bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Efficacy of Task-Based Mirror Therapy for Upper Limb Motor
Function in Stroke Patients: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled
Trials
Authors: Zhou Hang , Zhang Zhen , Li Renpeng , Xu Yousong , Bai Jingyang
Published: September 2022

Introduction The efficacy of task-based mirror therapy for upper limb
motor function remains controversial in stroke patients. We conduct a systematic
review and meta-analysis to explore the influence of task-based mirror therapy
on upper limb motor function in stroke.

Methods We have searched PubMed, EMbase, Web of science, EBSCO, and
Cochrane library databases through August 2021 for randomized controlled trials
(RCTs) assessing the effect of task-based mirror therapy on functional
improvement in stroke. This meta-analysis is performed using the random-effect
model.

Results Six RCTs are included in the meta-analysis. Overall, compared with
conventional rehabilitation for stroke, task-based mirror therapy significantly
improved Fugl-Meyer Assessment (MD=4.60; 95% CI=1.15 to
8.06; P=0.009), and obtained the comparable impact on Modified Barthel
Index (MD=4.96; 95% CI=−4.44 to 14.35;
P=0.30), grip strength (MD=3.74; 95%
CI=−1.61 to 9.09; P=0.17), modified Ashworth Scale (arm,
MD=0.34; 95% CI=−0.67 to 1.35; P=0.50)
and modified Ashworth Scale (hand, MD=0.10; 95%
CI=−0.58 to 0.77; P=0.78).

Conclusions Task-based mirror therapy is effective to improve upper limb
motor function in stroke patients.
ProTransition – ein Online-Kurs für Fachkräfte zur Versorgungsoptimierung junger Menschen mit psychischen Störungen im Übergang zwischen Jugend- und Erwachsenenalter
Authors: König Elisa , Stahl Christina , Reetz Sandra , Schulze Ulrike M. E. , Fegert Jörg M. , Hoffmann Ulrike
Published: September 2022

Gegenstand und Ziel Es wurde ein Online-Kurs über Transitionspsychiatrie für Fachkräfte aus den Heil(hilfs)berufen erstellt und evaluiert, um bestehende Lücken im Fortbildungsangebot zu schließen.

Material und Methoden Vor und nach Abschluss der Kursbearbeitung fand eine Erhebung der subjektiven Einschätzung der Kursteilnehmenden bezüglich eigener Kompetenzen, des Praxistransfers sowie der Zufriedenheit mit dem Online-Kurs statt (N = 703). Zudem wurde eine Drop-out-Befragung durchgeführt (N = 296).

Ergebnisse Es war eine Steigerung der Kompetenzen und des interdisziplinären Verständnisses zu verzeichnen. Ca. 50 % gab an, dass die Kursbearbeitung zu der Etablierung transitionsspezifischer Versorgungsmodelle beitragen konnte. Die Zufriedenheit mit dem Online-Kurs war sehr hoch. Als mit Abstand wichtigster Faktor für einen Kursabbruch erwiesen sich in der Drop-out-Befragung mangelnde zeitliche Kapazitäten.

Schlussfolgerungen Der entwickelte Online-Kurs stellt ein gut akzeptiertes und qualitativ hochwertiges Fortbildungsangebot für eine heterogene Adressatengruppe zum Thema Transitionspsychiatrie dar.

Klinische Relevanz Die angemessene, kontinuierliche psychiatrische und psychosoziale Begleitung psychisch erkrankter junger Menschen ist von großer Bedeutung. Die Studie verweist auf das große Potenzial digitaler Fortbildungsangebote im Bereich Transitionspsychiatrie.
Steroid Receptor Coactivator-Interacting Protein (SIP) Alleviates
Ischemic Cerebral Infarction Damage Through the NF-κB
Pathway
Authors: Yu Min , Li Yan , Tan Xianpei , Hu Qiao
Published: September 2022

Ischemic stroke leads to high mortality and disability rates in humans. Cerebral
ischemic injury has a severe complex pathophysiological mechanism. The abnormal
release of inflammatory cytokines will cause brain tissue damage and destroy the
blood-brain barrier integrity, which aggravates the process of brain injury.
Therefore, attenuating the level of inflammatory response is critical for the
therapy of cerebral ischemia injury. This study examined the rule of SIP
treatment to support neuron protective effect after cerebral injury in an animal
model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). After
ischemia/reperfusion, neurological function, neuroglia cells activation,
infarction volume, brain water content, brain tissue apoptosis ratio, and
inflammatory response were assessed, and quantitative PCR and western blot were
also detected, respectively. Treatment of SIP ameliorated neurological
dysfunction, brain infarction, brain edema, and brain cell apoptosis after MCAO
operation. Overexpression SIP also suppressed pro-inflammatory cytokines
release. Furthermore, the protective effect of SIP on brain injury occurs
through reduced neuroglia cells activation through downregulation of the
NF-κB pathway. In summary, the present work indicated that SIP prevents
ischemic cerebral infarction-induced inflammation and apoptosis by blocking
inflammasome activation via NF-κB signaling pathway. Those results
suggest that SIP treatment is an attractive strategy for prevention of ischemic
cerebral infarction.
Compliance of Nurses with Hand Hygiene Guidelines in Tripoli University Hospital, 2019
Authors: Jerbi Rehab S. , Said Amal I. , Elhamadi Miluda R.
Published: September 2022

Background Health care-associated infections (HAIs) result in high morbidity, decreased personal satisfaction, and mortality. Implementing infection prevention and control strategies such as hand hygiene (HH) promotion is critical to reduce the risk of the HAI and protect patients.

Aims This study aimed to determine the compliance rate of HH among nurses in Tripoli University Hospital (TUH, previously known as Tripoli Medical Center).

Method A cross-sectional study was conducted in different departments at TUH, starting from May 1st to October 31st, 2019. An observational checklist based on the “five moments for hand hygiene” of World Health Organization (WHO) was used. There were 271 nurses who interacted with 1,213 patients, a total of 3,452 HH episodes, and 6,065 cases of HH that were collected in this study, and data were statistically analyzed.

Results The overall HH compliance rate was 56.9%. Most of the nurses (86%) preferred to use HH after contact with individual patients and 71.6% after contact with patients' environment. There was, however, low percentage of HH prior to patient contact (35.1%). The compliance rate was higher among nurses of the age group of less than 20 years (60.8%), non-Libyan (60.7%), and those who received formal training (60.5%).

Conclusion In general, the HH compliance rate was low among nurses working in TUH. Education is an important factor that impacts the practice of HH pre- and postpatient contact. Wider studies that include assessment of pre- and posteducation courses should be conducted in the future.
Factors Influencing Outcome Post–Radium-223 Dichloride in Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer: A Review of Some Real-World Challenges
Authors: Bhoil Amit , Chuah Phei Shan , Seshadri Nagabhushan , Vinjamuri Sobhan
Published: September 2022

Aim Radium-223 has been the first-approved targeted Alpha therapy agent. We retrospectively assessed different factors influencing the overall survival (OS) and patient management.

Setting and Design Thirty-two metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients' hematological parameters, number of cycles, performance status, and toxicities were evaluated for OS. Radium 223 dichloride (Radium-223) was administered every 4 weeks for a maximum of six cycles. Primary and secondary end points were OS, progression free survival (PFS), therapy toxicities, change in performance status, biochemical response, and skeletal-related events (SREs).

Materials and Methods Patients' median age was 77 years (range: 57–90 years) and median follow-up was 399 days (range: 5–1,761 days). A total of 163 cycles were administered in 32 patients, with 4 or less cycles in 8 patients (25%) and 5 or more cycles in 24 patients (75%). Among eight patients with 4 or less cycles, three patients died, of which two patients died due to neutropenic sepsis.

Statistical Analysis Mann–Whitney test was used to compare the cycle groups; Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to see the relation of different variables with OS. Log rank test was used for group comparison while Kaplan–Meier survivorship was used for OS.

Results Statistical correlation was seen between the number of cycles (p=0.037) and hemoglobin (p=0.028). Kaplan–Meier OS (p=0.038) was correlated with the number of cycles (≤ 4 cycles and ≥ 5 cycles). OS was 173 days in patients with one to four cycles, 226 days in five cycles, and 493 days in six cycles. Myelosuppression leading to stopping of full six cycles was seen in 7 of 32 patients (22%) and significantly correlated to inferior OS (p=0.048).

Conclusion Higher number of Radium-223 cycles was seen to be associated with better OS. Prior myelosuppression was associated with poor OS. Patients with better hematological profile were more likely to complete the maximum number of the cycles with a better OS.
Positive 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography 20 Years after Talc Pleurodesis
Authors: Bhupathy Supriya A. , Huynh Tung V.
Published: September 2022

Talc pleurodesis, a frequently performed procedure for refractory pneumothorax or pleural effusion, induces chronic granulomatous inflammation. It can present years later with pleural thickening and markedly increased uptake on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), mimicking the presentation of malignancies. We present the case of a 63-year-old female with positive 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT 20 years after talc pleurodesis. Malignancy such as mesothelioma could not initially be ruled out. CT-guided biopsy confirmed an extensive foreign-body giant-cell reaction consistent with talc-related inflammatory change. This case highlights the need for the consideration of talcoma in the differential diagnosis of patients who undergo talc pleurodesis, and is unique in the significant timespan of 20 years between pleurodesis and positive imaging findings.
Long-Term Outcomes of Crizotinib Treated ALK-Positive Lung Cancer Patients: A Retrospective Audit of Prospective Data from Resource-Constrained Settings
Authors: Kapoor Akhil , Noronha Vanita , Patil Vijay , Menon Nandini , Nandhana Ravindra , Kumar Amit , Mahajan Abhishek , Janu Amit , Kumar Rajiv , Prabhash Kumar
Published: September 2022

Purpose Crizotinib has been one of the standard treatment options for the treatment of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearranged non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) based on higher progression-free survival (PFS) and objective response rates in phase III clinical trials. However, real-world data about the long-term efficacy and toxicity of crizotinib is limited.

Methods A retrospective analysis of all patients with ALK-positive NSCLC, treated with crizotinib between March 2014 and December 2016, was performed. The main outcomes measured were PFS, overall survival (OS), and adverse effects.

Results One hundred and eighty-eight patients treated with crizotinib during this period were included in this study. The median age was 50 years (range: 24–74) with a majority being males (73.2%) and 80.3% with a performance status of 0 to 1. The median duration of follow-up was 49.4 months (range: 3.4–86.3%). The median PFS of crizotinib was 17.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 13.0–21.6) and 12.8 months (95% CI, 8.1–17.6) when used in first line or subsequent lines, respectively. The median OS was 38.3 months (95% CI, 28.4–48.2). The patients who received crizotinib in the first line had a median OS of 45.5 months (95% CI, 29.6–61.4) as compared with 29.7 months (95% CI, 22.2–37.2) for those who received in subsequent line (hazard ratio, 0.6, 95% CI, 0.4–0.9, p=0.022). The most common all grade toxicities include transaminitis, anemia, fatigue, and corrected QT prolongation.

Conclusion This real-world study confirms the long-term beneficial effects of crizotinib in ALK rearranged NSCLC with favorable toxicity profile like that of the registration studies, in resource constrained settings.
Pregnancy Related Venous Thromboembolism-Associated with HIV Infection and Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Schapkaitz Elise , Jacobson Barry F. , Libhaber Elena
Published: September 2022

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in pregnancy is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Improved access to effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) has shifted the spectrum of pregnancy-related complications among HIV-infected pregnant women. In addition to placental vascular complications and preterm delivery, increased rates of venous thromboembolism (VTE) have been described. HIV infection is characterized by immune activation, inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction, which contribute to the activation of coagulation and its prothrombotic consequences. Indeed, activated coagulation factors have been reported to be increased and natural anticoagulants reduced in HIV. Several mechanisms for this persistent prothrombotic balance on ART have been identified. These may include: co-infections, immune recovery, and loss of the gastrointestinal mucosal integrity with microbial translocation. In addition to the direct effects of HIV and ART, traditional venous and obstetric risk factors also contribute to the risk of VTE. A research priority has been to understand the mechanisms of VTE in HIV-infected pregnant women receiving suppressive ART and to translate this into HIV-specific thromboprophylaxis recommendations. Management requires a multidisciplinary approach and further studies are indicated to guide the prevention and management of pregnancy-associated VTE in this population. The current review describes the epidemiology, mechanisms, and management of VTE in HIV-infected women in pregnancy and the postpartum period.
Comparison of Two Entry Methods and Their Cosmetic Outcomes in Creating Pneumoperitoneum: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Hiremath Srikantaiah Chandra Sekhariah , Ahmed Zameer
Published: September 2022

Background The main challenge in laparoscopic surgery is creating pneumoperitoneum using various surgical techniques. Every procedure has its own advocates. The aim of this study was to determine the cosmetic outcomes of the two of the major surgical techniques (open—Hasson technique versus closed—Veress technique) used in laparoscopic surgery.

Methods This was a prospective, observational, comparative study conducted from October 2017 to September 2018 in 132 patients, who presented to our center and fulfilled our selection criteria. For all the patients, pneumoperitoneum was performed using either open (Hasson) or closed technique (Veress). A database was created for all the patients and the technique dependent cosmetic outcomes were assessed and reported.

Results There were a total of 66 patients in each group (open and closed). The mean age of the open group was 51.56±11.42 years and closed group was 54.36±14.78 years, respectively. The major comorbidities found in both the groups were diabetes mellitus (6/66, group A; 7/66, group B) and hypertension (3/66, group A; 4/66, group B). In open group, umbilical (58/66, p=0.001) and in closed group infraumbilical (35/66, p=0.001) were the most commonly used incisions.

Conclusion As benefits outweigh the risks, the better cosmetic outcomes were observed in patients underwent closed technique over open technique (p<0.05).
Implicit and explicit populist and anti-immigrant attitudes and their explanatory power for populist radical-right party support
Authors: Maier Michaela , Welzenbach-Vogel Ines C. , Christner Clara , Tillman Erik R. , Zinkernagel Axel , Schmitt Manfred
Published: September 2022

Based on the assumption that disclosing explicit populist radical-right (PRR) attitudes and voting intentions for PRR parties may be inhibited by a social desirability bias, this paper aims at developing a measure for implicit populist attitudes (IAT) and at assessing its explanatory power for the prediction of PRR party support. Using data from a German online survey (N = 898), the populism-IAT is tested against corresponding direct measures of populist attitudes and anti-immigrant attitudes to predict voting propensity for the German PRR party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). Results reveal that social desirability concerns indeed restrict the likelihood of reporting a high propensity of PRR vote; however, direct measures turn out as best predictors for self-reported voting intentions. Inconsistencies between implicit and explicit attitudes may indicate sensitivity to social (un-)desirability perceptions, when attitudes are displayed on the implicit but not on the explicit level. We find such incongruencies for 9% of our respondents regarding populist attitudes, and for 21% regarding anti-immigrant attitudes, indicating that the latter are considered even more undesirable. In light of our findings, we discuss the potential explanatory power of implicit attitudes for less deliberate forms of political behavior and the assumption of populist and anti-immigrant attitudes still being regarded as socially undesirable in Germany.
Generation performance of self-biased dielectric elastomer generator based on charge pump circuit
Authors: Cao Jianbo , Guo Zhuang , E Shiju , Zhao Tianfeng , Gao Zhao
Published: September 2022

In order to study the power generation characteristics of a self-biased dielectric elastomer generator (DEG), a charge pump circuit applied to a DEG was designed based on the charge pump principle after analyzing the structure and power generation mechanism of DEG. A self-biased DEG model was established in MATLAB/Simulink software. The model was simulated and the factors on the output voltage of DEG, such as the series and capacitance of the charge pump circuit, were studied. Furthermore, the corresponding test platform was built. Then, the comparative analysis between the test results and simulation results was studied. The test and simulation results show that the combination of the charge pump circuit and DEG could realize the function of self-biased power generation. The larger the charge pump series, the higher the output voltage of DEG. The test study found that the output voltage of DEG was higher when the charge pump series was 3. The larger the capacitance of the charge pump, the lower the output voltage of DEG. When the capacitance of the charge pump was too large, the boosted voltage of DEG was not obvious. However, if the input voltage was low, the output voltage of DEG was high when the charge pump capacitance value was large. The above results provide the basis for further study of the self-biased DEG.
Australian chemistry and drug discovery towards the development of antimalarials
Authors: Sleebs Brad E.
Published: September 2022

Malaria, a disease caused by the Plasmodium parasite, accounts for more than 450 000 deaths annually. The devastating impact of this disease is compounded by the emergence or risk of widespread resistance to current antimalarial drugs, underscoring the need to develop new therapies. Australian scientists are at the forefront of fundamental, clinical and surveillance research, and have made significant contributions to advancing the field of malaria research. A significant component of this research has been directed toward the development of new antimalarial therapies. This perspective summarises the recent endeavours by Australian researchers in chemistry and drug discovery sciences in the identification and development of new antimalarial therapies in the global challenge to treat and eliminate malaria.
Commentary Article: Transforming an Educational Ecosystem for Substance use Disorders: A Multi-Modal Model for Continuous Curricular Improvement and Institutional Change
Authors: Satterfield Jason M. , Werder Karen , Reynolds Stephanie , Kryzhanovskaya Irina , Curtis Alexa Colgrove
Published: September 2022

Health professions curricula are created to prepare learners to effectively address health issues affecting individ uals and their communities. Ideally, curricula emphasize the predominant biopsychosocial influences impacting the health of diverse populations. However, despite decades of investment and advances in educational research and design, we have failed to create a health professional workforce capable of equitably meeting the health care needs of the public. Particular communities, geographic regions, and patients with stigmatized diagnoses continue to be underserved, and the potential contributions of multidisciplinary health professionals and advanced practice providers continue to be unrealized within a predominantly physician-centric health care model. Genuine educational transformation requires multidimensional, iterative strategies used to meaningfully evolve traditional classroom curricula, break from the implicit and “hidden” curricula, and enrich the educational ecosystem in which all operate. This manuscript elaborates the construct and process of “educational ecosystem transformation” as a tool for the evolution of the educational ecosystem and its situated curriculum that will eventually drive the enrichment of the healthcare workforce. Drawing from traditional models of curriculum development, recent work on transforming the hidden curriculum, the clinical learning environment, and change management strategies, this new approach uses a health equity and structural competence lens to interrogate and deconstruct a learning system in order to identify opportunities to change, strengthen, and deepen a learner's experience around a specific topic. This process requires an in-depth, multidimensional assessment followed by the identification of key change targets and a stepwise, iterative plan for improvement and transformation. The topic area of substance use disorders (SUD) is used to illustrate how this complex process might be employed to improve the quality of care, realize and amplify the contributions of the entire healthcare team, stimulate interest in addiction medicine as a career, and reduce the stigma and disparities patients with SUDs often experience.
T-RAX: Transversely Resonant Axion eXperiment
Authors: Lee Chang , Reimann Olaf
Published: September 2022

We propose to use an elongated rectangular waveguide near its cutoff frequency for axionic dark matter searches. The detector's large surface area allows for significant signal power, while its narrow transverse dimension and tapered-waveguide coupling suppress parasitic modes. The proposed system can fit inside a solenoid magnet and is sensitive to the QCD-axion in the axion mass 40–400μeV. We describe the theoretical principles of the new design, present simulation results, and discuss the implementation.
Effect of oxygen on regulation of properties of moderately boron-doped diamond films
Authors: Liu Dong-Yang , Hao Li-Cai , Zhao Wei-Kang , Chen Zi-Ang , Tang Kun , Zhu Shun-Ming , Ye Jian-Dong , Zhang Rong , Zheng You-Dou , Gu Shu-Lin
Published: September 2022

Regulation of oxygen on properties of moderately boron-doped diamond films is fully investigated. Results show that, with adding a small amount of oxygen (oxygen-to-carbon ratio < 5.0%), the crystal quality of diamond is improved, and a suppression effect of residual nitrogen is observed. With increasing ratio of O/C from 2.5% to 20.0%, the hole concentration is firstly increased then reduced. This change of hole concentration is also explained. Moreover, the results of Hall effect measurement with temperatures from 300 K to 825 K show that, with adding a small amount of oxygen, boron and oxygen complex structures (especially B3O and B4O) are formed and exhibit as shallow donor in diamond, which results in increase of donor concentration. With further increase of ratio of O/C, the inhibitory behaviors of oxygen on boron leads to decrease of acceptor concentration (the optical emission spectroscopy has shown that it is decreased with ratio of O/C more than 10.0%). This work demonstrates that oxygen-doping induced increasement of the crystalline and surface quality could be restored by the co-doping with oxygen. The technique could achieve boron-doped diamond films with both high quality and acceptable hole concentration, which is applicable to electronic level of usage.
Broadband and wide-angle plane focal surface Luneburg lens
Authors: Li Jue , Zhou Yangyang , Chen Huanyang
Published: September 2022

The energy crisis has aroused widespread concern, and the reform of energy structure is imminent. In the future, the energy structure will be dominated by the solar energy and other renewable energy sources. The solar concentrating technology as a promising method has been widely studied for collecting solar energy. However, the previous solar concentrating technologies suffer from some drawbacks, such as low focusing efficiency and large concentrating size. The Luneburg lens with highly efficient aberration-free focusing provides a new route for solar/energy concentrator. In this work, we designed a plane focal surface Luneburg lens (PFSLL) by transformation optics (TO). The PFSLL provides a relatively high focusing efficiency and concentration ratio of collection of energy. At the same time, it circumvents the disadvantage of curve surface of the classical Luneburg lens in device integration. Based on the reciprocity of electromagnetic waves, the PFSLL can also be applied to the antenna field to achieve broadband wide-angle scanning and highly directional radiation.
Photovoltaic implant simulator reveals resolution limits in subretinal prosthesis
Authors: Chen Zhijie Charles , Wang Bing-Yi , Kochnev Goldstein Anna , Butt Emma , Mathieson Keith , Palanker Daniel
Published: September 2022

Objective. PRIMA, the photovoltaic subretinal prosthesis, restores central vision in patients blinded by atrophic age-related macular degeneration (AMD), with a resolution closely matching the 100 µm pixel size of the implant. Improvement in resolution requires smaller pixels, but the resultant electric field may not provide sufficient stimulation strength in the inner nuclear layer (INL) or may lead to excessive crosstalk between neighboring electrodes, resulting in low contrast stimulation patterns. We study the approaches to electric field shaping in the retina for prosthetic vision with higher resolution and improved contrast. Approach. We present a new computational framework, Retinal Prosthesis Simulator (RPSim), that efficiently computes the electric field in the retina generated by a photovoltaic implant with thousands of electrodes. Leveraging the PRIMA clinical results as a benchmark, we use RPSim to predict the stimulus strength and contrast of the electric field in the retina with various pixel designs and stimulation patterns. Main results. We demonstrate that by utilizing monopolar pixels as both anodes and cathodes to suppress crosstalk, most patients may achieve resolution no worse than 48 µm. Closer proximity between the electrodes and the INL, achieved with pillar electrodes, enhances the stimulus strength and contrast and may enable 24 µm resolution with 20 µm pixels, at least in some patients. Significance. A resolution of 24 µm on the retina corresponds to a visual acuity of 20/100, which is over 4 times higher than the current best prosthetic acuity of 20/438, promising a significant improvement of central vision for many AMD patients.
How much aboveground net primary production can be used for human activities in the alpine grasslands in the Three Rivers Source Region (TRSR), China?
Authors: Yang Yi , Wang Genxu , Lin Shan , Yang Yan , Zhang Tongzuo , Yu Hui , Lu Yaqiong , Liu Bintao , Sun Juying
Published: September 2022

Sustainable management of grasslands has always been an urgent issue for policy-makers. The three rivers source region (TRSR) contains widely distributed natural grasslands and is sensitive to climate warming. To enable the sustainable development of the human-nature system in the TRSR, we propose a novel indicator based on the allocation of aboveground net primary production (ANPP). The indicator we proposed is the ANPP that can be used for human activities (UANPP). In the study, we simulated the spatial and temporal patterns of the UANPP in the alpine grasslands in the TRSR during 1979–2016 and explored the main driving factors of the UANPP. The results revealed that (a) the annual total UANPP in the TRSR was 13.22 TgC, approximately accounting for 47% of total ANPP. (b) The areas with negative UANPP values accounted for 16% of the entire TRSR, and they were primarily located within the Nature Reserve of the Yangtze and Yellow river source regions, while three-quarters of the area exhibited improvement trends. (c) The regional mean UANPP significantly increased during 1979–2016, at a rate of 0.28 gC m−2 yr−1 (p < 0.01). In the entire TRSR, 87% of the area exhibited increasing trends. (d) The UANPP in most areas of the TRSR was strongly correlated with precipitation, and the effect of human activities on the UANNP increased slightly during the 38 year study period. The UANPP represents the upper limit of human use of nature. These findings provide a reference for policy-makers to make decisions toward human-nature system sustainability while meeting human needs for grassland resources. ANPP allocation between nature and human system is a potentially important tool from the standpoint of sustainable development.
Challenges and opportunities concerning numerical solutions for population balances: a critical review
Authors: Singh Mehakpreet , Ranade Vivek , Shardt Orest , Matsoukas Themis
Published: September 2022

Population balance models are tools for the study of dispersed systems, such as granular materials, polymers, colloids and aerosols. They are applied with increasing frequency across a wide range of disciplines, including chemical engineering, aerosol physics, astrophysics, polymer science, pharmaceutical sciences, and mathematical biology. Population balance models are used to track particle properties and their changes due to aggregation, fragmentation, nucleation and growth, processes that directly affect the distribution of particle sizes. The population balance equation is an integro-partial differential equation whose domain is the line of positive real numbers. This poses challenges for the stability and accuracy of the numerical methods used to solve for size distribution function and in response to these challenges several different methodologies have been developed in the literature. This review provides a critical presentation of the state of the art in numerical approaches for solving these complex models with emphasis in the algorithmic details that distinguish each methodology. The review covers finite volume methods, Monte Carlo method and sectional methods; the method of moments, another important numerical methodology, is not covered in this review.
Decomposing all multipartite non-signalling channels via quasiprobabilistic mixtures of local channels in generalised probabilistic theories
Authors: Cavalcanti Paulo J , Selby John H , Sikora Jamie , Sainz Ana Belén
Published: September 2022

Non-signalling quantum channels—relevant in, e.g., the study of Bell and Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen scenarios—may be decomposed as an affine combinations of local operations in bipartite scenarios. Moreover, when these channels correspond to stochastic maps between classical variables, such a decomposition is possible even in multipartite scenarios. These two results have proven useful when studying the properties of these channels, such as their communication and information processing power, and even when defining measures of the non-classicality of physical phenomena (such as Bell non-classicality and steering). In this paper we show that such useful quasi-stochastic characterizations of channels may be unified and applied to the broader class of multipartite non-signalling channels. Moreover, we show that this holds for non-signalling channels in quantum theory, as well as in a larger family of generalised probabilistic theories. More precisely, we prove that channels are non-signalling if and only if they can be decomposed as an affine combinations of corresponding local operations, provided that the underlying physical theory is locally tomographic—a property that quantum theory satisfies. Our results then can be viewed as a generalisation of references (Phys. Rev. Lett.
111 170403) and (2013 Phys. Rev. A 88 022318) to the multipartite scenario for arbitrary tomographically local generalised probabilistic theories (including quantum theory). Our proof technique leverages Hardy’s duotensor formalism, highlighting its utility in this line of research.
Non-local effects on travelling waves arising in a moving-boundary reaction–diffusion model
Authors: Fadai Nabil T , Billingham John
Published: September 2022

We examine travelling wave solutions of the partial differential equation u

t
= u

xx
+ u(1 − u∗ϕ) on a moving domain x ⩽ L(t), where u∗ϕ is the spatial convolution of the population density with a kernel ϕ(y). We provide asymptotic approximations of the resulting travelling waves in various asymptotic limits of the wavespeed, the non-local interaction strength, and the moving boundary condition. Crucially, we find that when the moving boundary has a weak interactive strength with the population density flux, there can be two different travelling wave solutions that move at the same wavespeed.
Volatile composition of the morning breath
Authors: Roslund Kajsa , Lehto Markku , Pussinen Pirkko , Metsälä Markus
Published: September 2022

We have measured the composition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the morning breath of 30 healthy individuals before and after tooth brushing. The concentrations of VOCs in the breath samples were measured with proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MS) and further identification was performed with a combination of solid phase microextraction and offline gas chromatography–MS. We hypothesize that compounds, whose concentrations significantly decreased in the breath after tooth brushing are largely of microbial origin. In this study, we found 35 such VOCs. Out of these, 33 have been previously connected to different oral niches, such as salivary and subgingival bacteria. We also compared the concentrations of the 35 VOCs found in increased amounts in the morning breath to their respective odor thresholds to evaluate their ability to cause odor. Compounds that could contribute to the breath odor include many volatile sulfur compounds, such as methanethiol, hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, and 2-methyl-1-propanethiol, but also other VOCs, such as acetic acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, acetaldehyde, octanal, phenol, indole, ammonia, isoprene, and methyl methacrylate.
Orbital stability of smooth solitary waves for the Degasperis-Procesi equation
Authors: Li Ji , Liu Yue , Wu Qiliang
Published: September 2022

The Degasperis-Procesi (DP) equation is an integrable Camassa-Holm-type model which is an asymptotic approximation for the unidirectional propagation of shallow water waves. This work establishes the orbital stability of localized smooth solitary waves to the DP equation on the real line, extending our previous work on their spectral stability [J. Math. Pures Appl. (9) 142 (2020), pp. 298–314]. The main difficulty stems from the fact that the natural energy space is a subspace of

L
3

L^3

, but the translation symmetry for the DP equation gives rise to a conserved quantity equivalent to the

L
2

L^2

-norm, resulting in

L
3

L^3

higher-order nonlinear terms in the augmented Hamiltonian. But the usual coercivity estimate is in terms of

L
2

L^2

norm for DP equation, which cannot be used to control the

L
3

L^3

higher order term directly. The remedy is to observe that, given a sufficiently smooth initial condition satisfying some mild constraint, the

L
∞

L^\infty

orbital norm of the perturbation is bounded above by a function of its

L
2

L^2

orbital norm, yielding the higher order control and the orbital stability in the

L
2

∩

L
∞

L^2\cap L^\infty

space.
Rosa chinensisCultivars Affect Fitness-Related Characteristics and Digestive Physiology of the Western Flower Thrips,Frankliniella occidentalisPergande (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)
Authors: Qi Guiling , Gu Zhaoyang , Shen Jinwu , Wang Chun , Zeng Li , Reitz Stuart R , Cao Yu
Published: September 2022

Host plant species will influence the population and physiological performance of insects. Frankliniella occidentalis is a well-known invasive pest commonly found on flowering plants. Herein, the population development of F. occidentalis was investigated on the flowers of different Rosa chinensis cultivars (Ruby, Love, Parade, Pink Peace, and Mohana), and the digestive enzyme activities in thrips were measured after feeding on these flowers. The developmental times of F. occidentalis from egg to adult were 10.07, 10.37, 11.64, 10.66, and 10.90 d on Ruby, Love, Parade, Pink Peace, and Mohana, respectively. Significant differences in fecundity were also observed, with the greatest fecundity levels of F. occidentalis on Ruby (82.96) and the lowest on Mohana (63.40). F. occidentalis showed the greatest R0 on Ruby (43.57), followed by Love (36.46), Parade (33.00), Pink Peace (27.97), and Mohana (23.21). The rm showed a similar trend, with values of 0.156, 0.145, 0.141, 0.134, and 0.130, respectively. There were significant differences in digestive enzyme activities in F. occidentalis on different flowers, and different digestive enzymes showed different performance among these plants. The highest amylase and lipase activities in F. occidentalis were on Ruby, on which F. occidentalis had the fastest development rate and the highest R0, whereas the highest trypsin activity was on Pink Peace. All three digestive enzymes in thrips showed the lowest activities on Mohana. The varied population development of F. occidentalis associated with R. chinensis cultivars may be related to their digestive enzyme performance, which plays important roles in nutrient metabolism and insect growth.
Gestational Age, Socioeconomic Context and Infection-Related Hospital Admissions of Infants Born With Gestational Age Less Than 33 Weeks
Authors: Berland M , Boucekine M , Fayol L , Tardieu S , Nauleau S , Garcia P , Boubred F
Published: September 2022

Using data from a regional medical follow-up network database of preterm infants born with gestational age (GA) <33 weeks, we found that low GA and deprived socioeconomic neighborhoods increased incidence of infection-related hospitalization during the first year of life. Respiratory tract infections rates were higher in extremely preterm infants.
Elevated Kynurenine Levels in Patients with Primary Sjögren’s Syndrome
Authors: Apaydın Hakan , Koca Bicer Cemile , Feyza Yurt Emine , Abdulkadir Serdar Muhittin , Dogan İsmail , Erten Sukran
Published: September 2022

Objective

We aimed to investigate the plasma levels of tryptophan (Trp) and its metabolites in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS).

Methods

The study included 34 pSS patients and 42 healthy individuals, and serum Trp and kynurenine (Kyn) concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Trp degradation was predicted using the ratio of Kyn and Trp concentrations (Kyn/Trp).

Results

In our study, the mean serum Trp concentration was found to be considerably lower in the pSS group than in the control group (P = .001). The levels of Kyn (P = .019) and the Kyn/Trp ratio (P < .001) were significantly higher in the pSS group than in the control group. The Kyn/Trp ratio was negatively correlated with C-reactive protein (r = −0.369, P = .032).

Conclusion

We found that Kyn pathway metabolism was altered in patients with pSS. This suggests that Trp metabolism may be closely linked to the disease pathogenesis of pSS.
Time, Sustainability, and Public Policy
Authors: Straßheim Holger
Published: September 2022

Sustainability is a matter of time. While this observation has become a topos in discussions on sustainability, its analytical implications and political consequences are rarely reflected. This article explores the relationship between time and sustainability by asking how time and temporality both challenge and shape sustainability in public policy. A three-dimensional view of sustainability is developed, based on the idea of temporal modalities, stylized configurations of how we make sense of time. Temporal horizons, temporal schemes, process-time, and temporal concepts are interwoven in social action and communication. In practices of policymaking in time, by time, and of time, these elements are combined, become institutionalized, and are reinterpreted and transformed. The very definition of sustainability and its political and normative aspirations is shaped by the ways these temporal modalities relate to each other in policy practices. Depending on governing modes and modalities of time, sustainability is experienced and imagined in very different ways.
Physiological and Transcriptomic Analysis of ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma pruni’ Infection in Prunus persica
Authors: Wright Alice A. , Molnar Cody , Shires Madalyn K. , Bishop Garrett , Harper Scott J.
Published: September 2022

‘ Candidatus Phytoplasma pruni’ is the causative agent of X-disease on peach ( Prunus persica) trees. Infected trees exhibit premature yellowing, leaf necrosis causing a shot-hole appearance, limb dieback, and eventual death. How pathogen infection leads to these symptoms is unknown. This study undertook a modern characterization of the disease by assessing the physiological and transcriptomic consequences of phytoplasma infection. Phytoplasma titer was high in the symptomatic tissues and undetected or low in asymptomatic tissues. Symptomatic leaves had a significant decrease in chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoids. Transcriptomic analysis showed alterations in genes related to phytohormone synthesis and signaling, circadian rhythms, lignification, and sugar synthesis and transport. Several transcripts that might be related to symptom development were identified. Collectively, these data give a much clearer picture of symptom development in ‘ Ca. P. pruni’-infected P. persica and provide several avenues for further research in determining how ‘ Ca. P. pruni’ interacts with its host to elicit the observed symptoms.

[Formula: see text] Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license .
Maternal Intensive Care Unit Admission as an Indicator of Severe Acute Maternal Morbidity: A Population-based Study
Authors: Godeberge C. , Deneux-Tharaux C. , Seco A. , Rossignol M. , Chantry A. , Bonnet M.
Published: September 2022

(Anesth Analg. 2022;134:581–591)

Severe acute maternal morbidity (SAMM) is an important indicator of maternal care due to the lowering rates of maternal deaths. One criterion for the diagnosis of SAMM is admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). Other aspects that would meet the diagnosis of SAMM is obstetric bleeding, eclampsia, severe preeclampsia, pulmonary embolism, cerebrovascular events, ICU admission, laparotomy after delivery, maternal death, or disorders of the hepatic, hematologic, respiratory, cardiovascular, renal, or neurologic systems. This study investigated if ICU admission serves as a valid indicator of SAMM. Using the Data from the EPIMOMS study which examined 182,309 women from 6 regions of France, 2540 met the criteria for SAMM or were admitted to the ICU. From this cohort, maternal characteristics, preexisting medical conditions, pregnancy characteristics, length of ICU stay, and organ dysfunction were recorded. The cohort was divided into 3 different groups: those with SAMM not admitted to an ICU, SAMM patients admitted to the ICU, and patients admitted to the ICU not meeting the criteria for SAMM. Statistical analysis was performed and univariable and multivariable multinomial logistic regression models to account for variables in all groups, histograms for continuous variables, standard deviation for normally distributed variables, Kruskal-Wallis test for ICU length of stay, and Fisher exact tests for categorical variables. The study used multiple imputations with chained equations to ascribe missing multivariable analysis model data values followed by a complete case multivariable logistic regression analysis. The results were at a α=0.05 significance level, a statistical power of 80%, an odds ratio of ≥1.4 or ≥2.0.
COVID-19 in Pregnancy: Characteristics and Outcomes of Pregnant Women Admitted to Hospital Because of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in the Nordic Countries
Authors: Engjom H. , Aabakke A.J.M. , Klungsøyr K. , Svanvik T. , Äyräs O. , Jonasdottir E. , Thurn L. , Jones E. , Pettersson K. , Nyfløt L.T. , Al-Zirqi  , Vangen S. , Júlíusson P.B. , Källén K. , Gissler M. , Krebs L.
Published: September 2022

(Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2021;100:1611–1619)

SARS-CoV-2 and the disease it causes, COVID-19, have been shown to be more severe in pregnant women due to a variety of factors. Researchers continue to investigate the specific effects COVID-19 has on pregnancies of infected women. This study examined hospital records from five Nordic countries for the characteristics and outcomes of pregnant women admitted to the hospital while infected with SARS-CoV-2 from March 1 to June 30, 2020.
Attenuating effect of magnesium on pulmonary arterial calcification in rodent models of pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Chuang Kun-Han , Yao Ru-Hui , Jiang Ya-Nan , Gui Long-Xin , Zheng Si-Yi , Lin Mo-Jun
Published: September 2022

Objective:

Vascular calcification has been considered as a potential therapeutic target in pulmonary hypertension. Mg2+ has a protective role against calcification. This study aimed to investigate whether Mg2+ could alleviate pulmonary hypertension by reducing medial calcification of pulmonary arteries.

Methods:

Monocrotaline (MCT)-induced and chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension rats were given an oral administration of 10% MgSO4 (10 ml/kg per day). Additionally, we administered Mg2+ in calcified pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) after incubating with β-glycerophosphate (β-GP, 10 mmol/l).

Results:

In vivo, MCT-induced and chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension indexes, including right ventricular systolic pressure, right ventricular mass index, and arterial wall thickness, as well as Alizarin Red S (ARS) staining-visualized calcium deposition, high calcium levels, and osteochondrogenic differentiation in pulmonary arteries, were mitigated by dietary Mg2+ intake. In vitro, β-GP-induced calcium-rich deposits stained by ARS, calcium content, as well as the detrimental effects of calcification to proliferation, migration, and resistance to apoptosis of PASMCs were alleviated by high Mg2+ but exacerbated by low Mg2+. Expression levels of mRNA and protein of β-GP-induced osteochondrogenic markers, RUNX Family Transcription Factor 2, and Msh Homeobox 2 were decreased by high Mg2+ but increased by low Mg2+; however, Mg2+ did not affect β-GP-induced expression of SRY-Box Transcription Factor 9. Moreover, mRNA expression and protein levels of β-GP-reduced calcification inhibitor, Matrix GLA protein was increased by high Mg2+ but decreased by low Mg2+.

Conclusion:

Mg2+ supplement is a powerful strategy to treat pulmonary hypertension by mitigating pulmonary arterial calcification as the calcification triggered physiological and pathological changes to PASMCs.