bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Let sleeping logs lie: Beta diversity increases in deadwood beetle communities over time
Authors: Clay Natalie
Published: May 2023

Research Highlight: Seibold, S., Weisser, W., Ambarli, D., Gossner, M. M., Mori, A., Cadotte, M., Hagge, J., Bässler, C. & Thorn, S. (2022). Drivers of community assembly change during succession in wood‐decomposing beetle communities. Journal of Animal Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365‐2656.13843. Paradigms of succession and its drivers have largely developed from systems relying on living plants. A substantial portion of terrestrial biodiversity and biomass exists in detrital systems that rely on dead organic matter, yet successional patterns in detrital systems have received far less attention. In particular, deadwood significantly contributes to forest ecosystem nutrient cycling and storage and represents a relatively long‐lived detrital system in which to study patterns of succession. Seibold et al. examined successional patterns of deadwood beetle communities over 8 years in a large‐scale experiment that included 379 logs from 13 different tree species in 30 forest stands in three regions of Germany. They predicted that deadwood beetle communities would initially differ among deadwood tree species, across space, and with climatic differences but would become more similar over time as deadwood decomposed and characteristics of remaining habitat become more homogeneous. However, Seibold et al. predicted that beetle communities would become increasingly different across space along deadwood succession if late successional species were weaker dispersers than early successional species. Surprisingly, beetle communities became more dissimilar over time contrary to predictions. But, as predicted, increasing phylogenetic distance among tree species led to increasingly dissimilar deadwood beetle communities. Lastly, differences across space, forest structure and climate led to different deadwood beetle communities, but these effects remained constant over time. These results suggest that deadwood succession is influenced by both deterministic and stochastic processes and that stochastic processes may be increasingly important in late successional stages. Seibold et al. reveal important drivers of detrital successional patterns in deadwood that indicate that deadwood beetle biodiversity can be promoted via maintaining a diversity of deadwood decay stages across a large phylogenetic diversity of trees species and structurally diverse forests. Future studies that test the mechanisms driving these patterns and whether these results hold for other saproxylic organisms will help inform forest conservation and management strategies.
Care after premenopausal risk‐reducing salpingo‐oophorectomy in high‐risk women: Scoping review and international consensus recommendations
Authors: Nebgen Denise R. , Domchek Susan M. , Kotsopoulos Joanne , de Hullu Joanne A. , Crosbie Emma J. , Paramanandam Vincent Singh , Brood ‐ van Zanten Monique M.A. , Norquist Barbara M. , Guise Theresa , Rozenberg Serge , Kurian Allison W. , Pederson Holly J. , Yuksel Nese , Michaelson‐Cohen Rachel , Bober Sharon L. , da Silva Filho Agnaldo Lopes , Johansen Nora , Guidozzi F. , Evans D. Gareth , Menon Usha , Kingsberg Sheryl A. , Powell C. Bethan , Grandi Giovanni , Marchetti Claudia , Jacobson Michelle , Brennan Donal J. , Hickey Martha
Published: May 2023

Women at high inherited risk of ovarian cancer are offered risk‐reducing salpingo‐oophorectomy (RRSO) from age 35 to 45 years. Although potentially life‐saving, RRSO may induce symptoms that negatively affect quality of life and impair long‐term health. Clinical care following RRSO is often suboptimal. This scoping review describes how RRSO affects short‐ and long‐term health and provides evidence‐based international consensus recommendations for care from preoperative counselling to long‐term disease prevention. This includes the efficacy and safety of hormonal and non‐hormonal treatments for vasomotor symptoms, sleep disturbance and sexual dysfunction and effective approaches to prevent bone and cardiovascular disease.
Circ_0001387 regulates SKA2 to accelerate breast cancer progression through miR‐136‐5p
Authors: Xiong Youyi , Li Lin , Wang Nan , Wang Fang , Chen Zhuo , Han Luhong , Jiang Shan , Gu Yuanting
Published: May 2023

Background

Growing evidence has revealed the critical regulatory role for circular RNAs (circRNAs) in cancer. This study aimed to explore the function of circ_0001387 in breast cancer (BC).

Methods

Circ_0001387, miR‐136‐5p, and spindle and kinetochore‐associated protein 2 (SKA2) levels were analyzed by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction. Clone formation and 5‐ethynyl‐2′‐deoxyuridine assays were used to analyze cell proliferation. Cell apoptosis and cell migration and invasion abilities were analyzed using flow cytometry or transwell assay. Mechanism assay was used to confirm the association between miR‐136‐5p and circ_0001387 or SKA2. The effect of circ_0001387 on tumor growth in vivo was analyzed by the xenograft mice model.

Results

Circ_0001387 and SKA2 were expressed at high levels, whereas miR‐136‐5p was lowly expressed in BC tissues and cells. Meanwhile, the downregulation of circ_0001387 restrained BC cell progression in vitro and in vivo. Circ_0001387 competitively bound to miR‐136‐5p to regulate BC cell malignant behaviors. SKA2 was targeted by miR‐136‐5p, and SKA2 reinstated the suppressive effect of miR‐136‐5p upregulation in BC cells.

Conclusion

Our study indicated that circ_0001387 contributed to BC cell progression through miR‐136‐5p/SKA2 axis.
Influence of voxel size and filter type on detecting vertical root fracture using cone‐beam computed tomography
Authors: Kolsuz Mehmet Eray , Evli Cengiz , Aksoy Umut , Koohnavard Mehrdad , Aksoy Seçil , Orhan Kaan
Published: May 2023

Vertical root fractures (VRFs) can start at any level of the root and progress longitudinally to the coronal attachment. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different exposure parameters used when obtaining CBCT scans in detecting simulated VRFs. Hence, 80 intact human mandibular single‐rooted pre‐molar teeth without root fractures were included in the study. No statistically significant difference was found between the filters in terms of VRF detection in the group with the roots with only root canal filling (Groups 1 and 5); however, 100 voxels were found to be more successful in terms of VRF detection than other voxel sizes. Results of this study suggest that using lower voxel sizes leads to an accurate diagnosis of vertical root fracture, in addition, our results revealed that using AR filters did not improve the diagnostic accuracy in detecting VRFs.
Radiographic evaluation of the tenting screw technique in horizontal alveolar bone augmentation: A retrospective study
Authors: Yang Sijia , Wang Siyuan , Shen Xiaoting , Xu Yuzi , Chen Cong , He Fuming
Published: May 2023

Objectives

To radiographically analyze the effects of tenting screw technique (TS) and onlay bone grafts (OG) in horizontal bone augmentation.

Materials and Methods

Patients receiving horizontal bone augmentation by TS or OG were selected. The clinical outcomes and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) data were documented pre‐grafting, immediately post‐grafting, before and after implantation. The survival rates, clinical complications, alveolar bone width, and volumetric bone augmentation were evaluated and statistically analyzed.

Results

A total of 25 patients and 41 implants were involved in this study, with no grafting failures observed in either the TS group (n = 20) or the onlay group (n = 21). Volumetric bone resorption rate in the TS group (21.34%) was significantly lower than that of the OG group (29.38%). In addition, significant horizontal bone gain was achieved in both groups (TS: 6.15 ± 2.12 mm; OG: 4.86 ± 1.40 mm) during the recovery period, with higher gain in the TS group. No apparent statistical difference in terms of volumetric bone gain was observed between the TS (748.53 mm3, 607.47 mm3) and OG group (811.77 mm3, 508.49 mm3) immediately post‐grafting or after the recovery period.

Conclusion

Both TS and OG achieved satisfactory bone augmentation effects, yet TS resulted in more bone augmentation and better stability than OG, with a reduced use of autogenous bone. Overall, the tenting screw technique can serve as an effective alternative to autogenous bone grafts.
Assessing the impact of providing digital product information on the health risks of alcoholic beverages to the consumer at point of sale: A pilot study
Authors: Rehm Jürgen , Ferreira‐Borges Carina , Kokole Daša , Neufeld Maria , Olsen Aleksandra , Rovira Pol , Segura Garcia Lidia , Tran Alexander , Colom Joan
Published: May 2023

Introduction

There is an ongoing policy debate in the European Union regarding the best method of providing information to consumers on the health risks of alcohol use. One of the proposed channels is via the provision of QR codes. This study tested the usage rate of QR codes placed on point‐of‐sale signs in a supermarket in Barcelona, Catalonia over a 1‐week period.

Methods

Nine banners with beverage‐specific health warnings in large text were prominently displayed in the alcohol section of a supermarket. Each banner provided a QR code of relatively large image size that linked to a government website providing further information on alcohol‐related harms. A comparison was made between the number of visits to the website and the number of customers in the supermarket (number of unique sales receipts) in a single week.

Results

Only 6 out of 7079 customers scanned the QR code during the week, corresponding to a usage rate of 0.085%, less than 1 per 1000. The usage rate was 2.6 per 1000 among those who purchased alcohol.

Discussion and Conclusions

Despite the availability of prominently displayed QR codes, the overwhelming majority of customers did not make use of the QR codes to obtain further information on alcohol‐related harms. This corroborates the results from other studies investigating customers' use of QR codes to obtain additional product information. Based on the current evidence, providing online access to information through QR codes will likely not reach a significant portion of consumers.
Fine‐scale spatial and temporal distribution patterns of large marine predators in a biodiversity hotspot
Authors: Stephenson Fabrice , Hamilton Olivia N. P. , Torres Leigh G. , Kozmian‐Ledward Lily , Pinkerton Matt H. , Constantine Rochelle
Published: May 2023

Aim

Large marine predators, such as cetaceans and sharks, play a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity patterns and ecosystem function, yet few estimates of their spatial distribution exist. We aimed to determine the species richness of large marine predators and investigate their fine‐scale spatiotemporal distribution patterns to inform conservation management.

Location

The Hauraki Gulf/Tīkapa Moana/Te Moananui‐ā‐Toi, Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Methods

We conducted a replicate systematic aerial survey over 12 months. Flexible machine learning models were used to explore relationships between large marine predator occurrence (Bryde's whales, common and bottlenose dolphins, bronze whaler, pelagic and immature hammerhead sharks) and environmental and biotic variables, and predict their monthly distribution and associated spatially explicit uncertainty.

Results

We revealed that temporally dynamic variables, such as prey distribution and sea surface temperature, were important for predicting the occurrence of the study species and species groups. While there was variation in temporal and spatial distribution, predicted richness peaked in summer and was the highest in coastal habitats during that time, providing insight into changes in distributions over time and between species.

Main Conclusions

Temporal changes in distribution are not routinely accounted for in species distribution studies. Our approach highlights the value of multispecies surveys and the importance of considering temporally variable abiotic and biotic drivers for understanding biodiversity patterns when informing ecosystem‐scale conservation planning and dynamic ocean management.
Religious Organizations and Government: An Ecclesial Lutheran “Take”
Authors: Willer Roger A.
Published: May 2023

Sharp debates exist today about the appropriate relationship between religious organizations and government, with views ranging from Christian nationalism to strict secularists. This essay explores a mediating position expressed in the conceptual phrase that religious bodies should “work with civil authorities in areas of mutual endeavor, maintaining institutional separation and functional interaction.” The essay uses historical and ecclesial sources to describe the struggles and underpinnings that lead to this position and then unpacks its meaning and import. While originating from within the conceptual and ecclesial American Lutheran tradition, the essay points to this approach as a public proposal for sound relationship between religious communities and political authority in the United States.
Enhancing Arabic‐text feature extraction utilizing label‐semantic augmentation in few/zero‐shot learning
Authors: Basabain Seham , Cambria Erik , Alomar Khalid , Hussain Amir
Published: May 2023

A growing amount of research use pre‐trained language models to address few/zero‐shot text classification problems. Most of these studies neglect the semantic information hidden implicitly beneath the natural language names of class labels and develop a meta learner from the input texts solely. In this work, we demonstrate how label information can be utilized to extract enhanced feature representation of the input text from a Transformer‐based pre‐trained language model such as AraBERT. In addition, how this approach can improve performance when the data resources are scarce like in the Arabic language and the input text is short with little semantic information as is the case using tweets. The work also applies zero‐shot text classification to predict new classes with no training examples across different domains including sarcasm detection and sentiment analysis using the information in the last layer of a trained classifier in a transfer learning setting. Experiments show that our approach has a better performance for the few‐shot sentiment classification compared to baseline models and models trained without augmenting label information. Moreover, the zero‐shot implementation achieved an accuracy up to 0.874 in Arabic sarcasm detection from a model trained on a sentiment analysis task.
Unravelling the complexity of enzyme catalysis
Authors: Scrutton Nigel S.
Published: May 2023

The study of enzymes never disappoints. Despite its long history—almost 150 years following the first documented use of the word enzyme in 1878—the field of enzymology advances apace. This long journey has witnessed landmark developments that have defined modern enzymology as a broad discipline, leading to improved understanding at the molecular level, as we aspire to discover the complex relationships between enzyme structures, catalytic mechanisms and biological function. How enzymes are regulated at the gene and post‐translational levels and how catalytic activity is modulated by interactions with small ligands and macromolecules, or the broader enzyme environment, are topical areas of study. Insights from such studies guide the exploitation of natural and engineered enzymes in biomedical or industrial processes; for example, in diagnostics, pharmaceuticals manufacture and processing technologies that use immobilised enzymes and enzyme reactor‐based systems. In this Focus Issue, The FEBS Journal seeks to highlight breaking science and informative reviews, as well as personal reflections, to illustrate the breadth and importance of contemporary molecular enzymology research.
Numerical simulation of the effect of surface microgeometry and residual stress on conformal contact fretting fatigue crack initiation behavior
Authors: Song Yifan , Yan Pei , Jiao Li , Gu Huiqing , Guo Zhibo , Zhao Bin , Wang Xibin
Published: May 2023

Conformal contact is a commonly presented contact form in assemblies. Non‐proportional loading is the main characteristics of conformal contact, which leads to prominent difficulty in revealing fretting crack behavior. In this paper, a finite element prediction model for Ti‐6Al‐4V pin‐hole contact fretting fatigue crack initiation was developed, which simultaneously considered the effect of fretting wear, surface roughness, surface skewness, surface kurtosis, and residual stress. The results show that phase differences of stress component, change in direction of principal stress, and high stress gradient are the main reasons for the initiation of fretting fatigue under conformal contact condition. The model based on the Fatemi–Socie (FS) parameter successfully predicted the location, orientation, and fatigue life of crack initiation, which agrees well with the experimental results. Additionally, machining‐induced residual stress can effectively inhibit mode I crack initiation at valleys. Moreover, ignoring the surface microgeometry characteristics reduces the prediction accuracy of the crack behavior.
Grassroots temporary urbanism as a challenge to the city of austerity? Lessons from a self‐organised park in Thessaloniki, Greece
Authors: Kapsali Matina
Published: May 2023

This paper traces the legacies of austerity through a focus on grassroots temporary urban interventions in public spaces. Drawing on a self‐organised neighbourhood park in Thessaloniki, Greece, it explores and analyses the politicising dynamics of these urban experiments that emerged as a direct response to state retrenchment but became a long‐term legacy of austerity with material and social consequences. The aim of the paper is to contribute to contemporary scholarly debates on temporary grassroots urbanism amidst austerity by uncovering the ambiguous nature of such urban experiments without reproducing dichotomising approaches that understand them as either a vehicle of neoliberalisation or an instrument of revolt. Through the case of Svolou I develop a twofold argument. First, regarding their social dynamics and legacies, grassroots urban initiatives that lack a politicising element of disagreement with (planning and governance) authorities result in creating parallel micro‐spheres of socialities and solidarities with a questionable long‐term impact against austerity urbanism. Although such socialities are important at the local level, they often risk reproducing neoliberal rationalities of individual responsibility and exclusions. Second, regarding their material legacies, I argue that grassroots urban initiatives produce temporary self‐organised spaces and experiment with innovative grassroots space‐making processes but they often remain entrapped at the local level without being able to develop broader contestations of the uneven urban development model emerging in and through austerity.
Quick and affordable DNA cloning by reconstitution of Seamless Ligation Cloning Extract using defined factors
Authors: Liu Alexander Y. , Koga Hiroto , Goya Chihiro , Kitabatake Makoto
Published: May 2023

The cloning of DNA fragments to plasmid vectors is at the heart of molecular biology. Recent developments have led to various methods utilizing homologous recombination of homology arms. Among them, Seamless Ligation Cloning Extract (SLiCE) is an affordable alternative solution that uses simple Escherichia coli lysates. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear and the reconstitution of the extract by defined factors has not yet been reported. We herein show that the key factor in SLiCE is Exonuclease III (ExoIII), a double‐strand (ds) DNA‐dependent 3′‐5′ exonuclease, encoded by XthA. SLiCE prepared from the xthAΔ strain is devoid of recombination activity, whereas purified ExoIII alone is sufficient to assemble two blunt‐ended dsDNA fragments with homology arms. In contrast to SLiCE, ExoIII is unable to digest (or assemble) fragments with 3′ protruding ends; however, the addition of single‐strand DNA‐targeting Exonuclease T overcomes this issue. Through the combination of commercially available enzymes under optimized conditions, we achieved the efficient, reproducible, and affordable cocktail, “XE cocktail,” for seamless DNA cloning. By reducing the cost and time required for DNA cloning, researchers will devote more resources to advanced studies and the careful validation of their own findings.
Long‐term efficacy and risk factors of balloon‐assisted maturation for radial‐cephalic arteriovenous fistula with small‐caliber veins
Authors: Kao Tsung‐Chi , Hsieh Hung‐Chang , Yu Sheng‐Yueh , Su Ta‐Wei , Ko Po‐Jen
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Balloon angioplasty maturation (BAM) is a salvage method for autologous arteriovenous fistula (AVF) maturation failure. AVF creation using small‐diameter veins is considered to have poor outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the long‐term patency of small‐diameter veins (≤3 mm) using BAM.

Methods

BAM was performed if the fistula failed to mature and function adequately to provide prescribed dialysis.

Findings

Out of 61 AVFs, 22 AVFs successfully matured without further intervention (AVF group) and 39 AVFs failed to mature. Except for 1 patient who required peritoneal dialysis, the remaining 38 patients received salvage BAM, and 36 of those successful matured (BAM group). Kaplan–Meier analysis revealed no significant differences between the AVF and BAM groups in terms of primary functional patency (p = 0.503) and assisted functional patency (p = 0.499). Compared with the AVF group, the BAM group had similar assisted primary functional patency (1‐year: 94.7% vs. 93.1%; 3‐year: 88.0% vs. 93.1%; 5‐year: 79.2% vs. 88.3%). In addition, there were no significant difference between groups in the duration of primary functional patency and assisted primary functional patency (p > 0.05). Multivariate analyses showed that vein diameter and number of BAM procedures were independent predictors of primary functional patency in the AVF group and BAM group, respectively. Patient with 1 mm increase in vein size had 0.13‐fold probability of having decreased duration of patency (HR = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.02–0.99, p = 0.049), while patients who received two times of BAM procedures were 2.885 as likely to have decreased duration of primary functional patency (HR = 2.885, 95% CI: 1.09–7.63, p = 0.033) than patients who received one BAM procedure.

Discussion

BAM is a relatively effective salvage management option with an acceptable long‐term patency rate, even for small cephalic veins.
States and hotspots in Helicobacter pylori research from 2002 to 2021: A bibliometric analysis
Authors: Wang Ruiyu , Huang Shu , Gan Peiling , Pan Xiao , Wang Ping , Zhong Xiaolin , Lü Muhan , Zhou Xian , Tang Xiaowei
Published: May 2023

Background

Recently, numerous publications on Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) have been published, but bibliometric analyses on this research field are scarce. To address this gap, we conducted a bibliometric analysis to provide a comprehensive overview and to explore the current research states and hotspots in this field.

Materials and Methods

Publications on H. pylori from 2002 to 2021 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database (WoSCC). Trends in publications and citations were analyzed using Excel 2021. VOSviewer and Citespace were used to perform bibliometrics analysis.

Results

36,266 publications on H. pylori were retrieved from the WoSCC database. In general, we observed an increasing trend in the number of publications over the past 20 years. The United States was the most productive and influential country, with the largest proportion of both publications and total citations. Helicobacter, US Department of Veterans Affairs, and Graham, David were the most productive journals, institutions and authors, respectively. Further analysis the co‐occurrence and burst detection of keywords revealed that the most common keywords were “Helicobacter pylori,” “gastric cancer,” and “gastritis,” all keywords were divided into eight main clusters, and the most important current research hotspot was the relationship between H. pylori infection and the changes of gut microbiota.

Conclusions

The United States has been the most productive and influential country on H. pylori research, and H. pylori‐related research remains an active research field. The relationship between H. pylori infection and the changes of gut microbiota is a research hotspot attracting significant attention.
Impact of nephroureterectomy on postoperative renal function in upper tract urothelial carcinoma: A multicenter retrospective study
Authors: Okuyama Yoshiharu , Hatakeyama Shingo , Tabata Ryuji , Fujimori Daiji , Kawashima Yohei , Tanaka Toshikazu , Fujita Naoki , Okamoto Teppei , Mori Kazuyuki , Yamamoto Hayato , Yoneyama Takahiro , Hashimoto Yasuhiro , Matsuoka Toshimitsu , Sato Satoshi , Ohyama Chikara
Published: May 2023

Objective

To assess the impact of radical nephroureterectomy on postoperative renal function in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC).

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated 645 patients with UTUC treated with radical nephroureterectomy between January 2000 and May 2022. The primary outcome was the rate of postoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Secondary outcomes included the rate of eGFR decline, identification of factors related to eGFR decline, and the impact of comorbidities (diabetes or cardiovascular disease) on postoperative eGFR at 1 year.

Results

The median preoperative and postoperative eGFR levels were 55.6 and 43.3 mL/min/1.73 m2, respectively. The rate of patients with preoperative and postoperative eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2 was 40.9% and 9.0%, respectively. The median decline in eGFR after surgery was 25.1%. The presence of preoperative unilateral hydronephrosis and eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 was significantly associated with a low decline of postoperative eGFR and poor survival. The impact of the presence of comorbidities on postoperative eGFR at 1 year was significant (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Impaired renal function is prevalent in patients with UTUC. The rate of patients with postoperative eGFR ≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2 was 9.0%. The presence of preoperative renal impairment was significantly related to a low decline in postoperative eGFR and poor survival. The presence of comorbidities had a significant effect on eGFR decline 1 year after radical nephroureterectomy.
Lyn‐mediated glycolysis enhancement of microglia contributes to neuropathic pain through facilitating IRF5 nuclear translocation in spinal dorsal horn
Authors: Kong Erliang , Li Yongchang , Ma Peng , Zhang Yixuan , Ding Ruifeng , Hua Tong , Yang Mei , Yuan Hongbin
Published: May 2023

The pro‐inflammatory phenotype of microglia usually induces neuroinflammatory reactions in neuropathic pain. Glycometabolism shift to glycolysis can promote the pro‐inflammatory phenotype transition of microglia. The omics data analysis suggest a critical role for Lyn dysregulation in neuropathic pain. The present study aimed at exploring the mechanism of Lyn‐mediated glycolysis enhancement of microglia in neuropathic pain. Neuropathic pain model was established by chronic constriction injury (CCI), then pain thresholds and Lyn expression were measured. Lyn inhibitor Bafetinib and siRNA‐lyn knockdown were administrated intrathecally to evaluate the effects of Lyn on pain thresholds, glycolysis and interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) nuclear translocation of microglia in vivo and in vitro. ChIP was carried out to observe the binding of transcription factors SP1, PU.1 to glycolytic gene promoters by IRF5 knockdown. Finally, the relationship between glycolysis and pro‐inflammatory phenotype transition of microglia was evaluated. CCI led to the upregulation of Lyn expression and glycolysis enhancement in microglia of spinal dorsal horn. Bafetinib or siRNA‐lyn knockdown intrathecally alleviated pain hyperalgesia, suppressed glycolysis enhancement and inhibited nuclear translocation of IRF5 in CCI mice. Also, IRF5 promoted the binding of transcription factors SP1, PU.1 to glycolytic gene promoters, and then the enhanced glycolysis facilitated the proliferation and pro‐inflammatory phenotype transition of microglia and contributed to neuropathic pain. Lyn‐mediated glycolysis enhancement of microglia contributes to neuropathic pain through facilitating IRF5 nuclear translocation in spinal dorsal horn.
Evaluation of reflective groundcovers for pest and fruit quality management in commercial pear orchards
Authors: Orpet Robert J. , Beers Elizabeth H. , DuPont S. Tianna , Hilton Rick , Kalcsits Lee A. , Nottingham Louis B.
Published: May 2023

Reflective groundcovers can improve crop yield and quality and deter pests by increasing light penetration into plant canopies. In pear (Pyrus communis L.) orchards, this could increase profitability and reduce reliance on insecticides to manage pear psylla (Cacopsylla pyricola [Foerster]). Two types of reflective groundcovers, metallized polyethylene film (metallized film) and white geotextile fabric (reflective fabric), are known to increase pear yield and quality, and metallized film was recently reported to suppress pear psylla. Here, we tested reflective fabric for pear psylla suppression at a research orchard in 2019, then we partnered with five pear orchard managers to test metallized film and reflective fabric for pear psylla suppression at five conventional commercial orchards in 2020 and one organic commercial orchard in 2021. There was evidence of pear psylla suppression by both metallized film and reflective fabric, but effects varied among reflective materials, pear psylla life stages, season and year of study. Reflective groundcovers did not affect fruit size, weight, sunburn or pest mite abundance, and they were compatible with pear psylla biocontrol. Low perceived benefit relative to cost was a barrier to continued trialling and adoption. Whereas orchardists in our study used reflective groundcovers in addition to normal pesticide regimes, previous research studies suggest that reflective groundcovers can profitably replace some insecticides. Future studies are needed to test the outcomes of replacing pesticides with reflective groundcovers in commercial orchards and understand under what circumstances they improve pear quality and yield.
Social, economic, and legal aspects of polder implementation for flood risk management in Poland and Hungary
Authors: Warachowska Weronika , Ungvári Gábor , Kis András , Matczak Piotr , Zwoliński Zbigniew
Published: May 2023

The implementation of nature‐based solutions that involve natural processes to mutually decrease flood risk and protect natural ecosystems can be an answer to the demand for resilient flood risk management (FRM). As an example of a nature‐based solution, flood polders have the potential to deliver those benefits; however, a need for innovation is observed in the field of redefining, combining, and reformulating existing approaches to improve the welfare and wellbeing of individuals and communities. This article aims to investigate polder implementation and management processes, perceived as a potential introduction of social innovation in Poland and Hungary, where social innovation in FRM is required but where the introduction of innovative solutions stalls at different stages. Based on a comparative analysis, a set of factors for effective social innovation was formulated regarding formal and legal conditions and economic and social aspects of polder management and implementation. Each of identified factors can either allow or hinder public engagement and successful social innovation.
How Do Mortgage Rate Resets Affect Consumer Spending and Debt Repayment? Evidence from Canadian Consumers
Authors: KARTASHOVA KATYA , ZHOU XIAOQING
Published: May 2023

One of the most important channels through which monetary policy affects the real economy is changes in mortgage rates. This paper studies the effects of mortgage rate changes resulting from monetary policy shifts on homeowners' spending, debt repayment, and defaults. The Canadian institutional setting facilitates the design of identification strategies for causal inference, since the vast majority of mortgages in the country experience predetermined, periodic, and automatic contract renewals with the mortgage rate reset based on the prevailing market rate. This allows us to exploit quasi‐random variation in the timing of the rate reset and to present causal evidence for both rate declines and increases using detailed, representative consumer credit panel data. We find asymmetric effects of rate changes on spending, debt repayment, and defaults. Our results can be rationalized by the conventional cash‐flow effect in conjunction with changes in consumer expectations about future interest rates upon the reset. Given the pervasiveness of Canadian‐type mortgages in many other OECD countries, our findings have broader implications for the transmission of monetary policy to the household sector.
Does working hard really pay off? Testing the temporal ordering between workaholism and job performance
Authors: Xu Xiaohong , Peng Yisheng , Ma Jie , Jalil Daroon
Published: May 2023

Is workaholism an antecedent or a product of job performance? Or is there a reciprocation between workaholism and job performance? To address this issue, we collected data from 352 employees using a two‐wave panel design in Study 1, and 247 employee–supervisor dyads using a three‐wave panel design in Study 2. In Study 1, job performance had a negative effect on working compulsively but not working excessively, whereas, in Study 2, job performance had a positive effect on working compulsively and working excessively. Across the two studies, working compulsively and working excessively had no lagged effect on job performance. Collectively, these findings suggest that job performance causes workaholism rather than the other way around, challenging the traditional view. The inconsistent effects of job performance across working excessively and working compulsively underscore the importance of separating workaholism dimensions. Collectively, our findings challenge the validity of the reinforcement theory of learning and the psychological model of addiction in explaining the development of workaholism. We encourage future research to address when job performance has a positive, negative or null effect on workaholism to further improve our understanding of the causal relationship between workaholism and job performance.
Machine learning of surrender: Optimality and humanity
Authors: Jia Bowen , Wang Ling , Wong Hoi Ying
Published: May 2023

We develop a novel machine learning (ML) framework to estimate a surrender charge for variable annuities (VAs) with the balance between human behavior and rational optimality. Optimality accounts for insurers' potential losses from strategic surrenders by policyholders who attempt to take advantage of the market situation. However, policyholders sometimes need to surrender a VA because of sudden personal financial distress or a terminal illness. The literature contains contributions for these two surrender decisions separately, but we consider them simultaneously using ML. The ML framework is a Bayesian mixture of a deep optimal stopping rule based on potentially high‐dimensional financial variables and a statistical model with historical data. This framework can help insurers and pension funds to set surrender charges and perform stress testing in ways that balance profits and social responsibility by incorporating policyholders' behavioral data.
Capturing the onset of oral processing: Merging of a model food emulsion drop with saliva
Authors: Aidonidou Eleni , Kalathaki Iasmi , Karageorgiou Vassilis , Ritzoulis Christos
Published: May 2023

The events occurring before and during the merging of a model liquid food emulsion with saliva have been captured ex vivo using confocal microscopy. In the order of a few seconds, millimeter‐sized drops of liquid food and saliva touch and are deformed; the two surfaces eventually collapse, resulting in the merging of the two phases, in a process reminiscent of emulsion droplets coalescing. The model droplets then surge into saliva. Based on this, two distinct stages can be distinguished for the insertion of a liquid food into the oral cavity: A first phase where two intact phases co‐exist, and the individual viscosities and saliva–liquid food tribology should be important to texture perception; and a second stage, dominated by the rheological properties of the liquid food–saliva mixture. The importance of the surface properties of saliva and liquid food are highlighted, as they may influence the merging of the two phases.
Symptoms of anxiety and depression in Denmark during the first year of the COVID‐19 pandemic: A two‐wave matched‐control study
Authors: Strizzi Jenna Marie , Pavan Silvia , Frederiksen Elizabeth Lerche , Andersson Mikael , Graugaard Christian , Frisch Morten , Hald Gert Martin
Published: May 2023

Subsequent to the restriction measures taken to curb the COVID‐19 infection rate, researchers theorized these would have detrimental mental health consequences. This two‐wave matched‐control study investigates depression and anxiety symptoms during the first 12 months of the pandemic (March 2020–March 2021) in Denmark with data from the I‐SHARE and Project SEXUS studies. The I‐SHARE study includes 1,302 (Time period 1 only n = 914, Time period 2 only n = 304, both time periods 1 and2 n = 84) Danish participants, and the sex and birth year‐matched control participants from the Project SEXUS study comprise 9,980 Danes. During the first year of the pandemic, the study populations' anxiety and depression symptom mean levels did not significantly differ from pre‐pandemic matched controls. Younger age, female gender, fewer children in the same household (depression only), lower education level, and not being in a relationship (depression only) were associated with increased anxiety and depression symptom scores. The key COVID‐19‐related variable linked with significantly higher anxiety and depression symptom scores was COVID‐19‐related loss of income. Contrary to initial concerns, we did not find a significant effect of the pandemic on anxiety and depression symptom scores. However, the results underscore the importance of structural resources to prevent income loss to safeguard mental health during crises such as a pandemic.
Précis
Authors: Linnebo Øystein
Published: May 2023

Thin Objects has two overarching ambitions. The first is to clarify and defend the idea that some objects are ‘thin’, in the sense that their existence does not make a substantive demand on reality. The second is to develop a systematic and well‐motivated account of permissible abstraction, thereby solving the so‐called ‘bad company problem’. Here I synthesise the book by briefly commenting on what I regard as its central themes.
Variations in the morphology of lagomorph confluence sinuum on contrast enhanced CT
Authors: Jorge Kelsey , Tolliver Sara , Gasper David , Mans Christoph , Yap Seng Wai
Published: May 2023

Knowledge of lagomorph confluence sinuum anatomy on contrast‐enhanced CT may prevent the misdiagnoses of intracranial, extra‐axial masses. The purpose of this retrospective, observational, descriptive study was to describe the characteristics of the confluence sinuum in rabbits on contrast‐enhanced CT. Images of 24 rabbits who had pre‐ and postcontrast CT sequences of the skull were reviewed by an American College of Veterinary Radiology‐certified veterinary radiologist and third‐year radiology resident. Degree of contrast enhancement within the region of the confluence sinuum was graded based on consensus as no (0), mild (1), moderate (2), or marked (3) contrast enhancement. Hounsfield units (HU) of the confluence sinuum was measured in three different regions of interest, averaged for each patient, and divided into each group for comparison using one‐way ANOVA analysis. Contrast enhancement was mild in 45.8% (11/24) rabbits, moderate in 33.3% (8/24), marked in 20.8% (5/24), and none in 0.0% (0/24). There were significant differences (P < 0.05) between the average HU of the mild and marked group (P‐value = 0.0001) and moderate and marked groups (P‐value = 0.0010). Two rabbits with marked contrast enhancement were initially misdiagnosed with an intracranial, extra‐axial mass along the parietal lobe based on contrast‐enhanced CT. On necropsy, no gross or histopathological abnormalities were identified in the brain for these rabbits. In summary, contrast enhancement was identified in all rabbits (24/24) on contrast‐enhanced CT imaging . This normal structure can be variable in size should not be mistaken for a pathological lesion in the absence of mass effect, secondary calvarial lysis, or hyperostosis.
DISTINCTIVELY HUMAN? MEANING‐MAKING AND WORLD SHAPING AS CORE PROCESSES OF THE HUMAN NICHE
Authors: Fuentes Agustín
Published: May 2023

Part of the task in studying human evolution is developing a deep understanding of what we share, and do not share, with other life, as a mammal, a primate, a hominin, and as members of the genus Homo. A key aspect of this last facet is gained via the examination of the genus Homo across the Pleistocene. By at least the later Pleistocene members of the genus Homo began to habitually insert shared meaning into and onto their world forming one of the bases of contemporary human abilities to develop a distinctive human niche and human culture. Meaning‐laden cultural dynamics constitute the core of a ubiquitous semiotic ecosystem, which in turn structures the architecture of the complex niches and niche construction processes that characterize humanity today. Here, I offer a summary of Pleistocene evolution of the genus Homo and an argument for when and how that extensive and distinctive capacities for shared meaning‐making and a particularly dynamic niche construction emerged.
Integrable equations associated with the finite‐temperature deformation of the discrete Bessel point process
Authors: Cafasso Mattia , Ruzza Giulio
Published: May 2023

We study the finite‐temperature deformation of the discrete Bessel point process. We show that its largest particle distribution satisfies a reduction of the 2D Toda equation, as well as a discrete version of the integro‐differential Painlevé II equation of Amir–Corwin–Quastel, and we compute initial conditions for the Poissonization parameter equal to 0. As proved by Betea and Bouttier, in a suitable continuum limit the last particle distribution converges to that of the finite‐temperature Airy point process. We show that the reduction of the 2D Toda equation reduces to the Korteweg–de Vries equation, as well as the discrete integro‐differential Painlevé II equation reduces to its continuous version. Our approach is based on the discrete analogue of Its–Izergin–Korepin–Slavnov theory of integrable operators developed by Borodin and Deift.
Effects of free weight and body mass‐based resistance training on thigh muscle size, strength and intramuscular fat in healthy young and middle‐aged individuals
Authors: Ogawa Madoka , Hashimoto Yuto , Mochizuki Yukina , Inoguchi Takamichi , Kouzuma Ayumu , Deguchi Minoru , Saito Mika , Homma Hiroki , Kikuchi Naoki , Okamoto Takanobu
Published: May 2023

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of free weight and body mass‐based resistance training (RT) on muscle size and thigh intramuscular fat (IMF) in young and middle‐aged individuals. Healthy individuals (aged 30–64 years) were assigned to either a free weight RT group (n = 21) or a body mass‐based RT group (n = 16). Both groups performed whole‐body resistance exercise twice a week for 8 weeks. Free weight resistance exercises (squats, bench press, deadlift, dumbbell rows and back range) involved 70% one repetition maximum, with three sets of 8–12 repetitions per exercise. The nine body mass‐based resistance exercises (leg raise, squats, rear raise, overhead shoulder mobility exercise, rowing, dips, lunge, single‐leg Romanian deadlifts and push‐ups) included the maximum possible repetitions per session, which were performed in one or two sets. Mid‐thigh magnetic resonance images using the two‐point Dixon method were taken pre‐ and post‐training. The muscle cross‐sectional area (CSA) and IMF content in the quadriceps femoris were measured from the images. Both the groups showed significantly increased muscle CSA post‐training (free weight RT group, P = 0.001; body mass‐based RT group, P = 0.002). IMF content in the body mass‐based RT group significantly decreased (P = 0.036) but did not significantly change in the free weight RT group (P = 0.076). These results suggest that the free weight and body mass‐based RTs could induce muscle hypertrophy; however, in healthy young and middle‐aged individuals, decreased IMF content was induced following the body mass‐based RT alone.
Mapping the Soil Frontiers with Legacy Soil Data: An Approach for Covering the Lack of Updated Reference Maps of Minas Gerais, Brazil
Authors: Vasconcelos Bruno Nery Fernandes , Bravo João Vitor Meza , Cunha Jorge Eduardo Ferreira , Fernandes-Filho Elpídio Inácio
Published: May 2023

Digital Soil Mapping (DSM) of large areas is a time-consuming and  expensive process, where soil scientists take as many as possible observations to predict soil classes and their attributes. Sometimes, the DSM is made in geographic regions with no updated geographic information, leading the soil scientist to depend on Legacy Soil Data (LSD). However, LSD is not always available at an adequate scale or resolution, forcing soil scientists to find creative solutions. Here we present a method for mapping soil frontiers with no updated reference data. We demonstrate that by combining different LSD sources with adequate predictive environmental covariables, the results could be consistent enough for mapping the soil frontiers of a large geographic region without updated reference data. For doing that, we have adopted the full geographic extension of Minas Gerais  state – Brazil – as a study area. Within its extension, Minas Gerais has heterogeneity in soil classes and soil formation processes, phenomena triggered by such a divergent universe of environmental variables. Minas Gerais has no updated soil maps, making it a relevant study case for this research. Thus, we conclude that the Digital Soil Mapping process could be  enriched by using different sources of Legacy Soil Data, even when there is no updated reference data.
What’s in a Name? Evaluating Assembly-Part Semantic Knowledge in Language Models Through User-Provided Names in Computer Aided Design Files
Authors: Meltzer Peter , Lambourne Joseph G. , Grandi Daniele
Published: May 2023

Semantic knowledge of part-part and part-whole relationships in assemblies is useful for a variety of tasks from searching design repositories to the construction of engineering knowledge bases. In this work, we propose that the natural language names designers use in computer aided design (CAD) software are a valuable source of such knowledge, and that large language models (LLMs) contain useful domain-specific information for working with this data as well as other CAD and engineering-related tasks. In particular, we extract and clean a large corpus of natural language part, feature, and document names and use this to quantitatively demonstrate that a pre-trained language model can outperform numerous benchmarks on three self-supervised tasks, without ever having seen this data before. Moreover, we show that fine-tuning on the text data corpus further boosts the performance on all tasks, thus demonstrating the value of the text data which until now has been largely ignored. We also identify key limitations to using LLMs with text data alone, and our findings provide a strong motivation for further work into multi-modal text-geometry models. To aid and encourage further work in this area we make all our data and code publicly available.