bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thymic stromal lymphopoietin induces platelet mitophagy and promotes thrombosis in Kawasaki disease
Authors: Fu Lanyan , MacKeigan Daniel Thomas , Gong Qing , Che Di , Xu Yufen , Pi Lei , Sun Chaonan , Yu Hongyan , Chen Kaining , Zhou Huazhong , Jiang Zhiyong , Wang Zhouping , Zhang Li , Cerenzia Eric G. , Ni Heyu , Gu Xiaoqiong
Published: November 2022

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vasculitis primarily affecting infants and children. Activated platelets predispose patients to coronary artery structural lesions that may lead to thrombotic cardiovascular events. To discover potential proteins underlying platelet activation in KD, we conducted a protein chip assay of 34 cytokines and discovered thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) was aberrantly expressed, which remained elevated after intravenous immunoglobulin G (IVIG) treatment and during convalescence in KD patients in comparison to healthy controls. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) corroborated the upregulation of TSLP in KD patients, which was exacerbated in convalescent patients complicated with thrombosis. TSLP receptors on platelets were also significantly upregulated in KD patients complicated with thrombosis. Platelet activation, apoptosis, and mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy) were increased in convalescence KD patients complicated with thrombosis. In vitro, TSLP induced platelet activation and platelet mitophagy in healthy blood donors, as observed in KD patients. TSLP, similar to mitophagy agonist carbonyl cyanide 3‐chlorophenyl hydrazone (CCCP), promoted thrombosis, which was attenuated by the mitophagy inhibitor Mdivi‐1. Co‐immunoprecipitation in TSLP‐treated platelets revealed TSLP receptor (TSLPR) bound to mitophagy regulators, Parkin and Voltage Dependent Anion Channel Protein 1 (VDAC1).Thus, our results demonstrated that TSLP induced platelet mitophagy via a novel TSLPR/Parkin/VDAC1 pathway that promoted thrombosis in KD. These results suggest TSLP as a novel therapeutic target against KD‐associated thrombosis.
Boosting the confidence of new product development teams: The role of team boundary spanning, team size and functional diversity
Authors: Carbonell Pilar , Rodriguez Escudero Ana I.
Published: November 2022

In today's highly interconnected, uncertain and dynamic business environment, team boundary spanning has become an important determinant of the performance of new product development (NPD) projects. Despite the positive evidence supporting the use of boundary spanning activities by NPD teams, little is still known about how boundary spanning teams become high‐performance teams. The current study advances research on this subject by examining the mediating effect of team potency on the relationship between team boundary spanning and new product performance, as well as the moderating effects of team size and functional diversity on the relationship between team boundary spanning and team potency. Data from a time‐lagged survey study of 140 NPD projects found that team boundary spanning can promote team potency that, in turn, results in greater new product quality and new product creativity. The positive effect of team boundary spanning on team potency was found to be more pronounced for NPD teams of medium size and high levels of functional diversity.
Efficacy of cooling therapy and α‐lipoic acid derivative against chemotherapy‐induced alopecia in an animal model
Authors: Aiba Takayuki , Kono Yohei , Etoh Tsuyoshi , Kawano Yoko , Oshima Yusuke , Inomata Masafumi
Published: November 2022

Chemotherapy‐induced alopecia is frequently induced by various regimens of chemotherapy and has a significant impact on mental health and quality of life. However, the effect of available current treatment for chemotherapy‐induced alopecia is not sufficient. This study aimed to clarify the therapeutic effects and mechanism of skin cooling and the antioxidant α‐lipoic acid derivative on chemotherapy‐induced alopecia. We developed a chemotherapy‐induced alopecia model of cyclophosphamide (120 μg/g) using Institute of Cancer Research mice. We used cooling therapy and α‐lipoic acid derivative application as the treatments. We compared the alopecia score, hair bulb diameter, insulin‐like growth factor‐1 level, vascular permeability, and apoptosis between the control and treatment groups. The alopecia score significantly improved in each treatment group compared with that in the cyclophosphamide group. Hair bulb diameter significantly improved in the cyclophosphamide + cooling group compared with that in the cyclophosphamide group. The insulin‐like growth factor‐1 level and vascular permeability level was significantly retained and suppressed, respectively, in each treatment group compared with that in the cyclophosphamide group. The number of apoptotic cells in the vascular endothelium significantly decreased in the cyclophosphamide + α‐lipoic acid derivative group compared with that in the cyclophosphamide group. In conclusion, cooling therapy and α‐lipoic acid derivative facilitated recovery from chemotherapy‐induced alopecia caused by cyclophosphamide through decreasing vascular permeability.
Functional inhibition of MEF2 by C/EBP is a possible mechanism of leukemia development by CEBP‐IGH fusion gene
Authors: Odaira Koya , Yasuda Takahiko , Okada Kentaro , Shimooka Takuya , Kojima Yukino , Noura Mina , Tamura Shogo , Kurahashi Shingo , Iwamoto Eisuke , Sanada Masashi , Matsumura Itaru , Miyazaki Yasushi , Kojima Tetsuhito , Kiyoi Hitoshi , Tsuzuki Shinobu , Hayakawa Fumihiko
Published: November 2022

CEBPA‐IGH, a fusion gene of the immunoglobulin heavy‐chain locus (IGH) and the CCAAT enhancer‐binding protein α (C/EBPα) gene, is recurrently found in B‐ALL cases and causes aberrant expression of C/EBPα, a master regulator of granulocyte differentiation, in B cells. Forced expression of C/EBPα in B cells was reported to cause loss of B‐cell identity due to the inhibition of Pax5, a master regulator of B‐cell differentiation; however, it is not known whether the same mechanism is applicable for B‐ALL development by CEBPA‐IGH. It is known that a full‐length isoform of C/EBPα, p42, promotes myeloid differentiation, whereas its N‐terminal truncated isoform, p30, inhibits myeloid differentiation through the inhibition of p42; however, the differential role between p42 and p30 in ALL development has not been clarified. In the present study, we examined the effect of the expression of p42 and p30 in B cells by performing RNA‐seq of mRNA from LCL stably transfected with p42 or p30. Unexpectedly, suppression of PAX5 target genes was barely observed. Instead, both isoforms suppressed the target genes of MEF2 family members (MEF2s), other regulators of B‐cell differentiation. Similarly, MEF2s target genes rather than PAX5 target genes were suppressed in CEBP‐IGH‐positive ALL (n = 8) compared with other B‐ALL (n = 315). Furthermore, binding of both isoforms to MEF2s target genes and the reduction of surrounding histone acetylation were observed in ChIP‐qPCR. Our data suggest that the inhibition of MEF2s by C/EBPα plays a role in the development of CEBPA‐IGH‐positive ALL and that both isoforms work co‐operatively to achieve it.
Clinical outcomes of second‐generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors versus imatinib in older patients with CML
Authors: Ono Takaaki , Takahashi Naoto , Kizaki Masahiro , Kawaguchi Tatsuya , Suzuki Ritsuro , Yamamoto Kazuhito , Ohnishi Kazunori , Naoe Tomoki , Matsumura Itaru
Published: November 2022

Age and comorbidities are important factors to be considered in the selection of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for first‐line treatment in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase (CML‐CP). However, it is yet unclear whether TKI selection, particularly, imatinib versus second‐generation TKIs (2GTKIs), impacts treatment outcomes in the clinical practice. To address this, we compared the clinical outcomes of prospectively registered 452 patients with CML‐CP treated with imatinib and 2GTKIs, taking into consideration their age and/or comorbidities. A total of 136 patients (30.1%) were classified into an older cohort (≥65 years) and 316 (69.9%) into a younger cohort (18‐64 years). The TKI selection did not vary based on age (70.6% received 2GTKIs in the younger cohort and 66.2% in the older cohort). The median follow‐up period was 5.4 years. Treatment responses including the cumulative incidence of deep molecular response (BCR‐ABL1 international scale ≤0.0032%) at any time were similar between the two age cohorts regardless of the type of TKI. The 5‐year overall survival (OS) in the older cohort was lower than that in the younger cohort (95.9% vs 83.8%; p < 0.0001), whereas the 5‐year OS in patients treated with 2GTKIs was not influenced by age factors and comorbidities. Therefore, our results suggest that the selection of 2GTKIs as first‐line treatment is an effective option for both younger and older CML‐CP patients with or without comorbidities. This trial was registered at UMIN‐CTR as 00003581.
RETRACTED: Pentoxifylline as an adjunctive in treatment of negative symptoms in chronic schizophrenia: A double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Abdallah Mahmoud S. , Mosalam Esraa M. , Hassan Ahmed , Ramadan Ahmed N. , Omara‐Reda Hend , Zidan Abdel‐Aziz A. , Samman Waad A. , El‐berri Eman I.
Published: November 2022

Aim

The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness and safety of pentoxifylline as an adjuvant to risperidone in mitigating the negative symptoms in patients with chronic schizophrenia.

Methods

In this randomized, placebo‐controlled study, eighty outpatients with chronic schizophrenia were given risperidone for 8 weeks along with either pentoxifylline or a placebo. The positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS) was used to assess patients at the start of the trial, as well as at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks. Pre‐ and posttreatment serum levels of cAMP, TNF‐α‐, and IL‐6 were measured.

Results

The pentoxifylline group revealed a significant effect for time‐treatment interaction on PANSS‐negative subscale scores (p < 0.001), PANSS general psychopathology subscale scores (p < 0.001), and PANSS total scores (p < 0.001), but not on PANSS‐positive subscale scores (p = 0.169). Additionally, when compared to the placebo group, the pentoxifylline group demonstrated a statistically significant increase in cAMP serum level and a statistically significant decrease in TNF‐α and IL‐6 serum levels.

Conclusion

Pentoxifylline adjunctive therapy with risperidone for 8 weeks was found to be promising in mitigating the negative symptoms in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Trial registration number: NCT04094207.
Current status of transanal total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer and the expanding indications of the transanal approach for extended pelvic surgeries
Authors: Uehara Kay , Ogura Atsushi , Murata Yuki , Sando Masanori , Mukai Toshiki , Aiba Toshisada , Yamamura Takeshi , Nakamura Masanao
Published: November 2022

Transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) has been rapidly accepted as a promising surgical approach to the distal rectum. The benefits include ease of access to the bottom of the deep pelvis linearly over a short distance in order to easily visualize the important anatomy. Furthermore, the distal resection margins can be secured under direct vision. Additionally, a two‐team approach combining taTME with a transabdominal approach could decrease the operative time and conversion rate. Although taTME was expected to become more rapidly popularized worldwide, enthusiasm for it has stalled due to unfamiliar intraoperative complications, a lack of oncologic evidence from randomized trials, and the widespread use of robotic surgery. While international registries have reported favorable short‐ and medium‐term outcomes from taTME, a Norwegian national study reported a high local recurrence rate of 9.5%. The characteristics of the recurrences included rapid, multifocal growth in the pelvis, which was quite different from recurrences following traditional transabdominal TME; thus, the Norwegian Colorectal Cancer Group reached a consensus for a temporary moratorium on the performance of taTME. To ensure acceptable baseline quality and patient safety, taTME should be performed by well‐trained colorectal surgeons. Although the appropriate indications for taTME remain controversial, the transanal approach is extremely important as a means of goal setting in difficult TME cases and as an aid to the transabdominal approach in various types of extended pelvic surgeries. The benefits in transanal lateral lymph node dissection and pelvic exenteration are presented herein.
Postpartum uptake of diabetes screening tests in women with gestational diabetes: The PANDORA study
Authors: Wood Anna J. , Lee I‐Lynn , Barr Elizabeth L. M. , Barzi Federica , Boyle Jacqueline A. , Connors Christine , Moore Elizabeth , Oats Jeremy J. N. , McIntyre Harold D. , Titmuss Angela , Simmonds Alison , Zimmet Paul Z. , Brown Alex D. H. , Corpus Sumaria , Shaw Jonathan E. , Maple‐Brown Louise J. ,   PANDORA Study team
Published: November 2022

Aims

To determine rates and predictors of postpartum diabetes screening among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander and non‐Indigenous women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Methods

PANDORA is a prospective longitudinal cohort of women recruited in pregnancy. Postpartum diabetes screening rates at 12 weeks (75‐g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT)) and 6, 12 and 18 months (OGTT, glycated haemoglobin [HbA1C] or fasting plasma glucose) were assessed for women with GDM (n = 712). Associations between antenatal factors and screening with any test (OGTT, HbA1C, fasting plasma glucose) by 6 months postpartum were examined using Cox proportional hazards regression.

Results

Postpartum screening rates with an OGTT by 12 weeks and 6 months postpartum were lower among Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women than non‐Indigenous women (18% vs. 30% at 12 weeks, and 23% vs. 37% at 6 months, p < 0.001). Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women were more likely to have completed a 6‐month HbA1C compared to non‐Indigenous women (16% vs. 2%, p < 0.001). Screening by 6 months postpartum with any test was 41% for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander women and 45% for non‐Indigenous women (p = 0.304). Characteristics associated with higher screening rates with any test by 6 months postpartum included, insulin use in pregnancy, first pregnancy, not smoking and lower BMI.

Conclusions

Given very high rates of type 2 diabetes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, early postpartum screening with the most feasible test should be prioritised to detect prediabetes and diabetes for intervention.
Reproducibility of plasma glucose responses to moderate‐intensity exercise in individuals with type 1 diabetes
Authors: Soon Wayne H. K. , Fournier Paul A. , Abraham Mary B. , Smith Grant J. , Paramalingam Nirubasini , Shetty Vinutha B. , Guelfi Kym J. , Jones Timothy W. , Davis Elizabeth A.
Published: November 2022

Aim

To examine the within‐person variability in plasma glucose responses to moderate‐intensity morning exercise in young individuals with type 1 diabetes after overnight fasting and under basal insulin conditions.

Methods

In this pilot study, eight participants completed 40 min of moderate‐intensity exercise at 60% V̇O2 peak on three separate days. The within‐person standard deviation (SDw) in plasma glucose response was analysed both during and 1 h after exercise using the two visits per participant most closely matched by pre‐exercise plasma glucose level.

Results

When the two closest matched visits per individual were included for analysis, mean (±SD) change in plasma glucose level was −1.8 ± 1.1 mmoL/L during exercise and −0.6 ± 1.0 mmoL/L during recovery, with the SDw of these changes being 0.5 mmol (95% CI 0.2, 0.8) during exercise and 0.8 mmoL/L (95% CI 0.4, 1.3) during recovery. The median intra‐individual difference in plasma glucose level change was 0.3 mmoL/L [IQR 0.1, 0.7] during exercise and 0.8 mmoL/L [IQR 0.4, 1.0] during recovery.

Conclusion

Within‐person plasma glucose responses to moderate‐intensity exercise may be reproducible under fasting and basal insulin conditions and similar pre‐exercise plasma glucose levels. This finding may assist the design of future studies investigating both the reproducibility of glycaemic responses to exercise and blood glucose management for individuals with type 1 diabetes.
Altered functional connectivity pattern of hippocampal subfields in individuals with objectively‐defined subtle cognitive decline and its association with cognition and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers
Authors: Qiu Tiantian , Zeng Qingze , Zhang Yusong , Luo Xiao , Xu Xiaopei , Li Xiaodong , Shen Zhujing , Li Kaicheng , Wang Chao , Huang Peiyu , Zhang Minming , Dai Shouping , Xie Fei ,   for the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: November 2022

Recent studies have shown that in the preclinical phase of Alzheimer's disease (AD), subtle cognitive changes can be detected using sensitive neuropsychological measures, and have proposed the concept of objectively‐defined subtle cognitive decline (Obj‐SCD). We aimed to assess the functional alteration of hippocampal subfields in individuals with Obj‐SCD and its association with cognition and pathological biomarkers. Forty‐two participants with cognitively normal (CN), 29 with Obj‐SCD, and 55 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) were retrospectively collected from the ADNI database. Neuropsychological performance, functional MRI, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) data were obtained. We calculated the seed‐based functional connectivity (FC) of hippocampal subfields (cornu ammonis1 [CA1], CA2/3/dentate gyrus [DG], and subiculum) with whole‐brain voxels. Additionally, we analyzed the correlation between FC values of significantly altered regions and neuropsychological performance and CSF biomarkers. The Obj‐SCD group showed lower FC between left CA1‐CA2/3/DG and right thalamus and higher FC between right subiculum and right superior parietal gyrus (SPG) compared with the CN and MCI groups. In the Obj‐SCD group, FC values between left CA2/3/DG and right thalamus were positively associated with Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) recognition (r = 0.395, p = 0.046) and CSF Aβ1–42 levels (r = 0.466, p = 0.019), and FC values between left CA1 and right thalamus were positively correlated with CSF Aβ1–42 levels (r = 0.530, p = 0.006). Taken together, dysfunction in CA1‐CA2/3/DG subregions suggests subtle cognitive impairment and AD‐specific pathological changes in individuals with Obj‐SCD. Additionally, increased subiculum connectivity may indicate early functional compensation for subtle cognitive changes.
Brain molecular mechanisms in Rasmussen encephalitis
Authors: Leitner Dominique F. , Lin Ziyan , Sawaged Zacharia , Kanshin Evgeny , Friedman Daniel , Devore Sasha , Ueberheide Beatrix , Chang Julia W. , Mathern Gary W. , Anink Jasper J. , Aronica Eleonora , Wisniewski Thomas , Devinsky Orrin
Published: November 2022

Objective

This study was undertaken to identify molecular mechanisms in brain tissue of Rasmussen encephalitis (RE) when compared to people with non‐RE epilepsy (PWE) and control cases using whole exome sequencing (WES), RNAseq, and proteomics.

Methods

Frozen brain tissue (ages = 2–19 years) was obtained from control autopsy (n = 14), surgical PWE (n = 10), and surgical RE cases (n = 27). We evaluated WES variants in RE associated with epilepsy, seizures, RE, and human leukocyte antigens (HLAs). Differential expression was evaluated by RNAseq (adjusted p < .05) and label‐free quantitative mass spectrometry (false discovery rate < 5%) in the three groups.

Results

WES revealed no common pathogenic variants in RE, but several rare and likely deleterious variants of unknown significance (VUS; ANGPTL7/MTOR, SCN1A, FCGR3B, MTOR) and more common HLA VUS in >25% of RE cases (HLA‐DRB1, HLA‐DQA2), all with allele frequency < 5% in the general population. RNAseq in RE versus PWE (1516 altered transcripts) revealed significant activation of crosstalk between dendritic and natural killer cells (p = 7.94 × 10−6, z = 2.65), in RE versus control (7466 transcripts) neuroinflammation signaling activation (p = 6.31 × 10−13, z = 5.07), and in PWE versus control (945 transcripts) phagosome formation activation (p = 2.00 × 10−13, z = 5.61). Proteomics detected fewer altered targets.

Significance

In RE, we identified activated immune signaling pathways and immune cell type annotation enrichment that suggest roles of the innate and adaptive immune responses, as well as HLA variants that may increase vulnerability to RE. Follow‐up studies could evaluate cell type density and subregional localization associated with top targets, clinical history (neuropathology, disease duration), and whether modulating crosstalk between dendritic and natural killer cells may limit disease progression.
Coral bleaching resistance variation is linked to differential mortality and skeletal growth during recovery
Authors: Walker Nia S. , Nestor Victor , Golbuu Yimnang , Palumbi Stephen R.
Published: November 2022

The prevalence of global coral bleaching has focused much attention on the possibility of interventions to increase heat resistance. However, if high heat resistance is linked to fitness tradeoffs that may disadvantage corals in other areas, then a more holistic view of heat resilience may be beneficial. In particular, overall resilience of a species to heat stress is likely to be the product of both resistance to heat and recovery from heat stress. Here, we investigate heat resistance and recovery among individual Acropora hyacinthus colonies in Palau. We divided corals into low, moderate, and high heat resistance categories based on the number of days (4–9) needed to reach significant pigmentation loss due to experimental heat stress. Afterward, we deployed corals back onto a reef in a common garden 6‐month recovery experiment that monitored chlorophyll a, mortality, and skeletal growth. Heat resistance was negatively correlated with mortality during early recovery (0–1 month) but not late recovery (4–6 months), and chlorophyll a concentration recovered in heat‐stressed corals by 1‐month postbleaching. However, moderate‐resistance corals had significantly greater skeletal growth than high‐resistance corals by 4 months of recovery. High‐ and low‐resistance corals on average did not exhibit skeletal growth within the observed recovery period. These data suggest complex tradeoffs may exist between coral heat resistance and recovery and highlight the importance of incorporating multiple aspects of resilience into future reef management programs.
Novel approach for quantification for severity estimation of blight diseases on leaves of tomato plant
Authors: Charak Aahan Singh , Sinha Aditya , Jain Tarun
Published: November 2022

This study uses digital image processing and machine learning to quantify the infection patterns on tomato leaves due to blight diseases. Quantification, also known as severity measurement, is a technique to determine how much a leaf is diseased by calculating a numeric value. This value could be a fraction representing how much the diseased region is present on the leaf compared to the entire leaf region, or it can be a percentage value too. There are two main approaches to measuring disease severity; the first technique involves visual estimation using references like standard area diagrams. The second approach involves taking a digital image of the leaf, separating the diseased regions from the healthy regions, and then calculating the area of those two regions. The approach we took is similar. We first took the digital image and segmented the diseased and healthy regions. For quantification, we calculated the ratio of total pixels representing the diseased region to the total number of pixels representing the leaf. While finding ways to improve the accuracy of the segmentation algorithm, we also discovered our segmentation technique which automatically segments the diseased regions of the leaves from the healthy areas using k‐means clustering. The clustering‐segmentation algorithm did give good results for the sample images to which it was applied. The main thing about the clustering‐segmentation algorithm is that it tends to be automatic compared to some of the semi‐automatic segmentation approaches that have been discovered till now. We could reproduce the validated quantification results as other authors achieved in the recent work, which also validated our methodology.
Accounting for anisotropic, anisothermal, and inelastic effects in crack initiation lifing of additively manufactured components
Authors: Lindström Thomas , Nilsson Daniel , Simonsson Kjell , Eriksson Robert , Lundgren Jan‐Erik , Leidermark Daniel
Published: November 2022

The crack initiation life of a ductile additively manufactured nickel‐based superalloy is studied and modeled for low‐cycle fatigue and thermomechanical fatigue conditions up to 600°C. Isothermal experiments were performed on smooth specimens at temperatures up to 600°C with different applied strain ranges. Additionally, thermomechanical fatigue experiments at 100–450°C and 100–600°C were performed on smooth specimens under in‐phase and out‐of‐phase conditions. A life prediction model accounting for the anisotropy was developed, where the temperature cycle is accounted with a
‐functionality, generating good agreements with the experiments. The model was also validated on notched specimens undergoing thermomechanical fatigue conditions at 100–500°C using simplified notch correction methods.
Patterns in aquatic metacommunities are associated with environmental and trait heterogeneity
Authors: He Siwen , Wang Beixin , Chen Kai , Soininen Janne
Published: November 2022

Metacommunities are structured by a combination of different ecological factors that vary in their importance depending on environmental heterogeneity and species functional equivalence. However, empirical tests of such context‐dependence at regional scales are still missing.

We investigated associations between deterministic (e.g. environmental filtering and biotic interactions) and stochastic factors (e.g. dispersal related) and metacommunity structure of macroinvertebrates and diatoms across streams in four regions with contrasting levels of environmental and organismal trait heterogeneity.

Environmental filtering was most strongly associated with the region that showed moderate environmental heterogeneity and comprised communities with the highest trait heterogeneity. Associations with stochastic factors in the regions were more variable and difficult to predict. Environmental factors and the degree of genus‐level association were generally more strongly associated with macroinvertebrates than with diatoms, whereas stochastic factors had consistently lower influence on macroinvertebrates.

These results suggest that the degree to which deterministic versus stochastic factors influence aquatic metacommunities depends on environmental and trait heterogeneity. Furthermore, organismal characteristics such as dispersal potential, habitat specialisation and sensitivity to environmental variation can also generate considerable context dependency in metacommunity structure.
A two‐dimensional morphospace for cyanobacteria and microalgae: Morphological diversity, evolutionary relatedness, and size constraints
Authors: Borics Gábor , Várbíró Gábor , Falucskai János , Végvári Zsolt , T‐Krasznai Enikő , Görgényi Judit , B‐Béres Viktória , Lerf Verona
Published: November 2022

Body metrics are considered as master traits that regulate physiological, behavioural and life history features of planktic cyanobacteria and microalgae. Although the distribution of their morphological traits reflects the various trade‐offs and strategies needed for survival in pelagic habitats, previous methods for quantifying phytoplankton body shape do not adequately represent the intricate details of surface variation that are so important for their nutrient‐ and light‐harvesting capabilities. Therefore, here we provide a new framework to quantify and illustrate the morphological diversity of cyanobacteria and microalgae.

Essential components of formulae used for surface area (A = Cs × d2) and volume (V = Cv × d3) calculations are provided by the shape‐specific surface area and volume constants (Cs, Cv). Cs, the surface shape factor, characterises the coarseness of the object surface, and Cv, the volumetric shape factor, characterises the shape deviation from a sphere. Using these morphologically and biologically relevant variables, we defined a two‐dimensional morphological space, in which all three‐dimensional objects have well‐defined positions.

By analysing morphologies of taxa representing various forms in major cyanobacterial and microalgal groups, we demonstrated that these groups show considerable differences in the area occupied within the morphospace and these differences are not affected by evolutionary relatedness. We showed that the ratio of surface and volume constants correlated with organism size, suggesting that the development of basic morphologies is constrained by their linear dimensions.

Using surface and volumetric shape factors, we created a two‐dimensional Euclidean morphospace in which all three‐dimensional objects have a specific position. Positioning uni‐ and multicellular cyanobacteria and microalgae of various shapes into this morphospace allows their geometrical and ecological limitations to be understood. Because of the close linkage between phytoplankton morphology and ecology, the proposed morphospace may serve as a proxy for an ecospace. Thus, in future the proposed morphospace can be used to visualise current ecological processes such as eutrophication or seasonal succession of phytoplankton.
Transformative enterprises: Characteristics and a definition
Authors: Hug Miriam , Mayer Heike , Seidl Irmi
Published: November 2022

This paper contributes to an emerging discussion about transformative enterprises, which are increasingly seen as change agents in sustainability transformations. Some scholars have hitherto described them as pioneering enterprises that strive for fundamental changes towards sustainability at different scales. Economic geography has, however, so far glossed over a micro‐perspective on such enterprises. In this paper, we define transformative enterprises in detail by systematically identifying and elaborating their characteristics and actions. We ask: What operationalizable characteristics that refer to transformative enterprises are discussed in the literature? How can we define transformative enterprises? Starting from a comprehensive literature review, we identify nine key dimensions of transformative enterprises that we specify with a set of indicators, and we then synthesize our finding with a definition. With this contribution, we further develop the concept of transformative enterprise in economic geography and show how it complements current conceptualizations of firm‐level agency and system‐level agency.
Random graph generator for leader and community detection in networks
Authors: Matos‐Junior Francisco J. , Ospina Raydonal , Silva Geiza
Published: November 2022

In complex network analyses, mainly in social networks, the detection of communities is an important source of information for revealing an internal organization of nodes. On the other hand, if the network reveals a leadership structure, it is possible to understand the mechanisms of information dissemination on it. The detection of leaders and communities is a big challenge depending on the complexity level of the network. In the literature, there are some metaheuristic algorithms for detecting leaders and communities based on pattern recognition on the graph associated with the network. In this paper, we developed a random graph system to generate a synthetic network instance with leader and community structures that define a ground truth. We compare this ground truth to determine the performance of the algorithms LCDA 1 and LCDA 2 for detecting leaders and communities. The results corroborate that the benchmarking system would help in selecting useful configurations for practical applications.
Analysis of curative effect of insulin external application on burn wounds of diabetic patients with different depths
Authors: Yang Meng , Li Cuikun , Xue Xin , Wei Wei , Xing Liang , Feng Jianke , Zhang Qingfu
Published: November 2022

To explore the curative effect of insulin external application on burn wounds of diabetic patients with different depths. A retrospective analysis of 114 diabetic burn patients in the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University from June 2019 to June 2022. According to the different treatment methods, they were divided into study group (insulin therapy) and control group (conventional therapy) with 57 cases in each. The wound healing time, dressing changes, scar healing after wound healing and adverse events were compared between two groups. Pain level, serum inflammatory factors, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and oxidative stress factors before and after treatment were compared. The wound healing time (17.23 ± 2.18 vs 20.31 ± 2.09 days) and the number of dressing changes (7.01 ± 1.23 vs 8.93 ± 1.32 times) in study group were significantly lower than those in control group (P < 0.05). Before treatment, there was no difference in pain level, VEGF, interleukin‐1 (IL‐1), tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) between two groups (P > 0.05). However, the pain level, scar healing, IL‐1, TNF‐a and MDA in study group were significantly lower than those in control group after treatment (P < 0.05). And the VEGF and SOD in study group was significantly higher than that in control group (P < 0.05). External application of insulin can shorten the wound healing time of diabetic patients with different depths, reduce the number of dressing changes, promote scar healing after wound healing, relieve pain and reduce the level of inflammatory factors, which is worthy of clinical promotion.
Effective instruction conditions for educational robotics to develop programming ability of K‐12 students: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Sun Lihui , Zhou Danhua
Published: November 2022

Background

As one of the mainstream forms of programming education, educational robotics (ER) have been a crucial way to develop K‐12 students' programming ability.

Objectives

The purpose of this study is to clarify the content of programming ability, to verify the effectiveness of ER as a teaching method to improve students' programming abilities and the conditions for more effective instructional design.

Methods

The method of meta‐analysis was adopted to conduct this study. 4180 K‐12 students from 36 studies with a total of 85 effect sizes were captured. Based on the contents of included literature, an ER programming ability model was put forward, which was composed of essential ability and generative ability. The meta‐analysis of essential ability (N = 22) and generative ability (N = 64) was carried out respectively.

Results and conclusion

The results showed that ER activity has a positive effect on the essential ability (Hedges' g = 0.539 CI [0.327, 0.752], p < 0.001) and generative ability (Hedges' g = 0.535 CI [0.426, 0.643], p < 0.001). Additionally, the results of moderator analysis showed that utilizing ER to solve mathematics problems is able to more effectively develop students' essential ability, while the STEM interdisciplinary ER instruction had the largest effect on generative ability. Simultaneously, the individual programming form is conducive to students' essential ability, while the generative ability is significantly affected by the cooperative programming form. No matter for the evaluation of essential ability or generative ability, ER had the greatest effect on kindergarten children' programming ability. Moreover, the intervention duration ranging from 1 to 5 weeks, the samples size less than 50 and the choice of measurement scale can effectively improve students' programming ability.

Implications

This research enriched the theoretical basis of programming ability, and provided reference and guidance for K‐12 programming teaching practitioners and researchers in ER teaching design and practise.
Use of urinalysis during baseline diagnostics in dogs and cats: an open survey
Authors: Gibbs N. H. , Heseltine J. C. , Rishniw M. , Nabity M. B.
Published: November 2022

Objectives

To describe how veterinarians utilise and perform urinalyses for dogs and cats.

Materials and Methods

A survey, developed and distributed through the Veterinary Information Network, enlisted veterinarians who perform urinalyses for dogs and cats. Participants were directed to question banks based on whether urinalyses were performed in‐house, by an outside diagnostic laboratory, or using an in‐house automated instrument. Participants using multiple methods were directed to questions that related to the chosen methods.

Results

A total of 1059 predominantly first‐opinion clinicians from the USA and Canada completed the survey. Participants performed urinalyses much less frequently than blood work during a routine examination. The most common factors preventing participants from performing a urinalysis with blood work included clients' financial constraints, difficulty obtaining urine and lack of perceived diagnostic need. The most common reasons for submission to a diagnostic laboratory included efficiency, more trusted results and convenience. Speed of obtaining results was the most common reason for performing urinalyses in‐house. Of the participants who performed in‐house urinalyses, fewer always performed a manual sediment examination (79%) as compared with urine‐specific gravity (99%) and manual dipstick (87%).

Clinical Significance

This survey documents that urinalysis is often not used in senior patients as recommended by recent clinical guidelines for dogs and cats which can result in decreased diagnosis and impaired management of subclinical disease. There is significant variability in urinalysis methods despite veterinary guidelines promoting standardisation, and this could lead to inaccurate results.
Migratory behaviour is positively associated with genetic diversity in butterflies
Authors: García‐Berro Aurora , Talla Venkat , Vila Roger , Wai Hong Kar , Shipilina Daria , Chan Kok Gan , Pierce Naomi E. , Backström Niclas , Talavera Gerard
Published: November 2022

Migration is typically associated with risk and uncertainty at the population level, but little is known about its cost–benefit trade‐offs at the species level. Migratory insects in particular often exhibit strong demographic fluctuations due to local bottlenecks and outbreaks. Here, we use genomic data to investigate levels of heterozygosity and long‐term population size dynamics in migratory insects, as an alternative to classical local and short‐term approaches such as regional field monitoring. We analyse whole‐genome sequences from 97 Lepidoptera species and show that individuals of migratory species have significantly higher levels of genome‐wide heterozygosity, a proxy for effective population size, than do nonmigratory species. Also, we contribute whole‐genome data for one of the most emblematic insect migratory species, the painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui), sampled across its worldwide distributional range. This species exhibits one of the highest levels of genomic heterozygosity described in Lepidoptera (2.95 ± 0.15%). Coalescent modelling (PSMC) shows historical demographic stability inV. cardui, and high effective population size estimates of 2–20 million individuals 10,000 years ago. The study reveals that the high risks associated with migration and local environmental fluctuations do not seem to decrease overall genetic diversity and demographic stability in migratory Lepidoptera. We propose a “compensatory” demographic model for migratory r‐strategist organisms in which local bottlenecks are counterbalanced by reproductive success elsewhere within their typically large distributional ranges. Our findings highlight that the boundaries of populations are substantially different for sedentary and migratory insects, and that, in the latter, local and even regional field monitoring results may not reflect whole population dynamics. Genomic diversity patterns may elucidate key aspects of an insect's migratory nature and population dynamics at large spatiotemporal scales.
Conspicuous coloration of toxin‐resistant predators implicates additional trophic interactions in a predator–prey arms race
Authors: Hague Michael T. J. , Miller Lauren E. , Stokes Amber N. , Feldman Chris R. , Brodie Edmund D. , Brodie Edmund D.
Published: November 2022

Antagonistic coevolution between natural enemies can produce highly exaggerated traits, such as prey toxins and predator resistance. This reciprocal process of adaptation and counter‐adaptation may also open doors to other evolutionary novelties not directly involved in the phenotypic interface of coevolution. We tested the hypothesis that predator–prey coevolution coincided with the evolution of conspicuous coloration on resistant predators that retain prey toxins. In western North America, common garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis) have evolved extreme resistance to tetrodotoxin (TTX) in the coevolutionary arms race with their deadly prey, Pacific newts (Taricha spp.). TTX‐resistant snakes can retain large amounts of ingested TTX, which could serve as a deterrent against the snakes' own predators if TTX toxicity and resistance are coupled with a conspicuous warning signal. We evaluated whether arms race escalation covaries with bright red coloration in snake populations across the geographic mosaic of coevolution. Snake colour variation departs from the neutral expectations of population genetic structure and covaries with escalating clines of newt TTX and snake resistance at two coevolutionary hotspots. In the Pacific Northwest, bright red coloration fits an expected pattern of an aposematic warning to avian predators: TTX‐resistant snakes that consume highly toxic newts also have relatively large, reddish‐orange dorsal blotches. Snake coloration also seems to have evolved with the arms race in California, but overall patterns are less intuitively consistent with aposematism. These results suggest that interactions with additional trophic levels can generate novel traits as a cascading consequence of arms race coevolution across the geographic mosaic.
Clinicopathological diversity of semantic dementia: Comparisons of patients with early‐onset versus late‐onset, left‐sided versus right‐sided temporal atrophy, and TDP‐type A versus type C pathology
Authors: Kawakatsu Shinobu , Kobayashi Ryota , Morioka Daichi , Hayashi Hiroshi , Utsunomiya Aya , Kabasawa Takanobu , Ohe Rintaro , Futakuchi Mitsuru , Otani Koichi
Published: November 2022

Semantic dementia (SD) is a unique clinicopathological entity associated with TDP‐type C pathology. We present four cases of SD that illustrate the clinicopathological diversity of TDP‐43 pathology, including early‐onset cases of TDP‐type C with corticospinal tract (CST) and motor neuron pathology and late‐onset cases of TDP‐type A with combined pathology. Case 1 was a 62‐year‐old man with semantic variant of primary progressive aphasia (svPPA) with left‐predominant temporal atrophy and TDP‐type C pathology with low Alzheimer's disease neuropathologic changes (ADNC). Case 2 was a 63‐year‐old woman with right‐predominant temporal atrophy and TDP‐type C pathology who had prosopagnosia and personality changes. Phosphorylated(p)‐TDP‐43‐positive long dystrophic neurites (DNs) were observed throughout the cerebral cortex; they were more abundant in the relatively spared cortices and less so in the severely degenerated cortices. We observed CST degeneration with TDP‐43 pathology in the upper and lower motor neurons, without apparent motor symptoms, in SD with TDP‐type C pathology. Case 3 was a 76‐year‐old man who had svPPA and personality changes, with left‐predominant temporal atrophy and TDP‐type A pathology with high ADNC and argyrophilic grain (AG) stage 3. Case 4 was an 82‐year‐old man who had prosopagnosia and later developed symptoms of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) with right‐predominant temporal atrophy and TDP‐type A pathology with high ADNC, DLB of diffuse neocortical type, and AG stage 3. The distribution of p‐TDP‐43‐positive NCIs and short DNs was localized in the anterior and inferior temporal cortices. An inverse relationship between the extent of TDP pathology and neuronal loss was also observed in SD with TDP‐type A pathology. In contrast, the extent of AD, DLB, and AG pathology was greater in severely degenerated regions. CST degeneration was either absent or very mild in SD with TDP‐type A. Understanding the clinicopathological diversity of SD will help improve its diagnosis and treatment.
Linkages between Sphagnum metabolites and peatland CO2 uptake are sensitive to seasonality in warming trends
Authors: Sytiuk Anna , Hamard Samuel , Céréghino Régis , Dorrepaal Ellen , Geissel Honorine , Küttim Martin , Lamentowicz Mariusz , Tuittila Eeva Stiina , Jassey Vincent E. J.
Published: November 2022

Plants produce a wide diversity of metabolites. Yet, our understanding of how shifts in plant metabolites as a response to climate change feedback on ecosystem processes remains scarce. Here, we test to what extent climate warming shifts the seasonality of metabolites produced by Sphagnum mosses, and what are the consequences of these shifts for peatland C uptake.

We used a reciprocal transplant experiment along a climate gradient in Europe to simulate climate change. We evaluated the responses of primary and secondary metabolites in five Sphagnum species and related their responses to gross ecosystem productivity (GEP).

When transplanted to a warmer climate, Sphagnum species showed consistent responses to warming, with an upregulation of either their primary or secondary metabolite according to seasons. Moreover, these shifts were correlated to changes in GEP, especially in spring and autumn.

Our results indicate that the Sphagnum metabolome is very plastic and sensitive to warming. We also show that warming‐induced changes in the seasonality of Sphagnum metabolites have consequences on peatland GEP. Our findings demonstrate the capacity for plant metabolic plasticity to impact ecosystem C processes and reveal a further mechanism through which Sphagnum could shape peatland responses to climate change.
Extranuclear auxin signaling: a new insight into auxin's versatility
Authors: Pérez‐Henríquez Patricio , Yang Zhenbiao
Published: November 2022

Auxin phytohormone has a role in most aspects of the life of a land plant and is found even in ancient plants such as single‐cell green algae. Auxin's ubiquitous but specific effects have been mainly explained by the extraordinary ability of plants to interpret spatiotemporal patterns of auxin concentrations via the regulation of gene transcription. This is thought to be achieved through the combinatorial effects of two families of nuclear coreceptor proteins, that is the TRANSPORT INHIBITOR RESPONSE1 and AUXIN‐SIGNALING F‐BOX (TIR1/AFB) and AUXIN/INDOLE ACETIC ACID. Recent evidence has suggested transcription‐independent roles of TIR1/AFBs localized outside the nucleus and TRANSMEMBRANE KINASE (TMK)‐based auxin signaling occurring in the plasma membrane. Furthermore, emerging evidence supports a coordinated action of the intra‐ and extranuclear auxin signaling pathways to regulate specific auxin responses. Here, we highlight how auxin signaling acts inside and outside the nucleus for the regulation of growth and morphogenesis and propose that the future direction of auxin biology lies in the elucidation of a new collaborative paradigm of intra‐ and extranuclear auxin signaling.