bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
‘A journey of self‐discovery and transformation’: A theoretical and comprehensive evaluation of the Queen's nursing institute Scotland community development programme
Authors: Grant Aileen , Maciver Emma , Adams Nick , Teodorowski Piotr , Kennedy Catriona
Published: January 2023

Aim

To evaluate adoption, implementation and maintenance of the Queen's Nursing Institute Scotland development programme.

Design

A comprehensive, longitudinal, qualitative evaluation.

Method

Participants from the first two cohorts were interviewed at different stages to explore adoption, implementation and maintenance. Managers of participants engaged in interviews to explore service changes. Facilitators took part in a focus group exploring delivery. A member‐checking event was held. Data collection was between March 2017 and October 2019. Data analysis was thematically followed by the application of Normalization Process Theory.

Result

Ninety‐four interviews, two focus groups and a member‐checking event were conducted. Prior to the programme most participants were burnt‐out and considering leaving. Engaging led to a journey of self‐discovery and transformation. The programme was perceived to change their way of thinking, personally and professionally, unlike any training and development previously experienced. Participants were rejuvenated and reinvigorated, sharing their learning with colleagues, service users and family, implementing new working practices and furthering their careers. They developed communities of practice amongst their cohorts with strong bonds; enabling them to build and sustain learnings.

Conclusion

Participants experienced a journey of self‐discovery and transformation unlike anything before due to the personal investment in them. Participants were rejuvenated and reinvigorated with many moving into new roles. The programme equipped them with a range of leadership and resilience skills.

Impact

The Queen's Nursing Institute Scotland Development Programme had a profound impact on participants, personally and professionally, which was perceived as lifelong. These findings and programmes are transferable beyond Scotland and to different professions.
Gender diversity and acquisitions: How female directors add value in acquisition decisions
Authors: Shams Syed , Minnick Kristina , Khedmati Mehdi , Gunasekarage Abeyratna
Published: January 2023

We investigate board gender diversity and acquisition performance. Greater gender diversity promotes value‐enhancing acquisitions. Utilizing an external shock to board composition, we determine whether and why an increase in female directors adds value. Female directors have unique characteristics relative to their male counterparts that contribute to their ability to add value during the merger and acquisition process. The positive market reaction following an acquisition is rationalized by better deal terms, monitoring around the acquisition and post‐merger performance. The extensive professional networks and unique backgrounds female directors possess are the underlying mechanisms contributing to acquisition decisions' success.
Scratch versus LEGO robots: Which engages undergraduates more in programming education?
Authors: Qin Chao , Liu Yanjia , Zhang Hemei
Published: January 2023

Background

Being easy to learn and fun, block‐based programming tools are widely used to teach students introductory programming. Scratch and LEGO robots are two popular block‐based programming tools. However, the objects they manipulate are completely different. Scratch manipulates graphical virtual sprites, whereas LEGO robots manipulate physical robots. Different manipulating objects may bring students varied learning experiences.

Objectives

This study compared undergraduate students' learning engagement and flow experience when programming on Scratch and LEGO robots.

Methods

The study was conducted in a programming course which involved 28 Chinese undergraduates. At the end of the 14‐week course, all students were requested to complete the questionnaire twice, one for their perceptions of Scratch and the other for those of LEGO robotics. Three semi‐structured focus‐group interviews were also conducted for students' perceptions of the course.

Results and Conclusions

The results showed that LEGO robots scored significantly higher on behavioural and emotional engagement, while cognitive engagement was not significantly different. As for the flow experience, Scratch provided students with a greater sense of control, while LEGO robots allowed students to experience temporal distortion. There were no significant differences in terms of clear goals and immediate feedback.

Takeaways

Our study contributes to a better understanding of students' engagement and flow experience in block‐based programming and helps teachers select appropriate programming tools for teaching.
Incorporating microglia‐like cells in human induced pluripotent stem cell‐derived retinal organoids
Authors: Chichagova Valeria , Georgiou Maria , Carter Madeleine , Dorgau Birthe , Hilgen Gerrit , Collin Joseph , Queen Rachel , Chung Git , Ajeian Jila , Moya‐Molina Marina , Kustermann Stefan , Pognan Francois , Hewitt Philip , Schmitt Michael , Sernagor Evelyne , Armstrong Lyle , Lako Majlinda
Published: January 2023

Microglia are the primary resident immune cells in the retina. They regulate neuronal survival and synaptic pruning making them essential for normal development. Following injury, they mediate adaptive responses and under pathological conditions they can trigger neurodegeneration exacerbating the effect of a disease. Retinal organoids derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) are increasingly being used for a range of applications, including disease modelling, development of new therapies and in the study of retinogenesis. Despite many similarities to the retinas developed in vivo, they lack some key physiological features, including immune cells. We engineered an hiPSC co‐culture system containing retinal organoids and microglia‐like (iMG) cells and tested their retinal invasion capacity and function. We incorporated iMG into retinal organoids at 13 weeks and tested their effect on function and development at 15 and 22 weeks of differentiation. Our key findings showed that iMG cells were able to respond to endotoxin challenge in monocultures and when co‐cultured with the organoids. We show that retinal organoids developed normally and retained their ability to generate spiking activity in response to light. Thus, this new co‐culture immunocompetent in vitro retinal model provides a platform with greater relevance to the in vivo human retina.
Additional benefit of systemic antibiotics in subgingival instrumentation of stage III and IV periodontitis with Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans: A retrospective analysis
Authors: Benz Leander , Winkler Patrizia , Dannewitz Bettina , Nickles Katrin , Petsos Hari , Aldiri Talal , Eickholz Peter
Published: January 2023

Aim

To evaluate subgingival instrumentation (SI) in periodontitis stage III and IV, grade B and C with systemic antibiotics (AB) only after detection of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans.

Materials and Methods

Patients of the Department of Periodontology of Goethe University Frankfurt/Germany were screened for microbiological testing between 2008 and 2018. All patients with aggressive and generalized severe chronic periodontitis were tested. In case of positive subgingival A. actinomycetemcomitans tests, SI was combined with AB; in all other cases it was not (nAB). Clinical examinations were performed before (T0), 12.4 (9.4/15.1) weeks after SI (T1), and at the last supportive periodontal care (T2; 3.1 [1.4/5.5] years after T1). Results at T1/T2 were assessed as “treat‐to‐target” endpoint (≤4 sites with probing pocket depths ≥5 mm).

Results

Four‐hundred and twenty‐five patients (280 stage III/145 stage IV, 95 grade B/330 grade C) provided complete data (AB 144/nAB 281) for T0 and T1, and 332 (AB 121/nAB 211) for T2. At T1/T2, AB resulted in 53 (37%)/76 (63%) patients with “treat‐to‐target” endpoint, and nAB in 76 (27%)/91 (43%) (p = .038/.001).

Conclusions

In periodontitis stage III and IV, grade B and C with subgingival A. actinomycetemcomitans infection, SI with AB resulted in higher rate of “treat‐to‐target” endpoint than exclusive SI in patients without the infection.
Profiles and trajectories of executive functioning in young children with Down syndrome
Authors: Dimachkie Nunnally A. , Baczewski L. , Sterrett K. , Holbrook A. , Kaiser A. , Kasari C.
Published: January 2023

Background

Language acquisition strongly predicts executive functioning (EF) in early childhood in typical development and in children with Down syndrome (DS). Both language and EF are critical contributors to later positive social and academic outcomes yet are often areas of concern in children with DS. Despite the wider availability of interventions targeting language development in DS, no efforts have been made to understand how these interventions may influence the development of EF in this population.

Methods

This study examined secondary data from 76 preschoolers with DS collected as part of a randomised waitlist control trial of an early social communication intervention (JASPER‐EMT). Children's EF skills were measured using the BRIEF‐P, at three timepoints over 6 months. Linear regression was used to examine the baseline relationship between child characteristics and the three indices of the BRIEF‐P: Emergent Metacognition, Flexibility and Inhibitory Self‐Control. Linear mixed effects models were used to estimate change across the three indices of the BRIEF‐P and whether that change was moderated by treatment.

Results

Children in this sample exhibited an uneven profile of EF at baseline, with relative strengths in the Flexibility Index and the Inhibitory Self‐Control Index, and relative weaknesses in the Emerging Metacognition Index. Chronological age was associated with all indices at baseline (all P < 0.05). Children in the intervention group exhibited improvements in the Flexibility Index from entry to exit (3 months later) compared with the control, although this treatment effect did not maintain at the follow up at 6 months.

Conclusions

Baseline EF profiles of children were consistent with findings of other studies with children with DS. Longitudinal findings suggest that behavioural interventions targeting language may have positive collateral effects on certain EF skills, however these effects may be transitory without ongoing support. These findings illustrate both the need for further exploration of the impact of early language interventions on EF abilities and the malleability of certain EF domains in young children with DS.
Safety and effectiveness of nano‐pulse stimulation™ technology to treat acne vulgaris of the back
Authors: Katz Bruce E. , Nestor Mark S. , Nuccitelli Richard , Johnston Lauren Jauregui , Knape William A.
Published: January 2023

Background and Objectives

This feasibility study describes the effects of Nano‐pulse stimulation™ (NPS™) technology using the CellFX™ System on acne vulgaris of the back with the objectives of demonstrating safety and effectiveness. The CellFX System applies nanosecond pulses of electrical energy to induce highly localized regulated cell death (RCD) in the cellular structures of the targeted zone with no thermal effect on the tissue and negligible effects on surrounding non‐cellular components.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

Seventeen subjects were enrolled at two sites with thirteen subjects completing treatment. Three 7 X 7 cm regions containing at least five bacne lesions each were identified, one region treated with the CellFX across three treatment sessions, the second region treated as a sham using microneedle tip placement without delivering energy, and the third as an untreated control.

Results

CellFX‐treated areas showed an average reduction of acne lesions of 82% by 90 days post‐last procedure. Acne improvement was observed in 100% of CellFX‐treated regions compared to 39% improvement in Sham regions and 31% improvement in the control regions. The most common skin effects were erythema and hyperpigmentation observed in 23% and 92% of the subjects, respectively, at the last timepoint. No serious adverse events were reported.

Conclusions

CellFX is a safe and effective procedure for clearing back acne.
Comparison of ultrasound‐guided microwave ablation and ultrasound‐guided vacuum‐assisted excision for treating breast lesions of uncertain malignant potential (B3 lesions): A retrospective study
Authors: Zhang Siqi , Yang Jianquan , Wang Lu , Li Juan , He Chuanshi , Lu Man
Published: January 2023

Aims

To compare the safety and therapeutic effect of ultrasound (US)‐guided microwave ablation (MWA) and US‐guided vacuum‐assisted excision (VAE) for patients with B3 lesions of the breast.

Methods

Patients who underwent US‐guided MWA or US‐guided VAE at Sichuan Tumor Hospital from January 2016 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The technical success rate and residual rate of the two minimally invasive surgeries were recorded. During follow‐up, differences in symptom relief, recurrence or progression, re‐intervention, incidence of adverse events, or personal satisfaction were observed between the two groups.

Results

The follow‐up time was comparable between the two groups. The technical success rate was similar between the two groups; no residue was found in the US‐guided MWA group, and the residue rate in the US‐guided VAE group was 3.4%. The symptoms of the two groups were improved after the operation. The incidence of postoperative adverse events in the US‐guided MWA group was significantly lower than that in the US‐guided VAE group. Additionally, the MWA group had a lower incidence of adverse events when the tumor diameter was >2.5 cm. Compared to the US‐guided VAE group, the US‐guided MWA group had a lower rate of tumor recurrence or progression, re‐intervention rate, and higher personal satisfaction.

Conclusions

The technical success rate of US‐guided MWA for B3 lesions was comparable to that of US‐guided VAE, but US‐guided MWA had a lower incidence of adverse events and a higher degree of personal satisfaction compared with US‐guided VAE.
How stigma gets “in between”: Associations between changes in perceived stigma, closeness discrepancies, and relationship satisfaction among same‐sex couples
Authors: Frost David M. , LeBlanc Allen J.
Published: January 2023

Same‐sex couples continue to experience social stigma, which can have negative consequences for the quality of their relationships. The current study combined minority stress theory with closeness discrepancy theory in an examination of how the production of disjunctures between actual and ideal experiences of closeness (i.e., closeness discrepancies) accounts for an indirect association between stigma and relationship quality. Data were obtained from a longitudinal study of same‐sex couples in the United States who were surveyed twice, 1 year apart (N = 552 individuals, 276 couples). Participants completed measures of stigma, closeness discrepancies, and relationship satisfaction (as an outcome of relationship quality) at each Wave. Results from Actor Partner Interdependence Models demonstrated that increases in experiences of stigma over 1 year were associated with increases in closeness discrepancies, which were, in turn, associated with decreases in relationship satisfaction. This indirect pathway was observed for the association between stigma and one's own relationship satisfaction, but not with one's partner's relationship satisfaction. This research extends previous research on stigma and relational well‐being among same‐sex couples by offering a potential explanation for how stigma “gets in between” partners in same‐sex couples thereby diminishing the quality of their romantic relationships.
Northwest Africa 8418: The first CV4 chondrite
Authors: MacPherson G. J. , Nagashima K. , Krot A. N. , Kuehner S. M. , Irving A. J. , Ziegler K. , Mallozzi L. , Corrigan C. , Pitt D.
Published: January 2023

Northwest Africa (NWA) 8418 is an unusual chondrite whose properties do not exactly match those of any other known chondrite. It has similarities to the CV (Vigarano group), CK (Karoonda group), and CL (Loongana group) chondrites, but its abundance of large calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusions (CAIs) and the low NiO content (<0.2 wt%) of its matrix olivine ally it most closely with the CV group. The absence of grossular, monticellite, wollastonite, and sodalite from the alteration products of the CAIs; the magnesium‐rich nature of the matrix olivines (Fa38) relative to that of the CV3 chondrites (~Fa50); and the presence of secondary Na‐bearing plagioclase and chlorapatite indicate a metamorphic temperature >600 °C. NWA 8418 contains kamacite, taenite, and troilite, and lacks magnetite and pentlandite. We propose that NWA 8418 be reclassified as a reduced CV4 chondrite, which makes it the first CV chondrite of petrologic type 4.
Implementing landscape genetics in molecular epidemiology to determine drivers of vector‐borne disease: A malaria case study
Authors: Hubbard Alfred , Hemming‐Schroeder Elizabeth , Machani Maxwell Gesuge , Afrane Yaw , Yan Guiyun , Lo Eugenia , Janies Daniel
Published: January 2023

This study employs landscape genetics to investigate the environmental drivers of a deadly vector‐borne disease, malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum, in a more spatially comprehensive manner than any previous work. With 1804 samples from 44 sites collected in western Kenya in 2012 and 2013, we performed resistance surface analysis to show that Lake Victoria acts as a barrier to transmission between areas north and south of the Winam Gulf. In addition, Mantel correlograms clearly showed significant correlations between genetic and geographic distance over short distances (less than 70 km). In both cases, we used an identity‐by‐state measure of relatedness tailored to find highly related individual parasites in order to focus on recent gene flow that is more relevant to disease transmission. To supplement these results, we performed conventional population genetics analyses, including Bayesian clustering methods and spatial ordination techniques. These analyses revealed some differentiation on the basis of geography and elevation and a cluster of genetic similarity in the lowlands north of the Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria. Taken as a whole, these results indicate low overall genetic differentiation in the Lake Victoria region, but with some separation of parasite populations north and south of the Winam Gulf that is explained by the presence of the lake as a geographic barrier to gene flow. We recommend similar landscape genetics analyses in future molecular epidemiology studies of vector‐borne diseases to extend and contextualize the results of traditional population genetics.
Climate adaptation and vulnerability of foundation species in a global change hotspot
Authors: Gallegos Cristóbal , Hodgins Kathryn A. , Monro Keyne
Published: January 2023

Climate change is altering species ranges, and relative abundances within ranges, as populations become differentially adapted and vulnerable to the climates they face. Understanding present species ranges, whether species harbour and exchange adaptive variants, and how variants are distributed across landscapes undergoing rapid change, is therefore crucial to predicting responses to future climates and informing conservation strategies. Such insights are nonetheless lacking for most species of conservation concern. We assess genomic patterns of neutral variation, climate adaptation and climate vulnerability (offsets in predicted distributions of putatively adaptive variants across present and future landscapes) for sister foundation species, the marine tubeworms Galeolaria caespitosa and Galeolaria gemineoa, in a sentinel region for climate change impacts. We find that species are genetically isolated despite uncovering sympatry in their ranges, show parallel and nonparallel signals of thermal adaptation on spatial scales smaller than gene flow across their ranges, and are predicted to face different risks of maladaptation under future temperatures across their ranges. Our findings have implications for understanding local adaptation in the face of gene flow, and generate spatially explicit predictions for climatic disruption of adaptation and species distributions in coastal ecosystems that could guide experimental validation and conservation planning.
Discerning Providence: How the Reign of God in Liberation Theology Explicates Divine Struggle as a Feature of Providence
Authors: Hayes Andrew
Published: January 2023

Recently there has been rising interest in the doctrine of providence with a number of significant texts being published in English. In general, these and past treatments consolidate established discussions (such as those concerning divine action and causality, human and divine agency and the problem of suffering) rather than engaging liberative theologies of any variety. This article aims to demonstrate how liberative theologies can extend the scope of the study of this doctrine in fruitful ways. In particular, it demonstrates the potential of Jon Sobrino's explication of the Reign of God to reframe explorations of providence around opposition to God's will (described as the anti‐Reign) and the corporate nature of discernment, suggesting that providence is revealed in concrete connection to anthropology and sin in the real world. This reorients reflections on providence towards the theo‐political and practical resistance to the anti‐Reign and participation in the Reign of God in the present reality.
Midline brain hamartomatous lesions in fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva with ACVR1 mutations
Authors: Kresak Jesse Lee , Walsh Meggen , Tuzzolo Anthony , Ordulu Zehra , Gregory Jason
Published: January 2023

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by extensive heterotopic ossification of soft tissue structures leading to severe limitations in movement. FOP is caused by a germline mutation in the activating receptor type IA (ACVR1) gene. Worrisome is the fact that up to a third of diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG) also harbor the same point mutation in ACVR1. Radiological reports of central nervous system (CNS) involvement by FOP have described brainstem masses; however, the literature on the histopathology or pathogenesis of these lesions is scant. Here we present detailed neuropathologic findings of a brainstem mass in a patient with FOP and suggest that the tumor is hamartomatous in nature. This report, along with a literature review of radiographic and laboratory data, offers support for the idea that the ACVR1 mutation may incite CNS proliferation, predominantly in the brainstem, but is probably not an oncologic driver. These lesions may be seen at autopsy and are likely noncontributory to death.
Invasion tolerance varies along a topographic gradient irrespective of invader presence
Authors: Klinerová Tereza , Man Matěj , Dostál Petr
Published: January 2023

Invasive exotic plants often impact native plant species through strong competition, yet their effects can vary across different native populations. Previous exposure to invasive species but also differentiation along abiotic gradients may determine to what extent native populations are competitively suppressed by plant invasive species. Here, we experimentally investigated whether competitive effects of the invasive exotic jewelweed Impatiens parviflora on its native congener Impatiens noli‐tangere are related to previous exposure to the invader or rather to topography of the source populations, i.e. to terrain features such as elevation, aspect or slope. We also asked whether, in return, topographic settings of invasive I. parviflora populations may explain competitive effects of the native jewelweed. In a common garden competition experiment we found that populations of native jewelweed from colder, higher altitude sites and from drier sites were on average seven and six times, respectively, more tolerant to interspecific competition than populations from warmer and wetter sites. In contrast, previous exposure of native jewelweed populations to the invader was not a significant predictor of invader's competitive effects. Further, topographic settings of populations of invasive jewelweed were not significantly related to the native's competitive effects. Our study suggests that the native jewelweed's population differentiation along topographic gradients is more important in determining competitive interactions with an invasive congener than invasion‐induced selection. As fine‐scale environmental variation can shape adaptation of native species to the effects of invasive species, such variation should be considered when predicting invasive species' impact on native plant communities.
Prevalence and trends in obesity and severe obesity in Korean children and adolescents, 2007–2020: A population‐based study
Authors: Park Hong Kyu , Seo Ji‐Young , Jung Hae Woon , Lim Jung Sub
Published: January 2023

Background

The age‐adjusted prevalence of child and adolescent obesity has been stabilized in the Korean population, although severe obesity has increased with adverse health effects. In this study, we detailed the prevalence of and trends in overweight, obesity, and severe obesity in Korean children and adolescents by age group and sex from a nationally representative sample, using a new, 2017 age‐ and sex‐specific reference for body mass index.

Methods

We collected Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from the years 2007–2020. A total of 23,595 subjects (11,210 females) aged 2–18 years were included in this study. We calculated the recent prevalence of overweight and obesity, including severe obesity, by weighted data from 2019 and 2020.

Results

The prevalence of overweight and obesity (class II and class III obesity) was 23.5% and 14.2% (2.5% and 0.5%), respectively. Males showed a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity. Adolescents aged 13–15 years showed the highest prevalence of severe obesity. A positive linear trend was significant for overweight (p = 0.025), class I obesity (p < 0.001), and class II obesity (p = 0.002) for both sexes and all ages combined. However, the trend of obesity prevalence was different in each subgroup. Comparing pre‐ and post‐ COVID‐19 pandemic, obesity prevalence seemed to increase, but not significantly.

Conclusions

Despite previous reports that obesity in children and adolescents has remained stable, we found that the prevalence of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity has increased in Korean children and adolescents. The effects of COVID‐19 on this trend require further evaluation.
Case of concurrence of bullous pemphigoid and Norwegian scabies
Authors: wang Xuesong , Liu Yongxia , Li Jianke , Bao Fangfang , Chen Mingfei
Published: January 2023

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) with scabies is a condition rarely encountered in clinical practice, and when it is encountered, it is often due to the use of immunosuppressants. This paper is a report on a patient with BP and scabies, who developed scabs after taking dexamethasone. It should be noted that BP antibody is necessary, which can distinguish BP with scabies and bullous scabies, and the treatment options for the two diseases are different.
Endometrial extracellular matrix components do not change over the course of embryonic diapause and reactivation in the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)
Authors: Rüegg Anna B. , Kowalewski Mariusz P. , Ulbrich Susanne E.
Published: January 2023

The modification of the endometrial extracellular matrix (ECM) is a crucial step for embryo implantation in many mammalian species. The embryo of the European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) displays a 4–5 months long temporary reduction of developmental pace termed embryonic diapause. A reduction of epithelial cell height during diapause has previously been described. Co‐occurring ECM modifications may contribute to the changes of the intra‐uterine milieu during reactivation at which the embryo regains developmental velocity. We assessed the localization of five ECM proteins (collagen I and IV, fibronectin, laminin, and extracellular matrix protein 1) using immunohistochemistry in animals with early, late, and post‐diapause (elongating) embryos. While our results confirmed the reduction of epithelial height during diapause, we only detected marginal differences in localization and staining intensities of the selected ECM proteins. Major ECM remodelling events in the roe deer endometrium are thus likely to occur only at implantation.
Monetary policy transparency and real exchange rate adjustment
Authors: Lai Zheng‐Hao , Wu Jyh‐Lin
Published: January 2023

We study the effect of different attributes of monetary policy transparency on real exchange rate adjustment by estimating the half‐life of the real exchange rate. After controlling for sample‐selection bias, results from the panel error‐correction model suggest that the economic aspect of transparency facilitates real exchange rate adjustment in non‐industrial countries. The driving force behind this finding is that economic transparency enhances nominal exchange rate adjustment. However, none of the different attributes of monetary policy transparency significantly affect real exchange rate adjustment in industrial countries. Failure to control for sample‐selection bias over‐rejects the null hypothesis.
Recognition of the HLA‐C*14:24:02 allele in a Singaporean individual
Authors: Cho Loise , Lin Py‐Yu , Yang Kuo‐Liang
Published: January 2023

One nucleotide substitution in codon 112 of HLA‐C*14:24:01 results in a novel allele, HLA‐C*14:24:02.
Changes in Everyday Internet Use and Home Activity During and After Pandemic‐Related Lockdowns: A Case Study in Shuangjing Subdistrict, Beijing
Authors: Li Chunjiang , Thulin Eva , Chai Yanwei
Published: January 2023

The outbreak of the COVID‐19 pandemic affected the everyday lives of people. Recent studies have found that Internet use increased during lockdowns and helped people cope with spatial constraints on daily activity. However, long‐term implications on the digitalization of everyday life are still unknown. This study aims to improve the understanding of changes in Internet use during and after lockdown and how these changes relate to home activity and activity context. We draw on a case study of pre‐, mid‐ and post‐lockdown periods in Shuangjing Subdistrict, Beijing. We find that Internet use increased during and after the lockdown, indicating a persistent effect. Home activity mediated the increase in Internet use, suggesting that people stayed at home engaging in more Internet use when restrictions were eased. Work activity and family affairs strengthened the positive impact on Internet use during the lockdown. The influence on Internet use differed depending on sociodemographic characteristics.
Loosenin-Like Proteins from
Phanerochaete carnosa
Impact Both Cellulose and Chitin Fiber Networks
Authors: Monschein Mareike , Ioannou Eleni , Koitto Taru , Al Amin Leamon A. K. M. , Varis Jutta J. , Wagner Edward R. , Mikkonen Kirsi S. , Cosgrove Daniel J. , Master Emma R.
Published: January 2023

The present study deepens investigations of microbial expansin-related proteins and their applied significance by (i) reporting a detailed comparison of diverse loosenins encoded by the same organism, (ii) considering both cellulosic and chitin-containing materials as targeted substrates, and (iii) investigating the impact of the C-terminal carbohydrate binding module (CBM) present in other expansin-related proteins on loosenin function. By revealing the potential of fungal loosenins to impact both cellulose and chitin-containing networks, our study reveals a possible biological and applied role of loosenins in fungal cell wall processing.
Avian Influenza A Virus Polymerase Can Utilize Human ANP32 Proteins To Support cRNA but Not vRNA Synthesis
Authors: Swann Olivia C. , Rasmussen Amalie B. , Peacock Thomas P. , Sheppard Carol M. , Barclay Wendy S.
Published: January 2023

To infect humans and cause a pandemic, avian influenza must first adapt to use human versions of the proteins the virus hijacks for replication, instead of the avian orthologues found in bird cells. One critical host protein is ANP32.
Impact of COVID-19 Nonpharmaceutical Interventions on Pneumococcal Carriage Prevalence and Density in Vietnam
Authors: Nation Monica Larissa , Manna Sam , Tran Hau Phuc , Nguyen Cattram Duong , Vy Le Thi Tuong , Uyen Doan Y. , Phuong Tran Linh , Dai Vo Thi Trang , Ortika Belinda Daniela , Wee-Hee Ashleigh Christina , Beissbarth Jemima , Hinds Jason , Bright Kathryn , Smith-Vaughan Heidi , Nguyen Thuong Vu , Mulholland Kim , Temple Beth , Satzke Catherine
Published: January 2023

The pneumococcus is a major cause of mortality globally. Implementation of NPIs during the COVID-19 pandemic led to reductions in invasive pneumococcal disease in many countries.
Enhancement of Biomass Conservation and Bioethanol Production of Sweet Sorghum Silage by Constructing Synergistic Microbial Consortia
Authors: Zhu Yu-Xi , Zhang Xu , Yang Wen-Chao , Li Jun-Feng
Published: January 2023

Ensiling is an effective storage approach to ensure stable year-round supply for downstream biofuel production; it offers combined facilities of storage and pretreatment. There are challenges in ensiling sweet sorghum due to its coarse structure and high fiber content.
Performance of the Vitek 2 Advanced Expert System (AES) as a Rapid Tool for Reporting Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (AST) in
Enterobacterales
from North and Latin America
Authors: Carvalhaes Cecilia G. , Shortridge Dee , Woosley Leah N. , Gurung Nabina , Castanheira Mariana
Published: January 2023

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) reports are one of the most important clinical microbiology laboratory tasks. AST reports are essential to drive antimicrobial therapy, provide information to monitor antimicrobial resistance rates, and trigger further tests to detect outbreaks or confirm new mechanisms of resistance.
Erratum to: Rare Earth–Uranium–Thorium Mineralization in the Molybdenum Ores of the Buluktaevskoe Mo–W Deposit (Western Transbaikalia, Russia)
Authors: Damdinov B. B. , Damdinova L. B. , Tugutova S. Z.
Published: January 2023

An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1075701523330012
Telemental health for clinical assessment and treatment
Authors: Sugarman Dawn E , Busch Alisa B
Published: January 2023

Telemental health—the use of videoconferencing or audio only (telephone) in mental health care—has accelerated tremendously since the start of the covid-19 pandemic. Meta-analyses have examined the reliability (ie, concordance) of assessment and the efficacy/effectiveness of telemental health compared with in-person care. Results indicate that telemental health assessment and clinical outcomes are similar compared with in-person care but there is much unexplained variability, as well as evidence that patient clinical and demographic characteristics can influence these findings. Further, gaps exist in the literature regarding specific patient populations (eg, psychotic disorders, children/adolescents), treatment modalities (eg, group therapy), audio only telemedicine, and hybrid care that mixes in-person with telemental health care. These gaps provide important directions for the next generation of telemental health research. Comprehensive clinical guidelines from mental health organizations are available to telemental health practitioners and focus on five content themes: legal and regulatory issues, clinical considerations, standard operating procedures and protocols, technical requirements, and considerations of specific populations and settings.
Calibration of the PM4Sand model for hard-rock mine tailings based on laboratory and field testing results
Authors: Contreras Carlos Andrés , Yniesta Samuel , Jahanbakhshzadeh Abtin , Aubertin Michel
Published: January 2023

A comprehensive campaign of laboratory and field tests has been conducted to characterize the behaviour of tailings from a hard-rock mine. Cyclic triaxial, direct simple shear, and triaxial simple shear tests have shown that the contractive tailings are susceptible to liquefaction and that their behaviour is similar to loose sand despite their higher fines’ content. To model the behaviour of tailings’ impoundments in dynamic simulations, the PM4Sand constitutive model is calibrated based on the dataset presented here. Some of the model parameters are defined based on consolidation and compression tests, while the critical state line (CSL) is defined based on the results of monotonic triaxial and direct simple shear tests. The CSL is lower for tailings than for most natural sands, which is consistent with previous studies. The calibrated model can reproduce reasonably well the monotonic behaviour and provides an excellent fit of the cyclic strength curves measured in the lab at different confining pressures and density index. The results presented in this paper indicate that the PM4Sand model can be used to simulate the cyclic behaviour of low-plasticity, hard-rock tailings. The proposed procedure also provides general guidelines regarding model calibration for other types of tailings.
Managing public water supply abstraction from a Chalk aquifer to minimize risk of deterioration of ecological status
Authors: Streetly Mike , Bishop Sam , Bradley David C. , Dunscombe Mark
Published: January 2023

The Cam and Ely Ouse Chalk aquifer has been an important source of public water supply for over 100 years. In response to growing demand for water in the area in the 1970s and 1980 s, the National Rivers Authority developed the Lodes–Granta scheme to provide augmentation water to key rivers, subject to low flows. However, during the droughts in the late 1990s, the River Granta, which derives baseflow from the Chalk aquifer, was dry in some locations for several months. In response, the Environment Agency and Cambridge Water carried out investigations into the impacts of abstraction on the flow and ecology of the Granta and agreed to restrict abstraction from two operational groundwater sources during low flow periods. However, these abstraction restrictions could potentially result in a shortfall within the relevant public water supply zone under some climatic conditions and so Cambridge Water was considering increasing abstraction from an alternative source of groundwater within the catchment to retain the level of resilience of its supply. The Environment Agency was concerned that use of this abstraction could pose a risk of deterioration of the ecological status of the water body under the EU Water Framework Directive. This paper describes the investigations undertaken to assess the risk of deterioration and shows how these are being used to manage this risk going forward.
Ordovician plate tectonic and palaeogeographical maps
Authors: Scotese Christopher R.
Published: January 2023

Plate tectonic and palaeogeographical maps are presented for nine time intervals during the Ordovician: early Tremadocian (485 Ma), late Tremadocian (480 Ma), early Floian (475 Ma), earliest Dapingian (470 Ma), early Darriwilian (465 Ma), late Darriwilian (460 Ma), middle Sandbian (455 Ma), middle Katian (450 Ma) and early Hirnantian (445 Ma). A plate model was used to predict the changing age of the ocean floor and, hence, the changing volume of the ocean basins and the resulting degree of continental flooding. The maps show the locations of active plate boundaries (i.e. subduction zones, mid-ocean rifts, transform faults, island arcs, back-arc basins and collision zones) and the age of the ocean floor. During the Ordovician there were six continental plates (Gondwana, Laurentia, Baltica, Cathaysia, Avalonia and Cuyania) and six oceanic plates (Iapetus, Ran, Kipchak, and Panthallasa 1, 2 and 3), as well as several poorly constrained back-arc basins (Zealandia, Alexander and Farwell). The palaeogeographical maps also illustrate the ancient distribution of mountains, land, shallow seas and deep ocean basins. Sea level was high during the Early Ordovician, fell during the middle Ordovician and rose again during the Late Ordovician. A precipitous fall in sea level occurred at the end of the Ordovician due to the short-lived Hirnantian Ice Age.
Pennsylvanian glacial cycles in western Gondwana: an overview
Authors: Iannuzzi Roberto , di Pasquo Mercedes M. , Vesely Fernando F. , Scherer Claiton M. S. , Andrade Luiz S. , Mottin Thammy , Kifumbi Carrel
Published: January 2023

The Pennsylvanian on the western rim of Gondwana can be considered a time of significant contrasts in terms of environments, revealing a unique translatitudinal disposition of the South American continent, where glaciomarine deposits and peat-forming environments, situated further south, coexisted with marine carbonate platforms and aeolian dune fields, in terrains further north. This peculiar record creates an opportunity to better understand the teleconnections of glaciation and deglaciation during the Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA) between mid and low latitude regions. In the last decade, radiometric dating together with marine microfossils (mostly conodonts) has enabled a better understanding of the timing and duration of deposition of different sedimentary environments found in the climate belts that originated from a global ice-house regime. These advances in the chronostratigraphical positioning of sedimentary deposits also allow a more precise correlation between them, making it possible to estimate cause–effect patterns arising from the growth and decay of glaciers in this portion of Gondwana. This contribution aims to present an overview of the main climatic–environmental events that took place during the Pennsylvanian and to associate them with the floristic changes that occurred in the emergent lands based on palaeobotanic and palynological information. The record from the west rim of Gondwana could be roughly divided into Early, Middle and Late Pennsylvanian, exactly as proposed in the geological time-scale.
Circulating miRNAs associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Atic Amila Iriskic , Thiele Maja , Munk Alexander , Dalgaard Louise Torp
Published: January 2023

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are secreted from cells as either protein-bound or enclosed in extracellular vesicles. Circulating liver-derived miRNAs are modifiable by weight-loss or insulin-sensitizing treatments, indicating that they could be important biomarker candidates for diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis in nonalcoholic liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Unfortunately, the noninvasive diagnosis of NASH and fibrosis remains a key challenge, which limits case finding. Current diagnostic guidelines, therefore, recommend liver biopsies, with risks of pain and bleeding for the patient and substantial healthcare costs. Here, we summarize mechanisms of RNA secretion and review circulating RNAs associated with NAFLD and NASH for their biomarker potential. Few circulating miRNAs are consistently associated with NAFLD/NASH: miR-122, miR-21, miR-34a, miR-192, miR-193, and the miR-17-92 miRNA-cluster. The hepatocyte-enriched miRNA-122 is consistently increased in NAFLD and NASH but decreased in liver cirrhosis. Circulating miR-34a, part of an existing diagnostic algorithm for NAFLD, and miR-21 are consistently increased in NAFLD and NASH. MiR-192 appears to be prominently upregulated in NASH compared with NAFDL, whereas miR-193 was reported to distinguish NASH from fibrosis. Various members of miRNA cluster miR-17-92 are reported to be associated with NAFLD and NASH, although with less consistency. Several other circulating miRNAs have been reported to be associated with fatty liver in a few studies, indicating the existence of more circulating miRNAs with relevant as diagnostic markers for NAFLD or NASH. Thus, circulating miRNAs show potential as biomarkers of fatty liver disease, but more information about phenotype specificity and longitudinal regulation is needed.
Glycolytic side pathways regulating macrophage inflammatory phenotypes and functions
Authors: Dionísio Flávio , Tomas Lukas , Schulz Christian
Published: January 2023

Macrophages are crucial effector cells of the innate immune system and have important roles in the initiation and resolution of inflammation as well as in tissue homeostasis. To fulfill these diverse roles, macrophages exhibit metabolic flexibility to quickly adapt to the needs of the effector functions required, as well as to the microenvironment. This metabolic flexibility is exemplified by proinflammatory macrophages, which upregulate glycolysis to both initiate and sustain the process of inflammation. Upregulation of glycolysis does not only represent a fast means of ATP generation. It also fuels glycolytic side pathways that are crucial for an effective inflammatory response by influencing the cell’s redox balance as well as by providing building blocks and substrates for epigenetic reprogramming. The aim of this short review is to explore how three of these pathways – the pentose phosphate pathway, the glycerol phosphate shuttle, and the serine synthesis pathway – help macrophages sustain their proinflammatory phenotype and functions.
Genomic and epigenomic responses to aspirin in human colonic organoids
Authors: Witonsky David , Bielski Margaret C. , Li Jinchao , Lawrence Kristi M. , Mendoza Ishmael N. , Usman Hina , Kupfer Sonia S.
Published: January 2023

Aspirin (ASA) is a proven chemoprotective agent for colorectal cancer, though mechanisms underlying these effects are incompletely understood. Human organoids are an ideal system to study genomic and epigenomic host-environment interactions. We use human colonic organoids to profile ASA responses on genome-wide gene expression and chromatin accessibility. Human colonic organoids from one individual were cultured and treated in triplicate with 3 mM ASA or vehicle control (DMSO) for 24 h. Gene expression and chromatin accessibility were measured using RNA- and ATAC-sequencing, respectively. Differentially expressed genes were analyzed using DESeq2. Top genes were validated by qPCR. Gene set enrichment was performed by SetRank. Differentially accessible peaks were analyzed using DiffBind and edgeR. Peak annotation and differential transcription factor motifs were determined by HOMER and diffTF. The results showed robust transcriptional responses to ASA with significant enrichment for fatty acid oxidation and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling that were validated in independent organoid lines. A large number of differentially accessible chromatin regions were found in response to ASA with significant enrichment for Fos, Jun, and Hnf transcription factor motifs. Integrated analysis of epigenomic and genomic treatment responses highlighted gene regions that could mediate ASA’s specific effects in the colon including those involved in chemoprotection and/or toxicity. Assessment of chromatin accessibility and transcriptional responses to ASA yielded new observations about genome-wide effects in the colon facilitated by application of human colonic organoids. This framework can be applied to study colonic ASA responses between individuals and populations in future studies.
Sex and molecular differences in cardiovascular parameters at peak influenza disease in mice
Authors: Martin Brigitte E. , Taylor Erin B. , Attipoe Esinam M. , Wu Wenjie , Stec David E. , Showmaker Kurt C. , Garrett Michael R.
Published: January 2023

This study performed longitudinal cardiovascular measurements of influenza viral infection and identified sex difference in both physiological and molecular markers at peak disease.