bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preterm birth and cardiometabolic health trajectories from birth to adulthood: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children
Authors: Clayton Gemma L , Howe Laura D , O’Keeffe Linda M , Lewandowski Adam J , Lawlor Deborah A , Fraser Abigail
Published: March 2023

Background

Adults who were born prematurely (<37 weeks gestation) are at increased cardiovascular disease risk, but it is unclear when in the life course this risk emerges. Our aim was to compare trajectories of multiple cardiometabolic risk factors from childhood to early adulthood between those who had and had not been born preterm.

Methods

Multilevel models were used to compare trajectories from early childhood (ranging from birth to 9 years) to age 25 years of BMI, fat mass, lean mass, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), lipids, glucose and insulin, between participants born preterm (N=311-733, range 25-36 completed weeks gestation) and term (N=5365-12097) in a contemporary UK birth cohort study. We also investigated gestational age as a continuum.

Results

In children born preterm (versus term), systolic and diastolic BP were higher at age 7 (mean predicted differences 0.6mmHg; 95%CI -0.3, 1.5 and 0.6mmHg; 95%CI 0.03, 1.3, respectively). By age 25 years, the difference in SBP persisted (1.4, 95%CI -0.1, 2.9 mmHg) and in DBP (−0.2, 95%CI -1.3, 0.9 mmHg) disappeared. Participants born preterm (versus term) had lower BMI between 7 and 18 years, but by age 25, there was no difference. Lean mass and fat mass (measured from age 9 only) trajectories were consistent with BMI. HDL-c was higher, and triglycerides lower at birth in those born preterm, but this difference also disappeared by 25 years. There was no evidence of differences in glucose and insulin between participants born preterm compared to term.

Conclusions

There were few, modest differences in cardiometabolic health measures during early life in those born preterm versus term. All disappeared by age 25, except the small difference in SBP. Longer follow-up is needed to establish if and when trajectories of measures of cardiometabolic health in term and preterm born people diverge.

Clinical perspective

What is new?

Whether life course trajectories of commonly assessed cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as blood pressure, are different in people born preterm vs those born at term, is unknown.

By age 25, we generally found no evidence of differences between people born preterm and term on measures of cardiometabolic health except that systolic blood pressure was modestly higher in those born preterm. We also observed more favourable outcomes with lower adiposity measures between ages 9 and 18 years.

Clinical implications

The reported increased risk of CVD in people born preterm is not apparent in early adulthood.

Whilst it may emerge in later life, our results suggest no justification for CVD screening using ‘classic’ risk factors in young adults based on their gestational age.

Further work to replicate these findings in other independent cohorts and studies with follow-up into mid life are required to examine when associations emerge.
Age modulates protein-outcome associations in deceased donor kidneys
Authors: Charles Philip D , Vaughan Rebecca H , Fawaz Sarah , Davis Simon , Joshi Priyanka , Vendrell Iolanda , Fischer Roman , Kessler Benedikt M , Sharples Edward J , Santos Alberto , Ploeg Rutger J , Kaisar Maria
Published: March 2023

Background

Organ availability limits kidney transplantation, the best treatment for end-stage kidney disease. Globally, deceased donor acceptance criteria have been relaxed to include older donors, which comes with a higher risk of inferior posttransplant outcomes. Donor age, although negatively impacts transplant outcomes, lacks granularity in predicting graft dysfunction. Better donor kidney assessment and characterization of the biological mechanisms underlying age-associated donor organ damage and transplant outcomes is key to improving donor kidney utilisation and transplant longevity.

Methods

185 deceased pretransplant biopsies (from brain and circulatory death donors aged 18-78 years) were obtained from the Quality in Organ Donation (QUOD) biobank and proteomic profiles were acquired by mass spectrometry. Machine learning exploration using prediction rule ensembles guided LASSO regression modeling of kidney proteomes that identified protein signatures and biological mechanisms associated with 12-m posttransplant outcome. Data modeling was validated on held-out data and contextualised against published spatially resolved kidney injury related transcriptomes.

Results

Our analysis highlighted that outcomes were best modeled using combination of donor age and protein abundance signatures, revealing 539 proteins with these characteristics. Modeled age:protein interactions demonstrated stronger associations with transplant outcomes than age and protein alone and revealed mechanisms of kidney injury including metabolic changes and innate immune responses correlated with poor outcome. Comparison to single-cell transcriptome data suggests protein-outcome associations to specific cell types.

Conclusions

Molecular signatures resulted from integration of donor age and proteomic profiles in deceased donor kidney biopsies offer the potential to develop improved pretransplant organ assessment and aid decisions on perfusion interventions.
Opportunities to improve nutrition delivery in hospital after discharge from an intensive care unit: A mixed methods analysis
Authors: Vollam Sarah , Gustafson Owen , Morgan Lauren , Pattison Natalie , Redfern Oliver , Thomas Hilary , Watkinson Peter
Published: March 2023

Background and Aims

Though adequate nutrition following critical illness is fundamental to rehabilitation, it is poorly provided. To inform interventions to improve nutrition support for patients discharged from an intensive care unit (ICU), we aimed to document remediable problems in nutrition management on general hospital wards, and the context for these problems.

Methods

This work forms part of a larger mixed methods study: REcovery FoLlowing intensivE Care Treatment (REFLECT). From three NHS hospitals, chosen to represent different hospital settings, we conducted in-depth reviews of 20 cases where in-hospital death after ICU discharge was judged ‘probably avoidable’ and 20 cases where patients survived to hospital discharge. We interviewed 55 patients, family members and staff about their experiences of post-ICU ward care. From these primary data we extracted information related to nutrition provision to develop a process map of how enteral feeding is delivered to patients on hospital wards after ICU discharge.

Results

Problems with nutrition delivery were common (81 problems in 20/40 cases), mostly (70/81) in patients whose death was judged “probably avoidable”. Common issues included failure to monitor nutritional intake, delays in dietician/nutritional support referrals, removal of enteral feeding tubes before oral intake was established, and poor management of enteral nutrition delivery. Staff identified workload related to the high care needs of post-ICU patients as contributing to these problems in nutrition delivery. The process map of enteral feeding delivery demonstrated that local policy for tube placement confirmation risked prolonged system-related delays to administering naso-gastric feed, significantly affecting the volume of feed delivered to patients.

Conclusions

Using a novel mixed methods approach, we identified problems throughout the process of delivering nutritional support, which had profound consequences for post-ICU patients. We demonstrated the importance of multi-professional collaboration in delivering enteral nutrition. Improving collaborative working processes within the ward system may ensure timely confirmation of correct nasogastric tube placement, and support safe feeding. Addressing the common problems in post-ICU nutritional support we identified may support improved nutritional delivery and potentially enhance recovery from critical illness.

Study registration

ISRCTN:14658054
Neural representations in visual and parietal cortex differentiate between imagined, perceived, and illusory experiences
Authors: Li Siyi , Zeng Xuemei , Shao Zhujun , Yu Qing
Published: March 2023

Humans constantly receive massive amounts of information, both perceived from the external environment and imagined from the internal world. To function properly, the brain needs to correctly identify the origin of information being processed. Recent work has suggested common neural substrates for perception and imagery. However, it has remained unclear how the brain differentiates between external and internal experiences with shared neural codes. Here we tested this question by systematically investigating the neural processes underlying both the generation and maintenance of information from voluntary imagery, veridical perception, and illusion. The inclusion of illusion allowed us to differentiate between objective and subjective internality: while illusion has an objectively internal origin and can be viewed as involuntary imagery, it is also subjectively perceived as having an external origin like perception. Combining fMRI, eye-tracking, multivariate decoding and encoding approaches, we observed superior orientation representations in parietal cortex during imagery compared to perception, and conversely in early visual cortex. This imagery dominance gradually developed along a posterior-to-anterior cortical hierarchy from early visual to parietal cortex, emerged in the early epoch of imagery and sustained into the delay epoch, and persisted across varied imagined contents. Moreover, representational strength of illusion was more comparable to imagery in early visual cortex, but more comparable to perception in parietal cortex, suggesting content-specific representations in parietal cortex differentiate between subjectively internal and external experiences, as opposed to early visual cortex. These findings together support a domain-general engagement of parietal cortex in the generation and maintenance of internally-generated experience.

Significance Statement

How does the brain differentiate between imagined and perceived experiences? Combining fMRI, eye-tracking, multivariate decoding and encoding approaches, the current study revealed enhanced stimulus-specific representations in visual imagery originating from IPS, supporting the subjective experience of imagery. This neural principle was further validated by evidence from visual illusion, wherein illusion resembled perception and imagery at different levels of cortical hierarchy. Our findings provide direct evidence for the critical role of parietal cortex as a domain-general source region for the generation and maintenance of content-specific imagery, and offer new insights into the neural mechanisms underlying the differentiation between subjectively internal and external experiences.
Explicit Modelling of Antibody Levels for Infectious Disease Simulations in the Context of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Müller Sebastian A. , Paltra Sydney , Rehmann Jakob , Nagel Kai , Conrad Tim O.F.
Published: March 2023

Measurable levels of immunoglobulin G antibodies develop after infections with and vaccinations against SARS-CoV-2. These antibodies are temporarily dynamic; due to waning, antibody levels will drop below detection thresholds over time. As a result, epidemiological studies could underestimate population protection, given that antibodies are a marker for protective immunity.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple models predicting infection dynamics were used by policymakers to plan public health policies. Explicitly integrating antibody and waning effects into the models is crucial for reliable calculations of individual infection risk. However, only few approaches have been suggested that explicitly treat these effects.

This paper presents a methodology that explicitly models antibody levels and the resulting protection against infection for individuals within an agent-based model. This approach can be integrated in general frameworks, allowing complex population studies with explicit antibody and waning effects. We demonstrate the usefulness of our model in two use cases.
Bi-objective optimization framework for prefabricated construction service combination selection using genetic simulated annealing algorithm
Authors: Du Qiang , Qi Xiaomin , Zou Patrick X.W. , Zhang Yanmin
Published: March 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a bi-objective optimization framework to select prefabricated construction service composition. An improved algorithm-genetic simulated annealing algorithm (GSA) is employed to demonstrate the application of the framework.

Design/methodology/approach

The weighted aggregate multi-dimensional collaborative relationship is used to quantitatively evaluate the synergistic effect. The quality of service is measured using the same method. The research proposed a service combination selection framework of prefabricated construction that comprehensively considers the quality of service and synergistic effect. The framework is demonstrated by using a GSA that can accept poor solutions with a certain probability. Furthermore, GSA is compared with the genetic algorithm (GA), simulated annealing algorithm (SA) and particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) to validate the performance.

Findings

The results indicated that GSA has the largest optimal fitness value and synergistic effect compared with other algorithms, and the convergence time and convergence iteration of the improved algorithm are generally at a low level.

Originality/value

The contribution of this study is that the proposed framework enables project managers to clarify the interactions of the prefabricated construction process and provides guidance for project collaborative management. In addition, GSA helps to improve the probability of successful collaboration between potential partners, therefore enhancing client satisfaction.
Reminders, reflections, and relationships: insights from the design of a chatbot for college advising
Authors: Nguyen Ha , Lopez John , Homer Bruce , Ali Alisha , Ahn June
Published: March 2023

Purpose

In the USA, 22–40% of youth who have been accepted to college do not enroll. Researchers call this phenomenon summer melt, which disproportionately affects students from disadvantaged backgrounds. A major challenge is providing enough mentorship with the limited number of available college counselors. The purpose of this study is to present a case study of a design and user study of a chatbot (Lilo), designed to provide college advising interactions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted four primary data sources to capture aspects of user experience: daily diary entries; in-depth, semi-structured interviews; user logs of interactions with the chatbot; and daily user surveys. User study was conducted with nine participants who represent a range of college experiences.

Findings

Participants illuminated the types of interactions designs that would be particularly impactful for chatbots for college advising including setting reminders, brokering social connections and prompting deeper introspection that build efficacy and identity toward college-going.

Originality/value

As a growing body of human-computer interaction research delves into the design of chatbots for different social interactions, this study illuminates key design needs for continued work in this domain. The study explores the implications for a specific domain to improve college enrollment: providing college advising to youth.
Exploring the impact of RCEP on Malaysia: insights from select manufacturing industries
Authors: Rahman Nida , Sharma Krishan
Published: March 2023

Purpose

Regional comprehensive economic partnership (RCEP) is understood as the world's largest trading bloc given its contribution to the world output (30%). The mega trade bloc brings together 15 countries of East Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania to eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers in goods and services trade. The study suggests the importance of sector specific reforms for Malaysia to strengthen domestic capability.

Design/methodology/approach

The analytical framework constructs upon the partial equilibrium analysis and uses WITS SMART simulations.

Findings

The study finds that Malaysia's elimination of tariffs under the RCEP will cause a surge in imports from developed member countries of RCEP like Australia, South Korea and Japan. The study also finds a trade diversion in countries such as India. The empirical results establishes that RCEP would further strengthen intra-ASEAN trade.

Research limitations/implications

The study explores select sectors of the manufacturing industry in Malaysia.

Practical implications

The implementation of RCEP would impact the manufacturing sector immensely, especially in sectors like electrical machinery and equipment and inorganic chemicals, which are two of the major trading commodities of the Malaysian economy.

Social implications

Any trade agreement has a larger impact on the society. It may raise income, boost the consumer preferences and create or erode consumer welfare. The study reports the consumer welfare effect of the implementation of RCEP in Malaysia.

Originality/value

The study is the first attempt to do a partial equilibrium analysis for the electrical machinery and equipment sector and inorganic chemicals sector of Malaysia using both aggregated and disaggregated data at HS two-digit and HS six-digit level.
A benthic substrate classification method for seabed images using deep learning: Application to management of deep‐sea coral reefs
Authors: Jackett Chris , Althaus Franziska , Maguire Kylie , Farazi Moshiur , Scoulding Ben , Untiedt Candice , Ryan Tim , Shanks Peter , Brodie Pamela , Williams Alan
Published: March 2023

Protecting deep‐sea coral‐based vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) from human impacts, particularly bottom trawling, is a major conservation challenge in world oceans. Management processes for these ecosystems are weakened by key uncertainties that could be substantially addressed by having much greater volumes of quantitative image‐derived data that detail the distribution and abundance of coral reefs and the nature of impacts upon them. Considerably greater volumes of data could be available if the resource costs of image annotation are reduced.

In this paper we propose a solution: a deep learning system capable of automatically identifying reef‐building stony corals amongst other seabed substrata in much larger volumes of seabed imagery than was previously possible. Using a previously annotated dataset, we trained a convolutional neural network on approximately 70,000 classified images (‘snips’) comprising six benthic substrate classes, including reef‐building stony coral—‘coral matrix’.

Model performance improvements, chiefly by dataset cleaning, transfer learning and hyperparameter optimisation, resulted in the final trained model achieving validation accuracy of 98.19%. The classification was robust: benthic substrate types were accurately differentiated, and in some cases more consistently than was achieved by human annotators.

Synthesis and applications. The availability of much larger volumes of automatically annotated image‐derived data will improve spatial management of impacts on coral‐based VMEs in the deep sea by (1) improved cross‐validation and performance of spatial models required to predict coral distribution and abundance over the large scales of managed areas, and (2) establishing empirical relationships between coral abundance on the seabed and coral bycatch landed during fishing operations.
Litter accumulation, not light limitation, drives early plant recruitment
Authors: Jessen Maria‐Theresa , Auge Harald , Harpole W. Stanley , Eskelinen Anu
Published: March 2023

Theory predicts a decline in grassland diversity under nutrient enrichment and loss of herbivory, and one possible cause is hampered seedling recruitment. Two potential drivers for reduced diversity at the seedling level are diminished light availability caused by surrounding vegetation and accumulation of dead biomass.

To test the importance of these two mechanisms on early recruitment, we added seeds of 15 herbaceous grassland plant species and monitored sown and natural seedling emergence during one growing season in a full factorial field experiment with light addition and litter removal under fertilization and exclusion of mammalian herbivores in an experimental grassland in Central Germany. We used modern LED lamps, mimicking the spectrum of natural sun light, to provide light to small‐statured understorey plants. This novel experimental set‐up allowed us to specifically disentangle the roles of light limitation and litter accumulation independently and in combination.

In general, herbivore exclusion, but not fertilization increased the amount of litter biomass. Litter removal increased seedling number and richness by 83% and 33%, respectively, while light addition had no significant main effect on seedling recruitment, nor did it interact with any other factors, and did not affect recruitment even when litter was removed. In addition, fertilization had a negative and herbivore exclusion a negligible impact on recruitment, and these effects were independent of litter removal. Furthermore, seedling number and richness were unrelated to light intensity and quality, litter depth, soil moisture, temperature and C:N ratio.

Synthesis: These results provide novel insights into the role of light limitation versus litter accumulation driving early recruitment and help understanding the mechanisms that affect diversity in grassland communities via recruitment. Our results highlight the detrimental role of litter accumulation as opposed to surrounding vegetation induced light deficiency driving early recruitment from seeds and call for management actions that reduce the amount of litter when maintaining or restoring diversity.
Taking eDNA underground: Factors affecting eDNA detection of subterranean fauna in groundwater
Authors: van der Heyde Mieke , White Nicole E. , Nevill Paul , Austin Andrew D. , Stevens Nicholas , Jones Matt , Guzik Michelle T.
Published: March 2023

Stygofauna are aquatic fauna that have evolved to live underground. The impacts of anthropogenic climate change, extraction and pollution on groundwater pose major threats to groundwater health, prompting the need for efficient and reliable means to detect and monitor stygofaunal communities. Conventional survey techniques for these species rely on morphological identification and can be biased, labour‐intensive and often indeterminate to lower taxonomic levels. By contrast, environmental DNA (eDNA)‐based methods have the potential to dramatically improve on existing stygofaunal survey methods in a large range of habitats and for all life stages, reducing the need for the destructive manual collection of often critically endangered species or for specialized taxonomic expertise. We compared eDNA and haul‐net samples collected in 2020 and 2021 from 19 groundwater bores and a cave on Barrow Island, northwest Western Australia, and assessed how sampling factors influenced the quality of eDNA detection of stygofauna. The two detection methods were complementary; eDNA metabarcoding was able to detect soft‐bodied taxa and fish often missed by nets, but only detected seven of the nine stygofaunal crustacean orders identified from haul‐net specimens. Our results also indicated that eDNA metabarcoding could detect 54%–100% of stygofauna from shallow‐water samples and 82%–90% from sediment samples. However, there was significant variation in stygofaunal diversity between sample years and sampling types. The findings of this study demonstrate that haul‐net sampling has a tendency to underestimate stygofaunal diversity and that eDNA metabarcoding of groundwater can substantially improve the efficiency of stygofaunal surveys.
Modelling density surfaces of intraspecific classes using camera trap distance sampling
Authors: Delisle Zackary J. , Miller David L. , Swihart Robert K.
Published: March 2023

Spatially explicit densities of wildlife are important for understanding environmental drivers of populations, and density surfaces of intraspecific classes allow exploration of links between demographic ratios and environmental conditions. Although spatially explicit densities and class densities are valuable, conventional design‐based estimators remain prevalent when using camera‐trapping methods for unmarked populations.

We developed a density surface model that utilized camera trap distance sampling data within a hierarchical generalized additive modelling framework. We estimated density surfaces of intraspecific classes of a common ungulate, white‐tailed deerOdocoileus virginianus, across three large management regions in Indiana, United States. We then extended simple statistical theory to test for differences in two ratios of density.

Deer density was influenced by landscape fragmentation, wetlands and anthropogenic development. We documented class‐specific responses of density to availability of concealment cover, and found strong evidence that increased recruitment of young was tied to increased resource availability from anthropogenic agricultural land use. The coefficients of variation of the total density estimates within the three regions we surveyed were 0.11, 0.10 and 0.06.

Synthesis and applications. Our strategy extends camera trap distance sampling and enables managers to use camera traps to better understand spatial predictors of density. Our density estimates were more precise than previous estimates from camera trap distance sampling. Population managers can use our methods to detect finer spatiotemporal changes in density or ratios of intraspecific‐class densities. Such changes in density can be linked to land use, or to management regimes on habitat and harvest limits of game species.
Preferences for facial sexual dimorphism is related to frequency of pornography consumption among heterosexual‐identifying men and homosexual‐identifying men: A mediating role of sociosexuality
Authors: Chen Lijun , Yang Hongyan , Jiang Xiaoliu , Hong Youjuan , Potenza Marc N.
Published: March 2023

Frequent consumption of sexually explicit material (SEM) on the internet may influence attitudes toward sex (e.g., sociosexuality), and sociosexuality may influence people's preferences for potential partners' facial dimorphism. However, few studies have focused on the association between dimorphism preference and pornography consumption, and fewer have examined it in heterosexual‐identifying and homosexual‐identifying men. A total of 234 heterosexual‐identifying and 133 homosexual‐identifying men were asked to respond to questions regarding their preferences toward facial dimorphism, sociosexual orientation, and frequency of viewing SEM. Frequency of SEM consumption was related to sociosexuality and preference for potential partners' sex‐typical facial features, sociosexuality worked as a full mediator in this relationship, and similar mediating associations were found among heterosexual‐identifying and homosexual‐identifying men. The results identified associations between consumption of pornographic material and sexual dimorphic preference for the first time. Findings suggest not only that homosexual‐identifying men prefer masculinity in same‐sex partners but also that the sexual script theory that pornographic material consumption may influence men's short‐term relationship orientation among sexual minorities and under a conservative sexual culture. This study contributes to the understanding of the preference for facial dimorphism from a perspective on social learning and mate choice.
Grazing hay meadows: History, distribution, and ecological context
Authors: Janišová Monika , Bojko Igor , Ivașcu Cosmin M. , Iuga Anamaria , Biro Alina‐Sorina , Magnes Martin
Published: March 2023

Aims

Once widely used across Europe, grazing of hay meadows is now a rare agricultural practice that is mainly applied in rural regions with maintained traditional agriculture. In this review, we examine the knowledge on grazing hay meadows in the Carpathian Mountains, including its historical distribution, implementation and timing, potential impacts on grassland productivity and biodiversity, and implications for grassland conservation and restoration.

Location

The Carpathian Mountains (43.8–50.1°N, 16.9–27.1°E).

Methods

We conducted a literature review including biological, ecological, agricultural, ethnological, and historical sources.

Results and Conclusions

In each of the seven farming systems that existed in parallel in the Carpathian Mountains before agricultural intensification, grazing of hay meadows was applied regularly. Spring, autumn, and occasionally summer grazing, along with corralling and manuring of hay meadows, were integral parts of these systems, adapted to the seasonal movement of dairy farms across various agroecosystems. The data reviewed provide insight into the role of animals in hay meadow management, as well as how the breakdown of these historical farming systems is impacting local biodiversity, the economy, and the community. According to the literature sources, grazing hay meadows has numerous positive impacts on grassland biodiversity, including suppressing fast‐growing competitors, reducing the accumulation of litter, increasing the availability of germination gaps, dispersing seeds through zoochory, supporting ground‐nesting birds through later mowing, and promoting the regeneration of plants from seeds. From this perspective, the combination of mowing and grazing can be considered a promising tool in current grassland conservation and restoration efforts.
New axioms for top trading cycles
Authors: Chen Siwei , Chen Yajing , Hsu Chia‐Ling
Published: March 2023

The school choice problem is of great importance both in theory and practice. This paper studies the (student‐optimal) top trading cycles mechanism (TTCM) in an axiomatic way. We introduce two new axioms: MBG (mutual best group)‐quota‐rationality and MBG‐robust efficiency. While stability implies MBG‐quota rationality, MBG‐robust efficiency is weaker than robust efficiency, which is stronger than the combination of efficiency and group strategy proofness. The TTCM is characterized by MBG‐quota rationality and MBG‐robust efficiency. Our results construct a new basis to compare the TTCM with the other school choice mechanisms, in terms of both fairness and incentive‐related axioms.
Missense mutation of c.635 T > C in CAPN3 impairs muscle injury repair in a Limb‐Girdel Muscular Dystropy Model
Authors: Ma Hou‐Shi , Gong Xiu‐Li , Li Wen‐Xiu , Cai Qin , Chen Yan‐Wen , Guo Xin‐Bing , Ren Zhao‐Rui , Zeng Fanyi , Yan Jing‐Bin
Published: March 2023

Limb‐girdle muscular dystrophy recessive 1 (LGMDR1), previously known as LGMD2A, is a specific LGMD caused by a gene mutation encoding the calcium‐dependent neutral cysteine protease calpain‐3 (CAPN3). In our study, the compound heterozygosity with two missense variants c.635 T > C (p.Leu212Pro) and c.2120A > G (p.Asp707Gly) was identified in patients with LGMDR1. However, the pathogenicity of c.635 T > C has not been investigated. To evaluate the effects of this novel likely pathogenic variant to the motor system, the mouse model with c.635 T > C variant was prepared by CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technique. The pathological results revealed that a limited number of inflammatory cells infiltrated the endomyocytes of certain c.635 T > C homozygous mice at 10 months of age. Compared with wild‐type mice, motor function was not significantly impaired in Capn3 c. 635 T > C homozygous mice. Western blot and immunofluorescence assays further indicated that the expression levels of the Capn3 protein in muscle tissues of homozygous mice were similar to those of wild‐type mice. However, the arrangement and ultrastructural alterations of the mitochondria in the muscular tissues of homozygous mice were confirmed by electron microscopy. Subsequently, muscle regeneration of LGMDR1 was simulated using cardiotoxin (CTX) to induce muscle necrosis and regeneration to trigger the injury modification process. The repair of the homozygous mice was significantly worse than that of the control mice at day 15 and day 21 following treatment, the c.635 T > C variant of Capn3 exhibited a significant effect on muscle regeneration of homozygous mice and induced mitochondrial damage. RNA‐sequencing results demonstrated that the expression levels of the mitochondrial‐related functional genes were significantly downregulated in the mutant mice. Taken together, the results of the present study strongly suggested that the LGMDR1 mouse model with a novel c.635 T > C variant in the Capn3 gene was significantly dysfunctional in muscle injury repair via impairment of the mitochondrial function.
The Role of Implicit and Explicit Beliefs in Grave‐Good Practices: Evidence for Intuitive Afterlife Reasoning
Authors: Swan Thomas , Bering Jesse , Hughes Ruth , Halberstadt Jamin
Published: March 2023

The practice of burying objects with the dead is often claimed as some of the earliest evidence for religion, on the assumption that such “grave goods” were intended for the decedents’ use in the afterlife. However, this assumption is largely speculative, as the underlying motivations for grave‐good practices across time and place remain little understood. In the present work, we asked if explicit and implicit religious beliefs (particularly those concerning the continuity of personal consciousness after death) motivate contemporary grave‐good practices. Across three studies, and comparing participants from the United States and NZ, we measured grave‐good deposition at actual or hypothetical funerals, finding that jewelry, photographs, and other items with sentimental, emotional, and relationship value were common. In addition, intuitive afterlife reasoning (as measured by people's attributions of mental states to the dead) motivated grave‐good decision‐making for about half (Study 2) or more (Study 3) people, including afterlife nonbelievers (“extinctivists”), while those who held explicit (i.e., stated) afterlife beliefs were more likely to participate in the practice. The decision to leave grave goods was also associated with magical contagion beliefs and a need for personal comfort, while other motivations, such as social signaling, were less common. Our results suggest that “afterlife use” is a common motivation for grave‐good practices, and that humans possess evolutionarily early intuitions about postdeath consciousness.
Influence of isolated low‐grade intracranial haemorrhages on the neurodevelopmental outcome of infants born very low birthweight
Authors: Uccella Sara , Parodi Alessandro , Calevo Maria Grazia , Nobili Lino , Tortora Domenico , Severino Mariasavina , Andreato Chiara ,   The Eu‐Brain Neonatal Group, Rossi Andrea , Ramenghi Luca Antonio
Published: March 2023

Aim

To determine whether isolated low‐grade germinal matrix‐intraventricular haemorrhages (LG‐GMH‐IVH) and low‐grade punctate cerebellar haemorrhages (LG‐CBH) contribute to the neurodevelopment of infants born preterm with very low birthweight (VLBW).

Method

A prospective observational cohort study was conducted on infants born with VLBW hospitalized from January 2012 to July 2017 who had undergone serial cranial ultrasounds since birth and magnetic resonance susceptibility‐weighted imaging of the brain at term‐corrected age. Only those with VLBW carrying isolated LG‐GMH‐IVH (grades 1 or 2) or isolated LG‐CBH (punctate cerebellar haemorrhages ≤4 mm in diameter) or absence of lesions (no‐lesion) were enrolled and followed up to 3 years. The Griffiths Mental Development Scales, Extended and Revised version (GMDS‐ER), were used to assess neurodevelopment, considering unsatisfactory scores less than 85. Behaviour, according to the criteria of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, and rehabilitation data were noted.

Results

Two‐hundred and forty infants with VLBW were enrolled: 34 with LG‐GMH‐IVH, 17 with LG‐CBH, and 189 as no‐lesion. The LG‐GMH‐IVH and LG‐CBH groups scored worse than the no‐lesion group on all GMDS‐ER scores for 1 year, 2 years, and 3 years. The LG‐CBH group scored lower than the LG‐GMH‐IVH group for total GMDS‐ER scores at 1 year and 2 years but not at 3 years. At 3 years, compared with the LG‐CBH group, those with LG‐GMH‐IVH received less and later physical therapy, with more frequent attention problems. The odds ratio for unsatisfactory GMDS‐ER scores corrected for gestational age was 5.75 for LG‐CBH (95% confidence interval 1.92–17.25; p = 0.002) and 2.67 for LG‐GMH‐IVH (95% confidence interval 1.16–6.13; p = 0.02).

Interpretation

Low‐grade haemorrhages affect the neurodevelopment of very‐low‐birthweight infants. Early rehabilitation might have contributed to their development.

What this paper adds

Low‐grade haemorrhages seem to have an independent role in the adverse neurodevelopment of infants born extremely preterm.

Infants born preterm with low‐grade germinal matrix‐intraventricular haemorrhage (LG‐GMH‐IVH) are indicated for physical therapy at a later age than those with low‐grade punctate cerebellar haemorrhage (LG‐CBH).

Compared with LG‐CBH, LG‐GMH‐IVH is associated with a greater extent of attention problems at 3 years corrected age.
Machine learning tuning by diversity oriented firefly metaheuristics for Industry 4.0
Authors: Jovanovic Luka , Bacanin Nebojsa , Zivkovic Miodrag , Antonijevic Milos , Jovanovic Bojan , Sretenovic Marija Bogicevic , Strumberger Ivana
Published: March 2023

The progress of Industrial Revolution 4.0 has been supported by recent advances in several domains, and one of the main contributors is the Internet of Things. Smart factories and healthcare have both benefited in terms of leveraged quality of service and productivity rate. However, there is always a trade‐off and some of the largest concerns include security, intrusion, and failure detection, due to high dependence on the Internet of Things devices. To overcome these and other challenges, artificial intelligence, especially machine learning algorithms, are employed for fault prediction, intrusion detection, computer‐aided diagnostics, and so forth. However, efficiency of machine learning models heavily depend on feature selection, predetermined values of hyper‐parameters and training to deliver a desired result. This paper proposes a swarm intelligence‐based approach to tune the machine learning models. A novel version of the firefly algorithm, that overcomes known deficiencies of original method by employing diversification‐based mechanism, has been proposed and applied to both feature selection and hyper‐parameter optimization of two machine learning models—XGBoost and extreme learning machine. The proposed approach has been tested on four real‐world Industry 4.0 data sets, namely distributed transformer monitoring, elderly fall prediction, BoT‐IoT, and UNSW‐NB 15. Achieved results have been compared to the results of eight other cutting‐edge metaheuristics, that have been implemented and tested under the same conditions. The experimental outcomes strongly indicate that the proposed approach significantly outperformed all other competitor metaheuristics in terms of convergence speed and results' quality measured with standard metrics—accuracy, precision, recall, and f1‐score.
Decoding the crosstalk between mevalonate metabolism and T cell function
Authors: Kennewick Kelly T. , Bensinger Steven J.
Published: March 2023

The mevalonate pathway is an essential metabolic pathway in T cells regulating development, proliferation, survival, differentiation, and effector functions. The mevalonate pathway is a complex, branched pathway composed of many enzymes that ultimately generate cholesterol and nonsterol isoprenoids. T cells must tightly control metabolic flux through the branches of the mevalonate pathway to ensure sufficient isoprenoids and cholesterol are available to meet cellular demands. Unbalanced metabolite flux through the sterol or the nonsterol isoprenoid branch is metabolically inefficient and can have deleterious consequences for T cell fate and function. Accordingly, there is tight regulatory control over metabolic flux through the branches of this essential lipid synthetic pathway. In this review we provide an overview of how the branches of the mevalonate pathway are regulated in T cells and discuss our current understanding of the relationship between mevalonate metabolism, cholesterol homeostasis and T cell function.
Slow sintering in garnet‐containing Y and Gd zirconate–aluminate mixtures for thermal barrier coatings
Authors: Yu Yueh‐Cheng , Godbole Eeshani P. , Berrios Josselyne , Hewage Nethmi , Poerschke David L.
Published: March 2023

Mixtures of rare‐earth zirconates and aluminates containing Y or Y + Gd that form a two‐phase garnet–fluorite mixture exhibit much slower sintering than pure fluorite at 1400°C. An equivalent Y‐free, Gd‐containing composition that forms a perovskite aluminate instead of garnet showed faster densification after the metastable garnet decomposes. At 1500°C, the Y‐free sample also showed the fastest initial sintering rate, whereas there was more divergence in the sintering rate for the samples containing Y + Gd. The zirconate–aluminate with equimolar Y + Gd shows the slowest densification at 1500°C and retains ∼25% porosity after 250 h. The results highlight possibilities for designing compliant thermal barrier coatings that can retain significant porosity at 1400°C or higher.
Interpreting alignment to the EAT‐Lancet diet using dietary intakes of lactating mothers in rural Western Kenya
Authors: Quarpong Wilhemina , Wakoli Samson , Oiye Shadrack , Williams Anne M.
Published: March 2023

The EAT‐Lancet reference diet intends to be good for planetary and human health. We compared single multiple pass method 24‐h dietary intake of mothers (n = 242) from a cross‐sectional study in Western Kenya to the recommended range of intake of 11 EAT‐Lancet food groups (e.g., 0–100 g/day legumes; maximum score 11), defining alignment two ways: daily intake among food groups where a minimum intake of 0 g was either acceptable or unacceptable. Ordinal logistic regression models assessed associations between alignment and body mass index (BMI). Cost of mothers' diets and hypothetical diets within recommended ranges (lower bounds >0 g) were estimated using food price data from markets within the mothers' locality. Mean energy intake was 1827 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1731–1924) kcal/day. Relative to the EAT‐Lancet diet, mothers' diets were on average higher for grains; within recommendations for tubers, fish, beef and dairy; closer to lower bounds for chicken, eggs, legumes and nuts; and lower for fruits and vegetables. Mean (95% CI) alignment scores were 8.2 (8.0–8.3) when 0 g intakes were acceptable and 1.7 (1.6–1.9) otherwise. No significant associations were found between alignment and BMI. Mothers' diets and hypothetical diets within recommended ranges averaged 184.6 KES (1.6 USD) and 357.5 KES (3.0 USD)/person/day, respectively. Lactating mothers' diets were not diverse and diverged from the reference diet when an intake of 0 g was considered unacceptable. Lower bound intakes of 0 g for micronutrient‐dense food groups are inappropriate in food‐insecure populations. It would likely cost more than mothers currently spend to tailor their diets to the EAT‐Lancet reference diet.
Inbreeding depression in an outbred stickleback population
Authors: Fraimout Antoine , Rastas Pasi , Lv Lei , Merilä Juha
Published: March 2023

Inbreeding depression refers to the reduced fitness of offspring produced by genetically‐related individuals and is expected to be rare in large, outbred populations. When it occurs, marked fitness loss is possible as large populations can carry a substantial load of recessive harmful mutations which are normally sheltered at the heterozygous state. Using experimental cross data and genome‐wide identity‐by‐descent (IBD) relationships from an outbred marine nine‐spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) population, we documented a significant decrease in offspring survival probability with increasing parental IBD sharing associated with an average inbreeding load (B) of 10.5. Interestingly, we found that this relationship was also underlined by a positive effect of paternal inbreeding coefficient on offspring survival, suggesting that certain combinations of parental inbreeding and genetic relatedness among mates may promote offspring survival. Our results demonstrate the potential for substantial inbreeding load in an outbred population and emphasize the need to consider fine‐scale genetic relatedness in future studies of inbreeding depression in the wild.
It's all about opportunities: sourcing and selection of new ventures to accelerate innovation
Authors: Bettenmann Denis
Published: March 2023

One‐fifth of the global companies complement their R&D activities with the use of corporate accelerators. Corporate accelerators are claimed to foster innovativeness by engaging with startups. However, we know little about how they work. The few previous studies about corporate accelerators have mainly focused on the design of corporate accelerators or the description of the phenomenon itself, but we have limited insights into the underlying mechanisms of corporate acceleration. This in‐depth qualitative case study of a large German corporation in the automotive sector opens up how the sourcing and selection of new ventures accelerates corporate innovation. The unique access to internal data revealed the mechanisms that accelerate innovation by enhancing the corporate's entrepreneurial behavior. The study thereby contributes to understanding modes of corporate entrepreneurship and their function in the broader open innovation context, opening the black box of corporate acceleration, as well as giving valuable insights to R&D and innovation managers on the sourcing and selection process of startups.
“A Rigged Process from the Beginning”: Power and Procedural Injustice Within the Colorado Oil and Gas Task Force1
Authors: Malin Stephanie A. , Ryder Stacia S.
Published: March 2023

Unconventional oil and gas (UOG) production has reinvigorated US production while creating conflicts over governance and environmental injustices. Here, we focus on relationships among power, regulatory conflict, and procedural justice around UOG by examining the Colorado Oil and Gas Task Force (TF) and its decision‐making processes. Instead of statewide voting on UOG ballot measures, Colorado convened a 21‐member TF tasked with making regulatory recommendations. We draw on interviews, participant observation, and policy ethnography to examine: who sets the rules of the game, how players are chosen, and by whom. We ask the following questions: (1) How did TF members and other political actors exert state and institutional power, and how did that shape the structure, composition, processes, and outcomes of the TF?; (2) As a state‐created body, how did the TF and its internal processes disrupt or reinforce power relations favoring industry and fossil fuel development?; and (3) What were the procedural justice implications of TF processes? We advance scholarship on procedural justice by demonstrating how people operate at institutional scales to shape decision‐making structures, processes, and outcomes. We show how nonelected bodies can work as state interventions for industry, reinforcing industry power and procedural injustices rather than disrupting them.