune thrombocytopenia in a pregnant patient after coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination
Authors: Bennett Carrie , Chambers Laura M. , Son Ji , Goje Oluwatosin
Published: August 2021

Over 26 million cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) have been reported in the United States with over 440 000 deaths. Despite COVID‐19 vaccine approval, pregnant women were excluded from clinical trials. We report a case of immune thrombocytopenia in the first trimester, which occurred 13 days after initiating the COVID‐19 vaccination series. Thorough evaluation, including hematology consultation, established the diagnosis. High‐dose oral corticosteroids were started, and she was discharged home with significant improvement in platelet count on her fourth day of hospitalization with no subsequent complications. We advocate that the benefits of COVID‐19 vaccination outweigh the risk of infection in pregnancy and that pregnant women should be included in clinical trials. Closer post‐vaccination surveillance may be warranted in the pregnant population pending further data.
The devil is in the categories: Metaphysics and social and political thought
Authors: Porter Groff Ruth
Published: August 2021

It is often assumed that social and political thought have nothing to do with issues of concern to metaphysicians. I have referred to this assumption in the past as The Myth of Metaphysical Neutrality. I argue here that social and political theories have metaphysical positions built into them, such that to adopt a given social or political account commits one to that theory's implicit metaphysics ‐‐ and, conversely, that commitment to a given metaphysical position will preclude adopting social or political accounts that are at odds with it. I look first at the issue of emergence, showing that key concepts employed by Aristotle, Rousseau and Marx, respectively, require a belief that wholes do not reduce to their parts. I then turn to Marx's account of alienation, arguing that it presupposes a belief in agent‐causal free will.