bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Agroecology: Searching in the wrong place
Authors: Wood David
Published: August 2023

This paper presents a defence of ecologically based monodominance. The promotion of ‘agroecology’ has been validated by the belief that natural vegetation forms a multi-species ‘balance’ under pest pressure. Agroecologists consider monoculture crops as an artificial construct unknown in nature. To achieve this ecological balance crop fields should be re-diversified to species-diverse ‘polycultures’, as mimics of natural vegetation. This simple view of herbivorous insects forcing vegetation diversity held sway with various authors until around 1970. Post-1970 there was an increasing recognition of, and focus on, natural monodominant vegetation. The driving force behind natural plant monodominance, especially in herbaceous species, seemed to be seasonal ecological stress, including fire, flood, silt formation and soil nutrient deficiency. These abiotic stresses were capable both of winnowing out less adapted species, but also encouraging the evolution of adaptations to the stress (as seen, for example, in the distinctive features of monodominant mangroves and sea-grasses). The result was plant species with the ability to grow as monodominants, but, importantly, the evolved ability to resist any extra biotic pressure from herbivores – both features invaluable for monoculture agriculture. Agroecology never considered the possibility of adaptative evolution to biotic stress to allow monodominance (the ‘fight’ stratagem of plant species). In addition, agroecology only recognizes the ‘flight’ stratagem for short-distance escape (plant species ‘hiding’ in mixed-species vegetation). This ignores a major feature of modern agriculture, which heavily relies on long-distant crop introduction, through trans-oceanic crop introduction: the ultimate ‘flight’ mechanism to remove susceptible species from co-evolved herbivorous insects and disease by long-distant dispersal. In failing to understand the evolution of monodominance, current agroecological principles are without a solid scientific basis ecologically. There is still an opportunity to revise the current thinking to develop a more ecologically-based form of agroecology.
IMR Country Report — The Changing Dynamics of International Migration in Ethiopia
Authors: Adugna Girmachew
Published: August 2023

Over the last 50 years, Ethiopia has experienced several socio-economic, environmental, and political crises, leading to significant migration internally and across borders. The IMR Country Report provides a concise overview of Ethiopia's migration history and the present state of international migration trends, which is a crucial migration hub in the Horn of Africa region. The report examines the changing dynamics of migration to, from, and through Ethiopia, including crucial insights from the complex migration journeys of individuals over the years. Migration outflows and drivers have shifted in scale, and the demographic profile of migrants, their countries of origin and destination, has also evolved. Additionally, over the last decade, there has been an increase in the involuntary repatriation of Ethiopian domestic workers from Gulf countries.
Scoping Review of Linguistically Responsive Practices for Young Children Who Are Refugees
Authors: Acar Serra , Pinar-Irmak Ozden , Stone-MacDonald Angi
Published: August 2023

Young refugee populations continue to grow. This scoping review aims to identify and summarize studies of programs that provide linguistically responsive practices for children who are refugees. Secondary aims of this review are: (a) to identify the gaps in the literature, and (b) to suggest future research and policy directions. By studying key features of linguistically responsive practices for children who are refugees, we can better understand the important components of a high-quality inclusive and equitable environment for all children, including those with minority language backgrounds. We conducted an electronic database search and identified 14 studies. Studies varied in location, country of origin, and language support. The findings from this review revealed a critical need to develop, implement, and study linguistically responsive programs for children who are refugees in host countries.
Pseudo-anisotropic damage model of randomly oriented strands (ROS) for reproducing flexural damage behavior
Authors: Sumiyama Takuya , Matsuo Tsuyoshi , Furuichi Kenji , Nonomura Chisato
Published: August 2023

We developed a pseudo-anisotropic damage model of randomly oriented strands (ROS) reinforced thermoplastic composites for reproducing flexural deformation and damage behavior by finite element analysis (FEA). The damage model applied stress triaxiality to capture the differences in the damage initiations among the tensile, compressive, and shear stress states. The damage model also included equivalent damage propagation function depending on the interlaminar shear property of ROS. The developed FE model was focused on the characteristics that ROS composites show macroscopic in-plane isotropic and out-of-plane anisotropic mechanical properties because of the laminated structure of ROS. Furthermore, all of the material parameters in the FE model were identified by performing simple deformation tests. As a result, the flexural numerical simulation could reproduce the experimental flexural deformation and damage behaviors of ROS plates with different thickness despite a complex stress state including in-plane and out-of-plane stresses. The developed FE model has potential to evaluate the safety of ROS-manufactured structural components. The evaluation of safety by FEA constructed in this study can improve the applicability of ROS composites.
Paving the Way for Interpersonal Collaboration in Telework: The Moderating Role of Organizational Goal Clarity in the Public Workplace
Authors: Lee David , Lee Jeongyoon , Kim Sun Young
Published: August 2023

One aspect of telework that has been underresearched is the effect of telework on interpersonal collaboration. Relatively little is known about how employees collaborate when they telework. Drawing on boundary theory and goal setting theory, we examined the impact of telework participation on three types of interpersonal collaboration (horizontal, vertical, and inter-work unit) and then tested the role of organizational goal clarity as a potential moderator in strengthening or weakening these relationships. The results of a series of fixed effects regression models show that telework participation rates are negatively associated with all three types of interpersonal collaboration. We also found that organizational goal clarity mitigates such negative relationships. Our findings contribute to the growing literature on telework and interpersonal collaboration, focusing on the crucial role of organizational goal clarity.
A novel design method of low noise spiral bevel gear tooth surface for polynomial ease-off topological modification
Authors: Chen Peng , Li Bo , Wang San-Min
Published: August 2023

In order to reduce the vibration noise of the spiral bevel gear transmission system (SBGTS), a polynomial ease-off topological modification (PETM) method, which combines the load tooth contact analysis (LTCA) and vibration analysis of the spiral bevel gear, is proposed in this paper to minimize the normal dynamic meshing force and normal relative displacement to reduce the vibration noise. Firstly, a new PETM equation is established based on the complete conjugation principle, which is applied to the initial clearance calculation of LTCA and an explicit LTCA calculation method with PETM without requiring inverse processing parameters is constructed. The calculation accuracy is better than that of a general algorithm. Secondly, the dynamic response of an eight-degree-of-freedom dynamic system of spiral bevel gear is calculated according to the loaded transmission error and time-varying meshing stiffness calculated by the explicit LTCA of PETM. Finally, a PETM low-noise tooth surface design method is constructed with the goal of minimizing the normal meshing force and the normal relative displacement and the PETM equation coefficient as the optimization variable. The numerical results show that the new PETM low-noise tooth surface design method can improve the meshing performance and dynamic performance of spiral bevel gears to a greater extent than those before modification and after the second-order topological modification, thus greatly reducing the vibration noise of SBGTS.
Electromechanical response of boron nitride nanosheet reinforced nanocomposite beam: A finite element study
Authors: Bansod Pritesh V , Gupta Madhur , Gargama Heeralal , Kundalwal Shailesh Ishwarlal
Published: August 2023

The objective of the present study is to investigate the electromechanical response of a piezoelectric boron nitride nanosheet reinforced nanobeam accounting for the surface and the flexoelectric effects using finite element analysis. The finite element model was developed by using the size-based Euler–Bernoulli beam model, modified piezoelectricity theory, and Galerkin's weighted residual method. The boron nitride nanosheet-reinforced nanobeam was loaded with uniformly distributed load and point-loading conditions. Three common boundary conditions for beams such as clamped-free, simply supported, and clamped-clamped have been considered here. The electromechanical behavior of the boron nitride nanosheet reinforced nanobeam has been studied under the pure surface, pure flexoelectric, as well as combined surface and flexoelectric effects. It is observed that the integrated surface and flexoelectric effects are mainly responsible for enhancing the electromechanical performance of the nanobeam. For the thickness H = 20 nm, the maximum deflection of the nanobeam was reduced by ∼50% when both the flexoelectricity and surface effects are combined together for all the support conditions. Moreover, the circular cross-section beam becomes ∼30% stiffer than the rectangular cross-section beam under the integrated effect of surface and flexoelectricity under all loading conditions. Hence, the highly size-dependent surface and flexoelectricity must be explored in the accurate electromechanical behavior of the nanostructure. Furthermore, beam stiffness is highly influenced by the flexoelectric effect irrespective of the beam boundary conditions whereas the surface effect is largely reliant on the beam boundary conditions. This research work provides a methodology to design efficient boron nitride nanosheet reinforced nanostructures that may potentially be applied in the design and development of several nanoelectromechanical systems such as force and pressure-based nanosensors and actuators.
Exchange Rate Uncertainty and India’s Bilateral Trade: A Gravity Model Approach
Authors: Majumdar Devleena , Basu Soumyabrata
Published: August 2023

Through a gravity model, the paper attempts to analyse the impact of exchange rate uncertainty on India’s gross bilateral trade flows between its top five trading partners and its SAARC partners. Categorising the industries into five segments, namely, agricultural raw materials, chemicals, textile and clothing, metals and all other commodities, over 18 years (2000–2018), a panel data technique has been applied to examine the effect. The empirical result suggests that even though an exchange rate uncertainty shrinks the bilateral trade flows of agricultural raw materials for SAARC members, it enhances the trade flows across all industry verticals for the top five trading partners. Following the gravity model of trade, the study further suggests that the volume of bilateral trade between countries is proportional to the product of each country’s economic growth and inversely proportional to the distance between them.

JEL: F10, F14,O24,D81
Enhanced sound absorption performance of stepped-type multi-cavity acoustic absorbers using a hybrid particle swarm algorithm
Authors: Yan Hongyu , Xie Suchao , Li Zhen , Feng Zhejun , Jing Kunkun , Zhang Fengyi
Published: August 2023

A stepped-type multi-cavity combined sound absorber (SMCSA) was developed to improve the low and mid-frequency sound absorption capabilities of micro-perforated panels. The sound absorption characteristics of the SMCSA were thoroughly investigated using experimental methods, theoretical calculations, and numerical simulation. The particle swarm optimization algorithm was employed to optimize the SMCSA parameters. The findings revealed that the board thickness, hole size, and cavity depth significantly influenced the sound absorption properties of the SMCSA. When the hole size ranged from 0.4–0.6 mm, the sound absorption coefficient of the SMCSA reached 0.9, and the resonance frequency was 600–800 Hz. After optimization utilizing the hybrid particle swarm algorithm, the maximum sound absorption coefficients at the resonance frequency of the two-step, four-step, and eight-step structures were all 0.99.
Our Commitment to Promoting Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice in Child Maltreatment
Authors: Palusci Vincent J. , Barboza Gia , Hanson Rochelle F. , Maguire-Jack Kathryn L. , Valentino Kristin , Donlin Judy
Published: August 2023

In this commentary, the editorial team of Child Maltreatment extends and expands on APSAC’s position on diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice, affirms our commitment and plans for addressing these issues in this publication, and highlights articles in this issue that continue the discussion about race and racism in the child welfare and child protection systems.
Toward an Indigenous development sociology methodology: social reality and change in the Palestinian context
Authors: Sayrafi Imad
Published: August 2023

This article discusses findings from a dissertation research project in the Palestinian village of Ni’lin in relation to the synthesis of an actor-oriented methodological approach with Indigenous theory. Through this synthesis, the article proposes a theoretical and methodological approach for studying settler colonialism and social transformations in Palestinian contexts. It also adapts the methodology, allowing enriching development theory to account for settler colonial settings and the case of Palestine. It shows the value of critical events, as sites to study historicity, violence, and resistance, highlighting the important interaction of individual and collective actors with culture and larger frames of meaning in relation to Indigenous resurgence.
Transvenous coil embolization of a Cognard V transverse-sigmoid sinus dural arteriovenous fistula
Authors: Baker Amanda , Hemphill Kafi , Smith Eric R , Cooke Daniel L , Hetts Steven W , Amans Matthew R , Higashida Randall T , Narsinh Kazim H
Published: August 2023

Dural arteriovenous fistulas with drainage into the spinal veins, classified as Cognard type 5, can be challenging to diagnose and treat. Brainstem and cervical spinal cord signal abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging result from venous congestion, and can mimic tumor, infection, or inflammation.1–3 Transarterial and transvenous embolization techniques can be used to treat dural arteriovenous fistulas endovascularly. Efficacious transvenous treatment relies on the ability to safely catheterize the draining vein at the dural arteriovenous fistula site. Transvenous access options may seem limited in the setting of occluded venous sinuses. This case highlights the technical aspects of the transvenous approach to embolization of a transverse-sigmoid sinus dural arteriovenous fistula within an isolated sinus,4,5 demonstrating traversal of the occluded venous sinus from a contralateral approach.6,7

[Media: see text]
2b Or 2c-3? A meta-analysis of first pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b vs multiple pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2c-3 following mechanical thrombectomy for stroke
Authors: Kobeissi Hassan , Ghozy Sherief , Amoukhteh Melika , Arul Santhosh , Bilgin Cem , Yigit Can Senol , Orscelik Atakan , Elfil Mohamed , Dmytriw Adam , Kadirvel Ramanathan , Kallmes David F.
Published: August 2023

Background

Procedural success following mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke is assessed using the thrombolysis in cerebral infarction scale. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine whether outcomes differed between first pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b and multiple pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2c-3.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of the literature using PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science. We included original studies in which outcomes were stratified based on first pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b and multiple pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2c-3. The primary outcome of interest was the rate of modified Rankin Scale 0-2. Secondary outcomes of interest were rates of modified Rankin Scale 0-1, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and mortality. We calculated odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Four studies with 1554 patients were included in the quantitative analysis. Rate of modified Rankin Scale 0–2 (odds ratio = 0.91, 95% confidence interval = 0.70–1.18; P-value = 0.49), modified Rankin Scale 0–1 (odds ratio = 1.21, 95% confidence interval = 0.86–1.71; P-value = 0.27), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (odds ratio = 1.36, 95% confidence interval = 0.47–3.98; P-value = 0.57), and mortality (odds ratio = 0.91, 95% confidence interval = 0.67–1.25; P-value = 0.56) did not differ between first pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b and multiple pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2c-3. There was no heterogeneity among included studies for modified Rankin Scale 0–2, modified Rankin Scale 0–1, or mortality; however, there was moderate heterogeneity among studies for symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage ( I2 = 53%, P-value = 0.12).

Conclusions

Clinical and safety outcomes did not differ between first pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b and multiple pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2c-3. Future prospective studies and clinical trials should determine whether first pass thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b is a viable endpoint to thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2c-3.
Evaluating the Reliability of Dipstick Drug Screens on Vitreous and Postmortem Blood as a Triage Modality in Forensic Pathology
Authors: Gitto Lorenzo , Mir Mojde , Arunkumar Ponni
Published: August 2023

Dipstick drug screens are cheap, easy to use, and quick presumptive tests to detect common drugs of abuse. Dipsticks are designed for drug detection in urine. There is no literature regarding their potential use on fluids different from urine. The study aimed to determine the performance of dipstick screening tests on postmortem vitreous and blood specimens compared to urine dipsticks and final confirmatory toxicology analyses on blood. The study population included cases in which a complete toxicology analysis was performed. Each subject was screened for three substances: cocaine, fentanyl, and opiates. Dipstick results were checked by visual inspection. Results were compared with urine screening tests and quantitative, confirmatory toxicological analyses by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry on postmortem blood samples as the gold standards for screening and confirmatory analysis, respectively. There was a high number of false-negative results for opiates. Cocaine dipsticks in blood showed the highest reliability. Fentanyl dipsticks in vitreous showed a high number of false-negative results. Both vitreous and blood dipstick screening tests for all substances performed well on negative cases. When both blood and vitreous screening tests are negative, the chance that the confirmatory toxicology analysis will be positive is very low.
Factors Associated With Achievement of Blood Pressure, Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C), and Glycemic Targets for Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Diseases Among High Cardiovascular Risk Malaysians in Primary Care
Authors: Baharudin Noorhida , Ramli Anis Safura , Ramland Siti Syazwani , Badlie-Hisham Nurul Izzaty , Mohamed-Yassin Mohamed-Syarif
Published: August 2023

Introduction:

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain the world’s leading cause of death. About half of Malaysian adults have at least 2 risk factors; thus, rigorous primary preventions are crucial to prevent the first cardiovascular (CV) event. This study aimed to determine the achievement of treatment targets and factors associated with it among high CV risk individuals.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study included 390 participants from a primary care clinic in Selangor, Malaysia, between February and June 2022. The inclusion criteria were high-CV risk individuals, that is, Framingham risk score >20%, diabetes without target organ damage, stage 3 kidney disease, and very high levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) >4.9 mmol/L or blood pressure (BP) >180/110 mmHg. Individuals with existing CVD were excluded. The treatment targets were BP <140/90 mmHg (≤135/75 for diabetics), LDL-C <2.6 mmol/L, and HbA1c ≤6.5%. Multiple logistic regressions determined the association between sociodemographic, clinical characteristics, health literacy, and medication adherence with the achievements of each target.

Results:

About 7.2% achieved all treatment targets. Of these, 35.1% reached systolic and diastolic (46.7%) BP targets. About 60.2% and 28.2% achieved optimal LDL-C and HbA1c, respectively. Working participants had lower odds of having optimal systolic (aOR = 0.34, 95% CI: 0.13-0.90) and diastolic (aOR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.17-0.96) BP. Those who adhered to treatments were more likely to achieve LDL-C and HbA1c targets; (aOR = 1.72, 95% CI: 1.10-2.69) and (aOR = 2.46, 95% CI: 1.25-4.83), respectively.

Conclusions:

The control of risk factors among high CV risk patients in this study was suboptimal. Urgent measures such as improving medication adherence are warranted.
The Calgary Kids’ Hand Rule: External Validation of a Prediction Model to Triage Pediatric Hand Fractures
Authors: Hartley Rebecca L. , Ronksley Paul , Harrop A. Robertson , Baykan Altay , Wei Sabrina , Forbes Diana , Arneja Jugpal , Canturk Toros , Cheung Kevin , Fraulin Frankie O. G.
Published: August 2023

Background: The Calgary Kids’ Hand Rule (CKHR) is a clinical prediction rule intended to guide referral decisions for pediatric hand fractures presenting to the emergency department, identifying “complex” fractures that require surgical referral and optimizing care through better matching of patients’ needs to provider expertise. The objective of this study was to externally validate the CKHR in two different tertiary pediatric hospitals in Canada. Methods: We partnered with British Columbia Children's Hospital (BCCH) and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) to externally validate the CKHR using data from retrospective cohorts of pediatric hand fractures (via electronic medical record and x-ray review). Model performance was evaluated at each site using sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and the C-statistic. Results: A total of 954 hand fractures were included in the analysis (524 at BCCH and 430 at CHEO. At BCCH, the CKHR had a sensitivity of 91.1% (133 predicted complex out of 146 total complex fractures), specificity of 71.4% (269 predicted simple out of 377 total simple fractures), and C-statistic of .81, 95% CI [0.78-0.84]. At CHEO, the CKHR had a sensitivity of 98.3%, specificity of 30.2%, and C-statistic of .64, 95% CI [0.61-0.67]. Conclusion: The CKHR performed well at two different tertiary care centres with high sensitivity, supporting its ability to facilitate hand fracture triage in other populations without further modification. This work should be followed by rigorous implementation analysis to determine its impact on patient care.
Five-Year Outcomes After Implantation of a Scaffold-Free Tissue-Engineered Construct Generated From Autologous Synovial Mesenchymal Stromal Cells for Repair of Knee Chondral Lesions
Authors: Shimomura Kazunori , Ando Wataru , Hart David A. , Yonetani Yasukazu , Horibe Shuji , Nakamura Norimasa
Published: August 2023

Background:

In an earlier study, a scaffold-free tissue-engineered construct (TEC) derived from autologous synovial membrane mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) was developed and demonstrated to be safe and effective for cartilage repair at 2 years postoperatively.

Purpose:

To investigate clinical outcomes and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings at 5 years after implantation.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

This was an observational first-in-human study limited to 5 patients (age, 28-46 years) with symptomatic knee chondral lesions (size, 1.5-3.0 cm2) on the medial femoral condyle, lateral femoral condyle, or femoral groove. Synovial MSCs were isolated from arthroscopic biopsy specimens and cultured to develop a TEC that matched the lesion size. The TECs were then implanted into chondral defects without fixation and assessed at up to 5 years postoperatively. The patients were clinically evaluated using the visual analog scale for pain, Lysholm score, Tegner score, and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score. An MRI scan evaluation was also performed for morphologic and compositional quality of the repair tissue at both 2 and 5 years of follow-up.

Results:

All clinical scores were significantly improved from the preoperative evaluation to the 2- and 5-year follow-ups and the results were stable over time. The MRI scan evaluation showed cartilage defects filled with newly generated tissues with good tissue integration to adjacent host cartilage over time. The cartilage thickness and surface smoothness of the repair cartilage were maintained up to 5 years postoperatively. The MOCART (magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue) 2.0 Knee Scores remained high at 5 years, although the total points decreased slightly.

Conclusion:

The results highlight the efficacy and feasibility of autologous scaffold-free TEC derived from synovial MSCs for regenerative cartilage repair via a sutureless and simple implantation procedure, showing good clinical outcomes and MRI findings with stable results at midterm follow-up. Further follow-up will be needed to assess the long-term quality of the repair tissue.
The Effect of a Flipped Classroom Learning Model Versus Traditional Lecture Model on Resident's Knowledge Acquisition for Atraumatic Back Pain in the Emergency Department
Authors: Dubey Elizebeth , Paxton James H. , Smylie Laura , Welch Robert D. , Messman Anne
Published: August 2023

Objective

The effectiveness of lecture-based (LB) formats for residency education has recently been challenged as the gold standard. Studies suggest a flipped classroom (FC) lecture improves resident satisfaction, but evidence that showing improved knowledge acquisition is lacking. To determine whether the flipped classroom model improves knowledge acquisition compared to traditional LB model.

Methods

Emergency medicine resident physicians at 2 academic programs were included in December 2019; at Sinai-Grace Hospital, a traditional lecture was the teaching method and at Detroit Receiving Hospital, FC was utilized. Residents completed prelecture and postlecture content tests. The primary outcome was change in test results (pretest to post-test). A noninferiority design comparing the changes between intervention and control groups was utilized (1-sided t-test, noninferiority margin of −0.5; 1-sided alpha = 0.05).

Results

Results were available for 31 residents (17 controls and 14 interventions) out of 83 enrolled. There were 14 postgraduate year 1 (PGY-1), 9 PGY-2, and 8 PGY-3 residents. The mean difference in score was +0.71 (SD 1.38) and +0.77 (SD 1.48) for the FC and LB groups, respectively. This resulted in a mean difference between groups of −0.05 (lower bound of the upper 95% confidence interval −0.93 and therefore crossing the noninferiority margin of −0.05; P = .20).

Conclusions

This study of resident education at 2 training programs was unable to demonstrate noninferiority of an FC format compared to standard lecture. Surprisingly, there was little improvement in test results after both teaching formats. Larger studies are needed to power results.
Production of nature and labour agency: How the subsumption of nature affects trade union action in the fishery and aquaculture sectors in Aysén, Chile
Authors: Velásquez Diego , Ayala Jorge
Published: August 2023

This research seeks to link labour studies with political ecology by studying how the subsumption of nature affects labour agencies in fisheries and aquaculture in Aysén, Chile. For this purpose, the time-space-form approach is used to compare their impact on the distribution of union power resources between these sectors. The findings indicate that the labour agency is impacted by natural materiality and the environment unequally according to the strategy of appropriation and commodification of nature. This relationship between labour and nature is mediated by the organisation of the labour process, because bio-geographical conditions set the process of resource appropriation and commodification and, consequently, shape the relationship between capital and labour.
Analyzing the Role of Arterial Spin Labelling in Patients Undergoing Endovascular Thrombectomy for Large Vessel Occlusion—a Prospective Single Center Study
Authors: Parveen Suhaila , Raj Aiswarya , Basheer Noufal , Alapatt Paul J. , Janardhanan Sujith , KP Abdurehiman , Ramakrishnan KG
Published: August 2023

Acute stroke is one of the leading causes of death globally. Imaging remains the most common modality to diagnose and predict outcomes in patients with stroke. Conventionally, computed tomography (CT) was the preferred choice; however, imaging has expanded to include newer modalities such as Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast (DSC), Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI (DCE), and Arterial Spin Labelling MRI. An alternative method of assessing perfusion, ASL uses the spins of endogenous water protons as a tracer rather than administering a contrast agent. In this manner, endogenous water in the arterial blood is labelled electromagnetically and employed as a freely diffusible tracer. ASL, as opposed to CT, DSC or DCE, allows estimation of cerebral blood flow without exposure to radiation or the administration of contrast material, which is advantageous for patients with impaired renal function or repetitive perfusion imaging. Thus a prospective study was conducted to explore the use of Arterial Spin Labelling MRI in the setting of acute ischemic stroke in both pre and post-thrombectomy patients. Our study is significant as there are no existing prospective studies comparing the cerebral perfusion measured using ASL with neurological outcomes.
Magmatic and post-magmatic evolution of the Newania carbonatite complex, Rajasthan, north-western India
Authors: Singh Amritpaul , Mitchell Roger H. , Kaur Gurmeet , Sarma D. Srinivasa
Published: August 2023

This work describes the mineralogy of dolomite carbonatite occurring at the Newania carbonatite complex, Rajasthan, north-western India. The mineralogy records the textural and compositional features of magmatic and post-magmatic stages of carbonatite evolution. Ferroan dolomite is the principal constituent and displays variable degrees of deformation, ranging from brittle-to-ductile deformation regimes. Apatite exhibits textural and compositional evolutionary trends from early-to-late stages of carbonatite evolution. Two varieties of amphibole are reported for the first time from this complex, ferri-winchite and cummingtonite; the former is magmatic and the latter is metamorphic in origin. The columbite–tantalite-series minerals are columbite-(Fe), and their paragenesis evolves from composite grains with pyrochlore to individual crystals. Pyrochlore is magmatic with U–Ta–Ti-rich compositions and shows evolution from calciopyrochlore to kenopyrochlore, followed by alteration during late-stages of carbonatite evolution. Monazite and baryte constitute the post-magmatic mineral assemblage; the former is hydrothermal and crystallised after precursor apatite, whereas the latter is associated exclusively with columbite–pyrochlore composites. On the basis of the mineralogy of the carbonatite, it is concluded that the parent magma was generated by low-degree partial melting of magnesite–phlogopite-bearing peridotite.
Mechanisms of initiation of cortical spreading depression
Authors: Vitale Marina , Tottene Angelita , Zarin Zadeh Maral , Brennan KC , Pietrobon Daniela
Published: August 2023

Background

There is increasing evidence from human and animal studies that cortical spreading depression (CSD) is the neurophysiological correlate of migraine aura and a trigger of migraine pain mechanisms. The mechanisms of initiation of CSD in the brain of migraineurs remain unknown, and the mechanisms of initiation of experimentally induced CSD in normally metabolizing brain tissue remain incompletely understood and controversial. Here, we investigated the mechanisms of CSD initiation by focal application of KCl in mouse cerebral cortex slices.

Methods

High KCl puffs of increasing duration up to the threshold duration eliciting a CSD were applied on layer 2/3 whilst the membrane potential of a pyramidal neuron located very close to the site of KCl application and the intrinsic optic signal were simultaneously recorded. This was done before and after the application of a specific blocker of either NMDA or AMPA glutamate receptors (NMDARs, AMPARs) or voltage-gated Ca2+ (CaV) channels. If the drug blocked CSD, stimuli up to 12–15 times the threshold were applied.

Results

Blocking either NMDARs with MK-801 or CaV channels with Ni2+ completely inhibited CSD initiation by both CSD threshold and largely suprathreshold KCl stimuli. Inhibiting AMPARs with NBQX was without effect on the CSD threshold and velocity. Analysis of the CSD subthreshold and threshold neuronal depolarizations in control conditions and in the presence of MK-801 or Ni2+ revealed that the mechanism underlying ignition of CSD by a threshold stimulus (and not by a just subthreshold stimulus) is the CaV-dependent activation of a threshold level of NMDARs (and/or of channels whose opening depends on the latter). The delay of several seconds with which this occurs underlies the delay of CSD initiation relative to the rapid neuronal depolarization produced by KCl.

Conclusions

Both NMDARs and CaV channels are necessary for CSD initiation, which is not determined by the extracellular K+ or neuronal depolarization levels per se, but requires the CaV-dependent activation of a threshold level of NMDARs. This occurs with a delay of several seconds relative to the rapid depolarization produced by the KCl stimulus. Our data give insights into potential mechanisms of CSD initiation in migraine.
Identification of radiomic biomarkers in a set of four skeletal muscle groups on Dixon MRI of the NAKO MR study
Authors: Fischer Marc , Küstner Thomas , Pappa Sofia , Niendorf Thoralf , Pischon Tobias , Kröncke Thomas , Bette Stefanie , Schramm Sara , Schmidt Börge , Haubold Johannes , Nensa Felix , Nonnenmacher Tobias , Palm Viktoria , Bamberg Fabian , Kiefer Lena , Schick Fritz , Yang Bin
Published: August 2023

In this work, we propose a processing pipeline for the extraction and identification of meaningful radiomics biomarkers in skeletal muscle tissue as displayed using Dixon-weighted MRI. Diverse and robust radiomics features can be identified that may be of aid in the accurate quantification e.g. varying degrees of sarcopenia in respective muscles of large cohorts. As such, the approach comprises the texture feature extraction from raw data based on well established approaches, such as a nnU-Net neural network and the Pyradiomics toolbox, a subsequent selection according to adequate conditions for the muscle tissue of the general population, and an importance-based ranking to further narrow the amount of meaningful features with respect to auxiliary targets. The performance was investigated with respect to the included auxiliary targets, namely age, body mass index (BMI), and fat fraction (FF). Four skeletal muscles with different fiber architecture were included: the mm. glutaei, m. psoas, as well as the extensors and adductors of the thigh. The selection allowed for a reduction from 1015 available texture features to 65 for age, 53 for BMI, and 36 for FF from the available fat/water contrast images considering all muscles jointly. Further, the dependence of the importance rankings calculated for the auxiliary targets on validation sets (in a cross-validation scheme) was investigated by boxplots. In addition, significant differences between subgroups of respective auxiliary targets as well as between both sexes were shown to be present within the ten lowest ranked features by means of Kruskal-Wallis H-tests and Mann-Whitney U-tests. The prediction performance for the selected features and the ranking scheme were verified on validation sets by a random forest based multi-class classification, with strong area under the curve (AUC) values of the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) of 73.03 ± 0.70 % and 73.63 ± 0.70 % for the water and fat images in age, 80.68 ± 0.30 % and 88.03 ± 0.89 % in BMI, as well as 98.36 ± 0.03 % and 98.52 ± 0.09 % in FF.
Relationship between depressive symptoms and anemia among the middle-aged and elderly: a cohort study over 4-year period
Authors: Liu Congqi , Zhou Ruihao , Peng Xilin , Zhu Tao , Wei Wei , Hao Xuechao
Published: August 2023

Background

The association between anemia and depression has been demonstrated in previous studies, but it's still unclear whether depressive symptoms as a hazard factor for anemia. The findings of a large-scale cross-sectional and longitudinal examination of such an association of among the middle-aged and elderly individuals in China were presented in our study.

Methods

The data from China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2011 and 2015 were evaluated. 10,179 and 5,887 participants were included in cross-sectional and longitudinal study, respectively. According to the World Health Organization, hemoglobin concentrations below 13 g/dL for males and 12 g/dL for females are considered anemia. The research population was separated into two groups based on scores of the 10-item short form of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10): the group with depressed symptoms had a score of more than 10 points, and the group with depressive disorder had a score of more than 20 points. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were conducted to explore the relationship between anemia and varying degrees of depressive symptoms, utilizing three models based on adjusting for different types of covariates.

Results

In our cross-sectional investigation, depression disorders were more likely to link to the occurrence of anemia (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.02–1.77; P = 0.035). Additionally, there seems a linear connection between depression questionnaire scores and hemoglobin concentrations (r = - 0.053, P < 0.001). Depressive symptom was significantly associated with anemia over 4 years of follow-up, and the more intense the depressive symptoms, the greater the danger of anemia (depressive symptoms group: OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.02–1.57, P = 0.032; depressive disorder group: OR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.12–2.25, P = 0.010).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that depression symptoms seem related to anemia in the middle-aged and elderly in China cross-sectionally and longitudinally, and that the risk of anemia increases with the severity of depressive symptoms.
Balancing adipocyte production and lipid metabolism to treat obesity-induced diabetes with a novel proteoglycan from Ganoderma lucidum
Authors: Wang YingXin , Yu Fanzhen , Zheng Xinru , Li Jiaqi , Zhang Zeng , Zhang Qianqian , Chen Jieying , He Yanming , Yang Hongjie , Zhou Ping
Published: August 2023

Obesity is often accompanied by metabolic disorder and insulin resistance, resulting in type 2 diabetes. Based on previous findings, FYGL, a natural hyperbranched proteoglycan extracted from the G. lucidum fruiting body, can decrease blood glucose and reduce body weight in diabetic mice. In this article, the underlying mechanism of FYGL in ameliorating obesity-induced diabetes was further investigated both in vivo and in vitro. FYGL upregulated expression of metabolic genes related to fatty acid biosynthesis, fatty acid β-oxidation and thermogenesis; downregulated the expression of insulin resistance-related genes; and significantly increased the number of beige adipocytes in db/db mice. In addition, FYGL inhibited preadipocyte differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells by increasing the expression of FABP-4. FYGL not only promoted fatty acid synthesis but also more significantly promoted triglyceride degradation and metabolism by activating the AMPK signalling pathway, therefore preventing fat accumulation, balancing adipocyte production and lipid metabolism, and regulating metabolic disorders and unhealthy obesity. FYGL could be used as a promising pharmacological agent for the treatment of metabolic disorder-related obesity.
LC/MS-based untargeted lipidomics reveals lipid signatures of nonpuerperal mastitis
Authors: Chen Xiaoxiao , Shao Shijun , Wu Xueqing , Feng Jiamei , Qu Wenchao , Gao Qingqian , Sun Jiaye , Wan Hua
Published: August 2023

Background

Nonpuerperal mastitis (NPM) is a disease that presents with redness, swelling, heat, and pain during nonlactation and can often be confused with breast cancer. The etiology of NPM remains elusive; however, emerging clinical evidence suggests a potential involvement of lipid metabolism.

Method

Liquid chromatography‒mass spectrometry (LC/MS)-based untargeted lipidomics analysis combined with multivariate statistics was performed to investigate the NPM lipid change in breast tissue. Twenty patients with NPM and 10 controls were enrolled in this study.

Results

The results revealed significant differences in lipidomics profiles, and a total of 16 subclasses with 14,012 different lipids were identified in positive and negative ion modes. Among these lipids, triglycerides (TGs), phosphatidylethanolamines (PEs) and cardiolipins (CLs) were the top three lipid components between the NPM and control groups. Subsequently, a total of 35 lipids were subjected to screening as potential biomarkers, and the chosen lipid biomarkers exhibited enhanced discriminatory capability between the two groups. Furthermore, pathway analysis elucidated that the aforementioned alterations in lipids were primarily associated with the arachidonic acid metabolic pathway. The correlation between distinct lipid populations and clinical phenotypes was assessed through weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA).

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that untargeted lipidomics assays conducted on breast tissue samples from patients with NPM exhibit noteworthy alterations in lipidomes. The findings of this study highlight the substantial involvement of arachidonic acid metabolism in lipid metabolism within the context of NPM. Consequently, this study offers valuable insights that can contribute to a more comprehensive comprehension of NPM in subsequent investigations.

Trial registration

Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Number: 2019-702-57; Date: July 2019).
Development and validation of a psoriasis treatment acceptability measure through group concept mapping
Authors: Hudgens Stacie , Howerter Amy , Keith Shannon , Evans Colby , Pelletier Corey
Published: August 2023

Background

Psoriasis is a common autoimmune dermatologic condition which has a pronounced negative impact on patient quality of life and disease burden. Currently, there are a number of treatments available for psoriasis, with differences in efficacy, mechanism of action, mode of administration, adverse effects, and tolerability. However, a reliable, validated patient-reported instrument to address patient expectations and of psoriasis treatment has not been developed. This project was undertaken with the aim of developing a fit-for-purpose self-reported instrument to inform patient expectations and preferences of psoriasis treatments.

Methods

Two studies, both utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods, were conducted in patients within the entire spectrum of psoriasis severity. In Study 1, a group concept mapping (GCM) exercise was conducted with dermatologists and moderate-to-severe psoriasis patients to identify concepts important in the treatment of psoriasis. In Study 2, a preliminary Treatment Acceptability Questionnaire (TAQ) was developed using GCM-derived concepts from Studies 1 and 2, followed by cognitive debriefing (CD) telephone interviews of the preliminary TAQ. In Study 2, another GCM exercise was conducted with mild and newly diagnosed psoriasis patients. Psychometric analyses were performed on the TAQ to evaluate validity and reliability.

Results

The Study 1 GCM exercise generated 43 concepts from moderate-to-severe psoriasis patients (n = 20) and dermatologists (n = 10). In Study 2, 37 GCM concepts were generated from mild and newly diagnosed psoriasis patients (n = 20). From the 2 GCM exercises, 28 concepts were selected to form the preliminary TAQ; CD interviews indicated strong understanding and relevance of TAQ items among patients with disease ranging from mild to severe. The final TAQ consisted of 20 items; psychometric analysis demonstrated strong validity and reliability of the TAQ.

Conclusions

The TAQ is a novel psychometrically validated patient-reported instrument to inform healthcare providers of patients’ expectations of and preferences for treatment of their psoriasis and can help in shared decision making between patients and physicians.
Osteogenic stimulation of osteoprogenitors by putamen ovi peptides and hyaluronic acid
Authors: Neunzehn Jörg , Alt Franziska , Wiesmann Hans-Peter , Kruppke Benjamin
Published: August 2023

Eggshell peptides (EP) majorly contribute to rapid bone building in chicks, wherefore this paper investigated their potential for stimulating osteogenesis in vitro. In this study, the effects of EP, also called putamen ovi peptides and a combination of hyaluronic acid with EP in cell culture medium were tested towards proliferation, differentiation, gene expression and mineralization of bovine osteoprogenitors and primary human osteoblasts. The influence of EP at concentrations of 0.005 g/L, 0.5 g/L and 0.5 g/L with 0.25% hyaluronic acid was analyzed using immunocytochemical staining of bone-specific matrix proteins, namely collagen type I, osteonectin, osteopontin and osteocalcin, to prove osteoblastic differentiation. Additionally, Richardson-staining was performed. All tests revealed a superior osteoblastic differentiation with EP at 0.5 g/L after 5 days of cultivation. Hyaluronic acid alone showed controversial results and partially constrained osteoblastic differentiation in combination with EP to a level as low as for pure EP at 0.005 g/L. Of particular interest is the osteoblast-typical mineralization, as an important indicator of bone formation, which was measured indirectly via the calcium concentration after cultivation over 4 weeks. The mineralization showed an increase by a factor of 286 during the cultivation of primary human osteoblasts with hyaluronic acid and EP. Meanwhile, cell cultures treated with EP (0.5 g/L) only showed an 80-fold increase in calcium concentration.

The influence of EP (0.5 g/L) on primary human osteoblasts was investigated by gene expression after 2 weeks of cultivation. Microarray and qRT-PCR analysis showed a strongly increased expression of main important genes in bone formation, bone regeneration and the physiological bone remodelling processes. Namely, BMP 2, osteopontin and the matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 9, were present during in vitro osteoprogenitor culture with EP. By explicitly underlining the potential of eggshell peptides for stimulating osteogenesis, as well as emphasizing complex and controversial interaction with hyaluronan, this manuscript is relevant for developing new functionalized biomaterials for bone regeneration.