bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Barriers and facilitators influencing parental adherence to prevention strategies for deformational plagiocephaly: Results from a scoping review
Authors: Trottier Nathalie , Hurtubise Karen , Camden Chantal , Cloutier Windy , Gaboury Isabelle
Published: January 2023

Background

Deformational plagiocephaly can be prevented in many healthy infants if strategies are implemented early after birth. However, despite efforts to disseminate accurate information, parental adherence to evidence‐based prevention strategies is a challenge. To date, factors – barriers and facilitators – influencing parental adherence to strategies have yet to be identified in a comprehensive manner.

Objectives

This scoping review aims to identify and synthesize current evidence on barriers and facilitators impacting adherence of parents of newborns to deformational plagiocephaly prevention strategies.

Methods

This review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) process guidelines. Seven electronic (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, Academic Search Complete, AMED, PsychINFO and Scopus) and two grey literature (Health Systems Evidence and Grey Literature Report) databases were searched. Studies published between 2001 and 2022 were included. The deductive thematic data analysis used was guided by the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation Behavioral Model (COM‐B) of health behaviour change.

Results

From a total of 1172 articles, 15 met the eligibility criteria. All components of the COM‐B framework were identified. Capability‐psychological and opportunity‐environmental factors dominated the literature, whereas capability‐physical, motivation and, in particular, opportunity‐social factors were understudied. The most often reported barriers were a lack of knowledge of deformational plagiocephaly and the associated prevention strategies, ambiguous or inconsistent messaging, intolerance of babies to prone positioning and a lack of time. The most frequently reported facilitators were an awareness of deformational plagiocephaly, postural asymmetry and prevention strategies, skill acquisition with practice, accurate convincing information, scheduled time and environmental organization to position the baby at home.

Discussion

Recommendations focused on diffusing accurate and detailed information for parents. Our review also suggests a gap regarding the comprehensive identification of factors influencing parental adherence to deformational plagiocephaly prevention strategies. Further studies exploring comprehensive opportunity‐social and motivation factors influencing parental adherence to deformational plagiocephaly prevention strategies are warranted to inform prevention programmes and foster better infant outcomes.
Accuracy of a dynamic navigation system for dental implantation with two different workflows and intraoral markers compared to static‐guided implant surgery: An in‐vitro study
Authors: Struwe Maximilian , Leontiev Wadim , Connert Thomas , Kühl Sebastian , Filippi Andreas , Herber Valentin , Dagassan‐Berndt Dorothea
Published: January 2023

Purpose

To investigate the accuracy of a miniaturized dynamic navigation system with intraoral markers and two different workflows for dental implantation and to compare with static computer‐assisted implant surgery (sCAIS) surgery.

Materials and Methods

Two operators performed a total of 270 implant insertions in polyurethane mandibular models under simulated clinical conditions. Implants were placed after CBCT‐based virtual planning in three different groups: two workflows utilizing dynamic computer‐assisted implant surgery (dCAIS; DG1: marker in CBCT; DG2: 3D‐printed marker) and the others with sCAIS (TG: template guided). Postoperative surface scans were matched to the planning data and allowed an evaluation of the angular and spatial deviation between the planned and the actually achieved implant position. Descriptive statistics were followed by a Mixed Model Analysis to determine the influence of the operator, the method, and operating area on different accuracy parameters and the random effect of the model number.

Results

The mean angular deviation ranged from 2.26° (DG1) to 2.96° (TG). The mean 3D deviation at the implant's tip ranged from 1.08 mm (TG) to 1.51 mm (DG2) and at the implant's base from 0.69 mm (TG) to 1.49 mm (DG2). The operator showed no significant influence on the accuracy. The method showed significant influence on singular parameters and the operating area on all spatial accuracy parameters.

Conclusions

Dynamic navigation systems with intraoral markers enable accurate implant positioning, which is comparable to the static‐guided implant surgery. 3D‐printed markers provide less accurate results compared to prefabricated markers, attached before CBCT scan.
Memory Versus Expectation: Processing Relative Clauses in a Flexible Word Order Language
Authors: Ronai Eszter , Xiang Ming
Published: January 2023

Memory limitations and probabilistic expectations are two key factors that have been posited to play a role in the incremental processing of natural language. Relative clauses (RCs) have long served as a key proving ground for such theories of language processing. Across three self‐paced reading experiments, we test the online comprehension of Hungarian subject‐ and object‐extracted RCs (SRCs and ORCs, respectively). We capitalize on the syntactic properties of Hungarian that allow for a variety of word orders within RCs, which helps us to delineate the processing costs associated with memory demand and violated expectations. Results showed a processing cost at the RC verb for structures that have longer verb‐argument distances, despite those structures being more frequent in the corpus. These findings thus support theories that attribute processing difficulty to memory limitations, rather than theories that attribute difficulty to less expected structures.
Enduring inequalities and employment barriers facing young adults living with spina bifida
Authors: Van Laer Koen
Published: January 2023

This commentary is on the original article by Liu et al. on pages 821–830 of this issue.
Tadpole plasticity shapes the potential benefits of egg feeding to poison frog parents
Authors: Brooks Olivia L. , Talbott‐Swain Evan N. , Rimmele Brianne N. , Dugas Matthew B.
Published: January 2023

Feeding offspring is a form of care common in animals. How food shapes offspring fitness, and thus selection on parents, is limited by plasticity in offspring growth and development, and such limitation may shape the evolution of parental care. We compared plastic responses to egg feeding, food availability in the nursery, and nursery size in larvae of two poison frogs:Ranitomeya imitator, regularly fed trophic eggs by their mothers in the wild, andR. variabilistadpoles, which only rarely have the opportunity to consume eggs. Hand‐rearedR. imitator, but notR. variabilis, were heavier at metamorphosis when offered eggs. AlthoughR. imitatorate more of the eggs we offered, perhaps explaining this proximately, the greater plasticity ofR. imitatorpersisted when we manipulated the quantity of an egg‐free diet meant to approximate food in a natural nursery. Egg feeding did not influence the length of the larval period, and only tadpoleR. variabilistook longer to complete metamorphosis in more food‐rich nurseries, as is predicted for amphibians generally. In large nurseries, individuals of both species spent longer as tadpoles and were heavier at metamorphosis, an effect independent of food, and one that reflects the complex relationship between ecology and amphibian development. These species differences highlight how tadpole traits might constrain the evolution of egg feeding:R. imitatorfeed eggs to their tadpoles, and their tadpoles, unlikeR. variabilis(a presumptive proxy for the non‐feeding ancestor), offer high returns on such investment. Comparative work will offer the exciting opportunity to assess the extent to which egg feeding selected for this growth response to food availability and/or this plasticity facilitated the evolution of care.
Asserting children's rights through the digital practices of transnational families
Authors: Ducu Viorela , Hărăguș Mihaela , Angi Daniela , Telegdi‐Csetri Áron
Published: January 2023

Objective

This study investigates how transnational families function as advocates, channels, and iterators of children's rights in the context of digital communication.

Background

Transnational parents are involved in practices of doing family through digital copresence, in doing rights toward society and coagency among family members, creating a rights context.

Method

Data were collected in Moldova and Ukraine through 102 semistructured interviews and 10 focus group discussions with adults and children in transnational families and caregivers, and 24 interviews with experts from local and national authorities as well as NGOs.

Results

Transnational parents represent their children by engaging in digital communication practices with institutions and maintain family togetherness through involvement and support of children within transnational family relationships. Communication with institutions is burdened by distrust of and constraints regarding information and communication technologies (ICT) access, the limited availability of adults as interlocutors for daily communication, and deliberate nontransparency of communication at both ends.

Conclusion

Digital communication offers families the capability to represent children's rights externally, and to create internal family togetherness as a potentially new register of presence, articulated by the limits and specificity of the mode of communication employed.

Implications

Inclusive digital communication capacities of transnational family members necessary for the practice of family togetherness, exercise of parental responsibilities, and support for children's participation should be enhanced on both ends as well as within and without the family.
Multiple enzymatic approaches to hydrolysis of fungal β‐glucans by the soil bacterium Chitinophaga pinensis
Authors: Lu Zijia , Rämgård Carl , Ergenlioğlu İrem , Sandin Lova , Hammar Hugo , Andersson Helena , King Katharine , Inman Annie R. , Hao Mengshu , Bulone Vincent , McKee Lauren S.
Published: January 2023

The genome of the soil Bacteroidota Chitinophaga pinensis encodes a large number of glycoside hydrolases (GHs) with noteworthy features and potentially novel functions. Several are predicted to be active on polysaccharide components of fungal and oomycete cell walls, such as chitin, β‐1,3‐glucan and β‐1,6‐glucan. While several fungal β‐1,6‐glucanase enzymes are known, relatively few bacterial examples have been characterised to date. We have previously demonstrated that C. pinensis shows strong growth using β‐1,6‐glucan as the sole carbon source, with the efficient release of oligosaccharides from the polymer. We here characterise the capacity of the C. pinensis secretome to hydrolyse the β‐1,6‐glucan pustulan and describe three distinct enzymes encoded by its genome, all of which show different levels of β‐1,6‐glucanase activity and which are classified into different GH families. Our data show that C. pinensis has multiple tools to deconstruct pustulan, allowing the species' broad utility of this substrate, with potential implications for bacterial biocontrol of pathogens via cell wall disruption. Oligosaccharides derived from fungal β‐1,6‐glucans are valuable in biomedical research and drug synthesis, and these enzymes could be useful tools for releasing such molecules from microbial biomass, an underexploited source of complex carbohydrates.
Guilt, care, and the ideal worker: Comparing guilt among working carers and care workers
Authors: Allard Camille , Whitfield Grace J.
Published: January 2023

This article explores care workers and working carers' experiences of work. It focuses on how both groups of workers experience pressures to adhere to an ideal, which this article argues, is centered on an emotional reaction of guilt. Through this ideal of a guilty worker, a “care ethic” is reconfigured to become a “work ethic.” Drawing on 120 semistructured interviews with care workers, working carers, trade union officers, and care company managers, the article examines how guilt is experienced and constructed in the workplace, and how it becomes beneficial to the aims of the employing organization. The article links the construction and instrumentalization of guilt to Acker's analysis of the ideal worker and to the problematic discourse of the “heroism” of key workers during the Covid‐19 pandemic. This discourse can reinforce the image of a sacrificial ideal worker; it implies that if workers do not take a sacrificial approach as part of their work and care ethics, they should feel guilty.
Developing a sampling methodology for timely reporting of population‐based COVID‐19‐associated hospitalization surveillance in the United States, COVID‐NET 2020–2021
Authors: O'Halloran Alissa , Whitaker Michael , Patel Kadam , Allen A. Elizabeth , Copeland Kennon R. , Reed Carrie , Reynolds Sue , Taylor Christopher A. , Havers Fiona , Kim Lindsay , Wolter Kirk , Garg Shikha
Published: January 2023

Background

The COVID‐19‐Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network (COVID‐NET) required a sampling methodology that allowed for production of timely population‐based clinical estimates to inform the ongoing US COVID‐19 pandemic response.

Methods

We developed a flexible sampling approach that considered reporting delays, differential hospitalized case burden across surveillance sites, and changing geographic and demographic trends over time. We incorporated weighting methods to adjust for the probability of selection and non‐response, and to calibrate the sampled case distribution to the population distribution on demographics. We additionally developed procedures for variance estimation.

Results

Between March 2020 and June 2021, 19,293 (10.4%) of all adult hospitalized cases were sampled for chart abstraction. Variance estimates for select variables of interest were within desired ranges.

Conclusions

COVID‐NET's sampling methodology allowed for reporting of robust and timely, population‐based data on the clinical epidemiology of COVID‐19‐associated hospitalizations and evolving trends over time, while attempting to reduce data collection burden on surveillance sites. Such methods may provide a general framework for other surveillance systems needing to quickly and efficiently collect and disseminate data for public health action.
The effects of knowledge mechanisms on employees' information security threat construal
Authors: Mady Ashraf , Gupta Saurabh , Warkentin Merrill
Published: January 2023

Organisations implement a variety of knowledge mechanisms such as information security education, training and awareness (SETA) programs and information security policies, to influence employees' secure behaviour. Despite increased efforts to provide information systems (IS) security knowledge to employees, data breaches and other security incidents resulting from insider behaviour continue. Recent IS security research, primarily grounded on assumptions of employees' rational assessment of numerous factors, has yielded inconsistent results. Challenging this paradigm, we model secure behaviour on security knowledge mechanisms, which focuses on the multidimensional nature of security knowledge breadth, depth and finesse to represent the full array of managerial levers. We further draw on construal level theory to conceptualise users' perceptual judgements of security messages. Two studies support our model, with the second building on the first. Study 1, an experiment with 312 participants, focused on validating the treatments. Study 2, a survey with 219 participants, validated the entire model. Results showed that our model has significantly more explanatory and predictive power than the orthodox paradigm. Our results have practical implications for optimising the organisation of knowledge mechanisms by emphasising the personal relevance of threats and defining the factors that lead to secure behaviour. We also contribute to the discourse on information security research and provide a template for integrating theories, thus opening new avenues for future research.
A glimpse into the trophic ecology of deep‐water sharks in an important crustacean fishing ground
Authors: Graça Aranha Sofia , Teodósio Alexandra , Baptista Vânia , Erzini Karim , Dias Ester
Published: January 2023

Deep‐water sharks are among the most vulnerable deep‐water taxa because of their extremely conservative life‐history strategies (i.e., late maturation, slow growth, and reproductive rates), yet little is known about their biology and ecology. Thus, this study aimed at investigating the trophic ecology of five deep‐water shark species, the birdbeak dogfish (Deania calcea), the arrowhead (D. profundorum), the smooth lanternshark (Etmopterus pusillus), the blackmouth catshark (Galeus melastomus) and the knifetooth dogfish (Scymnodon ringens) sampled onboard a crustacean bottom‐trawler off the south‐west coast of Portugal. We combined carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes with RNA and DNA (RD) ratios to investigate the main groups of prey assimilated by these species and their nutritional condition, respectively. Stable isotopes revealed overall small interspecific variability in the contribution of different taxonomic groups to sharks' tissues, as well as in the origin of their prey. S. ringens presented higher δ15N and δ13C values than the other species, suggesting reliance on bathyal cephalopods, crustaceans and teleosts; the remaining species likely assimilated bathy‐mesopelagic prey. The RD ratios indicated that most of the individuals had an overall adequate nutritional condition and had recently eaten. This information, combined with the fact that stable isotopes indicate that sharks assimilated prey from the local or nearby food webs (including commercially important shrimps), suggests a potential overlap between this fishing area and their foraging grounds, which requires further attention.
Laboratory‐based measures of temperature preference and metabolic thermal sensitivity provide insight into the habitat utilisation of juvenile California horn shark (Heterodontus francisci) and leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata)
Authors: Skelton Zachary R. , Prinzing Tanya S. , Hastings Philip A. , Wegner Nicholas C.
Published: January 2023

Laboratory‐based studies examining fish physiological and behavioural responses to temperature can provide important insight into species‐specific habitat preferences and utilisation, and are especially useful in examining vulnerable life stages that are difficult to study in the wild. This study couples shuttle box behavioural experiments with respirometry trials to determine the temperature preferences and metabolic thermal sensitivity of juvenile California horn shark (Heterodontus francisci) and leopard shark (Triakis semifasciata). As juveniles, these two species often occupy similar estuarine habitats but display contrasting behaviours and activity levels – H. francisci are relatively sedentary, whereas T. semifasciata are more active and mobile. This study shows that juvenile H. francisci and T. semifasciata have comparable thermal preferences and occupy similar temperature ranges, but H. francisci metabolism is more sensitive to acute changes in temperature as expressed through a higher Q10 (H. francisci = 2.58; T. semifasciata = 1.97; temperature range: 12–24°C). Underlying chronic temperature acclimation to both warm (21°C) and cool (15°C) representative seasonal temperatures did not appear to significantly affect these parameters. These results are discussed in the context of field studies examining known distributions, habitat and movement patterns of H. francisci and T. semifasciata to better understand the role of temperature in species‐specific behaviour. Juvenile H. francisci likely target thermally stable environments, such as estuaries that are close to their preferred temperature, whereas juvenile T. semifasciata metabolism and behaviour appear less dependent on temperature.
The association between genetic variations and morphology‐based brain networks changes in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Xiong Weixue , Cai Jiahui , Sun Bo , Lin Henghui , Wei Chiyu , Huang Chengcheng , Zhu Xiaohui , Tan Haizhu ,   for the Alzheimer’ Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: January 2023

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a highly heritable disease. The morphological changes of cortical cortex (such as, cortical thickness and surface area) in AD always accompany by the change of the functional connectivity to other brain regions and influence the short‐ and long‐range brain network connections, causing functional deficits of AD. In this study, the first hypothesis is that genetic variations might affect morphology‐based brain networks, leading to functional deficits; the second hypothesis is that protein–protein interaction (PPI) between the candidate proteins and known interacting proteins to AD might exist and influence AD. 600 470 variants and structural magnetic resonance imaging scans from 175 AD patients and 214 healthy controls were obtained from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative‐1 database. A co‐sparse reduced‐rank regression model was fit to study the relationship between non‐synonymous mutations and morphology‐based brain networks. After that, PPIs between selected genes and BACE1, an enzyme that was known to be related to AD, are explored by using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and co‐immunoprecipitation (Co‐IP) experiments. Eight genes affecting morphology‐based brain networks were identified. The results of MD simulation showed that the PPI between TGM4 and BACE1 was the strongest among them and its interaction was verified by Co‐IP. Hence, gene variations influence morphology‐based brain networks in AD, leading to functional deficits. This finding, validated by MD simulation and Co‐IP, suggests that the effect is robust.

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Randomised controlled trial of melatonin for paediatric functional abdominal pain disorders
Authors: Dipasquale Valeria , Palermo Lisa , Barbalace Andrea , Tumminello Giampaolo , Romano Claudio
Published: January 2023

Aim

Melatonin seems to have a positive impact on the brain–gut axis and many direct and indirect effects on the gastrointestinal tract. This trial aimed at assessing the efficacy of melatonin combined with Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG given in the treatment of paediatric patients with functional abdominal pain disorders.

Methods

Forty‐two patients aged 4–18 years old who fulfilled the Rome IV Diagnostic Criteria for functional abdominal pain disorders were enrolled. Melatonin 3 or 5 mg in combination with Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG (group 1, n = 22) or a placebo in combination with Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG (control group, n = 20) were taken in the evening for a period of 4 weeks. The study duration was 12 weeks. The primary study endpoint was represented by clinical improvement at week 12 – defined as at least a 50% reduction in mean abdominal pain index (API) from baseline to week 12.

Results

The mean API was reduced by more than 50% between T0 and T2 in the group of children treated with melatonin. However, the difference in the distributions of the variations of the scores between the two groups was not significant between T0 and T2 (P = 0.082), while it was significant between T0 and T1 (P = 0.001). Similar results were obtained by analysing the API variables ‘weekly frequency of pain’ (item 1) and ‘perceived intensity of pain’ (item 4) individually.

Conclusions

This is the first study to investigate the role of the combination of melatonin and Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG in the treatment of children with functional abdominal pain disorders. Melatonin combined with Lactobacillus Rhamnosus GG can be considered a therapeutic option for these conditions in children.
Recombinant irisin enhances the extracellular matrix formation, remodeling potential, and differentiation of human periodontal ligament cells cultured in 3D
Authors: Yang Yang , Geng Tianxiang , Samara Athina , Olstad Ole Kristoffer , He Jianying , Agger Anne Eriksson , Skallerud Bjørn Helge , Landin Maria A. , Heyward Catherine Anne , Pullisaar Helen , Reseland Janne Elin
Published: January 2023

Background

Irisin is expressed in human periodontal ligament (hPDL), and its administration enhances growth, migration and matrix deposition in hPDL cells cultured in monolayers in vitro.

Objectives

To identify whether irisin affects the gene expression patterns directing the morphology, mechanical properties, extracellular matrix (ECM) formation, osteogenic activity and angiogenic potential in hPDL cell spheroids cultured in 3D.

Materials and Methods

Spheroids of primary human hPDL cells were generated in a rotational 3D culture system and treated with or without irisin. The gene expression patterns were evaluated by Affymetrix microarrays. The morphology of the spheroids was characterized using histological staining. Mechanical properties were quantified by nanoindentation. The osteogenic and angiogenic potential of spheroids were assessed through immunofluorescence staining for collagen type I, periostin fibronectin and von Willebrand factor (vWF), and mRNA expression of osteogenic markers. The secretion of multiple myokines was evaluated using Luminex immunoassays.

Results

Approximately 1000 genes were differentially expressed between control and irisin‐treated groups by Affymetrix. Several genes related to ECM organization were differentially expressed, and multiple deubiquitinating enzymes were upregulated in the irisin‐exposed samples analyzed. These represent cellular and molecular mechanisms indicative of a role for irisin in tissue remodeling. Irisin induced a rim‐like structure on the outer region of the hPDL spheroids, ECM‐related protein expression and the stiffness of the spheroids were enhanced by irisin. The expression of osteogenic and angiogenetic markers was increased by irisin.

Conclusions

Irisin altered the morphology in primary hPDL cell‐derived spheroids, enhanced its ECM deposition, mechanical properties, differentiation and remodeling potential.
Distinctive Voices: Political Speech, Rhetoric, and the Substantive Representation of Women in European Parliaments
Authors: Wäckerle Jens , Castanho Silva Bruno
Published: January 2023

As the share of women in parliaments rises, increased attention is paid to how they substantively represent women. Meanwhile, the availability of parliamentary speech data has enabled researchers to dissect politicians’ rhetorical patterns. We combine these two literatures to ask whether rhetorical differences between men and women in parliament are connected to style, policy, and preferences of women voters. We apply machine‐learning models to speeches from five West European parliaments (2000–18) to measure the femininity of the rhetoric used in each speech. Results show that women and men talk differently in parliament, and that this distinctiveness is due to both style and substance. Combining these results with public opinion surveys, we find that women MPs have the most distinctively “feminine” discourse on issues that are most salient to women in society. These findings showcase the direct connection between descriptive and substantive representation of women in contemporary democracies.
An EWSR1–EZHIP fusion in a cerebral hemisphere astroblastoma
Authors: Liu Jing , Sun Dongjin , Lin Fan , Li Yun , Wu Tingting , Liu Xia
Published: January 2023

Astroblastomas are considered extremely rare tumors and have not been formally graded. While gene mutations are used to diagnose these tumors, further research is needed for proper diagnosis and classification. This report presents a case of astroblastoma in a 44‐year‐old woman. A tumor was found to have histology consistent with astroblastoma, with no MN1 gene changes. Several mutations were present, and fusion of the EWSR1 and EZHIP genes was noted, which has never been reported before in the literature. Fusions of the EWSR1 gene could be characteristics of astroblastomas, in addition to MN1 alterations, and identification of these mutations could help in the diagnosis of these rare tumors.
Novel sensory trigger for gastrocolonic response
Authors: Dorfman Lev , Wongteerasut Anundorn , El‐Chammas Khalil , Sahay Rashmi , Fei Lin , Kaul Ajay
Published: January 2023

Background

Gastrocolonic response (GCR) is a physiologic increase in motor activity of the colon following meal ingestion. The presence of GCR, in colonic manometry (CM) studies, is used as a marker of normal colonic motor activity. Our aim was to investigate whether GCR could be induced by sensory stimulation (visual or olfactory) prior to food ingestion, and to describe the characteristics of patients with this response.

Methods

We prospectively marked time of meal presence and initiation on CM tracings of patients with idiopathic constipation. We reviewed electronic medical records and normal CM studies. Presence of sensory GCR was defined as an increase by at least 25% of the baseline motility index (MI) after exposure to meal, prior to food ingestion. Manometry characteristics of patients with a sensory GCR response were compared to those without.

Key Results

Eighty‐nine patients, (47% females, median age 9 years) met the inclusion criteria. Forty‐seven (52.8%) patients had a positive sensory GCR. This cohort had a higher proportion of postprandial GCR (93.6% vs. 76.2%, p‐value = 0.02) and lower fasting MI (2.08 mm Hg vs. 3.54 mm Hg, p < 0.01). Thirteen (14.6%) patients who had no postprandial GCR had higher baseline MI (median of 3.69 vs. 2.46 mm Hg, p < 0.05).

Conclusions & Inferences

Visualizing or smelling food resulted in a significant increase in baseline MI in more than 50% of patients. Our findings propose a novel, alternate pathway that can induce GCR. This central sensory pathway may have clinical relevance in the diagnosis and management of patients with colonic dysmotility.
Shortening generation times for winter cereals by vernalizing seedlings from young embryos at 10 degree Celsius
Authors: Zheng Zhi , Gao Shang , Wang Haibo , Liu Chunji
Published: January 2023

Methods allowing quick generation cycles are available for various crop species but are limited to spring genotypes. However, winter types predominate in many crops including wheat and barley. Different from spring ones, winter genotypes need to be treated in low temperature for extended periods to accelerate flowering. Combined with known factors that reduce generation cycles for spring wheat and barley, the generation cycle effects of vernalizing seedlings from young embryos of winter types at 10°C of several crop species were studied. Here, we described how to obtain up to seven generations of winter barley, six generations for winter wheat or five generations for both winter oat and triticale genotypes per annum. This procedure should find wide applications in breeding and other biological studies.
Cause‐specific mortality after discharge from inpatient psychiatric care in Taiwan: A national matched cohort study
Authors: Hsu Chia‐Yueh , Chang Shu‐Sen , Large Matthew , Chang Chin‐Hao , Tseng Mei‐Chih Meg
Published: January 2023

Aims

We aimed to investigate the trajectories of absolute and relative risks of cause‐specific mortality among patients discharged from inpatient psychiatric services.

Methods

We conducted a national matched cohort study (2002–2013) using data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance database linked to national cause‐of‐death data files. Patients discharged from inpatient psychiatric care without prior psychiatric hospitalizations were individually matched to 20 comparison individuals based on sex and age. The rates, rate differences, and relative risks (hazard ratios, HRs) of cause‐specific mortality were calculated at six follow‐up periods post‐discharge. Cumulative mortality incidence was assessed at 5 years of follow‐up.

Results

The mortality risks of all causes were increased among patients (n = 158 065) relative to comparison individuals (n = 3 161 300). Mortality rate differences were greater for natural causes, while relative risks (HRs) were higher for unnatural causes. Suicide was the leading cause of death within the first year of discharge, while circulatory and respiratory diseases were the leading causes of death from the second year. The mortality rates and HRs for all causes of death (except homicide) were highest during the first 3 months. The elevated risk of unnatural‐cause mortality declined rapidly after discharge but remained high in the long term; in contrast, risk elevation for natural‐cause mortality was more stable over time. Approximately one‐eighth of patients (12.9%, 95% confidence interval 12.7–13.7%) died within 5 years of follow‐up.

Conclusions

Integrated physical and mental health care is needed to reduce excess mortality, particularly during the first 3 months post‐discharge, among psychiatric patients.
Sex moderates the associations between physical activity intensity and attentional control in older adolescents
Authors: Pindus Dominika M. , Shigeta Tatsuya T. , Leahy Angus A. , Mavilidi Myrto F. , Nayak Apurva , Marcozzi Dante , Montero‐Herrera Bryan , Abbas Zainab , Hillman Charles H. , Lubans David R.
Published: January 2023

Introduction

The relationship between physical activity (PA) intensity and executive functions in older adolescents remains poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the associations between PA intensity, volume, attentional control, and working memory and the moderating effects of sex in older adolescents.

Method

We analyzed baseline data from 418 participants (211 females, Mage = 16.5 ± 0.40 years) from the Burn 2 Learn trial. Adolescents wore GT9X Link accelerometers on a non‐dominant wrist for 7 days, 24‐h·d−1. PA intensity was expressed as intensity gradient (IG) and moderate‐to‐vigorous PA (MVPA, Hildebrand cut‐points); PA volume was expressed as average acceleration (AvACC). Attentional control was measured with a standard deviation (SDRT) and a coefficient of variation (CVRT) of the reaction time on the incongruent trials of a flanker task. Working memory was expressed as a d prime (a signal discrimination index) on the 2‐back task. The moderating effects of sex on the PA‐executive functions associations, adjusting for age, BMI z‐score, and cardiorespiratory fitness, were tested using multilevel random intercept models.

Results

After controlling for AvACC, sex moderated the relationships between IG and incongruent SDRT (B = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.94) and CVRT (B = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.22, 1.05; ps ≤ 0.002). Only girls with higher IG showed smaller incongruent SDRT and CVRT (Bs ≤ −0.26, ps ≤ 0.01). IG was not related to working memory. AvACC and MVPA were not associated with attentional control or working memory.

Conclusion

Our findings reveal a novel association between higher‐intensity PA and superior attentional control among adolescent girls.
In vivo analysis of the stratum corneum of Japanese neonates and infants using confocal Raman spectroscopy: a pilot study
Authors: Matsumoto Yukio , Mochimaru Naoko , Yasuda Hazuki , Pak Kyongsun , Kobayashi Tohru , Yamamoto‐Hanada Kiwako , Ohya Yukihiro , Kiuchi Megumi , Kurokawa Masashi , Yoshida Kazue
Published: January 2023

Background

Physiological skin properties of neonates and infants change drastically after birth and are implicated in the onset of atopic dermatitis and other diseases. Studies have measured physiological skin properties in infants; however, how these properties change over time remains unclear. No reports have measured ceramide in the stratum corneum of infants using confocal Raman spectroscopy; hence, we used it to measure the physiological properties of the skin, including ceramide, in infants.

Materials and methods

The water content and other factors in the skin of infants aged 0, 1, and 6 months were measured. All measurements were performed five times indoors at 22 ± 2°C and 50% ± 10% relative humidity in the middle of the calf at 4‐µm distances, and their mean was calculated.

Results

The water content of the area between the skin surface and superficial layers was the lowest in newborns as compared with other ages, and the deeper the skin layer, the higher the water content. The stratum corneum, evaluated using confocal Raman spectroscopy, was the thickest in newborns and gradually thinned with age. Its water content was the lowest in newborns. The levels of natural moisturizing factor, ceramide, and cholesterol were higher in newborns and tended to decrease with age.

Conclusion

This report is the first to evaluate ceramide in the stratum corneum of infants using confocal Raman spectroscopy and could help in conducting subsequent longitudinal measurements of physiological skin properties in neonates and infants.
Contact open books with flexible pages
Authors: Bowden Jonathan , Crowley Diarmuid
Published: January 2023

We give an elementary topological obstruction for a manifold of dimension to admit a contact open book with flexible Weinstein pages and : if the torsion subgroup of the ‐th integral homology group is non‐zero, then no such contact open book exists. We achieve this by proving that a symplectomorphism of a flexible Weinstein manifold acts trivially on integral cohomology. We also produce examples of non‐trivial loops of flexible contact structures using related ideas.
The computational complexity of knot genus in a fixed 3‐manifold
Authors: Lackenby Marc , Yazdi Mehdi
Published: January 2023

We show that the problem of deciding whether a knot in a fixed closed orientable 3‐dimensional manifold bounds a surface of genus at most is in co‐NP. This answers a question of Agol, Hass and Thurston in 2002. Previously, this was known for rational homology 3‐spheres, by the work of the first author.
A Finite Volume Framework for the Simulation of Additive Friction Stir Deposition
Authors: Kincaid K. C. , MacPhee D. W. , Stubblefield G. G. , Jordon J. B. , Rushing T. W. , Allison P. G.
Published: January 2023

In this study, a finite volume simulation framework was developed, validated, and employed for the first time in a new solid-state additive manufacturing and repair process, Additive Friction Stir Deposition (AFSD). The open-source computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code openfoam was used to simulate the deposition of a single layer of Aluminum Alloy 6061 feedstock onto a substrate, using a viscoplastic model to predict the flow behavior of the material. Conjugate heat transfer was considered between the build layer, the surrounding atmosphere, and the substrate, and the resulting temperatures were validated against experimental data recorded for three processing cases. Excellent agreement between simulated and measured temperature data was obtained, as well as a good qualitative prediction of overall build layer morphology. Further analysis of the temperature field was conducted to reveal the variation of temperature in the build direction, an analysis not possible with previous experimental or numerical methods, as well as a global heat transfer analysis to determine the relative importance of various modes of heat input and cooling. Tool heating was found to be the primary heat input to the system, representing 73% of energy input, while conduction to the substrate was the main mode of part cooling, representing 73% of heat loss from the build layer.
UV- and thermally-active small bi-functional gelator for creating gradient polymer network coatings
Authors: Chinnayan Kannan Pandiyarajan , Genzer Jan
Published: January 2023

We present a versatile one-pot synthesis method for creating surface-anchored orthogonal gradient networks using a small bi-functional gelator, 4-azidosulfonylphenethyltrimethoxysilane (4-ASPTMS). The sulfonyl azide (SAz) group of 4-ASPTMS is UV (≤254 nm) and thermally active (≥100 °C) and, thus, enables us to vary the cross-link density in orthogonal directions by controlling the activation of SAz groups via UV and temperature means. We deposit a thin layer (∼200 nm) of a mixture comprising ∼90% precursor polymer and ∼10% 4-ASPTMS in a silicon wafer. Upon UV irradiation or annealing the layers, SAz releases nitrogen by forming singlet and triplet nitrenes that concurrently react with any C–H bond in the vicinity leading to sulfonamide cross-links. Condensation among trimethoxy groups in the bulk connects 4-ASPTMS units and completes the cross-linking. Simultaneously, 4-ASPTMS near the substrate reacts with surface-bound –OH motifs that anchor the cross-linked polymer chains to the substrate. We demonstrate the generation of orthogonal gradient network coatings exhibiting cross-link density (or stiffness) gradients in orthogonal directions using such a simple process.
Investigating phoneme-dependencies of spherical voice directivity patterns II: Various groups of phonemes
Authors: Pörschmann Christoph , Arend Johannes M.
Published: January 2023

The substantial variation between articulated phonemes is a fundamental feature of human voice production. However, while the spectral and temporal aspects of the phonemes have been extensively studied, few have investigated the spatial aspects and analyzed phoneme-dependent differences in voice directivity. This paper extends our previous research focusing on the directivity patterns of selected vowels and fricatives [Pörschmann and Arend, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 149(6), 4553–4564 (2021)] and examines different groups of phonemes, such as plosives, nasals, voiced alveolars, and additional fricatives. For this purpose, full-spherical voice directivity measurements were performed for 13 persons while they articulated the respective phonemes. The sound radiation was recorded simultaneously using a surrounding spherical microphone array with 32 microphones and then spatially upsampled to a dense sampling grid. Based on these upsampled datasets, the spherical voice directivity was studied, and phoneme-dependent variations were analyzed. The results show significant differences between the groups of phonemes. However, within three groups (plosives, nasals, and voiced alveolars), the differences are small, and the variations in the directivity index were statistically insignificant.
Effects of Highly Cushioned and Resilient Racing Shoes on Running Economy at Slower Running Speeds
Authors: Joubert Dustin P. , Dominy Trace A. , Burns Geoffrey T.
Published: January 2023

Purpose: The Nike Vaporfly line of running shoes improves running economy by ∼2.7% to 4.2% at running speeds of 13 to 18 km·h−1. It is unclear whether similar benefits are conferred at slower speeds. Our purpose was to determine the effects of the Nike ZoomX Vaporfly Next% 2 (VFN2) on running economy at 10 and 12 km·h−1 compared with a mass-matched control (CTRL) shoe. Methods: Sixteen runners completed 4 × 5-minute trials at both 10 and 12 km·h−1 on the same day. Each shoe was tested twice at each speed in a counterbalanced, mirrored sequence. Data are displayed as mean (SD). Results: A 2-way repeated-measures analysis of variance showed a significant shoe × speed interaction for oxygen consumption (P = .021). At 12 km·h−1, oxygen consumption (in mL·kg−1·min−1) was lower (−1.4% [1.1%]; P < .001) for VFN2 (35.8 [1.7]) relative to CTRL (36.4 [1.7]). That was greater in magnitude than the differences observed at 10 km·h−1 (−0.9% [1.8%]; P = .065) between VFN2 (29.4 [1.9]) and CTRL (29.6 [1.9]). Conclusions: From these data, it appears that the VFN2 still enhances running economy at 10 and 12 km·h−1; however, these benefits are smaller in magnitude compared with previous research at faster speeds.
Sex-Related Differences in Functional Fitness Outcomes in Older Adults
Authors: Marsala Michael J. , Belfry Shannon , Orange Joseph B. , Christie Anita D.
Published: January 2023

Sex-related differences in changes in functional fitness over time were longitudinally assessed in older adults participating in a group-based multimodal exercise program. From a database, functional fitness scores were obtained for 89 older adults (71.6 ± 6.5 years old) who had completed two assessments, 5–8 years apart. Lower body strength, upper body strength, aerobic endurance, flexibility, and change of direction performances were compared over time and with normative values. Females (p = .02), but not males, had an improvement in upper body strength over time. Females were also more flexible than males at both assessments (p ≤ .02). Of those who had five consecutive assessments, females were more flexible than males (p ≤ .05) and had a faster change of direction ability (p < .001). When compared with normative values, our results indicate that typical time-related functional fitness loss can be attenuated with group exercise. Our results further support the need to tailor exercise prescription according to the individual.
The phosphate-induced small RNA EsrL promotes
E. coli
virulence, biofilm formation, and intestinal colonization
Authors: Jia Tianyuan , Wu Pan , Liu Bin , Liu Miaomiao , Mu Huiqian , Liu Dan , Huang Min , Li Linxing , Wei Yi , Wang Lu , Yang Qian , Liu Yutao , Yang Bin , Huang Di , Yang Liang , Liu Bin
Published: January 2023

Escherichia coli
are part of the normal intestinal microbiome, but some enterohemorrhagic
E. coli
(EHEC) and enteropathogenic
E. coli
(EPEC) strains can cause potentially life-threatening gastroenteritis. Virulence factors underlying the ability of EHEC and EPEC to cause disease include those encoded in the locus of the enterocyte effacement (LEE) pathogenicity island. Here, we demonstrated that EsrL, a small RNA present in many
E. coli
strains, promoted pathogenicity, adhesion, and biofilm formation in EHEC and EPEC. PhoB, the response regulator of the two-component system that controls cellular responses to phosphate, directly repressed
esrL
expression under low-phosphate conditions. A phosphate-rich environment, similar to that of the human intestine, relieved PhoB-mediated repression of
esrL
. EsrL interacted with and stabilized the
LEE-encoded regulator
(
ler
) transcript, which encodes a transcription factor for LEE genes, leading to increased bacterial adhesion to cultured cells and colonization of the rabbit colon. EsrL also bound to and stabilized the
fimC
transcript, which encodes a chaperone that is required for the assembly of type 1 pili, resulting in enhanced cell adhesion in pathogenic
E. coli
and enhanced biofilm formation in pathogenic and nonpathogenic
E. coli
. Our findings demonstrate that EsrL stimulates the expression of virulence genes in both EHEC and EPEC under phosphate-rich conditions, thus promoting the pathogenicity of EHEC and EPEC in the nutrient-rich gut environment.
A Plasmodium falciparum RING Finger E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Modifies the Roles of PfMDR1 and PfCRT in Parasite Drug Responses
Authors: Singh Brajesh K. , Zhang Cui , Wu Jian , Peng Yu-Chih , He Xiao , Tumas Keyla C. , Sá Juliana M. , Lane Kristin D. , Eastman Richard T. , Narum David L. , Wellems Thomas E. , Su Xin-zhuan
Published: January 2023

Protein ubiquitination is an important posttranslational regulation mechanism that mediates
Plasmodium
development and modifies parasite responses to antimalarial drugs. Although mutations in several parasite ubiquitination enzymes have been linked to increased drug tolerance, the molecular mechanisms by which ubiquitination pathways mediate these parasite responses remain largely unknown.
Microbiome-Based Stain Analyses in Crime Scenes
Authors: Swayambhu Meghna , Kümmerli Rolf , Arora Natasha
Published: January 2023

Recent advances in next-generation sequencing technologies (NGS) coupled with machine learning have demonstrated the potential of microbiome-based analyses in applied areas such as clinical diagnostics and forensic sciences. Particularly in forensics, microbial markers in biological stains left at a crime scene can provide valuable information for the reconstruction of crime scene cases, as they contain information on bodily origin, the time since deposition, and donor(s) of the stain.