bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Activation of a hypothalamus-habenula circuit by mechanical stimulation inhibits cocaine addiction-like behaviors
Authors: Jang Han Byeol , Ahn DanBi , Chang Suchan , Kim Hyung Kyu , Lee Bong Hyo , Kim Sang Chan , Steffensen Scott C. , Bills Kyle B. , Lee Hubert , Kim Hee Young
Published: May 2023

Background

Mechanoreceptor activation modulates GABA neuron firing and dopamine (DA) release in the mesolimbic DA system, an area implicated in reward and substance abuse. The lateral habenula (LHb), the lateral hypothalamus (LH), and the mesolimbic DA system are not only reciprocally connected, but also involved in drug reward. We explored the effects of mechanical stimulation (MS) on cocaine addiction-like behaviors and the role of the LH-LHb circuit in the MS effects. MS was performed over ulnar nerve and the effects were evaluated by using drug seeking behaviors, optogenetics, chemogenetics, electrophysiology and immunohistochemistry.

Results

Mechanical stimulation attenuated locomotor activity in a nerve-dependent manner and 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and DA release in nucleus accumbens (NAc) following cocaine injection. The MS effects were ablated by electrolytic lesion or optogenetic inhibition of LHb. Optogenetic activation of LHb suppressed cocaine-enhanced 50 kHz USVs and locomotion. MS reversed cocaine suppression of neuronal activity of LHb. MS also inhibited cocaine-primed reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior, which was blocked by chemogenetic inhibition of an LH-LHb circuit.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that peripheral mechanical stimulation activates LH-LHb pathways to attenuate cocaine-induced psychomotor responses and seeking behaviors.
Natural occurrence of Beauveria bassiana (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) infecting Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and earwig in eastern DR Congo
Authors: Cokola Marcellin C. , Ben Fekih Ibtissem , Bisimwa Espoir B. , Capparos Megido Rudy , Delvigne Frank , Francis Frédéric
Published: May 2023

Background

The fall armyworm (FAW),Spodoptera frugiperda(J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), poses a threat to the food security of populations in sub-Saharan Africa because of its damage to maize crops. As alternative to the use of hazardous pesticides, microbial control is one of the most promising sustainable approaches adopted to limit the damages caused byS. frugiperda. The sampling targeted mainly larvae ofS. frugiperda; however, during the survey, cadavers of earwig found on the same sampling sites were also collected and involved in the study. Cadavers of targeted insects, with and without sign of fungal infection, were sampled from 3 localities in eastern DR Congo. Culture of fungal isolates was performed in selective Sabouraud dextrose agar media.

Results

Morphological study of fungal features such as conidia (shape and size) and conidiophores showed that the isolates were from the genusBeauveria. Conidial measurements were highly variable and ranged from 2.4 to 3.6 µm in length and from 1.75 to 3.0 µm in width. Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the 2Beauveriaisolates based on DNA sequencing of ITS-5.8S region confirmed that both isolates belong toBeauveria bassiana. The 2 isolates ofB. bassianaP5E (OP419735.1) and KA14 (OP419734.1) were isolated from cadavers of FAW and earwig, respectively. The alignment with different sequences ofB. bassianafrom different continent showed that P5E belonged to the same clade of previous isolates reported from Iran and Mexico, while KA14 was with the same clade as isolates from Kenya and China.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the occurrence ofB. bassianainfecting FAW and earwig in eastern DR Congo and in Africa.
Molecular profiling of resistance alleles in Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) collected from different locations
Authors: Likhitha P. , Naik V. Chinna Babu , Moharil M. P. , Undirwade D. B. , Kulkarni U. S. , Kolhe A. V.
Published: May 2023

Background

After the commercialization of insect-resistant transgenic Bt cotton Bollgard I & II, India ranks first in the world in cotton production. Cotton insecticide consumption was drastically reduced as nearly 95% of the cotton area was replaced with Bollgard II. However, the benefits of transgenic cotton appear to have been diminished as the pink bollworm, Pectinophora gossypiella (Saunders) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) developed field resistance to Cry1Ac expressing Bt cotton in India in 2008. In 2015, there was an unusual survival of P. gossypiella on Bollgard II cotton in some parts of Gujarat and Maharashtra, which is a cause for concern.

Results

In the present study, PCR analysis and gel visualization of BGII resistant field population of P. gossypiella showed that the presence of r1, r2, r3, r1s, r2s, r3s, and ss mutated cadherin alleles, which produced amplicon sizes of 750 bp, 700 bp, 730 bp, 12,700 bp, 750 bp, 980 bp, 600 bp and 1600 bp, respectively, when seven different types of cadherin allele(s) specific primers were used. The r1 mutant allele was detected in Amaravati, Wardha, Yavatmal, and Nagpur, but not in Akola and Buldhana, using primers r1disfor and Int-540. The r2 mutant allele was detected in Akola, Wardha, and Nagpur, but not in Buldhana, Amaravati, and Yavatmal, using primers r2disback and Cad2366. The r3 mutant allele was detected in all locations using primers r3disback and Cad3221. Amplicons of sizes 750 bp, 700 bp and 730 bp were obtained for r1, r2, and r3 mutant alleles, respectively. The sizes of the amplicons were 1270 bp for r1s, 750 bp for r2s, and 980 bp for r3s.The absence of bands for r1, r2, and r3 cadherin alleles in individuals indicated the possibility of having the ss allele, which was confirmed using primers Cad3324 and Int-651. The presence of ss mutant allele was observed in field-collected P. gossypiella populations from BG II cotton in various locations, with a 600 bp and 1600 bp size amplicons produced using the same primers.

Conclusions

PCR analysis revealed the presence of r1, r2, r3, r1s, r2s, r3s, and ss mutated cadherin alleles in field-collected populations of Vidarbha which provide evidence to field-evolved resistance of P. gossypiella to BGII cotton.
Will epigenetics ever be a biosocial science? A reply to Chiapperino and Paneni
Authors: Zaina Silvio
Published: May 2023

The recent correspondence article by Chiapperino and Paneni in Clinical Epigenetics correctly points to the inability of epigenetics to incorporate fine-grained mapping data of the individual’s surrounding milieu. The authors underline similar shortcomings of genomics. I argue that the tight link between DNA sequence and epigenetic marks is likely to reproduce those shortcomings in epigenetic studies. Moreover, biosocial epigenetics, if ever fully accomplished, would inevitably unmask genetics-based phenomena. The latter would be highly controversial from the viewpoint of dominant identity politics and social constructivism.
Antigen epitopes of animal coronaviruses: a mini-review
Authors: Su Mingjun , Zheng Guanghui , Xu Xiangwen , Song Houhui
Published: May 2023

Coronaviruses are widespread in nature and can infect mammals and poultry, making them a public health concern. Globally, prevention and control of emerging and re-emerging animal coronaviruses is a great challenge. The mechanisms of virus-mediated immune responses have important implications for research on virus prevention and control. The antigenic epitope is a chemical group capable of stimulating the production of antibodies or sensitized lymphocytes, playing an important role in antiviral immune responses. Thus, it can shed light on the development of diagnostic methods and novel vaccines. Here, we have reviewed advances in animal coronavirus antigenic epitope research, aiming to provide a reference for the prevention and control of animal and human coronaviruses.
Mesenchymal cystic hamartoma of the lung mimicking simple pulmonary aspergilloma: a case report
Authors: Nishii-Mitsuaki Machiko , Nakazono Chiaki , Okada Satoru , Kameyama Kenji , Urata Yoji , Inoue Masayoshi , Ueshima Yasuo
Published: May 2023

Background

Mesenchymal cystic hamartoma is a rare pulmonary neoplasm, which occasionally presents with severe symptoms such as pneumothorax or hemothorax, and shows favorable outcomes following surgical resection. It presents as solitary or multiple cystic lesions and requires differentiation from cystic malignancies, lymphangiomyomatosis, and cystic adenomatoid malformation.

Case presentation

We encountered a 46-year-old woman with mesenchymal cystic hamartoma mimicking simple pulmonary aspergilloma on diagnostic imaging. Chest computed tomography showed a cystic lesion 1.6 cm in diameter, with an intracavitary nodule. Surgical resection proved neither fungus nor malignancy, and the final pathological diagnosis of mesenchymal cystic hamartoma was made.

Conclusions

Mesenchymal cystic hamartoma might show aspergilloma-like features on diagnostic imaging, in addition to the differential diagnosis of lung cancer.
Identification of the seismoelectric field induced by a slow compressional wave at an ultrasonic frequency
Authors: Wang Jun , Gao Yongxin , Guan Wei , Hu Hengshan
Published: May 2023

Theoretical studies predict that a slow compressional wave propagating in a fluid-saturated porous medium can produce a coseismic electric field due to the electrokinetic effect, but the experimental proof is still lacking. Laboratory experiments are conducted to measure such a seismoelectric conversion inside a synthetic rock. Fluid pressure signals are recorded by using mini hydrophones 1.6 mm in diameter, and then electric field signals generated at the liquid-solid interface and inside the rock sample based on the seismoelectric effect are recorded by electrode arrays, respectively. The seismoelectric waves induced by fast and slow compressional waves can be clearly identified in the recorded electric signals and their attenuation properties are analyzed at an ultrasonic frequency, which confirms that the seismoelectric signals induced by fast/slow compressional waves are measurable in the experiments. To support our explanation of the experimental observation, theoretical simulations are conducted according to the experimental model and then compared with the recorded experimental data. The results find that the simulated wavefields are in excellent agreement with those signals measured in the measurements, which proves the theoretical prediction of the seismoelectric signal accompanying the slow compressional wave and suggests a feasible way for detecting the slow compressional wave property with seismoelectric conversions in field measurements.
Innovative land seismic investigations for CO2 geologic storage in Denmark
Authors: Papadopoulou Myrto , Zappalá Samuel , Malehmir Alireza , Gregersen Ulrik , Hjelm Lars , Nielsen Lars , Haspang Martin Patrong
Published: May 2023

The increasing global interest in geologic carbon storage as a feasible way of reducing CO2 atmospheric levels requires extensive onshore high-resolution seismic investigations to characterize suitable storage sites, for example, close to major CO2 emitters. To partly address this challenge and to acquire quality data at shallower and greater depths in a cost- and time-effective approach, a tailored acquisition scheme is adopted and tested at a candidate site in Stenlille, Denmark. The survey aims to understand whether an anticline reservoir structure known to exist at a 1000 m depth can serve for long-term CO2 storage and presents the structural integrity for this purpose. The data are recorded using a combination of nodal arrays, spaced at 10 m in a fixed geometry, and a set of more closely (2 m) spaced digital recorders, mounted on a landstreamer, which was moved at each shot location. Two 12 t mini vibrators are used as seismic sources. The nodal and landstreamer data sets are compared and combined into a unique data set for reflection imaging purposes along five profiles with a total length of approximately 12 km. The seismic sections obtained using this tailored combination of different recorders provide images of the entire shallow and deeper structures with an unprecedented resolution at the different depth levels necessary to assess the full potential of the suggested CO2 storage reservoir. The results significantly increase the existing knowledge of the extent and structural closure of the reservoir as well as a possible fault, all of which are critical for future risk analysis and planning of the storage.
Diagnosis of Ovarian Carcinoma Homologous Recombination DNA Repair Deficiency From Targeted Gene Capture Oncology Assays
Authors: Krumm Niklas , Khasnavis Nithisha S. , Radke Marc , Banda Kalyan , Davies Helen R. , Pennil Christopher , McLean Kathryn , Paulson Vera A. , Konnick Eric Q. , Johnson Winslow C. , Huff Grogan , Nik-Zainal Serena , Swisher Elizabeth M. , Lockwood Christina M. , Salipante Stephen J.
Published: May 2023

PURPOSE

Homologous recombination DNA repair deficiency (HRD) is a therapeutic biomarker for sensitivity to platinum and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor therapies in breast and ovarian cancers. Several molecular phenotypes and diagnostic strategies have been developed to assess HRD; however, their clinical implementation remains both technically challenging and methodologically unstandardized.

METHODS

We developed and validated an efficient and cost-effective strategy for HRD determination on the basis of calculation of a genome-wide loss of heterozygosity (LOH) score through targeted, hybridization capture and next-generation DNA sequencing augmented with 3,000 common, polymorphic single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites distributed genome-wide. This approach requires minimal sequence reads and can be readily integrated into targeted gene capture workflows already in use for molecular oncology. We interrogated 99 ovarian neoplasm-normal pairs using this method and compared results with patient mutational genotypes and orthologous predictors of HRD derived from whole-genome mutational signatures.

RESULTS

LOH scores of ≥11% had >86% sensitivity for identifying tumors with HRD-causing mutations in an independent validation set (90.6% sensitivity for all specimens). We found strong agreement of our analytic approach with genome-wide mutational signature assays for determining HRD, yielding an estimated 96.7% sensitivity and 50% specificity. We observed poor concordance with mutational signatures inferred using only mutations detected by the targeted gene capture panel, suggesting inadequacy of the latter approach. LOH score did not significantly correlate with treatment outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Targeted sequencing of genome-wide polymorphic SNP sites can be used to infer LOH events and subsequently diagnose HRD in ovarian tumors. The methods presented here are readily generalizable to other targeted gene oncology assays and could be adapted for HRD diagnosis in other tumor types.
Multiple Spontaneous Vertebral Fractures in a Younger Post-menopausal Woman Upon Stopping Denosumab Therapy
Authors: Hu Xun Yang , Leslie William D , Kline Gregory
Published: May 2023

Denosumab is a widely used medication for the treatment of osteoporosis. It has been observed in recent years that abruptly stopping denosumab leads to an increase in bone turnover markers, a decrease in bone mineral density, and a higher incidence of vertebral fractures. We present the case of a 53-year-old woman with few comorbidities and no prior fragility fractures who experienced 4 spontaneous and severely debilitating vertebral fractures 5-months post denosumab discontinuation. At the time of her fractures, she was found to have markedly elevated bone turnover markers, despite bone mineral density that was not significantly changed from measurements done while on denosumab treatment. She went on to be treated with an alternative antiresorptive agent, risedronate, and had substantial declines in her bone turnover markers, along with clinical improvement in her back pain. She experienced no further fractures while on treatment. Abrupt discontinuation of denosumab without starting an alternative antiresorptive agent can lead to spontaneous vertebral fractures. These fractures can occur in young patients with no prior history of fragility fractures and can be severely debilitating. An alternative antiresorptive agent should be started in the case of denosumab discontinuation.
Growing Wild: Visions of Wildlife Management as Agricultural Science in American Forests and Fields
Authors: Swanson Drew
Published: May 2023

Faced with dwindling wildlife populations and new regulatory regimes, some American farmers turned to game farming in the early twentieth century. Private boosters and government agencies envisioned game farming as a replacement for market hunting and as a new agricultural frontier, one that might further blur the boundaries between wild and cultivated nature. Farm and institutional infrastructures developed around such species as white-tailed deer and ring-necked pheasants, only to fade by the end of the interwar period. Game farming's lack of success ultimately stemmed from cultural, legal, and institutional challenges and epitomized the thoroughgoing separation of agricultural and wildlife sciences that firmed after World War II.
Bread or Iron? Competing Visions of American Aid to Soviet Russia, 1921–1923
Authors: Fedorova Maria
Published: May 2023

World War I was a watershed moment in the rise of a new network of international humanitarian organizations that sought to develop systematic responses to the unprecedented social and economic crises caused by the war. Many organizational questions about types of relief, distribution networks, and roles of relief workers, among others, became points of discussion and an open confrontation ensued among different organizations. This article analyzes competing visions of US famine relief to Soviet Russia during the devastating Volga famine of 1921–23. Unofficially presided over by Herbert Hoover, the American Relief Administration sent food, clothing, and medicine to the Soviets, while the so-called radical relief groups demanded a more “permanent rehabilitation” of Soviet agriculture and sought to ship technologies and agricultural specialists. These visions were guided by more than humanitarian ideals. Economic rivalry, class solidarity, anti-communism, and a belief in the power of technology shaped the US famine relief to Soviet Russia.
Des imagesduetdansle procès du 13 novembre 2015
Authors: Delage Christian , Guichard Thibault
Published: May 2023

Précis

Cet article s'interroge sur la manière dont le procès des responsables et complices des attentats du 13 novembre 2015 s'inspire de l'héritage du procès de Nuremberg, qui a été filmé et a accueilli la projection régulière d'images comme témoignages et comme preuves. Cette problématique, qui est caractéristique des sociétés dans lesquelles les images sont l'objet d'un intérêt académique comme judiciaire, conduit à questionner ce qu'elles apportent dans un tribunal, en termes de « vérité », et comment elles sont reçues par les protagonistes du procès et les sociétés dans lesquelles elles ont été produites.
Empire, Shame, and Medieval Text Editing: The Case of Beowulf Line 1382a
Authors: Yeager Stephen
Published: May 2023

This essay applies the concept of postimperial melancholia, taken from the work of Paul Gilroy, to describe the affective undercurrents of medieval text editing in the latter half of the twentieth century and the first decades of the twenty-first through an example from Beowulf. The discussion is focalized through the emendations to line 1382a, where an ambiguous series of minims leads to different editorial choices in Klaeber's first three editions of the poem, in his second supplement to the third edition, in the fourth edition produced by R. D. Fulk, Robert D. Bjork, and John D. Niles, and in Kevin Kiernan's Electronic Beowulf. The emendation proposed by Klaeber in his second supplement is imbricated in the shameful history of Old English studies and the project of constructing legendary origins for whiteness. Kiernan and the fourth edition editors each reject Klaeber's reading without addressing this history, focusing attention instead on technological and methodological interventions that produce other readings which are then represented alongside Klaeber's. The result is representative of how the closed and nonrecuperative temporality of melancholia is manifest in the principal development of postwar medieval text editing more generally, which is the abandonment of the notion that scholarly interventions constitute progress toward a better representation of a text, in favor of imagining them as expansions of a spatialized critical field around nodes of dissent. The essay concludes that the best way forward for the field is to recognize its melancholia and its causes, so that it might contribute to more productive futures.
Bioengineering of a tumour-stroma 3D-tumouroid co-culture model of hypopharyngeal cancer
Authors: Saha Santu , Howarth Rachel , Sharma-Saha Sweta , Kelly Charles
Published: May 2023

Head and neck cancer (HNC) differs at anatomical sites and hypopharyngeal cancer (HPC) is a type of HNC. The non-surgical treatment option for advanced cases of HPC is radiotherapy (RT) with or without chemotherapy but survival is poor. Thus, new treatment approaches in combination with RT are essential. Yet, obtaining post-RT treated tumour specimens and lack of animal models with identical anatomical sites are the major translational research barriers. To overcome these barriers, for the first time, we have developed a tumour-stroma based in vitro three-dimensional (3D)-tumouroid co-culture model of HPC by growing FaDu and HS-5 cells together to mimic the complex tumour-microenvironment in a Petri dish. Before growing the cells together, imaging flow cytometry revealed distinct epithelial and non-epithelial characteristics of the cells. Growth rate of the 3D-tumouroid co-culture was significantly higher compared to the tumouroid monoculture of FaDu. Histology and morphometric analysis were done for the characterisation as well as the development of hypoxia was measured by CAIX immunostaining in this 3D-tumouroid co-culture. Taken together, this innovative in vitro 3D model of HPC resembles many features of the original tumour. The wider application of this pre-clinical research tool is in understanding newer combination (e.g. immunotherapy) treatment approaches with RT in HPC and beyond.
Exocrine gland structure-function relationships
Authors: Khan Sameed , Fitch Sarah , Knox Sarah , Arora Ripla
Published: May 2023

Fluid secretion by exocrine glandular organs is essential to the survival of mammals. Each glandular unit within the body is uniquely organized to carry out its own specific functions, with failure to establish these specialized structures resulting in impaired organ function. Here, we review glandular organs in terms of shared and divergent architecture. We first describe the structural organization of the diverse glandular secretory units (the end-pieces) and their fluid transporting systems (the ducts) within the mammalian system, focusing on how tissue architecture corresponds to functional output. We then highlight how defects in development of end-piece and ductal architecture impacts secretory function. Finally, we discuss how knowledge of exocrine gland structure-function relationships can be applied to the development of new diagnostics, regenerative approaches and tissue regeneration.
Transport of synaptic vesicles is modulated by vesicular reversals and stationary cargo clusters
Authors: Vasudevan Amruta , Maiya Reshma , Venkatesh Keertana , Kumar Vinod , Sood Parul , Murthy Kausalya , Koushika Sandhya P. , Menon Gautam I.
Published: May 2023

Stationary clusters of vesicles are a prominent feature of axonal transport, but little is known about their physiological and functional relevance to axonal transport. Here, we investigated the role of vesicle motility characteristics in modulating the formation and lifetimes of such stationary clusters, and their effect on cargo flow. We developed a simulation model describing key features of axonal cargo transport, benchmarking the model against experiments in the posterior lateral mechanosensory neurons of Caenorhabditis elegans. Our simulations included multiple microtubule tracks and varied cargo motion states, and account for dynamic cargo–cargo interactions. Our model also incorporates static obstacles to vesicle transport in the form of microtubule ends, stalled vesicles and stationary mitochondria. We demonstrate, both in simulations and in an experimental system, that a reduction in reversal rates is associated with a higher proportion of long-lived stationary vesicle clusters and reduced net anterograde transport. Our simulations support the view that stationary clusters function as dynamic reservoirs of cargo vesicles, and reversals aid cargo in navigating obstacles and regulate cargo transport by modulating the proportion of stationary vesicle clusters along the neuronal process.
Temporal regulation of temperature tolerances and gene expression in an arctic insect
Authors: Noer Natasja Krog , Nielsen Kåre Lehmann , Sverrisdóttir Elsa , Kristensen Torsten Nygaard , Bahrndorff Simon
Published: May 2023

Terrestrial arthropods in the Arctic are exposed to highly variable temperatures that frequently reach cold and warm extremes. Yet, ecophysiological studies on arctic insects typically focus on the ability of species to tolerate low temperatures, whereas studies investigating physiological adaptations of species to periodically warm and variable temperatures are few. In this study, we investigated temporal changes in thermal tolerances and the transcriptome in the Greenlandic seed bug Nysius groenlandicus, collected in the field across different times and temperatures in Southern Greenland. We found that plastic changes in heat and cold tolerances occurred rapidly (within hours) and at a daily scale in the field, and that these changes are correlated with diurnal temperature variation. Using RNA sequencing, we provide molecular underpinnings of the rapid adjustments in thermal tolerance across ambient field temperatures and in the laboratory. We show that transcriptional responses are sensitive to daily temperature changes, and days characterized by high temperature variation induced markedly different expression patterns than thermally stable days. Further, genes associated with laboratory-induced heat responses, including expression of heat shock proteins and vitellogenins, were shared across laboratory and field experiments, but induced at time points associated with lower temperatures in the field. Cold stress responses were not manifested at the transcriptomic level.
Affective Response During Real-World Physical Activity as an Intervention Mediator
Authors: Dunton Genevieve F. , Crosley-Lyons Rachel , Rhodes Ryan E.
Published: May 2023

Some people experience pleasure during physical activity, whereas it can be unpleasant for others. Modifying affective responses during physical activity in real-world situations may be an intervention strategy for increasing physical activity. This article follows an experimental medicine framework to summarize evidence identifying, assessing, and influencing affective response during real-world physical activity to inform interventions targeting this mediating mechanism.
Exploring the moderating effects of SIRT1 protein expression and gene polymorphisms rs7895833 on the relationship between hemoglobin levels and physical frailty in elderly adults with comorbid chronic diseases: A moderated mediation analysis
Authors: Ardinata Dedi , Sari Harahap Novita , Lubis Nenni Dwi Aprianti , Nasution Tetty Aman
Published: May 2023

Background: Relationship age, hemoglobin, and physical frailty have all been investigated in older people with more than one chronic disease. There has been little analysis of the relationship between hemoglobin, age, physical frailty, Sirtuin1 (SIRT1) protein expression, and the gene polymorphism (SNP) rs7895833 A>G. The goal of this study was to find out how SIRT1 level, SNP rs7895833, hemoglobin, age, and physical frailty (frail score) are related in older Indonesian adults with comorbid chronic diseases.

Methods: This was an observational study. Demographic and clinical data were retrieved from the electronic health records of Universitas Sumatera Utara Hospital, Medan, Indonesia. Physical frailty, SIRT1 level, and SNP rs7895833 were measured using an appropriate and valid method. Purposive sampling was used to determine the eligibility of 132 elderly adults from November 2022 to February 2023.

Results: The indirect effect of hemoglobin on the frail score (FS) through age was negative and significant, according to a conditional mediation analysis (β=-0.0731; p=0.023). Meanwhile, the direct effect of hemoglobin on the FS was negative and not significant (β=0.1632; p=0.052). According to the conditional moderated mediation analysis, the size of the direct effect of age on FS was increased by genotype AG-GG and SIRT1 level (βlow=0.2647; p=0.002, βmiddle=0.2956; p<0.001, and βhigh=0.319; p<0.001). The size of the conditional indirect effect of Hemoglobin on FS through age was negative and significantly increased by SNP genotype AG-GG and SIRT1 level (βlow=-0.0647; p=0.032, βmiddle=-0.0723; p=0.024, and βhigh=-0.078; p=0.02).

Conclusions: Hemoglobin levels in the blood decrease with age, which might affect elderly people who also have chronic diseases. Higher levels of SIRT1 and the SNP genotype AG-GG can both contribute to this. However, the interactions between these variables are complex, necessitating more research to fully comprehend the mechanisms underlying the development of physical frailty in the aging population.
Measuring the psychological burden of women with pelvic floor complaints: The psychometric characteristics of a new instrument
Authors: Brand Alma , Waterink Wim , Rosas Scott , van Lankveld Jacques
Published: May 2023

Background: To be able to optimize pelvic healthcare, it would be helpful to specifically assess women’s psychological burden with pelvic floor complaints. In the absence of such an instrument, a new instrument was developed to measure this burden in women who seek help. In previous research, a comprehensive overview was yielded of women’s restrictions and distress with pelvic floor complaints, and a conceptual model was developed of seven types of distress that were reflected by 33 statements. The present study was performed to investigate the psychometric properties of the new instrument, termed the Pelvic Floor Complaint-related Psychological Burden Inventory (PFC-PBI). 

Methods: In an online survey data was collected from women with and without pelvic floor complaints on the 33 statements. The internal consistency of the types of distress was tested, Principal Component and Confirmatory Factor Analyses were performed, and the convergent and divergent validity of the types of distress was examined against existing questionnaires. 

Results: Based on the factor analyses, a 10-item instrument was tested. Outcomes show excellent internal consistency of this instrument, comprising a single component. The PFC-PBI demonstrated satisfactory convergent and divergent validity. 

Conclusions: This new measure appears to be a promising tool to inventory the psychological burden of women suffering from pelvic floor complaints. Research into its further development, implementation, and clinical use appears warranted.
Interference of the Political Class in Public Senior Secondary School Leadership in Rivers Southeast Senatorial District of Rivers State.
Authors: Nwisane Clifford Bariton
Published: May 2023

This study focuses on the Interference of the Political Class in Public Senior Secondary School Leadership in Rivers southeast Senatorial District of Rivers State. The study adopted a Descriptive research design. The population comprised 234 respondents (78 Principals, 78 Vice Principal Administration, and 78 Academics. Census was used to select the population. The questionnaire was used for data collection. The reliability of the instrument was obtained using test-retest method statistics. Twenty senior secondary school principals were administered the questionnaire, and a reliability index of 0.739 and 0.81 was obtained through Pearson Product Moment Correlation statistics. Mean and standard deviation was used to answer research questions 1-4, while an independent t-test was used to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 alpha significance level. The findings showed no significant difference between the mean ratings of principals and vice principals in the interference of politics on the appointment, promotion, posting of staff personnel, etc. From the findings, the study concludes that government should come up with acceptable criteria for appointing principals to ensure proper management of the schools, and the government should support the in-service training of staff to ensure teacher competency.
Breastfeeding Experiences of Women Who have Survived Intimate Partner Violence
Authors: Allen Stephanie , Williams Sophie , Hallam Jenny , Jackson Jessica Eve
Published: May 2023

Breastfeeding has multiple benefits for women who have survived intimate partner violence (IPV), but little is known about the experiences of women in this population and the impact that IPV has on the breastfeeding journey. This pilot study aimed to explore the lived experiences of breastfeeding mothers who have survived IPV. Two women who had survived IPV and were breastfeeding participated in an online semi-structured interview, which invited them to share their expectations of breastfeeding, their birth experiences, positive and challenging breastfeeding experiences, the kinds of support they received, and advice they wanted to share with health professionals and other women. An interpretative phenomenological analysis identified three themes from the interviews: identity and sense of self; isolation; and the impact of support. Despite being a challenging process, breastfeeding was an empowering experience that facilitated a sense of purpose and identity, something IPV had deconstructed.
Dietary Trends Among Adolescents in Surakarta City During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Fathimatuzzahrah Hanifah , Widardo Widardo , Ayu Sari Amelya Augusthina
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Restrictions on activities outside the home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including schools, can influence dietary profiles, especially those of adolescents. The effort to suppress COVID-19 transmission changes Adolescents’ lifestyles, physical activity, and eating behavior towards deterioration endangers their health, and increases the risk of degenerative diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and other NCDs that can exacerbate COVID-19 disease. This study aims to explore nutritional modifications during the COVID-19 pandemic in adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, compared with their usual diets before the pandemic, and identify variables that may correlate with the changes. 

Methods: This study used a cross-sectional design. Data were collected by online questionnaire and interviews on food intake, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity among 96 adolescents from Surakarta City. We used the Wilcoxon test and the Kruskal-Wallis test for comparative analysis.

Results: The results showed that the COVID-19 pandemic modified insignificantly the dietary intake, BMI, and physical activity. In particular, we recorded and analyzed the modified consumption of main dishes (p=0,745), side dishes (p=0,082), vegetables (p=0,000), fruits (p=0,528), snacks (p=0,128), and beverages (p=0,046) using Wilcoxon's analysis (p<0,005). In addition, the Kruskal-Wallis analysis showed that gender, BMI, and physical activity had varied comparisons with dietary intake during COVID-19.

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic had an insignificant impact on changes in dietary intake which were not significantly affected by gender, BMI, and physical activity in adolescents in Surakarta City.
Relation of NLR Value and Mortality Rate in Neonatal Sepsis
Authors: Roestanajie Jarwoto , Ali Shodikin Muhammad
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Neonatal sepsis is a significant issue for newborns everywhere and causes a large amount of morbidity and mortality. Various indicators of newborn sepsis are expensive and occasionally unavailable in peripheral hospitals. The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), which is affordable, is a component of complete blood counts and does not call for further testing. This study intended to investigate the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a predictor of neonatal mortality rate in the local hospital in rural locations.

Methods: This study sampled newborns with sepsis in the perinatal room of dr. Soebandi Hospital Jember for this cross-sectional study, from January 2021 to June 2022. NLR is calculated by manually dividing the number of neutrophils by the actual number of lymphocytes. Our neutrophil and lymphocyte data were obtained from the patient's lab results. This study analyzed neonatal sepsis NLR data using Spearman analysis to find the relation between NLR value and mortality rate of neonatal sepsis.

Results: This study obtained 43 data on neonatal sepsis in the perinatology ward during this period. The data found to show that 37 neonatal sepsis survived and 6 died. The collected data analysis found that the lowest NLR neonatal sepsis is 0.4, the highest NLR neonatal sepsis is 25.6 and the mean value for NLR neonatal sepsis in perinatology was 3.88. This study found no correlation between the NLR value of the sepsis neonate and the neonatal mortality rate Sig. (2-tailed) 0.662.

Conclusion: In this study demonstrated no correlation between the NLR value of the sepsis neonates and the neonatal mortality rate.
Clinical Characteristic of Headache among Medical Students Experienced Online Learning in University during the Pandemic
Authors: Febriza Ami , Yusbar Yushusna , Sompa Andi Weri
Published: May 2023

Background: The lecture used online learning as an alternative method for minimizing the spreading covid-19 during pandemic. Headache is one of the very popular complaints during the medical education process, and it happens owing many physical or psychological stressors. It reported more common in medical students, notably during this online learning methods.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics of headaches and associated factors among medical students during online learning.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Muhammadiyah Makassar from November 2021 to May 2022. A total of 220 medical students who have experienced forms of headache and had headache attacks during the past 1 years were included in this study. Respondents filled out a structured questionnaire, which consisted of demographic data, associated factors during online learning, and headache characteristics. Chi-square test was used to test the difference in proportion. All statistical test were considered as significant if p-value <0.05. The data obtained was processed using SPSS 23.

Results: Body posture during online learning and lecture duration had a significant relationship with headaches' location, duration, and frequency (p-value < 0.05). Body posture during online learning, duration of lectures, and frequency of lectures significantly correlate with activity exacerbated headaches (p-value < 0.05). Body posture also significantly correlates with headache severity (p-value < 0.05).

Conclusions: The results show that the clinical characteristics of headache are high in medical students that experience online learning during this pandemic situation.
Fashion and the individuality of mass consumption
Authors: Gronow Jukka
Published: May 2023

Industrially produced mass culture has the reputation of being uniform and monotonous, leaving hardly any room for originality and creativity. In stark contrast to this concept, other theorists of popular culture emphasise the increasing individuality of mass culture made possible by the increasing opulence and leisure time of the working masses followed by the marketing of consumer goods and services. Using the American automotive markets and the Soviet fashion industry as examples, the article addresses the role of fashion in promoting individuality in modern consumer culture questioning both Horkheimer’s and Adorno’s analysis of culture industry and Bourdieu’s analysis of the ‘down-to-earth’ taste of the working class. Critical Theory was right in referring to the culture industry, fashion included, as promoting pseudo-individuation, but not right in downplaying the role of the individual judgement of taste. Bourdieu was right in arguing that the social groups with little cultural and economic capital have hardly any role in challenging the legitimate taste, but not right in arguing that their taste is not an aesthetic taste at all. In analysing the relation between the individual and the social, or the particular and the general, in modern culture, one should pay more attention to the social formation of fashion, operative in consumer goods markets. The reconciliation between the individual and the social that fashion offers is real enough but takes place only provisionally and in a socially conforming manner challenging neither the social formation of fashion nor the general social order of the capitalist, commercial society.
Design and performance of a repetition rate controllable and wavelength tunable L + U-band actively mode-locked erbium fiber laser
Authors: Kanwal Benish , Atieh Ahmad , Ghafoor Salman , Sajid Muhammad , Mirza Jawad
Published: May 2023

Mode-locked lasers draw great interest in the laser research field due to their diverse applications and easy achievement of ultra-short and high-intensity optical pulse trains. Actively mode-locked (AML) fiber lasers are more flexible compared to passively mode-locked fiber lasers owing to their ability to control repetition rates and pulse intervals electronically. The design and development of wavelength tunable AML fiber lasers operating beyond the C-band have attracted great attention from the research community. In this paper, a repetition rate controllable and wavelength tunable L+U-band AML erbium fiber laser (AML-EFL) based on a single standard 1480 nm pump laser and Mach–Zehnder modulator (MZM) as an intra-cavity intensity modulator is demonstrated using numerical simulation. The AML-EFL is created using a MZM driven by electrical Gaussian pulses and a tunable optical bandpass filter that is used to tune the laser cavity at any wavelength in the 1565–1645 nm range. The repetition rate of the AML-EFL is controlled from 500 kHz to 1 GHz. Trains of pulses with pulse widths of 103 ns and 50 ps and pulse intervals of 2 µs and 1 ns are successfully generated at repetition rates of 500 kHz and 1 GHz, respectively. A pulse energy of 626 nJ is obtained for a 500 kHz repetition rate. Signal-to-noise ratios of 30 and 32 dB are observed for trains of mode-locked pulses with repetition rates of 500 kHz and 1 GHz, respectively. In addition, slope efficiencies of around 66% for an L-band wavelength of 1582.1 nm and 30% for a U-band wavelength of 1633.6 nm are obtained considering the optimized parameters.
Jitter correction for asynchronous optical sampling terahertz spectroscopy using free-running pulsed lasers
Authors: Nakagawa Mayuri , Kanda Natsuki , Otsu Toshio , Ito Isao , Kobayashi Yohei , Matsunaga Ryusuke
Published: May 2023

We demonstrate a jitter correction method for asynchronous optical sampling (ASOPS) terahertz (THz) time-domain spectroscopy using two free-running oscillators. This method simultaneously records the THz waveform and a harmonic of the laser repetition rate difference, Δfr, to monitor the jitter information for software jitter correction. By suppressing the residual jitter below 0.1 ps, the accumulation of the THz waveform is achieved without losing the measurement bandwidth. Our measurement of water vapor successfully resolves the absorption linewidths below 1 GHz, demonstrating a robust ASOPS with a flexible, simple, and compact setup without any feedback control or additional continuous-wave THz source.
Non-Hermitian optics and photonics: introduction to the special issue
Authors: Chong Yidong , Everitt Henry O. , Galdi Vincenzo , Khajavikhan Mercedeh , Naik Gururaj V.
Published: May 2023

This is an introduction to the feature issue of Optical Materials
Express on Non-Hermitian Optics and Photonics.
Generation of Integer and Fractional Vortex Beams based on Liquid Crystal electronically reconfigurable Spiral Phase Plates
Authors: del Val Pablo de la Rosa , García Javier Pereiro , Caño-García Manuel , Oton Jose Manuel , Quintana Xabier , Geday Morten
Published: May 2023

The manufacturing and characterization of a large-size 72-electrode liquid crystal-based reconfigurable spiral phase plate (SPP) is presented. The SPP is addressed by a custom-made driver with 72 independent channels, which allows for the generation of any arbitrary integer or fractional optical vortex beam with topological charges ranging from –36 to +36. The 25 mm diameter device is fabricated using direct laser writing, leading to a fill factor over 99%. The device performance and flexibility exceed any previous transparent reconfigurable SPP in terms of size, tuning range and fill factor. The device and the light path have been simulated using the angular spectrum propagation method, showing excellent correspondence.
Integrating climate mitigation and environmental peacebuilding objectives through sustainable land use systems: Theory of change and indicators
Authors: Morales Munoz Héctor , Martens Leigh , Löhr Katharina , Bonatti Michelle , Chara Julian , Perez Lisset , Sieber Stefan , Castro-Nunez Augusto
Published: May 2023

Land is an essential natural resource for climate mitigation and peace. It is commonly connected with sources of GHG emissions and with drivers of (violent) conflict. Therefore, climate mitigation and peacebuilding strategies are co-designing sustainable land-use systems (SLUS) with affected communities to integrate land-based climate mitigation and peacebuilding objectives. SLUS is practiced within agricultural production systems that meet sustainability principles (environmental, social, and economic). Nevertheless, there needs to be more program evaluation frameworks, especially measurable indicators, that integrate these two objectives (achieving peace and climate mitigation). This study aims to develop a methodology and criteria to evaluate the precise mechanisms of SLUS influencing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and drivers of conflict. A mix-method approach was used in two case study regions, Cesar and Caquetá, Colombia, where SLUS strategies where implemented. First, we conducted three workshops, two in-person and one virtual (n = 103). Secondly, we held semi-structured interviews (n = 115) to make an analysis of the conflict. Our research focused on the drivers of land-based emissions and conflict drivers targeted by the SLUS implementation. Lastly, through a household survey (n = 929), we illustrated the impacts of SLUS in peacebuilding at the farm level. Results show that SLUS, such as cocoa agroforestry, can contribute to climate change mitigation and deliver co-benefits in four core factors: (i) socio-economic inclusion by creating jobs and diversifying livelihoods, (ii) dialogue and conflict transformation by allowing negotiations around the participatory design of farms, including conservation agreements, (iii) natural resource governance, and (iv) cooperation by creating knowledge exchange and a community of practice.