bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An optical biosensor based upon glucose oxidase immobilized in sol‐gel silicate matrix
Authors: Shtelzer S. , Braun S.
Published: October 2023

Glucose oxidase immobilized in a transparent silicate gel prepared by a sol‐gel method was used as a simple solid‐state optical biosensor for glucose. The sensor was based upon the measurement of initial rates of reduction of the FAD prosthetic group of the enzyme in the presence of various concentrations of glucose. The analytical range of the sensor was 1‐100 mM, and the measurement time was 2 min. The enzyme was considerably protected by the silicate matrix against leaching, thermal inactivation and even H2O2‐dependent inactivation. The sensor was stable in daily use for 6 months.
Physical and biochemical characterization of Albunex, a new ultrasound contrast agent consisting of air‐filled albumin microspheres suspended in a solution of human albumin
Authors: Christiansen C. , Kryvi H. , Sontum P. , Skotland T.
Published: October 2023

Albunex is a new ultrasound contrast agent for medical imaging. The product consists of air‐filled albumin microspheres suspended in a solution of 5% (w/v) human albumin. The suspension is sterile, non‐pyrogenic and isotonic, with a pH of 7.0 and a viscosity of 1.4 relative to water. The contrast effect is caused by the air‐filled microspheres, which range in diameter from 1 to 15 microns, with less than 5% being larger than 10 microns. The product contains a total of about 7 times 10(8) microspheres/ml of suspension. The number concentration of microspheres with diameters between 4 and 10 microns is about 2 times 10(8)/ml. The latter microsphere fraction is assumed to give the main contribution to the ultrasound signal in the left ventricle of the heart after intravenous injection. The air‐filled microspheres are prepared by sonication of a heated solution of 5% (w/v) human albumin. During the sonication process, microbubbles of air are formed which become encapsulated in a thin shell of aggregated albumin about 15 nm in thickness. Due to the stabilizing effect of the albumin shell, the air‐filled microsphere suspension is stable for at least 2 years when stored refrigerated. The microsphere protein represents about 1.5% of the total protein in the suspension. The remaining protein is soluble albumin molecules which behave like the albumin molecules in the starting material when analysed by a number of biochemical techniques.
Kinetic study of anaerobic digestion of fruit‐processing wastewater in immobilized‐cell bioreactors
Authors: Borja R. , CJ Banks
Published: October 2023

The kinetics of the anaerobic digestion of a fruit‐processing wastewater [chemical oxygen demand (COD) = 5.1 g/l] were investigated. Laboratory experiments were carried out in bioreactors containing supports of different chemical composition and features, namely bentonite and zeolite (aluminum silicates), sepiolite and saponite (magnesium silicates) and polyurethane foam, to which the microorganisms responsible for the process adhered. The influence of the support medium on the kinetics was compared with a control digester with suspended biomass. Assuming the overall anaerobic digestion process conforms to first‐order kinetics, the specific rate constant, K0, was determined for each of the experimental reactors. The average values obtained were: 0.080 h‐1 (bentonite); 0.103 h‐1 (zeolite); 0.180 h‐1 (sepiolite); 0.198 h‐1 (saponite); 0.131 h‐1 (polyurethane); and 0.037 h‐1 (control). The results indicate that the support used to immobilize the micro‐organisms had a marked influence on the digestion process; the results were significant at the 95% confidence level. Methanogenic activity increased linearly with COD, with the saponite and sepiolite supports showing the highest values. The yield coefficient of methane was 270 ml of methane (under standard temperature and pressure conditions)/g of COD. The average elimination of COD was 89.5%.
The Perception of a Colored Translucent Sheet on a Background
Authors: Brill Michael H.
Published: October 2023

Metelli's theory of the perception of translucency models the effective reflectance of a translucent sheet on a background as a partitive mixture of the color of the sheet and the color of the background. In the achromatic case, the usable (that is, scale‐invariant) rules governing the apparent reflectances are the same as those that would emerge from the Kubelka‐Munk theory. For chromatic translucency, the relationships are more complex, but a set of rules still emerge from the partitive‐mixture theory that are invariant to tradeoffs between illuminant and reflectances. This column sets forth the rules in the hopes that they will have graphical applications, both on computer VDUs and in hardcopy.
Factor Composition of the Suicide Intent Scale
Authors: Mieczkowski Tammy A. , Sweeney John A. , Haas Gretchen L. , Junker Brian W. , Brown Richard P. , Mann J. John
Published: October 2023

An exploratory analysis of the Suicide Intent Scale was performed on a sample of 98 psychiatric inpatients who had made suicide attempts. The factor analysis was performed using a method for polychotomous data, and resulted in a two‐factor solution. The Lethal Intent factor contained items pertaining to the subjective level of lethal intent, while the Planning factor contained items largely related to objective planning for the attempt. Preliminary analysis of these factors suggest that the Suicide Intent Scale can be used to evaluate two separate aspects of suicidal behavior.
Dreams and Suicide
Authors: Maltsberger John T.
Published: October 2023

The dreams of suicidal patients are contrasted to those of nonsuicidal, depressed patients. The dreams of suicidal patients often reveal wishes for revenge, punishment, reunion, fusion, and rebirth. Confusions between the patient's body and that of others are suggested by the dreams of some suicidal patients. Dreams in suicidal individuals may portray disintegration of the self (self‐state dreams). The phenomenon of transparency in suicidal dreams is discussed as it pertains to Rorschach studies.
The Media and Suicide: A Nonadditive Model, 1968–1980
Authors: Stack Steven
Published: October 2023

Unlike previous work, the present investigation tests a nonadditive model of the suggestion/imitation. Suicide stories are predicted to have the greatest effect on suicide in times of high suicidogenic conditions. The latter are measured in terms of unemployment. Data on the American monthly suicide rate are analyzed using Cochrane Orcutt techniques. While support was found for the nonadditive model based on an interaction effect between media stories and the rate of unemployment, it did not prove more powerful than an additive model. Future work is needed, however, for a systematic testing of the nonadditive thesis.
A Cluster of Suicides at a London Psychiatric Unit
Authors: Haw Camilla M.
Published: October 2023

In an epidemiologically based study, a spate of 14 suicides among current patients of a London psychiatric unit was investigated. Statistical analysis showed it to be a discrete cluster of suicides, rather than a chance occurrence. There was no evidence of direct linkage or “contagion” between the suicides. Thirteen of the patients suffered from severe, chronic mental illness and all but 2 had been known to the psychiatric unit for at least a year. Twelve used violent methods, in 8 cases jumping from a high place. Although no definite cause for the cluster could be established, it coincided with a period of uncertainty concerning the future of the hospital and with changes in and absenteeism of senior medical staff.
The Frequency of Suicide in Individual Danish Birth Cohorts, 1922–1991
Authors: Bille‐Brahe Unni , Jessen Gert
Published: October 2023

In recent years many suicidologists have based their epidemiological studies on suicide on theories assuming that people born within the same period of time will follow the same suicidal patterns throughout their lives, and that variations in the annual rate of suicide will, therefore, reflect systematic differences between cohorts. Cohort analysis carried out on Danish data showed, however, that although some differences could be found as to the course of events during the life span of the cohorts and also when the material was adjusted for sex, no significant differences could be found between various birth cohorts in the total rates of suicide. The authors argue that the reason for this is that a cohort effect is only one of three dimensions of an analytical tool, namely, Age–Period–Cohort (APC) analysis, and that the balance between the three effects changes over time.
Life Stress, Social Support, and Problem‐Solving Skills Predictive of Depressive Symptoms, Hopelessness, and Suicide Ideation in an Asian Student Population: A Test of a Model
Authors: Yang Bin , Clum George A.
Published: October 2023

The present study tested both a stress‐problem‐solving model and a stress‐social support model in the etiology of depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and suicide ideation for a group of Asian international students in the United States. Problem‐solving skills and social support were hypothesized as two mediators between life stress and depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and suicide ideation. The results from a series of stepwise regression analyses and a path analysis support the hypotheses, indicating that these models generalized to a sample of Asian international students. The roles of social support and problem‐solving skills in depressive symptoms and hopelessness are discussed. The results also suggest that hopelessness may serve as a cognitive factor directly affecting depressive symptoms and indirectly affecting suicide ideation.
Homicide‐Suicides Between Adult Sexual Intimates: An Australian Study
Authors: Easteal Patricia
Published: October 2023

Little research that focuses upon homicide‐suicides between adult sexual intimates has been conducted to date. Yet U.S., U.K., and Australian studies on homicide and homicide‐suicide show that a disproportionate number of those that kill and subsequently take their own lives are the husbands or estranged sexual intimates of their victims. This paper provides some retrospective data on the historical, demographic, and situational traits of this type of homicide‐suicide in Australia by looking at what, if anything, differentiates homicides between adult sexual intimates that include the suicide of the offender from those that do not. A lack of significant variation was apparent in histories of domestic violence, alcohol involvement, and unemployment between those who committed suicide and those who did not. However, if the offender was a male estranged from his partner, born outside of Australia, who used a gun as the weapon and killed more than one victim, or was older with an ailing wife, he was more apt to commit suicide. Using anecdotal case study material, causation or explanatory variables are also discussed. These appeared to cluster either around a theme of old age and ill‐health or control and pathological‐type of possessiveness. The author concludes that more research focusing on the differentiation between the two groups of offenders is necessary in order to better identify contributory variables and to develop risk elements and information for criminal justice practitioners and other service providers.
Temporal Variation in Adolescent Suicide Attempts
Authors: Nakamura Jon W. , McLeod Carol R. , McDermott John F.
Published: October 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between adolescent suicide attempts and temporal cycles in a multiethnic population. Medical records at two hospitals in the state of Hawaii were reviewed for all adolescents (ages 12–18) admitted for suicide attempts during the years 1987–1991. Results showed 296 adolescents attempted suicide, and as hypothesized, temporal factors were associated with the attempts. A significant increase in attempts was found during the afternoon/evening and on Mondays and Tuesdays, transition points between home and school. The results are discussed and implications for delivery and temporal theory development considered.
Clues to Suicide, Reconsidered
Authors: Shneidman Edwin S.
Published: October 2023

This brief paper focuses on a rather recondite aspect of the suicidal scenario: dissembling (feigning, pretending, withholding). Most individuals who commit suicide exhibit prodromal indicia in the month before. These verbal and behavioral clues are found in about 90% of psychological autopsies of suicidal deaths. As for the other 10% who mask or hide their lethal intentions, we do well to assume that even some hidden clues might be deciphered by the skillful clinician or the alert friend or colleague.
K‐12 teachers' programming attitudes among different disciplines: Analysis of influential factors
Authors: Sun Lihui , Zhou Danhua
Published: October 2023

Background

Integrating programming in K‐12 curriculum has become a global consensus. Teachers are central figures in programming instruction. But the majority of current research focuses on teachers' external teaching behaviours and less on teachers' attitudes towards programming.

Objectives

The purpose of this study is to validate the K‐12 in‐service Teacher Programming Attitudes Scale (TPAS), to analyse teachers' programming attitudes and their differences in personal, teaching, and environmental factors, and further explore the predictive relationship.

Methods

The sample is 888 K‐12 teachers from China. First, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were adopted to validate the availability and reliability of TPAS; Second, independent sample t‐test and one‐way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were adopted to explain the differences. Finally, correlation analysis and linear regression analysis were adopted to verify the correlation and prediction relationship.

Results and Conclusion

TPAS possess good reliability and validity (χ2/df = 2.488, RMSEA = 0.055, CFI = 0.943, TLI = 0.935, and IFI = 0.943). Further analysis found that, first of all, male teachers possess more positive programming attitudes than female teachers; second, young teachers who are under 30 and the length of teaching under 5 years possess more positive programming attitudes; thirdly, in addition to Information and Communication Technology teachers, primary science teachers also possess high programming attitudes, followed by teachers of Humanities and Arts, reflecting the potential of teaching programming in integrated subjects and the humanities. Finally, primary school teachers possess the best programming attitudes. With the growth of grade, teachers' enthusiasm for programming has gradually decreased. Additionally, discipline, grade and gender factors were considered to predict K‐12 teachers' programming attitudes.

Implications

The results of this study contribute to integrating programming teaching of teachers and promoting programming education in K‐12 classrooms.
Hidradenitis suppurativa associated telomere‐methylome dysregulations in blood
Authors: Radhakrishna Uppala , Ratnamala Uppala , Jhala Devendrasinh D. , Uppala Lavanya V. , Vedangi Aaren , Saiyed Nazia , Patel Maulikkumar , Vadsaria Nikita , Shah Sushma R. , Rawal Rakesh M. , Mercuri Santo R. , McGonagle Dennis , Jemec Gregor B. E. , Damiani Giovanni
Published: October 2023

Background

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic debilitating disease with a significant burden of both organic and psychological comorbidities. It has been shown that certain telomere‐related genes (TRGs) affect a wide range of diseases, including HS and its associated comorbidities, but their exact role in HS pathogenesis is still unknown.

Objectives

To determine whether TRG methylomes can be used as biomarkers in HS.

Methods

Using the Illumina HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array, we examined methylation variations associated with TRGs in HS cases and age‐, sex‐ and ethnicity‐matched healthy controls. The study utilized integrated bioinformatics statistical methods, such as a false discovery rate (FDR), the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and principal component analysis.

Results

There were a total of 585 different differentially methylated CpG sites identified in 585 TRGs associated with HS (474 hypomethylated and 111 hypermethylated) (FDR p‐value < 0.05). A number of these CpGs have been identified as being involved in increased pain sensitivity including EPAS1, AHR, CSNK1D, DNMT1, IKBKAP, NOS3, PLCB1 and PRDM16 genes; GABRB3 as a potential alcohol addiction marker; DDB1, NSMCE2 and HNRNPA2B1 associated with cancers. Pathway analysis identified 67 statistically significant pathways, including DNA repair, telomere maintenance, mismatch repair and cell cycle control (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

The disruption of TRGs leads to the shortening of telomeres, which is associated with HS progression, ageing, cellular senescence and an increased risk of various diseases, including cancer and associated comorbidities, such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease and inflammatory disorders. Further research is necessary to better understand the underlying mechanisms and establish causal links between TRGs and HS. The present study is the first effort to comprehend potential pathomechanisms of sporadic HS cases concentrating on PBMC methylome since ours.
Interdecadal changes in ichthyofauna in a tropical bay with high anthropogenic influences: functional stability despite turnover predominance
Authors: de Sousa Gomes‐Gonçalves Rafaela , Araújo Francisco Gerson
Published: October 2023

Functional characteristics of species are of great importance for understanding their roles in ecosystems and can be used to detect long‐term chances in the environment. We evaluated temporal changes (1983–1985 and 2017–2019) in taxonomic and functional indices of the fish fauna in shallow areas of a tropical bay heavily impacted by anthropogenic activities in recent decades. The hypothesis that functional indices change over time as a result of environmental degradation was tested. Our results showed a significant decrease in species richness and abundance over time, and in functional richness, while others functional diversity indices (divergency, evenness, and originality) remained stable. Thirteen functional groups were detected, some of which contained only one species, raising concerns about the loss of ecosystem functions due to ongoing changes. We also observed an increase in beta diversity over time, which may be the result of a decrease in local richness without leading to regional extinctions. Turnover was the most important process in structuring the fish fauna at the evaluated time scale. The relative stability of the functional structure and the higher levels of turnover seem to be related to the dominance of functional groups, within which species replace each other according to their responses to environmental filters that select for specific functional traits. Incorporating functional diversity indices and beta diversity variations in the fish community helped to enhance the existing information about this coastal system by offering improved estimates of biological diversity through diverse approaches. The predominance of turnover identified in the preset study suggests a dynamic and fluctuating species composition within the habitat. In this sense, habitat preservation should prioritize the protection of diverse habitats to accommodate a broad spectrum of species.
Sleep deprivation and medication administration errors in registered nurses—A scoping review
Authors: Martin Christopher Vincent , Joyce‐McCoach Joanne , Peddle Monica , East Christine Elizabeth
Published: October 2023

Aim

To explore whether sleep deprivation contributes to medication errors in registered nurses (RNs).

Background

Sleep deprivation is a potential issue for RNs, particularly those who work shifts. Sleep deprivation has been found to have a negative impact on numerous cognitive processes. Nurses administer several medications to patients a day, potentially while sleep deprived—anecdotal reports suggest that this could result in an increased risk of error occurring.

Design

A scoping review was conducted using the Prisma‐ScR extension framework to explore what is known about the effect of RNs' sleep deprivation on medication administration errors.

Methods

A search of databases generated 171 results. When inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, 18 empirical studies were analysed. Studies included retrospective analysis of errors, surveys of perceptions of causes and observational studies.

Results

Data indicated that RNs consider fatigue, which may be caused by sleep deprivation, to be a contributing factor to medication errors. The search only identified three observer studies, which provided conflicting results as to whether lack of sleep contributes to the error rate. Of the numerous tools used to measure sleep, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was the most frequently used.

Conclusion

Although RNs anecdotally consider a lack of sleep potentially contributes to medication errors, there is insufficient research to provide robust evidence to confirm this assumption.

No Patient or Public Contributions

Patient or public contributions were not required for this scoping review.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

Sleep deprivation is a potential issue for nurses, especially those who work shifts. Poor sleep impacts cognitive processes that potentially could increase errors. Nurses should be aware of the impact sleep may have on patient safety.
Examining area‐ and individual‐level differences in suicide ideation severity and suicide attempt among youth
Authors: Cambron Christopher , Jaggers Jeremiah W.
Published: October 2023

Youth suicide is a pressing problem and suicide rates are not equally distributed across geographic areas or socioeconomic status (SES). Death by suicide is often preceded factors including hopelessness and suicide ideation, planning, and attempt. The current study examined area‐ and individual‐level differences in suicide ideation severity and suicide attempt in a state‐representative sample of youth from 2019 (N = 78,740) and 2021 (N = 61,396). Youth from higher SES and rural areas showed lower suicide ideation severity and odds of suicide attempt. After including individual‐level covariates, SES differences in ideation severity and suicide attempt persisted for 2019 but not 2021. Rural differences for ideation severity persisted across years but not for suicide attempt. Further research on geographic variation in suicide risk is needed.
First report of leaf spot caused by Canariomyces microsporus in hulless barley in China
Authors: Ma J. Q. , Bao G. S. , Meng S. Y. , Zhou Q. P.
Published: October 2023

From September 2021 to September 2022, leaf spots appeared in hulless barley seedlings in the experimental field of Qinghai University (36°62′ N, 101°77′ E) with an incidence of 35%–60%. In this study, four diseased samples were collected from different experimental sites at Qinghai University for analysis. Moreover, four strains with the same colony and microscopic morphology were isolated. A representative QK‐1 strain was used for DNA extraction and sequencing via PCR amplification using a multi‐gene phylogenetic analysis (ITS, tub2 and EF‐1α). BLAST search revealed that ITS, tub2 and EF‐1α sequence shared 99.59% (accession MH860852), 98.97% (MK926899) and 95.37% (MN078437) nucleotide sequence similarity with isolate CBS276.74 of C. microsporus. The fungus that caused leaf spot of the hulless barley was then identified as Canariomyces microspores. Similar symptoms were observed on hulless barley seedlings after control inoculation with the QK‐1 strain, consistent with the Koch's hypothesis. This is the first study reporting on C. microsporus in Hulless barley in China, suggesting that barley is a new host of C. microsporus.
Exploring the emotional and behavioural profile in paediatric narcolepsy type 1: A case–control study
Authors: Simoncini Malucelli Giorgia , Mercante Anna , Pizza Fabio , Brunetti Valerio , Biscarini Francesco , Vandi Stefano , Mazzoni Alice , Franceschini Christian , Della Marca Giacomo , Vollono Catello , Chieffo Daniela Pia Rosaria , Plazzi Giuseppe
Published: October 2023

Narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) is a central disorder of hypersomnolence often arising in childhood and adolescence. NT1 has a significant, but poorly defined, psychological impact. We aimed to investigate the psycho‐social functioning of children and adolescents with NT1. We performed a cross‐sectional, child and parent‐reported questionnaire survey in 37 children and adolescents (6–17 years) with NT1, compared with age‐ and sex‐matched controls. Questionnaires (SSHS, ESS‐CHAD, CDI, MASC, CBCL, CRS‐R, and SNAP‐IV) evaluated various aspects of behavioural and emotional profiles, sleep habits, and daytime sleepiness. Subsequently, NT1 intra‐group analysis was performed to investigate the effect of sex (males vs females) and pharmacological treatment (treated vs non‐treated) on psychological features. The NT1 questionnaires total scores were then correlated with the clinical characteristics (age, body mass index [BMI], ESS‐CHAD score, cerebrospinal hypocretin‐1 [Hcrt‐1] levels, and diagnostic delay). Patients with NT1 showed a higher tendency to depressive symptoms, anxiety, somatisation, inattention, hyperactivity, oppositional/defiant problems, and other maladaptive behaviours compared with controls. Among NT1 patients, females showed a higher propensity to anxiety, and non‐treated patients displayed higher depressive symptoms. Psychological symptoms increased with age, BMI, and daytime sleepiness in patients with NT1, while a younger age was associated with more frequent somatisation symptoms. Lower cerebrospinal Hcrt‐1 levels correlated with poorer social competencies, daily activities, and inattention. Diagnostic delay was associated with a higher impact of depressive symptoms and behavioural problems. NT1 in children and adolescents is associated with poorer functioning in multiple psychological domains calling for a multidisciplinary approach and monitoring to reduce disease burden and to prevent psychiatric consequences.
Considering Social Validity in Special Education Research
Authors: Snodgrass Melinda R. , Cook Bryan G. , Cook Lysandra
Published: October 2023

This article is part of a special LDRP research–to–practice series introducing key concepts to enable special education practitioners and other nonresearchers to be more informed research consumers. In the article, we explore how social validity is assessed in special education research and how to interpret social validity assessments. Rather than focusing on measuring intervention effects, social validity involves assessing the social importance of the goals, procedures, and outcomes of interventions and programs. We define social validity, provide questions to consider when examining assessments of social validity in research papers, review approaches commonly used to assess social validity with examples from the research literature, and make recommendations for reconciling findings of positive intervention effects on targeted outcomes but absent or negative findings related to social validity in a study. Our take–home message is that considering social validity assessments helps research consumers interpret study findings and informs how to apply findings in practice.
Thyroid hormone receptor alpha modulates fibrogenesis in hepatic stellate cells
Authors: Manka Paul , Coombes Jason D. , Sydor Svenja , Swiderska‐Syn Marzena K. , Best Jan , Gauthier Karine , van Grunsven Leo A. , Oo Ye H. , Wang Cindy , Diehl Anna M. , Hönes Georg S. , Moeller Lars C. , Figge Anja , Boosman René J. , Faber Klaas N. , Tannapfel Andrea , Goetze Oliver , Aspichueta Patricia , Lange Christian M. , Canbay Ali , Syn Wing‐Kin
Published: October 2023

Objective

Progressive hepatic fibrosis can be considered the final stage of chronic liver disease. Hepatic stellate cells (HSC) play a central role in liver fibrogenesis. Thyroid hormones (TH, e.g. thyroxine; T4 and triiodothyronine; T3) significantly affect development, growth, cell differentiation and metabolism through activation of TH receptor α and/or β (TRα/β). Here, we evaluated the influence of TH in hepatic fibrogenesis.

Design

Human liver tissue was obtained from explanted livers following transplantation. TRα‐deficient (TRα‐KO) and wild‐type (WT) mice were fed a control or a profibrogenic methionine‐choline deficient (MCD) diet. Liver tissue was assessed by qRT‐PCR for fibrogenic gene expression. In vitro, HSC were treated with TGFβ in the presence or absence of T3. HSC with stable TRα knockdown and TRα deficient mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) were used to determine receptor‐specific function. Activation of HSC and MEF was assessed using the wound healing assay, Western blotting, and qRT‐PCR.

Results

TRα and TRβ expression is downregulated in the liver during hepatic fibrogenesis in humans and mice. TRα represents the dominant isoform in HSC. In vitro, T3 blunted TGFβ‐induced expression of fibrogenic genes in HSC and abrogated wound healing by modulating TGFβ signalling, which depended on TRα presence. In vivo, TRα‐KO enhanced MCD diet‐induced liver fibrogenesis.

Conclusion

These observations indicate that TH action in non‐parenchymal cells is highly relevant. The interaction of TRα with TH regulates the phenotype of HSC via the TGFβ signalling pathway. Thus, the TH–TR axis may be a valuable target for future therapy of liver fibrosis.
Episodic population fragmentation and gene flow reveal a trade‐off between heterozygosity and allelic richness
Authors: Hill Peta , Dickman Chris R. , Dinnage Russell , Duncan Richard P. , Edwards Scott V. , Greenville Aaron , Sarre Stephen D. , Stringer Emily J. , Wardle Glenda M. , Gruber Bernd
Published: October 2023

In episodic environments like deserts, populations of some animal species exhibit irregular fluctuations such that populations are alternately large and connected or small and isolated. Such dynamics are typically driven by periodic resource pulses due, for example, to large but infrequent rainfall events. The repeated population bottlenecks resulting from fragmentation should lower genetic diversity over time, yet species undergoing these fluctuations appear to maintain high levels of genetic diversity. To resolve this apparent paradox, we simulated a metapopulation of constant size undergoing repeat episodes of fragmentation and change in gene flow to mimic outcomes experienced by mammals in an Australian desert. We show that episodic fragmentation and gene flow have contrasting effects on two measures of genetic diversity: heterozygosity and allelic richness. Specifically, fragmentation into many, small subpopulations, coupled with periods of infrequent gene flow, preserves allelic richness at the expense of heterozygosity. In contrast, fragmentation into a few, large subpopulations maintains heterozygosity at the expense of allelic richness. The strength of the trade‐off between heterozygosity and allelic richness depends on the amount of gene flow and the frequency of gene flow events. Our results imply that the type of genetic diversity maintained among species living in strongly fluctuating environments will depend on the way populations fragment, with our results highlighting different mechanisms for maintaining allelic richness and heterozygosity in small, fragmented populations.
Temporal collections to study invasion biology
Authors: Kim Amy S. , Kreiner Julia M. , Hernández Fernando , Bock Dan G. , Hodgins Kathryn A. , Rieseberg Loren H.
Published: October 2023

Biological invasions represent an extraordinary opportunity to study evolution. This is because accidental or deliberate species introductions have taken place for centuries across large geographical scales, frequently prompting rapid evolutionary transitions in invasive populations. Until recently, however, the utility of invasions as evolutionary experiments has been hampered by limited information on the makeup of populations that were part of earlier invasion stages. Now, developments in ancient and historical DNA technologies, as well as the quickening pace of digitization for millions of specimens that are housed in herbaria and museums globally, promise to help overcome this obstacle. In this review, we first introduce the types of temporal data that can be used to study invasions, highlighting the timescale captured by each approach and their respective limitations. We then discuss how ancient and historical specimens as well as data available from prior invasion studies can be used to answer questions on mechanisms of (mal)adaptation, rates of evolution, or community‐level changes during invasions. By bridging the gap between contemporary and historical invasive populations, temporal data can help us connect pattern to process in invasion science. These data will become increasingly important if invasions are to achieve their full potential as experiments of evolution in nature.
Long‐term benzodiazepine usage and mortality in patients with chronic non‐cancer musculoskeletal pain: A Nationwide cohort study
Authors: Oh Tak Kyu , Hwang Insung , Song In‐Ae
Published: October 2023

Objectives

The impact of benzodiazepine use on mortality in patients with chronic non‐cancer pain (CNCP) has not been identified. We aimed to examine the factors associated with benzodiazepine use among patients with CNCP and examine whether long‐term benzodiazepine usage is associated with mortality in patients with CNCP.

Methods

This study was conducted using data from the National Health Insurance Service database of South Korea. We selected 2.5% of all adult patients diagnosed with musculoskeletal diseases (MSD) in South Korea from 2010 to 2019 using a stratified random sampling technique and included them in the analysis as patients with CNCP. The risk of 10‐year all‐cause mortality in patients with CNCP was investigated using the 2010 cohort of patients with CNCP.

Results

The proportion of the study population that used benzodiazepine during the 10‐year study period was 2.1% (390,683/18,770,234). Multivariable logistic regression showed that old age; increased Charlson comorbidity index (CCI); opioid, gabapentin or pregabalin, paracetamol, non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, and Z‐drugs usage; and underlying psychiatric comorbidities were associated with increased benzodiazepine use. In addition, benzodiazepine use was associated with increased 10‐year all‐cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.03, 95% confidence interval: 1.01, 1.06; p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Benzodiazepine was prescribed to 2.1% of the patients with CNCP in South Korea from 2010 to 2019. Old age, increased CCI, underlying psychiatric comorbidities, and use of certain drugs are associated with increased use of benzodiazepines. In addition, benzodiazepine use is associated with 10‐year all‐cause mortality in patients with CNCP.
Innovation and development of the aquaculture nutrition research and feed industry in China
Authors: Bu Xianyong , Li Yueru , Lai Wencong , Yao Chuanwei , Liu Yongtao , Wang Zhen , Zhao Zengqi , Han Shangzhe , Du Jianlong , Yao Xin , Mai Kangsen , Ai Qinghui
Published: October 2023

Aquaculture in China has undergone significant evolution in recent decades, transitioning from traditional practices to a vital food production industry. Alongside the rapid growth of aquaculture in China, aquafeed production continues to expand swiftly. This review attempts to establish an overview of the history and achievements in aquaculture nutrition research and feed industry in China. The development of scientific concept and methodology, especially the advanced molecular biology technology guarantees the shift from traditional nutrition to molecular nutrition, and subsequently to precision nutrition in aquaculture nutrition research. This evolution has facilitated the formulation of effective strategies to enhance the growth, health and product quality of aquatic animals. The advancements of aquaculture nutrition research and feed industry have also been propelled by innovative research concepts rooted in principles such as the health and safety of aquatic animals, the quality of aquatic products, resource conservation and environmental friendliness, and the advancements in key processing technologies within the aquafeed industry. The future perspectives of the aquaculture nutrition research and feed industry in China are also proposed. The present work aims to provide a reference for promoting the development of aquaculture nutrition research and feed industry in China.
Strategies for meeting prospective mates: An explorative analysis in the Greek cultural context
Authors: Apostolou Menelaos , Prodromou Andri
Published: October 2023

Most people strive toward establishing long‐term romantic relationships, and the majority eventually succeed in doing so, which raises the question of how people meet prospective mates. In the current research, we used in‐depth interviews and open‐ended questionnaires in a sample of 218 Greek‐speaking participants, and we identified 44 acts that people perform in order to meet prospective mates, and 17 categories indicating where people met their current or previous mates. In addition, we used quantitative research methods in a sample of 821 Greek‐speaking participants, and we classified these acts into eight broader strategies. The most frequently adopted ones, included demonstrating active interest to prospective mates, going out to bars, clubs and cafés, improving one's looks and asking friends to introduce one to available individuals. For several strategies, we found significant sex and age effects. Furthermore, most participants indicated that they met their current and previous partners from friends and acquaintances, in school or university, on social media, and on a night out.
Factors of global change affecting plants act at different levels of the ecological hierarchy
Authors: Rillig Matthias C. , Lehmann Anika , Orr James A. , Rongstock Rebecca
Published: October 2023

Plants and ecosystems worldwide are exposed to a wide range of chemical, physical, and biological factors of global change, many of which act concurrently. As bringing order to the array of factors is required in order to generate an enhanced understanding of simultaneous impacts, classification schemes have been developed. One such classification scheme is dedicated to capturing the different targets of global change factors along the ecological hierarchy. We build on this pioneering work, and refine the conceptual framework in several ways, focusing on plants and terrestrial systems: (i) we more strictly define the target level of the hierarchy, such that every factor typically has just one target level, and not many; (ii) we include effects above the level of the community, that is, there are effects also at the ecosystem scale that cannot be reduced to any level below this; (iii) we introduce the level of the landscape to capture certain land use change effects while abandoning the level below the individual. We discuss how effects can propagate along the levels of the ecological hierarchy, upwards and downwards, presenting opportunities for explaining non‐additivity of effects of multiple factors. We hope that this updated conceptual framework will help inform the next generation of plant‐focused global change experiments, specifically aimed at non‐additivity of effects at the confluence of many factors.
Ion permeation properties of the glutamate receptor channel in cultured embryonic Drosophila myotubes.
Authors: Chang H , Ciani S , Kidokoro Y
Published: October 2023

Ion permeation properties of the glutamate receptor channel in cultured myotubes of Drosophila embryos were studied using the inside‐out configuration of the patch‐clamp technique. Lowering the NaCl concentration in the bath (intracellular solution), while maintaining that of the external solution constant, caused a shift of the reversal potential in the positive direction, thus indicating a higher permeability of the channel to Na+ than to Cl‐ (PCl/PNa < 0.04), and suggesting that the channel is cation selective. With 145 mM Na+ on both sides of the membrane, the single‐channel current‐voltage relation was almost linear in the voltage range between ‐80 and +80 mV, the conductance showing some variability in the range between 140 and 170 pS. All monovalent alkali cations tested, as well as NH4+, permeated the channel effectively. Using the Goldman‐Hodgkin‐Katz equation for the reversal potential, the permeability ratios with respect to Na+ were estimated to be: 1.32 for K+, 1.18 for NH4+, 1.15 for Rb+, 1.09 for Cs+, and 0.57 for Li+. Divalent cations, i.e. Mg2+ and Ca2+, in the external solution depressed not only the inward but also the outward Na+ currents, although reversal potential measurements indicated that both ions have considerably higher permeabilities than Na+ (PMg/PNa = 2.31; PCa/PNa = 9.55). The conductance‐activity relation for Na+ was described by a hyperbolic curve. The maximal conductance was about 195 pS and the half‐saturating activity 45 mM. This result suggests that Na+ ions bind to sites in the channel. All data were fitted by a model based on the Eyring's reaction rate theory, in which the receptor channel is a one‐ion pore with three energy barriers and two internal sites.
Rapid down‐regulation of substance P binding to guinea‐pig pancreatic acinar cells during homologous desensitization.
Authors: Sjödin L , Viitanen E , Gylfe E
Published: October 2023

Binding of 125I‐labelled peptides, cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and amylase release were studied in guinea‐pig pancreatic acinar cells during exposure to substance P (SP), and cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK‐8). Pre‐incubation of cells at 22 degrees C with 0.03 nM to 1 microM SP for 10 min or at 37 degrees C for 5 min followed by acid or neutral washes reduced subsequent binding of 125I‐Bolton‐Hunter reagent‐labelled SP (125I‐BH‐SP) in a biphasic manner by up to 95%. Incubation at 4 degrees C eliminated high‐affinity binding of 125I‐BH‐SP and concentrations of SP above 1 nM were required for inhibition of subsequent tracer binding. Pre‐incubation of cells at 37 degrees C with 1 nM to 1 microM CCK‐8 for 10 min followed by neutral washes reduced subsequent binding of 125I‐BH‐CCK‐8 by up to 65%. In cell suspensions, the [Ca2+]i response to SP was gradually reduced by pre‐exposure to increasing agonist concentrations from 0.2 to 20 nM. Pre‐incubation with high SP concentrations for 10 min caused profound reduction of subsequent amylase responses to SP, whereas secretion was little affected in corresponding experiments with CCK‐8. Down‐regulation of receptor binding is not important during short exposure to CCK‐8, but it is a pronounced and rapid phenomenon during SP exposure, which explains tachyphylaxis of [Ca2+]i and amylase responses.
Identification and properties of pathways for K+ transport in guinea‐pig and rat alveolar epithelial type II cells.
Authors: Kemp P J , Roberts G C , Boyd C A
Published: October 2023

86Rb+ was used to study potassium uptake and efflux in type II pneumocytes freshly isolated from adult guinea‐pig and rat lung. Both species exhibited a substantial ouabain‐sensitive component of potassium influx. In rats, most of the ouabain‐resistant influx was abolished by bumetanide and removal of extracellular chloride elicited no further effect. In contrast, only a proportion of the ouabain‐insensitive uptake was inhibitable by bumetanide in guinea‐pigs and this species showed an additional component of influx, which was chloride dependent and which was reduced by either the K(+)‐H(+)‐ATPase inhibitor, omeprazole, or by the stilbene derivative, 4,4'‐diisothiocyanostilbene‐2,2'‐disulphonate (DIDS). The chloride‐dependent component was also apparent in efflux experiments in guinea‐pigs, but was absent in rats. Ouabain‐insensitive ATPase activity was assayed in highly purified apical membranes from guinea‐pig type II pneumocytes. This activity was inhibitable by omeprazole (apparent inhibition constant, Ki, was approximately 40 microM), was potassium dependent (apparent activation constant, Ka, was approximately 200 microM) and was doubled by the addition of nigericin. While potassium transport in rat type II cells is adequately accounted for by Na(+)‐K(+)‐ATPase and Na(+)‐K(+)‐2Cl‐ cotransport, our data suggest the additional presence of K(+)‐Cl‐ cotransport and K(+)‐H(+)‐ATPase in guinea‐pig type II pneumocytes. A model of how alveolar subphase acidification may occur is proposed.
Hypoxia‐activated Ca2+ currents in pacemaker neurones of rat rostral ventrolateral medulla in vitro.
Authors: Sun M K , Reis D J
Published: October 2023

We examined the effects of brief periods of hypoxia or application of cyanide on the discharge and membrane properties of medullary pacemaker neurones in slices of the rostral ventrolateral reticular nucleus (RVL) of the medulla oblongata of rats. Stable intracellular recordings were obtained from seventy‐nine neurones within the RVL which exhibited spontaneous rhythmic discharge in the absence of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs). The membrane potential cycles of these neurones could be reset with an evoked spike without eliciting EPSPs or inhibitory postsynaptic potentials and hence met criteria of RVL pacemaker neurones. Hypoxia, produced by reducing O2 from 95 to 20% for 40 s or exposure to cyanide (30‐300 microM for 40 s), reversibly increased neuronal discharge 1.6‐fold (20% O2) or 2.6‐fold (300 microM cyanide), respectively, in association with membrane depolarization and a significant fall in membrane resistance. The membrane responses to hypoxia and cyanide were observed in the presence of tetrodotoxin (TTX) at a concentration (10 microM) which eliminated spontaneous spikes or spikes evoked by intracellular depolarization. When recorded at a holding potential of ‐70 mV by single‐electrode voltage clamp, hypoxia or cyanide (300 microM) elicited inward currents of 0.44 +/‐ 0.06 and 0.58 +/‐ 0.08 nA, respectively, which are attenuated by reducing the concentration of extracellular Ca2+ ions, and abolished by 2 mM CoCl2 and 100 microM NiCl2, but not affected by 50 microM CdCl2, replacement of 83% extracellular Na+, or adenosine deaminase (2U ml‐1). We conclude that hypoxia and cyanide directly excite RVL pacemaker neurones in vitro by a common mechanism: activation of Ca2+ channel conductance.