bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-term disruption of glucose homeostasis in a rodent model of preterm birth
Authors: Diao Sihao , Guenoun David , Chen Shiou-Ping , Cruciani-Guglielmacci Céline , Pansiot Julien , Laforge Mireille , Raho Ilyes , Faivre Valérie , Degos Vincent , Gressens Pierre , Nadjar Agnès , Steenwinckel Juliette Van , Adle-Biassette Homa , Magnan Christophe , Jacquens Alice , Bokobza Cindy
Published: February 2024

Around 1 of every 10 babies is born preterm, and the incidence of preterm birth has been rising. The long-term consequences of preterm survivors are not fully understood. Preterm birth is proven to be associated with metabolic diseases and related disorders later in life. Preterm newborns are susceptible to perinatal inflammatory events such as chorioamnionitis, hypoxia-ischemia, and sepsis. We hypothesized that perinatal inflammation has a role in the developmental programming of metabolic diseases and related disorders. In the present study, perinatal inflammation was modeled by systemic administration of IL-1β in mice. We observed a pronounced sexual dimorphism where only the males presented significant insulin resistance and glucose intolerance accompanied by leptin resistance in the long term following perinatal inflammation exposure. Adiposity and energy homeostasis were intact. It showed that perinatal inflammation selectively contributes to the long-term dysregulation of glucose metabolism in a sex-dependent manner. The underlying mechanism might be linked with hypothalamic inflammation and upregulated circulating CCL5. Metformin treatment might be optional to treat insulin resistance resulting from perinatal inflammation.

Highlights

Perinatal inflammation is common in preterm infants, often leading to perinatal brain injuries. However, the long-term metabolic outcomes of these infants are not fully revealed.

We explored the long-term metabolic outcomes in mice with perinatal IL-1β exposure and sought its association with inflammation.

Perinatal inflammation has a profound and deleterious role in glucose metabolism in a sex-dependent and time-dependent manner.

Perinatal inflammation might be a risk factor for metabolic disorders in preterm survivors.
Less activity means improved welfare? How pair housing influences pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) behavior
Authors: Wolff London M. , Stevens Jeffrey R.
Published: February 2024

The activity level and specific behaviors exhibited by captive animals are crucial indicators of their health and welfare. Stereotypies, or repetitive behaviors that have no apparent function or goal, are performed by animals experiencing poor conditions in their environment and indicate welfare concerns. Changes in the housing environment in particular may have critical influences on behavior and welfare. Here, we measured behavioral changes in a captive pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus) population (n = 12) associated with a shift from single to pair housing. Using automated video processing, we show that pair housing greatly reduced overall activity levels in these birds. The stark reduction in activity was surprising, as we expected that social housing would increase interactions between birds, thus increasing activity levels. Upon further analysis, however, we found that stereotypic behaviors like beak scraping, jumping, pecking, and route tracing decreased after pair housing, whereas a calming behavior—preening— increased. Our results indicate that pair housing may reduce overall activity in pinyon jays; however, this reduction is primarily in stereotypic behaviors.
Insulin resistance alters the coupling between cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism in younger and older adults: Implications for neurovascular coupling
Authors: Deery H.A. , Liang E. , Di Paolo R. , Voigt K. , Murray G. , Siddiqui M.N. , Egan G.F. , Moran C. , Jamadar S.D.
Published: February 2024

Rising rates of insulin resistance and an ageing population are set to exact an increasing toll on individuals and society. Here we examine the contribution of insulin resistance and age to the coupling of cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism; a critical process in the supply of energy for the brain. Thirty-four younger (20-42 years) and 41 older (66-86 years) healthy adults underwent a simultaneous resting state MR/PET scan, including arterial spin labelling. Rates of cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism were derived using a functional atlas of 100 brain regions. Older adults had lower cerebral blood flow than younger adults in 95 regions, reducing to 36 regions after controlling for cortical atrophy and blood pressure. Younger and older insulin sensitive adults showed small, negative correlations between relatively high rates of regional cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism. This pattern was inverted in insulin resistant older adults, who showed hypoperfusion and hypometabolism across the cortex, and a positive coupling. In insulin resistant younger adults, coupling showed inversion to positive correlations, although not to the extent seen in older adults. Our findings suggest that the normal course of ageing and insulin resistance alter the rates and coupling of cerebral blood flow and metabolism. They underscore the criticality of insulin sensitivity to brain health across the adult lifespan.
Spike Neural Network of Motor Cortex Model for Arm Reaching Control
Authors: Jiang Hongru , Bu Xiangdong , Sui Xiaohong , Tang Huajin , Pan Xiaochuan , Chen Yao
Published: February 2024

Motor cortex modeling is crucial for understanding movement planning and execution. While interconnected recurrent neural networks have successfully described the dynamics of neural population activity, most existing methods utilize continuous signal-based neural networks, which do not reflect the biological spike neural signal. To address this limitation, we propose a recurrent spike neural network to simulate motor cortical activity during an arm-reaching task. Specifically, our model is built upon integrate-and-fire spiking neurons with conductance-based synapses. We carefully designed the interconnections of neurons with two different firing time scales - “fast” and “slow” neurons. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our method, with the model’s neuronal activity in good agreement with monkey’s motor cortex data at both single-cell and population levels. Quantitative analysis reveals a correlation coefficient 0.89 between the model’s and real data. These results suggest the possibility of multiple timescales in motor cortical control.
Emergent strong zero mode through local Floquet engineering
Authors: Mukherjee Bhaskar , Melendrez Ronald , Szyniszewski Marcin , Changlani Hitesh J. , Pal Arijeet
Published: February 2024

Periodically driven quantum systems host exotic phenomena that often do not have any analog in undriven systems. Floquet prethermalization and dynamical freezing of certain observables, via the emergence of conservation laws, are realized by controlling the drive frequency. Recent experimental developments in synthetic quantum matter, such as superconducting qubits and cold atoms, have opened avenues for implementing local Floquet engineering which can achieve spatially modulated quantum control of states. Here, we uncover the novel memory effects of local periodic driving in a nonintegrable spin-half staggered Heisenberg chain. For a boundary-driven protocol at the dynamical freezing frequency, we show the formation of an approximate strong zero mode, a prethermal quasilocal operator, due to the emergence of a discrete global Z2 symmetry. This is captured by constructing an accurate effective Floquet Hamiltonian using a higher-order partially resummed Floquet-Magnus expansion. The lifetime of the boundary spin can be exponentially enhanced by enlarging the set of suitably chosen driven sites. We demonstrate that in the asymptotic limit, achieved by increasing the number of driven sites, a strong zero mode emerges, where the lifetime of the boundary spin grows exponentially with system size. The nonlocal processes in the Floquet Hamiltonian play a pivotal role in the total freezing of the boundary spin in the thermodynamic limit. The novel dynamics of the boundary spin is accompanied by a rich structure of entanglement in the Floquet eigenstates where specific bipartitions yield an area-law scaling while the entanglement for random bipartitions scales as a volume-law. Our work addresses the long-standing question of the existence of a strong zero mode in a nonintegrable model and elucidates the complex nature of thermalization in locally driven systems.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
QCD phase diagram and equation of state in background electric fields
Authors: Endrődi G. , Markó G.
Published: February 2024

The phase diagram and the equation of state of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) is investigated in the presence of weak background electric fields by means of continuum extrapolated lattice simulations. The complex action problem at nonzero electric field is circumvented by a novel Taylor expansion, enabling the determination of the linear response of the thermal QCD medium to constant electric fields—in contrast to simulations at imaginary electric fields, which, as we demonstrate, involve an infrared singularity. Besides the electric susceptibility of QCD matter, we determine the dependence of the Polyakov loop on the field strength to leading order. Our results indicate a plasma-type behavior with a negative susceptibility at all temperatures, as well as an increase in the transition temperature as the electric field grows.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Dijet and electroweak limits on a
Z′
boson coupled to quarks
Authors: Dobrescu Bogdan A. , Yu Felix
Published: February 2024

An insightful way of presenting the LHC limits on dijet resonances is the coupling-mass plot for a Z′ boson that has flavor-independent quark interactions. This also illustrates the comparison of low-mass LHC sensitivity with constraints on the flavor-independent Z′ boson from electroweak and quarkonium measurements. To derive these constraints, we compute the Z′ mixing with the Z, the photon, and the ϒ meson, emphasizing the logarithmic dependence on the masses of the new electroweak-charged fermions (“anomalons”) required to cancel the gauge anomalies. We update the coupling-mass plot, extending it for Z′ masses from 5 GeV to 5 TeV.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
95.4 GeV diphoton excess at ATLAS and CMS
Authors: Biekötter Thomas , Heinemeyer Sven , Weiglein Georg
Published: February 2024

The ATLAS Collaboration has recently reported the results of a low-mass Higgs-boson search in the diphoton final state based on the full Run 2 dataset. The results are based on an improved analysis with respect to the previous analysis, which included a part of the Run 2 data, with a substantially better sensitivity. The “model-dependent” search carried out by ATLAS shows an excess of events at a mass of about 95.4 GeV with a local significance of 1.7σ. The results are compatible with a previously reported excess at the same mass, but with somewhat higher significance of 2.9σ, from the CMS collaboration, also based on the full Run 2 dataset. Combining the two results (neglecting possible correlations), we find a signal strength of μγγATLAS+CMS=0.24−0.08+0.09, corresponding to an excess of 3.1σ. In this work, we investigate the implications of this result, updating a previous analysis based solely on the CMS Run 2 data. We demonstrate that the ATLAS/CMS combined diphoton excess can be interpreted as the lightest Higgs boson in a Two-Higgs doublet model that is extended by a complex singlet (S2HDM) of Yukawa types II and IV, while being in agreement with all other experimental and theoretical constraints.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Nuclear deexcitation simulator for neutrino interactions and nucleon decays of
C12
and
O16
based on TALYS
Authors: Abe Seisho
Published: February 2024

Nuclear deexcitation associated with neutrino interactions and nucleon decays has a significant impact on a recent key observable for neutrino detectors: neutron multiplicity. Although several deexcitation simulation studies have been conducted, most are closed-source or have limitations in application. Therefore, we need an open-source deexcitation simulator to be used as a standard deexcitation module in existing neutrino Monte Carlo event generators. To predict the neutron multiplicity comprehensively, the author developed a dedicated nuclear deexcitation simulator based on named ucex. ucex can be used for neutrino interactions and nucleon decays for C12 and O16. The author provides the ucex codes and sample codes for applying the ucex to widely used neutrino Monte Carlo event generators, NEUT, NuWro, and GENIE.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Unveiling dark matter free streaming at the smallest scales with the high redshift Lyman-alpha forest
Authors: Iršič Vid , Viel Matteo , Haehnelt Martin G. , Bolton James S. , Molaro Margherita , Puchwein Ewald , Boera Elisa , Becker George D. , Gaikwad Prakash , Keating Laura C. , Kulkarni Girish
Published: February 2024

This study introduces novel constraints on the free streaming of thermal relic warm dark matter (WDM) from Lyman-α forest flux power spectra. Our analysis utilizes a high resolution, high redshift sample of quasar spectra observed using the HIRES and UVES spectrographs (z=4.2–5.0). We employ a Bayesian inference framework and a simulation-based likelihood that encompasses various parameters including the free streaming of dark matter, cosmological parameters, the thermal history of the intergalactic medium, and inhomogeneous reionization to establish lower limits on the mass of a thermal relic WDM particle of 5.7 keV (at 95% CL). This result surpasses previous limits from the Lyman-α forest through reduction of the measured uncertainties due to a larger statistical sample and by measuring clustering to smaller scales (kmax=0.2  km−1 s). The approximately two-fold improvement due to the expanded statistical sample suggests that the effectiveness of Lyman-α forest constraints on WDM models at high redshifts are limited by the availability of high quality quasar spectra. Restricting the analysis to comparable scales and thermal history priors as in prior studies (kmax<0.1  km−1 s) lowers the bound on the WDM mass to 4.1 keV. As the precision of the measurements increases, it becomes crucial to examine the instrumental and modeling systematics. On the modeling front, we argue that the impact of the thermal history uncertainty on the WDM particle mass constraint has diminished due to improved independent observations. At the smallest scales, the primary source of modeling systematic arises from the structure in the peculiar velocity of the intergalactic medium and inhomogeneous reionization.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
R7-branes as charge conjugation operators
Authors: Dierigl Markus , Heckman Jonathan J. , Montero Miguel , Torres Ethan
Published: February 2024

R7-branes are a class of recently discovered nonsupersymmetric real codimension-two duality defects in type IIB string theory predicted by the swampland cobordism conjecture. For type IIB realizations of 6D SCFTs with N=(2,0) supersymmetry, wrapping an R7-brane “at infinity” leads to a topological operator associated with a zero-form charge conjugation symmetry that squares to the identity. Similar considerations hold for those theories obtained from further toroidal compactification, but this can be obstructed by bundle curvature effects. Using some minimal data on the topological sector of the R7-branes, we extract the associated fusion rules for these charge conjugation operators. More broadly, we sketch a top down realization of various topological operators/interfaces associated with C, R, and T transformations. We also use holography to provide strong evidence for the existence of the R7-brane which is complementary to the cobordism conjecture. Similar considerations apply to other string-realized QFTs with symmetry operators constructed via nonsupersymmetric branes which carry a conserved charge.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Bulk modified gravity from a thermal CFT by the conformal flow
Authors: Aoki Sinya , Shimada Kengo , Balog János , Kawana Kiyoharu
Published: February 2024

We construct a bulk spacetime from a boundary conformal field theory, O(N) free scalar model, at finite temperature using a smearing technique, called a conformal flow. The bulk metric is constructed from the thermal two-point function of the smeared boundary elementary field in such a way that it can be interpreted as an information metric associated with the boundary thermofield double state. Near the boundary (UV region), an asymptotically anti–de Sitter (AdS) spacetime is obtained with a leading order perturbation of scalar mode. Based on the falloff behavior of the perturbations and the O(N) symmetry in the conformal field theory, we argue that the corresponding bulk theory is a modified gravity with scalar mode such as f(R) gravity rather than Einstein’s general relativity coupled minimally to matter fields. Moving to the Einstein frame, we show that the metric is asymptotically the same as the AdS black brane solution. On the other hand, deep in the bulk (IR region), the spacetime turns out to be conformally equivalent to the near horizon limit of AdS extremal black brane, though it is no longer a solution of f(R) gravity, and hence more general classes of modified gravity need to be considered.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Fluxbranes, generalized symmetries, and Verlinde’s metastable monopole
Authors: Cvetič Mirjam , Heckman Jonathan J. , Hübner Max , Torres Ethan
Published: February 2024

The stringy realization of generalized symmetry operators involves wrapping “branes at infinity”. We argue that in the case of continuous (as opposed to discrete) symmetries, the appropriate objects are fluxbranes. We use this perspective to revisit the phase structure of Verlinde’s monopole, a proposed particle satisfies the Bogomol’nyi-Prasad-Sommerfield (BPS) condition when gravity is decoupled, but is non-BPS and metastable when gravity is switched on. Geometrically, this monopole is obtained from branes wrapped on locally stable but globally trivial cycles of a compactification geometry. The fluxbrane picture allows us to characterize electric (respectively magnetic) confinement (respectively screening) in the 4D theory as a result of monopole decay. In the presence of the fluxbrane, this decay also creates lower-dimensional fluxbranes, which in the field theory is interpreted as the creation of an additional topological field theory sector.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
Grain-Boundary Structural Relaxation in
Sb2Se3
Thin-Film Photovoltaics
Authors: Lomas-Zapata R.A. , McKenna K.P. , Ramasse Q.M. , Williams R.E. , Phillips L.J. , Durose K. , Major J.D. , Mendis B.G.
Published: February 2024

Grain boundaries play an important role in the efficiency of thin-film photovoltaics, where the absorber layer is invariably polycrystalline. Density-functional-theory simulations have previously identified a “self-healing” mechanism in Sb2Se3 that passivates the grain boundaries. During “self-healing,” extensive structural relaxation at the grain boundary removes the band-gap electronic defect states that give rise to high carrier recombination rates. In this work, lattice imaging in a transmission electron microscope is used to uncover evidence for the theoretically proposed structural relaxation in Sb2Se3. The strain measured along the [010] crystal direction is found to be dependent on the nature of the grain-boundary plane. For a (010) grain boundary, the strain and structural relaxation is minimal, since no covalent bonds are broken by termination of the grain. On the other hand, strains of up to approximately 4% extending approximately 2 nm into the grain interior are observed for a (041) grain boundary, where grain termination results in significant structural relaxation due to the ideal atomic coordination being disrupted. These results are consistent with theory and suggest that Sb2Se3 may have a high level of grain-boundary-defect tolerance.

Published by the American Physical Society
2024
A novel fractional order variable structure multivariable grey prediction model with optimal differential background-value coefficients and its performance comparison analysis
Authors: Xia Chao , Zeng Bo , Yang Yingjie
Published: February 2024

Purpose

Traditional multivariable grey prediction models define the background-value coefficients of the dependent and independent variables uniformly, ignoring the differences between their physical properties, which in turn affects the stability and reliability of the model performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A novel multivariable grey prediction model is constructed with different background-value coefficients of the dependent and independent variables, and a one-to-one correspondence between the variables and the background-value coefficients to improve the smoothing effect of the background-value coefficients on the sequences. Furthermore, the fractional order accumulating operator is introduced to the new model weaken the randomness of the raw sequence. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is used to optimize the background-value coefficients and the order of the model to improve model performance.

Findings

The new model structure has good variability and compatibility, which can achieve compatibility with current mainstream grey prediction models. The performance of the new model is compared and analyzed with three typical cases, and the results show that the new model outperforms the other two similar grey prediction models.

Originality/value

This study has positive implications for enriching the method system of multivariable grey prediction model.
Deception detection based on the linguistic style of honest and dishonest stories
Authors: Carvajal Builes Juan Camilo , Barreto Idaly , Gutiérrez de Piñeres Carolina
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This study aims to describe and analyze the differences in the linguistic styles of honest and dishonest stories.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a descriptive study with a multivariate analysis of linguistic categories according to the story. The research analyzed 37 honest stories and 15 dishonest stories produced during actual legal proceedings through software Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC).

Findings

The authors find that individuals who engage in deception use a different number of words when they narrate facts. The results suggest a need for additional investigation of the linguistic style approach because of its high applicability and detection accuracy. This approach should be complemented by other types of verbal, nonverbal and psychophysiological deception detection techniques.

Research limitations/implications

Among the limitations, the authors consider length of the stories should be considered and scarce scientific literature in Spanish to compare with outcomes in English.

Practical implications

This research highlights the relevance to include linguistic style in real contexts to differentiate honest and dishonest stories due to objectivity and agility to implement.

Social implications

Understanding deception as a social behaviour and its psychological processes associated are elements that contribute to people and justice to comprehend it.

Originality/value

Analyzing real statements and discriminate differences in linguistic style, contribute to understand deeply this important behaviour to propose new methodologies and theories to explain it.
Understanding user perceptions toward marketing in the metaverse
Authors: Yang Heetae , Cho Yeram , Han Sang-Yeal
Published: February 2024

Purpose

This study develops a comprehensive research model and investigates the significant factors affecting positive marketing outcomes in the Metaverse through perceived social benefits and trust.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose a new research model based on social exchange theory (SET) and examine the impact of cost and reward factors. Using 327 survey samples collected from current Metaverse users in South Korea, dual-stage analysis using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and an artificial neural network (ANN) were employed to test the study’s hypotheses.

Findings

The results showed that perceived social benefit and trust had significant mediating effects on marketing outcomes, such as loyalty to the seller, product/service attitude, and purchase intention. All antecedents, except perceived performance risk, had a crucial impact on the two mediators. The most interesting finding of this study is the positive influence of knowledge-seeking efforts on perceived social benefits.

Originality/value

This study is the first empirical research to examine the effectiveness of marketing in the Metaverse. It also proposes a new theoretical model based on SET to investigate users’ behavioral intentions regarding marketing in the Metaverse, and confirms its explanatory power. Moreover, the results of this study also offer suggestions to brands on how to market to consumers in the Metaverse.
The Fraser Government and South Korea: Human Rights in Foreign Policy, 1975–81
Authors: Robb Kevin S.
Published: February 2024

This study uses recently declassified documents to analyse the Fraser government's human rights policy towards South Korea. It demonstrates that when the Fraser government made its first human rights representation to the South Korean government in August 1976, it was under limited public pressure to do so, and human rights issues were of limited importance in the bilateral relationship. By late 1980, however, when political opposition figure Kim Dae Jung was sentenced to death, human rights considerations dominated Australian foreign policy towards South Korea, and public pressure on the Fraser government to try and prevent Kim's execution was substantial. The Fraser government's policy response to Kim's case was in part a reaction to public pressure, human rights considerations were also involved, but perhaps the most substantial factor driving the government's policy response was that Kim's execution was sure to sour the bilateral relationship and jeopardise the economic relationship. Overall, South Korea was a place where the Fraser government grappled with key questions about how to pursue human rights in foreign policy and where it had to address a human rights issue that had the capacity to seriously disrupt bilateral relations.
Current status and safety of laparoscopic surgery for patients with blunt abdominal trauma: A multicenter study using the Japan Trauma Data Bank
Authors: Omoto Kenichiro , Tanaka Chie , Kuno Masamune , Yokobori Shoji
Published: February 2024

Introduction

This study was performed to examine current status and safety of laparoscopic surgery in adult patients with blunt trauma.

Methods

Among 88 817 trauma patients registered in the Japan Trauma Data Bank from January 2019 to December 2022, we included blunt trauma patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery and/or laparotomy. We excluded patients with non‐blunt trauma, systolic blood pressure (sBP) of 0 mmHg on admission, age of <15 years, and Injury Severity Score (ISS) of 75. First, patients were divided into two groups: he laparoscopic surgery group (including patients transitioned from laparoscopic surgery) and the laparotomy‐only group. Second, missing values were estimated by multiple imputation. Finally, in‐hospital mortality was analyzed using propensity score matching to balance patient characteristics (age, sex, sBP, Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score, abdominal Abbreviated Injury Scale score, and ISS).

Results

We analyzed 1301 patients [68 (5.2%) in the laparoscopic surgery group and 1233 (94.8%) in the laparotomy‐only group]. After propensity score matching, the in‐hospital mortality rate was 1.5% in the laparoscopy group and 10.0% in the laparotomy‐only group (p < .03). The odds ratio of in‐hospital mortality for the laparotomy‐only group after propensity score matching was 4.06 (95% confidence interval, 0.30–54.9; p = .29) compared with the laparoscopy group. After propensity score matching, there were no deaths occurred with patients of intra‐abdominal hemorrhage. In‐hospital mortality was not significantly different with peritonitis patients (p = .36).

Conclusions

Laparoscopic surgical intervention was safely performed for selected adult patients with blunt abdominal trauma without an increase in mortality.
Breaking new ground? An analysis of the use of embedded occupational therapy in a postsecondary education programme for students with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Ringwood Barbara , Banks Jennifer , Shevlin Michael
Published: February 2024

Background

Despite the growing diversity among students in higher education, nonprogression to postsecondary education persists for many students with intellectual disabilities with low completion rates for those who do progress. Research suggests that occupational therapy (OT) support can be extremely beneficial in assisting students. Less is known however about the impact of OT in higher education. This study aims to examine the use of OT embedded in a postsecondary programme for students with intellectual disabilities.

Methods

This study uses a scoping review of relevant literature and a qualitative analysis of OT working in a higher education programme specifically designed for students with intellectual disabilities in Ireland.

Findings

This paper highlights how the OT support within this programme uses a four‐fold collaborative approach supporting students, staff, business partners and wider organisational structures in the university.

Conclusion

The analysis highlights the opportunities for collaboration between OT and curriculum developers, teaching and ancillary staff and students in higher education along with the significant OT input into work placements and internships with business partner mentors. Challenges in educating stakeholders to understand OT in the higher education environment would suggest a substantial need for further research.
Body mass index and lung cancer risk: Pooled analysis of 10 prospective cohort studies in Japan
Authors: Kawai Sayo , Lin Yingsong , Tsuge Hiroshi , Ito Hidemi , Matsuo Keitaro , Wada Keiko , Nagata Chisato , Narii Nobuhiro , Kitamura Tetsuhisa , Utada Mai , Sakata Ritsu , Kimura Takashi , Tamakoshi Akiko , Sugawara Yumi , Tsuji Ichiro , Suzuki Seitaro , Sawada Norie , Tsugane Shoichiro , Mizoue Tetsuya , Oze Isao , Abe Sarah Krull , Inoue Manami ,   Research Group for the Development and Evaluation of Cancer Prevention Strategies in Japan
Published: February 2024

Mounting evidence suggests that body mass index (BMI) is inversely associated with the risk of lung cancer. However, relatively few studies have explored this association in Asian people, who have a much lower prevalence of obesity than Caucasians. We pooled data from 10 prospective cohort studies involving 444,143 Japanese men and women to address the association between BMI and the risk of lung cancer. Study‐specific hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated in each cohort using the Cox proportional hazards model. A meta‐analysis was undertaken by combining the results from each cohort. Heterogeneity across studies was evaluated using Cochran's Q and I2statistics. During 5,730,013 person‐years of follow‐up, 6454 incident lung cancer cases (4727 men and 1727 women) were identified. Baseline BMI was inversely associated with lung cancer risk in men and women combined. While leanness (BMI <18.5) was associated with a higher risk of lung cancer (HR 1.35; 95% CI, 1.16–1.57), overweight and obesity were associated with a lower risk, with HRs of 0.77 (95% CI, 0.71–0.84) and 0.69 (95% CI, 0.45–1.07), respectively. Every 5 kg/m2 increase in BMI was associated with a 21% lower risk of lung cancer (HR 0.79; 95% CI, 0.75–0.83; p < 0.0001). Our pooled analysis indicated that BMI is inversely associated with the risk of lung cancer in the Japanese population. This inverse association could be partly attributed to residual confounding by smoking, as it was more pronounced among male smokers.
Promoting healthy screen use in children with externalizing behavior
Authors: Griffith Shayl F. , Bagner Daniel M. , Hart Katie C.
Published: February 2024

The sharp rise over the past decade in young children's access to various forms of screen media (e.g., smartphones, tablets, TVs) has posed new and significant challenges to caregivers in managing children's use of this type of media. For caregivers of young children with externalizing behavior problems, managing children's time with screen media is especially important and challenging. In this article, we summarize evidence of bidirectional links between early externalizing behavior problems and unhealthy screen media use in young children and discuss the extent to which prior interventions have responded to the needs of caregivers of children with these problems. We propose a conceptual model for an intervention to promote healthy screen media use for children with externalizing behavior problems that leverages current behavioral parenting interventions.
Absence in CX3CR1 receptor signaling promotes post‐ischemic stroke cognitive function recovery through suppressed microglial pyroptosis in mice
Authors: Ge Yangyang , Yang Juexi , Chen Jiayi , Dai Maosha , Dou Xiaoke , Yao Shanglong , Yao Chenye , Lin Yun
Published: February 2024

Background

Post‐stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) is a major source of morbidity and mortality after stroke, but the pathological mechanisms remain unclear. Previous studies have demonstrated that the CX3CR1 receptor plays a crucial role in maintaining an early protective microenvironment after stroke, but whether it persistently influences cognitive dysfunction in the chronic phase requires further investigation.

Methods

Mouse was used to establish a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO)/reperfusion model to study PSCI. Cognitive function was assessed by the Morris water maze (MWM) and the novel object recognition test. Neurogenesis was assessed by immunofluorescence staining with Nestin+/Ki67+ and DCX+/BrdU+ double‐positive cells. The cerebral damage was monitored by [18F]‐DPA‐714 positron emission tomography, Nissel, and TTC staining. The pyroptosis was histologically, biochemically, and electron microscopically examined.

Results

Upon MCAO, at 28 to 35 days, CX3CR1 knockout (CX3CR1−/−) mice had better cognitive behavioral performance both in MWM and novel object recognition test than their CX3CR1+/− counterparts. Upon MCAO, at 7 days, CX3CR1−/− mice increased the numbers of Nestin+/Ki67+ and DCX+/BrdU+ cells, and meanwhile it decreased the protein expression of GSDMD, NLRP3 inflammasome subunit, caspase‐1, mature IL‐1β/IL‐18, and p‐P65 in the hippocampus as compared with CX3CR1+/− mice. In addition, CX3CR1−/− mice could reverse infarct volume in the hippocampus region post‐stroke.

Conclusion

Our study demonstrated that CX3CR1 gene deletion was beneficial to PSCI recovery. The mechanism might lie in inhibited pyroptosis and enhanced neurogenesis. CX3CR1 receptor may serve as a therapeutic target for improving the PSCI.
Activation of testosterone‐androgen receptor mediates cerebrovascular protection by photobiomodulation treatment in photothrombosis‐induced stroke rats
Authors: Feng Yu , Huang Zhihai , Ma Xiaohui , Zong Xuemei , Wu Celeste Yin‐Chieh , Lee Reggie Hui‐Chao , Lin Hung Wen , Hamblin Michael R. , Zhang Quanguang
Published: February 2024

Rationale

Numerous epidemiological studies have reported a link between low testosterone levels and an increased risk of cerebrovascular disease in men. However, there is ongoing controversy surrounding testosterone replacement therapy due to potential side effects. PBMT has been demonstrated to improve cerebrovascular function and promote testosterone synthesis in peripheral tissues. Despite this, the molecular mechanisms that could connect PBMT with testosterone and vascular function in the brain of photothrombosis (PT)‐induced stroke rats remain largely unknown.

Methods

We measured behavioral performance, cerebral blood flow (CBF), vascular permeability, and the expression of vascular‐associated and apoptotic proteins in PT‐induced stroke rats treated with flutamide and seven consecutive days of PBM treatment (350 mW, 808 nM, 2 min/day). To gain further insights into the mechanism of PBM on testosterone synthesis, we used testosterone synthesis inhibitors to study their effects on bEND.3 cells.

Results

We showed that PT stroke caused a decrease in cerebrovascular testosterone concentration, which was significantly increased by 7‐day PBMT (808 nm, 350 mW/cm2, 42 J/cm2). Furthermore, PBMT significantly increased cerebral blood flow (CBF) and the expression of vascular‐associated proteins, while inhibiting vascular permeability and reducing endothelial cell apoptosis. This ultimately mitigated behavioral deficits in PT stroke rats. Notably, treatment with the androgen receptor antagonist flutamide reversed the beneficial effects of PBMT. Cellular experiments confirmed that PBMT inhibited cell apoptosis and increased vascular‐associated protein expression in brain endothelial cell line (bEnd.3) subjected to oxygen‐glucose deprivation (OGD). However, these effects were inhibited by flutamide. Moreover, mechanistic studies revealed that PBMT‐induced testosterone synthesis in bEnd.3 cells was partly mediated by 17β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 5 (17β‐HSD5).

Conclusions

Our study provides evidence that PBMT attenuates cerebrovascular injury and behavioral deficits associated with testosterone/AR following ischemic stroke. Our findings suggest that PBMT may be a promising alternative approach for managing cerebrovascular diseases.
Macular amyloidosis diagnostic outcomes of skin biopsy: A systematic review
Authors: Alhawas Feras , Obaid Sultan Bin , Alfawzan Omar , Fathaddin Amany , Alsuwaidan Sami , Alajlan Abdulmajeed
Published: February 2024

Macular amyloidosis (MA) is a primary localized cutaneous amyloidosis, characterized by amyloid deposition in the papillary dermis. The clinical presentation includes pruritic hyperpigmented macules and patches with a reticulated or rippled pattern, primarily found on the upper back and extremities. Biopsy is an essential diagnostic tool for confirming MA. This systematic review focused on the biopsy outcomes in patients diagnosed with MA.
Citizen neuroscience: Wearable technology and open software to study the human brain in its natural habitat
Authors: Jafarzadeh Esfahani Mahdad , Sikder Niloy , ter Horst Rob , Daraie Amir Hossein , Appel Kristoffer , Weber Frederik D. , Bevelander Kirsten E. , Dresler Martin
Published: February 2024

Citizen science allows the public to participate in various stages of scientific research, including study design, data acquisition, and data analysis. Citizen science has a long history in several fields of the natural sciences, and with recent developments in wearable technology, neuroscience has also become more accessible to citizen scientists. This development was largely driven by the influx of minimal sensing systems in the consumer market, allowing more do‐it‐yourself (DIY) and quantified‐self (QS) investigations of the human brain. While most subfields of neuroscience require sophisticated monitoring devices and laboratories, the study of sleep characteristics can be performed at home with relevant noninvasive consumer devices. The strong influence of sleep quality on waking life and the accessibility of devices to measure sleep are two primary reasons citizen scientists have widely embraced sleep research. Their involvement has evolved from solely contributing to data collection to engaging in more collaborative or autonomous approaches, such as instigating ideas, formulating research inquiries, designing research protocols and methodology, acting upon their findings, and disseminating results. In this article, we introduce the emerging field of citizen neuroscience, illustrating examples of such projects in sleep research. We then provide overviews of the wearable technologies for tracking human neurophysiology and various open‐source software used to analyse them. Finally, we discuss the opportunities and challenges in citizen neuroscience projects and suggest how to improve the study of the human brain outside the laboratory.
Craniosynostosis‐associated variants in the IL‐11R complex: new insights and questions
Authors: Sims Natalie A. , Griffin Michael D. W.
Published: February 2024

Skull growth involves the expansion of both the flat calvarial bones of the skull and the fibrous marginal zones, termed sutures, between them. This process depends on co‐ordinated proliferation of mesenchymal‐derived progenitor cells within the sutures, and their differentiation to osteoblasts which produce the bone matrix required to expand the size of the bony plates. Defects lead to premature closure of these sutures, termed craniosynostosis, resulting in heterogeneous head shape differences due to restricted growth of one or more sutures. The impact on the individual depends on how many and which sutures are affected and the severity of the effect. Several genetic loci are responsible, including a wide range of variants in the gene for the interleukin 11 receptor (IL11RA, OMIM#600939). Recent work from Kespohl and colleagues provides new insights into how some of these variants influence IL‐11R function; we discuss their influences on IL‐11R structure and IL‐11 function as a stimulus of osteoblast differentiation.
Blurring of boundaries: Consumer self‐narratives in digital virtual leisure
Authors: Susilo Tifani , Mathews Shane , Luck Edwina , Martin Brett , Letheren Kate , Nguyen Han
Published: February 2024

This article examines digital virtual leisure and the impact of increasingly blurred boundaries between the digital and physical worlds on consumer self‐narratives. Using an extended case narrative method, the present research explores how consumers who are highly involved with digital leisure live out their ideal self‐narrative in online communities. The findings highlight a level of complexity and fluidity when consumers move between worlds. The present research shows a more multifaceted set of issues that consumers traverse when moving between the physical and digital worlds. This research indicates the changing nature of the self‐narrative for consumers in an ever‐evolving environment that blurs the distinction between the digital and physical worlds. Results suggest that the digital virtual world (those online environments using digital technologies and virtual which has a sensory element) can serve as a sanctuary for consumers to gain empowerment and sustain hope. Digital virtual leisure is a highly involved form of consumption layered with meaning for individuals. The findings highlight the potential and opportunity to use self‐narratives as a way to understand consumer involvement with online community spaces so as to better respond to and engage with the consumer target market.
Sex differences in stroke reperfusion therapy in Aotearoa (New Zealand)
Authors: Fridman Michal R. , Thompson Stephanie G. , Tyson Alicia , Barber P. A. , Davis Alan , Wu Teddy , Fink John , Heppell Darren , Punter Martin N. M. , Ranta Anna
Published: February 2024

Background and Aims

Stroke is a leading cause of death in Aotearoa (New Zealand), and stroke reperfusion therapy is a key intervention. Sex differences in stroke care have previously been asserted internationally. This study assessed potential differences in stroke reperfusion rates and quality metrics by sex in Aotearoa (New Zealand).

Methods

This study used data from three overlapping sources. The National Stroke Reperfusion Register provided 4‐year reperfusion data from 2018 to 2021 on all patients treated with reperfusion therapy (intravenous thrombolysis and thrombectomy), including time delays, treatment rates, mortality and complications. Linkage to Ministry of Health administrative and REGIONS Care study data provided an opportunity to control for confounders and explore potential mechanisms. T‐test and Wilcoxon rank‐sum analyses were used for continuous variables, while the chi‐squared test and logistic regression were used for comparing dichotomous variables.

Results

Fewer women presented with ischaemic stroke (12 186 vs 13 120) and were 4.2 years older than men (median (interquartile range (IQR)) 79 (68–86) vs 73 (63–82) years). Women were overall less likely to receive reperfusion therapy (13.9% (1704) vs 15.8% (2084), P < 0.001) with an adjusted odds ratio of 0.83 (0.77–0.90), P < 0.001. The adjusted odds ratio for thrombolysis was lower for women (0.82 (0.76–0.89), P < 0.001), but lower rates of thrombectomy fell just short of statistical significance ((0.89 (0.79–1.00), P = 0.05). There were no significant differences in complications, delays or documented reasons for non‐thrombolysis.

Conclusions

Women were less likely to receive thrombolysis, even after adjusting for age and stroke severity. We found no definitive explanation for this disparity.
Residential Irrigation Restrictions and Water Conservation: A Review of Studies from 1978 to 2022
Authors: Morkel Stephen , Nemati Mehdi
Published: February 2024

Urban water managers and policymakers have adopted demand management strategies to reduce water use and buffer against short‐term water supply shortfalls. This article provides a systematic review of publications from 1978‐2022 that examine the effectiveness of residential water use restrictions as the primary demand‐side management tool. Our results indicate the significant overall effect of restrictions on reducing water consumption, with an average reduction of 12.3% from the 23 studies reviewed in this article. When evaluating effect strength by restriction type (mandatory versus voluntary), voluntary restrictions have a significantly lower effect than mandatory restrictions on water use. We also find an inverse correlation between the number of irrigation days allowed and the estimated effect strength.
Isotropic negative thermal expansion in ZrW2O8 and HfW2O8 from 1100 to 1275°C
Authors: Hulbert Benjamin S. , Blake Dylan W. , Mattei Gerard S. , Kriven Waltraud M.
Published: February 2024

ZrW2O8 (ZrO2•2WO3) and HfW2O8 (HfO2•2WO3) have been the focus of thermal expansion studies due to their isotropic negative thermal expansion (NTE) measured previously at temperatures below 775°C. This work presents measurements of these materials at their thermodynamically stable temperature ranges of 1105 and 1257°C for ZrW2O8 and 1105–1276°C for HfW2O8, where they were characterized with in situ, powder X‐ray diffraction. The linear coefficients of thermal expansion were measured to be −5.52 × 10−6 and −4.87 × 10−6°C−1 for ZrW2O8 and HfW2O8, respectively. The mechanism leading to this NTE is discussed. Powder samples were synthesized by a solution‐based process called the organic–inorganic steric entrapment method. In situ characterization in air was carried out at the National Synchrotron Light Source II using a hexapole lamp, optical furnace and the Advanced Photon Source using a quadrupole lamp, optical furnace to achieve elevated temperatures.