bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal associations of anticholinergic medications on cognition and possible mitigating role of physical activity
Authors: Norling Amani M. , Bennett Aleena , Crowe Michael , Long D. Leann , Nolin Sara A. , Myers Terina , Del Bene Victor A. , Lazar Ronald M. , Gerstenecker Adam 
Published: February 2023

AbstractBackgroundMany older adults take at least one prescription medication with anticholinergic (ACH) activity, which can impact the central nervous system and can lead to cognitive decline and impairment especially in an aging population susceptible to cognitive changes. We examined this relationship between ACH burden and cognitive function in middle‐aged and older adults. We further determined if increased activity levels mitigated the relationships between ACH burden and cognition.MethodsData from The Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke project were used. We included 20,575 adults aged ≥45 years with longitudinal cognitive testing. The anticholinergic cognitive burden (ACB) scale was used to assess for ACH use and overall burden. Cognitive data included an overall composite score, a memory, and verbal fluency composites. Mixed effects models were conducted to determine if cognitive function worsened over time for participants with higher ACB (>3) scores. The full model adjusted for age, sex, race, education, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, congestive heart failure, and dyslipidemia, self‐reported physical activity (PA) and depressive symptoms.ResultsA significant relationship between ACH burden and composite cognitive scores was found (p = <0.001), with those with higher ACB showing more rapid cognitive decline over time. There was an effect of age for participants with higher ACB (>3) scores and ACB as a continuous variable. Baseline PA level was associated with less cognitive decline over time and this effect was greater in older cohorts.ConclusionsWe observed an effect of ACHs on cognition in adults ≥45 years old that worsened with age. ACH users showed more cognitive effects, whereas PA emerged as a possible mitigating factor.
Exploring the psychometric properties of the Intellectual Disability versions of the Short Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and Kidscreen10, self‐reported by adolescents with intellectual disability
Authors: Davison J. , Maguire S. , McLaughlin M. , Simms V. , Bunting B. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractBackgroundThere are no validated self‐report measures that can be used to assess health and wellbeing in adolescents with intellectual disability (ID).MethodThe aim of this study was to explore the psychometric properties of two newly adapted self‐report health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) and mental wellbeing measures: the Intellectual Disability versions of the Short Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (ID‐SWEMWBS) and Kidscreen10 (ID‐Kidscreen10). For this, we used data from a sample of 427 adolescents (aged 11–19) with ID recruited from special school settings.ResultsConfirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to validate the factor structure of both measures. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and test–retest reliability was analysed using intra‐class correlation coefficients. The internal consistency measured using Cronbach's alpha was found to be in the range of 0.70–0.78, test–retest reliabilities were expressed using intra‐class correlation coefficients that were found to be high for both measures (ID‐SWEMWBS, 0.758; ID‐Kidscreen10, 0.723), and the CFA supported the unidimensional structure of both measures.ConclusionsThe results of this study indicate that the ID‐SWEMWBS and ID‐Kidscreen10 have very good psychometric properties and can be used as self‐report measures to assess HRQoL and mental wellbeing in adolescents with ID.
Evaluating the feasibility and acceptability of home‐based urinalysis for albumin‐creatinine ratio with smartphone technology: A quality improvement project
Authors: Thomas Nicola , Ewart Catriona , Hill Carolyn 
Published: February 2023

AbstractBackgroundDespite albumin‐creatinine ratio (urine) testing being recommended for detection of chronic kidney disease among adults with diabetes, testing rates are suboptimal.AimWe implemented and evaluated a quality improvement project in an inner‐city diabetes population in London, UK to assess the feasibility and acceptability of implementing novel home‐based urinalysis using smartphone technology.MethodsAfter eligible patients were identified and consented, testing kits were sent to the patient's home. Test results and patient feedback were collected through the smartphone application. Focus group discussions were conducted to evaluate primary care staff perspectives on uptake and delivery of the service.ResultsIn total 2370 patients agreed to take part. Of these, 1244 completed the test (61% of those eligible) and of these, 465 (37%) had clinically significant albuminuria. 98% of patients found the test easy or very easy to use. Staff in primary care found the service to be beneficial for patients, and reported ease of set up and minimal administrative processes. Concerns regarding barriers among patients with lower digital literacy and non‐English speakers were raised although these concerns were not substantiated.ConclusionHome‐based albumin‐creatinine ratio urine testing may improve the testing rates of people with diabetes at higher risk of chronic kidney disease. This is important post‐pandemic, as healthcare services are trying to return to pre‐pandemic levels of care. The study also found that the use of smartphone technology in an underserved (deprived) community is feasible, despite reservations about levels of digital literacy and possible language barriers. Further evaluation of effectiveness and costs is required.
Current models of insomnia disorder: a theoretical review on the potential role of the orexinergic pathway with implications for insomnia treatment
Authors: Palagini Laura , Geoffroy Pierre A. , Balestrieri Matteo , Miniati Mario , Biggio Giovanni , Liguori Claudio , Menicucci Danilo , Ferini‐Strambi Luigi , Nobili Lino , Riemann Dieter , Gemignani Angelo 
Published: February 2023

SummaryInsomnia disorder is considered as a stress‐related disorder associated with hyperarousal, stress and emotion dysregulation and the instability of the ‘flip‐flop’ switch system. The orexinergic system is well known for its key role in sleep and arousal processes but also in the allostatic system regulating stress and emotions and may thus be of major interest for insomnia and its treatment. Accordingly, we discuss the potential role of orexins on sleep processes, brain systems modulating stress and emotions with potential implications for insomnia pathophysiology. We reviewed available data on the effect of dual orexin receptor antagonists (DORAs) on sleep and brain systems modulating stress/emotions with implications for insomnia treatment. We present our findings as a narrative review. Few data in animals and humans have reported that disrupted sleep and insomnia may be related to the overactivation of orexinergic system, while some more consistent data in humans and animals reported the overactivation of orexins in response to acute stress and in stress‐related disorders. Taken together these findings may let us hypothesise that an orexins overactivation may be associated with stress‐related hyperarousal and the hyperactivation of arousal‐promoting systems in insomnia. On the other hand, it is possible that by rebalancing orexins with DORAs we may regulate both sleep and allostatic systems, in turn, contributing to a ‘switch off’ of hyperarousal in insomnia. Nevertheless, more studies are needed to clarify the role of the orexin system in insomnia and to evaluate the effects of DORAs on sleep, stress and emotions regulating systems.
Possible occurrence of contact calls in all‐male groups of free‐ranging beluga whales
Authors: Panova E. , Agafonov A. 
Published: February 2023

AbstractSocial toothed whales are known to produce specific vocalizations that may serve for individual or group recognition and maintaining cohesion among group members. In beluga whales Delphinapterus leucas, these vocalizations referred to as “contact calls” are relatively long duration, repeated stereotyped broadband sounds. Although these calls are thought to be critical in mother‐calf communication, they are utilized by individuals of different ages and sex. We investigated possible occurrence of contact calls in all‐male beluga groups from the White Sea, Russia. Among the vocalizations analyzed (n = 1169), a considerable proportion (58%) appeared to be potential contact calls. They were subjectively classified into 61 types of mostly complex broadband sounds combined with a narrow band element. The positive linear relationship (R2 = 0.90) between the number of unique call types identified in the recordings and the number of belugas observed in the research area suggests that the calls serve as individual signatures. Belugas tended to produce these calls in a series, with the intercall intervals between the same and different call types mainly >1 s and <1 s, respectively. This suggests that vocal exchange by individually distinctive calls, like those of captive belugas and some other social species, might take place. The current study provides more insight into contact call usage in wild belugas and may serve as a basis for long‐term monitoring of their seasonal occurrence, abundance, and site fidelity, as well as for investigating their social organization.
Preference evolution, attention, and happiness
Authors: Castronova Edward 
Published: February 2023

AbstractWe present the first model of preference evolution in an environment where the fame of an agent affects selection. Specifically, agents who are famous are more likely to be selected for comparison by other agents. Agents compare happiness, and then switch preferences if the other agent is happier. Without the attention economy, only ‘happy’ preferences survive – happy preferences being those which, when followed, give agents maximal subjective well‐being. In an attention economy, however, unhappy preferences can persist if there is incomplete information. With incomplete information, agents may make errors when assessing the happiness of others. Furthermore, famous agents may be systematically less happy than others; empirical happiness research suggests that happiness comes from factors like family and religion, not fame. With these two possibilities in play, ordinary agents may be matched frequently with famous people who seem happy but are not. In these matches, ordinary agents will adopt preferences that actually make them less happy, and this allows unhappy preferences to persist in equilibrium. Our model contributes a theoretical explanation for the empirical finding that people who pay more attention to media generally score lower on scales of subjective well‐being.
Transmission mode and dispersal traits correlate with host specificity in mammalian gut microbes
Authors: Mazel Florent , Guisan Antoine , Parfrey Laura Wegener 
Published: February 2023

AbstractDifferent host species associate with distinct gut microbes in mammals, a pattern sometimes referred to as phylosymbiosis. However, the processes shaping this host specificity are not well understood. One model proposes that barriers to microbial transmission promote specificity by limiting microbial dispersal between hosts. This model predicts that specificity levels measured across microbes is correlated to transmission mode (vertical vs. horizontal) and individual dispersal traits. Here, we leverage two large publicly available gut microbiota data sets (1490 samples from 195 host species) to test this prediction. We found that host specificity varies widely across bacteria (i.e., there are generalist and specialist bacteria) and depends on transmission mode and dispersal ability. Horizontally‐like transmitted bacteria equipped with traits that facilitate switches between host (e.g., tolerance to oxygen) were found to be less specific (more generalist) than microbes without those traits, for example, vertically‐like inherited bacteria that are intolerant to oxygen. Altogether, our findings are compatible with a model in which limited microbial dispersal abilities foster host specificity.
Anxiety correlates with excessive air swallowing and PPI refractoriness in patients with concomitant symptoms of GERD and functional dyspepsia
Authors: Ribolsi Mentore , Marchetti Lorenzo , Blasi Valentina , Cicala Michele 
Published: February 2023

AbstractBackgroundAnxiety may exacerbate GERD and FD symptoms perception and reduce quality of life. As many as 50% of patients with GERD symptoms have incomplete relief with PPI therapy, and psychological factors may influence PPI responsiveness.AimThe potential relationship between anxiety, excessive air swallowing, and PPI responsiveness was evaluated.MethodsGERD patients with concomitant FD were prospectively evaluated. Validated structured questionnaires were used to evaluate anxiety, GERD, and FD symptoms. All patients were treated, within the previous year, with at least 8 weeks of standard dose PPI therapy.ResultsOne hundred sixty‐one patients were included. Frequency of non‐responders in patients with moderate/severe anxiety was significantly higher compared to patients with mild anxiety (62.7% vs. 37.3%, p < 0.01). Patients with moderate/severe anxiety displayed a significantly higher mean FD symptoms score value compared to patients with mild anxiety. A significantly higher mean number of air swallows were observed in patients with moderate/severe anxiety. At ROC analysis, air swallows and mixed reflux episodes were significantly associated with the presence of PPI refractoriness (AUC: 0.725, 95% CI: 0.645–0.805 and 0.768, 0.692–0.843). According to univariate analysis, an abnormal number of air swallows, mixed reflux episodes and presence of moderate/severe anxiety was significantly associated with PPI refractoriness.ConclusionOur results, if confirmed in in a larger, prospective clinical and therapeutic study, demonstrate the usefulness of an up‐front evaluation with anxiety questionnaire and esophageal testing in patients with a broad spectrum of upper gastrointestinal symptoms who fail to respond to PPI treatment, supporting the option of alternative treatment modalities.
Dark‐induced chloroplast relocation depends on actin filaments in the liverwort Apopellia endiviifolia along with the light‐ and cold‐induced relocations
Authors: Yong Lee‐Kien , Kodama Yutaka 
Published: February 2023

AbstractChloroplasts move to the periclinal walls of cells under weak light to harness light energy for photosynthesis and to anticlinal walls to avoid strong light. These responses involve the cytoskeleton components microtubules and/or actin filaments. In the dark, chloroplasts move to the anticlinal cell walls bordering neighbouring cells (dark‐positioning response), but this response in various plants normally requires a prolonged dark incubation period, which has hampered analysis. However, we recently demonstrated the dark‐positioning response that can be induced after a short period of dark incubation in the liverwort Apopellia endiviifolia. Here, we investigated whether the cytoskeleton components function in the dark‐positioning response of A. endiviifolia cells. Microtubules and actin filaments were fluorescently visualised in A. endiviifolia cells and were disrupted following treatment with the microtubule and actin filament polymerisation inhibitors. The dark‐positioning response was unaffected in the cells with disrupted microtubules. By contrast, the dark‐positioning response was inhibited by the disruption of actin filaments. The disruption of actin filaments also restricted chloroplast mobility during light‐ and cold‐dependent chloroplast movements in A. endiviifolia. Therefore, the dark‐positioning response of A. endiviifolia depends solely on an actin filament‐associated motility mechanism, as do the light‐ and cold‐dependent chloroplast responses.
Aerial roots elevate indoor plant health: Physiological and morphological responses of three high‐humidity adapted Araceae species to indoor humidity levels
Authors: Sheeran Laura , Rasmussen Amanda 
Published: February 2023

AbstractHeightened by the COVID‐19 pandemic there has been a global increase in urban greenspace appreciation. Indoor plants are equally important for improving mental health and air quality but despite evolving in humid (sub)tropical environments with aerial root types, planting systems ignore aerial resource supply. This study directly compared nutrient uptake preferences of aerial and soil‐formed roots of three common houseplant species under high and ambient relative humidities. Growth and physiology parameters were measured weekly for Anthurium andreanum, Epipremnum aureum and Philodendron scandens grown in custom made growth chambers. Both aerial and soil‐formed roots were then fed mixtures of nitrate, ammonium and glycine, with one source labelled with 15N to determine uptake rates and maximum capacities. Aerial roots were consistently better at nitrogen uptake than soil roots but no species, root type or humidity condition showed a preference for a particular nitrogen source. All three species grew more in high humidity, with aerial roots demonstrating the greatest biomass increase. Higher humidities for indoor niches, together with fertiliser applications to aerial roots will support indoor plant growth, creating lush calming indoor environments for people inhabitants.
An Examination of Public Income Redistribution
Authors: Arendt Jacob Nielsen , Christensen Mads Lybech 
Published: February 2023

AbstractThis study examines the extent of public income redistribution in a Scandinavian welfare state. We confirm previous findings where the redistributive effect of cash transfers is larger than that of in‐kind transfers, indirect taxes, and collective consumption, but their difference depends substantially on common methodological choices. First, we apply administrative data to identify actual use of in‐kind transfers and compare their redistributive effects to those from simpler allocation rules advocated in the distributional national account literature when actual transfers are not observed. Second, we show that the use of the insurance value (age and gender specific mean use) as an alternative allocation brings the redistributive effect of in‐kind transfers far closer to that of cash transfers. Third, we adjust for life cycle differences and show that while in‐kind transfers mainly redistribute income across age groups, redistribution from cash transfers takes place both within and across age groups.
Kant on Social Justice: Poverty, Dependence, and Depersonification
Authors: Loriaux Sylvie 
Published: February 2023

AbstractThe main purpose of this article is to bring into relief the difficulties faced by generous interpretations of the Kantian problem of poverty and to propose an alternative interpretation which (a) agrees with some generous interpretations that Kant's juridical treatment of poverty is to be understood by analogy with his juridical treatment of slavery, but which (b) departs from generous interpretations in general by arguing that this analogy is not to be understood in terms of “dependence” as such, but in terms of “depersonification.” More specifically, it argues that what makes slavery and poverty unjust for Kant is not that they entail a human being finding herself (completely) dependent on the choice of another human being, but that they entail a human being being deprived of her juridical personality. The Kantian problem of poverty is ultimately a problem of juridical depersonification, and this problem of juridical depersonification does not arise in all (complete) dependence relations.
Abscisic acid collaborates with lignin and flavonoid to improve pre‐silking drought tolerance by tuning stem elongation and ear development in maize (Zea mays L.)
Authors: Gao Jia , Zhang Yingjun , Xu Chenchen , Wang Xin , Wang Pu , Huang Shoubing 
Published: February 2023

SUMMARYDrought is a major abiotic stress reducing maize (Zea mays) yield worldwide especially before and during silking. The mechanism underlying drought tolerance in maize and the roles of different organs have not been elucidated. Hence, we conducted field trials under pre‐silking drought conditions using two maize genotypes: FM985 (drought‐tolerant) and ZD958 (drought‐sensitive). The two genotypes did not differ in plant height, grain number, and yield under control conditions. However, the grain number per ear and the yield of FM985 were 38.1 and 35.1% higher and plants were 17.6% shorter than ZD958 under drought conditions. More 13C photosynthates were transported to the ear in FM985 than in ZD958, which increased floret fertility and grain number. The number of differentially expressed genes was much higher in stem than in other organs. Stem–ear interactions are key determinants of drought tolerance, in which expression of genes related to abscisic acid, lignin, and flavonoid biosynthesis and carbon metabolism in the stem was induced by drought, which inhibited stem elongation and promoted assimilate allocation to the ear in FM985. In comparison with ZD958, the activities of trehalose 6‐phosphate phosphatase and sucrose non‐fermentation‐associated kinase 1 were higher in the stem and lower in the kernel of FM985, which facilitated kernel formation. These results reveal that, beyond the ear response, stem elongation is involved in the whole process of drought tolerance before silking. Abscisic acid together with trehalose 6‐phosphate, lignin, and flavonoid suppresses stem elongation and allocates assimilates into the ear, providing a novel and systematic regulatory pathway for drought tolerance in maize.
On continuous billiard and quasigeodesic flows characterizing alcoves and isosceles tetrahedra
Authors: Lange Christian 
Published: February 2023

AbstractWe characterize fundamental domains of affine reflection groups as those polyhedral convex bodies which support a continuous billiard dynamics. We interpret this characterization in the broader context of Alexandrov geometry and prove an analogous characterization for isosceles tetrahedra in terms of continuous quasigeodesic flows. Moreover, we show an optimal regularity result for convex bodies: the billiard dynamics is continuous if the boundary is of class . In particular, billiard trajectories converge to geodesics on the boundary in this case. Our proof of the latter continuity statement is based on Alexandrov geometry methods that we discuss, respectively, establish first.
The Self-Regulation and Smartphone Usage Model: A Framework to Help Athletes Manage Smartphone Usage
Authors: DesClouds Poppy , Durand-Bush Natalie 
Published: February 2023

Self-regulation is essential for optimal development, performance, and well-being in sport, and smartphones may support and hinder this self-regulation. The relationship between smartphones and self-regulation has seldom been investigated in sport. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine self-regulatory processes, conditions, and outcomes related to athletes’ smartphone usage. Twenty-four competitive and high-performance athletes from eight sports participated in individual interviews informed by the models of self-regulated learning and self-regulatory strength. Themes created from a directed content analysis aligned with components of both models and were integrated with new themes to form the “Self-regulation and Smartphone Usage Model” (SSUM). The SSUM illustrates a cyclical model of self-regulation and smartphone usage across five components: self-regulation capacity, processes, conditions, outcomes, and competencies. While self-regulation demands can be increased because of smartphones and lead to depletion, smartphones can be powerful vehicles to strengthen self-regulation competencies.