bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Dirt(y) World in a Changing Climate: Importance of Heat Stress in the Risk Assessment of Pesticides for Soil Arthropods
Authors: Wehrli Micha , Slotsbo Stine , Fomsgaard Inge S. , Laursen Bente B. , Gröning Jonas , Liess Matthias , Holmstrup Martin
Published: October 2024

The rise in global temperatures and increasing severity of heat waves pose significant threats to soil organisms, disrupting ecological balances in soil communities. Additionally, the implications of environmental pollution are exacerbated in a warmer world, as changes in temperature affect the uptake, transformation and elimination of toxicants, thereby increasing the vulnerability of organisms. Nevertheless, our understanding of such processes remains largely unexplored. The present study examines the impact of high temperatures on the uptake and effects of the fungicide fluazinam on the springtail Folsomia candida (Collembola, Isotomidae). Conducted under non‐optimum but realistic high temperatures, the experiments revealed that increased temperature hampered detoxification processes in F. candida, enhancing the toxic effects of fluazinam. High temperatures and the fungicide exerted synergistic interactions, reducing F. candida's reproduction and increasing adult mortality beyond what would be predicted by simple addition of the heat and chemical effects. These findings highlight the need to reevaluate the current ecological risk assessment and the regulatory framework in response to climate changes. This research enhances our understanding of how global warming affects the toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics (TK‐TD) of chemicals in terrestrial invertebrates. In conclusion, our results suggest that adjustments to regulatory threshold values are necessary to address the impact of a changing climate.
Coral Community Composition Linked to Hypoxia Exposure
Authors: Lucey Noelle M. , César‐Ávila Carolina , Eckert Alaina , Rajagopalan Anushka , Brister William C. , Kline Esme , Altieri Andrew H. , Deutsch Curtis A. , Collin Rachel
Published: October 2024

Tropical reef ecosystems are strongly influenced by the composition of coral species, but the factors influencing coral diversity and distributions are not fully understood. Here we demonstrate that large variations in the relative abundance of three major coral species across adjacent Caribbean reef sites are strongly related to their different low O2 tolerances. In laboratory experiments designed to mimic reef conditions, the cumulative effect of repeated nightly low O2 drove coral bleaching and mortality, with limited modulation by temperature. After four nights of repeated low O2, species responses also varied widely, from > 50% bleaching in Acropora cervicornis to no discernable sensitivity of Porites furcata. A simple metric of hypoxic pressure that combines these experimentally derived species sensitivities with high‐resolution field data accurately predicts the observed relative abundance of species across three reefs. Only the well‐oxygenated reef supported the framework‐building hypoxia‐sensitive Acropora cervicornis, while the hypoxia‐tolerant weedy species Porites furcata was dominant on the most frequently O2‐deplete reef. Physiological exclusion of acroporids from these O2‐deplete reefs underscores the need for hypoxia management to reduce extirpation risk.
Tackling Inequalities in Access to Medicines for People Experiencing Homelessness: A Meta‐Ethnography and Qualitative Systematic Review
Authors: Begum Tasnim , Murrell Kylie , Robinson‐Barella Anna
Published: October 2024

Introduction

Despite increased awareness of the detrimental relationship between homelessness and health, people experiencing homelessness remain an underserved population in health and social care research. Due to barriers affecting the accessibility of medicine and healthcare services, as well as reported competing priorities such as food and shelter, evidence has demonstrated that people experiencing homelessness are less likely to undergo routine examinations, receive diagnoses and adhere to prescribed medical treatments. To enhance service design and access for those experiencing homelessness, it is critical to better recognise, understand and address the barriers these individuals face. This meta‐ethnography aims to identify barriers, enablers and interventions to begin addressing this inequality gap.

Methods

A systematic literature search was undertaken in October and re‐ran in December 2023 across four databases: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and Scopus. Qualitative studies were included if they addressed barriers, enablers and interventions aimed at tackling medicines and health service inequalities among populations experiencing homelessness. Study quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist. Data were synthesised using a meta‐ethnographic approach, as outlined by Noblit and Hare. The review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42024511502) and performed according to PRISMA guidelines.

Results

This meta‐ethnographic systematic review synthesised data from eight studies across multiple countries. Three overarching third‐order constructs (termed ‘themes’) were developed through reciprocal translation and centred around: recognising and acknowledging the discrimination, stigma and barriers experienced when using current services; exploring safe and practical use of medicines and the promotion of general health education and appreciating strategies to tackle inequalities, namely community outreach programmes designed for homeless communities.

Conclusion

This work highlighted the barriers, enablers and interventions that sought to address the inequalities affecting people experiencing homelessness in accessing medication and healthcare services. Future research should utilise lived‐experience narratives and co‐design to further explore ways to tackle wider healthcare accessibility inequalities for this minoritised population.

Trial Registration

Not applicable, as this is a systematic review.

Patient or Public Contribution

Public contributors (minority research champions and one public health research champion, H.K.G. and T.G.) informed and shaped this project during study design and conceptualisation. They helped to ensure that the study was conducted, and the findings were reported with sensitivity.
The Management of Periodontally Diseased Individuals—A Registry‐Based Study on a Swedish Population
Authors: Alian Anna Y. , Liss Anna , Tomasi Cristiano , Abrahamsson Ingemar , Abrahamsson Kajsa H. , Welander Maria
Published: October 2024

Objectives

This registry‐based study aimed to describe cross‐sectional dental and demographic data with focus on diagnosis and treatment of periodontal disease. A second aim was to analyse the extent and content of performed periodontal treatment in patients with varying degrees of periodontitis and if treatment was provided on equal terms. An additional aim was to identify if possible differences in treatments were related to type of dental insurance system.

Methods

A study population, 225,913 individuals ≥ 20 years living in the Region of Västra Götaland, was identified by the Swedish Quality Registry for Caries and Periodontal Diseases (SKaPa). Registry data were retrieved for the period 2010–2012. Logistic regression models were used to predict the probability of receiving periodontal interventions and access to fixed annual fees.

Results

Among the study population, 17% had periodontal disease (≥ 4 teeth with periodontal pockets ≥ 4 mm) and constituted the final study sample. The probability of periodontal intervention increased with severity of periodontitis, in moderate (OR = 2.3) and severe cases (OR = 5.2) compared to the group with minor disease (p < 0.001). Severe periodontitis was associated with male gender, increasing age and smoking. About 30% of the individuals remained untreated over the 3‐year period. Individuals with fee‐for‐service were more likely to receive periodontal intervention than individuals with fixed annual fees (OR = 1.7; p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Severe periodontitis and being in the fee‐for‐service system were associated with more periodontal interventions. However, one‐third of the study subjects remained untreated. These findings indicate the need for improved care on equal terms for patients with periodontal disease.
A head‐to‐head comparison of situational judgment tests and assessment centers for measuring and predicting the same performance dimensions
Authors: Shakeri Iman , Lievens Filip
Published: October 2024

To date, a limited set of studies have compared the criterion‐related validity of low‐fidelity (SJT) versus high‐fidelity (AC) simulations for predicting job performance. Unfortunately, these studies validated these simulations through the overall assessment rating (OAR) instead of on the basis of specific dimensions. Given SJTs and ACs were compared that measured different dimensions, our understanding of the relative and comparative validity of these assessment approaches in measuring the same set of dimensions is still limited. Therefore, this study aims to conduct a head‐to‐head comparison of the criterion‐related validity of the AC and the SJT (and their incremental validity) while keeping the performance dimensions under investigation constant. Data were collected from 406 applicants for supervisory and management positions in a large Iranian steel industry company. In this process, a general mental ability test, a personality inventory, an SJT, and an AC were used as predictors, and supervisory ratings of job performance dimensions (Thinking, Feeling, and Power) served as criteria. The AC had relatively high validity for all three dimensions, whereas the SJT had a similar validity only for the Thinking dimension. So, the SJT was significantly weaker in assessing the Feeling and Power dimensions. These results were confirmed by incremental validity analyses. Overall, this study shows that understanding the relationships between predictor and criterion dimensions plays a critical role in developing valid selection systems.
An ideology of deserving: A historical analysis of the United States' immigration policies governing forced migration and social welfare
Authors: Bervik Alexander , Ferris Anna
Published: October 2024

Legislation governs both the admittance and treatment of forced migrants in the United States. Increasingly, many forced migrants are offered few welfare benefits, temporary protection, and no pathway to permanent residency. This paper explores forced migrants' legal categories and access to social welfare, focusing on five humanitarian protection statuses: Temporary Protected Status, Humanitarian Parole, Asylum Seeker, Refugee, and Asylee. Based on the concepts of welfare nationalism and the Protestant Work Ethic, our historical analysis examines the Welfare Reform Act of 1996 to see how this landmark legislation shaped access to welfare for noncitizens. We then focus on the emergence of humanitarian statuses since the 1950s and the legislation that constructed them. We conclude that immigration legislation governing forced migrants underlies an ideology of deserving, where some are treated as more meritorious than others. Thus, we call for welfare scholars to elevate immigration status as a key category in their research.
How have breeders adapted rice flowering to the growing region?
Authors: Kobayashi Asako , Suganami Mao , Yoshida Hideki , Morinaka Yoichi , Watanabe Syuto , Machida Yoshie , Chaya Genki , Nakaoka Fumihiro , Sato Nobuhito , Miura Kotaro , Matsuoka Makoto
Published: October 2024

Flowering time is a crucial rice trait that influences its adaptation to various environments, cropping schedules, and agronomic characteristics. Rice breeders have exploited spontaneous mutations in heading date genes to regulate the flowering time. In the present study, we investigated how breeders in Fukui Prefecture regulated days to heading while developing promising rice varieties. Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) identified Hd1, Hd16, and Hd18 as the major genes controlling days to heading in the population. However, we suspected that this highly bred population might exhibit genomic stratification, which could lead to spurious or false correlations in the GWAS. Thus, we also conducted correlation and partial correlation analyses, which uncovered another key heading date gene, Hd17, that GWAS failed to detect because of its linkage disequilibrium with the major effect gene Hd16. Examination of haplotype frequencies across different breeding periods revealed that the early‐heading Hd16 (Hd16(E)) and late‐heading Hd17 (Hd17(L)) were increasingly co‐selected in the Hd1 functional population. Varieties carrying this Hd16(E)/Hd17(L) combination exhibited days to heading in the range of 70–80, which corresponds to the peak temperature and sunshine period and is also optimal for grain quality and yield components in the Fukui environment. The present study highlights that it is imperative to remain vigilant for Type I (false positives) and Type II (false negatives) errors when performing GWAS on highly bred populations and to implement appropriate countermeasures by accounting for gene‐by‐gene interactions established through the breeding process. We also discuss the effectiveness of Hd16(E), which is not used outside Japan for subtle days to heading control but is widely used in Japan at certain latitudes.
Hypertension is associated with the reduction in epidermal small fibres independently of sural nerve inflammation in type 2 diabetic subjects
Authors: Wang Zhenchao , Kushibiki Hanae , Tarusawa Takefusa , Osonoi Sho , Ogasawara Saori , Miura Chinatsu , Sasaki Takanori , Ryuzaki Masaki , Yagihashi Soroku , Mizukami Hiroki
Published: October 2024

Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is a multifactorial disease associated not only with hyperglycaemia but also with circulatory disturbances such as hypertension. A close interaction between the immune system and hypertension is known. It remains unclear whether the inflammatory response is associated with hypertension in the pathology of human DPN. Autopsied patients were evaluated: 7 non‐diabetic patients (nDM), 11 non‐diabetic patients with hypertension (nDMHT), 6 patients with diabetes (DM) and 9 patients with hypertension and diabetes (DMHT). Intraepidermal nerve fibre density (IENFD) was examined by immunofluorescent staining. Dissected sural nerve (SNs) were morphometrically quantified. Dermal and endoneurial macrophage infiltration was evaluated by double immunostaining using anti‐CD68 and anti‐CD206 antibodies. IENFD was significantly decreased in DM compared to nDM (p < 0.05) and was further decreased in DMHT (p < 0.05). Myelinated nerve fibre density (MNFD) in the SN was significantly decreased in DM compared with nDM (p < 0.05) and further decreased in DMHT (p < 0.01 vs. DM). The infiltration of CD206−/CD68+ proinflammatory macrophages in the SN was significantly increased in DM compared to nDM (p < 0.05), whilst the number of CD206+/CD68+ anti‐inflammatory macrophages was decreased in DM (p < 0.05). Hypertension had no impact on macrophage infiltration. The ratio of CD206− and CD206+ macrophage was negatively correlated with MNFD (r = 0.42, p < 0.05) but not IENFD (r = 0.30, p = 0.09). Dermal CD206+ macrophage infiltration was similar amongst all groups. Diabetes complicated by hypertension significantly increased the total diffusion barrier thickness (p < 0.01 vs. DM). Total diffusion barrier thickness was inversely correlated with both IENFD (r = ‐0.59, p < 0.01) and MNFD (r =‐0.62, p < 0.01). Our results suggest that vascular factors and inflammation might be synergistically involved in pathological changes in human diabetic patients through different mechanisms.

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Effect of the glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists on diabetic peripheral neuropathy: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Fan Shujin , Qiu Yue , Liu Jing , Zhu Tianxin , Wang Chuan , Liu Dan , Yan Li , Ren Meng
Published: October 2024

Previous researches found that glucagon‐like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1RA) offer benefits beyond their anti‐diabetic properties, including weight loss and cardiovascular disease prevention. However, the effects of GLP‐1RA on diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) remain unclear. This meta‐analysis aims to assess the potential benefits of GLP‐1RA treatment in DPN patients by evaluating peripheral neural function. Following the Cochrane Collaboration and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we conducted a meta‐analysis of the clinical trials investigating the impact of GLP‐1RA treatment on peripheral neural function in patients with DPN. Outcomes were measured using electrophysiological tests, including nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and action potential amplitude. Our meta‐analysis included six studies with 271 participants. Following GLP‐1RA treatment, NCV significantly improved compared to the control group (MD 1.74; 95% CI 1.16 to 2.33; p < 0.001) and before treatment (MD 2.16; 95% CI 1.04 to 3.27; p < 0.001). Despite the improvement in NCV, blood glucose levels did not change significantly (MD −0.20 95% CI −0.87 to 0.46, p = 0.55) indicating that GLP‐1RA enhances NCV through mechanisms other than glucose lowering. Nonetheless, as a result of the limited population studied, further research is needed to strengthen the reliability of these findings.

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Dispensable regulation of brain development and myelination by the immune‐related protein Serpina3n
Authors: Zhu Meina , Wang Yan , Park Joohyun , Titus Annlin , Guo Fuzheng
Published: October 2024

Serine protease inhibitor clade A member 3n (Serpina3n) or its human orthologue SERPINA3 is a secretory immune‐related molecule produced primarily in the liver and brain under homeostatic conditions and up‐regulated in response to system inflammation. Yet, it remains elusive regarding its cellular identity and physiological significance in the development of the postnatal brain. Here, we reported that oligodendroglial lineage cells are the major cell population expressing Serpina3n protein in the postnatal murine CNS. Using loss‐of‐function genetic tools, we found that Serpina3n conditional knockout (cKO) from Olig2‐expressing cells does not significantly affect cognitive and motor functions in mice. Serpina3n depletion does not appear to interfere with oligodendrocyte differentiation and developmental myelination nor affects the population of other glial cells and neurons in vivo. Interestingly, Serpina3n is significantly up‐regulated in response to oxidative stress and its deficiency alleviates oxidative injury and diminishes cell senescence of oligodendrocytes in vitro. Together, our data suggest that the immune‐related molecule Serpina3n plays a minor role in neural cell development under homeostasis, yet it primes oligodendrocytes for CNS insults and regulates oligodendrocyte health under injured conditions. Our findings raise the interest in pursuing its functional significance in the CNS under disease/injury conditions.

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Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway—Beliefs About Compassion Predict Care and Motivation to Help Among Healthcare Professionals
Authors: Pavlova Alina , O'Donovan‐Lee Claire , Paine Sarah‐Jane , Consedine Nathan S.
Published: October 2024

Aims

To develop and preliminarily validate a measure of beliefs about compassion in health care and assess whether and which beliefs may predict compassion.

Design

Pre‐registered cross‐sectional online survey study with a repeated‐measures vignette component.

Method

Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor analyses were performed on a split sample of 890 healthcare professionals in Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). Links with fears of compassion for others, burnout, trait compassion, compassion competency and ability and self‐efficacy were used to assess convergent and divergent validity. Linear mixed model regression analyses were used to assess relationships between beliefs and compassion. In writing this report, we adhered to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines.

Results

Four‐factor structure featuring three negative (compassion as harmful, not useful, draining) and one positive (compassion is important) type of beliefs was established. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit and subscales indicated good measures of validity. Internal consistency was achieved for the subset of beliefs (harmful, not useful). Regression analyses indicated negative effects of the belief that compassion is draining on caring, motivation to help and compassion overall; negative effects of the belief that compassion is not useful on the motivation to help and a positive effect of the belief that compassion is important on caring and compassion overall. There was no effect of beliefs that compassion is harmful on compassion measures.

Conclusion

This report extends prior qualitative studies of beliefs about compassion in a large healthcare sample, offering a way to measure these potentially malleable factors that might be targeted in education, interventions and future research.

Patient or Public Contribution

The study was designed in consultation with healthcare and compassion research professionals, including substantial input from Indigenous Māori healthcare professionals.
Content and Effect of Introduction Programmes to Increase Retention and Decrease Turnover of Newly Graduated Nurses in Hospitals: Umbrella Review
Authors: Berthelsen Connie , Hansen Carrinna Aviaja
Published: October 2024

Aim

The aim of this study is to combine and compare results from systematic reviews reporting the content and effect of programmes for the introduction of newly graduated nurses employed in hospital settings on increasing retention and decreasing turnover.

Design

An umbrella review.

Methods

The electronic databases of PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL and PhycInfo were searched in January 2023 for eligible systematic reviews. The search string consisted of keywords extracted from the PICOS inclusion criteria. The AMSTAR 2 instrument was used for critical appraisal of the methodological quality of the eligible systematic reviews. The process and results of the review were presented using a narrative description of the data.

Results

Five systematic reviews, reporting 84 intervention studies evaluating nine types of introduction programmes from 2001 to 2018, were included in the umbrella review. All nine programme types were executed by nurses in a preceptor or mentor role and the content was directed towards training of the preceptor/mentor and introduction of the newly graduated nurses. The nine programmes showed overall positive effects on retention and turnover.

Conclusions

Mentorship and Preceptorship were the most frequently evaluated programmes in the included intervention studies of the five reviews. However, the lack of transparency of the reviews and the bias of the intervention studies within the reviews, made it difficult to conclude specific effects of the content of the nine programmes.

Registration

The protocol for the umbrella review is registered with Open Science Framework (https://OSF.IO/DXYS4).

Impact

A weak introduction to hospital employment of newly graduated nurses may decrease retention and increase turnover. Structured and personal introduction by a mentor can have an effect on the newly graduated nurses' intentions to stay in their hospital care position.

Reporting Method

AMSTAR 2.

Patient or Public Contribution

None.
Utilizing large‐scale insurance data sets to calibrate sub‐county level crop yields
Authors: Tsiboe Francis , Turner Dylan , Yu Jisang
Published: October 2024

Crop yields are crucial for research on agricultural risk and productivity but are typically only available at highly aggregated levels. Yield data at more granular levels of observation have the potential to enhance econometric identification and improve statistical power but are typically inaccessible. Crop insurance contracts offered via the US Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP) are priced, in part, based on past yields of the farm meaning year‐to‐year variation in premium rates has the potential to provide insight into how yields vary over time. This paper introduces methods to use observed FCIP rating parameters to calibrate yields for insurance transactions lacking such data. These methods are validated with 148,243 farm‐level observations from Kansas for which yields are known. The calibrated yields are applied empirically to examine the impact of asymmetric information in the FCIP via choice of insurance unit structure and the extent to which legislative changes mitigated this effect.
Coercive Measures in Psychiatry Can Hardly Be Justified in Principle Any Longer—Ethico‐Legal Requirements Versus Empirical Research Data and Conceptual Issues
Authors: Richter Dirk
Published: October 2024

Aim

To review the scientific and empirical evidence that is usually accepted for the ethical and legal justification of coercion in psychiatry.

Method

Five key criteria are examined as follows: (1) the demonstrable existence of a mental disorder; (2) the effectiveness of psychiatric measures; (3) the use of coercion as last resort and as least possible restriction; (4) the benefit of the person affected by the coercive measure and (5) the restoration of the affected person's autonomy.

Results

(1) The existence of a demarcation between a mentally ill and a mentally healthy state cannot be confirmed; (2) Pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions in psychiatry are not even moderately effective; (3) Coercive measures are usually not used as last resort and as least restrictive measure; (4) Most people affected by psychiatric coercion do not benefit from the measures; (5) It is at least unclear whether autonomy is affected by a mental illness and whether it can be restored through a coercive psychiatric measure.

Discussion

None of the central ethical and legal criteria for the use of coercion in psychiatry are clearly and unambiguously fulfilled according to current research.

Implications

Psychiatric coercion can hardly be justified any longer.
A comparative analysis of unsupervised machine‐learning methods in PSG‐related phenotyping
Authors: Ghorvei Mohammadreza , Karhu Tuomas , Hietakoste Salla , Ferreira‐Santos Daniela , Hrubos‐Strøm Harald , Islind Anna Sigridur , Biedebach Luka , Nikkonen Sami , Leppänen Timo , Rusanen Matias
Published: October 2024

Obstructive sleep apnea is a heterogeneous sleep disorder with varying phenotypes. Several studies have already performed cluster analyses to discover various obstructive sleep apnea phenotypic clusters. However, the selection of the clustering method might affect the outputs. Consequently, it is unclear whether similar obstructive sleep apnea clusters can be reproduced using different clustering methods. In this study, we applied four well‐known clustering methods: Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering; K‐means; Fuzzy C‐means; and Gaussian Mixture Model to a population of 865 suspected obstructive sleep apnea patients. By creating five clusters with each method, we examined the effect of clustering methods on forming obstructive sleep apnea clusters and the differences in their physiological characteristics. We utilized a visualization technique to indicate the cluster formations, Cohen's kappa statistics to find the similarity and agreement between clustering methods, and performance evaluation to compare the clustering performance. As a result, two out of five clusters were distinctly different with all four methods, while three other clusters exhibited overlapping features across all methods. In terms of agreement, Fuzzy C‐means and K‐means had the strongest (κ = 0.87), and Agglomerative hierarchical clustering and Gaussian Mixture Model had the weakest agreement (κ = 0.51) between each other. The K‐means showed the best clustering performance, followed by the Fuzzy C‐means in most evaluation criteria. Moreover, Fuzzy C‐means showed the greatest potential in handling overlapping clusters compared with other methods. In conclusion, we revealed a direct impact of clustering method selection on the formation and physiological characteristics of obstructive sleep apnea clusters. In addition, we highlighted the capability of soft clustering methods, particularly Fuzzy C‐means, in the application of obstructive sleep apnea phenotyping.
Sleep is altered during menstruation but not inflammatory parameters: Results from polysomnography of EPISONO database
Authors: Ishikura Isabela A. , Hachul Helena , Moysés‐Oliveira Mariana , Fernandes Guilherme Luiz , Tufik Sergio , Andersen Monica L.
Published: October 2024

Menstruation is an inflammatory process that involves changes in women's physiology leading to mental and physical complaints. Sleep is essential for optimal hormonal release, immune response, and wellbeing, becoming an important factor to be evaluated. We compared sleep, inflammatory mediators, fatigue, anxiety and depression symptoms, and quality of life in menstruating and non‐menstruating women. We used the polysomnographic data of 232 women from EPISONO 2007, an epidemiological study from São Paulo city, Brazil. Women were distributed into menstruating (N = 61) and non‐menstruating groups (N = 171). We applied questionnaires related to sleep quality, sleepiness, insomnia, fatigue, anxiety and depression symptoms, and quality of life. The serum levels of interleukin 6, tumour necrosis factor‐alpha, and C‐reactive protein were analysed. For statistical analysis the significance level adopted was p < 0.05. Sleep efficiency was statistically lower in menstruating women (81% ± 13) compared with the non‐menstruating group (84.2% ± 13.3, p < 0.023). No statistical differences between the two groups were found in respect to the other parameters analysed. Both groups scored for fatigue symptoms, but no statistical significance was observed between the groups. Our findings indicate that menstruation was associated with lower objective sleep efficiency, suggesting that menstruation may be a physiological factor impairing sleep. Further studies evaluating menstrual variables, and each phase of the menstrual cycle, should be undertaken to detect the main factors associated with sleep complaints, fatigue, and objective parameters of sleep.
Redefining “expansion” in congressional communication: Homestyles for a digital constituency
Authors: Davis Stephanie , Russell Annelise
Published: October 2024

Self‐presentation in Congress is more nationalized, with digital constituencies on platforms such as Twitter offering new reputation‐building opportunities. Digital constituencies transform traditional expectations of constituent communication, challenging Richard Fenno's theory that representatives adopt an “expansionist” style with constituents during early, vulnerable phases of their tenure. In a digital era that encourages a more national approach, we question how Fenno's distinction between expansionist and protectionist phases of connecting with constituents applies to reputation‐building with digital constituencies. While electorally vulnerable senators still seek to expand their presentation among geographic constituents, digital platforms, such as Twitter, incentivize them to protect their reputation among a digital constituency. We analyzed senators' Twitter communications from 2013 to 2023. We find the electoral vulnerabilities of Fenno's expansionist local model are associated with a protectionist model of engagement with digital constituencies on Twitter. Our study sheds light on the significance of online reputation management and its implications for representing a media‐influenced, modern Congress.
Characterisation of the tumour microenvironment in primary and recurrent glioblastomas
Authors: Knudsen Arnon Møldrup , Ewald Jesper Dupont , Pedersen Vilde , Haupt‐Jorgensen Martin , Hansen Elisabeth Victoria Riber , Kristensen Bjarne Winther
Published: October 2024

Aims

Glioblastoma patients have a dismal prognosis, due to inevitable tumour recurrence and respond poorly to immunotherapy. Tumour‐associated microglia/macrophages (TAMs) dominate the glioblastoma tumour microenvironment and have been implicated in tumour progression and immune evasion. Early recurrent glioblastomas contain focal reactive regions with occasional fibrosis, chronic inflammation, TAMs and tumour cells. Surgical specimens from these tumours are rare and provide crucial insights into glioblastoma recurrence biology. This study aimed to characterise TAM‐ and lymphocyte phenotypes in primary vs early‐ and late‐recurrent glioblastomas.

Methods

Patient‐matched primary and recurrent glioblastomas were compared between patients with early recurrences (n = 11, recurrence ≤6 months) and late recurrences (n = 12, recurrence after 12–19 months). Double‐immunofluorescence stains combining Iba1 with HLA‐DR, CD14, CD68, CD74, CD86, CD163, CD204 and CD206 along with stains for CD20, CD3, CD8 and FOXP3 were quantified with software‐based classifiers.

Results

Reactive regions in early recurrent tumours contained more TAMs (31.4% vs 21.7%, P = 0.01), which showed increased expression of CD86 (59.4% vs 38.4%, P = 0.04), CD204 (48.5% vs 28.4%, P = 0.03), CD206 (25.5% vs 14.4%, P = 0.04) and increased staining intensity for CD163 (86.4 vs 57.7 arbitrary units, P = 0.02), compared to late recurring tumours. Reactive regions contained more B‐lymphocytes compared to patient‐matched primary tumours (0.71% vs 0.40%, P = 0.04). Fractions of total, cytotoxic and regulatory T‐lymphocytes did not differ.

Conclusions

Early recurrent glioblastomas showed enrichment for TAMs, expressing both pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory markers and B‐lymphocytes. This may indicate a time‐dependent response to immunotherapy explained by time‐dependent alterations in the immune‐microenvironment in recurrent glioblastomas.
The t‐SNARE protein OsSYP132 is required for vesicle fusion and root morphogenesis in rice
Authors: Zhu Jianshu , Li Mengzhen , Lu Hong , Li Yong , Ren Meiyan , Xu Jiming , Ding Wona , Wang Yong , Wu Yunrong , Liu Yu , Wu Zhongchang , Mo Xiaorong , Mao Chuanzao
Published: October 2024

Root morphogenesis is crucial for water and nutrient acquisition, but many aspects of root morphogenesis in crops are not well‐understood.

Here, we cloned and functionally characterized a key gene for root morphogenesis in rice (Oryza sativa) based on mutant analysis. The stop root morphogenesis 1 (srm1) mutant lacks crown roots (CRs) and lateral roots (LRs) and carries a point mutation in the t‐SNARE coding gene SYNTAXIN OF PLANTS 132 (OsSYP132), leading to a premature stop codon and ablating the post‐transmembrane (PTM) region of OsSYP132.

We identified the functional SNARE complex OsSYP132–OsNPSN13–OsSYP71–OsVAMP721/722 and determined that the integrity of the PTM region of OsSYP132 is essential for OsSYP132‐based SNARE complex‐mediated fusion of OsVAMP721/722 vesicles with the plasma membrane.

The loss of this region in srm1 disrupts the intercellular trafficking and plasma membrane localization of OsPIN1b, preventing proper auxin distribution in the primordia of CRs and LRs and inhibiting their outgrowth.
Divergent Assembly Processes of Phyllosphere and Rhizosphere Microbial Communities Along Environmental Gradient
Authors: Li Yang , Wang Jinsong , Pan Junxiao , Zhang Ruiyang , Zhou Benjamin , Niu Shuli
Published: October 2024

The underlying assembly processes of surface microbial communities are crucial for host plants and ecosystem functions. However, the relative importance of stochastic and deterministic processes in shaping epiphytic microbes remains poorly understood in both the phyllosphere and rhizosphere. Here, we compared the spatial variations in epiphytic microbial communities of two dominant grasses along a 1400 km transect on the Tibetan Plateau and assessed the assembly processes between the phyllosphere and rhizosphere. We found significant variations in epiphytic microbial community compositions between plant compartments and host species. Stochastic processes (drift and homogenizing dispersal) predominantly shaped microbial communities in both the phyllosphere and rhizosphere, with a greater contribution of stochastic processes in the phyllosphere. As environmental heterogeneity intensified, we found a transition from stochasticity to determinism in affecting the microbial assembly. This transition to homogeneous or variable selection depended on plant compartments and host species. Our study is among the first to compare the contribution of stochastic versus deterministic processes to epiphytic community assembly between the phyllosphere and rhizosphere on the Tibetan Plateau. These findings advance our knowledge of epiphytic microbial assembly and disentangle how host plants exploit the microbiome for improved performance and functioning in stressful alpine ecosystems.
Explicit exact solutions for plane shock waves in dilute polyatomic gases
Authors: Uribe F. J. , Velasco R. M. , Marques W.
Published: October 2024

The exact solutions for the Navier–Stokes–Fourier equations in the case of plane shock waves for dilute monatomic gases with constant transport coefficients were found by Becker in 1922. The solutions obtained are limited for a Prandtl's number given by . Besides the solutions for the speed and temperature, profiles were given in an implicit way. In this paper, we consider Becker's model to find some exact explicit solutions for dilute polyatomic gases.
The thylakoid phosphatase TEF8 is involved in state transition and high light stress resistance in Chlamydomonas
Authors: Dong Jie , Hou Jinrong , Yao Qiang , Wang Baoxiang , Wang Jingyi , Shen Xuan , Lai Ke , Ge Haitao , Wang Yingchun , Xu Min , Fu Aigen , Wang Fei
Published: October 2024

The sophisticated regulation of state transition is required to maintain optimal photosynthetic performance under fluctuating light condition, through balancing the absorbed light energy between photosystem II and photosystem I. This exquisite process incorporates phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of light‐harvesting complexes and PSII core subunits, accomplished by thylakoid membrane‐localized kinases and phosphatases that have not been fully identified. In this study, one Chlamydomonas high light response gene, THYLAKOID ENRICHED FRACTION 8 (TEF8), was characterized. The Chlamydomonas tef8 mutant showed high light sensitivity and defective state transition. The enzymatic activity assays showed that TEF8 is a bona fide phosphatase localized in thylakoid membranes. Biochemical assays, including BN‐PAGE, pull‐down, and phosphopeptide mass spectrometry, proved that TEF8 associates with photosystem II and is involved in the dephosphorylation of D2 and CP29 subunits during state 2 to state 1 transition. Taken together, our results identified TEF8 as a thylakoid phosphatase with multiple dephosphorylation targets on photosystem II, and provide new insight into the regulatory mechanism of state transition and high light resistance in Chlamydomonas.
Influence of Ultrasonic Surface Rolling on the Tensile and Fatigue Properties of Laser-Cladding-Repaired 300M Steel Components
Authors: Cong Jiahui , Zhang Zhichao , Xing Xinyuan , Zhou Song , Gao Shoulong , Liu Zhuo
Published: October 2024

Herein, to address the issue of decreased tensile and fatigue performances observed in 300M steel scratched parts after laser-cladding repairing, an ultrasonic surface rolling process (USRP) was employed to enhance the strength of the laser-cladding-repaired (LCR) samples. Results indicated that USRP led to the formation of a strengthening layer on the surface of the samples. In the parent material area, the thickness of the strengthening layer was 180 μm, while in the cladding area, it was 35 μm. The superficial microhardness increased by 11.6% in the parent material area and by 5.0% in the cladding area. Furthermore, the surface residual stress transitioned from tensile to compressive stress, reaching a maximum of 1169.9 MPa. Improvements were observed in the tensile performance, as evidenced by a reduction in the length of the tearing ridge in the fracture morphology. In addition, the fatigue life considerably increased, initially increasing and then decreasing as the number of rolling passes increased. After four cycles of USRP, the fatigue life of the samples was the highest, which was about 18.4 times that of an unprocessed sample. The origin location of cracks shifted from the surface to the interior of the samples. This shift was accompanied by a decrease in the instantaneous fracture area and the emergence of additional secondary cracks. These experimental results demonstrate that USRP is an effective technique for improving the tensile and fatigue performances of LCR 300M steel samples.
Numerical Study of an Axial Piston Pump: Prediction Method of Flow Ripple Based on Digital Twin
Authors: Dong Chang , Tao Jianfeng , Sun Hao , Liu Chengliang
Published: October 2024

The flow and pressure ripple is generated by positive displacement pumps in the hydraulic circuit. Indirectly measuring flow ripple is complicated and impractical due to the complexity of the pipeline in practical systems and modeling uncertainty in model-based prediction methods. To address this problem, our research introduces an innovative approach utilizing digital twin technology for accurately predicting the flow ripple in axial piston pumps. The proposed method reduces modeling uncertainty by only including the pump model and a small part of the pipeline to the pressure sensor as the digital twin model. The measured pressure ripple signal from the pressure sensor is used as the boundary condition for the digital twin model. The effectiveness of this method is verified through numerical experiment. In these, we can easily obtained real flow ripple signals, demonstrating the practical applicability of our approach. The results are promising; with minimal modeling errors and no phase deviation, the predicted flow ripple closely aligns with the actual flow ripple observed in the experiments. This high degree of accuracy underscores the potential of our method in real-world applications. Furthermore, two soft solutions without an angle encoder installed at the shaft are proposed to find the phase-matching digital twin model.
Reduced-Order Discharge Area Surrogate Model of Claw-Shaped Notch Hydraulic Spool Valve
Authors: Zhang Yuhang , Ding Beichen , Yan Guishan , Ai Chao
Published: October 2024

The non-road mobile machinery, e.g., loader and tractor, is in urgent demand for energy conservation. As the core element of the non-road mobile machinery, the hydraulic spool valve has a noticeable pressure drop across the valve port under the condition of high pressure and great flow rate, especially with high-order notches, which causes large pump energy losses through heat dissipation. At present, lacking relevant studies of the coupling relationship between high-order notch structure and pressure drop leads to design challenges in optimizing notch matching scheme. To obtain in-depth understanding of the high-order notch optimization problem, this paper introduces a reduced-order discharge area surrogate model (RO-DASM) for claw-shaped notch (CSN) hydraulic spool valves based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis and Kriging model. This RO-DASM model is used exclusively to predict the flow rate-pressure drop (FR-PD) characteristics of the CSN hydraulic spool valve under the ultimate saturation flow rate (USFR) condition. CFD results indicate that the raised RO-DASM model achieves a credible forecast for pressure drop with an average relative deviation below 5% under the flow rate of 250, 350, and 450 L/min. The suggested model realizes the approximate expression of the CSN effectively and may be operated to various types of high-order notches flexiblely.
Fault Diagnosis of Pump Rotor-Bearing System Based on Frequency Temporal Series Graph Under Time-Varying Speed Conditions
Authors: Sun Sichao , Xia Xinyu , Yang Jiale , Zhou Hua
Published: October 2024

The pump serves as crucial power component in the hydraulic system. In the actual working process, it often runs in time-varying speed conditions such as startup, shutdown, acceleration, and deceleration, which makes the rotor-bearing system in the pump often work in an unstable environment and prone to failure. Most of the existing fault diagnosis researches are based on vibration signals. However, variations in rotational speed over time will also induce changes in vibration signal, which will cover the signal change caused by the fault of the system itself, resulting in confusion of signal characteristics and misjudgment of fault diagnosis. To perform precise fault diagnosis under time-varying speed conditions, a diagnosis method based on Frequency Temporal Series (FTS) graph is proposed. The time domain vibration signal is converted into the frequency domain signal by Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The frequency values corresponding to the top k maximum amplitudes in the spectrum are selected as the node features, and the nodes are connected in chronological order through edges. The fault signal is constructed as the FTS graphs to map the time-varying fault information. Subsequently, a synchronous extraction model of spatiotemporal information is built, and the fault feature information embedded in graph nodes and the time dependence information among internal nodes of the graph are extracted at the same time to generate multi-scale fusion features. Finally, the fully connected and Softmax layers are employed as the classifier to categorize the multi-scale fusion features that have been extracted spatiotemporal information. Through experiments under time-varying speed conditions, it is verified that the proposed method can effectively identify the speed change during the operation of the system. The diagnostic accuracy reaches 99.17 %, outperforming other deep learning diagnostic methods.
Model Predictive Speed Control of a Digital Hydraulic Drive
Authors: Darnet Justin , Bideaux Éric , Trégouët Jean-François , Brunel Yohann
Published: October 2024

Model Predictive Control (MPC) strategies have already been successfully studied for digital hydraulics, especially to control the torque of digital hydraulic drives and the pressure of digital hydraulic transmissions. A great improvement of the efficiency was appreciated, at the expense of a large computational time. This paper proposes a novel approach of the MPC which aims at controlling the rotational speed of a digital hydraulic motor. The new cost function that is introduced in this paper enables the motor performance to be balanced between precision and energetic efficiency. This algorithm is then compared to another control strategy which allows as well to regulate the rotational speed of the motor very accurately, using the torque as intermediate variable instead of the motor displacement. The performance of both control laws are illustrated in simulation.
Design of Digital Displacement Pump Systems With Multiple Pumps
Authors: Wiens Travis , Schmidt Mitchell , Williamson Chris
Published: October 2024

Digital Displacement Pumps (DDPs) are hydraulic pumps which operate on the concept of enabling or disabling individual pistons of a radial piston pump. This allows for the combination of the high efficiency of radial piston designs with the flow control capability of a variable displacement design. In the most efficient mode, where each piston is fully enabled or disabled for an entire stroke of the piston, this results in a pulsing flow at the pump outlet. In some cases, this can result in undesirable levels of pressure pulsation with associated noise, vibration, and harshness. In previous work it has been shown that the design of the hose or piping immediately downstream of the pump can have significant effects on this pressure ripple. In this paper we expand this work to systems with two or more pumps in parallel. We present results comparing “star” and “rail” connection configurations and study the effects of line lengths and stiffness on generated pressure ripple. Simulation results are used to develop simple equations approximating resonance frequencies. Finally, we present guidelines for design of multi-pump DDP systems.