bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Compromised melanocyte survival due to decreased suppression of CD4+ & CD8+ resident memory T cells by impaired TRM‐regulatory T cells in generalized vitiligo patients
Authors: Shah Firdosh , Giri Prashant S. , Bharti Ankit H. , Dwivedi Mitesh 
Published: November 2023

AbstractRegulatory T cells (Tregs) are involved in the suppression of activated T cells in generalized vitiligo (GV). The study was aimed to investigate resident memory (TRM)‐Tregs and antigen‐specific Tregs' numbers and functional defects in 25 GV patients and 20 controls. CD4+ & CD8+ TRM cell proliferation was assessed by BrDU assay; production of IL‐10, TGF‐β, IFN‐γ, perforin and granzyme B were assessed by ELISA and enumeration of TRM cells was done by flowcytometry. GV patients showed significantly increased frequency and absolute count of CD4+ & CD8+ TRM cells in lesional (L), perilesional (PL) and non‐lesional (NL) skin compared to controls (p = 0.0003, p = 0.0029 & p = 0.0115, respectively & p = 0.0003, p = 0.003 & p = 0.086, respectively). Whereas, TRM‐Treg (p < 0.0001 & p = 0.0015) and antigen‐specific Tregs (p = 0.0014 & p = 0.003) exhibited significantly decreased frequency and absolute counts in L & PL skin. GV patients showed reduced suppression of CD8+ & CD4+ TRM cells (with increased IFN‐γ, perforin & granzyme B) and decreased TRM‐Tregs and antigen‐specific Tregs (with decreased IL‐10 & TGF‐β production) and reduced proliferation of SK‐Mel‐28 cells in co‐culture systems. Immunohistochemistry revealed increased expression of TRM stimulating cytokines: IL‐15 & IL‐17A and reduced expression of TGF‐β & IL‐10 in L, PL, NL skins compared to controls. These results for the first time suggest that decreased and impaired TRM‐Tregs and antigen‐specific Tregs are unable to suppress CD4+ & CD8+ TRMs' cytotoxic function and their proliferation due to decrease production of immunosuppressive cytokines (IL‐10 & TGF‐β) and increased production of TRM based IFN‐γ, perforin and granzyme B production, thus compromising the melanocyte survival in GV.
Causal relationship between psoriasis vulgaris and dementia: Insights from Mendelian randomization analysis
Authors: Zhang Zehan , Xu Wenxiu , Zheng Yuxiao , Chen Congai , Kang Xiangdong , Chen Dan , Cheng Fafeng , Wang Xueqian 
Published: November 2023

AbstractMany clinical studies have demonstrated a correlation between psoriasis vulgaris and dementia, yet this correlation remains controversial. Our study employed the Mendelian randomization (MR) method to investigate the causal relationship between psoriasis vulgaris and dementia. Data were obtained from the summary statistics of the genome‐wide association studies from IEU‐OpenGWAS project database. In univariate Mendelian randomization (UVMR) analysis, psoriasis vulgaris was used as exposure. Alzheimer disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) served as the outcomes. In multivariate Mendelian randomization (MVMR) analysis, VaD served as the outcome. The first MVMR analysis used psoriasis vulgaris, mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW) and platelet count (PLT) as exposures. The second MVMR analysis used psoriasis vulgaris, vitamin D level and 25 hydroxyvitamin D level as exposures. The main analysis employed the inverse variance weighted method, and the outcomes were evaluated by odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). In UVMR analysis, the results depicted that psoriasis vulgaris was associated with VaD (OR: 0.903, 95% CI: 0.818–0.996, p = 0.041). The results revealed insignificant associations between psoriasis vulgaris and other dementia types. After adjusting the effects of MPV, PDW and PLT in MVMR analysis, the association between psoriasis vulgaris and VaD was no longer significant (p = 0.164). Similarly, after adjusting the effects of vitamin D level and 25 hydroxyvitamin D level in MVMR analysis, the association between psoriasis vulgaris and VaD was also no longer significant (p = 0.533). Our study suggests that psoriasis vulgaris may potentially decrease VaD incidence. However, the causal association between psoriasis vulgaris and VaD may be impeded by platelet‐related indices, vitamin D level and 25 hydroxyvitamin D level.
Shareholder litigation rights and firm productivity
Authors: Bilokha Alona , Gupta Sudip 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThis paper analyzes the impacts of decreased shareholder litigation risk on firm productivity. Shareholder litigation provides shareholders a mechanism to enforce rights and mitigate agency conflicts. We use a staggered state‐level adoption of universal demand (UD) laws as an exogenous shock that suppressed the number of shareholder derivative lawsuits. We show that the resulting deterioration in corporate governance, coupled with increased managerial attention, had mixed effects on productivity. Adverse effects resulting from lower litigation risk are primarily observed in firms facing low takeover threats. Conversely, firms with incentivised management achieved a higher productivity growth.
Thirty‐six years of butterfly monitoring, snow cover, and plant productivity reveal negative impacts of warmer winters and increased productivity on montane species
Authors: Halsch Christopher A. , Shapiro Arthur M. , Thorne James H. , Rodman Kyle C. , Parra Adriana , Dyer Lee A. , Gompert Zachariah , Smilanich Angela M. , Forister Matthew L. 
Published: November 2023

AbstractClimate change is contributing to declines of insects through rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and an increasing frequency of extreme events. The impacts of both gradual and sudden shifts in weather patterns are realized directly on insect physiology and indirectly through impacts on other trophic levels. Here, we investigated direct effects of seasonal weather on butterfly occurrences and indirect effects mediated by plant productivity using a temporally intensive butterfly monitoring dataset, in combination with high‐resolution climate data and a remotely sensed indicator of plant primary productivity. Specifically, we used Bayesian hierarchical path analysis to quantify relationships between weather and weather‐driven plant productivity on the occurrence of 94 butterfly species from three localities distributed across an elevational gradient. We found that snow pack exerted a strong direct positive effect on butterfly occurrence and that low snow pack was the primary driver of reductions during drought. Additionally, we found that plant primary productivity had a consistently negative effect on butterfly occurrence. These results highlight mechanisms of weather‐driven declines in insect populations and the nuances of climate change effects involving snow melt, which have implications for ecological theories linking topographic complexity to ecological resilience in montane systems.
Options to improve the carbon balance of the harvested wood products sector in four EU countries
Authors: Bozzolan Nicola , Grassi Giacomo , Mohren Frits , Nabuurs Gert‐Jan 
Published: November 2023

AbstractHarvested wood products (HWP) may contribute to climate change mitigation by storing carbon and by replacing energy‐intensive materials and fossil energy, reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, when assessing improved HWP utilisations, interactions between wood use pathways, the carbon stock dynamics, and the resulting effect on the GHG balance are still not well‐understood. This research aims to assess the carbon sequestration effects of alternative wood product utilisations in four European Union (EU) countries. We conducted a material flow analysis of wood uses in France, Finland, Germany, and Spain for 2017 taking into account national production, imports, and exports. Then, we quantified the future dynamics of carbon stock in the HWP through time, assuming the same as in 2017 input and ignoring the forest sink. We then ran six alternative scenarios: two energy‐focused (Energy, Energy+), two material‐focused (Cascading, Material), one with extended half‐life of the wood products (HL) and one as business as usual. For the simulation period (2020–2050), the material scenario leads to the highest mitigation benefits with a cumulative HWP net CO2removals of −502 Mt CO2for Germany, −290 Mt CO2for France, −118 Mt CO2for Spain, and −116 Mt CO2for Finland over the 30 years. The Energy+ scenario with an increase in wood usage for bioenergy generates a loss of the HWP pool of 351, 80, 77, and 6 Mt CO2for the same countries, not accounting for energy substitution effects. Overall, our results suggest that the HWP carbon stock can be increased in the short‐medium term by prioritizing the use of wood for material purposes, while maintaining constant harvest. The HWP mitigation potential differed greatly according to national wood industry characteristics. Hence, tailoring the HWP mitigation strategies to the specific characteristics of the national wood chain would enhance the HWP climate benefits.
Urbanisation drives inter‐ and intraspecific variation in flight‐related morphological traits of aquatic insects at different landscape scales
Authors: Liao Wenfei , Lin Hao 
Published: November 2023

Abstract
Urbanisation, as an unstoppable global phenomenon, has led to decreasing connectivity between habitats, which gives strong pressure on organisms. Current research has barely investigated urban effects on aquatic insect species traits. Here, we investigated how inter‐ and intraspecific variations of flight‐related morphological traits change along an urban gradient in three species of Dytiscidae at different landscape scales.
We collected specimens in 30 urban wetlands in Helsinki, Finland. We measured flight‐related traits, including body length, pronotum length, elytron length, and the hind wing length and area. With linear models, we modelled how flight‐related traits of the three species responded to the percentage of impermeable surfaces in buffers with nine different radii: 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 800, 1000 and 1200 m.
Our results show that (a) Ilybius ater was not affected by urbanisation in traits, indicating that some species are good dispersers and pre‐adapted to urbanisation. (b) The other two species, Acilius canaliculatus and Hydaticus seminiger, exhibited different patterns along the urban gradient, suggesting species utilise different strategies to cope with movement barriers in urban landscapes. (c) Species were affected by urbanisation at different scales, suggesting species have different ability to adjust morphological plasticity to endure movement barriers caused by urbanisation.
This study reveals that urban land‐use change can have complex effects on inter‐ and intraspecific variation of aquatic insects. We highlight that urban planning should consider at which scale target species can endure urbanisation, to create an effective network of urban ponds for aquatic biodiversity conservation.
Facilitating increased participation in clinical trials: what do consumers expect of clinical trial matching websites?
Authors: Gard Grace , Oakley Joanna , Harold Michael , Colyer Duncan , Benson Wendy , Gray Katya , Zeps Nik , Gibbs Peter 
Published: November 2023

AbstractClinical trials offer access to novel therapies and potential major benefits for patients, but identifying and accessing suitable trials remains a significant challenge for consumers. A burgeoning range of online services aims to meet this need; however, there is a paucity of data on whether these services are addressing the requirements and concerns of consumers. Here, we report our findings from a survey of cancer consumers, with results we believe are relevant to the broader research community.
FOXP3 deficiency, from the mechanisms of the disease to curative strategies
Authors: Borna Simon , Meffre Eric , Bacchetta Rosa 
Published: November 2023

SummaryFOXP3 gene is a key transcription factor driving immune tolerance and its deficiency causes immune dysregulation, polyendocrinopathy, enteropathy X‐linked syndrome (IPEX), a prototypic primary immune regulatory disorder (PIRD) with defective regulatory T (Treg) cells. Although life‐threatening, the increased awareness and early diagnosis have contributed to improved control of the disease. IPEX currently comprises a broad spectrum of clinical autoimmune manifestations from severe early onset organ involvement to moderate, recurrent manifestations. This review focuses on the mechanistic advancements that, since the IPEX discovery in early 2000, have informed the role of the human FOXP3+ Treg cells in controlling peripheral tolerance and shaping the overall immune landscape of IPEX patients and carrier mothers, contributing to defining new treatments.
Variable neighborhood search approach to face‐shield delivery during pandemic periods
Authors: Pacheco Joaquín , Casado Silvia 
Published: November 2023

AbstractIn 2020, the COVID‐19 pandemic and its rapid spread shook health authorities worldwide at the regional and national levels. Healthcare systems had difficulty acquiring important supplies, such as face shields, which at that time were essential for healthcare staff. The need for this material increased with the spread of the pandemic. In most areas, warehouses did not have a sufficient stock of this product. This situation has occurred in the cities and provinces of Burgos (Spain). Volunteers (citizens and small companies) owning three‐dimensional printers offered themselves to manufacture face shields. These volunteers are called “makers.” Similarly, different organizations (mainly Civil Protection) took charge of transport activities (delivery of material to the makers, collection of face shields, and delivery of the latter to hospitals and other entities). In this study, we were tasked with developing a system for planning and rationalizing these activities. The problems that were solved included a vehicle routing problem with different characteristics compared with other models in the literature. A previuous work described this problem, and the heuristic method used for the planning. However, it is necessary to develop tools that are as efficient as possible for similar situations. In this study, we propose a mathematical formulation of the problem and a method based on the metaheuristic strategies variable neighborhood search and greedy randomize adaptative search procedure on a multistart framework. Different tests with real instances used during the period in which these activities were conducted show that the new method improves the results obtained by the previous method as well as the commercial software.
Evaluation of risk factors for surgical site infections in osteoarthritis patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty
Authors: Li Haihong , Li Yina , Wang Danhua , Huang Qiuli , Liu Dandan 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThis research sought to delineate risk factors associated with surgical site infections (SSIs) post‐total knee arthroplasty (post‐TKA) in elderly osteoarthritis patients, aiming to enhance post‐surgical outcomes. A retrospective examination was conducted on a cohort of 650 elderly patients who underwent unilateral TKA between January 2018 and August 2022. Data procurement was from the hospital's Electronic Health Record, and a comprehensive statistical evaluation was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 24.0. Both univariate and multivariate techniques assessed a spectrum of risk determinants such as age, body mass index (BMI), coexisting medical conditions and surgical variables. The univariate examination spotlighted age, BMI, diabetes prevalence, chronic corticosteroid consumption and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification as notable predictors of SSIs. The multivariate logistic regression pinpointed age, BMI, history of smoking and diabetes diagnosis as salient risk attributors for post‐TKA infections. Concurrently, parameters like ASA classification, surgical duration and intraoperative haemorrhage further enriched the risk landscape. Geriatric patients undergoing TKA for knee osteoarthritis manifest a tangible infection susceptibility post‐surgery. Precision interventions concentrating on amendable risk components, including meticulous preoperative evaluations and strategic postoperative care, are imperative to attenuate SSI incidence, thereby amplifying surgical efficacy and optimizing patient recuperation trajectories.
Drought resistance, quality characteristics and water‐yield relationships of some wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) lines and varieties
Authors: Gokkuş Mualla Keten , Dumlupinar Ziya , Degirmenci Hasan 
Published: November 2023

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine the drought tolerance of four different genotypes, including two wheat varieties (Ceyhan 99 and Sagittario) and two wheat lines (Zdeb101 and Zdeb102), and create irrigation schedules. This study was performed with treatments applied at three irrigation levels (S100: treatment where the entire water need of the plant was met, S50: 50% of the water provided in the S100 treatment, S0: Rainfed), with four genotypes and four replications in a split‐plot design in Kahramanmaras East Mediterranean Transitional Zone Agricultural Research Institute in 2019 and 2020. The Ceyhan 99 and Sagittario varieties, which are widely cultivated in the region and the Zeb101 and Zdeb102 lines that are candidates for varieties were used in the study. In the study, 217.1 and 213.77 mm of water was given to S100, 108.54 and 106.88 mm of water was given to S50, and no irrigation was provided to S0 in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The effects of different irrigation levels on yield, water use efficiency (WUE), irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE), protein content and wet gluten content were investigated. At the end of this study, seasonal evapotranspiration (ET), irrigation water and yield decreased from S100 to S0. WUE, IWUE and yield response factor (Ky) values showed different trends in both years. There was no significant difference in yield between the varieties. However, in the stress susceptibility index (SSI) analyses of the genotypes, it was found that the most drought‐tolerant genotypes were Zdeb102 (0.50) and Ceyhan 99 (0.54). The highest protein content and wet gluten content were found as 11.38% and 22.24% in the Sagittario variety, respectively. It is recommended that Zdeb102 and Ceyhan 99 be cultivated in regions such as Kahramanmaras which have semi‐arid climate characteristics in the Mediterranean.
Color‐tunable luminescence and energy transfer of Eu3+/Tb3+ co‐doped borophosphate glass for anti‐counterfeiting
Authors: Zeng Lin , Liu Siling , Zhang Wentao , Zhou Xianzhu , Pan Liqiao , Huang Yi 
Published: November 2023

AbstractEu3+/Tb3+ co‐doped borophosphate glass was synthesized by a melt‐quenching method for the luminescence color‐tunable performance. Under the excitation of 373 nm, the Tb3+‐doped glass exhibited a very strong green emission at 544 nm, corresponding to the electron transition 5D4→7F5 of Tb3+. The emission intensity and lifetime of 5D4 level of Tb3+ dropped with the increase of Eu3+ co‐doping, whereas the emission intensity and lifetime of Eu3+ at 615 nm increased, confirming the existence of energy transfer from Tb3+ to Eu3+. Additionally, the color‐tunable luminescence of the borophosphate glass was also realized from green region to orange‐red region through shifting the Eu3+/Tb3+ ion concentration and the excitation light. There was little difference in emission intensity of Eu3+/Tb3+ co‐doped borophosphate glass under working temperature between 303 and 483 K, manifesting excellent thermal stability. This study indicated that the Eu3+/Tb3+ co‐doped borophosphate glass could become a promising candidate for the applications of anti‐counterfeiting technology.
A dimensional analysis of nursing unit culture
Authors: Leep‐Lazar Kathryn , Stimpfel Amy Witkoski 
Published: November 2023

AbstractAim(s)Organizational culture has been studied for over four decades among nurses, across countries and contexts. However, wide variation exists in how the concept has been defined and at what level of the organization it is measured. The aim of this study was to use a dimensional analysis to conduct a conceptual synthesis of unit culture from a nursing perspective.DesignDimensional analysis, rooted in grounded theory methodology, was used to describe unit culture from a nursing perspective.MethodsA literature search was conducted in April 2022. Inclusion criteria were (1) peer review publications, (2) used the term ‘unit culture’ or ‘ward culture’, (3) references nurses' role in unit culture, (4) published in the last 20 years and (5) written in English. One hundred fifteen articles met inclusion criteria, but dimensional saturation was researched after coding 24 articles.ResultsFindings were synthesized into four core dimensions and 10 subdimensions. Dimensions of unit culture included customs (practice norms, communication and prioritization), shared beliefs (assumptions, values and attitudes), hierarchy (social and informational) and atmosphere (emotional climate and collaboration). Conditions that shape unit culture include individual nurse characteristics, working conditions, unit policies/procedures and leadership. Unit culture impacts nurse work experiences and decision‐making processes, which can affect outcomes including nurse wellbeing, practice behaviours and adherence to unit policies.ConclusionsIdentifying the dimensions of unit culture helps to bring clarity to a concept that is not well defined in existing literature.ImpactThis model of unit culture can be used to guide development of new instruments to measure unit culture or guide researchers in utilizing existing measures. Developing measures specific to unit culture are warranted to strengthen researchers' ability to assess how changing conditions of a unit (e.g. leadership, workload) changes unit culture and its related outcomes.Patient or Public ContributionNo Patient or Public Contribution.