bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implementation and performance analysis of a novel sliding mode controller for bidirectional DC to DC converter in aircraft application
Authors: Karvekar Aditi Sushil , Joshi Prasad
Published: March 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to implement a closed loop regulated bidirectional DC to DC converter for an application in the electric power system of more electric aircraft. To provide a consistent power supply to all of the electronic loads in an aircraft at the desired voltage level, good efficiency and desired transient and steady-state response, a smart and affordable DC to DC converter architecture in closed loop mode is being designed and implemented.

Design/methodology/approach

The aircraft electric power system (EPS) uses a bidirectional half-bridge DC to DC converter to facilitate the electric power flow from the primary power source – an AC generator installed on the aircraft engine’s shaft – to the load as well as from the secondary power source – a lithium ion battery – to the load. Rechargeable lithium ion batteries are used because they allow the primary power source to continue recharging them whenever the aircraft engine is running smoothly and because, in the event that the aircraft engine becomes overloaded during takeoff or turbulence, the charged secondary power source can step in and supply the load.

Findings

A novel nonsingular terminal sliding mode voltage controller based on exponential reaching law is used to keep the load voltage constant under any of the aforementioned circumstances, and its performance is contrasted with a tuned PI controller on the basis of their respective transient and steady-state responses. The former gives a faster and better transient and steady-state response as compared to the latter.

Originality/value

This research gives a novel control scheme for incorporating an auxiliary power source, i.e. rechargeable battery, in more electric aircraft EPS. The battery is so implemented that it can get regeneratively charged when primary power supply is capable of handling an additional load, i.e. the battery. The charging and discharging of the battery is carried out in closed loop mode to ensure constant battery terminal voltage, constant battery current and constant load voltage as per the requirement. A novel sliding mode controller is used to improve transient and steady-state response of the system.
RNA sequencing analysis reveals the role of choline acetyltransferase in regulating development, reproduction, and insecticide susceptibility in Tribolium castaneum (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)
Authors: Gao Shanshan , Zhang Xinyi , Huo Zhuangkun , Wang Chenbo , Gao Tian , Li Ruimin , Zhang Kunpeng
Published: March 2023

Choline acetyltransferase (Tcchat) is essential for metamorphosis, reproduction, and susceptibility to insecticide in Tribolium castaneum. However, the mechanisms through which Tcchat contributes to these biological processes remain poorly understood. Here we report the findings of RNA sequencing‐based transcriptome profiling of T. castaneum following RNA interference against Tcchat. In all, 173 differentially expressed genes were identified: 120 upregulated genes and 53 downregulated genes. Gene Ontology analysis classified the genes into 30 functional groups. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis showed that the genes were distributed over 22 different pathways. Silencing Tcchat reduced the activity of endopeptidase and inhibited regulation of protein decomposition in the beetles. Hence, knockdown of Tcchat inhibited the synthesis of chitinase and serine protease, which disturbed embryonic development in T. castaneum, thus affecting its development and reproduction. RNA interference of Tcchat also suppressed the synthesis of cytochrome P450 in the extracellular region and adversely affected normal functioning of the lysosomal pathway, which might have hindered the insects' ability to recognize, phagocytose, and degrade exogenous toxic substances, resulting in increased mortality. Furthermore, knockdown of Tcchat increased the susceptibility of larvae to carbamate and organophosphate insecticides, which supports the notion that Tcchat is indeed involved in susceptibility to insecticide in T. castaneum. Finally, Tcchat knockdown adults showed progressively reduced locomotor activity. These results provide novel insights into biological processes affected by Tcchat and provide a potential theoretical basis for the biological control of T. castaneum.
The effect of the purslane polyphenols on the structure of rabbit meat myofibrillar protein under malondialdehyde‐induced oxidative stress
Authors: Chen Xiaosi , He Zhifei , Wang Zefu , Li Hongjun
Published: March 2023

The present research aimed to assess the protective effects of purslane polyphenols on rabbit meat myofibrillar protein (MP) under malondialdehyde (MDA)‐induced oxidation. The major polyphenols in purslane extract were analyzed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UPLC‐QTOF‐MS). To analyze the protective mechanism of purslane polyphenol monomers on MP in the oxidation system, we determined the retained MDA content in the suspension and analyzed the structure and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of MP. The UPLC‐QTOF‐MS identification analysis indicated that purslane polyphenols mainly contained chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, rutin, kaempferol, and quercetin. Polyphenols in purslane can prevent MDA from binding to MP effectively. Chlorogenic acid showed the best inhibitory effect, and the retention content of MDA decreased to 54.79%, which was significantly lower than those of other groups. Purslane polyphenols had protective effects on sulfhydryl groups, free amino groups, intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence, α‐helix structure, and morphology of MP. Moreover, the carbonyl contents, increase in surface hydrophobicity, and random coil contents of MP were reduced. In addition, the NMR results indicated that polyphenols inhibited the oxidation of protein induced by MDA through competitive inhibition.

Practical Application

This study showed the efficiency of purslane polyphenol monomers in protecting the structure and function of myofibrillar protein under malondialdehyde‐induced oxidative stress and their potential to preserve the nutritional value of foods rich in proteins and lipids.
Changes in chemical characteristics and modeling sensory parameters of stored pecan nutmeats
Authors: Prabhakar Himanshu , Stoner‐Harris Taija , Adhikari Koushik , Mishra Abhinav , Bock Clive H. , Kong Fanbin
Published: March 2023

Pecan is a major specialty crop produced in the United States. Sensory evaluation and chemical analyses of pecan nutmeats are integral components of shelf life and have been employed to investigate changes during storage, but there remains a lack of knowledge regarding storage stability. Specifically, the association between shelf life and chemical characteristics has not been investigated. We aimed to investigate the chemical changes in pecan nuts during a range of storage treatments (temperature, relative humidity, packaging material, and modified atmosphere). The results of the chemical analyses were used to build a volatile compound‐based sensory prediction model. The work has utility as a rapid method to measure lipid oxidation in pecan, which is of value to the pecan industry. The research also determined a possible association between pecan nut volatile compounds and sensory attributes of pecans, and their perception by human subjects. Building a sensory‐based prediction model would reduce dependency on expensive and time‐consuming sensory methods.
Plasma acylcarnitines and gut‐derived aromatic amino acids as sex‐specific hub metabolites of the human aging metabolome
Authors: Sol Joaquim , Obis Èlia , Mota‐Martorell Natalia , Pradas Irene , Galo‐Licona Jose Daniel , Martin‐Garí Meritxell , Fernández‐Bernal Anna , Ortega‐Bravo Marta , Mayneris‐Perxachs Jordi , Borrás Consuelo , Viña José , de la Fuente Mónica , Mate Ianire , Biarnes Carles , Pedraza Salvador , Vilanova Joan C. , Brugada Ramon , Ramos Rafel , Serena Joaquin , Ramió‐Torrentà Lluís , Pineda Víctor , Daunis‐I‐Estadella Pepus , Thió‐Henestrosa Santiago , Barretina Jordi , Garre‐Olmo Josep , Portero‐Otin Manuel , Fernández‐Real José Manuel , Puig Josep , Jové Mariona , Pamplona Reinald
Published: March 2023

Aging biology entails a cell/tissue deregulated metabolism that affects all levels of biological organization. Therefore, the application of “omic” techniques that are closer to phenotype, such as metabolomics, to the study of the aging process should be a turning point in the definition of cellular processes involved. The main objective of the present study was to describe the changes in plasma metabolome associated with biological aging and the role of sex in the metabolic regulation during aging. A high‐throughput untargeted metabolomic analysis was applied in plasma samples to detect hub metabolites and biomarkers of aging incorporating a sex/gender perspective. A cohort of 1030 healthy human adults (45.9% females, and 54.1% males) from 50 to 98 years of age was used. Results were validated using two independent cohorts (1: n = 146, 53% females, 30–100 years old; 2: n = 68, 70% females, 19–107 years old). Metabolites related to lipid and aromatic amino acid (AAA) metabolisms arose as the main metabolic pathways affected by age, with a high influence of sex. Globally, we describe changes in bioenergetic pathways that point to a decrease in mitochondrial β‐oxidation and an accumulation of unsaturated fatty acids and acylcarnitines that could be responsible for the increment of oxidative damage and inflammation characteristic of this physiological process. Furthermore, we describe for the first time the importance of gut‐derived AAA catabolites in the aging process describing novel biomarkers that could contribute to better understand this physiological process but also age‐related diseases.
Feasibility of remote self‐collection of dried blood spots, hair, and nails among people with HIV with hazardous alcohol use
Authors: Firkey Madison K. , Tully Lyric K. , Bucci Veronica M. , Walsh McKenna E. , Maisto Stephen A. , Hahn Judith A. , Bendinskas Kestutis G. , Gump Brooks B. , Woolf‐King Sarah E.
Published: March 2023

Background

The use of biomarkers in behavioral HIV research can help to address limitations of self‐reported data. The COVID‐19 pandemic forced many researchers to transition from standard in‐person data collection to remote data collection. We present data on the feasibility of remote self‐collection of dried blood spots (DBS), hair, and nails for the objective assessment of alcohol use, antiretroviral therapy adherence, and stress in a sample of people with HIV (PWH) who are hazardous drinkers.

Methods

Standardized operating procedures for remote self‐collection of DBS, hair, and nails were developed for an ongoing pilot study of a transdiagnostic alcohol intervention for PWH. Prior to each study appointment, participants were mailed a kit containing materials for self‐collection, instructions, a video link demonstrating the collection process, and a prepaid envelope for returning samples.

Results

A total of 133 remote study visits were completed. For DBS and nail collection at baseline, 87.5% and 83.3% of samples, respectively, were received by the research laboratory, of which 100% of samples were processed. Although hair samples were intended to be analyzed, most of the samples (77.7%) were insufficient or the scalp end of the hair was not marked. We, therefore, decided that hair collection was not feasible in the framework of this study.

Conclusion

An increase in remote self‐collection of biospecimens may significantly advance the field of HIV‐related research, permitting the collection of specimens without resource‐intensive laboratory personnel and facilities. Further research is needed on the factors that impeded participants' ability to complete remote biospecimen collection.
Improving small and medium‐size enterprise performance: Does working capital management enhance the effectiveness of financial inclusion?
Authors: Bhattacharyya Asit , Rahman Md Lutfur , Wright Sue
Published: March 2023

Growth of the small and medium‐size enterprise (SME) sector is traditionally an important driver of overall economic growth, particularly in emerging economies. SME growth is enhanced by access to finance (financial inclusion). In this study, we show that efficient working capital management has a positive influence on performance that is independent of the effect of financial inclusion. Our results remain robust to alternative measurements and estimations, and may be useful to national policy‐makers in developing strategies for SMEs' greater access to finance and introducing ways of improving financial management education and training for SME managers.
The Dynamics of a Policy Outcome: Market Response and Bureaucratic Enforcement of a Policy Change
Authors: Callander Steven , Foarta Dana , Sugaya Takuo
Published: March 2023

Policy outcomes are determined not by the words in a statute but by the actions of private citizens. A policy's success or failure depends on how it shapes behavior and how that behavior shapes the future course of policy. To understand this process, we develop a model that combines the political and nonpolitical domains, focusing on competition policy and the regulation of markets. We show how the outcome of a policy change develops over time as firms respond in the market and interact with bureaucratic enforcement. We identify a critical threshold in market structure that determines whether a policy succeeds or fails, and discuss how the design of political institutions affects this level. The threshold represents a balancing of the path dependence of politics with the self‐correcting nature of markets. It establishes when political forces dominate those in markets and, thus, when a policy change has lasting effects on society.
Bacterial invasion of the submicron osteocyte lacuna–canaliculi network (OLCN): a part of osteomyelitis disease biology
Authors: Jensen Louise Kruse , Birch Julie Melsted , Jensen Henrik Elvang , Kirketerp‐Møller Klaus , Gottlieb Hans
Published: March 2023

Two chronic osteomyelitis patients, a diabetic foot osteomyelitis patient and a fracture‐related infection patient, all with staphylococci‐positive microbiology, were examined to confirm the clinical relevance of bacterial invasion of the submicron osteocyte lacuna–canaliculi network (OLCN) in bone tissue. Based on immunohistochemistry and light microscopy both Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis were identified within the OLCN of all four patients. The findings consolidate that bacterial OLCN invasion is a clinically relevant part of osteomyelitis disease biology, which from experimental porcine infections, seems to be time depending. The microscopy pictures of the four patients significantly add to visualize the phenomenon of bacterial OLCN invasion.
Letter: should we abandon FIB‐4 to characterise non‐invasively patients with NAFLD?
Authors: Pugliese Nicola , Franchellucci Gianluca , Viganò Mauro
Published: March 2023

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Younossi et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17346 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17448
Editorial: deja vu all over again – let the P‐CAB wars begin. Authors' reply
Authors: Hwang Inyoung , Lee SeungHwan
Published: March 2023

LINKED CONTENT

This article is linked to Hwang et al papers. To view these articles, visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17406 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.17412
“Meat and Three”: Business Ownership as an Alternative Form of Work
Authors: Rivers Dawn
Published: March 2023

Alternatives to traditional waged and salaried work have become increasingly relevant in a post‐pandemic U.S. labor market in which it seems that everyone hates their job. This article proposes that nonemployer businesses, business firms with no paid employees other than the business owner(s), constitute a distinct economic and cultural category of independent work in the U.S. economy, in addition to being a specific category of small business. Building from anthropological scholarship on entrepreneurship and on alternative forms of work, I argue that nonemployers are a recognizably discrete group from independent contractors because they think of their ventures as businesses. At the same time, nonemployer business owners expend their energy on building more holistic lifestyles rather than on wealth and capital accumulation. These findings are based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in New York and North Carolina from 2017 to 2020. The stories I gathered illustrate that, by doing the work and running the business, nonemployer business owners control the practices and process of their work, and avoid both the precarity of other work arrangements and the stresses of growth‐oriented entrepreneurship.
Venetoclax ramp‐up strategies for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia in the United Kingdom: a real world multicentre retrospective study
Authors: Figueroa‐Mora Rocio , Rampotas Alexandros , Halperin Daniel , Worth Tina , Vidler Jennifer , Melotti Dario , Ferguson Paul , Elmusharaf Nagah , Preston Gavin , Furtado Michelle , Dungarwalla Moez , Gohill Satyen , Patten Piers , Kennedy Ben , Eyre Toby A. , Schuh Anna , Fox Christopher P. , Munir Tahla , Martinez‐Calle Nicolas
Published: March 2023

This retrospective, observational study evaluated patterns of inpatient versus outpatient tumour lysis syndrome (TLS) monitoring during venetoclax ramp‐up in 170 patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. The primary outcome was clinical/biochemical TLS. Two clinical and four biochemical TLS occurred (4.1%). Five of the six events occurred in high‐risk patients, four occurred at 20 mg dose and three at the 6‐h time‐point. Inpatient versus outpatient TLS rates within the high‐risk subgroup were 15% and 8%. Risk category was the only predictor of TLS events in multivariate analysis. Outpatient escalation did not associate with clinically meaningful TLS events, suggesting outpatient escalation has manageable associated TLS risks, including in high‐risk cohorts. These observations require confirmation in larger studies.
Debate: Response to “Should academics collaborate with digital companies to improve young people's mental health”
Authors: Kucirkova Natalia
Published: March 2023

Much of the debate about academic collaboration with digital companies (see Livingstone, Orben & Odgers, 2023) has surrounded commercial use of data and children's mental health. The debate has also spilled into the educational value of technologies and academic collaboration with companies to improve their learning design. Given the close relationship between learning and mental health, the evaluation of digital companies' impact should focus on both their emotional and educational effects. The collaborative models used by educational researchers provide a source of inspiration for transparent evaluations and evidence‐based recommendations for holistic interventions that target children's learning and mental health.
Reflections on technological progress in the agri‐food industry: Past, present, and future
Authors: Hailu Getu
Published: March 2023

Technological advances—for example, from hand milking to robotic milking—are at the heart of economic transformation and have significantly shaped the agri‐food industry and economic growth throughout history. A look at the lead article of the first issue (and the first volume, 1952) of theCanadian Journal of Agricultural Economics(CJAE) 70 years ago reveals an ongoing inquiry within the discipline about how technological progress has shaped how we manage our farms with the implications on aggregate industry productivity and food prices. The topics discussed along these lines in the first issue of the CJAE are still relevant today—for example, challenges with measuring productivity and innovation, diffusion of innovation, technological unemployment, demand for skilled workers, financing innovations, climate change and food security. Science, technology, and innovation for the 21st century hold the potential to foster resilient and sustainable intensification of farm production and productivity growth for the agri‐food industry. In this address, I reflect on the past, present, and future impacts of technological innovations and productivity growth on the agri‐food industry and discuss the implications for future research, welfare, and policy.
Aberrant intra‐ and internetwork functional connectivity patterns of the anterior and posterior hippocampal networks in schizophrenia
Authors: Li Xin‐Wei , Liu Hong , Deng Yuan‐Yang , Li Zhang‐Yong , Jiang Yu‐Hao , Li De‐Yu , Li Shu‐Yu
Published: March 2023

Aim

Schizophrenia is associated with abnormal hippocampal structure and function. Available evidence suggests that the anterior and posterior hippocampus are differentially affected by schizophrenia pathology. This study was designed to provide new insight into the anterior and posterior hippocampus in schizophrenia from the perspective of functional connectivity.

Methods

Based on resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging data of 71 schizophrenia patients and 74 normal controls, we utilized a data‐driven approach to functionally segment the hippocampus into anterior and posterior segments and then investigated the functional connectivity patterns within and between the two hippocampal networks at the network, edge, and nodal levels.

Results

We found that schizophrenia patients showed hyperconnectivity of both the anterior and posterior hippocampal networks. We also observed that the network alterations appear somewhat greater in the anterior hippocampal network than the posterior network, the left side than the right, and the intranetwork connectivity than the internetwork connectivity.

Conclusion

The results reveal convergent and divergent intranetwork and internetwork connectivity patterns of the anterior and posterior hippocampus in schizophrenia, providing novel and important insights into the mechanisms of hippocampal pathology in schizophrenia.
Clinical and histopathologic predictors of recurrent glomerulonephritis after kidney transplantation
Authors: Chukwu Chukwuma A. , Holmberg Christopher , Storrar Joshua , Middleton Rachel , Sinha Smeeta , Kalra Phillip A. , Shawki Howida , Rao Anirudh
Published: March 2023

Introduction

We evaluated the long‐term outcomes of recurrent glomerulonephritis (RGN) using clinical, histopathological, and demographic predictors.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of kidney transplant recipients (KTR) in two renal centers between 2005 and 2020. Clinical and native kidney histological data were analyzed. The risk factors and outcomes of each primary glomerulonephritis subtype were assessed using Cox methods.

Result

336 recipients with primary glomerulonephritis were analyzed. RGN was diagnosed in 17%, 20%, 25%, and 13% of recipients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), membranous nephropathy (MN) and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), respectively. Median time to recurrence was shortest in FSGS (.6 years IQR .2‐2.9) and longest in MN (6.3 years IQR 3.3‐8.0) whereas time to graft loss after diagnosis was shortest in MPGN (.3 years IQR .1‐1.7) and longest in IgAN (2.9 year IQR 1.3‐4.3). Recipients with recurrent IgAN were likely to be younger, have higher proteinuria at diagnosis, receive living donor allografts, receive cyclosporine treatment, have a history of acute rejection, and have segmental sclerosis in native glomeruli. Younger age of the donors, higher proteinuria at diagnosis, alemtuzumab, proteinuria within the first 12 months, acute rejection, low baseline eGFR, mesangial proliferation, and IgG and IgA deposits were associated with FSGS recurrence. MPGN recurrence was predicted by lower BMI at transplantation, and crescentic native disease. Death‐censored graft survival at 5‐, 10‐, and 15‐years was 83%, 51%, and 29% in the RGN group and 95%, 93%, and 84%, respectively in the non‐RGN group. Over 15 years, recipients with RGN are nine times more likely than those without RGN to lose their grafts, regardless of donor type, acute rejection, and baseline eGFR. Transplant recipients of related donor allograft were not more likely to have recurrent GN than non‐related donors.
Innovative formulae for the estimation of standard liver volume in the era of widespread imaging analysis software
Authors: Yasukawa Koya , Shimizu Akira , Ikegami Toshihiko , Mita Atsuyoshi , Ohno Yasunari , Masuda Yuichi , Soejima Yuji
Published: March 2023

Background

Various formulae have been used for the estimation of standard liver volume (SLV) in preparation for living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). However, these formulae have the disadvantage of being constructed using parameters that are substantially affected by the patient's condition. Here, we aimed to establish more precise formulae that are less affected by the general condition of the patient.

Methods

We analyzed the liver volumes of LDLT donors and patients with normal livers (total: n = 213) using the SYNAPSE VINCENT imaging analysis system, to develop new formulae. The accuracy of the new formulae were compared with those of existing formulae in a separate validation group of healthy patients (n = 200). The new formulae were also validated using 81 LDLT recipients to assess their utility for graft selection in LDLT.

Results

Body surface area (BSA) and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) independently affected total liver volume (TLV). We produced new formulae for SLV incorporating SMI: SLV = 32.2 × L3‐SMI−466.9 for men, with R2 .92, and 25.7 × L3‐SMI−55.97 for women, with R2 .79 (alongside a BSA formula with R2 .57), which provided the most accurate predictions of TLV in the validation group. A graft volume (GV)/SLV <.35, calculated using the new formulae, predicted the postoperative prognosis, including the development of small‐for‐size syndrome, sepsis, or acute rejection, significantly more effectively than GV/SLV using the previous formulae.

Conclusions

The newly developed L3‐SMI‐based formula is more accurate for the estimation of SLV than previously reported formulae, and may thus help to improve the safety of LDLT.
Association between walking pace and incident type 2 diabetes by adiposity level: A prospective cohort study from the UK Biobank
Authors: Boonpor Jirapitcha , Parra‐Soto Solange , Gore Jasunella , Talebi Atefeh , Lynskey Nathan , Raisi Andrea , Welsh Paul , Sattar Naveed , Pell Jill P. , Gill Jason M. R. , Gray Stuart R. , Ho Frederick K. , Celis‐Morales Carlos A.
Published: March 2023

Aims

To investigate the combined association of adiposity and walking pace with incident type 2 diabetes.

Methods

We undertook a prospective cohort study in 194 304 White‐European participants (mean age 56.5 years, 55.9% women). Participants' walking pace was self‐reported as brisk, average or slow. Adiposity measures included body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and body fat percentage (BF%). Associations were investigated using Cox proportional hazard models, with a 2‐year landmark analysis. A four‐way decomposition analysis was used for mediation and additive interaction.

Results

The median (interquartile range) follow‐up was 5.4 (4.8‐6.3) years. During the follow‐up period, 4564 participants developed type 2 diabetes. Compared to brisk‐walking participants with normal BMI, those with obesity who walked briskly were at an approximately 10‐ to 12‐fold higher risk of type 2 diabetes (hazard ratio [HR] 9.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] 7.24‐12.84, in women; HR 11.91, 95% CI 8.80‐16.12, in men), whereas those with obesity and walked slowly had an approximately 12‐ to 15‐fold higher risk (HR 12.68, 95% CI 9.62‐16.71, in women; HR 15.41, 95% CI 11.27‐21.06, in men). There was evidence of an additive interaction between WC and BF% and walking pace among women, explaining 17.8% and 47.9% excess risk respectively. Obesity mediated the association in women and men, accounting for 60.1% and 44.9%, respectively.

Conclusions

Slow walking pace is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes independent of adiposity. Promoting brisk walking as well as weight management might be an effective type 2 diabetes prevention strategy given their synergistic effects.
Remote photobiomodulation targeted at the abdomen or legs provides effective neuroprotection against parkinsonian MPTP insult
Authors: Gordon Luke C. , Martin Kristy L. , Torres Napoleon , Benabid Alim‐Louis , Mitrofanis John , Stone Jonathan , Moro Cecile , Johnstone Daniel M.
Published: March 2023

Photobiomodulation (PBM)—the irradiation of tissue with low‐intensity light—mitigates neuropathology in rodent models of Parkinson's disease (PD) when targeted at the head (‘transcranial PBM’). In humans, however, attenuation of light energy by the scalp and skull necessitates a different approach. We have reported that targeting PBM at the body also protects the brain by a mechanism that spreads from the irradiated tissue (‘remote PBM’), although the optimal peripheral tissue target for remote PBM is currently unclear. This study compared the neuroprotective efficacy of remote PBM targeting the abdomen or leg with transcranial PBM, in mouse and non‐human primate models of PD. In a pilot study, the neurotoxin MPTP was used to induce PD in non‐human primates; PBM (670 nm, 50 mW/cm2, 6 min/day) of the abdomen (n = 1) was associated with fewer clinical signs and more surviving midbrain dopaminergic cells relative to MPTP‐injected non‐human primates not treated with PBM. Validation studies in MPTP‐injected mice (n = 10 per group) revealed a significant rescue of midbrain dopaminergic cells in mice receiving PBM to the abdomen (~80%, p < .0001) or legs (~80%, p < .0001), with comparable rescue of axonal terminals in the striatum. Strikingly, this degree of neuroprotection was at least as, if not more, pronounced than that achieved with transcranial PBM. These findings confirm that remote PBM provides neuroprotection against MPTP‐induced destruction of the key circuitry underlying PD, with both the abdomen and legs serving as viable remote targets. This should provide the impetus for a comprehensive investigation of remote PBM‐induced neuroprotection in other models of PD and, ultimately, human patients.
Still, we rise: Lessons learned from lived experiences in the family policing system
Authors: Vega‐Brown Jeanette , Stephens Tricia N.
Published: March 2023

The voices of mothers affected by the child welfare system are forefronted in this article. A group of five women, all affiliated with the parent‐led, community‐based organization Rise Magazine, gathered to discuss their experiences, including any role they believed race, racism and other forms of bias played in their child welfare cases. Their powerful, first‐hand accounts illustrate the systemic injustices faced by child welfare affected families. This article also focuses on the development of Rise's organizational structure as a space where parents both lead and drive the organization's mission to empower and support system affected families. A postscript by Tricia Stephens, integrating how parents’ experiences are reflected in existing research, is provided. It is the hope of the parents who currently work at and those who have passed through Rise, that sharing their personal stories inspires and helps to guide others across the country.
An energy‐based approach for uniaxial fatigue life estimation under asymmetric cyclic loading
Authors: Xiang Dong , Shen Yinhua , Sun Xinyu
Published: March 2023

Energy parameter formed by multiplying the maximum strain range and the peak stress has the problem that one value may correspond to multiple fatigue damage states. For this issue, a new energy parameter suitable for tension–compression is proposed, which includes an improved strain‐energy model and a strain‐energy ratio. The improved strain‐energy model deduced by judging the volume change of the micro‐element has positive and negative function which can use to distinguish tensile and compressive deformation. The strain‐energy ratio is established to characterize the alternate tensile and compressive deformation under asymmetric cyclic loading. Then, applying fatigue test data, a modeling approach for fatigue life estimation based on the strain‐energy ratio is proposed, and three example models are also exhibited. Finally, according to the example model, the case of a cantilever beam under asymmetric cycle loading is carried out. The results illustrate the feasibility of the improved energy parameter in characterizing tension–compression state and the applicability of the strain‐energy ratio‐based model in fatigue analysis.
Long‐term phytoplankton community dynamics in Lake Stechlin (north‐east Germany) under sudden and heavily accelerating eutrophication
Authors: Kröger Björn , Selmeczy Géza B. , Casper Peter , Soininen Janne , Padisák Judit
Published: March 2023

Climate warming and legacy phosphorus (P) in sediments are two main factors counteracting current efforts to prevent eutrophication of temperate freshwater lakes and reservoirs. Climate warming impacts lacustrine thermal regimes, accelerates harmful cyanobacterial growth, and increases the probability of periodic anoxic bottom conditions. Legacy P in sediments becomes influential over eutrophication because of its reactivation under anoxic conditions.

Lake Stechlin is a deep glacial lake of the Baltic Lake area, Germany in which artificial external P loading has been effectively blocked for more than 3 decades. The lakes trophic status was oligotrophic, until roughly 2 decades ago when it accelerated toward higher trophic levels. Here we analyse the temporal dynamics of Lake Stechlin phytoplankton biomass and composition in relation to chemical and hydrological covariates, based on monitoring data from 1994 to 2019 at sampling frequency of c. 27 samples per year.

Our results show an assemblage change toward cyanobacterial dominance that took place at several temporal scales. Intra‐annual compositional change became more pronounced over the study period, mainly because of changes during the autumn and winter seasons.

Results from a structural break point analysis of the phytoplankton time series with covariates, and from a hierarchical cluster analysis show that major changes occurred in 2007–2011. An analysis of early warning indicators did not unambiguously support this period as a critical transition. The change rather occurred as a rapid succession of major events during these years.

Results from convergent cross‐mapping causality tests are consistent with the hypothesis that increasing relative water column stability may drive eutrophication, and additionally, that the intra‐annual timing of the biomass change plays an important role in the lakes P loading.

Although quantitative data on internal P loading are unavailable, internal P mobilisation from sediments appears to be the most plausible mechanism behind the increased phytoplankton biomass. Lake Stechlin, therefore, is an example of the challenges that legacy P poses to the management of freshwater ecosystems in the context of climate warming, even when external P sources are effectively blocked, and local protective measures are in place.
Exploring the mediating role of utilitarian value and hedonic value in the formation of oppositional loyalty in online communities
Authors: Ma Xiangyang , Chen Han , Lang Xiaoping , Li Tieshan
Published: March 2023

Our research expands the scope of the research on oppositional loyalty from brands to online communities. Online communities allow members to freely express their opinions and promote the occurrence of oppositional loyalty behaviours towards the communities. Oppositional loyalty is defined in this article that, for the purpose of strengthening the market position of their preferred community, members of the online community may express negative views or even show oppositional behaviour towards adversarial communities. In view of social capital theory, the study examines the effect of hedonic value and utilitarian value on oppositional loyalty in online communities. The results show that only hedonic value significantly affects oppositional loyalty; hedonic value mediates the effect of the three dimensions of social capital (network ties, identification, and common language) on oppositional loyalty. The study identifies that community type moderates the impact of social capital (identification and common language) on hedonic value but does not moderate the effect of social capital on utilitarian value. Finally, we find that members' oppositional loyalty towards their community can promote their community participation. This research provides recommendations for online community managers to manage and benefit from members' oppositional loyalty.
Reversing the Gaze: Can the EU Import Democracy from Others?
Authors: Nicolaidis Kalypso , Youngs Richard
Published: March 2023

For over two decades, the EU has used a wide range of policy instruments to support democratic reform in third countries under the assumption that the rest of the world must learn from Europeans. This one‐way democracy policy is out of tune with the times as political malaise spreads within the EU and as global geopolitics calls for genuine decolonial mindsets. In this contribution, we ask what it would take for the EU to reverse the democratic gaze. We argue that the EU could do more to open itself to the democratic innovations unfolding around the world where reformers have long been grappling with anti‐democratic playbooks. We distinguish between three relevant realms, namely, that of power‐sharing arrangements, democratic backsliding and regional mechanisms. We hope to offer a significant tweak to decolonization analysis and a political, normative supplement to this Special Issue's concern with outside influences on the EU.
Risk of uveitis in patients with psoriasis in Korea: A nationwide population‐based cohort study
Authors: Kim Bo Ri , Choi Seung Woo , Choi Chong Won , Lee Kun Hee , Kim Min Jae , Woo Se Joon , Youn Sang Woong
Published: March 2023

Background

Evidence for the association between psoriasis and uveitis according to the severity of psoriasis including psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and type of uveitis is lacking, and there are no data on the frequency or timing of recurrence of uveitis in patients with psoriasis.

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate the risk of first occurrence and recurrence of uveitis in patients with psoriasis in the Korean population. We further evaluated the risk of uveitis according to the severity of psoriasis, comorbidity of PsA and location of uveitis.

Methods

In a nationwide retrospective cohort study, we compared 317,940 adult patients who had psoriasis with 635,880 matched controls. Incidence rates (IRs) and estimated IR ratios of the first occurrence and recurrence of uveitis were calculated using survival analysis and Poisson regression, respectively.

Results

The rate of uveitis incidence and uveitis recurrence in patients with psoriasis was 1.18 and 2.31 per 1000 person‐years, respectively. Compared to the controls, the IR ratios of development and recurrence of uveitis in patients with psoriasis were 1.14 (95% CI 1.08, 1.2) and 1.16 (95% CI 1.12, 1.21), respectively. The recurrence rate of uveitis was highest within 3 years after the onset of psoriasis. The corresponding IR ratios for uveitis recurrence in patients with mild psoriasis, severe psoriasis and PsA were 1.11 (1.06, 1.16), 1.24 (1.16, 1.33) and 1.49 (1.31, 1.7), respectively. Patients with psoriasis had an increased risk of recurrence of anterior uveitis, and patients with both psoriasis and PsA had an increased risk of recurrence of both anterior‐uveitis and panuveitis.

Conclusions

Patients with psoriasis had a higher risk of both development and recurrence of uveitis, especially with severe psoriasis and PsA. The timing of uveitis recurrence was related to the onset of psoriasis, and patients who had psoriasis with PsA had an increased risk of vision‐threatening panuveitis.
The classical and alternative circulating renin‐angiotensin system in normal dogs and dogs with stageB1andB2myxomatous mitral valve disease
Authors: Hammond Hillary H. , Ames Marisa K. , Domenig Oliver , Scansen Brian A. , Yang Nuen Tsang , Wilson Machelle D. , Sunshine Erin , Brunk Kaitlyn , Masters Allison
Published: March 2023

Background

The behavior of the comprehensive circulating renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) in dogs with myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) before to the onset of congestive heart failure remains largely unexplored.

Hypothesis/Objectives

The classical and alternative RAS activity and aldosterone concentrations will be significantly higher in dogs with American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) stage B2 MMVD compared to normal dogs and dogs with ACVIM stage B1 MMVD.

Animals

One‐hundred seventeen client‐owned dogs (normal = 60; B1 = 31; B2 = 26).

Methods

Prospective observational study. Angiotensin peptides (AP) and aldosterone concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Angiotensin converting enzymes 1 and 2 (ACE, ACE2) and renin activity surrogates were calculated from AP concentrations. Equilibrium dialysis (ED) and immediate protease inhibition (PI) methods of AP quantification were compared in 14 healthy dogs.

Results

Core RAS activity and aldosterone concentrations did not differ among the 3 groups. However, the balance between the alternative and classical RAS differed, with dogs with stage B2 MMVD having significantly higher ACE2 activity surrogate (ACE2surr) when compared to normal dogs (adjustedP = .02; ratio of medians for ACE2surr[B2:normal], 1.89; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4‐2.6). The ED and PI methods of AP quantification were highly correlated (AngI,r = .9,P < .0001; AngII,r = .8,P = .001).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Circulating alternative RAS activity, specifically the surrogate measure of ACE2 activity, was increased in dogs with stage B2 MMVD as compared to normal dogs. Equilibrium dialysis results are analogous to immediate protease inhibition in dogs.
The Ries impact and its distal effects in sediments of Central Europe—A review
Authors: Lange Jan‐Michael , Suhr Peter
Published: March 2023

The Ries impact is the most important cosmic event in the younger geological history of Europe. Its effects reach far beyond the area considered so far and are documented in manifold evidence. In this paper, the widely scattered reports in the literature are compiled and supported with investigations by the authors. Besides well‐known ejecta features like the Brockhorizont, Reuter's blocks, and moldavites, little known or forgotten indications, like a lechatelierite and β‐cristobalite occurrence in Bavaria and unusual sedimentation phenomena in northern Germany, are presented. The paleogeographic reconstruction shows that the Ries impact occurred on the southern side of the Neogene Central European mainland. Large parts of this erosional area were devastated by the impact. Pressure waves and thermal radiation had a lasting effect on the landscape within hundreds of kilometers around the impact site. Destruction of the vegetation cover by impact‐induced storms, wildfires, and heavy rainfall generated intense erosion. The adjacent sedimentation area to the north (Paleo‐North Sea) experienced an increased and short‐term supply of terrestrial debris to the marine environment. The stratigraphic coincidence of these exceptional sediments with the Ries event leads us to conclude that the distal effects of the impact are present here, which have so far received little or no attention in this context. The paper considers the different indications and sets them in a large‐scale context.
Impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on infant feeding practices in the United States: Food insecurity, supply shortages and deleterious formula‐feeding practices
Authors: Marino Jessica A. , Meraz Kimberly , Dhaliwal Manuvir , Payán Denise D. , Wright Tashelle , Hahn‐Holbrook Jennifer
Published: March 2023

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic increased food insecurity among US households, however, little is known about how infants, who rely primarily on human milk and/or infant formula, were impacted. We conducted an online survey with US caregivers of infants under 2 years of age (N = 319) to assess how the COVID‐19 pandemic impacted breastfeeding, formula‐feeding and household ability to obtain infant‐feeding supplies and lactation support (68% mothers; 66% White; 8% living in poverty). We found that 31% of families who used infant formula indicated that they experienced various challenges in obtaining infant formula, citing the following top three reasons: the formula was sold out (20%), they had to travel to multiple stores (21%) or formula was too expensive (8%). In response, 33% of families who used formula reported resorting to deleterious formula‐feeding practices such as diluting formula with extra water (11%) or cereal (10%), preparing smaller bottles (8%) or saving leftover mixed bottles for later (11%). Of the families who fed infants human milk, 53% reported feeding changes directly as a result of the pandemic, for example, 46% increased their provisioning of human milk due to perceived benefits for the infant's immune system (37%), ability to work remotely/stay home (31%), concerns about money (9%) or formula shortages (8%). Fifteen percent of families who fed human milk reported that they did not receive the lactation support they needed and 4.8% stopped breastfeeding. To protect infant food and nutrition security, our results underscore the need for policies to support breastfeeding and ensure equitable and reliable access to infant formula.
Weight loss breaks the bond between nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and cardiovascular diseases: A clinical and epidemiological perspective
Authors: Ala Moein , Eftekhar Seyed Parsa
Published: March 2023

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a growing health concern that is closely related to obesity and metabolic syndrome. In particular, NAFLD has been increasingly reported in adolescents and young adults in recent years. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) such as cardiac remodeling, heart failure, myocardial infarction, valvular heart diseases, and arrhythmia are more common in patients with NAFLD. CVD are the major cause of mortality in NAFLD. Although NAFLD often affects patients with obesity/overweight, it can also affect subjects with normal body mass index (BMI), known as lean NAFLD, which has a strong correlation with CVD. Obesity imposes a considerably increased risk of NAFLD and CVD. Consistently, weight‐lowering approaches that can pronouncedly decrease body weight and maintain it in the long term, such as bariatric surgery and treatment with semaglutide and tirzepatide, have been promising in alleviating both CVD and NAFLD. Interestingly, compared with patients with NAFLD and obesity, a minimal amount of weight loss resolves NAFLD in lean patients. Besides the widespread use of bariatric surgery, the development of new GLP‐1 agonists and GLP‐1 GIP agonists revolutionized the treatment of obesity in recent years. Here, we discuss the interwoven correlation between obesity, NAFLD, and CVD and the benefits of weight‐lowering approaches.