bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Problematic social media use and overweight/obesity: explanatory pathway analysis of 124 667 in‐school adolescents in 39 high‐income countries
Authors: Oduro Michael Safo , Katey Daniel , Morgan Anthony Kwame , Peprah Prince
Published: September 2023

Background

The relationship between adolescent problematic social media use (PSMU) and overweight/obesity and the potential explanatory pathways for this association are unclear. This study (1) examined the relationship between PSMU and overweight/obesity and (2) evaluated potential explanatory pathways for this association.

Methods

The data used in this study came from the 2018 Health Behaviour in School‐aged Children (HBSC) survey. A sample of 124 667 in‐school adolescents from 39 high‐income countries was analysed. Sequential logistic regressions were used to estimate the association between PSMU and overweight/obesity. Pathway analysis using a non‐parametric bootstrapping technique tested the hypothesized mediating roles.

Results

The multivariable logistic regressions indicated that higher problematic social media users were 1.11 times more likely to be overweight/obese compared with those who reported low PSMU (AOR = 1.11; 95% CI = 1.05–1.18). Our bootstrapping mediation analyses showed that PSMU indirectly influenced overweight/obesity through breakfast skipping, life satisfaction, family communication, self‐rated health, and physical activity, accounting for 19.8% (β = 0.0068, Boots 95% CI = 0.0056–0.0074), 15.1% (β = 0.0050, Boots 95% CI = 0.0046–0.0056), 9.2% (β = 0.0031, Boots 95% CI = 0.0024–0.0038), 7.8% (β = 0.0024, Boots 95% CI = 0.001–0.004), and 5.2% (β = 0.0017, Boots 95% CI = 0.0014–0.0023), respectively, of the total effect.

Conclusion

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that used nationally representative data from multiple countries in high‐income countries to examine the association between PSMU and overweight/obesity and potential explanatory pathways among school‐going adolescents. This finding has important implications for public health interventions to reduce overweight/obesity rates among young people.
Celebrating 100 years of Immunology & Cell Biology – a special focus on the field of tumor immunology in Australia
Authors: Kumari Snehlata , Zemek Rachael M , Palendira Umaimainthan , Ebert Lisa M
Published: September 2023

In this Commentary article, as part of the 100‐year celebrations of the journal, we reflect on the contribution of articles published in ICB in the field of tumor immunology. A highlight is a series of interviews conducted with three Australian‐based ICB authors who have contributed key papers over the years: Rajiv Khanna, Delia Nelson and Ian Frazer.
The Effect of the World Wide Web on Agency–Advertiser Relationships: Towards A Strategic Framework
Authors: Kassaye W. Wossen
Published: September 2023

Buffeted by the fragmentation of media and markets, the World Wide Web has started transforming the competitive landscape in the advertising industry. Increasingly, advertising agencies are forced to compete with in‐house CIS/MIS departments, public relations agencies and computer graphic studios and boutiques for Web‐related accounts. Vis–à–vis the immediacy of the challenge, agencies are forced to either broaden their business horizon to include all aspects of communications or to stay focused on their core business‐making advertisements for traditional media. This article examines the possible effects of the World Wide Web on the blurring of boundaries in advertiser‐agency performed promotional activities, analyses the similarities in the strategies adopted in the transition from radio to television, and appraises the options which agencies face in adopting the Web.
Do Brands Benefit Consumers?
Authors: Ambler Tim
Published: September 2023

Advertising exists to communicate information about, and promote, brands — using ‘brands’ in the broadest sense. Brand owners, it might be believed, are thereby promoting their own interests. This paper explores the extent to which consumers benefit. Brands provide economic value for money, functionality in developing the requisite quality of products to solve consumer problems and psychological satisfaction. Thus functional benefits are intrinsic to the brand and its component products, psychological benefits are in the mind of the consumer and economic benefits relate to the exchange transaction. Brands are diverse, offering different benefits in different ways to different consumers at different times. Any aggregation of brand (dis)benefits therefore needs to be treated with caution. The picture is not wholly positive and consumer concerns with branding need to be factored in. The defence is the marketplace itself: consumers are free to choose. Retailer brands meet the demand, where it exists, for alternatives to manufacturer brands. Some consumers are undoubtedly confused for part of the time but branding is a long‐term investment. Manufacturer brand leaders fifty years ago are brand leaders today. They would not exist at all if enough consumers did not continue to buy them.
Discovering brand magic: the hardness of the softer side of branding
Authors: Biel Alexander L.
Published: September 2023

While there is clearly consensus that brands are valuable assets, there is less agreement as to the extent of that value. It might appear that brands have not been flavour of the month since Marlboro Friday, in 1993, when that brand announced a 20 per cent price cut. This article will examine the evidence of the value of brands from a financial point of view. More importantly, however, we will explore a key driver of that financial value which we call ‘Brand magic’. We argue that functional excellence is fast becoming a necessary but not sufficient attribute of strong brands. Instead, we suggest that brand strength depends far more upon developing a unique, vivid and meaningful identity for a brand.
Incorporating generic and brand advertising effects in the Rotterdam demand system
Authors: Browm Mark G. , Lee Jonq–Ying
Published: September 2023

This study incorporates generic and brand advertising into the Rotterdam demand system, based on utility theory. A two–stage budgeting process is specified in which the impact of advertising can be viewed as a price effect. The model is applied to data on orange juice demand.
Observations of interventricular septal behavior during left bundle branch pacing
Authors: Ponnusamy Shunmuga Sundaram , Ganesan Vidhya , Anand Vijesh , Vadivelu Ramalingam , Kumar Mahesh , Mariappan Selvaganesh , Murugan Senthil , Vijayaraman Pugazhendhi
Published: September 2023

Introduction

Left bundle branch pacing (LBBP) involves the deployment of the lead deep inside the septum. Penetration of the septum by the lead depends on the texture of the septum, rapidity of rotations, operator experience, and implantation tools.

Objectives

The aim of our study was to assess the behavior of the lumenless lead during rapid rotations and the physiological property of the interventricular septum(IVS) during LBBP.

Methods

Patients undergoing LBBP between January 2021 and December 2022 were retrospectively included in the study.

Results

Among 255 attempted patients, 20 (7.9%) had procedural failure(no LBB capture—four, inability to penetrate septum—seven, and dislodgements after sheath removal—nine). Septal penetration achieved in 248/255 patients (97.2%). Lead movement inside the IVS was assessed by lead traverse time. Based on the behavior of the IVS (n = 255), three different responses were noted. Type‐I response(normal/firm septum) in 93.7% (n = 239) characterized by constant and progressive movement of lead. Neither perforation nor further change in premature‐ventricular‐complex morphology beyond M‐beat were observed despite additional few unintentional rotations indicating the protective mechanism of LV‐endocardium. Type‐II response(soft/cheesy septum) in 3.5% (n = 9) characterized by hyper‐movement of lead without resistance due to altered texture of septum and poor LV subendocardial barrier resulting in perforation. No patients in this group had LV dysfunction or associated coronary artery disease. In type‐III response, seen in 2.8% (n = 7), lead could not be penetrated due to scar in IVS.

Conclusion

Three different patterns of responses were observed during LBBP. The most distinct type‐ll response was associated with soft/cheesy septum with hyper‐movement of the lead predisposing for future dislodgments in patients without structural heart disease.
Microglia contribute to cognitive decline in hypercholesterolemic LDLr−/− mice
Authors: Rodrigues Matheus Scarpatto , do Nascimento Natalia Baltazar , Farias Hemelin Resende , Schons Taina , Machado Alessandra Gonçalves , Behenck Eduarda , Mesquita Ariadni , Krolow Bast Rachel , Budni Josiani , Engblom David , de Bem Andreza Fabro , de Oliveira Jade
Published: September 2023

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is caused by mutations in the gene that encodes the low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor, which leads to an excessive increase in plasma LDL cholesterol levels. Previous studies have shown that FH is associated with gliosis, blood–brain barrier dysfunction, and memory impairment, but the mechanisms associated with these events are still not fully understood. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the role of microgliosis in the neurochemical and behavioral changes associated with FH using LDL receptor knockout (LDLr−/−) mice. We noticed that microgliosis was more severe in the hippocampus of middle‐aged LDLr−/− mice, which was accompanied by microglial morphological changes and alterations in the immunocontent of synaptic protein markers. At three months of age, the LDLr−/− mice already showed increased microgliosis and decreased immunocontent of claudin‐5 in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Subsequently, 6‐month‐old male C57BL/6 wild‐type and LDLr−/− mice were treated once daily for 30 days with minocycline (a pharmacological inhibitor of microglial cell reactivity) or vehicle (saline). Adult LDLr−/− mice displayed significant hippocampal memory impairment, which was ameliorated by minocycline treatment. Non‐treated LDLr−/− mice showed increased microglial density in all hippocampal regions analyzed, a process that was not altered by minocycline treatment. Region‐specific microglial morphological analysis revealed different effects of genotype or minocycline treatment on microglial morphology, depending on the hippocampal subregion analyzed. Moreover, 6‐month‐old LDLr−/− mice exhibited a slight but not significant increase in IBA‐1 immunoreactivity in the PFC, which was reduced by minocycline treatment without altering microglial morphology. Minocycline treatment also reduced the presence of microglia within the perivascular area in both the PFC and hippocampus of LDLr−/− mice. However, no significant effects of either genotype or minocycline treatment were observed regarding the phagocytic activity of microglia in the PFC and hippocampus. Our results demonstrate that hippocampal microgliosis, microglial morphological changes, and the presence of these glial cells in the perivascular area, but not increased microglial phagocytic activity, are associated with cognitive deficits in a mouse model of FH.

image
Changes in the diagnosis of depression among nursing professionals during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A longitudinal study
Authors: Kantorski Luciane Prado , dos Santos Treichel Carlos Alberto , LA‐Rotta Ehideé Isabel Gómez , Munhoz Tiago Neuenfeld , de Oliveira Michele Mandagará , Alves Poliana Farias
Published: September 2023

Aims

To identify changes in mental health status among nursing professionals in a Brazilian municipality during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Design

An observational and longitudinal study.

Methods

Using the Patient Health Questionnaire‐9, the presence of depressive symptoms was evaluated among 690 nursing professionals in the city of Pelotas, Brazil, at two moments: June/July 2020 and June/July 2021.

Results

13.0% incidence of depressive symptoms was identified; as well as 12.2% remission; 24.1% persistence and 50.7% absence. Among the factors associated with the worst prognoses we can mention female gender, greater workload, feeling of overload, illness of family members or friends due to COVID‐19 and use of psychotropic drugs

Conclusions

There was significant mobility in the diagnosis of depression among the professionals studied during the period analysed, with incidence of new cases of significant depression and greater than the number of remissions. In addition to sociodemographic aspects, traumatic experiences and exposure to continuous overload were associated with persistence and incidence of new cases.

Implications for the profession and/or patient care

With the advent of the COVID‐19 pandemic, several studies have shown an increase in depressive symptoms among nursing professionals; however, understanding the long‐term effects of this scenario is still a challenge.

Impact

What problem did the study address? This study investigates changes in the mental health status of nursing professionals working at different care levels, taking the prevalence of screening for depression as a proxy, during a period of a year during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

What were the main findings? Between both data collection moments, 2020 e 2021, there was a significant percentage of professionals with persistent depression, in addition to a significant proportion of incident cases that slightly exceeded the number of remissions and the factors associated with the worst prognoses were sociodemographic aspects such as gender and emotional stressors like illness of family members or close friends due to COVID‐19, in addition to those related to the organisation and support provided by the services, such as workload and feeling of overload.

Where and on whom will the research have an impact? This study will impact the nursing professionals and in role of the health services in order to establishing actions that contribute to minimising the deleterious effects of the pandemic on the mental health of their Nursing teams.

Reporting method

The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines were adopted in this study.

Patient or public contribution

No Patient or Public Contribution.
The effect of oscillometric blood pressure measurement on pain response in preterm infants
Authors: Kavurt Sumru , Arslan Zehra , Unal Sezin , Bas Ahmet Yagmur , Demirel Nihal
Published: September 2023

Aim

Preterm neonates are exposed to many painful procedures in neonatal intensive care units. This study aims to evaluate the effect of oscillometric blood pressure (BP) measurement on pain response in preterm infants.

Methods

This prospective study was performed over 4 months in a level III neonatal intensive care unit. Premature neonates whose gestational age was <34 weeks and postmenstrual age <36 weeks were included if they had no systemic diseases. BP measurement was performed on the right arm. The Premature Infant Pain Profile‐Revised (PIPP‐R) scores were evaluated three times before, during, and 10 min after BP measurement.

Results

During the 5‐month period, 100 preterm neonates (53 male infants) were included in the study. Median birth weight and gestational age of the infants were 1148 (IQR: 1015–1300) g and 28 (IQR: 27–30) weeks, respectively. PIPP‐R scores were found to be ≥7 in 34% of neonates. PIPP‐R scores increased during BP measurement and decreased after.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrated that oscillometric BP measurement which is generally accepted as a non‐invasive tool for monitoring can produce mild pain in premature neonates of postmenstrual age <36 weeks.
Albertania and Egbenema gen. nov. from Nigeria and the United States, expanding biodiversity in the Oculatellaceae (cyanobacteria)
Authors: Akagha Mildred U. , Pietrasiak Nicole , Bustos David F. , Vondrášková Alžběta , Lamb Sandra C. , Johansen Jeffrey R.
Published: September 2023

Knowledge of the tropical terrestrial cyanobacterial flora from the African continent is still limited. Of 31 strains isolated from soil and subaerial samples collected in Lagos State, Nigeria, three were found to be in the Oculatellaceae, including two species in a new genus. Subsequently, isolates from microbial mats in White Sands National Park in New Mexico, United States, and from a rock near the ocean in Puerto Rico, United States, were found to belong to the new genus as well. Cyanobacterial isolates were characterized microscopically, sequenced for the 16S rRNA gene and associated ITS region, and phylogenetically analyzed. Egbenema gen. nov., with three new species, as well as two new species of Albertania were differentiated from all other Oculatellaceae. Both genera belong to a supported clade within the Oculatellaceae that includes Trichotorquatus and Komarkovaea. The two new species of Albertania, A. egbensis and A. latericola, were from the same sample, but were evolutionarily separate based on 16S rRNA gene phylogenies, percent identity below the 98.7% threshold, and ITS rRNA percent dissimilarity >7.0%. Egbenema aeruginosum gen. et sp. nov. was phylogenetically separated from Trichotorquatus and Albertania but was in a clade with other strains belonging to Egbenema. The two Egbenema strains from the United States are here named Egbenema epilithicum sp. nov. and Egbenema gypsiphilum sp. nov. Our results support the hypothesis that further species discoveries of novel cyanobacteria will likely be made in soils and subaerial habitats, as these habitats continue to be studied, both in tropical and temperate biomes.
Preliminary evidence of psychological improvements and increased maternal–fetal attachment associated with a mindfulness sleep programme: secondary analysis of uncontrolled data in 11 pregnant women with insomnia disorder
Authors: Kalmbach David A. , Reffi Anthony N. , Ong Jason C. , Cheng Philip , Walch Olivia , Pitts D'Angela S. , Seymour Grace M. , Hirata Mika , Roth Andrea , Roth Thomas , Drake Christopher L.
Published: September 2023

Treating insomnia during pregnancy improves sleep and depressed mood. However, given well‐established links between poor sleep and a broad spectrum of adverse maternal outcomes, the benefits of insomnia care may reach beyond sleep and depression. The present study evaluated the preliminary efficacy of ‘Perinatal Understanding of Mindful Awareness for Sleep’ (PUMAS)—a mindfulness sleep programme tailored to pregnancy that combines behavioural sleep strategies and meditation—for enhancing everyday mindfulness and maternal–fetal attachment, as well as for alleviating anxiety, repetitive thinking, and sleep‐related daytime impairment. We conducted a secondary analysis of a single‐arm proof‐of‐concept trial of 11 pregnant women with fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders diagnosed insomnia disorder who completed PUMAS (six sessions), which was delivered in an individual format via telemedicine video. Pre‐ and post‐treatment outcomes included the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale‐Revised (CAMS‐R), Maternal–Fetal Attachment Scale (MFAS), Generalised Anxiety Disorder seven‐item survey (GAD‐7), Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ), Daytime Insomnia Symptoms Response Scale (DISRS), and the Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Sleep‐Related Impairment Scale (PROMIS‐SRI). Symptom changes were evaluated with paired‐samples t tests. Results showed PUMAS patients reported large increases in CAMS‐R (Cohen's dz = 1.81) and medium‐large increases in MFAS scores (Cohen's dz = 0.73). Moreover, PUMAS patients reported large reductions in scores on the GAD‐7 (Cohen's dz = 1.09), PTQ (Cohen's dz = 1.26), DISRS (Cohen's dz = 1.38), and PROMIS‐SRI (Cohen's dz = 1.53). Preliminary evidence suggests that a mindfulness‐based perinatal sleep programme may benefit several domains of maternal wellbeing beyond sleep and depression. PUMAS substantially enhanced patient ratings of everyday mindfulness and maternal–fetal attachment, while reporting alleviations in anxiety, perseverative thinking, insomnia‐focused rumination, and sleep‐related daytime impairment.
Conserved islands of divergence associated with adaptive variation in sockeye salmon are maintained by multiple mechanisms
Authors: Euclide Peter T. , Larson Wesley A. , Shi Yue , Gruenthal Kristen , Christensen Kris A. , Seeb Jim , Seeb Lisa
Published: September 2023

Local adaptation is facilitated by loci clustered in relatively few regions of the genome, termed genomic islands of divergence. The mechanisms that create and maintain these islands and how they contribute to adaptive divergence is an active research topic. Here, we use sockeye salmon as a model to investigate both the mechanisms responsible for creating islands of divergence and the patterns of differentiation at these islands. Previous research suggested that multiple islands contributed to adaptive radiation of sockeye salmon. However, the low‐density genomic methods used by these studies made it difficult to fully elucidate the mechanisms responsible for islands and connect genotypes to adaptive variation. We used whole genome resequencing to genotype millions of loci to investigate patterns of genetic variation at islands and the mechanisms that potentially created them. We discovered 64 islands, including 16 clustered in four genomic regions shared between two isolated populations. Characterisation of these four regions suggested that three were likely created by structural variation, while one was created by processes not involving structural variation. All four regions were small (< 600 kb), suggesting low recombination regions do not have to span megabases to be important for adaptive divergence. Differentiation at islands was not consistently associated with established population attributes. In sum, the landscape of adaptive divergence and the mechanisms that create it are complex; this complexity likely helps to facilitate fine‐scale local adaptation unique to each population.
Towards a topological philosophy
Authors: Skowron Bartłomiej , Kaczmarek Janusz , Wójtowicz Krzysztof
Published: September 2023

This article examines the use of mathematical concepts in philosophy, focusing on topology, which may be viewed as a modern supplement to geometry. We show that Plato and Parmenides were already employing geometric ideas in their research, and discuss three examples of the application of topology to philosophical problems: the first concerns the analysis of the Cartesian distinction between res extensa and res cogitans, the second the ontology of possible worlds of Wittgenstein's Tractatus, and the third Leibniz's monadology. We also consider the role of topology in mathematical explanations of the sort found in science, arguing that it can perform a role in philosophy that is of comparable importance.
Evaluation Timing with Dynamic Information: Optimization and Heuristic
Authors: Bo Lijun , Li Meng , Zhang Tingting
Published: September 2023

Product evaluation is an essential business process, and digital innovation has made it possible for companies to immediately process available information. We develop a model where a company continuously assesses information that follows a doubly stochastic Poisson process with a mean‐reverting and stochastic intensity. Accordingly, the company faces a two‐dimensional optimal stopping problem in which the company continues to evaluate the product if and only if the product reputation and information intensity remain in a continuation set. We employ a probabilistic approach to prove that the continuation set takes the form of an open interval for any fixed information arrival intensity. Given the complicated nature of the optimal solutions, we develop an asymptotic expansive solution, and numerical studies show that our solution performs well. We also analyze a heuristic solution where the company substitutes the dynamic intensity with a constant intensity. Interestingly, we find that this heuristic company does not necessarily benefit from having a higher product reputation.
PEP444c encoded within the MIR444c gene regulates microRNA444c accumulation in barley
Authors: Chojnacka Aleksandra , Smoczynska Aleksandra , Bielewicz Dawid , Pacak Andrzej , Hensel Goetz , Kumlehn Jochen , Maciej Karlowski Wojciech , Grabsztunowicz Magda , Sobieszczuk‐Nowicka Ewa , Jarmolowski Artur , Szweykowska‐Kulinska Zofia
Published: September 2023

MicroRNAs are small, noncoding RNA molecules that regulate the expression of their target genes. The MIR444 gene family is present exclusively in monocotyledons, and microRNAs444 from this family have been shown to target certain MADS‐box transcription factors in rice and barley. We identified three barley MIR444 (MIR444a/b/c) genes and comprehensively characterised their structure and the processing pattern of the primary transcripts (pri‐miRNAs444). Pri‐microRNAs444 undergo extensive alternative splicing, generating functional and nonfunctional pri‐miRNA444 isoforms. We show that barley pri‐miRNAs444 contain numerous open reading frames (ORFs) whose transcripts associate with ribosomes. Using specific antibodies, we provide evidence that selected ORFs encoding PEP444a within MIR444a and PEP444c within MIR444c are expressed in barley plants. Moreover, we demonstrate that CRISPR‐associated endonuclease 9 (Cas9)‐mediated mutagenesis of the PEP444c‐encoding sequence results in a decreased level of PEP444 transcript in barley shoots and roots and a 5‐fold reduced level of mature microRNA444c in roots. Our observations suggest that PEP444c encoded by the MIR444c gene is involved in microRNA444c biogenesis in barley.
Relationships among rare plant communities and abiotic conditions in managed spring‐fed arid wetlands
Authors: Cantu de Leija Antonio , King Sammy L.
Published: September 2023

Spring‐fed wetlands within arid and semiarid systems are hotspots for endemism and distribution of rare plants. Interactions among groundwater and the geomorphic and climatic features of the setting control the abiotic conditions, particularly soil salinity and moisture, that support these plants. However, water uncertainty and land use change challenge the persistence of conditions necessary to support rare plant communities. Wetland management can be implemented to sustain abiotic processes that support rare plant communities, but key information is needed to guide management practices. In this study, we evaluate the relationships of rare plants to abiotic conditions in a managed spring‐fed arid wetland. Soil salinity and moisture conditions were monitored and related to the presence and abundance of rare plants within management units. Soil salinity and moisture variability were related to groundwater dynamics near springs, but wetland management influenced variability in seasonally flooded areas. Permanently saturated conditions and low soil salinities during the spring season supported higher plant diversity and the presence and greater abundance of rare plants. Rare plant presence and abundance were negatively related to low soil moisture, particularly in the summer. Results indicate that increases in soil salinity during the early establishment of plants may affect their distribution and abundance, an important management consideration in arid landscapes and hydrologically altered systems. Our findings inform the restoration and management of rare plant communities and contribute to the management of spring‐fed arid wetlands.
Local well‐posedness of the higher‐order nonlinear Schrödinger equation on the half‐line: Single‐boundary condition case
Authors: Alkın Aykut , Mantzavinos Dionyssios , Özsarı Türker
Published: September 2023

We establish local well‐posedness in the sense of Hadamard for a certain third‐order nonlinear Schrödinger equation with a multiterm linear part and a general power nonlinearity, known as higher‐order nonlinear Schrödinger equation, formulated on the half‐line . We consider the scenario of associated coefficients such that only one boundary condition is required and hence assume a general nonhomogeneous boundary datum of Dirichlet type at . Our functional framework centers around fractional Sobolev spaces with respect to the spatial variable. We treat both high regularity () and low regularity () solutions: in the former setting, the relevant nonlinearity can be handled via the Banach algebra property; in the latter setting, however, this is no longer the case and, instead, delicate Strichartz estimates must be established. This task is especially challenging in the framework of nonhomogeneous initial‐boundary value problems, as it involves proving boundary‐type Strichartz estimates that are not common in the study of Cauchy (initial value) problems. The linear analysis, which forms the core of this work, crucially relies on a weak solution formulation defined through the novel solution formulae obtained via the Fokas method (also known as the unified transform) for the associated forced linear problem. In this connection, we note that the higher‐order Schrödinger equation comes with an increased level of difficulty due to the presence of more than one spatial derivatives in the linear part of the equation. This feature manifests itself via several complications throughout the analysis, including (i) analyticity issues related to complex square roots, which require careful treatment of branch cuts and deformations of integration contours; (ii) singularities that emerge upon changes of variables in the Fourier analysis arguments; and (iii) complicated oscillatory kernels in the weak solution formula for the linear initial‐boundary value problem, which require a subtle analysis of the dispersion in terms of the regularity of the boundary data. The present work provides a first, complete treatment via the Fokas method of a nonhomogeneous initial‐boundary value problem for a partial differential equation associated with a multiterm linear differential operator.
A narrative analysis of clerkship reflections: Medical student identity development in a changing world
Authors: Talib Mahino A. , Greene Richard E. , Winkel Abigail Ford
Published: September 2023

Background

Medical students' written reflections on their clinical experiences can be a useful tool for processing complex aspects of development as physicians. To create educational programs that scaffold adaptive professional identity development, it is essential to understand how medical students develop as professionals and process the dynamic sociocultural experiences of the current moment.

Objective

To explore the developing professional consciousness of medical students through clerkship reflections.

Design

Narrative analysis of written reflections are produced by clerkship students, who were asked to tell a story that resonated with the physician's relationship with patient, self and colleagues. Two independent readers applied inductive labels to generate a homogenous codebook, which was used to generate themes that were then used to construct a conceptual model.

Key Results

Four themes were identified in the data that describe relationships between medical students' developing professional identities and the norms of their future professional and personal communities. These included: medical students as outsiders, conflict between the student identifying with the patient versus the healthcare team, medical students' own value judgements and, finally, the changing societal mores as they relate to social and racial injustice. The conceptual model for this experience depicts the medical student as pulled between patients and the social context on one side and the professional context of the medical centre on the other. Students long to move towards identification with the healthcare team, but reject the extremes of medical culture that they view on conflict with social and racial justice.

Conclusions

Medical students in clinical training identify strongly with both patients and the medical team. Rather than viewing professional identity development as a longitudinal journey from one extreme to another, students have the power to call attention to entrenched problems within medical culture and increase empathy for patients by retaining their strong identification with the important issues of this time.
Associated criteria used in investigating suspected septic transfusion reactions: A scoping review
Authors: Acharya Dilaram , Gaussen Amaury , Poder Thomas G. , Lambert Gilles , Renaud Christian , Nawej Karlitaj , Lewin Antoine
Published: September 2023

Background and Objectives

Septic transfusion reactions (STRs) occur as a result of bacterial contamination of blood or blood products, resulting in sepsis. This scoping review aimed to identify, explore and map the available literature on the STR criteria triggering the investigation of STR.

Materials and Methods

Four electronic databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, Science Direct, Embase) were searched to retrieve scientific literature reporting such criteria, published from 1 January 2000 to 5 May 2022. Grey literature was also searched from open web sources.

Results

Of 1052 references identified, 43 (21 peer‐reviewed and 22 grey literature) met the eligibility criteria for inclusion and data extraction after full article screening. Of them, most (27/43, 62.79%) were found to report a single set of criteria, and only two reported four or more sets of criteria. The analysis of 66 sets of criteria collected from the selected references revealed 57 different sets. A few sets of criteria used only one sign and symptom (s/s) (12.12%, n = 8), whereas 16 sets used 7–15 s/s (n = 16/66; 24.24%). Of the total 319 occurrences of s/s associated with the 66 sets of criteria, post‐transfusion hyperthermia, body temperature increase and hypotension were the most common s/s categories. Of all the literature available, only one study tested the diagnostic accuracy of the STR criteria.

Conclusion

This scoping review revealed a substantial variation in criteria used to identify suspected STR. Consequently, conducting further studies to enhance the diagnostic accuracy of these criteria, which trigger STR investigations, is imperative for advancing clinical practice.
Modeling human anti‐pig xenoimmune responses in a pig artery tissue grafted humanized mouse model
Authors: Fang Minghui , Zou Jun , Xu Fei , Wang Xue , Hua Shucheng , Zhou Qi , Yang Yong‐guang , Hu Zheng
Published: September 2023

Background

Blood vessels that contain endothelial cells (ECs) on the surface are in direct contact with host blood and are the first target of xenograft rejection. Currently, our understanding of human anti‐pig vessel immune responses is primarily based on in vitro assays using pig ECs. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an animal model that permits in vivo study of human immunological rejection of pig vessels.

Methods

Pig artery tissues (PAT) were transplanted into human immune system (HIS) mice or immunodeficient NSG mice (as controls). Intragraft human immune cell infiltration and antibody deposition were quantified using histology and immunohistochemistry. Donor antigen‐specific immune responses were quantified using a mixed lymphocyte reaction and a complement‐dependent killing assay.

Results

Pig CD31+ ECs were detected and increased 2‐fold from weeks 3 to 5 in PAT xenografts from immunodeficient NSG mice. However, compared with NSG mice, PAT xenografts in HIS mice had significantly lower numbers of porcine CD31+ ECs and showed a marked reduction from week 3 to week 5. PAT xenograft rejection in HIS mice is associated with intensive infiltration of human immune cells, deposition of human IgM and IgG antibodies, and the formation of a tertiary lymphoid structure. Robust donor pig antigen‐specific human T cells and antibody responses were detected in PAT‐transplanted HIS mice.

Conclusion

We have developed a humanized mouse model to evaluate human anti‐pig xenoimmune responses by PAT transplantation in vivo. This model is expected to facilitate the refinement of pig gene‐editing strategies (the expression on EC surface) and the testing of local immunosuppressive strategies for clinical pig organ xenotransplantation.
Extreme values of derivatives of zeta and L‐functions
Authors: Yang Daodao
Published: September 2023

It is proved that as , uniformly for all positive integers , we have
where . Here, is the Dickman function. We have  and  when , which significantly improves previous results in [17, 40]. Similar results are established for Dirichlet L‐functions. On the other hand, when assuming the Riemann hypothesis and the generalized Riemann hypothesis, we establish upper bounds for and . Furthermore, when assuming the Granville–Soundararajan conjecture is true, we establish the following asymptotic formulas:
where is prime and is given.
Plasma measurements of the dual sugar test reveal carbohydrate immediately alleviates intestinal permeability caused by exertional heat stress
Authors: Houghton Michael J. , Snipe Rhiannon M. J. , Williamson Gary , Costa Ricardo J. S.
Published: September 2023

The aim of this set of randomised cross‐over studies was to determine the impact of progressive heat exposure and carbohydrate or protein feeding during exertional stress on small intestine permeability using a dual sugar test. In our previous work, and typically in the field, recovery of lactulose and l‐rhamnose is measured cumulatively in urine. This follow‐up study exploits our novel high‐performance anion exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC‐PAD) protocol to accurately quantify the sugars in plasma. Endurance‐trained participants completed experimental trial A (ET‐A; n = 8), consisting of 2 h running at 60% in temperate, warm and hot ambient conditions, and/or experimental trial B (ET‐B; n = 9), consisting of 2 h running at 60% in the heat while consuming water, carbohydrate or protein. Blood samples were collected and plasma lactulose (L) and l‐rhamnose (R) appearance, after dual sugar solution ingestion at 90 min of exercise, was quantified by HPAEC‐PAD to measure plasma L/R and reveal new information about intestinal permeability immediately post‐exercise and during recovery. In ET‐A, plasma L/R increased immediately post‐exercise in hot compared with temperate and warm conditions, while, in ET‐B, carbohydrate alleviated this, and this information was otherwise missed when measuring urine L/R. Consuming carbohydrate or protein before and during exercise attenuated small intestine permeability throughout recovery from exertional heat stress. We recommend using the dual sugar test with quantification of plasma sugars by HPAEC‐PAD at intervals to maximise intestinal permeability data collection in exercise gastroenterology research, as this gives additional information compared to urinary measurements.

image

Key points

Intestinal permeability is typically assessed using a dual sugar test, by administering a drink containing non‐metabolisable sugars (e.g. lactulose (L) and l‐rhamnose (R)) that can enter the circulation by paracellular translocation when the epithelium is compromised, and are subsequently measured in urine.

We demonstrate that our recently developed ion chromatography protocol can be used to accurately quantify the L/R ratio in plasma, and that measuring L/R in plasma collected at intervals during the post‐exercise recovery period reveals novel acute response information compared to measuring 5‐h cumulative urine L/R.

We confirm that exercising in hot ambient conditions increases intestinal epithelial permeability immediately after exercise, while consuming carbohydrate or protein immediately before and during exercise attenuates this.

We recommend using our dual sugar absorption test protocol to maximise intestinal epithelial permeability data collection in exercise gastroenterology research and beyond.
Large-scale genomic survey and characterization of mcr genes carried by foodborne
Cronobacter
isolates
Authors: Zhu Qianhui , Hu Jinrui , Liu Na , Qi Heyuan , Du Xiaoli , Cui Zhigang , Sun Yan , Liu Yadong , Hu Songnian , Wu Linhuan , Zhou Haijian , He Zilong , Ma Juncai
Published: September 2023

Antibiotic resistance has become a worldwide public health and biosafety problem. The clinical efficacy of colistin was jeopardized by the report of the first mobile colistin resistance (mcr) gene, and subsequently, the mcr-gene family of mcr-1 to mcr-10 has been identified.
Cronobacter
is an emerging foodborne opportunistic pathogen, which can cause neonatal meningitis, bacteremia, and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) by contaminating food. However, the entire picture of foodborne
Cronobacter
carriage of the mcr genes is not known. Here, we investigated the mcr genes of
Cronobacter
isolates (
N
= 877) by whole-genome sequencing. We found 133 of 877 previously undescribed
Cronobacter
isolates carrying mcr genes. Further genomic analysis revealed that these mcr genes mainly belonged to the mcr-9 and mcr-10. Genomic analysis of the flanking structures of mcr genes revealed that two core flanking structures were prevalent in foodborne
Cronobacter
isolates, and the flanking structure carrying IS1R was found for the first time in this study. These findings suggest that foodborne
Cronobacter
isolates carrying the mcr genes already pose a threat to human health.

IMPORTANCE

Cronobacter
is an emerging foodborne opportunistic pathogen, which can cause neonatal meningitis, bacteremia, and NEC by contaminating food. However, the entire picture of foodborne
Cronobacter
carriage of the mcr genes is not known. Here, we investigated the mcr genes of
Cronobacter
isolates by whole-genome sequencing and found 133 previously undescribed
Cronobacter
isolates carrying mcr genes. Further genomic analysis revealed that these mcr genes mainly belonged to the mcr-9 and mcr-10. Genomic analysis of the flanking structures of mcr genes revealed that two core flanking structures were prevalent in foodborne
Cronobacter
isolates, and the flanking structure carrying IS1R was found for the first time in this study.
Arsenic trioxide-induced apoptosis contributes to suppression of viral reservoir in SIV-infected rhesus macaques
Authors: He Yizi , Wu Chunxiu , Liu Zijian , Zhang Yudi , Feng Fengling , Lin Zihan , Wang Congcong , Yang Qing , Wen Ziyu , Liu Yichu , Zhang Fan , Lin Yanqin , Zhang Hao , Qu Linbing , Li Linghua , Cai Weiping , Sun Caijun , Chen Ling , Li Pingchao
Published: September 2023

Latent viral reservoir is recognized as the major obstacle to achieving a functional cure for HIV infection. We previously reported that arsenic trioxide (As
2
O
3
) combined with antiretroviral therapy (ART) can reactivate the viral reservoir and delay viral rebound after ART interruption in chronically simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected macaques. In this study, we further investigated the effect of As
2
O
3
independent of ART in chronically SIV-infected macaques. We found that As
2
O
3
-only treatment significantly increased the CD4/CD8 ratio, improved SIV-specific T cell responses, and reactivated viral latency in chronically SIVmac239-infected macaques. RNA-sequencing analysis revealed that As
2
O
3
treatment downregulated the expression levels of genes related to HIV entry and infection, while the expression levels of genes related to transcription initiation, cell apoptosis, and host restriction factors were significantly upregulated. Importantly, we found that As
2
O
3
treatment specifically induced apoptosis of SIV-infected CD4
+
T cells. These findings revealed that As
2
O
3
might not only impact viral latency, but also induce the apoptosis of HIV-infected cells and thus block the secondary infection of bystanders. Moreover, we investigated the therapeutic potential of this regimen in acutely SIVmac239-infected macaques and found that As
2
O
3
+ ART treatment effectively restored the CD4
+
T cell count, delayed disease progression, and improved survival in acutely SIV-infected macaques. In sum, this work provides new insights to develop As
2
O
3
as a component of the “shock-and-kill” strategy toward HIV functional cure.

IMPORTANCE

Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) can effectively suppress the viral load of AIDS patients, it cannot functionally cure HIV infection due to the existence of HIV reservoir. Strategies toward HIV functional cure are still highly anticipated to ultimately end the pandemic of AIDS. Herein, we investigated the direct role of As
2
O
3
independent of ART in chronically SIV-infected macaques and explored the underlying mechanisms of the potential of As
2
O
3
in the treatment of HIV/SIV infection. Meanwhile, we investigated the therapeutic effects of ART+As
2
O
3
in acutely SIVmac239-infected macaques. This study showed that As
2
O
3
has the potential to be launched into the “shock-and-kill” strategy to suppress HIV/SIV reservoir due to its latency-reversing and apoptosis-inducing properties.
Energy of Tornadoes and Landspouts
Authors: Golitsyn G. S. , Chernokulsky A. V. , Vazaeva N. V.
Published: September 2023

According to the data on the sizes and intensity of tornadoes and landspouts, their characteristic times and forcings are found. Depending on the intensity, the average times vary by a factor of three and the forcings by a factor of six. The energy of the vortices is estimated and is expressed, among other things, in TNT equivalent mass units.
New Data on Geology and Paleogeographical Evolution of the Southern East Siberian Sea in the Quaternary
Authors: Petrov O. V. , Ryabchuk D. V. , Sergeev A. Yu. , Budanov L. M. , Zhamoida V. A. , Neevin I. A. , Taldenkova E. E. , Prishchepenko D. V. , Nosevich E. S. , Pushina Z. V. , Grigoriev A. G. , Bashirova L. D. , Ponomarenko E. P.
Published: September 2023

The paper deals with results of geological and geophysical study of the East Siberian Sea coastal areas are reported. Research activities started in 2018 in the frame of the State Geological Mapping Project (GK-1000/3) and continued in 2022 under support of the Russian Science Foundation. A seismo-stratigraphic scheme of the Quaternary sediment sequence has been compiled, and a conception of the paleogeographical evolution in the Late Pleistocene–Holocene has been proposed.
The First Discovery of Cambrian Volcanic Rocks and Plagiogranites in the Tekturmas Ophiolite Zone (Central Kazakhstan): Age and Composition
Authors: Degtyarev K. E. , Luchitskaya M. V. , Tretyakov A. A.
Published: September 2023

The complex of felsic to intermediate volcanic rocks intruded by plagiogranitic bodies is first revealed in the western part of the Tekturmas ophiolite zone of Central Kazakhstan. The U–Pb (SIMS) geochronological study of one of the plagiogranitic bodies dated back to the Early Cambrian (537 ± 5 Ma) is conducted for the first time. The peculiarities of the volcanic rocks and the composition of plagiogranites indicate their formation in a suprasubduction setting within the Early Cambrian primitive volcanic island arc. The formation of this arc was not related to the evolution of the Ordovician oceanic structures, the complexes of which participate in the structure of the Tekturmas zone.
Novel paraneoplastic mechanism for cerebellar ataxia in Erdheim-Chester disease
Authors: Rafati Fard Amir , Thornton Juliet , Coles Alasdair
Published: September 2023

We report a case of BRAF-mutation positive Erdheim-Chester disease presenting with a cerebellar ataxia. This is the first such case to be reported without structural MRI abnormalities but with a single intrathecally produced oligoclonal band. Now that the histiocytoses have been recharacterised as neoplastic, we speculate that the mechanism of the ataxia in our case is paraneoplastic. We highlight the importance of searching for BRAF mutations in this disease, as their presence leads to effective personalised treatments.