bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of combination therapies with colistin in an experimental mouse pneumonia model induced by carbapenem‐resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strain
Authors: Unal Onur , Kaya Onur , Ozturk Tuba , Cetin Emel Sesli , Gonen Ibak , Temel Esra Nurlu , Akcam Fusun Zeynep
Published: March 2023

The treatment options are limited in Acinetobacter baumannii infections. In this study, the effectiveness of colistin monotherapy and combinations of colistin with different antibiotics were investigated in an experimental pneumonia model induced by carbapenem‐resistant A. baumannii strain. Mice in the study were divided into five groups as control (no treatment), colistin monotherapy, colistin + sulbactam, colistin + imipenem, and colistin + tigecycline combinations. The modified experimental surgical pneumonia model of Esposito and Pennington was applied to all groups. The presence of bacteria in blood and lung samples was investigated. Results were compared. In blood cultures, while there was no difference between the control and colistin groups, there was a statistical difference between the control and the combination groups (P = 0.029). When the groups were compared in terms of lung tissue culture positivity, there was a statistical difference between the control group and all treatment groups (colistin, colistin + sulbactam, colistin + imipenem, and colistin + tigecycline) (P = 0.026, P < 0.001, P < 0.001, and P = 0.002, respectively). The number of microorganisms that grew in the lung tissue was found to be statistically significantly lower in all treatment groups in comparison with the control group (P = 0.001). Both monotherapy and combination therapies of colistin were found to be effective in the treatment of carbapenem‐resistant A. baumannii pneumonia, but the superiority of combination therapies over colistin monotherapy has not been demonstrated.
Induction of a single dose of streptozotocin (50 mg) in rat model causes insulin resistance with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Sharma Mridula , Chan Hor Kuan , Lavilla Charlie A. , Uy Mylene M. , Froemming Gabriele Ruth Anisah , Okechukwu Patrick Nwabueze
Published: March 2023

Streptozotocin (STZ) is a broad‐spectrum antibiotic that is toxic to the insulin‐producing beta cells of the pancreatic islets. STZ is currently used clinically for the treatment of metastatic islet cell carcinoma of the pancreas and the induction of diabetes mellitus (DM) in rodents. So far, there has been no previous research to show that STZ injection in rodents causes insulin resistance in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The purpose of this study was to determine if rats (Sprague–Dawley) developed type 2 diabetes mellitus (insulin resistance) after 72 h of intraperitoneal administration of 50 mg/kg STZ. Rats with fasting blood glucose levels above 11.0 mM, 72 h post‐STZ induction, were used. The body weight and plasma glucose levels were measured every week throughout the 60‐day treatment period. The plasma, liver, kidney, pancreas, and smooth muscle cells were harvested for antioxidant, biochemical analysis, histology, and gene expression studies. The results revealed that STZ was able to destroy the pancreatic insulin‐producing beta cell, as evidenced by an increase in plasma glucose level, insulin resistance, and oxidative stress. Biochemical investigation indicates that STZ can generate diabetes complications through hepatocellular damage, elevated HbA1c, kidney damage, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular damage, and impairment of the insulin‐signaling pathway.
Climate impact of diverting residual biomass to cement production
Authors: Adetona Adekunbi B. , Nhuchhen Daya R. , Layzell David B.
Published: March 2023

Co‐firing residual lignocellulosic biomass with fossil fuels is often used to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, especially in processes like cement production where fuel costs are critical and residual biomass can be obtained at a low cost. Since plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere, CO2 emissions from biomass combustion are often assumed to have zero global warming potential (= 0) and do not contribute to climate forcing. However, diverting residual biomass to energy use has recently been shown to increase the atmospheric CO2 load when compared to business‐as‐usual (BAU) practices, resulting in values between 0 and 1. A detailed process model for a natural gas‐fired cement plant producing 4200 megagrams of clinker per day was used to calculate the material and energy flows, as well as the lifecycle emissions associated with cement production without and with diverted biomass (supplying 50% of precalciner energy demand) from forestry and landfill sources. Biomass co‐firing reduced natural gas demand in the precalciner of the cement plant by 39% relative to the reference scenario (100% natural gas), but the total demands for thermal, electrical, and diesel (transportation) energy increased by at least 14%. Assuming values of zero for biomass combustion, cement's lifecycle GHG intensity changed from the reference (natural gas only) plant by −40, −23, and − 89 kg CO2/Mg clinker for diverted biomass from slash burning, forest floor and landfill biomass, respectively. However, using the calculated values for diverted biomass from these same fuel sources, the lifecycle GHG intensities changes were −37, +20 and +28 kg CO2/Mg clinker, respectively. The switch from decreasing to increasing cement plant GHG emissions (i.e., forest floor or landfill feedstocks scenarios) highlights the importance of calculating and using the factor when quantifying lifecycle GHG impacts associated with diverting residual biomass to bioenergy use.
Effects of sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors and pioglitazone on FIB‐4 index in metabolic‐associated fatty liver disease
Authors: Mino Masaaki , Kakazu Eiji , Sano Akitoshi , Katsuyama Hisayuki , Hakoshima Mariko , Yanai Hidekatsu , Aoki Yoshihiko , Imamura Masatoshi , Yamazoe Taiji , Mori Taizo , Yoshio Sachiyo , Inoue Jun , Masamune Atsushi , Kanto Tatsuya
Published: March 2023

Background

The antidiabetic drugs sodium glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2is) and thiazolidinediones have beneficial effects on the liver dysfunction of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We aimed to determine the efficacy of these drugs for the treatment of liver disease in patients with metabolic dysfunction‐associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) and T2DM.

Methods

We undertook a retrospective study of 568 patients with MAFLD and T2DM. Of these, 210 were treating their T2DM with SGLT2is (n = 95), 86 with pioglitazone (PIO), and 29 with both. The primary outcome was the change in Fibrosis‐4 (FIB‐4) index between baseline and 96 weeks.

Results

At 96 weeks, the mean FIB‐4 index had significantly decreased (from 1.79 ± 1.10–1.56 ± 0.75) in the SGLT2i group, but not in the PIO group. The aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index, serum aspartate and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), hemoglobin A1c, and fasting blood sugar significantly decreased in both groups (ALT: SGLT2i group, −17 ± 3 IU/L; PIO group, −14 ± 3 IU/L). The bodyweight of the SGLT2i group decreased, but that of the PIO group increased (−3.2 kg and +1.7 kg, respectively). When the participants were allocated to two groups according to their baseline ALT (>30 IU/L), FIB‐4 index significantly decreased in both groups. In patients taking pioglitazone, the addition of SGLT2i improved liver enzymes but not FIB‐4 index for 96 weeks.

Conclusions

Treatment with SGLT2i causes a larger improvement in FIB‐4 index than PIO in patients with MAFLD over 96 weeks.
‘There is nothing for me’: A qualitative analysis of the views towards prison education of adult male prisoners convicted of a sexual offence
Authors: Slater Jane , Winder Belinda , O'Grady Anne , Banyard Phil
Published: March 2023

This current study examined the perceptions and lived experiences of prisoners (n = 24) who do not engage with prison education. United Kingdom and international research highlights that prisoners who attend prison education programmes have lower recidivism rates and increased employment opportunities upon release (Abeling‐Judge, 2019; Bozick et al., 2018). This qualitative study interviewed adult males who are serving a custodial sentence for a sexual offence in England and Wales. The data were analysed thematically with two key themes emerging from the rich dataset: (i) ‘Poor quality education’, highlighting the limitations of prison education and lack of quality provision; (ii) ‘We are sex offenders’, explored non‐engagement with prison education due to their ‘sex offender’ label. The findings highlight how current prison education provision needs to focus on a programme of study relevant to an individual.
Variation in mesopredator abundance and nest predation rate of the endangered Strange‐tailed Tyrant (Alectrurus risora)
Authors: Browne Melanie , Pasian Constanza , Di Giacomo Alejandro G. , Di Bitetti Mario S. , Di Giacomo Adrián S.
Published: March 2023

Nest predation is the main cause of nest failure in passerine birds and thus is a key determinant of breeding traits. Accordingly, nest predator community composition and abundance modulate nest predation rates. When top predators are absent, mesopredator populations may become unchecked, which in turn increases the predation pressure on their prey species. We evaluated whether nest predator abundance and breeding traits of an endangered grassland bird, the Strange‐tailed Tyrant Alectrurus risora, differed between two protected areas: Iberá National Park (INP), where top predators have been extinct for 50 years, and Reserva El Bagual (REB), where Pumas Puma concolor still have a stable population. We measured abundances of potential nest predator species and during the 2015–2018 breeding seasons we monitored Strange‐tailed Tyrant nests and set camera traps to identify nest predators. Mesopredator abundance was higher in INP, and foxes were identified as the main nest predators. Nest predation rate was also higher in INP, where the daily nest predation rate and cumulative probability of nest predation were 0.05 ± 0.006 and 0.81, whereas in REB they were 0.04 ± 0.004 and 0.70, respectively. The 10‐fold higher frequency of fox records in INP could explain the higher nest predation rate observed, suggesting that the extinction of top predators may increase nest predation rates of endangered grassland birds in protected areas through release of native mesopredator species. The lower nest predation observed in REB was compensated for by a higher nest abandonment rate, which resulted in a similar fledgling production in the two study sites. Clutch size, hatching success and number of nestlings did not differ between study sites. The low breeding success recorded for this endangered species despite its populations being in protected areas of high conservation value is alarming given the global decline that grassland bird populations are facing.
Antibiofilm activity of crude bacteriocin JM01 produced by Pediococcus acidilactici against methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
Authors: Kim Ji Hyeon , Ahn Hyunwoo , Lee Daehyeop , Lee Hyunjun , Kim Wang June
Published: March 2023

Staphylococcus aureus frequently produces biofilm and causes human infections associated with the ingestion of contaminated food. Based on the acknowledgement that the antibiofilm agents for methicillin‐resistant S. aureus (MRSA) have not been developed yet, this study investigated the potentiality of the JM01 bacteriocin produced by Pediococcus acidilactici JM01 as an effective antibiofilm agent for MRSA. To investigate the antibiofilm activity of bacteriocin JM01 and its mechanism, antibacterial and anti‐adhesive property assays were performed against MRSA. The effect of JM01 bacteriocin on MRSA biofilm formation was examined by crystal violet staining, the 2,3‐bis‐[2‐methoxy‐4‐nitro‐5‐sulphophenyl]‐2H‐tetrazolium‐5‐carboxanilide reduction assay and scanning electron microscopy analysis. The inhibition effect of JM01 bacteriocin on MRSA growth was examined by spot plate assay and spectrophotometry. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and the bicinchoninic acid method were conducted to determine the adhesion of JM01 bacteriocin for preventing MRSA adhesion to the polystyrene surface. The results revealed that JM01 bacteriocin significantly reduced the biofilm formation of MRSA by inhibiting its growth and adhesion to a polystyrene surface. These results demonstrate that JM01 bacteriocin could be a potential candidate for the regulation of biofilm formation by MRSA.
The dark side of leadership: A systematic review of creativity and innovation
Authors: Mehraein Vahid , Visintin Francesca , Pittino Daniel
Published: March 2023

It is believed that workplace creativity and innovation are fostered by positive leader behaviors and positive workplace relationships and hindered by the opposite. However, some challenge this view and argue that creativity and innovation can also be fostered when employees experience what is increasingly referred to as “the dark side of leadership”. Research in this area is sparse, contradictory, and overly confusing. We provide a comprehensive systematic review of 106 empirical studies on this topic. We review research on a broad range of constructs, including abusive supervision, authoritarian leadership, narcissistic leadership, and close monitoring. As might be expected, a larger number of the articles reviewed found a negative relationship, but there are important discrepancies and details. Our review reports the main effects, summarizes the results of the mediating and moderating variables, and highlights methodological shortcomings of the previous literature. On this basis, several recommendations are made to advance this field of research.
RETRACTED: Effect of ultrasound‐supported wound debridement in subjects with diabetic foot ulcers: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Chen Haiting , Xiao Ting , Zhang Ling , Liu Ning , Liang Xia , Li Tuodi , Wang Jinying , Peng Yaozhong , Liu Yanping , Xu Jiali
Published: March 2023

A meta‐analysis study to assess the effect of ultrasound‐supported wound debridement (USSD) in subjects with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). A comprehensive literature examination till January 2023 was implemented and 1873 linked studies were appraised. The picked studies contained 577 subjects with DFUs in the studies' baseline, 282 of them were using USSD, 204 were using standard care, and 91 were using a placebo. Odds ratio (OR) in addition to 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to calculate the consequence of USSD in subjects with DFUs by the dichotomous styles and a fixed or random effect model. The USSD applied to DFU caused a significantly higher wound healing rate compared with the standard care (OR, 3.08; 95% CI, 1.94–4.88, P < .001) with no heterogeneity (I2 = 0%) and the placebo (OR, 7.61; 95% CI, 3.11–18.63, P = .02) with no heterogeneity (I2 = 0%). The USSD applied to DFUs caused a significantly higher wound healing rate compared with the standard care and the placebo. Though precautions should be taken when commerce with the consequences as all of the picked studies for this meta‐analysis was with low sample sizes.
Synergistic modification of properties in Ba[(Zn0.8Mg0.2)1/3Nb2/3]O3 ceramics through ordered domain engineering
Authors: Guo Rui Ze , Shi Rui Da , Zhu Xiao Li , Chen Xiang Ming
Published: March 2023

The ordered domain engineering was investigated for Ba[(Zn0.8Mg0.2)1/3Nb2/3]O3 microwave dielectric ceramics to synergistically modify the physical properties especially the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency τf and quality factor Q value together with the thermal conductivity. The ordered domain structure could be tailored and controlled by the post‐densification annealing, and the fine ordered domain structures with high ordering degree and low‐energy domain boundary were obtained in the present ceramics annealed around 1400°C for 24 h, where the Qf value was improved from 51 000 to 118 000 GHz, τf was suppressed from 30 to 25.5 ppm/°C. Moreover, the thermal conductivity at room temperature was increased from 3.79 to 4.30 W m−1 K−1, and the Young's modulus was improved from 98 to 214 GPa. The present work provided a promising approach for synergistic modification of physical properties in Ba‐based complex perovskite microwave dielectric ceramics.
Strength of additively manufactured alumina with different debinding and sintering heat treatments
Authors: Boardman Sarah , Packard Corinne E.
Published: March 2023

Lithography‐based ceramic manufacturing (LCM) utilizes slurries with low solids loading, which makes pressureless sintering to full density especially difficult. A further compounding issue in sintering to full density and establishing structure–property–processing relationships for LCM alumina is the fact that the current literature lacks consensus on heat treatments to achieve full densities. Treatment specifics that are recorded are frequently ambiguous and insufficiently detailed. In this work, temperatures and times for debinding and sintering schedules were varied to characterize the influence of heat treatment parameters on density, microstructure, and flexural strength of high‐purity, LCM‐formed alumina. Removing the bisque‐fire from debinding and fine‐tuning sintering parameters produced parts with full densities, high flexural strengths, and Weibull moduli that match or exceed the values documented in a round robin study of traditionally processed alumina.
Global warming leads to habitat loss and genetic erosion of alpine biodiversity
Authors: Meza‐Joya Fabio Leonardo , Morgan‐Richards Mary , Koot Emily M. , Trewick Steven A.
Published: March 2023

Aim

Species living on steep environmental gradients are expected to be especially sensitive to global climate change, but little is known about the factors influencing their responses to contemporary warming. Here, we investigate the influence of climate on the biogeography of three alpine species with overlapping ranges.

Location

Te Waipounamu (South Island) Aotearoa–New Zealand.

Taxon

Endemic alpine adapted Catantopinae grasshoppers.

Methods

We used niche modelling to estimate and project the potential niche of three focal species under past and future climate scenarios. Vulnerability assessments were performed using niche factor analyses. Demographic trends and phylogeographic structure were investigated using samples from 15 mountain tops to generate mitochondrial DNA haplotype networks and population genetic statistics.

Results

Niche models and genetic data suggest suitable habitat for all three alpine species was more widespread and contiguous in the past than today. Demographic analyses indicate in situ survival rather than post‐Pleistocene colonisation of current habitat. Population structuring and genetic divergence suggest that mountain uplift during the Pliocene and environmental barriers during Pleistocene glacial and interglacial stages shaped contemporary population structure of each species. Although geographically overlapping, niche analyses suggest these alpine species are not ecologically identical, each showing distinct responses to environmental change, but all will lose intraspecific diversity through population extinction.

Main Conclusions

Climatic, biological and geophysical factors controlled population structuring of three cold‐adapted species during the Pleistocene with a legacy of spatially separate intraspecific lineages. Ecological niche models for each species emphasise distinct combinations of environmental proxies, but all are expected to experience severe habitat reduction during climate warming. Increased global temperatures drive available habitat to higher elevation resulting in population contractions, range shifts, habitat fragmentation, local extinctions and genetic impoverishment. Despite alpine species not being ecologically identical, we predict all mountain biota will lose significant genetic diversity due to global warming.
Relationship between angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers prescribing and delirium in the ICU‐A secondary analysis
Authors: Mulkey Malissa A. , Khan Sikandar , Perkins Anthony , Gao Sujuan , Wang Sophia , Campbell Noll , Khan Babar
Published: March 2023

Background

Studies suggest Angiotensin‐Converting Enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARB) may slow the decline of memory function in individuals with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease by regulating migroglial activation and oxidative stress within the brain's reticular activating system. Therefore, we evaluated the relationship between delirium prevalence and being prescribed ACEI and ARB in participants admitted to the intensive care units (ICU).

Methods

A secondary analysis of data from two parallel pragmatic randomized controlled trials was performed. ACEI and ARB exposure was defined as being prescribed an ACEI or an ARB within six months prior to the ICU admission. The primary endpoint was the first positive delirium assessment based on Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM‐ICU) for up to thirty days.

Results

A total of 4791 patients admitted to the medical, surgical, and progressive ICU and screened for eligibility for the parent studies between February 2009 and January 2015 from two level 1 trauma and one safety net hospital in a large urban academic health system were included. Delirium rates in the ICU were not significantly different among participants with no exposure to ACEI/ARB (12.6%), or exposure to ACEI (14.4%), ARB (11.8%), or ACEI and ARB in combination (15.4%) in six months prior to the ICU admission. Exposure to ACEI (OR = 0.97[0.77, 1.22]), ARB (OR = 0.70 [0.47, 1.05]), or both (OR = 0.97 [0.33, 2.89]) in six months prior to ICU admission was not significantly associated with odds of delirium during the ICU admission after adjusting for age, gender, race, co‐morbidities, and insurance status.

Conclusions

While the impact of ACEI and ARB exposure prior to the ICU admission was not associated with the prevalence of delirium in this study, further research is needed to fully understand the impact of antihypertensive medications on delirium.
Estimating microstructural feature distributions from image data using a Bayesian framework
Authors: Wade Noah , Graham‐Brady Lori
Published: March 2023

Many microstructural characterizations methods collect data on a regular pixelized grid. This method of discretization introduces a form of measurement error which can be shown to be proportional to the resolution at which they are collected. Intuitively, measurements made from low‐resolution data are associated with higher error, but quantification of this error is typically not performed. This is reflected in international standards for measurements of grain size, which only provide a recommended minimum number of sample points per microstructural component to ensure each component is sufficiently resolved. In this work, a new method for quantifying the relative uncertainty of such pixelized measurements is presented. Using a Bayesian framework and simulated data collection on features collected from a Voronoi tessellation, the distribution of true geometric properties given a particular set of measurements is computed. This conditional feature distribution provides a quantitative estimate for the relative uncertainty associated with measurements made at difference resolutions. The approach is applied to measurements of size, aspect ratio and perimeter of given microstructural components. Size distributions are shown to be the least sensitive to sampling resolution, and evidence is presented which shows that the international standards provide an overly conservative minimum resolution for grain size measurement in microstructures represented by a Voronoi tessellation.
Factors Influencing Contraceptive Choice During the Postpartum Period: A Qualitative Systematic Review
Authors: Robinet Lisa , Jeffredo Alexis , Clesse Christophe
Published: March 2023

Introduction

The objective of this article is to identify the factors that influence the choice of contraceptive methods in the postpartum period.

Methods

We conducted a qualitative systematic review including articles published between 2000 and 2021 on postpartum contraception and its related influential factors. Relying on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses and synthesis without meta‐analysis checklists, the search strategy relied on a combination of 2 lists of keywords applied to 9 databases. A bias assessment was carried out with the help of the Cochrane's randomized controlled trial tool, the checklist from Downs and Black, and Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (CoreQ). A thematic analysis was performed to identify categories of influential factors.

Results

A total of 34 studies met our inclusion criteria and enabled us to isolate 4 categories of factors: (1) demographic and economic factors (geographic and ethnic origin, age, living environment, education/wealth), (2) clinical elements (parity, evolution of pregnancy, childbirth and afterwards, contraception used previously and its mechanism, pregnancy planning), (3) health care delivery (pregnancy monitoring, sessions about contraception, health care system, place of delivery), and (4) sociocultural factors (knowledge and beliefs about contraception, religion, the influence of family and society). The decision process related to postpartum contraception is influenced by a combination of socioenvironmental factors and clinical elements.

Discussion

The main influential factors (parity, level of education, knowledge and beliefs about contraception, and influence of family) need to be addressed by clinicians during consultations. Further multivariate research should provide quantitative data on this topic.
Brief versus long maternal separation in lactating rats: Consequences on maternal behavior, emotionality, and brain oxytocin receptor binding
Authors: Demarchi Luisa , Sanson Alice , Bosch Oliver J.
Published: March 2023

Maternal separation is a widely used animal model to study early life adversity in offspring. However, only a few studies have focused on the impact of disrupting the maternal bond from the mother's perspective. Such studies reveal alterations in behavior, whereas the underlying neuroendocrine mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, we compared the consequences of daily brief maternal separation (BMS; 15 min) versus long maternal separation (LMS; 180 min) during the first week postpartum with respect to behavioral and neuroendocrine changes in lactating Sprague–Dawley dams. Mothers were tested for their maternal care before and after separation, maternal motivation to retrieve pups, as well as anxiety‐related and stress‐coping behaviors. In addition, we analyzed their basal plasma corticosterone levels and oxytocin receptor binding in selected brain regions of the limbic system and maternal network. LMS dams showed higher levels of behavioral alterations compared to BMS and non‐maternally separated (NMS) dams, including increased licking and grooming of the pups and decreased maternal motivation. Anxiety‐related behavior was not affected by either separation paradigm, whereas passive stress‐coping behavior tended to increase in the LMS group. Plasma corticosterone concentrations were not different between groups. Oxytocin receptor binding was higher in the medial preoptic area and tended to be higher in the prelimbic cortex of LMS dams, only. Our results demonstrate that especially daily prolonged maternal separation impacts on the mothers' behavior and oxytocin system, which suggests that enhanced oxytocin receptor binding could be a compensatory mechanism for potentially decreased central oxytocin release due to limited pup contact.
Perinatal blockade of neuronal glutamine transport sex‐differentially alters glutamatergic synaptic transmission and organization of neurons in the ventrolateral ventral media hypothalamus of adult rats
Authors: Liang Shu‐Ling , Liao Wen‐Lin , Chen Rou‐Shayn
Published: March 2023

Compared to male pups, perinatal female rats rely heavily on neuronal glutamine (Gln) transport for sustaining glutamatergic synaptic release in neurons of the ventrolateral ventral media nucleus of the hypothalamus (vlVMH). VMH mainly regulates female sexual behavior and increases glutamate release of perinatal hypothalamic neurons, permanently enhances dendrite spine numbers and is associated with brain and behavioral defeminization. We hypothesized that perinatal interruption of neuronal Gln transport may alter the glutamatergic synaptic transmission during adulthood. Perinatal rats of both sexes received an intracerebroventricular injection of a neuronal Gln uptake blocker, alpha‐(methylamino) isobutyric acid (MeAIB, 5 mM), and were raised until adulthood. Whole‐cell voltage‐clamp recordings of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents (mEPSCs) and evoked EPSCs (eEPSCs) of vlVMH neurons in adult rats with the perinatal pretreatment were conducted and neuron morphology was subjected to post hoc examination. Perinatal MeAIB treatment sex‐differentially increased mEPSC frequency in males, but decreased mEPSC amplitude and synaptic Glu release in females. The pretreatment sex‐differentially decreased eEPSC amplitude in males but increased AMPA/NMDA current ratio in females, and changed the morphology of vlVMH neurons of adult rats to that of the opposite sex. Most alterations in the glutamatergic synaptic transmission resembled the changes occurring during MeAIB acute exposure in perinatal rats of both sexes. We conclude that perinatal blockade of neuronal Gln transport mediates changes via different presynaptic and postsynaptic mechanisms to induce sex‐differential alterations of the glutamatergic synaptic transmission and organization of vlVMH neurons in adult rats. These changes may be permanent and associated with brain and behavior feminization and/or defeminization in rats.
Assessing the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms in Wingless signaling pathway genes and sella turcica morphology
Authors: Brancher João Armando , Schuh Rodrigo , Torres Maria Fernanda Pioli , de Melo Teixeira do Brasil Jordanna , Hueb Maria Angélica , dos Santos Haemmerle Carlos Alexandre , Proff Peter , Alam Mohammad Khursheed , Kirschneck Christian , Küchler Erika Calvano
Published: March 2023

Sella turcica development involves molecular factors and genes responsible for ossification. It is possible that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in key genes are involved in morphological variation of sella turcica. Genes belonging to the WNT signaling pathway are involved in the ossification process and are candidates of sella turcica morphology. This study aimed to evaluate if SNPs in WNT6 (rs6754599) and WNT10A (rs10177996 and rs3806557) genes are associated with the calcification and patterns of the sella turcica. Nonsyndromic individuals were included in the research. Cephalometric radiographs were examined and the sella calcification was evaluated and classified according to the calcification of the interclinoid ligament (no calcification, partial calcification, and incomplete calcification) and sella turcica pattern (normal sella turcica, bridge type A—ribbon‐like fusion, bridge type B—extension of the clinoid processes, incomplete bridge, hypertrophic posterior clinoid process, hypotrophic posterior clinoid process, irregularity in the posterior part, pyramidal shape of the dorsum, double contour of the floor, oblique anterior wall, and oblique contour of the floor). DNA samples were used to evaluate SNPs in the WNT genes (rs6754599, rs10177996, and rs3806557) using real‐time PCR. Chi‐square test or Fisher's exact test were used to compare the allele and genotype distributions according to sella turcica phenotypes. The alpha was set as 5% for all comparisons. A total of 169 individuals were included, 133 (78.7%) present sella turcica partially or completely calcified. Sella turcica anomalies were found in 131 individuals (77.5%). Sella turcica bridge type A (27.8%), posterior hypertrophic clinoid process (17.1%), and sella turcica bridge type B (11.2%) were the most prevalent morphological patterns observed. Individuals carrying the TT genotype in rs10177996 (TT vs. CT + CC) had higher chance to present a partially calcified sella turcica (p = 0.047; Odds ratio = 2.27, Confidence Interval 95% 1.01–5.13). In conclusion, the SNP in WNT10A is associated with the calcification phenotype of the sella turcica, the pleiotropic effect of this gene should be taken into consideration in future studies.
Work‐family spillover of satisfaction: The moderating role of domain boundary strength and identity salience
Authors: Provost Savard Yanick , Dagenais‐Desmarais Véronique
Published: March 2023

Answering calls to further explore the role of cognition in the work‐family interface, this study examines the cognitive work‐family spillover of satisfaction. Moreover, to date, theories have proposed identical effects and moderators for the work‐to‐family and the family‐to‐work directions of spillover, an assumption termed the bidirectional parallelism thesis, which we will test. The objective of this study is therefore to examine work‐family boundary strength and domain identity salience as moderators of the spillover of satisfaction from work to family and from family to work. First, while the literature has mostly focused on the positive consequences of boundary strength, we draw on boundary theory to posit that boundary strength of the receiving domain limits satisfaction spillover. Second, in accordance with the enactment effect derived from boundary theory, we argue that spillover originates more strongly from domains that are salient in one's identity. To test these hypotheses, 2637 Canadian workers participated in a two‐wave study. Structural equation modelling analyses showed that job satisfaction had a lagged relationship with family satisfaction irrespective of the levels of home boundary strength and work identity salience. Inversely, family satisfaction had a significant lagged relationship with job satisfaction only when work boundary strength was low or when family identity salience was high. This study contributes to work‐family theories by extending their propositions to satisfaction as a cognitive component of subjective well‐being, as well as testing its spillover in a time frame consistent with the greater stability of cognitive evaluations.
Maxillary and mandibular complete‐arch implant rehabilitation using a complete digital workflow: A case report
Authors: Ahmed Walaa Magdy , Alhazmi Ahlam , Alharbi Mazin Talal , Azhari Amr Ahmed , Alqarni Hatem , Shaheen Hesham F. , Mitwalli Ehab Tawfiq
Published: March 2023

This article summarizes the clinical steps involved in maxillary and mandibular complete‐arch implant rehabilitation using a complete digital workflow. The maxillary arch was recorded using the double digital scan technique, and the mandibular arch using the triple digital scan technique. The digital protocol used in this case report allowed the recording of implant positions via scan bodies, soft tissues, and, most importantly, the interocclusal relationship in the same visit. A new technique for mandibular digital scan was described that uses soft tissue landmarks by creating windows in the patient's provisional prostheses to superimpose the three digital scans and consequently fabricate and verify the maxillary and mandibular prototype prostheses and definitive complete‐arch zirconia prostheses.
Heterogenous associations between Gender‐Sexuality Alliances and LGBTQ adolescents' maladjustment across individual victimization level
Authors: Kaufman T. M. L. , Lessard L. M. , Watson R. J.
Published: March 2023

Gender‐Sexuality Alliances (GSAs), which are student‐initiated school clubs for LGBTQ youth and allies, can reduce victimization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth. This preregistered study identified heterogeneous correlates of GSAs, based on data from an anonymous survey of LGBTQ adolescents aged 13–17 years living in the United States (N = 10,588). In line with the healthy context paradox (Pan et al. [Child Development, 92, 2021, and 1836]), the presence of a GSA exacerbated associations between LGBTQ‐based victimization and depressive symptoms, lower self‐esteem, and lower academic grades—particularly in transgender youth. Inclusive settings, such as GSAs, might prevent increasing disparities by including tailored strategies to monitor and support more vulnerable, victimized LGBTQ youth.
Molecular and morphological characterization of Calonectria quinqueramosa causing leaf blight on Eucalyptus urophylla in Brazil
Authors: Sánchez‐González Enrique Ignacio , Soares Thaissa de Paula Farias , Zarpelon Talyta Galafassi , Zauza Edival Angelo Valverde , Mafia Reginaldo Gonçalves , Ferreira Maria Alves
Published: March 2023

One of the most damaging diseases of Eucalyptus is Calonectria leaf blight, and it causes significant economic losses. In March 2021, symptoms of leaf blight disease were observed in a Eucalyptus commercial plantation in northeastern Brazil. The present study aimed to identify the causal agent based on morphological features, phylogenetic analyses and pathogenicity tests. Based on phylogenetic analyses of the cmdA, his3, tef1 and tub2 gene regions and morphological characteristics, the fungal isolates were identified as Calonectria quinqueramosa, and their pathogenicity to Eucalyptus urophylla was confirmed. The results of this study confirmed the importance of multi‐locus phylogeny supported by morphological characteristics for the proper identification of Calonectria species. To the best of our knowledge, this study highlights the first report of C. quinqueramosa causing leaf blight on E. urophylla trees in northeastern Brazil. This information will be valuable to promote the development of disease management strategies and to lead the development of Eucalyptus genotypes with resistance to Calonectria.
Orchid–mycorrhizal fungi interactions reveal a duality in their network structure in two European regions differing in climate
Authors: Mennicken Sophie , Vogt‐Schilb Hélène , Těšitelová Tamara , Kotilínek Milan , Alomía Yasmin A. , Schatz Bertrand , Jersáková Jana
Published: March 2023

Network analysis is an effective tool to describe and quantify the ecological interactions between plants and root‐associated fungi. Mycoheterotrophic plants, such as orchids, critically rely on mycorrhizal fungi for nutrients to survive, so investigating the structure of those intimate interactions brings new insights into the plant community assembly and coexistence. So far, there is little consensus on the structure of those interactions, described either as nested (generalist interactions), modular (highly specific interactions) or of both topologies. Biotic factors (e.g., mycorrhizal specificity) were shown to influence the network structure, while there is less evidence of abiotic factor effects. By using next‐generation sequencing of the orchid mycorrhizal fungal (OMF) community associated to with plant individuals belonging to 17 orchid species, we assessed the structure of four orchid–OMF networks in two European regions under contrasting climatic conditions (Mediterranean vs. Continental). Each network contained four to 12 co‐occurring orchid species, including six species shared among the regions. All four networks were both nested and modular, and fungal communities were different between co‐occurring orchid species, despite multiple sharing of fungi across some orchids. Co‐occurring orchid species growing in Mediterranean climate were associated with more dissimilar fungal communities, consistent with a more modular network structure compared to the Continental ones. OMF diversity was comparable among orchid species since most orchids were associated with multiple rarer fungi and with only a few highly dominant ones in the roots. Our results provide useful highlights into potential factors involved in structuring plant–mycorrhizal fungus interactions in different climatic conditions.
Disability, medicine and widening participation: A whole system approach
Authors: Coyle Maeve
Published: March 2023

When thinking about disability, inclusion and medical education, Coyle calls on stakeholders to pay explicit attention to the cultural context of medicine, where people with disabilities are still framed within discourses of deficit.
Aerial photogrammetry techniques using drones to estimate morphometric measurements and body condition in South American small cetaceans
Authors: de Oliveira Lucas L. , Andriolo Artur , Cremer Marta J. , Zerbini Alexandre N.
Published: March 2023

Aerial photogrammetry protocols using drones have proved efficient in monitoring free‐living cetaceans. In this work an aerial photogrammetry protocol using a drone was applied to estimate morphometric measurements and body condition variation in two endangered cetacean species, franciscanas (Pontoporia blainvillei, n = 122) and Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis, n = 41). Sampling occurred in winter and summer in Babitonga Bay, southern Brazil. A 115 cm length object was used to calibrate the scale of measurements at different altitudes. A scale calibration model based on eGSD regression by flight altitude was developed (RMSE = 0.039, r2 = 0.9902, ΔAICc = 0.00) and used to convert measurements from pixels to centimeters. Five morphometric measurements (body length ‐ BL, widths at anterior pectoral fin ‐ AP, axilla ‐ AX, anterior dorsal fin ‐ AD, and posterior dorsal fin ‐ PD) were taken from each animal to infer body condition, in which, the widths in the anterior portions of the body as % BL, can be an auxiliary tool in the evaluation of variation in the body condition of the small cetaceans studied. The aerial photogrammetry protocol allowed for estimating morphometric measurements and monitoring seasonal changes in the body condition of the small cetaceans.
Sociocultural theory and classroom second language learning in the East Asian context: Introduction to the special issue
Authors: Lantolf James P. , Poehner Matthew E.
Published: March 2023

In this introduction to the special issue, we first present a brief historical overview of sociocultural theory (SCT) as it has been extended to the process of second language (L2) development and instruction, beginning with two significant publications that appeared in 1994. In the early years, the theory was used as a lens to understand various aspects of learning and instruction. Eventually, it came to be used as a means of promoting the processes that it investigates. As we explain in this article, the shift in research orientation reflects Vygotsky's commitment to the unity of theory and research with practice. We then address a problem associated with the term “sociocultural,” which has been used since the inception of L2 research informed by the theory. This is followed by a presentation of the four central principles of the theory, which is contextualized within a discussion of dialectics, the foundational methodological approach adopted by Vygotsky in formulating the theory of higher psychological functioning. The principles each relate to the process through which naturally endowed instincts that govern mental and emotional behavior from birth are restructured as they interact with culturally developed forms of mediation, including—most importantly—language. Next, we present an overview of the special issue that includes a discussion of the important concepts that are brought to bear in instructed L2 development. These include the important distinction between everyday and scientific concepts and concept‐based instruction; the zone of proximal development and dynamic assessment; languaging, or the psychological use of speaking and writing in the developmental process;perezhivanie, the dialectical unity of emotion and cognition as related to development; andobuchenie, the instruction–development dialectic. These concepts, along with the theoretical principles, are employed in various ways in the seven articles included in the special issue. The articles are representative of the innovative SCT‐L2 research that is currently under way in East Asia, a region of the world that only recently has been attracted to the theory. While the research reported on in the special issue emerges from this particular area, the implications for other instructional contexts and for the theory itself are significant.
Effects of written languaging on second language learning: Mediating roles of aptitude
Authors: Ishikawa Masako , Suzuki Wataru
Published: March 2023

Languaging—that is, using language to mediate thinking, orally or in writing—facilitates second language (L2) learning. As languaging requires the deliberate, analytical action of L2 learners, learners with higher language aptitude are likely to benefit more from languaging than those with lower aptitude. Thus, this study investigated the extent to which language aptitude mediates the effects of written languaging (WL) on L2 learning. Pre‐intermediate Japanese university students were assigned to +WL or −WL groups. The +WL group was instructed to compare their composition with the model text and explain, in writing, the use of articles (i.e., WL). In contrast, the −WL group copied the model 3 times. Examination of the association between the scores on aptitude tests (i.e., LLAMA, Language Aptitude Battery for Japanese, and Modern Language Aptitude Test) and the gain scores on assessment tests (pre‐, post‐, and delayed posttests) revealed that half of the correlations were significant for the 2 test types in the −WL group. However, no such correlations were found in the +WL group. Thus, WL might have benefitted the +WL participants by facilitating their noticing and reflecting on the linguistic issues, regardless of their aptitude profiles. We argue that WL may be a more influential factor than aptitude.
Decoding EFL learners’ internalization of English modal verbs in concept‐based language instruction: Integrating SCOBAs with languaging
Authors: Qin Lili , Ouyang Xibei , Ren Wei
Published: March 2023

Concept‐based language instruction (C‐BLI) is a pedagogy guided by sociocultural theory, which has been shown to be effective in facilitating second language learning. Typical activities include materialization by using a schema for a complete orienting basis of an action (SCOBA) and languaging, through which learners’ internalization of scientific knowledge can be observed. However, previous studies have mainly used languaging as an assessment tool to examine the outcome of the internalization of concepts. Few studies have integrated SCOBAs (visual) and languaging (oral or written) in their investigation of the internalization process. This 5‐week study involved 53 Chinese English‐as‐a‐foreign‐language learners in a university who were all taught with the C‐BLI approach to learn English modal verbs. Among them, there were 26 lower proficiency students and 27 higher proficiency students. Visual, oral, and written data were collected to examine the participants’ internalization of the modal verb concepts. All 53 learners participated in SCOBA drawing and written‐languaging tasks. Twelve students (6 per group) volunteered to participate in oral languaging. The results showed that in the SCOBA drawing activity, higher level learners produced more abstract, systematic, and imitated visualizations of the concepts, while lower level learners produced more concrete, disconnected, and emulated visualizations. With regard to oral languaging, both groups largely abandoned their previously learned “rule of thumb” after the C‐BLI intervention, and there were no obvious differences in oral‐languaging performance between the two groups, except that the higher group produced more languaging units. Finally, we also found that the changes between pre‐ and post‐written‐languaging tasks for lower level students were more obvious, especially in the appropriation of SCOBAs in written languaging.
The leaf sheath promotes prolonged flooding protection by giving rise to specialized adventitious roots
Authors: Maric Aida , Hartman Sjon
Published: March 2023

This article is a Commentary on Lin et al. (2023), 238: 1403–1419.