bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mental health of single mothers in Australia
Authors: Dey Tania , Cebulla Andreas
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This study aims to examine mental health amongst two cohorts of single mothers in Australia before and after major social welfare reforms, which limited single parents’ access to welfare payments to encourage labour market participation.

Design/methodology/approach

The study analyses The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health, which surveyed 9,145 women born in the 1970s in 2003, and 8,346 women born in the 1990s in 2019.

Findings

Compared with other women of similar age, single mothers reported a higher prevalence of depression, anxiety, self-harm and suicidal thoughts and lower levels of mental health, although the magnitude varied between age groups and cohorts. This difference disappeared after controlling for socio-demographic characteristics. Mental health of single mothers improved relative to that of other women between cohorts (1970s cohort surveyed in 2003, aged 25–30 versus 1990s cohort surveyed 2019, aged 24–30) and within the same 1970s cohort (surveyed 2003 and 2018), all else equal. Single mothers from the 1970s cohort aged 40–45 years and those in the 1990s cohort aged 24–30 years old were more qualified and held better jobs than the 1970s cohort at aged 25–30. Stress-related to money, ability to manage on available income and experiencing domestic violence were negatively associated with mental health across all cohorts and ages. Social support had a strong positive association with mental health.

Originality/value

The study suggests low welfare payment to encourage greater labour market participation is associated with financial distress linked to poor mental health.
The role of text genre in the construction of generalisation inferences
Authors: Ritchey Kristin A. , Jackson Charles , Davis Somer
Published: May 2023

Background

Generalisation inferences let readers identify a conceptually superordinate statement to represent multiple subordinate concepts. This study measures text genres' influence on the scope and timing of generalisation inferences.

Methods

To measure the scope, or breadth, of generalisation inferences, undergraduates (N = 266) read expository and literary texts containing target sentences that were consistent, inconsistent or off‐topic in relation to the generalisation implied in each paragraph. To test when the generalisations were inferred, target sentences were placed either early or late in each paragraph.

Results

Readers drew broad generalisations early in the text and changed to specific generalisations later for exposition. The generalisations inferred from fairy tales were specific regardless of whether tested early or later in the text.

Conclusions

Readers construct generalisation inferences while reading both expository and literary texts, although the timing and scope of the inferences vary slightly by genre. Implications for theories of reading comprehension and applications for reading interventions are discussed.
Efficient nanoparticle‐based CRISPR‐Cas13d induced mRNA disruption of an eye pigmentation gene in the white‐backed planthopper, Sogatella furcifera
Authors: Ma Yun‐Feng , Zhang Meng‐Qi , Gong Lang‐Lang , Liu Xuan‐Zheng , Long Gui‐Jun , Guo Huan , Hull J. Joe , Dewer Youssef , He Ming , He Peng
Published: May 2023

The discovery of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) system has driven gene manipulation technology to a new era with applications reported in organisms that span the tree of life. The utility of CRISPR‐mediated editing was further expanded to mRNA following identification of the RNA‐targeting Cas13 family of smaller endonuclease proteins. Application of this family to insect research, however, has been more limited. In this study, the smallest Cas13 family member, Cas13d, and guide RNAs (gRNAs) were complexed with a versatile nanomaterial (star polycation, SPc) to generate a proof‐of‐concept RNA‐editing platform capable of disrupting mRNA expression of the eye pigmentation gene tryptophan 2,3‐dioxygenase (SfTO) in white‐backed planthoppers (WBPHs). The resulting red‐eye phenotype was present in 19.76% (with SPc) and 22.99% (without SPc) of the treatment groups and was comparable to the red‐eye phenotype generated following conventional RNA interference knockdown (22.22%). Furthermore, the Cas13/gRNA phenotype manifested more quickly than RNA interference. Consistent with the expected Cas13d mechanism, SfTO transcript levels were significantly reduced. Taken together, the results indicate that the SPc‐CRISPR‐Cas13d/gRNA complex negatively impacted expression of the target gene. These findings confirm the utility of this novel mRNA disruption system in insects and lay the foundation for further development of these tools in the implementation of green agricultural pest management tactics.
Prevalence trends and disease burden of diabetes and prediabetes in Chinese adults of Shanghai
Authors: Pei Jianfeng , Li Yanyun , Yang Yihui , Cheng Minna , Shi Yan , Xu Wang Hong
Published: May 2023

Background

To estimate secular trends and disease burden of diabetes and prediabetes among Chinese adults.

Methods

Three population‐based surveys were performed among Chinese adults in Shanghai in 2002–2003 (n = 12 302), 2009 (n = 7414), and 2017 (n = 18 960). Diabetes and prediabetes were defined using the 1999 World Health Organization (WHO) criteria. Cochran‐Armitage trend test was used to examine the trends in prevalence, awareness, and glycemic control status. Disability adjusted life years (DALYs) were estimated to evaluate the disease burden of diabetes‐related complications using the population attribution fraction approach based on published data.

Results

The age‐adjusted prevalence of diabetes increased during the 15‐year period (p for trend <.001) and reached 23.0% (95% CI: 22.1 ~ 24.0%) in men and 15.7% (95% CI: 15.1 ~ 16.4%) among women in 2017. The prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance peaked in 2009, whereas that of impaired fasting glucose increased continuously (p for trend <.001). The awareness of diabetes was found to increase and the glycemic control rates decreased over the three surveys. The estimated DALYs of diabetes complications were found to have increased rapidly due to the increasing prevalence of diabetes and the decreasing glycemic control rates.

Conclusions

Prediabetes and diabetes affect a considerable proportion of Chinese adults in Shanghai. Our results highlight the necessary to strengthen the community healthcare system in China to guarantee extensive management of diabetes and prediabetes.
Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in systemic lupus erythematosus patient with COVID‐19: Case report and review
Authors: Luo Fang , Ye Qiao
Published: May 2023

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults (MIS‐A) is considered a rare and serious complication of coronavirus disease 2019, which more frequently occurs in young, male, and either non‐Hispanic black or Hispanic persons. Here we present a Chinese woman aged 50 years with systemic lupus erythematosus diagnosed with MIS‐A. She experienced unexpected sudden cardiac and liver injuries and hemodynamic collapse, and her platelet count dropped sharply on hospital day 2. Unfortunately, the patient's condition gradually deteriorated despite maximum support and she died on day 3. We present this rare case to emphasize that MIS‐A in autoimmune diseases may be more severe and its management may be more difficult.
An individualised tapering protocol reduces opioid use 1 year after spine surgery: A randomised controlled trial of patients with preoperative opioid use
Authors: Uhrbrand Peter Gaarsdal , Rasmussen Mikkel Mylius , Haroutounian Simon , Nikolajsen Lone
Published: May 2023

Background

Persistent opioid use following surgery is common especially in patients with preoperative opioid use. This study aims to determine the long‐term effect of an individualised opioid tapering plan versus standard of care in patients with a preoperative opioid use undergoing spine surgery at Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.

Methods

This is the 1‐year follow‐up of a prospective, single‐centre, randomised trial of 110 patients who underwent elective spine surgery for degenerative disease. The intervention was an individualised tapering plan at discharge and telephone counselling 1 week after discharge, compared to standard of care. Postoperative outcomes after 1 year include opioid use, reasons for opioid use and pain intensity.

Results

The overall response rate to the 1‐year follow‐up questionnaire was 94% (intervention group 52/55 patients and control group 51/55 patients). Forty‐two patients (proportion = 0.81, 95% CI 0.67–0.89) in the intervention group compared to 31 (0.61, 95% CI 0.47–0.73; p = .026) patients in the control group succeeded in tapering to zero 1 year after discharge (p = .026). One patient (0.02, 95% CI 0.01–0.13) in the intervention group compared to seven patients (0.14, 95% CI 0.07–0.26) in the control group were unable to taper to their preoperative dose 1 year after discharge (p = .025). Back/neck and radicular pain intensity was similar between study groups.

Conclusion

These results suggest that an individualised tapering plan at discharge combined with telephone counselling 1 week after discharge can reduce opioid use 1 year after spine surgery.
Influence of climatic factors and floristic diversity on the foraging activity of Apis mellifera adansonii Latreille in a West African Savannah
Authors: Kanazoe Issaka Wendpanga , Nombré Issa , Ouédraogo Sambo , Boussim Joseph Issaka , Vereecken Nicolas J.
Published: May 2023

The foraging activities of pollinators depend on a variety of factors, such as the availability of pollen and nectar resources or the seasonality. We performed measurements on the activity patterns of Apis mellifera adansonii Latreille by focusing on different factors: (i) we counted the number of bees entering the hives during 10 min per hour starting from 05:00 AM to 06:00 PM, once a month and along the year, (ii) we measured the hive weights at different intervals during the study and (iii) we characterised the diversity of melliferous plants within a 1 km radius around the hives. Our results show that melliferous flora is composed of 83 species. During the dry season, the honey bees foraged on flowering trees and shrubs, whereas in the rainy season herbaceous plants provided forage for honey bees. The results revealed a significant correlation between foraging activity and the mean hive weights (r = 0.9) while relative humidity was negatively correlated but not significantly with, respectively, mean hive weights (r = −0.5) and foraging activity (r = −0.6). Thus, the combination of biotic and abiotic factors resulted in two distinct periods, namely a phase of honey flow followed by a phase of honey scarcity.
Australian Political Science in the 1960s: Establishing the Discipline of Politics at Flinders University
Authors: Munro Doug
Published: May 2023

The appointment of foundation professors and establishing Departments/Disciplines in the new Australian universities of the 1960s could be fraught, as the example of Political Theory and Institutions at Flinders University demonstrates. It is worth examining the dynamics of this particular case study because it throws light on the state of Political Science Australia‐wide and the nature of the academic job market at the time, as well as revealing the gap between aspiration and outcome in the new Australian universities of the 1960s. The Flinders experience speaks to wider patterns.
Face mask use during the COVID‐19 pandemic was associated with breathing difficulties in adolescent patients with asthma
Authors: Moumneh Ali , Kofoed Poul‐Erik Lund , Vahlkvist Signe Voss
Published: May 2023

Aim

Face masks have been used to prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 transmission. We investigated the impact of face mask use on paediatric patients with asthma.

Methods

Between February 2021 and January 2022, we surveyed adolescents aged 10–17 attending the paediatric outpatient clinic at the Lillebaelt Hospital, Kolding, Denmark with asthma, other breathing problems or no breathing problems.

Results

We recruited 408 participants (53.4% girls) with a median age of 14 years: 312 in the asthma group, 37 in the other breathing problems group and 59 in the no breathing problems group. Most participants experienced mask‐related breathing impairment. The relative risk (RR) of experiencing severe breathing problems, compared to no problems, was more than four times as high for adolescents with asthma (RR 4.6, 95% CI 1.3–16.8, p = 0.02) than adolescents with no breathing problems. More than a third (35.9%) of the asthma group experienced mild asthma and 3.9% had severe asthma. Girls experienced more mild (RR 1.9, 95% CI 1.2–3.1, p < 0.01) and severe (RR 6.6, 95% CI 3.1–13.8, p < 0.01) symptoms than boys. Age had no effect. Adequate asthma control minimised negative effects.

Conclusion

Face masks caused significant breathing impairment in most adolescents, particularly in those with asthma.
Impact of thromboprophylaxis on hospital acquired thrombosis following discharge in patients admitted with COVID‐19: Multicentre observational study in the UK
Authors: Arachchillage Deepa J. , Rajakaruna Indika , Odho Zain , Makris Mike , Laffan Mike ,   CA‐COVID19 Investigators
Published: May 2023

Post‐discharge thromboprophylaxis in patients admitted with COVID‐19 remains controversial. We aimed to determine the impact of thromboprophylaxis on hospital acquired thrombosis (HAT) in patients (≥18 years) discharged following admission for COVID‐19 in an observational study across 26 NHS Trusts in the UK (01.04.2020–31.12.2021). Overall, 8895 patients were included to the study: 971 patients were discharged with thromboprophylaxis and propensity score matched (PSM) with a desired ratio of 1:1, from patients discharged without thromboprophylaxis. Patients with heparin induced thrombocytopenia, major bleeding during admission and pregnant women were excluded. As expected from 1:1 PSM, no difference was observed in parameters between the two groups, including duration of hospital stay, except the thromboprophylaxis group had a significantly higher proportion who had received therapeutic dose anticoagulation during admission. There were no differences in the laboratory parameters especially D‐dimers between the two groups at admission or discharge. Median duration of thromboprophylaxis following discharge from hospital was 4 weeks (1–8 weeks). No difference was found in HAT in patients discharged with TP versus no TP (1.3% vs. 0.92%, p = 0.52). Increasing age and smoking significantly increased the risk of HAT. Many patients in both cohorts had raised D‐dimer at discharge but D‐dimer was not associated with increased risk of HAT.
Novel positron emission tomography imaging targeting cell surface glycans for pancreatic cancer: 18F‐labeled rBC2LCN lectin
Authors: Kuroda Yukihito , Oda Tatsuya , Shimomura Osamu , Louphrasitthiphol Pakavarin , Mathis Bryan J. , Tateno Hiroaki , Hatano Kentaro
Published: May 2023

Advancement in early detection modalities will greatly improve the overall prognoses of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). For this purpose, we report a novel class of tumor‐specific probes for positron emission tomography (PET) based on targeting cell surface glycans. The PDAC‐targeting ability of rBC2LCN lectin, combined with fluorine‐18 (18F) ([18F]FB‐rBC2LCN), resulted in reproducible, high‐contrast PET imaging of tumors in a PDAC xenograft mouse model. [18F]N‐succinimidyl‐4‐fluorobenzoate ([18F]SFB) was conjugated to rBC2LCN, and [18F]FB‐rBC2LCN was successfully prepared with a radiochemical purity >95%. Cell binding and uptake revealed that [18F]FB‐rBC2LCN binds to H‐type‐3‐positive Capan‐1 pancreatic cancer cells. As early as 60 min after [18F]FB‐rBC2LCN (0.34 ± 0.15 MBq) injection into the tail vein of nude mice subcutaneously bearing Capan‐1 tumors, tumor uptake was high (6.6 ± 1.8 %ID/g), and the uptake increased over time (8.8 ± 1.9 %ID/g and 11 ± 3.2 %ID/g at 150 and 240 min after injection, respectively). Tumor‐to‐muscle ratios increased over time, up to 19 ± 1.8 at 360 min. High‐contrast PET imaging of tumors relative to background muscle was also achieved as early as 60 min after injection of [18F]FB‐rBC2LCN (0.66 ± 0.12 MBq) and continued to increase up to 240 min. Our 18F‐labeled rBC2LCN lectin warrants further clinical development to improve the accuracy and sensitivity of early‐stage pancreatic cancer detection.
Latent profiles of children's shyness: Behavioral, affective, and physiological components
Authors: Poole Kristie L. , Schmidt Louis A.
Published: May 2023

Shyness can manifest on behavioral, affective, and physiological levels, but little is known about how these components cluster. We coded behavioral expressions of avoidance/inhibition, collected self‐reported nervousness, and measured cardiac vagal withdrawal in 152 children (Mage = 7.82 years, 73 girls, 82% White) to a speech task in 2018–2021. A latent profile analysis using these behavioral, affective, and physiological indicators revealed four profiles: average reactive (43%), lower affective reactive (20%), higher affective reactive (26%), and consistently higher reactive (11%). Membership in the higher reactive profile predicted higher parent‐reported temperamental shyness across 2 years. Findings provide empirical support for the long‐theorized idea that shyness might exist as an emotional state but also represents a distinct temperamental quality for some children.
Developmental trajectories of behavioral inhibition from infancy to age seven: The role of genetic and environmental risk for psychopathology
Authors: Anaya Berenice , Neiderhiser Jenae M. , Pérez‐Edgar Koraly , Leve Leslie D. , Ganiban Jody M. , Reiss David , Natsuaki Misaki N. , Shaw Daniel S.
Published: May 2023

The present study leveraged data from a longitudinal adoption study of 361 families recruited between 2003 and 2010 in the United States. We investigated how psychopathology symptoms in birth parents (BP;Mage = 24.1 years; 50.5–62.9% completed high school) and adoptive parents (AP;Mage = 37.8 years; 80.9% completed college; 94% mother–father couples) influenced children's behavioral inhibition (BI) trajectories. We used latent growth models of observed BI at 18 and 27 months, and 4.5 and 7 years in a sample of adopted children (Female = 42%, White = 57%, Black = 11%, Multi‐racial = 21%, Latinx = 9%). BI generally decreased over time, yet there was substantial variability in these trajectories. Neither BP nor AP psychopathology symptoms independently predicted systematic differences in BI trajectories. Instead, we found that AP internalizing symptoms moderated the effects of BP psychopathology on trajectories of BI, indicating a gene by environment interaction.
Delivering wildlife habitat on productive agricultural lands cost‐effectively: The case of migratory shorebirds on California rice lands
Authors: Laney Rheyna
Published: May 2023

Promoting wildlife habitat on working agricultural land is a growing conservation priority, and agri‐environment schemes are using payments for environmental services (PES) to reach these privately owned lands. PES can be ecologically effective, but also expensive, putting pressure on these schemes to be cost‐effective, maximizing the conservation value of their limited resources. This study assesses the cost‐effectiveness of four PES schemes in California that paid rice growers to provide temporary flood habitat on their working lands in support of shorebirds. It examines whether the schemes (1) paid for flood habitat only when needed (targeting); (2) paid for habitat that was actually delivered and would not otherwise be provided (additionality); (3) sacrificed as little habitat as possible when the habitat competed with production (ag/wildlife balance); and (4) fostered a commitment among growers to maintain the habitat after payments ended (permanence). Results show that the schemes fell short in each of the four goals, and they expose several factors that undermined their cost‐effectiveness. First, variable weather patterns altered the date in which the shorebird‐habitat gap emerged year‐to‐year, creating a dynamic and unpredictable target for the schemes to address. Second, growers' views on the compatibility of the flood habitat with their rice production varied widely and changed rapidly as the agricultural calendar progressed, making it a challenge to mitigate potential ag/wildlife conflicts. Third, water for flood habitat is expensive, and growers proved unwilling to shoulder that expense once payments ended. These results highlight the need for schemes to adopt design elements that can add flexibility, such as cancelation clauses, so that they can adjust to dynamic targets and adapt to changing ag/wildlife relationships. Results also suggest that PES schemes operating on working lands may require long‐term external support. That finding amplifies the imperative that schemes use their conservation resources cost‐effectively.
Fine needle aspiration cytopathology of pleomorphic dermal sarcoma
Authors: Challa Bindu S. , Plaza Jose A. , Wakely Paul E.
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Pleomorphic dermal sarcoma (PDS) is an uncommon cutaneous mesenchymal neoplasm. It is cytomorphologically identical to atypical fibroxanthoma (AFX), but differs due to its invasion beyond the dermis. We undertook an examination of our experience with fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy cytology of PDS.

Materials and Methods

Our cytopathology files were searched for examples of PDS with concomitant histopathological verification. FNA biopsy smears and cell collection were performed using standard techniques.

Results

Seven cases of PDS were retrieved from four different patients (M:F, 1:1; age range: 63–88 years; mean age = 78 years). All patients (57%) presented with a primary tumour with one having an FNA biopsy of two local recurrences and a single distant metastasis. Five aspirates were from the extremities and two from the head/neck. Tumours ranged from 1.0 to 3.5 cm (mean, 2.2 cm). Specific cytological diagnoses were pleomorphic spindle/epithelioid sarcoma (3 cases), PDS (2), AFX (1), and atypical myofibroblastic lesion, query nodular fasciitis (1). Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining from FNA‐generated cell blocks in two cases showed non‐specific staining with vimentin in both cases; positive CD10, CD68, and INI‐1 staining in one case; and smooth muscle actin expression in the other. Multiple negative stains were performed in both of these cases to exclude malignant melanoma, carcinoma, and specific forms of sarcoma. Cytopathology consisted of a mixture of spindle, epithelioid, and bizarre pleomorphic cells.

Conclusion

Coupled with ancillary IHC stains, FNA biopsy can help recognise PDS as a sarcomatous cutaneous neoplasm, but is unable to distinguish PDS from AFX.
Altered high‐density lipoprotein composition is associated with risk for complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus in South Asian descendants: A cross‐sectional, case‐control study on lipoprotein subclass profiling
Authors: Yuan Lushun , Li‐Gao Ruifang , Verhoeven Aswin , van Eyk Huub J. , Bizino Maurice B. , Rensen Patrick C. N. , Giera Martin , Jazet Ingrid M. , Lamb Hildo J. , Rabelink Ton J. , van den Berg Bernard M.
Published: May 2023

Background

Composition of high‐density lipoproteins (HDL) is emerging as an important determinant in the development of microvascular complications in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Dutch South Asian (DSA) individuals with T2DM display an increased risk of microvascular complications compared with Dutch white Caucasian (DwC) individuals with T2DM. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether changes in HDL composition associate with increased microvascular risk in this ethnic group and lead to new lipoprotein biomarkers.

Materials and Methods

Using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and Bruker IVDr Lipoprotein Subclass Analysis (B.I.LISA) software, plasma lipoprotein changes were determined in 51 healthy individuals (30 DwC, 21 DSA) and 92 individuals with T2DM (45 DwC, 47 DSA) in a cross‐sectional, case‐control study. Differential HDL subfractions were investigated using multinomial logistic regression analyses, adjusting for possible confounders including BMI and diabetes duration.

Results

We identified HDL compositional differences between healthy and diabetic individuals in both ethnic groups. Specifically, levels of apolipoprotein A2 and HDL‐4 subfractions were lower in DSA compared with DwC with T2DM. Apolipoprotein A2 and HDL‐4 subfractions also negatively correlated with waist circumference, waist‐to‐hip ratio, haemoglobin A1c, glucose levels and disease duration in DSA with T2DM, and associated with increased incidence of microvascular complications.

Conclusion

While HDL composition differed between controls and T2DM in both ethnic groups, the lower levels of lipid content in the smallest HDL subclass (HDL‐4) in DSA with T2DM appeared to be more clinically relevant, with higher odds of having diabetes‐related pan‐microvascular complications such as retinopathy and neuropathy. These typical differences in HDL could be used as ethnicity‐specific T2DM biomarkers.
Echocardiographic assessment of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure in patients with frequent premature ventricular complexes
Authors: Kahraman Erkan , Keles Nursen , Parsova Kemal Emrecan , Bastopcu Murat , Karatas Mesut
Published: May 2023

Background

Premature ventricular complex (PVC) is seen in most individuals. It has been shown that the kinetics‐tracking index or Kawasaki‐Tanaka index (KT index) strongly predicts pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) by noninvasively. KT index was defined as log10 (active LAEF/minimum LAV index). We goaled to assess PCWP non‐invasively in patients with frequent PVCs with normal left ventricular systolic functions and to evaluate whether there is an increase in PCWP before systolic and diastolic functions are impaired.

Methods

About 55 patients with frequent PVCs as a patient group and 54 healthy volunteers as a control group were involved to the study. After the conventional echocardiographic examination, the vendor‐independent software system (EchoPAC version 202) was used to obtain the time‐left atrial volume (LAV) curve. total left atrial emptying function (LAEF), passive LAEF, and active LAEF were calculated to evaluate phasic left atrial (LA) function. In this study, ePCWP was calculated using the KT index, and KT index results and other echocardiographic parameters were compared between study groups.

Results

LA anterior‐posterior dimension, LA maximum volume index, and LA minimum volume index were significantly larger in the patient group (all p values < .001). Total LAEF were significantly reduced in patients with frequent PVC (p < .001). Estimated pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (ePCWP) by KT index was significantly higher in patients with frequent PVCs (p < .001).

Conclusions

: Patients with frequent PVC had increased ePCWP as assessed by KT index.
Differences between children and adults in the neural encoding of voice fundamental frequency in the presence of noise and reverberation
Authors: Easwar Vijayalakshmi , Peng Z. Ellen , Mak Veronika , Mikiel‐Hunter Jason
Published: May 2023

Environmental noise and reverberation challenge speech understanding more significantly in children than in adults. However, the neural/sensory basis for the difference is poorly understood. We evaluated the impact of noise and reverberation on the neural processing of the fundamental frequency of voice (f0)—an important cue to tag or recognize a speaker. In a group of 39 6‐ to 15‐year‐old children and 26 adults with normal hearing, envelope following responses (EFRs) were elicited by a male‐spoken /i/ in quiet, noise, reverberation, and both noise and reverberation. Due to increased resolvability of harmonics at lower than higher vowel formants that may affect susceptibility to noise and/or reverberation, the /i/ was modified to elicit two EFRs: one initiated by the low frequency first formant (F1) and the other initiated by mid to high frequency second and higher formants (F2+) with predominantly resolved and unresolved harmonics, respectively. F1 EFRs were more susceptible to noise whereas F2+ EFRs were more susceptible to reverberation. Reverberation resulted in greater attenuation of F1 EFRs in adults than children, and greater attenuation of F2+ EFRs in older than younger children. Reduced modulation depth caused by reverberation and noise explained changes in F2+ EFRs but was not the primary determinant for F1 EFRs. Experimental data paralleled modelled EFRs, especially for F1. Together, data suggest that noise or reverberation influences the robustness of f0 encoding depending on the resolvability of vowel harmonics and that maturation of processing temporal/envelope information of voice is delayed in reverberation, particularly for low frequency stimuli.
EPOR activation attenuates colitis via enhancing LC3B‐dependent apoptotic cell clearance
Authors: Liu Xue , Zhang Ling‐Yuan , Zhang Yu‐Ge , Duan Ting‐Hong , Ding Yi , Pan Cai‐long , Xu Lu , Qian Cheng , Ni Min , Zhang Zhi‐Yuan
Published: May 2023

Systemic immune activation and excessive inflammatory response, induced by intestinal barrier damage, are the major characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Excessive apoptotic cell accumulation leads to the production of a large number of inflammatory factors, further aggravating IBD development. Gene set enrichment analysis data showed that the homodimeric erythropoietin receptor (EPOR) was highly expressed in the whole blood of patients with IBD. EPOR is specifically expressed in intestinal macrophages. However, the role of EPOR in IBD development is unclear. In this study, we found that EPOR activation significantly alleviated colitis in mice. Furthermore, in vitro, EPOR activation in bone marrow‐derived macrophage (BMDMs) promoted microtubule‐associated protein 1 light chain 3B (LC3B) activation and mediated the clearance of apoptotic cells. Moreover, our data showed that EPOR activation facilitated the expression of phagocytosis‐ and tissue‐repair‐related factors. Our findings suggest that EPOR activation in macrophages promotes apoptotic cell clearance, probably via LC3B‐associated phagocytosis (LAP), providing a new mechanism for understanding pathological progression and a novel potential therapeutic target for colitis.
School type and oral conditions associated with school performance and absenteeism in adolescents: A multilevel analysis
Authors: Cardoso Moisés Zacarias , Lana Tábata Mariana Silva Dalla , Collares Kauê , Bervian Juliane , Lopes Mateus Werklehr Paganotto , Signor Gabriela Ré , Ardenghi Thiago Machado , Borba Márcia
Published: May 2023

Background

Investigations assessing how oral health status affects school performance and attendance considering individual and community variables are lacking.

Aim

To analyze the association of school contextual factors and oral conditions with school performance and absenteeism in early adolescence.

Design

This cross‐sectional study was carried out with 593 12‐year‐old students from 20 schools in Passo Fundo, a southern city in Brazil. The caregivers provided sociodemographic information by means of a questionnaire. Oral health status was clinically examined for dental caries and gingival bleeding. Students answered the CPQ11‐14 questionnaire to assess the oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL). Information on contextual factors was obtained from the schools' administrators. “School performance” was measured by Portuguese and Mathematic tests' scores, and “school absenteeism” by the number of school days missed. Descriptive statistics was conducted, followed by unadjusted and adjusted multilevel linear regression.

Results

At the individual level, low OHRQoL was associated with lower school performance and higher absenteeism. At the contextual level, students from private schools had higher school performance and lower mean of school days missed.

Conclusions

The type of school and OHRQoL were associated with school performance and attendance of adolescents.
Realist synthesis protocol for understanding which strategies are effective to prevent urinary tract infection in older people in care homes
Authors: Prieto Jacqui , Wilson Jennie , Tingle Alison , Rycroft‐Malone Jo , Williams Lynne , Loveday Heather
Published: May 2023

Aim

To identify and characterize strategies, which contribute to the prevention of urinary tract infection (UTI) in older people living in care homes.

Design

The realist synthesis has four iterative stages to (1) develop initial programme theory; (2) search for evidence; (3) test and refine theory supported by relevant evidence and (4) formulate recommendations. Data from research articles and other sources will be used to explore the connection between interventions and the context in which they are applied in order to understand the mechanisms, which influence the outcomes to prevent UTI.

Methods

A scoping search of the literature and workshops with stakeholders will identify initial programme theories. These theories will be tested and refined through a systematic search for evidence relating to mechanisms that trigger prevention and recognition of UTI in older people in care homes. Interviews with key stakeholders will establish practical relevance of the theories and their potential for implementation.

Discussion

UTI is the most commonly diagnosed infection in care home residents. Evidence on the effectiveness of strategies to prevent UTI in long‐term care facilities does not address the practicality of implementing these approaches in UK care homes. The realist synthesis is designed to examine this important gap in evidence.

Impact

Our evidence‐informed programme theory will help inform programmes to improve practice to reduce the incidence of UTI in older people living in care homes and related research. Patient and public involvement will be crucial to ensuring that our findings reach carers and the public.

Patient and public contribution

Involvement of patient and public representatives is embedded throughout the study to ensure it is underpinned by multiple perspectives of importance to care home residents. Our co‐investigator representing patient and public involvement is a lay member of the team and will chair the Project Advisory Group, which has two additional lay members. This will help to ensure that our findings and resources reach carers and the public and represent their voice in our publications and presentations to professional and lay audiences.
Fine‐tuning brassinosteroid biosynthesis via 3′UTR‐dependent decay of CPD mRNA modulates wood formation in Populus
Authors: Wang Dian , Hao Xiaoning , Xu Li , Zhao Mengyan , Wang Congpeng , Yu Xihao , Kong Yingzhen , Lu Mengzhu , Zhou Gongke , Chai Guohua , Tang Xianfeng
Published: May 2023

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are plant hormones that regulate wood formation in trees. Currently, little is known about the post‐transcriptional regulation of BR synthesis. Here, we show that during wood formation, fine‐tuning BR synthesis requires 3′UTR‐dependent decay of Populus CONSTITUTIVE PHOTOMORPHOGENIC DWARF 1 (PdCPD1). Overexpression of PdCPD1 or its 3′ UTR fragment resulted in a significant increase of BR levels and inhibited secondary growth. In contrast, transgenic poplars repressing PdCPD1 3′ UTR expression displayed moderate levels of BR and promoted wood formation. We show that the Populus GLYCINE‐RICH RNA‐BINDING PROTEIN 1 (PdGRP1) directly binds to a GU‐rich element in 3′ UTR of PdCPD1, leading to its mRNA decay. We thus provide a post‐transcriptional mechanism underlying BRs synthesis during wood formation, which may be useful for genetic manipulation of wood biomass in trees.
Natural allies? Varieties of attitudes towards the United States and Russia within the French and German radical right
Authors: Greene Toby
Published: May 2023

This paper contributes to a growing literature on the international political world views and foreign policy agendas of European radical right parties with data from in‐depth interviews with current and former elected representatives of Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and Rassemblement National (RN), focusing on their attitudes towards the United States and Russia. Despite very different party structures, the interviews point to a common pattern of intra‐party variation. Those who display deeper attachment to ‘elite’ and ‘people’ categories shaping interpretations of political events, revealed by attachment to conspiracy theories, showed inclination to more radical foreign policy agendas. This includes a stronger inclination to move away from traditional US‐led Western or NATO allies and security frameworks and a stronger preference for cooperation with Russia. For those less deeply committed to notions of malign elite conspiracy, anti‐American thinking was less prominent. For them, a sense of shared values and therefore cultural kinship with Western democracies retains relevance, and attitudes towards Russia are notably more cautious. This highlights the diversity of worldviews within the radical right, including with respect to the boundaries of transnational kinship.
A complex network regulating malate contents during fruit ripening in climacteric fruits
Authors: Martinoia Enrico , Neuhaus Ekkehard
Published: May 2023

This article is a Commentary on Wang et al. (2023), 239: 1014–1034.
PhenoCaB: a new phenological model based on carbon balance in boreal conifers
Authors: Cartenì Fabrizio , Balducci Lorena , Dupont Alain , Salucci Emiliano , Néron Valérie , Mazzoleni Stefano , Deslauriers Annie
Published: May 2023

Traditional phenological models use chilling and thermal forcing (temperature sum or degree‐days) to predict budbreak. Because of the heightening impact of climate and other related biotic or abiotic stressors, a model with greater biological support is needed to better predict budbreak.

Here, we present an original mechanistic model based on the physiological processes taking place before and during budbreak of conifers. As a general principle, we assume that phenology is driven by the carbon status of the plant, which is closely related to environmental variables and the annual cycle of dormancy–activity. The carbon balance of a branch was modelled from autumn to winter with cold acclimation and dormancy and from winter to spring when deacclimation and growth resumption occur.

After being calibrated in a field experiment, the model was validated across a large area (> 34 000 km2), covering multiple conifers stands in Québec (Canada) and across heated plots for the SPRUCE experiment in Minnesota (USA). The model accurately predicted the observed dates of budbreak in both Québec (±3.98 d) and Minnesota (±7.98 d).

The site‐independent calibration provides interesting insights on the physiological mechanisms underlying the dynamics of dormancy break and the resumption of vegetative growth in spring.
Security Threats and Military Strategic Factors in the Russo–Ukrainian War: Focusing on the Russia's Identification of Greater Eurasianism and the Instability of the Buffer Zone*
Authors: Yun Jiwon
Published: May 2023

The Russo–Ukrainian war has lasted longer than expected due to a combination of two reasons: security threats and military‐strategic conflicts. It turned out that through this conflict, the paradigm of war has changed rapidly enough to be called a game changer. This article aims to provide a theoretical analysis of the main factors in Russia's foreign policy that concern a security threat to the instability of the geopolitical buffer zone and Greater Eurasian military strategy, including the leadership of Putinism 4.0, which influenced the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It examines the development aspects and implications of special military Operation Z, which is regarded as Russia's defense military strategy against conflicts with NATO's eastward expansion and Eurasian pluralism. The analysis found that Russia's military strategy and foreign policy will be preemptive and proactive in seeking international security and global order, but at times, however, they show defensive and reactive characteristics. As examined, external factors such as security threats to the identity of a great power in Eurasia, instability in the buffer zone, fear of encirclement on the border, and historical and ethnic factors are expected to serve as constant variables in the decision‐making process of Russia's military strategy and foreign policy.
Rubella virus‐associated necrotizing granulomatous inflammation with extensive eyelid, ocular, and orbital involvement
Authors: Pimentel Matthew A. , Kim Donna H. , Walker Lorne W. , Noelck Michelle B. , Perelygina Ludmila , Kripps Kimberly A. , Cartwright Victoria W. , Funk Tracy , Green Sarah , Kuo Annie , Ng John , Ophaug Solveig L. , Passo Ross , Redd Travis , Small Alison
Published: May 2023

We present a case of cutaneous granulomatous disease associated with rubella virus in a 4‐year‐old girl without an identifiable immunodeficiency. In this case, a combination of anti‐inflammatory, anti‐viral, and anti‐neutrophil therapies successfully treated vision‐threatening eyelid, conjunctival, scleral, and orbital inflammation.
Conclusion
Authors: Balbuena Monique R.
Published: May 2023

The conclusion revisits the main arguments of the book and discusses new developments and possibilities for the creative production in Ladino. It seeks to turn the focus from the atmosphere of death that surrounds the language to an acknowledgement, or even celebration, of Sephardim as present-day, creative, living Jews.
Where Does Time Come From?
Authors: Goldberg Sylvie Anne
Published: May 2023

The chapter starts with an overview of the common knowledge constructed by the first generation of Christian biblical scholars about the “Jewish” sense of time taken from their own approach to the Hebrew Bible, while showing that the Jews shared the common views of their contemporaries. It discusses the components of time in the Bible with the tools of the narrative discourse elaborated by Ricœur and the circular time conceived of by Eliade. Using these tools allows the reading of the arrangement of the books in the Hebrew Bible as benchmarks for temporality, putting at their center the creation of the universe.
Historiographical Scansions Between Adam and the Present Time
Authors: Goldberg Sylvie Anne
Published: May 2023

This chapter follows the emergence of the Greek chronographies built on biblical sources to shape a coherent narrative of Jewish history. It then describes the first rabbinical account of elapsed time, from the creation of the world until the great revolt of Bar Kokhba. The chapter focuses on the link existing between that chronography and the Jewish exegesis that one can find also in Josephus.
Mathematical Scansions In What Era?
Authors: Goldberg Sylvie Anne
Published: May 2023

This chapter discusses the mathematical evaluation of elapsed time. It describes the two main eras in use in the Jewish world of late antiquity and early Middle Ages. It also presents the way these eras are understood and explained by rabbis, astronomers, and non-Jews witnesses.
Directed Time
Authors: Goldberg Sylvie Anne
Published: May 2023

This chapter analyzes how arithmetic of counted-down time meets with exegesis to fit into the scheme sketched by prophecies about the probable date of the coming of the Messiah. It presents a Talmudic view constructed with all the components inherent to the beliefs and conjectures on his coming. The chapter ends with a discussion of a possible Jewish millenarianism, which vanished or was eclipsed by the Christian one.
Exercises in Rabbinic Thought
Authors: Goldberg Sylvie Anne
Published: May 2023

This chapter starts with questioning the notion of an “event.” Its aim is to grasp the way Jewish chronology might understand an important event as a time marker. To do that, it tracks history through a comparison of the narratives in the Books of the Maccabees and the Book of Daniel. Then it tries to figure out what may have produced the variations between the solar calendar and the lunisolar one, traces of which are discovered from analyses of the Bible, some Apocrypha, and from the documents found at Qumran. The chapter ends with the controversy on the calendar held between Palestinian and Babylonian Jewries during the tenth century.
Scale Too Free
Authors: Davis Jason
Published: May 2023

This chapter examines network agency problems related to the distribution of social capital in organizational networks. It focuses primarily on the degree distribution of ties, noting that networks often converge to a hub-and-spoke network in which social capital is unequally distributed, with a few hubs possessing far more ties than the average node. Status dynamics lead to social capital inequality in networks, which has an overall negative impact on high-quality collaboration in organizations. Digital technologies are shown to accelerate these dynamics as hubs disproportionately use these tools to cement their advantages.
Network Governance
Authors: Davis Jason
Published: May 2023

This chapter discusses the implications of network agency theory for organization design and boundary choices in network governance. Network agency issues underlying classic design problems like silos, conflicting coalitions, and inadequate matrix structures are described. Network agency problems are developed as a novel theory of the firm. That is, firms exist and thrive because they better mitigate misalignments in networking incentives than some market forms.
Judicial Impeachment, Judicial Discipline, and American Constitutionalism
Authors: Redish Martin H.
Published: May 2023

This chapter explores the seeming constitutional contradictions between the provisions guaranteeing federal judicial independence and enabling the political branches to impeach and remove federal judges from office under certain circumstances. The chapter argues that in order to best resolve this apparent contradiction, the impeachment power must be construed narrowly to apply only when the judge has been determined to have committed a criminal offense.
Conclusion
Authors: Redish Martin H.
Published: May 2023

The Conclusion describes the paradoxical precept that underlies the nation’s paradoxical form of judicial review: “skeptical optimism.” This concept recognizes the simultaneous belief in both the possibilities of human flourishing and in the dangers of the dark side of the human psyche. In a manner characteristic of their pragmatic approach to the art of politics, the Constitution’s framers chose to foster the benefits of the former and deter the harms of the latter by means of a delicately structured form of constitutional democracy—one that relies on a powerful judiciary heavily insulated from the pressures of popular or political will.
Austrian Mandates
Authors: Mintz Alan
Published: May 2023

The Austrian rule over Buczacz that came with the partition of Poland in 1772 brought far-reaching changes to Jewish life, especially during the first decades of imperial rule. One change was the imposition of a special tax on the candles Jews used for Sabbaths, holidays, and weddings. Agnon’s general approach is to examine the corrupting effects of these measures within the Jewish community rather than between the community and the Austrian authorities. One major story concerns a thug named Feivush, who serves as an enforcer for a heartless tax farmer. Feivush is feared and reviled by his fellow Jews, but then he himself becomes a victim. Other tales focus on the marginalization of rabbinic courts under the Austrians, which allows the violence of the wealthy to go unchecked.