bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of environmental factors on the ecology and survival of a widespread, endemic Cerrado frog
Authors: Fiorillo Bruno F. , Faggioni Gabriel Paganini , Cerezer Felipe Osmari , Becker C. Guilherme , Díaz‐Ricaurte Juan C. , Martins Marcio
Published: February 2023

Understanding the mechanisms that affect habitat use by vertebrates is critical for understanding how species are distributed across landscapes and how they cope with habitat change. The Brazilian Savanna (the Cerrado) has vegetation ranging from grassland to woodland savannas and harbors a rich and diverse amphibian fauna impacted by accelerated habitat loss. Here, we test the influence of vegetation type (from grassy scrubland to woodland) and distance from breeding sites (ephemeral water bodies) on body size, abundance, and survival of the frog Physalaemus nattereri in a natural metapopulation system of south‐central Brazil. We also test whether body size is a significant predictor of population abundance. We found that the abundance of P. nattereri varies according to the mean snout–vent length of each metapopulation (sampling unit), as well as a higher estimated mortality rate in woodlands compared with typical Cerrado. Furthermore, we found no difference in estimated mortality among sampling units located far or close to ephemeral water bodies. Thus, our results highlight variable responses of P. nattereri metapopulations to environmental factors, despite the observed high heterogeneity among sampled habitats and the importance of ephemeral water bodies for reproduction. These findings highlight that land cover and availability of breeding sites might not always interact to explain population persistence of Cerrado frogs.
Transanal irrigation is a better choice for bowel dysfunction in adults with Spina bifida: A randomised controlled trial
Authors: Brochard Charlène , Jezequel Magali , Blanchard‐Dauphin Anne , Kerdraon Jacques , Perrouin‐Verbe Brigitte , Leroi Anne‐Marie , Reymann Jean Michel , Peyronnet Benoît , Morçet Jeff , Siproudhis Laurent
Published: February 2023

Aim

To compare transanal irrigation with conservative bowel management for the treatment of bowel dysfunction in Spina bifida (SB) patients.

Methods

Patients with SB and bowel dysfunction were randomly assigned to receive either transanal irrigation or conservative bowel management. The effectiveness of the treatment was defined as a decrease of 4 points in the neurogenic bowel dysfunction (NBD) score at week 10. Data on incontinence (Cleveland scores; Jorge‐Wexner [JW]) and constipation (Knowles‐Eccersley‐Scott Symptom Constipation Score [KESS]) were recorded at 10 and 24 weeks after inclusion. Data were analysed on an intention‐to‐treat basis.

Results

A total of 34 patients were randomised: 16 patients to conservative bowel management and 18 patients to transanal irrigation. A total of 19/31 (61%) patients improved at week 10, 13 (76%) in the transanal irrigation group versus six (43%) in the conservative group (p = 0.056). In the irrigation group, the decrease in NBD score was −6.9 (−9.9 to −4.02) versus −1.9 (−6.5 to −2.8) in the conservative group (p = 0.049 in univariate and p = 0.004 in multivariate analysis). The NBD, Cleveland (JW and KESS) and Rosenberg scores were significantly lower in the transanal irrigation group than in the conservative bowel management group at week 10.

Conclusions

This prospective, randomised, controlled, multicentre study in adult patients with SB suggests that transanal irrigation may be more effective than conservative bowel management.
Tax noncompliance: The role of tax morale in smokers' behavior
Authors: Prieger James E.
Published: February 2023

Measuring and predicting compliance with tax obligations is an important but challenging task. Survey data from California smokers show that several forms of tax avoidance and evasion were common. The analysis shows that 43% of smokers avoided taxes by purchasing cigarettes from out‐of‐state sources in the past year, 15% admitted to evading taxes through cross‐border purchases, and 26% reported purchasing likely or certainly untaxed cigarettes in the state in the past month. Attitudinal factors related to tax morale explain much more of the variance in compliance rates than demographic or law‐and‐economics factors. The implications for policy are discussed.
The long‐term impact of glucose monitoring with theFreeStyleLibre on glycaemic control and hypoglycaemia awareness in people with type 1 diabetes: Insights from the Association of British Clinical Diabetologists national audit
Authors: Shah Najeeb , Deshmukh Harshal , Wilmot Emma G. , Patmore Jane , Christian Peter , Barnes Dennis J. , Walton Chris , Ryder Robert E. J. , Sathyapalan Thozhukat
Published: February 2023

Aims

To investigate the change in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), hypoglycaemia awareness and diabetes‐related distress in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) using FreeStyle Libre (FSL) over a 2‐year follow‐up period.

Methods

FSL user data from U.K wide hospitals collected during routine clinical care were analysed. People living with T1D were categorised into four groups based on the duration of follow‐up. Group I (< 1 year,n = 6940), group II (1 to 1.5 years,n = 662), group III (1.5 to 2 years,n = 385), and group IV (> 2 years,n = 642). The t‐test was used to compare the baseline and follow‐up HbA1c, GOLD score (a measure of hypoglycaemia awareness) and diabetes‐related distress scale (DDS score) (quality of life measure).

Results

The study consisted of 16,834 people, with follow‐up data available for 8,629 participants. The change in HbA1c, GOLD and DDS score from baseline within the follow‐up sub‐groups (group I vs group II vs group III vs group IV) wasHbA1c(−6 vs −6 vs −4 vs −4 mmol/mol;p < 0.001) (−0.55 vs −0.55 vs −0.37 vs −0.37 %),GOLD score(−0.31 vs −0.45 vs −0.26 vs −0.42;p < 0.0001 group I, II, IV andp  0.07 group III), andDDS score(−0.59 vs −0.58 vs −0.63 vs −0.50;p < 0.001), respectively.

Conclusions

In people with T1D, FSL use resulted in a sustained improvement in HbA1c, hypoglycaemia awareness and diabetes‐related distress for over two years.
Trajectory of glycated haemoglobin over time, using real‐world data, in type 2 diabetes patients with obesity on a U‐100 basal‐bolus insulin regimen
Authors: Chen Jieling , Fan Ludi , Maughn Keisha , Rey Gabriel G. , Liu Yi , Nelson David R. , Hood Robert C.
Published: February 2023

Aims

To identify patient clusters with poor glucose control among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with obesity who are receiving basal‐bolus insulin and to identify the potential therapeutic inertia factors associated with poor control.

Methods

Glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) trajectories across a 3‐year period were structured at 6‐month intervals for a retrospective cohort of T2DM patients with obesity on basal‐bolus insulin from the Veterans' Health Administration database. Based on each patient's longitudinal HbA1c features, an unsupervised clustering procedure was used to determine the numbers of clusters and associated trajectory patterns. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine the association between HbA1c trajectory clusters and patient characteristics/treatment patterns.

Results

A total of 51 273 patients were included, of whom 11.2% were in a subgroup with persistent missingness of HbA1c values. For those with sufficient HbA1c observations, cluster analysis indicated six distinct HbA1c trajectories: stable low (35.8%); stable high (20.8%); descending low (10.5%); ascending low (10.2%); descending high (5.7%); and ascending high (5.7%). Being of Black ethnicity, not initiating noninsulin antihyperglycaemic agents (sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitors, glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists or thiazolidinediones) or concentrated insulin, low adherence (measured by proportion of days covered), and reduced insulin prescription refills were factors associated with poorer HbA1c clusters; similar factors were associated with persistent HbA1c missingness.

Conclusion

The present study found the potential for therapeutic inertia among a significant proportion of T2DM patients with obesity on basal‐bolus insulin. Subgrouping T2DM patients based on HbA1c missingness and HbA1c trajectories can inform disease management strategies.
The West Saxon boundary clause in context: Celtic and Continental connections
Authors: Clark Amy W.
Published: February 2023

The perambulatory boundary clause in England originated as a West Saxon phenomenon in the eighth century, most likely through connections with the early Celtic church, and spread with the rise of the West Saxon kings. Vernacular perambulatory charter bounds occur throughout England after the tenth century – but before 800, they appear only in Wessex, and on the Continent where West Saxons were initially installed as missionaries, in an early Latin–vernacular form. The West Saxon roots of Boniface and his followers may thus explain the presence of early perambulatory bounds in Frankish archives.
Subsurface fatigue crack tip strains in 7475‐T7351 aluminium alloy measured using stroboscopic neutron diffraction
Authors: Coules Harry , Probert Molly , Azuma Kisaburo , Truman Christopher , Seow Cui Er , Pirling Thilo , Cabeza Sandra
Published: February 2023

Fatigue crack growth in thick‐section metals is typically controlled by an internal plane strain region where strong triaxial constraint of the crack tip occurs. However, the crack tip stress state in this region is challenging to measure. We have used neutron diffraction to study the plane strain section of fatigue crack tips in situ. A stroboscopic form of neutron diffraction using a moving frame‐of‐reference was developed to measure crack tip strains as a function of phase in the fatigue loading cycle without interrupting the cyclic load. Using point measurements of near‐tip strain in 7475‐T7351 aluminium alloy in conjunction with finite element analysis, we can estimate the extent of the crack tip plastic zone, verifying that it is small for this material and set of loading conditions.
Development and psychometric properties of a short version of the Patient Continuity of Care Questionnaire
Authors: Safstrom Emma , Arestedt Kristofer , Hadjistavropoulos Heather D. , Liljeroos Maria , Nordgren Lena , Jaarsma Tiny , Stromberg Anna
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Hospitalization due to cardiac conditions is increasing worldwide, and follow‐up after hospitalization usually occurs in a different healthcare setting than the one providing treatment during hospitalization. This leads to a risk of fragmented care and increases the need for coordination and continuity of care after hospitalization. Furthermore, international reports highlight the importance of improving continuity of care and state that it is an essential indicator of the quality of care. Patients’ perceptions of continuity of care can be evaluated using the Patient Continuity of Care Questionnaire (PCCQ). However, the original version is extensive and may prove burdensome to complete; therefore, we aimed to develop and evaluate a short version of the PCCQ.

Methods

This was a psychometric validation study. Content validity was evaluated among user groups, including patients (n = 7), healthcare personnel (n = 15), and researchers (n = 7). Based on the results of the content validity and conceptual discussions among the authors, 12 items were included in the short version. Data from patients were collected using a consecutive sampling procedure involving patients 6 weeks after hospitalization due to cardiac conditions. Rasch analysis was used to evaluate the psychometric properties of the short version of the PCCQ.

Results

A total of 1000 patients were included [mean age 72 (SD = 10), 66% males]. The PCCQ‐12 presented a satisfactory overall model fit and a person separation index of 0.79 (Cronbach's α: .91, ordinal α: .94). However, three items presented individual item misfits. No evidence of multidimensionality was found, meaning that a total score can be calculated. A total of four items presented evidence of response dependence but, according to the analysis, this did not seem to affect the measurement properties or reliability of the PCCQ‐12. We found that the first two response options were disordered in all items. However, the reliability remained the same when these response options were amended. In future research, the benefits of the four response options could be evaluated.

Conclusion

The PCCQ‐12 has sound psychometric properties and is ready to be used in clinical and research settings to measure patients' perceptions of continuity of care after hospitalization.

Patient or Public Contribution

Patients, healthcare personnel and researchers were involved in the study because they were invited to select items relevant to the short version of the questionnaire.
Identification and counting of fish targets using adaptive resolution imaging sonar
Authors: Shen Wei , Peng Zhanfei , Zhang Jin
Published: February 2023

Fish are a critical component of marine biology; therefore, the accurate identification and counting of fish are essential for the objective monitoring and assessment of marine biological resources. High‐frequency adaptive resolution imaging sonar (ARIS) is widely used for underwater object detection and imaging, and it quickly obtains close‐up video of free‐swimming fish in high‐turbidity water environments. Nonetheless, processing the massive data output using imaging sonars remains a major challenge. Here, the authors developed an automatic image‐processing programme that fuses K‐nearest neighbour background subtraction with DeepSort target tracking to automatically track and count fish. The automatic programme was evaluated using four test data sets with different target sizes and observation ranges and differently deployed sonars. According to the results, the approach successfully counted free‐swimming fish targets with an accuracy index of 73% and a completeness index of 70%. Under appropriate conditions, this approach could replace time‐consuming semi‐automatic approaches and improve the efficiency of imaging sonar data processing, while providing technical support for future real‐time data processing.
Corporate social responsibility and bank liquidity creation
Authors: Zheng Chen , Cheung Adrian (Wai Kong) , Zhang Junru , Haider Imran
Published: February 2023

Under the stakeholder theory hypothesis, reputable corporate social responsibility (CSR) banks are expected to attract more loans and deposits, which in turn strengthens their ability to create liquidity. Our findings support this view. Further analyses reveal that the positive effect of CSR on liquidity creation differs depending on bank size, bank capital, and type of financial crisis. In addition, deposit growth, loan growth, lending rate, and funding rate are potential channels through which CSR influences bank liquidity creation. The findings are not driven by an endogeneity issue.
Adverse outcomes associated with opioid prescription by dentists in the Veterans Health Administration: A national cross‐sectional study from 2015 to 2018
Authors: Solanki Pooja A. , Hubbard Colin C. , Poggensee Linda , Evans Charlesnika T. , Suda Katie J.
Published: February 2023

Objectives

Opioids prescribed by dentists have been associated with serious adverse events, including opioid‐related overdose and mortality. However, the downstream outcomes of opioids prescribed by dentists to Veterans who are at high risk for opioid misuse and overdose have yet to be determined.

Methods

This was a national cross‐sectional analysis of opioids associated with dental visits within the Veterans Health Administration from 2015 to 2018. Overprescribing was defined per guidelines as >120 morphine milligram equivalents (MME) or >3 days supply. The association of dental visit and patient characteristics was modeled separately for opioid‐related poisoning and all‐cause mortality using logistic regression.

Results

Of 137,273 Veterans prescribed an opioid by a dentist, 0.1% and 1.1% were associated with opioid‐related poisoning and mortality, respectively. There was no difference in opioid poisoning within 6 months for Veterans with opioid prescriptions >120 MME (aOR = 1.25 [CI: 0.89–1.78]), but poisoning decreased in Veterans prescribed opioids >3‐days supply (aOR = 0.68 [CI: 0.49–0.96]). However, Veterans with opioids >120 MME were associated with higher odds of mortality within 6 months (aOR = 1.17 [95% CI: 1.05–1.32]) while there was no difference in prescriptions >3‐days supply (aOR = 1.12 [CI: 0.99–1.25]).

Conclusion

Serious opioid‐related adverse events were rare in Veterans and lower than other reports in the literature. Since nonopioid analgesics have superior efficacy for the treatment of acute dental pain, prescribing opioid alternatives may decrease opioid‐related poisoning. Strategies for dentists to identify patients at high risk should be incorporated into the dental record.
Diagnostic features of type II fibrinoid leukodystrophy (Alexander disease) in a juvenile Beagle dog
Authors: Vandenberghe Hélène , Baiker Kerstin , Nye George , Escauriaza Leticia , Roberts Emma , Granger Nicolas , Reeve Lizzie
Published: February 2023

A 3‐month‐old female entire Beagle presented with a progressive history of caudotentorial encephalopathy. Reactive encephalopathies were ruled out and tests for the most common infectious diseases agents were negative. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain using a 1.5 Tesla scanner showed diffuse, bilateral, T2‐weighted and T2‐weighted‐FLAIR hyperintense, T1‐weighted hypointense, noncontrast‐enhancing lesions involving the white matter of the cerebellum, brainstem, spinal cord, and forebrain to a lesser extent. There was cerebellar enlargement. Abnormalities were not detected on cerebrospinal fluid examination. Given the progressive nature of the disease and suspected poor prognosis the dog was euthanized. Histopathological analysis of the brain was consistent with fibrinoid leukodystrophy, also known as Alexander disease. Based on the classification used in humans, this is a description of MRI of a case of type II Alexander disease in veterinary medicine, with characteristics different to other described leukoencephalopathies in dogs.
Romantic objects, Victorian collections: Scribal relics and the authorial body
Authors: Sommer Tim
Published: February 2023

Over the course of the nineteenth century, literary manuscripts came to be seen as tangible evidence of the creative process and as a key to the personality of the author. The material traces of writing were understood to outlive their creators and promise to resurrect the authorial body through the magic of the relic. This article reconstructs how authorial script gradually transformed into a collectible object pursued as a memento and a commodity. Letters, drafts, and fair copies by major modern writers found their way into the collections of British aristocrats and American industrialists at the same time that hunting for literary autographs diversified into a middle‐class pursuit. Surveying recent scholarship on nineteenth‐century collecting and material culture, the essay offers a condensed cultural history of the literary manuscript as a collectible and draws attention to how collectors and collecting feature in fictional texts of the period. It focuses on the artefactual mobility and custodial afterlives of Romantic papers in Victorian literature and culture, exploring a form of collecting which crossed boundaries between periods and national literary traditions.
Increase of liver stiffness and altered bile acid metabolism after triple CFTR modulator initiation in children and young adults with cystic fibrosis
Authors: Schnell Alexander , Jüngert Jörg , Klett Daniel , Hober Hannah , Kaiser Natalie , Ruppel Renate , Geppert Annika , Tremel Christina , Sobel Julia , Plattner Erika , Schmitt‐Grohé Sabina , Zirlik Sabine , Strobel Deike , Neurath Markus F. , Knieling Ferdinand , Rauh Manfred , Woelfle Joachim , Hoerning André , Regensburger Adrian P.
Published: February 2023

Background

Novel cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator therapies (elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor—ETI) promise clinically significant and sustained improvements for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). In this study, we investigated the impact of ETI therapy on liver stiffness and bile acid metabolism in a cohort of children and young adults with CF.

Methods

A prospective observational study (NCT05576324) was conducted from September 2020 to November 2021 enrolling CF patients naive to ETI. Standard laboratory chemistry, sweat test, lung function, share wave velocity (SWV) derived by acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI) and serum bile acid profiles were assessed before and 6 months after induction of ETI therapy.

Results

A total of 20 patients (10 aged <20 years) completed the study. While lung function and BMI improved after ETI therapy, ARFI SWV increased in CF patients <20 years of age (from 1.27 to 1.43 m/s, p = 0.023). Bile acid (BA) profiles revealed a decrease in unconjugated (5.75 vs 1.46, p = 0.007) and increase in glycine‐conjugated derivatives (GCDCA) (4.79 vs 6.64 p = 0.016). There was a positive correlation between ARFI SWV values and GCDCA (r = 0.80, p < 0.0001). Glycine‐conjugated BA provided high diagnostic accuracy to predict increased ARFI measurements (AUC 0.90) and clinical (Colombo) CFLD grading (AUC 0.97).

Conclusions

ARFI SWV and bile acid profiles provide evidence for early increase in liver stiffness and altered bile acid metabolism in young CF patients after initiation of ETI and may serve as synergistic measures for detection of hepatic complications during ETI therapy.
Potential therapies for acute‐on‐chronic liver failure
Authors: Morrison Maura A. , Artru Florent , Trovato Francesca M. , Triantafyllou Evangelos , McPhail Mark J.
Published: February 2023

Acute‐on‐chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a syndrome that develops in approximately 30% of patients hospitalised with cirrhosis and is characterised by an acute decompensation of liver function associated with extra‐hepatic organ failures and a high short‐term mortality. At present, no specific therapies are available for ACLF, and current management is limited to treatment of the precipitating event and organ support. Given the high prevalence and high mortality of this severe liver disease, there is an urgent need for targeted treatments. There is increasing evidence of the important role played by systemic inflammation and immune dysfunction in the pathophysiology of ACLF and a better understanding of these immune processes is resulting in new therapeutic targets. The aim of this review is to present an overview of ongoing studies of potentially promising therapies and how they could be utilised in the management of ACLF.
Testing the common risk difference of proportions for stratified uni‐ and bilateral correlated data
Authors: Li Zhiming , Ma Changxing , Mou Keyi
Published: February 2023

In medical clinical studies, uni‐ and bilateral data naturally occurs if each patient contributes either one or both of paired organ measurements in a stratified design. This paper mainly proposes a common test of risk differences between proportions for stratified uni‐ and bilateral correlated data. Likelihood ratio, score, and Wald‐type test statistics are constructed using global, unconstrained, and constrained maximum likelihood estimations of parameters. Simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the performance of these test procedures in terms of type I error rates and powers. Empirical results show that the likelihood ratio test is more robust and powerful than other statistics. A real example is used to illustrate the proposed methods.
Abundance, perceptions and utilizations of termite mounds in Cambodia
Authors: Muon Ratha , Lai Chenda , Hervé Vincent , Zaiss Rainer , Chassagne François , Bureau‐Point Eve , Marchand Sébastien , Audibert Martine , Berger Jacques , Wieringa Frank , Savouré Arnould , Sok Kimchhin , Meunier Jean‐Dominique , Ann Vannak , Jouquet Pascal
Published: February 2023

In the Lower Mekong Basin, paddy fields often appear as mosaics, with soil mounds covered by trees or other plants in a spotty distribution. These soil mounds are commonly named termite ‘lenticular mounds’ because termite bioturbation is considered to be at their origin. Termite mounds host a large diversity of animals and plants, increasing landscape patchiness. Because the preservation of these islands of biodiversity is threatened by modern agricultural practices, the aim of this study was to quantify their abundance and the services they provide to the local population. The abundance of mounds and their use by the population were quantified in a catchment in Cambodia. We found that mounds density reached ~2 mounds ha−1. Interviews carried out within the catchment showed that most of the interviewees used mounds for increasing the fertility of their field and for the cultivation of rice and other plants (e.g. sponge gourd and pumpkin). In addition to their potential to increase plant productivity, the survey revealed that animals (rats and snakes), mushrooms and 13 plant species found on or in mounds were consumed by the population. In addition to potentially contributing to an increase in food diversity, mounds also impacted farmers' health by allowing access to 20 medicinal plant species and indirectly via a reduction in pesticide use. In conclusion, this study is the first attempt to quantify the large number of services provided by termite mounds in Cambodia. This increase in the knowledge of the diversity of environmental and socioeconomic services provided by termite mounds is likely to contribute to their preservation and provide a basis for the sustainable management of biodiversity in paddy fields in the Lower Mekong Basin region.
Cholinergic collaterals arising from noradrenergic sympathetic neurons in mice
Authors: Clyburn Courtney , Li Ming‐Hua , Ingram Susan L. , Andresen Michael C. , Habecker Beth A.
Published: February 2023

The sympathetic nervous system vitally regulates autonomic functions, including cardiac activity. Postganglionic neurons of the sympathetic chain ganglia relay signals from the central nervous system to autonomic peripheral targets. Disrupting this flow of information often dysregulates organ function and leads to poor health outcomes. Despite the importance of these sympathetic neurons, fundamental aspects of the neurocircuitry within peripheral ganglia remain poorly understood. Conventionally, simple monosynaptic cholinergic pathways from preganglionic neurons are thought to activate postganglionic sympathetic neurons. However, early studies suggested more complex neurocircuits may be present within sympathetic ganglia. The present study recorded synaptic responses in sympathetic stellate ganglia neurons following electrical activation of the pre‐ and postganglionic nerve trunks and used genetic strategies to assess the presence of collateral projections between postganglionic neurons of the stellate ganglia. Orthograde activation of the preganglionic nerve trunk, T‐2, uncovered high jitter synaptic latencies consistent with polysynaptic connections. Pharmacological inhibition of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors with hexamethonium blocked all synaptic events. To confirm that high jitter, polysynaptic events were due to the presence of cholinergic collaterals from postganglionic neurons within the stellate ganglion, we knocked out choline acetyltransferase in adult noradrenergic neurons. This genetic knockout eliminated orthograde high jitter synaptic events and EPSCs evoked by retrograde activation. These findings suggest that cholinergic collateral projections arise from noradrenergic neurons within sympathetic ganglia. Identifying the contributions of collateral excitation to normal physiology and pathophysiology is an important area of future study and may offer novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of autonomic imbalance.

image

Key points

Electrical stimulation of a preganglionic nerve trunk evoked fast synaptic transmission in stellate ganglion neurons with low and high jitter latencies.

Retrograde stimulation of a postganglionic nerve trunk evoked direct, all‐or‐none action currents and delayed nicotinic EPSCs indistinguishable from orthogradely‐evoked EPSCs in stellate neurons.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor blockade prevented all spontaneous and evoked synaptic activity.

Knockout of acetylcholine production in noradrenergic neurons eliminated all retrogradely‐evoked EPSCs but did not change retrograde action currents, indicating that noradrenergic neurons have cholinergic collaterals connecting neurons within the stellate ganglion.
Impact of process anneals on high-k/β-Ga2O3 interfaces and capacitance
Authors: Hawkins Roberta , Wang Xinglu , Moumen Naim , Wallace Robert M. , Young Chadwin D.
Published: February 2023

Gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3) is becoming a popular material for high power electronic devices due to its wide bandgap and ease of processing. In this work, β-Ga2O3 substrates received various annealing treatments before atomic layer deposition of HfO2 and subsequent fabrication of metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) capacitors. Annealing of β-Ga2O3 with forming gas or nitrogen produced degraded capacitance–voltage (C–V) behavior compared to a β-Ga2O3 control sample with no annealing. A sample annealed with pure oxygen had improved C–V characteristics relative to the control sample, with a higher maximum capacitance and smaller flat-band voltage shift, indicating that oxygen annealing improved the C–V behavior. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy also suggested a reduction in the oxygen vacancy concentration after O2 annealing at 450 °C, which supports the improved C–V characteristics and indicates that O2 annealing of β-Ga2O3 may lead to better MOS device performance.
From Sackur–Tetrode entropy to the ideal gas adiabatic equation in one step
Authors: Binder P.-M. , Leigh Ian R.
Published: February 2023

We present an alternative derivation of the relation between temperature and volume for a reversible, adiabatic process involving an ideal gas. The derivation for a monatomic gas starts with the Sackur–Tetrode equation and takes only one step. We also address the extension to diatomic gases.
Initial spindle positioning at the oocyte center protects against incorrect kinetochore-microtubule attachment and aneuploidy in mice
Authors: Kincade Jessica N. , Hlavacek Avery , Akera Takashi , Balboula Ahmed Z.
Published: February 2023

Spindle positioning within the oocyte must be tightly regulated. In mice, the spindle is predominantly assembled at the oocyte center before its migration toward the cortex to achieve the highly asymmetric division, a characteristic of female meiosis. The significance of the initial central positioning of the spindle is largely unknown. We show that initial spindle positioning at the oocyte center is an insurance mechanism to avoid the premature exposure of the spindle to cortical CDC42 signaling, which perturbs proper kinetochore-microtubule attachments, leading to the formation of aneuploid gametes. These findings contribute to understanding why female gametes are notoriously associated with high rates of aneuploidy, the leading genetic cause of miscarriage and congenital abnormalities.
Aggregation-induced emission of matrix-free graphene quantum dots via selective edge functionalization of rotor molecules
Authors: Lee Sukki , Lee Jinho , Jeon Seokwoo
Published: February 2023

Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) are nanosized graphene derivatives with unique photoluminescence (PL) properties that have advantages in optoelectronic applications due to their stable blue light emission. However, aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) of GQDs limits the practical applications on light-emitting diodes. Here, we suppress the ACQ phenomena of GQDs by reducing the size and converting GQDs into aggregation-induced emission (AIE)–active materials. As the size of GQDs is reduced from 5 to 1 nm, their solid-state PL quantum yields (PLQYs) are improved from 0.5 to 2.5%, preventing ACQ. Two different rotor molecules, benzylamine (BA) and 4,4′-(1,2-diphenylethene-1,2-diyl)diphenol (TPE-DOH), are selectively functionalized by substituting carboxylic acid and carbonyl functional groups. All functionalized GQDs show AIE behaviors with significantly enhanced solid-state PLQYs, up to 16.8%. Afterglow measurements and theoretical calculations reveal that selective functionalization hinders inter- and intramolecular charge transfer, which enhances the fluorescence rate of GQDs and corresponding PLQY.
Supplemental Material: Climate control on the relationship between erosion rate and fluvial topography
Authors: Marder Eyal , Gallen Sean F.
Published: February 2023

Additional details of the analyses and supporting figures and tables. 
Supplemental Material: The garnet effect on hafnium isotope compositions of granitoids during crustal anatexis
Authors: Chen Long , al. et
Published: February 2023

Sample descriptions, analytical methods, Figures S1–S6, details of the quantitative simulation, and Tables S1–S12. 
Interventions in primary and community care to reduce urgent paediatric hospital admissions: systematic review
Authors: Dick Smita , MacRae Clare , McFaul Claire , Wilson Philip , Turner Stephen W
Published: February 2023

Background

There has been a rise in urgent paediatric hospital admissions and interventions to address this are required.

Objective

To systemically review the literature describing community (or non-hospital)-based interventions designed to reduce emergency department (ED) visits or urgent hospital admissions.

Data sources

MEDLINE, Embase, OVIS SP, PsycINFO, Science Citation Index Expanded/ISI Web of Science (1981–present), the Cochrane Library database and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness.

Study eligibility criteria

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and before-and-after studies.

Participants

Individuals aged <16 years.

Study appraisal and synthesis methods

Papers were independently reviewed by two researchers. Data extraction and the Critical Appraisals Skills Programme checklist was completed (for risk of bias assessment).

Results

Seven studies were identified. Three studies were RCTs, three were a comparison between non-randomised groups and one was a before-and-after study. Interventions were reconfiguration of staff roles (two papers), telemedicine (three papers), pathways of urgent care (one paper) and point-of-care testing (one paper). Reconfiguration of staff roles resulted in reduction in ED visits in one study (with a commensurate increase in general practitioner visits) but increased hospital admissions from ED in a second. Telemedicine was associated with a reduction in children’s admissions in one study and reduced ED admissions in two further studies. Interventions with pathways of care and point-of-care testing did not impact either ED visits or urgent admissions.

Conclusions and implications

New out-of-hospital models of urgent care for children need to be introduced and evaluated without delay.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42021274374.
Effectiveness of a warm-up programme to reduce injuries in youth volleyball players: a quasi-experiment
Authors: Verhagen Evert , Vriend Ingrid , Gouttebarge Vincent , Kemler Ellen , de Wit Jacqueline , Zomerdijk Daniel , Nauta Joske
Published: February 2023

Objectives

To establish the effectiveness of the ‘VolleyVeilig’ programme on reducing injury rate, injury burden and injury severity in youth volleyball players.

Methods

We conducted a quasi-experimental prospective study over one season of youth volleyball. After randomisation by competition region, we instructed 31 control teams (236 children, average age 12.58±1.66) to use their usual warm-up routine. The ‘VolleyVeilig’ programme was provided to 35 intervention teams (282 children, average age 12.90±1.59). This programme had to be used during each warm-up before training sessions and matches. We sent a weekly survey to all coaches, collecting data on each player’s volleyball exposure and injuries sustained. Multilevel analyses estimated differences in injury rates and burden between both groups, and we used non-parametric bootstrapping to compare the differences in injury numbers and injury severity.

Results

We found an overall reduction in injury rates of 30% for intervention teams (HR 0.72; 95% CI 0.39 to 1.33). Detailed analyses revealed differences for acute (HR 0.58; 95% CI 0.34 to 0.97) and upper extremity injuries (HR 0.41; 95% CI 0.20 to 0.83). Compared with control teams, the intervention teams had a relative injury burden of 0.39 (95% CI 0.30 to 0.52) and a relative injury severity of 0.49 (95% CI 0.03 to 0.95). Only 44% of teams fully adhered to the intervention.

Conclusion

We established that the ‘VolleyVeilig’ programme was associated with reduced acute and upper extremity injury rates and lower injury burden and severity in youth volleyball players. While we advise implementation of the programme, programme updates to improve adherence are needed.
Hamiltonian-Based Efficient Algorithms for Legalization with Neighbor Diffusion Effect
Authors: Sun Hao , Guo Longkun , Zhang Xiaoyan
Published: February 2023

Neighbor diffusion effect (NDE) is a crucial aspect in advanced technology node that is well-known for its infamous consequence of significant performance decrement of the circuit. In this paper, we observe that NDE is caused by different diffusion heights (the number of fins) between two adjacent cells, and consider reducing the number of height differences in single row to reduce NDE violations. Ignoring the movement of the cells, we first propose a Hamiltonian-completion-based algorithm that reorders the cells in the row such that the number of NDE violations is reduced to a near-optimal value. Then, for a given fixed integer [Formula: see text], we devise an algorithm to compute the new positions of cells, such that the number of NDE violations is bounded by [Formula: see text] and the maximum displacement is minimized. Moreover, we extend our algorithm for legalization in multiple rows against mixed-height cells. Experimental results show that our algorithm reduces the NDE violations to a near-optimal minimum without any area overheads while achieving a better practical running time compared to baselines conforming with the theoretical analysis.
Perturbation methodology for electromagnetic radiative fluxing of chemical reactive Casson fluid flow under heat source (sink) effectiveness
Authors: Kumar T. Prasanna , Dharmaiah G. , AL-Farhany Khaled , Alomari Mohammed Azeez , Flayyih Mujtaba A. , Jamshed Wasim , Isa Siti Suzilliana Putri Mohamed
Published: February 2023

In this paper, magnetohydrodynamics of a Casson fluid flow is inspected with the presence of thermal radiation and chemical reaction. Employing the perturbation procedure, the modeling equations are tenacious; the graphs are acquired to illustrate the results. The Casson fluid velocity increases as the perturbation parameter increases. Grashof values for heat and mass transport enhanced Casson fluid velocity. Increasing Casson, magnetic, heat source, and radiation parameters reduce the flow velocity. Prandtl number, heat source, and radiation parameter all reduced the temperature profiles. Chemical reaction parameters lowered the concentration profiles. The skin friction enhances with Casson parameter impact. However, the skin-friction coefficient, Sherwood and Nusselt numbers reduce with an increment in the perturbation parameter. In certain cases, this study’s answers agreed well with the previous literature. Casson liquid with a magnetic region using mixed convection by an exponential vertical boundary layer is the novelty of the work.
Imaging and control of periodic array of stripe domain and domain wall in epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films
Authors: Zhang Siyi , Zhang Zhengzhong , Li Zhongwen , Liu Hao
Published: February 2023

Ferroelectric stripe domain structure and domain walls were investigated by vector PFM on epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films. Measurements of topography of film versus distance between spikes, we identify the [Formula: see text] domain in the film, were supported by XRD and AFM characterization. [Formula: see text] domain can be switched under the electric field engendered by the biased PFM tip, and their controllable [Formula: see text] rotation can be maintained by electron injection by the PFM tip. These stripe domain walls are conductive, provide an opportunity to further study their new properties in high-density memory devices.
Impact Response of RC Beams Coated with Polyurea Layers
Authors: Zhang Boyi , Jiang Yuexin , Wang Wei , Zhai Dongxian
Published: February 2023

During the service life of reinforced concrete beams (RC beams), they may experience impact loadings induced by various falling objects, such as falling rocks and fragments of upper floors. Therefore, the RC beam’s impact resistance is important to its application in structures. This paper investigated the impact mitigation performance of polyurea coatings on RC beams by drop weight impact tests with different impact velocities and hammer shapes. According to the test results, the polyurea coatings can significantly reduce the RC beams’ local damage and midspan displacement. Moreover, it was found that the RC beams’ plateau impact forces were notably increased by the polyurea coatings. Besides, comparisons between impact tests with different impact loads indicated that the polyurea coatings’ protection effect was not noticeably influenced by the hammer shape or impact velocity. Based on the test results, a numerical model was established and validated, and the model was used to study the mechanism and the parameter influence of polyurea coatings. By simulating the response of upper- and lower-side coated beams, it was revealed that the polyurea coating reduced the RC beam’s overall damage by reducing its local damage and increasing its bending moment. Parametric studies showed that the mitigation effect increased with coating thickness and the increase rate decreased with the thickness. In addition, the effect of longitudinal coating length was also studied via numerical simulation, and it was found that the mitigation effect increased with coating length, and it became nearly identical to that of the fully coated beam when the coating length exceeded 60[Formula: see text]cm.
FEM-SPH Coupling Approach for Impact Response Analysis of Composite Plates with Brick-and-Mortar Structure
Authors: Xiao Yihua , Zou Wenbing
Published: February 2023

Bioinspired nacre-like composites have attracted increasing research interests recently. They are typical composites with brick-and-mortar structure and usually employ a combination of hard material and soft material to achieve a good balance between stiffness and toughness. Impact response analysis of such composites is difficult due to their complex structure and interface. In this work, an effective finite element method-smoothed particle hydrodynamics (FEM-SPH) coupling approach is developed for impact response analysis of composite plates with brick-and-mortar structure. In the approach, hard material taking up the bulk of the composite plate is modeled with the SPH method, and soft material forming thin layer structures in the composite plate is modeled with FEM. A coupling algorithm considering failure behavior is proposed to model bonding interfaces between FEM parts and SPH parts. A particle-to-particle SPH contact algorithm is employed to handle contacts between SPH parts, and a penalty-based FEM-SPH contact algorithm is implemented to treat contacts between FEM parts and SPH parts. The developed coupling approach is used to calculate stress wave propagation in two bonded plates of the same material and different materials and a composite plate with brick-and-mortar structure. The accuracy of the coupling approach is validated by comparing the calculated results with those of analytical method and FEM. The coupling approach is then used to simulate the effects of some factors on the impact damage of composite plates with brick-and-mortar structure. The coupling approach can conveniently model the complex structure and bonding interface of the composite plates and is capable of capturing interface failure and fragmentation of the major composition of the composite plates during impact events. It provides a promising alternative for the impact response analysis of brick-and-mortar composite structures.
Probabilistic Analysis of Highly Nonlinear Models by Adaptive Sparse Polynomial Chaos: Transient Infiltration in Unsaturated Soil
Authors: Yang Hao-Qing , Yan Yipu , Wei Xin , Shen Zhichao , Chen Xiaoying
Published: February 2023

Polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) is widely adopted in geotechnical engineering as a surrogate model for probabilistic analysis. However, the traditional low-order PCE may be unfeasible for unsaturated transient-state models due to the high nonlinearity. In this study, a temporal-spatial surrogate model of adaptive sparse polynomial chaos expansions (AS-PCE) is established based on hyperbolic truncation with stepwise regression as surrogate models to improve computational efficiency. The uncertainty of pore water pressure of an unsaturated slope under transient-state rainfall infiltration considering hydraulic spatial variability is studied. The saturated coefficient of permeability [Formula: see text] is chosen to be spatial variability to account for the soil hydraulic uncertainty. The effects of location and time and the performances of AS-PCE are investigated. As rainfall goes on, the range of the pore pressure head becomes larger and the spatial variability of [Formula: see text] has little influence in the unsaturated zone with high matric suction. The pore pressure head under the water table suffers more uncertainty than it in the unsaturated zone. The [Formula: see text] in the high matric suction zone has a trend of rising first and then falling. Except for the high matric suction zone, the [Formula: see text] rise over time and they are almost 1 at the end of the time. It can be concluded that the AS-PCE performs better for low matric suction and positive pore pressure head and the fitting effect gradually increases as the rainfall progresses. The quartiles and at least up to second statistical moments can be characterized by the AS-PCE for transient infiltration in unsaturated soil slopes under rainfall.
The Differentiation Lemma and the Reynolds Transport Theorem for submanifolds with corners
Authors: Reddiger Maik , Poirier Bill
Published: February 2023

The Reynolds Transport Theorem, colloquially known as “differentiation under the integral sign”, is a central tool of applied mathematics, finding application in a variety of disciplines such as fluid dynamics, quantum mechanics, and statistical physics. In this work, we state and prove generalizations thereof to submanifolds with corners evolving in a manifold via the flow of a smooth time-independent or time-dependent vector field. Thereby we close a practically important gap in the mathematical literature, as related works require various “boundedness conditions” on domain or integrand that are cumbersome to satisfy in common modeling situations. By considering manifolds with corners, a generalization of manifolds and manifolds with boundary, this work constitutes a step towards a unified treatment of classical integral theorems for the “unbounded case” for which the boundary of the evolving set can exhibit some irregularity.
Expected value of the smallest denominator in a random interval of fixed radius
Authors: Chen Huayang , Haynes Alan
Published: February 2023

We compute the probability mass function of the random variable which returns the smallest denominator of a reduced fraction in a randomly chosen real interval of radius [Formula: see text]. As an application, we prove that the expected value of the smallest denominator is asymptotic, as [Formula: see text], to [Formula: see text]
Expressing q-series in terms of building blocks of Hecke-type double-sums
Authors: Mortenson Eric T. , Sahu Ankit
Published: February 2023

We express recent double-sums studied by Wang, Yee, and Liu in terms of two types of Hecke-type double-sum building blocks. When possible we determine the (mock) modularity. We also express a recent [Formula: see text]-hypergeometric function of Andrews as a mixed mock modular form.