bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complex consequences of disturbance on canopy plant communities of world forests: a review and synthesis
Authors: Nadkarni Nalini M.
Published: October 2023

Epiphytes and their associated biota are increasingly recognized as contributing to biodiversity and to filling critical ecosystem functions in world forests. However, the attributes that have made them successful in canopy environments also make them vulnerable to natural and human‐induced disturbances. Drawing upon ecological frameworks to understand disturbance, I categorized and synthesized the drivers and the consequences of disturbances on epiphytic materials. Across all impacts, disturbance agents were significantly more likely to lead to negative, rather than positive, effects in both tropical and temperate locales. Significantly more studies reported negative effects on abundance, diversity, community composition and connectivity, but some studies showed that disturbances enhanced these attributes. Although particular disturbance agents did not differently influence individual consequences, they explained a significant portion of variation in aggregated totals. Surprisingly, relative to human disturbances, natural disturbances were more likely to lead to negative effects. Many studies provided recommendations for effective societal responses to mitigate negative impacts, such as retaining large, old trees in forestry operations, patch‐clearing for epiphyte harvest, maximizing forest fragment size, using epiphytes as bioindicators of disturbance, and applying principles of community forestry to land management. Future actions should also include communication of these results to policymakers and land managers.
Linking water use efficiency with water use strategy from leaves to communities
Authors: Liang Jie , Krauss Ken W. , Finnigan John , Stuart‐Williams Hilary , Farquhar Graham D. , Ball Marilyn C.
Published: October 2023

Limitations and utility of three measures of water use characteristics were evaluated: water use efficiency (WUE), intrinsic WUE and marginal water cost of carbon gain () estimated, respectively, as ratios of assimilation (A) to transpiration (E), of A to stomatal conductance (gs) and of sensitivities of E and A with variation in gs. Only the measure estimates water use strategy in a way that integrates carbon gain relative to water use under varying environmental conditions across scales from leaves to communities. This insight provides updated and simplified ways of estimating and adds depth to understanding ways that plants balance water expenditure against carbon gain, uniquely providing a mechanistic means of predicting water use characteristics under changing environmental scenarios.
Employee acceptance of digital monitoring systems while working from home
Authors: Wieser Luisa , Abraham Martin
Published: October 2023

Digitalisation and COVID‐19 led to an expansion of remote work arrangements, raising the question of whether and how employers should monitor remote workplaces. However, before the implementation of monitoring methods, it is important to consider employees' acceptance of this approach. Therefore, we contribute to current research on electronic performance monitoring by empirically investigating employees' evaluations of performance monitoring at home. This paper presents an analysis of how certain monitoring technologies for work‐from‐home arrangements are perceived as undesirable and whether other job aspects can compensate for these unattractive monitoring components. Using an experimental factorial survey design, German employees evaluated remote work arrangements with randomly varying characteristics. We show that respondents accept a certain degree of monitoring at home but increasingly reject monitoring systems as they become more invasive. However, in some cases, the negative impact of monitoring at home can be mitigated by certain incentives, such as money or the purpose of monitoring.
Composition of gut microbiota and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Su Xin , Chen Shiyun , Liu Jiazi , Feng Yonghui , Han Eerdun , Hao Xiaolei , Liao Minqi , Cai Jun , Zhang Shiwen , Niu Jianxiang , He Shihua , Huang Shaofen , Lo Kenneth , Zeng Fangfang
Published: October 2023

The present systematic review and meta‐analysis aimed to summarize the associations between gut microbiota composition and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease. To compare the differences between individuals with or without NAFLD, the standardized mean difference and 95% confidence interval were computed for each α‐diversity index and relative abundance of gut microbes. The β‐diversity indices were summarized in a qualitative manner. A total of 54 studies with 8894 participants were included. Overall, patients with NAFLD had moderate reduction in α‐diversity indices including Shannon (SMD = −0.36, 95% CI = [−0.53, −0.19], p < 0.001) and Chao 1 (SMD = −0.42, 95% CI = [−0.68, −0.17], p = 0.001), but no significant differences were found for Simpson, observed species, phylogenetic diversity, richness, abundance‐based coverage estimator, and evenness (p ranged from 0.081 to 0.953). Over 75% of the included studies reported significant differences in β‐diversity. Although there was substantial interstudy heterogeneity, especially for analyses at the phylum, class, and family levels, the majority of the included studies showed alterations in the depletion of anti‐inflammatory microbes (i.e., Ruminococcaceae and Coprococcus) and the enrichment of proinflammatory microbes (i.e., Fusobacterium and Escherichia) in patients with NAFLD. Perturbations in gut microbiota were associated with NAFLD, commonly reflected by a reduction in beneficial species and an increase in the pathogenic species.
Non‐progressive mandibular changes in children with Type I and II craniofacial microsomia
Authors: Kaprio Laura , Grann Annemari , Leikola Junnu , Saarikko Anne , Kurimo Jukka , Kiukkonen Anu
Published: October 2023

Objective

To describe the mandibular growth of craniofacial microsomia (CFM) patients during early childhood to adolescence with attention to symmetry.

Materials and Methods

Altogether 61 CFM patients were studied at the Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Center, Helsinki University Hospital between 1986 and 2006. In this cohort study, we measured and analysed 293 radiographs (posteroanterior, panoramic and lateral); 165 radiographs of 40 patients met the final inclusion criteria. The vertical height of the ramus in anteroposterior and panoramic radiographs, the length of the mandible in anteroposterior radiographs and the maxillary protrusion and mandibular retrognathia in lateral cephalograms were measured in four different age groups.

Results

A statistical difference existed between the groups in the vertical height of the ramus and in the mandibular length. The vertical height of the ramus measured from the panoramic radiograph grew on both sides, and the ratios remained unchanged. In the sagittal dimension, the maxilla and mandible grew forward, but no significant differences emerged between the groups.

Conclusions

Results suggest that mild‐type CFM is not progressive in nature. During growth, mandibular asymmetry measured in the horizontal, vertical and sagittal planes did not increase.
Effects of experimental warming at the microhabitat scale on oak leaf traits and insect herbivory across a contrasting environmental gradient
Authors: Moreira Xoaquín , Abdala‐Roberts Luis , Lago‐Núñez Beatriz , Cao Ana , De Pauw Karen , De Ro Annelore , Gasperini Cristina , Hedwall Per‐Ola , Iacopetti Giovanni , Lenoir Jonathan , Meeussen Camille , Plue Jan , Sanczuk Pieter , Selvi Federico , Spicher Fabien , Vanden Broeck An , De Frenne Pieter
Published: October 2023

Forest microclimatic variation can result in substantial temperature differences at local scales with concomitant impacts on plant defences and herbivory. Such microclimatic effects, however, may differ across abiotically contrasting sites depending on background environmental differences. To test these cross‐scale effects shaping species ecological and evolutionary responses, we experimentally tested the effects of aboveground microhabitat warming on insect leaf herbivory and leaf defences (toughness, phenolic compounds) for saplings of sessile oak Quercus petraea across two abiotically contrasting sites spanning 9° latitude. We found higher levels of herbivory at the low‐latitude site, but leaf traits showed mixed patterns across sites. Toughness and condensed tannins were higher at the high‐latitude site, whereas hydrolysable tannins and hydroxycinnamic acids were higher at the low‐latitude site. At the microhabitat scale, experimental warming increased herbivory, but did not affect any of the measured leaf traits. Condensed tannins were negatively correlated with herbivory, suggesting that they drive variation in leaf damage at both scales. Moreover, the effects of microhabitat warming on herbivory and leaf traits were consistent across sites, i.e. effects at the microhabitat scale play out similarly despite variation in factors acting at broader scales. These findings together suggest that herbivory responds to both microhabitat (warming) and broad‐scale environmental factors, whereas leaf traits appear to respond more to environmental factors operating at broad scales (e.g. macroclimatic factors) than to warming at the microhabitat scale. In turn, leaf secondary chemistry (tannins) appears to drive both broad‐scale and microhabitat‐scale variation in herbivory. Further studies are needed using reciprocal transplants with more populations across a greater number of sites to tease apart plant plasticity from genetic differences contributing to leaf trait and associated herbivory responses across scales and, in doing so, better understand the potential for dynamics such as local adaptation and range expansion or contraction under shifting climatic regimes.
Using three‐dimensional modelling of the anterior sclera to investigate the scleral profile in myopic eyes
Authors: Yang Zhengfei , Yang KaiQi , Li Zhouyue , Hu Yin , Jiang Jinyun , Tang Xianghua , Zeng JunWen , Wang Mengyi , Yang Xiao
Published: October 2023

Purpose

This study used three‐dimensional (3D) modelling to investigate scleral profiles in myopic eyes and compare them with emmetropic eyes.

Methods

In this prospective observational study, the eyes of 151 participants were analysed using the corneoscleral profile module (CSP) of the Pentacam HR. Non‐rotationally symmetrical ellipsoids were fitted to the anterior scleral sagittal height. Three radii were analysed, namely the nasal–temporal (Rx), superior–inferior (Ry) and anterior–posterior (Rz) orientations. Additionally, the area index (AI) and aspherical parameters (Qxy, Qxz and Qyz) of the anterior sclera‐fitted ellipsoid (ASFE) were quantified.

Results

The findings showed an increase in Rx (−0.349 mm/D), Ry (−0.373 mm/D), Rz (−1.232 mm/D) and AI (−36.165 mm2/D) with increasing myopia. From emmetropia to high myopia, the vertical and horizontal planes of the anterior sclera became increasingly prolate (emmetropia, Qxz: 0.02, Qyz: 0.01; low myopia, Qxz: −0.28, Qyz: −0.28; high myopia, Qxz: −0.41, Qyz: −0.43). There were no significant differences in the coronal plane across the three groups (H = 2.65, p = 0.27). The anterior scleral shape of high myopes in the horizontal and vertical planes was more prolate than that of emmetropes and low myopes (Qxz, high myopes vs. low myopes: p = 0.03, high myopes vs. emmetropes: p < 0.001; Qyz, high myopes vs. low myopes: p = 0.04, high myopes vs. emmetropes: p < 0.001).

Conclusions

As the degree of myopia increased, non‐uniform anterior scleral enlargement was observed. These findings provide a better understanding of the anterior segment with varying degrees of myopia.
Implementation of a Specific Set of Intraoperative C‐Arm Fluoroscopy Terminologies in Percutaneous Vertebroplasty
Authors: Xie Yanchun , Gu Hongwen , Wei Yongcun , Xua Anwu , Yu Hailong
Published: October 2023

Objective

Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is currently the primary minimally invasive surgical approach for treating vertebral compression fractures caused by senile osteoporosis. The current existing problem is the lack of research on the application of a specific set of intraoperative C‐arm fluoroscopy terminologies in PVP. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the use of a specific set of intraoperative C‐arm fluoroscopic terminologies in PVP in order to increase fluoroscopy accuracy, decrease fluoroscopy frequencies and ray protection, and minimize operation times through rapid preoperative training of surgeons and radiographers.

Methods

Spine surgeons and radiographers with at least 5 years of experience from nine different hospitals were randomly selected for a series of specialized intraoperative C‐arm fluoroscopy terminology training between October 2018 and December 2021. Before and after the training, they were surveyed using a five‐point Likert scale to statistically compare their knowledge of the terminology. Simultaneously, 190 PVP cases completed by these surgeons and radiographers before and after the training were chosen for comparison and analysis of fluoroscopy times, effective fluoroscopy rate, fluoroscopy time, repeated puncture rate, and other indicators before and after receiving specialized terminology training. Two‐sample tests were mainly used to investigate differences in answers between surgeons and radiographers.

Results

After the training, there was a notable improvement in the fluency of intraoperative communication between professional spine surgeons and radiographers. By comparing the indicators of pre‐training with post‐training, the effective anteroposterior fluoroscopy rate increased from 46.5% to 75.7%; the effective lateral fluoroscopy rate increased from 59.8% to 76.9%. Moreover, a notable decrease in communication barriers, fluoroscopy frequencies, fluoroscopy time, and the rate of repeated punctures, and a notable increase in the effective fluoroscopy rate was observed.

Conclusion

Smooth intraoperative communication between professional spine surgeons and radiographers can significantly lower the communication barrier, reduce the fluoroscopy frequencies and time, the rate of repeated puncture, and increase the effective fluoroscopy rate, all of which are important in improving the fluoroscopy in PVP.
Minimally Invasive Treatment of Inversion Shortening Calcaneal Fractures in the “Out‐In” Position
Authors: Li Xu‐Song , Ye Lin , Wu Jun‐Le , Huang Li‐Ben , Huang Jie‐Feng
Published: October 2023

Objective

Heel fractures need extensive surgical incisions and are challenging to successfully reposition using traditional prying. The goal of this study is to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of using a Kirschner pin‐guided distractor to treat inversion shortening calcaneal fractures in the “out‐in” position.

Methods

A total of 40 data from 37 patients with inversion shortened calcaneal fractures from January 2018 to March 2020 were reviewed. Preoperative lateral and axial X‐rays and 3D CT were taken to assess the fracture type, and minimally invasive internal fixation was performed in the “out‐in” position with distractor repositioning, and intraoperative and postoperative images were taken to assess fracture repositioning and fixation. During the follow‐up period, the postoperative functional recovery status was assessed using the VAS score, AOFAS score, and FAOS score. Paired‐samples t‐test was used for all data comparisons.

Results

All cases received a mean follow‐up of 28.49 ± 3.25 months, and the mean fracture healing time was 7.84 ± 0.71 weeks. The postoperative images showed well‐fixed fracture repositioning, and calcaneal height, length, width, and inversion angles were significantly improved. At the final follow‐up, the calcaneal height, length, and width recovered from 39.35 ± 4.44mm, 79.35 ± 2.7mm, and 45.75 ± 2.87mm preoperatively to 50.93 ± 3.18mm, 82.23 ± 1.90mm, and 39.67 ± 1.58mm postoperatively (p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p < 0.001). The calcaneus inversion angle restored from 7.73° ± 2.26° to 3.80° ± 1.80° (p < 0.001). Böhler's angle and Gissane's angle improved from 13.13° ± 3.02° and 105.15° ± 8.94° to 27.95° ± 3.41° and 122.85° ± 5.54° (p < 0.001; p < 0.001). No non‐healing fractures, osteomyelitis, or traumatic arthritis were observed.

Conclusion

Minimally invasive internal fixation with distractor repositioning in the “out‐in” position is effective in the treatment of inversion shortening calcaneal fractures while restoring the anatomy and protecting the soft tissue.
Outcomes of left bundle branch area pacing compared to His bundle pacing as a primary pacing strategy: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Abdin Amr , Werner Christian , Burri Haran , Merino José L. , Vukadinović Davor , Sawan Noureddin , Gajek Jacek , Böhm Michael , Ukena Christian
Published: October 2023

Background

Novel pacing technologies, such as His bundle pacing (HBP) and left bundle branch area pacing (LBBaP), have emerged to maintain physiological ventricular activation. We investigated the outcomes of LBBP with HBP for patients requiring a de novo permanent pacing.

Methods and Results

Systematic review of randomized clinical trials and observational studies comparing LBBaP with HBP until March 01, 2023 was performed. Random and fixed effects meta‐analyses of the effect of pacing technology on outcomes were performed. Study outcomes included pacing metrics, QRS duration, lead revision, procedure parameters, all‐cause mortality and heart failure hospitalization (HFH). Overall, 10 studies with 1596 patients were included. Implant success rate was higher in LBBaP compared with HBP (RR 1.24, 95% CI: 1.08 to 1.42, p = .002). LBBaP was associated with lower capture threshold at implantation (mean difference (MD) −0.62 V, 95% CI: −0.74 to −0.51 V, p < .0001) and at follow‐up (MD −0.74 V, 95% CI: −0.96 to −0.53, p < .0001), shorter procedure duration (MD −14.66 min, 95% CI: −23.54 to −5.78, p = .001) and shorter fluoroscopy time (MD −4.2 min, 95% CI: −8.4 to −0.0, p = .05). Compared with HBP, LBBaP was associated with a decreased risk of all‐cause mortality (RR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.33 to 0.77, p = .002) and HFH (RR: 0.57, 95% CI: 0.33 to 1.00, p = .05). No statistical differences were found in lead revisions and QRS duration before and after pacing.

Conclusion

This meta‐analysis found that LBBaP was superior to HBP regarding pacing metrics and implant success rate as an initial pacing strategy, although absence of head‐to‐head randomized comparison warrants caution in interpretation of the results.
Asthma medication and risk of dental diseases in children – A prospective cohort study
Authors: Nørrisgaard Pia Elisabeth , Haubek Dorte , Schoos Ann‐Marie Malby , Kühnisch Jan , Chawes Bo L. , Stokholm Jakob , Bisgaard Hans , Bønnelykke Klaus
Published: October 2023

Background

Dental caries and enamel defects are the main causes of poor dental health in children, with a substantial impact on their well‐being. Use of inhaled asthma medication is a suspected risk factor, but there is a lack of prospective studies investigating this and other prenatal and early life risk factors.

Methods

Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood 2010 mother–child cohort (COPSAC2010) consists of 700 women who were recruited at 24 weeks of pregnancy. 588 of their children participated in a dental examination at 6 years of age (84%) at the COPSAC2010 research unit. Caries was defined as decayed, missing, or filled surfaces. Enamel defect was defined as demarcated opacity, post‐eruptive enamel breakdown, and/or atypical restoration on at least one molar. Caries and enamel defects were assessed in both deciduous and permanent dentitions.

Results

We found no associations between inhaled corticosteroids or β2‐agonists or asthma symptoms in early childhood and the risk of caries or enamel defects by 6 years of age. Furthermore, we found no strong pre‐, peri‐, or postnatal risk factors for dental diseases at 6 years, except from nominally significant associations between antibiotic use in pregnancy (OR = 1.25, [1.01–1.54]), maternal education level (OR = 1.57, [1.01–2.45]), having a dog at home (OR = 0.50, [0.27–0.93]), and risk of enamel defects.

Conclusions

Use of inhaled corticosteroids, β2‐agonists, or asthma symptoms in the first 6 years of life were not associated with the development of caries or enamel defects. This finding is reassuring for parents and physicians prescribing asthma medication for young children.
Epigenetic‐based control of flowering and seed development in plants: A review
Authors: Ibrar Danish , Ahmad Rafiq , Hasnain Zuhair , Gul Safia , Rais Afroz , Khan Shahbaz
Published: October 2023

Plants grown at different latitudes perceive and interpret seasonal variations in day length (photoperiod) and exposure to cold winter temperatures (vernalization). These factors control the expression of various genes involved in flowering, depending on the variations in photoperiod and vernalization. Epigenetic regulatory systems have evolved in plants to process environmental signals. Gene expression is modified through chromatin remodelling and small RNAs in response to seasonal changes in both annual and perennial plants. Key regulators of flowering, such as FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) and FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), interact with other floral regulatory factors and undergo chromatin remodelling in response to seasonal cues. The Polycomb repressive complex (PRC) controls the expression of flowering‐related genes in photoperiodic flowering regulation. FLC acts as a potent suppressor by down‐regulating the expression of genes that promote flowering. Methylation, particularly in the context of CHG, CG and CHH, plays a critical role in embryogenesis. This review briefly explores and describes the regulation of flowering mechanisms in response to day‐length variations, cold exposure (vernalization) and seed development in plants.
Retrospective evaluation of Guillain‐Barre syndrome in children: A single‐center experience
Authors: Güzin Yiğithan , Yılmaz Unsal , Pekuz Serdar , Karaoğlu Pakize , Parlak İbiş İpek Burcu , Kırkgöz Hatice Hilal , Yavuz Merve , Ünalp Aycan
Published: October 2023

Background

Although Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS) is now the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis in children, information on the long‐term follow‐up of GBS is still limited. Identification of prognostic factors can play an important role in treatment strategies and the follow‐up of patients. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of monitoring the GBS disability score (DS) in predicting morbidity and mortality.

Methods

The patients were separated into two groups those with DS≥ or <3 on admission. These groups were compared in respect of demographic data, clinical and laboratory findings, and the DS recorded on admission and at first, third, sixth, 12th, and 24th months.

Results

The study included 44 patients (54.5% male, 45.5% female) with a median age of 5 years. The most common involvements during the disease were weakness, ataxia, neuropathic pain, cranial neuropathy, respiratory distress, autonomic dysfunction, and psychiatric symptoms, respectively. In patients with a DS of ≥3, the time from onset of symptoms to hospital admission was shorter, and the length of hospital stay was longer. Children with back pain and autonomic dysfunction had a DS of ≥3. A high 3‐month DS was found to be a significant predictor for the development of sequelae.

Conclusions

Although progressive muscle weakness and inability to walk are the most common symptoms of GBS, it should be kept in mind that atypical manifestations such as hemiplegia and ophthalmoplegia may also occur. For an objective assessment of clinical improvement during follow‐up, the DS for motor functions can be used.
Personal Beauty and Personal Agency
Authors: Martin‐Seaver Madeline
Published: October 2023

We make choices about our own appearance and evaluate others' choices – every day. These choices are meaningful for us as individuals and as members of communities. But many features of personal appearance are due to luck, and many cultural beauty standards make some groups and individuals worse off (this is called “lookism”). So, how are we to square these two facets of personal appearance? And how are we to evaluate agency in the context of personal beauty? I identify three ways of responding to these questions: beauty advocacy, beauty skepticism, and beauty revisionism. Advocates connect an honorific sense of beauty with personal character. Skeptics focus on beauty standards, and primarily offer a social critique of beauty standards. Some skeptics suggest embracing other aesthetic ideals – even ugliness. Revisionists critique beauty standards, but retain an honorific sense of beauty. Each position offers tools to evaluate personal agency as aesthetic agency, whether first‐personally or through our appreciation of others' appearance.
Twenty‐five years of change in forest structure and nesting behavior of Hawaiʻi ʻelepaio
Authors: Jaenecke Kelly A. , Banko Paul C. , Peck Robert W. , Sarr Zee , Shema Nicholas
Published: October 2023

Long‐term ecological studies are invaluable for detecting changes over time. Forest restoration has been a conservation priority in Hawaiʻi, where invasive species have negatively impacted native bird habitat. During 1993–1994, a study was conducted of Hawaiʻi ʻelepaio (Chasiempis sandwichensis) nest site selection and forest composition in mesic montane forest along Mauna Loa Road in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. We returned to the site and repeated the methods used in the earlier study to record Hawaiʻi ʻelepaio nest site selection (tree species, tree and nest height, and tree girth [diameter at breast height, DBH]) from 2015 to 2017, and measured forest composition (tree density, relative abundance, height, and DBH) in 2019. Three times as many nests were found in ʻaʻaliʻi (Dodonaea viscosa) as in koa (Acacia koa) in both time periods. Heights of koa and ʻaʻaliʻi did not change, but their DBH increased over time. The relative height of nests in ʻaʻaliʻi trees did not change, but nests in koa were placed higher in the crown during the later study. Overall tree density increased from 1,619 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1,499–1,740) trees/ha to 2,583 (95% CI = 2,176–3,096) trees/ha. Koa relative abundance was 53% of total trees earlier and 45% later, ʻaʻaliʻi remained at 47%, and māmane (Sophora chrysophylla) increased from 0 to 8% over time. Our results indicate that changes in forest composition affect nesting behavior, but in ways that are not necessarily simple or consistent.
Interleukin 17 expression in periapical lesions from elderly patients
Authors: Júnior Rodolfo de Souza Rocha , Bergamin Bruno de Oliveira , Bastos Adriana Gomes Rocha , Silva Alexandre Marques Paes da , Pires Fábio Ramôa , Ferreira Dennis de Carvalho , Armada Luciana
Published: October 2023

Objective

To compare the expression of IL‐17 in periapical lesions (cysts and granulomas) among elderly individuals and adults. We selected 20 periapical lesions of the elderly (12 granulomas and eight cysts) and 20 periapical lesions of adults (12 granulomas and eight cysts).

Materials and Methods

Immunohistochemistry was performed using a specific antibody for IL‐17. The slides were subdivided into five high magnification fields and then the images were observed through an optical microscope. According to the number of positive markings for the antibody, grades were given, ranging from 0 to 2.

Results

The results demonstrate that there was no statistical difference when comparing the expression of IL‐17 between cysts and granulomas of both groups (study group: cysts 0.7 ± 0.21 × granulomas 0.96 ± 0.58, p = .61; control group: cysts 0.37 ± 0.16 × granulomas 0.31 ± 0.23, p = .27). The comparison between adult (control group) and elderly patients (study group) showed a statistical difference both in cysts (study group: 0.7 ± 0.21 × control group: 0.37 ± 0.16, p = .007) and in granulomas (study group: 0.96 ± 0.58 × control group: 0.31 ± 0.23, p = .0009), in which elderly patients had a higher expression of interleukin 17, in relation to adult patients.

Conclusion

We concluded that elderly patients have a higher expression of IL‐17 in both cysts and granulomas, when compared to adult patients.
Civil disobedience and lawfare: Protest movement and contentious politics in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
Authors: Fazil Shivan , Connelly Megan
Published: October 2023

After the US‐led invasion of Iraq, the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) appeared to be on a path toward consolidation of liberal democracy. While the rest of Iraq drifted into chaos and civil war, the KRI remained quiescent and was for many years hailed by outsiders as: “a beacon of hope”, “an oasis of stability and democracy”. The region adopted the principles of press freedoms, religious tolerance, and good governance to conform with United States (US) and western incentives. The adoption of procedural democracy, however, concealed an underlying system of rigid social regulation based on a two‐party power sharing agreement that resisted democratization while appropriating its parlance and institutional structures. The government's resistance to liberalization along with its lack of resilience to political and economic shocks promoted popular disillusionment with the Kurdish nation‐building project with the region's dominant political parties at the center. In response, the ruling parties have sought to exert influence through alternatives to the democratic process that reinforce partisan rule. This article argues that economic crisis and austerity have precipitated the expansion in the scope of dissent and hastened the demise of the power sharing arrangement in the KRI. The ruling political parties have since employed a variety of undemocratic means to manage popular grievances. However, these responses do not address significant public concerns regarding freedom of expression, unemployment, and governance issues.
Eccentric cycling involves greater mental demand and cortical activation of the frontoparietal network
Authors: Borot Lénaic , Pageaux Benjamin , Laroche Davy , Vergotte Grégoire , Lepers Romuald , Perrey Stéphane
Published: October 2023

Eccentric, compared to concentric exercise, is proposed to involve different neuro‐motor processing strategies and a higher level of mental demand. This study compared eccentric and concentric cycling at matched perceived effort and torque for the mental demand and related‐cortical activation patterns. Nineteen men (30 ± 6 years) performed four different 5‐min cycling conditions at 30 RPM on a semi‐recumbent isokinetic cycle ergometer: (1) concentric at a moderate perceived effort (23 on the CR100® scale) without torque feedback; (2) concentric and (3) eccentric at the same average torque produced in the first condition; and (4) eccentric at the same moderate perceived effort than the first concentric condition. The conditions two to four were randomized. After each condition, mental demand was monitored using the NASA Task Load Index scale. Changes in oxy‐(O2Hb) and deoxy‐(HHb) hemoglobin during exercise were measured over both prefrontal cortices and the right parietal lobe from a 15‐probe layout using a continuous‐wave NIRS system. Mental demand was significantly higher during eccentric compared to concentric cycling (+52%, p = 0.012) and when the exercise intensity was fixed by the torque rather than the perceived effort (+70%, p < 0.001). For both torque‐ or perceived effort‐matched exercises, O2Hb increased significantly (p < 0.001) in the left and right prefrontal cortices, and right parietal lobe, and HHb decreased in the left, and right, prefrontal cortices during eccentric compared to concentric cycling. This study supports that acute eccentric cycling, compared to concentric cycling, involves a higher mental demand, and frontoparietal network activation.
Physical exercise improves memory in sedentary middle‐aged adults: Are these exercise‐induced benefits associated with S‐Klotho and 1,25‐dihydroxivitamin D? The FIT‐AGEING randomized controlled trial
Authors: Vázquez‐Lorente Héctor , De‐la‐O Alejandro , Carneiro‐Barrera Almudena , Molina‐Hidalgo Cristina , Castillo Manuel J. , Amaro‐Gahete Francisco J.
Published: October 2023

We aimed to investigate the effect of three types of exercise interventions on memory (i.e., immediate memory (IM), long‐term memory (LTM), and recognition). We also investigated whether exercise‐induced changes in circulating S‐Klotho and 1,25‐dihydroxivitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) levels were related to those observed in memory in healthy middle‐aged sedentary adults. A 12‐week randomized controlled trial was performed with a parallel‐group design. Seventy‐four participants (45–65 years old: 53% women) were randomly assigned to (1) no exercise (control) group, (2) concurrent training based on the international physical activity recommendations (PAR) group, (3) high‐intensity interval training (HIIT) group, or (4) HIIT plus whole‐body electromyostimulation (HIIT‐EMS) group. Memory outcomes were assessed using the Wechsler Memory Scale‐third edition. S‐Klotho plasma levels were determined according to a solid‐phase sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kit while 1,25(OH)2D plasma levels were measured using a DiaSorin‐Liaison immunochemiluminometric analyzer. IM‐Verbal Paired Associates (IM‐VPA) and IM‐Logical Memory (IM‐LM) were improved in both the HIIT and HIIT‐EMS groups compared with the control group (all p ≤ 0.045). Exercise‐induced changes in S‐Klotho plasma levels were positively associated with those observed in IM, LTM, and recognition (all p ≤ 0.007), whereas exercise‐induced changes in 1,25(OH)2D plasma levels were directly related to changes in IM and LTM (all p ≤ 0.048). In conclusion, a 12‐week HIIT intervention with or without WB‐EMS seems to be the most effective exercise program to improve IM. The significant and positive associations between exercise‐induced changes in S‐Klotho and 1,25(OH)2D levels with those observed in memory outcomes suggest that these factors may be potentially related to exercise‐induced improvements of memory in middle‐aged adults.
Men in online eating disorder recovery spaces: Gendered barriers, content moderation, and narrative experimentation
Authors: Strobel Connor B. S. , Lennon Jayna
Published: October 2023

Eating disorders (EDs), once considered solely a women's health problem, have increasingly affected men. Previous research on recovery from addiction has emphasized the importance of narratives, which help provide structure and make sense of events. While narratives are often important for an individual's recovery from hardship, hegemonic narratives can be invalidating and obstacles to wellbeing. The highly gendered nature of ED recovery narratives has posed a barrier to men adopting alternative, more successful narratives, particularly in female‐dominated spaces. This study examines how content moderation policies and enforcement on Tumblr, Reddit, and an ED recovery website shape men's participation in ED recovery support groups dominated by women. We find that high degrees of moderation and censorship limit men's platform participation and narrative experimentation. However, platform rules without active censorship face the same challenges. Instead, narrative experimentation and greater participation from men occur during moderate regulation because they can share their experiences while also being encouraged to find salient aspects of other, healthier narratives. We observed that men were able to break from unhelpful recovery narratives when they could masculinize the suggestions from women with more productive approaches. While past research has shown that men are particularly reliant on hegemonic masculinity when their gender is challenged, we find that phenomenon is part of a more fundamental process of reconciling ideas into one's self‐concept.
School racial‐ethnic socialization of multiracial K12 students: A systematic review of the literature using MultiCrit
Authors: Peng Jackie Matise
Published: October 2023

The growing multiracial population in the United States necessitates a shift in research attention to include mixed‐race youth. While racial‐ethnic socialization (RES) research has predominantly focused on family contexts, this review highlights the role of schools in shaping the RES socialization of mixed‐race youth in the United States. Existing literature indicates that RES plays a vital role for multiracial children and adolescents by helping them navigate their complex identities, promoting a sense of belonging, and enhancing mental health outcomes. However, studies explicitly exploring RES for mixed‐race children in elementary and secondary schools are limited, and RES is often theorized without structural conceptualizations of race and racism. Using Critical Multiracial Theory (MultiCrit) as a theoretical lens, this review investigates the content and messages conveyed to mixed‐race youth at school. It considers transmissions from various sources (e.g., curriculum, teachers, peers) to uncover implications for the well‐being of mixed‐race students. This paper contributes to scholarship on school RES by considering how the process unfolds for the fastest‐growing demographic of students in the US (multiracials) using a sociohistorical approach (MultiCrit). The review concludes with future directions for researchers studying multiracial youth in K‐12 schools and considerations for practitioners working with multiracial students in school settings. Keywords: multiracial youth, mixed‐race, K‐12 schools, RES, MultiCrit
Navigating multiple team membership: A review and redirection of its influence on effectiveness outcomes
Authors: Rishani Mayssa , Schouten Maartje E. , Hoever Inga J.
Published: October 2023

In today's organizations, employees commonly work in more than one team at a time. As this practice of multiple team membership (MTM) has become a reality of daily work, researchers across disciplines have dedicated their efforts to study its influence on valued outcomes such as employee and team effectiveness. We review the MTM literature to provide an overview of the relationship between multiteaming and effectiveness and to discuss the underlying reasons that explain why this relationship is complex and findings remain inconsistent. Drawing from teams research, we particularly highlight three sources of variance in the effects of multiteaming that have not been discussed in an integrative manner: (a) what is being studied – the aspects and nature of multiteaming; (b) how multiteaming is thought to affect effectiveness – the processes through which multiteaming transforms into (in)effectiveness; and (c) who are the multiteamers – the characteristics of multiteamers. Our review thus offers a more fine‐grained theoretical understanding of multiteaming's influence on effectiveness and uncovers exciting future research directions.
Exemplifying the situated nature of teacher noticing: Elementary teachers' use of insider knowledge
Authors: Jessup Naomi A.
Published: October 2023

Teacher noticing is a crucial aspect of responsive and ambitious mathematics teaching, allowing educators to understand students' mathematical thinking and make informed decisions. However, this noticing is influenced by teachers' insider knowledge (i.e., past and present knowledge and experience with students), which is shaped by societal norms, biases, and expectations, including potentially harmful deficit discourses. This study investigates teachers' noticing of written work from a situated perspective using qualitative secondary analysis. The goal of this work is to exemplify upper elementary teachers' use of historical knowledge gained from classroom interactions or informal school settings, along with local and broader contextual factors. Data analysis included elementary teachers' noticing mathematical thinking in written work from their class, their use of insider knowledge of their students, and distinctions in orientations toward students and their thinking. Results indicate how insider knowledge enhances, impedes, or does not impact individual teachers' focus on the details and reasoning evidenced in their students' strategies. The findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the complexities of teacher noticing and emphasize the importance of acknowledging the socio–cultural and historical context which is needed for equitable mathematics teaching. Implications are discussed.
Attending to what prospective teachers notice about students' intersecting identities
Authors: Jackson Christa , Buchheister Kelley , Taylor Cynthia E.
Published: October 2023

To develop an equity‐centered orientation in teacher education programs, it is essential to recognize what prospective teachers (PTs) attend to in classroom events and how they relate these events to mathematics instruction. We examined how race‐gender intersections of a child (Black boy, Black girl, White boy, and White girl) in a written vignette shape PTs' noticing. Using an intersectional noticing lens, we analyzed PTs' responses with respect to race‐gender intersections. The results indicated how racism and sexism can permeate PTs' implicit bias, positionality, and social expectations, which continue to oppress Blacks and girls within mathematics teaching and learning.
PLANTdataHUB: a collaborative platform for continuous FAIR data sharing in plant research
Authors: Weil Heinrich Lukas , Schneider Kevin , Tschöpe Marcel , Bauer Jonathan , Maus Oliver , Frey Kevin , Brilhaus Dominik , Martins Rodrigues Cristina , Doniparthi Gajendra , Wetzels Florian , Lukasczyk Jonas , Kranz Angela , Grüning Björn , Zimmer David , Deßloch Stefan , von Suchodoletz Dirk , Usadel Björn , Garth Christoph , Mühlhaus Timo
Published: October 2023

In modern reproducible, hypothesis‐driven plant research, scientists are increasingly relying on research data management (RDM) services and infrastructures to streamline the processes of collecting, processing, sharing, and archiving research data. FAIR (i.e., findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable) research data play a pivotal role in enabling the integration of interdisciplinary knowledge and facilitating the comparison and synthesis of a wide range of analytical findings. The PLANTdataHUB offers a solution that realizes RDM of scientific (meta)data as evolving collections of files in a directory – yielding FAIR digital objects called ARCs – with tools that enable scientists to plan, communicate, collaborate, publish, and reuse data on the same platform while gaining continuous quality control insights. The centralized platform is scalable from personal use to global communities and provides advanced federation capabilities for institutions that prefer to host their own satellite instances. This approach borrows many concepts from software development and adapts them to fit the challenges of the field of modern plant science undergoing digital transformation. The PLANTdataHUB supports researchers in each stage of a scientific project with adaptable continuous quality control insights, from the early planning phase to data publication. The central live instance of PLANTdataHUB is accessible at (https://git.nfdi4plants.org), and it will continue to evolve as a community‐driven and dynamic resource that serves the needs of contemporary plant science.
Deep trade agreements, production position distance and bilateral global value chain participation
Authors: Fan Zhaobin , Anwar Sajid , Zhou Ying
Published: October 2023

Owing to globalisation‐induced fragmentation of production across regions and reorganisation of global value chains (GVCs), more attention is being paid to the impact of deep preferential trade agreements (PTAs) on GVC participation. We examine how the promotional effect of deep trade agreements on GVC participation changes with GVC production position distance between member countries. We argue that production position distance has an inverted U‐shaped effect on the relationship between deep trade agreements and bilateral GVC participation. Specifically, starting with a short production position distance, an increase in production position distance can strengthen the promotional effect of deep trade agreements on bilateral GVC participation. However, when the production position distance reaches a certain threshold, an increase in production position distance weakens the promotional effect of deep trade agreements on bilateral GVC participation. Analysis of panel data, which covers 43 countries over the 2000–2014 period, supports our predictions. Further analysis shows that the inverted U‐shaped effect of production position distance on the relationship between deep trade agreements and bilateral GVC participation is more likely to take place in the manufacturing sector rather than in the services sector.
Additional evidence supports GRM6 p.Thr178Met as a cause of congenital stationary night blindness in three horse breeds
Authors: Esdaile Elizabeth , Knickelbein Kelly E. , Donnelly Callum G. , Ferneding Michelle , Motta Monica J. , Story Brett D. , Avila Felipe , Finno Carrie J. , Gilger Brian C. , Sandmeyer Lynne , Thomasy Sara , Bellone Rebecca R.
Published: October 2023

Congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) is an ocular disorder characterized by nyctalopia. An autosomal recessive missense mutation in glutamate metabotropic receptor 6 (GRM6 c.533C>T, p.(Thr178Met)), called CSNB2, was previously identified in one Tennessee Walking Horse and predicted to reduce binding affinity of the neurotransmitter glutamate, impacting the retinal rod ON‐bipolar cell signaling pathway. Thus, the first aim was to identify the allele frequency (AF) of CSNB2 in breeds with reported cases of CSNB and breeds closely related to the Tennessee Walking Horse. The second aim was to perform ocular examinations in multiple breeds to confirm the link between genotype and CSNB phenotype. In evaluating 3518 horses from 14 breeds, the CSNB2 allele was identified in nine previously unreported breeds. The estimated AF was highest in pacing Standardbreds (0.17) and lowest in American Quarter Horses (0.0010). Complete ophthalmic examinations and electroretinograms (ERG) were performed on 19 horses from three breeds, including one CSNB2 homozygote from each breed. All three CSNB2/CSNB2 horses had an electronegative ERG waveform under scotopic light conditions consistent with CSNB. The remaining 16 horses (seven CSNB2/N and nine N/N) had normal scotopic ERG results. All horses had normal photopic ERGs. This study provides additional evidence that GRM6 c.533C>T homozygosity is likely causal to CSNB in Tennessee Walking Horses, Standardbreds, and Missouri Fox Trotting Horses. Genetic testing is recommended for breeds with the CSNB2 allele to limit the production of affected horses. This study represents the largest across‐breed identification of CSNB in the horse and suggests that this disorder is likely underdiagnosed.