bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The morphological discrepancy of neuromuscular junctions between bilateral paraspinal muscles in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A quantitative immunofluorescence assay
Authors: Zhang Tianyuan , Sui Wenyuan , Li Bin , Shao Xiexiang , Deng Yaolong , Zhang Zifang , Yang Jingfan , Huang Zifang , Yang Wenjun , Yang Junlin
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Prior studies suggested that neuromuscular factors might be involved in the pathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). The neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is the important pivot where the nervous system interacts with muscle fibers, but it has not been well characterized in the paraspinal muscles of AIS. This study aims to perform the quantitative morphological analysis of NMJs from paraspinal muscles of AIS.

Methods

AIS patients who received surgery in our center were prospectively enrolled. Meanwhile, age‐matched congenital scoliosis (CS) and non‐scoliosis patients were also included as controls. Fresh samples of paraspinal muscles were harvested intraoperatively. NMJs were immunolabeled using different antibodies to reveal pre‐synaptic neuronal architecture and post‐synaptic motor endplates. A confocal microscope was used to acquire z‐stack projections of NMJs images. Then, NMJs images were analyzed on maximum intensity projections using ImageJ software. The morphology of NMJs was quantitatively measured by a standardized ‘NMJ‐morph’ workflow. A total of 21 variables were measured and compared between different groups.

Results

A total of 15 AIS patients, 10 CS patients and 5 normal controls were enrolled initially. For AIS group, NMJs in the convex side of paraspinal muscles demonstrated obviously decreased overlap when compared with the concave side (34.27% ± 8.09% vs. 48.11% ± 10.31%, p = 0.0036). However, no variables showed statistical difference between both sides of paraspinal muscles in CS patients. In contrast with non‐scoliosis controls, both sides of paraspinal muscles in AIS patients demonstrated significantly smaller muscle bundle diameters.

Conclusions

This study first elucidated the morphological features of NMJs from paraspinal muscles of AIS patients. The NMJs in the convex side showed smaller overlap for AIS patients, but no difference was found in CS. This proved further evidence that neuromuscular factors might contribute to the mechanisms of AIS and could be considered as a novel potential therapeutic target for the treatment of progressive AIS.
Transport and reactivity of nitrous oxide and methane in two contrasting subterranean estuaries
Authors: Calvo‐Martin Elisa , de la Paz Mercedes , Álvarez‐Salgado Xosé Antón , Pazó Fernández María José , Vieitez Dos Santos Vanesa , Ibánhez J. Severino P.
Published: July 2024

Continental groundwaters are commonly enriched in nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4), which can discharge into the coast. The contribution of this diffuse source to coastal N2O and CH4 emissions largely depends on the biogeochemical processes of coastal aquifer exit zones, known as subterranean estuaries. Here, we study the role of subterranean estuaries in modulating N2O and CH4 exports toward the coast. The two studied subterranean estuaries are located at Panxón and Ladeira beaches (Ría de Vigo, NW Iberian Peninsula) and had opposite oxygenation at their interior. Groundwater‐borne N2O was detected in the oxygenated subterranean estuary of Panxón Beach, although denitrification attenuated N2O before porewater was discharged into the coast. An N2O hotspot was detected at about 50 cm depth in this subterranean estuary, characterized by the presence of nitrate under suboxic conditions. This N2O also seems to be consumed along the flow path before discharging into the coast. The anoxic subterranean estuary of Ladeira Beach completely removed groundwater‐borne N2O. Yet, nitrification within its suboxic upper saline plume produced and exported N2O toward the coast, hiding the role of this subterranean estuary as an N2O sink. The anoxic subterranean estuary exported CH4 toward the coast. This CH4 was not sourced by continental groundwater, hence it was produced in situ fuelled by the accumulation of organic matter within the beach. The suboxic upper saline plume in Ladeira Beach and the oxygenated subterranean estuary of Panxón Beach acted as CH4 sinks.
Selection of Various Indications of Tempering Lubricant Concentration Reuse in the Wet Rolling Process
Authors: Junjian Zeng , Yijun Du , Sheng Fang , Haitao Shen , Jigang Zhao
Published: July 2024

Discarded tempering lubricants retained significant reuse potential, making their recycling a vital step in reducing resource wastage and wastewater treatment costs in the strip steel industry. Hence, developing an accurate, rapid evaluation indicator for recycled fluid concentration was essential for facilitating this process. Research showed that among common evaluation indicators for metal fluids, three—electrical conductivity, refractive index and total base number (TBN)—due to their high linear correlation with tempering lubricant concentration (R
2 > 0.995), could be utilised to monitor the dynamic changes in the concentration of tempering lubricants. Subsequent experiments on reused tempering lubricants revealed that electrical conductivity, significantly altered by iron powder (7%–24% variance), and refractive index, impacted by hydraulic oil (3% deviation), highlighted contaminant challenges; yet, filtration effectively mitigated iron powder's effect on TBN. Finally, A 17‐day reused tempering lubricants simulation demonstrated consistent effectiveness of the three indicators in monitoring the need to update tempering lubricant concentration. However, in terms of sensitivity, precision, and particularly stability and relative mean deviation, the TBN concentration evaluation indicator outperformed, with TBN (3.38%) < Refractive Index (7.92%) < Electrical Conductivity (11.05%). This indicates the TBN method's superior stability over conductivity and refractive index methods, with its accuracy deviation below 2%, making it a stable, simple and reliable metric worthy of broader adoption.
Expansions of real closed fields with the Banach fixed point property
Authors: Thamrongthanyalak Athipat
Published: July 2024

We study a variant of converses of the Banach fixed point theorem and its connection to tameness in expansions of a real closed field. An expansion of a real closed ordered field is said to have the Banach fixed point property when, for every locally closed definable set , if every definable contraction on has a fixed point, then is closed. Let be an expansion of a real closed field. We prove that if has an o‐minimal open core, then it has the Banach fixed point property; and if is definably complete and has the Banach fixed point property, then it has a locally o‐minimal open core.
Youth inpatient boarding study reveals need for equitable care
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: July 2024

Nearly one half of children and adolescents who boarded in Massachusetts emergency departments for four calendar days or longer did not result in inpatient admission, suggesting the need for targeted resources to reduce boarding and promote equitable access to care, according to researchers of a new study published online in JAMA Pediatrics.
Telehealth services for MH care declined following pandemic
Authors: Canady Valerie A.
Published: July 2024

RAND researchers evaluating changes in the availability of telehealth services at outpatient mental health treatment facilities (MHTFs) throughout the U.S. during and after the COVID‐19 pandemic found treatment declines, particularly in the types of services offered. Service availability, ranging from managing medications to psychotherapy, dropped more sharply following the end of the COVID‐19 public health emergency (PHE), the researchers reported.
A comparison of postoperative outcomes based on recipient vessels in scalp free flap reconstruction: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Pekcan Asli , Roohani Idean , Stanton Eloise , Choe Deborah , Tomaro Micaela , Premaratne Ishani D. , Wallace Langley G. , Carey Joseph N. , Daar David A.
Published: July 2024

Purpose

The superficial temporal artery (STA) and facial artery (FA) are two commonly used recipient vessels when performing free tissue transfer to the head and neck. This meta‐analysis compares the impact of recipient vessel location on free flap outcomes in scalp reconstruction.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA‐P guidelines using six databases. Studies reporting free tissue transfer using the STA or FA as a recipient vessel for reconstructing scalp defects were included. Outcomes of interest included flap loss, partial flap necrosis, wound dehiscence, venous thrombosis, and infection rates. Quality evaluation was performed using ASPS criteria and the ROBINS‐I tool.

Results

Of 3270 identified articles, 12 were included for final analysis. In total, 125 free flaps were identified (75 STA, 50 FA). Pooled analysis demonstrated an overall flap survival rate of 98.4% (STA 98.7% vs. FA 98.0%; p = .782). The mean defect size was significantly greater for flaps using the STA compared with the FA (223.7 ± 119.4 cm2 vs. 157.1 ± 96.5 cm2, p = .001). The FA group had a higher incidence of wound dehiscence than the STA group (14.0% vs. 1.3%, p = .005). However, meta‐analysis demonstrated no significant difference in rates of wound dehiscence, flap loss, partial flap necrosis, venous congestion, or postoperative infection between groups.

Conclusion

This is the first systematic review and meta‐analysis to assess recipient vessel selection in scalp reconstruction. Our results do not support a single vessel as the superior choice in scalp reconstruction. Rather, these findings suggest that the decision between using the STA or FA is multifaceted, requiring a flexible approach that considers the individual characteristics of each case. Further research is needed to explore additional factors influencing recipient vessel selection, including defect location, radiation therapy, and prior head and neck surgery.
Existence of weak solutions of the fractional p(x,y)‐Laplacian problem by topological degree
Authors: Belhadi Tahar , Lekhal Hakim , Slimani Kamel
Published: July 2024

In this paper, we prove the existence result of weak solutions to a class fractional
‐Laplacian problems involving the nonlocal integro‐differential operator of elliptique type
. The main tool used here is based on the topological degree theory combined with the theory fractional Sobolev spaces with variable exponent. Our results generalize and improve the existing results.
A systematic and comprehensive review of the role of microbiota in urinary chronic pelvic pain syndrome
Authors: Hashemi Negin , Tondro Anamag Farhad , Javan Balegh Marand Aida , Rahnama'i Mohammad Sajjad , Herizchi Ghadim Hamideh , Salehi‐Pourmehr Hanieh , Hajebrahimi Sakineh
Published: July 2024

Background

Many genitourinary tract disorders could be attributed partly to the microbiota. This study sought to conduct a systematic review of the role of the microbiota in urinary chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS).

Methods

We searched Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed with no time, language, or study type restrictions until December 1, 2023. The JBI Appraisal Tool was used to assess the quality of the studies. Study selection followed the PRISMA statement. Studies addressing microbiome variations among patients suffering from interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) or chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) and a control group were considered eligible.

Results

A total of 21 studies (1 UCPPS, 12 IC/BPS, and 8 CP/CPPS) comprising 1125 patients were enrolled in our final data synthesis. It has been shown that the reduced diversity and discrepant composition of the gut microbiota may partly be attributed to the UCPPS pathogenesis. In terms of urine microbiota, some operational taxonomic units were shown to be elevated, while others became less abundant. Furthermore, various bacteria and fungi are linked to specific clinical features. Few investigations denied UCPPS as a dysbiotic condition.

Conclusions

Urinary and intestinal microbiota appear to be linked with UCPPS, comprising IC/BPS and CP/CPPS. However, given the substantial disparity of published studies, a battery of prospective trials is required to corroborate these findings.
Bee pollination in the shadows: The role of pseudopollen and agamospermy in the mycoheterotrophic orchid Gastrodia elata
Authors: Suetsugu Kenji , Yamamoto Takenori
Published: July 2024

Societal Impact Statement

The family Orchidaceae is renowned for its reliance on specialized pollinators and mycorrhizal symbioses. This study examined how the nonphotosynthetic orchid Gastrodia elata thrives on the dim forest floor, focusing on its pollination biology, particularly the chemical properties of pseudopollen and reproductive assurance mechanisms. It was found that G. elata mainly relies on Lasioglossum bees, attracted by its starch‐rich pseudopollen. Additionally, G. elata in the studied population can produce fruit through agamospermy (seeds from unfertilized ovules). Overall, the findings reveal that G. elata relies on fungi for nutrition and employs reproductive strategies such as mimicking pollen to attract bees and resorting to asexual reproduction when pollinators are scarce.

Mycoheterotrophy is an adaptation that allows survival in environments with low irradiance and minimal competition from autotrophic plants. However, such environments can negatively impact bee pollination, as most bees prefer open habitats. Despite this, the mycoheterotrophic orchid Gastrodia elata is known to rely on Lasioglossum bees for pollination.

We investigated the reproductive biology of G. elata to understand how it overcomes pollinator limitation. Our research focused on the chemical composition and anatomical basis of G. elata pseudopollen (a substance that mimics pollen and may facilitate pollination), based on micromorphological and nutritional analyses, as well as observations of pollinator behavior. Additionally, we explored the potential presence of autogamy or agamospermy as mechanisms for reproductive assurance.

The pseudopollen in G. elata originates from the disintegration of the adaxial parenchymatous tissue of the callus and is rich in starch. This contrasts with pseudopollen in most orchids, which typically originates from lip hairs and whose potential attractant is protein. Lasioglossum bees pollinating G. elata visit multiple flowers and actively collect pseudopollen. Furthermore, agamospermy serves as a reproductive safeguard in shaded habitats where insect‐mediated pollination is infrequent, at least in the investigated population.

Our findings suggest that Gastrodia elata pseudopollen plays an important role in enhancing insect‐mediated pollination, particularly in relatively open habitats, while agamospermy ensures fruit set in shaded environments of the investigated population. Both pseudopollen production and agamospermy likely help overcome the pollination constraints posed by the mycoheterotrophic lifestyle.
A putative endonuclease reduces the efficiency of oral RNA interference in Nilaparvata lugens
Authors: Gao Yuanyuan , Cai Tingwei , Yu Chang , Zeng Qinghong , Wan Yue , Song Ludan , He Shun , Li Jianhong , Wan Hu
Published: July 2024

BACKGROUND

The RNA interference (RNAi) efficiency of double‐stranded RNA (dsRNA) delivery to insects by various methods is different and the reduced efficacy of feeding dsRNA is partly due to the presence of DNA/RNA non‐specific endonuclease in the insect gut. However, the mechanism leading to the low RNAi efficiency of Nilaparvata lugens by feeding remains elusive.

RESULTS

In this study, we identified a putatively DNA/RNA non‐specific endonuclease gene in the N. lugens genome database that was highly expressed in the first nymphal instar and the midgut. Different expression levels of NldsRNase after feeding and injection suggested that NldsRNase might interfere with oral RNAi in N. lugens. A co‐delivery RNAi strategy further revealed that the presence of NldsRNase reduces RNAi efficiency. In vitro dsRNA degradation experiments also showed that the stability of dsRNA was higher in a gut mixture from nymphs injected with dsNldsRNase. These results support the idea that the low oral RNAi response observed in N. lugens is likely due to the presence of NldsRNase.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides insight into the differences in RNAi response between the injection and feeding of dsRNA in N. lugens and sheds light on the mechanisms underlying the reduced efficacy of RNAi via feeding. These findings may help to inform the development of more‐effective RNAi‐based strategies controlling N. lugens and other insect pests. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.
Towards unified land data assimilation at ECMWF: Soil and snow temperature analysis in the SEKF
Authors: Herbert Christoph , de Rosnay Patricia , Weston Peter , Fairbairn David
Published: July 2024

Weather centres use a variety of data assimilation schemes to analyze different land variables in their operational forecast systems. Current activities at the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) are working towards a unified and more consistent land data assimilation system to provide more accurate initial conditions for the atmospheric forecasts. The first step is to replace the current 1D optimal interpolation (1D‐OI) used for first‐layer soil and snow temperature analyses, and integrate multi‐layer soil and first‐layer snow temperature into the ensemble‐based simplified extended Kalman filter (SEKF) currently used for multi‐layer soil moisture. This work focuses on the technical developments and the evaluation of the atmospheric forecast skill of a series of numerical weather prediction experiments to compare different SEKF configurations with the former 1D‐OI over a three‐month summer and winter period. Using the SEKF leads to seasonally varying significant improvements in the 2‐m temperature forecast in the verification against own analyses and to slightly improved results in the validation using independent synoptic observations. This work lays the foundation for integrating additional land variables into the SEKF and investigating stronger land–atmosphere coupling.
Deterministic modelling of asymptomatic spread and disease stage progression in vaccine preventable infectious diseases
Authors: Kiss Gabor , Moutari Salissou , Mctaggart Cara , Patterson Lynsey , Kee Frank , Lamrock Felicity
Published: July 2024

This study introduces a deterministic formulation for modelling the asymptotic spread of a vaccine preventable disease as well as the different stages for the progression of the disease. We derive the formula for the associated basic reproduction number. To illustrate the proposed model, we use data from the 2017–2018 diphtheria outbreak in Yemen and fit the parameters of the model. A sensitivity analysis of the basic reproduction number, with respect to the model parameters, show that this number increases with an increase of the transmission rate while this number decreases when vaccination rate increases.
Application of matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization in the studies of phosphotungstic acid
Authors: Minenkova Irina V. , Lebedev Viacheslav V. , Buryak Alexey K.
Published: July 2024

Rationale

Phosphorotungstic acid (PTA) has many applications, especially in the field of catalysis, due to its structural properties. However, the structure of PTA is studied mainly using theoretical methods. Matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) has the potential to be an effective method for the experimental study of heteropolyacids. Limitations of MALDI are the high molecular weight of the particles and the complex distribution of isotopic peak intensities. Both problems can be solved by automatically identifying observed signals by generating hypothetical molecular formulas and estimating their isotopic distributions.

Methods

Phosphotungstic acid was studied under conditions of laser desorption/ionization in the absence and in the presence of the matrix. Three types of matrices were used: 2,5‐dihydroxybenzoic acid in water, α‐cyano‐4‐hydroxycinnamic acid in acetonitrile, and sinapic acid (SA) in tetrahydrofuran. Part of the peaks in the resulting mass spectra was identified using in‐house developed software that implements the automated isotopic distribution brute force.

Results

The most informative mass spectra were obtained using SA as the matrix, which enabled the detection of particles containing PTA dimers for the first time. The compositions of particles incorporating PTA dimers were determined in an automated manner and can be written as [H3PW12O40]2·2H2O (m/z = 5791.2 Da) and [H3PW12O40]2·4H2O (m/z = 5836.5 Da). Other observed species included (WO3)n·PO3−, HPO2·(WO3)n, and WO2·(WO3)n clusters, with the latter containing W in mixed oxidation states.

Conclusions

The combined use of MALDI and an automated identification procedure provided valuable experimental data on the structure and fragmentation of phosphotungstic acid. To the best of our knowledge, this study was the first to report on particles containing phosphotungstic acid dimers.
Roles of lipid mediators in early pregnancy events
Authors: Aikawa Shizu , Hirota Yasushi
Published: July 2024

Background

Early pregnancy events, including embryo implantation, are critical for maintaining a healthy pregnancy and facilitating childbirth. Despite numerous signaling pathways implicated in establishing early pregnancy, a comprehensive understanding of implantation remains elusive.

Methods

This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current research on lipids in the context of early pregnancy, with a particular focus on feto‐maternal communications.

Main Findings

Embryo implantation entails direct interaction between uterine tissues and embryos. Introducing embryos triggers significant changes in uterine epithelial morphology and stromal differentiation, facilitating embryo implantation through communication with uterine tissue. Studies employing genetic models and chemical compounds targeting enzymes and receptors have elucidated the crucial roles of lipid mediators—prostaglandins, lysophosphatidic acid, sphingosine‐1‐phosphate, and cannabinoids—in early pregnancy events.

Conclusion

Given the high conservation of lipid synthases and receptors across species, lipid mediators likely play pivotal roles in rodents and humans. Further investigations into lipids hold promise for developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for infertility in humans.
Nematode community structure suggests perennial grain cropping cultivation as a nature‐based solution for resilient agriculture
Authors: Förster Alena , Hohberg Karin , Rasche Frank , Emmerling Christoph
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Conventional agricultural land‐use may negatively impact biodiversity and the environment due to the increased disturbances to the soil ecosystem by tillage, for example. Cultivation of the perennial grain intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium, IWG, Kernza®) is a nature‐based solution for sustainable agriculture, improving nutrient retention mainly through its extensive root system. Nematodes serve as sensitive bioindicators, detecting early changes in the soil food web, reflecting in changes in their community structure.

Materials and Methods

IWG and annual wheat sites in South France, Belgium and South Sweden were investigated in April 2022 for two depths (5–15 cm; 25–35 cm) to evaluate the difference in nematode community structure among the cropping systems.

Results

Sites with IWG cultivation held an accumulation of structure indicators (c‐p 3–5 nematodes) compared to sites with annual wheat cultivation. A generalised linear mixed model revealed significantly more root feeders, especially for the subsoil, under IWG as a result of the perennial cultivation. The maturity index, plant‐parasitic index, channel index and structure index were greater for IWG sites. The enrichment index was greater for annual wheat sites due to the dominance of bacterivores and enrichment indicators (c‐p 1 nematodes). The nematode community structure (weighted faunal profile analysis) indicates IWG sites as being a generally undisturbed system with efficient nutrient cycling and balanced distribution of feeding types, as well as higher metabolic footprint values for root feeders (including plant‐parasitic nematodes) and fungivores. Annual wheat sites, on the other hand, held indicators of a disturbed system with increased occurrence of opportunistic species and a more bacterial driven pathway. The topsoil had an increased occurrence of structure indicators in both cropping systems.

Conclusion

IWG creates favourable conditions for a diverse food web, including improved nutrient cycling and a heterogeneous resource environment, regardless of climatic conditions, establishing it as a stable and resilient agricultural management system.
Nano/microgroove zirconium‐doped lanthanum oxide film with self‐aligned molecules for liquid crystal device application
Authors: Choi Bo‐Kyeong , Oh Jin Young , Kim Dae‐Hyun , Lee Dong Wook , Seo Dae‐Shik
Published: July 2024

Herein, we propose a brush‐coated zirconium‐doped lanthanum oxide (ZrLaO) film as a liquid crystal (LC) alignment layer. The film‐curing temperature was adjusted to 70, 150, and 230°C. Polarized optical microscopy and pre‐tilt angle analysis confirmed that there was uniform and homogeneous LC alignment on the 230°C cured ZrLaO film. Atomic force microscopy revealed that the surface had a nano/microgroove structure, which was caused by the shear stress generated by the brush‐coating process. This structure induced the uniform LC alignment. X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy verified that the ZrLaO film was well‐formed on a glass substrate. The ZrLaO film displayed hydrophilic characteristics, and its surface energy increased as the film‐curing temperature increased. The ZrLaO alignment layer displayed suitable optical transmittance for LC device applications. The ZrLaO layer‐based twisted‐nematic LC cell exhibited more stable switching properties and better threshold voltage characteristics than conventional polyimide layers. Therefore, we expect that this brush‐coated ZrLaO layer will be a suitable LC alignment layer for LC device applications.
Dynamic undirected graphical models for time‐varying clinical symptom and neuroimaging networks
Authors: McDonnell Erin I. , Xie Shanghong , Marder Karen , Cui Fanyu , Wang Yuanjia
Published: July 2024

In this work, we propose methods to examine how the complex interrelationships between clinical symptoms and, separately, brain imaging biomarkers change over time leading up to the diagnosis of a disease in subjects with a known genetic near‐certainty of disease. We propose a time‐dependent undirected graphical model that ensures temporal and structural smoothness across time‐specific networks to examine the trajectories of interactions between markers aligned at the time of disease onset. Specifically, we anchor subjects relative to the time of disease diagnosis (anchoring time) as in a revival process, and we estimate networks at each time point of interest relative to the anchoring time. To use all available data, we apply kernel weights to borrow information across observations that are close to the time of interest. Adaptive lasso weights are introduced to encourage temporal smoothness in edge strength, while a novel elastic fused‐ penalty removes spurious edges and encourages temporal smoothness in network structure. Our approach can handle practical complications such as unbalanced visit times. We conduct simulation studies to compare our approach with existing methods. We then apply our method to data from PREDICT‐HD, a large prospective observational study of pre‐manifest Huntington's disease (HD) patients, to identify symptom and imaging network changes that precede clinical diagnosis of HD.
Engineering strategies for apoptotic bodies
Authors: Hu Zheyuan , Qian Shutong , Zhao Qiuyu , Lu Bolun , Lu Qian , Wang Yuhuan , Zhang Liucheng , Mao Xiyuan , Wang Danru , Cui Wenguo , Sun Xiaoming
Published: July 2024

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer vesicles containing proteins, lipids, nucleic acids, and metabolites secreted by cells under various physiological and pathological conditions that mediate intercellular communication. The main types of EVs include exosomes, microvesicles, and apoptotic bodies (ABs). ABs are vesicles released during the terminal stages of cellular apoptosis, enriched with diverse biological entities and characterized by distinct morphological features. As a result, ABs possess great potential in fields like disease diagnosis, immunotherapy, regenerative therapy, and drug delivery due to their specificity, targeting capacity, and biocompatibility. However, their therapeutic efficacy is notably heterogeneous, and an overdose can lead to side effects such as accumulation in the liver, spleen, lungs, and gastrointestinal system. Through bioengineering, the properties of ABs can be optimized to enhance drug‐loading efficiency, targeting precision, and multifunctionality for clinical implementations. This review focuses on strategies such as transfection, sonication, electroporation, surface engineering, and integration with biomaterials to enable ABs to load cargoes and enhance targeting, providing insights into the engineering of ABs.
A Markov‐switching spatio‐temporal ARCH model
Authors: Khoo Tzung Hsuen , Pathmanathan Dharini , Otto Philipp , Dabo‐Niang Sophie
Published: July 2024

Stock market indices are volatile by nature, and sudden shocks are known to affect volatility patterns. The autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (ARCH) and generalized ARCH (GARCH) models neglect structural breaks triggered by sudden shocks that may lead to an overestimation of persistence, causing an upward bias in the estimates. Different regime‐switching models that have abrupt regime‐switching governed by a Markov chain were developed to model volatility in financial time series data. Volatility modelling was also extended to spatially interconnected time series, resulting in spatial variants of ARCH models. This inspired us to propose a Markov switching framework of the spatio‐temporal log‐ARCH model. In this article, we discuss the Markov‐switching extension of the model, the estimation procedure and the smooth inferences of the regimes. The Monte Carlo simulation studies show that the maximum likelihood estimation method for our proposed model has good finite sample properties. The proposed model was applied to 28 stock indices' data that were presumably affected by the 2015–2016 Chinese stock market crash. The results showed that our model is a better fit compared to that of the one‐regime counterpart. Furthermore, the smoothed inference of the data indicated the approximate periods where structural breaks occurred. This model can capture structural breaks that simultaneously occur in nearby locations.
Partial Discharge Behavior Prior to Breakdown in Epoxy Resin
Authors: Htet Swe Zin Linn , Kondo Takuya , Miyake Takuma , Sakoda Tatsuya , Nishimura Takeshi
Published: July 2024

To evaluate the deterioration degree of insulation material by monitoring partial discharges (PDs), it is necessary to fully understand the PD behavior prior to breakdown. We performed measurements of temporal variations in the number and magnitude of PDs in a void of epoxy resin. It was found that the number of PDs with larger magnitude is less before breakdown and that there is a decreased tendency of the number and magnitude of PDs with the elapsed time. The tendency is remarkable as the applied electric field is small. Additionally, the time to breakdown becomes short when the scattering of the number of PDs per unit time decreases. © 2024 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan and Wiley Periodicals LLC.
The nexus of urban agriculture and health resilience: Insights from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Ebissa Gizaw , Desta Hayal , Fetene Aramde
Published: July 2024

Urban agriculture (UA) is useful in improving the health conditions of farmers and urban residents. The study aimed to investigate what and how UA contributes to the improvement of the health of residents engaged in UA in Addis Ababa. A sample size of 180 residents engaged in UA in Addis Ababa was selected based on the standard sample‐taking procedure for interviews. Collected data were entered into the SPSS software (version 2021) and then analyzed using analysis of variance. Results revealed that 89% of the respondents were convinced that their engagements in UA helped them in improving the health of their own and that of family members. UA in Addis Ababa is found to have the role of increasing farmers’ accessibility to healthy and fresh food; availing more food for consumption; increasing physical activity relevant to farm works; improving sanitation at personal, domestic, and environmental levels; and enhancing social capital. Pearson correlation analyses indicated that improved health condition has a statistically significant positive correlation with increased access to healthy and fresh food, increased consumption of diverse food, and improved social capital at α = 0.05 level (two‐tailed). UA in Addis Ababa enhanced the overall health conditions of 89% of the farmers and their families engaged in the practices. Bringing more lands under UA helps realize the endeavor of building a health‐resilient resident in addition to using UA as a tool for restoring the deteriorating social fabric in Ethiopia.
Risk of neuropsychiatric disorders in primary hyperparathyroidism: Parathyroidectomy versus nonoperative management
Authors: Song Zhixing , Balachandra Sanjana , Wu Christopher , Wang Rongzhi , Zmijewski Polina , Gillis Andrea , Fazendin Jessica , Lindeman Brenessa , Chen Herbert
Published: July 2024

Background

Neuropsychiatric disorders frequently manifest in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), yet evidence of parathyroidectomy's benefit remains mixed. We sought to compare the incidence of neuropsychiatric disorders among patients treated with parathyroidectomy versus nonoperative management.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed our institutional administrative database for patients with PHPT. Patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism were excluded. The date of biochemical diagnosis of PHPT was designated as day 0 and new‐onset neuropsychiatric disorders were defined as conditions diagnosed after this date. The risk of new‐onset neuropsychiatric disorders in propensity score‐matched surgical and nonsurgical patients was compared using the Cox regression over a median follow‐up of 4.2 years.

Results

Our cohort included 3728 patients, predominantly female (78%) and white (63.9%), with a mean (± Standard deviation) age of 62 ± 14 years. Of these, 1704 (45.7%) underwent parathyroidectomy. After propensity score matching and adjusting for clinical characteristics, patients who had parathyroidectomy showed a reduced hazard ratio (HR) for new‐onset cognitive impairment (HR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.47–0.91), somnolence (HR: 0.45, 95% CI: 0.23–0.9) and schizophrenia (HR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.01–0.6), but not for anxiety (HR: 1.07, 95% CI: 0.83–1.37), depression (HR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.77–1.36) or suicidal ideation (HR: 0.31, 95% CI: 0.04–2.71). Additionally, surgical patients were less likely to require inpatient care (0.3% vs. 1.8%, p < 0.001) for neuropsychiatric disorders.

Conclusions

Parathyroidectomy is associated with lower risks of new‐onset cognitive impairment, schizophrenia, or somnolence, indicating potential benefit of operative management in improving neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with PHPT.
Darm außer Kontrolle – wenn das Immunsystem andere Wege geht
Authors: Posovszky Carsten , Schütz Catharina
Published: July 2024

Die Darmmukosa bildet nicht nur eine physikalische Barriere, sondern koordiniert auch die angeborene und adaptive Immunabwehr im Darm, um den Körper vor potenziell schädlichen Substanzen und Erregern zu schützen. Das intestinale Immunsystem ist daueraktiv und sorgt für eine geregelte Abwehr und -toleranz. Erkrankungen mit gestörter Immunabwehr führen häufig zu infektiösen, (chronisch-)entzündlichen oder autoimmunen Darmerkrankungen. Klinisch zeigt sich dies als Durchfall, Blut im Stuhl und Malabsorption sowie im Kindesalter als Gedeihstörung oder in der Adoleszenz als Gewichtsverlust. Deshalb sollte bei der Abklärung einer chronischen Darmerkrankung u. a. an einen Immundefekt gedacht werden. Das Erkennen einer zugrunde liegenden Immundefizienz ist für die therapeutische Weichenstellung entscheidend, weshalb frühzeitig eine gezielte Diagnostik erfolgen sollte. Je nach zugrunde liegender Störung des Immunsystems finden sich bei Betroffenen häufig klinische, immunologische und histologische Besonderheiten. Bekannte Genvarianten können mit typischen Phänotypen einhergehen, nicht immer aber liegt eine sog. Genotyp-Phänotyp-Korrelation vor. Häufig sind allerdings Krankheitsmerkmale wie Symptome, histologische Veränderungen, Entzündungsmarker Ausdruck der gemeinsamen Endstrecke verschiedener monogenetischer Defekte. Daher profitieren Patient:innen mit V. a. einen Immundefekt vom „next generation sequencing“ (NGS).
Soft ionization mechanisms in flexible µ-tube plasma—elucidation of He-, Ar-, Kr-, and Xe-FµTP
Authors: Tian Caiyan , Song Hao , Ahlmann Norman , Brandt Sebastian , Foest Daniel , Niu Guanghui , Franzke Joachim , Speicher Luisa
Published: July 2024

The soft ionization mechanism of helium-based plasma seems to be understood while it still remains challenging in argon-based plasma, although many studies have used argon plasmas as a soft ionization source with good ionization efficiencies. In this study, helium, argon, krypton, and xenon were fed into the same discharge geometry, a flexible micro-tube plasma (FµTP), to determine the ionization mechanisms. The FµTPs operated with the named noble gases obtained comparable ionization efficiencies by MS measurements. The optical emission results showed that N2+ were the dominant ions within the helium-FµTP and noble gas ions were dominant for the other plasmas. These ions support the development of excitation and eventually stop at the end of the capillary. Therefore, Penning ionization and charge transfer between plasma and ambient air/analytes in the open atmosphere have been proven not to be the primary soft ionization mechanism. Furthermore, it was found that photoionization played a minor role in soft ionization. Using helium as a diagnosis gas in front of the discharge capillary nozzle of the FµTP, where the sample is usually positioned, shows that helium can be ignited by all of these FµTPs. This demonstrates that the excitation of a diagnosis gas as well as the ionization of analytes is independent of the type of the discharge gas. An alternative mechanism that a transient potential created by the ions is responsible for the soft ionization is subsequently proposed.
Fertilization regime changes rhizosphere microbial community assembly and interaction in Phoebe bournei plantations
Authors: Yan Haoyu , Wu Yang , He Gongxiu , Wen Shizhi , Yang Lili , Ji Li
Published: July 2024

Fertilizer input is one of the effective forest management practices, which improves soil nutrients and microbial community compositions and promotes forest productivity. However, few studies have explored the response of rhizosphere soil microbial communities to various fertilization regimes across seasonal dynamics. Here, we collected the rhizosphere soil samples from Phoebe bournei plantations to investigate the response of community assemblages and microbial interactions of the soil microbiome to the short-term application of four typical fertilizer practices (including chemical fertilizer (CF), organic fertilizer (OF), compound microbial fertilizer (CMF), and no fertilizer control (CK)). The amendments of organic fertilizer and compound microbial fertilizer altered the composition of rhizosphere soil bacterial and fungal communities, respectively. The fertilization regime significantly affected bacterial diversity rather than fungal diversity, and rhizosphere fungi responded more sensitively than bacteria to season. Fertilization-induced fungal networks were more complex than bacterial networks. Stochastic processes governed both rhizosphere soil bacterial and fungal communities, and drift and dispersal limitation dominated soil fungal and bacterial communities, respectively. Collectively, these findings demonstrate contrasting responses to community assemblages and interactions of rhizosphere bacteria and fungi to fertilizer practices. The application of organic fertilization strengthens microbial interactions and changes the succession of key taxa in the rhizosphere habitat.

Key points

• Fertilization altered the key taxa and microbial interaction

• Organic fertilizer facilitated the turnover of rhizosphere microbial communities

• Stochasticity governed soil fungal and bacterial community assembly
Conversion of polyploid and alloploid Saccharomyces sensu stricto strains to leu2 mutants by genome DNA editing
Authors: Kiyokawa Kazuya , Sakuma Tetsushi , Moriguchi Kazuki , Sugiyama Minetaka , Akao Takeshi , Yamamoto Takashi , Suzuki Katsunori
Published: July 2024

A large number of recombinant plasmids for the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae have been constructed and accumulated over the past four decades. It is desirable to apply the recombinant plasmid resources to Saccharomyces sensu stricto species group, which contains an increasing number of natural isolate and industrial strains. The application to the group encounters a difficulty. Natural isolates and industrial strains are exclusively prototrophic and polyploid, whereas direct application of most conventional plasmid resources imposes a prerequisite in host yeast strains of an auxotrophic mutation (i.e., leu2) that is rescued by a selection gene (e.g., LEU2) on the recombinant plasmids. To solve the difficulty, we aimed to generate leu2 mutants from yeast strains belonging to the yeast Saccharomyces sensu stricto species group by DNA editing. First, we modified an all-in-one type CRISPR-Cas9 plasmid pML104 by adding an antibiotic-resistance gene and designing guide sequences to target the LEU2 gene and to enable wide application in this yeast group. Then, the resulting CRISPR-Cas9 plasmids were exploited to seven strains belonging to five species of the group, including natural isolate, industrial, and allopolyploid strains. Colonies having the designed mutations in the gene appeared successfully by introducing the plasmids and assisting oligonucleotides to the strains. Most of the plasmids and resultant leu2− mutants produced in this study will be deposited in several repository organizations.

Key points

• All-in-one type CRISPR-Cas9 plasmids targeting LEU2 gene were designed for broad application to Saccharomyces sensu stricto group species strains

• Application of the plasmids generated leu2 mutants from strains including natural isolates, industrial, and allopolyploid strains

• The easy conversion to leu2 mutants permits free access to recombinant plasmids having a LEU2 gene

Graphical Abstract
What does “urgency” mean when prioritizing cancer treatment? Results from a qualitative study with German oncologists and other experts during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Sommerlatte Sabine , Hense Helene , Nadolny Stephan , Kraeft Anna-Lena , Lugnier Celine , Schmitt Jochen , Schoffer Olaf , Reinacher-Schick Anke , Schildmann Jan
Published: July 2024

Purpose

Cancer care in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic was affected by resource scarcity and the necessity to prioritize medical measures. This study explores ethical criteria for prioritization and their application in cancer practices from the perspective of German oncologists and other experts.

Methods

We conducted fourteen semi-structured interviews with German oncologists between February and July 2021 and fed findings of interviews and additional data on prioritizing cancer care into four structured group discussions, in January and February 2022, with 22 experts from medicine, nursing, law, ethics, health services research and health insurance. Interviews and group discussions were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results

Narratives of the participants focus on “urgency” as most acceptable criterion for prioritization in cancer care. Patients who are considered curable and those with a high level of suffering, were given a high degree of “urgency.” However, further analysis indicates that the “urgency” criterion needs to be further distinguished according to at least three different dimensions: “urgency” to (1) prevent imminent harm to life, (2) prevent future harm to life and (3) alleviate suffering. In addition, “urgency” is modulated by the “success,” which can be reached by means of an intervention, and the “likelihood” of reaching that success.

Conclusion

Our analysis indicates that while “urgency” is a well-established criterion, its operationalization in the context of oncology is challenging. We argue that combined conceptual and clinical analyses are necessary for a sound application of the “urgency” criterion to prioritization in cancer care.
Population-adjusted numbers, demographics and mental health among children and adolescents referred to the Norwegian National Center for Gender Incongruence over two decades
Authors: Nyquist Cecilie Bjertness , Torgersen Leila , David Linda W. , Diseth Trond Haaken , Magnus Per , Biele Guido Philipp Emmanuel , Waehre Anne
Published: July 2024

Over the last decade, there has been a sharp increase in young people seeking medical treatment for gender dysphoria/gender incongruence (GD/GI). The aims of this study were to calculate yearly population-adjusted numbers of children and adolescents referred to the Norwegian National Center for Gender Incongruence (NCGI) at Oslo University Hospital (OUS) from 2000 to 2022; to describe the demographic characteristics and prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses, self-harm and suicide attempts among the referred from 2000 to 2020; and to investigate time trends. The study used data from the Gender Incongruence Registry for Children and Adolescents (GIRCA) in Norway. All persons under 18 years (n = 1258) referred to the NCGI between 2000 and 2020 were included: 68.4% assigned female gender at birth (AFAB) and 31.6% assigned male gender at birth (AMAB). We found a sharp increase in referrals to the NCGI favouring AFAB over AMAB. Nearly two in three (64.5%) had one or more registered psychiatric diagnoses. Self-harm was registered among 35.5%, and 12.7% had attempted suicide. Registered psychiatric diagnoses were significantly (p ≤ 0.001) more prevalent among AFAB (67.8%) than AMAB (57.4%). The number of registered diagnoses per person decreased significantly over time, with an average reduction of 0.02 diagnoses per person per year. Although there was a downward time trend in registered diagnoses per person, the total mental health burden among children and adolescents with GI emphasizes the need for a holistic approach.
Numerical analysis of a time discretized method for nonlinear filtering problem with Lévy process observations
Authors: Zhang Fengshan , Zou Yongkui , Chai Shimin , Cao Yanzhao
Published: July 2024

In this paper, we consider a nonlinear filtering model with observations driven by correlated Wiener processes and point processes. We first derive a Zakai equation whose solution is an unnormalized probability density function of the filter solution. Then, we apply a splitting-up technique to decompose the Zakai equation into three stochastic differential equations, based on which we construct a splitting-up approximate solution and prove its half-order convergence. Furthermore, we apply a finite difference method to construct a time semi-discrete approximate solution to the splitting-up system and prove its half-order convergence to the exact solution of the Zakai equation. Finally, we present some numerical experiments to demonstrate the theoretical analysis.