bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identifying and prioritizing coworking member needs
Authors: Johansson Erik , Rådman Erik , Raharjo Hendry , Bosch-Sijtsema Petra
Published: March 2024

Purpose

This paper aims to identify and prioritize the needs of coworking members. The authors focus on maintaining the existing members rather than attracting new ones.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use two phases and multiple methods. The first phase focuses on a qualitative approach using observations and interviews to uncover and formulate the members’ needs. The second phase focuses on prioritizing the needs using a quantitative approach.

Findings

The authors discovered 19 member needs from the coworking spaces. Based on an online survey, the authors classified those needs into three main Kano model’s categories.

Originality/value

The resulting member needs and their strategic priorities provide a useful basis for coworking providers to direct their improvement efforts towards achieving greater member satisfaction.
Shameful or shameless? Anxieties about mothers and women's autonomy on the Central African Copperbelt, 1956–1964
Authors: Lämmert Stephanie
Published: March 2024

This article deals with anxiety about and the shaming of modern urban mothers and wives on the mines of the late colonial Central African Copperbelt. Women's various labours and public presence lead to ambivalent depictions, such as the ‘careless mother’, that were part of a broader array of anxieties about women's autonomy on the mines. However, urban women rejected such labelling and resisted the isolation of modern motherhood. Instead, they created networks of mutual support and solidarity, they publicly shamed their failing breadwinners, supported one another financially, emotionally and through expressing solidarity in the press, thus seeking economic independence where possible.
Environmental ethics and green practices in the manufacturing sector: The role of green innovation and environmental policy
Authors: Ogiemwonyi Osarodion , Eneizan Bilal
Published: March 2024

Numerous studies have indicated that incorporating an environmental ethic (EE), green innovation (GI), and environmental policy (EnP) can enhance a company's sustainable performance, that is, environmental performance (EP) and economic performance (EcP) in the manufacturing industry. However, to encourage eco‐friendly production and processes, it is crucial to promote sustainable practices across different industries. Nevertheless, some researchers have overlooked the significance of these implementations. Integrating these practices into the manufacturing sector can be challenging. To address this issue, this study has developed an empirical model that assesses two pillars of sustainable performance in the Jordanian manufacturing industry. The study analyzes the direct correlation between a firm's EE, GI, and sustainable performance. It also examines whether GI plays a mediating role in the relationship between company EE and sustainable performance and if EnP moderates the relationship between GI and sustainable performance. The study collected data from 386 respondents belonging to various manufacturing industries in Jordan and analyzed it using SmartPLS. The research revealed that a manufacturing firm's EE is significantly boosted by GI, EP, and EcP. These findings suggest that companies with higher EE are more likely to innovate sustainably and perform better in terms of sustainability. In particular, the study found that GI plays a mediating role between a firm's EE and its sustainable performance. Furthermore, the impact of EnP on the relationship between GI and EP was mixed, showing a moderating effect on the former but not on EcP. The study provides valuable insights into the implementation of green practices in the manufacturing sector and discusses policy implications for manufacturers.
Tracking floristic archetypes of Patagonian steppes
Authors: Easdale Marcos Horacio , Martin‐Albarracin Valeria Leticia , Perri Daiana Vanesa , López Dardo Rubén , Bruzzone Octavio Augusto
Published: March 2024

Questions

The classification of plant communities is a well‐established practice in ecology. However, the factors that determine the distribution of common species and the extent of their dominance and overlap are still being debated. Large‐scale studies based on field data are of great interest in the face of biodiversity changes and climate change impacts. This research was designed to answer the following two questions: What are the dominant plant communities in the Patagonian steppes and how do they relate to environmental features, as measured by latitude, longitude, altitude, mean annual precipitation and mean temperature? What have been the recent changes in plant communities in terms of expansion and contraction of different types of communities?

Location

Patagonian steppes (South America).

Methods

We used a large database of species‐by‐species vegetation cover from 426 monitoring plots in the South American Patagonian steppes, surveyed between 2007 and 2019, with two different assessment dates at least 5 years apart. We applied archetypal analysis to identify different vegetation compositions at a regional scale (called floristic archetypes) and to track their changes over time. In addition, we analyzed the relationship between floristic archetypes and spatial and meteorological variables to assess the association between floristic composition and the environmental context.

Results

Seven floristic archetypes were identified in the Patagonian steppes. The dominant and most widespread floristic archetype showed an expanding pattern in floristic trajectories and was positively associated with mean annual temperature. This floristic archetype was characterized by both drought‐ and grazing‐tolerant species. Two floristic archetypes located at the longitudinal extremes showed decreasing relative participation in the vegetation configurations, and the archetype located towards the west showed a positive relationship with annual precipitation, suggesting a threatened scenario in the face of drier conditions. Southern floristic archetypes either showed a slight decrease or remained stable.

Conclusions

Patagonian steppes are dominated by both drought‐ and grazing‐tolerant species communities and their spatial distribution is expanding across different biomes, whereas the more forage‐preferred species were associated with a decreasing floristic archetype. A projected drier and hotter climate scenario may potentiate this pattern. The floristic archetypes framework has potential as a monitoring tool for tracking changes in vegetation composition at a mesoscale and for identifying hotspots of vulnerable vegetation in the face of environmental changes.
Cross‐notation knowledge of rational numbers predicts fraction arithmetic
Authors: Ching Boby Ho‐Hong , Li Xiang Yu , Chen Tiffany Ting
Published: March 2024

Background

Recent research showed that cross‐notation magnitude knowledge of fractions and decimals was related to better performance in fraction arithmetic, but it remains unclear whether it made an independent contribution to fraction arithmetic longitudinally when other cognitive variables are considered.

Aims

To examine the extent to which children's earlier knowledge of cross‐notation magnitude predicted subsequent performance in fraction addition and subtraction as well as fraction multiplication and division longitudinally.

Sample

Three hundred and fifty‐four Chinese children (Mage = 112.1 months).

Methods

During the first wave of assessment, a range of cognitive abilities of children were measured, including within‐notation fraction and decimal magnitude comparisons, whole‐number arithmetic fluency, non‐verbal intelligence, attentive behaviours, counting recall, word‐level reading, and phonological awareness. Twelve months later, the same children were assessed again with two tasks of fraction arithmetic: fraction addition and subtraction as well as fraction multiplication and division.

Results and Conclusions

Multiple linear regressions showed that within‐notation fraction and decimal magnitude knowledge predicted fraction addition and subtraction longitudinally, after the effects of working memory, nonverbal intelligence, language skills, attentive behaviour, and whole‐number arithmetic were controlled. Cross‐notation magnitude knowledge made independent contributions to fraction addition and subtraction longitudinally beyond the influence of within‐notation fraction and decimal magnitude knowledge and other covariates. However, within‐notation fraction and decimal magnitude knowledge were not associated with fraction multiplication and division, whereas cross‐notation magnitude knowledge remained a unique predictor. These findings suggest that it may be useful to incorporate cross‐notation knowledge in the assessments of children's mathematics abilities and teaching.
Complications of immuno‐oncology care: what urologist should know
Authors: Grajales Valentina , Martini Alberto , Shore Neal D.
Published: March 2024

Objectives

To provide a practical review of immune‐related adverse events (irAEs) that may be encountered in uro‐oncology patients.

Patients and Methods

We conducted a literature review of studies reporting irAEs including articles published through September 2023 for uro‐oncology patients and the potential relevancy for the practicing urologist.

Results

Immunotherapy has revolutionised cancer treatment, extending its impact to urological malignancies including for patients with urothelial, kidney, and prostate cancers. Immuno‐oncology (IO) compounds have achieved measurable and durable responses in these cancers. Urologists, choosing to administer or co‐manage IO patient care, should be prepared to understand, evaluate, and treat irAEs. This review discusses the spectrum of irAEs that can be encountered. Ongoing trials are exploring the use of immunotherapy at earlier stages of uro‐oncological diseases, thus underscoring the evolving landscape of urological cancer treatment. Paradoxically, some data suggests that the occurrence of irAEs is associated with improved oncological outcomes.

Conclusions

Immune‐related AEs, while manageable, may be life‐threatening and require lifelong therapy. A thorough understanding of AEs and toxicity of a novel drug class is imperative.
Oligodendrocyte‐derived exosomes‐containing SIRT2 ameliorates depressive‐like behaviors and restores hippocampal neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity via the AKT/GSK‐3β pathway in depressed mice
Authors: Zhang Honghan , Xie Xin‐hui , Xu Shu‐xian , Wang Chao , Sun Siqi , Song Xinhua , Li Ruiling , Li Ningyuan , Feng Yuqi , Duan Hao , Li Di , Liu Zhongchun
Published: March 2024

Aims

To investigate the antidepressant role of oligodendrocyte‐derived exosomes (ODEXs)‐containing sirtuin 2 (SIRT2) and the underlying mechanism both in vivo and in vitro.

Methods

Oligodendrocyte‐derived exosomes isolated from mouse serum were administered to mice with chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)‐induced depression via the tail vein. The antidepressant effects of ODEXs were assessed through behavioral tests and quantification of alterations in hippocampal neuroplasticity. The role of SIRT2 was confirmed using the selective inhibitor AK‐7. Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) were used to further validate the impact of overexpressed SIRT2 and ODEXs on neurogenesis and synapse formation in vitro.

Results

Oligodendrocyte‐derived exosome treatment alleviated depressive‐like behaviors and restored neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity in CUMS mice. SIRT2 was enriched in ODEXs, and blocking SIRT2 with AK‐7 reversed the antidepressant effects of ODEXs. SIRT2 overexpression was sufficient to enhance neurogenesis and synaptic protein expression. Mechanistically, ODEXs mediated transcellular delivery of SIRT2, targeting AKT deacetylation and AKT/GSK‐3β signaling to regulate neuroplasticity.

Conclusion

This study establishes how ODEXs improve depressive‐like behaviors and hippocampal neuroplasticity and might provide a promising therapeutic approach for depression.
Liraglutide 3.0 mg in the treatment of adults with obesity and prediabetes using real‐world UK data: A clinical evaluation of a multi‐ethnic population
Authors: Dobbie Laurence J. , Coelho Claudia , Mgaieth Farah , Chauhan Keisha , Campbell Scott , Shuriye Sumaya , Hollington Joanna , Appleton Sarah , Sen Gupta Piya , Duncan Alastair , McGowan Barbara
Published: March 2024

UK guidelines recommend liraglutide 3.0 mg in adults treated within specialist weight management services with BMI ≥35 kg/m2, prediabetes and high cardiovascular disease risk. We aimed to clinically evaluate liraglutide 3.0 mg in specialist weight management services. We evaluated liraglutide 3.0 mg in weight management services at Guys and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. Objective body weight (BW) was measured at baseline and 4 months, allowing classification as ‘responders’ (≥5% BW reduction) and ‘non‐responders’ (<5% BW reduction). One hundred and twenty‐one patients were evaluated. At 4 months, 76.0% attended follow‐up (82.6% responders, 17.4% non‐responders); BW (−8.6 kg, 95%CI:‐9.8, −7.4 kg), BMI (−3.2 kg/m2, 95%CI: −3.6, −2.8) and %‐BW (−6.6%, IQR: −8.8%, −5.2%) significantly reduced. In responders, HbA1c reduced by −5.0 mmol/mol (IQR: −7.0. −4.0 mmol/mol). In responders BW continued to reduce up to 12 months (4 m: −10.2 kg, p < .0001; 6 m: −15.6 kg, p < .0001; 9 m: −16.5 kg, p < .0001; 12 m: −16.7 kg, p < .01). Those of Black African and Caribbean ethnicity experienced less BW loss than those of white ethnicity (4.12 kg, p = .017) and had a greater attrition rate. In adults with obesity and prediabetes who are treated within specialist weight management services, liraglutide 3.0 mg reduces BW and HbA1c. Those of Black African and Caribbean ethnicity experienced less BW reduction and greater attrition at 4 months. Further evaluation of the ethnic differences in response to obesity pharmacotherapy is required.
Insights from social‐ecological systems thinking for understanding and preventing famine
Authors: Fortnam Matt , Hailey Peter
Published: March 2024

The risk of famine is rising in many countries today. Bold changes to famine information and response systems are urgently needed to improve capacities to prevent famine. To this end, the paper identifies six insights from social‐ecological systems (SES) thinking for understanding and preventing famine. It argues that a state of famine emerges from human–environment interdependencies, complex causality, and non‐linear system dynamics, shaped by history and context. The likelihood of famine can be reduced by strengthening resilience to the diverse stresses and shocks that drive destitution, food insecurity, undernutrition, morbidity, and mortality. SES thinking offers new opportunities to understand the dynamics of famine, diagnose lesser‐known drivers, pinpoint new metrics, ascertain leverage points for intervention, and develop conceptual frameworks to inform policy. SES concepts and methods could also support the development of practical analytical tools to guide decisionmakers on how, where, and when to intervene most effectively and efficiently to strengthen resilience to the drivers of famine.
The dynamic space of aid relations in protracted internal displacement: the case of Sri Lanka's northern Muslims
Authors: Brun Cathrine , Alikhan Mohideen Mohamed , Jayatilaka Danesh , Chalkiadaki Eva , Erdal Marta Bivand
Published: March 2024

Aid relations in protracted displacement comprise a diversity of actors with different influence and involvement over time. Building on the case of Sri Lanka's northern Muslim's expulsion from the north of the country in 1990, this paper investigates the dynamic space of aid relations in their drawn‐out internal displacement. The study draws on 38 key informant interviews and 10 focus‐group discussions, conducted in Sri Lanka (Jaffna, Mannar, Puttalam, and Colombo) in 2022. The paper contributes new knowledge of the local dynamics of assistance in protracted displacement, by analysing the roles of a wide set of actors within this dynamic space of aid relations over time. The analysis incorporates angles and voices often overlooked in mainstream humanitarian studies, including internally displaced persons, hosts, and Middle Eastern aid funders. The study argues that a long‐term perspective and a variety of voices provide foundations for more productive engagement with localisation in humanitarian action in protracted displacement crises.
Plant invasion in Mediterranean Europe: current hotspots and future scenarios
Authors: Cao Pinna Luigi , Gallien Laure , Pollock Laura J. , Axmanová Irena , Chytrý Milan , Malavasi Marco , Acosta Alicia T. R. , Antonio Campos Juan , Carboni Marta
Published: March 2024

The Mediterranean Basin has historically been subject to alien plant invasions that threaten its unique biodiversity. This seasonally dry and densely populated region is undergoing severe climatic and socioeconomic changes, and it is unclear whether these changes will worsen or mitigate plant invasions. Predictions are often biased, as species may not be in equilibrium in the invaded environment, depending on their invasion stage and ecological characteristics. To address future predictions uncertainty, we identified invasion hotspots across multiple biased modelling scenarios and ecological characteristics of successful invaders. We selected 92 alien plant species widespread in Mediterranean Europe and compiled data on their distribution in the Mediterranean and worldwide. We combined these data with environmental and propagule pressure variables to model global and regional species niches, and map their current and future habitat suitability. We identified invasion hotspots, examined their potential future shifts, and compared the results of different modelling strategies. Finally, we generalised our findings by using linear models to determine the traits and biogeographic features of invaders most likely to benefit from global change. Currently, invasion hotspots are found near ports and coastlines throughout Mediterranean Europe. However, many species occupy only a small portion of the environmental conditions to which they are preadapted, suggesting that their invasion is still an ongoing process. Future conditions will lead to declines in many currently widespread aliens, which will tend to move to higher elevations and latitudes. Our trait models indicate that future climates will generally favour species with conservative ecological strategies that can cope with reduced water availability, such as those with short stature and low specific leaf area. Taken together, our results suggest that in future environments, these conservative aliens will move farther from the introduction areas and upslope, threatening mountain ecosystems that have been spared from invasions so far.
Aberrant thalamocortical connectivity and shifts between the resting state and task state in patients with schizophrenia
Authors: Takai Yoshifumi , Tamura Shunsuke , Hoaki Nobuhiko , Kitajima Kazutoshi , Nakamura Itta , Hirano Shogo , Ueno Takefumi , Nakao Tomohiro , Onitsuka Toshiaki , Hirano Yoji
Published: March 2024

Prominent pathological hypotheses for schizophrenia include auditory processing deficits and dysconnectivity within cerebral networks. However, most neuroimaging studies have focused on impairments in either resting‐state or task‐related functional connectivity in patients with schizophrenia. The aims of our study were to examine (1) blood oxygen level‐dependent (BOLD) signals during auditory steady‐state response (ASSR) tasks, (2) functional connectivity during the resting‐state and ASSR tasks and (3) state shifts between the resting‐state and ASSR tasks in patients with schizophrenia. To reduce the functional consequences of scanner noise, we employed resting‐state and sparse sampling auditory fMRI paradigms in 25 schizophrenia patients and 25 healthy controls. Auditory stimuli were binaural click trains at frequencies of 20, 30, 40 and 80 Hz. Based on the detected ASSR‐evoked BOLD signals, we examined the functional connectivity between the thalamus and bilateral auditory cortex during both the resting state and ASSR task state, as well as their alterations. The schizophrenia group exhibited significantly diminished BOLD signals in the bilateral auditory cortex and thalamus during the 80 Hz ASSR task (corrected p < 0.05). We observed a significant inverse relationship between the resting state and ASSR task state in altered functional connectivity within the thalamo‐auditory network in schizophrenia patients. Specifically, our findings demonstrated stronger functional connectivity in the resting state (p < 0.004) and reduced functional connectivity during the ASSR task (p = 0.048), which was mediated by abnormal state shifts, within the schizophrenia group. These results highlight the presence of abnormal thalamocortical connectivity associated with deficits in the shift between resting and task states in patients with schizophrenia.
Post‐translational modifications of proteins in cardiovascular diseases examined by proteomic approaches
Authors: Stastna Miroslava
Published: March 2024

Over 400 different types of post‐translational modifications (PTMs) have been reported and over 200 various types of PTMs have been discovered using mass spectrometry (MS)‐based proteomics. MS‐based proteomics has proven to be a powerful method capable of global PTM mapping with the identification of modified proteins/peptides, the localization of PTM sites and PTM quantitation. PTMs play regulatory roles in protein functions, activities and interactions in various heart related diseases, such as ischemia/reperfusion injury, cardiomyopathy and heart failure. The recognition of PTMs that are specific to cardiovascular pathology and the clarification of the mechanisms underlying these PTMs at molecular levels are crucial for discovery of novel biomarkers and application in a clinical setting. With sensitive MS instrumentation and novel biostatistical methods for precise processing of the data, low‐abundance PTMs can be successfully detected and the beneficial or unfavorable effects of specific PTMs on cardiac function can be determined. Moreover, computational proteomic strategies that can predict PTM sites based on MS data have gained an increasing interest and can contribute to characterization of PTM profiles in cardiovascular disorders. More recently, machine learning‐ and deep learning‐based methods have been employed to predict the locations of PTMs and explore PTM crosstalk. In this review article, the types of PTMs are briefly overviewed, approaches for PTM identification/quantitation in MS‐based proteomics are discussed and recently published proteomic studies on PTMs associated with cardiovascular diseases are included.
Conflicts and opportunities for commercial tree plantation expansion and biodiversity restoration across Brazil
Authors: Cerullo Gianluca , Worthington Thomas , Brancalion Pedro , Brandão Joyce , d'Albertas Francisco , Eyres Alison , Swinfield Thomas , Edwards David , Balmford Andrew
Published: March 2024

Substantial global restoration commitments are occurring alongside a rapid expansion in land‐hungry tropical commodities, including to supply increasing demand for wood products. Future commercial tree plantations may deliver high timber yields, shrinking the footprint of production forestry, but there is an as‐yet unquantified risk that plantations may expand into priority restoration areas, with marked environmental costs. Focusing on Brazil—a country of exceptional restoration importance and one of the largest tropical timber producers—we use random forest models and information on the economic, social, and spatial drivers of historic commercial tree plantation expansion to estimate and map the probability of future monoculture tree plantation expansion between 2020 and 2030. We then evaluate potential plantation‐restoration conflicts and opportunities at national and biome‐scales and under different future production and restoration pathways. Our simulations show that of 2.8 Mha of future plantation expansion (equivalent to plantation expansion 2010–2020), ~78,000 ha (3%) is forecast to occur in the top 1% of restoration priority areas for terrestrial vertebrates, with ~547,500 ha (20%) and ~1,300,000 ha (46%) in the top 10% and 30% of priority areas, respectively. Just ~459,000 ha (16%) of expansion is forecast within low‐restoration areas (bottom 30% restoration priorities), and the first 1 Mha of plantation expansion is likely to have disproportionate impacts, with potential restoration‐plantation overlap starkest in the Atlantic Forest but prominent in the Pampas and Cerrado as well. Our findings suggest that robust, coherent land‐use policies must be deployed to ensure that significant trade‐offs between restoration and production objectives are navigated, and that commodity expansion does not undermine the most tractable conservation gains under emerging global restoration agendas. They also highlight the potentially significant role an engaged forestry sector could play in improving biodiversity outcomes in restoration projects in Brazil, and presumably elsewhere.
Conservation planning for retention, not just protection
Authors: Negret Pablo Jose , Venegas Ruben , Sonter Laura J. , Possingham Hugh P. , Maron Martine
Published: March 2024

Most protected area (PA) planning aims to improve biota representation within the PA system, but this does not necessarily achieve the best outcomes for biota retention across regions when we also consider habitat loss in areas outside the PA system. Here, we assess the implications that different PA expansion strategies can have on the retention of species habitat across an entire region. Using retention of forest habitat for Colombia's 550 forest‐dependent bird species as our outcome variable, we found that when a minimum of 30% of each species' habitat was included in the PA system, a pattern of PA expansion targeting areas at highest deforestation risk (risk‐prevention) led to the retention, on average, of 7.2% more forest habitat per species by 2050 than did a pattern that targeted areas at lowest risk (risk‐avoidance). The risk‐prevention approach cost more per km2 of land conserved, but it was more cost‐effective in retaining habitat in the landscape (50%–69% lower cost per km2 of avoided deforestation). To have the same effectiveness preventing habitat loss in Colombia, the risk‐avoidance approach would require more than twice as much protected area, costing three times more in the process. Protected area expansion should focus on the contributions of PAs to outcomes not only within PA systems themselves, but across entire regions.
Haemosporidian infections are more common in breeding shorebirds than in migrating shorebirds
Authors: Jones William , Tóth Zsófia , Khursanov Viacheslav , Kisliakova Nastassia , Krüger Oliver , Székely Tamás , Karlionova Natalia , Pinchuk Pavel , Chakarov Nayden
Published: March 2024

Migrating animals are thought to be important spillover sources for novel pathogens. Haemosporidians (malaria‐related parasites) are one such group of pathogens that commonly spillover into novel host communities if competent vectors are present. In birds, shorebirds (sandpipers, plovers and allies) perform some of the longest avian migrations, yet they are traditionally perceived as relatively free from haemosporidians. Although low prevalence fits several theories, such as effective immune responses or low exposure to vectors, few studies have been carried out in freshwater inland sites, where the vectors of haemosporidians (e.g. mosquitoes) are abundant, with a mixture of actively migrating (staging) and breeding hosts. Here we report the prevalence of three haemosporidian parasites, Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon and Plasmodium, screened in 214 shorebirds from 15 species sampled in a freshwater marshland, southern Belarus. Contrary to most previous studies, we found that haemosporidians were frequent, with an overall prevalence in the community of 16.36%, including the locally breeding shorebirds (23.13%, 134 individuals of 10 species). However, actively migrating shorebirds had much lower prevalence (0.05%, 55 individuals of five species). We suggest that blood parasite infections are more common in shorebirds than currently acknowledged. Yet, actively migrating species may be free from haemosporidians or carry suppressed infections, leading to lower prevalence or even apparent absence in some species. Taken together, we theorize that a combination of sampling biases has driven our understanding of haemosporidian prevalence in shorebirds and future studies should take the migratory status of individuals into account when reporting prevalence. Furthermore, we argue that birds undergoing active migration may be less likely sources of spillover events than previously assumed.
Impact of artificial intelligence arrhythmia mapping on time to first ablation, procedure duration, and fluoroscopy use
Authors: Fox Sutton R. , Toomu Avinash , Gu Kelly , Kang Jessica , Sung Kevin , Han Frederick T. , Hoffmayer Kurt S. , Hsu Jonathan C. , Raissi Farshad , Feld Gregory K. , McCulloch Andrew D. , Ho Gordon , Krummen David E.
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) ECG arrhythmia mapping provides arrhythmia source localization using 12‐lead ECG data; whether this information impacts procedural efficiency is unknown. We performed a retrospective, case‐control study to evaluate the hypothesis that AI ECG mapping may reduce time to ablation, procedural duration, and fluoroscopy.

Materials and Methods

Cases in which system output was used were retrospectively enrolled according to IRB‐approved protocols at each site. Matched control cases were enrolled in reverse chronological order beginning on the last day for which the technology was unavailable. Controls were matched based upon physician, institution, arrhythmia, and a predetermined complexity rating. Procedural metrics, fluoroscopy data, and clinical outcomes were assessed from time‐stamped medical records.

Results

The study group consisted of 28 patients (age 65 ± 11 years, 46% female, left atrial dimension 4.1 ± 0.9 cm, LVEF 50 ± 18%) and was similar to 28 controls. The most common arrhythmia types were atrial fibrillation (n = 10), premature ventricular complexes (n = 8), and ventricular tachycardia (n = 6). Use of the system was associated with a 19.0% reduction in time to ablation (133 ± 48 vs. 165 ± 49 min, p = 0.02), a 22.6% reduction in procedure duration (233 ± 51 vs. 301 ± 83 min, p < 0.001), and a 43.7% reduction in fluoroscopy (18.7 ± 13.3 vs. 33.2 ± 18.0 min, p < 0.001) versus controls. At 6 months follow‐up, arrhythmia‐free survival was 73.5% in the study group and 63.3% in the control group (p = 0.56).

Conclusion

Use of forward‐solution AI ECG mapping is associated with reductions in time to first ablation, procedure duration, and fluoroscopy without an adverse impact on procedure outcomes or complications.
Molecular regulation of the key specialized metabolism pathways in medicinal plants
Authors: Shi Min , Zhang Siwei , Zheng Zizhen , Maoz Itay , Zhang Lei , Kai Guoyin
Published: March 2024

The basis of modern pharmacology is the human ability to exploit the production of specialized metabolites from medical plants, for example, terpenoids, alkaloids, and phenolic acids. However, in most cases, the availability of these valuable compounds is limited by cellular or organelle barriers or spatio‐temporal accumulation patterns within different plant tissues. Transcription factors (TFs) regulate biosynthesis of these specialized metabolites by tightly controlling the expression of biosynthetic genes. Cutting‐edge technologies and/or combining multiple strategies and approaches have been applied to elucidate the role of TFs. In this review, we focus on recent progress in the transcription regulation mechanism of representative high‐value products and describe the transcriptional regulatory network, and future perspectives are discussed, which will help develop high‐yield plant resources.
Quantifying isotope parameters associated with carbonyl‐water oxygen exchange during sucrose translocation in tree phloem
Authors: Pan Yonghui , Li Fang , Lin Wen , Zhou Youping , Song Xin
Published: March 2024

Stable oxygen isotope ratio of tree‐ring α‐cellulose (δ18Ocel) yields valuable information on many aspects of tree–climate interactions. However, our current understanding of the mechanistic controls on δ18Ocel is incomplete, with a knowledge gap existent regarding the fractionation effect characterizing carbonyl‐water oxygen exchange during sucrose translocation from leaf to phloem.

To address this insufficiency, we set up an experimental system integrating a vapor 18O‐labeling feature to manipulate leaf‐level isotopic signatures in tree saplings enclosed within whole‐canopy gas‐exchange cuvettes. We applied this experimental system to three different tree species to determine their respective relationships between 18O enrichment of sucrose in leaf lamina (Δ18Ol_suc) and petiole phloem (Δ18Ophl_suc) under environmentally/physiologically stable conditions.

Based on the determined Δ18Ophl_suc‐Δ18Ol_suc relationships, we estimated that on average, at least 25% of the oxygen atoms in sucrose undergo isotopic exchange with water along the leaf‐to‐phloem translocation path and that the biochemical fractionation factor accounting for such exchange is c. 34‰, markedly higher than the conventionally assumed value of 27‰.

Our study represents a significant step toward quantitative elucidation of the oxygen isotope dynamics during sucrose translocation in trees. This has important implications with respect to improving the δ18Ocel model and its related applications in paleoclimatic and ecophysiological contexts.
Nuclear imaging to visualize periodontal inflammation: Findings of a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Arefnia Behrouz , Horina Anja , Nazerani‐Zemann Tina , Seinost Gerald , Rieder Marcus , Wimmer Gernot
Published: March 2024

Objective

To investigate non‐surgical periodontal therapy by 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose (2‐[18F]FDG) uptake using positron emission tomography (PET) integrated with computed tomography (CT).

Subjects

Eighty‐five patients with peripheral artery disease and severe periodontitis—randomized into three groups receiving therapy with (PT1; n = 29) or without (PT2; n = 28) systemic antibiotics or no treatment (controls: n = 28)—underwent nuclear imaging at baseline and at 3 months.

Results

Clinical inflammation (periodontal inflamed surface area; PISA) did not significantly differ across the groups at baseline (p = 0.395) but was significantly reduced at 3 months (p < 0.001), and significantly more so in the PT1/PT2 groups than in the control group (p < 0.001/=0.025) and in the PT1 than in the P2 group (p = 0.001). Radiotracer uptake was measured in both jaws using maximum and mean ‘standardized uptake values’ (SUVmax, SUVmean) and ‘target‐to‐background ratios’ (TBRmax, TBRmean). At 3 months, reductions were relatively small in absolute numbers and fell short of revealing correlations with PISA or significant differences across the groups. Still, they were very consistent in both treatment groups, whereas reductions were not consistently seen in the control group.

Conclusions

2‐[18F]FDG PET/CT scans did reflect the clinical effects of periodontal treatment very consistently but, for reasons yet to be clarified, less closely than expected.
Efficacy and safety of donepezil in patients with dementia with Lewy bodies: results from a 12‐week multicentre, randomised, double‐blind, and placebo‐controlled phase IV study
Authors: Mori Etsuro , Ikeda Manabu , Iseki Eizo , Katayama Sadao , Nagahama Yasuhiro , Ohdake Megumi , Takase Takao
Published: March 2024

Background

Donepezil has been approved in Japan for the treatment of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) based on clinical trials showing its beneficial effects on cognitive impairment. This phase IV study evaluated the efficacy of donepezil by focusing on global clinical status during a 12‐week double‐blind phase.

Methods

Patients with probable DLB were randomly assigned to the placebo (n = 79) or 10 mg donepezil (n = 81) groups. The primary endpoint was changes in global clinical status, assessed using the Clinician's Interview‐Based Impression of Change plus Caregiver Input (CIBIC‐plus). We also assessed four CIBIC‐plus domains (general condition, cognitive function, behaviour, and activities of daily living) and changes in cognitive impairment and behavioural and neuropsychiatric symptoms measured using the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), respectively.

Results

Although donepezil's superiority was not shown in the global clinical status, a significant favourable effect was detected in the cognitive domain (P = 0.006). MMSE scores improved in the donepezil group after adjustments in post hoc analysis (MMSE mean difference, 1.4 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.42–2.30), P = 0.004). Improvements in NPIs were similar between the groups (NPI‐2: −0.2 (95% CI, −1.48 to 1.01), P = 0.710; NPI‐10: 0.1 (95% CI, −3.28 to 3.55), P = 0.937).

Conclusion

The results support the observation that the efficacy of 10 mg donepezil in improving cognitive function is clinically meaningful in DLB patients. The evaluation of global clinical status might be affected by mild to moderate DLB patients enrolled in this study. No new safety concerns were detected.
‘A Voice Amidst Mine Ears’: Silent Angels on the Early Modern Stage
Authors: Rankin‐McCabe Caitlín
Published: March 2024

Unlike the carts that crawled with angels in the medieval pageant plays, angels of the early modern stage were a rare breed. Eventually they disappeared from the stage altogether; they did not, however, disappear all at once in a puff of celestial smoke. This article reveals a pattern of suppression in the representation of angels on the English stage, ranging from Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus in 1592 until 1645, three years after the closure of the theatres in England. This study examines plays that present angels as characters who contribute to the play's action and denouement; however, by noting plays that include allegorical and decorative angels too, it comprises the most comprehensive survey of angels within plays from the period to date. Angels do not appear in many plays performed at the commercial playhouses of Elizabethan and Jacobean England; but when they do, it becomes clear that early modern playwrights gradually developed more calculated ways of staging these controversial creatures. As stage angels assume more silent roles, but before angels leave the stage entirely, human characters begin to communicate with these celestial figures differently and encounters with angels become a far more intimate experience.
Safe Reinforcement Learning-Based Balance Control for Multi-Cylinder Hydraulic Press
Authors: Jia Chao , Song Zijian , Du Lifeng , Wang Hongkun
Published: March 2024

Considering the load uncertainty and unmodeled dynamics in multicylinder hydraulic systems, this paper proposes a balance control algorithm based on safe reinforcement learning to release the restrictions of classical model-based control methods that depend on fixed gain. In this paper, the hydraulic press is controlled by a trained agent that directly maps the system states to control commands in an end-to-end manner. By introducing an action modifier into the algorithm, the system states are kept within security constraints from the beginning of training, making safe exploration possible. Furthermore, a normalized exponential reward function has been proposed. Compared with a quadratic reward function, the precision is greatly improved under the same training steps. The experiment shows that our algorithm can achieve high precision and fast balance for multicylinder hydraulic presses while being highly robust. To the best of our knowledge, this research is the first to attempt the application of a reinforcement learning algorithm to multi-execution units of hydraulic systems.
Numerical Characterization of Prestall Disturbances in a Compressor Stage
Authors: de Almeida Victor Bicalho Civinelli , Tüzüner Ergin , Eck Mario , Peitsch Dieter
Published: March 2024

Compared to the subject of rotating stall, less attention has been given to prestall flow disturbances in turbomachinery. This is mostly due to the fact that these phenomena, often referred to as Rotating Instabilities, do not necessarily or distinctly occur in every compressor and usually last for a long period without posing serious threats to stable operation. The present study aims at numerically characterizing prestall disturbances in detail in a compressor stage in which they have been experimentally observed. Full-annulus computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computations employing a hybrid scale-resolving turbulence model are performed and compared against unsteady experimental data. Assessment of specific prestall disturbance metrics, including power spectral density, coherence, and circumferential mode distribution at the rotor clearance, shows that the numerical model is successful in reproducing the unsteady phenomena close to stall inception. Moreover, dynamic mode decomposition is employed to directly link each peak of the unique prestall disturbance spectral signature to spatial structures with a different circumferential order. This procedure is done for both 1D circumferential modes, based on flush-mounted pressure probes, and for 2D surfaces exposing the tip clearance dynamics. The high-resolution numerical model, supplemented with vortex identification criteria and data-driven decompositions, enhances the understanding of prestall disturbances and their associated coherent flow structures.
Creep Performance Study of Inconel 740H Weldment Based on Microstructural Deformation Mechanisms
Authors: Wu Xijia , Liu Rong , Zhang Xiaozhou , Wu Xueyao , Khelfaoui Fadila
Published: March 2024

The creep behavior of Inconel 740H weldment at the temperature of 760 °C is investigated experimentally and analytically using the deformation-mechanism-based true stress (DMTS) model. The Inconel 740H weldment specimens are prepared with the gas tungsten arc welding technique. Creep testing is performed on the Inconel 740H weldment specimens under a range of stress levels from 190 MPa to 447 MPa at the temperature of 760 °C. The DMTS model is employed to analyze the creep curves and creep rates. The model parameters for Inconel 740H weldment are determined from the analyses of the creep testing data in combination with that from the previous studies of similar materials based on the same creep mechanisms that involve grain boundary sliding and intragranular dislocation climb-plus-glide with dislocation multiplication. The creep life predictions of the DMTS model for Inconel 740H weldment agree very well with creep rupture test data within a temperature range of 700–800 °C. The fractured surfaces and longitudinal sections of creep-tested Inconel 740H weldment specimens are examined using scanning electron microscopy, which corroborates the DMTS model inference that the creep failure of Inconel 740H weldment is in a mode of predominantly intergranular fracture. The present study suggests that grain boundary sliding is the most significant controlling factor for the creep failure of Inconel 740H weldment.
Rayleigh–Bénard Convection With Multiple Solutions in Trapezoidal Closed Cavities
Authors: Maurya Govind , Ahmed Nadeem , Singh Suneet , Kumar Lalit
Published: March 2024

Rayleigh–Bénard convection (RBC) in symmetric trapezoidal closed cavities with cavity angle ϕ=70°−110°, filled with air, is studied using numerical simulations where inclined side walls are adiabatic. In contrast to rectangular cavities, where no flow exists below a threshold value, there is a weak convection even at a low Rayleigh number (Ra) due to the fact that there is a component of thermal gradient in the horizontal direction in these cavities. Interestingly, these cavities show sudden and significant jumps in the convection, similar to square cavities (Rac = 2585.02 for ϕ=90°), as Ra increases beyond a critical value (Rac). It is noted here that these Rac represent symmetry-breaking pitchfork bifurcations. These bifurcations are seen in both acute (Rac = 8000 for ϕ=70°) and obtuse (Rac = 2300 for ϕ=110°) angle trapezoidal cavities. Moreover, it is observed that multiple steady-state solutions (MSSS) exist as Ra is further increased. A forward and backward continuation approach for numerical simulations is used to track the co-existence of MSSS. These steady-states have co-existing one-roll and two-roll convective patterns beyond another threshold value of Ra. Here, two types of critical Ra have been identified for different cavity angles; one shows the sudden jump in the convection, and the other is the one beyond which MSSS co-exist. Furthermore, a codimension two bifurcation analysis is carried out with Ra and ϕ as two parameters. The bifurcation analysis divides the parameter space into different regions based on the multiplicity of the solutions.
Low power silicon evaporation source—Construction, performances, and applications
Authors: Kovalchuk S. , Nowicki M. , Morawski I.
Published: March 2024

The construction of a low power silicon evaporation source for thin film deposition applications is proposed in this article. A few differently shaped tungsten filaments were mounted inside a quartz glass crucible, which assured an effective heating of silicon wafer pieces. The sublimation process was monitored at filament powers in the range of 8–22 W, which corresponds to temperatures far below the melting point of Si. The operation of the evaporation source requires only the use of a low voltage power supply. All considered models of evaporation sources are characterized by an easy construction. The measurements carried out with the use of a quartz crystal microbalance sensor enabled to determine the deposition rate at different filament powers for all constructed Si sources and confirm the long-term stability of the silicon flux. The experimental data exhibit the Polany–Wigner dependence of the deposition rate as a function of inverse of power at higher filament powers. Auger electron spectroscopy was used to monitor the deposition of Si on Ag(100) under constant silicon flux. The Auger signal recorded from Si and Ag reflects the growth of subsequent silicon layers. This enabled the determination of the Frank–van der Merwe growth mode of Si on Ag(100) at early stages of growth, the formation time of one Si monolayer, and, thus, the deposition rate. The presented designs of the Si source exhibit long time stable evaporation fully controlled by the applied filament power, which is crucial in the precise adsorption of ultrathin Si layers.
Students’ Perspectives of Social and Emotional Learning in a High School Physical Education Program
Authors: Dyson Ben , Baek Seunghyun , Howley Donal , Lee Yongjin , Fowler Judy
Published: March 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to explore students’ perspectives and experiences of social and emotional learning (SEL) during physical education high school classes. Method: Using a case study design, focus group and individual interviews were implemented with 42 students. Based on the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning’s SEL framework, deductive and inductive qualitative data analysis was conducted. The trustworthiness of this study was enhanced through peer debriefing process with various strategies. Result: Four themes were generated from the data analysis: Think about it more in depth, You can say how you feel, Care and support, and Different levels of buy-in. Discussion/Conclusion: Students’ SEL experiences in this study were overall aligned with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning’s SEL competencies and framework. This study suggests that more research is needed to better understand students’ SEL experiences holistically.