bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Practitioner Review: Treatments for young people who self‐harm – challenges and recommendations for research and clinical practice
Authors: Witt Katrina , Stewart Anne , Hawton Keith
Published: August 2024

Background

Self‐harm is very common in young people and is associated with suicide. Rates of both self‐harm and suicide have increased in young people, particularly in females. There is a clear need to identify new approaches to prevent repeat self‐harm.

Method

We significantly update and build on previous reviews with the aim of identifying issues in research relevant to clinical practice. We identify challenges in developing, implementing and evaluating treatments for self‐harm in children and adolescents, suggest a way forward for research, and provide clear and practical guidance for clinicians on how to apply current research evidence in the real world.

Results

Currently, there is limited evidence for effective interventions, other than some support for dialectical behaviour therapy for adolescents (DBT‐A). To improve research and, by extension, clinical practice, future studies need to address psychosocial factors associated with youth self‐harm and suicide, investigate the critical mechanism(s) of action, ensure trials are sufficiently powered and representative, and involve young people more actively in the design, implementation and evaluation of these approaches. Consideration should also be given to alternative research designs, such as pragmatic or adaptive clinical trials, as well as registry‐based randomised controlled trials which leverage administrative data collected in routine clinical practice, to help meet these goals.

Conclusions

Recommendations for practice include undertaking comprehensive assessment and formulation, and offering DBT‐A where indicated. There should be further development and evaluation (with input from young people) of Cognitive Behavioural‐based Therapy adapted for young people. Greater attention to the role of the therapeutic relationship and family involvement (where possible) is also an important considerations, irrespective of the specific therapeutic modality. Finally, more consideration should be given to improving staff training to ensure all clinical staff feel equipped to treat young people who self‐harm in a person‐centred and compassionate manner.
Theragnostic utility of continuous glucose monitoring in post‐gastrectomy hypoglycemia
Authors: Son Heejun , Lee Bon Hyang , Cho Young Min
Published: August 2024

Diagnosing post‐gastrectomy hypoglycemia is challenging, often relying on medical history with documented low plasma glucose levels. Here, we present three cases of patients who presented a high probability of post‐gastrectomy hypoglycemia diagnosed and managed successfully using “theragnostic” continuous glucose monitoring and alpha‐glucosidase inhibitors. In the first week, patients maintained their current lifestyle without medical intervention; in the second week, voglibose 0.2 mg before meals was prescribed. Continuous glucose monitoring data from the first week confirmed the diagnosis with multiple hypoglycemic events after postprandial peaks, whereas data from the second week showed reduced hypoglycemic events and lower glycemic variability, demonstrating voglibose's therapeutic effect. This report highlights the effective management of post‐gastrectomy hypoglycemia using voglibose and theragnostic continuous glucose monitoring, showing its potential benefits and safety for similar cases.
Predicting population‐level impacts of projected climate heating on a temperate freshwater fish
Authors: Mintram Kate S. , Brown A. Ross , Maynard Samuel K. , Thorbek Pernille , Tyler Charles R.
Published: August 2024

Climate heating has the potential to drive changes in ecosystems at multiple levels of biological organization. Temperature directly affects the inherent physiology of plants and animals, resulting in changes in rates of photosynthesis and respiration, and trophic interactions. Predicting temperature‐dependent changes in physiological and trophic processes, however, is challenging because environmental conditions and ecosystem structure vary across biogeographical regions of the globe. To realistically predict the effects of projected climate heating on wildlife populations, mechanistic tools are required to incorporate the inherent physiological effects of temperature changes, as well as the associated effects on food availability within and across comparable ecosystems. Here we applied an agent‐based bioenergetics model to explore the combined effects of projected temperature increases for 2100 (1.4, 2.7, and 4.4°C), and associated changes in prey availability, on three‐spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) populations representing latitudes 50, 55, and 60°N. Our results showed a decline in population density after a simulated 1.4°C temperature increase at 50°N. In all other modeled scenarios there was an increase (inflation) in population density and biomass (per unit area) with climate heating, and this inflation increased with increasing latitude. We conclude that agent‐based bioenergetics models are valuable tools in discerning the impacts of climate change on wild fish populations, which play important roles in aquatic food webs.
Learning competence of the temperate facultative cleaner wrasse Thalassoma pavo (Labridae)
Authors: Narvaez Pauline , Furtado Miguel , Soares Marta C.
Published: August 2024

Cleaner fishes remove parasites from other fishes called “clients,” thereby contributing to a healthier ecosystem. Although the behavior and learning abilities of dedicated and tropical cleaner fishes have been broadly studied, a limited number of studies investigated the behavior of facultative and temperate cleaner fishes and, to the best of our knowledge, none focused on their cognitive abilities. Here, we tested the learning abilities of a species of temperate facultative cleaner, the ornate wrasse Thalassoma pavo in laboratory conditions, based on two problems. These two problems, or tasks, are relevant in two different contexts: the first one, deemed as mutualistically relevant, the cue‐based discrimination task, and the second one, the spatial‐based discrimination task, which is relevant in a non‐cleaning context, when fish navigate through their environment to find food and return to their territories. We found that T. pavo individuals were able to solve these two tasks but excelled at the spatial task rather than with the cue discrimination. The same individuals were also challenged to learn the reverse protocol of these tasks and were again most successful in learning the reverse spatial discrimination problem, but not the cue. Contrary to the dedicated cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus, this temperate facultative cleaner wrasse is slower to learn mutualistic relevant problems but competent in solving spatially derived problems. This may be due to the specific demands of their socio‐ecological environment, with facultative cleaners having a greater component of non‐mutualistic skills (spatial component), which prepares them to search for alternative food sources if necessary (e.g., feeding on the substrate) or even to expand territories more easily and less prepared to deal with mutualistic exchanges compared to dedicated cleaners that specialize to become increasingly socially competent.
Deposit flows and the January effect in deposit rates
Authors: Kotomin Vladimir , Meshcheryakov Artem
Published: August 2024

Noninterest‐bearing deposits (NIBDs) flow out of U.S. banks in January and February. Banks respond to this seasonal outflow by increasing interest‐bearing deposit (IBD) rates. We document that branch‐level deposit spreads are 4 to 11 basis points higher in January than in December. Increasing rates works as banks replace four‐fifths of the lost NIBDs with IBDs. We also find that, following NIBD outflows, banks resist cutting lending but pass the increases in the cost of funds onto borrowers. Banks do cut lending in response to total deposit outflows, but only in the pre‐crisis period.
Burden of severe periodontitis and edentulism in 2021, with projections up to 2050: The Global Burden of Disease 2021 study
Authors: Nascimento Gustavo G. , Alves‐Costa Silas , Romandini Mario
Published: August 2024

Aim

To (i) assess the prevalence, incidence, and burden of severe periodontitis and edentulism in 2021, and (ii) forecast their rates in 2050.

Methods

Prevalence, incidence, and Years Lived with Disability (YLDs) for severe periodontitis and edentulism in 2021 were gathered globally, covering 204 countries, seven super regions, and 21 regions from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 study. Prevalence, incidence, and YLDs due to periodontitis and edentulism to 2050 were projected using mixed‐effects models with the socio‐demographic index as the main covariate.

Results

In 2021, over 1 billion people were affected by severe periodontitis (1066.95 million; 95% UI: 896.55–1234.84), with a global age‐standardized prevalence of 12.50% (10.53–14.49). South Asia had the highest prevalence rate, at 17.57% (14.73; 20.14). Edentulism affected 353 million people globally (300.60–416.20), resulting in an age‐standardized prevalence of 4.11% (3.50; 4.83). The highest edentulism prevalence was found in Latin America and the Caribbean, at 7.39% (6.44; 8.39). By 2050, more than 1.5 billion people (+44.32%) are projected to have severe periodontitis, and over 660 million (+84.40%) to be edentulous. In the same year, 19.67% (130.23 million) of the edentulous people worldwide will be located in China. Severe periodontitis is expected to move up one position, and edentulism nine positions, among the most impactful Level 4 diseases/conditions affecting YLDs worldwide by 2050.

Conclusion

Severe periodontitis and edentulism remain major public health challenges in 2021, with the number of affected individuals projected to rise significantly in the coming decades.
Sleep disruption and sleep position: Increased wake frequency in supine predicts lateral position preference
Authors: Rayward Lionel , Ho Selina W. K. , Green Daniel , Little J. Paige
Published: August 2024

Little is known about the physiological and biomechanical factors that determine individual preferences in lying posture during sleep. This study investigated relationships between position preference and position‐specific arousals, awakenings, limb movements and limb movement arousals to explore the mechanisms by which biomechanical factors influence position preference. Forty‐one mature‐aged adults underwent 2 nights of at‐home polysomnography ~2 weeks apart, on a standardised firm foam mattress, measuring nocturnal sleep architecture and position. The lateral supine ratio and restlessness indices specific to lateral and supine positions including limb movement index, limb movement arousal index, arousal index, wake index, respiratory arousal index and apnea–hypopnea index were calculated and analysed via linear mixed‐effects regression. In the supine position, all restlessness indices were significantly increased compared with the lateral position, including a 379% increase in respiratory arousals (β = 7.0, p < 0.001), 108% increase in arousal index (β = 10.3, p < 0.001) and 107% increase in wake index (β = 2.5, p < 0.001). Wake index in the supine position increased significantly with more lateral sleep (β = 1.9, p = 0.0013), and significant correlation between lateral supine ratio polysomnography 1 and lateral supine ratio polysomnography 2 (β = 0.95, p < 0.001) indicated strong consistency in sleep preference. Overall, the findings suggest that some individuals have low tolerance to supine posture, represented by a comparatively high wake index in the supine position, and that these individuals compensate by sleeping a greater proportion in the lateral position.
Hepatitis C treatment outcome among people in prison: The SToP‐C study
Authors: Ryan Hannah , Dore Gregory J. , Grebely Jason , Byrne Marianne , Cunningham Evan B. , Martinello Marianne , Lloyd Andrew R. , Hajarizadeh Behzad
Published: August 2024

Background and Aims

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) burden is higher among people in prison given high prevalence of injecting drug use. This study evaluated direct‐acting antiviral (DAA) treatment outcome in prisons.

Methods

The Surveillance and Treatment of Prisoners with hepatitis C (SToP‐C) study enrolled individuals incarcerated in four Australian prisons (2017–2019). Participants with detectable HCV RNA were offered sofosbuvir‐velpatasvir for 12 weeks. Sustained virological response (SVR) was assessed in intention‐to‐treat (ITT; participants commencing treatment and due for SVR assessment before study close) and per‐protocol (PP; participants with documented treatment completion and SVR assessment) populations.

Results

Among 799 participants with HCV, 324 (41%) commenced treatment (94% male; median age, 32 years; median duration of incarceration, 9 months). In ITT population (n = 310), 201 had documented treatment completion (65% [95% CI: 59–70]), and 137 achieved SVR (ITT‐SVR: 44% [95% CI: 39–50]). In PP population (n = 143), 137 achieved SVR (PP‐SVR: 96% [95% CI: 91–98]). Six participants had quantifiable HCV RNA at SVR assessment from treatment failure (n = 2) or reinfection (n = 4). Release or inter‐prison transfer was common reasons for no documented treatment completion (n = 106/109 [97%]) and no SVR assessment (n = 57/58 [98%]). In ITT analysis, longer incarceration was associated with increased SVR (adjusted OR per month 1.03 [95% CI: 1.01–1.04]).

Conclusion

Among participants who completed DAA treatment and were assessed for SVR, treatment outcome was consistent with non‐prison clinical studies. However, most individuals did not complete treatment or lacked study‐documented treatment outcome due to release or transfer. Strategies to accommodate dynamic prisoner populations are required to ensure continuity of HCV care, including treatment completion and post‐treatment care.
Nestling sex and behaviour determine the host preference of insect vectors in avian nests
Authors: García‐del Río Marina , Castaño‐Vázquez Francisco , Martínez Javier , Martínez‐de la Puente Josué , Cantarero Alejandro , García‐Velasco Javier , Merino Yago , Merino Santiago
Published: August 2024

Sexual differences in pathogen prevalence in wildlife often arise from varying susceptibility influenced by factors such as sex hormones and exposure to pathogens. In the case of vector‐borne pathogens, host selection by insect vectors determines the exposure of hosts to infections, largely affecting the transmission of these infectious diseases. We identify the blood‐feeding patterns of insect vectors in Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) nestlings in a 3‐year study. Blood from both nestlings and insect vectors (Culicoides spp. and Simuliidae) captured inside nest‐boxes were used to molecularly determine the sex of the host. We then compared the sex‐ratios of the nestlings that had been bitten and those of the complete brood in each nest. We found that males were bitten more frequently than females in 2021, when males weighed less in comparison to other years. Additionally, we molecularly identified bitten nestlings individually by genotyping the DNA of blood obtained from both, the vector's abdomen and nestlings of each brood in 2022. Nestlings more frequently bitten by vectors were males, weighed less and were closest to the nest entrance. To our knowledge this is the first study identifying the nestling selection by insect vectors in bird nests under natural conditions. These results contribute to understanding the mechanisms of host selection by insect vectors, shedding light on pathogen transmission and offering insights into the observed sex‐biased infections in wildlife populations.
The last days of Aporia crataegi (L.) in Britain: Evaluating genomic erosion in an extirpated butterfly
Authors: Whitla Rebecca , Hens Korneel , Hogan James , Martin Geoff , Breuker Casper , Shreeve Timothy G. , Arif Saad
Published: August 2024

Current rates of habitat degradation and climate change are causing unprecedented declines in global biodiversity. Studies on vertebrates highlight how conservation genomics can be effective in identifying and managing threatened populations, but it is unclear how vertebrate‐derived metrics of genomic erosion translate to invertebrates, with their markedly different population sizes and life histories. The Black‐veined White butterfly (Aporia crataegi) was extirpated from Britain in the 1920s. Here, we sequenced historical DNA from 17 specimens collected between 1854 and 1924 to reconstruct demography and compare levels of genomic erosion between extirpated British and extant European mainland populations. We contrast these results using modern samples of the Common Blue butterfly (Polyommatus icarus); a species with relatively stable demographic trends in Great Britain. We provide evidence for bottlenecks in both these species around the period of post‐glacial colonization of the British Isles. Our results reveal different demographic histories and Ne for both species, consistent with their fates in Britain, likely driven by differences in life history, ecology and genome size. Despite a difference, by an order of magnitude, in historical effective population sizes (Ne), reduction in genome‐wide heterozygosity in A. crataegi was comparable to that in P. icarus. Symptomatic of A. crataegi's disappearance were marked increases in runs‐of‐homozygosity (RoH), potentially indicative of recent inbreeding, and accumulation of putatively mildly and weakly deleterious variants. Our results provide a rare glimpse of genomic erosion in a regionally extinct insect and support the potential use of genomic erosion metrics in identifying invertebrate populations or species in decline.
Constructive dialogue: Strengthening our knowledge by exploring cross‐cultural differences
Authors: Cleland Jennifer , Ajjawi Rola , Eva Kevin
Published: August 2024

The editors detail how Medical Education's 2025 State of the Science issue aimed to stimulate cross‐cultural dialogue for the betterment of our field.
Anesthetic‐sparing effect of dexmedetomidine during total intravenous anesthesia for children undergoing dental surgery: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Lee Victor C. L. , Ridgway Randa , West Nicholas C. , Görges Matthias , Whyte Simon D.
Published: August 2024

Background

Dexmedetomidine, an α2‐adrenergic agonist, reduces propofol and remifentanil requirements when used as an adjunct to total intravenous anesthesia in adults, but studies in a pediatric population are sparse. This study investigates the magnitude of dose‐sparing effects of a postinduction dexmedetomidine bolus on propofol and remifentanil requirements during pediatric surgery.

Methods

In this randomized, double‐blind, controlled trial, children aged 2–10 years undergoing elective dental surgery were assigned to one of four groups: placebo, 0.25 mcg/kg dexmedetomidine, 0.5 mcg/kg dexmedetomidine, and 1 mcg/kg dexmedetomidine. Maintenance with fixed‐ratio propofol and remifentanil total intravenous anesthesia followed a bispectral index (BIS)‐guided algorithm designed to maintain a stable depth of anesthesia. The primary outcomes were time‐averaged maintenance infusion rates of propofol and remifentanil. Secondary outcomes in the postanesthetic care unit included sedation scores, pain scores, and time to discharge.

Results

Data from 67 patients were available for analysis. The median [interquartile range] propofol infusion rate was lower in the 1 mcg/kg dexmedetomidine group (180 [164–185] mcg/kg/min) versus placebo (200 [178–220] mcg/kg/min): percent change −10.0%; 95% CI −2.4 to −19.8; p = 0.013. The remifentanil infusion rate was also lower in the 1 mcg/kg dexmedetomidine group (0.089 [0.080, 0.095] mcg/kg/min) versus placebo (0.103 [0.095, 0.106] mcg/kg/min): percent change, −13.7%; 95% CI −5.47 to −21.0; p = .022. However, neither propofol nor remifentanil infusion rates were significantly different in the 0.25 or 0.5 mcg/kg dexmedetomidine groups. In the postanesthesia care unit, there were no differences in pain or sedation scores, and time to discharge was not significantly prolonged in any dexmedetomidine group.

Conclusion

Dexmedetomidine 1 mcg/kg reduced the propofol and remifentanil requirements during maintenance of anesthesia in children when administered as a postinduction bolus.

Trials Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03422978, date of registration 2018‐02‐06.
Evidence for central sensitization as classified by the central sensitization inventory in patients with pain and hypermobility
Authors: Desai Mehul J. , Brestle Mason , Jonely Holly
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Pain is a very common complaint among patients with hypermobile Ehlers‐Danlos Syndrome (hEDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorders (HSDs). Often challenging to treat, insights into the underpinnings of pain in this population have been fleeting. Central sensitization (CS) has been postulated as a potential etiological factor.

Methods

In this retrospective study, 82 consecutive patients with hEDS/HSDs were reviewed. Demographic information and Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) results were collected.

Results

71 of 82 (86.5%) patients demonstrated CS. Scores ranged from 12 to 94 with a median of 56. Pain scores as measured on the numerical rating scale (NRS) ranged from 2 to 10 with a mean and median of 6.

Conclusion

A large percentage of patients with pain and a diagnosis of hEDS/HSDs demonstrated evidence of central sensitization as measured using the CSI. The CSI is simple to administer. The CSI may provide clinical insights that are key to successfully managing patients with hEDS/HSDs. Further research is needed to explore the ability to classify pain phenotypes in this patient population and the impact on precision medicine.
Wittgenstein on mathematics
Authors: Maddy Penelope
Published: August 2024

The mature Wittgenstein's groundbreaking analyses of sense and the logical must—and the powerful new method that made them possible—were the result of a multi‐year process of writing, re‐arranging, re‐writing and one large‐scale revision that eventually produced the Philosophical Investigations and RFM I. In contrast, his struggles during the same period with questions of arithmetic and higher mathematics remained largely in first‐draft form, and he drops the topic entirely after 1945. In this paper, I argue that Wittgenstein's new method can be applied to the cases of arithmetic and set theory and that the result is innovative, recognizably Wittgensteinian, and independently appealing. I conclude by acknowledging the reasons Wittgenstein himself might have had to resist applying his own proven method to the case of mathematics—particularly to set theory—and by indicating why I think those reasons are ultimately unsound.
The predictors of social exclusion in Afghan immigrants in Türkiye
Authors: Karakaya Cihangir , Başcillar Mehmet , Metin Ahmet , Çetinkaya Ali
Published: August 2024

Immigrants may experience many psychosocial problems when migrating from a home to a host country, including social isolation. Social exclusion is also important among the problems experienced by immigrants. This study aims to determine the factors affecting Afghan immigrants' perceived social exclusion in Türkiye. Accordingly, a cross‐sectional study was conducted on 211 Afghan immigrants (Mage = 30.66, SD = 9), 24% of whom were females. The socio‐demographic information form, social exclusion scale, self‐esteem rating scale, and life satisfaction scale were used to collect data in this study. The findings showed that Turkish language proficiency, the length of residence in Türkiye, working status in Türkiye, life satisfaction, and negative self‐esteem were predictor factors for social exclusion. Considering the results, suggestions to decision‐makers and mental health professionals to reduce the perceived social exclusion of Afghan immigrants are discussed.
What does the public really know about dementia? A community‐based cross‐sectional survey in Turkiye
Authors: Akyol Merve Aliye , Güney Seda , Özgül Ecem , Akpinar Söylemez Burcu , Küçükgüçlü Özlem
Published: August 2024

Despite the increasing burden of dementia, there has been no evaluation of the level of dementia knowledge among the general public in Turkiye. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the public's knowledge regarding dementia and the factors predicting this knowledge. This is a community‐based cross‐sectional study.

A survey was conducted with 1106 participants between April and August 2023.

The research tools were demographic characteristics form, a Turkish version of the dementia knowledge assessment scale (DKAS‐T), and a form focusing on sociodemographic information and questions related to the degree of dementia knowledge. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression.

The mean score on the DKAS‐T was 12.32 ± 6.05 (min: 0 points, max: 33 points) out of 34. The sample recorded an incorrect response for less than half of the items in the dementia knowledge scale. Adjusted R2 was used as explanatory power. Moreover, the results of the multiple regression analysis identified various factors that significantly predicted dementia knowledge scores: age, prior education about dementia, experience of caring for a PwD, interaction with a PwD, and self‐reported risk of being diagnosed with dementia in the future. These variables accounted for 18.1% of the total variance of dementia knowledge.

Dementia is not well known in the public. The finding underscores the need for targeted educational initiatives to enhance dementia knowledge in the Turkish population. Interventions should focus on addressing specific areas of deficiency identified in the DKAS‐T.
Exploring the cardiovascular health behaviors of college students and the areas that need increased public health efforts
Authors: Barron Keri , Ford Cassandra D. , Dunlap Sarah
Published: August 2024

Introduction

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death worldwide among adults. Traditionally, the disease has been considered as a condition affecting older adults. However, its risk factors (e.g., poor diet, sedentary behavior, inadequate sleep, and obesity) are increasingly being identified in younger populations. There is a need to increase the evidence of CVD risk factors in this population to further support preventive programs in this demographic.

Objective(s)

This study investigates the prevalence of CVD risk factors in young adult, college students.

Design

Data was used from the American College Health Association's National College Health Assessment (ACHA‐NCHA) II‐C.

Sample

The sample included data from 426,259 students, ages 18–25.

Measurements

Data was reviewed on race, nutrition, physical activity, tobacco use, sleep, weight, and history of chronic disease. Descriptive statistics were utilized to examine the prevalence of CVD risk factors.

Results

There was a notable prevalence of CVD risk factors, such as insufficient nutrition, obesity, insufficient physical activity, and inadequate sleep, among college students.

Conclusions

CVD‐related risk factors are on the rise within this demographic. There is a pressing need for the expansion of public health initiatives aimed at enhancing CVD awareness and prevention among college students.
Various extracts of the brown seaweed Cystoseira barbata with different compositions exert biostimulant effects on seedling growth of wheat
Authors: Mutlu‐Durak Hande , Arikan‐Algul Yagmur , Bayram Engin , Haznedaroglu Berat Z. , Kutman Umit Baris , Kutman Bahar Yildiz
Published: August 2024

Worldwide, where the demand for novel and greener solutions for sustainable agricultural production is increasing, the use of eco‐friendly products such as seaweed‐derived biostimulants as pre‐sowing treatment represent a promising and important approach for the future. Cystoseira barbata, a brown seaweed species abundant in the Mediterranean Region, was collected from the Marmara Sea and subjected to water, alkali, and acidic extractions, and the biostimulant activity of these extracts was tested on wheat (Triticum durum cv. Saricanak‐98) using different rates through application to the seeds or germination medium (substrate) applications. The different extracts were characterized by mineral, total phenolic, free amino acid, mannitol, polysaccharide, antioxidant concentrations and hormone‐like activity. The effects of the extracts on growth parameters, root morphology, esterase activity, and mineral nutrient concentrations of wheat seedlings were investigated. Our results suggest that the substrate application was more effective in enhancing the seedling performance compared to the seed treatment. High rates of seaweed extracts applied to substrates increased the shoot length and fresh weight of wheat seedlings by up to 20 and 25%, respectively. The substrate applications enhanced the root fresh weights of wheat seedlings by up to 25% when compared to control plants. Among the biostimulant extract applications, the water extract at the highest rate yielded the most promising results in terms of the measured parameters. Cystoseira barbata extracts with different compositions can be used as effective biostimulants to boost seedling growth. The local seaweed biomass affected by mucilage problems, has great potential as a bioeconomy resource and can contribute to sustainable practices for agriculture.
Toward Understanding Mechanistic Regulation of Body Size and Growth Control in Bivalve Mollusks
Authors: Mokrani Ahmed , Li Jian‐an , Li Qi , Liu Shikai
Published: August 2024

Bivalves possess a pair of valves connected to a stretchable ligament that facilitates the opening and closing of the shell. The growth bioprocess commences when the supplemental materials secreted from the edge are added to the early‐constructed shell. Here, we endeavor to provide a glimpse into physiological responses, mechanistic control, and omics applications toward understanding this complex trait. In the first section, we review studies that have been performed to investigate the effects of food availability, temperature, salinity, contaminants, and climate change in natural ecosystems and under experimental conditions. These conditions affect some internal promotors and alter the concentration of particular neuropeptides and neurotransmitters that induce neuroendocrinal signals crucial for regulating this peculiar process. Besides, we provide a predicted concept for organs' size control and maintaining body size homeostasis via intertwining networks, including the Hippo pathway. On the other hand, we discuss the findings of studies employing genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics approaches to uncover the mechanistic modulation of growth‐related traits in different bivalve species. We recommend further research to decipher organ size control and its intricate relationship with the entire body homeostasis. Future genetic dissection studies are also recommended to identify new key genes with a major effect that profoundly influences this trait, facilitating their potential editing to develop new strains with enhanced growth rates.
Counterfactual power and genuine choice
Authors: Kuźniar Adrian
Published: August 2024

The article introduces a distinction between weak and strong counterfactual power and shows that as far as the metaphysical aspect of choice is concerned, T. Merricks's examples do not undermine the proposition that strong counterfactual power over a fact suffices for having a genuine choice about that fact. This is relevant to debates about logical fatalism, theological incompatibilism and nomological (determinism) incompatibilism. If strong counterfactual power is sufficient for having a choice, then in each of the main arguments for the mentioned stances, the negation of the argument's conclusion entails the negation of its key premise. It is further argued that those key premises cannot be justified by the fixity of the past because the latter holds only to the extent warranted by the asymmetry of counterfactual dependence between the past and the future. Therefore, the pastness of such facts as that propositions about our acts were true before we were born, and that God believed then that we would perform those acts, does not provide any reason to believe that we do not have a choice about those facts. Fatalists and incompatibilists assume in their arguments something that has yet to be justified.
Myoglobin saturation as an intracellular indicator for transfusion need in oncology patients
Authors: Schenkman Kenneth A. , Ciesielski Wayne A. , Gernsheimer Terry B. , Arakaki Lorilee S. L.
Published: August 2024

Objectives

This study aims to demonstrate the potential of myoglobin saturation as an indicator of oxygen delivery adequacy to help determine the need for red cell transfusion.

Background

Modern blood management approaches have been established to optimise use of red blood cells for transfusions in patients with anaemia. However, most approaches make recommendations to transfuse based on haemoglobin or haematocrit levels and do not directly address adequacy of oxygen delivery. Intracellular oxygen determined by myoglobin saturation directly measures oxygen delivery at the tissue level.

Methods/Materials

A custom built spectrometer system with an optical fibre probe was used in this pilot study to measure muscle cell myoglobin saturation noninvasively from the first digital interosseous muscles in patients undergoing planned red blood cell transfusion. Patients were recruited from both the in‐patient and out‐patient oncology service at a major university medical centre. Measurements were made immediately before, immediately after, and 24 h following transfusion. Clinical data and tissue oxygen values from the Somanetics INVOS system were also collected.

Results

Myoglobin saturation, and thus cellular oxygen increased in some, but not all patients receiving a transfusion, and was most pronounced in patients who initially had low myoglobin saturation compared with the group as a whole.

Conclusion

Clinical decisions to transfuse based on haemoglobin or haematocrit thresholds alone are likely insufficient to optimise use of red blood cell transfusions. The combination of haemoglobin or haematocrit with myoglobin saturation may optimally determine who will benefit physiologically from a transfusion.
Transfusion sample mislabelling and wrong blood in tube in the UK: Insights from the national comparative audits of blood transfusion in 2012 and 2022
Authors: Booth Catherine , Davies Paul
Published: August 2024

Background

Samples for transfusion rejected due to mislabelling can lead to harm when a patient has to be re‐bled or has a transfusion or procedure delayed. Electronic labelling systems which scan the patient's identification band and generate a label at their side aim to reduce mislabelling and misidentification leading to wrong blood in tube (WBIT) errors. The 2022 National Comparative audit of sample collection aimed to compare national rates of sample mislabelling and WBIT to the 2012 audit and to examine the impact of electronic systems.

Method

All UK hospitals were invited to provide data on rejected transfusion samples and WBIT incidents in 1 month (October 2022) and were asked if they had electronic labelling.

Results

Twenty‐three thousand five hundred and eighty‐four rejected samples were reported by 179 sites in 1 month. The rejection rate of 4.4% represents a 47% increase compared to 2012 (2.99%). There were 92 WBIT incidents, an incidence of 1 in 5882 samples—a 45% increase compared to 1 in 8547 in 2012. Twenty‐three percent of sites can print a sample label at the patient's side, up by 224%. The six sites using only electronic sample labelling had a 46.9% lower rejection rate than sites using only hand‐labelling but still reported WBIT.

Conclusions

The increase in sample rejection and WBIT may reflect pressures facing clinical staff, zero tolerance policies and the two‐sample rule. A human factors approach to understanding and tackling underlying reasons locally is recommended. Electronic systems are associated with fewer labelling errors, but careful implementation and training is needed to maximise their safety benefits.
Stable twisted cohomology of the mapping class groups in the unit tangent bundle homology
Authors: Kawazumi Nariya , Soulié Arthur
Published: August 2024

We compute the stable cohomology groups of the mapping class groups of compact orientable surfaces with one boundary, with twisted coefficients given by the rational homology of the unit tangent bundles of the surfaces. These coefficients define a covariant functor over the classical category associated to mapping class groups, rather than a contravariant one, and are thus out of the scope of the traditional framework to study twisted cohomological stability. A remarkable property is that the computed stable twisted cohomology is not free as a module over the stable cohomology algebra with constant rational coefficients. For comparison, we also compute the stable cohomology group with coefficients in the first rational cohomology of the unit tangent bundle of the surface, which fits into the traditional framework.
Jun‐activated SOCS1 enhances ubiquitination and degradation of CCAAT/enhancer‐binding protein β to ameliorate cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion injury
Authors: He Chuan , Wang Tie , Han Yanwu , Zuo Changyang , Wang Guangming
Published: August 2024

This study investigates the molecular mechanisms behind ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in the brain, focusing on neuronal apoptosis. It scrutinizes the role of the Jun proto‐oncogene in apoptosis, involvement of SOCS1 in neural precursor cell accumulation in ischaemic regions, and the upregulation of C‐EBPβ in the hippocampus following I/R. Key to the study is understanding how Jun controls C‐EBPβ degradation via SOCS1, potentially offering new clinical treatment avenues for I/R. Techniques such as mRNA sequencing, KEGG enrichment analysis and protein–protein interaction (PPI) in mouse models have indicated involvement of Jun (AP‐1) in I/R‐induced cerebral damage. The study employs middle cerebral artery occlusion in different mouse models and oxygen–glucose deprivation/reoxygenation in cortical neurons to examine the impacts of Jun and SOCS1 manipulation on cerebral I/R injury and neuronal damage. The findings reveal that I/R reduces Jun expression in the brain, but its restoration lessens cerebral I/R injury and neuron death. Jun activates SOCS1 transcriptionally, leading to C‐EBPβ degradation, thereby diminishing cerebral I/R injury through the SOCS1/C‐EBPβ pathway. These insights provide a deeper understanding of post‐I/R cerebral injury mechanisms and suggest new therapeutic targets for cerebral I/R injury.

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Key points

Jun and SOCS1 are poorly expressed, and C‐EBPβ is highly expressed in ischaemia/reperfusion mouse brain tissues.

Jun transcriptionally activates SOCS1.

SOCS1 promotes the ubiquitination‐dependent C‐EBPβ protein degradation.

Jun blunts oxygen–glucose deprivation/reoxygenation‐induced neuron apoptosis and alleviates neuronal injury.

This study provides a theoretical basis for the management of post‐I/R brain injury.
Topology Optimization Driven Bone-Remodeling Simulation for Lumbar Interbody Fusion
Authors: Wang Zuowei , Zhang Weisheng , Meng Yao , Xiao Zhe , Mei Yue
Published: August 2024

This study proposes a numerical approach for simulating bone remodeling in lumbar interbody fusion (LIF). It employs a topology optimization method to drive the remodeling process and uses a pixel function to describe the structural topology and bone density distribution. Unlike traditional approaches based on strain energy density or compliance, this study adopts von Mises stress to guide the remodeling of LIF. A novel pixel interpolation scheme associated with stress criteria is applied to the physical properties of the bone, directly addressing the stress shielding effect caused by the implanted cage, which significantly influences the bone remodeling outcome in LIF. Additionally, a boundary inverse approach is utilized to reconstruct a simplified analysis model. To reduce computational cost while maintaining high structural resolution and accuracy, the scaled boundary finite element method (SBFEM) is introduced. The proposed numerical approach successfully generates results that closely resemble human lumbar interbody fusion.
Experimental and Simulation Investigation of J-Shaped and Kammtail Virtual Airfoils in Small-Scale Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines
Authors: Al Hamad Saif , Abousabae Mohamed , Shaker Omar , Amano Ryoichi S.
Published: August 2024

In this work, the performance of new wind blade designs for small-scale horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs) was studied and compared with the performance of a baseline design. The studied designs were J-shaped and Kammtail Virtual Foil (KVF) profiles. Three J-shaped opening ratios (1/3, 1/2, and 2/3) and two KVF truncation ratios (1/8 and 1/4) were studied. All proposed designs were first investigated in a two-dimensional simulation study to get the lift-to-drag ratio by applying different wind speeds and angles of attack. The baseline design was experimentally investigated. Output power was measured using a digital rotary torque sensor using three different wind speeds. Tip speed ratio (TSR) was calculated after measuring each wind speed’s free rotating revolutions per minute (RPM). Three wind speeds and experimental TSRs were used in three-dimensional simulation to capture the performances of the proposed designs and compare them with the baseline. The simulation investigation was carried out for lab-scale and scaled designs. The two-dimensional study found that the J-shaped and KVF airfoils yielded more lift-to-drag ratios than the baseline for some angles of attack and wind speeds. The three-dimensional study found that the J-shaped blades enhanced the performance of the HAWTs for both lab-scale and scaled designs. J-shaped blades with a 1/3 opening ratio yielded an average power coefficient enhancement of around 1.56% and 4.16% for lab-scale and scaled designs, respectively. J-shaped blades with a 1/2 opening ratio yielded an average power coefficient enhancement of around 1.15% and 4.23% for lab-scale and scaled designs, respectively. On the other hand, J-shaped blades with a 2/3 opening ratio yielded an average power coefficient enhancement of around −0.12% and 2.54% for lab-scale and scaled designs, respectively. Furthermore, it was found that the KVF blades diminished the performance for both lab-scale and scaled designs.
Numerical Study on Effects of Different Corrugated Height and Initial Crossflow on Impingement Jet Heat Transfer
Authors: Hatta Masayoshi , Merritt-Webster Thomas , Rosic Budimir
Published: August 2024

More efficient gas turbines are required to realize a decarbonized society. To improve gas turbine performance, it is important to increase turbine inlet temperature and to decrease the mass flow rate of turbine cooling air. Impingement cooling is a well-known and effective heat transfer method, and it is commonly used to cool high temperature turbine components. One of the key problems found with impingement cooling is that crossflow created by upstream impingement negatively impacts the performance of downstream jets. Literature shows that corrugated style impingement geometries are a reliable and effective way to manage crossflow. However, the internal space of the airfoil is limited, limiting the maximum corrugated height. Therefore, it is important to establish the impact of corrugated height in crossflow mitigation, to understand the key flow mechanisms and to consider the effects in high crossflow scenarios found in larger impingement hole arrays.

In this study, the effect of corrugated height and initial crossflow on impingement jet heat transfer are numerically investigated. To quantify performance, pumping power and Nusselt number are compared between flat plate, low corrugated and high corrugated impingement geometries. A control volume methodology is implemented to evaluate the contributions of crossflow and impingement to overall loss. Vortical structures are visualised to analyse the key mechanisms by which crossflow interacts with succeeding impingement jets. Impingement jet diameter, jet to jet pitch and distance from impingement plate to target plate are kept the same for each geometry. Calculations are performed for Reynolds numbers of 10,000 and a SST k-ω turbulence model is used. The results of the study show that for the low crossflow condition, Nusselt number enhancement is 5–10% and increases up to 20% under the high crossflow condition, even at a small corrugated height. Improved cooling allows designers to decrease the mass flow rate of cooling air, enabling improved gas turbines efficiency.
Assessing the Effect of Coriolis Acceleration on the Coherent Structures in the Wake of a Wind Turbine Using DMD
Authors: Manganelli Felice , Bernardi Claudio , Leonardi Stefano , Cherubini Stefania , De Palma Pietro
Published: August 2024

The present work aims at studying the effect of veer, namely, the height-dependent lateral deflection of wind velocity due to Coriolis acceleration, on the coherent structures in the wake of the NREL 5-MW reference wind turbine using the sparsity-promoting dynamic mode decomposition (SP-DMD) method for the detection of dynamically-relevant flow structures. Large eddy simulation of the flow impacting the wind turbine is carried out by solving the filtered Navier-Stokes equations for incompressible flows. The effects of both tower and nacelle are included in the simulation using the immersed boundary method. Simulations are performed at Re ≈ 108, generating the inlet velocity profile by a precursor simulation of the atmospheric boundary layer subjected to Coriolis acceleration. The most relevant modes are extracted from the wake by the SP-DMD method and a limited subset of relevant flow features that optimally approximates the original data sequence is identified, which can be employed for developing an accurate reduced order model of the wake. The effects of the Coriolis acceleration on the dynamics of these modes are discussed in detail and the basic mechanisms by which the wind veer significantly affects the wake recovery rate are highlighted.
Large Eddy Simulation With Sliding Mesh Method of a Small-Scale Turbojet Engine
Authors: Briones Alejandro M. , Rankin Brent A.
Published: August 2024

A wall-adapting local-eddy (WALE) large eddy simulation (LES) with sliding mesh method (SMM) of a small-scale turbojet engine is conducted. A multi-table compressible flamelet/progress variable (FPV) approach is used for the combustion model. The freestream pressure and temperature, fuel flow rate, and shaft angular speed are the only inputs needed for the CFD simulations. The simulations are performed at static sea level and maximum power. The simulation is initiated using a steady Reynolds-average Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulation with multiple reference frame (MRF) and FPV methods. The mass flow rate from the RANS simulation is used as an input for the transient LES/SMM/FPV turbojet simulation. The LES results are consistent with RANS simulations, cycle analyses, and experimental data in terms of total temperature and pressure at the diffuser-combustor interface, air and fuel mass flow rate, equivalence ratio, and thrust. The spatial and temporal distributions of static temperature, static pressure, and axial and azimuthal velocity at the diffuser-combustor and combustor-turbine stator interfaces are examined and discussed in detail.