bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pacemaker implantation for persistent sinus node dysfunction in a patient with COVID‐19
Authors: Ota Tsuyoshi , Okajima Katsunori , Nagamatsu Yuichi , Nakanishi Tomoyuki , Kaetsu Yasuhiro , Sawada Takahiro , Shirai Takeaki , Shiraki Rio , Kadotani Makoto , Onishi Yoshio
Published: January 2023

A 46‐year‐old woman was admitted with coronavirus disease‐2019 infection. Symptomatic sinus bradycardia occurred, followed by congestive heart failure. Therapeutics such as isoproterenol, theophylline, and cilostazol could not safely improve her symptoms. She underwent pacemaker implantation 53 days after admission. Atrial pacing remained was at 60% after 6 months.
Effects of Key Parameters on Nanofluid Thermal Performance in Heat Exchangers
Authors: Porgar Sajjad , Vafajoo Leila , Ali Hafiz Muhammad
Published: January 2023

Nanofluids are utilized in cooling equipment such as heat exchangers and renewable energies such as solar cells as heat transfer fluid. The techniques for nanofluid stability enhancement and stability evaluations, such as zeta potential, electron microscopy, and photographic techniques for sedimentation, are reviewed as well as some recent achievements in nanofluid stabilization and research on the parameters affecting the thermal properties of nanofluids. Finally, the applications of nanofluids in cooling devices are described. Increased heat transfer, reduced heat transfer time and size of heat exchangers, and finally higher energy and heat efficiency could be the most significant achievements. The parameters affecting the thermal conductivity of nanofluids include concentration, temperature, particle fluid, type of base fluid, and nanoparticles.
Direct detection of a single [4Fe‐4S] cluster in a tungsten‐containing enzyme: Electrochemical conversion of CO2 into formate by formate dehydrogenase
Authors: Li Wenjin , Gao Yanxin , Sun Xuan , Wan Lei , Ji Haishuo , Luo Hang , Tian Yao , Song Hao , Wu Geng , Zhang Liyun
Published: January 2023

The conversion of CO2 into fuels and valuable chemicals is one of the central topics to combat climate change and meet the growing demand for renewable energy. Herein, we show that the formate dehydrogenase from Clostridium ljungdahlii (ClFDH) adsorbed on electrodes displays clear characteristic voltammetric signals that can be assigned to the reduction and oxidation potential of the [4Fe‐4S]2+/+ cluster under nonturnover conditions. Upon adding substrates, the signals transform into a specific redox center that engages in catalytic electron transport. ClFDH catalyzes rapid and efficient reversible interconversion between CO2 and formate in the presence of substrates. The turnover frequency of electrochemical CO2 reduction is determined as 1210 s−1 at 25 °C and pH 7.0, which can be further enhanced up to 1786 s−1 at 50°C. The Faradaic efficiency at −0.6 V (vs. standard hydrogen electrode) is recorded as 99.3% in a 2‐h reaction. Inhibition experiments and theoretical modeling disclose interesting pathways for CO2 entry, formate exit, and OCN− competition, suggesting an oxidation‐state‐dependent binding mechanism of catalysis. Our results provide a different perspective for understanding the catalytic mechanism of FDH and original insights into the design of synthetic catalysts.
Ability of Azathiacyclen Ligands To Stop Cu(Aβ)‐Induced Production of Reactive Oxygen Species: [3N1S] Is the Right Donor Set
Authors: Malikidogo Kyangwi P. , Drommi Marielle , Atrián‐Blasco Elena , Hormann Jan , Kulak Nora , Esmieu Charlène , Hureau Christelle
Published: January 2023

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an incurable neurodegenerative disease that leads to the progressive and irreversible loss of mental functions. The amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide involved in the disease is responsible for the production of damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS) when bound to Cu ions. A therapeutic approach that consists of removing Cu ions from Aβ to alter this deleterious interaction is currently being developed. In this context, we report the ability of five different 12‐membered thiaazacyclen ligands to capture Cu from Aβ and to redox silence it. We propose that the presence of a sole sulfur atom in the ligand increases the rate of Cu capture and removal from Aβ, while the kinetic aspect of the chelation was an issue encountered with the 4N parent ligand. The best ligand for removing Cu from Aβ and inhibiting the associated ROS production is the 1‐thia‐4,7,10‐triazacyclododecane [3N1S]. Indeed the replacement of more N by S atoms makes the corresponding Cu complexes easier to reduce and thus able to produce ROS on their own. In addition, the ligand with three sulfur atoms has a weaker affinity for CuII than Aβ, and is thus unable to remove Cu from CuAβ.
Ultrathin Two‐Dimensional BiOCl‐Bi2S3‐Cu2S Ternary Heterostructures with Enhanced LSPR effect for NIR Photonic Bacterial Disinfection**
Authors: Yang Shouning , Wang Shengkun , Wang Yaru , Song Jian , Jiang Yuqin , Chen Liang , Yang Huayan
Published: January 2023

Abstract: Photonic disinfection, particularly near‐infrared (NIR) light triggered antibacterial, has emerged as a highly promising solution for combating pathogenic microbes due to its spatiotemporal operability, safety, and low cost of apparatus. However, it remains challenging to construct NIR‐responsive antibacterial agents with high light‐converting efficacy and elucidate synergistic mechanisms. In this work, ultrathin two‐dimensional (2D) BiOCl‐Bi2S3‐Cu2S ternary heterostructures that can efficiently kill drug‐resistant bacteria were synthesized by doping 0D Bi2S3 and Cu2S nanoparticles in the 2D BiOCl nanosheets via a facile one‐pot hydrothermal method. Notably, the incorporation of Cu2S nanoparticles bestows strong NIR light‐harvesting capability to the composite nanosheets due to their localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). Upon NIR light illumination, the BiOCl‐Bi2S3‐Cu2S nanosheets can achieve enhanced photonic hyperthermia and reaction oxygen species (ROS) generation, serving as single light‐activated bi‐functional photothermal/photodynamic therapeutics. High‐speed hot electrons and large local electronic fields caused by LSPR might play an important role in thermal vibrations and effective carrier separations, respectively. Benefiting from the unique ternary heterostructures, both the photothermal conversion and ROS generation efficacy of BiOCl‐Bi2S3‐Cu2S nanosheets are significantly improved compared to the binary BiOCl‐Cu2S or BiOCl‐Bi2S3 nanosheets. Accordingly, the ternary composite nanosheets can effectively kill bacteria via the NIR‐driven photonic disinfection mechanism. This work presents a new type of 2D composite nanosheets with ternary heterostructures for NIR photonic disinfection.
Development of a Separation Sequence for the Integration of a Styrene Recyclate into Polystyrene Production
Authors: Merkel Amelie , Plessing Lukas , Luinstra Gerrit A. , Grünewald Marcus , Biessey Philip
Published: January 2023

This work addresses the processing of a polystyrene recyclate stream into polystyrene synthesis on an industrial scale. Evaluating the energetic demand of the separation process with the following reintegration of the recyclate stream shows a significantly reduced specific energy input compared to conventional polystyrene synthesis. Therefore, recycling polystyrene by pyrolysis and thermal separation shows a considerable potential as a tool for industrial circular production in the plastics sector.
The effect of heat transfer characteristics of macromolecule fouling on heat exchanger surface: A dynamic simulation study
Authors: Karimi Shoar Zahra , Pourpasha Hadi , Zeinali Heris Saeed , Mousavi Seyed Borhan , Mohammadpourfard Mousa
Published: January 2023

At the city gate gas pressure reduction stations (CGSs), to prevent natural gas from forming a hydrate in the throttle valve, the natural gas is heated by the heater before reaching the pressure relief valve. Heat exchangers are an essential component of industrial processes that contribute significantly to total system energy. Since the element impacting heat exchanger performance is the fouling process, all fouling processes and models were dynamically simulated in this study. Through coding in the C++ language and simultaneous use of fluent functions, or, in other words, user‐defined function (UDF), fouling‐related models were defined for this software. The dynamic simulation was performed, and parameters such as fouling strength and layer thickness were calculated. The effects of changing operating conditions, such as gas inlet velocity, surface temperature, and fouling species concentration on fouling growth, were also evaluated. As the concentration of fouling species increased, the fouling rate also increased. The amount of supersaturation and fouling rate increased as the surface temperature increased. Due to the operational limitations of the system, to reduce the fouling rate, the gas inlet velocity should be as high as possible, and the fluid inlet temperature, surface temperature, and concentration of fouling species should be as low as possible. In this study, the required time to reach the efficiency of 70% of the heat exchanger was calculated using the modelling of this chamber, which was equivalent to 190 days. Additionally, the critical thickness of the fouling layer at this time was 3.5 cm.
Hybrid interconnection networks for reducing hardware cost and improving path diversity based on fat‐trees and hypercubes
Authors: Wang Yaodong , Li Yamin
Published: January 2023

Fat‐tree topologies are widely used in interconnect network designs for parallel supercomputers. In the classic fat‐tree, compute nodes are connected to leaf stage switches by links. Given a large number of compute nodes, many switches and links are required, resulting in high hardware costs. To solve this problem, this paper proposes two hybrid topologies, ‐Cube ‐Ary ‐Tree (CAT) and Mirrored ‐Cube ‐Ary ‐Tree (MiCAT), based on fat‐tree and hypercube. Instead of connecting compute nodes directly to a leaf switch, we connect a ‐cube to the switch, and each switch in the ‐cube part connects compute nodes. That is, this ‐cube consists of switches and compute nodes. We give the shortest path routing algorithms and evaluate the path diversity, cost, performance, and average packet latency of CAT and MiCAT. The results show that CAT and MiCAT can save up to switches and links in a large‐scale parallel system, for example, compared to fat‐trees, and meanwhile, both CAT and MiCAT have higher path diversities than fat‐trees.
Hybrid optimization algorithm for optimal designing of microstrip patch antenna
Authors: Guttula Ramakrishna , Adireddy Ramesh , Mannepally Venkateswarlu
Published: January 2023

Microstrip Patch Antennas (MPAs) are generally renowned for their adaptability regarding feasible geometries, which makes them appropriate for numerous diverse conditions. The suitability to integrate and the trivial structure with microwave incorporated circuits was said to be the major advantage among several advantages. MPA poses constricted bandwidth; thus it has a complication while tuning. In addition, MPAs are renowned for their reduced gain. As a result, there is a necessity to raise the gain and bandwidth of MPA. This work intends to put forward a novel approach that gets a non‐linear objective for assisting the modeling of solution spaces for antenna constraints. Thus, “Salp Swarm based Shark Smell Optimization (SS‐SSO) that hybrids the concepts of Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA) and Shark Smell Optimization (SSO)” is developed that tuned the constraints of MPA. The implication of the developed approach is to boost the antenna gain by optimal electing of dielectric value, patch length, substrate width, and thickness of MPA.
Inference ofP(X>Y) for the Burr‐XII model under generalized progressive hybrid censored data with binomial removals
Authors: Çetinkaya Çağatay
Published: January 2023

In this paper, we studied the estimation of based on the Burr‐XII distribution under the generalized progressive hybrid censoring scheme. This censoring scheme has become quite popular depending progressive hybrid censoring scheme cannot be applied when few failures occur before pre‐determined time . In this progressive censoring plan, amount of units withdrawn at each failure is assumed to be random and subject to the binomial distributions. Inferences of are obtained under equal shape parameters and different shape parameters, respectively. Maximum likelihood (MLE) and the Bayesian estimation methods are used. We obtain the MLEs of the parameters using Newton‐Raphson (NR) and expectation maximization (EM) methods, respectively. In the Bayesian section, Lindley's approximation and Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method with Metropolis‐Hasting algorithm are used. Simulation studies are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed estimators and two real‐data examples are provided to exemplify the theoretical outcomes.
Regioselective 2′‐Silylation of Purine Ribonucleosides for Phosphoramidite RNA Synthesis
Authors: Gaffney Barbara L. , Jones Roger A.
Published: January 2023

This article describes high‐yield procedures for protection of purine ribonucleosides based on a reaction that allows highly regioselective 2′‐silylation. Each protocol makes use of two transient protection steps. In the case of tritylation of the 5′ hydroxyl, the 2′,3′‐diol is protected by reaction with N,N‐dimethylformamide dimethylacetal (Zemlicka, 1963) to prevent the small, but potentially troublesome, tritylation of the 2′‐hydroxyl that otherwise accompanies tritylation of the 5′‐hydroxyl (Zhang et al., 1997). The phenoxyacetylation of the amino group is carried out after transient hydroxyl and guanine O6 protection with trimethylchlorosilane using the hydroxybenzotriazole active ester of phenoxyacetic acid. These protocols give overall yields that are three times the best yields available by conventional procedures for adenosine and guanosine, but offer no advantage for cytidine or uridine. © 2023 The Authors. Current Protocols published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

Basic Protocol 1: Synthesis of 5′‐O‐(4,4′‐dimethoxytrityl)‐2′‐O‐tert‐butyldimethylsilyl‐6‐N‐acyladenosine

Basic Protocol 2: Synthesis of 5′‐O‐(4,4′‐dimethoxytrityl)‐2′‐O‐tert‐butyldimethysilyl‐2‐N‐acylguanosine
CircZSWIM6 mediates dysregulation of ECM and energy homeostasis in ageing chondrocytes through RPS14 post‐translational modification
Authors: Gong Zhe , Wang Kefan , Chen Junxin , Zhu Jinjin , Feng Zhenhua , Song Chenxin , Zhang Zheyuan , Wang Haoming , Fan Shunwu , Shen Shuying , Fang Xiangqian
Published: January 2023

Background

Circular RNAs (CircRNAs) are important and have different roles in disease progression. Herein, we aim to elucidate the roles of a novel CircRNA (CircZSWIM6) which is upregulated in ageing chondrocytes.

Methods

We verified the roles of CircZSWIM6 in senescent and osteoarthritis (OA) development in vitro through CircZSWIM6 knockdown and overexpression. RNA pulldown assay and RNA binding protein immunoprecipitation were performed to identify the interaction between CircZSWIM6 and Ribosomal protein S14 (RPS14). The roles of CircZSWIM6 in ageing‐related OA were also confirmed in non‐traumatic and traumatic model respectively.

Results

CircZSWIM6 regulates extracellular matrix (ECM) and energy metabolism in ageing chondrocyte. Mechanistically, CircZSWIM6 competitively bound to the E3 ligase STUB1 binding site on RPS14 (K125) to inhibit proteasomal degradation of RPS14 to maintain RPS14 function. CircZSWIM6‐RPS14 axis is highly associated with AMPK signaling transduction, which keeps energy metabolism in chondrocyte. Furthermore, CircZSWIM6 AAV infection leads to senescent and OA phenotypes in a non‐traumatic model and accelerates OA progression in a traumatic model.

Conclusion

Our results revealed a significant role of CircZSWIM6 in age‐related OA by regulating ECM metabolism and AMPK‐associated energy metabolism. We highlight the CircZSWIM6‐RPS14‐PCK1‐AMPK axis is a potential biomarker for OA.
Eating disorders and substance use: Examining associations among US college students
Authors: Qeadan Fares , English Kevin , Luke Amy , Egbert Jamie
Published: January 2023

Objective

To investigate associations between reported eating disorder (ED) diagnosis and substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis, substance misuse, and illicit drug use among US college students.

Method

Data consisting of n = 414,299 students' responses to the National College Health Assessment survey conducted by the American College Health Association between fall 2015 and spring 2019 were utilized for this study. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios were used to determine the association of reported ED diagnosis with reported SUD diagnosis, misuse of cigarettes, e‐cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine/methamphetamine, sedatives, hallucinogens, opiates, inhalants, MDMA, and other club drugs, as well as illicit use of prescription pain killers, prescription sedatives, and prescription stimulants. A sensitivity analysis investigating associations between reported anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and each substance use outcome was also conducted.

Results

Among all in our analytic cohort, 7.15% reported receiving an ED diagnosis or being treated for an ED in the last 12 months. Students with ED indications were significantly more likely to report each of the substance use outcomes investigated in this study, including SUD diagnosis (aOR: 7.43; 95% CI: 6.98, 7.92; p < .0001), opiate misuse (aOR: 8.35; 95% CI: 7.38, 9.45; p < .0001), and misuse of other club drugs (aOR: 10.37; 95% CI: 9.10, 11.81; p < .0001) than peers without reported EDs. Both AN and BN were associated with an increased likelihood of SUD diagnosis.

Discussion

These findings demonstrate strong associations between EDs and the most extensive list of substance use outcomes explored in the context of college setting ED research to date.
The Environmental Data Initiative: Connecting the past to the future through data reuse
Authors: Gries Corinna , Hanson Paul C. , O'Brien Margaret , Servilla Mark , Vanderbilt Kristin , Waide Robert
Published: January 2023

The Environmental Data Initiative (EDI) is a trustworthy, stable data repository, and data management support organization for the environmental scientist. In a bottom‐up community process, EDI was built with the premise that freely and easily available data are necessary to advance the understanding of complex environmental processes and change, to improve transparency of research results, and to democratize ecological research. EDI provides tools and support that allow the environmental researcher to easily integrate data publishing into the research workflow. Almost ten years since going into production, we analyze metadata to provide a general description of EDI's collection of data and its data management philosophy and placement in the repository landscape. We discuss how comprehensive metadata and the repository infrastructure lead to highly findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (FAIR) data by evaluating compliance with specific community proposed FAIR criteria. Finally, we review measures and patterns of data (re)use, assuring that EDI is fulfilling its stated premise.
Crayfish population size under different routes of pathogen transmission
Authors: Koivu‐Jolma Mikko , Kortet Raine , Vainikka Anssi , Kaitala Veijo
Published: January 2023

We present an epidemiological model for the crayfish plague, a disease caused by an invasive oomycete Aphanomyces astaci, and its general susceptible freshwater crayfish host. The pathogen shows high virulence with resulting high mortality rates in freshwater crayfishes native to Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America. The crayfish plague occurrence shows complicated dynamics due to the several types of possible infection routes, which include cannibalism and necrophagy. We explore this complexity by addressing the roles of host cannibalism and the multiple routes of transmission through (1) environment, (2) contact, (3) cannibalism, and (4) scavenging of infected carcasses. We describe a compartment model having six classes of crayfish and a pool of crayfish plague spores from a single nonevolving strain. We show that environmental transmission is the decisive factor in the development of epidemics. Compared with a pathogen‐free crayfish population, the presence of the pathogen with a low environmental transmission rate, regardless of the contact transmission rate, decreases the crayfish population size with a low risk of extinction. Conversely, a high transmission rate could drive both the crayfish and pathogen populations to extinction. High contact transmission rate with a low but nonzero environmental transmission rate can have mixed outcomes from extinction to large healthy population, depending on the initial values. Scavenging and cannibalism have a relevant role only when the environmental transmission rate is low, but scavenging can destabilize the system by transmitting the pathogen from a dead to a susceptible host. To the contrary, cannibalism stabilizes the dynamics by decreasing the proportion of infected population. Our model provides a simple tool for further analysis of complex host parasite dynamics and for the general understanding of crayfish disease dynamics in the wild.
Environmental and topographic drivers of amphibian phylogenetic diversity and endemism in the Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Paúl Maria João , Rosauer Dan , Tarroso Pedro , Velo‐Antón Guillermo , Carvalho Sílvia B.
Published: January 2023

Understanding the ecological and evolutionary processes driving biodiversity patterns and allowing their persistence is of utmost importance. Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain spatial diversity patterns, including water‐energy availability, habitat heterogeneity, and historical climatic refugia. The main goal of this study is to identify if general spatial drivers of species diversity patterns of phylogenetic diversity (PD) and phylogenetic endemism (PE) at the global scale are also predictive of PD and PE at regional scales, using Iberian amphibians as a case study. Our main hypothesis assumes that topography along with contemporary and historical climate are drivers of phylogenetic diversity and endemism, but that the strength of these predictors may be weaker at the regional scale than it tends to be at the global scale. We mapped spatial patterns of Iberian amphibians' phylogenetic diversity and endemism, using previously published phylogenetic and distribution data. Furthermore, we compiled spatial data on topographic and climatic variables related to the water‐energy availability, topography, and historical climatic instability hypotheses. To test our hypotheses, we used Spatial Autoregressive Models and selected the best model to explain diversity patterns based on Akaike Information Criterion. Our results show that, out of the variables tested in our study, water‐energy availability and historical climate instability are the most important drivers of amphibian diversity in Iberia. However, as predicted, the strength of these predictors in our case study is weaker than it tends to be at global scales. Thus, additional drivers should also be investigated and we suggest caution when interpreting these predictors as surrogates for different components of diversity.
Chloroplast phylogenomics and the taxonomy of Saxifraga section Ciliatae (Saxifragaceae)
Authors: Yuan Rui , Ma Xiaolei , Zhang Zhuoxin , Gornall Richard J. , Wang Yongcui , Chen Shilong , Gao Qingbo
Published: January 2023

Comprising ca. 200 species, Saxifraga sect. Ciliatae is the most species‐rich section of Saxifraga s.str., whose center of diversity is in the Tibeto‐Himalayan region. The infra‐sectional classification of sect. Ciliatae is still in debate due to the high level of species richness, as well as remarkable variations of habitat, morphology, physiology and life cycles. Subdivisions of this section proposed in various taxonomic systems have not been adequately tested in previous phylogenetic studies, partly due to low taxonomic sampling density, but also to the use of few DNA markers. In order to achieve a more robust infra‐sectional classification of sect. Ciliatae, complete chloroplast genomes of 94 taxa from this section were analyzed, of which 93 were newly sequenced, assembled and annotated. The length of the 94 plastomes of sect. Ciliatae taxa range from 143,479 to 159,938 bp, encoding 75 to 79 unique protein‐coding genes (PCGs). Analyses of the 94 plastomes revealed high conservation in structural organization, gene arrangement, and gene content. Gene loss and changes of IR boundaries were detected but in extremely low frequency. The molecular phylogenetic tree from concatenated PCGs and complete chloroplast genome sequences exhibited high resolution and support values and confirms that sect. Ciliatae is monophyletic. Three well‐supported clades were revealed within the section that agree relatively well with the subsectional taxonomy of Gornall (1987), but some minor modifications should be made. Firstly, the monotypic subsection Cinerascentes should be abandoned and its constituent species, S. cinerascens, assigned to subsect. Gemmiparae. Secondly, subsections Rosulares and Serpyllifoliae should be merged and become subsect. Rosulares. Section Ciliatae thus comprises: subsect. Hirculoideae Engl. & Irmsch.; subsect. Rosulares Gornall; subsect. Gemmiparae Engl. & Irmsch.; subsect. Flagellares (C. B. Clarke) Engl. & Irmsch. and subsect. Hemisphaericae (Engl. & Irmsch.) Gornall.
Diet composition and selection of Père David's deer in Hubei Shishou Milu National Nature Reserve, China
Authors: Wang Hao‐Lin , Zhao Yue , Wang Fei‐Jie , Sun Xin‐Jia , Zhu Jian‐Qiang , Zhang Yu‐Ming , Wei Shu‐Dong , Chen Hui
Published: January 2023

Hubei Shishou Milu National Nature Reserve is an ideal place to restore the wild population of Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus). Understanding foraging ecology and diet composition is essential for assessing population development or establishing long‐term effective conservation measures for endangered species. However, little is known about the diet composition of Père David's deer and its diet selection mechanism. In this study, we used stable isotope technology to investigate the diet composition of Père David's deer according to various tissues (i.e., fur, muscle, liver, heart, and feces) and seasons, and evaluated the correlation between the nutrient composition of plants and diet composition. Bayesian isotope analysis showed that the autumn and winter diet estimated by fur and fecal samples indicated a diet dominated by C3 grasses (42.7%–57.2%, mean), while the summer diet estimated by muscle and liver samples was dominated by C3 forbs (30.9%–41.6%, mean). The Pearson correlation test indicated that the contribution of winter diet composition reflected by fur and fecal samples was associated with correlations with crude protein (r = .666, p < .01) and soluble sugars (r = .695, p < .01). The results indicated that crude protein and soluble sugars were important factors influencing the winter diet selection of Père David's deer. In the context of the current reintroduction facing many challenges, such as habitat fragmentation, wetland degradation, and human disturbance, comprehensively evaluating the diet selection mechanism of Père David's deer under different resource specificities and temporal changes should be considered in the future.
Naturalization of an alien ancient fruit tree at a fine scale: Community structure and population dynamics of Cydonia oblonga in China
Authors: Xie Yong , Li Jiaxiang , Zhao Lijuan , Liu Wenqian , Gong Qunlong , Deng Mengda , Zhao Mohan , Huang Song
Published: January 2023

Naturalized plants play pivotal roles in local plant biodiversity and ecological functions; however, the drivers of naturalization remain poorly understood at a fine scale. Thus, understanding the processes of the development and dominance of alien plants in local natural habitats is of paramount importance. In the present study, we report for the first time the naturalization of Cydonia oblonga in China based on community structure and population dynamics at a fine scale. We conducted a comprehensive survey of the species through field community investigations, interviews, and a literature review. Cydonia oblonga is an ancient fruit tree with a long introduction history of over 4500 years worldwide and a cultivation history of over 2500 years in China. We analyzed C. oblonga community structure using the spatiotemporal substitution method and quantitatively analyzed population dynamics using a static life table, survivorship curve, and time series model to explore the naturalization processes. The following results were obtained. (i) The community comprised 31 coexisting vascular plant species (16 woody and 15 herbaceous species) belonging to 28 genera in 20 families. Rosaceae and Asteraceae were the two most dominant families. (ii) All individuals in the shrub layer as well as the C. oblonga population exhibited a roughly inverted J‐shaped basal diameter distribution. A complete age structure was noted, and the survival curve was classified as Deevey type II. According to time series analysis, the population is estimated to increase in the future, specifically of medium and large individuals. (iii) Religious exchange, potent resource competitiveness, and similarity with the native habitat may be the major drivers of the introduction and successful naturalization of C. oblonga. These results suggest that alien species closely related to native ones are more likely to invade, naturalize, and dominate communities in local habitats.
TDFCAM: A method for estimating stable isotope trophic discrimination in wild populations
Authors: Johnson Devin L. , Henderson Michael T. , Franke Alastair , Swan George J. F. , McDonald Robbie A. , Anderson David L. , Booms Travis L. , Williams Cory T.
Published: January 2023

Stable isotope mixing models (SIMMs) are widely used for characterizing wild animal diets. Such models rely upon using accurate trophic discrimination factors (TDFs) to account for the digestion, incorporation, and assimilation of food. Existing methods to calculate TDFs rely on controlled feeding trials that are time‐consuming, often impractical for the study taxon, and may not reflect natural variability of TDFs present in wild populations.

We present TDFCAM as an alternative approach to estimating TDFs in wild populations, by using high‐precision diet estimates from a secondary methodological source—in this case nest cameras—in lieu of controlled feeding trials, and provide a framework for how and when it should be applied.

In this study, we evaluate the TDFCAM approach in three datasets gathered on wild raptor nestlings (gyrfalcons Falco rusticolus; peregrine falcons Falco perigrinus; common buzzards Buteo buteo) comprising contemporaneous δ13C & δ15N stable isotope data and high‐quality nest camera dietary data. We formulate Bayesian SIMMs (BSIMMs) incorporating TDFs from TDFCAM and analyze their agreement with nest camera data, comparing model performance with those based on other relevant TDFs. Additionally, we perform sensitivity analyses to characterize TDFCAM variability, and identify ecological and physiological factors contributing to that variability in wild populations.

Across species and tissue types, BSIMMs incorporating a TDFCAM outperformed any other TDF tested, producing reliable population‐level estimates of diet composition. We demonstrate that applying this approach even with a relatively low sample size (n < 10 individuals) produced more accurate estimates of trophic discrimination than a controlled feeding study conducted on the same species. Between‐individual variability in TDFCAM estimates for ∆13C & ∆15 N increased with analytical imprecision in the source dietary data (nest cameras) but was also explained by natural variables in the study population (e.g., nestling nutritional/growth status and dietary composition).

TDFCAM is an effective method of estimating trophic discrimination in wild animal populations. Here, we use nest cameras as source dietary data, but this approach is applicable to any high‐accuracy method of measuring diet, so long as diet can be monitored over an interval contemporaneous with a tissue's isotopic turnover rate.
Phage‐resistant mutations impact bacteria susceptibility to future phage infections and antibiotic response
Authors: McGee Lindsey W. , Barhoush Yazid , Shima Rafaella , Hennessy Miette
Published: January 2023

Bacteriophage (phage) therapy in combination with antibiotic treatment serves as a potential strategy to overcome the continued rise in antibiotic resistance across bacterial pathogens. Understanding the impacts of evolutionary and ecological processes to the phage‐antibiotic‐resistance dynamic could advance the development of such combinatorial therapy. We tested whether the acquisition of mutations conferring phage resistance may have antagonistically pleiotropic consequences for antibiotic resistance. First, to determine the robustness of phage resistance across different phage strains, we infected resistant Escherichia coli cultures with phage that were not previously encountered. We found that phage‐resistant E. coli mutants that gained resistance to a single phage strain maintain resistance to other phages with overlapping adsorption methods. Mutations underlying the phage‐resistant phenotype affects lipopolysaccharide (LPS) structure and/or synthesis. Because LPS is implicated in both phage infection and antibiotic response, we then determined whether phage‐resistant trade‐offs exist when challenged with different classes of antibiotics. We found that only 1 out of the 4 phage‐resistant E. coli mutants yielded trade‐offs between phage and antibiotic resistance. Surprisingly, when challenged with novobiocin, we uncovered evidence of synergistic pleiotropy for some mutants allowing for greater antibiotic resistance, even though antibiotic resistance was never selected for. Our results highlight the importance of understanding the role of selective pressures and pleiotropic interactions in the bacterial response to phage‐antibiotic combinatorial therapy.
PGE2 expression by HPV6/11‐induced respiratory papillomas blocks NK cell activation in patients with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis
Authors: Israr Mohd , Lam Fung , DeVoti James , Mace Emily M. , Papayannakos Christopher , Abramson Allan , Steinberg Bettie M. , Bonagura Vincent R.
Published: January 2023

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), a rare chronic disease caused primarily by human papillomavirus types 6 and 11, consists of repeated growth of premalignant papillomas in the airway. RRP is characterized by multiple abnormalities in innate and adaptive immunity. Natural killer (NK) cells play important roles in immune surveillance and are part of the innate immune responses that help prevent tumor growth. We identified that papillomas lack classical class I MHC and retain nonclassical class I MHC expression. Moreover, in this study, we have identified and characterized the mechanism that blocks NK cell targeting of papilloma cells. Here, we show for the first time that the PGE2 secreted by papilloma cells directly inhibits NK cells activation/degranulation principally through the PGE2 receptor EP2, and to a lesser extent through EP4 signaling. Thus, papilloma cells have a potent mechanism to block NK cell function that likely supports papilloma cell growth.
Occurrence, identification, and decontamination of potential mycotoxins in fruits and fruit by‐products
Authors: Pushparaj Karthika , Meyyazhagan Arun , Pappuswamy Manikantan , Mousavi Khaneghah Amin , Liu Wen‐Chao , Balasubramanian Balamuralikrishnan
Published: January 2023

The incidence of aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, and patulin in fruits and processed fruit products has been ever more challenging and gained additional focus on ecofriendly mitigation strategies. The onset of these toxins is due to several factors involving insect attacks, agricultural practices, and climate change. Acute and chronic health hazards are clinically proven after consuming contaminated foodstuffs, even at lower concentrations of mycotoxins. Synergistic, masked, and substantial occurrence in fruit matrices increase their complexity in detection and detoxification; apparently, this article reviewed the available information on the occurrence of mycotoxins in several fruits and their products, focused on the conventional and advanced methods of identification, quantification, and decontamination techniques. Strengthening and implementing stringent international and national guidelines are required for impactful, tangible measures in the future. Nevertheless, controlling the mycotoxins in fruits will certainly be challenging for scientists. Therefore, more impactful technologies are still needed to eliminate the toxins at the threshold level of the food chain and ensure sustainable global food safety.
Double burden of malnutrition among women of reproductive age in Bangladesh: A comparative study of classical and Bayesian logistic regression approach
Authors: Hossain Md. Ismail , Rahman Azizur , Uddin M. Sheikh Giash , Zinia Faozia Afia
Published: January 2023

Although the prevalence of undernutrition among women of reproductive age has declined in Bangladesh, the increase in the prevalence of overnutrition remains a major challenge. To achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2.2, it is important to identify the drivers of the double burden of malnutrition on women in Bangladesh. The Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, 2017–2018 was used to model the relationship between the double burden of malnutrition among women and the risk factors using a logistic regression model under the classical and Bayesian frameworks and performed the comparison between the regression models based on the narrowest confidence interval. Regarding the Bayesian application, the Metropolis‐Hastings algorithm with two types of prior information (historical and noninformative prior) was used to simulate parameter estimates from the posterior distributions. The Boruta algorithm was used to determine the significant predictors. Almost half of reproductive aged women experienced a form of malnutrition (12% were underweight, 26.1% were overweight, and 6.8% were obese). In terms of the narrowest interval estimate, it was found that Bayesian logistic regression with informative priors performs better than the noninformative priors and the classical logistic regression model. Women who were older, highly educated, from rich families, unemployed, and from urban residences were more likely to experience the double burden of malnutrition. This study recommended using the historical prior as the informative prior rather than the flat/noninformative prior to estimating the parameter uncertainty if historical data are available. The double burden of malnutrition among women is a major public health challenge in Bangladesh. This study was to determine the impact of effective risk factors on the double burden of malnutrition among women by applying the Bayesian framework. Using both informative and noninformative priors, “historical prior” was proposed as informative prior information. The main strength is that the proposed prior (historical prior) provided improved estimation as compared to the flat prior distribution.
Heat transfer prediction for radiant floor heating/cooling systems using artificial neural network (ANN)
Authors: Verma Vikas , Nath Ratnadeep , Tarodiya Rahul
Published: January 2023

Radiant floor cooling and heating systems (RHC) are gaining popularity as compared with conventional space conditioning systems. An understanding of the heat transfer capacity of the radiant system is desirable to design a space conditioning system using RHC technology. In the present work, a simplified heat flux model for RHC is developed for both cooling and heating modes of operation. The Artificial Neural Network (ANN) technique is used for the development of the simplified model. Experimental data from literature covering a wide operating range of the RHC is considered for model development and validation. Operating parameters such as mass flow rate (mf), heat resistance (Rs), mean temperature of water flowing through the pipe (Tm), and operative temperature (Top) are considered independent variables influencing the heat flux (qt). The neural network consists of four input layers, one output layer, and one hidden layer with a feed‐forward‐back‐propagation algorithm. A study on the selection of the optimum number of neurons in the range of 1–9 for the hidden layer is also performed. On the basis of the performance parameters, namely, average‐absolute‐relative‐deviation (AARD = 0.11283) percentage, mean‐square‐error (MSE = 0.00055), and the coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.9984), a hidden layer is modeled with five neurons.
Heterogeneity of clinical symptoms and therapeutic strategies for different subtypes of adenomyosis: An initial single‐center study in China
Authors: Han Xiaotong , Gao Xinran , Wang Feng , Shang Chunliang , Liu Zhongyu , Guo Hongyan
Published: January 2023

Objective

To investigate the relationship between the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) classification of different clinical symptoms and corresponding therapeutic efficacy in adenomyosis patients.

Methods

From January 2015 to October 2020, a total of 468 patients diagnosed with adenomyosis through MRI examination at Peking University Third Hospital were included in this retrospective cohort study. Totals of 184 (39.3%), 208 (44.4%), 17 (3.6%), and 59 (12.6%) patients were categorized into Subtypes I (intrinsic), II (extrinsic), III (intramural), and IV (penetrating), respectively. Clinical information such as age, dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, infertility, assisted reproduction, and drug treatment and its efficacy were analyzed. By comparing the clinical information of different adenomyosis subtypes, we intend to provide better fertility guidance and find better treatment strategies for these patients.

Results

The proportion of dysmenorrhea increased in intrinsic, extrinsic, intramural, and penetrating subtypes (74.5% vs 82.7% vs 94.1% vs 94.9%, respectively, P = 0.002). The proportion of menorrhagia in the intrinsic subtype (53.3%) was significantly higher than that in the extrinsic (28.4%) and intramural (29.4%) subtypes (P < 0.001). The effective rate of progesterone in the intrinsic subtype was significantly lower than that in the extrinsic subtype (52.0% vs 86.5%, P < 0.001). The infertility rates of adenomyosis patients with different subtypes were relatively high (17.6%–41.3%), and that of the extrinsic subtype was the highest among all the subtype groups (41.3%, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Significant differences in age, dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, and infertility were found among patients with different subtypes of adenomyosis. A novel classification of adenomyosis was proposed to provide a theoretical basis for the treatment of adenomyosis patients with infertility.
Fertility and reproductive outcomes following high‐energy pelvic fractures: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Kastora Stavroula L. , Eley Jonathan , Kounidas Georgios , Dighero Isabel
Published: January 2023

Background

There is a need to decipher the effect of pelvic fractures (PFs) upon female fertility and live birth rate, as data including treatment regimens in large, unselected populations remain scarce.

Objectives

To assess the effect of high energy PFs upon female fertility and live birth rate.

Search strategy

Literature search for relevant studies was performed up to March 2022 in five databases: Embase, MEDLINE, CAB Abstracts, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Google Scholar.

Selection criteria

Retrospective studies assessing live birth, infertility, and dyspareunia rates following PFs.

Data collection and analysis

Data were extracted from studies independently by two authors. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale (NOS) for observational studies.

Main results

A total of 763 female patients of median age 27.8 years (95% CI 22–38 years) were included with median follow up of 5 years. Among PF patients, infertility hazard ratio (HR) 1.18 (95% CI 0.76–1.84, P = 0.47; I2 = 18%) and dyspareunia HR 0.60 (95% CI 0.34–1.08, P = 0.09; I2 = 66%), did not significantly differ from the age‐matched literature‐reported rates among non‐PF patients.

Conclusions

No significant differences of live birth, infertility, and dyspareunia rates across patients with PFs were found compared with non‐PF counterparts.
Results of sacrospinous ligament fixation using conventional instruments for symptomatic stage 2 and 3 apical prolapse over 3 years
Authors: Ren Chang , Zhang Yue‐Lun , Tian Wei‐Jie , Wang Yuan , Guo Jian‐Bin , Shi Hong‐Hui , Sun Zhi‐Jing , Chen Juan , Zhu Lan
Published: January 2023

Objective

To evaluate the long‐term efficacy and quality of life concerning sacrospinous ligament fixation (SSLF) using conventional instruments for Chinese women with symptomatic stage 2 and 3 apical prolapse.

Methods

This single‐arm prospective cohort study was conducted at our hospital between October 2011 and December 2018. Eligible participants were followed up over 3 years after surgery. The primary surgical outcome was composite surgical failure. Secondary outcomes included rate of satisfaction, quality of life (QoL) scores, and long‐term complications.

Results

Fifty‐nine patients were enrolled (mean age 57.1 years), of whom 55 (93.22%) completed the 3‐year follow up. At year 3, the composite failure rate was 21.34% (95% confidence interval [CI] 9.30%–31.79%), and satisfaction rate was 81.40% (95% CI 66.09%–91.08%). Right thigh pain and de novo dyspareunia occurred in 1.8% and 14.6% patients after year 1, respectively, but at year 3 there were no complications. Lower urinary tract symptoms were present in 5.5% of patients. Improvement was found in urinary symptoms and prolapse symptoms, but sexual function showed no significant change.

Conclusions

Compared with results at year 1, complication rates of SSLF decreased at year 3. The composite failure rate was relatively low and satisfaction rate was relatively high at year 3. Prolapse and urinary symptoms improved significantly after surgery.
The challenge to include adolescent girls and young women in maternal and reproductive health research
Authors: Soeiro Rachel E. , Souza Renato T. , Nakamura Renan M. , Bento Silvana F. , Surita Fernanda G. , Cecatti Jose G. , Nomura Roseli M. , Costa Maria L.
Published: January 2023

Synopsis

Including adolescent girls and young women in maternal and reproductive health research is challenging.
New Ecological Paradigm and third culture kids: Multicultural identity configurations, global mindset and values as predictors of environmental worldviews
Authors: Mosanya Magdalena , Kwiatkowska Anna
Published: January 2023

Ecological degradation threatens human survival, increasing the need to understand factors related to pro‐environmental attitudes and worldviews. In a globalising world, new paradigms arise as central to social sciences, including the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) and the multicultural identities of individuals raised between the cultures, third culture kids (TCKs). NEP is an ecocentric perspective that stresses the interdependence between nature and humans, opposite to anthropocentrism. TCKs' exposure to cultural diversity during developmental years might support global issues engagement and ecocentric worldviews. The present study focused on non‐Western TCKs (N = 399; mean age 21 years), aiming to explore whether multicultural identity configurations (integration, categorisation, compartmentalisation), values dimensions (self‐transcendence, openness and conservation) and global mindset predicted ecocentric and anthropocentric worldviews. The results demonstrated that TCKs were ecocentrically inclined. The path model revealed that ecocentrism could be directly positively predicted by integrated multicultural identity, self‐transcendence and a global mindset. Anthropocentrism was predicted by multicultural identity categorisation and conservation values. Also, values of self‐transcendence and openness buffered the impact of compartmentalisation and categorisation on ecocentrism and anthropocentrism. This study set innovative directions in multiculturism and environmentalism discourse through understanding a multicultural identity's relationships with pro‐environmental attitudes.