bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of palatine tonsil tumor resection on postoperative velopharyngeal insufficiency in transoral surgery
Authors: Wistermayer Paul R. , Brown Adam E. , Cave Taylor B. , Chang Brent A. , Hinni Michael L. , Hayden Richard E. , Klusovsky Laura E. , McGary Alyssa , Nagel Thomas H.
Published: March 2024

Background

Velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) is a known complication of transoral surgery (TOS) for oropharyngeal HPV‐mediated squamous cell carcinoma. Controversy exists regarding adequate resection margins for balancing functional and oncologic outcomes.

Methods

This retrospective study was exempted by the IRB. Patients who underwent TOS from January 2017 to October 2022 were included. Patient characteristics, treatment details, and oncologic and functional outcomes were evaluated.

Results

Fifty‐five patients were included. Mean and median follow‐up was 34 months. 98% of patients were AJCC stage I/II. Recurrence‐free survival was 96% with no local recurrences.

Univariate analysis demonstrated an association between VPI and pT stage (p = 0.035), medial pterygoid resection (p = 0.049), and palatal attachment sacrifice (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed sacrifice of the palatal attachments remained a significant risk for VPI (p = 0.009).

Conclusion

Loss of soft palate pharyngeal attachments is an independent risk factor for VPI. When oncologically appropriate, the palatal attachments to the pharynx may be preserved.
Predictors of the need for atrioventricular nodal ablation following redo ablation for atrial fibrillation
Authors: Calvert Peter , Ding Wern Yew , Griffin Michael , Bisson Arnaud , Koniari Ioanna , Fitzpatrick Noel , Snowdon Richard , Modi Simon , Luther Vishal , Mahida Saagar , Waktare Johan , Borbas Zoltan , Ashrafi Reza , Todd Derick , Rao Archana , Gupta Dhiraj
Published: March 2024

Background

Patients who have recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) following redo catheter ablation may eventually be managed with a pace‐and‐ablate approach, involving pacemaker implant followed by atrioventricular nodal ablation (AVNA). We sought to determine which factors would predict subsequent AVNA in patients undergoing redo AF ablation.

Methods

We analyzed patients undergoing redo AF ablations between 2013 and 2019 at our institution. Follow‐up was censored on December 31, 2021. Patients with no available follow‐up data were excluded. Time‐to‐event analysis with Cox proportional hazard regression was used to compare those who underwent AVNA to those who did not.

Results

A total of 467 patients were included, of whom 39 (8.4%) underwent AVNA. After multivariable adjustment, female sex (aHR 4.68 [95% CI 2.30–9.50]; p < 0.001), ischemic heart disease (aHR 2.99 [95% CI 1.25–7.16]; p = 0.014), presence of a preexisting pacemaker (aHR 3.25 [95% CI 1.10–9.60]; p = 0.033), and persistent AF (aHR 2.22 [95% CI 1.07–4.59]; p = 0.032) were associated with increased risk of subsequent AVNA requirement.

Conclusion

Female sex, ischemic heart disease, and persistent AF may be useful clinical predictors of the requirement for subsequent AVNA and may be considered as part of shared clinical decision making.
Sebaceous Carcinoma of the Middle Ear: A Case Report
Authors: Castle Michael S. , Shah Shalini , Roditi Rachel E. , Compton Margaret L. , Giampoli Ellen J. , Dutcher Paul O.
Published: March 2024

Here we present the first case of sebaceous carcinoma of the middle ear. We discuss the treatment course and post treatment results after 11 years of follow up. We further summarize the available literature of sebaceous carcinoma of the temporal bone, which prior to this case was exclusively limited to the external auditory canal. Laryngoscope, 134:3769–3772, 2024
Afforestation alters soil microbial community composition and reduces microbial network complexity in a karst region of Southwest China
Authors: Yu Pujia , Tang Hanya , Sun Xizao , Shi Weiyu , Pan Jinjiang , Liu Shiwei , Jia Hongtao , Ding Zhi , Tang Xuguang , Chen Mo
Published: March 2024

Soil microbial community plays important roles in altering ecological processes and biogeochemical cycles in ecosystems. However, little is known about how afforestation influences the diversity, composition, and ecological network of soil microbial community in karst regions. In this study, soil samples were collected from one farmland (FL) and three afforestation lands including one bamboo forest (BA), one landscape tree planting forest (LAT), and one orange orchard (ORO) in a karst region of Southwest China. The bacterial and fungal communities were characterized using the high‐throughput sequencing approach, and soil properties including soil organic carbon, pH, soil water content, and soil total and available nutrient contents were measured under different land use treatments. Results showed that conversion from FL to BA and LAT significantly reduced the Shannon diversity of bacterial community. At the phylum level (top 10), genus level (top 30), and operational taxonomic units (OTUs) level, afforestation from FL resulted in significant changes in nine phyla, 24 genera, and 31.32% OTUs of bacterial community, and in three phyla, 13 genera, and 11.62% OTUs of fungal community. The number of nodes, number of negative edges, connectivity, average degree, and relative modularity of the microbial network under afforestation lands decreased by 9.33%–18.66%, 47.98%–72.75%, 0.45%–5.93%, 14.73%–22.29%, and 6.46%–23.50%, respectively, compared with FL. The soil organic carbon, total potassium and total phosphorus were identified as the key soil properties affecting the microbial community. Compared with LAT and ORO, the changes in bacterial and fungal communities under BA were more obvious because of the higher contents in soil organic carbon (13.48%) and total potassium (27.18%). In conclusion, afforestation significantly changed compositions and ecological network complexity of soil microbial community in karst regions, and conversion from FL to BA had stronger influences on the changes of soil microbial community than other afforestation lands in Southwest China. These findings provide the context necessary to evaluate the responses of soil microbial community to land use changes in karst regions.
Technical note: A universal worksheet for failure mode and effects analysis—A project of the Japanese College of Medical Physics
Authors: Nishioka Shie , Okamoto Hiroyuki , Chiba Takahito , Kito Satoshi , Ishihara Yoshitomo , Isono Masaru , Ono Tomohiro , Mizoguchi Asumi , Mizuno Norifumi , Tohyama Naoki , Kurooka Masahiko , Ota Seiichi , Shimizu Daisuke
Published: March 2024

Background

Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), which is an effective tool for error prevention, has garnered considerable attention in radiotherapy. FMEA can be performed individually, by a group or committee, and online.

Purpose

To meet the needs of FMEA for various purposes and improve its accessibility, we developed a simple, self‐contained, and versatile web‐based FMEA risk analysis worksheet.

Methods

We developed an FMEA worksheet using Google products, such as Google Sheets, Google Forms, and Google Apps Script. The main sheet was created in Google Sheets and contained elements necessary for performing FMEA by a single person. Automated tasks were implemented using Apps Script to facilitate multiperson FMEA; these functions were built into buttons located on the main sheet.

Results

The usability of the FMEA worksheet was tested in several situations. The worksheet was feasible for individual, multiperson, seminar, meeting, and online purposes. Simultaneous online editing, automated survey form creation, automatic analysis, and the ability to respond to the form from multiple devices, including mobile phones, were particularly useful for online and multiperson FMEA. Automation enabled through Google Apps Script reduced the FMEA workload.

Conclusions

The FMEA worksheet is versatile and has a seamless workflow that promotes collaborative work for safety.
Knowledge and clinical practice of ASPEN registered dietitian nutritionist members regarding blenderized tube feedings
Authors: Brown Terry , Johnson Teresa , Gomes Allison , Samavat Hamed , Byham‐Gray Laura
Published: March 2024

Background

Blenderized tube feedings (BTFs) are used by patients/caregivers who report improvements in gastrointestinal tolerance compared with standard commercial feedings. Despite positive outcomes, registered dietitian nutritionists or international equivalents (RDN/Is) hesitate to recommend BTFs. We aimed to determine if an association exists between dietitian characteristics and willingness to recommend BTFs.

Methods

A BTF‐specific survey (N = 157) assessed for validity and reliability was administered to the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) RDN/I members. Binary logistic regression analyses examined the association between age, years of clinical practice, BTF training/education, patient population served, and willingness to recommend BTFs.

Results

The response rate was 4.3% of ASPEN RDN/I members. Most respondents were White females with a median age of 39.0 years and 12 years of clinical experience. Although 98.7% of respondents expressed a willingness to support and 73% to recommend BTFs, 60% were not using BTFs in clinical practice. For 94.8% of RDN/Is, the primary reason for BTF use was patient/caregiver requests. After adjustment for age and years of clinical practice, RDN/Is who served pediatric populations (odds ratio [OR] = 4.28; 95% CI, 1.52–12.09) or used three or more professional resources (OR = 2.49; 95% CI, 1.12–5.57), industry‐sponsored resources (OR = 3.15; 95% CI, 1.39–7.15), or one or more experiential learning resources (OR = 3.14; 95% CI, 1.38–7.17) were more likely to recommend BTFs whereas those serving adults were less likely to recommend BTFs (OR = 0.33; 95% CI, 0.12–0.95).

Conclusion

Pediatric RDN/Is and individuals with BTF‐specific education/training were more inclined to recommend BTFs.
Synthesis,Antidiabetic and Antitubercular Evaluation of Quinoline–pyrazolopyrimidine hybrids and Quinoline‐4‐Arylamines
Authors: Cele Nosipho , Awolade Paul , Seboletswe Pule , Khubone Lungisani , Olofinsan Kolawole , Islam Md. Shahidul , Jordaan Audrey , Warner Digby F. , Singh Parvesh
Published: March 2024

Two libraries of quinoline‐based hybrids 1‐(7‐chloroquinolin‐4‐yl)‐1H‐pyrazolo[3,4–d]pyrimidin‐4‐amine and 7‐chloro‐N‐phenylquinolin‐4‐amine were synthesized and evaluated for their α‐glucosidase inhibitory and antioxidant properties. Compounds with 4‐methylpiperidine and para‐trifluoromethoxy groups, respectively, showed the most promising α‐glucosidase inhibition activity with IC50=46.70 and 40.84 μM, compared to the reference inhibitor, acarbose (IC50=51.73 μM). Structure‐activity relationship analysis suggested that the cyclic secondary amine pendants and para‐phenyl substituents account for the variable enzyme inhibition. Antioxidant profiling further revealed that compounds with an N‐methylpiperazine and N‐ethylpiperazine ring, respectively, have good DPPH scavenging abilities with IC50=0.18, 0.58 and 0.93 mM, as compared to ascorbic acid (IC50=0.05 mM), while the best DPPH scavenger is NO2‐substituted compound (IC50=0.08 mM). Also, compound with N‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)piperazine moiety emerged as the best NO radical scavenger with IC50=0.28 mM. Molecular docking studies showed that the present compounds are orthosteric inhibitors with their quinoline, pyrimidine, and 4‐amino units as crucial pharmacophores furnishing α‐glucosidase binding at the catalytic site. Taken together, these compounds exhibit dual potentials; i. e., potent α‐glucosidase inhibitors and excellent free radical scavengers. Hence, they may serve as structural templates in the search for agents to manage Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Finally, in preliminary assays investigating the anti‐tubercular potential of these compounds, two pyrazolopyrimidine series compounds and a 7‐chloro‐N‐phenylquinolin‐4‐amine hybrid showed sub‐10 μM whole‐cell activities against Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Teacher salaries, a policy brief
Authors: Wyckoff Jim
Published: March 2024

Many schools are experiencing troubling numbers of vacant teaching positions, with student achievement substantially below pre‐pandemic levels. At the same time many states and districts are discussing substantial across‐the‐board increases in teacher salaries, often aspiring to some arbitrary benchmark. General increases in teacher salaries may well be warranted in some, or even many, districts. However, existing research suggests that by themselves, across‐the‐board increases are not the most effective policy.

This policy brief examines these issues in Virginia. It shows that schools with concentrations of poor students have substantially more teaching vacancies and much lower student achievement. It also shows that starting teacher salaries in Virginia have declined over the last 16 years and that lower salaries are associated with teacher vacancies. It is likely that the patterns documented in Virginia are found in many, perhaps most, other states. Policies to address these issues would increase teacher salaries generally with much larger increases for effective teachers who teach in high poverty schools and subjects with greater shortages, such as special education, math, and science.
The conflict between Rights of Nature and mining in Ecuador: Implications of the Los Cedros Cloud Forest case for biodiversity conservation
Authors: Peck M. R. , Desselas M. , Bonilla‐Bedoya S. , Redín G. , Durango‐Cordero J.
Published: March 2024

Global emergence of Rights of Nature (RoN) has gained momentum since Ecuador became the first country to constitutionally recognize it in 2008. The shift from perceiving nature as an object, to granting it legal subjecthood, can revolutionize protection of ecological systems. In 2021, Ecuador's Constitutional Court issued a landmark ruling, halting mining in the Los Cedros Protected Forest.

Three pillars form the basis for legal protection of Los Cedros: (i) the right to timely, Free Prior Informed Environmental Consultation, (ii) application of the Precautionary Principle in risk to RoN, and (iii) the Right to Water.

We analyse the Court ruling to identify legal frameworks applied then map and rank mining risk to other protected forests, Indigenous territories, unprotected native ecosystems, biodiversity and areas of water resource conflict to determine potential scale of conflict between mining and RoN.

7813 mining concessions of 22,812km2 overlay 9.2% of Ecuadorian mainland, 2323 concessions (29.7%) overlap 16,081km2 of protected forest (4781 km2, 20%), Indigenous territory (6473 km2, 8%) and native vegetation outside protected areas and Indigenous territories (13,390 km2, 9%). With 80% of their protected forests at risk from large‐scale mining, the most impacted Indigenous communities are the Shuar.

Synthesis and applications: The Los Cedros legal case in Ecuador sets a precedent for using RoN to challenge mining in 4781 km2 of similar Protected Forest, with potential to protect an additional 16,081 km2 of Indigenous lands and biologically important ecosystems. However, lack of biological data for these areas will necessitate extensive data collection, possibly through community‐empowering citizen science. Our study emphasizes the urgent need to integrate indigenous and traditional ecological knowledge (ITEK), law and ecology. We propose a new transdisciplinary field of ‘ecological forensics’ to support nature protection within the RoN framework. Our research also identifies areas where RoN could effectively protect nature and that are likely to be of high investment risk for the mining industry. The final recommendation is to reconsider mining concessions in Ecuador, especially in ecologically sensitive areas, Indigenous territories, high biodiversity areas, and regions with water resource conflicts, to maintain ecological integrity and social harmony.

Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Evaluation of risk associated with treatment of fat, oil, and grease: Grease interceptor from food processing industry effluent using bowtie analysis
Authors: Azmi Nurul Atikah , Abdul Aziz Hanida , Abdullah Syamsul Bahari , Abdul Manaf Norhuda , Tan Lian See
Published: March 2024

Fat, oil, and grease (FOG), a deposit in wastewater, develops from any processes in food and processing industries. FOG deposits in wastewater management systems can cause blockages in sewer systems. Grease Interceptor (GI) is one of the control measures to treat and prevent the blockage of FOG deposits in the sewer system. Nevertheless, few studies evaluate the extended hazard of GI application in FOG treatment. This study aims to assess the risk of GI in FOG treatment by using a bowtie technique. The hazard identified is FOG itself, whereas the top event was GI failure. The high contributions of the threats were an unsuitable variation of GI's type and design, no GI cleaning process schedule, and a clogged outflow pipe from GI. GI design according to standard and cleaning FOG deposits in GI by a licensed grease hauler were two suitable preventive barriers. The desludging process is essential to guarantee that the GI operates smoothly and is identified as an excellent recovery barrier. Inter‐rater reliability (IRR) analysis to measure the consistency of their ratings on the data provided. The experts had a 75% overall agreement value of IRR risk rating value on assets, while 50% agreement value on people.
Identification of multiple plasma lipids as diagnostic biomarkers of hypercholesterolemia and the underlying mechanisms based on pseudo‐targeted lipidomics
Authors: Zhao Rui , Tang Yuqing , Cao Wenhui , Zhao Lijuan , Wu Zhifeng , Chen Xianghui , Li Yimin , Jia Xiaoe , Bai Haihua
Published: March 2024

Rationale

Hypercholesterolemia is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and death. This study performed pseudo‐targeted lipidomics to identify differentially expressed plasma lipids in hypercholesterolemia, to provide a scientific basis for the diagnosis and pathogenesis of hypercholesterolemia.

Methods

Pseudo‐targeted lipidomic analyses of plasma lipids from 20 patients with hypercholesterolemia and 20 normal control subjects were performed using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Differentially expressed lipids were identified by principal component analysis and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to identify differentially expressed lipids with high diagnostic value. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway database was used to identify enriched metabolic pathways.

Results

We identified 13 differentially expressed lipids in hypercholesterolemia using variable importance of projection > 1 and p < 0.05 as threshold parameters. The levels of eight sphingomyelins and cholesterol sulfate were higher and those of three triacylglycerols and lysophosphatidylcholine were reduced in hypercholesterolemia. Seven differentially expressed plasma lipids showed high diagnostic value for hypercholesterolemia. Functional enrichment analyses showed that pathways related to necroptosis, sphingolipid signaling, sphingolipid metabolism, and steroid hormone biosynthesis were enriched.

Conclusions

This pseudo‐targeted lipidomics study demonstrated that multiple sphingomyelins and cholesterol sulfate were differentially expressed in the plasma of patients with hypercholesterolemia. We also identified seven plasma lipids, including six sphingomyelins and cholesterol sulfate, with high diagnostic value.
Temporal variation of braided intensity and morphodynamic changes in a regulated braided river using 2D modeling and satellite images
Authors: Balouchi Behnam , Rüther Nils , Schwarzwälder Kordula
Published: March 2024

The river morphology of a braided‐type river is rather complex. High sediment transport rates and frequently changing discharges are the cause of dynamic planform evolution. Over the past few decades, scientific attention has been directed toward understanding the coexistence of alternating bars and the consequent emergence of confluences and divergences, all of which interact intricately with the process of bank erosion. It is still rather challenging to estimate or predict the total sediment transport rate in this type of river, especially by considering various hydrologic data and climate effects. This study is focused on the reach of the Devoll River in Albania, located upstream of the Banja dam. Understanding the morphodynamics of this river reach holds significance due to the expanding delta upstream of the dam reservoir. The objectives of the two‐dimensional depth‐averaged approach of the present study are to investigate the temporal variation of braided intensity of Devoll River and the effect of using a discharge hydrograph from hydrologic data compared to the regulated one from the upstream dam on the morphodynamics and sediment transport of the river. After evaluating various parameters such as 11 different sediment transport functions, the best results were reached for a cell size of 5 × 5 m2, Manning roughness coefficient of 0.03, Meyer‐Peter and Müller's sediment function, Hayashi et al. (1980) hiding function, and Van Rijn bed roughness predictor in this study. In addition, the results of comparing satellite images and modeling the river from 2019 to 2023 show that the braided index decreased, and this can be due to the fact that the real scenario of the river has a regulated discharge compared to the non‐regulated discharge from hydrologic data, in the mentioned period.
A network agent‐based model for Moroccan international tourism: Individual tourist behaviour and decision‐making processes
Authors: Jebraoui Smahane , Nemiche Mohamed , Hafidi Bezza
Published: March 2024

The tourist markets in Moroccan cities are characterized by a dynamic interplay of collaboration and competition. Additionally, the behaviour of tourists within this network is influenced by a multitude of factors, such as their preferences and social influence. The aim of this study is to explore the dynamics of Moroccan international tourism and how destinations can adapt to internal and external changes. To achieve this goal, we propose a network agent‐based model incorporating decision‐making processes, thereby depicting tourist behaviour. The model can assist in identifying areas that require improvement to enhance the overall tourist experience and ensure the long‐term sustainability of Morocco's tourism industry. In this study, we simulated four scenarios of collaboration and competition among destinations in our study: (i) The simulation of inbound Moroccan tourism in 2016, (ii) the opening of a new port city, (iii) the creation of a new connection between two destinations, and (iv) the increasing of tourist attractiveness in a specific destination. The findings of the study reveal that the collaboration‐competition relationships between destinations are changing over time and the tourist markets of destinations are not isolated from each other.
Effect of chlorpyrifos‐exposure on the expression levels of CYP genes in Daphnia magna and examination of a possibility that an up‐regulated clan 3 CYP, CYP360A8, reacts with pesticides
Authors: Ohnuki Shinpei , Tokishita Shinichi , Kojima Masaki , Fujiwara Shoko
Published: March 2024

Daphnia magna is a test organism used for ecological risk assessments of pesticides, but little is known about the expression levels of cytochrome P450s (CYP)s and their changes after pesticide exposure in the less than 24‐h‐olds used for ecotoxicity tests. In this study, D. magna juveniles were exposed to 0.2 μg/L of chlorpyrifos under the conditions for acute immobilization test as specified by the OECD test guideline for 24 h, and then the gene expression was compared between the control and chlorpyrifos‐exposure groups by RNA‐sequencing analysis, with a focus on CYP genes. Among 38 CYP genes expressed in the control group, seven were significantly up‐regulated while two were significantly down‐regulated in the chlorpyrifos‐exposure group. Although the sublethal concentration of chlorpyrifos did not change their expression levels so drastically (0.8 < fold change < 2.6), CY360A8 of D. magna (DmCYP360A8), which had been proposed to be responsible for metabolism of xenobiotics, was abundantly expressed in controls yet up‐regulated by chlorpyrifos. Therefore, homology modeling of DmCYP360A8 was performed based on the amino acid sequence, and then molecular docking simulations with the insecticides that were indicated to be metabolized by CYPs in D. magna were conducted. The results indicated that DmCYP360A8 could contribute to the metabolism of diazinon and chlorfenapyr but not chlorpyrifos. These findings suggest that chlorpyrifos is probably detoxified by other CYP(s) including up‐regulated and/or constitutively expressed one(s).
Bioconversion of pineapple wastes for production of Pleurotus pulmonarius (gray oyster mushroom) and Pleurotus ostreatus (white oyster mushroom)
Authors: Munir Norliana , Ramli Aizi Nor Mazila , Aminan Aimi Wahidah , Badrulzaman Sharifah Zafierah Syed , Patil Reshma Vasant , Zailani Siti Zulaiha , Azelee Nur Izyan Wan , Manas Nor Hasmaliana Abdul , Ismail Elmie Adha
Published: March 2024

Mushroom cultivation is currently being widely ventured by farmers in Malaysia due to its high profits in a short time and low production cost. Mushrooms can be grown on various substrates such as rice husk and stalks, coconut fiber, and sawdust. This study was performed to find out the ability of using pineapple leaves waste as a substrate for the cultivation of Pleurotus pulmonarius (gray oyster mushroom) and Pleurotus ostreatus (white oyster mushroom) and compare the results obtained with mushrooms grown using traditional substrates (sawdust). The mushroom bags were prepared using a dry and wet medium of pineapple leaves waste. The results revealed that 60% of dry and wet pineapple leaves waste produced the highest output of P. pulmonarius and P. ostreatus in comparison to other percentages. The growing of P. pulmonarius on dry pineapple leaves waste substrate revealed the maximum average weight and number of fruiting bodies while P. ostreatus showed the best growth performance in wet pineapple leaves waste substrate. The nutritional content of 60% dry and wet pineapple leaves waste for both P. pulmonarius and P. ostreatus shown superior value in percentages of moisture, protein, fat, and carbohydrate compared to control. In the meantime, the mineral analysis revealed that 60% of the dry and wet pineapple leaves waste had greater levels of Cu, P, and Pb than the control. These findings suggested that the pineapple leaves waste can become a great alternative substrate for both P. pulmonarius and P. ostreatus cultivation for better economic and environmental benefits.
Polysaccharide of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz alleviates LPS‐induced proliferation, differentiation inhibition and excessive apoptosis in chicken embryonic myogenic cells
Authors: Fu Mengsi , Wang Jinhui , Xu Danning , Cao Nan , Li Wanyan , Li Fada , Liu Zhiyuan , Li Yong , Zhu Chenyu , Huang Yunmao , Zhang Xumeng
Published: March 2024

Background

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can induce systemic inflammation and affect the growth and development of poultry. As a kind of traditional Chinese medicine, polysaccharide of Atractylodes macrocephala Koidz (PAMK) can effectively improve the growth performance of animals and improve the immunity of animal bodies.

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of PAMK on LPS‐induced inflammatory response, proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of chicken embryonic myogenic cells.

Methods

We used chicken embryonic myogenic cells as a model by detecting EdU/MYHC immunofluorescence, the expression of inflammation, proliferation, differentiation‐related genes and proteins and the number of apoptotic cells in the condition of adding LPS, PAMK, belnacasan (an inhibitor of Caspase1) or their combinations.

Results

The results showed that LPS stimulation increased the expression of inflammatory factors, inhibited proliferation and differentiation, and excessive apoptosis in chicken embryonic myogenic cells, and PAMK alleviated these adverse effects induced by LPS. After the addition of belnacasan (inhibitor of Caspase1), apoptosis in myogenic cells was inhibited, and therefore, the number of apoptotic cells and the expression of pro‐apoptotic genes Caspase1 and Caspase3 were increased. In addition, belnacasan inhibited the increased expression of inflammatory factors, inhibited proliferation, differentiation and excessive apoptosis in chicken embryonic myogenic cells induced by LPS.

Conclusions

This study provides a theoretical basis for further exploring the mechanism of action of PAMK and exogenous LPS on chicken embryonic myogenic cells and lays the foundation for the development and application of green feed additives in animal husbandry industry.
Downscaling SMAP soil moisture product in cold and arid region: Incorporating NDSI and BSI into the random forest algorithm
Authors: Gao Mingxing , Zhu Kui , Guo Yanjun , Han Xuhang , Li Dongsheng , Zhang Shujian
Published: March 2024

Soil moisture (SM) is a critical element of the hydrological cycle, land surface processes, and surface energy balance. However, the low spatial resolution of commonly used SM products limits the application of SM in agriculture and eco‐hydrology in cold and arid regions. In this study, the normalized difference soil index (NDSI) and bare soil index (BSI) were added to traditional downscaling factors including land surface temperature, normalized difference vegetation index, digital elevation mode, apparent thermal inertia, Albedo, and temperature vegetation dryness index, as they are more strongly correlated with surface SM in the bare soil‐vegetation alternation zone of such region. Using the random forest algorithm, a downscaling model of SM was constructed for such region. The accuracy of the downscaled SM estimates was validated by comparing them with the original SM data collected from May to September 2021, which is the non‐freezing period of the soil. The findings indicate that the newly added NDSI and BSI have good correlation with SM. Incorporating NDSI and BSI to construct the downscaled model enhances the accuracy by over 19% compared to excluding them, while also providing a more comprehensive representation of SM information. NDSI and BSI can be well applied to the downscaled research of SM in the bare soil‐vegetation alternation zone, which is of great value for the study of eco‐hydrology and agricultural drought monitoring in cold and arid regions.
Survival of juvenile greater sage‐grouse in Wyoming
Authors: Smith Kurt T. , Pratt Aaron C. , Lautenbach Jonathan D. , North Holly M. , Beck Jeffrey L.
Published: March 2024

An understanding of vital rate contributions to population growth is necessary for species of conservation concern, such as greater sage‐grouse Centrocercus urophasianus. Sage‐grouse demographic rates are generally well described; however, a notable exception is juvenile survival during the post‐fledging period. We evaluated juvenile survival at two study areas in central and south–central Wyoming. We captured and monitored 124 juvenile sage‐grouse (77 females and 47 males) in 2017–2019 in the central Wyoming study area and 68 (29 females and 39 males) in 2020–2021 in the south–central Wyoming study area. Monthly survival generally increased from September to March in each year and study area. In both study areas, we found no evidence that monthly mortality risk differed between male and female juvenile sage‐grouse. In central Wyoming, seven‐month survival estimates from September to March were 0.28 (85% CI: 0.18–0.44) from 2017–2018, 0.28 (85% CI: 0.20–0.39) from 2018–2019, and 0.43 (85% CI: 0.34–0.55) from 2019–2020. In south‐central Wyoming, survival estimates were 0.34 (85% CI: 0.25–0.47) from 2020–2021 and 0.78 (85% CI: 0.68–0.90) from 2021–2022. Overall, we found evidence that body condition at time of capture and weather (temperature and precipitation) during the pre‐fledging period influenced juvenile mortality risk, but the most supported intrinsic and extrinsic factors varied between study areas. Our results provide additional estimates of juvenile survival that will be useful for understanding sage‐grouse demography. However, the spatial and temporal variation in juvenile survival that we documented should be accounted for when evaluating how management actions may influence sage‐grouse populations.
Apparate und Apparaturen: Für eine soziologische Kasuistik de/stabilisierter Problemarbeiten
Authors: Scheffer Thomas
Published: March 2024

Der Beitrag legt den Grundstein für eine neomaterialistische Kasuistik von Apparaten als lokal eingerichtete Unternehmen, die verschiedene Komponenten für stabilisierte Formen der Problemlösung integrieren. Anhand von drei Fallstudien (John Laws »portugiesische Schiffe«, Karin Knorr-Cetinas »Laboratorien«, Anna Tsings »Plantagen und Wälder«) wird der Begriff des Apparats von übermäßig machtkritischen Verwendungen des Begriffs (Apparat als Hegemonie des Staates oder als Wissens-/Machtkonstellation) abgegrenzt. Stattdessen wird ein Begriff von Apparat (Apparate / Apparatur) als lokal stabilisierte Problemlösung in einem durch Arbeitsteilung gekennzeichneten Gefüge vorgeschlagen. Der zweite Teil skizziert das analytische Potential dieser Unterscheidung. Sie erlaubt die Diagnose der bedingten Mobilisierung apparativer Kapazitäten angesichts existenzieller Probleme, wie etwa des Klimawandels. Es wird gezeigt, dass der Zugang von Apparaten – wie Bürokratien oder Märkten – zu den zu de/mobilisierenden Apparaten einerseits nötig wird, aber gleichzeitig begrenzt und vorläufig bleiben muss.
»Please sign here«. Formulare als Medien der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit in Uganda
Authors: Wiedmann Astrid
Published: March 2024

Auf der Grundlage einer mehrmonatigen Feldforschung in Uganda wird in diesem Beitrag der Prozess der Erstellung bürokratischer Dokumente in der Alltagspraxis einer lokalen NGO untersucht. Verwaltungsmaterialien dienen in diesem Kontext sowohl der Rechenschaftslegung über das Handeln der NGO als auch der Kontrolle aus der Ferne und stabilisieren die interdisziplinäre und internationale Zusammenarbeit zwischen heterogenen sozialen Welten. Anhand ethnographischen Materials werden die unterschiedlichen Funktionen der Teilnehmerliste in Workshops aufgezeigt und medientheoretisch kontextualisiert. Einerseits wird anhand von Latours Kategorie des immutable mobile gezeigt, wie die Anwesenheitslisten der Kontrolle von Distanz dienen. Andererseits wird Susan Leigh Stars Konzept der boundary objects herangezogen, um darzustellen, wie sie Kooperation ermöglichen.
Papier und Automatisierung in Speyer. Von der Tyrannei des Ortes und der Dauer der Akten
Authors: Engemann Christoph
Published: March 2024

Als in den sechziger Jahren die ersten Großrechner Einzug in die bürokratischen Abläufe hielten, entstanden in der BRD zwei wichtige Wissensgebiete: die Rechtsinformatik und die Verwaltungsinformatik – letztere wurde auch als Speyerer Schule (Heinrich Reinermann, Jörn von Lucke) bezeichnet. Die Systemplanung, die Rechtskybernetik und die Routine des öffentlichen Dienstes lebten bald von der Automatisierung, aber der Bürger musste immer noch persönlich beim Bürokraten erscheinen und erhielt Formulare und gestempeltes Papier. Die Liberalisierung und Vermarktlichung von immer mehr Elementen des öffentlichen Dienstes führten zur Erosion rechtlich gebundener Planungskulturen. Vorangetrieben wurden diese Prozesse auch durch die Software-Industrie, die aktiv Konzepte des New Public Management protegierte. Ein Prozess, der durch die sozialdemokratischen deutschen Regierungen der neunziger und nuller Jahre gefördert wurde. Vor diesem Hintergrund und in ambivalenter Auseinandersetzung mit Industrie und Politik identifizierte die Speyerer Schule um das Jahr 2000 das Papier als Hindernis für die Durchsetzung neuer Verwaltungsregime.
The Forcible Feeding of the English Suffragettes in Irish Prison. Avoiding Responsibility in Administrations
Authors: Mühlbradt Heidrun
Published: March 2024

Als die Mitglieder der militanten Frauenwahlrechtsorganisation Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) in der Haft in den Hungerstreik traten, forderten sie die britischen Gefängnisbehörden heraus, die sich zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts zunächst bemühten, eine angemessene Antwort auf diese neue Form des politischen Protests zu finden. Mit der Einführung der Zwangsernährung konnte sich die britische Gefängnisverwaltung auf die neuen Anforderungen einstellen, den Hungerstreik der Suffragetten neutralisieren und die Bedingungen für den Gefängniskampf festlegen. Da die Frage der Verantwortung der Gefängnisverwaltung bei der Einführung der Zwangsernährung noch nicht behandelt wurde, wird in diesem Artikel untersucht, wie die irische Gefängnisverwaltung bestimmte Verwaltungspraktiken anwandte, um die Verantwortung bei der Einführung der Zwangsernährung von zurechnungsfähigen Patienten im irischen Gefängnissystem zu vermeiden.
Bottom-Up Abandonment. Disability Regulation and the Scarcity of Access
Authors: Karambeigi Pujan
Published: March 2024

Dieser Beitrag konzentriert sich auf die Debatten um die erste Kodifizierung von Behindertenrecht in den USA während der 1970er Jahre sowie ihre Auswirkungen auf den Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), der von vielen für die größte Bürgerrechtsreform des 20. Jahrhunderts gehalten wird. Anhand einer Reihe von Berichten des Ministeriums für Wohnungswesen und Stadtentwicklung wird beschrieben, wie der Druck politischer Verpflichtungen und gerichtlicher Regulierung einer Form der Regulierung den Weg ebnete, die weder auf einem herrschenden Standard noch auf einer regulierenden Norm, sondern auf parametrischen Gradienten beruht. Dieser Wandel in der Regulierung, der durch die Verbindung von anthropometrischer Forschung und Kosten-Nutzen-Analysen verstärkt wurde, machte den Markt zum einzigen verfügbaren Instrument für die Verwaltung von Unterschieden und schuf letztlich die Voraussetzungen für eine Bürgerrechtsreform, die die Privatisierung des öffentlichen Lebens ermöglichte.
Automorphisms in Certain Nilpotent-by-Abelian Varieties of Groups
Authors: Kofinas C. E.
Published: March 2024

For positive integers n and k, with $$n \ge 4$$

n
≥
4

, let $$F_{n}$$

F
n

be the free group of rank n and let $$G_{n,k} = F_{n}/\gamma _{3}(F^{\prime }_{n})[F^{\prime \prime }_{n},~_{k}F_{n}]$$

G

n
,
k

=

F
n

/

γ
3

(

F
n
′

)

[

F
n
″

,

k

F
n

]

. We show that for sufficiently large n, the automorphism group $${\textrm{Aut}}(G_{n,k})$$

Aut
(

G

n
,
k

)

of $$G_{n,k}$$

G

n
,
k

is generated by the tame automorphisms and one more non-tame automorphism.
“You matter”: patients perceptions and disparities about cancer care and telehealth during and after COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Mohanna Mohamed , Herrán María , Dominguez Barbara , Sabbagh Saad , Msheik Ali , Itani Mira , Saba Ludovic , Iska Sindu , Liang Hong , Diaz Caroline Metzel , Nahleh Zeina
Published: March 2024

Purpose

Disparities in cancer care have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study is to establish how telehealth mitigated the effect of COVID-19 on the healthcare sector and to identify potential disparities in perception and experience with telehealth in cancer care during and after the pandemic.

Methods

We identified individuals with an established cancer diagnosis who received treatment at a comprehensive academic cancer center with a diverse patient population between 2019 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were asked to complete a self-administrated survey intended to collect patient-reported outcomes on socioeconomic and mental health challenges incurred during the pandemic as well as participants’ experience with telehealth. The assessment was adapted from a 21-question-based survey applied for mental health. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participant characteristics and the response to the survey items. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to assess and analyze the contributing factors to the survey responses.

Results

A total of N = 136 participants were included in this analysis. The majority of participants (60.6%) reported increased anxiety, stress, or experience of distress as a direct result of COVID-19. However, among 54.1% of survey responders participated in a telehealth appointment and 84.4% agreed it was an easy and effective experience.

Conclusion

Elderly, male, and black participants reported the worst impact related to the pandemic. The majority of patients had a positive experience with telehealth. The results of the study suggest that telehealth services can serve as a tool for patients with cancer during and beyond active treatment to access supportive services.
Urban scale pedestrian simulation in Kobe City center
Authors: Umemoto Daigo , Kikuchi Maiko , Terui Ayako , Abe Koutarou , Shimizu Ryuushi , Hirashige Katsuki , Ito Nobuyasu , Noda Itsuki
Published: March 2024

We attempted to construct a digital twin of Kobe City center, from the aspect of pedestrian traffic simulation. Policy evaluation was conducted using traffic demand based on mobile phone population statistics provided by NTT DOCOMO, INC., CrowdWalk, an agent-based pedestrian simulator, and manually edited map obtained from Open Street Map to implement pedestrian signals. Background pedestrian population was estimated to be 6509, and 10,000 evacuees are assumed in the Shinko area. All of them are assumed to evacuate into three stations, JR Sannomiya, Hankyu Sannomiya, and Motomachi. The evacuation time was originally simulated to be 25,685 s without any aided policies. As a policy, splitting the evacuation route reduced the evacuation time into 17,780 s which is 69% of the original. In addition, removing signals reduced the time furthermore into 9550 s, 37% in total. Only removing the signal resulted 12,475 s, which is a reduction to 52% of the original.
Motivation and perception of farmers on the benefits and challenges of agroforestry in Sweden (Northern Europe)
Authors: Schaffer Christina , Elbakidze Marine , Björklund Johanna
Published: March 2024

Agroforestry systems provide multiple benefits for human wellbeing and biodiversity; however, their diversity and spatial distribution has sharply declined across Europe. This study focuses on agroforestry farms in Sweden. The aim of the study was to explore farmers’ motivations to start agroforestry, what benefits farmers attributed to their agroforestry farms and perceived challenges to practising agroforestry in Sweden. In total, 13 farms that practise various agroforestry forms were selected as case studies. A focus group, semi-structured interviews and field observations were used for data collection. We identified four types of agroforestry systems such as silvopasture, silvoarable, forest farming and forest gardens established on different land such as forested or agricultural land. All studied agroforestry farms were small but had complex spatial and temporal arrangements of crops, trees and animals, which were crucial to generating multiple benefits. Our results show that the multifunctionality of agroforestry systems resulted from farmers’ desire to design such systems. Farmers’ intentions to get foods and materials from their farms were always intentionally unified with multiple ecosystem services. We argue that agroforestry farmers are designers of multifunctional landscapes, as they deliberately organised their farming activities to get a bundle of ecosystem services belonging to all four categories—provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural. However, the complexity of agroforestry management, lack of technologies suitable for small-scale agroforestry farms, limited plant materials (including seedlings) and limited knowledge about how to do agroforestry challenged the scaling up of agroforestry practices.
Do Longer Exhalations Increase HRV During Slow-Paced Breathing?
Authors: Meehan Zachary M. , Shaffer Fred
Published: March 2024

Slow-paced breathing at an individual’s resonance frequency (RF) is a common element of heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback training (Laborde et al. in Psychophysiology 59:e13952, 2022). Although there is strong empirical support for teaching clients to slow their respiration rate (RR) to the adult RF range between 4.5 and 6.5 bpm (Lehrer & Gevirtz, 2014), there have been no definitive findings regarding the best inhalation-to-exhalation (IE) ratio to increase HRV when breathing within this range. Three methodological challenges have frustrated previous studies: ensuring participants breathed at the target RR, IE ratio, and the same RR during each IE ratio. The reviewed studies disagreed regarding the effect of IE ratios. Three studies found no IE ratio effect (Cappo & Holmes in J Psychosom Res 28:265-273, 1984; Edmonds et al. in Biofeedback 37:141-146, 2009; Klintworth et al. in Physiol Meas 33:1717-1731, 2012). One reported an advantage for equal inhalations and exhalations (Lin et al. in Int J Psychophysiol 91:206?211, 2014). Four studies observed an advantage for longer exhalations than inhalations (Bae et al. in Psychophysiology 58:e13905, 2021; Laborde et al. in Sustainability 13:7775, 2021; Strauss-Blasche et al. in Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 27:601?60, 2000; Van Diest et al. in Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 39:171?180, 2014). One study reported an advantage for longer inhalations than exhalations (Paprika et al. in Acta Physiol Hung 101:273?281, 2014). We conducted original (N = 26) and replication (N = 16) studies to determine whether a 1:2 IE ratio produces different HRV time-domain, frequency-domain, or nonlinear metrics than a 1:1 ratio when breathing at 6 bpm. Our original study found that IE ratio did not affect HRV time- and frequency-domain metrics. The replication study confirmed these results and found no effect on HRV nonlinear measurements.
Observations of skin color aberrations in four shark species off the coast of southern California, USA
Authors: Skelton Zachary R. , Prinzing Tanya S. , Nosal Andrew P. , Vagner Zoey , Demman Peter , Zerofski Phil J. , Wegner Nicholas C.
Published: March 2024

Skin color aberrations are naturally occurring abnormal pigment patterns that are generally rare among chondrichthyans. In this study, we highlight different skin color aberrations from observations of four shark species native to southern California, USA. We report the first recorded instance of apparent leucism (regional pigmentation loss), in a California horn shark Heterodontus francisci (Girard 1855) and tope shark Galeorhinus galeus (Linnaeus 1758). We also report the apparent second documented occurrence of albinism in the swell shark Cephaloscyllium ventriosum (Garman 1880) from a newly hatched captive individual with parents of normal pigmentation. Lastly, we redescribe a rare secondary color morph in the leopard shark Triakis semifasciata Girard 1855 using previous literature and new sightings/images from sharks in the wild. Color aberrations may lead to different advantages (e.g., certain color morphs may offer additional camouflage) or disadvantages (e.g., reduced pigmentation may limit camouflage and protection from ultraviolet light). Documenting these rare color aberrations augments our understanding of how color patterns can vary between individuals and taxa, and ultimately how these conditions potentially impact shark biology.