bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between early life famine exposure and risk of metabolic syndrome in later life
Authors: Zhang Yi , Qi Hongyan , Hu Chunyan , Wang Shuangyuan , Zhu Yuanyue , Lin Hong , Lin Lin , Zhang Jie , Wang Tiange , Zhao Zhiyun , Li Mian , Xu Yu , Xu Min , Bi Yufang , Wang Weiqing , Chen Yuhong , Lu Jieli , Ning Guang
Published: September 2022

Background

Previous studies reported that famine exposure had an effect on metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, there is an inadequacy of study regarding the association between famine exposure, adulthood general obesity, and the risk of MetS.

Methods

A total of 8883 subjects aged ≥40 years from Jiading community in Shanghai were included. We defined famine exposure subgroups as nonexposed (1963–1974), fetal exposed (1959–1962), childhood exposed (1949–1958), and adolescence exposed (1941–1948). MetS was defined based on the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP‐ATP III) criteria.

Results

Compared with the nonexposed group, the risks of MetS were increased in the fetal‐, childhood‐, and adolescence‐exposed groups with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of 1.48 (1.23–1.78), 1.89 (1.63–2.20), and 2.34 (1.99–2.74), respectively. After adjusting for sex, age, smoking status, drinking status, education, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity, the increased risk of MetS related to the fetal‐exposed and childhood‐exposed groups with OR and 95% CI of 1.42 (1.04–1.94) and 1.50 (1.02–2.21), respectively, were observed only in women. Famine exposure was significantly associated with MetS among individuals with a BMI < 23 kg/m2 (p for interaction between BMI categories and famine exposure = 0.0002 in the whole cohort), while there existed a gender difference (p = 0.0023 in females, p = 0.4484 in males). When evaluating the joint effects of the combination of famine exposure in early life and general obesity in adulthood on MetS, we observed the highest estimate in participants with both adulthood general obesity and fetal famine exposure (OR 17.52; 95% CI, 10.07–30.48) compared with those without famine exposure nor adulthood obesity.

Conclusions

Obesity in adulthood significantly further aggravated the risk of MetS in individuals who experienced early life undernutrition, especially in females.
Comparison of ultrasound and mammography for early diagnosis of breast cancer among Chinese women with suspected breast lesions: A prospective trial
Authors: Wang Yingjiao , Li Yuechong , Song Yu , Chen Chang , Wang Zhe , Li Linrong , Liu Mohan , Liu Guanmo , Xu Yali , Zhou Yidong , Sun Qiang , Shen Songjie
Published: September 2022

Background

Ultrasound is more widely used than mammography for early diagnosis of breast cancer in China as most Chinese women have small and dense mammary glands. This study compared the diagnostic performance of ultrasound and mammography for breast cancer among Chinese women with suspected breast lesions.

Methods

From November 2019 to November 2021, we compared the results of ultrasound and mammography for breast lesion diagnosis in 2737 consecutive participants with suspected breast lesions; all patients underwent biopsies. We measured the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy separately.

Results

Among the 2737 participants, 2844 breast lesions were detected, including 1935 (68.0%) breast cancers and 909 (32.0%) benign lesions. Of the breast cancers, ultrasound detected 1851 (95.7%), whereas mammography detected 1527 (78.9%). The sensitivity of ultrasound for breast cancer diagnosis was significantly higher than that of mammography (95.7% vs. 78.9%, p < 0.001), whereas the specificity was significantly lower than that of mammography (42.9% vs. 62.3%, p < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic curves revealed that ultrasound was more accurate in detecting breast cancer than mammography (76.8% vs. 71.3%, p < 0.001). Age, body mass index, and breast density did not influence ultrasound sensitivity and accuracy.

Conclusions

Ultrasound is more sensitive and accurate than mammography and detects more breast cancers with a lower specificity.
FinBERT: A Large Language Model for Extracting Information from Financial Text*
Authors: Huang Allen H. , Wang Hui , Yang Yi
Published: September 2022

We develop FinBERT, a state‐of‐the‐art large language model that adapts to the finance domain. We show that FinBERT incorporates finance knowledge and can better summarize contextual information in financial texts. Using a sample of researcher‐labeled sentences from analyst reports, we document that FinBERT substantially outperforms the Loughran and McDonald dictionary and other machine learning algorithms, including naïve Bayes, support vector machine, random forest, convolutional neural network, and long short‐term memory, in sentiment classification. Our results show that FinBERT excels in identifying the positive or negative sentiment of sentences that other algorithms mislabel as neutral, likely because it uses contextual information in financial text. We find that FinBERT's advantage over other algorithms, and Google's original bidirectional encoder representations from transformers model, is especially salient when the training sample size is small and in texts containing financial words not frequently used in general texts. FinBERT also outperforms other models in identifying discussions related to environment, social, and governance issues. Last, we show that other approaches underestimate the textual informativeness of earnings conference calls by at least 18% compared to FinBERT. Our results have implications for academic researchers, investment professionals, and financial market regulators.
European trade ceramics on the Arabian Peninsula 1800–1960
Authors: Otte Jaap P. W. , Priestman Seth M. N.
Published: September 2022

European trade ceramics found across Arabia date from the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries and were made at factories mostly located within northwest Europe. After c. 1930, imitations of European ceramics are increasingly represented from factories in Japan and later China. Combining the information from archaeological excavations on the Arab coast of the Gulf and ceramics from museum and private collections, information from the archives of the British India Office and the Maastricht pottery order books for Arabia, a relatively detailed overview of this market for trade ceramics can be reconstructed. Three key points may be highlighted: First, the complex routes via which European ceramics arrived within Arabia, second, the significance of the link between producers and consumers on opposite sides of the globe, exemplified by specific designs and types of vessels manufactured for the Arabian market, and third, new layers of meaning that were given to such objects as they were incorporated into the homes, social fabric and the lives of people in Arabia.
Maternal heated tobacco product use during pregnancy and allergy in offspring
Authors: Zaitsu Masayoshi , Kono Kenta , Hosokawa Yoshihiko , Miyamoto Manabu , Nanishi Keiko , Okawa Sumiyo , Niki Shinji , Takahashi Kyo , Yoshihara Shigemi , Kobashi Gen , Tabuchi Takahiro
Published: September 2022

Background

Little is known about the association between maternal use of heated tobacco products (HTPs) during pregnancy and the onset of allergy among offspring. This study aimed to determine whether maternal HTP smoking is associated with allergy in their offspring and to evaluate the potential dose–response association.

Methods

In this web‐based, cross‐sectional survey conducted in July and August 2021 in Japan, we investigated 5688 pairs of postpartum women and infants (<3 years). Clinical diagnoses of infant asthma, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, or atopic dermatitis were reported. Using multilevel Poisson regression, we estimated the prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of allergy in infants with HTP smoking categories cross‐classified by pregnancy periods, and adjusted for potential covariates including maternal cigarette smoking and partner's smoking status. Non‐smokers served as the reference group.

Results

In total, 2.4% women smoked HTPs during pregnancy. Allergy occurred in 7.8% of the infants. The prevalence of allergy increased among the offspring of current HTP smokers during pregnancy at 15.2% (PR = 1.98, 95% CI 1.28–3.05); this association was the most pronounced during the first trimester but attenuated before pregnancy and postpartum. Dose–response associations were observed, for example a one‐unit increase in daily maternal HTP use during pregnancy was associated with a 5% increase in allergy onset. Sub‐group analyses excluding cigarette smokers during pregnancy and sensitivity analyses using the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire showed a similar pattern.

Conclusions

Maternal HTP smoking during pregnancy is associated with allergy in the offspring.
Sleep‐deprived new mothers gave their infants a higher priority than themselves
Authors: Hoegholt Nadia F. , Buus Svend , Stevner Angus B. A. , Sui Jie , Vuust Peter , Kringelbach Morten L.
Published: September 2022

Aim

To understand why some parents are less sensitive to infant cues than others, we need to understand how healthy parents respond, and how this is influenced by factors such as sleep deprivation. Here, we examined whether sleep deprivation alters the self‐infant‐prioritisation effect in a population of first‐time mothers within their first year of motherhood.

Methods

The study took place at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark from August 2018 until February 2020. First‐time mothers were recruited through Midwife clinics, national and social media. All women completed a perceptual matching task including an infant category. The mothers were divided into two groups depending on their sleep status: below or above 7 h of average night‐time sleep, measured with actigraphy.

Results

Forty‐eight first‐time mothers at the age of 29.13 ± 3.87 years were included. In the sleep‐deprived group, the infant category was statistically significantly higher in accuracy (p = 0.005) and faster in reaction time (p < 0.001) than all other categories. In contrast, in the non‐sleep‐deprived group, there was no statistically significant difference between self and infant, neither in accuracy, nor reaction time.

Conclusion

Sleep‐deprived new mothers strongly prioritised infants over self, while non‐sleep‐deprived new mothers showed no prioritisation of the self over the infant.
Does the medium matter? Comparing the effectiveness of videos, podcasts and online articles in nutrition communication
Authors: Weiß Katharina , König Laura M.
Published: September 2022

Videos and podcasts have become popular in nutrition communication. However, it is unclear whether they are more effective than online texts in conveying knowledge and promoting behavioural intentions. Based on the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, it was hypothesised that videos are more effective than podcasts or texts in communicating nutrition‐related information. In addition, differences in behaviour change intentions were explored. The pre‐registered online experiment used a 3 (medium: video, podcast and text) × 3 (topic: diet and climate change, sugar content, and nudging) between‐subjects design with 320 participants who were randomly assigned to the conditions. After receiving the respective content, the participants' intention to change their behaviour accordingly and their knowledge about all topics were assessed. A mixed Analysis of Variance revealed a significant interaction of topic and knowledge, indicating that knowledge was higher for the topic that participants were assigned to, compared to the two topics they received no information about. There were no differences in knowledge or intention for the three media. Videos, podcasts and texts are equally suitable for conveying nutrition knowledge and may also be equally beneficial for promoting intention. Communicators may thus base their choice of medium on considerations like available resources and preferences of the target group.
Opportunistic non‐communicable diseases in times of COVID‐19
Authors: Hegelund Maria Hein , Fjordside Lasse , Faurholt‐Jepsen Daniel , Christensen Dirk Lund , Bygbjerg Ib Christian
Published: September 2022

We previously proposed the term ‘opportunistic non‐communicable diseases (NCDs)’ to raise awareness of how NCDs thrive in societies with inadequate healthcare services. However, we did not anticipate that within the next year the new coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) would sweep the globe. Lockdowns became the primary strategy for mitigation in most countries. However, the extensive restrictions and allocation of resources towards the containment of the pandemic have likely served as a catalyst of NCDs, especially in populations, societies and individuals already at high risk. We are presenting evidence to qualify two primary factors responsible for the potential impact on the development of NCDs during the COVID‐19 pandemic. The first is disrupted healthcare services including avoidance and postponement of healthcare visits. The second is effects of changing lifestyle and living conditions including isolation, loss of job and income. The accumulated effect of these factors will likely further accelerate the development of NCDs and impair their management, especially in low‐ and middle‐income countries. Insufficient vaccination coverage due to inequality in vaccine distribution and vaccine hesitancy left room for the incubation of immune‐evasive variants that threatened to sustain or reinitiate the pandemic. We believe the concept of opportunistic NCDs and the potential catalytic effect that pandemics may have on the development of NCDs and their management, should be used as further arguments to secure equal vaccine distribution, promote global vaccine acceptance and to speed up and increase investments in primary health care in low‐ and middle‐income countries to cope with the already existing NCD crisis and to prepare for future epidemics.
Unsettling fieldwork: Reflections of Whiteness and anti‐racist practice in the pedagogies of fieldwork
Authors: Hughes Annie
Published: September 2022

This commentary considers the racialised lens through which fieldwork, as a pedagogic practice in Geography, is constructed and experienced. Prompted by narratives in the seminal paper ‘Muddy glee’ exploring the gendered aspects of fieldwork, and my own experiences of delivering undergraduate fieldwork with demographically diverse undergraduate students from a London University, the paper offers a rationale for adopting anti‐racist pedagogic practices in fieldwork. The universality of field experience is questioned as I reflect on how it is shaped by and mediated through racialised societies and spaces. The paper argues for the adoption of an active and explicitly anti‐racist approach to fieldwork with academic teachers and their departments addressing how field practices are shaped by the normative Whiteness of our discipline and, more specifically, White Privilege. The paper continues by offering some actions that field leaders can take to ensure anti‐racist practices in their fieldwork. It concludes by reiterating the positive tone of ‘Muddy glee’ by encouraging colleagues to challenge themselves to actively manage their field practices in ways that support ‘rigorous and critical reflexivity’ (Bracken & Mawdsley, 2004, Area, 36, 282), while centring the well‐being of all our students.
Heterozygosity for bisphosphoglycerate mutase deficiency expressing clinically as congenital erythrocytosis: A case series and literature review
Authors: van Dijk Myrthe J. , van Oirschot Brigitte A. , Stam‐Slob Manon C. , Waanders Esmé , van der Zwaag Bert , van Beers Eduard J. , Jans Judith J. M. , van der Linden Peter Willem , Torregrosa Diaz Jose M. , Gardie Betty , Girodon François , Schots Rik , Thielen Noortje , van Wijk Richard
Published: September 2022

Erythrocytosis is associated with increased red blood cell mass and can be either congenital or acquired. Congenital secondary causes are rare and include germline variants increasing haemoglobin (Hb)‐oxygen affinity (e.g., Hb or bisphosphoglycerate mutase (BPGM) variants) or affecting oxygen‐sensing pathway proteins. Here, we describe five adults from three kindreds with erythrocytosis associated with heterozygosity for BPGM variants, including one novel. Functional analyses showed partial BPGM deficiency, reduced 2,3‐bisphosphoglycerate levels and/or increased Hb‐oxygen affinity. We also review currently known BPGM variants. This study contributes to raising awareness of BPGM variants, and in particular that heterozygosity for BPGM deficiency may already manifest clinically.
Tactics of evasion: strategies used by signallers to deter eavesdropping enemies from exploiting communication systems
Authors: Bernal Ximena E. , Page Rachel A.
Published: September 2022

Eavesdropping predators, parasites and parasitoids exploit signals emitted by their prey and hosts for detection, assessment, localization and attack, and in the process impose strong selective pressures on the communication systems of the organisms they exploit. Signallers have evolved numerous anti‐eavesdropper strategies to mitigate the trade‐off between the costs imposed from signal exploitation and the need for conspecific communication. Eavesdropper strategies fall along a continuum from opportunistic to highly specialized, and the tightness of the eavesdropper–signaller relationship results in differential pressures on communication systems. A wide variety of anti‐eavesdropper strategies mitigate the trade‐off between eavesdropper exploitation and conspecific communication. Antagonistic selection from eavesdroppers can result in diverse outcomes including modulation of signalling displays, signal structure, and evolutionary loss or gain of a signal from a population. These strategies often result in reduced signal conspicuousness and in decreased signal ornamentation. Eavesdropping enemies, however, can also promote signal ornamentation. While less common, this alternative outcome offers a unique opportunity to dissect the factors that may lead to different evolutionary pathways. In addition, contrary to traditional assumptions, no sensory modality is completely ‘safe’ as eavesdroppers are ubiquitous and have a broad array of sensory filters that allow opportunity for signal exploitation. We discuss how anthropogenic change affects interactions between eavesdropping enemies and their victims as it rapidly modifies signalling environments and community composition. Drawing on diverse research from a range of taxa and sensory modalities, we synthesize current knowledge on anti‐eavesdropper strategies, discuss challenges in this field and highlight fruitful new directions for future research. Ultimately, this review offers a conceptual framework to understand the diverse strategies used by signallers to communicate under the pressure imposed by their eavesdropping enemies.
Assessing intervention effectiveness at promoting voluntary conservation practice adoption in agrienvironments
Authors: Read Daniel J. , Wainger Lisa
Published: September 2022

Although implementing conservation practices on private farms and forests can produce substantial environmental benefits, these practices are not being adopted widely enough to result in measurable improvements at regional scales. Researchers have investigated the production and program factors influencing producer choices to voluntarily adopt these practices. However, the findings of reviews are inconsistent, raising questions about review methods, including the omission of relevant variables. Further, applying lessons from past work to promote adoption is difficult because many reviews investigated dispositional or demographic variables that practitioners and policy makers cannot directly observe or influence. We conducted a new review of 146 empirical studies that tested the effects of different interventions (e.g., financial incentives, outreach events, and nudges) on increasing the likelihood of producers adopting conservation practices. We conducted a metaregression of quantitative studies from diverse disciplines that filtered studies by quality (i.e., use of randomization and clear analysis reporting). We synthesized these results with a thematic analysis of qualitative studies on producer perspectives about conservation practices. Financial incentives had the strongest evidence of increasing producers’ likelihood of adopting conservation practices (odds ratio 1.86, p < 0.05). However, this effect was only apparent after filtering by study quality, which also improved model fit and identified significant regional differences (odds ratio –1.69, p < 0.01). The thematic review of qualitative studies revealed that peer groups may be successful in reinforcing adoption behaviors due to homophily effects and that financial incentives not only offset implementation costs but also mitigated perceived risks of adoption. Given the problems we encountered in testing hypotheses about the magnitude of variability explained by intervention types and practice characteristics, we recommend additional experimental and longitudinal work that accounts for financial incentives and pairs qualitative and quantitative data to clarify relationships between program design and practice adoption rates.
Why does conservation minimize opportunity costs?
Authors: Smallhorn‐West Patrick F. , Pressey Robert L.
Published: September 2022

Effective management of depleted natural resources can be achieved only through changes in human actions. Opportunity costs represent the forgone benefits that would have flowed in the absence of conservation interventions. To the extent that opportunity costs reflect lost opportunities for extractive uses (e.g., fishing or logging), and to the extent that those extractive uses present threats to nature, opportunity costs therefore reflect the positive differences for natural values that can be made through conservation management. Thus, logic dictates that, if conservationists make choices to minimize opportunity costs, they are also necessarily limiting their impact. Unfortunately, empirical evidence from many conservation contexts implies that conservationists indeed make choices consistent with an aim to minimize opportunitycosts, and hence impact. A better understanding of the relationship between opportunity costs and conservation impact will make the language used to communicate conservation progress, targets, and planning more honest and accountable and more explicitly focused on the differences our actions make.
Positive association between research competitiveness of Chinese academic hospitals and the scale of their biobanks: A national survey
Authors: Zhang Yinan , Bian Zhouliang , Chen Yuanyuan , Jiang Erpeng , Chen Tianlu , Wang Congrong
Published: September 2022

Biobanks are important research infrastructure developed rapidly by Chinese hospitals. The objective of this study is to investigate the association between the comprehensive research competitiveness of hospitals and the development of hospital biobanks. In 2018, we conducted a national survey among Chinese biobank managers and directors. An online questionnaire was used to collect data of biobank characteristics. Of the 70 academic hospital biobanks responded to our survey, 49 of their hospitals were listed in the Science and Technology Evaluation Metrics (STEM) and 46 of their hospitals were listed in the Fudan Hospital Rankings, respectively, in 2018. Hospital scores from the STEM and Fudan Hospital Rankings were identified from their official websites. Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to assess the associations of STEM scores and Fudan Hospital Rankings with the scale of biobanks. The overall STEM score, Scientific and Technological Output, and Academic Impact in hospitals with large‐scale biobanks were 48.35%, 55.16%, and 58.65% higher than those with small‐scale biobanks, respectively. The scale of biobanks was positively associated with STEM score (β = 0.367, p = 0.009), Scientific and Technological Output (β = 0.441, p = 0.001), and Academic Impact (β = 0.304, p = 0.044) after adjustment for potential confounders. For Fudan Hospital Rankings, the comprehensive score and sustainable development ability score were higher in hospitals with large‐scale biobanks. Further analyses showed that the scale of the biobanks was positively associated with a higher comprehensive score (β = 0.313, p = 0.037) and a sustainable development ability score (β = 0.463, p < 0.001). The scale of hospital biobanks was positively associated with the research competitiveness of Chinese hospitals.
Physical characteristics and upper‐limb treatment with botulinum neurotoxin A in children with cerebral palsy: A population‐based study
Authors: Hedberg‐Graff Jenny , Granström Fredrik , Krumlinde‐Sundholm Lena
Published: September 2022

Aim

To describe the use of upper‐limb botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT‐A) treatment in a population‐based sample of children with cerebral palsy (CP), by investigating whether factors may be related to a first upper‐limb BoNT‐A treatment and whether passive range of motion (ROM) is related to a first BoNT‐A treatment after adjustment for confounders.

Method

Data from five regions in Sweden, in the national registry and follow‐up programme for CP (CPUP), were collected for children with spastic or dyskinetic CP assessed between 2000 and 2017. CP subtypes, functional classification levels, and traffic‐light‐based passive ROM categories were investigated. Data were analysed with logistic regression (odds ratios).

Results

Of a total of 496 children (317 males, 179 females; median 2 years, interquartile range 1–5 years, range 1–15 years at first measurement occasion), 22% (n = 108) had received upper‐limb BoNT‐A treatment, 45% of whom by 1 to 3 years of age. Those classified in Manual Ability Classification System levels IV and V showed the highest crude odds ratio for a first upper‐limb BoNT‐A treatment. Children with full passive ROM with tightness at the end of the movement range were most likely to receive an upper‐limb BoNT‐A treatment, also after adjustment for confounders. Thumb and forearm muscles were the most targeted at the first upper‐limb BoNT‐A treatment.

Interpretation

Full passive ROM with tightness at the end of the movement range increases the likelihood of a first upper‐limb BoNT‐A treatment. This new traffic‐light category is an aspect to consider in the dialogue about upper‐limb BoNT‐A.

What this paper adds

Among children receiving upper‐limb botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT‐A), 45% had their first treatment before the age of 4 years.

Thumb and forearm muscles were the most treated with BoNT‐A, finger flexor muscles the least.

Full passive range of motion with tightness was related to first upper‐limb BoNT‐A treatment.
A 96‐week, double‐blind, randomized controlled trial comparing bexagliflozin to glimepiride as an adjunct to metformin for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults
Authors: Halvorsen Yuan‐Di , Lock John Paul , Frias Juan P. , Tinahones Francisco José , Dahl Dominik , Conery Annie L. , Freeman Mason W.
Published: September 2022

Aim

To compare the effects of bexagliflozin tablets 20 mg, with those of optimally titrated glimepiride when used to treat adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) inadequately controlled by metformin.

Methods

Adults with type 2 diabetes (n = 426) taking metformin, and with a glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level between 53 and 91 mmol/mol [7.0% and 10.5%], were randomized to receive bexagliflozin tablets 20 mg or titrated glimepiride. The primary endpoint was the intergroup difference in the change from baseline to Week 60 in percent HbA1c. Secondary endpoints included changes from baseline in body mass and systolic blood pressure (SBP), and proportion of subjects experiencing severe or documented symptomatic hypoglycaemia.

Results

The intergroup difference in percent HbA1c (bexagliflozin minus glimepiride) from baseline to Week 60 was −0.55 mmol/mol (95% confidence interval [CI] –2.30, 1.20)‐[−0.05% (−0.21, 0.11)], establishing noninferiority of bexagliflozin to glimepiride by the prespecified margin of 3.83 mmol/mol [0.35%]. Prespecified tests gave, in order, a difference in body mass of −4.31 kg (95% CI −5.10, −3.52; P < 0.0001), a difference in SBP of −6.53 mm Hg (95% CI −10.56, −2.51; P = 0.0008), and an odds ratio of 0.12 (95% CI 0.05, 0.28; P < 0.0001) for severe or documented symptomatic hypoglycaemia. At the follow‐up visit the mean difference in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) between arms was 6.05 mL min−1 per 1.73 m2 (95% CI, 3.24, 8.87; P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Bexagliflozin was noninferior to glimepiride in lowering HbA1c, was superior to glimepiride for decreases in body mass and SBP, and was associated with significantly fewer hypoglycaemic events than glimepiride. A favourable effect on eGFR was observed.
Stress, anxiety and depression in dental students: Impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome‐coronavirus 2 pandemic
Authors: Braz‐José Catarina , Morais Caldas Inês , de Azevedo Álvaro , Pereira Maria Lurdes
Published: September 2022

Introduction

With the emergence of COVID‐19, dental medicine students were faced with a new reality, as a modification of the learning methods in Dentistry colleges happened. The aim of this study was to characterise the possible effects of Covid‐19 pandemic in terms of anxiety, depression, and stress among students of dentistry.

Matherials and Methods

This cross‐sectional study was conducted between October 2020 and May 2021. A total of 1115 participants from a total of approximately 3000 students from the seven university institutions that teach the master's degree in dentistry in Portugal, agreed to participate. An online self‐reported questionnaire was applied through Google Forms® platform. The questionnaire was divided in three sections: the students' sociodemographic characterisation, pedagogical aspects, and questions about anxiety, depression, and stress using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress‐21 Scale.

Results

Normal levels of anxiety, depression, and stress, were found in 41%, 36.7%, and 22.7% of the participants, respectively. Being female was the most significant and strong predictor of anxiety and stress, and for depression, not feeling fulfilled in the course they were in was the most significant variable.

Conclusion

The participants presented high values of anxiety, depression, and stress, during the pandemic state. Gender and not feeling fulfilled in the course were important predictors.
A longitudinal comparative study of a multicouple group and single‐couple psychosocial intervention while experiencing infertility
Authors: Chamorro Pedro P. , Pino María J. , Casas‐Rosal José C. , Herruzo Javier
Published: September 2022

This is a quasi‐experimental, nonequivalent design study investigating the efficacy of multicouple group and single‐couple intervention formats aimed at diminishing the psychosocial impact of infertility. The review studies carried out to date that have assessed this subject do not show consistent findings and although increasing the efficacy and efficiency of intervention formats more than justifies their analysis, there are no studies making this particular comparison. Eighty‐seven infertile couples who were in assessment for their infertility and/or were close to undergoing some kind of assisted reproductive technology process participated in a psychosocial intervention either under the multicouple group or single‐couple subconditions, or acted as controls. The variables of depression, anxiety, and fertility quality of life were used for evaluating psychosocial impact. Comparisons were made: (a) between the intervention condition and controls and (b) between the two subconditions. The results support the efficacy of the intervention both in the dyadic latent growth curve models analysis carried out and in the treatment effect calculation. Although in the comparison between the multicouple and single‐couple format, some differences generally favoring the single format one were found, they were not conclusive. Therefore, the results are in line with review studies that did not find the group format to be more effective. Although this study provides valuable information, its limitations mean that further research needs to be carried out. When selecting the intervention format, therapists should also weigh up others aspects, such as the intervention goal, patient's needs and characteristics, reproductive history, and current stage of infertility.
Mechanistic roles of the neighbouring cysteine in enhancing nucleophilicity of catalytic residue in a two‐cysteine succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase
Authors: Paladkong Tanakan , Pimviriyakul Panu , Phonbuppha Jittima , Maenpuen Somchart , Chaiyen Pimchai , Tinikul Ruchanok
Published: September 2022

Succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH) catalyses the conversion of succinic semialdehyde into succinic acid and two electrons are transferred to NAD(P)+ to yield NAD(P)H. Our previous work has already reported the catalytic role of Cys289 of two‐cysteine SSADH from Acinetobacter baumannii (AbSSADH). However, the mechanistic role of the neighbouring conserved Cys291 and Glu255 remains unexplored. In this study, the functional roles of Cys291 and Glu255 in AbSSADH catalysis have been characterized. Results demonstrated that the E255A activity was almost completely lost, ~ 7000‐fold lower than the wild‐type (WT), indicating that Glu255 is very crucial and directly involved in AbSSADH catalysis. However, the C291A and C291S variants activity and catalytic turnover (kcat) decreased ~ 2‐fold and 9‐fold respectively. To further characterize the functional roles of Cys291, we employed two pH‐dependent methods; pre‐steady‐state burst amplitude and NADP–enzyme adduct formation. The results showed that the pKa values of catalytic Cys289 measured for the WT and C291A reactions were 7.8 and 8.7–8.8, respectively, suggesting that Cys291 can lower the pKa of Cys289 and consequently trigger the deprotonation of a Cys289 thiol. In addition, the Cys291 also plays a role in disulfide/sulfhydryl redox regulation for AbSSADH activity. Hence, we demonstrated for the first time the dual functions of Cys291 in enhancing the nucleophilicity of the catalytic Cys289 and regulating a disulfide/sulfhydryl redox switch for AbSSADH catalysis. The mechanistic insights into the nucleophilicity enhancement of the catalytic cysteine of AbSSADH might be applicable to understanding how the microenvironment increases cysteine reactivity in other enzymes in the aldehyde dehydrogenase superfamily.
In situ experimental study on fracture toughness and damage mechanism of TiB2‐reinforced steel matrix composites
Authors: Chen Ronghua , Li Weipeng , Li Bochuan , Jiang Chao
Published: September 2022

It is crucial to obtain better fracture property of particle‐reinforced metal matrix composites (PRMMCs) for application in structural parts. In this study, three‐point bending tests are conducted on a TiB2‐reinforced steel matrix composites (SMCs) with 9% and 13% TiB2 volume fractions to understand the effect of hot rolling and particle content on fracture toughness. Results show that increasing particle content has a negative effect on the fracture toughness of SCMs as a whole. Many microcracks induced by large‐size particle fracture initiate in the front of crack tip and coalesce with one another are observed, thus accelerating the main crack propagation. However, hot rolling can effectively improve the fracture toughness and hardness of SMCs with two particle contents. Particle characteristics and matrix plasticity of the SMCs are optimized by hot rolling, which finally enhances the crack propagation resistance. The present work provides guiding suggestions for effectively improving fracture properties of PRMMCs.
Optimality principles explaining divergent responses of alpine vegetation to environmental change
Authors: Zhu Ziqi , Wang Han , Harrison Sandy P. , Prentice Iain Colin , Qiao Shengchao , Tan Shen
Published: September 2022

Recent increases in vegetation greenness over much of the world reflect increasing CO2 globally and warming in cold areas. However, the strength of the response to both CO2 and warming in those areas appears to be declining for unclear reasons, contributing to large uncertainties in predicting how vegetation will respond to future global changes. Here, we investigated the changes of satellite‐observed peak season absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (Fmax) on the Tibetan Plateau between 1982 and 2016. Although climate trends are similar across the Plateau, we identified robust divergent responses (a greening of 0.31 ± 0.14% year−1 in drier regions and a browning of 0.12 ± 0.08% year−1 in wetter regions). Using an eco‐evolutionary optimality (EEO) concept of plant acclimation/adaptation, we propose a parsimonious modelling framework that quantitatively explains these changes in terms of water and energy limitations. Our model captured the variations in Fmax with a correlation coefficient (r) of .76 and a root mean squared error of .12 and predicted the divergent trends of greening (0.32 ± 0.19% year−1) and browning (0.07 ± 0.06% year−1). We also predicted the observed reduced sensitivities of Fmax to precipitation and temperature. The model allows us to explain these changes: Enhanced growing season cumulative radiation has opposite effects on water use and energy uptake. Increased precipitation has an overwhelmingly positive effect in drier regions, whereas warming reduces Fmax in wetter regions by increasing the cost of building and maintaining leaf area. Rising CO2 stimulates vegetation growth by enhancing water‐use efficiency, but its effect on photosynthesis saturates. The large decrease in the sensitivity of vegetation to climate reflects a shift from water to energy limitation. Our study demonstrates the potential of EEO approaches to reveal the mechanisms underlying recent trends in vegetation greenness and provides further insight into the response of alpine ecosystems to ongoing climate change.
Land use changes biomass and temporal patterns of insect cross‐ecosystem flows
Authors: Ohler Katharina , Schreiner Verena C. , Link Moritz , Liess Matthias , Schäfer Ralf B.
Published: September 2022

Emergent aquatic insects constitute an important food source for higher trophic levels, linking aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems. Little is known about how land use affects the biomass or composition of insect emergence. Previous studies are limited to individual time points or seasons, hampering understanding of annual biomass export patterns and detection of phenological changes. Over 1 year's primary emergence period, we continuously determined the biomass, abundance, and identity of >45,000 aquatic insects and recorded land‐use‐related environmental variables in 20 stream sites using a paired design with upstream forested sites and downstream agricultural sites. Total insect biomass and abundance were 2–7 mg day−1 m−2 and 7–36 ind day−1 m−2 higher in agricultural than forested sites. However, we found turnover of families between forested and agricultural sites, with more insects with shorter generation time in agriculture, indicating lower sensitivity to land‐use‐related stress because of higher recovery potential. Except for stoneflies, biomass and abundance of major orders were higher in agriculture, but their phenology differed. For different orders, emergence peaked 30 days earlier to 51 days later in agriculture than forest, whereas total abundance and biomass both peaked earlier in agriculture: 3–5 and 3–19 days, respectively. The most important land‐use‐related drivers were pesticide toxicity and electrical conductivity, which were differentially associated with different aquatic insect order abundances and biomass. Overall, we found that land use was related to changes in composition and phenology of aquatic insect emergence, which is likely to affect food‐web dynamics in a cross‐ecosystem context.
Against decline? The geographies and temporalities of the Arctic cryosphere
Authors: Dodds Klaus , Smith Jen Rose
Published: September 2022

Over centuries, Western desires of Arctic space have consistently worked to render icy locales of the North legible to an audience further south. In non‐Indigenous reportage, the Arctic has been framed through a dominating lens that narrates it as a ‘natural region’ or cryosphere where elemental qualities such as cold, ice, snow and darkness reign supreme. The cryosphere is often overwhelmingly dissected and demarcated not by Indigenous historical and ongoing claims to space, but instead through the documented presence of particular biota as they correlate to lines of latitude and/or cold temporalities (e.g., ‘frozen for most of the year’). New descriptors such as ‘Atlantification’ are the latest in a line of tropes and descriptors being used to account and audit an Arctic that is said to be undergoing fundamental ‘declinist’ state‐change. Judged to be no longer satisfactorily described as a circumpolar region, rigidly defined by coldness north of the Arctic Circle, the Arctic's physical and environmental qualities are now being cultivated as a ‘new Arctic’. Ice and cold are fundamental to the everyday working and spiritual lives of northern communities. We argue that there are timely opportunities for ice humanities scholars to be mindful of enduring inhumanities in the sense of erasing/dispossessing those who inhabit worlds where there are co‐relationalities with ice, multi‐species relationships, and multiple spatialities, seasonalities and temporalities that do not pivot around Euro‐American/global framings of time and space, geopolitical worlding and extractive capitalism.
Fabrication of tunable bandgap epitaxial β‐(AlxGa1−x)2O3 films using a spin‐coating method
Authors: Milisavljevic Iva , Wu Yiquan
Published: September 2022

β‐(AlxGa1−x)2O3 films have several critical properties of interest to the research community, including a wide bandgap that may be used in the development of new electronic, optoelectronic, and photonic devices. Here we demonstrate the first time fabricated metal‐alkoxide‐based spin‐coated single‐phase epitaxial β‐(AlxGa1−x)2O3 films on c‐sapphire substrates with orientation and good crystallinity that is comparable to the films fabricated using other film deposition techniques, such as molecular beam epitaxy and chemical vapor deposition. Using this technique, we generated films with broad Al compositions (x) of 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7 with bandgap energies of 5.15, 5.56, and 6.16 eV, respectively, estimated from the X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy inelastic energy‐loss spectra. Photoluminescence emission spectra in the ultraviolet and visible (blue) wavelength range highlighted several intrinsic defects in the film structure that functioned as luminescence centers, including self‐trapped exciton and recombining donor‐to‐acceptor band. Detailed analysis of the structural and optical properties of β‐(AlxGa1−x)2O3 epitaxial films revealed that this low‐cost and scalable solution‐deposition approach coupled with a spin‐coating technique could be used to fabricate β‐(AlxGa1−x)2O3 films with tunable properties.
Structural, antioxidant, antibacterial and biodegradation properties of rice straw xylan (native and modified) based biofilms
Authors: Kapil Sristhi , Mankoo Ramandeep Kaur , Dudeja Isha , Singh Arashdeep , Kaur Jupinder
Published: September 2022

The present study involved valorisation of rice straw by conversion of its constituent polymer xylan and chemically modified xylans into biofilms. Hemicellulosic xylan (19.94%) extracted with 10% NaOH (85 °C, 2.6 h) was chemically modified to acetylated (AX) and carboxymethylated xylan (CMX). Biofilms were prepared by reaction of xylan/modified xylan (1% and 2%) with polyvinyl alcohol using eco‐friendly and cheap cross‐linker citric acid and glycerol as plasticiser. 2% xylan biofilms showed maximum inhibition (94.25%) of DPPH at 4 mg mL−1 which was due to large number of free ‐OH groups (highest intensity of ‐OH absorption bands in FT‐IR spectra). 2% CMX biofilms exhibited maximum antibacterial effectiveness with diameter of zone of inhibition 33.5 and 30.5 mm against Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas sp., respectively. This may be due to large number of undissociated COO− ions (citric acid) in CMX biofilms which was evident from lesser cross‐linking observed in their SEM images. 2% CMX biofilms also showed the highest biodegradation (86.5%) which may be attributed to formation of ether bonds along with ester bonds leading to their fast degradation. Owing to good bioactive properties of prepared biofilms, it was concluded that these can be appropriate material for food packaging by replacing synthetic plastics.
Micro‐encapsulation of gurum (Citrullus lanatus Var. Colocynthoide) seed oil maintains functional quality characteristics during accelerated storage
Authors: Karrar Emad , Mohamed Ahmed Isam A. , Jin Jun , Wei Wei , Oz Fatih , Brennan Charles S. , Wang Xingguo
Published: September 2022

In this study, microencapsulation was used on gurum seed oil (GSO) to evaluate quality characteristics during accelerated storage at 60°C for 28 days. Accelerated storage altered the levels of all fatty acids of GSO (31.36–95.65%), whereas, those of microencapsulated GSO showed reduced changes (0.13–38.46%). At the beginning of storage, the tocopherol and phytosterol content of GSO (563.61 and 149.86 mg/100 g oil, respectively) was significantly higher than that of MGSO (425.30 and 132.21 mg/100 g oil, respectively), while the polyphenol contents of GSO and MGSO were 20.21 mg GAE/kg oil and 19.45 mg GAE/kg oil, respectively. The IC50% DPPH antiradical activity of GSO and MGSO was 20.89 and 19.31 mg/mL, respectively, which was increased for GSO and remained constant for MGSO during accelerated storage. In conclusion, microencapsulation effectively preserved the quality of GSO during accelerated storage at 60°C for up to 28 days.
The physical office work environment and employee wellbeing: Current state of research and future research agenda
Authors: Kazlauskaitė Rūta , Martinaitytė Ieva , Lyubovnikova Joanne , Augutytė‐Kvedaravičienė Ieva
Published: September 2022

Despite the awareness that employees spend at least half of their awake time at work, knowledge about how the physical office work environment (POWE) shapes employee wellbeing remains fragmented, inconsistent and scattered across disciplines. We provide a narrative review of the empirical literature to summarise the current state of the science and lay the groundwork for advancing a more holistic and nuanced theoretical understanding of the mediating mechanisms underlying the POWE‐wellbeing relationship. To do so, we propose an updated taxonomy of POWE features, incorporating a new dimension – exposure to nature, and use this extended taxonomy to examine the evidence base on the relationship between POWE features and five dimensions of wellbeing: affective, physical, social, cognitive and professional. Based on our findings, we extend a meta‐theoretical model which identifies three distinct theoretically‐driven mediating pathways – relatedness, energy and functional discomfort – through which POWE features differentially influence wellbeing dimensions. In doing so, we integrate the organizational behaviour theory of Job Demands‐Resources and the environmental psychology framework of POWE functions to argue that POWE functions can be both demands and resources‐generating, and can, therefore, have simultaneous positive and negative consequences for employee wellbeing. We conclude with a critical examination of theoretical, methodological and practical implications for future research.