bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expertise determines frequency and accuracy of contributions in sequential collaboration
Authors: Mayer Maren , Broß Marcel , Heck Daniel W.
Published: March 2023

Many collaborative online projects such as Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap organize collaboration among their contributors sequentially. In sequential collaboration, one contributor creates an entry which is then consecutively encountered by other contributors who decide whether to adjust or maintain the presented entry. For numeric and geographical judgments, sequential collaboration yields improved judgments over the course of a sequential chain and results in accurate final estimates. We hypothesize that these benefits emerge since contributors adjust entries according to their expertise, implying that judgments of experts have a larger impact compared with those of novices. In three preregistered studies, we measured and manipulated expertise to investigate whether expertise leads to higher change probabilities and larger improvements in judgment accuracy. Moreover, we tested whether expertise results in an increase in accuracy over the course of a sequential chain. As expected, experts adjusted entries more frequently, made larger improvements, and contributed more to the final estimates of sequential chains. Overall, our findings suggest that the high accuracy of sequential collaboration is due to an implicit weighting of judgments by expertise.
Size distribution of a drop undergoing breakup at moderate Weber numbers
Authors: Ade Someshwar Sanjay , Chandrala Lakshmana Dora , Sahu Kirti Chandra
Published: March 2023

The size distribution of child droplets resulting from a dual-bag fragmentation of a water drop is investigated using shadowgraphy and digital in-line holography techniques. It is observed that parent drop fragmentation contributes to the atomisation of tiny child droplets, whereas core drop disintegration predominantly results in larger fragments. Despite the complexity associated with dual-bag fragmentation, we demonstrate that it exhibits a bi-modal size distribution. In contrast, the single-bag breakup undergoes a tri-modal size distribution. We employ the analytical model developed by Jackiw & Ashgriz (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 940, 2022, A17) for dual-bag fragmentation that convincingly predicts the experimentally observed droplet volume probability density. We also estimate the temporal evolution of child droplet production in order to quantitatively illustrate the decomposition into initial and core breakups. Furthermore, we confirm that the analytical model adequately predicts the droplet size distribution for a range of Weber numbers.
Accountability for Court Packing
Authors: Nelson Michael J. , Driscoll Amanda
Published: March 2023

How does the public respond to court-packing attempts? Longstanding accounts of public support for courts suggest voters retaliate against incumbents who seek to manipulate well-respected courts. Yet incumbents might strategically frame their efforts in bureaucratic terms to minimize the public’s outcry or use court-packing proposals to activate a partisan base of support. Drawing on a series of survey experiments, we demonstrate that strategic politicians can minimize electoral backlash by couching court reform proposals in apolitical language, and institutional legitimacy’s shielding effect dissolves in the face of shared partisanship. These results shed new light on how ambitious politicians might avoid electoral consequences for efforts to bend the judiciary to their will.
Efficient pricing of Bordeaux en primeur wines
Authors: Masset Philippe , Weiskopf Jean-Philippe , Cardebat Jean-Marie
Published: March 2023

This paper proposes an approach to determine efficient release prices on the Bordeauxen primeur(primary) market. The model exploits information from the secondary market to estimate efficient release prices. We apply the model to a representative sample of wines from the 2021 vintage. The results show that most chateaux released their wines at prices that were too high. The median overpricing is 5.2% but exceeds 30% for some wines. This situation may be partially attributed to excessively uniform pricing caused by the tendency of chateaux with similar status to release their wines at similar price levels.
Wearables measuring electrodermal activity to assess perceived stress in care: a scoping review
Authors: Klimek Agata , Mannheim Ittay , Schouten Gerard , Wouters Eveline J. M. , Peeters Manon W. H.
Published: March 2023

Background:

Chronic stress responses can lead to physical and behavioural health problems, often experienced and observed in the care of people with intellectual disabilities or people with dementia. Electrodermal activity (EDA) is a bio-signal for stress, which can be measured by wearables and thereby support stress management. However, the how, when and to what extent patients and healthcare providers can benefit is unclear. This study aims to create an overview of available wearables enabling the detection of perceived stress by using EDA.

Methods:

Following the PRISMA-SCR protocol for scoping reviews, four databases were included in the search of peer-reviewed studies published between 2012 and 2022, reporting detection of EDA in relation to self-reported stress or stress-related behaviours. Type of wearable, bodily location, research population, context, stressor type and the reported relationship between EDA and perceived stress were extracted.

Results:

Of the 74 included studies, the majority included healthy subjects in laboratory situations. Field studies and studies using machine learning (ML) to predict stress have increased in the last years. EDA is most often measured on the wrist, with offline data processing. Studies predicting perceived stress or stress-related behaviour using EDA features, reported accuracies between 42% and 100% with an average of 82.6%. Of these studies, the majority used ML.

Conclusion:

Wearable EDA sensors are promising in detecting perceived stress. Field studies with relevant populations in a health or care context are lacking. Future studies should focus on the application of EDA-measuring wearables in real-life situations to support stress management.
RADIOCARBON DATING OF STRAW FRAGMENTS IN THE PLASTERS OF ST. PHILIP CHURCH IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE HIERAPOLIS OF PHRYGIA (DENIZLI, TURKEY)
Authors: Calandra Sara , Barone Serena , Cantisani Emma , Caggia Maria Piera , Liccioli Lucia , Vettori Silvia , Fedi Mariaelena
Published: March 2023

Absolute dating of plasters and mortars clearly represents a key information to study important structures and buildings that may have undergone a difficult story starting from their construction. This is for instance the case of the architectures in the archaeological site of Hierapolis (Denizli, Turkey). However, when discussing about the possibility to apply radiocarbon (14C) dating, in this site the presence of different sources of contaminants, due to the geological and geochemical conditions and to the used raw materials, prevents the binder dating. As an alternative, we thus decided to focus on the small fragments of straw that had been used as additives in the mortar/plaster matrices. The fragments were identified, selected and dated using a 14C experimental set-up specifically optimized for microgram-sized samples. The obtained results were satisfying, even though the measured 14C ages also pointed out some possible criticalities in dating such small samples collected from a carbonaceous matrix.
Political Dynasties in Defense of Democracy: The Case of France’s 1940 Enabling Act
Authors: Lacroix Jean , Méon Pierre-Guillaume , Oosterlinck Kim
Published: March 2023

The literature has pointed out the negative aspects of political dynasties. But can political dynasties help prevent autocratic reversals? We argue that political dynasties differ according to their ideological origin and that those whose founder was a defender of democratic ideals, for simplicity labeled “pro-democratic dynasties,” show stronger support for democracy. We analyze the vote by the French parliament on 10 July 1940 of an enabling act that granted full power to Marshall Philippe Pétain, thereby ending the Third French Republic and aligning France with Nazi Germany. Using data collected from the biographies of parliamentarians and information on their voting behavior, we find that members of a pro-democratic dynasty were 9.6 to 15.1 percentage points more likely to oppose the act than other parliamentarians. We report evidence that socialization inside and outside parliament shaped the vote of parliamentarians.
Molecular and morphological characterization ofAndracantha gravida(Alegret, 1941) (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae) in piscivorous birds from the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: García-Varela M. , Hernández-Orts J.S. , López-Jiménez A. , González-García M.T.
Published: March 2023

Adult specimens ofAndracantha gravida(Alegret, 1941) were recorded from the intestines of the double-crested cormorantNannopterum auritus(Lesson) (type host) and brown pelicanPelecanus occidentalisL. in two localities from Mexico: Celestún, Yucatan (south-eastern) and Punta Piedra, Tamaulipas (north-eastern). The specimens ofA. gravidaare morphologically characterized by having a pipe-shaped body without swellings, the absence of small trunk spines between the two fields of spines on the foretrunk and a cylindrical proboscis with 14–16 rows of 10–12 hooks per row. Newly generated partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochromecoxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene were generated from adult isolates ofA. gravidafrom Mexico and compared with one sequence ofA. gravidaand with sequences of other polymorphid acanthocephalans available in GenBank. Phylogenetic analyses based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods of thecox1 dataset placed all the species ofAndracanthain a single clade, with weak support. The analyses of thecox1 dataset placedAndracantha sigmaPresswell, García-Varela & Smales, 2018, as sister to the clade formed byA. gravida,Andracantha phalacrocoracis(Yamaguti, 1939),Andracantha leucocarboiPresswell, García-Varela & Smales, 2018 and an unidentified species ofAndracanthafrom Japan. The newly generatedcox1 sequences ofA. gravidafrom piscivorous birds of Mexico formed a strongly supported clade with the published sequence ofA. gravidafrom the double-crested cormorant from the south-eastern coast of Mexico. The intraspecific genetic divergence among isolates identified asA. gravidaranged from 0.0% to 2.2%. Acox1 haplotype network inferred with 14 sequences revealed the presence of nine haplotypes, two of which were shared between the populations of piscivorous birds from the north-eastern and south-eastern coasts of Mexico and seven of which were unique. The fixation index between the populations from north-eastern and south-eastern Mexico was low (0.06949), which suggests genetic flow. This can be explained by the migration patterns of the brown pelican and the double-crested cormorant along the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico.
Morphology and molecular phylogeny of Chauhanellus Bychowsky & Nagibina, 1969 (Monogenoidea) parasitizing marine catfish (Ariidae) from the Atlantic coast of South America: a new species, supplementary taxonomic information and new insights
Authors: Soares G.B. , Martins M.F. , Vianna R.T. , Domingues M.V. , Adriano E.A.
Published: March 2023

In this study, a new dactylogyrid species is described from the gills of two ariid fish species of the Brazilian coast, Genidens barbus and Genidens genidens, by combining morphological characters with partial 18S rDNA sequences. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the following morphological characteristics: a male copulatory organ (MCO), a coiled tubular shaft of around one counterclockwise ring, base with a sclerotized cap; MCO with tapered distal region; a T-shaped accessory piece; a vagina, a cup-shaped vaginal vestibule, slightly sclerotized; and a pharynx comprising a muscular, glandular bulb. Supplementary taxonomic data for Chauhanellus velum from Sciades couma (type-host) are also presented and new 18S rDNA sequences of Chauhanellus spp. from other ariid fish from South America are provided. Phylogenetic analyses based on partial 18S rDNA gene sequences placed Chauhanellus riograndinensis n. sp. and Chauhanellus velum as two early divergent lineages within Chauhanellus from South America. Finally, a way to test the monophyly of Chauhanellus and Hamatopeduncularia is also discussed, which may be useful for future studies.
Childhood maltreatment and major depressive disorder in well-being: a network analysis of a longitudinal community-based cohort
Authors: Su Yingying , Li Muzi , D'Arcy Carl , Caron Jean , Meng Xiangfei
Published: March 2023

Background

Little has been done to comprehensively study the relationships between multiple well-being constructs at a time. Even less is known about whether child maltreatment and major depressive disorder (MDD) impact different well-being constructs. This study aims to examine whether maltreated or depressed individuals have specific impacts on well-being structures.

Methods

Data analyzed were from the Montreal South-West Longitudinal Catchment Area Study (N = 1380). The potential confounding of age and sex was controlled by propensity score matching. We used network analysis to assess the impact of maltreatment and MDD on well-being. The centrality of nodes was estimated with the ‘strength’ index and a case-dropping bootstrap procedure was used to test network stability. Differences in the structure and connectivity of networks between different studied groups were also examined.

Results

Autonomy and daily life and social relations were the most central nodes for the MDD and maltreated groups [MDD group: strength coefficient (SC)autonomy = 1.50; SCdaily life and social relations = 1.34; maltreated group: SCautonomy = 1.69; SCdaily life and social relations = 1.55]. Both maltreatment and MDD groups had statistical differences in terms of the global strength of interconnectivity in their networks. Network invariance differed between with and without MDD groups indicating different structures of their networks. The non-maltreatment and MDD group had the highest level of overall connectivity.

Conclusions

We discovered distinct connectivity patterns of well-being outcomes in maltreatment and MDD groups. The identified core constructs could serve as potential targets to maximize the effectiveness of clinical management of MDD and also advance prevention to minimize the sequelae of maltreatment.
Seeing Like an Anti-Fraud State
Authors: Blumenthal Susanna L.
Published: March 2023

“They look upon fraud as a greater crime than theft, and therefore seldom fail to punish it with death,” Jonathan Swift famously wrote of the fictional island of Lilliput in Gulliver's Travels. Appearing as an epigraph of Edward Balleisen's Fraud: An American History from Barnum to Madoff, it invites comparison of Lilliput with the United States, not least because it is paired with a 2007 quotation from the former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, who was rather more philosophical about fraud. As the world teetered on the edge of economic crisis, he wrote it off as a regrettable but inevitable part of “the way human nature functions,” suggesting that “what successful economies do is keep it to a minimum.” Looking backward, Balleisen finds greater ambivalence in the historical record, as a matter of both human psychology and American law. From the nation's founding, he observes, “the country's lionization of entrepreneurial freedom has given aid and comfort to the perpetrators of duplicitous schemes.” But this is not to say that they have been allowed to act with impunity. To the contrary, their creative deceptions have inspired a wide array of anti-fraud initiatives, operating “at the leading edge of regulatory innovation.” In chronicling these conflicting and conflicted pursuits of profit and justice over the course of two centuries of American history, Balleisen brilliantly elucidates an enduring dilemma of governance: how to promote ingenuity without undermining “‘the capital of confidence upon which all progress depends.’”
Colonial Aphasia and the Circuits of Whiteness in Inclusive and Anti-Racist Youth Social Policy
Authors: Bernard Maria
Published: March 2023

This article maps how inclusive discourses aimed at addressing systemic racism and anti-Black racism circulate and operate within youth social policy in Ontario, Canada. Numerous reports and programmes attempt to understand systemic racism and propose new approaches to youth work in addressing youth violence, underemployment, underachievement, etc. This article demonstrates how efforts to counter state violence and systemic racism are pulled into the economic and political framework of racial neoliberal and colonial standards. Employing a Foucauldian genealogy of policy discourses (1992-2019) and semi-structured interviews with youth sector members, it traces how anti-racism discourses are altered by a colonial aphasia (Stoler, 2016) that in turn supports circuits of Whiteness, which continue to target, measure, train, and surveil racialised youth, limiting alternative ways of being.
Children’s understanding of dying and death: A multinational grounded theory study
Authors: McPoland Paula , Grossoehme Daniel H. , Sheehan Denice C. , Stephenson Pamela , Downing Julia , Deshommes Theony , Gassant Pascale Y.H. , Friebert Sarah
Published: March 2023

Objectives

The ways in which children understand dying and death remain poorly understood; most studies have been carried out with samples other than persons with an illness. The objective of this study was to understand the process by which children directly involved with life-limiting conditions understand dying and death.

Methods

This qualitative study obtained interview data from N = 44 5–18-year-old children in the USA, Haiti, and Uganda who were pediatric palliative care patients or siblings of patients. Of these, 32 were children with a serious condition and 12 were siblings of a child with a serious condition. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, verified, and analyzed using grounded theory methodology.

Results

Loss of normalcy and of relationships emerged as central themes described by both ill children and siblings. Resilience, altruism, and spirituality had a bidirectional relationship with loss, being strategies to manage both losses and anticipated death, but also being affected by losses. Resiliency and spirituality, but not altruism, had a bidirectional relationship with anticipating death. Themes were consistent across the 3 samples, although the beliefs and behaviors expressing them varied by country.

Significance of results

This study partially fills an identified gap in research knowledge about ways in which children in 3 nations understand dying and death. While children often lack an adult vocabulary to express thoughts about dying and death, results show that they are thinking about these topics. A proactive approach to address issues is warranted, and the data identify themes of concern to children.
Telling the Tale: Black Women Politicians and Their Use of Experiential Rhetoric
Authors: Wright Andrene Z.
Published: March 2023

Stereotypical assumptions about minority candidates serving those who identify most closely with their own identity have led to heightened scrutiny of women and Black candidates’ language. Using race-gendered language on the campaign trail can undermine a candidate’s viability, as skepticism of racial and gendered language is rooted in the belief that minority candidates may be “too narrow” in their concerns. Against this backdrop, this article explores the campaign rhetoric of three mayors: Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta, Lori Lightfoot of Chicago, and Muriel Bowser of Washington, DC. Analyzing 62 mayoral debates using NVivo, I find that Black women candidates leverage their lived experiences, rooted in their racial and gendered identity, more than their race and gendered counterparts when advocating for their policy preferences. This work produces key insights into identity and campaign rhetoric utilized by Black women politicians.
Understanding the Rupture Kinematics and Slip Model of the 2021 Mw 7.4 Maduo Earthquake: A Bilateral Event on Bifurcating Faults
Authors: Xu Liuwei , Yunjun Zhang , Ji Chen , Meng Lingsen , Fielding Eric J. , Zinke Robert , Bao Han
Published: March 2023

We image the rupture process of the 2021 Mw 7.4 Maduo, Tibet earthquake using slowness‐enhanced back‐projection (BP) and joint finite fault inversion, which combines teleseismic broadband body waves, long‐period (166–333 s) seismic waves, and 3D ground displacements from radar satellites. The results reveal a left‐lateral strike‐slip rupture, propagating bilaterally on a 160 km long north‐dipping sub‐vertical fault system that bifurcates near its east end. About 80% of the total seismic moment occurs on the asperities shallower than 10 km, with a peak slip of 5.7 m. To simultaneously match the observed long‐period seismic waves and static displacements, potential deep slip is required, despite a tradeoff with the rigidity of the shallow crust. The deep slip existence, local crustal rigidity, and synthetic long‐period Earth response for Tibet earthquakes thus deserve further investigation. The WNW branch ruptures ∼75 km at ∼2.7 km/s, while the ESE branch ruptures ∼85 km at ∼3 km/s, though super‐shear rupture propagation possibly occurs during the ESE propagation from 12 to 20 s. Synthetic BP tests confirm overall sub‐shear rupture speeds and reveal a previously undocumented limitation caused by the signal interference between two bilateral branches. The stress analysis on the forks of the fault demonstrates that the pre‐compression inclination, rupture speed, and branching angle could explain the branching behavior on the eastern fork.
Environmental Transport of Gyrotactic Microorganisms in an Open‐Channel Flow
Authors: Li Guangmiao , Gong Zheng , Jiang Weiquan , Zhan Jie , Wang Bohan , Fu Xudong , Xu Mengzhen , Wu Zi
Published: March 2023

The rich and complex phenomena of the transport of active particles like microorganisms in shear flows are of great significance to various biological and environmental applications. Recent studies have shown that the motility and gyrotaxis of algae could greatly influence their transport in waters. However, little attention has been paid to the initial and transient transport regime when the classical Taylor dispersion model is not applicable. To tackle this problem, we resort to Gill's generalized dispersion model for passive particles like solute, which has the potential for accurately describing the entire transport process. For the first time, we extend Gill's model to the active particles, and the effects of swimming, gyrotaxis, and flow shear on the microorganism dispersion in an open‐channel flow have been thoroughly investigated. We first theoretically solve the transient drift and dispersion coefficients, based on which we obtain analytical solutions for concentration distributions of microorganisms, and further validate these results by numerically solving the governing equation. We find that when there is no flow, the longitudinal dispersion of microorganisms can be weakened by the gravitactic accumulation in the vicinity of water surface, while enhanced by a stronger swimming ability of the microorganisms. The effect of the flow shear does not affect the form of the asymptotic concentration distribution, but can greatly enhance the transient drift velocity and the dispersivity. We further analyze the effect of turbulence on microorganisms' dispersion by combing the direct numerical simulation and the random walk simulation. The increase of turbulence is shown to decrease the vertical non‐uniformity of the concentration distribution, as well as the relative contribution of active behavior to both the drift and Taylor dispersivity during transport.
A Morphological and Spatial Analysis of Volcanoes on Venus
Authors: Hahn Rebecca M. , Byrne Paul K.
Published: March 2023

Venus is home to many thousands of volcanic landforms that range in size from much less than 5 km to well over 100 km in diameter. Volcanism is clearly a major, widespread process on Venus, and is a principal expression of the planet's secular loss of interior heat. Without sufficient in situ data to clearly determine its internal structure, we can use the morphological and spatial properties of volcanoes across the planet to help place constraints on our understanding of the volcanic characteristics and history of Venus. With the Magellan synthetic‐aperture radar full‐resolution radar map left‐ and right‐look global mosaics at 75 m‐per‐pixel resolution, we developed a global catalog of volcanoes on Venus that contains ∼85,000 edifices, ∼99% of which are <5 km in diameter. We find that Venus hosts far more volcanoes than previously mapped, and that although they are distributed across virtually the entire planet, size–frequency distribution analysis reveals a relative lack of edifices in the 20–100 km diameter range, which could be related to magma availability and eruption rate. Through spatial density analysis of volcanoes alongside assessments of geophysical data sets and proximal tectonic and volcanic structures, we report on the morphological and spatial patterns of volcanism on Venus to help gain new insights into the planet's geological evolution.
Mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles subvert Th17 cells by destabilizing RORγt through posttranslational modification
Authors: Jung Sunyoung , Lee Sunho , Kim Hyun Je , Kim Sueon , Moon Ji Hwan , Chung Hyunwoo , Kang Seong-Jun , Park Chung-Gyu
Published: March 2023

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived small extracellular vesicles (MSC-sEVs) are known to exert immunosuppressive functions. This study showed that MSC-sEVs specifically convert T helper 17 (Th17) cells into IL-17 low-producer (ex-Th17) cells by degrading RAR-related orphan receptor γt (RORγt) at the protein level. In experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE)-induced mice, treatment with MSC-sEVs was found to not only ameliorate clinical symptoms but also to reduce the number of Th17 cells in draining lymph nodes and the central nervous system. MSC-sEVs were found to destabilize RORγt by K63 deubiquitination and deacetylation, which was attributed to the EP300-interacting inhibitor of differentiation 3 (Eid3) contained in the MSC-sEVs. Small extracellular vesicles isolated from the Eid3 knockdown MSCs by Eid3-shRNA failed to downregulate RORγt. Moreover, forced expression of Eid3 by gene transfection was found to significantly decrease the protein level of RORγt in Th17 cells. Altogether, this study reveals the novel immunosuppressive mechanisms of MSC-sEVs, which suggests the feasibility of MSC-sEVs as an attractive therapeutic tool for curing Th17-mediated inflammatory diseases.
Risk-prediction models for intravenous immunoglobulin resistance in Kawasaki disease: Risk-of-Bias Assessment using PROBAST
Authors: Wang Shuhui , Huang Hongbiao , Hou Miao , Xu Qiuqin , Qian Weiguo , Tang Yunjia , Li Xuan , Qian Guanghui , Ma Jin , Zheng Yiming , Shen Yueping , Lv Haitao
Published: March 2023

Background

The prediction model of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistance in Kawasaki disease can calculate the probability of IVIG resistance and provide a basis for clinical decision-making. We aim to assess the quality of these models developed in the children with Kawasaki disease.

Methods

Studies of prediction models for IVIG-resistant Kawasaki disease were identified through searches in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases. Two investigators independently performed literature screening, data extraction, quality evaluation, and discrepancies were settled by a statistician. The checklist for critical appraisal and data extraction for systematic reviews of prediction modeling studies (CHARMS) was used for data extraction, and the prediction models were evaluated using the Prediction Model Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (PROBAST).

Results

Seventeen studies meeting the selection criteria were included in the qualitative analysis. The top three predictors were neutrophil measurements (peripheral neutrophil count and neutrophil %), serum albumin level, and C-reactive protein (CRP) level. The reported area under the curve (AUC) values for the developed models ranged from 0.672 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.631–0.712) to 0.891 (95% CI: 0.837–0.945); The studies showed a high risk of bias (ROB) for modeling techniques, yielding a high overall ROB.

Conclusion

IVIG resistance models for Kawasaki disease showed high ROB. An emphasis on improving their quality can provide high-quality evidence for clinical practice.

Impact statement

This study systematically evaluated the risk of bias (ROB) of existing prediction models for intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) resistance in Kawasaki disease to provide guidance for future model development meeting clinical expectations.

This is the first study to systematically evaluate the ROB of IVIG resistance in Kawasaki disease by using PROBAST. ROB may reduce model performance in different populations.

Future prediction models should account for this problem, and PROBAST can help improve the methodological quality and applicability of prediction model development.
Rehabilitating a severely worn dentition with removable prosthodontics
Authors: Hackett Stephanie , Newton Richard , Ali Rahat
Published: March 2023

In the next part of this series on tooth wear management, we discuss the indications and clinical stages for the provision of removable prostheses for the treatment of severely worn and depleted dentitions. The general design features of a complex prosthesis are described for reorganised occlusal schemes and maintenance guidelines are explained. In addition, the clinical stages for three different situations are described: removable-only approaches, and combined fixed and removable in the same arch and separate arches. The value of providing removable prostheses in worn dentitions allows the immediate rehabilitation of severely worn teeth taking a non-invasive and retrievable approach when the remaining dentition is of poor quality or structure and/or there are missing teeth.
Managing tooth wear with respect to quality of life: an evidence-based decision on when to intervene
Authors: Mehta Shamir B. , Loomans Bas A. C. , van Sambeek Roos M. F. , Pereira-Cenci Tatiana , O’Toole Saoirse
Published: March 2023

Patients with more severe forms of tooth wear may require restorative rehabilitation. The decision to commence treatment must be taken carefully and there are a multitude of factors to consider. Alongside the clinical signs and symptoms typically associated with tooth wear, there is also the need to assess the impact of the condition on the patient's oral health-related quality of life. As part of the discussions relating to the attainment of informed consent for the restoration of the worn dentition, not only is it relevant to appropriately appraise the risks, benefits, costs, reasonable alternatives and likely prognosis of the proposed treatments, but to also elaborate on the expected impact of the intervention on the patient's oral health-related quality of life. The aim of this article is to review the evidence relating to the impact of the quality of life with the management of tooth wear, with the introduction of the concept of an evidence-based approach to decision-making when planning care.
Monitoring of erosive tooth wear: what to use and when to use it
Authors: O’Toole Saoirse , Marro Francisca , Loomans Bas A. C. , Mehta Shamir B.
Published: March 2023

Although we are increasingly recognising the need to assess patients for accelerated rates of tooth wear progression, it is often difficult to do so within a feasible diagnostic window. This paper aims to provide evidence-based timelines which a diagnosing clinician can expect to assess tooth wear progression in study models, clinical indices, clinical photographs and visually with intraoral scans. It also discusses new technologies emerging for the quantitative assessment of tooth wear, timelines for diagnosis, and caveats in the 3D scan registration and analysis process.
Calpain activity is negatively regulated by a KCTD7–Cullin-3 complex via non-degradative ubiquitination
Authors: Sharma Jaiprakash , Mulherkar Shalaka , Chen Uan-I , Xiong Yan , Bajaj Lakshya , Cho Byoung-Kyu , Goo Young Ah , Leung Hon-Chiu Eastwood , Tolias Kimberley F. , Sardiello Marco
Published: March 2023

Calpains are a class of non-lysosomal cysteine proteases that exert their regulatory functions via limited proteolysis of their substrates. Similar to the lysosomal and proteasomal systems, calpain dysregulation is implicated in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disease and cancer. Despite intensive efforts placed on the identification of mechanisms that regulate calpains, however, calpain protein modifications that regulate calpain activity are incompletely understood. Here we show that calpains are regulated by KCTD7, a cytosolic protein of previously uncharacterized function whose pathogenic mutations result in epilepsy, progressive ataxia, and severe neurocognitive deterioration. We show that KCTD7 works in complex with Cullin-3 and Rbx1 to execute atypical, non-degradative ubiquitination of calpains at specific sites (K398 of calpain 1, and K280 and K674 of calpain 2). Experiments based on single-lysine mutants of ubiquitin determined that KCTD7 mediates ubiquitination of calpain 1 via K6-, K27-, K29-, and K63-linked chains, whereas it uses K6-mediated ubiquitination to modify calpain 2. Loss of KCTD7-mediated ubiquitination of calpains led to calpain hyperactivation, aberrant cleavage of downstream targets, and caspase-3 activation. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of Kctd7 in mice phenotypically recapitulated human KCTD7 deficiency and resulted in calpain hyperactivation, behavioral impairments, and neurodegeneration. These phenotypes were largely prevented by pharmacological inhibition of calpains, thus demonstrating a major role of calpain dysregulation in KCTD7-associated disease. Finally, we determined that Cullin-3–KCTD7 mediates ubiquitination of all ubiquitous calpains. These results unveil a novel mechanism and potential target to restrain calpain activity in human disease and shed light on the molecular pathogenesis of KCTD7-associated disease.
Avacincaptad pegol for geographic atrophy secondary to age-related macular degeneration: 18-month findings from the GATHER1 trial
Authors: Patel Sunil S. , Lally David R. , Hsu Jason , Wykoff Charles C. , Eichenbaum David , Heier Jeffrey S. , Jaffe Glenn J. , Westby Keith , Desai Dhaval , Zhu Liansheng , Khanani Arshad M.
Published: March 2023

Background/Objectives

To assess the safety and efficacy of avacincaptad pegol (ACP), a C5 inhibitor, for geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) over an 18-month treatment course.

Subjects/Methods

This study was an international, prospective, randomized, double-masked, sham-controlled, phase 2/3 clinical trial that consisted of 2 parts. In part 1, 77 participants were randomized 1:1:1 to receive monthly intravitreal injections of ACP 1 mg, ACP 2 mg, or sham. In part 2, 209 participants were randomized 1:2:2 to receive monthly ACP 2 mg, ACP 4 mg, or sham. The mean rate of change of GA over 18 months was measured by fundus autofluorescence.

Results

Compared with their respective sham cohorts, monthly ACP treatment reduced the mean GA growth (square root transformation) over 18 months by 28.1% (0.168 mm, 95% CI [0.066, 0.271]) for the 2 mg cohort and 30.0% (0.167 mm, 95% CI [0.062, 0.273]) for the 4 mg cohort. ACP treatment was generally well tolerated over 18 months, with most ocular adverse events (AEs) related to the injection procedure. Macular neovascularization (MNV) was more frequent in both 2 mg (11.9%) and 4 mg (15.7%) cohorts than their respective sham control groups (2.7% and 2.4%).

Conclusions

Over this 18-month study, ACP 2 mg and 4 mg showed continued reductions in the progression of GA growth compared to sham and continued to be generally well tolerated. A pivotal phase 3 GATHER2 trial is currently underway to support the efficacy and safety of ACP as a potential treatment for GA.
Modulation of metal species as control point for Ni-catalyzed stereodivergent semihydrogenation of alkynes with water
Authors: Wu Yuanqi , Ao Yuhui , Li Zhiming , Liu Chunhui , Zhao Jinbo , Gao Wenyu , Li Xuemeng , Wang Hui , Liu Yongsheng , Liu Yu
Published: March 2023

A base-assisted metal species modulation mechanism enables Ni-catalyzed stereodivergent transfer semihydrogenation of alkynes with water, delivering both olefinic isomers smoothly using cheap and nontoxic catalysts and additives. Different from most precedents, in which E-alkenes derive from the isomerization of Z-alkene products, the isomers were formed in orthogonal catalytic pathways. Mechanistic studies suggest base as a key early element in modulation of the reaction pathways: by adding different bases, nickel species with disparate valence states could be accessed to initiate two catalytic cycles toward different stereoisomers. The practicability of the method is showcased with nearly 70 examples, including internal and terminal triple bonds, enynes and diynes, affording semi-hydrogenated products in high yields and selectivity.
Predicting vaccine effectiveness against severe COVID-19 over time and against variants: a meta-analysis
Authors: Cromer Deborah , Steain Megan , Reynaldi Arnold , Schlub Timothy E. , Khan Shanchita R. , Sasson Sarah C. , Kent Stephen J. , Khoury David S. , Davenport Miles P.
Published: March 2023

Vaccine protection from symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection has been shown to be strongly correlated with neutralising antibody titres; however, this has not yet been demonstrated for severe COVID-19. To explore whether this relationship also holds for severe COVID-19, we performed a systematic search for studies reporting on protection against different SARS-CoV-2 clinical endpoints and extracted data from 15 studies. Since matched neutralising antibody titres were not available, we used the vaccine regimen, time since vaccination and variant of concern to predict corresponding neutralising antibody titres. We then compared the observed vaccine effectiveness reported in these studies to the protection predicted by a previously published model of the relationship between neutralising antibody titre and vaccine effectiveness against severe COVID-19. We find that predicted neutralising antibody titres are strongly correlated with observed vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic (Spearman $$\rho$$
ρ
= 0.95, p < 0.001) and severe (Spearman $$\rho$$
ρ
= 0.72, p < 0.001 for both) COVID-19 and that the loss of neutralising antibodies over time and to new variants are strongly predictive of observed vaccine protection against severe COVID-19.
The m6A reader PRRC2A is essential for meiosis I completion during spermatogenesis
Authors: Tan Xinshui , Zheng Caihong , Zhuang Yinghua , Jin Pengpeng , Wang Fengchao
Published: March 2023

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) and its reader proteins YTHDC1, YTHDC2, and YTHDF2 have been shown to exert essential functions during spermatogenesis. However, much remains unknown about m6A regulation mechanisms and the functions of specific readers during the meiotic cell cycle. Here, we show that the m6A reader Proline rich coiled-coil 2A (PRRC2A) is essential for male fertility. Germ cell-specific knockout of Prrc2a causes XY asynapsis and impaired meiotic sex chromosome inactivation in late-prophase spermatocytes. Moreover, PRRC2A-null spermatocytes exhibit delayed metaphase entry, chromosome misalignment, and spindle disorganization at metaphase I and are finally arrested at this stage. Sequencing data reveal that PRRC2A decreases the RNA abundance or improves the translation efficiency of targeting transcripts. Specifically, PRRC2A recognizes spermatogonia-specific transcripts and downregulates their RNA abundance to maintain the spermatocyte expression pattern during the meiosis prophase. For genes involved in meiotic cell division, PRRC2A improves the translation efficiency of their transcripts. Further, co-immunoprecipitation data show that PRRC2A interacts with several proteins regulating mRNA metabolism or translation (YBX1, YBX2, PABPC1, FXR1, and EIF4G3). Our study reveals post-transcriptional functions of PRRC2A and demonstrates its critical role in the completion of meiosis I in spermatogenesis.
Temporal and spatial assembly of inner ear hair cell ankle link condensate through phase separation
Authors: Wang Huang , Du Haibo , Ren Rui , Du Tingting , Lin Lin , Feng Zhe , Zhao Dange , Wei Xiaoxi , Zhai Xiaoyan , Wang Hongyang , Dong Tingting , Sun Jin-Peng , Wu Hao , Xu Zhigang , Lu Qing
Published: March 2023

Stereocilia are actin-based cell protrusions of inner ear hair cells and are indispensable for mechanotransduction. Ankle links connect the ankle region of developing stereocilia, playing an essential role in stereocilia development. WHRN, PDZD7, ADGRV1 and USH2A have been identified to form the so-called ankle link complex (ALC); however, the detailed mechanism underlying the temporal emergence and degeneration of ankle links remains elusive. Here we show that WHRN and PDZD7 orchestrate ADGRV1 and USH2A to assemble the ALC through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Disruption of the ALC multivalency for LLPS largely abolishes the distribution of WHRN at the ankle region of stereocilia. Interestingly, high concentration of ADGRV1 inhibits LLPS, providing a potential mechanism for ALC disassembly. Moreover, certain deafness mutations of ALC genes weaken the multivalent interactions of ALC and impair LLPS. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that LLPS mediates ALC formation, providing essential clues for understanding the pathogenesis of deafness.
Intranasal trimeric sherpabody inhibits SARS-CoV-2 including recent immunoevasive Omicron subvariants
Authors: Mäkelä Anna R. , Uğurlu Hasan , Hannula Liina , Kant Ravi , Salminen Petja , Fagerlund Riku , Mäki Sanna , Haveri Anu , Strandin Tomas , Kareinen Lauri , Hepojoki Jussi , Kuivanen Suvi , Levanov Lev , Pasternack Arja , Naves Rauno A. , Ritvos Olli , Österlund Pamela , Sironen Tarja , Vapalahti Olli , Kipar Anja , Huiskonen Juha T. , Rissanen Ilona , Saksela Kalle
Published: March 2023

The emergence of increasingly immunoevasive SARS-CoV-2 variants emphasizes the need for prophylactic strategies to complement vaccination in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Intranasal administration of neutralizing antibodies has shown encouraging protective potential but there remains a need for SARS-CoV-2 blocking agents that are less vulnerable to mutational viral variation and more economical to produce in large scale. Here we describe TriSb92, a highly manufacturable and stable trimeric antibody-mimetic sherpabody targeted against a conserved region of the viral spike glycoprotein. TriSb92 potently neutralizes SARS-CoV-2, including the latest Omicron variants like BF.7, XBB, and BQ.1.1. In female Balb/c mice intranasal administration of just 5 or 50 micrograms of TriSb92 as early as 8 h before but also 4 h after SARS-CoV-2 challenge can protect from infection. Cryo-EM and biochemical studies reveal triggering of a conformational shift in the spike trimer as the inhibitory mechanism of TriSb92. The potency and robust biochemical properties of TriSb92 together with its resistance against viral sequence evolution suggest that TriSb92 could be useful as a nasal spray for protecting susceptible individuals from SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Transmission modeling to infer tuberculosis incidence prevalence and mortality in settings with generalized HIV epidemics
Authors: Dodd Peter J. , Shaweno Debebe , Ku Chu-Chang , Glaziou Philippe , Pretorius Carel , Hayes Richard J. , MacPherson Peter , Cohen Ted , Ayles Helen
Published: March 2023

Tuberculosis (TB) killed more people globally than any other single pathogen over the past decade. Where surveillance is weak, estimating TB burden estimates uses modeling. In many African countries, increases in HIV prevalence and antiretroviral therapy have driven dynamic TB epidemics, complicating estimation of burden, trends, and potential intervention impact. We therefore develop a novel age-structured TB transmission model incorporating evolving demographic, HIV and antiretroviral therapy effects, and calibrate to TB prevalence and notification data from 12 African countries. We use Bayesian methods to include uncertainty for all TB model parameters, and estimate age-specific annual risks of TB infection, finding up to 16.0%/year in adults, and the proportion of TB incidence from recent (re)infection, finding a mean across countries of 34%. Rapid reduction of the unacceptably high burden of TB in high HIV prevalence settings will require interventions addressing progression as well as transmission.
Supramolecular glasses with color-tunable circularly polarized afterglow through evaporation-induced self-assembly of chiral metal–organic complexes
Authors: Nie Fei , Wang Ke-Zhi , Yan Dongpeng
Published: March 2023

The fabrication of chiral molecules into macroscopic systems has many valuable applications, especially in the fields of optical displays, data encryption, information storage, and so on. Here, we design and prepare a serious of supramolecular glasses (SGs) based on Zn-L-Histidine complexes, via an evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) strategy. Metal-ligand interactions between the zinc(II) ion and chiral L-Histidine endow the SGs with interesting circularly polarized afterglow (CPA). Multicolored CPA emissions from blue to red with dissymmetry factor as high as 9.5 × 10−3and excited-state lifetime up to 356.7 ms are achieved under ambient conditions. Therefore, this work not only communicates the bulk SGs with wide-tunable afterglow and large circular polarization, but also provides an EISA method for the macroscopic self-assembly of chiral metal–organic hybrids toward photonic applications.
A population-based nomogram to individualize treatment modality for pancreatic cancer patients underlying surgery
Authors: Shi Xiao-Ya , Wang Yan , Zhou Xuan , Xie Meng-Li , Ma Qian , Wang Gan-Xin , Zhan Jing , Shao Yi-Ming , Wei Bai
Published: March 2023

As the most aggressive tumor, TNM staging does not accurately identify patients with pancreatic cancer who are sensitive to therapy. This study aimed to identify associated risk factors and develop a nomogram to predict survival in pancreatic cancer surgery patients and to select the most appropriate comprehensive treatment regimen. First, the survival difference between radiotherapy and no radiotherapy was calculated based on propensity score matching (PSM). Cox regression was conducted to select the predictors of overall survival (OS). The model was constructed using seven variables: histologic type, grade, T stage, N stage, stage, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. All patients were classified into high- or low-risk groups based on the nomogram. The nomogram model for OS was established and showed good calibration and acceptable discrimination (C-index 0.721). Receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and DCA curves showed that nomograms had better predictive performance than TNM stage. Patients were divided into low-risk and high-risk groups according to nomogram scores. Radiotherapy is recommended for high-risk patients but not for low-risk patients. We have established a well-performing nomogram to effectively predict the prognosis of pancreatic cancer patients underlying surgery. The web version of the nomogram https://rockeric.shinyapps.io/DynNomapp/ may contribute to treatment optimization in clinical practice.