bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy provides borderline resectable thoracic esophageal cancer with equivalent treatment results as clinically T3 thoracic esophageal cancer
Authors: Wakita Akiyuki , Motoyama Satoru , Sato Yusuke , Nagaki Yushi , Fujita Hiromu , Kemuriyama Kohei , Hayashi Kenjiro , Imai Kazuhiro , Nanjo Hiroshi , Minamiya Yoshihiro
Published: June 2023

Aim

Because the optimal treatment strategy for borderline resectable (cT3br) thoracic esophageal cancer patients remains unclear, it is of great interest whether preoperative neoadjuvant therapy for cT3br could achieve results comparable to those seen with resectable T3 cancer (cT3r). We speculated that preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) would be particularly effective in cT3br thoracic esophageal cancer patients and compared to cT3br and cT3r.

Methods

Of 186 cT3 thoracic esophageal cancer patients treated with intended NACRT, 162 received radical esophagectomy. More than 97% were squamous cell carcinomas. Patients were partitioned into two groups according to whether invasion of adjacent organs was suspected (cT3br and cT3r). Treatment outcomes and survival were analyzed.

Results

Sixty‐eight patients (36.6%) were classified as cT3br and 118 (63.4%) as cT3r. The cT3br group had significantly more tumors in the upper and middle mediastinum (p < 0.0001) and more cases with cM1 (lymph node) (p = 0.0104) than the cT3r group. In addition, the cT3br patients receiving esophagectomy exhibited a significantly lower pathological complete response rate than the cT3r patients (p = 0.0374). However, the R0 resection rate did not differ between the cT3br and cT3r patients (p = 0.0978), and the two groups treated with intended NACRT had similar 5‐year overall (OS) and disease‐specific survival (DSS) (p = 0.3831 and p = 0.9020). In addition, the incidence and patterns of recurrence did not differ between the cT3br and cT3r patients receiving esophagectomy (p = 0.8109 and p = 0.3128).

Conclusions

Preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy appears to be a promising treatment for patients with borderline resectable thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
Katalytische formale [2π+2σ]‐Cycloaddition von Aldehyden mit Bicyclobutanen: Zweckmäßiger Zugang zu polysubstituierten 2‐Oxabicyclo[2.1.1]hexanen
Authors: Liang Yujie , Paulus Fritz , Daniliuc Constantin G. , Glorius Frank
Published: June 2023

Die Synthese von bicyclischen Gerüsten hat jüngst großes Interesse erregt, da diese als gesättigte Bioisostere von Benzoiden eine wichtige Rolle in der modernen Wirkstoffforschung spielen. In dieser Arbeit berichten wir über eine BF3‐katalysierte [2π+2σ]‐Cycloaddition von Aldehyden mit Bicyclo[1.1.0]butanen (BCBs), um polysubstituierte 2‐Oxabicyclo[2.1.1]hexane zu synthetisieren. Zu diesem Zweck wurde ein neuartiges BCB entwickelt, das eine Acylpyrazolgruppe enthält, die nicht nur die Reaktionen erheblich erleichtert, sondern auch als Ansatzpunkt für verschiedene nachfolgende Transformationen dienen kann. Darüber hinaus können auch Aryl‐ und Vinylepoxide als Substrate verwendet werden, die nach der in situ‐Umlagerung zu Aldehyden eine Cycloaddition mit BCBs durchlaufen. Wir erwarten, dass unsere Ergebnisse den Zugang zu herausfordernden sp3‐reichen bicyclischen Gerüsten erleichtern und die Erforschung der BCB‐basierten Cycloadditionschemie fördern werden.
Activation of Bulk Li2S as Cathode Material for Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries through Organochalcogenide‐Based Redox Mediation Chemistry
Authors: Fan Qianqian , Si Yubing , Zhu Fulong , Guo Wei , Fu Yongzhu
Published: June 2023

Lithium sulfide (Li2S) is considered as a promising cathode material for sulfur‐based batteries. However, its activation remains to be one of the key challenges against its commercialization. The extraction of Li+ from bulk Li2S has a high activation energy (Ea) barrier, which is fundamentally responsible for the initial large overpotential. Herein, a systematic investigation of accelerated bulk Li2S oxidation reaction kinetics was studied by using organochalcogenide‐based redox mediators, in which phenyl ditelluride (PDTe) can significantly reduce the Ea of Li2S and lower the initial charge potential. Simultaneously, it can alleviate the polysulfides shuttling effect by covalently anchoring the soluble polysulfides and converting them into insoluble lithium phenyl tellusulfides (PhTe‐SxLi, x>1). This alters the redox pathway and accelerates the reaction kinetics of Li2S cathode. Consequently, the Li||Li2S‐PDTe cell shows excellent rate capability and enhanced cycling stability. The Si||Li2S‐PDTe full cell delivers a considerable capacity of 953.5 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C.
Accelerated Multi‐step Sulfur Redox Reactions in Lithium‐Sulfur Batteries Enabled by Dual Defects in Metal‐Organic Framework‐based Catalysts
Authors: Wang Xin , Zhang Xiaomin , Zhao Yan , Luo Dan , Shui Lingling , Li Yebao , Ma Ge , Zhu Yaojie , Zhang Yongguang , Zhou Guofu , Yu Aiping , Chen Zhongwei
Published: June 2023

The sluggish sulfur redox kinetics and shuttle effect of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs) are recognized as the main obstacles to the practical applications of the lithium‐sulfur (Li−S) batteries. Accelerated conversion by catalysis can mitigate these issues, leading to enhanced Li−S performance. However, a catalyst with single active site cannot simultaneously accelerate multiple LiPSs conversion. Herein, we developed a novel dual‐defect (missing linker and missing cluster defects) metal–organic framework (MOF) as a new type of catalyst to achieve synergistic catalysis for the multi‐step conversion reaction of LiPSs. Electrochemical tests and first‐principle density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that different defects can realize targeted acceleration of stepwise reaction kinetics for LiPSs. Specifically, the missing linker defects can selectively accelerate the conversion of S8→Li2S4, while the missing cluster defects can catalyze the reaction of Li2S4→Li2S, so as to effectively inhibit the shuttle effect. Hence, the Li−S battery with an electrolyte to sulfur (E/S) ratio of 8.9 mL g−1 delivers a capacity of 1087 mAh g−1 at 0.2 C after 100 cycles. Even at high sulfur loading of 12.9 mg cm−2 and E/S=3.9 mL g−1, an areal capacity of 10.4 mAh cm−2 for 45 cycles can still be obtained.
Ruptene – Eine Familie von Terpenanaloga Erlaubt Einblicke in Cyclisierungsmechanismen durch Unterbrechung der Kaskade
Authors: Gu Binbin , Dickschat Jeroen S.
Published: June 2023

Die terpenoiden Substratanaloga (7R)‐6,7‐Dihydrogeranylgeranyldiphosphat (6,7‐Dihydro‐GGPP) und (7R)‐6,7‐Dihydrogeranylfarnesyldiphosphat (6,7‐Dihydro‐GFPP) wurden ausgehend von (S)‐Citronellol synthetisiert und enzymatisch mit neun Diterpen‐ bzw. zwei Sesterterpen‐Synthasen umgewandelt. In zwei Fällen wurden die Substratanaloga in Cyclisierungsreaktionen, die denen des nativen Substrats GGPP entsprachen, zu Diterpenen umgesetzt, während in den anderen neun Fällen die Cyclisierungskaskade unterbrochen oder umgelenkt wurde, was zu Produkten führte, die als Ruptene bezeichnet wurden. Mehrere der isolierten Ruptene stellen Deprotonierungsprodukte kationischer Intermediate dar, die Analoga der Intermediate sind, die entlang der Cyclisierungskaskaden für die nativen Substrate GGPP oder GFPP vorgeschlagen werden, und geben so Einblicke in die komplexen Reaktionsmechanismen der durch Terpensynthasen vermittelten Biosynthese.
Catalytic Formal [2π+2σ] Cycloaddition of Aldehydes with Bicyclobutanes: Expedient Access to Polysubstituted 2‐Oxabicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes
Authors: Liang Yujie , Paulus Fritz , Daniliuc Constantin G. , Glorius Frank
Published: June 2023

Synthesis of bicyclic scaffolds has attracted tremendous attention because they are playing an important role as saturated bioisosteres of benzenoids in modern drug discovery. Here, we report a BF3‐catalyzed [2π+2σ] cycloaddition of aldehydes with bicyclo[1.1.0]butanes (BCBs) to access polysubstituted 2‐oxabicyclo[2.1.1]hexanes. A new kind of BCB containing an acyl pyrazole group was invented, which not only significantly facilitates the reactions, but can also serve as a handle for diverse downstream transformations. Furthermore, aryl and vinyl epoxides can also be utilized as substrates which undergo cycloaddition with BCBs after in situ rearrangement to aldehydes. We anticipate that our results will promote access to challenging sp3‐rich bicyclic frameworks and the exploration of BCB‐based cycloaddition chemistry.
Fabrication and performance of phase change microcapsules with fatty acid monoglyceride based waterborne polyurethane as the shell
Authors: Ning Xin , Li Jian , Wang Chenyi , Ren Qiang
Published: June 2023

Polyurethane phase change microcapsules (PU‐PCMs) with high encapsulation efficiency are fabricated with ethyl palmitate as the phase change material and fatty acid monoglyceride based waterborne polyurethane as the shell. The compositions and morphologies of microcapsules are characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FT‐IR), field scanning electron microscope (FSEM) and laser particle size analyzer. The encapsulation efficiency and phase change performances of microcapsules are investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results show that PU‐PCMs have smooth surface and spherical shape and the size of about 300 nm. TGA and DSC results show that the encapsulation efficiency of ethyl palmitate in PU‐PCMs prepared with fatty acid monoglyceride is up to 92.3%, which is much higher than that of PU‐PCMs prepared with other diols. The fatty acid monoglyceride based polyurethane prepolymer has better affinity with ethyl palmite than polyurethane prepolymer prepared with other diols, which causes the high encapsulation efficiency of phase change materials. The result of DSC show that the melting enthalpy of fatty acid monoglyceride based PU‐PCMs is 81.6 J g−1and the phase change temperature is 26.75°C. After 200 heating/cooling cycle test, the phase change temperatures and shapes of microcapsules remain unchanged, which show that the microcapsules have good phase change stability. The temperature‐regulating performance and application of the PU‐PCMs in fabricating semi‐transparent temperature‐regulating glass are conducted and investigated. Results of these investigations indicate that PU‐PCMs fabricated from fatty acid monoglyceride show promising applications in heat‐energy storage and temperature‐regulation fields.
A metabarcoding protocol targeting two DNA regions to analyze root‐associated fungal communities in ferns and lycophytes
Authors: Guillen‐Otero Thais , Lee Soon‐Jae , Chen Cheng‐Wei , Szoevenyi Peter , Kessler Michael
Published: June 2023

Premise

Detailed studies of the fungi associated with lycophytes and ferns provide crucial insights into the early evolution of land plants. However, most investigations to date have assessed fern–fungus interactions based only on visual root inspection. In the present research, we establish and evaluate a metabarcoding protocol to analyze the fungal communities associated with fern and lycophyte roots.

Methods

We used two primer pairs focused on the ITS rRNA region to screen the general fungal communities, and the 18S rRNA to target Glomeromycota fungi (i.e., arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi). To test these approaches, we collected and processed roots from 12 phylogenetically distant fern and lycophyte species.

Results

We found marked compositional differences between the ITS and 18S data sets. While the ITS data set demonstrated the dominance of orders Glomerales (phylum Glomeromycota), Pleosporales, and Helotiales (both in phylum Ascomycota), the 18S data set revealed the greatest diversity of Glomeromycota. Non‐metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination suggested an important geographical effect in sample similarities.

Discussion

The ITS‐based approach is a reliable and effective method to analyze the fungal communities associated with fern and lycophyte roots. The 18S approach is more appropriate for studies focused on the detailed screening of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.
Using a health observance event to raise awareness: An assessment of World Birth Defects Day
Authors: Kleven Danielle L. , Mai Cara T. , Bermejo‐Sánchez Eva , Groisman Boris , Walani Salimah , Peck Jessica , Cosentino Viviana , Botto Lorenzo D. , Zezza Simonetta , Romitti Paul A. , Mastroiacovo Pierpaolo
Published: June 2023

World Birth Defects Day (WorldBDDay), observed annually on March 3, was launched in 2015 to advocate for public health surveillance, research, and prevention of birth defects, along with improved care and treatment for affected individuals. Following its fifth observance in 2019, we assessed WorldBDDay by analyzing: (a) engagement and content of over 2000 WorldBDDay posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; (b) interview responses from 9 WorldBDDay charter (founding) organizations on their perceptions of strengths and areas for improvement for WorldBDDay; (c) survey responses from 61 WorldBDDay 2019 partner (participating) organizations on their WorldBDDay 2019 activities; and (d) post‐2019 social media engagement. Most social media posts (60%) occurred from organizations using Twitter (80% vs. 14% for Instagram and 6% for Facebook), although posts from individuals had higher levels of engagement (e.g., likes and comments). The highest engagement occurred for posts focused on general awareness, prevention, or events. Charter organizations reported the need for existing and new partner engagement, including a designated WorldBDDay contact for regular communication and coordination of activities and prepared prevention‐focused messaging. Partner organizations reported using the WorldBDDay toolkit, especially key messages and social media tips, and suggested expanding the toolkit with relevant resources. Post‐2019 Twitter engagement was lower than 2019 WorldBDDay (peak event) but showed similar reach to WorldBDDay events prior to 2019. Our assessment identified WorldBDDay health observance events as an important tool to support knowledge dissemination and global community engagement around birth defects. Moving forward, engagement with more individuals and organizations may improve the reach of WorldBDDay.
Understanding the patient experience and treatment benefits in patients with non–small‐cell lung cancer with brain metastasis
Authors: Cella David , Wen Patrick Y. , Ervin Claire , Vallow Susan , Gilloteau Isabelle , DeMuro Carla , Mordin Margaret , Chassot Agostinho Andrea , Dine Jennifer
Published: June 2023

Background

Despite the high prevalence of brain metastases (BM) secondary to non–small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) (NSCLC/BM), patients' experiences (symptoms and impacts) are not fully understood. This study sought to understand the patient experience with NSCLC/BM and identify a patient‐reported outcome (PRO) measure fit to capture the most important NSCLC/BM symptoms and impacts.

Methods

A targeted literature review was completed; the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN)/Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Brain Symptom Index, 24‐item version (NFBrSI‐24) was identified as a relevant measure that assessed the core symptoms and impacts associated with NSCLC/BM. Qualitative interviews composed of concept elicitation and cognitive debriefing with oncologists (n = 3) and adult patients (n = 16) with NSCLC/BM were conducted to confirm the content validity and evaluate the relevance and appropriateness of the NFBrSI‐24 for this condition.

Results

The NSCLC/BM symptoms and impacts identified in the literature and reported by oncologists and patients were consistent and captured in the NFBrSI‐24. Study participants reported significant burden associated with the symptoms (commonly fatigue, headache) and impacts of NSCLC/BM. Participants indicated that the NFBrSI‐24 captured their most salient experiences with NSCLC/BM and that symptom improvement or a delay in progression, as measured by the NFBrSI‐24, would be meaningful. During the cognitive debriefing, participants generally indicated that the NFBrSI‐24 was comprehensive and easy to understand/answer and that it assessed symptoms they considered most important to treat.

Conclusions

These results suggest that the NFBrSI‐24 adequately captures an appropriate measure of NSCLC/BM symptoms and impact.
Comparison of eight modern preoperative scoring systems for survival prediction in patients with extremity metastasis
Authors: Lee Tse‐Ying , Chen Yu‐An , Groot Olivier Q. , Yen Hung‐Kuan , Bindels Bas J. J. , Pierik Robert‐Jan , Hsieh Hsiang‐Chieh , Karhade Aditya V. , Tseng Ting‐En , Lai Yi‐Hsiang , Yang Jing‐Jen , Lee Chia‐Che , Hu Ming‐Hsiao , Verlaan Jorrit‐Jan , Schwab Joseph H. , Yang Rong‐Sen , Lin Wei‐Hsin
Published: June 2023

Background

Survival is an important factor to consider when clinicians make treatment decisions for patients with skeletal metastasis. Several preoperative scoring systems (PSSs) have been developed to aid in survival prediction. Although we previously validated the Skeletal Oncology Research Group Machine‐learning Algorithm (SORG‐MLA) in Taiwanese patients of Han Chinese descent, the performance of other existing PSSs remains largely unknown outside their respective development cohorts. We aim to determine which PSS performs best in this unique population and provide a direct comparison between these models.

Methods

We retrospectively included 356 patients undergoing surgical treatment for extremity metastasis at a tertiary center in Taiwan to validate and compare eight PSSs. Discrimination (c‐index), decision curve (DCA), calibration (ratio of observed:expected survivors), and overall performance (Brier score) analyses were conducted to evaluate these models’ performance in our cohort.

Results

The discriminatory ability of all PSSs declined in our Taiwanese cohort compared with their Western validations. SORG‐MLA is the only PSS that still demonstrated excellent discrimination (c‐indexes>0.8) in our patients. SORG‐MLA also brought the most net benefit across a wide range of risk probabilities on DCA with its 3‐month and 12‐month survival predictions.

Conclusions

Clinicians should consider potential ethnogeographic variations of a PSS's performance when applying it onto their specific patient populations. Further international validation studies are needed to ensure that existing PSSs are generalizable and can be integrated into the shared treatment decision‐making process. As cancer treatment keeps advancing, researchers developing a new prediction model or refining an existing one could potentially improve their algorithm's performance by using data gathered from more recent patients that are reflective of the current state of cancer care.
Public health nurses' assessment of the background factors of familicide
Authors: Ellilä Marianne , Paavilainen Eija , Aho Anna Liisa
Published: June 2023

The purpose of this study was to describe public health nurses' assessment of the background factors of familicide, factors that promote or prevent identification of these factors and familicide‐related education. The researchers sought to provide information that would help public health nurses recognise and prevent family tragedies as well as the development of education. Public health nurses (n = 85) working at clinics in Finland were surveyed using an electronic questionnaire. The quantitative data was described through statistics and open questions were analysed using inductive content analysis. Approximately one‐third (33 per cent) of the nurses considered their ability to identify the background factors of familicide as very poor or poor, and most (87 per cent) felt that they needed additional training. The identification of background factors is hindered by a lack of both resources and multiprofessionalism, fragmentation of care conditions, fear, cultural challenges, and education inadequacies.
Chemical Characterization of Different Extracts from Artemisia annua and Their Antioxidant, Enzyme Inhibitory and Anti‐Inflammatory Properties
Authors: Acquaviva Alessandra , Nilofar  , Bouyahya Abdelhakim , Zengin Gokhan , Di Simone Simonetta Cristina , Recinella Lucia , Leone Sheila , Brunetti Luigi , Uba Abdullahi Ibrahim , Cakilcioğlu Ugur , Polat Rıdvan , Darendelioglu Ekrem , Menghini Luigi , Ferrante Claudio , Libero Maria Loreta , Orlando Giustino , Chiavaroli Annalisa
Published: June 2023

Artemisia annua L. (Asteraceae Family) is an important plant in Asia that has been used for treating different diseases, including fever due to malaria, wounds, tubercolisis, scabues, pain, convulsions, diabetes, and inflammation. In this study we aimed to evaluate the effects of different polarity extracts (hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, ethanol, ethanol/water (70 %) and water) from A. annua against the burden of inflammation and oxidative stress occurring in colon tissue exposed to LPS. In parallel, chemical composition, antiradical, and enzyme inhibition effects against α‐amylase, α‐glucosidase, tyrosinase, and cholinesterases were evaluated. The water extract contained the highest content of the total phenolic with 34.59 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/g extract, while the hexane had the highest content of the total flavonoid (20.06 mg rutin equivalent (RE)/g extract). In antioxidant assays, the polar extracts (ethanol, ethanol/water and water) exhibited stronger radical scavenging and reducing power abilities when compared to non‐polar extracts. The hexane extract showed the best AChE, tyrosinase and glucosidase inhibitory effects. All extracts revealed effective anti‐inflammatory agents, as demonstrated by the blunting effects on COX‐2 and TNFα gene expression. These effects seemed to be not related to the only phenolic content. However, it is worthy of interest to highlight how the higher potency against LPS‐induced gene expression was shown by the water extract ; thus suggesting a potential phytotherapy application in the management of clinical symptoms related to inflammatory colon diseases, although future in vivo studies are needed to confirm such in vitro and ex vivo observations.
The downstream network of STAT6 in promoting vascular smooth muscle cell phenotypic switch and neointimal formation
Authors: Ding Suling , Wang Xiangfei , Wang Yao , Zhang Zhiwei , Yang Xiyang , Zhu Xiaowei , Zhu Baoling , Xiao Chun , Ge Junbo , Yang Xiangdong
Published: June 2023

Intimal thickening caused by the excessive multiplication of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is the pathological process central to cardiovascular diseases, including restenosis. In response to vascular injury, VSMCs would undergo phenotypic switching from a fully differentiated, low proliferative rate phenotype to a more pro‐proliferative, promigratory, and incompletely‐differentiated state. The lack of a full understanding of the molecular pathways coupling the vascular injury stimuli to VSMCs phenotype switching largely limits the development of medical therapies for treating intima hyperplasia‐related diseases. The role of signal transducers and activators of transcription 6 (STAT6) in modulating the proliferation and differentiation of various cell types, especially macrophage, has been well investigated, but little is known about its pathophysiological role and target genes in restenosis after vascular injury. In the present work, Stat6−/− mice were observed to exhibit less severe intimal hyperplasia compared with Stat6+/+ mice after carotid injury. The expression of STAT6 was upregulated in VSMCs located in the injured vascular walls. STAT6 deletion leads to decreased proliferation and migration of VSMCs while STAT6 overexpression enhances the proliferation and migration of VSMCs companies with reduced expression of VSMCs marker genes and organized stress fibers. The effect of STAT6 in mouse VSMCs was conserved in human aortic SMCs. RNA‐deep‐sequencing and experiments verification revealed LncRNA C7orf69/LOC100996318‐miR‐370‐3p/FOXO1‐ER stress signaling as the downstream network mediating the pro‐dedifferentiation effect of STAT6 in VSMCs. These findings broaden our understanding of vascular pathological molecules and throw a beam of light on the therapy of a variety of proliferative vascular diseases.
Piezochromism and Conductivity Modulations under High Pressure by Manipulating the Viologen Radical Concentration
Authors: Sui Qi , Wang He‐Chong , Zhang Yan‐Yan , Sun Rong , Jin Xin‐Xin , Wang Bing‐Wu , Wang Lin , Gao Song
Published: June 2023

Manipulating the radical concentration to modulate the properties in solid multifunctional materials is an attractive topic in various frontier fields. Viologens have the unique redox capability to generate radical states through reversible electron transfer (ET) under external stimuli. Herein, taking the viologens as the model, two kinds of crystalline compounds with different molecule‐conjugated systems were designed and synthesized. By subjecting the specific model viologens to pressure, the cross‐conjugated 2‐X all exhibit much higher radical concentrations, along with more sensitive piezochromic behaviors, compared to the linear‐conjugated 1‐X. Unexpectedly, we find that the electrical resistance (R) of 1‐NO3 decreased by three orders of magnitude with the increasing pressure, while that in high‐radical‐concentration 2‐NO3 remained almost unchanged. To date, such unusual invariant conductivity has not been documented in molecular‐based materials under high pressure, breaking the conventional wisdom that the generations of radicals are beneficial to improve conductivity. We highlight that adjusting the molecular conjugation modes can be used as an effective way to regulate the radical concentrations and thus modulate properties rationally.
Cannabis use disorder associated with schizophrenia risk in young men
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: June 2023

Young people should be screened for cannabis use disorder, according to a new study, which found that young men with the condition are at elevated risk for schizophrenia. The study analyzed health records data spanning five decades and representing more than 6 million people in Denmark. The researchers found strong evidence of an association between cannabis use disorder and schizophrenia among men and women, though the association was much stronger among young men.
Teen girls are faring worse than boys on mental health
Authors: Knopf Alison
Published: June 2023

In a plain‐language news analysis published at the end of March, data from the federal Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) shows that teen girls are faring worse on mental health measures than boys. Misty Richards, M.D., M.S., program director for UCLA's Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship, recently cared for a girl who attempted suicide after receiving a college rejection letter, Richards said in an interview with JAMA.
Dust density effects on electron density gradient driven lower hybrid waves in magnetized plasma
Authors: Sagar Himank , Sharma Suresh C. , Gupta Ruby
Published: June 2023

Electrostatic lower hybrid waves propagating transverse to the external magnetic field in magnetized dusty plasma are investigated, using the fluid equations and also including the effect of density gradient in plasma. Lower hybrid modes are considered important in laboratory, astrophysical as well as space plasmas in interpreting low frequency noises. Unlike other electrostatic waves, lower hybrid waves can resonantly interact with electrons as well as ions in plasma. The dust and gradient terms lead to novel growth of these waves in dusty plasma. A theoretical model is developed to investigate density gradient effects on lower hybrid waves in plasma comprised of electrons, ions and dust particles. The dependence of plasma components' density, strength of magnetic field, temperature and charge of electrons, ions and dust grains on the frequency and growth rate of electrostatic lower hybrid waves has been investigated and presented graphically. It has been observed that the number density of each plasma components directly affects the growth rate. The electrostatic waves are found to grow along the positive electron gradient and the dust effect depends on the gradient length chosen. Above a certain threshold value of gradient length, the waves are found to stabilize. A correlation of the obtained theoretical results with the experimental observations is also discussed.
Early ontogeny of the lesser sandeel (Ammodytes marinus)
Authors: Perrichon Prescilla , Bjelland Reidun , Durif Caroline M.‐F. , Fiksdal Ingrid Uglenes , Johnsen Espen , Skiftesvik Anne Berit , Cresci Alessandro , Browman Howard I. , Sørhus Elin
Published: June 2023

Background

Lesser sandeel (Ammodytes marinus) is widely distributed in North Sea ecosystems. Sandeel acts as a critical trophic link between zooplankton and top predators (fish, mammals, sea birds). Because they live buried in the sand, sandeel may be directly affected by the rapid expansion of anthropogenic activities linked to their habitat on the sea bottom (e.g., hydrocarbon extraction, offshore renewable energy, and subsea mining). It is, therefore, important to understand the impact of cumulative environmental and anthropogenic stressors on this species. A detailed description of the ontogenetic timeline and developmental staging for this species is lacking limiting the possibilities for comparative developmental studies assessing, e.g., the impact of various environmental stressors.

Results

A detailed description of the morphological development of lesser sandeel and their developmental trajectory, obtained through visual observations and microscopic techniques, is presented. Methods for gamete stripping and intensive culture of the early life stages are also provided.

Conclusion

This work provides a basis for future research to understand the effect of cumulative environmental and anthropogenic stressors on development in the early life stages of lesser sandeel.
Lakeshore residential development as a driver of aquatic habitat and littoral fish communities: A cross‐system study
Authors: Perales K. Martin , Vander Zanden M. Jake
Published: June 2023

Lakeshore riparian habitats have undergone intensive residential development in many parts of the world. Lakeshore residential development (LRD) is associated with aquatic habitat loss/alteration, including altered macrophyte communities and reduced coarse woody habitat. Yet habitat‐mediated and other generalized effects of LRD on lake biotic communities are not well understood. We used two approaches to examine the relationships among LRD, habitat, and fish community in a set of 57 northern Wisconsin lakes. First, we examined how LRD affected aquatic habitat using mixed linear effects models. Second, we evaluated how LRD affected fish abundance and community structure at both whole‐lake and site‐level spatial scales using generalized linear mixed‐effects models. We found that LRD did not have a significant relationship with the total abundance (all species combined) of fish at either scale. However, there were significant species‐specific responses to LRD at the whole‐lake scale. Species abundances varied across the LRD gradient, with bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and mimic shiners (Notropis volucellus) responding positively along the gradient and walleye (Sander vitreus) having the most negative response. We also quantified site‐level habitat associations for each fish species. We found that habitat associations did not inform a species' overall response to LRD, as illustrated by species with similar responses to LRD having vastly different habitat associations. Finally, even with the inclusion of littoral habitat information in models, LRD still had significant effects on species abundances, reflecting a role of LRD in shaping littoral fish communities independent of our measure of littoral habitat alteration. Our results indicated that LRD altered littoral fish communities at the whole‐lake scale through both habitat and non‐habitat‐mediated drivers.
Increased aridity is associated with stronger tradeoffs in ponderosa pine vital functions
Authors: Gonzalez Angela D. , Pearse Ian S. , Redmond Miranda D.
Published: June 2023

Trees must allocate resources to core functions like growth, defense, and reproduction. These allocation patterns have profound effects on forest health, yet little is known about how core functions trade off over time, and even less is known about how a changing climate will impact tradeoffs. We conducted a 21‐year survey of growth, defense, and reproduction in 80 ponderosa pine individuals spanning eight populations across environmental gradients along the Colorado Front Range, USA. We used linear mixed models to describe tradeoffs among these functions and to characterize variability among and within individuals over time. Growth and defense were lower in years of high cone production, and local drought conditions amplified year‐to‐year tradeoffs between reproduction and growth, where trees located at sites with hotter and drier climates showed stronger tradeoffs between reproduction and growth. Our results support the environmental stress hypothesis of masting, which predicts that greater interannual variation in tree functions will be associated with more marginal environments, such as those that are prone to drought. With warming temperatures and increased exposure to drought stress, trees will be faced with stronger interannual tradeoffs, which could lead to further decreases in growth and defensive efforts, ultimately increasing risks of mortality.
The effects of microcapsules with different protein matrixes on the viability of probiotics during spray drying, gastrointestinal digestion, thermal treatment, and storage
Authors: Zhou Rui , Xu Yifu , Dong Dejun , Hu Jielun , Zhang Lin , Liu Huan
Published: June 2023

The objective of this research was to encapsulate probiotic bacteria based on the protein matrix and investigate the influences on the survival of probiotic bacteria during spray drying, in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, heating, and storage. A probiotic isolate Bacillus coagulans BC01 was spray dried in whey protein isolate (WPI), soy protein isolate (SPI), camel whey protein isolate, or sodium caseinate. Probiotic microcapsules fabricated using WPI obtained the highest survival during spray drying, NaCl and paraxin challenges and storage, as less cell wall damage occurred during spray drying which could be observed by flow cytometer. However, the highest survivals during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and thermal treatment were found in microcapsules with SPI matrix, which could be attributed to its relatively low solubility in water that prevented probiotics from being released prematurely, thus protecting probiotics from the damage of low pH environment and diminishing the direct contact of cells with external heat shock. In conclusion, the current study demonstrated that WPI‐based probiotic microcapsules with less cell wall damage during processing and SPI‐based probiotic microcapsules with relatively low solubility may provide better protection to adverse external environments.
Prognostic role of tissue plasminogen activator in coronary artery disease with or without aortic valve sclerosis
Authors: Lin Bowen , Shen Ying , Zhang Pengfei , Shen Yunli , Gu Yuying , He Xiaoyan , Li Jimin , Yang Ke , Shen Weifeng , Zhang Qi , Xin Yuanfeng , Liu Yehong
Published: June 2023

Aims

We sought to investigate the relationship between circulating tissue plasminogen activator (t‐PA) level and long‐term outcomes in stable coronary artery disease patients with or without aortic valve sclerosis (AVSc).

Methods and results

Serum levels of t‐PA were determined in 347 consecutive stable angina patients with (n = 183) or without (n = 164) AVSc. Outcomes were prospectively recorded as planned clinic evaluations every 6 months up to 7 years. The primary endpoint was a composite of cardiovascular death and rehospitalization due to heart failure. The secondary endpoint included all‐cause mortality, cardiovascular death, and rehospitalization due to heart failure. Serum t‐PA was significantly higher in AVSc than in non‐AVSc patients (2131.22 pg/mL vs. 1495.85 pg/mL, P < 0.001). For patients with AVSc, those with t‐PA level above the median (>1840.68 pg/mL) were more likely to meet the primary and secondary endpoints (all P < 0.001). After adjusting for potential confounding factors, serum t‐PA level remained significantly predictive for each endpoint in the Cox proportional hazard models. The prognostic value of t‐PA was good, with an AUC‐ROC of 0.753 (P < 0.001). The combination of t‐PA with traditional risk factors improved the risk reclassification of AVSc patients, with a net reclassification index of 0.857 and an integrated discrimination improvement of 0.217 (all P < 0.001). However, for patients without AVSc, both primary and secondary endpoints were similar, irrespective of t‐PA levels.

Conclusions

Elevated circulating t‐PA confers an increased risk for poor long‐term clinical outcomes in stable coronary artery disease patients with AVSc.
Porous Organic Salts Composed of Terphenyl Sulfonic Acid and Their Bottleneck Designability
Authors: Akai Ryota , Oka Kouki , Okada Naoki , Ami Takahiro , Tohnai Norimitsu
Published: June 2023

Porous organic salts (POSs) are constructed through a strong charge‐assisted hydrogen bond between sulfonic and amino groups. The molecular design of sulfonic acid, the linker part, enables various porous structures. In the current work, we synthesized p‐terphenyl‐4,4’’‐disulfonic acid (TPDS), whose molecular structure can be easily modified by organic synthesis. Combining of TPDS and bulky tri‐p‐tolylmethanamine (TPMA‐Me), which has three methyl groups at each para‐position of the phenyl groups of triphenylmethylamine (TPMA), gave POS with one‐dimensional pore channels having two different types of bottlenecks. The central benzene ring of TPDS is exposed on the surface of the pore. Therefore, we combined 4,4′‐(benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole‐4,7‐diyl)dibenzenesulfonic acid (BTDBS) containing 2,1,3‐benzothiadiazole (BT) with TPMA‐Me, and successfully constructed a one‐dimensional pore channel with a bottleneck of 3.5 Å, by exposing BT to the surface of the pore. BTDBS/TPMA‐Me exhibited a large adsorption/desorption hysteresis of nitrogen because of the bottleneck, electronic state of BT, and larger oxygen adsorption than the isostructural TPDS/TPMA‐Me. Systematic and intended modulation of the pore structure of POS based on the modification of sulfonic acid was demonstrated, and for the first time, we established a precise design methodology for a one‐dimensional pore channel with a bottleneck and high crystallinity in metal‐free porous organic materials.
Women authorship in pain research: A bibliometric analysis from 2002 to 2021
Authors: Zhong Haoyan , Poeran Jashvant , Cozowicz Crispiana , Illescas Alex , Liu Jiabin , Memtsoudis Stavros G.
Published: June 2023

Objectives

There is a lack of data on the distribution of women first and senior authorships in pain journals. Using articles published in top North American pain journals over the past two decades, we sought to describe the prevalence and changes in women representation among first and last authors.

Methods

We retrieved all published research articles in four pain journals (Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Clinical Journal of Pain, Pain and The Journal of Pain) from 2002 to 2021 using the easyPubMed package. Subsequently, the ‘gender’ package in R was used to determine authors' gender by first names. Trends in gender authorship change over time were assessed.

Results

The final cohort consisted of 20,981 authors (from an initial total of 11,842 publications and 23,684 authors retrieved). Women authors were more often first compared to senior authors (46.7% vs. 30.5%). The proportion of women first authors (46.2% in 2002 vs. 48.4% in 2021) and women senior authors (22.4% in 2002 vs. 36.3% in 2021) increased over the course of the study period (all p‐value <0.001). The Clinical Journal of Pain having the highest percentage of women authors and Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine had the lowest percentage of women authors.

Discussion

Our data demonstrated increasing women authorship in pain journals in the past 20 years, largely driven by an increase in first authorships. There still remains a large gap between first and senior authorship, indicative of disparity in the role that women play in research.
Natural flood management: Lessons and opportunities from the catastrophic 2021–2022 floods in eastern Australia
Authors: Fryirs Kirstie , Zhang Nuosha , Ralph Timothy J. , Arash Amir Mohammad
Published: June 2023

Natural flood management (NFM), a nature‐based solution to flood mitigation where hydrological and biophysical processes are harnessed to reduce flow velocity, erosive energy and flood risk, is an emerging global theme of water and river management. The catastrophic 2021 and 2022 floods in eastern Australia are used to assess the hydrological properties of discrete events and to start an investigation of whether widespread changes in flood hydrology are occurring. We find that most coastal rivers in New South Wales (NSW) had a noticeable decrease in flood wave celerity (increase in flood travel time) when the 2021 and 2022 floods are contrasted with equivalent floods since the 1970s and that several also exhibit increases in flood peak attenuation. For some rivers, there is a coincident trend between these changing flood properties, riparian vegetation regrowth (regreening) and geomorphic recovery over the last +30 years. These may be the first signals that passive riparian management is counteracting some of the more severe hydrological effects of floods on these rivers and that some degree of NFM is possible. Lessons from this work are that there is an immediate opportunity to implement large‐scale NFM in coastal catchments of NSW, but this will only occur if we re‐examine current flood mitigation and adaption strategies and recognise and prioritise nature‐based solutions that include space‐to‐flood and corridors of river recovery, as essential parts of the modern flood mitigation toolkit.
Adherence to recommendations for nutrient supplementation related to pregnancy in Germany
Authors: Doru Berin , Hockamp Nele , Sievers Erika , Hülk Philipp , Lücke Thomas , Kersting Mathilde
Published: June 2023

Supplementation of certain micronutrients is recommended to ensure their adequate supply during pregnancy and lactation. In Germany, this applies particularly to folic acid and iodine. There is no nationwide data on adherence to the supplementation guidelines. The aim of this cross‐sectional study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of the recommended supplementation of both folic acid and iodine in mothers of a nationwide birth cohort. Data on supplementation, before, during, and shortly after pregnancy, were collected retrospectively 14 days postpartum in a sample of 962 mother–infant pairs participating in the second nationwide study on breastfeeding and infant nutrition in Germany, called “SuSe II” (2017–2019). Folic acid and iodine supplementation were classified as recommended according to the German guidelines if supplementation was provided for both essential periods: for folic acid before and during pregnancy and for iodine during pregnancy and lactation. Univariable tests and multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed. The vast majority of mothers did not adhere to the recommendations, with only 36.2% supplementing folic acid and 31.9% supplementing iodine during the recommended periods, and only 15.2% adhering to the recommendations for both nutrients. Main predictors of adherence to recommendations of both nutrients were lifestyle attributes and nutrition‐related intentions like previous breastfeeding experience and breastfeeding intentions, but not common sociodemographic characteristics. The data suggest widespread dissemination of the time‐specific recommendations covering the entire period from preconception to lactation that could help to sensitize women and healthcare providers.
Altered habenular connectivity in chronic low back pain: An fMRI and machine learning study
Authors: Mao Cui Ping , Wu Yue , Yang Hua Juan , Qin Jie , Song Qi Chun , Zhang Bo , Zhou Xiao Qian , Zhang Liang , Sun Hong Hong
Published: June 2023

The habenula has been implicated in the pathogenesis of pain and analgesia, while evidence concerning its function in chronic low back pain (cLBP) is sparse. This study aims to investigate the resting‐state functional connectivity (rsFC) and effective connectivity of the habenula in 52 patients with cLBP and 52 healthy controls (HCs) and assess the feasibility of distinguishing cLBP from HCs based on connectivity by machine learning methods. Our results indicated significantly enhanced rsFC of the habenula‐left superior frontal cortex (SFC), habenula‐right thalamus, and habenula‐bilateral insular pathways as well as decreased rsFC of the habenula‐pons pathway in cLBP patients compared to HCs. Dynamic causal modelling revealed significantly enhanced effective connectivity from the right thalamus to right habenula in cLBP patients compared with HCs. RsFC of the habenula‐SFC was positively correlated with pain intensities and Hamilton Depression scores in the cLBP group. RsFC of the habenula‐right insula was negatively correlated with pain duration in the cLBP group. Additionally, the combination of the rsFC of the habenula‐SFC, habenula‐thalamus, and habenula‐pons pathways could reliably distinguish cLBP patients from HCs with an accuracy of 75.9% by support vector machine, which was validated in an independent cohort (N = 68, accuracy = 68.8%, p = .001). Linear regression and random forest could also distinguish cLBP and HCs in the independent cohort (accuracy = 73.9 and 55.9%, respectively). Overall, these findings provide evidence that cLBP may be associated with abnormal rsFC and effective connectivity of the habenula, and highlight the promise of machine learning in chronic pain discrimination.
Measuring quality of life at work for healthcare and social services workers: A systematic review of available instruments
Authors: Wang Liang , Touré Moustapha , Poder Thomas G.
Published: June 2023

Quality of life at work is an important and widely discussed concept in the literature. Several instruments can be used to measure it, but with regard to healthcare and social services, the existing instruments are not well known. A review of available instruments intending to capture the quality of life of healthcare and social services workers (QoLHSSW) is necessary to better assess their working conditions and promote programs/guidelines to improve these conditions. The aim of this study was to identify the existing instruments used in measuring QoLHSSW and explore their characteristics. Particular attention was given to instruments adapted to the province of Quebec, Canada, which enabled the determination of which instruments are adapted for the measurement of QoLHSSW in Quebec and possibly elsewhere. A systematic review of the literature was conducted according to the JBI methodological guide. The articles' selection procedure was performed according to the PRISMA flowchart. The search was conducted up to October 28, 2021, and then updated on January 25, 2023, in four databases: PsycINFO, Medline, Embase, and CINAHL. The selection and extraction were performed independently by two researchers. The analysis of the quality of the studies was performed with the COnsensus‐based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments. From a total of 8178 entries, 13 articles corresponding to 13 instruments were selected. Among these instruments, the common aspects that were considered were work conditions, job satisfaction, stress at work, relationship/balance, and career development. Most instruments used a 5‐point Likert scale. Various validation methods were used, including reporting Cronbach's alpha for overall scale reliability; factor analysis to test construct validity; different model fit indices to test model superiority; different language comparisons to test cross‐cultural validity; and qualitative expert reviews to assess content validity.