bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nigrosome 1 visibility and its association with nigrostriatal dopaminergic loss in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Kim Han‐Kyeol , Kim Taewon , Baek Min Seok , Kim Eung Yeop , Sung Young Hee , Lee Jae Hoon , Ryu Young Hoon , Ahn Sung Jun , Yoo Han Soo , Lyoo Chul Hyoung
Published: March 2023

Background

Nigrosome 1 (NG1), a small cluster of dopaminergic cells in the substantia nigra and visible in the susceptibility map‐weighted magnetic resonance image (SMwI), is severely affected in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the degree of nigrostriatal degeneration according to the visibility of NG1 has not yet been well elucidated.

Methods

We consecutively recruited 138 PD and 78 non‐neurodegenerative disease (non‐ND) patients, who underwent both 18F‐FP‐CIT positron emission tomography (PET) and SMwI. Three neurologists and one radiologist evaluated the visibility of NG1 in SMwI. The participants were thereby grouped into visible, intermediate, and non‐visible groups. Nigrostriatal dopaminergic input was calculated using the specific binding ratio (SBR) of the 18F‐FP‐CIT PET. We determined the threshold of regional SBR for discriminating NG1 visibility and the probability for NG1 visibility according to regional SBR.

Results

Visual rating of NG1 showed excellent interobserver agreements as well as high sensitivity and specificity to differentiate the PD group from the non‐ND group. NG1 was visible in seven patients (5.1%) in the PD group, who had relatively short disease duration or less severe loss of striatal dopamine. The threshold of putaminal SBR reduction on the more affected side for the disappearance of NG1 was 45.5%, and the probability for NG1 visibility dropped to 50% after the reduction of putaminal SBR to 41% from the normal mean.

Conclusions

Almost half loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic input is required to dissipate the hyperintensity of NG1 on SMwI, suggesting its utility in diagnosing PD only after the onset of the motor symptoms.
Exercise induced muscle blood flow is decreased in Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease type 1 polyneuropathy: a power Doppler analysis
Authors: Gera Orna , Shavit‐Stein Efrat , Amichai Taly , Nikitin Vera , David Merav Ben , Greenbaum Lior , Chapman Joab , Dori Amir
Published: March 2023

Background and purpose

Intramuscular blood flow increases during physical activity and may be quantified immediately following exercise using power Doppler sonography. Post‐exercise intramuscular blood flow is reduced in patients with muscular dystrophy, associated with disease severity and degenerative changes. It is not known if intramuscular blood flow is reduced in patients with neuropathy, nor if it correlates with muscle strength and structural changes. The aim was to determine whether blood flow is reduced in patients with polyneuropathy due to Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease type 1 (CMT1) and to compare more affected distal to less affected proximal muscles.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study including 21 healthy volunteers and 17 CMT patients. Power Doppler ultrasound was used to quantify post‐exercise intramuscular blood flow in distal (gastrocnemius) and proximal (elbow flexor) muscles. Intramuscular blood flow was compared to muscle echo intensity, muscle strength, disease severity score, patient age and electromyography.

Results

Polyneuropathy patients showed reduced post‐exercise blood flow in both gastrocnemius and elbow flexors compared to controls. A more prominent reduction was seen in the gastrocnemius (2.51% vs. 10.34%, p < 0.0001) than in elbow flexors (4.48% vs. 7.03%, p < 0.0001). Gastrocnemius intramuscular blood flow correlated with muscle strength, disease severity and age. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that quantification of intramuscular blood flow was superior to echo intensity for detecting impairment in the gastrocnemius (area under the curve 0.962 vs. 0.738, p = 0.0126).

Conclusion

Post‐exercise intramuscular blood flow is reduced in CMT1 polyneuropathy. This reduction is present in both impaired distal and minimally affected proximal muscles, indicating it as an early marker of muscle impairment due to neuropathy.
Influence of plastic deformations on both yield strength and torsional fatigue life of non‐ferrous alloys
Authors: Małecka Joanna , Łagoda Tadeusz , Głowacka Karolina , Vantadori Sabrina
Published: March 2023

The present paper is aimed to experimentally investigate the influence of a plastic deformation on both yield strength and torsional fatigue life of a CuZn40Pb2 leaded brass alloy and a 6082‐T6 aluminum alloy. Two types of preloading are considered, that is, (i) a cyclic torsion (cyclic preloading) and (ii) a monotonically increasing tension (static preloading). More precisely, for each of the above alloys, different both numbers of loading cycles and maximum values of the static preloading are considered. Moreover, an in‐depth fracture surface analysis on the failed specimens is performed, and fracture mechanisms at different scale lengths summarized.
The climate‐driven distribution and response to global change of soil‐borne pathogens in agroecosystems
Authors: Peng Ziheng , Liu Yu , Qi Jiejun , Gao Hang , Li Xiaomeng , Tian Qi , Qian Xun , Wei Gehong , Jiao Shuo
Published: March 2023

Aim

Soil‐borne pathogens severely affect crop production, but the present distribution of agricultural soil‐borne pathogens and their response to global changes are unexplored at large spatial scales. Here, we examine the nationwide‐scale distribution patterns, dominant taxa and environmental drivers of fungal soil‐borne pathogens, and their response to warming, nutrient enrichment and their interaction.

Location

China.

Time period

July and August 2019.

Major taxa studied

Fungal plant pathogens.

Methods

Through nationwide field surveys of 711 top‐ and subsoil samples in 51 cropland locations, we investigated the distribution patterns, environmental drivers and dominant taxa of fungal plant pathogens. We then conducted a mesocosm experiment with soils collected at 40 survey locations to evaluate the response patterns of fungal pathogens to global changes, including warming, nutrient enrichment and their interaction.

Results

We observed that the abundance and richness of potential soil‐borne pathogens were higher in the topsoil than in the subsoil. Mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation as the main drivers had a stronger effect on the abundance, richness and community of pathogens in the topsoil than subsoil. Two phylotypes, belonging to genus Fusarium, were the dominant soil‐borne pathogens accounting for approximately one third of total abundance, and their abundances (e.g. relative and absolute abundance via quantitative polymerase chain reaction) were negatively correlated with precipitation and temperature. The mesocosm experiment simulating global changes further revealed that the abundance and richness distributions of soil pathogens predicted the direction of their response to global changes, with a positive response in pathogen‐poor soil and negative in pathogen‐rich soil. We further constructed spatial atlases of the dominant soil‐borne pathogens and their responses to global changes in agricultural fields.

Main conclusions

Our findings suggest that the current distribution of potential soil‐borne pathogens is regulated by climate, which could affect their future dynamics and is vital to agricultural practices for pathogen control and crop production.
Informing the development of a decision aid: Expectations and wishes from service users and psychiatrists towards a decision aid for antipsychotics in the inpatient setting
Authors: Müller Katharina , Schuster Florian , Krumm Silvia , Leucht Stefan , Siafis Spyridon , Heres Stephan , Brieger Peter , Hamann Johannes
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Decision aids (DAs) are promising tools to foster evidence‐based shared decision‐making between practitioners and service users. Nevertheless, it is still obscure how an evidence‐based DA for people with severe mental illness, especially psychosis, should look in an inpatient treatment setting to be useful and feasible. Therefore, we conducted focus groups with psychiatrists and service users to collect and assess their expectations and wishes regarding an evidence‐based DA. From these findings, we derived immediate recommendations for the future development of DAs.

Methods

We held two group interviews with service users (n = 8) and three group interviews with psychiatrists (n = 10). We used an open, large‐scale topic guide. First, we presented data from a current meta‐analysis on antipsychotics to the interviewees and, in a second step, asked for their expectations and wishes towards a DA that integrates these data.

Results

Our thematic analysis revealed six key themes addressed by the respondents: (1) general considerations on the importance and usefulness of such a DA, (2) critical comments on psychiatry and psychopharmacotherapy, (3) communicative prerequisites for the use of a DA, (4) form and content of the DA, (5) data input, data processing and output as well as (6) application of the DA and possible obstacles.

Conclusions

Participants identified several important features for the development of DAs for selecting antipsychotics in inpatient psychiatric treatment. The digital format was met with the greatest approval. Especially the adaptability to different needs, users and psychopathologies and the possibility to outsource information dissemination via app seemed to be a decisive convincing argument. Further research is required to test specific features of DAs to be developed in clinical settings.
Sampling refugee groups: The example of Syrians in Turkey
Authors: Schiefer David , Düvell Franck , Sağıroğlu Ali Zafer , Mann Lena
Published: March 2023

Quantitative surveys among refugees not only advance our scientific understanding of forced migration, but they also provide political and civil society actors with the information they need to take measures to improve their protection and living conditions. These actors often need to acquire such information within a short period of time. However, the methods to access and survey this group to gain valid findings are subject to scientific debates. Based on a survey among Syrian refugees in Turkey, this article demonstrates a study design that generated valid knowledge about this population within a limited amount of time and resources. As a unique feature of the article, we compare our sample with four other sources of information to scrutinize how well it resembles the target population. As we can show, although point estimations differ to some extent, the internal distributions of sample characteristics are comparable across sources confirming the success of our sampling method.
Omadacycline therapy for Mycobacterium abscessus species infections
Authors: Ingram Paul R. , Jones Eva E. , Allen Bethwyn , Murray Ronan J. , Keehner Terillee J. , Whitmore Timothy J.
Published: March 2023

Background

Antimicrobial resistance and therapy‐related adverse effects make Mycobacterium abscessus treatment challenging. Omadacycline is a novel, bioavailable aminomethylcycline with favourable in vitro activity against M. abscessus.

Aims

To describe a case report and review the published literature describing outcomes for M. abscessus infections treated with omadacycline.

Methods

Systematic literature review.

Results

We identified three articles that, in addition to our case report, describe 18 patients. Pulmonary infections were most frequent. Minimum inhibitory concentrations were reported for two isolates (0.25 and 0.5 mg/L). Despite half the patients starting omadacycline because of failure of prior therapy, 15 (83%) had a favourable outcome, defined as ‘cure’, ‘improvement’ or ‘clinical success’ as determined by the primary study authors. One patient (6%) discontinued omadacycline because of gastrointestinal intolerance.

Conclusions

Although the limited observational data and in vitro susceptibility results are encouraging, randomised control trials are required to determine the role of omadacycline as part of combination therapy for this most difficult‐to‐treat pathogen.
The prevalence and use of emerging technologies in STEAM education: A systematic review of the literature
Authors: Leavy Aisling , Dick Lara , Meletiou‐Mavrotheris Maria , Paparistodemou Efi , Stylianou Elena
Published: March 2023

Background

The advent of new and emerging technologies and industries has highlighted the need to equip youth with a unique skillset necessary to cope with a rapidly changing and complex digital era and adapt to modern societies' demands. This need has led to the development of teaching approaches to equip students with creative and innovative skills to help prevent any future skills gap. This shift has fuelled the growth of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Education worldwide.

Objectives

Our goal was to engage in a systematic review of the literature to identify the application and prevalence of emerging technologies within the landscape of STEAM Education.

Methods

We engaged in a systematic review of the literature. Following the application of exclusion criteria to 461 studies, 43 studies were extracted and analysed.

Findings and Conclusions

Analysis of these studies provides evidence of the fast‐growing use of innovative emerging technologies within the STEAM landscape across all levels of education, from early childhood to college‐level settings. Our analysis reveals an emphasis on developing STEAM‐related disciplinary knowledge and the desire to develop students' 21st‐century skills with a notable lack of targeted emphasis on developing understandings in the arts disciplines. We identify the need for carefully designed intervention studies involving collaboration between multidisciplinary STEAM experts that use high‐quality measures which support the development of inferences relating to learning outcomes arising from such interventions.
SUMOylation mediates the disassembly of the Smad4 nuclear export complex via RanGAP1 in KELOIDS
Authors: Lin Xiaohu , Pang Qianqian , Hu Jie , Sun Jiaqi , Dai Siya , Yu Yijia , Xu Jinghong
Published: March 2023

Sentrin/small ubiquitin‐like modifier (SUMO) has emerged as a powerful mediator regulating biological processes and participating in pathophysiological processes that cause human diseases, such as cancer, myocardial fibrosis and neurological disorders. Sumoylation has been shown to play a positive regulatory role in keloids. However, the sumoylation mechanism in keloids remains understudied. We proposed that sumoylation regulates keloids via a complex. RanGAP1 acted as a synergistic, functional partner of SUMOs in keloids. Nuclear accumulation of Smad4, a TGF‐β/Smad pathway member, was associated with RanGAP1 after SUMO1 inhibition. RanGAP1*SUMO1 mediated the nuclear accumulation of Smad4 due to its impact on nuclear export and reduction in the dissociation of Smad4 and CRM1. We clarified a novel mechanism of positive regulation of sumoylation in keloids and demonstrated the function of sumoylation in Smad4 nuclear export. The NPC‐associated RanGAP1*SUMO1 complex functions as a disassembly machine for the export receptor CRM1 and Smad4. Our research provides new perspectives for the mechanisms of keloids and nucleocytoplasmic transport.
Thyme essential oil inhibits intracellular replication of CyHV‐3 and inactivates extracellular virus. An in vitro study
Authors: Troszok Agnieszka , Roszko Marek
Published: March 2023

Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV‐3) can induce up to 100% mortality among carp populations. To date, there has been no safe method to prevent the consequences of the activity of CyHV‐3. Thyme is widely used in cooking due to its flavour. Both thyme and thyme essential oil (TEO) are used in traditional herbal medicine, mainly to treat respiratory system disorders. In this study, TEO containing predominantly cymene and thymol was applied to explore its antiviral effect. The toxicity of TEO was examined in MTT and crystal violet assays. The anti‐CyHV‐3 activity of TEO in the intracellular and extracellular stages of the viral replication cycle was explored in a plaque assay and TaqMan qPCR. TEO interfered with the intracellular stages of the CyHV‐3 replication cycle with selectivity indexes (SI) of around 5. It also displayed virucidal activity in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. Two‐hour preincubation of CyHV‐3 with TEO generated SI, ranging from 13.37 to 18.47 depending on cell line and method of examination. Preincubation of cells with TEO at a safe concentration did not decrease the intracellular viral DNA copy number, which suggests that TEO does not disturb the attachment of the virus to the cells. Further research regarding the antiviral activity of compounds of TEO is required in order to indicate the most potent molecules that could be considered candidates for application in aquaculture.
Frequency and implications of coexistent manifestations of serious illness in older adults with dementia
Authors: Nothelle Stephanie , Bollens‐Lund Evan , Covinsky Kenneth E. , Kelley Amy
Published: March 2023

Background

In older adults, serious illness comprises three manifestations: dementia, activity of daily living (ADL) impairment, and other advanced medical conditions (AMC; e.g., end‐stage renal disease). Little is known about how dementia and other manifestations of serious illness co‐occur. We aim to describe the prevalence of persons with dementia (PWD) who are living with additional manifestations of serious illness, and the implications on healthcare utilization, Medicare costs, caregiving hours and out‐of‐pocket expenses.

Methods

In this cross‐sectional study, we use data from the 2016 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) linked to Medicare fee‐for‐service claims. We limited inclusion to adults >65 years. Dementia was determined using validated methodology that incorporates functional and cognitive test scores from HRS. We classified PWD as having dementia alone, dementia and an AMC (irrespective of ADL impairment) or dementia and ADL impairment (without an AMC). Healthcare utilization and Medicare costs were measured in claims, caregiving hours and out‐of‐pocket expenses were self‐reported.

Results

Most PWD (67%) met criteria for another manifestation of serious illness (24% advanced medical condition, 44% ADL impairment). PWD and an AMC had the highest proportion of hospital use and the highest median total Medicare costs ($17,900 vs. $8962 dementia + ADL impairment vs. $4376 dementia alone). Mean total hours of caregiving per month were similar for PWD and an AMC and PWD and ADL impairment (142.9 and 141.9 h, respectively), while mean hours were much lower for PWD alone (47.7 h). Median out‐of‐pocket costs were highest for PWD and ADL impairment ($13,261) followed by PWD and an AMC ($10,837) and PWD alone ($7017).

Conclusions

PWD commonly face another manifestation of serious illness. Dementia and ADL impairment was associated with the highest costs for PWD and families while dementia and an AMC was associated with the highest costs for Medicare.
Anesthetic effects of isoflurane and fentanyl infusion in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus sp) undergoing salpingectomy or deferentectomy, previously chemically restrained with ketamine–midazolam or ketamine–dexmedetomidine
Authors: Gomes Viviane Horta , Freitas Mayara Muniz , Morais Thuane do Nascimento , de Menezes Thiago Queiroz , Stocco Anieli Vidal , da Silva Marcela de Oliveira Loureiro , Balthazar Daniel de Almeida
Published: March 2023

Background

This study evaluated the anesthetic and cardiorespiratory effects of two anesthetic protocols for salpingectomy or deferentectomy in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus sp).

Materials and Methods

Five capuchin monkeys (5 per group) received ketamine (20 mg/kg) combined with midazolam (0.5 mg/kg; group KM) or dexmedetomidine (5 μg/kg; group KD) intramuscularly. Anesthesia is induced with propofol intravenously and maintained with isoflurane. Before the start of surgery, fentanyl 3 μg/kg was administered IV, and continuous infusion (10 μg/kg/min) IV was started. Times and quality of anesthetic recovery were evaluated postoperatively.

Results

KM and KD resulted in adequate chemical restraint. KD resulted in bradycardia. Intraoperative heart rate and systolic blood pressure were higher in KM than in KD. Both groups had smooth recovery. Time to standing was longer in KM than in KD.

Conclusion

Both protocols allowed the performance of surgeries, with few cardiorespiratory effects. Anesthetic recovery was smooth and shorter in KD group.
Pervasive cortical and white matter anomalies in a mouse model for CHARGE syndrome
Authors: Donovan Alex P. A. , Rosko Lauren , Ellegood Jacob , Redhead Yushi , Green Jeremy B. A. , Lerch Jason P. , Huang Jeffrey K. , Basson M. Albert
Published: March 2023

CHARGE (Coloboma of the eye, Heart defects, Atresia of the choanae, Retardation of growth, Genital anomalies and Ear abnormalities) syndrome is a disorder caused by mutations in the gene encoding CHD7, an ATP dependent chromatin remodelling factor, and is characterised by a diverse array of congenital anomalies. These include a range of neuroanatomical comorbidities which likely underlie the varied neurodevelopmental disorders associated with CHARGE syndrome, which include intellectual disability, motor coordination deficits, executive dysfunction, and autism spectrum disorder. Cranial imaging studies are challenging in CHARGE syndrome patients, but high‐throughput magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques in mouse models allow for the unbiased identification of neuroanatomical defects. Here, we present a comprehensive neuroanatomical survey of a Chd7 haploinsufficient mouse model of CHARGE syndrome. Our study uncovered widespread brain hypoplasia and reductions in white matter volume across the brain. The severity of hypoplasia appeared more pronounced in posterior areas of the neocortex compared to anterior regions. We also perform the first assessment of white matter tract integrity in this model through diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to assess the potential functional consequences of widespread reductions in myelin, which suggested the presence of white matter integrity defects. To determine if white matter alterations correspond to cellular changes, we quantified oligodendrocyte lineage cells in the postnatal corpus callosum, uncovering reduced numbers of mature oligodendrocytes. Together, these results present a range of promising avenues of focus for future cranial imaging studies in CHARGE syndrome patients.
Obstacles for patients with a low socio‐economic status treated within the head and neck cancer pathway: A multiple case study
Authors: Mondahl Julie , Hellesø Ragnhild , Thomsen Thora Grothe , Homøe Preben , Rosted Elizabeth Emilie , Frederiksen Kirsten
Published: March 2023

Aims and Objectives

Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork exploring various head and neck cancer treatment pathways of patients with low socio‐economic status being treated with radiation therapy in Denmark, our aim was to explore how and why inequality in this treatment pathway might occur in the encounter between these patients and Danish healthcare.

Background

In recent years, inequality in cancer treatment of patients with a low socio‐economic status has been a growing concern worldwide. The majority of patients with head and neck cancer have a relatively low socio‐economic status and are at risk of experiencing inequality in their cancer treatment.

Design/Methods

Using a method proposed by Robert Yin, we performed a multiple case study of five treatment pathways of patients with a low socio‐economic status. The case studies consisted of participant observations and interviews with patients, relatives and health professionals. We applied Herbert Blumer's theory of symbolic interaction as a framework for our analysis.

Results

We identified three concepts that all blocked joint action because patients and health professionals had different perceptions of what interaction required of them in terms of (1) Understanding information; (2) Assuming responsibility for managing practical tasks; and (3) Coordinating one's own treatment pathway.

Conclusions

We identified how different situations challenged the patients' abilities to assume participation in their own treatment pathway. In their encounter with patients, healthcare professionals did not know which situational impediments to joint action patients were facing.

Relevance to clinical practice

We argue that being aware of how challenges unfold in the interaction with patients with low socio‐economic status may serve as a starting point for changing practice to reduce inequality in the treatment of these patients.

Reporting method

This study is reported using consolidated criteria for reporting Qualitative research (SRQR). We used the theory and method of Robert Yin of performing a multi‐case study and we applied Herbert Blumer's theory of Symbolic interactionism as a framework for understanding data.

Patient or public contribution

No patient or public contribution.
A meta‐analysis of the role of diffusion tensor imaging in cervical spinal cord compression
Authors: Ouyang Ziqiang , Zhang Na , Li Meihua , Hong Tao , Ouyang Taohui , Meng Wei
Published: March 2023

Background and Purpose

At present, the role of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) remains controversial. This study aimed to confirm the role of DTI by comparing the differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) values between patients with cervical spinal cord compression (CSCC) and healthy individuals.

Methods

A systematic and comprehensive literature search was conducted using the Web of Science, Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases to compare the mean FA values of patients with CSCC and healthy controls across all compression levels in the cervical spinal cord. Essential data from the literature, such as demographic information, imaging parameters, and DTI analysis method, were extracted. Fixed‐ or random‐effect models based on I2 heterogeneity were applied to the pooled and subgroup analyses.

Results

Ten studies containing 445 patients and 197 healthy volunteers were eligible. The pooled results demonstrated a decrease in mean FA values across all compression levels in the experiment group compared to those in healthy controls (standardized mean difference = –1.54; 95% confidence interval = [–1.95, –1.14]; p < .001). Meta‐regression revealed that the scanner field strength and DTI analysis method had a significant effect on heterogeneity.

Conclusions

Our results show that FA values in the spinal cord decline in patients with CSCC, thus confirming the crucial role of DTI in CSCC.
NGOs, international courts, and state backlash against human rights accountability: Evidence from NGO mobilization against Tanzania at the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights
Authors: De Silva Nicole , Plagis Misha Ariana
Published: March 2023

When nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) encounter state resistance to human rights accountability, how do NGOs use international courts for their human rights advocacy strategies? Considering the overlapping phenomena of shrinking civic space within authoritarian, hybrid, and democratically backsliding regimes, and state backlash against international courts, NGOs navigate two potential levels of state backlash against human rights accountability. Building on the interdisciplinary scholarship on legal mobilization, we develop an integrated framework for explaining how states' two-level (domestic and international) backlash tactics can both promote and deter NGOs' strategic litigation at international human rights courts (IHRCs). States' backlash tactics can influence NGOs' opportunities, capacities, and goals for their human rights advocacy, and thus affect whether and how they pursue strategic litigation at IHRCs. We elucidate the value of this framework through case studies of NGOs' litigation against Tanzania at the African Court on Human and Peoples' Rights, an understudied IHRC. Drawing on an original data set, interviews, and documentation, we process-trace how Tanzania's various backlash tactics influenced whether and how NGOs litigated at the Court. Our framework and analysis show how state backlash against human rights accountability affects NGOs' mobilization at IHRCs and, relatedly, IHRCs' opportunities for influence.
In search of some “good specimens”: The acquisition of the Stanley Collection at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum
Authors: Mushynsky Julie
Published: March 2023

This article focuses on the provenance of the Stanley Collection—a group of 69 items from reserves in the Touchwood Hills area of Saskatchewan. The items were collected by reserve farm instructor Edward Stanley and his wife Elizabeth at the turn of the century and then sold to the Saskatchewan Museum of Natural History in 1914. By analyzing historical documents, artifacts, and oral histories, this study shows that the Stanley Collection was acquired under a colonialist collecting model that was largely influenced by power relations and then became part of provincial identity building in the early 1900s. Such insight contributes to a growing body of literature on collecting in the Canadian Prairies and also seeks to address reconciliation efforts in Canada. As the first study of the Royal Saskatchewan Museum's founding ethnographic collection, this paper provides an intriguing look at early collecting practices and the formation of the first museum in the Prairie provinces.
Impact of myopia control spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets on peripheral visual acuity and central visual acuity with peripheral gaze
Authors: Gao Yi , Lim Ee Woon , Drobe Björn
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Myopia control spectacle lenses with peripheral lenslets are gaining popularity because they are non‐invasive and easy to manage, and ongoing clinical trials have shown promising results. This study aimed to evaluate peripheral and central visual acuity (VA) with peripheral gaze in conditions where the eyes are turned to look obliquely through the lenslets.

Methods

High‐contrast (100%) VA was measured at 300 cm and 10 lx. For each test, two lens designs were evaluated in counterbalanced order: a spectacle lens with highly aspherical lenslets (HALs) and a standard single‐vision lens (SVL). The target screen was placed at a visual angle of 21.6° to the nasal side of the right eye. Sixteen adults (27–52 years of age; spherical equivalent refraction (SER), −8.75 D to +0.50 D) wearing their habitual visual correction performed all tests monocularly.

Results

Mean (SD) central VAs with peripheral gaze through the SVL and the HAL lens were 0.08 (0.13) and 0.17 (0.12) logMAR, respectively. The HAL lens reduced central VA with peripheral gaze by 0.10 (0.08) logMAR (p = 0.03). No significant correlation was observed between the impact of the HAL lens and other factors, such as age or SER. Peripheral VA was not significantly different through the two lenses (1.09 (0.06) logMAR and 1.09 (0.09) logMAR for the SVL and the HAL lens, respectively; p = 0.86).

Conclusions

Under high‐contrast and low‐luminance conditions, the HAL lens reduced central VA with peripheral gaze by approximately one line compared with the SVL. The impact on central VA did not vary with gaze direction, age or SER. The HAL lens did not affect peripheral VA in this condition.
Depletion of the NbCORE receptor drastically improves agroinfiltration productivity in older Nicotiana benthamiana plants
Authors: Dodds Isobel , Chen Changlong , Buscaill Pierre , van der Hoorn Renier A. L.
Published: March 2023

Nicotiana benthamiana is increasingly used for transient gene expression to produce antibodies, vaccines, and other pharmaceutical proteins but transient gene expression is low in fully developed, 6–8‐week old plants. This low gene expression is thought to be caused by the perception of the cold shock protein (CSP) of Agrobacterium tumefaciens. The CSP receptor is contested because both NbCSPR and NbCORE have been claimed to perceive CSP. Here, we demonstrate that CSP perception is abolished in 6‐week‐old plants silenced for NbCORE but not NbCSPR. Importantly, older NbCORE‐silenced plants support a highly increased level of GFP fluorescence and protein upon agroinfiltration. The drastic increase in transient protein production in NbCORE‐depleted plants offers new opportunities for molecular farming, where older plants with larger biomass can now be used for efficient protein expression.
Kin selection, kin recognition and kin discrimination in plants revisited: A claim for considering environmental and genetic variability
Authors: Mazal Lucas , Fajardo Alex , Till‐Bottraud Irène , Corenblit Dov , Fumanal Boris
Published: March 2023

Summary Statement

We propose to add some aspects that are of great complementary importance to broaden the kin recognition, discrimination and selection framework in plants and that need to be considered in future studies.
Personal fabrication as an operational strategy: Value of delegating production to customer using 3D printing
Authors: Sethuraman Nagarajan , Parlaktürk Ali K. , Swaminathan Jayashankar M.
Published: March 2023

There is a growing interest in the industry around 3D printing. A related phenomenon is personal fabrication (PF) in which a firm sells products' design and lets the customers personalize and manufacture the product using 3D printing services. In this paper, we characterize the market and operational conditions that make PF an attractive operational strategy. We propose a demand market model that captures customer heterogeneity in taste (horizontal) and quality (vertical) dimensions while allowing the market to be skewed with high versus low valuation customers. We quantify three key benefits of PF strategy: (i) the PF strategy enables personalization and improves product fit, (ii) the PF strategy can help the firm through postponement of product configuration, and (iii) the PF strategy enables easier design adjustments and allows design for manufacturability initiatives. Intellectual property and liability risks are significant barriers to the adoption of PF strategy. Furthermore, 3D printing may not be feasible for some parts of the product. In these cases, the firm may pursue the partial PF strategy: delegating only a proportion of the product for customer production. We also identify when partial PF becomes an attractive strategy.
Effects of international trade on income revisited
Authors: Ma Jiantao
Published: March 2023

This paper revisits the causal impact of international trade on income using a time‐variant instrument in a panel of counties between 1950 and 1995. In particular, in constructing the time‐varying instrument, it estimates the gravity model using the Poisson pseudo maximum likelihood (PPML) estimator. Trade has a significantly positive impact on income over the 1950–1970 period ‐the income elasticity of trade is between 0.35 and 0.50. However, air distance has not had any increasing effects on international trade since the 1970s. Therefore, the imputed trade from 1970 to 1995, used as an instrument, has little variance and should not have driven the change in income.
“Keep them out to save our inside:” discourses on immigration by the Spanish far right
Authors: Gemignani Marco , Jiménez Carrasco Belén
Published: March 2023

Vox is a far‐right, Spanish political party that has steadily grown to become the third main party in the national congress. Immigration is a major presence in Vox's political agenda. Through Critical Discourse Analysis, we analyze the party's public speeches and Twitter communications on immigration in the last 3 years, from the beginning of the COVID‐19 pandemic in 2020 to the Ukraine‐Russia war in 2022. These contexts have provided a fertile ground for Vox's concerns with the protection of national borders, the criminalization of African and irregular immigrants, and the Spanish Government's ineffectiveness to protect the Spaniards' homes. Vox's main discursive strategies entail constructions of migrants and migration based on dichotomous binaries, culture clash, exclusionary discourses of domopolitics, and fears of imminent social and cultural changes. These constructions are based on the unproblematized belief on essential and unchangeable values that forge the identity of the homeland, which is implicitly threatened by immigrants. Against the migratory invasion, Vox constitutes itself as the ethical protector of the Spanish society and nation, “out of care for the insiders and not out of hatred for outsiders.”
ATP supplementation suppresses UVB‐induced photoaging in HaCaT cells via upregulation of expression of SIRT3 and SOD2
Authors: Gan Chunxia , Liu Titi , Jia Xiaorong , Huang Xueqin , Qin Xiangdong , Wang Xuanjun , Sheng Jun , Xu Huanhuan
Published: March 2023

Background

Skin photoaging is the damage caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. We investigated the effect of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) supplementation on UVB‐induced photoaging in HaCaT cells and its potential molecular mechanism.

Materials and methods

The toxicity of ATP on HaCaT cells was examined by the MTT assay. The effects of ATP supplementation on the viability and apoptosis of HaCaT cells were determined by crystal‐violet staining and flow cytometry, respectively. Cellular and mitochondrial ROS were stained using fluorescent dyes. Expression of Bax, B‐cell lymphoma (Bcl)‐2, sirtuin (SIRT)3, and superoxide dismutase (SOD)2 was measured via western blotting.

Results

ATP (1, 2 mM) exerted no toxic effect on the normal growth of HaCaT cells. UVB irradiation caused the apoptosis of HaCaT cells, and ATP supplementation inhibited the apoptosis induced by UVB significantly, as verified by expression of Bax and Bcl‐2. UVB exposure resulted in accumulation of cellular and mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS), but ATP supplementation suppressed these increases. Expression of SIRT3 and SOD2 was decreased upon exposure to UVB irradiation but, under ATP supplementation, expression of SIRT3 and SOD2 was reversed, which was consistent with the reduction in ROS level observed in ATP‐treated HaCaT cells after exposure to UVB irradiation.

Conclusions

ATP supplementation can suppress UVB irradiation‐induced photoaging in HaCaT cells via upregulation of expression of SIRT3 and SOD2.
An objective test to measure evidence‐based practice knowledge and skill competency of acute care nurses: A psychometric validation study
Authors: Halm Margo A.
Published: March 2023

Background

Few objective measures of evidence‐based practice (EBP) knowledge/skill exist. The Fresno Test, one objective method, was validated first with medicine, followed by versions for physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, social workers, dietitians, pediatric nurses, and health care students. The Fresno Test was adapted and tested with cohorts of acute care nurses. Six of the 14 items required revision to achieve acceptable psychometrics.

Aim

The aim of this second validation study was to revise and validate a new version of the test, The Modified Fresno Test‐Acute Care Nursing (MFT‐ACN), to determine if it could distinguish EBP knowledge/skills among acute care nurses.

Methods

A panel of eight EBP experts were engaged in multiple Delphi rounds to revise items. Individual‐content validity indices (CVI) ranged from 0.83 to 1.0, with scale‐CVI 0.92. Using a cohort design, a cross‐sectional sample of 90 novice, master, and expert nurses were recruited via national listservs or snowball sampling to complete the revised test. Two doctorally prepared EBP experts independently scored tests using the standardized rubric.

Results

The MFT‐ACN yielded strong psychometric properties (intra‐class correlation coefficients > 0.80; item discrimination indices > 0.20; item‐total correlations > 0.30). One poorly performing item was dropped per a priori cut‐off values. The final test included 13 items, with a Cronbach's alpha = 0.77. Item difficulty was moderate to high. Most items discriminated well between cohorts. Mean total scores were positively correlated with age, years since graduation, years of acute care experience, and formal EBP or research workshops or conferences or courses or immersions. Perceived level of EBP expertise was not associated with mean scores. Further research is recommended with a larger sample to assess the tests' responsiveness to change in EBP knowledge/skills over time and enhance its acceptability and feasibility. Additional research should further evaluate construct and concurrent validity against other objective assessments of EBP knowledge/skills.

Linking Evidence to Action

The validated 13‐item MFT‐ACN can be used to evaluate EBP competencies of acute care nurses in academic and practice settings. It can also be used by nurse scientists to build a stronger evidence base on types of educational programs that excel in advancing the critical competency of EBP among our nursing workforce.
Facilitation of sensory transmission to motoneurons during cortical or sensory‐evoked primary afferent depolarization (PAD) in humans
Authors: Metz Krista , Matos Isabel Concha , Li Yaqing , Afsharipour Babak , Thompson Christopher K. , Negro Francesco , Quinlan Katharina A. , Bennett David J. , Gorassini Monica A.
Published: March 2023

Sensory and corticospinal tract (CST) pathways activate spinal GABAergic interneurons that have axoaxonic connections onto proprioceptive (Ia) afferents that cause long‐lasting depolarizations (termed primary afferent depolarization, PAD). In rodents, sensory‐evoked PAD is produced by GABAA receptors at nodes of Ranvier in Ia afferents, rather than at presynaptic terminals, and facilitates spike propagation to motoneurons by preventing branch‐point failures, rather than causing presynaptic inhibition. We examined in 40 human participants whether putative activation of Ia‐PAD by sensory or CST pathways can also facilitate Ia afferent activation of motoneurons via the H‐reflex. H‐reflexes in several leg muscles were facilitated by prior conditioning from low‐threshold proprioceptive, cutaneous or CST pathways, with a similar long‐lasting time course (∼200 ms) to phasic PAD measured in rodent Ia afferents. Long trains of cutaneous or proprioceptive afferent conditioning produced longer‐lasting facilitation of the H‐reflex for up to 2 min, consistent with tonic PAD in rodent Ia afferents mediated by nodal α5‐GABAA receptors for similar stimulation trains. Facilitation of H‐reflexes by this conditioning was likely not mediated by direct facilitation of the motoneurons because isolated stimulation of sensory or CST pathways did not alone facilitate the tonic firing rate of motor units. Furthermore, cutaneous conditioning increased the firing probability of single motor units (motoneurons) during the H‐reflex without increasing their firing rate at this time, indicating that the underlying excitatory postsynaptic potential was more probable, but not larger. These results are consistent with sensory and CST pathways activating nodal GABAA receptors that reduce intermittent failure of action potentials propagating into Ia afferent branches.

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Key points

Controlled execution of posture and movement requires continually adjusted feedback from peripheral sensory pathways, especially those that carry proprioceptive information about body position, movement and effort.

It was previously thought that the flow of proprioceptive feedback from Ia afferents was only reduced by GABAergic neurons in the spinal cord that sent axoaxonic projections to the terminal endings of sensory axons (termed GABAaxo neurons).

Based on new findings in rodents, we provide complementary evidence in humans to suggest that sensory and corticospinal pathways known to activate GABAaxo neurons that project to dorsal parts of the Ia afferent also increase the flow of proprioceptive feedback to motoneurons in the spinal cord.

These findings support a new role for spinal GABAaxo neurons in facilitating afferent feedback to the spinal cord during voluntary or reflexive movements.
The Mechanics Difference Between the Outer Torus and Inner Torus
Authors: Sun Bo-Hua , Song Guang-Kai
Published: March 2023

The formulation used by the most of studies on elastic torus are either Reissner’s mixed formulation or Novozhilov’s complex-form one; however, for vibration and some displacement boundary-related problem of torus, those formulations face a great challenge. It is highly demanded to have a displacement-type formulation for torus. In this article, we will carry on the first author’s previous work (Sun, 2010, “Closed-Form Solution of Axisymmetric Slender Elastic Toroidal Shells,” J. Eng. Mech., 136, pp. 1281–1288.), and with the help of our own maple codes, we are able to simulate some typical problems of torus. The numerical results are verified by both finite element analysis and H. Reissner’s formulation. Our investigations show that both deformation and stress response of an elastic torus are sensitive to the radius ratio. The analysis of a torus must be done by using the bending theory of a shell instead of membrane theory of shells, and also reveal that the inner torus is stronger than outer torus due to their Gaussian curvature. One of the most interesting discovery is that the crowns of a torus, the turning point of the Gaussian curvature at ϕ = 0, π, are the line where the mechanics response of inner and outer torus is almost separated.
Description of reaction and vibrational energetics of CO2–NH3 interaction using quantum computing algorithms
Authors: Nguyen Manh Tien , Lee Yueh-Lin , Alfonso Dominic , Shao Qing , Duan Yuhua
Published: March 2023

CO2 capture is critical to solving global warming. Amine-based solvents are extensively used to chemically absorb CO2. Thus, it is crucial to study the chemical absorption of CO2 by amine-based solvents to better understand and optimize CO2 capture processes. Here, we use quantum computing algorithms to quantify molecular vibrational energies and reaction pathways between CO2 and a simplified amine-based solvent model—NH3. Molecular vibrational properties are important to understanding kinetics of reactions. However, the molecule size correlates with the strength of anharmonicity effect on vibrational properties, which can be challenging to address using classical computing. Quantum computing can help enhance molecular vibrational calculations by including anharmonicity. We implement a variational quantum eigensolver (VQE) algorithm in a quantum simulator to calculate ground state vibrational energies of reactants and products of the CO2 and NH3 reaction. The VQE calculations yield ground vibrational energies of CO2 and NH3 with similar accuracy to classical computing. In the presence of hardware noise, Compact Heuristic for Chemistry (CHC) ansatz with shallower circuit depth performs better than Unitary Vibrational Coupled Cluster. The “Zero Noise Extrapolation” error-mitigation approach in combination with CHC ansatz improves the vibrational calculation accuracy. Excited vibrational states are accessed with quantum equation of motion method for CO2 and NH3. Using quantum Hartree–Fock (HF) embedding algorithm to calculate electronic energies, the corresponding reaction profile compares favorably with Coupled Cluster Singles and Doubles while being more accurate than HF. Our research showcases quantum computing applications in the study of CO2 capture reactions.