bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The status of fertility control for rodents—recent achievements and future directions
Authors: JACOBLINNERT Kyra , JACOB Jens , ZHANG Zhibin , HINDS Lyn A.
Published: September 2021

Management of overabundant rodents at a landscape scale is complex but often required to sustainably reduce rodent abundance below damage thresholds. Current conventional techniques such as poisoning are not species specific, with some approaches becoming increasingly unacceptable to the general public. Fertility control, first proposed for vertebrate pest management over 5 decades ago, has gained public acceptance because it is perceived as a potentially more species‐specific and humane approach compared with many lethal methods. An ideal fertility control agent needs to induce infertility across one or more breeding seasons, be easily delivered to an appropriate proportion of the population, be species specific with minimal side‐effects (behavioral or social structure changes), and be environmentally benign and cost effective. To date, effective fertility control of rodents has not been demonstrated at landscape scales and very few products have achieved registration. Reproductive targets for fertility control include disrupting the hormonal feedback associated with the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐gonadal axis, gonad function, fertilization, and/or early implantation. We review progress on the oral delivery of various agents for which laboratory studies have demonstrated efficacy in females and/or males and synthesize progress with the development and/or use of synthetic steroids, plant extracts, ovarian specific peptides, and immunocontraceptive vaccines. There are promising results for field application of synthetic steroids (levonorgestrel, quinestrol), chemosterilants (4‐vinylcyclohexene diepoxide), and some plant extracts (triptolide). For most fertility control agents, more research is essential to enable their efficient and cost‐effective delivery such that rodent impacts at a population level are mitigated and food security is improved.
Identification and characterization of antioxidant peptides obtained from the bioaccessible fraction of α‐lactalbumin hydrolysate
Authors: Báez Jessica , Fernández‐Fernández Adriana M. , Tironi Valeria , Bollati‐Fogolín Mariela , Añón María C. , Medrano‐Fernández Alejandra
Published: September 2021

Whey is an abundantand sustainable source of bioactive peptides obtained from cheese making process. Whey proteins such as α‐lactalbumin can be biologically active when the bioactive peptides encrypted in the amino acid sequence of the native protein are released by enzymatic hydrolysis. In the present work, the identification, sequence analysis, and antioxidant activity of bioaccessible peptides from α‐lactalbumin alcalase‐hydrolysate was assessed. Antioxidant activity (ABTS, ORAC, and HORAC) of α‐lactalbumin showed a significant increase (p < 0.05) after the enzymatic treatment with alcalase and this capacity increased even more after the simulation of the gastrointestinal digestion process. Peptides contained in the gastrointestinal digest of α‐lactalbumin hydrolysate were separated by preparative RP‐HPLC (55 fractions), and three peptides were identified by LC‐MS/MS analysis from selected fractions: IWCKDDQNPH (MW: 1254.54 Da) f(59‐68), KFLDDDLTDDIM (MW: 1439.64 Da) f(79‐90), DKFLDDDLTDDIM (MW: 1554.67 Da) f(78‐90). Among the chemically synthesized peptides, IWCKDDQNPH showed the highest antioxidant capacity determined by ORAC, ABTS, and HORAC assays (IC500.015 ± 0.002, 0.45 ± 0.02, and 1.30 ± 0.05 mg/ml, respectively) and this activity may be related to the amino acid sequence. This is the first report where these bioaccessible peptides from α‐lactalbumin hydrolysate were identified. The α‐lactalbumin hydrolysate could be employed as a functional antioxidant ingredient.

Practical Application

The present work studied the bioaccessibility of antioxidant peptides from an α‐lactalbumin alcalase‐hydrolysate by identifying three novel bioaccessible peptides responsible for the antioxidant capacity, providing evidence of the hydrolysate potential as an antioxidant ingredient in the formulations of functional foods and/or food supplements.
Modeling relationship between protein oxidation and denaturation and texture, moisture loss of bighead carp (Aristichthys Nobilis) during frozen storage
Authors: Lu Han , Liang Yunhong , Zhang Longteng , Shi Jing
Published: September 2021

To evaluate the effects of protein oxidation and denaturation on the fish texture and moisture loss during frozen storage, we measured the changes of protein oxidation and denaturation (salt‐soluble protein (SSP), total sulfhydryl (SH), disulfide (SS), carbonyl contents and Ca2+‐ATPase activity), texture (hardness), and moisture loss (drip loss) of bighead carp fillets stored at −12, −20 and −28°C during 16 weeks. These data were employed to develop partial least squares regression (PLSR) model, radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) model, PLSR‐RBFNN (PR) model and RBFNN‐PLSR (RP) model. The results showed that the RP model provided no enhancement to RBFNN model because it had the exactly same root mean square error (RMSE) and R2. PLSR model showed better performance than other models when predicting hardness. More appropriate linear or linearity‐dominant hybrid model needed to be explored to establish the relationship between protein oxidation and denaturation and texture. The PR model performed better than other models in predicting drip loss with its lower RMSE and higher R2, which revealed both linear and nonlinear relationship between protein oxidation and denaturation and moisture loss. Therefore, the PR model was a promising and encouraging tool to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between protein oxidation and denaturation and moisture loss of fish during frozen storage.

Practical Application

The study explored the effects of protein oxidation and denaturation on the texture and moisture loss of bighead carp during frozen storage (−12 to −28°C). PLSR model showed better performance than other models when predicting the relationship between protein oxidation and denaturation and texture. The PR model was an available tool for manufacturers to predict the relationship between protein oxidation and denaturation and moisture loss.
pgHMA: Application of the heteroduplex mobility assay analysis in phylogenetics and population genetics
Authors: Li Teng , Wong Thomas K. F. , Ranjard Louis , Rodrigo Allen G.
Published: September 2021

The heteroduplex mobility assay (HMA) has proven to be a robust tool for the detection of genetic variation. Here, we describe a simple and rapid application of the HMA by microfluidic capillary electrophoresis, for phylogenetics and population genetic analyses (pgHMA). We show how commonly applied techniques in phylogenetics and population genetics have equivalents with pgHMA: phylogenetic reconstruction with bootstrapping, skyline plots, and mismatch distribution analysis. We assess the performance and accuracy of pgHMA by comparing the results obtained against those obtained using standard methods of analyses applied to sequencing data. The resulting comparisons demonstrate that: (a) there is a significant linear relationship (R2 = .992) between heteroduplex mobility and genetic distance, (b) phylogenetic trees obtained by HMA and nucleotide sequences present nearly identical topologies, (c) clades with high pgHMA parametric bootstrap support also have high bootstrap support on nucleotide phylogenies, (d) skyline plots estimated from the UPGMA trees of HMA and Bayesian trees of nucleotide data reveal similar trends, especially for the median trend estimate of effective population size, and (e) optimized mismatch distributions of HMA are closely fitted to the mismatch distributions of nucleotide sequences. In summary, pgHMA is an easily‐applied method for approximating phylogenetic diversity and population trends.
Strategies for sample labelling and library preparation in DNA metabarcoding studies
Authors: Bohmann Kristine , Elbrecht Vasco , Carøe Christian , Bista Iliana , Leese Florian , Bunce Michael , Yu Douglas W. , Seymour Mathew , Dumbrell Alex J. , Creer Simon
Published: September 2021

Metabarcoding of DNA extracted from environmental or bulk specimen samples is increasingly used to profile biota in basic and applied biodiversity research because of its targeted nature that allows sequencing of genetic markers from many samples in parallel. To achieve this, PCR amplification is carried out with primers designed to target a taxonomically informative marker within a taxonomic group, and sample‐specific nucleotide identifiers are added to the amplicons prior to sequencing. The latter enables assignment of the sequences back to the samples they originated from. Nucleotide identifiers can be added during the metabarcoding PCR and during “library preparation”, that is, when amplicons are prepared for sequencing. Different strategies to achieve this labelling exist. All have advantages, challenges and limitations, some of which can lead to misleading results, and in the worst case compromise the fidelity of the metabarcoding data. Given the range of questions addressed using metabarcoding, ensuring that data generation is robust and fit for the chosen purpose is critically important for practitioners seeking to employ metabarcoding for biodiversity assessments. Here, we present an overview of the three main workflows for sample‐specific labelling and library preparation in metabarcoding studies on Illumina sequencing platforms; one‐step PCR, two‐step PCR, and tagged PCR. Further, we distill the key considerations for researchers seeking to select an appropriate metabarcoding strategy for their specific study. Ultimately, by gaining insights into the consequences of different metabarcoding workflows, we hope to further consolidate the power of metabarcoding as a tool to assess biodiversity across a range of applications.
From self‐entertainment to being appreciated: how does social media transfer talent to business?
Authors: Chen Feng , Ding Jian , Li Mochou , Wang Bingqing
Published: September 2021

This study investigates the influence of social media information disclosure on crowdfunding rates. Using a sample of 1,844 projects from a music crowdfunding platform in China, we find that fundraisers who disclosed their social media accounts contributed to a greater funding rate. Social media account disclosure appears to be more significant for projects created by individuals and accompanied by videos and more images, as well as negative descriptions. Furthermore, the disclosure of social media presence information can improve the funding rate by enabling digital reputations and breaking geographical restrictions. Robust tests and 2SLS estimations support our conclusion.
‘City Thinking’: Rural Urbanisation and Mobility in Andean Bolivia
Authors: Alderman Jonathan
Published: September 2021

Drawing on fieldwork in Andean Bolivia, this article examines rural urbanisation as a process of disconnection between people and place impacted by flows of rural to urban migration. Ritual relations with place are perceived as particularly significant for Kallawaya healers in the municipality of Charazani. They take a disruption of acts that maintain bonds between people and place as a result of urbanisation – examined particularly in relation to house‐building rituals – as having knock‐on effects for indigenous communal identity. These same healers are conscious of this urbanisation as the present manifestation of a historical process.
Fruit, vegetable and dietary antioxidant intake in school age, respiratory health up to young adulthood
Authors: Sdona Emmanouela , Ekström Sandra , Andersson Niklas , Hallberg Jenny , Rautiainen Susanne , Håkansson Niclas , Wolk Alicja , Kull Inger , Melén Erik , Bergström Anna
Published: September 2021

Background

Dietary antioxidants may protect the lung against oxidative damage and prevent chronic respiratory disease. We aimed to investigate fruit, vegetable and antioxidant intake (measured as total antioxidant capacity, TAC) at age 8 years in relation to asthma and lung function up to 24 years.

Methods

In this study of 2506 participants from a Swedish birth cohort, diet was assessed using food frequency questionnaires. Information on asthma was collected by questionnaires, and lung function was measured by spirometry at ages 8, 16 and 24 years. Generalized estimating equations and mixed effect models were used to assess overall, age‐ and sex‐specific associations.

Results

After adjustment for confounders, a higher fruit intake at age 8 years was associated with a tendency to reduced odds of prevalent asthma (T3 vs. T1, OR 0.78; 95% CI 0.60–1.01, p‐trend .083), with reduced odds of incident asthma and increased odds of remittent asthma (≥median, OR 0.76; 95% CI 0.58–0.99 and OR 1.60; 95% CI 1.05–2.42, respectively) up to 24 years. Comparable, but non‐significant, odds ratios were observed in analyses of long‐term fruit intake (mean intake at ages 8 and 16 years). In contrast, no association was observed with vegetable intake. A higher dietary TAC (T3 vs. T1) at 8 years was associated with reduced odds of prevalent asthma (OR 0.73; 95% CI 0.58–0.93, p‐trend .010) and improved lung function development (FEV1‐z +0.11; 95% CI 0.01–0.21, p‐trend .036 and FVC‐z +0.09; 95% CI −0.01–0.20, p‐trend .072) up to 24 years. Associations were more pronounced among males, and regarding asthma, participants sensitized to aeroallergens.

Conclusions

Antioxidant intake in school age may improve asthma and lung function up to young adulthood. Although our results should be interpreted with caution, they emphasize the importance of following current dietary guidelines regarding consumption of antioxidant‐rich foods as part of a balanced diet.
Warming‐induced shrubline advance stalled by moisture limitation on the Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Wang Yafeng , Liang Eryuan , Lu Xiaoming , Camarero J. Julio , Babst Flurin , Shen Miaogen , Peñuelas Josep
Published: September 2021

Willows (Salix) are some of the most abundant shrubs in cold alpine and tundra biomes. In alpine regions, seed dispersal is not limiting upwards willow expansion, so the upslope shift of willow shrublines is assumed to be a response to climatic warming. Very little, however, is known about the recent spatiotemporal dynamics of alpine willow shrublines. The world's highest willow shrublines (ca 4900 m a.s.l.) are located on the Tibetan Plateau (TP) and provide a rare opportunity to test their sensitivity and responses to rapid warming and the associated increase in the demand for water in ecosystems. We used a new data set comprising 24 Salix shrubline plots along a 900‐km latitudinal gradient (30‒38°N) to reconstruct the rates of annual shrub recruitment and shifting shrubline positions since 1939. Shrub densification and shrubline advances were promoted by pronounced summer warming before 2010, contributing to widespread greening on the TP. These trends, however, reversed due to warming‐induced moisture limitation after 2010, which thus represented a tipping point of warming/drying trade‐offs. Climatic warming and drying are predicted to accelerate in the following decades, so alpine plant communities may be at an increasing risk of population decline or even range contraction.
Midpoint attractor models resolve the mid‐elevation peak in Himalayan plant species richness
Authors: Macek Martin , Dvorský Miroslav , Klimeš Adam , Wild Jan , Doležal Jiří , Kopecký Martin
Published: September 2021

The midpoint attractor (MPA) models of species richness integrate a unimodal environmental favourability gradient and neutral effects forced by geometric constraints and thus extend the ecologically neutral mid‐domain model. However, both alternative MPA algorithms assume that underlying environmental favourability peaks within the modelling domain. Here, we used elevational distribution data for 1054 plant species occurring in northwest Himalaya to explore species richness gradients and MPA performance in species groups defined by biogeography, taxonomy and life‐form. MPA models achieved an excellent fit, but the two MPA algorithms produced contrasting estimates of MPA location, especially for species groups with richness originating in lowlands. Therefore, we propose a modification of the MPA model accounting for the environmental favourability peak outside the study domain to reflect these situations. Biogeographic origin was more decisive for MPA location than taxonomic or life‐form classification, indicating relatively low climatic niche conservatism in plants.
Thromboembolic complications in autoimmune hemolytic anemia: Retrospective study
Authors: Schär Deborah Tabita , Daskalakis Michael , Mansouri Behrouz , Rovo Alicia , Zeerleder Sacha
Published: September 2021

Introduction

A small number of retrospective studies suggest AIHA to be associated with an increased risk to suffer from thromboembolic events. However, based on these studies it remains unclear whether the complement activation per is a risk factor to develop thromboembolic events in AIHA patients. The aim of this retrospective study is to investigate the incidence of thromboembolic events and the relation to complement activation in a cohort of AIHA patients.

Patients and Methods

We included 77 patients in this study with a positive DAT and hemolytic parameters or with AIHA diagnosis based on the medical report. The included patients were screened for thromboembolic events (TEE) and have been stratified in groups with and without complement activation based on the positivity for complement in the DAT.

Results

Of the 77 included patients, 51 (66%) had warm AIHA, 13 (17%) cold‐AIHA, 5 (7%) mixed AIHA, and 8 (10%) atypical AIHA, respectively. Primary and secondary AIHA was diagnosed in 44% and 56%, respectively. Twenty patients (26%) suffered from TEE. The majority (80%) of these patients suffered from warm AIHA and 10% from cold‐AIHA. Hemolysis parameters did not differ in patients with and without TEE. There was no correlation with complement activation as evidenced by a positivity for complement in the monospecific DAT with the occurrence of TEE.

Conclusion

AIHA is associated with an increased risk of TEE. Based on these results prophylactic anticoagulation might be considered as soon as the diagnosis of AIHA is confirmed.
Diet enriched in omega‐3 fatty acids alleviates olfactory system deficits in APOE4 transgenic mice
Authors: Lessard‐Beaudoin Melissa , M. Gonzalez Laura , AlOtaibi Majed , Chouinard‐Watkins Raphaël , Plourde Melanie , Calon Frederic , Graham Rona K.
Published: September 2021

Olfactory dysfunction is observed in several neurological disorders including Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer disease (AD). These deficits occur early and correlate with global cognitive performance, depression and degeneration of olfactory regions in the brain. Despite extensive human studies, there has been little characterization of the olfactory system in models of AD. In order to determine if olfactory structural and/or molecular phenotypes are observed in a model expressing a genetic risk factor for AD, we assessed the olfactory bulb (OB) in APOE4 transgenic mice. A significant decrease in OB weight was observed at 12 months of age in APOE4 mice concurrent with inflammation and decreased NeuN expression. In order to determine if a diet rich in omega‐3s may alleviate the olfactory system phenotypes observed, we assessed WT and APOE4 mice on a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) diet. APOE4 mice on a DHA diet did not present with atrophy of the OB, and the alterations in NeuN and IBA‐1 expression were alleviated. Furthermore, alterations in caspase mRNA and protein expression in the APOE4 OB were not observed with a DHA diet. Similar to the human AD condition, OB atrophy is an early phenotype in the APOE4 mice and concurrent with inflammation. These data support a link between the structural olfactory brain region atrophy and the olfactory dysfunction observed in AD and suggest that inflammation and cell death pathways may contribute to the olfactory deficits observed. Furthermore, the results suggest that diets enriched in DHA may provide benefit to APOE4 allele carriers.
Phylogeography and demographic history of the black kite Milvus migrans, a widespread raptor in Eurasia, Australia and Africa
Authors: Andreyenkova Natalya G. , Karyakin Igor V. , Starikov Ivan J. , Sauer‐Gürth Hedwig , Literák Ivan , Andreyenkov Oleg V. , Shnayder Elena P. , Bekmansurov Rinur H. , Alexeyenko Marina N. , Wink Michael , Zhimulev Igor F.
Published: September 2021

The black kite Milvus migrans, one of the most common raptor species, shows great flexibility as regards food resources and breeding sites. While black kite subspecies are found all over Eurasia, Africa and Australia, it has been poorly studied outside of Europe, with virtually nothing known about the phylogeny of populations in Asia, India, Africa or Australia. We analysed 85 published black kite nucleotide sequences and ca 660 new sequences from the ranges of the main black kite subspecies using a non‐invasive method of DNA extraction from moulted feathers. In doing so, we evaluated genetic diversity and population affinities and reconstructed their demographic histories. Populations from Europe, northern Asia and India all had separate haplogroups of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. The European and North Asian subspecies were isolated in the Pleistocene and spread across the northern Palearctic following climate amelioration, forming a broad intergradation zone from western Siberia and Kazakhstan to eastern Europe. Representatives of the European, North Asian and Indian haplogroups were found in Pakistan, where they probably breed. The Australasian population separated from the Indian population relatively recently and carries one of the two Indian major haplotypes. We found support for the assumption that the African yellow‐billed kite differs from the black kite at the species level. Further, the yellow‐billed kite contains at least two genetically distant mitochondrial lineages with ranges that do not correspond with its traditional subspecies ranges. Based on these data, we were able to outline the general pattern of black kite phylogeography over its entire range, making it possible to evaluate the evolutionary history of the species as a whole.
Comparisons of efficacy and safety in insulin glargine and lixisenatide plus glulisine combination therapy with multiple daily injection therapy in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Kawaguchi Yuji , Miyamoto Shoko , Hajika Yuriko , Ashida Narumi , Masumoto Koji , Sawa Jun , Hamazaki Kenji , Kumeda Yasuro
Published: September 2021

Aims/Introduction

Multiple daily injection therapy for early glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus is associated with hypoglycemia and weight gain. This study aimed to compare the efficacy (time in range of glucose level 70–180 mg/dL), safety (time below range level 1 of glucose <70 mg/dL), glycemic variability changes, therapeutic indices, body mass index and titration periods between multiple daily injection and insulin glargine U100 and lixisenatide (iGlarLixi) combination (iGlarLixi + insulin glulisine; injected once daily [evenings]) therapies using intermittent continuous glucose monitoring.

Materials and Methods

A total of 40 hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes were randomly assigned to the iGlarLixi + insulin glulisine group or the multiple daily injection group. An intermittent continuous glucose monitoring system was attached, and each injection was adjusted to achieve the target glucose level according to the respective titration algorithm. Times in and below the range were analyzed using data collected on days 11–13 of the intermittent continuous glucose monitoring.

Results

The time in range did not significantly differ between the groups. However, the time below range level 1 was lower in the iGlarLixi + insulin glulisine group (P = 0.047). The changes in glycemic variability, therapeutic indices and body mass index were not significantly different between the groups, although the titration period was significantly shorter in the iGlarLixi + insulin glulisine group (P = 0.033).

Conclusions

iGlarLixi + insulin glulisine combination therapy is safe and equally efficacious as multiple daily injection therapy for glycemic control, while avoiding hypoglycemia risk and reducing the number of injections are required.
Implication of mucus‐secreting cells, acidophilic granulocytes and monocytes/macrophages in the resolution of skin inflammation caused by subcutaneous injection of λ/κ‐carrageenin to gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) specimens
Authors: Campos‐Sánchez José Carlos , Vitarelli Enrica , Guardiola Francisco A. , Ceballos‐Francisco Diana , García Beltrán José María , Ieni Antonio , Esteban María Ángeles
Published: September 2021

To date, the mechanisms of inflammation have been poorly studied in fish of commercial interest, due to the lack of development of appropriate experimental models. The current study evaluated a local inflammation triggered by a polymeric carrageenin mixture (a mucopolysaccharide derived from the red seaweed Chondrus crispus) in the skin of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata). Fish were injected subcutaneously with phosphate‐buffered saline (as control) or λ/κ‐carrageenin (1%), and skin samples from the injection sites were collected 1.5, 3 and 6 hr post‐injection, processed for inclusion in paraplast and stained with haematoxylin–eosin, Alcian blue or periodic acid–Schiff. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry and expression analyses of several cells’ markers and proinflammatory genes were also analysed in samples of the injected sites. Microscopic results indicated an increased number of skin mucus‐secreting cells and acidophilic granulocytes in the skin of fish studied at 1.5 hr and 3 hr post‐injection with carrageenin, respectively, with respect to the data obtained in control fish. Otherwise, both the gene expression of the non‐specific cytotoxic cell marker (granzyme B, grb) and the proinflammatory cytokine (interleukin‐1β, il‐1β) were up‐regulated at 1.5 hr in the skin of fish injected with carrageenin compared with the control fish, whilst the gene expression of acidophilic granulocyte markers (NADPH oxidase subunit Phox22 and Phox40, phox22 and phox40) was up‐regulated at 3 and 6 hr in the carrageenin group, compared with the control group. In addition, the gene expression of myeloperoxidase (mpo) was also up‐regulated at 6 hr in the skin of fish injected with carrageenin in comparison with control samples. The present results indicate the chronological participation of two important immune cells involved in the resolution of the inflammation in the skin of gilthead seabream.
Subsequent IVF outcomes following antibiotic therapy for chronic endometritis in patients with recurrent implantation failure
Authors: Demirdag Erhan , Guler Ismail , Cevher Akdulum Munire Funda , Sahin Esin , Erdem Ozlem , Erdem Ahmet , Erdem Mehmet
Published: September 2021

Aim

The aim is to identify the chronic endometritis (CE) incidence in recurrent implantation failure (RIF) patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment and compare the IVF outcomes of RIF patients with CE following antibiotic therapy with RIF patients without CE. Another purpose is to compare the IVF outcomes of described RIF patients with patients undergoing the first cycle of IVF.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, CE was diagnosed with CD‐138 immunohistochemical staining. Among RIF patients, two groups were formed as group 1, including patients diagnosed with CE and treated by antibiotics (n = 129), and group 2, including patients without CE (n = 103). Patients with the first IVF cycle having similar infertility etiologies with RIF patients were reviewed as group 3 (n = 932).

Results

CE was diagnosed in 55.6% of RIF patients. The number of oocytes retrieved was not different between groups. Implantation rates (IR) were similar after antibiotic treatment in RIF patients with or without CE. However, Group 3 had a higher IR (41.1%) than group 1 and 2 (23.1% and 30.1%, respectively) (p < 0.001). Clinical pregnancy (CPR) and live birth rates (LBR) were comparable between RIF groups. However, CPR and LBR were significantly higher in group 3 (48.6% and 40.5%) than group 1 (36.4% and 27.9%), and group 2 (37.9% and 30.1%) (p = 0.007 and p = 0.005, respectively).

Conclusion

Unidentified endometrial factors except CE may also affect the implantation process, although CE is a frequent finding in patients with RIF. Reproductive outcomes may not be improved only with antibiotics in RIF patients with CE.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus promotes the proliferation, metastasis, and suppresses the apoptosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Hu Xin , Wu Jin , Xiong Haofeng , Zeng Liujun , Wang Zijia , Wang Can , Huang Danni , Zhang Tianyi , Peng Ying , Chen Weijun , Xia Kun , Su Tong
Published: September 2021

Background

Our previous study revealed that patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and concomitant type 2 diabetes mellitus presented a lower 5‐year survival rate. Hyperglycemia has been increasingly recognized as a risk factor for more advanced disease and poorer prognosis in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. However, its role remains unclear.

Methods

The expressions of BRIP1, Ki67, E‐cadherin, and cleaved caspase‐3 were detected by immunohistochemistry in oral squamous cell carcinoma tissues with or without type 2 diabetes mellitus. Cell counting kit‐8 assay and wound healing assay were used to determine the proliferative and migratory ability of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells cultured with or without high glucose in vitro. Flow cytometry was applied to distinguish the role of high glucose on the cell cycle and apoptosis rates.

Results

The expression level of Ki67 was elevated while BRIP1, E‐cadherin, and cleaved caspase‐3 were downregulated in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma coexisting with diabetes. The cell proliferation and migration in oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines were significantly enhanced by high glucose. Flow cytometric analysis suggested that high glucose predisposed cancer cells to stay at S/G2 phase and to exhibit lower apoptosis rates.

Conclusion

Our results implicated that type 2 diabetes mellitus may play a crucial role in the development and progression of oral squamous cell carcinoma through hyperglycemia, affecting cancer cell proliferation, migration, and apoptosis. This finding might provide a new direction for the prevention and treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Fighting for our sisters: Community advocacy and action for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls
Authors: Ficklin Erica , Tehee Melissa , Killgore Racheal M. , Isaacs Devon , Mack Sallie , Ellington Tammie
Published: September 2021

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) are victims of pervasive violence that began centuries ago, one that has gone unrecognized by governments, institutions, and society as a whole. To fight this silencing, Native communities have come together to decolonize the narrative, advocate for MMIWG, and honor the lost lives of their daughters, sisters, and matriarchs. We provide an overview of the history of MMIWG, the lack of response by the US government, and the decolonial action and advocacy by Native communities. However, we also go far beyond the typical academic article, in that we present both the factual information behind MMIWG and the emotional weight that each of the authors and those we know carry. We have incorporated stories, pictures, art, and the names of MMIWG to illustrate the ongoing reality of the attempted genocide of Native women and girls. We pray that this article aids in the honoring of our lost sisters and their families while bringing awareness of this tragedy to the eyes of those who can join us in fighting the silence.
The therapeutic relationship in the context of involuntary treatment orders: The perspective of nurses and patients
Authors: Lessard‐Deschênes Clara , Goulet Marie‐Hélène
Published: September 2021

Accessible Summary

What is known on the subject?

Involuntary treatment orders are increasingly being used around the world to allow the treatment of individuals living with a mental illness deemed incapable of giving consent and who are actively refusing treatment.

The use of involuntary treatment orders can impact the nurse–patient therapeutic relationship, which is essential to offer quality care and promote recovery.

What the paper adds to existing knowledge?

Nurses and patients do not agree on the possibility to develop a therapeutic relationship, with nurses believing they can build a bond with the patients despite the challenges imposed by the involuntary treatment order, and patients rejecting this possibility.

Nurses caring for patients on involuntary treatment orders feel obligated to apply the conditions of this measure, even if it damages the relationship with their patients. This difficult aspect of their work leads them to question their role in relation to the management of involuntary treatment orders.

What are the implications for practice?

Nurses need to be aware of the reasons why patients on involuntary treatment orders do not believe in the possibility of building a therapeutic relationship.

Nurses need to reflect on and express their concerns about the damaging effects that managing involuntary treatment orders conditions can have on the nurse–patient therapeutic relationship.

Introduction

Involuntary treatment orders (ITO) can impact the nurse–patient therapeutic relationship (TR) negatively. Despite the increasing use of ITOs around the world, few studies have explored their influence on the TR from the perspectives of nurses and patients.

Aim

To describe the TR in the context of ITOs as reported by nurses and individuals living with a mental illness.

Method

Secondary data analysis of qualitative interviews with nurses (n = 9) and patients (n = 6) was performed using content analysis.

Results

Participants described the TR as fundamentally embedded in a power imbalance amplified by the ITO, which was discussed through the conflicting roles of nurses, the legal constraints imposed on patients and nurses, the complex relation between the ITO and the TR, and the influence of mental healthcare settings' context.

Discussion

Nurses and patients' views were opposed, questioning the authenticity of the relationship.

Implications for Practice

Nurses should be aware of the patients' lack of faith in the TR to ensure that they are sensitive to patients' behaviours that may falsely suggest that a relationship is established. Further studies should explore ways to alleviate the burden of the management of ITOs on nurses and allow for a trusting relationship to be build.
Parenting Stress in Parents of Children with Learning Disabilities: Effects of Cognitions and Coping Styles
Authors: Auriemma Danielle Lynn , Ding Yi , Zhang Chun , Rabinowitz Mitchell , Shen Yangqian , Lantier‐Galatas Katherine
Published: September 2021

This study investigated the relationship between parental cognitions, coping styles, and stress in parents of children with learning disabilities. More specifically, parental beliefs about self‐efficacy and satisfaction in the parenting role were examined in relation to parenting stress. Furthermore, the relationship between parenting stress and problem‐focused and emotion‐focused coping styles was evaluated. Participants, who were 147 parents of 5‐ to 12‐year‐old children who had been diagnosed with a learning disability, completed three self‐report measures. A hierarchical multiple regression model was used to examine the effects of the predictor variables on parenting stress. Results revealed that parents’ perceptions of the severity of their child's learning disability, as well as their use of emotion‐focused coping strategies, were significant predictors of parenting stress levels. Participants’ beliefs regarding their self‐efficacy in the parenting role and their satisfaction with the parenting role were not significant predictors of parenting stress. Additionally, parental use of problem‐focused coping strategies was not a significant predictor of parenting stress. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.
Sentence Writing Intervention for At‐Risk Writers in Upper Elementary Grades
Authors: Smith R. Alex , Allen Abigail A. , Panos Kristin L. , Ciullo Stephen
Published: September 2021

Fluent production of a variety of grammatically correct sentences is essential to overall writing quality across genres. Sentence‐production skills become increasingly important as students prepare to transition from the elementary grades to middle‐school. Many students in the upper‐elementary grades, however, struggle with sentence production skills—especially writers with a learning disability. This paper provides useful information for educators focusing on improving the quality of sentence‐level writing skills for students with learning disabilities in Grades 3–5. Specifically, guidance is provided for using (a) assessment to inform sentence‐level intervention and (b) a sequence of instructional practices for improving foundational sentence‐level production skills.
The Effects of Choice on Task Performance and Reward Awareness: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study
Authors: Han Cheon‐woo
Published: September 2021

Providing a choice is desirable and helpful to learning motivation and task processing. This study explored how choice and achievement goals affect motivation and reward awareness using the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique. Twenty‐four college students participated in this study, in which a 2 × 2 factorial design (choice/no choice × reward/no reward) was used in association with a verbal frequency task involving the selection of the more frequent word between two presented words. In the within‐group analyses, participants showed activation of the medial frontal gyrus in the choice condition regardless of the reward types. The brain activation patterns differed depending on the level of achievement. Overall, providing a choice is beneficial to students in terms of performing a task and processing their reward. It is important to consider an individual's achievement goal when providing choices as a strategy to motivate a learner.
Assessing optimal colour and illumination to facilitate reading: an analysis of print size
Authors: Morrice Elliott , Murphy Caitlin , Soldano Vanessa , Addona Cynthia , Wittich Walter , Johnson Aaron P
Published: September 2021

Purpose

This study examined how optimal colour/illumination conditions and the efficacy of the iPad, LuxIQ and Smart Bulb varied as a function of print size in younger, older and visually impaired adults.

Methods

Participants with visual impairments and simulated low vision (SLV) read the MNRead using the iPad, LuxIQ and Smart Bulb.

Results

In the impairment condition at 1.20 logMAR, the iPad (M = 9.49, 95% CI [3.18, 19.42]) and LuxIQ (M = 15.95, 95% CI [9.54, 24.86]) improved the reading speeds. At 0.80 logMAR (SLV), all devices improved reading speeds of older adults (iPad (M = 28.70, 95% CI [14.65, 42.51]); LuxIQ (M = 49.63, 95% CI [30.04, 69.68]); Smart Bulb (M = 23.11, 95% CI [3.33, 42.11])), but in younger adults only the LuxIQ (M = 13.04, 95% CI [3.21, 21.27]) did so. In the impairment condition, the iPad (M = 5.54, 95% CI [0.31, 12.13]) and LuxIQ (M = 13.90, 95% CI [7.88, 23.49]) improved reading speeds. In the SLV condition, age was a significant predictor of reading speed at 1.20 logMAR (F3,164 = 10.74, p < 0.001, Adj. R2 = 0.16). At 0.80 logMAR, age and luminance, but not colour, were significant predictors (F3,164 = 52.52, p < 0.001, Adj. R2 = 0.49). In the impairment condition, both age and lux were significant predictors of reading speed at 1.20 (F3,85 = 7.14, p < 0.001, Adj. R2 = 0.20) and 0.80 logMAR (F3,85 = 7.97, p < 0.001, Adj. R2 = 0.22), but colour was not.

Conclusions

Light source effectiveness and optimal colour/illumination vary as a function of print size. It appears that print size is the most important factor for improving reading speed. As print size decreases, luminance becomes crucial, and only at the smallest print sizes does the effect of colour become useful.
The predictors for altered central pain modulation in individuals with nonspecific chronic low back pain: A systematic review
Authors: Subramanian Manisha , Venkatesan Prem
Published: September 2021

Background

Research suggests that the prognosis of chronic nonspecific low back pain is poor when there is an alteration in the central pain processing pathway. This alteration creates a cascade of events, leading to poor outcomes. An overview of the predictors which increase this heightened pain perception is needed.

Objectives

To review the studies identifying predictors for altered central main modulation in individuals with nonspecific chronic low back pain.

Design

This is a systematic review.

Methods

PubMed, Cochrane Library, Science Direct, Scopus, Ovid, Embase, Web of Science, and CINAHL were searched from inception to 25th May 2021. Titles, abstracts, and full text were searched for eligible articles, which met the set criteria. Research articles that have employed outcome measure specific to altered central pain modulation and assessed at least one predictor were included.

Results

Six studies (n = 1389) were included in this review. The following five groups of predictors were identified: (1) psychological, (2) psychosocial (education, employment status, pain catastrophizing, and kinesiophobia), (3) sensory profile, (4) gender, and (5) others (illness and cognitive factors). Positive evidence of association was found for psychological predisposition and psychosocial (pain catastrophizing and employment and education status), whereas no evidence of association was found for kinesiophobia and cognitive factors.

Conclusion

This review identified the predictors for altered central pain modulation in chronic nonspecific low back pain. This alteration could be responsible for the suspected poor outcomes even post treatment. Furthermore, the knowledge of predictors could potentially aid the therapist in planning a treatment regime when poor outcomes are suspected.
Moral progress: Recent developments
Authors: Sauer Hanno , Blunden Charlie , Eriksen Cecilie , Rehren Paul
Published: September 2021

Societies change over time. Chattel slavery and foot‐binding have been abolished, democracy has become increasingly widespread, gay rights have become established in some countries, and the animal rights movement continues to gain momentum. Do these changes count as moral progress? Is there such a thing? If so, how should we understand it? These questions have been receiving increasing attention from philosophers, psychologists, biologists, and sociologists in recent decades. This survey provides a systematic account of recent developments in the understanding of moral progress. We outline the concept of moral progress and describe the different types of moral progress identified in the literature. We review the normative criteria that have been used in judging whether various developments count as morally progressive or not. We discuss the prospects of moral progress in the face of challenges that claim that moral progress is not psychologically possible for human beings, and we explore the metaethical implications of moral progress.
Container volume affects drought experiments in grapevines: Insights on xylem anatomy and time of dehydration
Authors: Herrera Jose Carlos , Savi Tadeja , Mattocks Joseph , De Berardinis Federica , Scheffknecht Susanne , Hietz Peter , Rosner Sabine , Forneck Astrid
Published: September 2021

Plant stress experiments are commonly performed with plants grown in containers to better control environmental conditions. Nevertheless, the container can constrain plant growth and development, and this confounding effect is generally ignored, particularly in studies on woody species. Here, we evaluate the effect of the container volume in drought experiments using grapevine as a model plant. Grapevines grown in small (7 L, S) or large (20 L, L) containers were subjected to drought stress and rewatering treatments. We monitored plant stomatal conductance (gs), midday stem water potential (Ψs), and photosynthetic rate (AN) throughout the experiment. The effect of the container volume on the stem and petiole xylem anatomy, as well as on the total leaf area (LA), was assessed before drought imposition. The results showed that LA did not differ between plants in L or S containers, but S vines exhibited a higher theoretical hydraulic conductance at the petiole level. Under drought L and S similarly reduced gs and AN, but plants in S containers reached lower Ψs than those in L. Nevertheless, upon rewatering droughted plants in S containers exhibited a faster stomata re‐opening than those in L, probably as a consequence of the differences in the stress degree experienced and the biochemical adjustment at the leaf level. Therefore, a suitable experimental design should consider the container volume used in relation to the desired traits to be studied for unbiased results.
Constructing synthetic panels for the purpose of studying poverty dynamics: A primer
Authors: Garcés‐Urzainqui David , Lanjouw Peter , Rongen Gerton
Published: September 2021

We describe a recently developed approach for constructing synthetic panels from cross‐section data and consider how it can be employed to study poverty dynamics. Initially introduced as a means to estimating upper and lower bounds on poverty transitions in the absence of panel data, further refinements to the method aim to permit as well the calculation of point estimates. We describe the assumptions that underpin the basic approach and its extensions and discuss their plausibility. We chart applications of the method in various contexts, with a view to gauging its overall validity and robustness. While proper panel‐based analysis of welfare dynamics is clearly preferable, we suggest that the method can be useful in the all‐too‐common settings where panel data are unavailable or suffer from particularly pressing quality concerns.