bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute hepatic porphyria and maternal health: Clinical and biochemical follow‐up of 44 pregnancies
Authors: Vassiliou Daphne , Sardh Eliane
Published: August 2021

Background

Pregnancy in women with acute hepatic porphyria (AHP) has historically been associated with significant morbidity. Clinical outcomes have been the focus of previous reports on porphyria and maternal health, with little data available on the levels of heme precursors during pregnancy. We present the results of a follow‐up program for women with AHP in the Swedish cohort who were pregnant between 2001 and 2020.

Methods

Thirty‐three women with AHP were monitored during 44 pregnancies resulting in 44 single births. Seven of 33 women had a clinical history of acute attacks that required hospitalization.

Results

Four women experienced acute porphyria attacks during pregnancy and one during the puerperium. Seven women developed hypertension and four pregnancies ended with pre‐eclampsia. There were no maternal or fetal pre‐ or postnatal deaths. One infant had a congenital cardiac anomaly. In 32 of the 38 pregnancies in which we measured heme precursors in the urine during pregnancy, the levels increased.

Conclusion

Our observations align with contemporary reports that pregnancy in patients with AHP is frequently uncomplicated. Excretion of heme precursors increased during pregnancy, but this did not manifest as a higher frequency of clinical porphyria manifestations. The involvement of porphyria specialists in the patients’ maternal care is recommended for reducing risk and improving the probability of good pregnancy outcomes.
Gastrointestinal stromal tumour lacking mutations in the KIT and PDGFRA genes in a cat
Authors: Fujii Y. , Iwasaki R. , Ikeda S. , Chimura S. , Goto M. , Yoshizaki K. , Sakai H. , Ito N. , Mori T.
Published: August 2021

Molecular subtyping in gastrointestinal stromal tumours is a useful method for predicting the efficacy of treatment using tyrosine kinase inhibitors in humans. However, owing to the paucity of reports on mutational analyses, the association between genetic mutations and the therapeutic response to tyrosine kinase inhibitors remains unclear in feline gastrointestinal stromal tumours. In this report, we describe the case of a cat with a gastrointestinal stromal tumour which was unresponsive to tyrosine kinase inhibitors. A mutational analysis revealed that the cat lacked mutations in both the KIT and platelet‐derived growth factor receptor‐alpha (PDGFRA) genes. Our findings are consistent with the fact that KIT/PDGFRA wild‐type gastrointestinal stromal tumours are less responsive to tyrosine kinase inhibitors in humans. This signifies the need for further evaluation and possibly individualised treatment for gastrointestinal stromal tumours in cats on the basis of mutational analyses.
Nightmare content during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Influence of COVID‐related stress and sleep disruption in the United States
Authors: Kennedy Kathryn E. R. , Bastien Célyne H. , Ruby Perrine M. , Killgore William D. S. , Wills Chloe C. A. , Grandner Michael A.
Published: August 2021

Nightmares are often associated with psychiatric disorders and acute stress. This study explores how the COVID‐19 pandemic may have influenced the content of nightmares. A sample ofN = 419 US adults completed online surveys about sleep and COVID‐19 experiences. Participants were asked about the degree to which they agreed with statements linking greater general stress, worse overall sleep and more middle‐of‐the‐night insomnia with the COVID‐19 pandemic. They were also asked if, during the pandemic, they experienced nightmares related to various themes. Logistic regression analyses examined each nightmare content as outcome and increased stress, worse sleep and more middle‐of‐the‐night insomnia as predictors, adjusted for age, sex and race/ethnicity. Those who reported greater general COVID‐related stress were more likely to have nightmares about confinement, failure, helplessness, anxiety, war, separation, totalitarianism, sickness, death, COVID and an apocalypse. Those who reported worsened sleep were more likely to have nightmares about confinement, oppression, failure, helplessness, disaster, anxiety, evil forces, war, domestic abuse, separation, totalitarianism, sickness, death, COVID and an apocalypse. Those who reported worsened middle‐of‐the‐night insomnia were more likely to have nightmares about confinement, oppression, failure, helplessness, disaster, anxiety, war, domestic abuse, separation, totalitarianism, sickness, death, COVID and an apocalypse. These results suggest that increased pandemic‐related stress may induce negatively‐toned dreams of specific themes. Future investigation might determine whether (and when) this symptom indicates an emotion regulation mechanism at play, or the failure of such a mechanism.
Determinants of female labour force participation: Evidence from Greece
Authors: Petrakis Ioannis
Published: August 2021

The present study investigates long‐term trends in female participation in the Greek labour market. The analysis presented decomposes the growth in the female participation rate between 1992 and 2020. The dataset used is the Greek Labour Force Survey (GLFS). The model type used is a binary age‐period‐cohort Probit model and a multinomial choice Probit model. A number of assumptions are made to identify the three effects separately. Model I use lagged unemployment as a proxy variable for the period effects and cohort fixed effects – where cohort is a proxy variable for year of birth – together with separate specifications for an interaction term of cohort and region and a linear trend. Model II uses a multinomial Probit model in order to examine whether the decision of a female to enter or not the labour market interacts with the type of work she is choosing, with a number of assumptions again used to identify the three effects separately. The results suggest that the increasing female participation rate is mostly due to cohort effects, when there are also observable age and period effects. Regarding the choice model, results suggest that the period effect has a higher significance on job choice compared with the cohort effect. Age effects are observable and significant in both models.
Steamship to Argentina and Runaways: The principle of movement in the poetics of the new literary world
Authors: Danilina Galina , Khromova Ekaterina
Published: August 2021

Today’s world is changing rapidly, and writers are sensitive to these dynamics in their work. This article examines the principle of movement in the poetics of two modern novels: Steamship to Argentina (2014) by the Russian‐German writer Alexei Makushinsky and Runaways (2007) by Polish novelist and Nobel Prize winner Olga Tokarczuk. As the literary analysis demonstrates, the principle of movement is a constitutive element of the artistic whole of these novels. It defines the image of the character, plot, spatial and temporal coordinates, and figurative dimension. The very titles—Steamship to Argentina and Runaways—are metaphorical and esthetically significant. To reflect this significance, the authors of this article offer an alternative translation of the title of Olga Tokarczuk's novel. When published in English, it was titled Flights. However, Runaways is semantically closer to the original Polish Bieguni and, as the article demonstrates, correlates more strongly with the semantic level of the text. Drawing on M. M. Bakhtin's ideas on the historical poetics of the novel, this study concludes that the poetics of Steamship to Argentina and Runaways is a form of representation of the new picture of the world, dynamic and transitional. This new literary world is recreated through the mobile chronotope and translingualism.
Bile acid dysmetabolism in the gut‐microbiota‐liver axis under hepatitis C virus infection
Authors: Inoue Takako , Funatsu Yui , Ohnishi Masaya , Isogawa Masanori , Kawashima Keigo , Tanaka Masaru , Moriya Kei , Kawaratani Hideto , Momoda Rie , Iio Etsuko , Nakagawa Hidewaki , Suzuki Yutaka , Matsuura Kentaro , Fujiwara Kei , Nakajima Atsushi , Yoshiji Hitoshi , Nakayama Jiro , Tanaka Yasuhito
Published: August 2021

Background & Aims

We recently analysed and reported the features of the micro biome under hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, but the effect of HCV infection on bile acid (BA) metabolism in the gut‐liver axis remains poorly understood. The aim of this study was to clarify the characteristics of the gut‐liver axis in HCV‐infected patients.

Methods

The faecal BAs composition and gut microbiota from 100 chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients were compared with those from 23 healthy individuals. For transcriptional analysis of the liver, 22 mild CHC (fibrosis stages [F] 0‐2) and 42 advanced CHC (F3‐4) cases were compared with 12 healthy individuals. The findings were confirmed using chimeric mice with human hepatocytes infected with HCV HCR6.

Results

Chronic hepatitis C patients, even at earlier disease stages, showed BA profiles distinct from healthy individuals, in which faecal deoxycholic acid (DCA) was significantly reduced and lithocholic acid or ursodeoxycholic acid became dominant. The decrease in faecal DCA was correlated with reduction in commensal Clostridiales and increase in oral Lactobacillales. Impaired biosynthesis of cholic acid (CA) was observed as a reduction in the transcription level of cytochrome P450 8B1 (CYP8B1), a key enzyme in CA biosynthesis. The reductions in faecal DCA and liver CYP8B1 were also observed in HCV‐infected chimeric mice.

Conclusions

Chronic hepatitis C alters the intestinal BA profile, in association with the imbalance of BA biosynthesis, which differs from the pattern in NAFLD. These imbalances appear to drive disease progression through the gut‐microbiome‐liver axis.
Fixed‐fee vs. royalty licensing under asymmetric demand information
Authors: Li Yue , Yanagawa Takashi
Published: August 2021

When there is asymmetry in the market size information held by an R&D firm outside a market that possesses new technology for lowering production costs, along with a monopoly firm that engages in production activities inside the market, the producing firm has an incentive to make its market size look smaller to reduce licensing fees. Fixed‐fee licensing is desirable for R&D firms in the absence of information asymmetry, but royalty licensing and a mixture of fees and royalties can work as a means to resolve information asymmetry. Using a dynamic model of signaling, this study shows that fixed‐fee licensing is adopted when the level of a new technology is large or small, while royalty licensing is adopted when the level is moderate.
In vitro activities of 8 antifungal drugs against 126 clinical and environmental Exophiala isolates
Authors: Najafzadeh Mohammad Javad , Dolatabadi Somayeh , Vicente Vania Aparecida , de Hoog Gerrit Sybren , Meis Jacques F.
Published: August 2021

Background

Exophiala is the main genus of black fungi comprising numerous opportunistic species. Data on antifungal susceptibility of Exophiala isolates are limited, while infections are potentially fatal.

Materials and methods

In vitro activities of eight antifungal drugs (AMB, five azoles, two echinocandins) against 126 clinical (n = 76) and environmental (n = 47) isolates from around the world were investigated. E. oligosperma (n = 58), E. spinifera (n = 33), E. jeanselmei (n = 14) and E. xenobiotica (n = 21) were included in our dataset.

Results

The resulting MIC90s of all strains were as follows, in increasing order: posaconazole 0.063 μg/ml, itraconazole 0.125 μg/ml, voriconazole and amphotericin B 1 μg/ml, isavuconazole 2 μg/ml, micafungin and caspofungin 4 μg/ml, and fluconazole 64 μg/ml.

Posaconazole, itraconazole and micafungin were the drugs with the best overall activity against Exophiala species. Fluconazole could not be considered as a treatment choice. No significant difference could be found among antifungal drug activities between these four species, neither in clinical nor in environmental isolates.

Conclusion

Antifungal susceptibility data for Exophiala spp. are crucial to improve the management of this occasionally fatal infection and the outcome of its treatment.
How will global change affect plant reproduction? A framework for mast seeding trends
Authors: Bogdziewicz Michał
Published: August 2021

Forest ecology traditionally focuses on plant growth and survival, leaving seed production as a major demographic process lacking a framework for how it will be affected by global change. Understanding plant reproductive responses to changing climate is complicated by masting, the annually variable seed production synchronized within populations. Predicting trends in masting is crucial, because masting impacts seed predation and pollination enough to override simple trends in mean seed production. Proximate mechanisms of seed production patterns in perennial plants are gathered to identify processes through which masting may be affected by a changing environment. Predicting trends in masting will require understanding the mechanisms that cause predictable seed failure after high‐seed years, and the stochastic mechanisms that synchronize individuals in high‐seed years.
Informational constraints on predator–prey interactions
Authors: Martin Benjamin T. , Gil Michael A. , Fahimipour Ashkaan K. , Hein Andrew M.
Published: August 2021

The rates of interactions between predators and prey are fundamental to population and food web dynamics. Yet, most ecological theory of predator–prey interaction rates deals exclusively with the first phase of an interaction, an encounter, and not the second phase, a capture or escape. Here, we present a simple dynamical model of prey capture that incorporates empirically observed behavioral strategies of pursuit by predators and evasion by prey. We parameterize the model with data from aquatic systems and analyze its dynamics. Our results show that empirically observed outcomes of predator–prey interactions cannot be predicted solely from biomechanical performance traits of predators and prey. Contrary to previous work, we show that it is only through the inclusion of informational constraints – constraints on the rate at which predator and prey process and respond to incoming sensory information – that the full range of empirically observed prey capture rates are predicted by the model. Our analysis also revealed that the outcome of predator–prey interactions can largely be predicted by the product of two measurable traits: the maximum speed of the prey and the sensory‐motor delay that characterizes the time taken for the predator to respond to a change in the relative position of prey. Both of these traits exhibit power‐law scaling with body size, suggesting that simple allometric relationships may characterize the outcome of predator–prey interactions across species. More broadly, our results suggest that informational constraints can have a dominant effect on predator–prey interactions, and that these traits should be considered alongside biomechanical performance to capture the fundamental properties of predator–prey interactions in nature.
Stable nitrogen isotope analysis of amino acids as a new tool to clarify complex parasite–host interactions within food webs
Authors: Riekenberg Philip M. , Joling Tijs , IJsseldijk Lonneke L. , Waser Andreas M. , van der Meer Marcel T. J. , Thieltges David W.
Published: August 2021

Traditional bulk isotopic analysis is a pivotal tool for mapping consumer–resource interactions in food webs but has largely failed to adequately describe parasite–host relationships. Thus, parasite–host interactions remain undescribed in food web frameworks despite these relationships increasing linkage density, connectance and ecosystem biomass. Compound‐specific stable isotopes from amino acids provides a promising novel approach that may aid in mapping parasite–host relationships in food webs. Here we apply a combination of traditional bulk stable isotope analyses and compound‐specific isotopic analysis of nitrogen in amino acids to examine resource use and trophic interactions of five parasites from three hosts from a marine coastal food web (Wadden Sea, European Atlantic). By comparing isotopic compositions of bulk and amino acid nitrogen, we aimed to characterize isotopic fractionation occurring between parasites and their hosts and to clarify parasite trophic positions. Our results indicate that parasitic trophic interactions were more accurately identified using compound‐specific stable isotope analysis due to removal of underlying source isotopic variation for both parasites and hosts. The compound‐specific method provided clearer trophic discrimination factors in comparison to bulk isotope methods. Amino acid compound specific isotope analysis has widely been applied to examine trophic position within food webs, but our analyses suggest that the method is particularly useful for clarifying the feeding strategies for parasitic species. Baseline isotopic information provided by source amino acids allows clear identification of the fractionation from parasite metabolism by integrating underlying isotopic variations from the host tissues. However, like for bulk isotope analysis, the application of a universal trophic discrimination factor to parasite–host relationships remains inappropriate for compound‐specific stable isotope analysis. Despite this limitation, compound‐specific stable isotope analysis is and will continue to be a valuable tool to increase our understanding of parasitic interactions in marine food webs.
The Evaluation of Sagittal Pelvic‐Femoral Kinematics in Patients with Cam‐Type Femoracetabular Impingement
Authors: Yin Qing‐feng , Zhang Jing , Liang Tao , Liu Yu‐jie , Zhang Shan‐xing , Li Chun‐bao
Published: August 2021

Objective

To investigate the sagittal hip‐pelvic kinematics in symptomatic cam‐type femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) patients in the process of sitting down and compare their difference between patients with sitting pain complaint and those without.

Methods

Twenty‐nine symptomatic cam‐type FAI patients were recruited from our clinic between May 2018 and October 2018. Patients were categorized into two groups depending on whether they complain of pain in prolonged sitting or not. The pelvic‐femoral measurements were assessed with a set of lateral pelvic radiography in sitting and standing respectively. Pelvic incidence (PI), sacral slope (SS), and proximal femoral shaft angle (PFSA) were measured on lateral pelvic radiography, and then pelvic tilting, apparent hip flexion, true hip flexion, and the pelvic‐femoral ratio were calculated to investigate the kinematic change from standing to sitting position. Demographic measurements, hip morphology measurements, functional measurements, visual analog scale (VAS), and pelvic‐femoral measurements were compared between the two groups.

Results

Thirteen cases without sitting pain complaint and 16 cases with sitting pain complaint were stratified to Group N and Group P respectively. No was significant difference in age, body mass index (BMI), and gender between the two groups. Hip morphology measurements (α angle and lateral center‐edge angle) and functional measurements (iHOT‐12) showed no significant difference between the two groups. However, the mean VAS of pain while sitting was 0.5 ± 0.4 and 1.6 ± 0.6 in Group N and Group P respectively (P = 0.005). Patients with sitting pain complaint have increased pelvic PI compared to those without (50.1° ± 6.5° and 44.2° ± 7.6°, P = 0. 042). The changes in SS (pelvic tilting) from standing to sitting in Group N was significantly larger than that in Group P (21.8° ± 7.0° and 15.1° ± 6.5°, P = 0.012). Although no significant difference in apparent hip flexion and true hip flexion was found. Patients without sitting pain complaint demonstrated a higher pelvic‐femoral ratio (22.8% ± 7.9% and 16.1% ± 7.5%, P = 0.010) compared to those with sitting pain complaint.

Conclusion

Sagittal pelvic‐femoral kinematics could have an influence on the symptomology of cam‐type FAI. The small PI and insufficient sagittal pelvic tilting in the process of sitting down could be related to the complaint of sitting pain in patients with symptomatic cam‐type FAI.
Co‐transplantation of mesenchymal stromal cell and haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell with TCR αβ depletion in children with primary immunodeficiency syndromes
Authors: Atay Didem , Akcay Arzu , Akinci Burcu , Yenigurbuz Fatma Demir , Ovali Ercument , Ozturk Gulyuz
Published: August 2021

Background

Haploidentical HSCT is a good option for children with PIDs lacking an HLA‐matched donor. Co‐transplantation of MSCs during haploidentical HSCT in patients with PIDs may enhance engraftment, decrease the risk of GVHD, and ensure stable donor chimerism.

Methods

Twenty‐seven pediatric patients (median age, 1.4 years; range, .3–10.9) with PIDs undergoing thirty haploidentical HSCT with TCR αβ depletion and co‐transplantation of MSCs were enrolled to study. Most patients (73.3%) received myeloablative conditioning consisting of treosulfan or busulfan, fludarabine, and thiotepa. The median duration of follow‐up was 14.3 months (range, 1–69 months).

Results

Acute GVHD occurred in 7 patients (grade I‐II n = 5, grade III‐IV n = 2). Chronic GVHD was observed in only one patient. Twenty‐one patients (70.2%) had 100% donor chimerism in all cell lines including T‐cell and B‐cell lineages. Primary graft failure was observed in 7 patients (25.9%). The cumulative incidences of TRM were 20% at day 100, and 26.7% at one year and five years. Probabilities of OS were 80% at day 100, and 71.9% at 1 year and 5 years. Infants transplanted younger than 6 months of age had the highest 5‐year survival rate (85.7%).

Conclusion

We conclude that use of TCR αβ depleted haploidentical transplantation with MSCs may ensure a rapid engraftment rate, low incidence of significant acute and chronic GVHD, and acceptable post‐transplantation morbidity, especially in patients diagnosed with SCID and may be considered in children with PIDs. In younger patients (≤6 months), survival is comparable between HLA‐matched graft and CD3+ TCRαβ depleted HLA‐mismatched graft recipients.
Apoptotic arms races in insect‐baculovirus coevolution
Authors: Nagamine Toshihiro
Published: August 2021

Baculoviruses, like their holometabolous host insects, comprise a monophyletic clade and, since the evolutionary origin of this virus family, have coevolved with their hosts. Despite this intimate coevolutionary relationship, baculoviruses have occasionally diverged independently of the host phylogeny by acquiring new infection mechanisms. Given that current baculovirus genomes contain various anti‐apoptotic genes and pseudogenes, the possibility arises that ancient baculoviruses had the genetic means to counter antiviral host apoptosis mechanisms. In this review, we propose an evolutionary scenario for baculovirus diversification in which the development of novel antiviral apoptosis mechanisms in host insects provided the necessary pressure to produce new baculovirus lineages possessing novel anti‐apoptotic genes. This apoptotic arms race and subsequent viral host adaptation likely play a crucial role in the establishment of baculovirus diversity.
Coping with the COVID‐19 pandemic through institutional trust: Rally effects, compensatory control, and emotions
Authors: Roccato Michele , Colloca Pasquale , Cavazza Nicoletta , Russo Silvia
Published: August 2021

Objective

Exogenous shocks trigger rally effects, leading the public opinion toward increased trust in institutions. Rally effects have an important social function because they help society react to shocks rapidly and efficiently as a single unit and cohesively face the threat. However, little is known about the individual functions that these effects fulfil. In this study, we aimed to analyze the individual functions of the rally effect.

Method

In a three‐wave longitudinal study on a quota sample of the Italian adult population (N = 1070), we analyzed the individual consequences of the increase in institutional trust triggered by the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Results

A path analysis showed that increased trust in political, super partes and international institutions fostered well‐being, reducing anxiety, collective angst, and anger via the mediation of participants’ perceived control over their lives.

Conclusion

Beyond their well‐known social functions, rally effects fulfil the individual function of favoring people's psychological well‐being.
Profiles in party switching: The case of Southern Party activists
Authors: McKee Seth C. , Yoshinaka Antoine
Published: August 2021

Objective

We examine the demographic profiles of southern county‐level activists, who switched parties to see how they may differ from other activists affiliated with the party they converted to.

Methods

With data from the 1991–92 and 2001 Southern Grassroots Party Activists (SGPA) projects, we use descriptive and multivariate analysis to determine which demographic characteristics distinguish party‐switching activists from non‐switching activists.

Results

Across several important demographics, party‐switching activists are significantly different from the non‐switching activists of the party the former group converted to.

Conclusions

In an increasingly contentious political era, the conversion of activists into opposite parties is one avenue by which the demographic makeup of party coalitions may shift, as party‐switching activists differ from activists who have never changed their affiliation. Converts can also bring different ideological and issue positions.
Characterization of the novel HLA‐A*31:199 allele by sequencing‐based typing
Authors: Alanazi Hanan , Alshubaili Abdullah , Alanazi Aisha , Alburaq Mohammed , Hajeer Ali H.
Published: August 2021

A single nucleotide change in exon 4 of HLA‐A*31:01:02:31 results in the novel HLA‐A*31:199 allele.
Interprofessional team coordination in disaster exercises for undergraduate nursing students: a scoping review protocol
Authors: Dinh Thi Thuy Ha , Tori Kathleen , Francis Karen , Hines Sonia
Published: August 2021

Objective:

This scoping review will map the literature related to interprofessional learning among undergraduate nursing, and other health and allied health students and professionals to prevent, prepare, or respond to a simulated disaster event.

Introduction:

The frequency of disasters has been increasing globally. Nurses constitute the largest proportion of the health workforce and play an important role in disaster response, together with other health and allied health professionals. The development and implementation of disaster exercises that are inclusive of nursing, as well as other health, and allied health students or professionals will benefit students’ learning around disaster response. Therefore, it is timely to conduct a review of disaster exercises that have conceptualized and implemented an interprofessional team approach inclusive of nursing students.

Inclusion criteria:

Publications of quantitative, qualitative, mixed method studies, discussions, text, or opinion reporting a disaster simulation or drill involving nursing and other health, allied health discipline students, or practitioners will be included. There is no limit on the publication period or languages. All types of natural and human-induced disasters will be considered.

Methods:

The search will be conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, ERIC, Embase, Web of Science, ProQuest Nursing and Allied Health, and PsycINFO. Two reviewers will screen titles and abstracts for potential papers, and the full texts will be examined against eligibility criteria. Data will be extracted using the tool developed for this review. Nursing roles and how nursing students have collaborated with other team members will be discussed.
Coping experiences of young adults diagnosed with a chronic illness: a qualitative systematic review protocol
Authors: Wilson Beth , Weeks Lori , Morris Patricia , Innocente Sarah , Rothfus Melissa
Published: August 2021

Objective:

The objective of this review is to gain insight about the experience of emerging adults who are coping with a chronic illness diagnosis.

Introduction:

Receiving a chronic illness diagnosis is filled with challenges and changes to a person's life. Coping is not an easy or linear process, and is particularly complex for emerging adults. The emerging adult stage is important to consider, as this is a stage characterized by identity exploration, transition to adulthood, and future planning. A chronic illness diagnosis interrupts these processes and affects the coping process in emerging adults.

Inclusion criteria:

The population included will be persons between 18 and 25 years of age living in the community. Sources will focus on the experience of being diagnosed with a chronic illness, including its impacts on the individual's life.

Methods:

This qualitative review will be conducted following JBI qualitative review methodology. An initial search was conducted in order to identify relevant articles on the topic. Databases to be searched include CINAHL, PubMed, PsycINFO, and Nursing and Allied Health Database. A gray literature search will also be conducted. There will be no date or language limits on the search. The titles and abstracts will be screened by two independent reviewers, followed by an assessment of the full-text articles. Any disagreements will be resolved through discussion or in consultation with a third reviewer. Critical appraisal of included articles and data extraction will be conducted independently by two reviewers. Meta-aggregation of the articles will be completed and textually pooled in tabular format. Where that is not possible, results will be presented in a narrative format.

Systematic review registration number:

PROSPERO CRD42021224772
Declines in muscle contractility and activation during isometric contractions of the knee extensors vary with contraction intensity and exercise volume
Authors: Marshall Paul W. , Finn Harrison T. , Enoka Roger M.
Published: August 2021

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Is there a critical threshold beyond which the loss of muscle contractility is regulated by the level of muscle activation during single‐limb exercise of differing intensities and volumes?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Plateaus in the decline in muscle contractility during single‐limb knee extension depended on both exercise volume and contraction intensity.  A plateau was only evident with an increase in exercise volume.  Muscle activation increased and did not decline despite substantial reductions in contractility. The findings indicate that the decrease in muscle contractility exhibited by resistance‐trained men during the performance of submaximal isometric contractions with the knee extensors was not regulated by the level of muscle activation.

Our study examined the influence of contraction intensity and exercise volume on changes in muscle contractility and activation of the knee extensor muscles. Maximal voluntary torque (MVT) and rate of change in torque, surface electromyograms, voluntary activation, V‐waves and quadriceps resting twitch measures were assessed in 10 resistance‐trained men during two experimental sessions. Each session began with an initial baseline series of contractions at a fixed intensity of 40% or 80% MVT. The 40%‐only session continued with five contractions to task failure at 40% MVT. The 80% session continued with five contractions to failure each at 80%, 60% and 40% MVT. Greater reductions in MVT were observed during the baseline contractions of the 40%‐only session compared with the 80% session at each matched‐volume time point (P < 0.05), with similar changes in twitch values (P < 0.001). MVT and twitch values plateaued at each intensity during the 80% session and were significantly different across intensities: 80% > 60% > 40% (P < 0.001). There were no differences for measures during the five contractions at 40% MVT performed on the different days, despite a greater volume of exercise performed prior to the 40% MVT during the 80% session. At each contraction intensity, a plateau in contractility loss was observed as more contractions were performed. We found that initial increases in muscle activation were maintained in the presence of increases in exercise volume and, in contrast to the critical‐threshold hypothesis, did not decline in parallel with reductions in muscle contractility.
L‐DOPA and 5‐HTP modulation of air‐stepping in newborn rats
Authors: Boulain Marie , Yuan Wei , Oueghlani Zied , Khsime Inès , Salvi Vianney , Courtand Gilles , Halgand Christophe , Morin Didier , de Deurwaerdere Philippe , Barrière Grégory , Juvin Laurent
Published: August 2021

Key points

In newborn rats, L‐DOPA increases the occurrence of air‐stepping activity without affecting movement characteristics.

L‐DOPA administration increases the spinal content of dopamine in a dose‐dependent manner.

Injection of 5‐HTP increases the spinal serotonin content but does not trigger air‐stepping.

5‐HTP counteracts the pro‐locomotor action of L‐DOPA.

Less dopamine and serotonin are synthesized when L‐DOPA and 5‐HTP are administered as a cocktail.

The catecholamine precursor, L‐3,4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine (L‐DOPA), is a well‐established pharmacological agent for promoting locomotor action in vertebrates, including triggering air‐stepping activities in the neonatal rat. Serotonin is also a well‐known neuromodulator of the rodent spinal locomotor networks. Here, using kinematic analysis, we compared locomotor‐related activities expressed by newborn rats in response to varying doses of L‐DOPA and the serotonin precursor 5‐hydroxytryptophan (5‐HTP) administered separately or in combination. L‐DOPA alone triggered episodes of air‐stepping in a dose‐dependent manner (25–100 mg/kg), notably determining the duration of locomotor episodes, but without affecting step cycle frequency or amplitude. In contrast, 5‐HTP (25–150 mg/kg) was ineffective in instigating air‐stepping, but altered episode durations of L‐DOPA‐induced air‐stepping, and decreased locomotor cycle frequency. High performance liquid chromatography revealed that L‐DOPA, which was undetectable in control conditions, accumulated in a dose‐dependent manner in the lumbar spinal cord 30 min after its administration. This was paralleled by an increase in dopamine levels, whereas the spinal content of noradrenaline and serotonin remained unaffected. In the same way, the spinal levels of serotonin increased in parallel with the dose of 5‐HTP without affecting the levels of dopamine and noradrenaline. When both precursors are administrated, they counteract each other for the production of serotonin and dopamine. Our data thus indicate for the first time that both L‐DOPA and 5‐HTP exert opposing neuromodulatory actions on air‐stepping behaviour in the developing rat, and we speculate that competition for the production of dopamine and serotonin occurs when they are administered as a cocktail.
Notas sobre a dinâmica do capital no complexo da soja
Authors: Bernardes Júlia Adão , Silva Antonio Alves da
Published: August 2021

This work intends to analyse the spatial results obtained by the introduction of new techniques by the soybean agro-industry in the Rondonópolis region (Mato Grosso State). Many radical transformations can be observed as the interaction of many new productive activities. Besides the expansive characteristic of the soybean production, it is presenting a new articulation with different productive circuits. This new reality creates social divisions that involve much competition, transforming the previous existing social order. The region proves to have the capacity of absorbing new scientific research and qualified workers, together with important communication facilities. All this happens due to the efficiency of free enterprise and its incredible force to change the environment, transforming the whole region by introducing new tendencies, changing the division of work and giving the area a very dynamic reality.
Interference patterns produced by an evaporating droplet on a horizontal surface
Authors: Ngo Gia Long , Pham Quang Truong , Lai Ngoc Diep , Do Danh Bich
Published: August 2021

We study dynamical Newton-ring like fringes created by interfering Fresnel reflections of an evaporating sessile liquid droplet, which acts as a miniature convex lens. We show that conventional thin-film interference theory cannot be applied to explain the physical phenomenon. Because of the large thickness and curvature of the liquid droplet, the geometrical light paths of the reflected beams become very complicated and can no longer be considered approximately collimated. This results in interference fringes of concentric circles with different directional motion depending on the observation plane. The change in the interference pattern as a function of time is demonstrated by both simulation and experiment. This investigation allows us to fully understand the formation of interference patterns of an optical system having arbitrary thickness and curvature. In addition, by analyzing the high-contrast dynamic rings, we demonstrate nanoscale sensitivity to surface height changes of an evaporating water drop.
Feasibility and Preliminary Efficacy of a Multimodal Approach to Increase Physical Activity in Older Adults With Memory Complaints: The Education for Action Study
Authors: Cabral Danylo F. , Santos Vinicius S. , Pereira Oceano T.T. , Silva Maria J. , Pascual-Leone Alvaro , Rundek Tatjana , Loewenstein David A. , Kirk-Sanchez Neva , Oliveira Augusto C.A. , Gomes-Osman Joyce
Published: August 2021

In this randomized controlled pilot trial, the authors explored the feasibility, technology compliance, and preliminary efficacy of the Education for Action (EDU-ACT), a multimodal intervention combining evidence-based strategies of physical activity (PA) education and coaching in PA levels over 4 weeks between EDU-ACT and control groups. The authors also assessed pre–post changes in neurocognitive function, functional mobility and dual-task performance, sleep and quality of life. Thirty-two sedentary older adults with memory complaints (age = 66 ± 5.3) completed the study (EDU-ACT = 18 and control = 14). The EDU-ACT adherence rate was 95%, and compliance of daily PA reporting was, on average, 22.7 days (94.6%). The EDU-ACT group demonstrated a significantly greater number of steps, processing speed, and dual-task performance when compared with controls (p < .05). In this study, a multimodal, evidence-based, low-cost intervention was feasible, well-accepted, with high adherence and compliance rates, and effective at promoting clinically meaningful increases in PA, for at least 1 month postintervention, in older adults with memory complaints.
Longitudinal Perspectives on Children’s Physical Activity Patterns: “Do Physical Education–Related Factors Matter?”
Authors: Adank Anoek M. , Van Kann Dave H.H. , Remmers Teun , Kremers Stef P.J. , Vos Steven B.
Published: August 2021

Background: This study examined longitudinal associations of motor competence (MC) and physical activity (PA) enjoyment with moderate to vigorous PA and sedentary behavior among boys and girls aged 10–12 years old. In addition, this study explored the predictive strength of satisfaction of basic psychological needs in physical education (PE) and PA enjoyment. Methods: At 3 time points (baseline, +1 y, and +2 y), PA levels, MC, PA enjoyment, satisfaction of basic psychological needs in PE and height and weight of 371 children were measured. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures linear mixed model analyses stratified for gender and adjusted for relevant covariates. Results: Sedentary behavior decreased over time and was significantly predicted by PA enjoyment in boys and by PA enjoyment and MC in girls. Boys’ moderate to vigorous PA decreased over time and was predicted by MC, whereas girls’ moderate to vigorous PA remained low, yet stable over time and was predicted by PA enjoyment and MC. Furthermore, children’s need for competence and teacher relatedness (girls only) during PE significantly predicted PA enjoyment. Conclusions: Children need sufficient and well-designed opportunities to improve their MC and PA enjoyment. PE may be pivotal in advancing PA enjoyment, indicating that PE could have more beneficial effects on PA levels in children, especially in girls.
Assessment of Energy Expenditure During Discrete Skill Performance Using Systematic Observation and Indirect Calorimetry
Authors: Sacko Ryan S. , Egan Cate A. , Fisher Jenna , Shortt Chelsee , McIver Kerry
Published: August 2021

Purpose: To determine the accuracy of three systematic observation (SO) tools to estimate energy expenditure (EE) using different skill performance and observation intervals. Method: Three SO tools (Observational System for Recording Physical Activity in Children-Preschool, System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time, and System for Observing Play and Leisure Activity in Youth) were used to observe children (N = 42, Mage = 8.1 ± 0.7) during motor skill testing sessions. EE was measured using indirect calorimetry (COSMED K4b2). Results: Paired samples t tests, repeated-measures analysis of variance, and regression analyses were performed to compare the EE estimated from SO tools with EE measured by indirect calorimetry. The average mean difference between the estimated metabolic equivalence of task (METS) and actual METS ranged between −1.24 METS (SD = 1.62, p < .01) and −3.46 METS (SD = 1.31, p < .01) depending on skill performance interval or SO tool analyzed. Conclusions: SO tools did not accurately estimate EE during object control skill testing sessions. Physical educators should consider utilizing discrete motor skill practice to accumulate health-enhancing levels of physical activity while adhering to national standards.
2D materials–based homogeneous transistor-memory architecture for neuromorphic hardware
Authors: Tong Lei , Peng Zhuiri , Lin Runfeng , Li Zheng , Wang Yilun , Huang Xinyu , Xue Kan-Hao , Xu Hangyu , Liu Feng , Xia Hui , Wang Peng , Xu Mingsheng , Xiong Wei , Hu Weida , Xu Jianbin , Zhang Xinliang , Ye Lei , Miao Xiangshui
Published: August 2021

Memory and logic in the same device

Future artificial intelligence applications and data-intensive computations require the development of neuromorphic systems beyond traditional heterogeneous device architectures. Physical separation between a peripheral signal-processing unit and a memory-operating unit is one of the main bottlenecks of heterogeneous architectures, blocking further improvements in efficient resistance matching, energy consumption, and integration compatibility. Tong
et al
. present a transistor-memory architecture based on a homogeneous tungsten selenide-on-lithium niobate device array (see the Perspective by Rao and Tao). Analog peripheral signal preprocessing and nonvolatile memory were possible within the same device structure, promising diverse neuromorphic functionalities and offering potential improvements in neuromorphic systems on-chip. —YS
Mammalian retrovirus-like protein PEG10 packages its own mRNA and can be pseudotyped for mRNA delivery
Authors: Segel Michael , Lash Blake , Song Jingwei , Ladha Alim , Liu Catherine C. , Jin Xin , Mekhedov Sergei L. , Macrae Rhiannon K. , Koonin Eugene V. , Zhang Feng
Published: August 2021

Hitching a ride with a retroelement

Retroviruses and retroelements have inserted their genetic code into mammalian genomes throughout evolution. Although many of these integrated virus-like sequences pose a threat to genomic integrity, some have been retooled by mammalian cells to perform essential roles in development. Segel
et al
. found that one of these retroviral-like proteins, PEG10, directly binds to and secretes its own mRNA in extracellular virus–like capsids. These virus-like particles were then pseudotyped with fusogens to deliver functional mRNA cargos to mammalian cells. This potentially provides an endogenous vector for RNA-based gene therapy. —DJ
Stabilizing perovskite-substrate interfaces for high-performance perovskite modules
Authors: Chen Shangshang , Dai Xuezeng , Xu Shuang , Jiao Haoyang , Zhao Liang , Huang Jinsong
Published: August 2021

Avoiding buried voids

The buried interfaces of perovskite solar cells are difficult to alter after synthesis. During manufacture, Chen
et al
. removed perovskite films with dimethyl sulfoxide solvent from the hole-transfer layer and observed a substantial void fraction that degraded film performance. Replacing most of the dimethyl sulfoxide with carbohydrazide, a lead-coordinating compound with a much higher boiling point, eliminated voids. Such solar cells maintained high power conversion efficiency after 550 hours of operation at 60°C. —PDS
Keep climate policy focused on the social cost of carbon
Authors: Aldy Joseph E. , Kotchen Matthew J. , Stavins Robert N. , Stock James H.
Published: August 2021

A proposed shift away from the SCC is ill advised
MIC-Drop: A platform for large-scale in vivo CRISPR screens
Authors: Parvez Saba , Herdman Chelsea , Beerens Manu , Chakraborti Korak , Harmer Zachary P. , Yeh Jing-Ruey J. , MacRae Calum A. , Yost H. Joseph , Peterson Randall T.
Published: August 2021

Screen time for CRISPR

CRISPR-Cas9 has been used to edit the genomes of organisms ranging from fruit flies to primates, but it has not been used in large-scale genetic screens in animals because generating, validating, and keeping track of large numbers of mutant animals is prohibitively laborious. Parvez
et al
. have developed Multiplexed Intermixed CRISPR Droplets, or MIC-Drop, a platform combining droplet microfluidics, en masse CRISPR injections, and barcoding, to enable large-scale genetic screens. In pilot phenotypic screens in zebrafish, MIC-Drop enabled rapid identification of the target of a small molecule and discovery of several new genes governing cardiovascular development. MIC-Drop is potentially scalable to thousands of targets and adaptable to diverse organisms and experiments. —DJ
Hobit identifies tissue-resident memory T cell precursors that are regulated by Eomes
Authors: Parga-Vidal Loreto , Behr Felix M. , Kragten Natasja A. M. , Nota Benjamin , Wesselink Thomas H. , Kavazović Inga , Covill Laura E. , Schuller Margo B. P. , Bryceson Yenan T. , Wensveen Felix M. , van Lier Rene A. W. , van Dam Teunis J. P. , Stark Regina , van Gisbergen Klaas P. J. M.
Published: August 2021

Hobit-expressing effector CD8
+
T cells are T
RM
precursors, whose formation is regulated by the T-box transcription factor Eomes.
A high-affinity human TCR-like antibody detects celiac disease gluten peptide–MHC complexes and inhibits T cell activation
Authors: Frick Rahel , Høydahl Lene S. , Petersen Jan , du Pré M. Fleur , Kumari Shraddha , Berntsen Grete , Dewan Alisa E. , Jeliazkov Jeliazko R. , Gunnarsen Kristin S. , Frigstad Terje , Vik Erik S. , Llerena Carmen , Lundin Knut E.A. , Yaqub Sheraz , Jahnsen Jørgen , Gray Jeffrey J. , Rossjohn Jamie , Sollid Ludvig M. , Sandlie Inger , Løset Geir Åge
Published: August 2021

A human TCR-like antibody blocks gluten-dependent activation of celiac disease T cells in vitro and in HLA-DQ2.5 humanized mice.
Complete Genome Sequence of Pseudomonas stutzeri Strain F2a, Isolated from Seleniferous Soil
Authors: Inoue Masao , Hirose Yuu , Tobe Ryuta , Saito Shigeki , Aono Riku , Prakash N. Tejo , Mihara Hisaaki
Published: August 2021

Pseudomonas stutzeri
is a potential candidate for bioremediation of selenium-contaminated grounds and waters. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of a novel strain, F2a, which was isolated from a seleniferous area of Punjab, India. The genome sequence provides insight into the potential selenium oxyanion-reducing activity of this strain.
Complete Genome Sequence of Sphingobium xenophagum PH3-15, Isolated from La Roche-Posay Thermal Water Sources
Authors: Hilaire Pascal , Contreras Sandy , Blanquart-Goudezeune Hélène , Verbeke Jonathan , Delépine Baudoin , Marmiesse Lucas , Peyraud Rémi , Morand Stanislas C.
Published: August 2021

We report here the complete genome sequence of
Sphingobium xenophagum
strain PH3-15, which was isolated from La Roche-Posay thermal water sources. The assembled 4.6-Mbp genome consisted of two chromosomes and three plasmids. These data will provide valuable information and important insights into the physiology and metabolism of this
Sphingobium
organism.