bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resting-state EEG dynamics help explain differences in response control in ADHD: Insight into electrophysiological mechanisms and sex differences
Authors: Kember J. , Stepien L. , Panda E. , Tekok-Kilic A
Published: October 2022

Reductions in response control (greater reaction time variability and commission error rate) are consistently observed in those diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Previous research suggests these reductions arise from a dysregulation of large-scale cortical networks. Here, we extended our understanding of this cortical-network/response-control pathway important to the neurobiology of ADHD. First, we assessed how dynamic changes in three resting-state EEG network properties thought to be relevant to ADHD (phase-synchronization, modularity, oscillatory power) covaried with response control during a simple perceptual decision-making task in 112 children/adolescents (aged 8-16) with and without formal ADHD diagnoses. Second, we tested whether these associations differed in males and females who were matched in age, ADHD-status and ADHD-subtype. We found that changes in oscillatory power (as opposed to phase-synchrony and modularity) are most related with response control, and that this relationship is stronger in ADHD compared to controls. Specifically, a tendency to dwell in an electrophysiological state characterized by high alpha/beta power (8-12/13-30Hz) and low delta/theta power (1-3/4-7Hz) supported response control, particularly in those with ADHD. Time in this state might reflect an increased initiation of alpha-suppression mechanisms, recruited by those with ADHD to suppress processing unfavourable to response control. We also found marginally significant evidence that this relationship is stronger in males compared to females, suggesting a distinct etiology for response control in the female presentation of ADHD.

Highlights

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Hidden Markov modeling of EEG functional network properties in ADHD and controls.

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EEG power dynamics, not phase-synchrony or modularity, covary with response control.

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Association between EEG dynamics and response control is more pronounced in ADHD.

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ADHD cortical-network/response-control pathway is more prominent in males vs. females.
USP7 substrates identified by proteomics analysis reveal the specificity of USP7
Authors: Nie Litong , Wang Chao , Liu Xiaoguang , Teng Hongqi , Li Siting , Huang Min , Feng Xu , Pei Guangsheng , Hang Qinglei , Zhao Zhongming , Gan Boyi , Ma Li , Chen Junjie
Published: October 2022

Deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) remove ubiquitin chains from proteins and regulate protein stability and function. USP7 is one of the most extensively studied DUBs, since USP7 has several well-known substrates important for cancer progression, such as MDM2, N-MYC, and PTEN. Thus, USP7 is a promising drug target. However, systematic identification of USP7 substrates has not yet been performed. In this study, we carried out proteome profiling with label-free quantification in control and single/double-KO cells ofUSP7and its closest homolog,USP47. Our proteome profiling for the first time revealed the proteome changes caused byUSP7and/orUSP47depletion. Combining protein profiling, transcriptome analysis, and tandem affinity purification of USP7-associated proteins, we compiled a list of 20 high-confidence USP7 substrates that includes known and novel USP7 substrates. We experimentally validated MGA and PHIP as new substrates of USP7. We further showed that MGA deletion reduced cell proliferation, similar to what was observed in cells withUSP7deletion. In conclusion, our proteome-wide analysis uncovered potential USP7 substrates, providing a resource for further functional studies.
An integrated SAGA and TFIID PIC assembly pathway selective for poised and induced promoters
Authors: Mittal Chitvan , Lang Olivia , Lai William K.M. , Pugh B. Franklin
Published: October 2022

Genome-wide, little is understood about how proteins organize at inducible promoters before and after induction and to what extent inducible and constitutive architectures depend on cofactors. We report that sequence-specific transcription factors and their tethered cofactors (e.g., SAGA [Spt–Ada–Gcn5–acetyltransferase], Mediator, TUP, NuA4, SWI/SNF, and RPD3-L) are generally bound to promoters prior to induction (“poised”), rather than recruited upon induction, whereas induction recruits the preinitiation complex (PIC) to DNA. Through depletion and/or deletion experiments, we show that SAGA does not function at constitutive promoters, although a SAGA-independent Gcn5 acetylates +1 nucleosomes there. When inducible promoters are poised, SAGA catalyzes +1 nucleosome acetylation but not PIC assembly. When induced, SAGA catalyzes acetylation, deubiquitylation, and PIC assembly. Surprisingly, SAGA mediates induction by creating a PIC that allows TFIID (transcription factor II-D) to stably associate, rather than creating a completely TFIID-independent PIC, as generally thought. These findings suggest that inducible systems, where present, are integrated with constitutive systems.
Extending MIEZE spectroscopy towards thermal wavelengths
Authors: Jochum Johanna K. , Franz Christian , Keller Thomas , Pfleiderer Christian
Published: October 2022

A modulation of intensity with zero effort (MIEZE) setup is proposed for high-resolution neutron spectroscopy at momentum transfers up to 3 Å−1, energy transfers up to 20 meV and an energy resolution in the microelectronvolt range using both thermal and cold neutrons. MIEZE has two prominent advantages compared with classical neutron spin echo. The first is the possibility to investigate spin-depolarizing samples or samples in strong magnetic fields without loss of signal amplitude and intensity. This allows for the study of spin fluctuations in ferromagnets, and facilitates the study of samples with strong spin-incoherent scattering. The second advantage is that multi-analyzer setups can be implemented with comparatively little effort. The use of thermal neutrons increases the range of validity of the spin-echo approximation towards shorter spin-echo times. In turn, the thermal MIEZE option for greater ranges (TIGER) closes the gap between classical neutron spin-echo spectroscopy and conventional high-resolution neutron spectroscopy techniques such as triple-axis, time-of-flight and back-scattering. To illustrate the feasibility of TIGER, this paper presents the details of its implementation at the RESEDA beamline at FRM II by means of an additional velocity selector, polarizer and analyzer.
Being natural is aesthetic: the effects of “natural” labeling on lay beliefs and the purchase intention of unattractive produce
Authors: Wang Haiyan , Li Huijuan , Zhao Yinfei , Xi Nannan
Published: October 2022

Purpose

Individuals, organizations, firms, and governments have been making strenuous effort to promote sustainable and green consumption. However, it is noticeable that a large amount of unattractive produce is ruthlessly discarded and wasted around the globe, resulting in unsustainable consumption behavior, harming long-term business development, and breaking the harmonious relationship between humans and nature. Therefore, to increase consumer literacy toward unaesthetic produce, this research investigates the pivotal role of “natural” labeling in increasing purchase intention toward visually unattractive fruits and vegetables.

Design/methodology/approach

By recruiting participants from one of the largest online crowdsourcing platforms (the Credamo), this research conducts three online experimental studies (with two pilot studies) to test three hypotheses based on the cue utilization theory and the lay belief theory.

Findings

The results show that unattractive produce with the “natural” label could significantly increase consumers' purchase intention compared with those without specific labels. The results also reveal that consumers' lay beliefs that natural foods are perceived to be tastier and healthier mediate the positive effects of “natural” labeling (vs no specific labeling) on willingness to purchase.

Originality/value

This research explores competing lay beliefs about unattractive produce. It identifies the positive effects of lay beliefs “natural = tasty and healthy” through “natural” labeling appeal, thus attenuating the misapplication of lay beliefs “unattractive = tasteless and unhealthy” and broadening the application scope of consumer lay belief theory. The findings also contribute to the cue literature by manifesting the positive consequences of the “natural” label playing as a cognitive cue in priming lay beliefs about naturalness. In addition, it also paves a positive way for business practitioners and marketers to develop the produce industry sustainably.
Development of interaction diagrams of reinforced concrete short columns strengthened by NSM-CFRP strips using finite element method
Authors: Obaidat Yasmeen Taleb , Barham Wasim , Abu libdeh Rawan
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The main aim of this study is to examine the behavior of reinforced concrete short columns strengthened using longitudinal near surface mounted (NSM)-carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips.

Design/methodology/approach

A full 3D-finite element (FE) model was developed using ABAQUS in order to conduct the analysis. The model is first validated based on experimental data available in the literature, and then the effect of concrete compressive strength, number of CFRP strips that are used and the spacing between them were taken in consideration for both concentric and eccentric loading cases. The parametric study specimens were divided into three groups. The first group consisted of unstrengthened columns and served as control specimens. The second group consisted of columns strengthened by longitudinal CFRP strips at two opposite column faces.

Findings

The results of this study are used to develop interaction diagrams for CFRP-strengthened short columns and to develop best-fit equations to estimate the nominal axial load and moment capacities for these strengthened columns. The results showed that the specimens that were strengthened using more longitudinal CFRP strips showed a significant increase in axial load capacity and a significant improvement in the interaction diagram, especially at large load eccentricity values. This result can be justified by the fact that longitudinal strips effectively resist the bending moment that is generated due to eccentric loading. Generally, the process of strengthening using longitudinal strips only has a reasonable effect and it can be typically considered an excellent choice considering the economic aspect when the budget of strengthening is limited.

Originality/value

This research aims at studying the performance of strengthened rectangular reinforced concrete short columns with CFRP strips using FE method, developing interaction diagrams of strengthened columns in order to investigate the effect of different parameters such as compressive strength (20, 30 and 40 MPa), number of CFRP strips (1, 2, 3 and 4) and the spacing between CFRP strips in terms of the ratio of CFRP center point distance to column outside dimension ratio (0.60, 0.70 and 0.80) on the behavior of strengthened RC columns and improving empirical formulas to predict the nominal axial load and moment capacities of strengthened RC columns. These parameters that directly affect short column load carrying capacity are presented in ACI-318 (2014).
Can information sharing predict fresh produce supply chain performance amid the COVID-19 pandemic? A social learning perspective
Authors: Lusiantoro Luluk , Noviasari Tria Putri , Sholihin Mahfud , Ciptono Wakhid Slamet
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This research aims to provide a predictive model assessment on the effect of information sharing on fresh produce supply chain (FPSC) performance during the COVID-19 pandemic by incorporating information quality as an important part of information sharing, as well as cognitive and affective appraisals as part of a social learning process (mediators) into the model.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was conducted on 197 small fresh produce (fruits and vegetables) retailers in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) particularly PLSpredict supported by SmartPLS 4 software.

Findings

This research reveals that information sharing is positively and significantly associated with information quality and that the two constructs are not directly associated with FPSC performance. The path analysis suggests that the effect of information sharing on FPSC performance is fully mediated by cognitive and affective appraisals to the information-sharing activity. It also suggests that the effect of information quality on FPSC performance is fully mediated by affective rather than cognitive appraisal. This model shows a high predictive power and highlights the pivotal role of the learning process during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originality/value

This research is the first to employ a predictive model assessment in PLS-SEM to empirically predict the effect of information sharing on FPSC performance using a social learning perspective, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sense of belonging among people outside of working life in Finland
Authors: Turunen Elina , Hiilamo Heikki
Published: October 2022

Purpose

For social inclusion, it is necessary to have a sense of belonging to society, whether having a job or not. Experience of belonging means feeling a part of something beyond oneself. It can be a place, a moment, a situation or a group of people.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors study how unemployed people experience their place in a society; more specifically, the authors analyse which emotions and affects encourage (and discourage) the sense of belongingness among the unemployed. Emotions and affects were examined in 10 focus group interviews collected in Finland between 2016 and 2017. The data was analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Findings

The results demonstrate that sense of belonging is enhanced by affects such as being needed, being accepted and experiencing equal treatment. To achieve these affects, promotion of social contacts, participation and contribution to the common good are important.

Originality/value

Previous studies have mostly ignored the role of emotions and affects in the experience of unemployment. The findings emphasize the importance of emotions and affects in promoting and eroding the sense of belonging among unemployed people.
Progress on green technology research in hotels: a literature review
Authors: Gunduz Songur Aysegul , Turktarhan Gozde , Cobanoglu Cihan
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The aim of this research, which is based on a literature review and bibliometric analysis, is to reveal the development of green technologies in hotels, based on the articles published in tourism and hospitality journals between 1999 and 2020.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on five conditions and five databases, 64 journal papers were retrieved and reviewed. Among the surveyed publications pertinent to the eco-friendly/green technology practices at hotels, the majority focus was on the need for eco-friendly/green technology practices at hotels and the schemes implemented to achieve sustainable development.

Findings

The research findings especially from the last decade report that today's guests generally prefer green hotels based on their increased awareness of environmental degradation and an ever-growing need for conservation and sustainability.

Practical implications

The environmental responsibility which is inherent in the hospitality and tourism industry due to the environmental burden generated by the combined effect of both industries on Mother Earth, brings forth a substantial sense of commitment on the part of hotel companies. In that regard, a set of corporate initiatives in the form of green technology practices are implemented by hotels, toward the development of new product and service offerings, management of processes and corporate policy formation.

Originality/value

This research focuses on green technologies aimed at sustainability in the field of accommodation and tourism, consisting of a systematic literature search on the subject. It is important in the way that it provides a general overview to researchers in terms of the theoretical implications of green technologies while also offering a road map with respect to green technology applications to the practitioners of the field.
The process of decentralization through mobile instant messaging (MIM): a case study of event management in an organization
Authors: Ahmad Nur Syazwani , Bahri Shamshul , Fauzi Ali
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This study aims to explore how the use of mobile instant messaging (MIM) in an organization has led to the decentralization of authority.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve this aim, a study was conducted on a case site that had used MIM extensively to manage an event.

Findings

This study found that communication technology such as MIM can shift more authority to the lower-level committees through the processes of formation, delegation, control and dissolution.

Originality/value

The role of information systems and technology in affecting a decentralization process has been largely understudied. Additionally, the effect of communication technologies such as MIM on a decentralization process has been largely ignored. Therefore, this study theorizes the role of MIM in managing an event and how the technology has decentralized more authority from the top management to the lower-level committees.
Role of celebrity credibility on banking service providers
Authors: Singh Ramendra Pratap
Published: October 2022

Purpose

This study examines the role of celebrity credibility in fostering loyalty and long-term commitment toward the financial service provider (banking services in this study) through the development of trust in the service provider. The relationship combines the commitment-trust theory, the source credibility, and the meaning transfer model.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed model uses online survey data from 855 participants. The data are analyzed using structural equation modeling. The relationship between celebrity credibility, commitment, and loyalty to the service provider is explored, with trust in the service provider acting as a mediator. The profession and gender of celebrities are considered moderators.

Findings

Trust in service providers partially mediates the relationship between celebrity credibility, customer loyalty, and commitment. Moderation results across multiple groups show that male and sports celebrities are more persuasive in expertise, and customers find women and movie stars to be more effective endorsers in the attractiveness dimension.

Research limitations/implications

This study focuses only on banking services with data collected from a single country to examine a celebrity’s role as a spokesperson.

Practical implications

Considering the benefits of having a well-known celebrity as a spokesperson for financial services like banking is intriguing. Given the unique characteristics and significant perceived risk associated with financial services, marketers may consider hiring celebrity endorsers to increase tangibility and reduce risk.

Originality/value

The results of this study may provide a deeper understanding of the combined effect of celebrity credibility and trust in financial service providers, which provides tangibility and helps establish a strong customer relationship.
How business can address sensitive cultural challenges through tech-enabled, large-scale open collaboration and innovation with stakeholders
Authors: Cleaver Liam , Lawas Kristine , Marshall Anthony
Published: October 2022

Purpose

The authors explain how companies can use open innovation to embrace game-changing innovation through intensive collaboration with society’s stakeholders on fraught cultural and human resource issues.

Design/Methodology/Approach

The InnovationJam is a technology platform that enables a form of crowdsourcing connecting audiences of several hundred to hundreds of thousands of concurrent ‘jammers’ over a 30-72 hour period to explore business and societal issues in an open, collaborative format.

Findings

Crowdsourcing insight from committed participants can help to engage communities in active problem solving and implementing solutions.

Practical/implications

The approach gives voice to individuals who are often unheard within organizations given traditional confines of a job role, function and hierarchy.

Originality/value

In a time when social media often has a negative impact, the Jam proved that technology can serve as a catalyst for important, sensitive discussion and to bring people together who otherwise could never meet.
CO2‐fertilisation enhances resilience to browsing in the recruitment phase of an encroaching savanna tree
Authors: Ripley Brad S. , Raubenheimer Sarah L. , Perumal Lavinia , Anderson Maurice , Mostert Emma , Kgope Barney S. , Midgley Guy F. , Simpson Kimberley J.
Published: October 2022

CO2‐fertilisation is implicated in the widespread and significant woody encroachment of savannas due to CO2‐stimulated increases in below‐ground reserves that enhance sapling regrowth after fire. However, the effect of CO2 concentration ([CO2]) on tree responses to the other major disturbance in savannas, herbivory, is poorly understood. Herbivory responses cannot be predicted from fire responses, as herbivore effects occur earlier during establishment and are moderated by plant palatability and defence rather than below‐ground carbon accumulation.

The relationship between herbivory and [CO2] is explored here using a widespread, strongly encroaching savanna tree, Vachellia karroo. Using greenhouse‐grown seedlings under past—through to predicted future—[CO2] (180–1000 ppm) and field‐grown seedlings under ambient [CO2], we assessed plant survival, growth, defence and palatability.

Increasing [CO2] improves the tolerance of greenhouse‐grown seedlings to herbivory by stimulating growth and allowing a critical size threshold associated with survival to be reached earlier, thereby decreasing the probability of fatal herbivory during the vulnerable recruitment phase. Elevated [CO2] also decreases the time taken to reach a second size threshold linked to accelerated recovery of field‐grown seedlings following herbivory. Seedling growth responses to increasing [CO2] are nonlinear, suggesting that historic growth and survival enhancements are smaller than those predicted for the future. Increasing [CO2] is associated with greater resistance to herbivores (more branched shoot architecture) but not leaf palatability (C:N ratio) or defence (leaf tannins and spine density).

Increasing V. karroo densities already constitute a major land management problem in southern African savannas. However, encroachment by this species, and likely other savanna tree species, may be greatly exacerbated under future [CO2], as tolerance to herbivory at the recruitment stage is further enhanced.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Drought‐driven shifts in relationships between plant biodiversity and productivity in temperate steppes
Authors: Zuo Xiaoan , Li Xiangyun , Yue Ping , Guo Aixia , Yue Xiyuan , Xu Chong , Knapp Alan K. , Smith Melinda D. , Luo Wentao , Allington Ginger R. H. , Yu Qiang
Published: October 2022

Drought events induced by global climate change strongly modify ecosystem structure and function in grasslands. Higher plant biodiversity can enhance ecosystem resistance to drought; however, the potential effects of drought on the relationships between above‐ground productivity (ANPP) and biodiversity along a natural aridity gradient remain poorly understood.

Here, we studied the effects of experimental drought on plant community structure and ANPP during the two different dry years (2015 and 2017) spanning three temperate steppe sites with low‐, medium‐ and high‐aridity levels. We also examined the effects of drought and aridity on the associations of plant species (richness and abundance), functional (community‐weighted trait means and functional dispersion) and phylogenetic diversity (evolutionary lineages) with ANPP. A structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to elucidate how the drought affected ANPP by altering biodiversity attributes.

We found that experimental drought shaped the biodiversity–ANPP relationships, and the biodiversity–ANPP relationships differed among three sites. At the low‐aridity site, ANPP was correlated with plant functional traits, whereas ANPP was correlated with functional dispersion, species and phylogenetic diversity at the medium‐aridity site. At the high‐aridity site, ANPP was correlated with species richness, functional traits and phylogenetic diversity. Compared with 2015, natural drought in 2017 strengthened the associations of species diversity, functional dispersion, leaf dry matter content and leaf nitrogen content with ANPP across three sites. SEM further showed that both experimental and natural drought directly decreased ANPP and indirectly decreased ANPP by reducing community‐weighted mean of plant height.

Synthesis. These results suggest that the aridity increase or drought occurrence is likely to induce the shifts in the associations of ANPP with species and functional diversity, highlighting the important role of water availability or precipitation conditions in regulating the biodiversity–ANPP relationships in temperate steppes. Overall, functional traits related to plant size play a crucial role in modulating the response of productivity to drought across three steppe sites. Thus, to buffer the negative effects of drought on steppe ANPP should pay attention to protect the species with large plant size.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Authority: On the revaluation of a value
Authors: Tonner Philip
Published: October 2022

This paper, while not presenting a general discussion of authority in education, attempts to uncover some of the anomalies, paradoxes and tensions in the concept. It will argue for a revaluation of authority as an educational virtue, as a form of participatory guidance that is an aid to growth. The paper intends to help provoke continued debate over our perceived educational virtues and vices. I argue that virtuous authority is authority exercised from the point of view of a larger experience and a wider horizon. If teachers' ‘pedagogical imperative’ is to bridge the gap between forms of knowledge and their pupils, then their practice will involve authority. I suggest here that such authority should be repositioned as participatory, immanent and democratic. As Dewey says, ‘The need for authority is…constant…[I]t is the need for principles that are both stable enough and flexible enough to give direction to the processes of living in its vicissitudes and uncertainties.’ In answer to this, I suggest that teachers practice their authority in order to create stable yet flexible, open and indeterminate, but not chaotic situations that combine with pupils’ experiences in such a way as to enable educational growth. Authority practised as a form of participatory guidance, to pursue this Deweyan line of argument, can be ‘an aid to freedom’ and not freedom's enemy. This paper will argue that authority, so revalued, ought to be cultivated in our educational thought and practice. Eds: This paper forms part of a Special Issue titled ‘Beyond Virtue and Vice: Education for a Darker Age’, in which the editors invited authors to engage in exercises of ‘transvaluation’. Certain apparently settled educational concepts (from agency and fulfilment to alienation and ignorance) can be reinterpreted and transvaluated (in a Nietzschean vein) such that virtues become vices, and vices, virtues. The editors encouraged authors to employ polemics and some occasional exaggeration to reimagine educational values that are all too readily accepted within contemporary educational discourses.
Prognostic importance of interleukin 2 receptor for patients with a history of cirrhotic variceal bleeding
Authors: Jiang Si Yu , Huang Xiao Quan , Ni Li Yuan , Wu Ling , Ai Ying Jie , Chen Shi Yao
Published: October 2022

Objectives

Variceal hemorrhage is a fatal complication of cirrhosis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of serum interleukin 2 receptor (sIL‐2R) as a predictive indicator in patients with a previous history of cirrhosis‐related variceal bleeding.

Methods

A total of 340 cirrhotic patients who had experienced variceal bleeding from December 2016 to December 2018 were enrolled, and were randomly assigned to the modeling group and the validation group. The 3‐year variceal rebleeding rate and other outcomes including adverse events were analyzed between patients with different sIL‐2R levels.

Results

A time‐dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of variceal rebleeding indicated that sIL‐2R had an area under the ROC curve (AUROC] of 0.731 and 0.837 for the modeling and validation groups, respectively, with a cut‐off value of 426 U/mL. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that higher sIL‐2R level was related to an increased risk of variceal rebleeding rate (55.33% vs 24.34%, P = 0.024 and 51.28% vs 15.32%, P = 0.049) and decreased 3‐year survival rate (91.16% vs 98.92%, P = 0.013 and 90.52% vs 97.50%, P = 0.180) in the modeling and validation groups. Elevated sIL‐2R levels were associated with an increased risk of portal vein thrombosis and severe ascites as well as inferior liver function, hypercoagulable state, and increased portal pressure.

Conclusion

High sIL‐2R levels were associated with poor prognosis in cirrhotic patients with previous variceal bleeding.
Time to resolution of iodine‐123 metaiodobenzylguanidine (123I‐MIBG) avidity and local control outcomes for high‐risk neuroblastoma following radiation therapy
Authors: Oh Justin , Gutkin Paulina , Wang Yi Peng , Sandhu Navjot , Majzner Robbie G , Nadel Helen , Shimada Hiroyuki , Lansinger Olivia , von Eyben Rie , Donaldson Sarah , Bruzoni Matias , Sodji Quaovi H , Hiniker Susan M
Published: October 2022

Introduction

123I‐MIBG scan is used in neuroblastoma (NB) to monitor treatment response. Time to resolution of 123I‐MIBG avidity after radiation therapy (RT) is unknown. We sought to determine time to resolution of 123I‐MIBG avidity after RT and local failure (LF) rate.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of children with high‐risk NB who underwent 123I‐MIBG scans pre‐ and post‐RT from 2003 to 2019. Time from RT to resolution of 123I‐MIBG activity was analysed. LF and cumulative incidence of local progression (CILP) after RT stratified by site, presence of residual disease and use of boost RT were determined.

Results

Forty‐two patients with median age 3.9 years (1.9–4.7 years) were included, with median follow‐up time 3.9 years (1.4–6.9). Eighty‐six lesions were treated with RT to median dose of 21.6 Gy. Eighteen of 86 lesions were evaluable for time to resolution of MIBG avidity after RT, with median resolution time of 78 days (36–208). No LF occurred among 26 patients who received RT to primary sites after GTR, versus 4/12 (25%) patients treated with residual primary disease. 2‐year CILP was 19% (12% primary disease 25% metastatic disease (P = 0.18)). 2‐year CILP for non‐residual primary, residual primary, non‐residual metastatic and residual metastatic lesions was 0%, 42%, 11% and 30% respectively (P = 0.01) and for boosted and non‐boosted residual lesions was 29% and 35% (P = 0.44).

Conclusion

Median time to MIBG resolution after RT was 78 days. Primary lesions without residual disease had excellent local control. LF rate was higher after RT for residual disease, with no benefit for boost RT.
Increased HIV‐1 infection in PBMCs treated in vitro with menstrual cycle phase hormones or medroxyprogesterone acetate likely occurs via different mechanisms
Authors: Bick Alexis J. , Avenant Chanel , Tomasicchio Michele , van der Spuy Zephne , Hapgood Janet P.
Published: October 2022

Problem

Both luteal phase progesterone (P4) levels and use of the intramuscular (IM) injectable progestin‐only contraceptive depo‐medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA‐IM) have been linked to increased S/HIV acquisition in animal, clinical and in vitro models. Several plausible mechanisms could explain MPA‐induced HIV‐1 acquisition while those for the luteal phase are underexplored.

Method of study

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were treated with P4 and estrogen at concentrations mimicking the luteal phase, follicular phase or with levels of MPA mimicking peak serum levels in DMPA‐IM users. Cells were infected with an R5‐tropic infectious molecular clone and HIV‐1 infection was measured. A role for the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) was investigated using the GR/PR antagonist RU486. CCR5 protein levels and activation status, assessed by levels of the activation marker CD69, were measured by flow cytometry after treatment in vitro and in PBMCs from naturally‐cycling women or DMPA‐IM users.

Results

Both MPA and luteal phase hormones significantly increased HIV‐1 infection in vitro. However, MPA but not luteal phase hormones increased the CD4+/CD8+ T cell ratio, CCR5 protein expression on CD4+ T cells and increased expression of the activation marker CD69. The GR is involved in MPA‐induced, but not luteal phase hormone‐induced increased HIV‐1 infection. In DMPA‐IM users, the frequency of CCR5‐expressing CD3+ and CD8+ cells was higher than for women in the luteal phase.

Conclusions

MPA increases HIV‐1 infection in a manner different from that of luteal phase hormones, most likely involving the GR and at least in part changes in the frequency and/or expression of CCR5 and CD69.
The predictive value of common symptoms in early pregnancy for complications later in pregnancy and at birth
Authors: Ertmann Ruth Kirk , Nicolaisdottir Dagny Ros , Kragstrup Jakob , Overbeck Gritt , Kriegbaum Margit , Siersma Volkert
Published: October 2022

Introduction

The aim was to investigate whether common pregnancy‐related symptoms—nausea, vomiting, back pain, pelvic girdle pain, pelvic cavity pain, vaginal bleeding, itching of vulva, pregnancy itching, leg cramps, uterine contractions and varicose veins—in the first trimester of pregnancy add to the identification of women at high risk of future pregnancy and birth complications.

Material and methods

Survey data linked to national register data. All women booking an appointment for a first prenatal visit in one of 192 randomly selected General Practices in East Denmark in the period April 2015–August 2016. The General Practices included 1491 women to this prospective study. Two outcomes, pregnancy complications and birth complications, were collected from the Danish Medical Birth Register.

Results

Among the 1413 included women, 199 (14%) experienced complications in later pregnancy. The most serious complication, miscarriage, was experienced by 65 women (4.6%). Other common pregnancy complications were gestational diabetes mellitus (n = 11, 0.8%), gestational hypertension without proteinuria (n = 34, 2.4%), mild to moderate preeclampsia (n = 34, 2.4%) and gestational itching with effect on liver (n = 17, 1.2%). Women who experienced pelvic girdle pain, pelvic cavity pain or vaginal bleeding in the first trimester of pregnancy had a higher risk of pregnancy complications later on in later pregnancy. None of the other examined symptoms showed associations to pregnancy complications. No associations were found between pregnancy‐related physical symptoms in first trimester and birth complications.

Conclusions

Symptoms in early pregnancy do not add much information about the risk of pregnancy or birth complications, although pain and bleeding may give reason for some concern. This is an important message to women experiencing these common symptoms and to their caregivers.
The AI‐powered Patient Experience
Authors: Lenfant François
Published: October 2022

Healthcare is one domain where AI progress is phenomenal and is saving lives every day.

AI is here to stay, and its advantages are many in healthcare. Design can tame its awkwardness to create experiences that empower patients to be more active in their journeys.
Virtual and Augmented Reality: A Glance into the Future
Authors: Jackson Thaddeus , Arnoux Dmitri , Pye Olivia
Published: October 2022

Over the past two decades, we have seen an unimaginable amount of change in the technology we use and how we use that technology.

Get ready for the future (and some ways you may already be experiencing it) with this primer on augmented and virtual realities.
The frequency and position of stable associations offset their transitivity in a diversity of vertebrate social networks
Authors: Péron Guillaume
Published: October 2022

When the estimated strength of social associations corresponds to the proportion of time spent together, strong links, those that take up most of the recorded time of individuals, are compulsorily transitive and tend to occur in clusters. However, I describe three ways in which the frequency and position of strong associations apparently offset the expected transitivity of strong links in published association networks from 26 species of vertebrates. Instead of occurring in groups of three, strong links were mostly isolated. When they did occur in clusters, the clusters were small. The phenomena increased in intensity as the overall number of links of all strengths and the overall network transitivity increased. Since stable transitive motifs are beneficial to cooperation, these results can help explain why cooperative behaviors are not more frequent than they are in group‐living vertebrates. Inversely, stable transitive motifs may be rare and small because the benefits of cooperation do not overcome the costs associated with these motifs. The summary statistics developed for this study captured information not conveyed by other network‐level metrics; thus they may help quantify the socio‐spatial structure of populations and potentially tease apart the environmental, species‐specific, and individual drivers.
Elevated ozone decreases the multifunctionality of belowground ecosystems
Authors: Gu Xian , Wang Tianzuo , Li Caihong
Published: October 2022

Elevated tropospheric ozone (O3) affects the allocation of biomass aboveground and belowground and influences terrestrial ecosystem functions. However, how belowground functions respond to elevated O3 concentrations ([O3]) remains unclear at the global scale. Here, we conducted a detailed synthesis of belowground functioning responses to elevated [O3] by performing a meta‐analysis of 2395 paired observations from 222 publications. We found that elevated [O3] significantly reduced the primary productivity of roots by 19.8%, 16.3%, and 26.9% for crops, trees and grasses, respectively. Elevated [O3] strongly decreased the root/shoot ratio by 11.3% for crops and by 4.9% for trees, which indicated that roots were highly sensitive to O3. Elevated [O3] impacted carbon and nitrogen cycling in croplands, as evidenced by decreased dissolved organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, total soil nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, microbial biomass nitrogen, and nitrification rates in association with increased nitrate nitrogen and denitrification rates. Elevated [O3] significantly decreased fungal phospholipid fatty acids in croplands, which suggested that O3 altered the microbial community and composition. The responses of belowground functions to elevated [O3] were modified by experimental methods, root environments, and additional global change factors. Therefore, these factors should be considered to avoid the underestimation or overestimation of the impacts of elevated [O3] on belowground functioning. The significant negative relationships between O3‐treated intensity and the multifunctionality index for croplands, forests, and grasslands implied that elevated [O3] decreases belowground ecosystem multifunctionality.
BLOEM: A spatially explicit model of bioenergy and carbon capture and storage, applied to Brazil
Authors: Tagomori Isabela , Daioglou Vassilis , Rochedo Pedro , Angelkorte Gerd , Schaeffer Roberto , van Vuuren Detlef , Szklo Alexandre
Published: October 2022

Bioenergy could play a major role in decarbonizing energy systems in the context of the Paris Agreement. Large‐scale bioenergy deployment could be related to sustainability issues and requires major infrastructure investments. It, therefore, needs to be studied carefully. The Bioenergy and Land Optimization Spatially Explicit Model (BLOEM) presented here allows for assessing different bioenergy pathways while encompassing various dimensions that influence their optimal deployment. In this study, BLOEM was applied to the Brazilian context by coupling it with the Brazilian Land Use and Energy Systems (BLUES) model. This allowed investigating the most cost‐effective ways of attending future bioenergy supply projections and studying the role of recovered degraded pasture lands in improving land availability in a sustainable and competitive manner. The results show optimizing for limiting deforestation and minimizing logistics costs results in different outcomes. It also indicates that recovering degraded pasture lands is attractive from both logistics and climate perspectives. The systemic approach of BLOEM provides spatial results, highlighting the trade‐offs between crop allocation, land use and the logistics dynamics between production, conversion, and demand, providing valuable insights for regional and national climate policy design. This makes it a useful tool for mapping sustainable bioenergy value chain pathways.
Left atrial appendage dimension predicts elevated brain natriuretic peptide in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation
Authors: Cook Jason A. , Lancaster Megan C. , Kanagasundram Arvindh N. , Prigmore Heather L. , Sandler Kim L. , Deegan Robert J. , Ellis Christopher R.
Published: October 2022

Introduction

BNP elevation in patients with AF is observed in the absence of heart failure; however, prior mechanistic studies have not included direct left atrial pressure measurements. This study sought to understand how emptying function of the left atrial appendage (LAA) and LAA dimension contributes to brain‐natriuretic peptide elevations (BNP) in atrial fibrillation (AF) accounting for left atrial pressure (LAP).

Methods

132 patients referredfor left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) were prospectively enrolled in this study. BNP levels and LAP were measured just before LAAO. Statistical analysis considered BNP, rhythm at time of procedure, LAP, LAA morphology, LAA size (ostial diameter, depth, volume), LAA emptying velocity, CHADS2‐VASc score, body mass index (BMI), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) diagnosis as covariates.

Results

Bivariate statistical analysis demonstrated positive associations with age, LAA ostial diameter, depth, and volume, LAP, AF status at time of measurement, OSA, and CHADS2‐VASc score. BNP was negatively associated with LVEF, eGFR, LAA emptying velocity and BMI. With multivariate logistic regression including LAP as covariate, significant relationships between BNP and AF/AFL(OR 1.99 [1.03, 3.85]), LAP (OR 1.13 [1.06, 1.20]), LAA diameter (OR 1.14 [1.03, 1.27]), LAA depth (OR 1.14 [1.07, 1.22]), and LAA emptying velocity (OR 0.97 [0.96,0.99]) were observed; however, no significant associations were seen with LAA morphology or CHADS2‐VASc score.

Conclusions

BNP elevations in AF are associated with LAA size and function, but not CHADS2‐VASc score or appendage morphology after accounting for changes in LAP.
Thermo‐physical properties of wheat germ: Heat and mass transfer during convective heating
Authors: Meriles Silvina Patricia , Curet Sebastien , Boillereaux Lionel , Ribotta Pablo Daniel , Penci María Cecilia
Published: October 2022

Wheat germ is one of the most nutritious parts of the grain. It is not fully exploited because it is highly perishable. Many attempts were done in order to stabilize the germ, being the most traditional one convective heating. The aim of the present work is the determination of thermo‐physical properties of wheat germ by using a specific methodology considering temperature and moisture content variations. A single‐phase mathematical model was used to validate the properties of wheat germ. The particulate material was considered from a continuum approach. Coupled heat and mass transfer equations were solved using a finite element method. The model was validated against experimental trials at three different oven temperatures (150°C, 180°C, and 200°C). A good accuracy was achieved considering the complexity of the material and processes involved. Water activity and lipase activity (two very important stability parameters) of the heated samples were predicted from average moisture content and temperature.

Practical Applications

Wheat germ is a highly available by‐product. Stabilization procedures are mandatory in order to use it in food formulation. Properties like density, specific heat capacity, and thermal conductivity of the particle and bulk, as well as effective moisture diffusivity, heat, and mass transfer coefficients might be useful when describing similar thermal stabilization procedures of wheat germ or other particulate materials. Changes of these properties during thermal treatment involving a wide range of temperature (25–100°C) and moisture content (0%–13%) are also useful in designing, optimization, or scaling‐up processes.
Crosstalk between heat shock factor 1 and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 mediated by interleukin‐8 autocrine signaling maintains the cancer stem cell phenotype in liver cancer
Authors: Yang Zhengyan , Wan Wenjuan , Zhang Pai , Wang Shuangfeng , Zhao Zhi , Xue Jingrui , Yao Mengzhuo , Zhao Yiwei , Zheng Weifeng , Niu Baohua , Wang Mingli , Li Hui , Guo Weikai , Ren Zhiguang , Hu Yanzhong
Published: October 2022

Background and Aim

Liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) cause therapeutic refractoriness and relapse in hepatocellular carcinoma. Heat shock factor 1 (HSF1) plays versatile roles in multiple cancers. However, the role of HSF1 in LCSCs is not well understood. This study investigated the function and signal mechanisms of HSF1 in maintaining LCSC phenotypes.

Methods

We established two LCSC lines, HepG2‐R and HuH‐7‐R. Constitutive activation of HSF1 was observed in these LCSCs. Specific short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) and chemical inhibitors were used to identify the relationship between HSF1 expression and LCSCs phenotypes.

Results

We revealed a concomitant activation modality involving HSF1 and STAT3 in LCSCs and liver cancer tissues. We also found that liver cancer patients whose HSF1 and STAT3 mRNA expression levels were high presented with unfavorable clinicopathological characteristics. Moreover, the secretion of interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) was elevated in the LCSC medium and was directly regulated by HSF1 at the transcriptional level. In turn, IL‐8 activated HSF1 and STAT3 signaling, and a neutralizing IL‐8 antibody inhibited HSF1 and STAT3 activity, reduced cancer stem cell marker expression, and decreased LCSC microsphere formation. Simultaneous intervention with HSF1 and STAT3 led to synergistically suppressed stemness acquisition and growth suppression in the LCSCs in vivo and in vitro.

Conclusions

Our study indicates that IL‐8 mediates the crosstalk between the HSF1 and Stat3 signaling pathways in LCSCs and that the combined targeting of HSF1 and STAT3 is a promising treatment strategy for patients with advanced liver cancer.