bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing the quality of comparative genomics data and results with the cogeqc R/Bioconductor package
Authors: Almeida‐Silva Fabricio , Van de Peer Yves
Published: November 2023

Comparative genomics has become an indispensable part of modern biology due to the advancements in high‐throughput sequencing technologies and the accumulation of genomic data in public databases. However, the quality of genomic data and the choice of parameters used in software tools used for comparative genomics can greatly impact the accuracy of results.

Here, we present cogeqc, an R/Bioconductor package that provides researchers with a toolkit to assess genome assembly and annotation quality, orthogroup inference, and synteny detection. The package offers context‐guided assessments of assembly and annotation statistics by comparing observed statistics to those of closely‐related species on NCBI. To assess orthogroup inference, cogeqc calculates a protein domain‐aware orthogroup score that aims at maximising the number of shared protein domains within the same orthogroup. The assessment of synteny detection consists in representing anchor gene pairs as a synteny network and analysing its graph properties, such as clustering coefficient, node count, and scale‐free topology fit.

The application of cogeqc to real datasets allowed for an evaluation of multiple parameter combinations for orthogroup inference and synteny detection, providing researchers in need for comparative genomics with guidelines to aid in the selection of the most appropriate tools and parameters for their specific data.

We demonstrate that the default parameters in orthogroup identification and synteny detection tools are not always the most suitable, highlighting the importance of performing assessments for each dataset. The assessment metrics provided by cogeqc will help researchers generate more accurate and reliable results.
A descriptive coronial study of heroin toxicity deaths in Australia, 2020–2022: Characteristics, toxicology and survival times
Authors: Darke Shane , Duflou Johan , Peacock Amy , Farrell Michael , Lappin Julia
Published: November 2023

Background and aims

Mortality rates among people who use heroin are estimated to be 15 times that of the general population. The study aimed to determine (1) the case characteristics and circumstances of death of heroin‐related toxicity deaths in Australia, 2020–2022; (2) their toxicological profile and major autopsy findings; (3) the proportion of cases in which blood 6‐acetyl morphine (6AM) was detected, as a proxy measure of survival times; and (4) compare 6AM positive and negative cases on toxicology, circumstances of death and acute clinical presentation.

Design

Retrospective study of heroin toxicity deaths in Australia, 2020–2022, retrieved from the National Coronial Information System.

Setting

This study was conducted Australia‐wide.

Cases

There were 610 cases of fatal heroin‐related drug toxicity.

Measurements

Information was collected on characteristics, manner of death, toxicology and autopsy results.

Findings

The mean age was 42.6 years (range 18–73 years), 80.5% were male and 7.5% were enrolled in a drug treatment programme. The circumstances of death were as follows: unintentional drug toxicity (86.2%), combined unintentional drug toxicity/disease (11.3%) and intentional drug toxicity (2.5%). The median free morphine concentration was 0.17 mg/L (range 0.00–4.20 mg/L). Psychoactive drugs other than heroin were present in 95.2% (Confidence Interval 93.1%–96.8%), most commonly hypnosedatives (62.3%, 58.2%–66.4%) and psychostimulants (44.8%, 40.7%–49.1%). Major autopsy findings of clinical significance included acute bronchopneumonia (14.8%, 11.3%–18.8%), emphysema (16.9%, 13.2%–21.1%), cardiomegaly (30.1%, 12.7%–28.2%), coronary artery disease (27.4%, 23.0%–32.3%), coronary replacement fibrosis (13.4%, 10.1%–17.3%), hepatic cirrhosis (8.8%, 6.6%–12.2%) and renal fibrosis (10.3%, 7.3%–14.0%). In 47.0% (42.3%–51.2%), 6AM was present in blood.

Conclusions

The ‘typical’ heroin overdose case in Australia from 2020 to 2022 was a male who injected heroin, aged in the 40s, not enrolled in a treatment programme and had used multiple drugs. In over half of cases, there had been a sufficient survival time for 6‐acetyl morphine to have been metabolised, which may indicate times in excess of 20–30 min.
The effects of land direct payment program on farm income and production practices
Authors: Chang Hung‐Hao
Published: November 2023

Many countries of the world have implemented subsidy programs to maintain a minimum amount of farm production especially for rice. Agricultural support programs usually cause significant fiscal burdens on government budgets. These programs can be generally categorized into decoupled and coupled programs, and one longstanding research interest of previous literature is whether these programs are decoupled or coupled with farm production practices. In Taiwan, a unique land direct payment (LDP) program to rice farms was implemented to ease severe financial burden of the price support program with government purchase. In contrast to production control programs imposing quantity restrictions on farm production, this program is voluntary for rice farms, and participants are paid at a fixed rate per hectare of farmland. This paper examines the impacts of this program on farm income and farm production practices in Taiwan. The causal effect of the program is identified based on the exogenous rollout of the policy across multiple times and areas. We construct a dataset linking nationally representative rice farm surveys over several years and administrative records on program recipients to estimate the local average treatment effect of the program. We find that the effect is 4% of farm income. In addition, program participants rely less on price support programs and produce less rice and use less fertilizer, pesticide, and machinery. Although the LDP reduces rice production, we find that it causes overall government spending on the price support and direct payment programs to increase by 8.7% after the LDP.
Expanding clinical spectrum from Hashimoto's encephalopathy to anti‐NAE antibody‐associated disorders (NAEAD)
Authors: Matsunaga Akiko , Ikawa Masamichi , Yoneda Makoto
Published: November 2023

Using proteomic analysis, we identified anti‐NAE antibodies (autoantibodies against NH2‐terminal of alpha‐enolase) as a diagnostic marker for Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE). As cases of HE with serum anti‐NAE antibodies accumulated, the clinical spectrum of HE with anti‐NAE antibodies became expanded. In addition, it is now known that antibodies can be detected in other diseases that differ from conventional HE. We recently reported the detection of anti‐NAE antibodies in patients with a clinical diagnosis of multiple system atrophy or corticobasal syndrome. These findings suggest that anti‐NAE antibodies indicate an immune mechanism in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. We propose a novel disease concept for anti‐NAE antibody‐associated disorders (NAEAD). The clinical spectrum of NAEAD is not limited to HE but is a broad spectrum that partially shares several autoimmune neurological diseases, including autoimmune acute encephalopathy, autoimmune cerebellar ataxia, and autoimmune psychosis, and even extends to immune‐associated neurodegenerative diseases.
Scrutinizing the impact of policy instruments on adoption of agricultural conservation practices using Bayesian expert models
Authors: Dean Angela J , Eberhard Rachel , Baresi Umberto , Coggan Anthea , Deane Felicity , Hamman Evan , Helmstedt Kate J. , Loechel Barton , Jarvis Diane , Mayfield Helen , Stevens Lillian , Taylor Bruce , Vella Karen
Published: November 2023

Policy instruments—such as regulation, financial incentives, and agricultural extension—are commonly applied by governments to promote sustainable agricultural practices and tackle ecosystem degradation. Despite substantial investment, little data are available to gauge the impact of evolving policy mixes. We constructed a Bayesian network model to explore relationships between policy instruments, contextual factors, and adoption. Applying a series of scenarios, we present examples of how different instruments influence adoption and how their effectiveness is shaped by contextual factors. Scenarios highlight that the effect of policy instruments is often modest, and constrained by diverse practice and population characteristics. These findings allow us to reflect on the role of policy instruments, and the conditions necessary to support practice change. For example, our findings raise questions about the role of financial benefits versus financial capacity, and highlight the potential importance of concepts such as mental bandwidth in shaping both motivation and capacity to adopt.
Balancing development and sustainability: Assessing risks and protecting aquatic biodiversity on US college and university campuses
Authors: Sako Mikaela P. , McManamay Ryan A.
Published: November 2023

Extensive urbanization impairs biological communities through landscape alteration and physiochemical changes to stream ecosystems. Analogous to urban development in cities, new building and facility expansion on university campuses can lead to dramatic changes in impervious cover and consequently, increased stormflow impacting downstream ecological communities. Here, we analyze the extent and relevance on a nationwide scale to determine campuses with the highest risk for ecological impairment. From the US‐wide analysis of 5761 college/university campuses, ~45% of campuses were within critical aquatic species watersheds, and >5% were identified as buffering critical habitat. The highest risk campus our study identified was selected to compare the impacts of planned, conventional development versus sustainable development on a sensitive aquatic species, the federally threatened Jollyville Plateau salamander (Eurycea tonkawae). Impervious cover, simulated increases in stormwater runoff, and total suspended solids (TSS) from the conventional expansion is estimated to lower salamander density. Conversely, an alternative campus expansion plan allowed for increased development but permitted provisions for reduced runoff and TSS, thereby maintaining current salamander densities. Our findings show that sustainable campus development plans have the potential to mitigate ecological disruption within watersheds, and that campus management and policies are critical for preserving biodiversity in the future.
Clinical relevance of the living kidney donor profile index in Korean kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Kim Hyun Jeong , Min Eunki , Yim Seung Hyuk , Choi Mun Chae , Kim Hyung Woo , Yang Jaeseok , Kim Beom Seok , Huh Kyu Ha , Kim Myoug Soo , Lee Juhan
Published: November 2023

Background

The Living Kidney Donor Profile Index (LKDPI) was developed in the United States to predict graft outcomes based on donor characteristics. However, there are significant differences in donor demographics, access to transplantation, proportion of ABO incompatibility, and posttransplant mortality in Asian countries compared with the United States.

Methods

We evaluated the clinical relevance of the LKDPI score in a Korean kidney transplant cohort by analyzing 1860 patients who underwent kidney transplantation between 2000 and 2019. Patients were divided into three groups according to LKDPI score: <0, 1–19.9, and ≥20.

Results

During a median follow‐up of 119 months, 232 recipients (12.5%) experienced death‐censored graft loss, and 98 recipients (5.3%) died. High LKDPI scores were significantly associated with increased risk of death‐censored graft loss independent of recipient characteristics (LKDPI 1–19.9: HR 1.389, 95% CI 1.036–1.863; LKDPI ≥20: HR 2.121, 95% CI 1.50–2.998). High LKDPI score was also significantly associated with increased risk of biopsy‐proven acute rejection and impaired graft renal function. By contrast, overall patient survival rates were comparable among the LKDPI groups.

Conclusion

High LKDPI scores were associated with an increased risk of death‐censored graft loss, biopsy‐proven acute rejection, and impaired graft renal function among a Korean kidney transplant cohort.
The utility of inpatient rehabilitation in heart transplantation: A review
Authors: Barker Kim , Rydberg Leslie , Lanphere Julie , Malmut Laura , Neal Jacqueline , Eickmeyer Sarah
Published: November 2023

Heart transplantation is considered definitive treatment for patients with end‐stage heart failure. Unfortunately, medical and functional complications are common after heart transplantation for a variety of reasons, and these may impact the patients’ functional recovery. Rehabilitation is often needed post‐operatively to improve functional outcomes. This review article aims to discuss the transplanted heart exercise physiology that may affect the rehabilitation process and provide an overview of the functional benefits of inpatient rehabilitation for cardiac and surgical specialties who may be less familiar with post‐acute care rehabilitation options for their patients.
Larval nutritional effects on male and female survival and fecundity in Anastrepha ludens
Authors: Aceituno‐Medina Marysol , Hernández Emilio , Rincón‐Betancurt Olivia , García‐Fajardo Luz Verónica , Diego‐García Elia
Published: November 2023

The three major macronutrients – proteins (P), carbohydrates (C), and lipids (L) – constitute the fundamental nutrient niche. In order to meet their nutritional requirements, organisms need to assess their nutritional state, select suitable foods, and regulate the amount of food eaten. The objective of this study was to determine whether larval nutrition could have a differential effect on female and male survival and fecundity by manipulating the P:C:L ratios in diet environments. We manipulated food availability during the larval stages, subjecting the larvae to food regimes with different P:C:L ratios. Upon adult emergence, we examined the fecundity, fertility, survival, and longevity of the various larval nutrition treatments. We then assessed the reproductive performance (fecundity and egg hatching) under an ad libitum food regime. We found that the concentration of macronutrients in the larval hemolymph indicates that the P:C:L ratio in the larval diet affects the assignment of macronutrients, and this effect is carried over to males and females differently. A larval diet with high carbohydrate content affects the carryover of macronutrients and male and female fitness. According to the life‐history traits, an adult that emerged from a larva with high lipid content in the hemolymph could suggest better health status. Insects with high cold tolerance have high body lipids content. Interactions between lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins suggest that their relative ratios must be taken into consideration in the design and improvement of artificial diets.
Extreme thrombocytosis with an aggressive evolution harboring a novel variant of calreticulin (CALR) in exon 3
Authors: Bonnet Sarah , Carillo Serge , Legrand Baptiste , Burroni Barbara , Lavabre‐Bertrand Thierry , Requirand Guilhem , Robert Nicolas , Fornero Lea , Al Mansoori Ahmed , Moreaux Jérôme , Cartron Guillaume , Gabellier Ludovic , Herbaux Charles
Published: November 2023

We describe the case of a patient with extreme thrombocytosis whose evolution was rapidly fatal. No cause of secondary thrombocytosis was found. There was no sign of myelofibrosis but the megakaryocytes were small and dysplastic. The patient presented a calreticulin (CALR) variant in exon 3 (C105S), as well as concomitant mutations of ASXL1, U2AF1, and EZH2. This variant of CALR has never been described before, and after sorting, all identified mutations were found in myeloid cells but not in lymphoid cells. Therefore, the diagnosis of a frontier case of myelodysplastic syndrome/myeloproliferative neoplasm (MDS/MPN) was made. A treatment with hydroxycarbamide was started because of a high risk of thrombosis. Upon worsening of the hematological status two new mutations appeared, SETBP1 and ETV6, and the CALR mutation was still detectable, as well as the three other mutations found in the chronic stage. Our results show that this variant could contribute to MDS/MPN pathogenesis in that patient.
Syndemics of the sea: Adverse disease interactions and the stressors of fisher livelihoods
Authors: Singer Merrill
Published: November 2023

The occupation of commercial fishing is recognized as a comparatively stressful and hazardous job characterized by a myriad of risks to health, including high rates of job‐related injury, morbidity, and mortality. Nonetheless, systematic study of fisher health is limited. This paper examines a particularly understudied aspect of illness among fishers: the physical and social contexts, pathways, and potential for adverse disease interactions. The focus of the paper is on a biosocial disease process called syndemics, which increases the health burdens of this population. The paper is presented as an initial testing of the hypothesis that a “lens” of syndemics improves occupational health research and advocacy for commercial fishermen who face a substantial burden of biosocial challenges.
Spatial Patterns in the Association between the Prevalence of Asthma and Determinants of Health
Authors: Bentué‐Martínez Carmen , Rodrigues Marcos , Llorente González José María , Sebastián Ariño Antonio , Zuil Martínez Marcos , Zúñiga‐Antón María
Published: November 2023

The World Health Organization endorses the study of diseases from the perspective of the Determinants of Health (DH), that is, the circumstances in which people are born and raised, the environment in which they grow up and age and their lifestyle. The aim of this study is to analyze the spatial behavior of the prevalence of asthma in Aragon, a Mediterranean region in Spain, under the DH approach. The methodological process entailed building a spatial database collating asthma prevalence as dependent variable, and lifestyle, socioeconomic, and climate indicators as explanatory factors, and then evaluating the spatial variability of the relationships by combining the Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Multiscale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR) models and cartographic design techniques. MGWR evidenced spatially varying relationships operating at different scales. Lifestyles seem closely tied to the prevalence of asthma in most of the study area while urban functionality and local climate patterns seem to boost prevalence rates in some specific enclaves. Consequently, the social and environmental conditions that characterize the study area translate into several DH scenarios modulating the spatial distribution of asthma. This differential DH behavior detected by local regression models is relevant to guiding and refining public health decision‐making.
PVA/essential oil‐based active food packaging films functionalised with halloysite nanotubes and cellulose nanocrystals as filler materials for the shelf‐life extension of papaya fruits
Authors: V Dharini , Biswal Abhishek , Sellamuthu Periyar Selvam , J Jayaramudu , Sadiku Emmanuel R.
Published: November 2023

This study investigates the development of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and essential oil‐based biocomposite films incorporating halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) as reinforcement materials for the packaging of papaya fruits to extend their postharvest shelf‐life. The fabrication process involves the dispersion of filler materials within the PVA polymer matrix, followed by the casting of the films using the solvent‐evaporation technique. The CNC isolated from the papaya peel exhibited rod‐like structures that were confirmed in the morphological studies. The films reinforced with HNT and CNC (5 wt%) had enhanced mechanical properties and exhibited a tensile strength of ~64.40 MPa. The findings of the study demonstrate that the fruits packed with biocomposite materials containing HNTs and CNCs as reinforcements and lemongrass essential oil as active material showed better performance when compared to the control. The edible quality and the storage life of the papaya fruits (TSS, firmness and weight loss %) under investigation were extended by 14 days at ambient temperature (25 °C ± 2 °C) and relative humidity (80%–85%), thus improving the postharvest shelf‐life of harvested papayas. Therefore, PVA‐based active packaging film prepared with lemongrass essential oil, HNTs and CNCs has great potential for the preservation of papaya during postharvest storage.
Quality monitoring during sufu fermented process and establishment of random forest prediction model
Authors: Wang Xiaodan , Chang Ping , Wang Cuilian , Zhu Shijie , Wu Duo , Jiang Shaoping , Tian Jiaxue
Published: November 2023

Microscopic, mechanical, physiochemical and colour changes of sufu during fermentation (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 days) were analysed to predict sufu quality objectively and accurately. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the absorption peaks at 702, 1454, 1652, 2926 and 3281 cm−1 increased in intensity, and sufu was altered from a granular colloidal protein structure to a smooth and uniform shape. Analysis of mechanical, physiochemical and colour properties demonstrated the growth of mucor, the addition of salt and dressing mixture had a significant impact on the changes of indexes of sufu with extension of fermentation time. Besides, a random forest (RF) sufu quality prediction model with 90% accuracy was established by selecting forest quality evaluation indicators using RF and setting the model parameters mtry and ntree to 5 and 900, respectively.
Matrix‐Variate Time Series Analysis: A Brief Review and Some New Developments
Authors: Tsay Ruey S.
Published: November 2023

This paper briefly reviews the recent research in matrix‐variate time series analysis, discusses some new developments, especially for seasonal time series, and demonstrates some applications. A general matrix autoregressive moving‐average model is introduced. The paper narrates a simple approach for understanding the model, identifiability issues, and estimation. Real examples are used to illustrate the theory.
COLOR AND APPEARANCE—BRIDGING THE GAP FROM CONCEPT TO PRODUCT
Authors: STYNE ALEXANDER F.
Published: November 2023

This paper explains the principle of the “Universal Color Language,” published by Kenneth L. Kelly in 1965 after many years' development, as a specification concept that can he applied to practically all situations where color ideas and facts must be communicated and specified. Geometric configuration is discussed as a specific influence on the appearance of color in materials and products.
THE EFFECT OF ROD ACTIVITY ON LARGE FIELD COLOUR MATCHING
Authors: TREZONA P. W.
Published: November 2023

Colorimetric standards, such as the CIE 1931 System for a 2° field, and the 1964 System for a (large) 10° field, depend on the additivity principle both for their derivation and use. Tests have shown that while the principle can fairly safely be applied in the former case, this is not true of the latter, where for some colour combinations large discrepancies occur. The fact that deviations have been shown by many workers to apply specifically to the blue matching stimulus leads to a suggestion for a physiological model.

A quite different aspect to the model is the question of how to remove these deviations, i.e., to find an additive system of large field colorimetry. The reason for the deviations is the presence of rod activity in all fields subtending more than 2°: the large field trichromatic match is distorted, causing additivity deviations, because this rod activity has not been equated. To do so an extra matching stimulus is required, resulting in a tetrachromatic colour match. The method proposed for achieving this match is the two luminance level, convergent technique. This has been shown to give a unique match which is generally valid. The tetrachromatic match obeys the additivity principle under conditions where the trichromatic does not: it is quick enough to perform and precise enough to form a starting point for large field additive colorimetry.
Color Identification and Nomenclature: A History
Authors: Birren Faber
Published: November 2023

This article may be incomplete and it may have omissions, but the author has tried his best to research past and present and to describe briefly some of the more important collections of colors assembled to establish graphic records of color identities and color names.
Let's Say Goodbye to the Color Circle*
Authors: Küppers Harald
Published: November 2023

A rhombohedral representation of the color solid is described, giving equal prominence to the additive and subtractive basic (primary) colors and to black and white.
Role of nano‐zones in enhancing the performance of YSZ coatings under thermal shock conditions
Authors: Ashofteh Afshin , Seifollahpour Sana
Published: November 2023

Thermal barrier coatings have been widely employed in high‐temperature turbine blades to enhance their resistance against corrosion, oxidation, and foreign object damage. Yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) coatings, both conventional and nano‐structured, exhibit distinct characteristics. Notably, nano‐structured coatings demonstrate remarkable reductions in oxygen permeability and thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer thickness owing to the presence of nano‐zones (NZs). This paper focuses on elucidating the formation mechanisms, dispersion patterns, and behavior of NZs under varying conditions. Furthermore, it investigates the shock resistance performance of YSZ coatings subjected to furnace heating and water quenching. The findings reveal that the incorporation of NZs effectively restricts oxygen penetration and TGO growth and significantly enhances the overall performance of the coatings.
Effects of ion polarizability and oxygen vacancy on microwave dielectric properties of fluorite‐structured Ce1−xCaxO2−x
Authors: Sun Yun , Wu Jiangtao , Tang Ying , Xiang Huaicheng , Li Jie , Fang Liang
Published: November 2023

X‐ray diffractometer with Rietveld refinement and Raman spectroscopy were used for phase analysis. Ca doping results in decreased εr (24.09–21.52), Q × f (68 914–40 110 GHz), and τf (−50.0 ppm/°C to −60.2 ppm/°C) all decrease, which obviously does not conform to the mutual constraint relationship among the three parameters of microwave dielectric properties. The εr of Ce1−xCaxO2−x ceramics is affected by the ion polarizability and the Ce rattling and valence states, among which the rattling of Ce cations plays a dominant role. The presence of oxygen vacancies in Ce1−xCaxO2−x ceramics explains the decrease in Q × f. The τε, εr, and αL are responsible for the decrease in τf, especially for the ταm‐3αL values.
Surface electron modulation of metal oxide‐based electrochemical devices by surface additives—linking sensors and fuel cells
Authors: Staerz Anna F. , Seo Han Gil , Tuller Harry L.
Published: November 2023

The interaction between ambient oxygen and the metal oxide surface is central to various electrochemical devices. Solid oxide fuel cell cathodes and semiconducting metal oxide gas sensors are two prominent examples. Parallels between these two systems are highlighted in this perspective. In both cases, the presence of foreign surface species has been found to significantly alter the interactions of the metal oxides’ surfaces with oxygen. On the one hand, interactions are hindered due to the presence of certain impurities, such as the degradation of fuel cell cathode by Si‐species that originate from processing or from operating environments. On the other hand, electrochemically active noble metal additives have been intentionally used to tune the sensor response of metal oxides. In the case of electrochemically active additives, the need for operando spectroscopies to elucidate the mechanism is discussed. Electronic coupling of the surface additive with the metal oxide is found to play a central role in both cases. We use these results to demonstrate that insights gained from either field can be effectively applied to the other.
From Shark Bait to final girl in filmic horror: Young women, killer sharks, and the Monstrous‐Masculine
Authors: Hopkins Susan
Published: November 2023

This study examines filmic (mis)use of monstrous sharks as metaphors for exploring prey and predation, and how these films have incorporated postfeminist discourses around a symbolic overcoming of gendered violence. Research methods deployed include framing analysis of film narratives, dialogue and visual elements, including the key phrases and images used in the theatrical release posters and other promotional materials of shark attack horror films. The evolving shark horror film subgenre relies on common carefully constructed metaphors, narrative parallels, genre conventions and stylistic processes which not only convey gendered ideologies but build an entire contrived nightmare universe around human‐shark interactions.
Core knowledge, language learning, and the origins of morality and pedagogy: Reply to reviews of What babies know
Authors: Spelke Elizabeth S.
Published: November 2023

The astute reviews by Hamlin and by Revencu and Csibra provide compelling arguments and evidence for the early emergence of moral evaluation, communication, and pedagogical learning. I accept these conclusions but not the reviewers' claims that infants' talents in these domains depend on core systems of moral evaluation or pedagogical communication. Instead, I suggest that core knowledge of people as agents and as social beings, together with infants' emerging understanding of their native language, support learning about people as moral agents, moral patients, communicators, and teachers. These issues are open, however, and our competing views invite further testing.
SEGA‐like circumscribed astrocytoma in a non‐NF1 patient, harboring molecular profile of GBM. A case report
Authors: Yamada Seiji , Tanikawa Motoki , Matsushita Yuko , Fujinami Ryota , Yamada Hiroshi , Sakomi Kaishi , Sakata Tomohiro , Inagaki Hidehito , Yokoo Hideaki , Ichimura Koichi , Mase Mitsuhito
Published: November 2023

Subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA) is a low‐grade periventricular tumor that is closely associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). SEGA typically arises during the first two decades of life and rarely arises after the age of 20–25 years. Nevertheless, it has also been reported that glioma histologically resembling SEGA, so‐called SEGA‐like astrocytoma, can arise in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients, even in the elderly. Herein, we report a case of SEGA‐like circumscribed astrocytoma arising in the lateral ventricle of a 75‐year‐old woman. Whole‐exome sequencing revealed a somatic variant of NF1. Methylation array analysis led to a diagnosis of “methylation class glioblastoma, IDH‐wildtype, mesenchymal‐type (GBM, MES)” with a high calibrated score (0.99). EGFR amplification, CDKN2A/B homozygous deletion, chromosomal +7/−10 alterations, and TERT promoter mutation, typical molecular abnormalities usually found in GBM, were also observed. While most reported cases of SEGA‐like astrocytoma have arisen in NF1 patients, the patient was neither TSC nor NF1. Near total removal was accomplished with endoscopic cylinder surgery. At the 36‐month follow‐up, there was no tumor recurrence without adjuvant therapies. This clinical behavior did not match GBM. SEGA‐like astrocytoma of the elderly is rare, and this is the oldest case reported so far. In addition, high‐grade molecular features found in circumscribed tumor remain unclear. Further investigations among larger series are needed for clarifying the underlying molecular mechanisms.
Paying for forest carbon: Cost‐effectiveness of the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) remuneration scheme
Authors: Indrajaya Yonky , Weikard Hans‐Peter , Mohren Frits , van der Werf Edwin
Published: November 2023

Forests play an essential role in climate change mitigation by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing carbon in biomass. Carbon sequestration can be increased by the extension of rotation cycles in existing plantation forests. This study examines the cost‐effectiveness of the remuneration scheme employed by Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), a commonly used carbon accounting method based on the average amount of carbon stored in the forest. We compare the net present value of carbon remuneration under VCS with that of a scheme that remunerates actual carbon storage in each year which we call “current carbon accounting.” We use data for an Acacia mangium plantation in Indonesia where the forestry sector is expected to contribute more than half of the reductions of carbon emissions according to Indonesia's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement. For our baseline scenario, we find, first, that the payments needed to incentivise additional carbon storage under VCS are considerably higher than under current carbon accounting. Second, the inefficiency is more pronounced at lower discount rates. Third, recent prices reported for VCS forest credits are not sufficient to incentivise forest managers to lengthen the forest rotation in Indonesian plantation forests.
Expression of SmATPDases 1 and 2 in Schistosoma mansoni eggs favours IL‐10 production in infected individuals
Authors: Gomides Thalisson Artur Ribeiro , de Souza Márcio Luís Moreira , de Figueiredo Amanda Braga , Lima Marlucy Rodrigues , Silveira Alda Maria Soares , de Assis Girley Francisco Machado , Fraga Lúcia Alves Oliveira , Silveira‐Nunes Gabriela , Martucci Letícia , Garcia Jennifer Delgado , Afonso Luís Carlos Crocco , Teixeira‐Carvalho Andréa , Leite Pauline Martins
Published: November 2023

A role of IL‐10 is down‐regulating T‐cell responses to schistosome antigens. Since SmATPDases can be correlated to modulation of the immune response, we evaluated the expression of enzymes in S. mansoni eggs. Faecal samples were collected from 40 infected individuals to detect coding regions of the SmATPDases. The cytokines were measured in supernatants of PBMC. The analysis was performed by the global median determination and set up high producers (HP) of cytokines. Six individuals expressed SmATPDase1, six expressed SmATPDase2 and six expressed both enzymes. The group who expressed only SmATPDase1 showed a high frequency of IFN‐γ, TNF IL‐4 HP; individuals who expressed only SmATPDase2 showed a high frequency of IFN‐γ, IL‐6 and IL‐4 HP; and individuals who expressed both enzymes showed a high frequency of IL‐10 HP. The comparison of the IFN‐γ/IL‐10 ratio presented higher indices in the group who had SmATPDase 2 expression than those who had the expression of both enzymes. The positive correlation between infection intensity and IL‐10 levels remained only in the positive SmATPDase group. The IL‐10 is the only cytokine induced by the expression of both enzymes. Our data suggest that the expression of both enzymes seems to be a factor that modulates the host immune response by inducing high IL‐10 production.
Measuring the stasis: Punctuated equilibrium theory and partisan polarization
Authors: Brock Clare , Mallinson Daniel
Published: November 2023

The American policy process is characterized by a pattern known as “Punctuated Equilibrium,” manifesting as periods of stasis interspersed with large periods of change. Punctuated equilibrium suggests that friction in the policy process and uneven information processing result in a policy process that over‐ and underreacts to problems. Increasingly, American political institutions are also characterized by high levels of partisanship, which are rising steadily and represent one of many sources of institutional friction. We argue that with increased polarization, the policy process has become longer, exaggerating patterns of stasis and punctuation—the periods of stasis being more prolonged and punctuations less frequent. In sum, increased partisan polarization in Congress amplifies patterns of punctuated equilibrium. We test this theory using data from the Comparative Agendas Project on the federal budget and public laws, using kurtosis scores to measure the relative force of punctuations versus statis. We find increasingly leptokurtic distributions of budget changes from 1948 to 2020, but a decreasingly leptokurtic distribution of public law passage across the same time. These findings indicate that polarization has resulted in exaggerated patterns of punctuated equilibrium in the legislative process, and a tendency toward fewer, higher‐stakes public laws.
Factors associated with the maintenance in food texture for dependent older people with dysphagia living in nursing home – A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Takahashi Noriaki , Kikutani Takeshi , Ebihara Katsuko , Genkai Sae , Takahashi Ikumi , Kodama Miho , Machida Reiko , Tohara Takashi , Tamura Fumiyo
Published: November 2023

Objectives

Maintaining the texture of the food that nursing home residents eat is critical for maintaining quality of life and preventing malnutrition. The aim of the present study was to identify the conditions necessary for maintaining food texture for this population.

Materials and Methods

The study included 143 people for whom reevaluation 1‐year post‐baseline was possible from among 256 dependent older people who consumed solid food on admission to a nursing home (baseline). The age, sex, primary disease, activities of daily living, nutritional status, oral status, swallowing ability, primitive reflexes, and food texture of the participants were determined. The participants who ate pureed or jelly after 1 year were identified and evaluated to determine factors related to maintenance of a solid diet.

Results

A total of 21 participants (14.7%) changed to a pureed or jelly diet after 1 year. Multivariate analysis showed good activities of daily living (p < .05), good swallowing ability (p < .05), and maintained nutritional status (p < .05) to be correlated with solid food maintenance.

Conclusions

Maintaining activities of daily living, feeding and swallowing ability, and nutritional status appear to be important factors for the maintenance of a solid diet.
What Should Sociologists Do?
Authors: Cerulo Karen A.
Published: November 2023

This essay underscores the importance of public sociology and the critical and policy outcomes it encourages. The work also notes the importance of translating sophisticated theory and high quality, intricate methods for public consumption. The essay concludes by reviewing the growth of public sociology in the field at large and the special focus Sociological Forum has built in this area since 2015.
Gender, Authoritarian Populisms, and the Attack on Democracy
Authors: Stein Arlene
Published: November 2023

The rhetoric of “saving children” has long been central to the religious right playbook in the United States, especially in campaigns against abortion rights, gay/lesbian rights, and against comprehensive sex education. Today the guardians of the traditional family, increasingly globalized, have shifted their focus to protecting women and girls from so‐called “gender ideology.” These campaigns emerge in relation to a renewed authoritarian populism which seeks consent for deeply conservative policies by claiming to represent “the people” against the supposed threat posed by minority groups aligned with elites. In these campaigns, feminists and LGBT people are charged with conspiring with medical professionals and teachers to indoctrinate children and undermine fixed notions of gender and sexuality. Rather than see these campaigns as single‐issue attacks on feminists or LGBT people, we should understand them as attacks on democracy; an effective defense against them therefore requires us to promote a vision of inclusive democracy.
America's Parenting Economy: How the Ideal of Parental Investment Scaffolds Family‐Hostile Policy
Authors: Bandelj Nina
Published: November 2023

The American parenting economy is built around the notion that raising children is a matter of private parental investment. This essay outlines briefly the features of what is best characterized as, not family‐friendly, but rather family‐hostile policy in the United States, before it proposes two reasons for why the ideal of parental investment holds its grip. The first is the historical political entanglement of neoliberalism with neoconservatism that continues to entrench the focus on traditional family values. The second is the more recent cultural backdrop of building knowledge infrastructure around “the economic way of looking at parents” to repurpose economist Gary Becker's Nobel Laureate lecture title, which has permeated public discourse and reframed “childrearing” as “parental investment.” Therefore, the possibility of policy change is not simply a matter of political struggle. A potent obstacle to family‐friendly policy is cultural. Parents and nonparents will not demand, nor will politicians embrace, radical institutional transformation of the American family policy if we do not shift our thinking. We need less economic reasoning and more sociological imagination, recognizing that parenting, no matter how intimate and personal it seems, is inextricably and thoroughly bound up with social structures and culture. And that raising children—all children in the manner they deserve—is not a matter of private investment but a common responsibility.
Engaged and Reflexive Sociology for Environmental Health1
Authors: Brown Phil
Published: November 2023

The article examines my environmental health work for nearly four decades with many environmental activists and organizations, as well as scientists and government officials. I discuss how I have merged research and advocacy, while mentoring many students and colleagues on how to do that. I discuss my efforts to conduct transdisciplinary work that crosses social sciences, environmental health science, environmental justice, social movement studies, and science and technology studies, while centering that work on community‐based participatory research. I examine my ability to do the practical work of serving public health and the broader social good, while also developing theoretical and analytical concepts along the way. I discuss the importance of continually being reflective about these many areas of work, both personal reflexivity and reflexive, evaluative discussions with collaborators.
“I'm Saving Fuel to Buy More Guns”: The Electric Vehicle as Cultural Object and Climate Policy Solution1
Authors: McDonnell Terence E. , Gabur Anna , Keynton Rachel
Published: November 2023

This article examines electric vehicles (EVs) as cultural objects and assesses how they are mobilized as a solution to the climate crisis. Taking a material approach to cultural objects reveals how hybrids and EVs are sites of contested meaning‐making at the intersection of material affordances and conventional symbolic associations. This approach illuminates (1) how the material qualities of EVs destabilize taken‐for‐granted meanings grounded in polarized political positions, (2) how the process of design and changes in the social world bring new meanings to the material capacities of EVs, leading to reclassifications of EVs even by conservative Americans, (3) how attempts to persuade consumers to buy EVs circumvent the work of persuading people to adopt a pro‐environment position, and (4) how the material infrastructural ecosystem can (and cannot) scaffold these new meanings. Ultimately, this article suggests that people can be moved to act in ways that align with a decarbonizing agenda without having to be convinced to adopt new positions on global warming. We examine the interplay of the material and symbolic dimensions of EVs to understand both the solutions and challenges of our environmental crisis and social problems generally.
The hidden curriculum of peer teaching in developing a professional identity: Perspectives of medical students and junior doctors
Authors: Lu Victoria , Kumar Koshila
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Peer teaching has been utilised in the field of medical education to support learning of the curriculum in both pre‐clinical and clinical contexts. The literature has shown that there is a hidden curriculum unique to peer teaching, but little is known about this from the peer learner perspective. This study explored the hidden curriculum of peer teaching and from the perspective of medical students and junior doctors.

Methods

Data was collected via one‐on‐one interviews with 10 participants including junior doctors and medical students (n = 10). The interviews were transcribed, and thematic analysis was used to interpret the data.

Results

Five themes were identified in relation to the hidden curriculum of peer teaching—specifically, learning how to be a professional; be a better learner; to care for self and others; to navigate career pathways; and to become a future teacher.

Conclusion

Peer teaching is a powerful resource for professional identity development in medicine and can be better leveraged to deliver on this potential.
An empirically informed account of numbers as reifications
Authors: dos Santos César Frederico
Published: November 2023

The field of numerical cognition provides a fairly clear picture of the processes through which we learn basic arithmetical facts. This scientific picture, however, is rarely taken as providing a response to a much‐debated philosophical question, namely, the question of how we obtain number knowledge, since numbers are usually thought to be abstract entities located outside of space and time. In this paper, I take the scientific evidence on how we learn arithmetic as providing a response to the philosophical question of how we obtain number knowledge. I reject the view that numbers are abstract entities located outside of space and time and, alternatively, derive from the scientific evidence a novel account of the nature of numbers. In this account, numbers are reifications of the counting procedure and arithmetic statements are seen as describing the functioning of counting and calculation techniques.
How has the municipal availability of the GeneXpert®MTB/RIF system affected the detection of drug‐resistant tuberculosis in Brazil?
Authors: Aguilar‐Jiménez Jhancy Rocío , Pelissari Daniele Maria , Diaz‐Quijano Fredi Alexander
Published: November 2023

Objective

To evaluate the association between the availability of GeneXpert®MTB/RIF in municipalities and the proportion of people who have access to this diagnostic technology for tuberculosis (TB), as well as the resistance detected by the surveillance system in Brazil.

Methods

We analysed 4998 Brazilian municipalities that reported 432,937 new TB cases between 2015 and 2020. We compared municipalities with and without the availability of GeneXpert®MTB/RIF regarding the effective access to GeneXpert®MTB/RIF diagnosis and the prevalence of detected resistance.

Results

Municipalities with at least one GeneXpert®MTB/RIF system had three times (95% CI 2.9–3.0) the access to diagnostic tests and 80.4% (95% CI 70.6%–90.2%) higher detection of resistance, compared with municipalities without this technology. We estimated that there have been 1890 cases of undetected resistance during this period in the country.

Conclusions

The availability of GeneXpert®MTB/RIF system in the municipality increased the sensitivity of the surveillance for detecting TB resistance.

Public Health Implications

It is a priority to strengthen laboratory networks and narrow the gap in access to rapid diagnosis in remote areas to improve the detection and control of drug‐resistant tuberculosis.